A stellar desert setting reinforces this entertaining tale in which a group of bus passengers struggles to survive.
A Green Beret’s return to civilian life isn’t an easy transition, as a band of murderous drug suppliers hijacks his bus ride to Las Vegas in this energetic thriller.
Sgt. Kris Klug thinks his court-martial is a setup. During a mission in Iraq, he and his team are attacked by mercenaries from PeaceMaker Corporation, after which he inexplicably faces charges of, among other things, disobeying orders. Dishonorably discharged, Klug heads to Los Angeles, where Uncle Fred gives his nephew his trucking business and houses in Malibu and Vegas. Fred’s inching toward retirement, but unbeknownst to Klug, he’s also hoping to sell off his drug dealing business. Fred makes the sale but is double-crossed by the buyer, Bill Bradley, who steals his money back as well as a bag of cocaine. Now drug suppliers Fat Mike and El Chito want their cash and drugs, and they hijack a shuttle bus that they know Bradley and his wife, April, are riding in. Klug’s on the same bus, worried about Fred in Vegas. When it’s clear that the gang’s planning on murdering everyone and leaving them in the desert, Klug and the other passengers run, taking refuge in Fred’s nearby cabin. But Fat Mike and the rest are determined to find and kill them, if the desert heat doesn’t get the passengers first. Though the bulk of the story is a tense desert actioner, Biskeborn (A Sufi’s Ghost, 2013, etc.) sprinkles suspense throughout. Klug, for one, is twice attacked by (possibly) PeaceMaker mercenaries. This also cleverly ties into the main plot: Fat Mike, et al., contractors for PeaceMaker, contemplate a proffered contract to kill a Green Beret. Some of the story belongs to Fred, and it’s hard not to cheer him on as he and girlfriend Gina race to the airport to flee the country. Then again, Fred outclasses his appropriately vile associates, most notably cokehead Bradley. The desert sequences are exceptional: Klug’s group is in danger from both dehydration and armed killers, and the gang may be stashing the makings of a dirty bomb. The inner turmoil, too, augments the story; people suggest ditching April, who takes blame simply for being married to Bradley.
A stellar desert setting reinforces this entertaining tale in which a group of bus passengers struggles to survive.Pub Date: Jan. 4, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4810-2698-7
Page Count: 390
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Jan. 9, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of...
Hoover’s (November 9, 2015, etc.) latest tackles the difficult subject of domestic violence with romantic tenderness and emotional heft.
At first glance, the couple is edgy but cute: Lily Bloom runs a flower shop for people who hate flowers; Ryle Kincaid is a surgeon who says he never wants to get married or have kids. They meet on a rooftop in Boston on the night Ryle loses a patient and Lily attends her abusive father’s funeral. The provocative opening takes a dark turn when Lily receives a warning about Ryle’s intentions from his sister, who becomes Lily’s employee and close friend. Lily swears she’ll never end up in another abusive home, but when Ryle starts to show all the same warning signs that her mother ignored, Lily learns just how hard it is to say goodbye. When Ryle is not in the throes of a jealous rage, his redeeming qualities return, and Lily can justify his behavior: “I think we needed what happened on the stairwell to happen so that I would know his past and we’d be able to work on it together,” she tells herself. Lily marries Ryle hoping the good will outweigh the bad, and the mother-daughter dynamics evolve beautifully as Lily reflects on her childhood with fresh eyes. Diary entries fancifully addressed to TV host Ellen DeGeneres serve as flashbacks to Lily’s teenage years, when she met her first love, Atlas Corrigan, a homeless boy she found squatting in a neighbor’s house. When Atlas turns up in Boston, now a successful chef, he begs Lily to leave Ryle. Despite the better option right in front of her, an unexpected complication forces Lily to cut ties with Atlas, confront Ryle, and try to end the cycle of abuse before it’s too late. The relationships are portrayed with compassion and honesty, and the author’s note at the end that explains Hoover’s personal connection to the subject matter is a must-read.
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of the survivors.Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5011-1036-8
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
A fascinating, thought-provoking, genre-bending romantic read.
When Solène Marchand takes her 12-year-old daughter to a concert by the hottest boy band on the planet, she doesn't expect to fall in love with one of the singers.
Middle-aged art gallery owner Solène hasn’t dated since her divorce, but when her ex-husband buys their daughter and a group of her friends tickets to Vegas and a backstage concert experience, then backs out at the last minute, she steps in as escort. The five guys in the wildly popular English boy band August Moon appeal to women of all ages, but Hayes, the brains behind the group’s success, flirts with Solène at the concert meet and greet, invites them to a party after the show, then pursues her once she gets back to Los Angeles. He’s only 20 and he’s incredibly famous; his attention is flattering and heady. The two fall into an affair that’s supposed to be light and easy, but before long they can’t ignore their intense emotional attachment. Solène is hesitant to tell her daughter, but when she procrastinates, Isabelle learns about it through an online tabloid, which damages their relationship and leaves Solène open to censure from her ex. Then, once the affair goes viral, she experiences the darker side of Hayes’ fan base. What started out as a jaunty adventure turns into an emotionally fraught journey, and Solène must decide what she’s willing to risk for her happiness and what she won’t risk for her daughter’s. Actress Lee, who appeared in Fifty Shades Darker, debuts with a beautifully written novel that explores sex, love, romance, and fantasy in moving, insightful ways while also examining a woman’s struggle with aging and sexism, with a nod at the tension between celebrity and privacy.
A fascinating, thought-provoking, genre-bending romantic read.Pub Date: June 13, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-12590-3
Page Count: 384
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Review Posted Online: April 3, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
