Dead of Winter: A Christmas Anthology

This is a collection of thriller novellas by some fantastic authors. I’ve read and enjoyed work by a couple of them and was introduced to some that I’d not read and will probably read again. The stories range from a war story to the theft of some ancient artifacts to chasing down terrorists. Each story is different not only in content, but in style. I enjoyed them all.

For my review on each novel, see below.

Meanwhile, I’m not sure if this is the case, but the guys who wrote these novellas have to know each other. Is it a coincidence that in one story we have Earl Heskett and in another we have Nikolas de Thackere? And even a Davide de Berens? Probably not. Clever, guys. 🙂
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DEAD OF WINTER: THRILLER ANTHOLOGY

ONE IS A WARRIOR BY M.P. MACDOUGALL

I have to admit that I’m not big on war stories and I wasn’t too crazy about this one at first. It read like a SEALs version of Top Gun, complete with acquiring nicknames, the camaraderie between the men and the bit of romance between Lawson and Lexie.

But as I read it, I grew to like and appreciate Lawson Holland and the guys he worked with. I guess as a civilian, all I ever see of things like this is in movies and TV. When you read it and can’t turn away and you get a real feel of just how terrifying situations can be. In this case, it was 1989 and the US government overthrowing Manuel Noriega in Panama, an event I’m old enough to remember. The story was so well written that I could hear the gunfire and picture the chaos in my head. I could feel the panic of the people in the streets and see the sneers on the faces of the Dingbats as they defied and fired on the SEALs. I admired the cool demeanor of the SEALs as their brothers-in-arms were wounded or killed. They’re some really tough guys and aren’t to be trifled with.

As I said, I’m not a fan of war stories, but this one was pretty darn good.

Five Stars

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THE LAST GIFT BY DUSTY SHARP

This one is more up my alley. Austin Conrad is a former biker and now owns a strip joint in Las Vegas. He’s got a 1969 Mach One Mustang complete with an 8-track player in it. It’s a sweet car and I guess I’m one of those women who gets taken in by real muscle cars. He’s closing the place up one night and decides to give the last patron a ride home. Lee is passed out and sprawled over the bar and in no condition to drive.

On the way to his house, Austin gets to know Lee a little bit then is drawn into a kidnapping for ransom deal. Austin is level-headed, smooth, and nobody to mess with. When he went to visit Mar-Vel, I was laughing out loud. Austin doesn’t mince any words and his meanings are clear…unless you’re Mar-Vel.

I liked Austin a lot and this story had me from the very beginning to the very end. Austin is so believable. Everything about him is so real. I think if I were ever in a situation where I needed help, I’d want him to be the guy to do it. On the other hand, I would never want to cross him.

This would be an easy five star read except for a couple of instances of wrong word usage (ales instead of ails, waste instead of waist). There’s plenty of action to keep the story moving. I liked this story very much and I like the author’s writing style.

Four Stars

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GAME DAY BY JIM HESKETT

I’ve been a long-time fan of Micah Reed and Layne Parrish. They’re friends in their own series but to have them together like this was more than I could’ve ever hoped for. In this novella, they’re at a Christmas Day basketball game in Denver. They’re both spending the holiday alone, since Layne’s little girl is visiting some relatives in Russia and Micah doesn’t really have anyone at any time, so why not catch a game?

All is well, including the jesting between Micah and Layne, when they spot some people who seemed to be out of place. As these two are wont to do, they go to check these guys out and find a whole lot of trouble.

I want to point something out. I’ve read every novel in the Micah Reed series and the Layne Parrish series. I always knew that Layne was a stand-up guy just as Micah is, but Layne makes a big sacrifice that not too many people would do for a family member let alone a friend. I never doubted either of them, but considering what was on the line for Micah, it was a huge deal.

This story fired on all cylinders and I hope we get more stories with the two of them working together.

Easy, easy five stars

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THE ZOO BY R.A. MCGEE

I was up late into the night reading this particular novella. I was ready to declare it a DNF. I didn’t like Clark Barnes at all. I thought he was sort of mash between John McClain and Rambo. I didn’t like his attitude and I didn’t like his machismo. But I was 15 chapters in and knew I’d come too far to quit so I finished it. I’m glad I did.

This really is a gripping story about an operative who works off the radar and is going after some terrorists at a zoo in Switzerland. It’s fast-paced, riveting, and has a heck of a twist at the end. As a matter of fact, what Clark Barnes did at the end touched my heart. I didn’t think he was that type of guy. There are all sorts of surprises in this story.

And not that it matters, but I haven’t quite quit, either. 😉

Five Stars

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THE BONES OF SAINT NICHOLAS BY KEVIN TUMLINSON

Dan Kotler is “an archaeologist consulting with the FBI on cases so cold they’re literally labeled ‘ancient’.” He and his partner, Roland Denzel, are in Italy working on a case of some missing bones of Saint Nicholas and a chunk of stone, which have been stolen. What they uncover is far deeper than just a theft. It goes deep into some nefarious people.

This is the first book I’ve read by Kevin Tumlinson and I have to say I enjoyed it very much. Sometimes authors tend to overdo a scene, especially in thrillers when the tension breaks and there’s a big fight, but this was perfect. There’s a lot of action and excitement that kept me turning the pages and it ended on a great note.

I liked the characters, the story was fascinating, and it was just a great read.

Five Stars

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THE CONCH WAVE BY DAVID BERENS

“What kind of monster kills Santa Claus?” I couldn’t agree more with our hero, Troy Bodean.

Troy is a likeable cowboy sort that’s on a bus ride to Florida, getting to know a few of the passengers on the way when the bus breaks down in the middle of nowhere. Fortunately, there’s a liquor store nearby where he and the passengers can get some food and something to drink. Well, that was the plan. But things go sideways when he asks the clerk to use the bathroom.

This is the first time I’ve read anything with Troy Bodean in it and it wasn’t only a great story, but I liked Troy. He’s an army veteran, but isn’t all macho-I’m-going-to-save-the-day type. Things don’t always go right for him, which makes him a believable character. I liked the way he acted, spoke, and I especially liked how he spoke to Holly. I’m a sucker for that Southern thing with darlin’ and hun, and all of that.

I see myself reading more of David Beren’s work and kicking back with some Troy Bodean.

I have one comment and one question:

1). I actually like the picture of the dogs playing poker.

2). Where was the bus driver when all of this was going down?

Five Stars

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THE PHOENIX PROJECT BY NICK THACKER

I’ve read a couple of Harvey Bennett novels and didn’t find out until just now that he’s married. I don’t know how I missed that, but I think his wife was a character in The Lethal Bones. Not sure on that, though. I read a lot of books and getting characters mixed up is a thing.

Harvey “Ben” Bennett and his wife, Julie, found out a plane had crashed not so far from them. After some convincing from Julie and them being the closest to the downed aircraft, Ben goes to do a rescue on the people inside the plane. Only it’s not at all an ordinary rescue. It’s Alaska. It’s cold, snowing, and gets dark early and stays dark late into the morning. He’s got all the odds against him, but the humanitarian in him keeps him going.

He’s puzzled by what he finds at the crash site, but he doesn’t have much time to ponder the situation because somebody starts shooting at him.

This was a crazy good read. It was full of action, suspense, and had a heck of a surprise ending. Ben doesn’t go looking for trouble, but it always seems to find him and this was no different. He was just trying to help a guy out and s*** got real so quick.

I wonder if the name Bolshevik was a cover name for the Russian who was in the story. It doesn’t matter. It just alludes to the Bolshevik Revolution back in the in 1917. I wondered if it was intentional.

Great characters, great story.

Five Stars

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GONE ROGUE BY STEVEN MOORE

The prelude to this story was fantastic. I’ve always had a fascination with history, knights, and to make it Knights Templar captivated me. Six rogue Knights Templar (the last six of the order) against 12 of the Knights of the King’s Guard and a traitor dressed as a peasant in a showdown…it wasn’t as bloody or grisly as it could’ve been, but it was clearly written and written in good taste and laid out an interesting premise for this novella.

Hiram Kane and his friends, Alexandria (Alex), Evan, and Luke are out for a pre-Christmas drink when they run into an enormous man who looks a lot like Santa Claus at the bar. He stops Hiram from touching the cursed galleon and starts to tell them a story that leads them on a quest to discover who his Templar ancestor is.

This was an intriguing read and had me thinking and re-thinking things I’ve known all of my life. It would behoove the reader to remember that there’s always some fact in fiction. Personally, I’m on Hiram’s side of things when it comes to organized religion. That’s all I’m going to say about that.

And it was a classy move to reference Erich Von Daniken and The Chariots of the Gods. I haven’t read the book, but I’m well aware of it.

This book earns an easy five stars.

Dead of Winter: A Christmas Anthology. I got this book late last year & never got around to reading it until now. WOW! 8 great authors contributing to a Christmas themed anthology. Great read! look forward to reading more from each of these 8 authors. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 – July 24, 2018).

Dead of Winter: A Christmas Anthology is an awesome anthology made up of eight novellas by Nick Thacker, Jim Heskett , David Berens, Kevin Tumlinson , M. P. MacDougall, R. A. McGee, Dusty Sharp, Steven Moore. Eight page turning stories with good writing, great characters and easy to read.

Don’t expect Christmasy feelings or deep, heart stopping thrillers. But there is a great sense of mystery and suspense during the holiday season, such as:

Navy Seals on hostage recovery that could very easily come straight from today’s news headlines; two terrorist attacks, one in a zoo in Switzerland; the other at the Pepsi Stadium during the Nuggets Christmas basketball game; college students stumble on a quest to find the truth about the last surviving Knights Templar, and more thrilling stories. Each story has a link to the author’s webpage with more books by them.

There is not one story that I couldn’t put down in this five-star anthology. I have previously enjoyed books by five of these authors and enjoyed finding three more authors to enjoy. I highly recommend this to everyone.

I did receive an advance readers copy from the author. The above is my free and honest review.