Showing posts with label suspense. Show all posts
Showing posts with label suspense. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

The Nomad's Premonition (Book #2) by Georges Benay (Review & Giveaway!)


Two weeks ago I posted my review of the first book in the Nomad Series Nomad on the Run, which I enjoyed. The Nomad's Premonition is the second book in the series and I enjoyed it even more than the first one. The writing and dialogue is better and it feels like the author has really found his groove. Make sure to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a set of the books or a $15 Amazon gift card!

Book Details:

Book Title: The Nomad's Premonition (Book #2) by Georges Benay
Category: Adult Fiction, 240 pages
Genre: Thriller, mystery/suspense
Publisher: Story Merchant Books
Release date: April 28, 2017
Tour dates: August 14 to Sept 15, 2017
Content Rating: PG-13 (some violence, a couple of swear words - minimal)

Book Description:

​Eric Martin is desperate to forget his past, one that almost cost him his future.

Working in Paris as deputy head of a bank's internal security department, Eric notices a high-speed trader's uncanny ability to predict extremely profitable trades. Even though there's nothing illegal about the activity, he knows the trader's success is more than just luck.

But, no one believes him. Armed only with a handful of data and a powerful instinct, Eric searches for the mysterious trader on his own. He suspects that a predictive algorithm has fallen into the wrong hands.

​Eric sets off for Istanbul to find answers promised to him by an informant. He finds an unlikely ally in Interpol agent Stephanie Brule. With Interpol wanting him back in Paris and out of the way, Eric's quest is also hampered by the sudden appearance of his ex-lover, a boss he's not sure he can trust, and a terrorist who always seems one step ahead.

​Will Eric put an end, once and for all, to the nightmare that began when he accepted a job that was too good to be true? Or will his need for revenge and justice lead him deeper into a treacherous world he has no way of escaping?

My Review:

Two weeks ago I posted my review of the first book in the Nomad Series Nomad on the Run, which I enjoyed. The Nomad's Premonition is the second book in the series and I enjoyed it even more than the first one. The writing and dialogue is better and it feels like the author has really found his groove.

The story takes place three years after the events in the first book. Eric Martin is now in Paris, having accepted a job as the head of a bank's internal security. He is not happy, trying to forget a horrific past and missing his days as an investment banker. It's evident he is not the same person, plagued by the guilt that some of his past actions caused the death of innocent lives and the loss of the woman he loved. So when he notices the work of a high speed trader and thinks it's possibly linked to terrorist work, he stubbornly and obsessively decides to investigate it.

What I liked the most about this story is that it's about a damaged soul who wants to make things right and bring closure to the past, even if it costs him his life. Most thrillers have too much action at the expense of character development. That's not the case with this story. The author builds his characters well and is not afraid to push their limits, reveal their strengths and expose their weaknesses. Eric is wonderfully flawed and compelling as a main character. We get to admire his inner strength even as we shake our heads at some of his foolish actions.

The suspense racks up as Eric gets closer to discovering who the trader is, and it's action-packed for most of the time in Istanbul, which brings me to the setting. What an exotic setting, rich in historical details and landscape descriptions! It prompted me to do research on the Internet of the places mentioned. I was happy that I also got to find out what happened to Eric's late colleague's family, as that was left unanswered in the first book. Once again, the ending is satisfying and left me intrigued. It seems like there is a third book in this series, which I look forward to reading.

Although The Nomad's Premonition is a stand-alone novel, I did like reading it after having read the first book. If you love thrillers set in exotic settings with a strong flawed main character, you will enjoy the Nomad series.


Buy The Nomad's Premonition: 



Meet the Author:



Georges Benay is a former international banker who is now working as a Toronto-based writer and award-winning photographer. He is the author of two novels, including The Nomad's Premonition and a collection of short stories. His award winning pictures have been featured in several magazines and book covers.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Photography Website ~ Twitter



Enter the Giveaway!
Ends Sept 23
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Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Nomad on the Run by Georges Benay (Review & Giveaway!)


I was intrigued by this thriller series because of its exotic setting. You know that I love European settings but really, anything exotic, gets my attention. In addition, this book also takes place in Canada, in particular Toronto and my own home city of Montreal. So how could I resist checking it out? Be sure to enter the giveaway to win both books 1 and 2 in the Nomad series!

Book Details:
Book Title: Nomad on the Run (Book #1) by Georges Benay
Category: Adult Fiction, 290 pages
Genre: Thriller, mystery/suspense
Publisher: Bookstand Publishing
Release date: April 15, 2011
Tour dates: August 14 to Sept 15, 2017
Content Rating: PG (No f-words, some profanity, violence and minimal/tame sex scene)

Book Description:

​Beneath the golden desert and azure seas of Morocco lurks a hidden world of greed, deceit and financial terrorism. But the players are not who you might think. Lured away from his seemingly idyllic life as a managing director for a major international bank in Toronto, Eric Martin returns to his ancestral roots in Morocco.

Tempted by a mysterious offer from a boutique financial firm, Eric soon discovers he has walked into the middle of a whirlwind where everyone has their own secret agenda, and he unwittingly has become the key to unlocking them all. From the broad avenues of Toronto to the mean streets of Casablanca, Eric rushes to discover the truth before time runs out. But who can he trust?

The power and attraction of money is strong. In the midst of a dangerous cast of characters, Jeff Offenbach, bank president, knows more than he lets on. But how much does he know? Is he a key player in a scheme to terrorize the global economy, or is he just trying to save his firm from becoming another victim of the global economic collapse? Valerie is the unknown factor. Is she involved in the partners' machinations, or is she as guileless as Eric? Can he trust her? And more importantly, will he survive long enough to find out?

Buy Nomad on the Run: 


My Review:
Reviewed by Laura Fabiani
I was intrigued by this thriller series because of its exotic setting. You know that I love European settings but really, anything exotic, gets my attention. In addition, this book also takes place in Canada, in particular Toronto and my own home city of Montreal. So how could I resist checking it out?
The story starts off strong but then immediately slows down with details and scenes that do not propel the plot forward, and I was worried it was going to continue at this pace. Once the main character Eric Martin, a managing director for a major international bank in Toronto, decides to accept an invitation to join a boutique financial firm in Casablanca, the action begins. I must admit I did not like Eric at first but his character evolves and he redeems himself several times as he struggles with dilemmas that involve his colleagues and those closest to him. He's a hot tempered cocky fellow, and his flawed character was perfect for the story as he learns valuable lessons.
I enjoyed the story and felt the author's writing and dialogue improved considerably as the plot progressed and became more complex. I thought the plot was intelligent and rang true considering today's financial situation, highlighting the author's keen knowledge of the financial world and how corrupt it can be. I became more and more invested in the story as I continued to read. I also liked the reference to banks, places and French phrases that I am familiar with. I also appreciated that although there was some violence and abduction scenes, they were not explicitly described with gore and blood as in some thrillers I've read.
The ending, especially the last sentence, left me wanting to read the second book immediately following this one. It left the reader intrigued and speculating about Eric's lover. It was the perfect ending to this first book in a series, really. So look out for my review of the second book The Nomad's Premonition on Aug 29!
Meet the Author:



Georges Benay is a former international banker who is now working as a Toronto-based writer and award-winning photographer. He is the author of two novels, including The Nomad's Premonition and a collection of short stories. His award winning pictures have been featured in several magazines and book covers.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Photography Website ~ Twitter




Enter the Giveaway!
Ends Sept 23
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Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Corporate Citizen (Book #5 Roma series) by Gabriel Valjan



Book Details:

Book Title: Corporate Citizen by Gabriel Valjan
Category: Adult Fiction, 388 pages
Genre: Thriller / suspense
Publisher: Winter Goose Publishing
Published: Oct 5, 2016
Content Rating: PG-13 + M


Book Description:

A call for help from an old friend lands Bianca and the crew back in Boston. On a timeout with Dante, due to revelations in the aftermath of the showdown in Naples, Bianca is drawn to a mysterious new ally who understands the traumas of her past, and has some very real trauma of his own. Murder, designer drugs, and a hacker named Magician challenge our team, and Bianca learns that leaving Rendition behind might be much harder than she thinks.

Buy the book: Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

My Review
Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

After having read the first four books I was thrilled to discover that there was a fifth book in the Roma series, thrillers set in Italy with a kick-ass female protagonist and a cast of colorful Italian character that I've come to love.

In Corporate Citizen, Bianca Nerini, a forensic accountant and hacker, decides to return to Boston to help with a case and she takes the "team" with her. Left behind because he and Bianca are taking a break from each other is Dante, her boyfriend. Once again, Bianca gets involved in a situation that involves Rendition, a covert US organization, the US military, designer drugs and murder.

As is his trademark, Gabriel Valjan mixes intelligent writing with suspense, mystery and humor to create the perfect atmosphere for pleasurable reading. I raced through this novel but also savored it as I revisited with characters who are friends that work together both to bring about justice but also because of their individual skills.

Although each book focuses on one character more than the others, Bianca is the person that ties them all together. In Corporate Citizen she seems to be in a transitional period and takes the opportunity to leave Italy when a case in Boston calls. Is she running away from Dante and her inability to share her past traumas with him? The complexity of her character is further revealed when she takes unnecessary risks with her life, as when she meets Nick Adams early on in the game. She senses understanding in him and fortunately she is right as he ends up being an ally.

Another hacker named Magician comes on the scene and he pulls the strings that challenge Bianca and her team. Once again, the twists and turns and unexpected scenes had me trying to figure it all out, but alas although loose plot threads from previous novels are tied, others are introduced. So I was left screaming for more by the end. Mr. Valjan, how can you do this to me!

But wait, to my surprise and absolute thrill, the end of the novel includes the first chapter of Crunch City (Book #6) and oh my goodness! that book starts with a bang. I simply cannot wait to read it! If you are a fan of thriller/suspense novels that include a very likeable cast of characters that not only use their law enforcement skills to solve crime but also know how to enjoy "la doce vita" as only Italians can, then you need to pick up this series. Corporate Citizen I am happy to say was a great addition to the whole series and I eagerly and impatiently await Book #6.

To read more reviews, please visit Gabriel Valjan's page on Italy Book Tours.


Read my previous reviews of the Roma series:



I interviewed Gabriel Valjan on Library of Clean Reads and asked him about his series and his writing. How long will the series continue? What are his future projects? Read my interview and find out!

Meet the Author:


Gabriel lives in Boston, Massachusetts. He is the author of the Roma Series, available from Winter Goose Publishing. Gabriel has also written numerous short stories and essays found online and in print.

Connect with the author: Website ~Twitter ~ Facebook


Enter the Giveaway!


Prizes: ​

5 winners get a paperback copy of CC
5 winners get an ebook copy of CC
1 winner gets whole set of Roma series in paperback (signed)
1 winner gets whole set of Roma series in ebook format

12 winners total
Print copies open to USA and ebooks open international
Giveaway ends Dec 17


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Monday, September 21, 2015

The Roma Series by Gabiel Valjan (Book spotlight and Giveaway!)

Today, I'm kicking off the Roma series blog tour at Italy Book Tours! Look at that cover. If you like thrillers, then be sure to check out this series and follow the blog tour to read the reviews. Gabriel Valjan writes suspenseful thrillers set in Italy. His latest novel in the series is Turning to Stone, just released this past summer. Look out for my reviews of all the books in the series in the next month.



About Turning to Stone:

Alabaster Black aka Bianca Nerini returns as an investigation into a public official’s assassination pits Bianca and her friends against a backdrop of financial speculation, female assassins on motorcycles, and the Camorra—the most ruthless of Italian organized crime gangs—in Gabriel Valjan’s TURNING TO STONE, the fourth book of the highly praised Roma series.

En route to a secret meeting, Aldo Giurlani—the regional commissioner of Lombardy in northern Italy and a specialist on organized crime—is assassinated in the middle of a public square.

More mysterious is the package sent to Giurlani’s hand-picked team of five top investigators within the Guardia di Finanza (GdF), the Italian law enforcement agency that investigates illegal financial transactions, from money laundering to drug trafficking. Within the package are five copies of a book entitled Man of Smoke written by Aldo Palazzeschi.

Then there is Bianca’s tenuous online contact with a mysterious online contact known as Loki, who delivers a cryptic message to her, takes on a new twist with the appearance of a brilliant young obsessive-compulsive man who joins her team.

Complicating matters even further, old enemies and, more problematically, Alabaster’s former employer—Rendition, a murky covert U.S. government agency that does more than just investigate financial crimes—still have grudges to bear against her.

As new mysteries unfold, Bianca’s group quickly discovers that Naples might just be the most dangerous city in Italy.

Readers looking for a suspenseful thriller with mysterious twists and turns abounding will love Gabriel Valjan’s TURNING TO STONE.


Here are the first three books in the series:




ROMA, UNDERGROUND (Book #1)

Savvy forensic accountant Alabaster Black is hiding in Rome from her former employer, covert U.S. organization “Rendition.” While there under an assumed name she meets Dante, an investigator, erstwhile explorer and member of the Roma Underground, a band of amateur archaeologists who map the city beneath Rome. With Italian artifacts disappearing at an alarming rate, Alabaster and Dante search for answers and create a trap for the thieves. Through a mysterious online contact Alabaster learns she is being followed, and with her safety at risk she is forced to rethink her chosen alliances and discover hidden truths about herself.

“A provocative thriller with a riveting and surprising plot.”
—M.J. Rose, International bestseller

“...the strong, captivating heroine and an allure of conspiracy and organized crime make this novel an undoubted success.”
—Kirkus Book Reviews

“Conspiracy, double identities, car chases and espionage, all against the backdrop of magical Rome, with its great food and marvelous art history, make this an entertaining, intriguing read.”
—Blogcritics Book Reviews in Brief


WASP’S NEST (Book #2)

In the highly anticipated sequel to Roma, Underground, Bianca returns to the U.S. for her former employer, the covert organization Rendition, to investigate Cyril Sargent and Nasonia Pharmaceutical. Although ambivalent about the assignment and uneasy about her online “friend,” Loki, she is enticed into researching what Sargent is doing with insect genetics that might upset the world of cancer research and treatment. Old friends Farrugia and Gennaro uncover a twisted conspiracy from their past and join Bianca in Boston where they will experience conflicted loyalties, question allies, and confront uncertain enemies, as they’re drawn into the wasp’s nest.

“Again, Valjan successfully conflates multiple sophisticated narratives that bring the past and present together, which the archaeological theme of the last novel also helps accomplish . . . Black is back and just as entertaining as ever.”
—Kirkus Book Reviews

“…a compelling reading, action-packed and with intriguing characters. The plot had plenty of twists and turns, some surprising secrets, and it kept me on the edge of my seat, guessing until the very end.”
—The Book Junkie


THREADING THE NEEDLE (Book #3)

Milan. Bianca’s curiosity gets a young university student murdered, but not before he gives her a file that details a secret weapon under development with defense contractor Adastra. Guilt may drive her to find justice for the slain Charlie Brooks, but she is warned by the mysterious Loki to stay away from this case that runs deep with conspiracy. Bianca must find a way to uncover government secrets and corporate alliances without returning Italy to one of its darkest hours, the decades of daily terrorism known as the “Years of Lead.”

“It is even more to Gabriel Valjan’s credit that with Threading the Needle he, as an American, was nonetheless capable of unusual insight into the Misteri Italiani, the Italian Mysteries, without taking any prejudicial standpoint, one way or the other, or putting the blame on anyone, but rather inviting readers to judge for themselves.”
—Claudio Ferrara, Italian journalist and translator

“But after the first few pages, I knew I was committed to the end of the book ... and would be reading the two earlier books…Characters, plot, ideas, background: In Threading the Needle, Valjan weaves it all into an international crime novel worth the read.
—Beth Kannell of Kingdom Books, a specialty mystery bookshop in northeastern Vermont.



Buy the books here: 



About the Author:




Gabriel Valjan lives in New England, but has traveled extensively, receiving his undergraduate education in California and completing graduate school in England. Ronan Bennett short-listed him for the 2010 Fish Short Story Prize for his Boston noir, Back in the Day. His short stories and poetry have appeared in literary journals and online magazines.


Connect with the author: Website   ~  Twitter   ~  Facebook


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