Book Review: The Short Drop by Matthew FitzSimmons

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RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

The Short Drop by Matthew FitzSimmons has to be one of the best debut mystery/thrillers I have read in a very long time. Great suspense, a rapid pace and bad people who will send chills up your spine. I found it very difficult to put this story down to go to work!

The book starts on the ten year anniversary of the disappearance of at the time Senator Lombard’s daughter. He has risen to Vice President and is now running for his party’s nomination for President. Growing up, Gibson Vaughn was the son the Senator’s chief advisor and best friend with his daughter, Suzanne, whom he called ‘Bear’. Gibson’s life at the time of Suzanne’s disappearance was a disaster and he still blames himself for not being there for her. When a picture of Suzanne’s backpack appears, it sets into motion all the moving pieces of this plot into several explosive revelations and dead bodies.

The characters in this story are all extremely well developed, good and bad. The ‘short drop’ scene is intense.  The plot is tightly woven with several subplots that do not confuse the reader and are all answered by the end. I cannot recommend this book enough!

I want to thank Thomas & Mercer and Net Galley for allowing me to read for free the uncorrected proof of this debut novel in exchange for an honest review. I hope there are many more to come from this author!

 

Book Review: The One Man by Andrew Gross

 

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RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

I recommend this book highly for all lovers of historical fiction thrillers!

THE ONE MAN by Andrew Gross is one of my favorite books so far this year! I love stories set in the WWII era of history and then the author added twists and turns that have you constantly on the edge of your seat. I didn’t want to put this book down. I will warn you though, the last scene set in the past had me crying buckets.

This book has many threads of plot. You are shown the race to be the first to construct an atomic bomb, the ghettoes and transport of Jews to concentration camps, the horrors of Auschwitz and a daring mission by one man to break in to Auschwitz to rescue a scientist with the knowledge to help win the race to build the bomb for the United States.

The plot keeps you reading and completely engrossed in the story. The characters, good and bad, are all well written and believable. This book will immerse you in the past and set you on a fast paced thrill ride.

Thank you very much to St. Martin’s Press-Minotaur Books and Net Galley for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. It was great!