D. V. BerkomBesprekingen

Vigilante Dead. Alternative Title: Kate Gets Everyone Killed... Again!

The surprising thing about this DV Berkom novel is that there are some actual good elements, good parts of the story. Unfortunately they are all too brief, are quickly glossed over, and not any of the main story lines.

Kate Jones is an absolute disaster, and a horrible main character. Her friends are drug lords and serial killers with some peripheral acquaintances being the FBI / DEA / CIA and other law enforcement types that have no business dealing with her and for more unknown reason begrudgingly associate with her from time to time. As she is always, ongoingly engaging in unlawful activities that is partially understandable. But killing people left and right, and getting people killed left and right while she unhappily goes about her business makes about as much sense as you’d think it might.

But mostly it is the walking disaster part of Berkom's writing I struggle with; Kate tells us the same thing over and over because she never stops to think things through, and she is forever up inside her own head telling us what a screw-up she is. The story tells us the same thing. No one is better at blowing surveillance or getting themselves captured and killed like Kate Jones is. But Kate feels obligated to tell you the same thing over and over and over and over again regardless:

[Page 123] "I had to come back to myself, get grounded again. Otherwise I’d continue to make bad decisions, allowing emotion to dictate my life. Like I’d always done.

And here I thought I’d left that tendency behind me. [Nope, you haven’t changed a bit, and you never will.]

Memories came flooding back of the years spent running from my past, all the pain and the loss I’d experienced and caused...."

[Page 137] "My face warmed, and the self-recrimination started. How could I have been so stupid? [Well, Kate, that’s what you do 24/7/365. You know it, and we know it.] The sad excuse of being messed up because of Lisa’s condition rang hollow in my mind. [Because Lisa has nothing to do with you being a walking, talking disaster.]

Once again I’d put someone I loved in danger." [Well, yeah, that’s what you do 24/7/365. You know it, and we know it.]

[Page 141] "Why did I always screw things up? I was a walking disaster. People needed to stay far, far away from me. The bad spirits that guy told me about in Mexico a lifetime ago still hadn’t left me alone.

Um, you can’t blame bad spirits, Kate. That was too long ago." [Look in the mirror Kate, it was NEVER the spirits. Jeez.]

This is the silliest Kate Jones story I have read yet. Kate tries to be all Bondian by getting caught by the bad guys and sequestered in their evil lair, but in Kate's case she manages that feat like 100 times an hour. And unlike Bond, Kate needs to be rescued by random persons that happen by. Once free, she finds the easiest way to be recaptured. The endless cycle is nauseating.

Kate says it best: "That's what I got for relying on what I thought was a finely developed sixth sense for staying one step ahead of the bad guys." A legend in her own mind.

Cruising for death. I’ll say!

One hundred percent of the time she is scheming to figure out how she can be the least successful in staying alive; she works exceeding hard to come up with the worst possible solution to her problems. Self-fulfilling prophecy after self-fulfilling prophecy and she makes it crystal clear that she will never get a clue.

I also tire of Kate feeling sorry for herself, that gets old quick.

Otherwise, the backstory reads a bit like James Rollins’ Amazonia (2002).

That said, this is a "great" series. I could see a science fiction angle where Kate teleports through time and space. She could be abducted by aliens, escape, and then become one of James T. Kirk's Star Trek girls until she misses the space jump because she is obsessing about something in her past. Lost in Space, she can be saved by cosmonauts, returned to earth, and imprisoned in Siberia before she is spirited away on a yak. Then she makes her way home via San Francisco where her (bad) luck continues; she is shanghaied upon arrival and quickly finds herself en route back to the Far East. While trying to figure out a means of escape, Kate is rescued by the cabin boy who is tired of being buggered, but those two are quickly recaptured and left to die on a desert island 4,000 miles from the nearest other human. Not to be bested, and with the help of the boy, Kate builds a makeshift raft and sails to freedom... until they are torpedoed by a WWII Japanese submariner who doesn’t know that the war has ended et cetera.

Somewhere in there Kate will be chained in a medieval dungeon and burned at the stake before being rescued by a lovelorn hunchback. And Kate will swoon over a number of guys while being beaten and tortured and stabbed and poisoned and shot and drowned before falling off a few cliffs and killed any number of times in the above story; just like in the series.

Just tweak the space time continuum a little bit, which Berkom practically does anyway, and the possibilities are endless.

Another good book from DV Berkom. If you can totally suspend belief, and are ready to dive into the world of never-going-to-happen, then you will enjoy her books. Kate Jones, the main character and our heroine, is a total nitwit with a death wish. When it comes to getting captured and shot and beat up and killed, Kate is second to none. Whatever the worst possible deadly situation you can imagine, well, Kate can beat that in spades. And she does!

Ever hear of being in the wrong place at the wrong time? That is Kate’s full-time job!

Kate is her own worst enemy. And you would think that someone with millions of enemies would try and find some friends, which she does, sort of. It turns out that all of her friends are also her enemies; she has millions of frenemies!

Literally everyone is trying to kill Kate. With oodles of crazy going on it is hard to even remember why everyone is trying to kill Kate, we only know that someone is (or several large groups of peoples). Because everyone is trying to kill Kate, it doesn't take long for her to end up in their clutches.

So she'll be captured by 100 of the most heinous, hard, cold, remorseless murderers / gangsters / drug lords / professional assassins / gang-bangers / baby-killers on the planet, and right when 100 machine guns are about to open up on her and finally kill her good... another 100 of the equally most heinous, hard, cold, remorseless murderers / gangsters / drug lords / professional assassins / gang-bangers / baby-killers on the planet burst in claiming she is theirs to kill! A shoot-out ensues and in a minute - what felt like hours to Kate - 200 ex-murderers / ex-gangsters / ex-drug lords / ex-professional assassins / ex-gang-bangers / ex-baby-killers lay dead on the ground. Once Kate manages to free herself, she one again becomes girl on the run trying to stay one step ahead of the next batch of 100 of the most heinous, hard, cold, remorseless murderers / gangsters / drug lords / professional assassins / gang-bangers / baby-killers on the planet.

That may have not been verbatim, but the book proceeds more-or-less along those lines. Kate makes the impossible readily possible (even more so than Tom Cruise!), and she does it page after page.

While unbelievable, DV Berkom writes very readable stories so they good, quick sources of mindless reading.

D V Berkom draws me into the danger and intrigue of Terminal Threat from the opening pages. She is recovering, mentally and physically, after her last SHEN mission, so she retired for a quiet life. All Leine Basso wanted was a fresh start in a small town. She loved Italy and was in the process of opening a bookstore. Santa will be visiting her in a month.

Gabriela is running for her life. She comes upon the closed bookstore. In desperation, a delicate knock, so as not to be heard from her pursuers, a woman draws her in with gun in hand. Leine is always quick to help. She can’t turn her back when confronted by evil. The assassin in her rises to the surface. The townspeople need her help and she has the skills…and connections to do just that.

“Evidently, you could take the girl out of the assassin, but you can’t take the assassin out of the girl.”

She is…or was… The Leopard and she is ready to roar. She knew she had many enemies, and now they had found her.

Threats, gunfire, bombs…an all out war has been mounted.

Santa is her hunkalicious honey, finishing out his time on the police force before retiring in a year. He isn’t privy to what is happening until it’s all over. Will he stick with her considering…

“Yeah, yeah. I know. Your life is a series of Terminal Threats.”

Action packed from the first page to the last, D V Berkom knows how to keep the suspense and pacing racing at a breakneck speed. White knuckled, edge of the seat reading. Terminal Threat is a finely tuned, suspenseful thriller that achieves excellence in writing. I cannot think of one thing that could be improved upon…and that is the wonder of D V Berkom’s ‘pen’.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Terminal Threat by D V Berkom.

See more at http://www.fundinmental.com

This was a silly story from beginning to end; every character a "bad actor" and double, triple, or quadruple crossing god knows how many other people. Along the way Leine Basso was bested by everyone she crossed paths with yet she miraculously lives to kill scores of people another day.

This Kate Jones book is action packed and danger-filled with every turn of the page. Kate goes from one situation to the next reacting with a creativity that only this strong heroine can pull off. The protagonist is a strong willed, determined, and brave women -- loyal to boot. All the characters are well developed, the scenery and situation unique, quirky even, and the plot well developed. I especially enjoyed the scene with a voodoo ceremony, it adds flavor to the story. Traipsing through the islands with the protagonist is like riding a tornado, fast, zig-zagging, and impulsive. The story is a fun read and has a good ending. I recommend this book for those who like their thrillers with payback.

This thriller is a great paced, exciting story that will keep you invested to turn the page. DV Berkom writes a great character with Leine Basso, as she continues her work saving people, now working for SHEN, (Stop Human Enslavement Now) and devoted in helping to stop human trafficking. The protagonist is a beloved bad a** woman, who’s not afraid to take on difficult assignments. She’s also an ex-assassin, fierce loving mom, and a loving partner to Santiago, as their relationship continues to grow in the series.
When Leine Basso takes on this case, she makes it her personal mission to find Elise, refusing to give up when she could easily opt out. There are many diversions and difficult situations that happen during the course, and we are shown how the protagonist overcomes the obstacles with good clear crisp writing.
I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the terrain in the scenes, from the streets in Tijuana to the desert landscape. The various characters that the protagonist interacts with also come to life as colorful portrayals of unique people with their individualism and quirks.
Whenever a book can incite a reader to engage in tough mental thought and reflection, it is a better world. The subject matter of this story deals with a problem that is so important, yet not talked about enough today—human trafficking and the ugly side of organ trafficking as well.
The Body Market was entertaining, enlightening and a great example of good writing. Well done once again DV Berkom.

My reading year is only complete when a Leine Basso thriller is in it. It's Leine: it's always going to be a rollercoaster ride. So, when you learn our favourite ex-assassin Leine is about to settle into a new, peaceful life in small coastal Italian town, you know that just isn't going to happen. Trying to save the locals from an extortionist inadvertently finds her at the business end of revenge. You can't be an assassin without making enemies who have long memories, especially when one of them who thought she was dead, discovers otherwise.

At which point, you can forget about enjoying Leine's sun, sea and gelato-filled siestas and prepare for your roller-coaster adrenaline fix! Leine is just as skilful and magnificent as ever.

This is my twentieth book by Berkom. It's every bit as compelling, fast-paced and brilliant as the first. This is an author (without doubt my favourite) who packs a mighty punch in everything she writes and 'The End' always makes you sigh a 'how long till the next book?'. I hope there's another Basso thriller. She's never going to have a quiet life, now, is she?

I happened across this book called Yucatán Death and figured I would give it a shot. I thought that the setting alone might make it interesting enough as opposed to more generic locations you usually get like Seattle or Paris. I also saw two other books by DV Berkom so I grabbed those as well, you know, "why not?" in the even they happen to be any good.

Initially and / or almost instantly I was regretting my choice. Here you have beautiful and dangerous Kate - sound familiar - trapped in a game of cat and mouse and she is a mouse hemmed in on all sides. Being the lover of a World Class Drug Lord became a serious life problem, at least if she wanted to continue to breathe. Oh well, Kate is tough as nails and won't give in to anything, and love is out the window because every man she meets wants her – and presumably every woman – but the problem is that everyone she gets close to dies. Yada yada. Seriously, I opted to read this???

Well, it actually wasn't half bad. The story might be a bit much, particularly how Kate is still alive and even the bad guys who have her in their hands time after time comment how she’s got more regular lives than 1,000 damn cats let alone the 1,000 with 9 lives. Anyway, that's the way it goes: bad guys capture Kate, she escapes, they close in, she escapes again. Yada yada. BUT... as dumb as it sounds most of the time, and as annoying as Kate gets with her pitiful bitching and whining, this is a very readable book. The general backstory is good and the characters are pretty good even if Kate might be the weakest link. For the most part the dialog is very real.½

I haven't read the prequel and it kind of felt like I was missing half the story. I didn't really like Leine. I just never connected with her or any of the characters. There were a couple of funny lines and I enjoyed the dry humour. The mystery was somewhat interesting but overall this just fell kind of flat for me. Still I'll read the next one in the series, or maybe the prequel first.

Leine Basso is a badass. She used to be an assassin and now works for SHEN– Stop Human Enslavement Now – an anti trafficking network, rescuing those who are unable to save themselves. I wondered how D V Berkom would come up with something new for Leine. Trouble seems to follow her wherever she goes. She is a master at rescuing herself, but, this time…I’m not so sure she can do it solo. Not and bring down those who have conspired against her. She has been betrayed…in a very big way.

Leine is missing. Betrayal. A secret organization.

I never imagined the roots of the problem coming for Leine. D V Berkom did come up with a way to keep me enthralled, flipping pages, wondering how in the hell Leine would get out of this mess.

From the opening pages, D V Berkom had me hooked. I felt a kinship to Valentina.

I quit taking notes early on, because I was afraid of spoiling things for you. I wanted to tell you so much, but I will stick to the basics. The danger and suspense is at a high level. Valentina is not aware of those who conspire against her, using her for their own ends. Can Leine Basso save her when the shit hits the fan?

I was bummed at the loss of a man who helped her. Leave it up to D V Berkom to get my emotions riled up. She’s not afraid to kill off a character. Sometimes a character may seem bad and I wonder, can they be redeemed? Others, their greed rules their life. They will stop at nothing to get what they want. Never enough power. Never enough money.

The Leine Basso books can stand alone, but I highly recommend beginning at the beginning, with A Killing Truth, to follow Leine Basso’s life as she morphs into so much more than an assassin, yet those skills will be life saving. I wonder where D V Berkom can go from here. Will Leine always have to fight? Will she ever find a life of love, romance, and safety?

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Fatal Objective by D V Berkom.

See more at http://www.fundinmental.com

My reading year is never complete without a Leine Basso thriller. Actually, no, not quite true: my reading year is never complete without a DV Berkom thriller. It's a guaranteed 'jolly good read'. The absolute epitome of 'unputdownable'.

And this time, the indestructible former assassin is at a serious disadvantage: it's not very often we find our kick-ass lass disorientated and confused and on radio silence. Which must surely mean someone really rather nefarious is responsible. Her boss, Lou, and boyfriend, Santa are the cavalry to find and rescue her.

There's no lack of nail-biting action, thrills and spills, plenty of guns and eye-watering self-defence moves. Berkom pulls it out the bag every single time.

I dread getting to the last few pages in case there's a hint Leine might be hanging up her Glocks in favour of a quiet kill-free life. Nah…not a chance. To my relief, she's headed for another adventure next year.

Now this, this is what thrillers are made of: grit, spunk, no-nonsense and one-hundred-and-ten-percent unputdownability. (Yes, I made that word up.) I’m not going to make any excuses for using those frequently bandied-about words like 'fast-paced', 'action-packed', 'page-turner' because this book quite simply is all of those things and more.

So, by now you’ll have realised that I really liked this book. I just love picking up a book by an author I’ve not read before, thoroughly enjoying the book and then finding that s/he has many more books tucked under his or her belt for me to enjoy. I can’t wait to feast on this author’s collection.

This was the first in the Leine Basso thrillers. Unusual reality show Serial Date hits a bit of a snag when a contestant is murdered…seemingly by one of the other contestants. Leine Basso joins the show as a security officer. Which is rather handy for the killer, who seems hell-bent on revenge on her. The skills she learnt in her former capacity as an assassin are not allowed to rest. She has to draw on every single one of them when he abducts her daughter to lure her to him.

Cleverly threaded through the story is Leine’s back story. Subtle snippets here and there until you realise you know a whole lot about her, her marriage, her daughter, her dramatic past, without being overly aware of the information fed to you. Throw in a bit of love interest with the detective on the case, a seedy senator, the show producer with a mentally ill brother, a sadistic killer, quite a lot of blood, and you’ve got one vindaloo of a thriller: hot, spicy, eye-watering, fiery, strong and sharp.

Quite simply: brilliant.

Having read the first of this little collection as a separate novella (see here), I was able to dive in at no. 2. The first (Bad Spirits) sees Kate running away from a ruthless ex-boyfriend. He’s particularly keen to find her because she happens to have rather a lot of his money.

In Dead of Winter, Kate sincerely hopes that the depths of a cold and unforgiving little town in Alaska will keep her well hidden, but when she witnesses a murder, she fears she’s been discovered. Hunky officer Sam is assigned to protect her…read exactly what you need into ‘hunky’! Unfortunately, to keep HIM safe, Kate has to flee Alaska to quite a different climate: Hawaii.

Death Rites sees her reunited with old friends, who she hopes will keep her safe. But Hawaiian spirits have other ideas, it seems. She shakes them off by surrounding herself with the Arizona desert in Touring for Death, where she manages to keep herself undetected for five years. But when you’ve had an entourage of drugs, money and guns, life eventually gets complicated and she’s fighting for survival yet again.

Four novellas, by the end of which you’re gasping for breath! For heaven’s sake, Kate, go and work in a library, your life isn’t good for my constitution. I’m a huge, huge fan of Berkom’s writing and especially her hard-nosed, determined, no-nonsense heroines who still have a core of passion, sensitivity and judging by the men they chose, good taste!

A roller-coaster read and I can’t wait to helter-skelter into books 5 and 6.

After reading the first Leine Basso thriller (Serial Date), I had no hesitation at all diving into book number two. This reminded me of those bath-bomb soaps that fizz and crackle energetically as soon as they touch the water. No sooner had I ‘turned’ (tapped on the Kindle!) a couple of pages, this burst into a fizz of energetic thrills. Mind you, that’s where the similarity ends: a bath bomb invites you to de-stress in its luxurious smelling water. Leine Basso is not the sort of protagonist to let you relax: there’s no doubt that, whether she likes it or not, she’s quite the adrenalin junkie who takes you on a roller-coaster ride.

I’m totally smitten by this character. In this second adventure, Leine takes on another temporary position looking after the security of an actor, Miles Fournier. A popular one of particular interest to a young twelve-year-old, Mara, an abductee of some unscrupulous traffickers, who has managed to escape the horrors they have in store for her. Mara believes Miles can help her, but when her ‘mother’ also contacts Miles, claiming he is her brother and hoping he can help find Mara, alarm bells sound for Leine, and she has to draw on her considerable experience to flush out the traffickers in a bid to find Mara before she gets sucked into their web of heinousness.

My opinion of Leine hasn’t changed. She’s sassy, smart, brave and passionate and doesn’t suffer fools (or evil criminals) gladly.

Utterly gripping, compelling, edge-of-your seat writing. I’d say the only problem is, you’re left wanting more. As it happens, that’s nicely solved (thank goodness) by book number three, which is burning a hole on my Kindle waiting to be read forthwith!

Highly recommended.

If Leine Basso had her own TV series, an episode a day wouldn’t be enough for me. I just can’t get enough of her.

In this, the third in the Leine Basso, (retired assassin extraordinaire), adventures, Leine has to find two young people, Elise and Josh, missing after night out in Mexico. Was it a carjacking that went wrong or something more sinister? ‘Keep away or else’ is like a red rag to a bull with someone like Leine, and she’s determined to get to the truth. Undeterred by Elise’s parents’ reticence, a rather unscrupulous informant, injury and a shedload of Mexican undesirables, our very courageous, plucky and fearless heroine does her best to get to the bottom of the youngsters' disppearance, supported as always by her detective boyfriend.

Suffice it to say, Berkom has done it again. She manages to inch your derrière right onto the edge of your seat and keep it there from page one through to the very end as Leine uncovers the awful truth.

Berkom has conceived an addictive heroine: smart, beautiful, compassionate, brave (if a little headstrong!), but hasn’t made her too perfect to be incredible. She’s made mistakes in her past but learns from them. Berkom has an unmatched ability to paint a scene to a T, no matter if it’s fast-paced action or in the bedroom.

This book has a little bonus extra short story at the end. Don’t, whatever you do, pass it over. It’s priceless.

To say I’m looking forward to the next book is an understatement. I need Leine Basso in my reading life!

Berkom must have looked up ‘thriller’ in the dictionary: ‘A novel, play or film with an exciting plot, typically involving crime or espionage', then decided that the definition needed cranking up a notch or two…or six.

I met Leine Basso in Serial Date. I was instantly smitten and stalked her unashamedly through books two and three. I adore her: she’s a doer. A job has to be done, she jolly well gets on and does it. She has determination, courage, intelligence and fearlessness. Well, she’s an ex assassin, after all, but the tough exterior houses a woman of passion, compassion and wit.

However, such sterling qualities don’t keep her out of trouble. A good friend’s headstrong daughter heads to the Far East for some time-out backpacking, but fears the worst when she realises she’s missing. Leine wastes no time and heads off to Bangkok to find her. She soon realises the young girl has been kidnapped for trafficking, but soon picks up her trail; things go badly awry and Leine becomes cargo on its way to Africa, along with ivory poacher Derek, who has seriously annoyed the leader of the trafficking ring. Since Derek values his life as much as Leine does her own, they merge their survival skills to escape. At the same time, the search for the missing girl must continue, but Leine discovers that the atrocity of trafficking isn’t confined to humans…animals are in grave danger too.

If Berkom can bear the weight, I’m just going to pile on another ton of praise for another excellent, fast-paced, gripping and riveting adventure in Leine Basso’s life. This author is described as being 'a slave to the voices in her head'. I hope they’re yelling at her very loudly, because I can’t wait to meet up with Leine again.

Highly recommended.

I’ve read four Leine Basso thrillers. Yes, I love them. Actually, I love HER…she’s a sassy, kick-arse, no-nonsense, I’ll-eat-your-balls-for-breakfast type of woman. And at the same time, she’s a mum and a lover, with all the usual ups and downs those things entail. She simply rocks.

Now, I have to admit, I’m not that fussed with prequels. Why bother with what’s gone before, if you know what happens afterwards, I’ve always thought. But Berkom is not only a talented writer, she’s a canny one. Throughout each Basso thriller, there are crumbs…tantalising crumbs…of her history as an assassin and her former dead lover. Enough to pique your interest and want to find out what brought her to her present life.

A dangerous one. A very dangerous one did. Leine was excellent at her job, so when assignments started not going quite to plan, she began to wonder if her lover (and fellow assassin), Carlos, was right to suspect that their boss might be selling them out. And her own doubts turned to concern…and dread…when Carlos appeared to be completely uncontactable.

Berkom’s books are ones when you almost forget to breathe. They’re fast-paced, taut with tension and sheer joy from start to finish. I’m never sadder than when I read those two little words—The End. I can’t get enough of Basso, or of Berkom’s writing, and I'm always left with an enormous problem of what to read next: she’s a hard act to follow.

You know, Kate Jones has been running from her dangerous drug-lord ex boyfriend for five books now. You’ve got to admire her grit and the sheer bloodymindedness of her resolution to elude him. I suppose you’ve got to acknowledge his persistence, too. He’s very, very keen to make her suffer for leaving him and taking a good bit of his cash with her.

Just when she thought she was perhaps succeeding in outwitting him, and very nearly daring to think she might be able to settle down with her handsome police boyfriend, she’s rudely reminded she has a debt to pay. And this time, it seems she might have run out of luck. Oh, but wait…this is no-BS-ing Kate. The Kate who means business, whatever the price. She’s got this far, dammit…

The usual suspense, tension, explosiveness (in all senses of the word!) and gutsiness are packed tightly into this sixth Jones novel and all with the usual quality and excellency of this author. There’s barely a moment to catch your breath, and quite honestly, I’d have given up on Kate’s behalf way, way back. But thankfully, she’s not a quitter (or there’d be no more books).

Berkom has created a character whose sassiness and gumption you can’t help but admire, and respect for her is sandwiched by a certain amount of sympathy. Her pursuit by a dangerous man has meant tragic losses for Kate. In this book of the series, she has to decide whether she can continue eluding death…or face the evil that desires it.

Cracking stuff.

The Kate Jones series is a literary espresso…a strong one! The novels give you a buzz, a fix, a wake-me-up as well as the real caffeinated stuff.

This novel is the seventh Kate Jones novel. Unsurprisingly, her efforts to try and lead a normal life after years running from her evil drug-lord ex-boyfriend after one teensy little error of judgement (stealing rather a lot of money…) still hit rocky ground. Just when she thinks she can put the past behind her and allow a glimmer of hope to brighten her future by settling down, reality comes back and hits her with a jolt, in the form of an enemy from her past. And this time, not only is it close to home, the children of a former lover are involved. This time, the pressure is really on.

I love Berkom’s thrillers: they’re packed…to the brim…with action, heart-in-your-mouth suspense, thrills and chills, and are sheer delight from start to finish. Kate is sassy, resourceful, level-headed, funny and good-looking. Too good to be true? It might be if it weren’t for one thing…looking over her shoulder constantly is not funny. Will she ever be able to settle down with the love of her life and two point four children?

Selfishly, I hope not. The end of each Kate Jones book has me hoping avidly for another.

Oh, Kate, Kate, Kate….what an inferno of…stubbornness, determination, passion and independence you are.

The seven Kate Jones novels preceding this have all been heart-in-your-mouth thrillers. I was slightly bemused by the fact that Kate’s finally able to stop running; she’s settled down with ex-cop-now-PI, Sam, she’s talking to her family again, and life is nearly norm—wait, wait, WAIT…this is Kates Jones! I nearly fell for the Kate-leads-a-normal-life line! Impossible…especially since someone she loves dearly is affected by some dodgy painkillers (from an equally dodgy source), and as a result, Kate’s on the warpath. And the route leads her into a head-on collision with irony, something which causes her to make some very rash decisions, blurring that very fine line between right and wrong.

This was the usual Kate Jones hold-on-to-your hat, roller-coaster ride…as you would expect…but there was an extra intriguing ingredient: the reader gets a little more intimate with Kate’s family…who up until now have been very much in the background. This adds another dimension to an adventure which nonetheless leaves you breathless right to the end.

Kate’s rounding up nearly all the bad spirits that have been derailing her life…what on earth is she going to do now, I wonder? Needless, to say, I was, as always, riveted by this book as will all Kate Jones/Berkom fans.

I’ve read a number of good books since my last encounter with ex assassin Leine Basso, and with each (most of them by new-to-me authors), I had to hope they’d all be worth my time investment. I never have to 'hope' with a Basso adventure. You all know the sort of book: one that comes with an unwritten guarantee of excellence.

Berkom alternates books between two strong and bolshy female protagonists: Kate Jones and Leine Basso, whose turn it is in this, the sixth of her adventures. No less strong, no less bolshy, no less kick-arse, no less no-nonsense. Determined, sassy, independent and cunning. This time, she’s wading through the dark and murky waters of espionage and deception that casts a very heavy shadow over the relationship between two super-powers.

What do I say that I haven’t said before? I could dive into Mr Roget’s best seller to try and find some alternative words for 'captivating, page-turner, thrilling', but I’ll keep it simple: it’s another bloody good book by a bloody good author.

If eyes had breath, they’d be gasping for it from start to finish in this book!. Leine Basso is a proper adrenalin junkie and takes her readers on a drama-filled, fast-action, speed-of-light-paced adventure. It’s absolutely exhausting!

Once an assassin, now an operative fighting the human-trafficking trade, Leine’s latest mission finds her vying with a former adversary. Trying to save young refugee children, abducted from a Libyan refugee camp for unthinkable purposes, she realises that to survive she has to return to using some of her old skills: which will help her, but also put her in fatal danger.

Gripping, fast-paced, explosive thrills are guaranteed with this sassy protagonist. Berkom is just brilliant and knows exactly how to get your heart in your mouth and keep it there for the duration. Book number 6 in the series and each one gets better and better.

And the best bit: Leine doesn't quite wrap it all up...there's a very dangerous loose thread. And unfinished business is not Leine’s style, is it? Which is fantastic news for her reading public, because, of course, it means there’s more to come!

Wow, just wow. That's it, done: review over. Nothing more to say...just wow!

Speechlessness aside, Berkom has pulled it out of the bag again with her female Bond: spunky heroine, Leine Basso. A white-knuckle ride from start to finish in her quest to find and end one heinous life-devastating terrorist. Enough is enough: Salome has to be terminated. But this is a cat-and-mouse game. Salome has her own plans for the Leopard, Ms Basso. Everyone Leine has ever loved is in danger.

There's no time to breathe in this gripping thriller. What I love about Berkom's writing is that you never feel you're in a book. It's so descriptive, so fast-paced you feel you're watching, if not in, a movie. Now, there's an interesting question: why on earth has no one snatched up the Basso series and film-scripted them? They'd give the Bond movies a run for their money, without a doubt.

My only complaint about this book is that it's so engrossing, I finished it too darned quickly. There's always a gaping hole waiting to be filled by the next Basso adventure.

Hurry up, Ms Berkom!

Here she is again: Leine Basso, taking you on a roller-coaster ride, making your heart stop, taking your breath away and giving you the odd tummy-wobble...without leaving the comfort of your best reading spot: sofa/bed/sun lounger!

Number eight in the series, there's no letting up in thrills, spills, action, shoot-outs and despicable, evil criminals: child sex-traffickers this time and Leine pairs up with old colleague, Derek, to take down this dangerous ring of unscrupulous, amoral, disgusting men.

Unsavoury and unpalatable though the subject is, in the hands of this brilliant author, the atrocity of the crime and its perpetrators is moulded into a story that stages her writing skills at their very best. Leine may be our girl with bomb-proof armour, but we love her because of her heart and passion for obliterating scum.

As always, gripping, fast-paced with edge-of-your-seat action. Berkom has only one standard: excellence.