The Calling

The Calling

by David Mack

Publish Date: July 21st 2009

by Gallery Books

4 Stars

What Goodreads has to say:

HEAR THE CALLING. No one would guess by looking at Tom Nash that he's extraordinary, and that's just fine with him. A tall, broad-shouldered jack-of-all-trades from Sawyer, Pennsylvania, Tom has a knack for fixing things. He also hides a secret talent: he hears people's prayers. Stranger still, he answers them. Maybe it's because he's a handyman, but Tom feels compelled to fix people's problems. Which is all well and good -- until the soul-shattering plea of a terrified girl sends him on the darkest journey of his life....

 SEEK THE TRUTH 

 Heeding the call and leaving his home for New York City, Tom discovers a secret world beyond the range of mortal perception -- a world of angels and demons and those who serve them. With the guidance of a knowing stranger named Erin, Tom learns that he himself is one of The Called, born with a divine purpose and a daunting task: to help the powers of Heaven in the war against the agents of Hell, an army of fallen angels known as the Scorned. Thrust into an epic battle of the sacred and the profane, Tom Nash must find the girl who prayed for his help -- because her fate will determine whether humanity deserves to be saved, or damned for all eternity....

Elina's Review: I was looking for a good book to read when I came across one that caught my interest as soon as I saw the description. The story was exactly the kind I have been looking for but I wasn't sure if it existed. I checked it out of the library and was hooked from the first page. It was everything I expected it to be. A supernatural thriller about good vs. evil. A man named Tom hears when other people pray for help and does anything he can to help them because he feels it is his purpose and his calling to do so. Unaware that there are others with the ability like his to hear prayers, he meets Erin when he is working alone and nearly gets killed. They team up to help find a kidnapped girl. The "scorned", those who do not want them to succeed, make it a life or death mission. The two head from one dangerous situation to the next and keep you on the edge of your seat hoping they make it out alive, defeat the evil and save the girl.  I found the storyline to be very engaging. It was full of twists and turns that kept me guessing what was going to happen next. I almost felt as though I was watching a movie and in these character's world. It is definitely worth a read. I loved it and am so glad I discovered this book. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy, action, and mystery/crime. Read this book, you won't be disappointed. David Mack is an amazing writer.

About the Author: David Mack is the national bestselling author of more than twenty novels and novellas, including Wildfire, Harbinger, Reap the Whirlwind, Precipice, Road of Bones, Promises Broken, Rise Like Lions, and the Star Trek Destiny trilogy: Gods of Night, Mere Mortals, and Lost Souls. He developed the Star Trek Vanguard series concept with editor Marco Palmieri. His first work of original fiction is the critically acclaimed supernatural thriller The Calling.

In addition to novels, Mack's writing credits span several media, including television (for episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), film, short fiction, magazines, newspapers, comic books, computer games, radio, and the Internet. He also co-authored Bryan Anderson's nonfiction Iraq War memoir, No Turning Back: One Man's Inspiring True Story of Courage, Determination, and Hope.

His latest novel is the new Star Trek Vanguard novel Storming Heaven, and his upcoming projects include an epic 24th-century Star Trek: The Next Generation trilogy titled Cold Equations, and a new original supernatural thriller.

Mack resides in New York City with his wife, Kara. 

Blow Fly by Patricia Cornwell

Blow Fly
by Patricia Cornwell
Published date September 7th 2004
by Berkley
4 Stars

What Goodreads has to say: Readers are in for the shock of Kay Scarpetta's life.

Marisa's Review: Blow Fly is number 12 in the “Scarpetta” series by Cornwell. Dr. Kay Scarpetta, medical examiner, has lost everything important to her and her career and life is suffering because of it. She has lost her job and has begun consulting on certain cases. Her family and friends are very concerned about her safety and her health and what the past has done to her. She receives a letter about a particular case that is directly linked to her losses and it brings her to the Bayou where her life, Marino’s (a long-time friend and police investigator) and Lucy’s (Kay’s genius niece), all become wrapped in this hunt to find the killer before he strikes again. In the meantime Kay is manipulated without her knowledge into going to places that are very dangerous, all carefully orchestrated by this murdering family of sociopaths. Will Kay, Marino and Lucy find the killer in time with all the twists, turns and predators of the bayou? Will Lucy’s secret be revealed and will Kay get the missing pieces of her life back? This book has many twists and turns and is a very easy and quick read. It has 124 chapters making it easy to pick up and put down for someone who is busy without having to stop half way through a chapter. It is easy to follow and offers the right amount of information and suspense while keeping you on your toes. I give this book two thumbs up. I have moved on to number 14 in the series, "Predator", and I am already glued to each page eager for more. 

About the Author:  Patricia Cornwell sold her first novel, Postmortem, while working as a computer analyst at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, Virginia. At her first signing, held during a lunch break from the morgue, Patricia sold no copies of Postmortem and fielded exactly one question – an elderly woman asked her where she could find the cookbooks.

Postmortem would go on to win the Edgar, Creasey, Anthony, and Macavity awards as well as the French Prix du Roman d’Aventure prize – the first book ever to claim them all these distinctions in a single year. To date, Cornwell’s books have sold some 100 million copies in thirty-six languages in over 120 countries. She’s authored twenty-three New York Times bestsellers.

Patricia’s novels center primarily on medical examiner Kay Scarpetta along with her tech-savvy niece Lucy and fellow investigator Pete Marino. Over twenty years, these characters have grown into an international phenomenon, eventually winning Cornwell the Sherlock Award for best detective created by an American author, the Gold Dagger Award, the RBA Thriller Award, and the Medal of Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters for her contributions to literary and artistic development.