Sequel to Steven James' Broker of Lies

 

 Fatal Domain by Steven James

Travis Brock, redactor for the Department of Defense, discovers that parts of his past have now returned to haunt his present.  He and his newly formed team must determine why a terrorist group wants to steal some very valuable military technology.  As they dig deeper, the conspiracy grows larger sweeping from a refugee camp in Uganda to the doors of the Pentagon and involving a pharmaceutical giant, as well as a villain from a previous book.

  As Travis struggles to know who to trust, he must also come to grips with his past while grappling with forgiveness.  His budding relationship with Adira is put to the test.  At the same time, the author puts a new villain in place and sets up a new challenge for Brock, Adira and Gunnar.

This book had a good mix of action and pondering.  The characters were further developed by this story and I could easily see another book in the series.  I would likely read another book because the characters were intriguing, and the conclusion left me wondering.

This is the second book of the series and would be better understood by reading the first, Broker of Lies. I am grateful to the publisher for this book in return for this, my honest review.

New to Me Writer

 

Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles

This book is based on the true story of Jessie “Kit” Carson, who travels to France in 1918 to join the CARDS, an organization of women dedicated to helping the devastated French people. Jessie’s job was to set up libraries to encourage the women and children of the French countryside.

The dual storyline also follows a NYPL librarian and aspiring writer in 1987 who has discovered Jessie’s story and wants to bring it to life.  She meets one of Jessie’s assistants and learns the rest of the story.

Both sets of characters are realistic, strong and grew through difficult circumstances. They made different choices than I would have and the author included a few scenes that I would have preferred not to read.

But overall, I enjoyed the book.  I am grateful to the publisher for the arc in exchange for this, my honest opinion.