Zero Day - Ezekiel Boone

Zero Day is the last entry in Ezekiel Boone's Hatching trilogy.

It's the final showdown. Man against the carnivorous spiders that are threatening the extinction of the human race. The first book was the outbreak, the second the continuing fight and in this last book it's do or die.

"The world is on the brink of apocalypse. Zero Day has come."

Yes, the premise reads like a B-movie plot, but it's great fun to read. And cringe -worthy, creepy, crawly spiders skittering all around.....

 Boone has created an ensemble cast that I've come to know and enjoy over the course of the first two books and this is what kept me coming back. They are an eclectic group with many different outlooks and personalities and I'm hard pressed to pick a favourite. No surprise that there is an ending to this ongoing battle. And I have to say, I quite enjoyed the 'wrap-up' of where the lives of the large cast went. (And in that wrap-up I wonder if I'm the only one that thinks one or two of them might make appearances in the future?)

This trilogy could probably have been told in fewer pages, as the fight against the spiders seems a bit repetitive over the course of three books. That being said, Boone does have a way with words and does spin a good tale. I enjoyed his a wonderfully dark sense of humour. Boone fleshes out his narrative with lots of descriptions and side stories that I enjoyed.

I chose to listen to Zero Day, as I did with the previous books. The narrator was George Newbern, one of my favourites. He has a unique voice - clear, pleasant to listen to and easy to understand. He has a wry tone that matches the book and captures Boone's dark humour. His inflections rise and fall, giving the tale movement. Listen to an excerpt of Zero Day. 

You can connect with Ezekiel Boone on his website or follow him on Twitter. He has a new book coming out later in 2018 called The Mansion - it looks like another fun read.

A Trial in Venice - Roberta Rich

The Midwife of Venice was Roberta Rich's debut novel. This international bestseller was followed by a second novel - The Harem Midwife. And at last the third novel - A Trial in Venice - is here!

This isn't a time period I usually read, but I was fascinated and immediately drawn in by Rich's characters, plotting and settings in the first book. And I've eagerly awaited each new book.

Rich has filled her books full of fascinating historical detail - the social mores, customs and laws of the time, religious differences, midwifery, day to day life and more. Using that research she has created a character it is impossible not to like. The three books have Hannah Levi, a Jewish midwife in 1575's Venice, at their heart. She's strong-minded, strong-willed, compassionate, intelligent and loving. But she must live within the confines set down by her faith and the laws of the land - which proves hard to do.

1580. The prologue opens with Hannah languishing in a Venice Prison. The how and why of this imprisonment is a story begun in the first book. Hannah saved a child from death in the first book. The parents died and Hannah kept the child to raise as her own. But....the boy was a Christian and the heir to a fortune. There are those who covet the boy's wealth and are just as determined to have control of him and his money. The two co-conspirators behind the machinations that have led to Hannah's arrest are wonderfully drawn - especially the conniving Cesca.

The beginning comes full circle with just the right ending to this trilogy. The tale in between will appeal to those who love historical novels filled with 'rich' detail, suspense and yes, romance. The love between Hannah and her husband Isaac is a joy to read, as is the love for their children.

I recommend starting with the first book to fully appreciate the subsequent books. Read an excerpt of A Trial in Venice. Sadly this is the conclusion to this story, but I am very much looking forward to see what Rich turns her pen to next.

You can connect with Roberta Rich on her website and follow her on Twitter.