REVIEWS

THE SILENT SCREAMER

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you stirred together an altruistic samaritan hacker, a retired detective with covert ops training, an out of control FBI agent with a score to settle, a vengeful and murderous drug lord, and a voyeuristic serial rapist and dropped them in Franklin City, Tennessee? Richard Powell’s Old Age and Treachery answers that question in the most charming and explosive ways.

Retiree Bill Doolin plays bridge, as one might expect., What one doesn’t expect is even in his retirement years Bill is still putting away the bad guys. When he stumbles onto his bridge club friend’s extracurricular actives, he finds himself in hot water with the FBI. Accused of crimes far beyond his technical skills, Bill has no choice but to team up with the FBI’s target, the Hacker. As if clearing his name wasn’t enough of a challenge, the discovery of a serial rapist and the arrival of a drug lord to Franklin City complicate everything.

The first of Richard Powell’s Bridge Club series is permanently on my list of favorites. The characters created are exactly like the people next door, only they live secret lives that make them extraordinary. You’ll be guessing, cheering, and laughing right down to the last word.

SPY GUYS AND GALS

Do not mess with older people. They look frail. They act (sometimes) skittish. They don’t react so quickly. But remember that they have been around a while and have a lot of smarts the young-uns haven’t earned and some of these old geezers might just fight back. That is what we have with this series. Four older people who have retired. They are no longer worth much notice as things go.

Except one is a former CIA agent. One is a world-class computer hacker. One is in WitSec for a darn good reason. and One is a lawyer who knows a thing or three about the law and how to get around it.

This book is part police procedural and part daytime drama and part suspense thriller and just a little bit of a spy-related story. Lots of different pieces that together made for one very, very enjoyable adventure.

I loved it. I went on to read and enjoy the others in the series. I highly recommend this story for a fun and interesting way to spend a few hours.