Ryder: Bird of Prey by Nick Pengelley + a Giveaway

Good morning, readers! Today I'm a stop on the TLC book tour for the third Ayesha Ryder thriller, Ryder: Bird of Prey. There is a tour wide giveaway on this one so be sure to read through to the end to enter.

Ayesha's latest treasure hunt was supposed to be more academic and sedate than her most recent adventures. Tasked with hunting down the real Maltese Falcon, it seemed she'd succeeded when she tracked down the ancestor of the latest person who'd had it in their possession. She'd taken on the job at the request of the Deputy Prime Minister, a man bent on selling the British government on English independence. It seems a legend connected to the Maltese Falcon promises to reveal the hiding place of the famed sword that became the basis for the Excalibur legend. A sword he believes would further his attempts.

But when Ayesha's contact is murdered on his way to deliver the falcon she finds herself on the run from a new set of would-be assassins. And then an attempt is made on the Prime Minister's life. If Ayesha is to survive this latest adventure, she'll have to follow the clues herself, with a new set of deadly pursuers hot on her heels every step of the way. 

Three books into the series I'll admit they're becoming more than a little formulaic. I still really enjoy the historical aspects, but the treasure hunts, the hidden clues, and especially the Bond-like depraved villains are super predictable. At least this time around the officials in Ayesha's corner don't immediately accept that she's a potential enemy of the state!

The Maltese Falcon/Dashiel Hammett part of this latest is really cool. Pengelley even named a character after one of the actresses in the 1931 film adaptation (Bebe Daniels), though I'm not entirely sure how the actress would feel about the character. The Knights Hospitaller and Battle of Hastings/Harold pieces all fit neatly together and make for a fun combination. Formula aside, or maybe because of the formula, Pengelley certainly knows how to spin an action-packed tale that'll keep you turning pages. Maybe a bit more time between readings would dull the sense of repetition.

Rating: 3/5

And now for the giveaway. As I mentioned, this is tour wide courtesy of the publisher. To enter simply fill out the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To see more stops on the tour be sure to check out the official TLC tour page here.

Ryder: American Treasure by Nick Pengelley + a giveaway

Good morning, everyone! Today I'm a stop on the TLC book tour for Nick Pengelley's second Ayesha  Ryder adventure, Ryder: American Treasure. Do note there is a tour wide giveaway on this one so be sure to read through to the bottom for the Rafflecopter entry.

Ayesha Ryder has fully recovered from the injuries she sustained at the Tower and it's at the awards ceremony where she's being honored that she finds her next job. Unfortunately, it does mean putting her own search for the Ark on hold, but this new treasure hunt is too tantalizing to resist. 

In 1814, when the British burned the White House, it was rumored that the soldiers absconded with treasures belonging to America. If it was true, the treasure was thought to have been lost long ago in the sinking of the ship that carried it away. But a recent discover seems to indicate otherwise. And this discovery, and its connection to Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener, are what draws Ayesha in. But she's not the only one in search of the Washington Treasure. 

I really enjoyed the first Ryder tale. I honestly wasn't at all sure what to expect when I started, but by the end I found that I'd not only really liked it but that I was very much looking forward to more books in the series (always a good thing). So it was a given that I was going to take part in this second tour, after all it's not everyday that you get to read an espionage action/adventure thriller that also includes alluring bits of history as part of the plot (think Steve Berry's Cotton Malone series).

Ryder: American Treasure proves that Pengelley's first outing wasn't a fluke! Much of the plot does continue veins begun in the first Ryder book (so I do recommend staring there). The Shamir are still after Ayesha and she's still battling memories of her own actions as a member of the Palestinian fedayeen, not to mention the politics surrounding the new Holy Land. But there's politics and scheming beyond even that to face now as well, and it all seems to hinge on this lost treasure.

What's really cool is that much of the main plot points are based in fact! There is a rumored missing treasure said to have sunk in the aftermath of the burning in 1814. There were even reports that a sunken ship discovered near Novia Scotia might have been carrying some of the booty. It's details like these and others that make Ayesha's stories so compelling - in much the same way Indiana Jones or the aforementioned Steve Berry books are. Fans of those series and types of stories will surely find something to love in Pengelley's series.

And there's more to come! Ayesha's third adventure, Ryder: Bird of Prey, is due out in May and this time she's on the hunt for the Maltese Falcon.

Rating: 4/5

To see more stops on the tour be sure to check out the official TLC tour page here.

For more on Nick Pengelley and his work, you can visit his website here. You can also like him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

And now for the giveaway, and remember this is a tour wide one.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ryder by Nick Pengelley + a Giveaway

Good morning, readers! Today I'm a stop on the TLC book tour for Nick Pengelley's Ryder. Note there is a tour wide giveaway on this one so be sure to read through to the end to enter.

When renowned academic Sir Evelyn Montagu is discovered dead in his apartment, Ayesha Ryder is called in to help. Initially, the investigators on the case only want her opinion on some documents found in the apartment. Montagu had clearly been tortured and his house ransacked - clues left at the scene suggest a Middle East link and Ayesha is something of a go to in those matters. 

To Ayesha, though, nothing about the scene is straightforward. And as someone who was very, very close to Montagu, she quickly realizes he's left clues specifically for her to find. Those clues send Ayesha and the detectives on the case down a twisted path that places them all in danger. Obscure encoded messages lead them to the long and violent tension between Israel and Palestine and strangely to T.E. Lawrence and incidents that occurred around the time of his death. If Ayesha and the police can tease out the meaning of the clues, they may just find a motive for Montagu's murder and maybe even the identity of the people responsible. But only if they can live long enough to make it to the end.

I was quite pleasantly surprised by Nick Pengelley's debut! Ryder blends all of the best elements of political thriller, espionage, conspiracy theory, and history together to create a read that's part puzzle and all action.

Ayesha is a character with a mysterious past - terrorist ties (to some) and a reliable consultant (to others). DI Holden and DS Ryan make for good companions, even if they are somewhat cliche (Holden sometimes comes across as a not-quite-so-bright detective while Ryan is a bit of a know-it-all). Throw in the fascinating life and history of T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) and a slew of other well known figures (Churchill, Edward VIII...) and you have all the pieces you need to make a good book. Pengelley goes one further, though, making use of fabulous lesser-known history of London as a further backdrop to the story.

The real meat of the tale, though, is set in the controversial establishment of the State of Israel. Montagu, a scholar with an avid interest in T.E. Lawrence, makes a discovery that, on the eve of a new peace talk between Israel and Palestine, could have overwhelming ramifications for everyone involved. Before you know it, Ayesha and her friends are caught in the middle of a decades long political argument, with no real idea who is an ally and who is an enemy.  

Ryder really was quite fun and clever! This kicks off a new e series, one that will appeal to fans of Steve Berry's Cotton Malone books.

As mentioned above there is a tour wide giveaway here. To enter simply fill out the Rafflecopter below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


To see more stops on the tour be sure to check out the official TLC tour page here.