Book Review: Tahoe Blue Fire by Todd Borg

First Chapter, First Paragraph is hosted weekly by Bibliophile by the Sea. Share the first paragraph of your current read. Also visit Teaser Tuesdays meme hosted by Jenn.

Tahoe Blue Fire: An Owen Mckenna Mystery Thriller #13 by Todd Borg, published August 1, 2015 by Thriller Press.

First paragraph:

PROLOGUE The big rotary snowblower was parked in the dark at the side of the road where the shoulder had been cleared of snow. The unusual snow removal machine was one of the huge ones, built on a double engine chassis, designed for clearing highways. The driver engine was idling quietly despite its size. The much larger blower engine was off. Because that engine made so much noise, the operator would fire it up at the last minute.  

Three kills. Maybe four or five.

Teaser, first chapter:

"It would be too dangerous for me to come to your office," the woman on the phone said. She had told me her name was Scarlett Milo and that she'd wanted to meet and that she was in significant danger. 

My comments:  
Another in the Owen McKenna Mystery thriller series that I have enjoyed so much. The author always includes some pressing and important social issues in his novels, and this one is no exception.
An important part of the plot is the issue of football head injuries and memory loss suffered by many retired professional football players.

The author also touts Lake Tahoe and environs, highlighting its lakes, mountains, ski resorts, as part of the charm of the surroundings. These surroundings of course play a large part in the suspense, chases, and atmosphere of the novels.

In Tahoe Blue Fire, a woman is shot on the deck of her mountain home, a house is burned down, and Owen McKenna, PI, is targeted more than once in attempts to stop his investigations of several recent murders, some of them by shooting and others more bizarre. The motives for crime are somehow tied up to a Renaissance legend. Owen travels to Florence and Tuscany, Italy to get information from Renaissance scholars about the legend of the Blue Fire of Florence, to see how this might link to the Tahoe murders.

Suspenseful as always, and very atmospheric, this is another excellent thriller by Todd Borg. I recommend it for those mystery lovers who are also history buffs, armchair travelers, and lovers of the outdoors.

For more info on the author and his books, visit ToddBorg.com

Based on the book beginning and teaser, would you keep reading?
Thanks to the author for a review copy of this book.

Sunday Salon: Slowed Down by Warm Weather

Welcome to the Sunday Salon where bloggers share their reading each week. Visit The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer. 

Amazing that the low 80s can feel so hot. We are so used to having cool temps here that anything higher then 70s feels very warm. There were a few days of absolute bliss - sunshine, clear skies, cool breezes, maybe mid 70s. Wish we could have more of those. 

A few books to share....

The Sisters of Versailles: The MIstress of Versailles Trilogy 1 by Sally Christie, to be released September 1, 2015 by Atria Books.
"Set against the lavish backdrop of the French Court in the early years of the 18th century, The Sisters of Versailles is the extraordinary tale of the five Nesle sisters: Louise, Pauline, Diane, Hortense, and Marie-Anne, four of whom became mistresses to King Louis XV. Stranger than fiction but true in every shocking, amusing, and heartbreaking detail."

I like that the book is "carefully researched and ornately detailed," the first of an historical fiction trilogy. 

Unprocessed: My City-dwelling Year of Reclaiming Real Food by Megan Kimble, published June 23, 2015 by William Morrow.
"From a founding editor of Edible Baja Arizona, of a young woman's year-long journey of eating only whole, unprocessed foods--intertwined with a journalistic exploration of what "unprocessed" really means, why it matters, and how to afford it."

Tahoe Blue Fire: An Owen Mckenna Mystery Thriller #13 by Todd Borg, to be published August 1, 2015 by Thriller Press. 
"When Tahoe Detective Owen McKenna gets a call from a woman who’s afraid for her life, it sounds like she is excessively paranoid. 
But The Killer Was Dead Serious 
McKenna investigates and discovers that two other people have already died. He believes the killer is after something worth millions, a precious artifact that dates back to Renaissance Italy. " Loved all the previous ones in this series, set in picturesque Tahoe!

I am now reading Confucius Jade by Frederick Fisher, and a couple of cozies for blog tours. My reading seems to have slowed down a bit. Maybe distracted by warm weather outdoors!. That's always a good thing!

A giveaway of Flask of the Drunken Master by Susan Spann ends tomorrow. Email me to enter the contest. 

What books are on your TBR list?