The Catch Review

"The Catch" by Taylor Stevens is the newest novel in the Vanessa Munroe series.  Munroe is a hired mercenary that is to assist in the guarding of a gunrunning boat from Djibouti to Kenya.  However, the hired guns don't know that the boat is running guns; they think they are just there for protection.  When the pirates aboard the ship, Munroe escapes taking the unconscious captain with her.  She arrives in Kenya to investigate why the boat was running guns without Amber, the wife of the leader of Munroe's outfit's, knowing anything about it and who is behind it.  While searching for information, she discovers that the Captain is the one they want and things are not what they seem.
The Munroe books are not necessary to read in order.  I hadn't read any before and though I would have followed a little better, it was not necessary.  Munroe is a multi-language speaking, highly intelligent, vastly experienced, fighting machine.  She passes as a man while in Africa which does kind of throw off my mental image.  Too much Hollywood in my brain, I suppose.  She is characteristically comparable to many of the men that is written about for example:  Reacher and Bourne.  Which is nice to see that she doesn't need a man to hold her hand while they run from bad guys.  I received this book in exchange for an honest review from www.bloggingforbooks.com. 

Battle of Adobe Walls

"Buffalo Trails"  is a historical-fiction work by Jeff Guinn.  Though most of the story is true, the main character, McLendon is not.  McClendon, CM, as he is sometimes called has joined forces with Bat Masterson on the prairie outside of Dodge City, Ks working as a bone collector, wannabe Buffalo Hunter.  When the two men hear of Billy Dixon's plan to make a large hunting party and take it down to Adobe Walls, TX to finish off what is probably the last of the massive buffalo herds they decide to strike up on a big moneymaker.  Meanwhile, Quanah Parker, a Comanche war leader, has constructed a plan to unite three different tribes to fight off the whites with a greater force. The two groups come to a head at Adobe Walls and the 4 day battle is on. 
This book, though long, is extremely well written.  There are some graphic parts when methods of torture and killing is being told.  There is also a rape scene.  Both groups are very violent.  There was just waaaay too much testosterone roaming around on the prairie at that time.  Excellent book.  Be ready to cringe. I received this book in exchange for an honest review from www.firsttoread.com.