Mary’s Comments (group member since Apr 22, 2022)

Mary’s comments from the Reviews of Good Indie Books group.

The Roads Chosen - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

- Mystery/Suspense Fiction:
This has complex plot-line, involves spies, mafia, government, drug trafficking and an itinerant who happens to be in the wrong town at the wrong time and foolishly decides he can 'do-the-right-thing'.
This book took me into a little-known world, where I became absorbed with the idea of an underground network helping to provide solace for abused Russian military conscripts. This vein runs throughout the entire book and although it’s not shouted from the rooftops, it's cleverly interwoven into the unfolding plot. The way in which the characters are developed and the scenes are set is captivating.
Halfway through this, I took a look on the Internet:
- In 2006, the Centre for the Study of Elites found that: ‘up to 78% of 1,016 leading political figures in Russia had previously served in organisations affiliated with KGB or FSB. Many are involved in the day to day running of business and regional government’.
- Somewhere between 2,000 and 6,000 military conscripts desert each year. Most are illiterate. This is not a Soviet Army problem; it did happen years back, but the plight of these young people continues. It’s an increasing and worsening situation. The authorities search for them, year-in-year-out. I’ll agree: it’s a big country!
- If they’re dead – where are the bodies?
- If they’re not dead – where can they be? They’ve not gone home, because according to my research that is the first place the authorities go and they go year-in-year-out.
Is there an underground network organising the removal of those in plight?
What does the author know that we don’t? He’s spent years there, apparently.
I’m so impressed with this: I learnt so much.
Professionalism - 4 stars
Entertainment - 5 stars
Movie Rating - PG13

Hi, to everyone. My name is Mary. I still class myself as a young adult and impressionable. I'm the only person in my family that reads: they laugh at me. I started out with run-of-the-mill thrillers: I shan't mention titles. My family would say, "Why waste your time and money. Watch the film."
I am the youngest in the family and I lived in a small house with all my brothers, my mum and her boyfriend. My brothers are just thugs: never work, sit in front of the telly all day, drink, fight and cause trouble. My mum and her boyfriend are little better.

I used to work in a supermarket (shelf-stacker) and read on the bus when going to and from work. An elderly gent used to say, "hello," whenever he saw me and once asked about my book. I wasn't too complimentary. He said, "A good book teaches you something." That comment put me on a path to learn from my reading. A short time after, I joined Goodreads and since have moved to live with a lady who once taught English and History. Her son, who I think must be on first name terms with just about everyone in the country, found me a job in a garden centre and paid for me to go to Open University; where I'm reading History.

I'm in my first year and so studying like mad.

My life has changed, I am the luckiest girl in the world and all because of a man on a bus.

I'm now reading what I believe is 'good stuff'. My interests are being drawn to thrillers and crime set in Eastern Europe.

I have read that some of the best works are from indie authors but they never get recognised because 'indie books' are largely ignored.

I've recently read Cossack, Ronald Mcqueen: a great thriller that taught me lots and lots (I believe he is an indie author, but I'm not sure).

I've also read two books by an indie author that I think are superb. He is a Goodreads author and he doesn't seem to promote his work. I wrote to him and he tells me he is in Europe helping to provide aid-work and involved in the transport of aid-supplies and other things and has little time to go online. I have asked his permission to talk about his books on your group and await his reply.

I ask, can I provide a review of Cossack? And, can I provide a review of Ben Carlyle's books, if he allows me?