Coffey and Hill Series – Mike Nappa

Book 3 is out and called A Dream Within a Dream

Book Titles: 1 – Annabelle Lee, 2 – The Raven

Author: Mike Nappa

Genre: Thriller

Summary – Annabelle Lee: A mysterious man called Truck hides away a girl called Annabelle in an underground bunker in Alabama. Truck tells her not to open the door for anyone, including him, unless given a safe word, a line from Edgar Allan Poe’s Annabelle Lee poem. In the bunker with Annabelle, is a German Sheppard dog who only responds to German commands. Above ground, seemingly random people are searching for a pair of priceless emeralds. All of these people are connected to the man called Truck: Trudey Coffey, Samuel Hill, Dr. Smith, and ‘The Mute.’ Trudey never thought she’d see her ex-husband, Samuel, again. Until he asks for help. ‘The Mute’ works for Truck, as a soldier under his command. He was charged with protecting Annabelle and the pair of priceless emeralds for Truck. Dr. Smith is searching for Truck and something he has. Something precious he wants back at all costs. As the story unfolds, all their paths converge. Some work together, some are forced to Dr. Smith’s bidding. He has means at his disposal to find the priceless emeralds. He has patience, too. Dr. Smith has spent a decade searching for what Truck hid away. Who will find them first? Will Annabelle survive in the bunker with the dog?

Summary – The Raven: Trudey and Samuel are working together again. This time, they’re drawn into another case. A young man called The Raven is a pickpocket who picked a prominent politician’s, Max Roman, pocket in hopes of extra cash. Instead he finds compromising photos of him and an assistant. Ukranian thugs break into The Raven’s apartment. They make him a deal. The Raven agrees, or loses his hands. All he has to do is break into an old lady’s place of business and steal a logbook. But the old lady is Mama Bliss. She is in league with Max Roman. Together Mama Bliss and Max Roman are shuffling more than antiques through Mama Bliss’s business. The Raven has a week to complete the deal. Trudey and Samuel try to help The Raven change his ways. Hanging above all of their heads is an event called Nevermore. What is Nevermore? Is it a hoax? Does the event even exist? Trudey and Samuel’s contacts are telling them it’s nothing to worry about. Someone else wants them out of the way.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 – good book, well written, good plot, enough lulls to give it a middle of the road rating

My opinion: Both books are interesting. They kept me reading. As with most books, there are lulls. As far as thrillers go, I was not on the edge of my seat. I was intrigued, interested in what would happen next. There were some great plot twists in both books. The plot twists were very strategically placed. There were one or two spots where I could predict what was coming. I give Mike Nappa credit for the great mind blowing twist in Annabelle Lee. I was thinking what the heck?! But it also had me intrigued about the information given. He made me want to research what he was talking about. Samuel is wells deserving of the nickname that Trudi gives him, I couldn’t help but chuckle every time she mentioned it. I was also a little confused of the ending of The Raven. Was it a trick? Or a coverup? Or an accident?Overall, these are good books that kept me reading.