Synopsis:
Fast-paced, edgy, and action-packed, the perfect read for anyone who loves the novels of Steve Berry or James Rollins, Ryder: American Treasure marks the return of Ayesha Ryder, a woman digging into history’s most dangerous secrets—and hiding some of her own.
During of the War of 1812, British troops ransacked the White House and made off with valuables that were never returned. Two centuries later, a British curator finds a vital clue to the long-vanished loot. Within hours, the curator is assassinated—and Ayesha Ryder, a Palestinian-born antiquities expert, is expertly framed for his murder.
Who could be behind such a conspiracy? And why do they want Ryder out of the way? To find out, she picks up a trail leading from a mysterious nineteenth-century letter to the upcoming presidential election. As Ryder dodges killers in the shadow of hidden alliances, sexual blackmail, and international power plays, she finds that all roads lead to the Middle East, where a fragile peace agreement threatens to unravel . . . and another mystery begs to be discovered.
Ryder’s rarefied academic career and her violent past are about to collide. And her only hope of survival is to confront a powerful secret agent who has been waiting for one thing: the chance to kill Ayesha Ryder with his own two hands.
My Review:
Ryder: American Treasure is the second book from author Nick Pengelley and after enjoying Ryder’s first adventure, I was looking forward to jumping into this next installment.
Well, my thirst for reading adventure was quenched with this thrill-a-minute read. This book was also decidedly more sexy than the first book and I was happy to see that layer added to the action and duplicity. I think that by added that element, author Pengelley has a great chance that this story will win over some romantic suspense fans. It was pretty fantastic!
Ayesha Ryder finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation when a British museum curator is found murdered. She is being framed by some of the most powerful and dangerous people to date, and with time running out and the threats growing every second, she finds herself on the run. Can’t a girl catch a break? All she wants to be able to do is continue her search for the mysterious Ark of the Covenant, and yet here she is, on another hunt for a long-lost item that could not only clear her, but put the guilty party and their accomplices behind bars. Easier said than done when this latest predicament crosses both U.S. and British governments and some very high-profile members. Would Ryder make it out alive this time?
I believe I had mentioned, after reading the first Ryder story, that she reminds me of a Lara Croft meets Indiana Jones type character, and this latest installment only solidified that amazing combination. This book was a thrill a minute with twists and turns in every chapter. There are some serious lies and deceit being peddled by some serious political players. There’s a lot at stake for more than one of these players and I was worried that this may end up being too big a problem for Ryder to fix. But, she’s kick ass so she certainly holds her own when faced with unimaginable odds.
Beyond a wonderful heroine, this book is packed with rich history and I enjoyed that aspect immensely. Of course, I was thrilled to see my other favorite cast member, Lady Madrigal, who is still sipping on martinis and being one hell of a dame. I adore that woman!
If you’re fan of mystery and suspense with a dash of sexiness, Ryder: American Treasure is a book you should get on your list! Thank you, Mr. Pengelley, for another fantastic adventure!
Four Loves
Book links:
Giveaway:
Enter to win a $25 gift card to the eBook Retailer of the winner’s choice + a copy of RYDER, the first book in the series!
About the author:
lives in Toronto, Canada with his family. He has had a varied career as a law librarian and law professor (specializing in international commercial arbitration) in Australia, Canada and the U.K. He has also worked as an analyst for a major Canadian NGO that focuses on the culture and politics of the Middle East, a field about which he is passionate. He is currently a consultant on Australasian law.
Nick cites many influences on his writing. Readers of “Ryder” will not be surprised that authors like H. Rider Haggard, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, John Buchan and Peter O’Donnell figure prominently. He is a fan of the ripping yarns of the inter-war years – by writers such as Sapper, Dornford Yates, Edgar Wallace and Leslie Charteris.
His more modern favourites include Umberto Eco (particularly “The Name of the Rose”), Alan Furst, Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman and Elizabeth Kostova (“The Historian”). Nicholas reads a “book or so” a week (and is horrified to think that, if he lives to be 200, he may only get to read 10,000). These days, although he still reads fiction, he is mainly interested in modern European and Middle Eastern history, and biography, having discovered some years ago that truth really is stranger than fiction. He lists his heroes, literary adventurers all, as Winston Churchill, T.E. Lawrence, Gertrude Bell and Teddy Roosevelt.
Nick Pengelley’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:
Tuesday, January 13th: Patricia’s Wisdom
Tuesday, January 13th: Bell, Book & Candle
Wednesday, January 14th: Book Nerd
Thursday, January 15th: Queen of All She Reads
Monday, January 19th: Omnimystery News – author guest post
Monday, January 19th: Reading Reality
Tuesday, January 20th: Vic’s Media Room
Tuesday, January 20th: 2 Kids and Tired
Wednesday, January 21st: Reading to Distraction
Thursday, January 22nd: Joyfully Retired
Monday, January 26th: Dwell in Possibility
Tuesday, January 27th: Read-Love-Blog
Tuesday, January 27th: Words by Webb
Monday, February 2nd: No More Grumpy Bookseller
Wednesday, February 4th: ImaginativeMinds*
Thursday, February 5th: From the TBR Pile
Monday, February 9th: Brooke Blogs
Tuesday, February 10th: A Fantastical Librarian
Thank you for the awesome review! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the Ryder series. Stand by for book 3!
Nick! Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to read it 🙂 Looking forward to more of Ryder!
From your review it seems like fans of a variety of genres would enjoy this book. I’m glad it was such an exciting read!
Thanks for being a part of the tour.