Gary Corbin

The Mountain Man's Dog is a thrilling read!

This book is a fantastic mixture of action, romance, mystery and a dash of politics! We follow Lehigh (Lee) and his dog Lucky as he woos an old friend named Stacy and gets involved with the wrong people...

The fast paced momentum of this book will keep you hooked at every turn, and the even mixture of action, mystery and romance will also keep you on your toes. I like that it didn't stay to just one "genre" throughout this book, because this style worked so well with this story. Gary makes you feel for these characters and yearn to know what will happen next.

There were some cheesier or soap opera like situations that happen, but I think it worked well enough. I kind of liked the dramatic plot points because it made the characters go through emotional changes and grow their characters, but some readers may not.

One aspect of this book that made it stand out for me was Lucky. Not many books involve animals as an actual character, which made this book step up above the rest for me. I really liked Lucky being involved and essentially being her own character! But hey, I'm an animal lover!

This is the first book in the series, but it ends on it's own note to fulfill the story. Having a book coming to a close (and not a cliffhanger) is a real positive note for me - it only makes me want to read the next novel even more. I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series!

I would highly recommend this book - it's fun and kept me interested. If you like mysteries, thrillers, and a story with a little bit of romance, then this book is for you!!

Five out of five stars!

I received a free copy of this book form the author in exchange for an honest review.
… (mehr)

The Mountain Man's Bride was an excellent sequel that is a definite must read!

I really like this series - it feels so simple and smooth, despite having epic plot lines. I'm able to easily get lost in Gary's words and feel like it's some epic crime television show playing in my head.

Gary is gradually making this couple (Lehigh and Stacy) more complex and more interesting as each book goes by. He doesn't stick to the same old plot, and he makes one hell of a story! One of the major bonuses with this book was that Stacy got more action! I love both Lehigh and Stacy (and their dogs of course) so much as characters. They feel real and as if they could be my neighbors.

In my opinion, you could easily skip book one and jump into this novel. I wouldn't suggest it, because this series is a real gem, but if you randomly picked this book up you'd be fine. Gary weaves in enough information to be able to read this without background.

The murder mystery in this book was intriguing, and I loved the twists and turns that came along with it. After this novel, I'm more than pumped to read the third book in this series. I would highly recommend this series to anyone who loves a good drama, mixed with some crime and a splash of romance.

I don't have many cons about this book, to be brutally honest. I felt like the book was just long enough - there wasn't anything that was left out and nothing felt like it didn't belong. There were times that I wanted some of the background history of certain relationships between characters, but the book got along without them. That's just me being picky and way to curious about how this story line came to be.

Overall, this book is A grade! It's a must read and a recommendation from this reader and I'll be definitely picking up the next book!

Five out of five stars!

I received a free copy of this book from Gary Corbin (the author) in exchange for an honest review.… (mehr)

The Mountain Man's Badge packs a real punch as the third book in this spectacular series.

This series is one of my recent favourites, and I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't picked up a great thriller novel in the past year! Gary Corbin makes an exciting, fast paced novel with characters that pull at your heart strings. Seeing Lehigh and Stacy develop over these three books has been a truly magical journey, and I love that Gary put a lot of effort into making these story lines.

This time around Lehigh is becoming the Sheriff (and is being voted into a position). Politics, drama and hysteria ensue throughout this novel that will leave you sitting on the edge of your seat and wanting more! I was a little saddened that Stacy wasn't as involved in this book as I would have liked (or the dogs for that matter), but the book still kept the thrills alive following Lehigh.

When Lehigh has to arrest his father-in-law, his relationship with Stacy is on the rocks. Having this relationship change and not just be true, happy-ending romance was nice to see. It changes these characters and makes for a more interesting plot. This also assists in introducing new characters and unique plot devices to add to the intensity.

There are some unique twists and turns in this book that I didn't see coming. These books tend to make me examine every little comment and try to come up with the ending. If you're really keen, you might be able to figure these little mysteries out! It's a nice change to be able to let me imagination run wild while reading these books.

Now for the real question - can you read this book without reading the other three? Yes, but it's not as good. While I think jumping in at the second book of the series would work fine, I don't recommend jumping in from this book. I found it less easy to jump into without the background information, and it wouldn't pack as good of a punch. While Gary is the master of filling in the blanks, I just don't think this book would be as good to the reader without seeing this series as a whole. All three books tie the story together very well, and I think this series is meant to be read as just that - a series.

I really hope there is more to this series - I find Stacy and Lehigh truly incredible: Each book ups the stakes for these characters! I'm not sure where they would go next, but I think Gary is creative enough to add more to that story. Although, this also felt like a really nice, dramatic closing for these guys. Either way, I want to see more by Gary Corbin and more people need to pick up his books! This man has a real talent for telling a great story!

Who would I recommend this to? Those who love mystery, crime and thrillers! It has a slight pinch of romance, but not so much that you'll be wondering why "romance" isn't one of the tags. That is simply a side plot that adds to the characters and their development. The book isn't R rated by any means, so I think it'd be safe for teenagers to hop into!

Overall, this series is an A rated series by my standards. It has everything I want in it - real drama, character development, some action, and a dash of politics. Stacy and Lehigh aren't Mary Sue's or Plain Janes, which really adds to the rating for this book.

Five out of five stars!

I received a free copy of this book from the author Gary Corbin in exchange for an honest review.… (mehr)

A Woman of Valor is the newest addition to Gary Corbin's literary genius line-up!

I loved Gary Corbin's Mountain Man series, so it was a no brainer for me to pick up A Woman of Valor. Especially since this novel focused on a woman in a crime setting - I'm a real sucker for The Rookie, Rookie Blue, etc., and any tale that follows a strong female lead.

In this book, Valorie Dawes is a rookie police officer. She has a bit of a family legacy which casts a shadow over yet, but she is determined to show her worth. Val gets partnered up with Gil and chaos ensues. Will Val be able to deal with her past and the trauma that's holding her back? Will she make it as a police officer when no one wants to accept her?

I really liked this story, if I'm being honest. This particular plot point is common - a woman police officer trying to be treated equally - but Gary did a great job making me invested in it. I could have been really bored with the "same old, same old", but he made me feel for Val. I wanted to see her do well! Somehow, he managed to make Val feel more real than just a character. All the while, he throws in some very tough plot points (sexual harassment, rape and social injustice). Those topics fit perfectly into this narrative, but they could have been handled REALLY wrong. Lucky for us, Gary is the master!

Gary does a great job putting this story together. There's action and adventure, a pinch of romance, and a dash of comedy. It's not all down and depressing, which was a big plus for me. Often times, I find that police dramas get so sad and boring. Gary amps it up real well! On top of all of that, Gary does a great job making me know each and every character. I tend to lose focus when there's a lot of people to follow, but I didn't this time around! Kudos!

My negatives are as followed:
1. Sometimes the plot slowed down, and I'm a fast paced kinda girl. It's not the end of the world, but I struggled to get through just a couple of the chapters.

2. The ending, while it sums up the book, it felt like a cliffhanger. Will there be another book?! Will I see what happens to Val and Gil soon?!

Overall, this book is a real gem. I'm glad I got to read it but sad it took me so long to get to it. Gary's a real master at making books that feel like they can cross multiple genres. He deals with tough topics like rape, molestation, post traumatic stress disorder and the cruel realities of human kind really well. I'd highly recommend this book if you like crime dramas or want something with a little 'umph' on your shelf.

Five out of five stars.

I received a free copy of this book from the author, Gary Corbin, in exchange of an honest review.… (mehr)