Customer Comments

Donna Leon manages to integrate a suspenseful mystery with characters living their lives, especially the family of Commissaro Guido Brunetti. Making the whole mix even more appetizing is that it all takes place in Venice. The story revolves around sex trafficking. Three murders are carried out over a short period of time and are somehow connected. As Brunetti struggles to find the link that will lead him to the killer, he uses his interrogation skills, his boss's secretary, his subordinates, his contacts from around the world and his own family, especially Paolo, his professor wife but also his daughter Chiara to eventually identify the murderer. Leon also does a masterful job of exposing the underside of Italy's political and legal systems by describing how frustrating operating in such a corrupt environment is. Brunetti's only retreat from all the insanity is his family and their meals together as well as the wonderful conversations he has with Paolo. Each of Leon's Brunetti novels focus on a different aspect of Italian and Venetian society but each one also has it's surprises and freshness. I look forward to reading the next one.

This book started out great but deteriorated the further into it I got. The plot is similar to "The Da Vinci Code" in that there exists information that could destroy Christianity. It starts with a couple Templars escaping Acre in 1291 with a secret document just before its fall to the Saracens . The scene shifts to New York City where a Vatican exhibit is spectacularly looted by four horsemen in Templar outfits. An archaeologist is present and eventually becomes involved in the search for one of the stolen artifacts which holds the key to the location of the missing documents. The rest of the story follows the search for the documents interspersed with flashbacks to the Templar charged with saving the documents and turning them over to those who could use them. It also morphs into a somewhat cliched love story between the archaeologist and an FBI agent. As the book drags on the love story becomes more featured than the search. There are also enough coincidences both good and bad to fill a poorly written comic book. I totally lost interest about 3/4 of the way through the book but, due to my obsessive need to finish what I start, I hung in there to the bitter end by speed reading the last 100 pages or so. The ending was unsatisfying as the suspense of what might happen was long gone. In summary this book is a poor knock-off of Dan Brown's works covering similar ground.

This is the best Finder novel, yet. I've read a few but I could hardly put this one down. Nick Heller, private investigator and retired military intelligence officer, is asked to help an old friend, billionaire financier, Marshall Marcus. Marcus' daughter, Alexa doesn't return home after a night out at a nightclub. Kidnapping is, of course, suspected and for some reason Marcus does not want to call in the police or the FBI. With some trepidation, Nick agrees to pursue the case, mostly because Marcus helped his mom out in the past and because he likes Alexa. The story tracks what's happening to Alexa and also the perpetrator of the kidnapping, switching back and forth with short action filled chapters. Using all the resources at his disposal and calling in favors from friends and ex-colleagues, he still has a difficult time figuring out what's happened to Alexa. Part of the problem are the secrets Marcus keeps from Heller and the secrets that Heller uncovers on his own, Hence the title of the book. The entire book is suspenseful as each seeming breakthrough ends in a blind alley. The fact that Alexa will likely be killed no matter what happens makes the story all that much more poignant. The other characters in the story all contribute to either the solution or more confusion. This is definitely a story that moves quickly and keeps the reader guessing. I highly recommend it as an introduction to Finder's skill as a writer.

A totally unexpected direction by White. The main character is not the usual Dr. Alan Gregory but rather, a rich, somewhat narcissistic. risk-taking entrepreneur, whose full name we never learn. While skiing, he has a brush with death and simultaneously learns that a friend will be in a vegetative state for the rest of his life. He tells one of his "adventure" buddies that he doesn't want to end up in the same situation. This friend puts him in touch with an organization that guarantees a quick death under whatever circumstances the client sets out. He signs up. Later, he finds out he has an incurable brain aneurysm that could kill him at any time. The parameters he agreed to are now in effect but he wants more time to reconcile with a son he never knew he had and let his family know how much he cares for them. He discovers that not being able to pursue a high-risk life of adventure isn't nearly as important as having closure with those he loves. With the help of an employee of the group that is trying to kill him, he manages to say good-bye to his family and find his son. The ending is not totally surprising but is totally satisfying. Dr. Gregory plays a minor role here as the protagonist's therapist and the narrator of an epilogue that pretty much ties everything together. White took a risk here, telling the entire story in the first person of Gregory's patient and then at the end switching to Gregory's first person narrative. The idea that there is an organization that would kill those who wanted to avoid a lingering or painful death may seem a little far-fetched also. Both worked very well though, at the beginning, I resisted wanting the familiar but later appreciating the author's inventiveness. If you've never read any of White's Dr. Gregory series, you could easily start here since no prior knowledge is necessary. This is a suspenseful, well written, seductive story of change and the importance of relationships in life and with approaching death.

I Loved this book. More historical fiction than murder mystery but a nice combination of both. Matthew Shardlake, a hunchbacked lawyer, is sent to York to protect a prisoner accused of conspiracy so he can be tortured in the Tower of London. The prisoner, Sir Edward Broderick, is not grateful as he would just as soon die. Complicating matters, King Henry VIII is on a "Progress" to York and the preparations are extensive. A glazier is murdered and Shardlake hears his last words: “No child of Henry and Catherine Howard can ever be true heir.” Shardlake is asked to investigate the killing by Maleverer; a crony of his old enemy Richard Rich. Shardlake is now between a rock and a hard place as he is accidentally exposed to the possibility that Henry VIII is descended from an illegitimate assignation and has no royal blood. There are numerous attempts on Shardlake's life. He finds one true friend, a fellow barrister, Giles Wrenne while his loyal assistant Jack Barak is distracted by falling in love with the beautiful Tamasin Reedbourne. The story is full of characters who either wish Shardlake well or ill but are wonderfully drawn and interesting in their own right. The King's court is a hive of maneuvering by the dozens of courtiers and other members of the Royal household, all of which, creates a rich tapestry of plots and counter-plots, any one of which could cost Shardlake his head. The ending contains an unexpected surprise as the chief villain turns out to be someone who is not as villainous as some of his actions would indicate. After 550+ pages to be surprised makes the story even more appealing. I highly recommend it as part of the Shardlake series or as a stand-alone introduction.

Excuse my naivete but I'm shocked that one of the best histories of the U.S. Civil War has been written by an Englishman. Granted that I'm a Keegan fan and thought his history of WW I helped me understand that war for the first time. Nevertheless, I would have thought that there was no room for new insights into the Civil War until I read this book. His ability to show the impact of geography on the conflict was outstanding. His analysis of the economic aspects of the conflict was clear. His explanations for the South's ability to maintain itself in spite of everything against it were enlightening. He also was able to illustrate why the Confederate Army had such clearly superior leadership early in the war. I very much liked his approach to the chronology of the war in that he discussed campaigns in detail but not battles, a welcome departure from most Civil War Histories. His conclusion that there was no way the South could have won the war is one I totally agree with, southern disclaimers to the contrary. Keegan supplies enough detail to support his conclusions. For instance, he shows how the railroads of the North were clearly superior to those in the South and therefore severely limited the Confederate's ability to maneuver. He uses maps and specific examples to support his obviously well researched arguments. I've read a number of Civil War histories. Most of them left me somewhat overwhelmed and confused. I recommend this volume to anyone who would like to have a clear appreciation of how and why the war was fought in the way it was.

Boring plot. Boring characters. Boring dialogue. Boring writing. Out of date. Got about 150 pages in which was a waste of time.

The eleventh in the Gabriel Allon series is good but not great. I was still entranced with the story and the characters, many of whom have appeared in previous Silva novels. It is pretty much a "spy procedural" and as such loses some of the inventiveness of previous books in the series. In this volume, Allon has left the Israeli intelligence service and is restoring paintings in a small cottage in the Cornwall area of England. He and his wife, Chiara, are spending a relaxing weekend in London when Allon recognizes the symptoms of someone who's about to blow himself and a lot of other people up in Covent Garden. In spite of Allon's efforts the bomb goes off and he is, as a result, drawn back into the shadow world he has just left. The British and Americans get involved as do Allon's old team pursuing a shadowy terrorist, Rashid, who was at one time an informer to the CIA. Eventually a complicated strategy is developed to track down Rashid and kill him. The story moves along from there. As you might imagine it involves Allon using his restorer's skills and past experiences to try and draw Rashid out. While complicated the plot line never loses the reader and in fact the story could be seen as a tutorial in how to chase and run down a terrorist. Allon, who operates under a crushing amount of guilt, most of the time, does manage to do what is necessary to bring the bad guys down though with some unexpected help from unexpected sources. The conclusion is drawn out somewhat but satisfying nevertheless. I recommend this book, unreservedly but also suggest that someone newly interested in the Allon series not begin their exploration with this particular book.

This, #16 in the Jack Reacher series, is an excellent effort by Child to keep the series at its already high level and finally give us the complete Reacher backstory. It's 1997 and the budget cutters are looking to downsize the army, the only home Reacher has ever known. Reacher knows he's vulnerable so is not surprised when he's asked to go undercover to help the army manage a crisis in Northeastern Mississippi, at a small town named Carter's Crossing, where the murder of a young woman, Janice May Chapman, took place outside of an army Ranger base, Fort Kelham Reacher's instructions are vague but it's clear that the army is afraid of a scandal if one of theirs is the perpetrator. When Reacher gets to Carter's Crossing, he's immediately made by the sheriff, a beautiful, ex Marine CWO 5 and investigator, Elizabeth Devereaux. Despite a lot of initial suspicion of each others' motives, they eventually partner up and quickly discover there's a conspiracy at work to hide the truth. Ferreting out the nature of the conspiracy without knowing who to trust is the story here. There are a few sub-plots involving additional murders, local rednecks, a militia from Tennessee, a midnight train and Reacher's relationship with Devereaux. All of these contribute to the story and show us the many sides of Reacher. One thing, those of us who've read the other books in the series know is that Reacher will do whatever is necessary to make things "right". It's his nature. He also loves the army in his own way and does what he can to protect it from itself. The story builds to a very satisfying climax and should leave any reader with a lot of motivation to read other books in the series. Even though it's #16, this volume can be a good place to start.

This, the 12th novel in the Kevin Kearney series, while not the best, is a riveting story of a serial killer gone crazy and the efforts to bring him to justice. Kerney returns to New Mexico from London where he and his wife Army Major Patricia and their son Patrick are living as the major finishes up her military career as a liaison to the British in the U.S embassy. He returns because a psychopath, Craig Larson, is mistakenly sent to a minimum security prison. On the way there, Larson escapes and begins a reign of terror throughout north-eastern New Mexico. He kills Kerney's young business partner, Riley Burke, which not only involves Kerney but also his half-Apache son, Deputy Clayton Ishtee. The two of them with the blessing of Andy Baca, head of the State Police, go after Larson with revenge on their minds both for the murder of Burke but also the total paralysis of Ishtee's boss, Sheriff Paul Hewitt. Both of these victims are but a small sample of Larson's murdering rampage as he would just as soon kill someone as not. McGarrity describes Larson's transition into a total psychopath by allowing the reader into his thought processes as he goes from dangerous but somewhat reasonable to delusional insanity. The author also switches from the pursued to the pursuers as the chase tightens up. He also does a nice job of describing the relationship of Kerney and Ishtee through their conversations as they chase down the madman. It appears this might be the last book in the series. McGarrity hasn't done another since 2008. He does end the book with a couple loose ends which may never be followed up. He is currently two books into a Kerney family trilogy which serves as a prequel to Kevin's stories. I highly recommend the entire series. While a reader could start with this effort, I believe it would be good to begin with Tularosa the first in the series. Wherever you are introduced to Kerney and McGarrity, I believe you will enjoy the journey.

While I like Hunter's books most of the time, I loved this one. While it's perhaps a little over dramatized, it is well written and suspenseful. Earl Swagger, a returning WW II vet and Medal of Honor winner, joins a group taking on Mafia member Owney Meany and his crew who run Hot Springs, Arkansas and its gambling, prostitution and other illegal activities. The story has lots of action as Earl and ex-FBI agent D.A. Parker train and lead a group of young police officers to put Meany out of business. Hunter does a good job of character development as well as providing a number of surprises as the plot unfolds. The story is based on actual events but as Hunter himself points out where history and a good story intersect the story wins. I highly recommend this book, especially if you are unfamiliar with Hunter's Work.

I've read most of Burdette's output but somehow missed his first novel, "Bangkok 8". It was a great read. I enjoyed it even more because of all the time I've spent in Bangkok. It was like reading a novel set in San Francisco, Portland or Hong KOng. Sonchai Jitpleecheep, a half Thai, half American Bangkok detective, watches his partner and soul brother, Pichai, die when the two of them open the door of a Mercedes in which a Marine sergeant has been killed by drug maddened cobras and a hungry python and Pichai is bitten in the eye by one of the cobras. Jitpleecheep swears to avenge Pichai's death but the deeper he gets into the case the more complicated it becomes until both Jitpleecheep and the reader are confused as to who is really ultimately responsible for both Pichai's and the Sergeant's murder. As the story unfolds, Burdett introduces us to his version of how Bangkok works, particularly police corruption and the prostitution industry. We are also given an introduction to Bhuddist philosophy as practiced by Jitpleecheep. We also learn the back-story of Jitpleecheep's life and his relationship to his courtesan mother and her lovers as well as his boss, Colonel Vikorn, a character if there ever was one. The plot kept me guessing throughout the book. It's forays into the transgender society, half breed treatment by Thais, the meth trade or "Yaa Baa" as the Thai's call it, the Chiu Chow Chinese influence, and other less obvious byways, kept me from becoming totally depressed as Jitpleecheep pursued his vengeance. I highly recommend, not just "Bangkok 8", but all the Sonchai Jitpleecheep series.

This book was my introduction to the "Warrior of Rome" series. Though it's the third entry, reading it first was not a problem. I was able to keep all the characters straight and found enough information to understand their place in the narrative. I wish I had discovered Sidebottom, sooner. I consider myself a fan of Roman historical fiction and he is obviously a very good practitioner. His work is well researched and documented plus accompanied by an excellent bibliography, appendix, and glossary. The story's protagonist is Ballista, an officer in the third century Roman army, originally sent to Rome as a hostage against his Germanic father's continued good behavior. He's now, 20 years later, defending Rome's eastern borders against the growing threat of the Sassanid (Persian) empire. Ballista and the Emperor Valerian, betrayed by Macrianus the Lame, have been captured by the Sassanids and are forced to prostrate themselves before the so-called King of Kings. Ballista is to go to Samosata and ask Macrianus to ransom Valerian. He knows it's a fool's errand but gives his oath to return. Ballista then breaks his oath to protect his family and goes into the service of Macrianus as a high level commander. The plot then revolves around what Ballista must do to not only survive but also protect his family from enemies both within and without the Empire. The battle scenes of which there are many are well done. The characters are well drawn and for the most part believable for the time. Ballista's companions stay loyal to him and in many cases are able to protect him from his enemies. I am looking forward to reading the other books in the series in order or not. I can certainly recommend this volume.

This, the 12th in the Commissario Brunetti series, is one of the best. A refreshing change from the usual "who dunnit" genre. It is full of well drawn characters and a plot that, while it doesn't keep the reader guessing as to who is guilty, nevertheless does keep the reader guessing as to what is going to happen next right up to the last two or three pages. The story opens when a young student is found hanging from the ceiling of a bathroom in the San Martino military academy. While it is an apparent suicide, Brunetti is suspicious as the boy is the son of Dottore Moro a doctor and former member of parliament who has a reputation of unimpeachable honesty for uncovering corruption in the Venetian Health Service. In addition, Brunetti is put off by the arrogant, almost hostile attitudes of both the staff and the students. So he sets out to prove that young Moro was murdered. In the process, we are exposed to the failings of the Italian justice system which Brunetti understands but constantly tries to work around, especially when dealing with his incompetent superior, Vice-Questore Patta. Brunetti does manage to attract like minded people to help, especially his boss's assistant and computer hacker, Signorina Elettra, who provides him with information he couldn't get any other way. He also depends on his wife Paola, to keep his head straight when he gets frustrated with the system. Whenever I pick up a Donna Leon book, I anticipate being transported into another world peopled with interesting characters and compelling plots. This volume certainly didn't disappoint.

As so often happens, expectations degrade the value of the actual experience. If I'd never read a book in Jeffery Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme series, I think I might have enjoyed this entry more than I did but I have read them all up to this one, so perhaps I expected too much. Not that this wasn't an exciting, interesting read. It was. Paraplegic Rhyme's opponent here is a serial killer who uses electricity to fry people after making demands that cannot be met. The first incident kills one person and and leaves a bus load of injured. Rhyme and his sidekick/lover, Amelia Sachs, decide that the killer will strike again. The belief that an eco-terrorist group is involved brings in the FBI and the full resources of the NYPD. What makes this such a good thriller is the concept that electricity is omnipresent and invisible so one never knows when or how the madman will strike. In what appears to be a sub-plot, the "Watchman" of the previous novel, "Cold Moon" surfaces in Mexico City. One of the few criminals to escape Rhyme's net, he is evidently after someone in Mexico City. Rhyme is in contact with the Mexican Commander and tries to keep abreast of what's happening there as well as pursuing the local killer. Exacerbating Rhyme's problems is his condition and his concern for the danger that Sachs is encountering. There is an extensive cast of other characters, each of whom has a story which becomes a sub-plot in the overall narrative. All of the sub-plots do come together in the end and Deaver does an excellent job of tying up loose ends. The exciting climax surprised me and blew away all the assumptions I had made up 'til then. There is also an epilogue of sorts which provides a track into the next book in the series. If you've not read previous books in the series, I believe you could enjoy this one as a stand alone novel. If on the other hand, you do have access to some of the previous books, you will be well served to read them first.

This is my first Hamish MacBeth book. I enjoyed it immensely. It's light in some ways and serious in others. The interwoven plots in this volume kept me guessing. The opening plot involves the apparent drug overdose death of Tommy Jarrett, a recovering addict. Hamish is unwilling to accept the obvious which leads him into the major plot-line where he pairs up with an attractive Detective Inspector, Olivia Chater, in an undercover operation to trap a gang of drug dealers. They spend a lot of time together which eventually leads to complications. There is also a sub-plot involving a religious cult which, frankly added little to the story. Eventually the undercover operation comes to an exciting conclusion, Tommy Jarrett's murder is solved and Hamish and Olivia try to figure out where to go from here. I plan to read more of the Hamish MacBeth series and I recommend this one. Even though it's number 15, I never felt I was missing something by not having started the series at the beginning.

I've been a Vince Flynn fan even when I thought his hero Mitch Rapp was a bit over the top to say nothing of his supporting cast, all as stereotypical as can be imagined. This one, though, was too much to stomach. I finally finished it due to an unfortunate obsession I have about finishing any book I start. Flynn recently died ahead of his time and I felt bad as it was way too soon. He was only 47 YOA and wrote two books after this one. It appears to me that he may have fallen under the thrall of Glenn Beck since in this story everyone who doesn't agree with Mitch is part of a liberal conspiracy meant to turn the country over to the terrorists. He saves a lot of his venom for a group of women Senators who are obviously patterned after current Senators. You can imagine what he thinks of the State Department and the FBI. It's just too much, no matter how much I enjoy the thrilling action. Mitch kills a lot of people without getting scratched but everyone who Mitch dispatches deserves to die and Mitch rarely misses. "Frontier Justice"? Enough. You get the idea. If you like ultra conservative writing disguised as a thriller, this book will meet your needs.

I have enjoyed all the books in the Pendergast Series and this one is no exception. I hadn't realized the series had gone in a new direction involving Pendergast's wife Helen (Nee: Esterhazy)and that this was the second book in the new plot line. Even though, the previous book, "Fever Dreams", sets this story up, nevertheless it can stand on it's own and sets up the next book, "Two Graves". This book opens with Pendergast on a hunting trip with his brother-in-law Judson Esterhazy. As they confront one another, Pendergast is shot and left for dead. Since no body is ever discovered, many of Pendergast's friends, especially Lt. Vincent D'Agosta, are convinced he is still alive and search for him. There are a number of sub-plots, one involving a small town reporter, Ned Betterton, and another Pendergast's niece, Constance. Pendergast becomes convinced his wife, the victim of a hunting accident 10 years earlier, is still alive. The narrative jumps around from Scotland to Mississippi to New York to Boston and to Charlotte, SC. Eventually all the different threads and sub-plots come together to an exciting climax and a cliffhanging end. I'm in awe of the ability of these two authors to keep both the plots and the characters interesting over such a long time and through so many different story lines. This is a fine thriller and one that has reinvigorated me to continue to read the output of the authors' collaboration.

Somehow John Sandford has managed to keep the energy and excitement in the Prey series featuring Lucas Davenport. It now runs to 21 volumes to say nothing of the four book Virgil Flowers spin-off. The story opens with the robbery of a hospital pharmacy, in which Davenport's surgeon wife, Weather, works. Things go wrong when one of the hospital employees dies from being kicked and Weather probably can identify one of the robbers. She is now a possible target of the gang and needs protection. Meanwhile, Weather herself is part of a surgical team trying to separate conjoined twin girl infants. The procedure takes place over a number of days and seriously complicates things. When Davenport and his BCA group figure out that there was a hospital insider involved, protecting Weather becomes even more of a challenge. The narrative switches between the good guys and the bad guys and we can see how each group makes certain assumptions that are often wrong and create additional problems. As is often true in this series, one of the bad guys is a total psycho and looking into his thought processes is an adventure in terror. Of course, things eventually work themselves out and the ending is very satisfying. I liked this effort as much as any of the others and I've read them all. I recommend it with the slight caveat that it would be nice if you could read the series from the beginning but don't let that stop you from picking this one up and enjoying the ride.

This is #2 in the Inspector Ian Rutledge series. I finished #1 few months ago and was so impressed, I've acquired a number of volumes and plan to read them intermittently over the next year or so. I've never been a big fan of so-called British mysteries but I do like these stories, perhaps because of the characters, especially Rutledge. Rutledge, a veteran of World War One survived the war, but is haunted by his experiences, including being buried alive in a German artillery barrage. He also hears the voice of one of his men, a Scot named Hamish, who he had been forced to put in front of a firing squad because of Hamish's unwillingness to lead a suicidal advance. Hamish is a constant companion in his head telling him things he often does not want to hear. They argue, sometimes out loud which can be disconcerting to the people around Rutledge - a WW I version of PTSD. "Wings of Fire" is the title of a poetry book written by a critically acclaimed, virtual recluse, Olivia Marlowe. Writing under the pseudonym of O.A. Manning, she is mistaken for a man because she does such a good job of capturing the Hell that is combat and the passion of love expressed in "Wings of Fire". Olivia and her half brother Nicholas are found dead in what is assumed to be an apparent suicide. When another family member breaks his neck falling down the stairs, questions are raised by another relative Rachel Cheney, Rutledge is sent to determine what really happened. The plot then unfolds as Rutledge discovers the tragic history of the family in which a number of people have died under tragic circumstances. He becomes convinced that all of the deaths were murders. He takes it on himself to unravel the tangled family history in the face of opposition from the local authorities and most of the citizens of the nearby town. Rutledge, who could be seen as being an obsessive-compulsive cannot abide an unsolved mystery and persists in his inquiries until the truth comes out in a very satisfying, exciting conclusion. While this book can certainly stand on its own, the first book in the series, "A Test of Wills," was helpful to have read as it does an excellent job of describing Rutledge's syndrome and the history of his relationship with Hamish. I certainly can recommend this book.

A totally delightful, almost transcendent, addition to the John Burdett series of crime/mystery books featuring Sonchai Jitpleecheep, a Royal Thai Police detective. The plot in this case is very complicated, involving Karmic fate, the search for enlightenment, drugs, Thai corruption, the Asian gem trade, inexplicable murders and Tibetan Independence all held together by a self-deprecating sense of humor on Sonchai's part. The book is aimed at the foreign (farang) reader directly as Sonchai narrates his journey in the first person. Sonchai, the half Thai/half American son of a former prostitute and current brothel owner, constantly struggles to balance his spiritual Buddhism with his life-long debt to the unremittingly corrupt Colonel Vikorn, who wants Sonchai to be his consigliere, ala "The Godfather". Having lived 20 years in Asia and having spent much time in Thailand, I can say that the descriptions of Bangkok and its environs including Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy are accurate and real. In this story Sonchai also visits Nepal and Hong Kong and here too Burdett captures the essence of these places. The plot is wonderfully inventive and complicated which kept me wondering what's next and often being surprised when it was revealed. Somehow, through it all and in spite of his continuing confusion Sonchai manages to solve a murder, broker a huge drug deal, reach a new level of consciousness, and help Tibetan refugees work to frustrate their Chinese occupiers. Sounds unbelievable and maybe it is but while immersed in the story I was just swept along as the plots unfolded and was completely satisfied with the conclusion. While the story stands on it's own, I would recommend reading "Bangkok 8", the first book in the series before reading this, number 4. However, no matter what, I unreservedly recommend this delightfully absorbing novel.

What a disappointment! I liked the first two books in the series very much. I struggled to finish this 1100 page monster and managed to do so by speed reading the first line of paragraphs in spots and scanning some of the dialogue between characters I didn't care about. I expected a follow-up to some of the characters introduced in the first two volumes but instead got a steady diet of the next generation and not a clue as to what happened to others. I have no idea what Follett was trying to do here except maybe finish what he'd started. In his dedication to getting us to the Fall of Communism he skips over huge chunks of history that had to impact the characters he's writing about. I haven't seen so many stereotypes since I stopped reading pulp fiction magazines in the 50s. I'm afraid his political views were also overly reflected in the way he treats the major political figures of the day. Basically trashing Nixon (deserved), Reagan, (not so deserved) and George H.W. Bush (not deserved at all). To give him credit he doesn't shy away from criticizing the Kennedy's and Johnson but hardly mentions Carter and totally ignores the Iranian revolution. This is the first Follett book I haven't liked. I hope it's the last.

I Don't know how I missed this one. Except for the slightly dated technological stuff it was a great read. As with any Preston/Child novel, the reader must suspend their disbelief. Once that is out of the way, the authors have a sure hand when it comes to ratcheting up the suspense. It's not necessarily twists and turns so much as putting the characters in life threatening circumstances and prolonging resolution of the danger. The plot here involves a scientist, Guy Carson, who is working a scut job under a jealous supervisor when he is asked by GeneDyne CEO and founder, Brent Scopes, to take over a very important project at the GeneDyne facility, near Mount Dragon, in a remote arid section of New Mexico. Guy’s new assignment is to genetically manipulate a very deadly virus so that it will inoculate people against the flu forever. Carson works in a Level 5 facility, with protective biohazard suits and extensive decontamination procedures. His assistant, Susana Cabeza de Vaca, is very feisty and sarcastic. At some point, as you can imagine, there is an accident which throws the entire facility into chaos. Simultaneously, Guy’s onetime college professor, Charles Levine (Brent Scopes’ most vocal enemy) manages to contact him. Guy and Susana discover that there are many secrets about, not only their project, but others before they got there. The plot unfolds from there as events in both New Mexico and GeneDyne headquarters in Boston work to a climax. I was somewhat surprised that the authors could produce such an entertaining story in this, their second book together. I highly recommend it.

This was much better than I expected. I will definitely have to read more early Stephen Hunter. The story takes place mostly in Barcelona during 1936-39 Spanish Civil War. The Nationalists led by General Franco and backed by Germany and Italy were trying to re-take the country from the Republicans which were comprised of a number of left wing groups from anarchists to Stalinists. The main characters are Robert Florry and Julian Raines, two Eton school chums who have fallen out but have both joined the International Brigade. Raines is thought by MI-6 to be a Russian spy and Florry is sent to Spain to kill him. Two other key people are Sylvia, a beautiful young British adventurer and Levitsky, a Trotskyite spymaster and chess champion. The main villain is an American ex-hitman who has become an enforcer for the Stalinists under an assumed name. There are many twists and turns, sometimes confusing but almost always interesting. Things get sorted out in the end, of course, with even more surprises. The further I got into the story the more I enjoyed it to the point I found it difficult to put the book down. I recommend it as both a good spy story but also as a well done piece of historical fiction.

Another Robert B. Parker winner as Spenser, his irreverent P.I., becomes involved in a complicated mystery by agreeing to be a body guard to the Mother-of-the-Bride at a high Society wedding held on a remote Island near Boston. At the wedding, he sees an old enemy, The Grey Man, whose last name either is or isn't Rugar. The wedding is interrupted by a kidnapping and a number of murders in the middle of a horrendous storm. The plot proceeds from there to a semi-happy conclusion in which all the loose ends are tied up. All the usual characters are here, Susan, Spenser's soul mate, Hawk, his sometimes partner and protector, Quinn, A Boston P.D. Lieutenant, Rita Fiore, an ex-girl friend and dynamite lawyer, and Epstein, the local FBI Agent-in Charge. Reading a Spenser novel is like running into old friends. The new characters in the story are, pretty much, a reprehensible bunch, greedy society woman, alcoholic ex-husband and father, current husband and non-caring step-father, Ivy, a shadowy federal government employee, Maggie Lane, a social secretary and the Lessards, parents of the groom. Mix everything together and you have a good story with lots of twists and turns as well as some satisfying action and suspense as Spenser works his way through the muck of other people's lives. I am delaying as long as possible, reading the last of Parker's novels, taking them one at a time over an extended period because when I finish the last one, I will be saddened that I will have no Parker stories to look forward to.

I think James Lee Burke is one of the best authors, of any genre, writing today. My only argument with this book is that it is so dark as to be downright depressing at times. The story opens when Sheriff Hackberry Holland, a Korean War veteran in his early 70s, discovers a burial site where nine young Thai women have recently been cut down by a Thompson machine gun, reminiscent of prohibition massacres. He was directed to the site by an anonymous phone call from an Iraq veteran suffering from PTSD, Pete Flores. Flores' connection to the crime gets him and his girlfriend, Vicki Gaddis, into a heap of trouble. The plot unfolds from there as characters only Burke could conjure up, play out their roles, willingly or not. After each character is introduced, the reader is made aware, not only of their current situation, but also of their background, which helps one understand why they behave in ways that the rest of us might think insane. Over the next 600+ pages these characters act out their roles, leading each of them to a destination, that while not always predictable, is usually justified and understandable. One of the signatures of Burke's stories whether featuring David Robicheaux of New Iberia LA, Billy Bob Holland of West Texas or Hackberry Holland of South Texas and a few other one-off characters is his description of the women in his books many of whom seem to have a strength that makes them not only interesting but also admirable. In this volume the aforementioned Vicki Gaddis, Holland's deputy, Pam Tibbs and a San Antonio housewife, Esther Dolan all, at one time or another, demonstrate a kind of courage, too seldom ascribed to women in crime fiction thrillers. This is not a light easy read but rather a deep exploration of the depths that some people fall into and the actions sometimes necessary to pull oneself out of the abyss. An additional feature of Burke's writing is his use of the environment he's describing to set the mood for the action to follow. While, as I indicated earlier, this is a challenging read, I also unreservedly recommend it as an excellent example of Burke's skill as a writer.

I have read this book more than a few times. Reading it this time was like reading it for the first time. I am now in my 70s and I believe the last time I read it I was in my fifties. My outlook has changed considerably in the intervening years so I gained different insights from Frankl's story this time through. It is an incredible story not only because he survived 3+ years in the Nazi Death Camps but because he was able to learn something from the experience. The 2006 publication, I read, had an introduction by Rabbi Kushner an Afterword by William Winslade and a short description of Logotherapy plus a 1984 postscript, "The Case for Tragic Optimism", by Frankl, himself. If you only read his memoir of the camps, pages 1-93, you will learn all you need to know about how searching for meaning is a driving force in humankind. I cannot over-emphasize how influential this book has been and will continue to be in my daily life. I realize how important it is to continue to work at those things that have meaning for me, no matter how trivial, they might seem to others. Retirement can be a trap but with the principles Frankl drew out of his horrid experience, I can, not only enjoy whatever time I have left, but also gain meaning and strength from whatever the future holds. 93 pages: two or three or four hours of reading covering a lifetime of meaning. I highly recommend this story to anyone who is looking to enhance the experience of living their own life.

It's been a while since I picked up a Lescroart "Dismas Hardy" legal thriller and within the first 10 pages, I realized what I had been missing. There are many authors out there writing legal thrillers but none with the characterization skills of Lescroart. His plotting isn't bad either. In this story the wife of a jail guard, Hal Chase, goes missing under puzzling circumstances. Katie Chase left her house and kids with no explanation which was entirely unlike her. As in most such cases the husband is the primary suspect. He goes to Dismas Hardy who, while not totally convinced of Chase's innocence, nevertheless hires his friend Abe Glitsky, a recently retired homicide inspector to try to find Katie and to determine Chase's guilt or innocence. Eventually Katie's body is found, Hal is arrested and Glitsky works hard to discover the truth. There are numerous blind alley's and twists and turns as Abe keeps following his gut which doesn't always pay off. The Sheriff's management of the jail, the DA, Wes Farrell's, connection to Hardy and Glitsky, the two families involved, Katie and Hal Chase's affairs, all contribute to the confusion about who did what to whom. As usual in Lescroart's work, the city of San Francisco is as much a character as the humans. While not a complete surprise, the ending is not what any reader might necessarily expect. I have been reading Lescroart's novels for many years and this effort is as good as anything he's done. I highly recommend it even if it's your first exposure to the world the author has created.

I have spent a lot of time thinking about what I learned from reading the first book these authors produced, "Freakonomics". I am now doomed to do the same with the ideas in this book. I am not particularly wedded to "conventional wisdom" but the ideas here take analyzing some aspects of "taken for granted" ideas to another level. For example, I have now had to re-think almost all my ideas about climate change and global warming after reading the chapter, "What do Al Gore and Mount Pinatubo have in common?" What made the chapter even more compelling was that I was in the Philippines when Mount Pinatubo blew its top. Spent nearly a week trying to escape because the silicates on the runway were likely to be ingested by the jet engines. That is until hundreds of Boy Scouts were armed with brooms and swept the main runway. The book also reinforced my opinion that altruism is non-existent as all so-called altruistic acts provide some satisfaction or reward to the doer. The development of laboratory experiments to prove this were enlightening. The tongue in cheek humor throughout the book makes reading it a pleasant experience even when the authors are explaining a particularly complicated idea. There are also four color illustrations to help the reader better understand the concepts. I've never heard anyone say, "I couldn't put the book down it was so interesting" about a book on economics. I'm afraid I must say that about this book. It's great. Try it.

I've been a Vince Flynn fan even when I thought his hero Mitch Rapp was a bit over the top to say nothing of his usual supporting cast, all as stereotypical as can be imagined. This one, though, was too much to stomach. I made it halfway through and then abandoned ship. Flynn recently died ahead of his time and I felt bad as it was way too soon. He was only 47 YOA and wrote two books after this one. It appears to me that he may have fallen under the thrall of Glenn Beck since in this story everyone who doesn't agree with Mitch is part of a liberal conspiracy meant to turn the country over to the terrorists. He saves a lot of his venom for a group of women Senators who are obviously patterned after current Senators. You can imagine what he thinks of the State Department and the FBI. It just got to be too much, no matter how much I enjoyed the thrilling action. Mitch kills a lot of people without getting scratched but everyone who Mitch dispatches deserves to die and Mitch rarely misses - "Frontier Justice". Enough. You get the idea. If you like ultra conservative writing disguised as a thriller, this book will meet your needs.

I absolutely love Krueger's Cork O'Connor series. Not only because of the suspense and action but also because he pays attention to Cork's family and his Native American ethnicity. I also like the seting of Minnesota's north woods which are similar to the ones I knew in northern Wisconsin. This, the eleventh offering, is as exciting as any of the others. Cork, still grieving for his wife, Jo, murdered in "Heaven's Keep", takes his family on a houseboat trip on The Lake of the Woods on the U.S. - Canadian border. The title "Northwest Angle" derives from Angle Township which can only be reached from the rest of Minnesota by crossing the lake or by traveling through Canada. A destructive storm (derecho) catches Cork and his daughter, Jenny, out in a small dinghy and they become stranded on one of the 14,552 islands on the lake. They discover an infant and his murdered Native American mother which raises the question of who is the killer(s) and will they return. As Jenny bonds with the baby, the rest of the family works to rescue Cork and Jenny, little realizing that they could be in danger. With many twists the story unfolds from there as all involved follow false clues and draw faulty conclusions before finally coming to grips with reality. Interspersed with the plot, Krueger explores the O'Connor family dynamics, the place of prayer and religion in the world and in an individual's life, and the nature of Ojibwe spiritual traditions. All of which adds to the complexity and appeal of the story. The ending is not a total surprise but provides enough suspense to keep the reader entranced. The epilogue does a nice job of tying up loose ends. I highly recommend, not only this book but the entire Cork O'Connor series.

This, the 8th volume in the Saxon Stories series, is a bit of a departure from the previous ones. It's more focused on the personalities and the politics of the time than on the ongoing hostilities between the Saxons and the Vikings. It's also more focused on Uhtred's family particularly his son Uhtred and his daughter Stiorra. In addition, more attention is paid to the declining physicality of the elder Uhtred. He is no longer the young, strong, indomitable force he once was but he still can wield his sword, Serpent Breath, with power and skill. This book opens much the same way "The Pagan Lord"(#7) did. The surprise comes when you realize who the Narrator is. After the Prologue, the elder Uhtred picks up where he stopped in 'The Pagan Lord". Aethelred, the ruler of Mercia, is dying and a Witan (council) has been called to choose his successor. Uhtred is surprised to receive an invitation since he's had an ongoing affair with Aethelred's wife, Aethelflaed, who has built a reputation as a fighter but is still not a candidate to rule Mercia because she's a woman. The political maneuvering is fascinating as Edward, King of Wessex, tries to manipulate the situation so he can rule Mercia by proxy. He is supported by his primary advisor, Aethelhelm, who hopes to have his grandson succeed Edward. To do so he must get rid of the child of an early marriage by Edward which resulted in a son, Aethelstan, who, though labelled as a bastard, is actually the legal heir to Edward's crown. Uhtred loves Aethelstan and works hard to keep him alive and also teach him what he needs to know if he is ever to become a king. The plot unfolds from there and we are introduced to a Welsh leader who is trying to unite Wales just as Alfred's dream was to unite all of England. We also meet a young Norseman from Ireland who is trying to grab lands in Mercia because the Irish are driving the Norse out of Ireland. There are, of course, Uhtred's lieutenants Finan and Osferth, who have been with Uhtred for a long time and still fight by his side and give him advice whether he wants it or not. It's a wonderful story with lots of twists and turns that sometimes appear to doom Uhtred. Fortunately, he's both a survivor and a thinker so always manages to escape death's clutches. I'll have a hard time waiting for #9. I also hope Cornwell lives long enough to finish the entire series just as he did with the Richard Sharpe series.

I'm an unabashed Child/Reacher fan. I have heard all the criticism of the series and on an intellectual level, I realize these books are not great literature but they are immensely entertaining. Every once in a while, I like to pretend that there are heroes walking around who are committed to righting wrongs and dispensing justice without needing to be featured on TV. This story, which was made into a movie I have not seen, involves an assassination of five people leaving a downtown office building. The evidence points to James Barr a former army sniper. James keeps saying, “You’ve got the wrong guy. Get Reacher for me.” Turns out Reacher is headed to town for his own reasons. He saw the story in the news and remembered Barr from 14 years ago in Iraq when he shot a number of civilians in a similar situation and got away with it. While Reacher at first wants to make sure Barr gets convicted, eventually he realizes that maybe, in this case, Barr is telling the truth. This, of course, upsets the real perpetrators who try to silence Reacher with predictable results. It's so much fun following Reacher as he turns the tables on those who believe themselves too powerful to be thwarted. I highly recommend this volume, #9 in the series but also suggest, if you are interested, to start with volume 1, "Killing Floor" and work your way through the series. I'm sure there are lots of used and new Mass Market Paper Backs around. This is a very popular series of stories.

While not the best of Daniel Silva's Gabriel Allon series, it still deserves five stars in my opinion. Unfortunately, there were just too many coincidences and last minute rescues to maintain the kind of believability this series usually has. This volume is a sequel to the previous book, "Moscow Rules". Allon is reluctantly dragged back into the world of spies and others who would destroy Israel when the ex-KGB operative he rescued in the previous book is kidnapped in London and sent back to Russia, where eventually, he's turned over to Ivan Kharkov, an evil arms dealer who wishes to gain revenge on Allon and others who stole his wife and children as well as limited his travels because of the many warrants for his arrest. When Allon's wife is also kidnapped, he re-establishes his team and with the cooperation of the CIA and MI 6 goes after Kharkov in Russia. The plot is complicated and there are many twists and turns but the conclusion, which is almost an epilogue is satisfying. The entire book is akin to a roller coaster ride that takes the reader through a great number of ups and downs. While Russian officialdom comes across as unremittingly evil, in the end it is the Russians who must rescue Allon from certain death. There is a certain stereotyping that Silva has fallen into when it comes to portraying Russia and Russians. Hopefully, he will change that in subsequent books. While Silva does a good job of filling in the back story, I suggest that anyone considering this book, read "Moscow Rules" first. It would make this volume that much more enjoyable.

What a compelling story. Written by a U.S. East Coast mother and son team under the pseudonym, Charles Todd, they've taken the British Mystery Genre to a new level. This one grabbed me from the start and kept me guessing right up to the last 10 or 15 pages. The cliffhanging ending is an added benefit. It is 1919 and the main protagonist of the entire series, Inspector Ian Rutledge, still suffering from shell shock as it was called then, is dispatched to mollify Lady Maude Gray, whose missing daughter's bones may have been found in Scotland. The local inspector, Oliver, messed up with the powerful Lady Maude, who surprisingly uses her influence to assign Rutledge to discover whatever he can about her daughter's disappearance. He's is not at all happy to be sent to Scotland as so many men from Scotland had died under his command during World War I. Additionally he carries the voice of Hamish MacLeod, a man he had executed for insubordination, around in his head. It's how he copes with his guilt. The two of them have conversations in his mind about this investigation and other matters. To further complicate an already painful situation, the woman charged with killing Eleanor Gray is Hamish's ex-fiancee, Fiona. Fiona is accused of murdering Eleanor Gray so she could steal her new born baby and raise it as her own. The evidence is circumstantial but Fiona refuses to tell the truth because she is protecting someone and will risk the gallows rather than betray her promise. Ian vows to prove her innocense, especially after he discovers the gossiping and other strange doings that put suspicion on Fiona in the first place. Both the ensuing plot and the numerous characters Rutherford encounters make the entire story one of the most readable pure mysteries I've ever encountered. The authors impeccable research highlights the social norms of the time, which are sometimes infuriating, involving class and station as they did. But somehow Rutherford overcomes the societal barriers in his search for the truth. I highly recommend this book.

I've managed to collect a number of Jo Nesbo books but had read only one: "The Snowman", a very good book but it didn't motivate me to read the others I owned. I think that may have been a mistake after finishing this one, his first, but only recently translated. I managed to devour it in approximately 48 hours. Granted I was traveling for one of those days, nevertheless, it's a rare book that I don't put down from time to time. Harry is decidedly human and in that way reminds me of Henning Mankell's Wallander. In the course of the novel we learn Harry's back story, his alcoholism, his first love, the car accident in which his partner died, his relationship with his sister and other tidbits sprinkled throughout the book. He is sent to Sydney Australia to assist in the investigation of a rape and murder. The victim is a Norwegian minor celebrity, Inger Holter. He's assigned to work with Andrew Kensington, a rare aborigine detective who regales Harry with folktales including one about a bat, hence the title of the book. Kensington also introduces him to the Gay and Erotic scene in and around Kings Cross. There he meets a Swedish bartender Birgitta Enquist who he is immediately attracted to. The case soon begins to look more complicated than originally thought. What follows is Harry's journey in which there are numerous twists and turns. Just when he thinks he's got it figured out something happens to throw everything up in the air again. Nesbo introduces the reader to a number of interesting characters: clowns, cops, drug dealers, pimps, prostitutes and many others. As Harry proceeds he sometimes gets so lost in the details he doesn't see the big picture and as a result he and the Aussie task force go down a number of fruitless alleys. As with so many Scandinavian Crime novels there is no happy ending and the final pages provide the reader with a number of surprises. All that being said, this is a fine story especially for a first effort and I highly recommend it.

What a terrific story! What an exciting book! Well written! Well plotted! Suspenseful! Surprising! The best Thomas Perry novel I've read! This is the fourth book in the Jane Whitfield series. Jane is now married to Dr. Carey McKinnon and is no longer "guiding" fugitives and helping them disappear. It was an essential part of their agreement with Carey when they wed. Receiving an urgent phone call from her husband brings her to a hospital full of police. Carey asks her to help his patient, Dr. Dahlman, a brilliant surgeon, Carey's mentor and an accused murderer to escape the hospital and disappear until his innocense can be established. As the story unfolds, she learns that others have pretended to be her, and are destroying the lives of those they are supposed to be helping, draining all their assets in the process. The plot then focuses on Jane as she tries to unravel the fiendish system that those imitating her have built. Her ability to empathize with both the victims and the victimizers helps her negotiate her way through the dangers she encounters. Her Seneca background, intensity and focus serve her well throughout the story. Eventually the various elements converge at the end bringing a satisfying closure to the separate story lines. Perry saves a couple surprises for the conclusion providing a payoff that also satisfies. I loved the book and highly recommend it.

I stumbled on to this series and this, the third in the series, is the second one I've read. Jecks does a great job of setting the scene. He's obviously done his research. As a result it's easy to connect with the characters and their assumptions, concerns, and devotion to duty. The major protagonists in the series, Bailiff Simon Puttock and Templar Knight Sir Baldwin Furnshil seem to exemplify what was good about medieval society. The background of this story lies in the tension between landowners and tin miners who were under special protection of the King because of the taxes they paid. They could run their own affairs with their own courts, prevent the use of particular pieces of land for farming by binding areas as a place where tin was mined, even divert water. These priveleges could be and often were used to terrorize the landowners. The plot is developed from the hanging of a villein (serf), Peter Bruther, turned miner on the moor. His previous masters, the Beaucyr family are suspect after confronting Bruther and the miners' leader Thomas Smyth. As Puttock and Sir Baldwin try to solve the murder, events begin to escalate to a major incident. The process of sorting out all the threads to identify the murderer carries the reader to a satisfying conclusion. While there are sections of the novel that drag, on the other hand, I did learn a lot about the workings of the medieval legal system. I recommend this book, unreservedly.

I managed to finish this book in 72 hours which is an indication of how good I think it is. I have read almost everything Elmore Leonard has written except his early Western stories. I am also a big fan of the TV program "Justified" which follows Raylan Givens as he deals with his re-assignment to a small office in his home county of Kentucky. This collection of what is basically three stories pulled together and somewhat intertwined is a result of the popularity of "Justified". The three plots involve organ trafficking, bank robbing girls and a poker playing genius. Running through the three major plots are some of my favorite characters Pervis Crowe, marijuana growing grandfather, Boyd Crowder, charming "ne'er do well", Art Mullen, Raylans boss, and others. Somehow Leonard manages to pull the whole thing together with his incredible ability to make almost unbelievable characters believable. The plot is always interesting but secondary to the characters and the dialogue. For me these same elements are what makes the TV show so appealing. There are no deeper meanings here except perhaps that Raylan, simplifies the tension between good and evil with his willingness to shoot bad guys or girls. I got what I wanted from this book, a quick read and entertaining, book with a dollop of humor, a lot of action and great dialogue. I recommend it for anyone who wants a break from serious literature.

I never miss a John Sandford novel, Davenport, Flowers, even Kidd. This one was terrific and I was up until 2:00 AM so I could finish it. In this, Davenport entry, the main plot starts out with a massacre of the Brooks family of four including rape and torture. Lucas, still with the Minnesota State Bureau of Criminal Apprehension only works high-profile or politically sensitive cases. He gets involved here assisting the investigator assigned to the case, Bob Shaffer. It soon is clear that the case includes a complicated money-laundering scheme involving a Mexican drug cartel, Los Criminales. Eventually the investigation brings in the DEA, a couple Federales from Mexico, and assorted local cops as the perpetrators continue to torture and murder trying to locate the missing money, $22 Million. Also, early in the story, Lucas is a victim of an ATM mugging, losing $500 and having his wrist broken in the robbery. Throughout the book, he continues to work to identify the two tweakers who robbed him. He puts Virgil Flowers on the case because he's busy with the murder investigation. In the midst of all of this he tries to live a relatively normal life with his family, surgeon wife, Weather adopted adolescent daughter Letty, two year old Sam and an infant daughter. He spends time bonding with Letty by taking her to the shooting range with him and otherwise spending time as she tries to sort out her future. As is true of most of Sandford's offerings there is quite a bit of additional violence but eventually both cases get closed, both with surprising results and shootouts. There is a revealing epilogue, not identified as such, in which the psychological damage or lack thereof in shooting bad guys is explored. This book is as good as any of the previous 21 volumes in the Prey series and I highly recommend it.

While I can't say Follett's historical novels are predictable, they do follow a certain pattern. The protagonists, both male and female, usually overcome huge barriers to triumph in the end. The villains almost always end up getting what they deserve except when they somehow rehabilitate themselves. The story takes place in Victorian England opening in 1866 and ending in 1892. In this case the male hero, Hugh Pilaster, is put down by his banking family because his father took his capital out of the bank to start a business which failed leading to the father's suicide. The primary female character is Maisie Robinson, the child of Russian immigrants who leaves home at age 12 to make her own way. The major male villain, Mickey Miranda, is a South American fortune hunter and master manipulator. Augusta Pilaster is the evil matron who does her best to destroy those she dislikes in the service of putting both her husband, Joseph, and her son, Edward, ahead of others. These four characters provide the impetus for the plot line as each go about doing what they do. It is difficult to say what it is that is so appealing about Follett's stories but nevertheless, I had a hard time putting this one down, finishing it at 2 AM. There is also a good amount of violence and sex both of which serve to keep the story interesting. I also realize that Follett does a very good job of capturing the times he is writing about especially the attitudes of his characters. My biggest disappointment was that the ending seem to be rushed and lacked the delicious detail Follett is so good at providing. Still, all ended well and I enjoyed the book immensely. I recommend it highly to both Follett fans and those who will be encountering him for the first time.

Reading a David Morrell novel is like going to an action movie. If you want a complicated, realistic plot, you've gone to the wrong movie. If you want strong, principled, admirable men, beautiful women and unremittingly evil villains, wrapped up with fast moving action, you've come to the right place. The protagonist here is Chase Malone, a former Marine and helicopter pilot who has secluded himself in Baja Mexico to paint, mostly landscapes. He is offered a commission to do a portrait of the current wife of a reclusive tycoon, an evil arms dealer named Bellasar. Chase rejects the offer but is harassed and has his life torn up. Soon after, he is approached by an ex-marine colleague, Jeb, and asked to take the offer, infiltrate Bellasar's operation and save Bellasar's wife, Sienna, from the same fate suffered by Bellasar's previous three wives. Malone accepts hoping to get revenge for his mistreatment by Bellasar's minion, Potter. The story unfolds from there and while predictable is also developed in interesting ways. In an exciting conclusion, Morrell ties up all the loose ends and then provides a surprisingly poignant epilogue. The characters behave as expected and there are some over the top events but over-all, it is an enjoyable, easy read. I recommend it, especially for long plane rides or as a beach vacation activity.

Michael Connelly's Hieronymus (Harry) Bosch series is up there with the best of the ongoing, character driven, crime thriller series. I am always eager to read each entry but had missed this one. I'm glad I caught up with Harry and his unremitting pursuit of answers in every case he works. Harry, now working in the Open-and-Unsolved Unit, is given the opportunity to try to solve the 1992 murder of Anneke Jespersen, an attractive photo-journalist from Denmark. The killing took place during the Rodney King riots when her body was found in an ally by national guardsmen who were providing crowd control. Unfortunately, Harry could only make a cursory examination of the scene before he was sent to another homicide. Harry doesn't give up easily and because the same gun that killed Jespersen is used in another recent homicide, Harry now has a chance to reopen the case. As you might imagine, the chain of evidence is lost, his boss is only interested in statistics, and the Chief is afraid that solving the murder of a white woman when so many black deaths remain unsolved will present a PR nightmare. Bosch, undeterred, searches for the "Black Box," an analogy to the aircraft black box, which will lead him to the solution. As he digs into the case, it becomes more and more complicated and also goes in directions that neither he nor I would have expected. The ending is exciting and ties up the loose ends nicely. As always, Bosch's personal life, raising a teen-age daughter and with a relatively new love interest, is made part of the story. Juggling his responsibilities while pursuing justice makes Bosch's story more interesting than the usual cookie cutter crime thriller. Bosch cares on many levels and has not become the cynical, go through the motions detective that so many of his colleagues have. This book may not be the best place to start for someone who has not read any of the previous books, but it is as good as anything Connelly has done and I highly recommend it.

I have friend who refuses to read books because in college, as an engineering student, he had to concentrate on every word. I feel the same way about philosophy books and have avoided them over the years. Then I discovered "Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar". This introduction to Philosophy helped me, at least, know what the different schools of philosophy were and the very basic concepts of philosophical thought. I also believe that most people do not want to think about death even though it is inevitable. As William Saroyan is reputed to have said, "Everybody has got to die, but I always believed an exception would be made in my case." The philosophers, though, have thought and written about it in many cases in such detail as to be impenetrable. It helps understanding to take a lighter approach, liberally seasoned with corny jokes and New Yorker cartoons to illustrate what major philosophers like Kierkegaard, Heidegger, Descartes, William James, Nietzsche, Sartre, Tillich, and Wittgenstein have to say about, not only death, but also consciousness, afterlife, immortality, the self, the soul, and other related concepts. I like that the authors have included Woody Allen, Monty Python, Dave Barry, Stephen Colbert and other more contemporary "philosophers" to the pantheon of those who have contemplated these issues. I'm far enough along in my own life's journey to find the ideas in this book worth considering. It helps that I didn't have to spend months, maybe even years, digging the basics out of the original writings. No matter how old you are taking four or five hours to read this book will be time well spent.

There are a few authors who transcend the genre they write in - Alan Furst, Nelson DeMille, Michael Connolly, Henning Mankell, John Le Carre to name a few. What they have in common is an ability to go beyond the usual and expose the reader to a greater truth. James Lee Burke is one of these. Burke's major protagonist, Dave Robicheaux is a deeply flawed lawman who continues to try to do the right thing in the face of his own demons, like alcohol, and a society that rewards those who cut corners. Robicheaux's ex-partner and closest friend, Clete Purcell, seems to be be falling even deeper into alcoholism and irrational anger at a world where the underdogs get trampled. In this story, Robicheaux, who is recovering from a gunshot wound, becomes obsessed with finding a missing singer, Tee Jolie Melton. In the process he runs into two very evil men Alexis and Pierre Dupree. all of this against the background of the Gulf oil spill and its effects on the people of Louisiana. When Tee Jolie's young sister is pulled from a bayou in a partially melted block of ice, Robicheaux becomes even more dedicated to finding Tee Jolie alive and her sister's killers. While it's clear from the start who the main villains are, the plot gets trickier and trickier as other elements come into play - his family, his boss, a racist, misogynistic retired deputy, Clete's long lost daughter, Gretchen, oil company executives, a beautiful but duplicitous woman and others. How Burke weaves all of this together is what makes reading his books so rewarding. In addition, the ability of Burke to make his characters, both good and evil, so interesting and multi-layered is what keeps me reading until long after I should be sleeping. I highly recommend this book whether or not you've read any of the others in the series. If you do read it I guarantee you'll be hooked.

I was pleasantly surprised at how good and compelling this book was. Without thinking, I grabbed it off the shelf on my way to the Doctor's office and got hooked almost immediately. The story describes a fictional Republican primary campaign set in 2008. Patterson must have had a crystal ball as he predicted many of the issues that would be-devil the last two presidential campaigns and the upcoming 2016 fight. The main character, Corey Grace, is a Senator and war hero. His opponents in the primary season are a fundamentalist preacher, Bob Christy, and a fellow senator and insider, Rob Marotta, who will do anything to gain the nomination. It only focuses on Republicans, and the difficulties a moderate has trying to earn the Republican nomination. The problems Grace faces underscore many of the issues Republicans have in being forced to kowtow to both the religious right and tax hating big donors. A major part of the book describes a fictional primary in South Carolina where every dirty trick seen in the recent past is used to try and destroy both Grace and Christy. It was hard to not recall the kinds of tactics often ascribed to Karl Rove and evident in the 2000 Republican primary in the same state. Adding to the difficulty is Grace's decision to continue a romantic relationship with a black actress, Lexie Hart. Though, fictional, the story rang true because it described tactics that have actually been used in recent political campaigns. There were a couple sub-plots that, while adding to the action, were unnecessary to the major narrative including an Al Quaeda assassination attempt. That notwithstanding, I had a hard time putting the book down even though I had some pressing chores to accomplish. I was especially entranced by the last part of the book that takes place during the nominating convention. The ending is a little contrived but does tie loose ends together and provide a satisfying conclusion. What can I say except that even if you have no interest in the current political process you will enjoy this book. If you have an interest, you will devour it.

This is the second in the ever fascinating series of crime stories by Donna Leon featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti. I have read others and am trying now to catch up with the ones I missed. Here, Brunetti is called out in the middle of the night to investigate the death of an young American found floating in one of Venice's canals. His boss, Vice-Questore Patta, a politically driven incompetent, wants to write the incident off as a mugging gone wrong. Brunetti knows better and becomes even more sure of his conclusions when the dead American, Sgt. Michael Foster's commanding officer, Captain Peters, a woman and a pediatrician, comes to identify his body and reacts in such a way that Brunetti is sure she is afraid and is hiding something. To investigate the killing, Brunetti visits the American Military Post near Vincensa, the "Strange Country" in the title. He discovers planted evidence, uncooperative officials, and eventually a link to a far reaching conspiracy involving the disposal of toxic wastes. The investigation is further complicated when a fine art theft looks like an insurance scam and Patta wants Brunetti to buy the powerful owner's story. The beauty of Leon's writing lies in her obvious love of Venice as seen through Brunetti's eyes, her understanding of the Italian way of doing things in a climate of almost total corruption and influence, her excellent characterizations of even the minor players in the story, her use of irony to keep the reader chuckling and her unwillingness to tie everything up in a neat little bow, leaving the reader with a sense of unease but also a realization that the story reflects reality. I enjoyed the sinuous journey Brunetti took to get to the truth of the matter and highly recommend it to others.

What a pleasant surprise! I had not heard of this author and was entranced with his mixture of historical fact, historical fiction and fantasy. As a former employee in a zen monastery, Matsuoka was also able to weave elements of that discipline into his narrative. The timing, 1861, is in the middle of the Japanese transition from the shogunate to an empire. Genji, the main protagonist, is a Daimyo or Great Lord, and a far thinking samurai warrior, who recognizes the power of the Westerners and questions the weaknesses of his own highly structured, militaristic, blood soaked society. He is also subject to visions of the future as was his father, Kiyori, and his uncle, Shigeru. It runs in the Okumichi clan. He has invited missionaries, Zebediah Cromwell, Emily Gibson and Matthew Stark to Japan and has agreed to let them build a church on his estates. Genji is also madly in love with Heiko, the pre-eminent geisha of her time and she with him. His closest retainers Sohaku, Kudo and Saiki are all dedicated to the old ways of the samurai society and often don't understand where Genji is headed but their dedication and obedience does not allow them to gainsay their master. The head of the Shogun's secret police Kawakami has dedicated himself to the destruction of the entire Okumichi clan. The story unfolds from there as plots, counter-plots and counter-counter plots are undertaken. The insights into the thinking processes and behaviors of the Japanese are fascinating and accurate as far as I know. I was carried into a land I know little about and loved every minute of it. I plan to read subsequent books from Matsuoka and highly recommend this one, his first.

I must admit I am a hopeless Jack Reacher fan. I know he's too good to be true. I know that no one in their right mind would put themselves in the situations he does. I know that no one can live the way he lives. Yet, I love Lee Child's Reacher series. In this version, #15, Reacher is dropped off at a middle of nowhere motel in middle of nowhere Nebraska. He witnesses a drunken doctor refuse to treat a woman with an unstoppable nose bleed. Ever righteous, Reacher drives the doctor to the woman's house where he realizes she's a victim of spousal abuse. Reacher then goes and finds her husband and breaks his nose to teach him a lesson. Problem is, he's interjected himself into a life threatening situation. The husband, his father and two uncles rule this little patch of nowhere through intimidation and outright cruelty both physical and economic. They control all the grain shipments from the farms and use that power along with a bunch of ex-Cornhusker football players and current thugs to keep everyone outright terrorized. Reacher is also apprised of a mysterious young girl's disappearance that has never been solved and he can't seem to keep himself from trying to solve the 25 year old case. The entire plot, with some of the most evil psychopathic villains, I've ever run across races from one crisis to another, each one putting Reacher in unbelievable danger that he overcomes while moving closer to the ultimate solution. There is also a sub-plot involving Vegas hoodlums that keeps the reader wondering how one guy can clean the whole mess up. But of course he does. I guarantee that if you enjoy thrillers and pick up this book, you are doomed to want to finish it in as short a time as possible. In my opinion, this is one of Reacher's best and, no surprise, I highly recommend it.

I am not a big Baldacci fan but did enjoy some of his early efforts like "Absolute Power" plus a couple of the Camel Club novels. I have good feelings about this book. It has a number of interesting twists and a totally evil villain who I loved to hate. On the other hand, the characters are somewhat stereotyped and there are an awful lot of coincidences which detracts from the book's realism. Shaw, the main protagonist, is a covert operator for a mysterious black ops agency that specializes in capturing and/or assassinating criminals who are otherwise protected or hidden from sight. Reggie, the female protagonist, is a member of a private British clandestine group working to take down Nazis and other evil doers. Shaw's mission is to capture Evan Waller, a Canadian sex trafficker who is upping his game and selling nuclear bomb components to Arab terrorists. Once captured Waller will be convinced to give up his customers in exchange for a clean slate. Reggie and her team are dispatched to assassinate Waller whose real name is Fedir Kuchin, an ex-KGB agent, who was responsible for massacring thousands of his fellow Ukrainians and faking his own death to escape retribution. All three end up in a town in Provence, France where the plot thickens as everyone has an agenda and no one is entirely clear on what the others are doing. Makes for a very suspenseful story. The plot moves quickly from here on and Baldacci does a good job of keeping the reader guessing with a lot of plot twists including the ending. Except for the aforementioned caveats, I did enjoy the book, especially the last half or so. I do recommend it.

This, #2, in the Knights' Templar Series, is a most enjoyable, well researched, medieval "who-dun-it". The story opens with the brutal murder of Agatha Kyteler, who the villagers accuse of being a witch. As Sir Baldwin and his visiting friend, Bailiff Simon Puttock, are investigating the first killing, an unlikable merchant, Alan Trevellyn, is also brutally murdered in a similar fashion. The plot proceeds from there as the two try to solve the crimes and see if there is a connection from the past. One of the strengths of the book is how the author weaves other characters into the story as Baldwin and Simon work to uncover the truth. Jecks seems to have a very good handle on the attitudes and motivations of these 14th century people. Also the descriptions of these folks coping with a cruel winter storm are outstanding. I enjoyed the process of what was basically a medieval procedural where the primary method is constantly questioning people and looking for inconsistencies and lies coupled with some pretty amazing powers of observation. The ending was a bit of a surprise, which made the experience an even better one. I'm looking forward to reading additional volumes in this series. I certainly can recommend this one.

I am a fan of William Kent Krueger - a big fan. Sheriff Cork O'Connor is on of my favorite "ongoing" characters. In "Copper River," Cork is running for his life and ends up in Bodine, Michigan, hiding out in an old resort owned by his cousin Jewell DuBois, a bitter widow with a fourteen-year-old son named Ren. He's tracking a group who prey on runaway teens so when the body of a young girl surfaces along the banks of the Copper River and another teenager goes missing, he re-focuses on tracking the kidnappers/killers instead of going after two hit men who wounded him in an assassination attempt. This story is as much character driven as plot driven, though there are plenty of surprises along the way. Adding suspense is the fact that Cork is injured. Makes the story more believable. No indestructible hero, here. While I recommend, reading the series in order, this novel can be a place to start, though the preceding novel, Mercy Falls, in which Cork's family plays a large part, sets the scene for this one. I highly recommend this book whenever you can get your hands on it.

An excellent hard to put down story by one of my favorite authors. The plot is not overly complicated but Krueger putting a scene that happened at the end of the story in the beginning certainly whets the appetite. Sheriff Cork O'Connor, the protagonist of the entire series has his deputy, Marsha Dross, shot while answering a domestic disturbance call on the Ojibwe reservation. It soon becomes evident that the shot was meant for O'Connor. Soon thereafter an obnoxious Chicago businessman, Eddie Jacoby, who's trying to negotiate a contract for his employer to manage the Ojibwe casino is stabbed to death. Jacoby's powerful father, Lou, hires a sexy private investigator to "help" and Eddy's brother, Ben, it turns out once had a strong relationship with Cork's wife, Jo. The plot unfolds from there as the two cases are investigated. There are plenty of twists and false leads that appear to endanger Cork's family and upset the possible scenarios Cork and his team come up with. Many interesting characters come and go and the Northern Minnesota woods and lakes play a strong role in the book. The ending leaves the reader somewhat up in the air, though it's not that hard to imagine what the outcome will be, perhaps in the next book in the series, "Copper River". I highly recommend this book even for those being introduced to O'Connor for the first time.

A good friend, whose reading tastes are similar to mine, recommended that I try the Inspector Rutledge Series by Charles Todd. I must thank him the next time I see him. This was a wonderful book. Interestingly, Charles Todd is the pen name of the son and mother duo of Charles and Caroline Todd. The story is gripping. Inspector Ian Rutledge has returned from the WW I trenches of France to his position at Scotland Yard. He's afraid he's lost his knack for seeing things other people would miss. In many ways he's a broken man; his fiance ended their engagement and what is even worse he has a dead Scottish soldier named Hamish, whom he had to execute for desertion, living in his head as an unwanted split personality constantly trying to drive him crazy. On top of everything his boss, Superintendent Bowles, hates him for his competence and assigns this case in the hopes it will drive him over the edge and out of Scotland Yard. The case, which takes place in Warwickshire, is to investigate the brutal murder of the highly decorated and admired Colonel Harris. Since the number one suspect is also a highly decorated, well connected war hero, Bowles hopes putting Rutledge in such an impossible situation will result in his ouster from Scotland Yard. As Rutledge pursues the investigation he meets people with things to hide and/or an unwillingness to be open with "The Man from London". The plot moves slowly but inexorably towards the final solution, which is a surprising one - a satisfying ending for both the reader and Inspector Rutledge, though not his boss. If you like British "who-dunnits" in the tradition of Agatha Christie, et al, you will enjoy this book. I intend to continue with the following books in this series.

This is the tenth and what may be the last in the Myron Bolitar series It is also, in my opinion, the best in the series. While I value his stand alone novels more than his series work, this volume comes closest to matching the stand alones. The book opens with the statement, "The ugliest truth, a friend once told Myron, is still better than the prettiest of lies." The succeeding story proves the accuracy of that statement as lies lead to people dying because of them. All the usual memorable characters are here: Myron Bolitar ex basketball star and current sports and talent manager, Win Lockwood III, best friend and protector, Esperanza Diaz, business partner and ex-professional wrestler and Big Cindi, receptionist and Esperanza's wrestling partner. There's a certain bittersweet aura as these characters have aged and matured. The story opens as two of Myron’s clients: Suzze T, retired tennis pro and Lex Ryder, Suzze’s husband and member of the legendary rock band HorsePower are driven apart by an anonymous Facebook posting. As the plot unfolds Kitty Bolitar, wife of Myron's estranged brother Brad shows up with his nephew, Mickey, whom he has never met. The problems of Myron's clients also involve Al and Ellen, Myron's parents. Without going into excruciating detail, the twists and turns, the relationships, the minor characters and all the complications brought on by the lies of the past make a compelling story that is impossible to put down. I pretty much read the whole book on a cross country flight. I never guessed how things would play out but in the end all becomes clear and eventually makes complete, though poignant, sense. If I'm right and this is the last of the series, it couldn't have ended on a better note. I doubt if this is the end of Coben's literary efforts, however. I believe he's already published a juvenile novel with Myron's nephew Mickey as the protagonist. I hope one of his stand alone gems will appear soon.

This is the second volume in the Century trilogy. Once again we can see how adept Follett is at recreating historical eras, whether it be medieval England or mid Twentieth Century, Germany, Russia, The U.S. and England, as he does in this book. The main characters are the children of those we were introduced to in the first volume, "Fall of Giants". I can fault the book on some things but the over-all experience was very satisfying. One thing Follett is meticulous about is getting the history right. As an undergraduate history major who specialized in the years Leading up to WW II and the war itself, I was impressed with the accuracy and understanding Follett brought to the era. He also illustrates the significance of events that were important at the time but have not been publicized as much recently like the Spanish Civil War, the Manhattan Project, the Labour Party victory in England in 1945 and others. Another device, Follett makes good use of is frequently switching from one location to the other so the reader can get a sense of what was going on across the entire world. As you might expect from the author of so many spy thrillers, the plotting is very well done. He carries the plot with an excellent narrative that keeps us involved as the plots unfold. On the negative side of the ledger, I find there are far too many coincidences which, while providing a reason for the plot to move along, nevertheless create a certain unreality that's hard to accept. His characters, as admirable as they are in most cases, often come across as stereotypes, the plucky Welsh miner, the vapid American heiress, the arrogant British Earl, the self sacrificing wife and mother, etc. Combine that with some overly maudlin moments and the story seems at times to be trying too hard to tug at the reader's heartstrings. To hang in with a story that takes 890 pages to tell indicates that overall the book is a winner. I am looking forward to reading the third volume in the series, "Edge of Eternity".

A Burke tour de force. I found it almost impossible to put down. Dave Robicheaux and his former partner Clete Purcell, wife Molly, daughter Alafair and later Purcell's daughter Gretchen Horowitz are vacationing at friend Albert Hollister's ranch outside of Missoula, Montana, one of the most beautiful places in the U.S. The story opens when Alafair is grazed by an arrow while jogging and a message is left on the wall of a cave on Hollister's property. It reads, "I was here but you did not know me. Before there was an alpha and omega I was here. I am the one before whom every knee shall bend." Dave and Alafair soon suspect that the message was left by serial killer and pedophile, Asa Surette, who has been declared dead in a highway disaster and whom Alafair angered when she interviewed him in prison. Additional characters show up as the story unfolds, oil tycoon, Love Younger and his son Caspian and daughter in law Felicity Louviere plus one of Burke's more incredible inventions, Wyatt Dixon, a rodeo cowboy who had a chemical lobotomy in a prison hospital sees things others don't and is targeted as a suspect in a murder. The plot is anything but simple as each character is explored and their weaknesses and strengths are exposed. As in all of Burke's work, the atavistic excesses of those who would do evil are explored in detail. It's not even always clear as to who are the good folks and who are the bad folks. The major difference is who they take their frustrations out on. The idea of a Southern Gothic tale taking place in Montana may be hard to accept but the beauty of the environment, as described by Burke through Robicheaux, illustrates that evil can show up anywhere. The place and it's people are as necessary to the story as any of the characters. Burke uses Robicheaux as a first person narrator but describes what is happening to the other characters in the third person. He does it seamlessly and it works. My only criticism is that there are a number of coincidences that are a little tough to accept but that's only in retrospect not in the flow of the story. The plot unfolds and then folds back in on itself which leads to a conclusion in where each thread is finished in a blaze of violence and gunfire. I ask myself why did it take me so long to get to this volume in the Robicheaux series while I was spending time reading lesser authors? Burke is someone who transcends the genre he's chosen to write in raising it to the level of fine literature and deserves immediate attention any time something he's written is published.

Looking at some of the lukewarm reviews of this book, I discovered that I evidently liked it better than many readers. Truth is I haven't disliked any of the volumes in the Kevin Kerney series. This story, number eight in the series, opens with a brutal killing in downtown Santa Fe. It soon becomes clear that a serial killer is at work and that Kerney as well as his family are the ultimate targets. The police procedural aspects are covered in great detail while the tension mounts as Kerney's horse, Soldier, is killed and dead rats are left on his doorstep. Eventually the killer calls Kerney directly while the body count is rising and both local and state police try to identify who could be on a mission of revenge. The sub-plot involving Kerney's relationship with his very pregnant wife, Col Sara Brannon, drags in spots but also shows how external forces can affect people. The action moves all around New Mexico before returning to Santa Fe as those working on the case close in on the perpetrator. McGarrity does a good job of shifting between Kerney and the killer. That way we can get a sense of what's going on in the killer's twisted mind. There's enough background detailed in the book that a reader would not be disappointed dipping into the Kerney series here.

I really struggled to stay interested in this story. I have usually enjoyed Lindsay Davis' Marcus Didius Falco books but this one just did not grab me. Perhaps since this is #17 in the series, Davis has lost some of her own freshness. In this book, Davis takes the opportunity to make fun of the travel industry, though I seriously doubt there was one in Falco's time. Falco's wife, Helena Justina, has a somewhat egotistical brother who is off to Athens to study law and is doing some touring under the auspices of a fly-by-night travel firm. While traveling to Athens, he gets involved in the suspicious battering death, in the city of Olympia, of a young woman, recently married and on a honeymoon travel tour. Aulus and the groom, whom he befriends, try to solve the crime arousing his mother's suspicion that he will never make it to Athens. Pressured by his mother-in-law and because Helena Justina has always wanted to visit Greece, Marcus and an entire entourage of two unruly infants, two trouble seeking nephews, their teenage foster daughter, and the son of Marcus’ personal trainer, head out across the Aegean Sea. The Falco entourage meets up with the tourist group at Olympia where they have been held because of the tragedy. The rest of the story documents Falco doing his "informer" thing trying to figure out who the murderer is as the group moves to other sites in Greece. True to his nature he puts himself in dangerous situations and leans on his wife when he gets stuck. He does eventually solve the original crime plus an earlier murder at Olympia, a murder made to look like an accident and the slaying of the groom. So what's the problem? The mystery of who did it is not much of a mystery. There's too much exposition and too little action. The sub-plots are uninteresting. Lastly, some of the characters are more stereotypes than real. No one can fault Davis' research and the description of the Greek tourist sites, particularly Delphi, are entertaining and educational. I just found myself wishing the story would move more quickly to its inevitable climax. I will continue to read other books in the series hoping they are more interesting than this one.

I have run out of superlatives to describe the skill with which Bernard Cornwell writes historical fiction. This book, the seventh in the Saxon Chronicles Series, is neither the best nor the worst of the series. But, then who cares? Once entered into the world of Uhtred of Bebbanburg, the story carries the reader into the 9th Century and doesn't deposit him or her back into the 21st until the book is finished. Narrated in the first person by Uhtred himself, there are hints that maybe this volume will describe how he regains his ancestral home but you will have to read the book yourself to find out if that happens. As in all of Cornwell's books this one is loaded with a great deal of action but also a good amount of introspection as Uhtred contemplates the possibility that he will never belong in either of the two major cultures of Britain, Saxon and Christian or Viking and Pagan. One thing we do know about him is that he will do what he believes is true to his oath no matter what. He's aged over the years and has gotten a little crusty. He now travels with one of his sons and disowns the other who has become a priest. He is still a master at sword fighting and manning the shield wall. He still, in periods of great stress, adheres to his pagan gods. He still can out-think even the cleverest of his enemies because he is not blinded by what others believe to be true or what they tell him. This story takes place on both land and sea which upped the interest level for me. Uhtred's periods of doubt happen more often now as he grows more experienced in the ways of the world and realizes all that could go wrong. Nevertheless in this story as in the others his staunch belief in himself and his courage carries him to victory in the culminating battle. I highly recommend this book, hoping you will have at least read the first two volumes of the series so you can put what's happening in context.

When Michael Crichton is good he is very, very good but this effort is just plain horrible. The only reason I finished it is due to my obsession about not wanting to miss anything. I found myself reading the first sentence of paragraphs and skipping the rest to move more quickly to the end. I don't think I missed anything doing it that way. The characters are stereotyped beyond belief: the hard working but put upon single mother, the brusque and impatient boss, the techy nerds, the debonair test pilot, the slimy industrial spy, the good-hearted mentor, the young, overly ambitious news producer, and on and on. The plot involves an incident on a Norton Aircraft passenger liner that is complicated by a pending sale of the same model to China, a union action to stall manufacturing offsets going to China as a condition of the sale, internal company politics, and a pending "Newsline" story about unsafe Norton aircraft. There may have been others. Chrichton had to do something to fill 400+ pages. I had pretty much figured out how it was going to end about 150 pages in. Except for some details, I made a pretty accurate guess. There were a few surprises but overall it was a predictable story with a predictable ending. I wonder if the aircraft industry subsidized Chrichton's efforts. On the positive side, I did learn some things about the aircraft industry, how accidents are investigated, and more than I wanted to know about the acronyms used in the industry. If you are a died in the wool Crichton fan or are stuck on a long flight with nothing else to read, I can recommend this book to you. Other than that there are just too many good Michael Crichton books as well as books about the aircraft industry. You would be better served reading those.

While I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it wasn't quite up to the usual Michael Connelly "Can't put it down" category. This is the 4th in the Mickey Haller/Lincoln Lawyer series and Mickey seems to be maturing as the series progresses. It is part of Connelly's skill as a writer in both this and the Harry Bosch series that his characters change and grow as their experiences teach them lessons. In this story Haller, who has taken up foreclosure law, is roped into defending ex-school teacher Lisa Trammel, accused of killing the bank executive she believes responsible for foreclosing her home. While Haller finds her to be a bit of a bi-polar pain in the butt, he also can see how she might have been framed. Haller's usual feisty approach to things does not endear him to either his opponent, a sharp and experienced prosecutor, or the Superior Court judge trying the case. The plot unfolds on pretty much a day by day basis as the trial unfolds. Connelly keeps it interesting by introducing twists from time to time. Writing a story in the first person introduces challenges but also gives Connelly a chance to show his skill with dialogue. It also puts the reader into the protagonist's mind as we only know what he knows. There are sub-plots but they also come to us through Haller's eyes. The last part of the book surprised me totally twice. It was a fun book to read and I can unabashedly recommend it.

This book introduces a new character to the C.J.Box lexicon, Deputy Sheriff Cody Hoyt, an alcoholic from a less than desirable background and a disgraced ex-Denver detective. The story starts fast, kind of drags in the middle and ends on a high note. It opens when Cody’s good friend and AA mentor, Hank Winters, is found burned to death in his cabin. Everything points to an accidental death or suicide but Hoyt doesn't buy it. He enlists his reluctant partner, detective Larry Olson, to prove it was murder. In the process he angers his boss, is suspended for shooting the Coroner while in an alcoholic haze and decides to pursue his hunch, especially when he discovers the murderer might be on the same wilderness trip in Yellowstone National Park as his son Justin. The plot unfolds from there using the literary convention of jumping between the wilderness trip and Hoyt's travails trying to catch up with his son in alternate chapters. Box also takes this opportunity to introduce a couple sub-plots involving others on the trip. In the last quarter of the book, the action picks up to a furious pace eventually coming to a satisfactory conclusion that ties up all the loose ends and there are more than a few of them. I enjoyed the book immensely and can highly recommend it. I've only read a couple of Box's Joe Pickett novels but this book while featuring a very different sort of character is at least as satisfying as the other Box authored books I've read.

An oldie but a goodie: one of Cornwell's stand-alone thriller, sea stories in which character is as important as action. The protagonist, Paul Shanahan, hatches a plan to fund his retirement as a CIA undercover IRA activist by stealing $5 million in gold supposedly intended for the purchase of 53 Stingers and funded by Ghaddafi's Libyan apparatchiks. Of course not is all as it seems on either side of the transaction. The action happens against the background of the first Iraq War. He's bearded when he goes home to his Cape Cod house after seven years in Europe only to find that his hated brother-in-law has leased it for five years to a Manhattan based painter who calls the police when he lets himself in while she's in residence. This blows his carefully constructed alias and he has to deal with his CIA handlers before he's ready. Paul tells them about everything except a sailboat, the "Rebel Lady", and her hull full of gold. As the plot unfolds, surprise surprise, it turns out the hull contains more than just the five million and the secret may set off a nuclear disaster if the boat, is not found in time. The suspenseful race to the finish, is reminiscent of Cornwell's other books and brings the story to a satisfying close.

Not one of McGarrity's best but an interesting read, nevertheless. This is the 10th entry in the Kevin Kearny adventures, all of which have been pretty solid stories. As background: Kearny is the chief of police in Santa Fe, NM, married to Sara Brannon, a career military woman. In this volume,a sub-plot involving Sara takes up a good part of the story and, in truth, is more interesting than the major plot. The story begins when Kearny is visited by a high school buddy - a black sheep - who is now producing a movie. He hires Kearny as a law-enforcement consultant as the movie is being shot in New Mexico. On his way to the movie site, Kearny stumbles across a dead body and gets involved in an immigrant smuggling investigation as well as a cigarette smuggling operation. Far too much time is spent on describing both the scenery and the movie-making process. There are a few interesting characters, particularly the local sheriff and the usual Federal law enforcement jerks that often appear in stories of this sort. The ending is sort of inconclusive and disappointing. It would be a mistake, though, to avoid the whole series based on this one book.

Couldn't put it down. One of Child's best: suspenseful, thrilling, surprising at points, Reacher doing Reacher at his most effective. Reacher is asked by Secret Service Agent, M.E. Froelich, a woman leading the Vice President's protection detail to assassinate the V.P. Not really, but rather to expose the holes in the protection. Reacher enlists colleague Frances Neagley to help and, of course, in just a few days finds all kinds of weaknesses. It is at that point the actual reason for the concern is revealed. The story unfolds from there and to say much more would spoil the plot for new readers. Suffice to say that Reacher's brother becomes part of the story as does his relationship with Froelich and Froelich's boss, Stuyvesant. If you've never read a Reacher book, this would be a good place to start: 400+ pages of excitement.

Number 13 in the Didius Marcus Falco Series. I have enjoyed the "Falco" series a lot over the years. The story opens with Falco uncovering a decaying body in the bathhouse he is having built at his new family residence in Rome. He believes that the bathhouse builders are the perpetrators and have run off to Britain, a place Falco hates. Fortunately or unfortunately, the Emperor Vespasian asks him to conduct a cost analysis of a building site on which a palace for a British Vespasian ally, King Togidubnus, is being constructed. Falco can hardly refuse because of the aforementioned suspicion and also because he wants to protect his sister Maia from reprisals of the spurned Anacrites, chief spy in the Imperial palace. After a harrowing trip accompanied by his whole family plus two brothers-in-law and a snotty maid, he arrives to find that the site has far more problems than a simple case of overspending. Not only are materials disappearing at an alarming rate, one of the supervisors is paying wages to a phantom work-force. Eventually, the arrogant head architect winds up murdered inside the local bathhouse. There are plenty of suspects, to say nothing of an assassin dispatched from Rome whose target is unknown to Falco. What, in addition to the main plot, helps make the story interesting is the time Davis spends on both the culture of this Imperial outpost but also how building projects were accomplished without most of the tools we depend on today. However, Davis, does spend a bit too much time on the minutiae of the palace's construction and also introduces three or four sub-plots that do little to move the main story forward. If you have never tried one of the books in the series, I suggest you not start with this one until you've developed an appreciation for the incredible research Davis does and also developed an affection for Marcus Didius Falco, the wise-cracking protagonist of the series. I liked the book while wishing I liked it more.

This is the third book in the Virgil Flowers series and the best one to date. Sanford is getting closer to developing Flowers with the same care he developed Lucas Davenport of the Prey series. In the two earlier books, Flowers comes across as a bit of a stereotype of the easy going cop who would rather be fishing than solving murders. Here some of the passion he feels towards catching killers comes across. He's still a bit of a "surfer dude" but he also takes his job seriously. The victim is a successful businesswoman who is shot and killed while watching Eagles in their nest from a boat. When Virgil is ordered to look into the case he is on vacation on another lake in a fishing competition. He not only loves to fish, he tows a boat all over Minnesota so he can indulge himself at any opportunity. He gets away with it because he's so good at what he does. There are many suspects as Virgil discovers possible sex and/or money motives. The resort she's staying at is a woman's only destination and caters mostly to a lesbian clientele. The murdered woman was also about to take over an ad agency and planned to fire a number of the current employees. As Flowers interviews possible suspects and witnesses, it begins to look like the act could have been the work of a serial killer and have little to do with the victims sex life or business matters. It becomes clear who the killer is about 50 pages before the end of the book and the story closes with all the loose ends tied up neatly. I admire Sanford's skill with dialogue and his characterizations which, even if brief, give the reader a good sense of who the person being described is. This is a fast paced read and hard to put down. I recommend it highly.

The Janson Directive is one of 5 novels credited to Robert Ludlum and published after his death. It is not, then, surprising that this book was not as good as the ones he finished himself. We have no idea who actually edited and completed this novel but it lacks the patina of reality that Ludlum's previous efforts showed. It's not a bad story. I wouldn't have stayed with it through 760 pages if it was. It's just not a great novel. Paul Janson, the protagonist, left the spy/assassination game only to be lured back by a request to rescue, Peter Novak, a financier and peacemaker and someone who at one time saved Janson's life. In the process of doing so, things go horribly wrong and Janson is blamed and targeted for elimination by the very people who asked him to help in the first place. As the story unfolds, Janson foils the attempts on his life and enlists one one the snipers, Jessie Kincaid, to help him unravel the mystery. As an unbelievable conspiracy is uncovered, Janson is thrown back into his own history and must purge his inner demons to solve the problem and restore sanity to the world. As in all Ludlum novels, at some point, you must totally suspend your disbelief in order to enjoy the breakneck, unbelievable pace of the story. Nobody is as competent as Janson and/or Kincaid. No group is as evil as the villains in this story. No one is as arrogantly stupid as the bureaucratic planners and politicians who are at the core of the well-intentioned conspiracy. Yet, through it all, good prevails over evil and stupidity. A fun read if you like that sort of thing. I do.

Not one of Child's best but still better than what many others are writing. At first I thought the story was going to be a bit corny. The towns of Hope and Despair? Give me a break. Walking diagonally across the U.S.? You must be kidding. But, that's how Reacher is. That's the Persona that Child has created so if I suspend my disbelief and buy into the fantasy, as I have in all the previous books, then I can relax and enjoy. The fact that Reacher would go back to a town that had arrested and deported him as a vagrant is totally consistent with his personality and how he moseys through life. Someday he'll have to stop because of age or infirmities but for now, this is the life he's chosen after spending the better part of his life in the military as an Army brat and then as an MP officer. The description of the brainwashed denizens of Despair is a little bit out there but given the the real life events in Jonestown, Guyana, the true believers in Despair don't seem that unbelievable. That along with the metal processing plant and its secrets made the story suspenseful with more than its share of surprises. Personally, I didn't get clear about what was going on much sooner than Reacher did. That's a good thing. The story starts slow but when the plot begins to unfold, it moves pretty quickly. Besides it was fun trying to figure out what was really going on as Reacher was doing the same thing. If you are a Reacher fan, you'll like this story. If you aren't, you might want to make your first Reacher Novel, one of the earlier books.

While not one of his best, this early spy story is a good one. It is very complicated at the start but things begin to resolve themselves after about 100 pages. The protagonist, Tony Abrams, a retired NYC Detective is hired by a law firm owned by a few retired OSS officers. As people start turning up dead, Abrams postulates that one or more of the partners has turned rogue and is working for the Soviets. The Russian plan is to destroy all U.S. electronics by launching a an EMP nuclear explosion from space and thereby make it impossible for the U.S. to defend itself. As the plot unfolds, Abrams and others target the Soviet retreat on Long Island as headquarters for the plot. Everything unfolds from there. There are many interesting characters, some good and some evil but all contribute to the suspense DeMille ratchets up as the story comes to its explosive conclusion. I liked it a lot.

On the same day as the great Chicago fire, Peshtigo, Wisconsin was basically burned to the ground by a devastating conflagration. At the time, 1871, the Peshtigo area was a was a major source of lumber for the rapidly expanding U.S. Gess and Lutz set the table with extensive background about the Peshtigo of the time. It was a good-sized town. It had a good harbor, a river large enough to move freshly felled trees, and a railroad to move the timber to Chicago to say nothing of the numerous lumber mills and the largest wood products factory in the U.S. All this economic activity brought many workers to Peshtigo. The summer of 1871 was the driest and hottest in memory and the burning of stumps by farmers and the scrap sawdust smouldering at the mills set off the fire bells constantly. No one knows how the fire started but it was already well along when it was spotted. People tried to escape to water or clearings but the thermal effect kept the fire expanding and literally roasted many people to death. I was glad the authors used the technique of focusing on individuals and not overplaying the horror. While not blaming individuals, they manage to show how greed contributed to the disaster. Part of the tragedy, too, is that Peshtigo had to compete with Chicago for rescue resources. The timing also led to very little about the tragedy making it to the outside world. It was a very instructive and interesting story. I recommend it.

One of the nice things about reading Earl Emerson's books is that they take place in the Northwest, Washington State specifically. This volume is one of a series featuring protagonist, P.I. Thomas Black. He's a bit of a smart aleck which I like. His quirky look at things does diminish the noir-ish atmosphere that Emerson may be after. Black takes on a client, who years ago was a pretty wild teen-ager and may have witnessed a Manson type massacre near Deception Pass. Since then she has become a contributor to worthy causes and a well thought of almost saintly do-gooder. The alleged killer, who Lainie had briefly hooked up with had been arrested and executed years ago. Unfortunately, someone is blackmailing Lainie but Lainie won't come clean about what she's being blackmailed about or who is doing it. The questions for Black are how far will she go to protect her past and how far will the blackmailer go to protect his or her income stream. The plot unfolds quickly and logically and the reader is left with a satisfying conclusion. A good if not great story.

An attempt to explain philosophy in the format of a novel. It didn't work for me as well as it evidently has for millions of others. It took me quite a while to wade through the book as it was focused more on explaining philosophical concepts than telling a story. The idea behind the book is creative and good. Perhaps my problem is I have always had a hard time understanding many philosophical concepts. This book didn't change that, admirable effort that it is. I found "Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar...: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes" by Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein more accessible and a lot more fun. I cannot unreservedly recommend this book but I can suggest it might be a great introduction to philosophy for you.

What great fun! I have in the past tried to study philosophy seriously and either don't have the ability to focus or the intelligence to understand; but I sure do have a sense of humor. I may not have gotten all the concepts in this book but I'm pretty sure I got all the jokes. I came away with at least an introductory understanding of the major philosophical schools. Now when I tell people I'm an existentialist, I can at least explain what it is without getting all tangled up in complicated theory. The only book that comes close to this one is "Sophie's World", a novel in which Sophie learns Philosophy through a series of anonymous letters. However, for me, this book was more helpful and I do love a corny joke. Try it you might like it.

This very well done historical novel presents a rare detailed look at the Mexican-American War. It covers the period from the arrival of the U.S. expeditionary force off the Mexican Coast at Vera Cruz to the signing of the treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo and the return of the troops to the U.S. Shaara's technique is somewhat unique. Each chapter is dedicated to a specific U.S. combatant mostly Robert E. Lee, at that time a 40 year old engineer and Winfield Scott, Commander-in-chief of the U.S.Army and the expeditionary force as well as Santa Ana, the dictator of Mexico. Shaara imagines what these guys would be thinking as they pursue the invasion and defense of Mexico. This war was a training ground for many of the key combatants in the U.S. Civil War, Lee, Grant, Jackson, Johnston, Beauregard, etc. The description of the battle scenes are very detailed and compelling. Shaara does a good job of relating how these soldiers reacted to the carnage and bloodshed of war. There is also quite a bit of time spent exploring the various relationships among the generals and other officers, unfortunately, sometimes too detailed. There is also quite a bit of time spent on the political situation especially between Scott and President Polk. The story drags in places. There were many illuminating disclosures having to do with the way that Lee and others viewed their relationship with God. I had read in other books how Lee, in particular, felt he had a special relationship with God and was operating according to God's plan. Shaara underlines and reinforces that continuously almost to the point where it became hard to believe that anyone could be so devout. While the story does drag in places, the last 100 pages or so are hard to put down. I recommend this book to anyone interested in either the war itself or looking for insight into the combatants.

This, Book #5 in the Saxon Series, is one of the best as Cornwell continues to follow the exploits of Lord Uhtred, a pagan raised by the Vikings but a Saxon by birth. Uhtred continues to serve King Alfred, now a sickly man close to death who pays far too much attention to what his priestly advisers say. When Uhtred's dead wife Gisele is insulted by a priest, Uhtred dispatches the offender and escapes North to join his Danish blood brother Ragnar and plans to regain his ancestral home of Bebbenburg. However, true to an oath made to Alfred and because of his love for Alfred's daughter, Aethelflaed, Uhtred turns back to battle the sorceress Skade and her followers while working to help Alfred's heir, Edward, become the king he must be. The story moves on from there. It is, as are most of Cornwell's books, full of exciting conflicts, described in the detail that Cornwell is so good at. This part of Uhtred's story ends on a high note leaving the reader anxiously waiting for the next volume in the series, which will hopefully get Uhtred closer to regaining his birthright. I've read just about every book Cornwell has written and have very rarely been disappointed. This offering is one of the best, combining action and historical context, and in the process making England of the 9th century come alive.

What a terrific story. I am reminded what an accomplished author Peter Temple is. I finished this book in one day of traveling. The story, which takes place in rural Southeastern Australia, features Mac Farraday, a retired Federal Detective and current blacksmith. The story opens with the hanging death of Mac's best friend, Ned Lowe. As the plot unfolds, Mac looks into Ned's background and becomes convinced it wasn't a suicide as the local police are quick to label it. The plot thickens, as the pot boilers would put it, when Mac's past in chasing drug dealers becomes entangled with his search for the truth about Lowe's death. There are many sub-plots and Temple's ability to interweave them with the main story is astounding. There are times it's hard to keep track of the ever-growing list of characters and relationships but it's worth it as the ending comes into view. It also helps if you know a little about Aussie Rules Football as Farraday plays on the local team and some of the matches contribute to the unfolding story. Temples characterizations are part of the charm of the narrative. These people are both Universal and Australian and make the reading that much more enjoyable. I totally recommend this book.

An excellent and surprisingly interesting historical novel that takes place during a period of English History I know little about: the dissolution of the Roman Catholic establishment and transfer to the new religion of Henry VIII. The protagonist, Matthew Shardlake, a hunchback lawyer, is sent to a monastery on the coast of Sussex to solve the murder of his predecessor and also to dissolve the monastery. Written in the first person the book allows us to see the situation and the times as they were experienced by Shardlake not as an observer. He has his good moments and his bad. He is human. As the story progresses he changes his view of both the monks and his charge. The suspense is palpable as Shardlake puts himself in harm's way. The story winds down without leaving the reader feeling rushed. All in all, an enjoyable read and highly recommended.

Number eight in the Allon series, it's a good Silva effort not a great one. The book opens with the Protagonist Gabriel Allon, an Israeli secret agent, restoring a painting at a remote farm in Umbria and trying to recover from his previous operation. He's joined by Chiara his new wife but agrees to meet with a journalist in Rome to get the information he has and will only share with Allon. When the journalist is poisoned in St. Peter's Basilica, Allon decides to bring down the person behind the murder, Russian oligarch Ivan Kharkov, ex-KGB colonel and all-around bad guy. It becomes clear that Kharkov is selling one of Russia's most deadly weapons to Al Qaeda so Allon decides to go after him in spite of all the reasons he shouldn't. The plot unfolds from there. While the story moves rather slowly at the beginning it becomes excruciatingly suspenseful in the last third of the book. I had a very hard time putting it down toward the end. I recommend it. BTW, Moscow Rules refers to the rules first brought up by John Le Carre in his early books and repeated in the epigraph in the front of the book. It is evidently still taught to CIA agents.

I was impressed with the rationale but unimpressed with the writing. I think he makes the whole process more complicated than it needs to be, perhaps to fill up the number of pages. His approach to calculating what to eat on the "down" days is also over-complicated in my opinion. He certainly works hard to scientifically justify his approach. Some of the recipes look good. Perhaps I'm being naive but I like the simpler approach of "The Every Other Day Diet".

I first saw the author of this book on CBS This Morning and thought, "Can't be true." Got the book anyway. It arrived three weeks ago and I am already 8 pounds lighter. The text is understandable and instantly usable. She does not spend a lot of time justifying the diet like so many books of this genre do. Her research and anecdotal evidence is compelling. She has included a number of recipes that I, personally, won't avail myself of. I prefer buying low-cal frozen meals at the supermarket. I was able to start the diet the day the book arrived. I've personally modified her instructions a little by using an app, "myfitnesspal.com" and holding to about 2000 calories on my "up" days. (Super Bowl Sunday excepted.) I also allow myself to go 20-30% over the recommended 500 calories on my "down" days and make up for it the next day. Her instructions for maintaining the weight loss seem practical and doable. That's always the test of any weight loss regimen. Give it a try, if other things haven't worked for you. What have you got to lose? (Grin)

The "Pendergast" series by Preston and Child is one of my so-called guilty pleasures. I don't usually read books in this genre but I was grabbed by the first one I picked up, "Still Life with Crows" and have read all of them since. This volume is the last in the "Diogenes Trilogy", Diogenes being Pendergast's evil brother. What a ride! As this story opens FBI Agent Pendergast is in prison for a crime he did not commit, framed by his brother Diogenes. Pendergast manages to escape and return to the NY Museum of Natural History, where an Egyptian exhibit is being opened, so that he can thwart Diogenes evil scheme to discredit the museum and kill lots of people in the process. Pendergast also needs to re-capture the respect of his ward Constance Greene whose mind has been poisoned by Diogenes. There are other sub-plots all seamlessly woven into the story. The narrative pulls the reader through the book in such a way that one hopes the story could go on forever. While it would be a good idea to read the "Diogenes" series in order, nevertheless this volume can stand alone. I highly recommend this book and all the others by these two authors.

Another great one from Sandford, one of my favorite authors. This is a fairly early entry in the Lucas Davenport series. As always, the characters are well-drawn and the plot sucked me right in. It was very hard to put the book down. The story opens with a kidnapping. Psychologist, Andi Manette and her two daughters are grabbed by a a psychopath, John Mail, who had obsessed over her for years while he was in prison. He imprisons the three of them in a remote farmhouse and begins a reign of terror, raping and brutalizing Andi. As might be expected, there are political considerations so Davenport must deal with those. In addition, Mail may be crazy but as the old joke goes he's not stupid. He loves the game and is quite good at it. There's also the possibility that Andi was set up. As Davenport works the case, Andi and the girls are also trying to figure a way out of their situation. There is a sub-plot involving Davenport's girl friend, Weather, an M.D., who is unhappy with the fact that Davenport seems to be enjoying the test of wits between himself and Mail. The suspense is palpable as Davenport tries to solve the case before Andi and the girls are murdered. This is one of Sandford's best. I highly recommend it.

Another great one from Sandford, one of my favorite authors. This is a fairly early entry in the Lucas Davenport series. As always, the characters are well-drawn and the plot sucked me right in. It was very hard to put the book down. The story opens with a kidnapping. Psychologist, Andi Manette and her two daughters are grabbed by a a psychopath, John Mail, who had obsessed over her for years while he was in prison. He imprisons the three of them in a remote farmhouse and begins a reign of terror, raping and brutalizing Andi. As might be expected, there are political considerations Davenport must deal with. In addition, Mail may be crazy but as the old joke goes he's not stupid. He loves the game and is quite good at it. There's also the possibility that Andi was set up. As Davenport works the case, Andi and the girls are also trying to figure a way out of their situation. There is a sub-plot involving Davenport's girl friend, Weather, an M.D., who is unhappy with the fact that Davenport seems to be enjoying the test of wits between himself and Mail. The suspense is palpable as Davenport tries to solve the case before Andi and the girls are murdered. This is one of Sandford's best. I highly recommend it.

A somewhat dark police procedural novel set in Iceland. While not up to Henning Mankell standards it shared some of the same themes Mankell returns to, that is the crime one sees is often the outgrowth of previous crimes. Also the detective, in this case Erlendur, is often beset by doubts and personal demons. The story opens with a murdered man found dead with no clues except a note and a photograph. Erlendur goes up many seemingly blind alleys, at least to his co-workers, in an attempt to find the killer. He does discover what a reprehensible human being, Holberg, the murdered man was. It appears he may have been a serial rapist and his past deeds might very well have caught up with him. The story unfolds as Elendur chases down one connection after another until he finds the unwelcome truth. This book has also been published under the title "Tainted Blood". While not a great book, nevertheless one that is hard to put down.

A fascinating attempt by Tuchman to explain or at least illustrate why governments choose the wrong path even when they know it's the wrong path. She begins with the story of the Trojan Horse to illustrate the first example of governmental folly leading to disaster. The next three examples are of the Renaissance Popes, the British handling of the American Revolution and the American actions before and during the Vietnamese War. The popes, in spite of criticism from many clerics and kings continued to enrich themselves and their families, dissipating the power of the papacy, until the Reformation forced a behavioral change. The British arrogantly ignored the reality of the American colonist's unwillingness to be treated as second class citizens and continued to pursue a series of policies that led to a 6 year war, a war they knew they could neither win nor afford after the Battle of Saratoga in 1776. The Americans acted under the illusion that they were fighting against Communism and restraining the so-called domino effect when in reality they were fighting against those who believed they were fighting a war of national liberation. I found this to be the most interesting section as time and time again the politicians chose to ignore the facts and opinions of many to pursue an un-winnable conflict. While this is not the most gripping of Tuchman's writings, it is a very readable exploration of the blindness of those who often lead nations into conflicts they cannot win.

A most accurate picture of what it's like to be a female migrant worker in Guangdong Province in Southeastern China. Much of the narrative describes events and locations in Dongguan, a city a short distance Northeast of Hong Kong. I am personally familiar with this part of China, having worked in the area off and on from 1981 to 2003 when I retired. I have also interviewed factory girls myself but only in the context of their work, not their personal lives. The detail with which the author paints the two major characters, Min and Chunming, is astounding. She basically, spent three years in more or less constant contact with both of them and has chronicled their lives, their attitudes and their relationships in painstaking detail. She also used her time in China to pursue her own family's history and intersperses the girls' stories with her own. At times this is a little disconcerting and doesn't always make sense in terms of flow but nevertheless is very interesting. Since Chang is, by training, a journalist rather than an author, her writing is lean and terse. Her ability to stay in the observer's role is admirable. At times she adds her personal comments but these are either generalizations about situations or comments about the girls' lives. She never jumps to easy conclusions or makes denigrating judgments. I find it difficult to summarize the book because of it's breadth and depth. Suffice to say, I believe I have a true picture of what these girls' lives are like and by extension many of their peers. I also am once again reminded of how strong the pull of history is on Overseas Chinese, no matter how far removed they are from their roots. I'd like to make another observation that occurred to me while reading this account. Most of the truly insightful books, I've read about China and the Chinese were written by women: Jung Chang, Anchee Min, Iris Chang, Amy Tan, or Emily Hahn. Those written by men like Paul Theroux or J. Maarten Troost either seemed to miss the essence of China or were just trying to be humorous. I have no problem accepting that I've just made an unfair generalization but that's been my experience. The above notwithstanding, Factory Girls tells a fascinating and worthwhile story.

I am an unabashed Follett fan. While this book did not measure up to the two medieval novels, it was a very readable story. I finished it quickly and picked it up whenever I had a spare moment. It follows the fortunes of five families through the run-up, main event, and result of WW I. Each family, British, Welsh, German, Russian and American are impacted differently by the events of the time. Follett does a good job of moving from focusing on one area to the other. The aspect of members of each family coincidentally running into one another throughout the book detracts from the believability of the story. He does a good job, though, of weaving together the major themes of the time: class differences, political reform in Great Britain, social upheaval in Russia, U.S. emergence as a world power and, of course, the Great War as it was called then. I had some trouble with the romances he develops as people seem to fall in love at the drop of a perfumed handkerchief. Upon reflection, though, given the restraints of society in those days, these instant, emotional connections made more sense. With Follett's attention to accurate historical detail, the book deserves a recommendation. I look forward to reading the next volume in the trilogy, "Winter of the World".

I think it's important for anyone who plans a career as anything other than an entrepreneur to read this book. Her point is well taken that women need to be better at putting themselves out there, so to speak. I just watched an interview on the CBS Morning Show in which the interviewee said one of the biggest reasons women make less than men at the same level is that they are poor negotiators. A point Sandberg illustrates in her recounting of her move to Facebook from Yahoo. Women don't always negotiate well because of real or false humility, something many men lack. But there are many men who are poor negotiators also and the idea that if you put yourself out there or "Lean In" you'll be more successful is a valid idea. My major criticism of the book is her personal stories which are sometimes not really relevant to the main thrust of the book. Nevertheless this is a worthwhile read for anyone in the organizational world but particularly those beginning their career. I'm retired and still found valuable information in what she said as I pursue my new career as a volunteer.

An incredible chronicle of the events leading up to, surrounding and following the Bataan Death March, April 1942. The protagonist in this non-fiction chronicle is Ben Steele, a native of Billings Montana and still with us at age 96. Ben's story is interwoven with material from diaries and journals as well as other source material from those Americans, Filipinos and Japanese who were there. Ben, developed the ability to sketch while a captive and his sketches are scattered throughout the narrative. This story is not for the faint-hearted as the descriptions of what, not only the defenders went through, but also the Japanese aggressors is the stuff of nightmares. The authors intersperse the description of events in 1941-46 with flashbacks of Ben Steele's earlier years. They cover the impending conflict with Japan, the invasion, the Battle of Bataan, The Death March, the prisoners life as captives at Camp O'Donnel, the Bicol peninsula, Bilibid prison and hospital, Camp Cabauantan, the hellships and the mines of Japan, all places Ben Steele survived. The book ends with Ben as a survivor, art student,family man and eventually an art teacher at Eastern Montana College in Billings. The authors also added a non-essential chapter on the trial of General Homma who commanded the Japanese forces in the Philippines. They obviously sympathized with the General and try to show that he really had no idea of what was going on but was railroaded in a trial and eventually executed by firing squad. The authors are also less than admiring of General MacArthur and take many opportunities to imply he was less than a great leader.

Number eight in William Kent Krueger's award-winning Corcoran (Cork) O'Connor series finds the ex-sheriff and recently minted private investigator involved in a drug war with racial overtones. The situation has the potential to tear Tamarack County, Minnesota apart. The murder of a meth addicted young woman is the catalyst for the plot. Her father, Buck Reinhardt, vows revenge against the "Red Boyz", an Ojibwe gang accused of supplying drugs to the girl. When the head of the "Red Boyz" and his wife are murdered execution style the locals brace themselves for a race war. Both sides want Cork, a man of Ojibwe/Irish mixed heritage, to find out what's really going on. While he hates violence, he knows that it's sometimes a necessary response to evil. Finding his way through the morass comprises the basic plot of the book. The story also presents a picture of a small town with it's winners and losers, racial suspicions and secrets - lots of secrets. As usual Krueger ties all the elements together in an exciting and suspenseful way. The ending is satisfying and sets the stage for the next novel in the series. Highly recommended and can be read as a stand-alone story.

A gripping, well written, suspenseful story by Norwegian Jo Nesbø. The book successfully moves back and forth between the past and the present, while chronologically covering 22 days in the investigation of a serial killer known as the Snowman because of his signature of leaving a Snowman near the house of his victims always after the first snow of the winter. Inspector Harry Hole, is the only serial killer expert in the Oslo Police Department and is often accused of wanting murders to be committed by a serial killer so he can use his expertise. Harry is also a recovering alcoholic beset by internal demons and often disappointed by others. In spite of this he is an investigative genius but has few friends and admirers within the police force, especially in the hierarchy. In this novel, he lurches from one theory to another and identifies a number of people as the Snowman, only to subsequently figure out they are not the right ones. This frustrates, not only Harry, but also others working the case to say nothing of his superiors, who don't trust him anyway. He also has a habit of going off on his own which angers his colleagues and puts him in unnecessary danger. After many false starts he figures it all out but almost too late. Things end somewhat poetically and the stage is set for the next book in the series. While Nesbø's work does not quite measure up to my favorite Scandinavian author, Swede Henning Mankell, with this book he comes pretty damn close.

I attended a lecture by Stephenson upon the release of his latest book, "Reamde". I was impressed with his sense of irony and especially with his advice to aspiring writers. Based on the lecture, particularly the Q and A session, I decided to read some of his stuff and was told to start with this one, "Snow Crash". Some acknowledge Stephenson as the creator of a new genre, Cyber SciFi, so I was even more motivated since I enjoy Sci-Fi and Fantasy, though in small doses. Unfortunately, I was not overly impressed with this effort. Perhaps my expectations got in the way. I struggled to finish the book and was ultimately disappointed with the ending, kind of a whimper rather than a bang, to borrow an idea from T.S. Eliot. The plot basically involves the uncovering of a conspiracy to take over the world by scrambling and infusing people's consciousness with an ancient Sumerian "program" that moves people to speak in tongues and also allows an outside force to control their behavior. The plot, however isn't as important as Stephenson's picture of a future world in which hackers rule a virtual "Metaverse" and various commercial interests rule the physical world. The environment he describes is imaginable and in many ways is an extension of where we are headed today. It's astounding that this book, published in 1992 is as accurate in its predictions of where we are headed as it is. The story jumps back and forth between the two major characters Hiro Protagonist, a katana adept hacker, and Y.T., a messenger who delivers her packages on a technologically advanced skateboard. There are some other important characters like Juanita, a beautiful genius hacker, Raven, an insane Aleut who has the power to detonate nuclear weapons, and dozens of others populating Stephenson's fictional world. I wanted to like this book more than I did. The ideas Stephenson presents are fascinating but ultimately the book drags with all the descriptions and a fairly muddled plot.

I am an unabashed Cornwell admirer. In addition to the Richard Sharpe series, I have read all the titles in the Saxon Chronicles Series. This particular title is one of the best. Uthred, is faced with a number of dilemmas. He continues to practice the Viking religion he was taught as a child even though he serves a king, Alfred, who is an extremely devout Christian. He has an ongoing love affair with Aethelred, the king's sister, who is married to another Noble. He has little wealth even though he must support his own warriors. Alfred is dying and wants Uthred to pledge his loyalty to his son Edward, the heir. How Uthred works his way through these dilemmas comprises the plot: exciting as always. As many reviewers have said, Cornwell writes the best battle scenes in historical fiction. This battles in this book are no exception. I particularly enjoyed the description of the tension between Uthred and various priests and bishops which is a major backdrop throughout the story. The really good news is that there will be another book in the series coming in the future.

Alan Furst is one of my favorite authors. He is head and shoulders above anyone writing spy novels today possibly excepting John Le Carre'. As I've said in previous reviews, he has taken the spy novel to the level of contemporary literature. This effort is no exception. The protagonist, Hollywood film star Fredric Stahl, born in Vienna but now a permanent resident of the U.S. is sent to Paris in late 1938 to make a movie for Paramount Studios on loan from Warner Bros. Upon arriving in Paris he is immediately contacted by a number of People who are part of an effort by a bureau of the Reich Foreign Office dedicated to degrading France's will to fight. The Germans and their sympathizers see Stahl as an excellent agent of influence. They don't realize he is horrified by what Germany has become and decides to become part of an informal spy service being run out of the American embassy in Paris. Furst has great skill in developing characters. Whether major or minor, good or evil, they are believable and human. From corrupt newspaper reporters to the rich and famous to assassins and spies as well as the cast and company of the movie, "Apres Le Guerre", all play their parts seamlessly and add to the incredible realism Furst elicits. Paris is, in some ways, one of the major characters. Stahl had lived there earlier as a penniless actor and he has never forgotten the magic of the city. As the story unfolds the reader is transported back in time to a pre-war Paris populated by mostly frightened individuals hoping for the best. Whenever I read a Furst novel, I am transported to a different time and place. I am in awe of his ability to reconstruct the context of the times and bring me into the story in a way few authors are capable of doing. I highly recommend this book, especially to those who have never had the pleasure of experiencing Furst's talent. If you do try this story, I'm confident it won't be your last Furst Novel.

I generally enjoy Hewson's Costa/Peroni books but this one dragged a little. I still had a hard time putting it down. The story opens with two seemingly unrelated incidents, a buried body in a marsh outside Ostia and a kidnapping in the Campo dei Fiori. So Nic Costa and Gianni Peroni begin an investigation that takes them deep into modern Rome's underworld. Nic's trying to recover from drinking too much and Gianni, ex-vice cop, trying to recoup his reputation after being caught in one of his own department's stings. Soon the investigation involves Emilio Neri, the local mafia boss and Vergil Wallis, an American mobster, who is refusing to talk. Meanwhile, someone is trying very hard to kill Teresa Lupo the Questura's pathologist before she figures out the truth about the exhumed body. There are many twists which also involve Leo Falcone the head of the investigation and his ex-lover. a lawyer in the organized crime bureau. What is fascinating about this plot and others in the series is that events often hark back to an earlier time - in this case the Dyonesian Rituals of ancient Rome. Eventually things come to a head and justice appears to be served as most of the guilty end up dead. However, do not skip the epilogue, titled "Aprile" for a surprising twist to the entire story. In spite of it taking me longer than usual to finish this book, it did not disappoint and I am still motivated to read all the others in the series.

This is the second book in the Scot Harvath series I've read and will be the last. I have had it with stories that only see black and white, good and evil, etc. and ignore any nuances. This book fits the genre perfectly. The plot revolves around Harvath saving the U.S. from evil Muslims by finding a missing Sura written by Mohammed just before he was poisoned in which Muslims are told that instead of killing all infidels and conquering the world they should get along with other religions. This document would supposedly embolden moderate Muslims to take over leadership from the radical elements. Yeah, right. Harvath's major opponent is a former CIA assassin who converted to Islam and is at the beck and call of those radical elements. There are a number of other characters, good and bad, who remind me of the cardboard cutouts of my youth. Thor also paints a picture of a U.S. in which political correctness has taken over giving the evil Muslims a free hand to threaten the U.S. or they will scream "Islamaphobia". Along the way much blood is spilled and Harvath manages to escape bullets, bombs, and well meaning law enforcement officers to accomplish his mission. He and others also do some incredibly stupid things to put themselves in danger and keep the plot from resolving itself too soon. At the end of the book, Thor offers thanks to a number of people and especially Glenn Beck, the crazy conspiracy theorist as his major inspiration. At that point all that had gone before was made clear. My decision to pass on reading any other Thor authored books made even more sense.

Another winner from Allan Furst - in my opinion, the most accomplished writer doing spy and espionage novels today. The story takes place in Salonika, Greece in early 1940. Hitler is grabbing up real estate as fast as he can and Mussolini is trying to emulate his ally by invading Albania. Greece comes to Albania's aid and inflicts a number of defeats on Il Duce's armies. Everyone believes that Hitler will either dominate or invade the countries of the Balkans. The protagonist, Costa Zannis, a senior police official, who has a special status must deal with spies from all the warring countries. Additionally he despises the Germans, partially because of their treatment of the Jews, so he helps set up an escape route for Jewish refugees, through Slovakia, Hungary and Yugoslavia to Salonika, where they can be put on a boat for Turkey. He has an active love life that becomes torrid and dangerous when he begins an affair with the wife of one of the most powerful businessmen in Salonika. He also feels responsible for the safety of his extended family and his subordinates, all of whom are in danger of being targeted by the Nazis, when they inevitably invade Greece. The book is populated by an incredible mix of characters including city political officials, detectives from various countries, a wealthy Jewish woman from Berlin, protected because her husband is a high ranking officer in the Wehrmacht, members of the Gestapo, refugees from the German insanity, officers and soldiers, prostitutes, diplomatic personnel and many others. It is a mark of Furst's incredible talent that he can bring such people alive and obviously understands their motivations and fears. The plot never stretches credibility. People, including Zannis, are afraid of what will happen if they get caught, yet, like so many others, he persists in doing the right thing even at risk of his life. Interestingly, even the Gestapo agents are not unremittingly evil They are just trying to get along in the Germany they live in. The evil is diluted as it moves down the food chain and sometimes bad things are done just so the perpetrator can maintain his life and protect his own family. The appeal of the book also lies in its description of the Balkans during the early stages of WW II. Furst must be an incredible researcher to uncover the situation in such an under-appreciated part of the world. The struggles of the Greeks, the Slavs, and others are no less inspiring than that of the French resistance or the British defiance. We just don't know that much about them. I'm hoping it won't be too long before Furst publishes another offering. His style and mastery of both plot and characterization, make his books literature as much or more than almost all the thrillers, I've read.

This is my first Jo Nesbo/Harry Hole book. It won't be my last. I am a big fan of Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallander series and this comes pretty close in quality. Both are written by Scandinavian authors, Mankell from Sweden and Nesbo from Norway. They approach things differently though each knows how to ratchet up the suspense. Harry Hole is a bit of a rebel and is constantly in trouble with his superiors and peers, even though his direct boss likes him a lot. In this story, a bank robber unexpectedly kills a teller while Harry is watching. A task force is formed because it appears to be one of a series of similar robberies - very professional. Simultaneously a death made to look like a suicide involves Harry, as the dead woman is an old flame. The situation is complicated because Harry had dinner with her on the night she died but cannot remember a thing about the evening except that he most likely was very drunk and was just able to make his way home. At this point the plot proceeds in multiple directions involving Gypsies, liars, drug dealers, crooked police, cheating husbands, a new partner with a particularly rare talent, contract killers, and other equally interesting characters. How Nesbo keeps everything on track is a literary wonder. In addition, his current lover is fighting a custody battle in Russia and comes under threat because of Harry's actions. This is all piled on top of Harry's conviction that the wrong man was blamed for the killing of his previous partner. The beauty of Nesbo's story is that just when Harry and the reader think they have things figured out something happens to throw everything up in the air, again. All of this is populated by a memorable cast of characters who do not always act in predictable ways. I was particularly fascinated with his description of the pan-European Gypsy criminal community and how they operate. The book ends somewhat prematurely as all the villains are not brought to justice. This, of course, provides an excellent motivation to read the next book in the series.

Crais has done an excellent job of bringing Joe Pike to the forefront in this novel. It's not that Elvis Cole, Pike's partner and the protagonist in the early novels is missing, it's just that he assumes a minor role here. The plot is deceivingly simple, when an ex-mercenary buddy of Pike's, who had given up the life and was living a settled existence with a family, is brutally murdered along with his wife and kids. What the police put down as a housebreaking gone wrong, Pike believes is much more than that. The story unfolds from there with lots of action, double-crosses, conspiracies, close calls, etc. I appreciate Crais' care with his characters, Pike and Cole. Pike is the quiet enforcer and Cole is the brash, verbal thinker. Not that they can't switch roles from time to time. This story exposes much of Pike's background and how he became what he is as well as letting us see a bit of his fascinating thinking processes. As you might guess, he is more emotional than he ever lets on and is also true to his code of conduct as it is possible for anyone in his line of work to be. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and look forward to the next Joe Pike featured novel.

Looking at the front cover, one would think this might be about the U.S. Afghan adventure. It isn't. It is a story of Alexander the Great's Afghan campaign which ran from the Summer of 330 BC to the Spring of 327 BC. Even in those days, a war in Afghanistan was difficult to win. This story is told by a young soldier, Matthias, enlisted in Alexander's grand adventure to create an empire. He begins as a new recruit and three years later is a hardened, cynical veteran. Much of the stuff written about the current Afghan situation was true in 330 BC, horrible terrain and weather, a brutal and unforgiving foe, gratuitous bloodshed and slaughter, collateral damage, etc. The author pulls no punches when it comes to describing what both sides did to try and terrify the other side. It also is graphically accurate describing the transition from new recruit to killer. Many of the lessons Alexander learned might make sense to the current commanders fighting in Afghanistan today. One, being it is near impossible to win the hearts and minds of the native population when you are seen as an invader. Two, you cannot defeat a foe who cares little about his own life. Three, as long as the indigenous population is willing to feed and hide your foe, you will never be able to finish the enemy off. Another truth of combat that comes through clearly in the book is that soldiers do not fight for country, medals or riches but rather for their buddies. Often in the story, Matthias, the narrator, takes great risks for no other reason than to protect the members of his unit. Another warfare given is that the officers will do something stupid that the foot soldier pays for. Such an event leads to a massacre of one wing of Alexander's army. The story even contains a "Dear John" event. The big questions are never answered in this story such as why did Alexander spend so much time and resources to conquer Afghanistan when the actual goal was India? Why were were so many of Alexander's soldiers neither Macedonians or Greeks? These are left for the reader to puzzle out on his own just as Matthias and his buddies had to do. I did feel , though, that the author was reaching when he created a litany of slang such as he imagined the soldiers of the day used. Felt a little bit affected to me and an attempt to tie this story to the present day; not that I doubt that slang existed. Sometimes. Pressfield's descriptions went on far too long and gave me the impression he was trying to show how much research he had done. Other than these small criticisms, I enjoyed the book immensely and unreservedly recommend it.

Thankfully, I was not one of the people who had to wait 5 years for this, the fifth volume, in the "Song of Fire and Ice Series". I got my hands on a Used Hard Cover only a month after finishing Book 4, and managed to race through the close to 1,000 pages in 10 days or so. I won't even try to summarize the interwoven plot threads here. After focusing on minor characters in Book Four, "A Feast For Crows", Martin returns to the major players in this book. My favorite is Tyrion, the Imp, a little person, born into the wealthy House Lannister, and now a slave in the Eastern Lands. He constantly cheats death by his wits. He cares little for so-called Honor and does what he needs to do to survive but in the process usually does the right thing. Another favorite is Arya, of House Stark, who though a mere 11 years old, manages to survive and in some ways prosper. She uses her wits and surrenders all preconceptions to make a life for herself in a strange land. Jon Snow, her bastard brother, has risen to be the commander of the Night's Watch, which protects the realm from the forces that exist beyond the Wall, a huge barrier of ice, thousands of feet high. He too must learn to do what works rather than follow the strictures of the medieval code he was raised in. Jaime Lannister, a one-time golden Boy, who is now a one-handed knight, is beginning to realize that he can't be the bully he was before his hand was cut off. He is a successful military leader but can no longer intimidate people with his fighting skills. Daenerys Targaryen, the Dragon Queen, continues to rule her city. Unfortunately her dragons have become unruly and are feeding on children as well as sheep. She struggles mightily to rule consistent with her principles of "no slavery", etc. but is foiled at every turn by people who know better, supposedly. She's so darn dutiful, she comes across as boring. There are others of course, many others. One of the most despicable is Reek, who was once Theron Greyjoy, a Prince of the Iron Isles and has been humiliated and brainwashed to the point where he sleeps with his master's dogs. There is Melisandre, the Red Priestess who has the last of the Baratheons, the legitimate ruling family, totally cowed. One of my favorites is Dolorous Edd, who always sees and comments on the dark side of things. I still appreciate, Martin's organizing the book around the Point of View of the characters. The ruthlessness of the villains, here, is somewhat overplayed and the bloodshed that pours out throughout the book is a bit much. Nevertheless, I can hardly wait for Book Six of the promised seven books. Martin is going to have to begin to tie all these threads together and bring some closure to many of the sub-plots and, quite frankly, make something definitive happen. Let's hope the next book doesn't take 5 years to gestate.

The least of the series. If you haven't started already DO NOT read this book first. The book focuses on minor characters with the exception of Cersei and Jaime Lannister, the Regent queen and her twin brother, erstwhile lover and Commander of the King's Guard. . The author says he did that because the original was too long. Five long years later he finally finished the next volume, "A Dance With Dragons". The result is that we spend a lot of time following Brienne, the woman knight, Samwell, the craven Brother of the Wall, Sansa, the now not so naive Stark daughter, Arya, Sansa's little sister and a few others as they witness and in some cases participate in the destruction of the seven kingdoms. The title refers to the crows that eat the dead bodies littering the landscape or hanging from tree branches. The descriptions are graphic and there is enough violence to keep the plot moving. There is also enough supernatural goings on to remind the reader that this is a fantasy, even though it often reads like historical fiction. In spite of its drawbacks, I liked the book and was always eager to get back to it when I set it down for a while. I'm glad I won't have to wait for five years to read volume five. In fact, I just ordered it from Powell's, of course.

This may be the best of the first four books in the series. It certainly is the most exciting. Martin's technique of telling the story through the point of view of the characters takes some getting used to but I have grown to enjoy this approach to story-telling. I do sometimes get frustrated when Martin leaves the character hanging in a certain situation and I feel forced to look ahead to the next chapter that features that particular character to find out what happened. This is not a linear tale. There is more fantasy and supernatural events in this volume than the two that preceded it. The medieval context is so well drawn that I sometimes have to remind myself that this is not historical fiction but rather historical fantasy. The appearance of the "Others", zombie-like animated corpses, impossible to stop, brought me up short and helped me realize what I was reading. Martin also uses words very close to their English equivalent, like "ser" for sir and "Sothorn" for Southern. This technique, I believe makes it easier to follow the story-line. Martin's settings are also recognizable as their earth counterparts, the dessert, the swamps and bogs, the sea, etc. all have recognizable features. He also creates his people so they fit the climate they come from and also have their earth-like complements. Yet, always making them just different enough to help the reader know this is a fantasy. The story itself, in this volume, continues the saga as the Lannister, Stark, Tully, and Tyrell families struggle with each other for dominion over the seven kingdoms. All of this is complicated by the danger from the Wildings, who inhabit the frozen wastes north of the Wall. Across the sea, the Princess Daenerys, the last of the Dragon line works to build a military force that will allow her to reestablish her family's rule over the Seven Kingdoms with the help of her three young dragons. All of this done in a way that draws the reader deeper and deeper into Martin's world. I look forward with a lot of anticipation to reading volumes 4 and 5.

Well, I don't know how best to epress how much I am enjoying this series: "A Song of Fire and Ice". "A Clash of Kings" is volume 2 in the series. I actually think it's a better written book than Volume 1 but then Martin didn't have to spend a lot of time setting the scene in this book. Volume 2 picks right up where Volume 1 left off. The major characters continue to evolve. Joffrey, the child king, becomes more and more of a jerk, Jon Snow, the bastard and Night Watch Brother loses his arrogance and begins to mature into a fearsome warrior, Princess Arya continues to get in trouble while trying to work her way back to Winterfell, Sansa, her sister, and Joffrey's fiancee has the scales taken off her eyes, Tyrion, the Lannister Imp shows what a basically good person he is, though his father will never admit it, Cersei, the widowed Queen Mother, shows what an absolutely amoral person she is, Catelyn, the widowed Mistress of Winterfell is unbelievable as the dutiful doyen, Bran, the crippled young lord continues to develop his extrasensory abilities, His older brother, Robb, King in the North, though only 16, proves both his manhood and his military prowess, Varys, the court eunuch, continues to play all sides against each other, Theron Greyjoy shows his true colors as a disloyal, arrogant power seeker, and Danaerys, the Dragon Queen, continues to search for a way to reclaim the Iron Throne her father lost. There are other characters too which makes this series as interesting as it is. There is also enough action to satisfy any reader's need for more than narrative exposition and dialogue. The battle at the end of the book is as well described as anything Bernard Cornwell, the dean of battle descriptions, has done. I can hardly wait to get to volume 3.

This offering by Swedish author, Henning Mankell, featuring Inspector Kurt Wallander, is difficult to categorize. Is it a Mystery? It's mysterious in the sense that there are many surprises along the way but it's not really a classic Mystery because reader knows who the killer is long before Wallander does. Is it a Police Procedural? Sort of since the reader is privy to how the police go about their work but only to highlight Wallander's thinking. Is it a Thriller? Wallander is targeted by the killer and his daughter is stalked. He and another policeman are shot at and Wallander's companion is wounded. However these events comprise a very small part of the book. Is it a Psychological Study? Mankell spends a lot of time exploring Wallander's thinking as he tries to solve the murders and the sub-plot involving his relationships with his woman friend, his daughter and his father are well documented from his point of view. Yet, the thrust of the story is not to analyze why Wallander thinks the way he does but rather to explore his thought processes as they occur. In the end, it really doesn't matter because the story of the search for a serial killer is totally absorbing on its own. This particular offering is a good example of the best that Mankell has to offer: literature offered up as a detective story.

Guilty pleasure time. Mitch Rapp saves the U.S. from terrorist disaster, while rescuing his boss and mentor from evil kidnappers, while holding off his politically correct critics, while managing his immediate supervisor, while endearing himself to a new president, while saving the career of a Secret Service Officer who is blamed for an incident in the previous book, while engaging in an intimate relationship with the same officer, while killing the major villain from the previous book and making it look like an accident, while killing the mastermind behind his boss's kidnapping, and just being an all-around super-hero and assassin. What's not to like.

I am not a particular fan of Fantasy Literature, "Lord of the Rings", notwithstanding. However this particular book, the first volume in the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, grabbed me in much the same way "LOTR" did and I could hardly put it down. The plot is not particularly inventive but the attention to detail is astounding. The characters are wonderfully human even when they are being superhuman. As I got deeper into the 800 page story, I also got deeper into the world that Martin has created. I was able to experience the characters as they changed, some growing, some regressing and some becoming more and more evil. With the HBO series now fully available, I, personally, am reading the book in concert with watching the individual episodes. If you haven't seen the HBO version and haven't read the book, doing both simultaneously is a great experience. If you've already done one or the other, you will not be disappointed if you add the missing piece. It isn't often that a book or series transcends its genre, but I think "A Game of Thrones" does just that. I can hardly wait to move on to "A Clash of Kings", the next book in the series.

I almost OD'd on Carlin. While I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed, the recently read, "Brain Droppings" more. The humor was not as sharp and the format of one long rant followed by two or three pages of one-liners became predictable and almost but not quite boring. I think reading this book from front to back was a mistake: far better to dip in and out as the need for release from the ridiculousness of day to day life is necessary. All of this does not mean I don't recommend the book, just that it requires a different approach to gain maximum enjoyment.

I grabbed "Brain Droppings" out of my bookcase for something to read while waiting for a friend who is always late. It is now a few days later and I have postponed finishing the book I was reading so I could finish this one - great plot, absorbing characters, riveting dialogue, can't wait to see the movie. (And if you believe that, Carlin is not for you.) Carlin, who died recently, was, in my opinion, one of the funniest people around. I happened to catch him at one of his last shows in Vegas in February, 2008 titled "It's All Bullshit and It's Bad for You." Two things about the show stick in my memory: one, laughing so hard that my sides hurt and two, noticing the young couple sitting in front of me get up and walk out about half-way through the show. I guess while he was breaking me up he was insulting them. That's George Carlin. Some of the content of "Brain Droppings" had me laughing out loud, much to the consternation of people around me. That alone indicates how seldom written humor really makes people laugh. There were also parts that made me laugh uncomfortably because as much as I would like to pretend that I am as cynical as Carlin, the truth is I have my hang-ups and he got after them. Good to know where I'm still touchy. Not much else to say except, I just grabbed "Napalm & Putty" out of my bookcase. I guess I need more laughs.

I got exactly what I expected. Lots of action, a little bit of sex, a few surprises and the good guys and gals won in the end. I wanted something I could easily read between sporting events. I got caught up enough, though, to finish it in a couple days. This effort is slightly better than some of his previous stories and also has Reacher doing a little bit of introspection about his lone wolf life style when he hooks up with 3 buddies from his old unit. He, of course, finally concludes that he's no worse off than his more successful appearing companions. If he didn't how could Child continue the series. The plot while not particularly inventive, filled with terrorists, crooked defense contractors, sad widows, crooked cops, unwilling, threatened witnesses, etc. does move along at a pretty good pace. The characterizations are somewhat stereotyped, especially the bad guys but I wasn't looking for great literature here. I think it's actually a three and a half but I decided to round up since I did enjoy the book so much.

Although, this book does not quite measure up to the previous six, nevertheless, it is a well written, interesting, meticulously researched story. Caesar's death, and the military defeat of his assassins, gives rise to another triumvirate. Lepidus goes to Africa, Antony rules the East, and Octavian controls the West, including the City of Rome. This arrangement temporarily prevents a civil war. Most of Rome seems to want a true heir to Caesar. Antony, angry that Caesar named Octavian as his heir, has control of the Senate and the riches of the East and should be able to become Rome's leader. He is a seasoned general but his lust for power is undercut by his passion for women, festive celebrations and wine. Octavian, on the other hand is as controlled, cool-headed and clear-eyed as Antony is impulsive. This narrative also includes two fascinating women. Cleopatra, who takes Antony as a lover but is always a ruler first and a woman second. More than anything, she wants to place her son by Caesar on the throne of Rome. Octavian, too, has a strong wife, the ravishing Livia Drusilla, who helps her husband in his quest for ultimate power. This story of politics, war and battles, murder, and love leads to its inevitable conclusion. McCullough's ability to imagine the motivation and thinking of these historical figures is unsurpassed. Her mastery of the historical facts is impressive and keeps the story moving. I am sorry the series has ended.

I am sure going to miss my yearly "Spenser" fix now that Parker has passed on. I'm trying to drag out the books I haven't read but I usually finish his offerings in a couple days at most. This one was up to his high standards as he takes on, as clients, four married women who are being blackmailed by a recent lover, Gary Eisenhower. At least that's one of his names. He is tasked with getting Eisenhower to stop because the women can't afford to pay forever but do not want their husbands to find out. The story unfolds from there with quite a few twists including some murdered women. Even after he's fired, he continues his sleuthing and finally is able to bring things to an a satisfactory conclusion at least for his four ex-clients. The story continues however as the husbands and wives continue to play the games that got them in trouble in the first place. In the process Parker, through Spenser and his lover Psychiatrist Susan, explores the motivations of Eisenhower as Spenser attempts to understand him so he can dissuade him. In the process Spenser develops a begrudging liking for Eisenhower. There is the usual collection of characters on both sides of the law, some old and some new. The dialogue is, as always, outstanding and the plot while complicated moves along at a fast pace. Like I said earlier, I am going to miss Parker and Spenser.

I've been putting off reading this book because of my suspicion of do-gooders' stories about themselves as I am invariably disappointed when I learn the truth about them. Greg Mortenson comes across as a goal oriented, hard working, humble man. This narrative covers a time from 1993 to 2006 in which he gave his life over to building schools in pakistan and Afghanistan. If just half of what he reports he's done is true, he is indeed a remarkable man. The story opens with him lost and exhausted after failing to climb K-2, the world's second highest peak and reportedly the most difficult climb in the Himalayas. Lost and exhausted he wanders into the remote village of Korphe. After the residents help him regain his strength, he notices that they have no school and the children study outdoors with a part time teacher. He decides that he will build a school for the children of Korphe. Most of the first half of the book tells of his struggles to raise money and to overcome the barriers of poor infra-structure, corrupt merchants, and weather to build the first school. The second half is about him expanding his effort to other parts of Pakistan and even into Afghanistan. He also develops a sub-text of wanting to educate girls who were often forbidden to go to school but who seemed to do more with their education than the boys did. I believe the lesson to be learned from this book is that helping people in underdeveloped countries works best on small scale with providers who are humble, respectful and willing to listen and learn. Unfortunately, there are few such people around. I certainly learned a lot about rural Pakistan from reading the book. I was also introduced to a different sort of Muslim than that which is portrayed by the paranoid purveyors of so-called safety. I, myself, have lived in Asia for many years including a short stint in Saudi Arabia and know first hand the frustration that can take over as you try to get something done. I also know that, in the end, the only way to get things done is through co-operation not coercion. Mortenson exemplifies that approach. There have been some rumblings that he has enriched himself with some of the funds he's raised. If my relatives in Bozeman, MT, where he lives, are to be believed, he lives a very simple lifestyle. I suspect the problem is partly his inexperience as an organizer and business person plus some jealousy from those who are unhappy with his fame. For those of you who are interested in Mortenson's response and the facts of the situation please go to the CAI site where you can access the responses to the allegations. It certainly cleared up my doubts. I plan to read his second book, "Stones into Schools" next.

There are two levels to Coben's writing. Level one is the Myron Bolitar Series which is maybe too much like any series in which the author is trying out his wings and ultimately gets bored and boring. Also Bolitar and Win seem to me to be a pale imitation of Robert P. Parker's Spenser and Hawk. Level two was when he tried another genre which he did with "Tell No One" (5 stars), "No Second Chance" (5 stars) and "Gone for Good" (5 stars). "Promise Me" involves Coben coming back to Myron Bolitar after six years but at a higher level of writing. The first 50-100 pages are slow but then it takes off like a runaway train. The final outcome is a little too neat and strains credibility a bit but surprising nevertheless. As Coben continues to write in the thriller genre, I will continue to read his books.

This is my fourth Alan Furst book and the best so far. I got so caught up in the story that I finished it in two days. I literally could not put it down. The struggles of Alexander de Milja, a Polish map maker, working for his government's intelligence services, to survive the German/Russian invasion of Poland in 1939 and the ongoing war, while maintaining his integrity and honor, is spellbinding. The writing is so realistic that it would be easy to believe that Furst experienced the events himself. He says in a postscript that he relies heavily on journals. Still, he has a compelling way of making it all so personal. His characters are finely drawn and heroic in a way that uncovers all their fears and misgivings. He avoids stereotyping the Germans, the Russians, the French and the Poles while still making use of what he sees as their national characteristics. In this story, the only truly evil people are the German leaders. Everyone else is caught up in the events of the time. I also appreciate his drawing out the class differences which are sometimes greater than the national or ethnic differences. Even his minor characters are memorable, like the candy store owner, Mademoiselle Herault and the teen-aged radio operator, Janin. This is not a thriller. It is not a "spy" story. It is not historical fiction. It is much more than all of that. It's literature in the best sense of the word.

I'm not sure exactly why I enjoyed this book so much. Was it because it takes place in Hong Kong, my home for the last 19 years? Was it the description of pre-war colonial Hong Kong? Was it the insightful comments about the nature of both Hong Kong people and mainland Chinese? Was it the interesting juxtaposition of four separate stories? Was it the ending which left me creating my own version of "what happened next"? I guess it was all of those things. The plot is not that well drawn. It's more of a narrative than a plotted novel. The characters are somewhat stereotypical but not overly so. Yet, I was somehow carried along and finished the story in a short time. If you wish to learn about Hong Kong - the way it is and the way it was plus avoid the usual travel guide drivel, I highly recommend this book.

This book, Number 11 chronologically in the "Sharpe" series, is one of Cornwell's better efforts. It focuses on the siege and capture of the fortress of Badajoz. An effort that resulted in 4800 British dead and 3500 wounded. The story stays as close to the historical facts as is possible in a fictional work. Sharpe comes across more humanly in this story than in any of the previous ones. He suffers disappointment when his gazetted promotion to Captain is denied and he is demoted to Lieutenant. He also discovers he is a father when his Spanish resistance fighter sweetheart, Theresa, shows up to tell him that he has a daughter and warn him that she is now living in Badajoz with relatives because the youngster is ill. This book also re-introduces Sergeant Obadiah Haskewill, a reprehensible villain as evil as any I've encountered. Haskewill does his dirty work and manages to get Sharpe's brother in arms, Sergeant Harper, accused and convicted of thievery resulting in a flogging and demotion to private for the unfortunate Harper. Haskewill also develops the hots for Theresa and in the final chapters attempts to rape her and kill Sharpe's daughter but is thwarted at the last minute. He does manage to survive the encounter, though, and I expect to see him again in subsequent books. I actually thought he had died in India but he somehow survived - survival being something Haskewill is very good at. The battle scenes are well written in great detail as is usually true in the series. Cornwell does a particularly good job here. Badajoz was by far the bloodiest battle during the entire Peninsular War. Wellington is reported to have wept when he surveyed the battlefield after the fight was over. I continue to enjoy each book in this series. Next up is "Sharpe's Sword".

When my friend, Glenn, suggested I read this book, I sort of chuckled and said I don't read "Chick-lit". So the rascal gave me a copy and I've been absorbing it for a week. I do mean "absorbing." The book is a self-exploration journal covering a year in the life of the author - Eat (Italy), Pray (India) and Love (Bali). After reading the first third, I was ready to give it a six on a 1-5 scale. After plowing through the second third, I was looking at a three on the 1-5 scale. After finishing the last third I'm ready to award a four star rating, maybe four and a half. There are times I was totally frustrated with her self-absorbed rantings. There were times when I laughed or cried out loud because her words so paralleled my experience. There were also times that she offered up observations that I can only describe as brilliant. In a way, my experience of reading her journal was not unlike her experience of living it. I had good times and bad times. However, it did make me think about my own search for "balance". I'm not searching for enlightenment (maybe next life-time) just working to find a sense of peace, love and fulfillment. This book helped. I took away some good stuff that I will keep with me long after the other stuff has disappeared from my memory.

John Rain, the protagonist in Barry Eisler's novels, reminds me of Elmore Leonard's Hitman. He thinks. He doubts. He questions the value of what he does. He gets older and slower and compensates for that. He asks himself what "the greater good" really is? He hesitates when the man he is supposed to kill shows up with his son, a decision that almost costs him his life. He struggles with commitment and trust. It is rewarding to see an assassin with a brain and an author who is not afraid to put Rain's thoughts on paper rather than depend on non-stop action to move the story forward. This is the best of the John Rain books I've read so-far and in some way the most realistic and believable, although it's hard to imagine that people with Rain's range of skills really exist. Perhaps I liked the fact that the story mostly takes place in Manila, Bangkok and Hong Kong, three cities I am very familiar with. There is no dearth of action either, even some humor in the interplay between Rain and his new buddy/partner Dox. The ending is satisfying if just a little bit too neat. I had already read the next book in the series, "The Last Assassin", out of order. I will also have to go back to the one preceding this one, "Rainstorm" before gifting myself with the last book in the series "Requiem for an Assassin".

I am not a big Grisham fan. I liked "The Firm", his first best seller and "A Time To Kill", his first novel. The rest of his stuff that I've read was borderline boring. In "The Appeal", he's back with a vengeance. I finished the book at 2:30 AM and then had trouble falling asleep because the ending left me up in the air. It's hard to write a review of this story without spoiling it for subsequent readers and I don't like reviews that are hidden because of spoilers. That said, I thought the characters were interesting though somewhat stereotypical. In this book, you will find: the good-hearted lawyer, the greedy industrialist, the venal politician, the one-issue fundamentalist preacher, the behind the scenes genius, etc. The plot is well drawn and kept my interest right until the end and I mean the last page. The interactions between the characters are believable. The idea that an election for State Supreme Court Justice could be manipulated was fresh and believable. The contention that campaigns are about little but money anymore rings true. The pace of the narrative was fast and kept my interest. If I go beyond these generalizations, I'll give things away so I will only say that I recommend this book. I doubt if you will be disappointed as you read it unless, of course, you are looking for deathless literature which this book definitely is not. It is, though, an enjoyable engaging read.

Perez-Reverte wrote many of the Captain Alatriste novels before he became widely read in English. His other books, "The Queen of the South" in particular, are, to my mind, much better written. The Alatriste series of books are just now being translated, I suspect because of the success of his other efforts. This volume recreates, not only the atmosphere but also the rhythm of the stylized discourse of the time, early 17th century Spain. I congratulate the translator for doing a great job, not only with the dialogue but also with the poetry which is scattered through the book. It seems clear to me that Perez-Reverte has a good feel for the period about which he is writing and has captured well the corruption, hypocrisy, and mis-placed chivalry of the time. Spain is declining and those who rule her are venal and self-serving at best, yet the Captain and his friends continue to behave consistent with their code of honor. Alatriste may be a sword for hire but he is a sword for hire with a conscience. The description of the Inquisition is illuminating and most likely doesn't do justice to the horrors that were visited on the poor souls caught up in its tentacles. Just having an ancestor who was Jewish was enough to send one to be burned at the stake after being tortured into confessing whatever the torturers wished one to confess. All done in the name of protecting the one true faith. While the story has its share of action, swordplay, conspiracy and courage, it is Inigo, Alatriste's adopted charge, relating his struggles as a prisoner of the inquisition that I most recall. Perez-Reverte is unremitting in his exposure of how bad life in Spain was, for all but a few, at this point in time. I recommend both the Alatriste books and his other efforts. I have never been disappointed with one of his novels.

As all my friends know, I'm a big Robert Parker fan. This book helps cement that feeling. I'm also a baseball fan, a Jackie Robinson fan and a bit of a history buff. No wonder I loved re-reading this book (I first read it four years ago) and finished it in 24 hours. The themes are not all that different from his other books: male bonding, a laconic protagonist who reminds me of Hawk from the Spenser series, the problems of finding love and maintaining a relationship, and the inherent paradoxes in parent-child and other family relationships. Ostensibly, the book is a fictional re-telling of Jackie Robinson's first year playing for the Dodgers, 1947. The racial attitudes described were real in those days. Using the "N" word was normal and stereotypes about Blacks were believed, especially by people who had never inter-acted with a "Negro" or "Colored Person". (I guess off-white isn't a color.) My "white" parents acted in much the same manner as many of the characters in this story. Parker interspersed memories of his childhood as an out-of-place Dodger fan in Massachusetts throughout the narrative and how baseball was something that he and his father could relate to together. He also did a great job of describing Red Barber, Branch Rickey and other well known people from that era. The story itself follows a well worn pattern of heroes who are "just doing their job", villains with no redeeming qualities, villains with redeeming qualities, confused females who need to be saved, usually from themselves and other recognizable plot twists and turns. Still, I loved it and probably will re-read it again years from now. Some stories are just meant for re-visiting. I recall a book I first read in my early adolescence, "O'Reilly of Notre Dame". I must have re-read that book four or five times. I almost made the mistake of going to Notre Dame because of it. I'm a sucker for stories involving redemption.

Vince Flynn's thrillers are as good as it gets in the genre with the possible exception of Barry Eisler's John Rain series. They are neither realistic nor believable but they sure do entertain. I read this one in two days. Mitch Rapp, the protagonist in all of Flynn's novels is a very flawed human being who is also very good at what he does, finding and eliminating enemies of the U.S. He works for the CIA but as most characters in these type of books, often goes his own way. Naturally this gets him in trouble with his superiors and also with many powerful politicians. The only thing that keeps him on the job is that he is always successful in spite of or maybe because of his methods. If he ever fails, it's clear the sharks will have at him and tear him apart. This story in particular puts him cross-wise with the Vice-President Elect who is definitely out to get him. The strength of the story is in the details which I won't get into here. I will say that readers will not be totally sure how the plot will play out until the last 10 pages, which is why I was late for Happy Hour. I could not out the book down. There aren't many stories that would keep me from a chance to enjoy reasonably priced beers with my friends. This one did, for 15 minutes, anyway.

This, number eleven chronologically is one of the better stories in the series. Sharpe's enemies are not British for a change. The French General Loup is a truly evil person who kills women and children indiscriminately in an attempt to control the local Spanish Guerillas. Loup's lover is a Spanish turncoat, Juanita, who spies on the British for the French. The Spanish General, Valverde, wants to keep Wellington from being named Generalissimo because he wants the job himself and believes by scape-goating Sharpe he can prevent Wellington's appointment. The plot is not complicated but the story carries the reader along. The battle scenes are, as usual, graphic and well done. While the quality of Cornwell's efforts are inconsistent as opposed to O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series, nevertheless I enjoy these books too much to pass up the opportunity to finish the series.

Not the best Stuart Woods has written. I would actually give it two and a half stars if such a rating were available. Less than that and I wouldn't have finished the book. It started off great and then faded fast as I became as bored with the story as Holly Barker was with her assignment. Holly Barker is, quite frankly, an unrealistic, unbelievable character. She's too perfect. She also always outshines everyone around her including her superiors who love her for it. Yeah, right! Just like in real life. This may be fiction but is it possible that the CIA and FBI are now valuing people who don't toe the company line? (See "Charlie Wilson's War") The ending was a slight surprise and I suspect whoever reads the upcoming Holly Barker books will find this story's villain, Ted Fay, there. Not me, I might add. I'm through with Ms. Barker.

In spite of the controversy as to whether this account is fact or fiction, I certainly enjoyed reading the book. After researching various articles and opinions, I'm still unsure, though I lean towards believing the narrative is actually a composite of a number of experiences including Rawicz's. As was said in an account on the web entitled "Anderson's Long Walk Expedition", in which a group of people retraced Rawicz's journey, although on camels not on foot. "Attempting to find truth in every written word of the Long Walk dooms the book to skepticism. The two most poignant examples of this are Rawicz and his companions crossing the Gobi desert without water for 13 days and sighting the yeti in the Himalayas. However, both of these events occurred when Rawicz was close to death due to extreme environmental conditions. Other sections of the book, such as the descriptions of the local people and their customs are so accurate it seems impossible a Polish immigrant living in England could have made up such details without experiencing them first hand. Giving Rawicz some creative leeway, considering English was his third or fourth language and he wrote the book more than 15 years after the walk occurred, the events in the book take on a more believable tone." Whether or not it was a completely true re-telling of Rawicz's experiences or not, it's still a gripping story. The story was actually transcribed by Ronald Downing, a British reporter. I'm sure he took some creative liberties, especially in describing the Yeti encounter, due to his desire to find eye-witness accounts of just such meetings. The story is exciting and moves along briskly. The prose is sparse but captures the emotion of these survivors very well. I recommend reading the book, if for no other reason, than to make up your own mind about the controversy surrounding its veracity.

It's been quite a while since I've read one of the "Prey" books. I'm glad Lucas Davenport is back. The villains in these novels are always so inventive and evil that it's a pleasure to guess what Sandford (real name John Camp) is going to come up with. This time it's a couple of very weird antique dealers who carry the nicknames "Big" and "Little". The plotting is great as in most of Sandford's offerings. The characters are a little bit over the top but not anywhere near what Carl Hiaasen comes up with. I especially enjoy the repartee between Lucas and his subordinates. The story races along and it was tough to put the book down even when my eyes got all droopy. No real surprises at the end and everything gets neatly wrapped up leaving me with the same feeling I get after a particularly satisfying lunch - full but not stuffed.

Richard is back and fighting mad as well as being given a difficult mission to accomplish! The usual villains: arrogant British officers, untrustworthy allies, and evil French soldiers are all here as are the usual heroes and heroines: Jorge, the trustworthy Portuguese officer, Sarah, the virginal Brit, Joana, the victimized local girl and of course, Harper, Sharpe's Irish Sergeant sidekick. The book actually covers two actions in the Peninsular War, the Battle of Bussaco and the French assault on the fortified lines of Torres Vedras. The description of the Bussaco battle is as exciting and well done as any fictional account of a battle I've ever read. The rest of the story is suspenseful, action-filled and fun to read. I also appreciate the Historical Notes Cornwell adds at the end of this and all the other books in the Sharpe Series. It helps put his fictional accounts in proper perspective, provides a peek into his research, and generally lends credibility to each story. On to "Sharpe's Battle".

This is a Sunny Randall novel but Parker manages to bring in Jesse Stone from the "Paradise" books and Susan Silverman from the Spenser series. I keep thinking I'm going to tire of Parker's offerings but I never do. I read this in five or six hours while flying across the Pacific Ocean. Maybe that's why I like his books so much - they are humorous, quick reads containing mostly dialogue. His plots are rarely very complicated and his focus is often on relationships rather than action or solving the crime. After finishing it, I was moved to re-watch Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" on the same flight. Somehow, I think there's a connection but I'm not sure what it is. If you do decide to read this book, I suggest you pay particular attention to the developing attraction between Stone and Randall. In my opinion, they are both rebounding but in an adult, mature way. Fascinating! Have fun with this book. I sure did.

Iris Chang committed suicide. I can't help wondering if doing the research for this book didn't create or deepen her depression. She was an obviously passionate person and turning that passion loose on uncovering what really happened in Nanking in December 1937 must have shook her deeply. Just reading it shook me deeply. As a history major in college, I was aware of the allegations against the Japanese in WWII, not just in Nanking but all over S.E. Asia. As an ongoing student of WWII and someone who has traveled all over S.E. Asia, I am even more convinced that the level of brutality that the Japanese visited on the "liberated" peoples of the Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere was matched or exceeded only by the Holocaust in Europe. I, too, have talked to survivors of the Japanese occupation in the Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong, China, and Malaysia and their stories, while not as dramatic as Chang's, were nevertheless riveting and horrifying. I stood in the hallway of what was once a Girl's high school in Manila where 400 young women were raped and eventually killed by drunken Japanese soldiers who expected to die as the Americans approached Manila. I met an old nun who still could not keep the tears from her eyes as she related the story. So, I have no problem believing that the incidents Chang chronicles and the eyewitness and diary accounts she relates are true. I am also enough of a historian to recognize that she wrote the book as a journalist not as a historian. That belief does not lessen the importance of what she has done in trying to lift the veil from an episode the Japanese would love to have the world forget. That some Japanese continue to deny, not only the brutality of the rape of Nanking, but also the brutality they visited on every country they occupied is a stain on the rest of the Japanese people. Ahmadinejad denying the Holocaust is a joke compared to Japanese officials and academics denying the Rape of Nanking. This book is also a must read for anyone who believes that these kinds of brutal happenings are anomalies for as Chang points out in the epilogue, "The Rape of Nanking should be perceived as a cautionary tale...." She goes on to say that human beings are capable of the worst kind of inhuman behavior if the circumstances are right. Our civilization is a thin veneer.

This story was originally serialized in the New York Times Sunday Magazine. There is an interesting interview of Connelly at the back of the Mass Market paperback that addresses the differences between the two versions. I enjoyed this 13th novel in the Hieronymous (Harry) Bosch series. He re-connects with Rachel Walling, the FBI agent, when a murder, he is called on to solve, appears to involve a terrorist threat. As usual, all Harry wants to do is solve the murder but when The FBI gets involved he is blocked from interviewing potential witnesses and is met with all the FBI/local's competition that often appears in Connelly's stories. By breaking a number of rules, Harry solves the crime and dilutes the terrorist threat. The ending is a bit of a surprise. All the elements of a good detective novel are here making reading "The Overlook" a worthwhile use of your time. There is an added "Bonus Chapter" that adds nothing to the story but sets the scene for the next book in the series.

Now that Robert Parker is gone, do not pass up the opportunity to read anything on his backlist that's still available. If you are a Robert Parker fan, as I am, you will love this book. If you are a fan of Westerns you may not. But then, Elmore Leonard writes Westerns so why not Parker? It's a spare 290 page book full of terse and laconic dialogue. What Parker novel isn't? I read it in about five or six hours of one slow news day. The main protagonists, Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch, the narrator, do bring up faint images of Spenser and Hawke but mostly in the acceptance of an unwritten and rarely articulated bond between two male friends engaged in dangerous, life threatening work. Katie Goode, Hitch's prostitute girl friend, does remind me of Susan, Spenser's therapist love, but only in her insights not in how she expresses them. While many may argue with me on this, I contend that "Appaloosa" is basically a love story between Virgil and Mrs. French with a lot of violence thrown in to keep us hard-boiled novel fans interested. As evidence, I quote from the penultimate paragraph on the last page, "I saw the appaloosa nervously herding his mares along towards fresh pasture. He's got the mares, I thought. But the mares got him, too."

Taking place in 1809, this is the ninth book chronologically in the Richard Sharpe series. In my opinion it is the worst of the nine. Sharpe, as usual, has more problems with his own people than with the French enemy. In this story he encounters an arrogant provost, a religious zealot, an unsympathetic General and a Spanish ally who wants him dead. Also, as usual, he meets a beautiful woman whom he falls in love with but can never have because he is a soldier and must move on. He survives numerous wounds and is twice rescued as he faces almost certain death. While these are elements in all of the previous books in the series, in this tale they come across as formulaic rather than spontaneous thereby ruining the fun and the suspense. Though I give the book only 3 stars, nevertheless it is an exciting story. Since I read this volume, I have read the rest of the 21 book series and most of them are full of exuberance and excitement. Do not stop here.

Some reviewers compare Daniel Silva with John LeCarre. That is pure nonsense. In my mind only two currently producing authors can write a spy novel that is more than an adventure story: LeCarre and Alan Furst. That said, "The Messenger" is a very good adventure tale. The story is well plotted, the characters familiar, the pace satisfying, the suspense binding, and the ending blindingly fast and exciting. I had a hard time putting the book down with about 100 pages to go. On the down side, there is very little gray in the story. It's all black and white. The leading character, Gabriel Allon's story is wearing thin after seven re-tellings. Some of the other characters are cardboard, though a few, like Julian Isherwood and Monsignor Donati, are interesting. I recommend the book, even if you haven't read any of the preceding novels in the Gabriel Allon series. In spite of my carping, I will read the next in the series, "The Secret Servant".

Book One of the Liberation Trilogy, this is one of the most well written WWII history books I've ever read. Atkinson is an accomplished researcher but also brings his research to life with well placed anecdotes, memoranda, letters and documented conversations. It's almost like reading a novel. The only drawback is the overwhelming scope of his narrative. I sometimes had to read the same material twice to get it into proper context. I also accessed the index many times to refresh my memory on names and places that were referred to earlier in the book. The maps helped me understand the details of the various battles but there were times I wished I had a huge map of the area being discussed so I could better follow the narrative of what Atkinson was describing. For someone like myself, who was raised with the myths of WWII, this book was an eye-opener. Atkinson discusses the personalities and failings of all the key players, Eisenhower, Giraud, Patton, Alexander, Bradley, Montgomery, Rommel, Von Arnim, Kesselring, Darlan, etc., etc. It appears their failings, at this point in the war, far outweighed their strengths. Those failings almost always resulted in unnecessary casualties. The Generals decide; the soldiers, sailors and airmen die. I was also able to finally understand the politics of the invasion and the resistance of the Vichy French. The French, by the way, come off as almost comic opera personalities. The North African Arabs and other native peoples in the area are characterized as thieves and opportunists as might be expected of a people under the colonial yoke of France, caught between warring Western powers. The book is most comprehensive and I could go on for much longer describing its various facets. I would like to just say, though, for anyone interested in understanding the 1942 North African Invasion, this book is a must read. I am looking forward to attacking Volume Two, covering the Sicilian and Italian campaigns.

Trying to read the Richard Sharpe series in chronological order can be difficult. The reason being that Cornwell did not write the books in order. Sharpe's Eagle is the 8th book in the series but the first book of the series, he wrote. In the Introduction, he mentions that he's never re-read it himself because he's afraid that he would be too critical of his own skills. It's a hell of a good read, though. I enjoyed it immensely. The story's themes are familiar to anyone who has read any of the Sharpe books. Sharpe's biggest problems are not with the French, his ostensible enemies, but with Officers in his own army who resent him because he's been promoted up from the ranks and is not a "gentleman". His other weakness seems to be his attraction and pursuit of ladies above his "station". He inevitably succeeds in capturing their affections only to lose out in the end either because of family pressure, death, or in this case just not having enough money to support the lovely Josefina. This plot is not markedly different but the battle scenes are exceedingly well drawn. The relationship of Sharpe to his men, his peers and his superiors is very revealing of the social contract of the time. After reading "Sharpe's Eagle, I can understand how readers became hooked and have continued to be hooked through 21 volumes.

I suspect the Lee Child, Jack Reacher, novels are going to be one of my guilty pleasures going forward. Jack Reacher is the new millennium version of Shell Scott, Richard Prather's hard boiled private eye of the 50's and 60's. Where Shell Scott drove a Cadillac convertible and seduced beautiful women right and left, he was not a particularly violent man and the stories reflected that. Reacher is a different person entirely, no roots, no compunctions about using violence to gain his ends but with a big heart disguised as a need for justice. Gotta love a guy who continues to pursue the villains, even as they change, to protect a run-away wife and her daughter and lover and then gives his fee away to help someone get needed physical rehabilitation. I know - too good to be true. After I finished my first Lee Childs novel, "The Enemy", I was not impressed. However a friend gave me this one and since I cannot turn down a friend's recommendation, I am now hooked. With some character driven action series, like Robert Parker's "Spenser" books and John Lescroart's "Dismas Hardy" stories, I never lose interest. I hope that will be true of the "Jack Reacher" novels.

I consider myself a Jeffrey Deaver fan but I don't know what to make of this offering. The plotting is excellent as usual. The characters, however are not as clearly drawn or believable as I am used to. What really put me off was the constant explanation of digital terms and acronyms. Even though the book was written in 2001, I still think he went too far in assuming we, the readers, were basically idiots when it comes to the world of computers and the internet. However, I did stay hooked until the end which has more than one surprise for the reader. I'd say, "Give it a try unless you think you would be put off by the over-explaining mentioned above."

I thought I would be disappointed when I realized that Dismas Hardy and Abe Glitsky were not going to be major characters in this book. Not!!!!!!!!!!! Enter Gina Roake, a tough but very human partner in Dismas Hardy's firm. Widowed when David Freeman, the firm's founder, is murdered, she's taken three years to get over her grief and moves on by taking on a high profile murder case. The story progresses quite well as do most of Lescroart's books, a lot of character development, excellent court room scenes, believable dialogue. Towards the end, I had a hard time putting it down. Fairly surprising ending, actually two endings with all the loose ends tied up so we can get back to Dismas and Abe, I hope. I notice some of the reviews I read expressed disappointment, not me. I'm sure most Lescroart fans and those trying him for the first time will feel rewarded when they finish this story.

I've always enjoyed Crais' Elvis Cole Novels but felt he got off the track with Demolition Angel, a non-Cole story. Well, he's back in spades with this effort and the "Two Minute Rule." Cole does have a supporting role in this story but it's mostly about Pike, the enigmatic hard-ass. The reader learns about his childhood, why he left the LAPD, and his mercenary work in Africa. Turns out he's an idealist but I surely would not want to get on the wrong side of his ideals. The book starts fast and accelerates, involving drugs, terrorism, embezzlement, father-daughter problems, kidnapping, murder and other assorted exciting stuff. One of those "I couldn't put it down" stories that Crais is so good at.

Although recently written, it takes place in 1809 and is number 7 (I think) in the chronological order of Richard Sharpe books. It is one of the better ones. Lots of action, intrique, heroes, villains and Sharpe's incredible good luck. I don't read the Sharpe books to learn personal lessons but rather just for enjoyment. I love historical fiction, especially well-researched historical fiction. Cornwell does good research. I always enjoy reading his notes at the end of each novel sharing what's real and what's fictional in the preceding book. I recommend reading the Richard Sharpe Series in order but if you start here, you won't be disappointed.

Typical McGarrity. Tightly plotted. Surprise ending. Good characterizations. Using a screwed up family as the main plot device a little hackneyed.

Deputy New Mexico State Police Chief Kevin Kerney is close to ranching full time. Unfortunately someone goes on a killing spree at a campground. Six people are dead. Kerney suspects there was only one target, Vernon Langsford, a retired judge and businessman. In order to find the truth, Kerney begins to look into Langsford's life and in the process uncovers multiple motives to kill Langsford. Kerney also becomes a target and begins to doubt his decision to go back to ranching. In a sub-plot and complicating things is the state of his relationship to his new wife, Army Captain Sarah Bannon who is away on assignment. Typical McGarrity. Tightly plotted. Surprise ending. Good characterizations. Using a screwed up family as the main plot device a little hackneyed.

I had backed off on Crais, after "Demolition Angel" but I would have to say he's back. This story, while it could be criticized for loose plotting, is nevertheless an exciting story. I finished it in a couple days while traveling. The story has some great twists to it. I was touched by Crais' comment in the acknowledgements that he had to learn to sympathize with Max Holman, the major character. Max did grow on me as I moved through the story. I guess we are all similar to Katherine Pollard, the retired FBI agent who arrested him 10 years ago and is now asked for her help as Max tries to find the truth of his son's death. I found the story intriguing, the characters interesting and the ending satisfying.

Third in the "India Trilogy," it has some of the most graphic battle scenes I've ever read. Sharpe continues his charmed life as he struggles with dissension in the ranks, arrogant and incompetent fellow officers and "gentlemen". One of my favorite villains, Sgt. Hakeswell, continues to bedevil Sharpe but Sharpe, as always, overcomes all because he is first and foremost, a "soldier". Fun reading unless you are put off by bloodshed.

The second volume in the India trilogy, it is in my opinion the best of them. It certainly has many twists and turns, lots of action, and sets the stage for Sharpe's subsequent relationship with General Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington. One of my favorite villains Obadiah Hakeswell plays a major role. One of those evil people you love to hate. This book is the one that really set the hook, so that I eventually read the entire series of 20+ books.

First in the series. Not the first one I read. I picked up Sharpe's Trafalgar in a used book store and read it first. A good thing, too. I wasn't as impressed with it as I was with Trafalgar. In my opinion the Patrick O'Brian Aubrey/Maturin series which takes place in the same historical period but focuses on the Napoleonic sea wars is far better written and researched than the Cornwell offerings. However I plan to read the entire series and I must admit I'm hooked after reading seven of them. The three Indian books were written after some of those that take place later in history. The next two of the three are better reads but this is a good place to start.

Allan Furst is to WWII what John LeCarre is to the Cold War. He is one of, if not, the best practitioners of the "spy novel" as literature. His main character Andre Szara grew on me until I found myself thinking, "Could I do what he did and maintain my essential self?" I'm still not sure. The story starts slowly but gathers momentum like one of the trains that Szara rides all over Europe. How Furst manages to capture the essential Russian-ness or German-ness of the characters contributes to the magic of the story. Towards the end, I could not put the book down even at 2:30 AM. I am sure you will enjoy this novel even if you are not a fan of spy stories.

This was my first Allan Furst book. Like his other novels, it is character driven rather than plot driven. He resembles John LeCarre in that way. This one grabbed me because it captures better than anything else I've read what it must have been like to be a Parisian during the German occupation. People just trying to get by while struggling with their feelings that they should be helping with the resistance. The ending caught me by complete surprise and left a hollow feeling in my stomach. I certainly enjoyed and highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to be introduced to Furst's work.

While I enjoyed the Grail series, "Azincourt", which takes place about 100 years later is a far better story. Cornwell's mastery of the times in which this book takes place is obvious. The plot follows Nicholas Hook, a descendant of Thomas Hook, from the Grail Series, as he follows his king, Henry V, to France and the siege of Harfleur, and finally the Battle of Azincourt (Agincourt in its French spelling). As Cornwell points out, this battle is as much a part of the British psyche as any of the other famous battles over the centuries. The main reason being that a force of 6-9,000 English defeated a 25-30,000 man strong French army. The victory can be attributed to the presence of 5-6000 archers carrying the unique English weapon, the longbow. Somehow, the characters in this story are more believable than in many of Cornwell's books. The battle scenes, as always, are well written. Nobody does battle scenes better than Cornwell. The plot, though simple, has a few twists and turns that kept me turning pages at a rapid rate. All in all, as I near the end of reading all of Cornwell's many books, I was more than pleasantly surprised at the excellence of this offering.

I have a problem. I pick up a Robert B. Parker book and 24 hours later, I've finished it. This is true partially because of Parker's style but mostly because I get hooked into the story. As one reviewer put it, "His books are not so much read as inhaled." This particular story has Jesse Stone, Chief of Police of Paradise, Massachusetts getting involved in a situation in which an old foe Wilson "Crow" Cromartie comes to Paradise to find a 14 year old run-away girl and return her to her father, a big time crime boss in South, Florida. The plot has some twists and turns, peppered by Parker's gripping dialogue, which is what actually carries the story. The usual characters are here, Jenn, Stone's ex-wife, "Suitcase" and Molly, two of his police officers, Dix, his therapist, and Healy of the State Police. "Crow" is an enigma, Stone can't quite figure out but is also a person Stone admires in many ways. There are a number of villains who end up dead or in jail. However, there are no big plot twists that are surprising. The story just zips along and comes to a satisfactory ending. I'm trying to make my inventory of the recently deceased Parker's books last but I want to read the next one as soon as I finish the current one.

I lost track of Sandford's "Prey" series for a couple years. I'm glad I'm back. In this episode, Lucas Davenport, is more or less nagged into looking into the disappearance of the daughter of a friend of his wife, Weather. The mother, Alyssa Austin, is a bit of an eccentric but a competent business woman. He gets hooked more deeply when three of the daughter, Frances', "Gothic" acquaintances are brutally murdered. Evidently Frances was dabbling in the Goth scene in the Twin Cities and Davenport spends a lot of time looking for a connection. Spiced up with a sub-plot involving a murderous Lithuanian, the story is basically a fairly straight-forward police procedural. The solution of the initial crime has a surprising twist and the eventual loose ends tie-up takes several pages. Sandford's characters are always interesting and there's no change from that here. As is often the case in the "Prey" series there is a strong psychological component that helps provide suspense. While not a strong thread, there is a bit of "cop" humor to lighten the atmosphere. This is an excellent addition to the series.

At the start of this book, I thought to myself, "Oh, oh, he's writing another "Exile" but this time about Africa instead of the Middle East." It's set in the San Francisco Bay Area, the protagonist falls for an exotic foreigner and rushes off to rescue her, etc. I was wrong. Instead, I was captivated by a story based on the execution of Nigeria's Ken Sara-Wiwa during the brutal Abacha regime. Though, fictional, it is obvious that Patterson's research: literary, consultative and on-site in Nigeria was exemplary. I became totally caught up in the unfolding drama as Damon Pierce tried to obtain justice for Bobby Okari as he is framed for the murder of three U.S. oil company employees in the fictitious African country of Luandia. I'm sure all similarity to Nigeria was intentional. Pierce's effort is complicated by the fact that he is in love with Marissa, Okari's wife. All the elements of a great plot are here: a brutal, amoral, dictator with brutal underlings, a countryside revolt by local militia who are driven by profit as much or more as by principle, a climate of total lawlessness, U.S. dependence on foreign oil, U.S. policy that belies it's dedication to human rights, a minority of both white and black officials who really want to do the right thing in spite of the barriers, betrayal, loyalty and a believable love story. The characters are as real as a story of this scope could make them. I'm not sure a well-to-do lawyer from San Francisco would risk as much as Pierce does to help an old friend no matter how much he loved her. On the other hand, people risk their lives everyday to fight injustice and poverty in places like Darfur so who am I to judge Pierce's actions. Bobby Okari does remind me of others who become so dedicated to their cause that they would rather die than betray it. His supporters, who are not so dedicated, are presented in a very real way as either frightened or corruptible or both. As you might imagine, there are no definitive answers to the dilemmas the characters face, there is only what each of them does to deal with their own beliefs and fears. There are also no easy solutions to the dilemmas governments face as they try to deal with their population's thirst for oil. The book left me uneasy, not only about the world-wide corruption and potential crisis brought on by the need for oil but also about my own government's ability, even willingness, to deal with our dependence on foreign oil. It's not often that a fictional thriller raises such important issues.

Ludlum doesn't mess around with small scale conspiracies. He goes for the over-the-top, take over the world conspiracies. This effort is no different. In this case, investment banker, Benjamin Hartman, meets up with, Justice Department Agent, Anna Navarro, and, together, they save the world from a neo-nazi conspiracy. The plot is ingenious and has many twists and turns, which serve to keep the reader hooked. The story has all the characters moving around the world at breakneck speed. The action takes place in at least eight different countries and moves back and forth between the 1940s and the present as the past poisons the present, a device used in most of Ludlum's efforts. All in all, though, I enjoyed the book, perhaps as a guilty pleasure.

In this story, Lauren Crowder, Alan Gregory's fiancee, is featured. Most interesting was the explanation of how the Mormon Church works in Utah. It was obviously well researched and very believable. In this book, Teresa Crowder, Lauren's sister wishes to bring a sexual harassment suit against a well-known member of the Church, Blythe Oakes, and she wants to do it in Salt Lake City. Robin Torr, a classmate of Lauren's, agrees to pursue the suit even though she knows it is an uphill battle. The plot thickens, so to speak, when Mrs. Oakes, Pratt Toomey, a private investigator, and Rachel Baumann, a potential witness are all murdered in similar fashion. There are numerous sub-plots, Lauren's M.S., Robin's relationship with her husband, Lauren's attraction to a recovering alcoholic, Teresa's penchant for running away, the appointment of a Mormon to the U.S. Supreme Court and others. I also think White does an admirable job with the minor characters, some of whom, remind me of people I've run into in the inter-mountain West. The book started very slowly but did pick up after about 100 pages or so. The ending is exciting and ties up a number of loose ends.

It is difficult to assign a genre to a book like this. It is certainly contemporary literature but also has a strong thriller aspect to it. Well, whatever! It's a damn good book. This sequel to the author's [book:The Gold Coast|33813] takes place ten years later. John Sutter, the protagonist returns from London to Long Island's Gold Coast to attend the funeral and process the will of Ethel Allard, a long-time servant/employee of his ex-in-laws, the Stanhope family. Sutter's ex-wife, Susan Stanhope Sutter, has returned to the Stanhope estate, also. At the conclusion of [book:The Gold Coast|33813], Susan had just murdered her lover, Frank Bellarosa The plot while not particularly complicated is still very detailed. It involves Frank Bellarosa's son, Anthony, thirsting for revenge, Ethel's daughter, Elizabeth, divorced and attracted to John, the entire Bellarosa family, a Mafia family if there ever was one, Susan and John's two grown children, who hope their mom and dad will re-untite, Susan's parents William and Charlotte, who are two of the most vindictive people I've run across in my reading, John's mother, Harriet, a professional do-gooder, Felix Mancuso, an FBI agent and almost friend of John's, plus other characters who are in and out of the story as it unfolds. The story is actually almost totally carried by John, who has a very sarcastic and sharp wit, much of which he keeps to himself. DeMille let's us read what John is thinking as well as what he actually says. This device is sometimes confusing, that is figuring out what's internal and what's external. The story unfolds in a somewhat leisurely manner with a number of sub-plots to keep things interesting. Eventually matters come to a head and in a not totally unexpected conclusion all ends well. I've read most of DeMille's output and he never disappoints. [book:The Gold Coast|33813] is no exception.

I'm conflicted about this book. The topic, post WW II witch hunting for communists in the movie industry, is something I am interested in. The characters are interesting and believable. The plot, though, is sometimes confusing. There are also numerous sub-plots, some of which, unfortunately, contribute to the plot confusion. Kanon's Writing style does not always help clarify things, either. He introduces characters, some of whom disappear never to be seen again while others become an integral part of the story. Towards the end of the book, I sometimes had to go back to figure out "who was who in the zoo". The fact that many of the characters were emigre Germans didn't help. In the conclusion, we do find out what really happened. The story was inherently interesting because of its focus on Hollywood, the post-war political climate, and the travails of German Jews before and during the war.

Not the best work Silva has done but a compelling story, nevertheless. Gabriel Allon, the masterpiece restorer and Israeli spy, attempts to track down the murderer of one of his best friends, Benjamin Stern. In the process he uncovers documents that implicate members of the Vatican in the WW II Holocaust. He also uncovers a contemporary plot to take over the Catholic Church by people dedicated to restoring it to its medieval glory. He is confronted by an old foe, Eric Lange, an assassin for hire. This is all very exciting and well written. The plotting is complicated and very interesting. The characters, as in all of Silva's books, may be too good or too bad to be true but they are always interesting and well drawn. This book introduces us to Chiara, who, no surprise, becomes Gabriel's lover. As in many spy thrillers, bringing everything to a satisfactory climax is difficult. Silva does as good a job of it as anyone, particularly here where there are a lot of threads to tie up. I look forward to reading another Gabriel Allon adventure.

A truly memorable book. Doris Kearns Goodwin is a fine writer who manages to transform seemingly insignificant snippets of data into compelling reading. This volume covers the period from May, 1939 to April, 1945 and focuses on what was going on in the U.S. through the actions and writings of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and others close to them. It truly deserves its Pulitzer Prize and the four or more other awards and accolades it garnered. I consider myself reasonably knowledgeable about the period the book covers but I discovered a ton of new information. Goodwin, also, not only relates the facts, she is not afraid to state what she sees as the implications of what has happened. A prime example is the beginning of the integration of Negroes into the work force at all skill levels. There are many others. Her deft handling of the complicated relationship that Eleanor and FDR had allows the reader to see its many layers without being hit over the head with "juicy" tidbits. Goodwin never loses focus, throughout, while still managing to keep the reader chronologically oriented to events outside the President and his wife's immediate concerns. I was appreciative of how well Goodwin tied up loose ends in the last chapter, "A New Country Is Being Born" and the short "Afterword". It really gives the reader a sense of closure while hinting at what will follow after FDR's death. This book comes as close as possible to the ideal of a factual history being as interesting to read as a novel.

A superb rendering of an aspect of Abraham Lincoln that I had not spent much time considering before. Kearns-Goodwin is not only unabashedly admiring of Lincoln's political intelligence but also of his magnanimity. I've often thought of how things might have been different for the U.S. if Lincoln had lived. Was Lincoln perfect? Of course not. He had bouts of depression. He made bad decisions, some of which are covered here. He was a politician after all and highly competitive. He was perhaps too loyal and too aware of the political consequences of his actions, nevertheless, it is hard to read this book without finding new things to admire in Lincoln's character and actions. It is hard to not dislike McLellan and Chase as one learns of their arrogant and duplicitous behavior. Kearns-Goodwin does a wonderful job of balancing their antics with descriptions of the deep and heartfelt friendship that Lincoln developed with former Presidential nomination rivals Seward and Bates. I am impressed with Kearns-Goodwin's writing style and research plus her ability to incorporate previously unrevealed information in her writing. Whether you admire Lincoln or despise him, this would be a valuable addition to your understanding of the man.