A Review of The Inner Circle by Brad Meltzer

The Inner Circle

by Brad Meltzer

January 11, 2011

Mr. Meltzer gives us an exciting story with many puzzles, twists, and surprises. Too bad that some of the surprises aren’t that realistic. A few of the puzzles could be more puzzling, they seem like a middle school student would figure out what was going on. Some of the characters are real, but many of them don’t act logically, they are apparently there just to add to the twists. You never feel like you really know most of the characters in this book. You think they will do something, but they do the opposite.

I really like some of the story, and some of the characters, but I felt that I had to “suspend disbelief” too much of the time. It got in the way of the enjoyment of the good parts of the story. Therefore I give this book 2 stars out of 5.

I borrowed this book from my local library.

Book Description

Release date: January 11, 2011

“There are stories no one knows. Hidden stories. I love those stories. And since I work in the National Archives, I find those stories for a living.”

Beecher White, a young archivist, spends his days working with the most important documents of the U.S. government. He has always been the keeper of other people’s stories, never a part of the story himself…Until now.

When Clementine Kaye, Beecher’s first childhood crush, shows up at the National Archives asking for his help tracking down her long-lost father, Beecher tries to impress her by showing her the secret vault where the President of the United States privately reviews classified documents. After they accidentally happen upon a priceless artifact – a 200 hundred-year-old dictionary that once belonged to George Washington, hidden underneath a desk chair, Beecher and Clementine find themselves suddenly entangled in a web of deception, conspiracy, and murder.

Soon a man is dead, and Beecher is on the run as he races to learn the truth behind this mysterious national treasure. His search will lead him to discover a coded and ingenious puzzle that conceals a disturbing secret from the founding of our nation. It is a secret, Beecher soon discovers, that some believe is worth killing for.

Gripping, fast-paced, and filled with the fascinating historical detail for which he is famous, The Inner Circle is a thrilling novel that once again proves Brad Meltzer as a brilliant author writing at the height of his craft.

Product Details

Hardcover: 464 pages

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; First Edition edition (January 11, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0446577898

ISBN-13: 978-0446577892

Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 1.5 x 9.2 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds

About the Author

Brad Meltzer is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Inner Circle and The Book of Fate, as well as the bestsellers The Tenth Justice, Dead Even, The First Counsel, The Millionaires, The Zero Game, and The Book of Lies. He is also the author of the nonfiction bestsellers, Heroes For My Son and Heroes For My Daughter, collecting heroes from Jim Henson, to Rosa Parks, to Mr. Rogers. Brad is also the host of the History Channel TV show, Brad Meltzer’s Decoded — one of the co-creators of the TV show, “Jack & Bobby” — and is the #1 selling author of the critically acclaimed comic books, Identity Crisis and Justice League of America, for which he won the prestigious Eisner Award. His newest book, The Fifth Assassin, will be published in January 2013.

Raised in Brooklyn and Miami, Brad is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Columbia Law School. You can find him regularly on facebook.com/bradmeltzer or at bradmeltzer.com.

For authenticity, The Book of Fate was researched with the help of former Presidents Clinton and Bush. He was selected by the Department of Homeland Security to brainstorm different ways that terrorists can attack the US. The Inner Circle is about a young archivist in the National Archives who finds out that George Washington’s secret spy ring still exists to this very day.

His books have spent nearly a year on the bestseller lists, and have been translated into over 25 languages, from Hebrew to Bulgarian. In The Tenth Justice, the opening lines are: “Ben Addison was sweating. Like a pig.” In the Hebrew translation, it became: “Ben Addison was sweating. Like a horse.” We’re not sure if it’s a kosher thing or what.

Brad has played himself as an extra in Woody Allen’s Celebrity and earned credit from Columbia Law School for writing his first book, which became The Tenth Justice. He also co-wrote the oath that the President of the United States gives to all AmeriCorps members. Before all of that, he got 24 rejection letters for his true first novel, which still sits on his shelf, published by Kinko’s.

Brad currently lives in Florida with his wife, who’s also an attorney.

The product descriptions and author information are from Amazon. The Inner Circle

A Review of The Third Bullet by Stephen Hunter

The Third Bullet: A Bob Lee Swagger Novel

Stephen Hunter

Simon & Schuster; January 15, 2013

I thoroughly enjoyed this thoughtful action thriller. It is one of the best books I’ve read in the last few months.

James Aptapton, a published writer, with a multibook contract, is killed by a black Camaro on a street in Baltimore. It looks like a hit and run but it was a murder for hire.

Jean Marquez, James Aptapton’s widow, visits Cascade, Idaho to talk to Bob Lee Swagger. To get him to listen to what  happened to her husband. To get him interested enough to look into the murder. Jean tells Swagger that her husband had come back from Dallas after checking on a story about an overcoat that was found in the DalTex building, which is the building across Houston Street from the Texas School Book Depository. DalTex had figured into a few Kennedy assassination theories. Aptapton needed to write a new book to fulfill his contract and thought that this might lead somewhere. As Jean was about to leave, Swagger hears something that gets him instantly involved.

So begins an exciting new look at the Kennedy assassination. Mr. Hunter weaves an intricate story that involves some of Swagger’s old buddies and an old, thought to be dead, adversary. Swagger is on a mission and won’t be denied.

This is a thought-provoking novel and a very exciting adventure. A thriller and a theory. Well worth reading. I give this book 5 stars.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

Book Description

Release Date: January 15, 2013 | Series: Bob Lee Swagger

Bob Lee Swagger is back in a thriller fifty years in the making . . .

It’s not even a clue. It’s a whisper, a trace, a ghost echo, drifting down through the decades via chance connections so fragile that they would disintegrate in the puff of a breath. But it’s enough to get legendary former Marine sniper Bob Lee Swagger interested in the events of November 22, 1963, and the third bullet that so decisively ended the life of John F. Kennedy and set the stage for one of the most enduring controversies of our time.

Swagger begins his slow night stalk through a much-traveled landscape. But he’s asking questions that few have asked before: Why did the third bullet explode? Why did Lee Harvey Oswald, about to become the most hunted man on earth, risk it all by returning to his rooming house to secure a pistol he easily could have brought with him? How could a conspiracy that went unpenetrated for fifty years have been thrown together in the two and a half days between the announcement of the president’s route and the assassination itself?

As Bob investigates, another voice enters the narrative: knowing, ironic, almost familiar, that of a gifted, Yale-educated veteran of the CIA Plans Division. Hugh Meachum has secrets and the means and the will to keep them buried. When weighed against his own legacy, Swagger’s life is an insignificant expense—but to blunt the threat, he’ll first have to ambush the sniper.

As each man hunts the other across today’s globe and through the thickets of history, The Third Bullet builds to an explosive climax that will finally prove what Bob Lee Swagger has always known: it’s never too late for justice.

Product Details

Hardcover: 496 pages

Publisher: Simon & Schuster; First Edition edition (January 15, 2013)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 145164020X

ISBN-13: 978-1451640205

Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds

About the Author

Stephen Hunter has written eighteen novels, including I, Sniper and Point of Impact. In 2003 he won the Pulitzer Price for Distinguished Criticism for his work at  The Washington Post, where he retired as chief film critic. He has also published two collections of film criticism and a nonfiction work about the attempted assassination of Harry Truman, American Gunfight.

Product descriptions are quoted from Amazon The Third Bullet: A Bob Lee Swagger Novel

A Review of The Guitar & Amp Sourcebook by Mike Abbot

The Guitar & Amp Sourcebook

by Mike Abbot

This is a great book about guitars and amps. It is a chronological listing from the middle ages to the present. Each chapter covers a stretch of time. The first chapter is the “Ancestry of the Guitar “. Chapter two covers the “Early 20th Century “. Then by chapter four, “The 1940’s”, each chapter covers a decade.

There are short descriptive paragraphs covering, what seems like, nearly every make and model of guitar and amp ever made, along with pictures of many of them. There are also “Battle of the Axes”. Which are comparisons of the characteristics and the pros and cons of two guitars, such as the “Battle” between the Fender Strat and the Gibson Les Paul on page 162-3. There are many artist’s pictures and short articles describing the contribution they made to a guitar design. There are also many ads and catalog excerpts, showing a historical perspective.

This would be a worthwhile addition to any guitar players library. I give this book 4 1/2 stars, because I would have liked to see a few more pictures.

I received this book for free from NetGalley, but I like it so much that I plan on purchasing a couple of copies for gifts.

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2012

Did you know that John Lennon played an Epiphone Casino? Or that the guitarists of Sonic Youth and Wilco favored Fender Jazzmasters? Or that Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters so loved the Trini Lopez that Gibson created a signature model of it for him?

They’re the biggest and baddest axes in the world—and they’re all here! The Guitar & Amp Sourcebook is an illustrated history contains the most important guitars and amps—the ones that have rocked our world and changed history. You’ll get the skinny on the most popular models, the vintage pieces, and the rare beauties, as well as brand comparisons like Gibson vs Fender, recommendations for the best beginner equipment, and a listing of the guitars used by popular musicians.

Sprinkled with quotes from musicians on their personal favorites and advice from a pro about the best pieces, this is the book no guitar lover should be without.

Product Details

Paperback: 472 pages

Publisher: Thunder Bay Press (November 1, 2012)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1607105659

ISBN-13: 978-1607105657

Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.3 x 1.3 inches

Shipping Weight: 4 pounds

About the Author

Author Mike Abbott is a pro guitarist who has been performing, recording, and touring with bands for over 15 years. He has performed with the Rolling Stones Horns, Sammy Davis, Jr., Burt Bacharach, and Paul Schaffer from the David Letterman Show. He is also the editor and owner of a music website.

Product descriptions and author information was quoted from Amazon The Guitar & Amp Sourcebook

A Review of Ship It Holla Ballas! by Jonathan Grotenstein & Storms Reback

Ship It Holla Ballas!:

How a Bunch of 19-Year-Old College Dropouts Used the Internet to Become Poker’s Loudest, Craziest, and Richest Crew

by Jonathan Grotenstein, Storms Reback

This the true story of a few teenagers who are used to playing video games on their computers. These guys are able to convert that experience, along with their knowledge of how to get the most out of the internet into a ton of cash. This is a story of what they did, not a “How to Win at Online Poker” book. The book is about their lives as they found out that they could win a lot of money playing Texas Hold’em on the various online poker web sites. They got together in online forums and discovered that other guys were doing the same. They discussed winning and losing strategies in these forums. They made even more money.

This is their story of over the top wins and jaw dropping losses. Most of these guys were barely out of high school and were pulling in thousands of dollars a week, so they were going nuts with their instant riches. They were living like rock stars.

This is also the story of how they moved from a loose knit group of online gamblers to the real world of poker. How they played in the big poker tournaments that were being broadcast on cable in 2004 – 8. How some of them hit bottom and how some of them are still winning today.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I can relate to these guys, even though I never played online poker. I have played Texas hold’em with friends, but I don’t consider myself a gambler. I do use a computer, have played some computer games, and have been on a few forums and discussion boards, so all of the concepts in this book feel quite real and possible.

I give this book a big double thumbs up and 5 stars out of 5. This is more of a guy’s book, there is a lot of drinking, going to strip clubs, and way over the top party descriptions, that may be offensive to many people. It is now illegal to play online poker for real money in the United States, but many countries still allow it.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

Book Description

Release Date: January 15, 2013

Who were the Ship It Holla Ballas?

Arguably the most successful poker crew of all time, they took advantage of the online poker boom to win tens of millions of dollars before most of them were old enough to set foot inside a casino. Then they did what any red-blooded teenagers with mountains of cash and no responsibilities would do: They partied like rock stars, transforming themselves from Internet nerds with zero life skills into legends, at least in their own minds.

In Ship It Holla Ballas!, Jonathan Grotenstein and Storms Reback trace the rise and fall of Internet poker through the eyes of its most unlikely stars: A group of teenage college dropouts, united by social media, who bluffed their way to the top of the game.

Product Details

Hardcover: 320 pages

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (January 15, 2013)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1250006651

ISBN-13: 978-1250006653

Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches

Shipping Weight: 1 pounds

About the Authors

Jonathan Grotenstein is a reasonably successful author and ghost-writer (read: working), less-than-successful screenwriter, and recovering professional poker player.

After spending much of the ’90s on an Internet thrill ride, Grotenstein realized he could make a far more honest living at the poker table, where there’s no need to suspect that everyone is lying to make a buck. (They are.) He succeeded more than he failed, but quickly discovered that he could achieve significantly more consistent results as a poker-playing writer than a writing poker player.

In 2004, he and Phil Gordon co-authored “Poker: The Real Deal,” which became, thanks to a lack of any serious competition at the time, one of the best-selling poker books in history. Grotenstein collaborated with Gordon on two sequels, ghost-wrote “Online Ace” for poker pro Scott Fischman, then teamed up with Storms Reback to write “All In: The (Almost) Entirely True History of the World Series of Poker.” He contributed (and, in some cases, donated) dozens of articles to the poker magazine “All In” and primers on poker and blackjack for the Lonely Planet’s guide to Las Vegas.

He has also authored several feature-film screenplays, a couple of which have actually generated significant interest. (Translation: numerous time-consuming meetings, note sessions and extensive rewrites, adding up to approximately $700 in material compensation.) He played the not-at-all-pivotal role of “Poker Dealer,” opposite the late, great Patrick Swayze, in an episode of A&E’s “The Beast.”

Grotenstein resides in Pasadena with his wife and two sons, where, when he’s not toiling away at his crappy novel, he continues to ghost-write for TV stars, NFL veterans, celebrity dog trainers, and the occasional fictional character. His current project, “Ship It Holla Balla!” — the true story of a group of teenagers who made ridiculous money and even more ridiculous life-decisions during the late ’00s online poker boom — will be published by St. Martin’s Press in 2012.

Storms Reback is the author of two books, “All In: The (Almost) Entirely True History of the World Series of Poker” and “Farha on Omaha: Expert Strategy for Beating Cash Games and Tournaments.”

His current project, “Ship It Holla Ballas!” — the true story of a group of online poker players who, during the late ’00s Poker Boom, made ridiculous money (and even more ridiculous life decisions) before they were even old enough to drink — will be published by St. Martin’s Press in 2013.

The product descriptions and author information is from Amazon. Ship It Holla Ballas!

Review of Utopia, Texas by Michael Glasscock III

Utopia, Texas

by Michael Glasscock III

Utopia, Texas is an action thriller, but it is also something more. It is a story of Monty Kilpatrick, a father who lost his son, a husband whose marriage hasn’t been the same since his son died, a former vet who couldn’t take the way some pet owners treated their pets better than their kids, and a game warden who used his job to hide from all the parts of his life that he couldn’t face.

This is a story of one man’s discovery of the holes in his life and how he can find a way to fill them.

You will read this as an exciting adventure, and then at the end think that it may have had another dimension to it.

Mr. Glasscock has written an exciting story that keeps you interested, but throws in some ideas to keep you thinking after you are done reading.

I give this 4 stars out of 5. Sometimes the writing seems a bit stilted, the dialog a little forced. Maybe the ideas that Mr Glasscock is trying to send to the reader are getting in the way of the flow of the story. But all in all a good story, and worth reading.

I received this book for free from Net Galley.

Book Description

Publication Date: January 8, 2013

What happens when men of principle become men of violence?

In the quiet town of Utopia, Texas, life is simple. Monty Kilpatrick does his duty as a local game warden, catching poachers, smoking too many cigarettes, and trying to keep his marriage afloat. Most days he thinks about the loss of his young son and how to not be tempted to stray from his vows by one of the local girls.

But just across the border in Mexico, drug cartel kingpin Juan Diaz is running his empire with an iron fist. Utopia is part of the cartel’s main trafficking routes, and when Monty arrests Diaz’s brother during what he thought was a routine traffic stop, the men’s paths cross. In a moment, the formerly peaceful Utopia becomes a war zone.

Set in cartel haciendas and the rugged Texas landscape and featuring plenty of guns, explosions, and helicopters, Utopia, Texas pits Monty and Juan against each other, both bound by the opposing set of laws they’ve chosen to follow. In order to save his town, his wife, and his pride, Monty must be ready to lose everything he holds true.

Product Details

Hardcover: 200 pages

Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press; 1 edition (January 8, 2013)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1608324168

ISBN-13: 978-1608324163

Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.9 x 9.1 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds

About the Author

For the first eight years of his life Michael E. Glasscock III lived on his grandfather’s cattle ranch, about five miles south of the small community of Utopia, Texas. Michael decided to study medicine, and he graduated from the University of Tennessee Medical School at age twenty-four. Nashville, Tennessee, was the site of Dr. Glasscock’s otology/neurotology practice, where he was associated with Vanderbilt University as a clinical professor, and where he continues to be part of the faculty as an adjunct professor. Dr. Glasscock retired from full-time clinical practice in 1997 and moved back to Texas where he continues to work as a consultant for three major medical device companies. He now lives in Austin, Texas, and performs surgery at the Glasscock Hearing Implant Center in Houston.

Review of The Dark Hour by Robin Burcell

The Dark Hour

by Robin Burcell

Published November 27th 2012 by Harper

This is the third book featuring FBI Special Agent Sydney Fitzpatrick. There is plenty of fast paced action, some unexpected plot twists, with just a little touch of romantic thoughts thrown in for spice. The story stands well on its own, but you would understand some of the ideas a little better if you had read the first two books first. If you have a kindle,  all three books are under $5.00 each at Amazon, so you might want to read them in order.

I enjoyed the story. Sometimes it seemed a little too easy for the “Good Guys” to escape the predicaments that they got into. But they certainly got into plenty of them, so they had to get out of them quickly, so that the action didn’t suffer. There were multiple groups of agents doing different things at the same time, and the story would switch between the various groups, so there was never a dull moment.

Ms. Burcell knows how to hold your interest and spin a fast paced story. I give this 4 stars. Sometimes it was just too easy to escape from trouble.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

Book Description

Release Date: November 27, 2012

A high-profile killing has brought FBI Special Agent and forensic artist Sydney Fitzpatrick to Amsterdam—even as the assassination of a prominent U.S. senator rocks the political world. Two seemingly unrelated murders are leading Sydney to the threshold of a shocking conspiracy to spread a plague of death across the globe, especially when her sketch of a killer—and possible conspirator—reveals the face of a female CIA agent believed to be dead.

The murder of a witness and the disappearance of the missing agent’s husband, covert government operative Zachary Griffin, has Sydney racing against the clock to prevent a biological nightmare of astronomical proportions. For the dark hour is rapidly approaching when all secrets will be revealed . . . and the lives of countless millions will hang in the balance.

Product Details

Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages

Publisher: Harper (November 27, 2012)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0062133470

ISBN-13: 978-0062133472

Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 4.6 x 1 inches

Shipping Weight: 4 ounces

About the Author

Robin Burcell spent nearly three decades working in law enforcement before retiring to write fiction full time. She has testified as an expert in the fields of forensic art, fingerprints, and child abuse. An FBI academy-trained forensic artist, her drawings have been used to solve a number of crimes, including homicides, bank robberies, and hate crimes, and she was called upon by various law enforcement entities, including the FBI, for this skill. She has worked with live witnesses, and the dead, sometimes having to set up shop in a morgue to draw the corpses for identification purposes after they have been found in a state beyond recognition (hence the term forensic artist).

Her past undercover assignments have been as a hooker, a housewife, and a high school student (and although this was years ago, she still retains her youthful looks).

She worked patrol and was a hostage negotiator for a number of years. She has also served as a detective investigating sexual assault, child abuse, crimes against persons, and crimes against property (burglaries, thefts, embezzlements).

She is the two-time Anthony Award-winning author of four previous novels featuring SFPD Homicide Inspector Kate Gillespie: Every Move She Makes, Fatal Truth, Deadly Legacy and Cold Case. Cold Case, the fourth installment in the Kate Gillespie SFPD series, is a combination mystery and police-procedural story about the first female homicide inspector for the San Francisco police department.

She is continuing a new series about an FBI forensic artist. The first book, The Face of a Killer, was published in 2008, followed by The Bone Chamber in 2009. The Dark Hour came out in 2012. The Black List will be published in January 2013. You can visit her website at: http://www.robinburcell.com

Review of Ratlines by Stuart Neville

Ratlines

Stuart Neville

January 1, 2013

 

Albert Ryan is a member of the Irish Intelligence Service, the G2. The Director, Ciaran Fitzpatrick, and Lieutenant Ryan have a morning meeting with Charles J. Haughey, the Minister of Justice. Three men have been murdered. All of these men were former Nazis that were given asylum in Ireland. Haughey wants to have these killing investigated quietly. President John F. Kennedy is going to be visiting Ireland in a few weeks and if the media gets wind of the case, he may decide that the visit should be postponed.

Mr Neville does a very good job of portraying Ireland in the early 60s. It all feels very real. Ryan is a complicated character. He joined the British Army during World War 2, known in Ireland as the Emergency. The IRA supporters berate him for that. He is a Protestant in a Catholic country. He lives in a dormitory. He is not a well liked person. The other characters in the book are also well-developed.

There are enough twists and detours in the plot to keep you interested. You are never quite sure what is going to happen next.

This is an easy book to read and a hard book to put down. It has a more 60s feel, instead of being a fast paced thriller of today. You will want to find out what is going to happen next, but it can’t be hurried. There are no shortcuts to finding the answers, no cell phones, DNA, fingerprint banks, or computers.

I liked this book and give it 5 stars.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

 

Book Description

Release Date: January 1, 2013

Ireland 1963. As the Irish people prepare to welcome President John F. Kennedy to the land of his ancestors, a German national is murdered in a seaside guesthouse. Lieutenant Albert Ryan, Directorate of Intelligence, is ordered to investigate. The German is the third foreigner to die within a few days, and Minister for Justice Charles Haughey wants the killing to end lest a shameful secret be exposed: the dead men were all Nazis granted asylum by the Irish government in the years following World War II.

A note from the killers is found on the dead German’s corpse, addressed to Colonel Otto Skorzeny, Hitler’s favorite commando, once called the most dangerous man in Europe. The note simply says: “We are coming for you.”

As Albert Ryan digs deeper into the case he discovers a network of former Nazis and collaborators, all presided over by Skorzeny from his country estate outside Dublin. When Ryan closes in on the killers, his loyalty is torn between country and conscience. Why must he protect the very people he fought against twenty years before? Ryan learns that Skorzeny might be a dangerous ally, but he is a deadly enemy.

Product Details

Hardcover: 354 pages

Publisher: Soho Crime (January 1, 2013)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1616952040

ISBN-13: 978-1616952044

Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 1.3 x 9.3 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds

About the Author

Stuart Neville has been a musician, a composer, a teacher, a salesman, a film extra, a baker and a hand double for a well-known Irish comedian. His first novel, The Ghosts of Belfast, was one of the most critically acclaimed crime debuts of recent years, and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.

Review of Two Graves by Preston and Child

Two Graves 

(Special Agent Pendergast Series #12)

by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

If you have enjoyed reading the previous novels in the Pendergast series, then you will like this one. Two Graves is the third in the Helen sub-series, and you should have already read the first two, Fever Dream and Cold Vengeance, before reading this. There are enough plot twists, sub-plots, and inter-twined characters to keep a Pendergast fan entertained or maybe confused at times. It may just be me, but I had a hard time keeping everything straight. I figured it all out in the end, but sometimes these Pendergast novels nearly make my brain ache.

I give this book 3 1/2 stars out of 5. The story was good, but I may just be a little over Pendergast.

I received this e-book for free from NetGalley.

Book Description

Release Date: December 11, 2012

For twelve years, he believed she died in an accident. Then, he was told she’d been murdered. Now, FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast discovers that his beloved wife Helen is alive. But their reunion is cut short when Helen is brazenly abducted before his eyes. And Pendergast is forced to embark on a furious cross-country chase to rescue her.

But all this turns out to be mere prologue to a far larger plot: one that unleashes a chillingly-almost supernaturally-adept serial killer on New York City. And Helen has one more surprise in store for Pendergast: a piece of their shared past that makes him the one man most suited to hunting down the killer.

His pursuit of the murderer will take Pendergast deep into the trackless forests of South America, to a hidden place where the evil that has blighted both his and Helen’s lives lies in wait . . . a place where he will learn all too well the truth of the ancient proverb:

Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.

Product Details

Hardcover: 480 pages

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; First Edition edition (December 11, 2012)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0446554995

ISBN-13: 978-0446554992

Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.7 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds

 

About the Authors

The thrillers of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child “stand head and shoulders above their rivals” (Publisher’s Weekly). Coauthors of the famed Pendergast series, their books Relic and The Cabinet of Curiosities were chosen by readers in a National Public Radio poll as being among the 100 greatest thrillers ever written, and Relic was made into a number one box office hit movie. They are also the authors of Fever Dream, Cold Vengeance and Gideon’s Sword. Preston’s acclaimed nonfiction book, The Monster of Florence, is being made into a movie starring George Clooney. Lincoln Child is a former book editor who has published four novels of his own, including the huge bestseller Deep Storm. The authors welcome e-mail from their readers; you can visit their website at www.prestonchild.com.

Biography

Douglas Preston was born in 1956 in Cambridge, MA, was raised in nearby Wellesley (where, by his own admission, he and his brothers were the scourge of the neighborhood!), and graduated from Pomona College in California with a degree in English literature.

Preston’s first job was as a writer for the American Museum of Natural History in New York — an eight year stint that led to the publication of his first book, Dinosaurs in the Attic and introduced him to his future writing partner, Lincoln Child, then working as an editor at St. Martin’s Press. The two men bonded, as they worked closely together on the book. As the project neared completion, Preston treated Child to a private midnight tour of the museum, an excursion that proved fateful. As Preston tells it, “…in the darkened Hall of Late Dinosaurs, under a looming T. Rex, Child turned to [me] and said: ‘This would make the perfect setting for a thriller!'” Their first collaborative effort, Relic, would not be published until 1995, by which time Preston had picked up stakes and moved to Santa Fe to pursue a full-time writing career.

In addition to writing novels (The Codex, Tyrannosaur Canyon) and nonfiction books on the American Southwest (Cities of Gold, Ribbons of Time), Preston has collaborated with Lincoln Child on several post-Relic thrillers. While not strictly a series, the books share characters and events, and the stories all take place in the same universe. The authors refer to this phenomenon as “The Preston-Child Pangea.”

Preston divides his time between New Mexico and Maine, while Child lives in New Jersey — a situation that necessitates a lot of long-distance communication. But their partnership (facilitated by phone, fax, and email) is remarkably productive and thoroughly egalitarian: They shape their plots through a series of discussions; Child sends an outline of a set of chapters; Preston writes the first draft of those chapters, which is subsequently rewritten by Child; and in this way the novel is edited back and forth until both authors are happy. They attribute the relatively seamless surface of their books to the fact that “[a]ll four hands have found their way into practically every sentence, at one time or another.”

In between, Preston remains busy. He is a regular contributor to magazines like National Geographic, The New Yorker, Natural History, Smithsonian, Harper’s, and Travel & Leisure, and he continues with varied solo literary projects. Which is not to say his partnership with Lincoln Child is over. Fans of the bestselling Preston-Child thrillers can be assured there are bigger and better adventures to come.

A Review of The Intercept by Dick Wolf

The Intercept

A Jeremy Fisk Novel

By Dick Wolf

On Sale: 12/26/2012

Format: Hardcover

September 2009, Jeremy Fisk is a New York City Detective. He is a member of the Counter-Terrorism Bureau. Their main job is to prevent any terrorist attacks in the city. There are many Federal agencies who also are dealing with terrorism, but no one else who focuses on New York City. In this, the first book of an expected series, there is a suspected plot and one known member of the group. The FBI has a line on Bassam Shah, an Afghan, who is bringing something into The City. They want to keep an eye on him, so that he will lead them to the rest of the group. Fisk isn’t happy with that plan, but has to go along with the Joint Terrorism Task Force. That is, until Shah ditches his phone, rented car, and laptop and drops off the grid. He is somewhere in New York City, but no one knows where. Fisk brings in some undercover operatives who are unknown to either the JTTF or the terrorists. They are able to take control of the situation and prevent anything from happening. This action shows that Fisk and the NYC police are able to handle the job that was given to them.

July 1, 2011, an attempted hijacking is prevented by passengers on a plane headed to Newark from Sweden. A potential terrorist is able to depart from the plane after it lands to deal with the terrorist. Fisk and his group have to find him and stop whatever is being planed for the probable target, the dedication of One World Trade Center at Ground Zero, There are many unexpected plots twists and surprises.

Mr. Wolf presents a fast paced, action filled police novel. He tells the story mainly from the point of view of Jeremy Fisk, but some of the story is told by other characters in the book. This is a very natural way to have the story unfold. It is nearly like you are watching an action adventure film, and the director is cutting the scenes from one point of view to another. Also like an action adventure film, more time is spent describing what is going on than on character development. You are able to get to know Fisk, but most of the police force are rather flat. There is more time spent inside the heads of the terrorists than the members of the Counter-Terrorism Bureau. I’m sure that these characters will be fleshed out in future volumes of this series.

This was a very exciting action, adventure police investigative novel. I give it 5 stars and recommend it to fans of quick paced action novels.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

Book Description

Dick Wolf makes his literary debut with this tense, driving thriller, reminiscent of the classic The Day of the Jackal, an extraordinary tale filled with the ingenious twists and high-wire suspense we have come to expect from this master storyteller

Days before the July Fourth holiday and the dedication of One World Trade Center at Ground Zero, an incident aboard a commercial jet flying over the Atlantic Ocean reminds everyone that vigilance is not a task to be taken lightly. But for iconoclastic NYPD detective Jeremy Fisk, it may also be a signal that there is much more to this case than the easy answer of this being just the work of another lone terrorist.

Fisk—assigned to the department’s Intelligence Division, a well-funded antiterror unit modeled on the CIA—suspects that the event might also be a warning sign that another, potentially more extraordinary scheme has been set in motion. Fluent in Arabic and the ways of his opponents, Fisk is a rule breaker who follows his gut—even if it means defying those above him in the department’s food chain. So when a passenger from the same plane, a Saudi Arabian national, disappears into the crowds of Manhattan, it’s up to Fisk and his partner Krina Gersten to find him before the celebrations begin.

Watching each new lead fizzle, chasing shadows to dead ends, Fisk and Gersten quickly realize that their opponents are smarter and more agile than any they have ever faced. Extremely clever and seemingly invisible, they are able to exploit any security weak-ness and anticipate Fisk’s every move . . . and time is running out.

Product Details

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 400

Imprint: William Morrow

On Sale: 12/26/2012

ISBN: 9780062064837

ISBN10: 0062064835

Trimsize: 6 x 9

$27.99

Ages: 18 and Up

About the Author

Dick Wolf, a two-time Emmy award-winning writer, producer, and creator, is the architect of one of the longest-running scripted shows and most successful brands in the history of television—NBC’s Law & Order. Wolf has won numerous awards, including Emmys for Outstanding Drama Series (Law & Order) and Outstanding Made-for-Television Movie (Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee); a Grammy; and an Edgar. This is his literary debut and the first in a series featuring NYPD detective Jeremy Fisk. He lives in Southern California.

A Review of Erebos by Ursula Poznanski

Erebos

Ursula Poznanski

Annick Press

Pub Date   Feb 1 2012

Nick Dunmore is on his school basketball team. His friend Colin Harris is also a member of the team. Recently Colin has been missing practice. In fact a lot of the team is absent. Coach Bethune is very angry. Nick wonders why Colin is skipping practice. He tries to get Colin to tell him what is going on. Colin says that he can’t tell him. But Nick knows that it has something to do with the dorky guys that Colin is hanging around with. Guys that he and Colin used to make fun of. So when Nick sees Colin passing something to a schoolmate, Jerome, he confronts Jerome and asks him what he received from Colin. Jerome refuses to tell him anything. Nick is sure that something is going on, so when Brynne offers him a game DVD, he takes it. He promises that he will follow the rules. The game makes the rules and all players MUST follow them or they will be out. Nick quickly gets deeply into the game. The game, Erebos, knows him. It can communicate with him. It gives him tasks to do, first in the game, then in the real world. It wants to control all the players.

Ms. Poznanski has written a very riveting novel. Its aimed towards the Young Adult crowd, but I was caught up into it just the same. The story is well written and believable. The story is structured well and the ending feels right. I haven’t played many computer adventure games, but this one sounds like one that would grab my interest.

I give this 5 stars.

I received a free e-book of Erebos from NetGalley.

Description

An intelligent computer game with a disturbing agenda.

When 16-year-old Nick receives a package containing the mysterious computer game Erebos, he wonders if it will explain the behavior of his classmates, who have been secretive lately. Players of the game must obey strict rules: always play alone, never talk about the game, and never tell anyone your nickname.

Curious, Nick joins the game and quickly becomes addicted. But Erebos knows a lot about the players and begins to manipulate their lives. When it sends Nick on a deadly assignment, he refuses and is banished from the game.

Now unable to play, Nick turns to a friend for help in finding out who controls the game. The two set off on a dangerous mission in which the border between reality and the virtual world begins to blur. This utterly convincing and suspenseful thriller originated in Germany, where it has become a runaway bestseller.

Product Details

Reading level: Ages 12 and up

Paperback: 436 pages

Publisher: Annick Press; Canadian and US rights only edition (January 19, 2012)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1554513723

ISBN-13: 978-1554513727

Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds

About the Author

Ursula Poznanski was born in Vienna, Austria, where she still lives today with her partner and daughter. The older of two sisters, she enjoyed reading, music, cycling, and skiing when she was a child. Her favorite books were The Flying Classroom by Erich Kaestner, Mio, My Son by Astrid Lindgren, and Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

Ursula started writing when she was no more than seven or eight years old. She was fortunate in that she had teachers who encouraged her a great deal, and loving relatives who would read her essays to everybody who hadn’t managed to escape in time. She found it quite embarrassing, but it did not deter her from writing.

The idea for Erebos (Spring 2012) came from her penchant for stories that include a change of worlds. These usually come in the form of fantasies, but she wanted to tell a story where this actually happens. She loved the idea of a computer game dragging the player so deeply into a virtual world that it would affect his view of reality. She also wanted to write about manipulation and how it works.

What Ursula enjoys most about the creative process are those moments when it seems as if the book is writing itself. It doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, it is pure joy.

Her advice for aspiring authors is to read a lot and write a lot. Don’t believe that success is going to come fast or easy, but carry on nevertheless. Love your story; don’t run after trends. Look for a good writing partner who tells you the truth about what he or she thinks of your work. Appreciate profound criticism.

Ursula’s interests, besides writing, include photography, music (although she doesn’t play an instrument, she has not given up hope that she may still do so one day), talking to interesting people, and traveling.