Quick Book Reviews Blog

“15th Affair” by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro – The Husband's Baggage

noreply@blogger.com (David ben Efraim) — Sun, 28 Jan 2024 11:56:00 +0000

Short Summary

James Patterson and Maxine Paetro have developed a partnership rarely seen in the literary world, having penned over two dozen books together in their Women's Murder Club Thriller series, and still going strong. In the fifteenth entry, titled 15th Affair, we follow Lindsay Boxer as she searches for her missing husband while also trying to uncover the truth behind his ties to a mysterious blonde woman who disappeared from a brutal murder scene.

James Patterson and Maxine Paetro Sabotage Lindsay's Life

More often than not, when people marry each other, they know about as much as they can about their partners, both about their past and present. From time to time, people hide the truth about themselves well enough to pass any form of detection... but in the end, it always comes crawling back to the surface with a vengeance. That's a lesson some learn the hard way, as does Lindsay Boxer in James Patterson and Maxine Paetro's 15th Affair.

While this might indeed be the fifteenth novel in A Women's Murder Club Thriller series, the truth is that they're established in an episodic format and can be consumed in any order you so choose. Though I do recommend you have a look at the previous novels as well for what they have to offer, it's certainly not necessary for enjoying or understanding this one.

This time around, the story begins with a series of four brutal murders at a luxury hotel in downtown San Francisco. One of those victims happens to be a well-known married man named Michael Chan, as well as two younger people who were apparently spying on him. There were also reports of a gorgeous blonde woman on the scene, but she managed to vanish before the police arrived.

Naturally, Lindsay Boxer is the one who gets pulled into this whole mess, and before she has the chance to make any sense of the situation, her husband Joe mysteriously disappears. What's worse, the hotel's security camera reveals Joe entering the premises just before the murders took place, making Lindsay question just how well she really knows her husband, the work he does for the government, and his past history.

On top of everything, a passenger plane with four hundred people explodes right before landing at the San Francisco Airport. Adding a layer of mystery to it all, on the passenger list she finds a curious name: Michael Chan. Understanding this to be much more than coincidence, Lindsay plunges herself into the sordid world of international intrigue and espionage, hoping to, above all else, find her husband and bring him home, no matter the cost.

Inside Lindsay's Head in 15th Affair

Looking at what books of the Women's Murder Club Thriller series have generally been offering up until now, there has been a healthy amount of dialogue and interaction between the various main characters making up the group, even if some have been more absent than others. This time around, however, things are a little different, as Lindsay Boxer takes much more of a centre stage than she usually does.

For starters, there is a lot less dialogue in this book than what we've grown accustomed to over the course of the series' existence. Instead, we spend a lot more time inside Lindsay's head, being privy to not only her thoughts and methods of reasoning, but also the inner turmoil she experiences in regards to her husband.

I found it quite interesting to follow the inner thoughts and reactions of someone dealing with the potential of an ultimate betrayal. Few of us, thankfully, will ever have to contend with the idea our significant other is part of an international espionage ring, but from what I can imagine, James Patterson and Maxine Paetro tackled the subject with tact and understanding in 15th Affair.

There is, of course, a flip side to the coin here, and it's the fact that we don't get to see much of the other characters. Yuki, Cindy and Claire act more like stepping stones this time around, vehicles to deliver us the critical information which will move the investigation forward; otherwise, they very much take a back seat to the book's events. As someone who enjoys their presence, I was a little disappointed not to see more of them.

Additionally, it should be noted that the decision to spend a lot of time in Lindsay's head also means the plot doesn't develop as quickly as we expect it to, at least in regards to this particular series. Events generally take a bit of time to materialize, and I do think that some of her introspective reflections could have been cut a little shorter for the sake of better pacing. Nevertheless, because Lindsay herself is an excellent character, I found the detour in terms of the authors' approach to have been worth it.

A Whirlwind of Intrigue

Just because the book moves along at a slower pace than previous novels, don't take it to mean that it moves slowly in a general sense. We're still talking about James Patterson and Maxine Paetro here, with short and sweet chapters being their bread and butter. The pace of the plot is still well within what's considered a thriller, and I think the intrigue they've cooked up in 15th Affair is definitely one of their better ones.

From the start we're already given plenty of moving parts to play around with in our heads. They pile on up until we end up with a mysterious blonde, a missing husband, a twice-dead man, and some form of international espionage intrigue which, to Lindsay, might hit much closer to home than she could have ever anticipated.

In many cases, authors paint themselves into a corner when they come up convoluted plots of this nature, but Patterson and Paetro are definitely experienced enough to make it all work together coherently. The developments are always clear and easy to follow, with enough clues strewn about to encourage readers to try and get ahead of the investigation.

I'd also like to mention that the secondary characters, especially the many suspicious people we come across over the course of the investigation, are perfectly written for this sort of book. They have just enough depth and mystery to them to ensure the reader will always have some questions. At the same time, we never spend too long learning about their backstories, ensuring the pace remains thriller-like from start to finish.

While I don't want to give away any spoilers, it would be remiss of me not to mention the fact that it ends on a cliffhanger, at least in regards to one major plot point. While, as a fan of the series, I'll surely keep on reading and see it resolved, I find it to be in bad taste, and feel like anyone going into this book ought to be warned of the fact.

The Final Verdict

15th Affair by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro is, despite the cliffhanger of an ending and somewhat different approach to storytelling, remains a fantastically-entertaining novel and a worthy addition to the Women's Murder Club Thriller series. We get a greater insight into Lindsay Boxer's mind, an interesting cast of secondary characters, and a monumental intrigue to unravel; what more could one want?

Whether you're a fan of the series and are wondering if you should keep reading further, or are in search of a novel to scratch that espionage thriller itch you've been feeling, I do recommend you give this novel a read.

James B. Patterson

Personal site

James Patterson is an American writer who has dedicated a large part of his literary career to writing murder-related thrillers, inventing in the process two memorable character-based series in Alex Cross and Michael Bennett.

His most prominent works include Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider.

Maxine Paetro

Maxine Paetro is an American author who began her published career all the way back in 1979 with How to Put Your Book Together and Get a Job in Advertising, which was revised for the fourth time in 2010.

She has remained an active author, writing numerous novels since then, including Manshare, Windfall and Woman of God. Additionally, she is known for collaborating with James Patterson on numerous entries in the Women's Murder Club series.

“The Mysterious Case of Rudolph Diesel” by Douglas Brunt – The Genius Vanishes

noreply@blogger.com (David ben Efraim) — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 11:55:00 +0000

Short Summary

Douglas Brunt veered off the path well-known to him and chose to dabble in non-fiction when he recently published The Mysterious Case of Rudolph Diesel. In it, he points his attention to the often overlooked inventor of engine by the same name, giving us a window into his complicated life, leading us all the way to its known conclusion, which leaves all too much room for speculation.

Douglas Brunt Opens a Revolutionary's Mind

Out of all the factors which move our history forward, none have been as prominent as individual geniuses if we're talking about the last century. Technological innovations kept springing up every few years to the point where many began to see the world turning into something completely unrecognizable. In his book titled The Mysterious Case of Rudolph Diesel, Douglas Brunt takes a deep dive into the life of an overlooked genius whose ultimate fate raised many questions.

Off the top of my head, if I was asked about the inventions which had the greatest impact on our development during the first half of the twentieth century, I would probably be hard-pressed to specifically name the Diesel engine. And yet, this truly was the case, and in 1913 Rudolph Diesel was on the verge of adding his own major contribution to the industrial revolution.

Born in March of 1858 in Paris, Rudolph was the second of three children to Bavarian immigrants, and while they did not live in total abject poverty, life for them was far from easy, forcing him to work with his father from a very young age. Gifted with a brilliant mind and a commendable work ethic, slowly but surely he honed his talents as best he could.

Unfortunately for him and his family, when the Franco-Prussian war came they, along with countless other Bavarians, were forced out of France. The family settled in London, but soon sent the twelve-year-old Rudolph away to live with his aunt and uncle in Germany, where he would thankfully finally find a solid foothold from which to launch himself.

After receiving a merit scholarship from the Royal Bavarian Polytechnic of Munich, he went to work, and eventually, closer to the First World War, he finally produced the designs for his famous Diesel engine, which earned him powerful enemies in the Kaiser as well as John D. Rockefeller. As Rudolph grew concerned about Germany's growing military influence, he sailed on to Great Britain in hopes of helping them revive their submarine program, when he disappeared somewhere in the English channel... and perhaps, as Douglas Brunt argues, his fate wasn't as tragic as it first appeared.

Rudolph Diesel

An Account of Industrialization in The Mysterious Case of Rudolph Diesel

I think it goes without saying that the primary mystery in this book, so-to-speak, is what fate ultimately befell the famous inventor, and why there might be reasons to doubt the official version of events. However, while the author might be dangling this carrot to get you into the novel, you ought to know it's something which is treated more towards the end.

There is a whole lot more to The Mysterious Case of Rudolph Diesel than what happened to the man in 1913, and Douglas Brunt doesn't skimp on giving us valuable insight into the man's formative years. He does his best to give us a complete and detailed image of what circumstances he was born into, what his family life was like, as well as the challenges they had to face due to their social class.

As Douglas Brunt traces Diesel's life from its beginning, he also offers a rather captivating panoramic view of late 19th and early 20th century Europe, describing in great depth a world quickly switching over from Kerosene lamps to electric lighting, from manual labour to machine automation. Though today these inventions might seem primitive and taken for granted, in this book we get a very real sense of just how impactful and revolutionary they actually were, even when compared with today's grandiose leaps.

In my opinion, Douglas Brunt's approach to examining one man's life is one I wish others would replicate, or at least study for their own betterment. He understands that a person is not only the result of their own inner world, but also of the family they're born into, the people who end up surrounding them, the community and nationality they belong to, not to mention, the country they're a citizen of.

The more we learn about Diesel, the more we learn about the world around him, and vice-versa. In the end, we have rather accurate depictions of both elements, which leads to a much greater understanding of how they impacted each other. In other words, Brunt's approach to writing this biography gave me an immense appreciation for Rudolph Diesel's inventions, and made me understand beyond the shadow of a doubt why he was such an important person.

Conspiracies and Power Struggles

Though Rudolph might have been born a relatively long time before the First World War, it still wasn't far enough not to be caught in the sprawling tendrils of its labyrinthine web of politics, betrayals and allegiances. What's more, being a citizen of multiple countries and a man of renown, Diesel attracted the attention of quite a few people.

Quite notably, we learn about how he made enemies with Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, as well as John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil and, at the time, the richest man in the entire world. While the former wanted to use Diesel's inventions to strengthen his own military, the latter was afraid of Rudolph's new engine making his own product obsolete.

In the latter parts of The Mysterious Case of Rudolph Diesel, Douglas Brunt demonstrates what it's like being stuck between the hammer and the anvil. The pressures keep mounting on Rudolph to do what he believes is right and best for mankind in spite of growing discontent and danger around him, and in my opinion, the author did a good job in exploring what his frame of mind might have been like during that time, and how it might have pushed him to make a decision to save himself.

Diving into the actual mystery of his disappearance, public knowledge states that in 1913, he was on his way to London to establish a new company, which would hopefully help to revive the country's failing submarine program. However, he never showed up, and it was assumed that his ship was sunk in the English channel.

Douglas Brunt, however, makes his case for a rather interesting possibility: the staging of his death. I relay here all of the author's arguments and their many details, but I must commend him on having obviously conducted as thorough of an investigation as he possibly could have, to the point where even if I can't be sure of it, I certainly can't argue against it. This little-yet-essential element elevates this book above the status of a regular biography; as much it's an account of a life and the world it lived in, it is also an attempt to solve a real-life mystery which never did have a proper conclusion.

The Final Verdict

The Mysterious Case of Rudolph Diesel by Douglas Brunt is a fantastic history book for anyone interested in late 18th and early 19th century Europe, as well as the life and fate of one of its most pivotal geniuses. Diving deep into known facts and possibilities, it makes for a compelling, educative, and at times, even exciting read.

If you're specifically interested in learning about Rudolph Diesel, or simply like the idea of diving into the real life of a genius inventor (with a good enigma to cap it off), then I highly recommend you check this novel out.

Douglas Brunt

Personal site

Douglas Brunt veered off the path well-known to him and chose to dabble in non-fiction when he recently published The Mysterious Case of Rudolph Diesel. In it, he points his attention to the often overlooked inventor of engine by the same name, giving us a window into his complicated life, leading us all the way to its known conclusion, which leaves all too much room for speculation.

“The Only One Left” by Riley Sager – The Ageless Chant of Evil

noreply@blogger.com (David ben Efraim) — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 14:22:00 +0000

Short Summary

Riley Sager (pen name used by Todd Ritter) has been pumping out one sensational mystery thriller after the next, and his latest one, titled The Only One Left, captured my attention with its curious premise. The story follows Kit McDeere, a home-health aide who takes a job working for a stroke-scarred seventy-year-old woman with an infamous past. One night, the woman makes Kit an offer: she promises to tell her everything about the strange and sensational murder case which happened over fifty years ago, the one she was at the very centre of as the prime suspect.

Riley Sager Digs Up Old Bones

Despite all the technological advancements the field of criminology has been able to benefit from over the course of the past century, unsolved murders still litter news headlines and morbidly capture our imagination like few other events can. They offer us a glimpse into the dark side which resides in us all, while being presented as a puzzle where you get to decide on the solution. As a matter of fact, they hold such power that they can stand the test of time for as long as we remember them, and as is the case in The Only One Left by Riley Sager, sometimes, they come floating back up to the surface.

The story begins by introducing us to a gruesome tale of murder which took place in Maine back in 1929: the Hope family murders. At the time of the tragic events, everyone believed the seventeen-year-old Lenora to have been responsible for the vile deeds, but the investigation never turned up any conclusive evidence, and eventually none were charged for the crime.

Since those days she has never publicly said a word about the killings, nor has she ever shown the desire to venture back home under any pretext. The year is now 1983, and Lenora is a wheelchair-bound seventy-year-old woman at the mercy of her own failing body. A series of strokes have rendered her mute, and she can only communicate by typing out messages on an old typewriter. She had a nurse to care for her, but for some reason, she fled in the middle of the night.

This is where home-health aide Kit McDeere enters the stage, her new replacement nurse. Not too fussy about the circumstances surrounding her employment, she tries to approach it like any other job and wants to stay away from any extracurricular detours. One night, however, Lenora pulls her into just such a detour with a simple sentence put together on her old typewriter: “I want to tell you everything.”

Though the murders might have happened decades ago, Kit can't pass up this sort of chance, and accepts to bear the burden of hearing her tale. However, the more Kit hears from Lenora, and the more she learns about the context of her predecessor's departure, the more she suspects the old woman might not be telling her the whole truth, and could very well be more dangerous than anyone realizes. After all, she was the sole survivor, wasn't she?

The Horror of Decay in The Only One Left

Like myself, I'm sure those of you who enjoy horror movies and novels have noticed the constant recurrence of various cliches, motifs and patterns used to achieve specific effects time and time again. One of the more prominent ones tools used to inspire dread into an audience happens to be decay, and I believe it's for one simple reason: it serves as a reminder of the unstoppable tides of time bound to consume us all.

How exactly is decay relayed in most movies and novels? Quite simply, and perhaps insultingly, through old people and objects. Whenever an author wants to depict an eerie setting which might suggest something foul beneath the surface, there is a good chance they will gravitate towards adding aged elements to the scene, whether they be seniors or dilapidated houses. Besides, there's just something particularly unnerving and surreal about imagining a grandmother frail as a dandelion being a bloodthirsty maniac.

In The Only One Left, I thought Riley Sager did a fantastic job with the character of Lenora. Considering the mystery surrounding her past and the potential for her to actually be a murderous maniac, the fact she is stroke-ridden and in a wheelchair doesn't make her any less terrifying. If anything, I was constantly on edge, trying to determine whether or not she was faking it, whether she was actually capable of far more than she let on.

Through her life we also get to constantly glimpse at the decay of the human body (and perhaps, the human mind, but I won't say more on this matter), and the house she lives in mirrors her condition; old, in disrepair, about to be swallowed by the sea as the cliff beneath it will inevitably crumble. Though it will be different for every reader, but I think this is the sort of topic we can all relate to in some fashion.

While it is quite obvious that she isn't going to just murder Kit at the very start, it was just about the only thing I was certain of. The author did a fantastic job at keeping the fog of mystery alive and always just a few feet in front of the reader. There are always doubts hanging in the air about Lenora's story, and they play a huge part in making the plot unpredictable.

A Whodunit Saga

Though this book did feel to me heavily overlaid in tones reminiscent of real-life horror, it would be unfair to say that's all there is to it. There are also some prominent elements of drama, and of course, mystery, mixed into the stew, to the point where I actually don't think it would be erroneous to say The Only One Left is also a whodunit mystery.

While our methods of investigation and plot development aren't exactly traditional for the genre, Riley Sager pretty much ends up framing it as such, whether on purpose or by accident, I cannot say. Most notably, as we learn more about the past an the present, we are introduced to a growing stable of memorable characters who, eventually, start turning into suspects right before our very eyes.

Deceit is layered upon deceit, lies criss-cross left and right without any obvious rhyme nor reason, and I must confess, I had a lot of fun watching this complicated web of relations and ambitions untangling before my eyes, slowly revealing the truth one layer at a time. Naturally, I won't spoil the ending, but I will say it definitely lived up to the expectations built up by the story.

The idea of the murder itself having taken place over fifty years ago and only being unravelled now is also one I personally enjoy quite a bit, for there is something incomparably fascinating about peering into a forbidden past, one whose actors thought they escaped and were forgotten. As a matter of fact, the segments where we get to see what really happened on that night in 1929 were some of my favourite moments in the entire book.

Finally, Kit McDeere, our main character, is the final thread which seals the whole package, our perfect Sherpa for this excursion into the brutal past. Quick-thinking, determined, compassionate, and most importantly, reasonable, she always acts like you would expect a regular human being to. The book is told from her point of view, and not once did I wish to have any other narrator for this. After all, when faced with such a grim tale, it's always a good policy to leave some room for the light of human kindness to shine through.

The Final Verdict

The Only One Left by Riley Sager is an impressive mixture of gothic horror, drama, and a whodunit mystery which sends the reader on an impressively-twisted investigation into a crime long-ago committed, but not soon forgotten.

If you're in search of a murder mystery with some tangible depth to it and a premise which strays from the more commonly-trodden paths, then I urge you to give this novel a shot.

“Private Berlin” by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan – Bowels of the Slaughterhouse

noreply@blogger.com (David ben Efraim) — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 12:09:00 +0000

Short Summary

James Patterson and Mark Sullivan have become an inseparable duo in the realm of thrillers a while ago, most notably with the Private series. One of the more prominent works is the fifth book, Private Berlin, and it follows the investigation into a slaughterhouse which holds many dark secrets from the East German days, a slaughterhouse where one of Private's agents is found murdered.

James Patterson and Mark Sullivan put Private in Danger

The twentieth century marked human history unlike any period we've known before, heralding not only gargantuan technological advances, but also unreal acts of cruelty and savagery on unprecedented scales. As such, many blackened secrets have been left behind as we crossed over into a new millennium, but as is the case in Private Berlin by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan, some have a tendency to float up to the surface.

Though this book might indeed be the fifth chapter in the Private series, rest assured that each installment works perfectly as a standalone book. I myself started with Private Berlin, and I never felt as if I was missing out on some valuable information or back-story due to having neglected the four previous novels.

In any case, as the title indicates, the story takes us to Germany, and begins with the disappearance of Chris Schneider, a star agent in his branch of Private. Highly-effective, yet extremely secretive and with an evident troubled past, he becomes Private's most high-profile and personal case when his body is found in a secret basement of an old disused slaughterhouse.

What's more, his body is only one among many, and shortly after his former fiancee, Mattie Engel, makes her way out of there, someone blows the whole building sky-high, leaving no trace of evidence behind. However, nobody at Private Berlin's headquarters, least of all Mattie, is prepared to drop the case, especially since there are a few thin, yet concrete threads for her to follow.

Meanwhile, while the detectives are busy following their leads, an old wolf is busy erasing every existing trace of himself, some of them living people, intent on keeping the harrowing secret of his innumerable lethal deeds in a past many prefer to forget. Though Mattie might be closing in on him, she doesn't see him, nor does she know who he is. He, on the other hand, sees quite well from the shadows, knows who everyone is, and just what to do with them.

One Dangerous Step After the Next in Private Berlin

On the whole, I would say that James Patterson and Mark Sullivan's Private Berlin should not only be classified as a thriller, but used as the first example of what a book in such a genre looks like. Relatively short, it uses a simple enough prose and places the brunt of its focus on moving the plot forward, while quickly visiting a few side tracks along the way.

What stood out to me the most was the extremely deliberate way in which the plot unfolded. That is to say, I believe it is structured in the perfect way so as to retain the reader's attention and curiosity from start to finish. The authors ensure that no matter how many answers we might receive, we always have more questions ready and waiting.

At first, the investigation begins in a relatively innocent fashion, but escalates steadily enough, growing in complexity, presenting a larger cast of suspects, and getting us better and better acquainted with the main killer (more on this subject a little later). The tempo only ramps up the further we get from the beginning, and the way I see it, qualifies this book as an actual page-turner.

Despite the breakneck speed at which the plot advances, you might be surprised, and perhaps even relieved, to learn there are surprisingly few action scenes to be found here. Sure, there are a few moments to get the blood pumping, but overall the authors focus specifically on the characters and the knowledge they acquire.

There is also an omnipresent sense of danger surrounding our characters, partly due to the confused and obscured nature of the investigation, partly because we know the killer can strike at them before they can get to him. Each clue brings them closer and closer to a peril they have trouble seeing, and even though we know that Mattie will succeed in the end, we are left to wonder at what cost, and how many bodies will pave the way towards the truth.

Through the Eyes of Evil

If we're looking at Private Berlin on a surface level, then it seems to be a typical James Patterson and Mark Sullivan murder mystery thriller, perhaps on the higher end of the scale due to the quality of the prose and structure. However, there are elements which elevate it above the regular level reached by most thrillers, and the main one is the killer himself.

Various chapters are dedicated to showing us the killer's perspective, what he wants, what he fears, how he thinks, and so on and so forth. While these chapters are quite easy to get wrong and ruin, in Private Berlin they are used about as well as they possibly can be. Rather than simply being windows into the antagonist's mind, they also often give us an additional perspective through which we can watch a situation unfold.

I will admit that the back-story of the villain did surprise me with its lack of originality. Don't get me wrong, it's solid and works in all respects, but it's a bit cliched and something we've all probably seen a few times before, especially in relation to post-war East Germany. However, the character himself was entertaining and curious enough to follow, so it's a drawback we can sweep under the rug.

As far as our protagonists go, Mattie and her partner Burkhardt are given a few moments of characterization here and there, just enough to make them human and relatable, but without turning the novel into a character study. I think they could have been made slightly more nuanced, but I can't argue with the fact they perfectly serve the plot just as they are.

Finally, the game of cat-and-mouse between Mattie and the killer is one of the best ones I've had the pleasure of reading. There is a constant push-and-pull, a give-and-take between the two, as the killer struggles to stay one step ahead while Mattie desperately catches up and closes in on him. What's more, it's portrayed in a (mostly) believable fashion, which makes the entire story resonate that much more with our basic instincts to see the bad guys punished, and the good guys alive.

The Final Verdict

Private Berlin by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan is deservedly labelled as one of the best entries in the Private series, offering a well-crafted murder mystery thriller which doesn't let up for a second, featuring one of the most dynamic and nail-biting confrontations between investigator and serial killer.

If you're a fan of the series, or are looking for an excellent murder mystery to occupy yourself for a couple of evenings, then I strongly recommend you give this book a chance.

James B. Patterson

Personal site

James Patterson is an American writer who has dedicated a large part of his literary career to writing murder-related thrillers, inventing in the process two memorable character-based series in Alex Cross and Michael Bennett. His most prominent works include Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider.

Mark T. Sullivan

Personal site

Mark T. Sullivan is an author of American nationality who is known for writing thrillers and mysteries, both on his own and while partnering up with the acclaimed James Patterson. He has a BA in English from Hamilton College, and he even volunteered for the Peace Crops, teaching English to children in the Sahara Desert. Some of his best-known works include The Fall Line, Labyrinth and Oultaw.

“Quantum Radio” by A.G. Riddle – The Hazard of Knowledge

noreply@blogger.com (David ben Efraim) — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 12:40:00 +0000

Short Summary

A.G. Riddle is , for good reason, one of the foremost science-fiction authors of the modern age, his mind not only rife with original ideas, but also extremely well-versed in expressing them. In his latest novel, titled Quantum Radio, he follows Dr. Tyson Klein, a CERN scientist working with the Large Hadron Collider, on the verge of making a nigh-unimaginable discovery, the truth of which threatens to radically change the future.

A.G. Riddle Creates the Impossible Discovery

The value of various commodities has drastically altered over the course of human history, but there is one which has consistently withstood the winds of change: knowledge. He who knows has power, and perhaps more than ever before, modern humanity is particularly motivated in its acquisition of information, with all the tools at its disposal. The realm of physics certainly holds the most potential for something Earth-shattering to be uncovered, as is the case in A.G. Riddle's Quantum Radio.

The story opens by introducing us to Tyson Klein, a quantum physicist whose entire life has been dedicated to his research at CERN. His work consists of analyzing the data generated by the Large Hadron Collider, and over many years of observation, Tyson feels as if he has finally figured out a pattern to the output it generates.

As Tyson examines this pattern deeper and deeper, he comes to realize it very much looks like an organized stream of data being broadcast through the quantum world. Whether it's a signal from another universe, the future, or something else entirely, Tyson has absolutely no idea, but he can't stop himself from digging further now.

In reality, the signal Tyson has received is immensely more complicated than he could have imagined, with such far-reaching implications for human existence he wavers on what to do with his discovery. Meanwhile, there are those who have been watching him from the shadows, intently following his research, and hoping to stop him from unravelling the truth at the centre of it all.

A device is built using the data analyzed by Tyson, the function of which nobody actually knows, and he finds himself forced to us it when his facility is attacked. Unexpectedly enough, the device transports him to Earth in an alternate universe, one where it is under threat of invasion by those who are only known as The Covenant.

The First Step to Infinity in Quantum Radio

Even though at the moment of writing this review Quantum Radio isn't part of some larger series, I would be quite surprised not to see it change in the near future. This book was quite obviously written with the idea of serving as a launching pad for the kind of literary series which can keep on going as long as the author wants it to.

I think it's important to keep this in mind as one goes through the story, which takes it time in setting up the world as well as the characters in it. We get to learn quite a bit about the people whom, I assume, will become mainstays of the series down the line. As a result, the pace of the story does suffer here and there, but is compensated for by A.G. Riddle's ability to make virtually anything interesting with his masterful prose.

In my personal opinion, the various members of the main team we get to meet are a little too perfect and powerful within the story. That is to say, they're all superbly capable people and I never had the sense they were totally outmatched by whatever challenges they were facing, so it remains to be seen just how much tension they can add to the story. Overall I did enjoy meeting them, even if the amount of background information we were imparted about them did make the pacing suffer a bit.

Logically-speaking, the action ought to pick up in later chapters as our characters travel through the multiverse, fixing problems and repelling The Covenant's invasion, but for this first outing expect more of a gentle cruise with a few shocking waves along the way. With this being said, there are still some moments of action here and there, as well as a few truly hard-hitting plot twists, so it's not like a mundane walk in the park either.

Of course, the idea itself has already been explored before time and time again, and so it remains to be seen just how much originality the author is able to inject into his work, but so far, I must say his first step shows his willingness to dig deep in his well, still brimming with interesting ideas. The premise of the titular quantum radio alone was enough to tickle my fancy.

The War Beyond the Veil

Now, it's all well and good to treat this book like it's the beginning to a long-running series, but the reality is the sequels haven't yet been written, meaning that for the moment, Quantum Radio also ought to be examined as a standalone work, which it actually is, in a certain way. While it does provide the foundation for a massive science-fiction series in the future, it also does have a self-contained plot meant to work independently of anything else.

Essentially, the book can be split into two halves. In the first half (the one I personally enjoyed more), we get to see Tyson on his odyssey of discovery, slowly inching our way closer to the truth alongside him. This is where A.G. Riddle really lets his knowledge of science shine bright, drumming up a massive enigma using his understanding of quantum physics, which he shares quite adeptly with us.

I went into the novel blind, and can say I had a great time playing quantum detective, trying to figure out what was really happening and where it would all eventually lead. Of course, this couldn't last forever, and the second half of the book pretty much begins when Tyson uses the previously-mentioned device and transports himself into an alternate universe.

This is where, in my humble opinion, A.G. Riddle needs to tighten up a few screws here and there, because events seemed to unfold in a rather arbitrary manner at times. On numerous occasions we see our characters caught in contrived and hardly-believable scenarios, and a few problems do seem to get solved through questionable logic.

With this being said, those problems weren't nearly enough to stop me from enjoying the novel, especially since they happen during the more furious parts of the adventure, where one barely has the time to think in the first place. Ultimately, I am looking forward to seeing more of Tyson and his dimension-travelling team, especially since I suspect future entries will be a little more on the hasty side.

The Final Verdict

Quantum Radio by A.G. Riddle is an interesting first entry in what is obviously going to turn into a series in the future. Perhaps a bit slow at times and illogical on a couple of occasions, it is nevertheless a captivating science-fiction novel revolving around a multiverse-travelling team of heroes and their battle against a greater evil, all told through the author's magnificent and evocative prose.

If you enjoy sci-fi novels revolving around alternative universes, or are an A.G. Riddle fan impatiently waiting for his next work to come out, then I believe you will deeply enjoy all this novel has to offer.

A. G. Riddle

Personal site

A. G. Riddle is an American author from North Carolina who spent ten years dabbling in the world of internet business before devoting himself to his true passion, fiction writing.

The Atlantis Gene is his widely-acclaimed debut novel, having already been translated into over 22 languages and marking the beginning of a bestselling series.

“14th Deadly Sin” by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro – Wave of Hatred

noreply@blogger.com (David ben Efraim) — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 13:13:00 +0000

Short Summary

James Patterson and Maxine Paetro are parents to one of the more recognizable and celebrated detective series with the Women's Murder Club, being over twenty books in and showing no intention of stopping. In the fourteenth installment, titled 14th Deadly Sin, they send Lindsay Boxer and the rest of the club chasing after a pair of maniacs holding San Francisco hostage through their sheer brutality. What's worse, none are above suspicion, not even the police themselves.

James Patterson and Maxine Paetro Besiege San Francisco

Millions of people live in them, thousands of policemen patrol them, and yet big cities are some of the most vulnerable places on Earth, especially when it comes to one specific societal cataclysm: widespread panic and terror. In 14th Deadly Sin, by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, we witness San Francisco held in the firm grasp of such a terror, one the Women's Murder Club is dead-set on breaking loose.

As you might have gathered by the title, this is indeed the fourteenth entry in the Women's Murder Club series. While thankfully enough each book does work as a standalone, I would encourage you to have a look through the previous novels, especially if you're a fan of detective stories. With this being said, let's move on with the show.

This time around things are progressing fairly well in Lindsay Boxer's life, a Detective for the San Francisco Police Department. She has a handsome and devoted husband, a beautiful baby girl, and overall a relatively stress-free existence (within reasonable limits, of course). She was supposed to gather with the other members of the club to celebrate Claire's birthday (the San Francisco Medical Examiner), but a call pulls her away to a gruesome crime scene.

A murder has occurred in broad daylight, and the victim is a woman who seemingly nobody could want to actually kill. As a matter of fact, she seems to be the fifth victim of a serial killer obsessed with a specific date. Not long after beginning her investigation, a seemingly unrelated video surfaces which shows two masked assailants committing acts of unspeakable anger and cruelty. Needless to say, it takes all of a millisecond for the video to spread around the news, and for every San Franciscan to be aware of it.

Now gripped in a state of total panic, the city turns into something of a besieged fortress, at the mercy of two madmen who could literally be almost anyone. As a wave of violence keeps on sweeping through the city, Lindsay begins to have an inclination the perpetrators might somehow be related to the police force; a dangerous path for her to walk, but one she can't help herself but follow, especially since it's in the name of justice.

Lindsay's Show in 14th Deadly Sin

In the books before this one, the narrative was always split between Lindsay Boxer's investigation and the cases the other members of the Women's Murder Club might have been working on, with various overlapping connections thrown in. This time around, it felt much more like a novel centred on Lindsay Boxer than any of the other members.

While we do see Yuki working her first case from her new position at a non-profit Defense League Foundation, it doesn't take up much precious space on the novel's pages. We get to see Claire in passing more than anything, and Cindy, the up-and-coming crime reporter, was virtually nowhere to be found, only briefly mentioned here and there.

I can certainly imagine how this approach would disappoint certain people who look forward to seeing all of the ladies in action, but I thought the execution justified the premise. Lindsay Boxer was always a bit more of a main character than her friends, and being focused solely on her allowed James Patterson and Maxine Paetro to develop her plot and personal life in greater detail than before. Additionally, it led to a more straightforward narrative, a welcome change of pace fourteen books in.

Another benefit of clearing the stage in 14th Deadly Sin is the fact it made space for some other characters the chance to shine bright, namely Lindsay's husband Joe, who decides to go after the serial killer all on his own, relying on his experience as an FBI agent. This added a welcome element of danger to Lindsay's home life, and turned her husband into more than just a fixture.

Naturally, it also means we get to spend more time immersed in both of Lindsay's investigations (the serial killer and the perpetrators of the crime wave), which, personally-speaking, I enjoyed a fair bit, even if they didn't reinvent the wheel in any way. This is, after all, called the Women's Murder Club, and it makes sense for us to spend more time on the murders, rather than the various other problems afflicting the members of the group.

The Paralysis of Fear

Whether you've been reading the series from the very first novel or have just decided to drop in now, I think we're all (or at least, the vast majority of us) pulled to these books in search of the same thing: a solid and engaging murder mystery. If it could also have a genuinely unexpected yet logical resolution, that would just be the cherry on top.

As I've mentioned it just now in the previous paragraph, the mysteries in 14th Deadly Sin aren't exactly mind-shattering expeditions into the uncharted depths of the murder mystery genre. It's quite likely, if you're a fan of such stories, that you've already read something similar, or at least comparable, but I don't think it'll stop you from enjoying what this story has to offer.

For one, both of the plot lines have their fair share of twists, turns, and dastardly misdirections to make them exciting adventures, if only a little too short for my taste. Even as a veteran of the genre, I found myself surprised on more than a few occasions, and was glad to see the authors avoided taking the most obvious and beaten paths when it was possible.

Second, I found that James Patterson and Maxine Paetro did an excellent job at portraying San Francisco as a city caught in the choking grasp of terror, spread by only a couple of individuals. They show how such a terror can spread through the population, affecting each and every person by preying on their fear of sudden and preventable death, turning them paranoid against each other.

While hopefully neither you nor I will ever be forced to experience such a thing, it seemed to me Patterson and Paetro's depiction of the situation was quite realistic, based on both research and a good understanding of human psychology. In turn, this creates a tense and dangerous atmosphere constantly looming over Lindsay, her friends and loved ones, making this particular outing of hers feel more exciting than before, certainly with a welcome sense of urgency to it.

The Final Verdict

14th Deadly Sin by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro goes in a bit of a different direction from the previous entry in the Women's Murder Club, but in my opinion the authors succeeded in their experiment and made for yet another highly-engaging and memorable murder mystery.

If you've liked what the series has had to offer you so far, or are searching for a respectable and captivating mystery to spend a few afternoons with, then I believe this would be a good novel for you to add to your collection.

James B. Patterson

Maxine Paetro

“Hell Divers VI: Allegiance” by Nicholas Sansbury Smith – The First Country

noreply@blogger.com (David ben Efraim) — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 17:31:00 +0000

Short Summary

Nicholas Sansbury Smith has taken his divers a very long way from their humble beginning in the skies, having them fight for an unlikely oasis on Earth in the fifth installment. In the sixth one, Hell Divers VI: Allegiance, we follow Xavier as he tries to reign as the reluctant king of the islands, all while a new group of divers tries to locate other survivors on Earth, before hostile android defectors wipe them all out.

Nicholas Sansbury Smith Raises the First Nation

In the previous entry in the Hell Divers series, Nicholas Sansbury Smith finally gave his characters some real hope to look forward to in the form of the Metal Islands, one of the last habitable parts of the planet. They fought long and hard for them, and ultimately, Xavier Rodriguez became their reluctant king, a power put to the test in Hell Divers VI: Allegiance.

Picking up where the last novel left off (and yes, I do recommend you read the books in order, for they tell a continuous story), the story begins with Xavier reigning supreme over the islands, even though it's far from the idyllic existence he imagined for himself and his companions. There are problems aplenty, and it seems like food and water are the least of those.

His main mission is keeping the peace between his own Sky People and the Cazadores, to ensure both factions can coexist while strengthening this new first nation's economy and protecting its borders. Soon enough, he's bound to have a fight on his hands as he learns the estranged son of El Pulpo is returning home to claim the throne.

Meanwhile, the people still living up there in the skies have some drama of their own happening. A communication from Rio de Janeiro prompts Michael Everhart to assemble a new team of rookie divers and to go looking for other pockets of human survivors who might still be out there... and they'd do well to hurry, for a great threat looms large.

A bone-chilling discovery reveals there are dangerous groups of android defectors roaming about, hunting down every last remaining human on the planet, with only one goal in mind: the total eradication of the human genome. What's worse, they're coming very close to accomplishing their goal, and aren't the only ones working in that direction.

The Burden of the King in Hell Divers VI: Allegiance

For a little while now, I was slightly puzzled as to where exactly Nicholas Sansbury Smith was taking the Hell Divers series. On one hand, it is very much defined by the concept of the divers going down to Earth in order to secure the survival of the last sky-bound remnants of humanity. On the other hand, there is only so much one can squeeze out of the concept.

When I was reading the previous book, I was enjoying it, but at the same time, I was starting to feel like it was time to tread some new ground, to move on from the original concept which kept the series afloat until now. Lo and behold, I must assume the author thought the same way I did, because this is exactly what we get in Hell Divers VI: Allegiance.

While there are indeed two main plots in this novel (in some ways, they do converge into one), in my opinion the one following Xavier was the fresher and more intriguing of the two. We finally get to see what it's like for him to have actually achieved his goal, and where he intends on going from there, how he plans on saving his people.

While the author doesn't exactly write a philosophical tome exploring the concept of establishing a society from practically scratch, he does provide a rather eye-opening glimpse into the matter, carefully examining the various difficulties Xavier must deal with. While some of those are expected with predictable solutions, others are more original, and perhaps more importantly, educative.

The author's grasp of human nature is put at the forefront in the sections revolving around Xavier, detailing the various power dynamics at play, and the rather interesting concept of bringing together two societies which could hardly be any more different. If nothing else, it's an extremely compelling argument against becoming a king and shouldering all the responsibilities such a title entails.

The Last Survivors

As much as Hell Divers VI: Allegiance tries to diverge from the path taken by the author until now (and successfully, I might add), we are still in the Hell Divers series, and as such, the overarching focus does remain on humanity's survival in the skies. This time around, we're presented with a new group of divers (the previous ones having more important things to handle), and for the most part, it's a welcome addition by Nicholas Sansbury Smith.

Considering this is already the sixth book in a series spanning ten (as of the time this review is being written), I'd say it's definitely time to inject some new blood into the fold to keep things fresh and interesting. After all, the characters here don't exactly have limitless depths to explore, with this series being primarily a mixture of science-fiction, thriller and horror in parts.

While at first familiarity bias makes it a little more difficult to appreciate this new group (not to mention the lack of mystique surrounding our very first meeting with the original divers), over time they do prove themselves to be unique enough in their own rights. While I wouldn't say they kept me glued to the pages, they were fleshed out sufficiently to give their thoughts and actions an appreciable weight.

What did keep me glued to the pages, however, was the action-packed mission they were sent on, as well as its implications for the last survivors of humankind. The author drives home the critical nature of the situation, making us feel the terror experienced by the characters in the face of an unfeeling enemy mighty close to its goal of destroying our civilization.

As was the case with the previous entry and all the ones before, the action moves along at a remarkably rapid pace, pitting the characters against all sorts of horrible dangers, from human treachery to monsters roaming the surface of the Earth. As always, the conclusion gives us some measure of satisfaction, wrapping up a few plot lines, as well as the promise of an exciting new chapter to follow.

The Final Verdict

Hell Divers VI: Allegiance by Nicholas Sansbury Smith is yet another commendable addition to the Hell Divers series, offering yet another action-packed science-fiction thriller which begins to take things in a new direction, exploring new settings and dynamics without ever losing sight of the main arc.

If you've enjoyed what the series has had to offer until now and are keen to see where it leads, I have no doubt you'll appreciate what the author planned for this one, and be left with the desire to see what the next book has in store.

Nicholas Sansbury Smith

Personal site

Nicholas Sansbury Smith is an American author of science-fiction and fantasy novels and former worker for the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management branch in disaster mitigation.

He has written a few bestselling series so far, including The Hell Divers and The Extinction Cycle, with prominent works such as Extinction Horizon, Hell Divers and Trackers.

“IBM and the Holocaust” by Edwin Black – Alliance of Savages

noreply@blogger.com (David ben Efraim) — Thu, 16 Feb 2023 16:55:00 +0000

Short Summary

Edwin Black has become a celebrated thorn in the sides of many corporate and governmental entities, going to great lengths to pull their darkest secrets out from the shadows. In IBM and the Holocaust, he chronicles in minute detail how IBM co-planned and co-organized the Holocaust for the Nazis, and the unsavoury alliance which blossomed between the two.

Edwin Black Digs Up a Wretched History

Leaving aside the few brainless drones who insist the Holocaust never occurred, I think we can all agree it was without a doubt one of the most horrifying actions committed by Man against fellow Man over the course of our entire history. The whole process, however, was quite complicated to organize, and in his history book titled IBM and the Holocaust, Edwin Black details how the American corporation came in to help the Nazis in their vile endeavours.

Before moving on, I feel the need to point out this is a non-fiction history book, meaning everything Edwin Black states here is factual evidence, backed up by documentation obtained through profound research. I am aware this all sounds like some laughable conspiracy to one hearing it for the first time, but it is indeed a known fact, and Black's hard-earned reputation as a historian and investigative journalist lends his books all the credence they could ever need.

In any case, I think it's fair to say the book is more about IBM's history than that of the Second World War, especially considering the author begins by detailing the company's beginnings. We get to learn about many of its most important members, the friends and enemies they had, and perhaps most importantly, the sort of philosophy they followed and imbued the company with.

More importantly, he then places a rather intense focus on the connection IBM had with National Socialists over the course of its existence, exploring how it affected the company in its successes and future development. From there on out, the author moves closer to the Second World War and the rise of Nazi Germany, getting into the meat of the matter.

For virtually the rest of the book Edwin Black details the various ways in which IBM equipment and techniques were used to help the Nazis conduct the Holocaust, from their organization to the first census in 1933 which identified the Jews in Germany, to the card-sorting machines they later built for them. In other words, Black brings to light a truth many would like forgotten, making it all the more important for us to see it.

The Business of Human Extermination in IBM and the Holocaust

If you've previously read some of Edwin Black's books, or are have any sort of familiarity with him in general, then you'll already know that he doesn't write books to judge or spill his bias all over the reader. He is about as impartial as an author can get while diving into the darkest corners of humanity's history, an act doubly impressive considering his parents are survivors of the Holocaust.

This impartial perspective he is so proficiently able to adopt is what, I believe, makes the account he gives of IBM's history in relation to Nazi Germany so enthralling. Even though he easily could, he refrains from pronouncing judgments on people, instead focusing his energy on relaying two things to the reader: what happened, and why.

Naturally, the biggest question at the centre of IBM and the Holocaust is how the company's owner justified his actions and decisions. How could he walk hand-in-hand with some of the vilest people to have ever graced the Earth? Edwin Black largely seeks to answer it from an economical point of view, detailing just how dependent IBM was on Germany back then.

Once again, I want to reiterate that Edwin Black doesn't judge anyone or try to justify anyone's actions; such thoughts are best-left for the reader to struggle with on their own. He does, however, make a rather compelling demonstration of how factors can pile up on top of each other, leading a person down an abyss they either simply can't see, or choose to ignore for the sake of money.

In my opinion, Edwin Black's account of how a giant and powerful company got pulled into one of the most depraved and revolting episodes in our short time on Earth is one of the greatest cautionary tales about the destructive allure of wealth. From where I'm looking, I think he succeeded in demonstrating that greed is such a powerful motivator, it can rob us of our humanity at any moment... a terrifying enough thought we ought to carry close to ourselves, a warning for future generations.

Organizing Death

In addition to answering the pressing question as to why IBM would help the Nazis as a company, Edwin Black also placed quite a bit of accent on how exactly said help was provided. He takes us through the many censuses, organizational techniques and methods of documentation which IBM devised for the Nazis to help them identify Jewish bloodlines, as well as their work with statisticians for more precise numbers.

Over the course of his research for this IBM and the Holocaust, the author has managed to accrue over twenty thousand pages of technical documentation detailing virtually everything IBM helped Nazi Germany with. By his own estimated, there are about five times as many documents out there which have yet to see the light of day. It is my belief, once again, that all he presents here is pure fact and ought to be taken as such.

Now, let's digress a bit and talk about this book in terms of how entrancing it is, although it does feel to me like the topic at hand places it above such notions. Yes, there are long passages where the author expertly details an event, person, or even system, making for some relatively dry narration from time to time. However, I think the tone used by the author is perfect for the discussion of such a heavy topic as the Holocaust, and the purely factual approach is necessary when dealing with something so important and sensitive.

Additionally, it is my opinion that virtually every single person who will read this book is either preemptively captivated by the subject matter, or will be once they get into it. The mere nature of the information we are revealed here and the shocking depths to which it takes us more than make up for whatever faults the narration and pacing might have.

Ultimately, Edwin Black has done a monumental work by publishing this book, showing the true danger of capitalism, a place where morality and human decency takes a back-seat to the needs of shareholders, to the need to make more and more money... even if it means organizing death on an unprecedented scale.

The Final Verdict

IBM and the Holocaust by Edwin Black is a one-of-a-kind history book, turning over stones many preferred to leave face-down, detailing how one of America's most powerful and recognized companies helped Nazi Germany perform some of the vilest deeds in mankind's history. In my opinion, it's one part of history everyone ought to get acquainted with, if only to witness the depravity Man is capable of.

If you're in search of a history book dealing with one of the lesser-known parts of the Holocaust and are interested in learning about IBM's part in it, then I strongly urge you to witness all this book has to offer.

Edwin Black

Personal site

Edwin Black is an American historian, syndicated columnist, investigative journalist and author, specializing in human rights among a few other topics. Among his more influential works are The Transfer Agreement, IBM and the Holocaust, War Against the Weak, and Banking on Baghdad, having earned him numerous literary, governmental and human rights awards over the years.

“Hell Divers V: Captives” by Nicholas Sansbury Smith – Paradise in Abaddon

noreply@blogger.com (David ben Efraim) — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 16:24:00 +0000

Short Summary

Nicholas Sansbury Smith has taken us on a rather original and captivating adventure with The Hell Divers series, telling the story of a humanity stuck living in the skies on giant airships following World War III. In the fifth book, titled Hell Divers V: Captives, we follow our heroes as they try and reclaim a paradise on Earth, unaffected by radiation, but populated exclusively by cannibals.

Nicholas Sansbury Smith Finds the Metal Islands

The idea that the Third World War might very well put an end to humanity isn't as much of a fantasy anymore considering the types of armaments countries have access to. Nicholas Sansbury Smith has imagined the potential consequences of such an affair with The Hell Divers series, where the remnants of humanity are forced to live in the skies. In Hell Divers V: Captives, he continues the adventure as a ray of hope finally shines after over 250 years of darkness.

Before having a look at the actual plot, I think it obvious but still necessary to say that I strongly recommend you read the previous novel before diving into this one, unless you take a special joy in being lost. This is the type of series one really needs to start reading from the beginning, telling one continuous story from start to finish.

In any case, in their previous time out Xavier and Magnolia had set out to discover the fabled Metal Islands, the last habitable zone on Earth, completely unaffected by the radiation polluting every other square inch of the surface. It represents a chance for humanity to truly start anew, to reclaim what was once theirs to begin with.

Naturally, the expedition doesn't exactly go as planned, and they find the islands already have some native inhabitants of their own. This coveted paradise happens to be ruled by a violent warrior society, calling themselves the Cazadors, with alarming cannibal tendencies. Their main occupations are farming and scouring the Earth for small groups of other humans to either be enslaved or served as meals.

Meanwhile, the Hell Divers are preparing a raid on Red Sphere, a military installation off the coast of Cuba, in hopes of finding the weapons and supplies they need to conduct an assault on the Cazadors and claim the Metal Islands as their own. Though they might be heavily outnumbered and outgunned, the Divers are indeed humanity's last hope at a relatively normal existence, and they still have a few little tricks up their sleeves.

The Great Path Forward in Hell Divers V: Captives

For a good amount of time now, I've been enjoying everything the series has had to offer, from the characters and the complex dynamics between them, to the powerfully-depicted world and the seemingly incessant action which took place in it. However, I couldn't help but wonder where exactly it was all going, and whether it would turn into one of those endless episodic series as humanity just keeps on living in the skies.

In the previous book, Nicholas Sansbury Smith began to move towards something more concrete with the Metal Islands, and I was quite happy to see it didn't take him five more books to get us there. Once again, I did enjoy everything which came before this novel, and I think the author chose just the right moment to start moving towards bigger and better things.

Now that we're deep into the series and well-acquainted with the world before us, I think we're in the perfect position to see the stakes raised and a truly important milestone accomplished. Despite being a veritable living hell none of us would approach in our current lives, given the context of the story, the cannibal-infested islands do seem like a veritable paradise, and a rather interesting one in its own right.

As you might have guessed, it has the added benefit of providing us with a new environment and social system to study, one which feels like a needed breath of fresh air from the toxic and radioactive wasteland we've spent the last four books in. While I honestly can't tell how realistic of a scenario the author has depicted in Hell Divers V: Captives, I can say he justifies it quite well within the context of his own novel.

Additionally, with the stakes being raised, we are also led to worry a little more about our characters, being made to understand more than once just how crucial of a mission they're on and how easily they could fail at every turn. Success never feels guaranteed, and the doomed nature of the world our protagonists are in only reinforces that feeling, lending every eventful scene a weighty and impactful quality.

The Sky People Descend

Some of the books in the series were slower than others so far, but in my opinion, Hell Divers V: Captives has definitely felt like the more action-packed of them all. To begin with, there is a true conflict brewing which feels like it's happening on a relatively large scale, and as always, the villains have some true depth to them despite their outwardly evil appearance.

Though their actions are doubtlessly wrong and bring suffering where it isn't necessary, they have their own philosophies to justify their way of living, which to be fair, is a little easier in a world where no other societies exist to contradict them. Additionally, the Metal Islands are theirs to begin with, and the Hell Divers to them are just Sky People coming to conquer them.

Once again, I want to reiterate that they didn't draw any real sympathy from me, but I do think they offer an interesting depiction of a post-apocalyptic society which hinges on violence and domination. In my opinion, they have the makings of perfect villains: easy to root against and dislike, but nevertheless carrying some elements which beg for our fascination.

As usual, there are plenty of action scenes to go along with the slower and more thoughtful moments of the adventure, and while this time we're focused on humans much more than monsters, they provide their own interesting challenges for our heroes to overcome. As a matter of fact, they support the ages-old argument that humans are the only real monsters around.

The people living on the airships do take a bit of a back-seat this time around for good portions of the book, but I didn't really see it as a problem considering how much time we've spent on them already. Not to mention, they're always in the background, being the ultimate beneficiaries of the Hell Divers' efforts, the last bastion for humanity to thrive again.

The Final Verdict

Hell Divers V: Captives by Nicholas Sansbury Smith is an other positively-thrilling entry in this science-fiction horror series, moving the series along right when it needed some fresh air, and pitting the Divers on a truly high-stakes battle on which everything hinges.

If you've enjoyed what the series has had to offer thus far, then you'll doubtlessly love everything the fifth entry has to offer, and I recommend you get your hands on it as soon as you can.

Nicholas Sansbury Smith

“Unlucky 13” by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro – The Club in Danger

noreply@blogger.com (David ben Efraim) — Fri, 25 Nov 2022 14:03:00 +0000

Short Summary

James Patterson and Maxine Paetro have managed to develop a partnership few authors would even consider, having written over twenty books together, and still counting. Their Women's Murder Club Thriller series has earned them plenty of accolades, and in the thirteenth entry, titled Unlucky 13, they send their protagonists on a chase after a psychotic killer with nothing to lose intent on stalking them.

James Patterson and Maxine Paetro Turn Up the Heat

While most of us have enough self-awareness to admit we wouldn't be of much use when it comes to solving murders, it doesn't stop us from vicariously living out this particular fantasy through the exploits of fictional characters. James Patterson and Maxine Paetro have really invented the perfect series to quench our thirst for being part of a rag-tag murder solving crew with the Women's Murder Club Thriller series, and in Unlucky 13 they raise the stakes even further.

First off, I would like to address the fact that this is the sort of series where every single novel works a standalone. While there are overarching plot lines related to our recurring protagonists and their relationships with each other, enjoying the story as a whole doesn't require you to have read the previous novel... though I would recommend you also check it out for what it has to offer.

If you're already familiar with how the series goes, then you'll know there are multiple story lines taking place simultaneously, the first of them surrounding Lindsay Boxer. She finds herself plunged into her most gruesome case yet, one involving a psychopath cleverly using explosives and blackmailing her with innocent lives.

Meanwhile, Yuki, attorney-at-law, isn't leading an existence any more idyllic. Though she thinks she couldn't be happier on her honeymoon with Brady, things take a turn for the macabre when their boat is hijacked by madmen demanding a sizable ransom. Even worse, they're prepared to kill one passenger for every hour it takes them to get paid.

Finally, Cindy the reporter hears from Lindsay that Mackie Morales has resurfaced, a dangerous sociopath in her own right hell-bent on getting her revenge on the Women's Murder Club (particularly Lindsay) for the death of her beloved. Cindy tracks the young woman halfway across the country, but upon realizing she has already begun to make her move, must race back and help to save Lindsay's life before the ultimate disaster strikes.

Split Apart in Unlucky 13

If, like myself, you've read at least some of the previous entries in the series, then you've likely become accustomed to seeing the Women's Murder Club all working together to solve a case, and for the most part, without facing too much danger. In Unlucky 13 James Patterson and Maxine Paetro have evidently decided to explore uncharted territory, making for a rather different and interesting experience.

With the exception of Claire who spends the book helping Lindsay with her main case involving bombs in peoples' bellies, every character has her own separate plot line to unravel, and I must say it made for a rather welcome change of pace. Though it goes without saying the more plots a book has the less depth they can hold individually, I think the authors handled it appropriately.

Naturally, Lindsay's plot always feels like the main one, and as such it is given a bit more attention than the other ones, especially Yuki's story, which honestly felt like nothing more than a little reprieve from the main course. Indeed, three different storylines can hardly all be equally-enthralling, but what they do well is complement each other, preventing any particular scene or idea from stretching on for too long.

With this being said, the three different plots do eventually crisscross and affect each other, making Unlucky 13 feel like more than a collection of short stories. As always, there is an all-encompassing design followed by the authors from start to finish, and while there are a couple of moments where the connections fell a little flat, such moments were few and far in-between.

Personally, I found Lindsay's story to have been the most interesting out of the three, the one involving a bomber blackmailing her with new victims. The most enjoyable segments consisted of watching Lindsay and her partner Conklin racing after different leads trying desperately to uncover the culprit's identity, reminding us that despite all of its tangents, this novel remains first and foremost a solid murder mystery.

Character-Driven Mystery

I'm certain you have a lot of experience reading various types of murder mysteries and detective novels, at least enough to know the topic can be approached from a wide variety of angles. If you're a sucker for police procedural or the types of stories where every single detail and nuance is laid out for the reader to know, then you'll likely find Unlucky 13 a little lacklustre in this department.

Indeed, James Patterson and Maxine Paetro don't spend a lot of time filling in the smaller blanks of the investigation, often omitting to trace chains of events leading from one set of circumstances to another. Don't get me wrong; everything remains logical and perfectly sensical from start to finish, it's just a matter of the reader not being made privy to the inner workings of the investigation.

Rather than placing their attention on the finer details of the puzzle, the authors prefer to focus on the characters instead, and more precisely, how their interactions with each other eventually lead to satisfying resolutions. In other words, even while we're watching Lindsay Boxer following clues, we're learning as much about her as a person as we are about the case she's on.

If you're familiar with the previous works in the series, then I think you'll agree with me when I say the main characters have come a long way since their first outing, and this is one aspect where Patterson and Paetro have truly begun to excel. From one novel to the next, they are never totally static, constantly changing in slight and subtle ways based on their experiences, and it's the case for Unlucky 13 as well.

The personal lives of the Women's Murder Club members have always been a central element of the series, largely because of how realistically they tend to develop. Their exploits aren't embellished, nor are their failures overly-dramatized; over the course of multiple books, they've truly evolved from vehicles to advance the story into real people we can care and feel for. Unlucky 13 only continues this trend, to the point where if this keeps up, I fear Lindsay and company will crawl out from the pages into the real world a few more books down the line.

The Final Verdict

Unlucky 13 by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro is yet another highly-successful entry in the Women's Murder Club Thriller series, upping the stakes and sending our protagonists on three different adventures, which ultimately overlap in surprising and exciting ways. Ultimately, it manages to give us an original murder mystery while further developing a beloved cast of realistic and profound characters.

If you're a fan of the previous works in the series, or are looking for an exciting murder mystery story with more to offer than your run-of-the-mill detective novel, then I strongly recommend you give this book a try.

James B. Patterson

Maxine Paetro

“Portals” by Douglas E. Richards – The Bane of Being Human

noreply@blogger.com (David ben Efraim) — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 15:25:00 +0000

Short Summary

Douglas E. Richards is one of the few authors with the remarkable talent of being able to pull the reader into his outlandish concepts and have them turning one page after the next, and Portals is a perfect example of that. It follows the story of Noah Harris and Ashley Finn, two field agents for an organization meant to protect humanity from itself, and the only ones standing between Earth and its invasion by humans from a different planet, connected by a mysterious portal.

Douglas E. Richards Creates an Intergalactic Mystery

Long have we dreamed of discovering what other planets and galaxies hold in store for us. From awesome and unimaginable flora to fully-fledged aliens ready to share their superior technology, we've probably gone through all the possible scenarios time and time again in our own heads. However, as the characters in Portals by Douglas E. Richards find out, what awaits them beyond the cosmic veil is more surprising than anything they've anticipated.

The novel starts by making the necessary introductions, allowing us to meet Noah Harris and Ashley Flynn, two field agents working for an absurdly-powerful organization. Their objective is to protect humanity from itself, to stop it from misusing powerful technologies and wreaking havoc on the world around them, something they're already good enough at.

One day, a life-changing discovery is made: there are portals to numerous planets, likely built by some ancient and transcendent beings for reasons nobody can really fathom. On the other side of those portals, they make a discovery simultaneously amazing and terrifying: they meet other human beings just like themselves.

Naturally, various questions begin to arise about this unusual state of affairs. Why do they only encounter humans exactly like those on Earth? How and when did they get there? Is there some greater plan at work they are unable to see? Can those other humans be trusted, or at they, for lack of better terms, just like us?

While some of those planets don't exactly seem threatening, Earth's nearest neighbours are showing some alarming signs. Having already conquered their own world, the appearance of Earth on their radar has given them a juicy new target for conquest, and they have a devious plan to make it all happen. Severely outmatched, but perhaps not outwitted, Noah and Ashley rise up to defend their planet, hoping to unravel the mystery at the centre of it all before it's too late.

Feet Anchored in Reality in Portals

If you've been reading the genre for a while now, then you'll know that science-fiction books come in many shapes and sizes, appealing to different tastes based on the approach their authors take. While some people understandably simply read novels for entertainment, others are looking for something a little more substantial and educative, which, in my opinion, is the category Portals by Douglas E. Richards falls into.

It's a hard science-fiction book, and the author's insistence on discussing our current knowledge in the realms of physics and astronomy is more than enough to earn that classification. Indeed, there are numerous moments throughout the book where the action and thrills (more on this aspect later on) take a back-seat in favour of exploring the realistic side of the equation.

There is one aspect to this book which I think might divide readers a fair bit, and it's the author's insistence on explaining the existence of the titular portals, to craft theories explaining them in a believable manner. While I can see how some would find the action pointless, especially in a fiction book, I rather enjoyed the various theories he came up with, if only for the intellectual exercise they provide.

While he does spend a bit too much time focusing on the scientific aspects in some spots, on the whole, I think the author succeeded in erecting a down-to-Earth foundation on which to build his story. He defines the rules of the game quite clearly, adeptly avoiding the one pitfall I despise in science-fiction stories: a set of internal laws (or lack thereof) allowing pretty much anything to happen. Not everything is possible in Portals, giving the author little chance of pulling some Deus ex machina out of nowhere.

While this deeper foray into the scientific principles governing the universe of Portals does leave less room for developing the plot and moving it forward, it doesn't mean the story is boring by any stretch of the imagination. Richards has an excellent understanding of pacing, and how to use it in order to make the book entertaining as a whole until the very end.

Technological Downfall

One of the main themes which I see persisting throughout Portals is just how over-reliant human beings have become on technology, and how pushing the boundaries of what it can do promises to spell doom or us all. With great discoveries the potential for both immense good and destruction is born, and needless to say, I think we all know which of the two humans are prone to fulfill.

Through Portals, Douglas E. Richards takes the opportunity to examine humanity from a different and unique enough angle: an alternate mirroring of our civilization. While I think we all know just how cruel and wantonly calamitous human beings can be as whole, seeing it from the other side serves as a stern reminder that hopefully we will never meet a technologically-inferior civilization to ours.

Richards does take the opportunity to rant about the modern world time and time again, and while his arguments are certainly well thought-out and difficult to disagree with, I personally thought they took a little too much space, especially for a novel with so much ground to cover. However, you might certainly disagree with me, and on the whole I wouldn't say it ruined my enjoyment of the book.

As for the actual adventure of the book, Noah and Ashley have their work cut out for them, having to solve both the mystery of the portals and those behind them, as well as the devious plan our neighbouring humans are putting into motion. Watching them race against time from one discovery to the next is, more often than not, pulse-pounding and captivating, and that's without even mentioning the surprising number of action scenes the author managed to cram into the story.

I was happy to see that the further I got into the book, the more the author began to prioritize the main plot, and while the path to its resolution is fairly winding and a little complex at certain junctions, it does end in truly satisfying and memorable fashion. It wraps up all the necessary plot threads, and leaves you with enough food for thought until you dig into a new book.

The Final Verdict

Portals by Douglas E. Richards is an excellent hard science-fiction story where the author successfully builds a unique and mysterious plot on a solid and realistic scientific foundation, complete with thought-provoking social commentary, even if it does drag on a tad at times.

If you're a fan of Douglas E. Richards' style and other works, or are simply searching for the sort of hard sci-fi story which also doubles as a galactic mystery thriller, then I don't think you could go wrong with this book.

Douglas E. Richards

Personal site

Douglas E. Richards is an American writer focusing primarily on the field of science-fiction, as well as dabbling in literature for children and young adults from time to time. Some of his more acclaimed works include WIRED and AMPED of the Wired Series, The Cure, Oracle and Unidentified.

“The Bullet That Missed” by Richard Osman – Decade-Old Phantoms

noreply@blogger.com (David ben Efraim) — Fri, 07 Oct 2022 13:36:00 +0000

Short Summary

Richard Osman has a real knack for plotting unusual story lines in his Thursday Murder Club Mystery series, and in the third book, titled The Bullet That Missed, things don't get much more unusual than this. The club sees a decade-old cold case risen from its slumber, leading them on an investigation involving a local news legend and a murder without a body, all while being stalked and hunted by a mysterious foe.

Richard Osman Warms up a Cold Case

Solved mysteries might bring us closure and contentment, but in my opinion, unsolved cold cases are infinitely more gripping to examine. With only incomplete information at our disposal and a mystery with no answers, we're perfectly set to make use of our deductive powers in a large sphere of possibilities. Potentially it can lead us to some wondrous places, and who knows, perhaps even the solution, as is the case for the Thursday Murder Club in The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman.

The third entry in the Thursday Murder Club Mystery series, like the second one, very much works as a standalone novel and doesn't require any previous knowledge to be enjoyed. While I do personally recommend you take the time to check out the previous chapters if you haven't (as well as the author's other works), it's completely up to you.

Resting up after their last outing, the members of the Thursday Murder Club (just a reminder, they live in a retirement community) are gathering once again, prepared for another stimulating meeting. Though they've had their share of unexpected adventures recently, nothing seems to indicate this Thursday will have anything remarkable in store for them.

While looking at cases they could potentially solve, they stumble upon the curious fate of a talented journalist who, ten years ago, allegedly drove her car off a cliff and thus committed suicide. Her body was never recovered, and the money laundering story she was preparing never saw the light of day. As they begin to chase down small clues, the cold case stars glowing hot once again.

Elizabeth is visited by a Swede seemingly intent on ruining her life, forcing her to grapple with her conscience and the precarious situations he puts her in. The club is certain this man is somehow related to the case they've just dug up, but can they really hope to solve anything before the murderer strikes once more? After all, they have avoided capture for over ten years.

The Depth of Retirees in The Bullet That Missed

Death is one of those primordial topic we've managed to approach from every angle known to us, from fear and reverence to comedy and nonchalance. It's something none of us can help but think about from time to time, but few are in a better place to comment on it than those nearing the end of their rope... especially those among them leading murder investigations.

The theme of death is fairly prevalent through this book, whether we're examining the murder which took place years ago, or looking at the lives of our protagonists, members of the Thursday Murder Club. None of them are spring chicken anymore, and they're in the process of realizing (some much faster than others) they have a very limited time left on Earth.

Richard Osman could have tackled this topic in any way he wished in The Bullet That Missed, but naturally, he chose to examine it with a welcome dose of humour, but never so much that it detracts from the weight of the concept. Tragic and comedic moments balance each other out over the course of the story, and even the more depressing passages are always followed by rays of hope.

Through the characters of the club and their relation towards their own deterioration, we get to learn quite a bit more about them, building upon what we've already seen in the previous books. This is perhaps the only part of the book where reading the previous novels would lead one to have a greater appreciation for the information they're being given.

Despite the comedic overtones colouring the majority of the plot, the sensitivity displayed by our protagonists gives this story an appreciable depth, sending not the message that life ought to be all fun and games, but rather, it ought to be enjoyed in spite of the darkness closing in on all of us, a darkness we must learn to accept and live with.

Seniors on the Hunt

No matter which way you cut it, solving a murder mystery is a full-time job and perhaps even more demanding, so who better for the task than a group of retired septuagenarians, with all the time in the day to spare? Realistically, probably a lot of people, but in the world of The Bullet That Missed, the Thursday Murder Club is best-suited for the complex task at hand.

If I was to compare this novel to the previous ones, I would be tempted to say that Richard Osman has been learning along the way, and this time around the mystery feels a little tighter, more hermetic than previously. However, don't let that statement fool you: it has a lot of winding paths, twists, turns, and players to keep up with.

As a matter of fact, it felt to me as if there were a few too many people for me to keep my eyes on, especially since most of the cast beyond the main characters isn't all that fleshed out. Plenty of minor characters fulfill their roles perfectly, but I felt like the novel could have benefited from a smaller circle of players. With this being said, it wasn't a major problem, especially since you could often tell within a few seconds if a person was meant to be on the good or bad side.

The core of the mystery itself, that is to say, the reporter who supposedly died ten years ago and whose body was never recovered, is solid and works in the story's favour from start to finish. Richard Osman plays up the mystery the way he masterfully knows how, and by the end of it I could hardly wait to see how all the threads would tie together and be resolved. In my opinion, any good detective story should be able to string its readers along in this vein.

Another factor separating this book from its peers is the observational comedy we're treated to along the way, and of course, the author's prose, perfect for delivering it. The humour is clever and often hits the reader unexpectedly, not to mention it has that vaunted quality of sometimes making you think. It's the perfect cherry on top to the rest of the book.

The Final Verdict

The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman is an excellent third entry in the Thursday Murder Club Mystery series, offering a perfect mixture of thought-provoking humour and captivating characters with interesting thoughts trying to unravel a complex and fascinating case.

If you are a fan of Richard Osman's previous works, or are in search for a more heartwarming type of murder mystery book, then I believe you'll definitely what this novel (and the series in general) has to offer.

Richard Osman

Richard Osman is an English comedian, producer, television presenter, and most importantly, a novelist. His career as an author began in 2012 with the publication of The 100 Most Pointless Things in the World, and has recently continued with the release of The Thursday Murder Club and The Man Who Died Twice, both part of A Thursday Murder Club Mystery series.

“Dreamland” by Nicholas Sparks – The Connections of Love

noreply@blogger.com (David ben Efraim) — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 14:37:00 +0000

Short Summary

Nicholas Sparks is the kind of author one turns to when they're in need of having their literary palette cleansed, so-to-speak. Generally writing stories of a more uplifting nature, Sparks has recently published another poignant novel, titled Dreamland.

It follows the separate adventures of a young couple experiencing first love, and that of a mother desperately trying to care for her son. Though hundreds of miles separate them, they're drawn on a collision course, promising to change their lives forever.

Nicholas Sparks Chases After Ambitions

Dreams (as in ambitions, not the thing your brain inexplicably does at night) are something we've been taught to have and chase after since we were old enough to learn basic language. Unfortunately, reality doesn't always match up with our wishes for the future, but I'd like to think most of us keep our dreams in sight, and as is the case in Nicholas Sparks' Dreamland, chase after them when the opportunity presents itself.

The novel begins by introducing us to Colby Mills, once a musical prodigy with a bright future ahead of him. Now, his aspirations have been largely reduced to dust by an unfortunate accident, leading him away from the world of music to take his place as the head of a small farm in North Carolina. One day, he takes a side gig to play at a bar on the beach in Florida, irrevocably changing his life.

Soon after, he makes the acquaintance of Morgan Lee, daughter of affluent doctors in Chicago, herself a graduate from a prestigious musical college and with massive ambitions in mind. She's dead set on moving to Nashville and becoming not just a musician, but an actual star. She and Colby believe they are each other's missing halves, and head out on a turbulent and revealing journey as they try and manage their first true love.

Meanwhile, halfway across the country, Beverly is living an entirely different life altogether. Escaped from an abusive husband, she's trying to build a calm and quiet life for herself and her six-year-old son, way off the beaten path where she can't be easily found. Unfortunately, money is running out quickly, danger seems to lurk around every corner, and desperation ultimately pushes her to make choices bound to shatter her preconceived notions about life.

Even though they are separated by hundreds of miles and have no clue of each other's existence, Colby and Morgan are bound to a collision course with Beverly and her son. Over the course of a single week, they will all experience the various trials love can bring with it, and ultimately form with each other the types of connections capable of changing lives.

Two Viewpoints on Love in Dreamland

I suppose one of the first thing I ought to mention about this story is the fact that it's told through two first-person narratives, the first one following Colby, the second one Beverly. For the most part, they remain entirely separate from each other, right until the latter parts of the book where they begin to converge with each other.

Until then, we're treated to two stories in Dreamland which aim to explore two different types of love, and the ways in which they can serve as a powerful drive to the decisions we make. On one hand, Colby's story is reminiscent of the naivety many of us have doubtlessly experienced in our younger days, and we can't help but wonder how he'll react when the going gets inevitably rough.

Personally, I found Colby's plot to be the less engaging of the two, but don't let this fool you into thinking it has to nothing offer. On the contrary, it provides a heartwarming experience essentially guaranteed to put a smile on your face, and in a world where shock value and primal instincts seem to be at the forefront of everything, it makes for a very welcome change of pace.

Beverly's story, in my opinion, was the more interesting of the two, for a few reasons. To begin with, there were true dangers for her to beware of, from running low on money and being unable to care for Tommy, her son, to her husband finding her and making her pay for running out on him. In other words, there is a constant sense of urgency which makes her part of the book somewhat more captivating.

Additionally, the type of love Nicholas Sparks explores through Beverly's point of view is deeper and more complex than the overt romance experienced by Colby and Morgan. We get to see just how powerful a mother's love for her son can be, and how it can fuel a regular woman to push beyond boundaries and limits she believed unbreakable.

The Bumpiest Ride

If you're already familiar with Nicholas Sparks and the style he is known for, then rest assured the same vague principles are followed in Dreamland as well. That is to say, it's the kind of story with the rare ability to make the reader actually feel good and fulfilled on the inside, hopeful for the future ahead, whatever it might be.

However, he never forgets that he is, in fact, writing a piece of entertainment, and a perfectly smooth ride from start to finish is hardly captivating. There are plenty of bumps along the way for our characters to face, and even though the fate of the world doesn't hang in the balance or anything of the sort, I still couldn't help but feel worried as to what destiny ultimately awaited them.

Though you probably wouldn't think it possible, but there are actually quite a few excellent plot twists which seemingly jump at you from out of nowhere. While there are a couple of moments where I think Sparks hopes we will suspend our disbelief, for the most part the turns we make are all believable, even if totally unexpected.

Knowing that the two stories are going not only intersect, but actually connect down the line also turns the reader into a bit of a sleuth... or at least, this was how I felt. I just couldn't help but try and divine the various ways in which Colby, Morgan and Beverly could see their paths cross, and what the ultimate result would be. As a result, it felt like the story was told at a fairly fast pace, something unusual for a work of literature and fiction from Nicholas Sparks.

Ultimately, despite the various dangers, both external and internal, besetting our characters, they all make it to one of the more satisfying finales I've had the pleasure of reading recently. No supreme and unexpected tragedy befalls our protagonists, no cliffhangers to contend with... just a good old conclusion bringing all the plot lines to their logical conclusions.

The Final Verdict

Dreamland by Nicholas Sparks is an absolutely breathtaking literature and fiction novel with some heavy romance elements, exploring the concept of love as seen through numerous viewpoints while telling two distinct stories piloted by memorable and truly lovable characters.

If you're a Nicholas Sparks fan, or are looking for a lighter, heartwarming kind of novel about the softer side of human nature, then I strongly suggest you give this novel a chance.

Nicholas Sparks

Personal site

Nicholas Sparks is an American screenwriter, producer, and book writer who, to date, has published seventeen novels as well as a non-fiction work. Eight of his novels were made into major films, the more popular ones including The Notebook and A Walk to Remember.

“MEG” by Steve Alten – Pandora's Trench

noreply@blogger.com (David ben Efraim) — Fri, 02 Sep 2022 13:47:00 +0000

Short Summary

Steve Alten certainly has a fascination with the sea and all the creatures lurking beneath it, at least, if his MEG series is anything to go by. Diving into a horror seldom-explored, the first book, simply titled MEG, introduces us to Dr. Jonas Taylor, obsessed with finding a long-lost remnant of a prehistoric shark species thought extinct. However, his search for the seventy-foot long predator has some truly disastrous and unintended consequences.

Steve Alten Stirs the Monsters of the Depths

As much as we'd like to assume to know everything there is to about the planet we live on, the encouraging truth is we've barely scratched the surface, especially where the ocean is concerned. Most of it hasn't been mapped yet, and there's no telling what discoveries are waiting for us there. In MEG by Steve Alten, they are of a terrifying nature, setting a predator loose upon the world.

The first book in the MEG series begins by introducing us to Dr. Jonas Taylor, a marine paleontologist and former Navy deep-sea submarine pilot. His entire life is now dedicated to a single purpose, one stemming from an encounter he had over seven years ago, seven miles below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, in the Marian Trench.

Though prehistoric animals are long-thought to be extinct, there remains the possibility that some of them have managed to survive in the furthest depths of our oceans, still waiting to be discovered. Dr. Taylor believes he had an encounter with just such an animal. More precisely, he believes there is still a living member of the Carcharodon megalodon species... that is to say, a prehistoric, seventy-foot long shark who subsists on whales.

One day, the opportunity arises for him to visit the Mariana Trench once again, and needless to say, he jumps at it the moment it presents itself. Obsessed with the idea of finding the last Meg, he takes the plunge in the name of science and personal vindication, but as the saying goes, one better be careful what it is they wish for; they just might get it.

When Dr. Taylor finally makes the discovery his whole life had been leading up to, he realizes how grave of a mistake he committed. In a split-second, his scientific expedition turns into a desperate fight for survival, not only for him, but for humanity at large. Because of his actions, the most ferocious predator in the planet's history is now roaming the oceans again, and there's no telling what it will take to stop it.

The Top Predator in MEG

To begin with, I would like to address how exactly this book ties-in with the movie you've doubtlessly heard about a couple of years ago (if the cover and title seem familiar, now you know why). I'm not going to extensively compare the two, but I would simply like to point out one thing: the movie is light years ahead of the book in terms of how ridiculous it is. Much more grounded in science and down-to-Earth, the book is, in my opinion, so different from the movie that the two essentially exist in different realities.

In any case, to move onward, MEG is a rare breed of horror novels: the shark book. While Jaws is without a doubt the best-known work in this genre, the truth is it has been a little lacking in prolific works in the past few decades. It felt to many like the idea of a shark and the threat it poses could only be taken so far before seeming ridiculous.

Well, Steve Alten sure found a way to take it further, and for all intents and purposes, the megalodon in this novel is basically a giant shark on steroids. Though biological predators don't exactly strike fear in our hearts the way they used to (considering our modern weaponry), the shark in MEG is perhaps the type of creature which can change this.

Seemingly all-powerful and nigh-invulnerable, we watch it take on submersibles, humans, whales, and virtually anything else it can get its jaws on. It makes for an excellent villain for Dr. Jonas Taylor to square of against, one whose weaknesses we're constantly looking for, wondering what sacrifices will be required to finally take it down.

Additionally, the author always finds new and clever ways to make use of the shark, having him do a lot more than just stalking and eating some people. He makes it about as clever as you would expect a predator who successfully evolved for millions of years, and ultimately, it's just entertaining to see the ways in which it could potentially wreak havoc on our world.

The Immense Cost of Knowledge

Rest assured, first and foremost this is a shark horror novel, and the scenes involving it are numerous enough that you'll never feel like you're wasting time reading about something which sidetracks the story. With this being said, this novel does have a lot more to offer, namely its scientific aspect and the colourful cast of characters we become acquainted with.

While Steve Alten doesn't exactly dive into profound scientific discussions filled with jargon and complex equations, he does try to explore the megalodon from a more realistic perspective, one grounded in the actual knowledge we have about the species. He keeps things simple enough to be digestible by readers of all types, and never beats you over the head with anything.

Adding this scientific backdrop very much works in the novel's favour, pulling the threat from imaginary realms and closer to our reality. Even though we are aware of the infinitesimally small chance of it actually witnessing something like this, the idea of it being physically (and even logically) possible is enough to make the atmosphere unsettling.

The characters in MEG are also an integral part of what makes the novel work, and most important among them is our protagonist, Dr. Jonas Taylor. He's a man of complexity and over the course of the story we get rather well-acquainted with his past, and most importantly, the obsession which drives him forward.

Through Dr. Taylor, we get to witness the concept of how our search for knowledge can quite easily turn disastrous, due to our very simple and human flaw of having tunnel vision. Even the most well-intentioned scientific endeavours could have unimaginable consequences, but I suppose it might be a little too late to teach us this lesson, we who now have the power to end our own history.

The Final Verdict

MEG by Steve Alten is a solid, original, fast-paced and even thought-provoking shark horror novel. It has plenty of action to spare, engaging characters to follow, and perhaps one of the best predatory-type villains in recent memory.

If you're a fan of horror novels focused on the deep sea and like the idea of following a giant shark as it roams and stalks our oceans, then this is without a doubt the right book for you.

Steve Alten

Personal site

Steve Alten is an American author primarily specializing in science-fiction and horror literature. By far his best-known works are those belonging to the MEG series, centered on the survival of a single giant, prehistoric shark called a megalodon. MEG and The Trench mark the first two entries in the series. He also has some standalone works to his name, including Goliath, The Shell Game, The Omega Project and Undisclosed.

“Hell Divers IV: Wolves” by Nicholas Sansbury Smith – Waters of the Apocalypse

noreply@blogger.com (David ben Efraim) — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 13:01:00 +0000

Short Summary

Nicholas Sansbury Smith has created a unique and special world with The Hell Divers series, putting the readers in the midst of a fantastic apocalypse wrought with dangers of all sorts. In the fourth book in the series, titled Hell Divers IV: Wolves, we follow the titular divers as they mount an expedition at sea in search of the legendary Metal Islands.

Nicholas Sansbury Smith Inches Closer to the Truth

By definition, the apocalypse implies the end of all living beings, but in literature, it only tends to mark the beginning of the survivors' meaningful journey. In The Hell Divers series, Nicholas Sansbury Smith used the end of the world as the perfect launching pad for his epic science-fiction story, and in the fourth book, titled Hell Divers IV: Wolves, the journey continues as more revelations come to light.

Technically-speaking, it is possible to read each book in this series as a standalone work, largely due to the fact they all have an episodic quality to them. While there is an overarching story to speak of, each novel sets our heroes on the rails of a new adventure, one that can be appreciated without having read the previous book. Nevertheless, I do recommend you start from the beginning, because there are definitely a few moments where knowledge of prior events and familiarity with various characters is more or less expected.

In any case, the adventure continues pretty much where we left off last time, with the legendary Hell Diver Xavier Rodriguez finally rescued by his fellow teammates. He has survived on his lonesome for over a decade on the surface, and with him back at the helm of his team, he prepares to helm a dangerous expedition out at sea. His goal is simple: to find the fabled Metal Islands.

Needless to say, there is no less danger in the water than on land, perhaps even more so. From cannibalistic giant mosquitoes and tentacled sea monsters to surrealistically powerful storms, the tiny crew has their work cut out for them, especially since they only have a rough idea of where they're supposed to be headed.

As is always the case, the monstrosities found on the Earth's surface aren't the only danger the hell divers are made to face. As they plunge deeper on their expedition, they begin to uncover uncomfortable and disturbing truths about humanity's history, and most specifically, about the final war which made the planet uninhabitable.

An Adventure at Sea in Hell Divers IV: Wolves

With the entire Earth being Nicholas Sansbury Smith's playing field in The Hell Divers series, I think it was only a matter of time before the action would take us into the sea. After all, on top of being a story about humanity's last and desperate efforts to survive aboard ships floating miles up in the air, it's also an imaginary excursion through a planet so thoroughly transformed by Man's destructive ambitions that it has become unrecognizable.

In other words, one of the main appeals of this series, for me at least, is seeing what's hiding around the next corner, to be unexpectedly surprised by an Earth which might as well be an alien planet at this stage. While it's not the entire book which takes place in open waters, it's the aspect which most retained my attention.

The crew we're headed on our ambitious expedition with leaves a lot to be desired, being composed of merely Xavier, his hybrid Siberian Husky named Miles, Timothy Pepper the Artificial Intelligence, and Magnolia Katib, a Hell Diver who decided to join in for the sake of humanity. The four of them are about as much of an underdog group as you could have, and the author does an especially remarkable job at depicting the calmer moments of their voyage.

There is plenty of attention to detail in Hell Divers IV: Wolves as we're shown the day-to-day activities the crew has to perform in order to survive, navigate, and circumvent potential dangers before they show up. While certain people might find the scenes where Magnolia measures the radiation in the air or the levels of mercury in the rain to be a little dull, but I personally found they were fascinating world-building details which made the world feel a lot more real.

The idea that at anything could spring up from the water at any moment is perfectly played, slowly building a tension which explodes at just the right moment. I don't think I'll be spoiling much if I say there's also a giant kraken monster chasing after them, making for as memorable of an antagonist as anyone we've met over the course of the series.

A Future in Ruins

While Xavier and his rag-tag seafaring crew are going on their Jules Vernes-style adventure to find the fabled radiation-free Metal Islands, miles above them, up in the air, the remnants of humanity are still struggling hard to secure not even their future, but their immediate survival. With the ships falling apart, repair components running out, and food reserves running low, the new captain of the Hive, Katrina, has her work cut out for her.

The story jumps back and forth between Earth's surface and the airships, allowing us to take more than a few welcome breaks from the action down below with the political games played up above. As always, the greatest threats to humanity tend to come from within, and Katrina is forced to make some extremely difficult decisions to protect those who depend on her.

Despite mankind's best efforts to keep afloat in Hell Divers IV: Wolves, we get the sense that humanity's future is nothing if not ruined, their last days being numbered no matter what efforts they make. Things have only seemingly gone from bad to worse since the start of the series, despite the few successful actions by certain characters here and there.

It is true that this creates a rather bleak tone which won't be everyone's cup of tea, but personally, I think it's the perfect choice for the sort of story Nicholas Sansbury Smith wants to tell... a story of success against quite literally all possible odds. It highlights humanity's perseverance and resilience, ultimately being more inspiring than anything else.

Additionally, the plot surrounding humanity's murky past and the war which led to the catastrophic state of the planet is developed further, adding yet another layer of intrigue to the series. The revelations are far and few in-between, but they are truly meaningful and impactful, setting the stage for something rather dramatic in the next books. It does end on a cliffhanger, but I suppose it's to be expected for a series of this nature.

The Final Verdict

Hell Divers IV: Wolves by Nicholas Sansbury Smith is an excellent way to move the series forward, taking us into a new environment on an adventurous and action-packed expedition, while still developing the characters and their various stories, whether they be on the planet's surface or up in the airships.

If you've enjoyed what The Hell Divers books have had to offer thus far, then I can guarantee that you'll love what has, for the moment, been one of the best entries in the entire series.

Nicholas Sansbury Smith

“12th of Never” by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro – A Nightmare All too Real

noreply@blogger.com (David ben Efraim) — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 13:31:00 +0000

Short Summary

James Patterson and Maxine Paetro have made an excellent writing pair, enduring the test of time with the Women's Murder Club series, and still going strong to this day. Few have managed to produce with their consistency, and in the twelfth book of the series, titled 12th of Never, we are thrust into yet another thrilling affair as Lindsay Boxer is tasked with solving two murders. One involves a start football player, and the other, much more intricate, was seemingly predicted by a professor's vivid nightmares.

James Patterson and Maxine Paetro Embark on a Prophetic Mystery

Peering into the past is simple enough with the right tools, but it's looking into the future which has always jogged humanity's imagination more than anything else. It takes nary a second to imagine the power of the knowledge one might glimpse from a vision of the future, especially when it comes to ridding the world of crime. While perhaps it is best for this power to stay out of human hands, in 12th of Never by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, Detective Lindsay Boxer seems to have met a man who can do just such a thing.

The twelfth book in the Women's Murder Club series begins with the most important event in Lindsay's life so far: the birth of her beautiful baby. Naturally, the Powers That Be ruled fit to give her no more than a week's rest before forcing her to take the plunge back into her sordid work, tackling the two biggest cases of her career so far.

To begin with, there's a star football player on a meteoric rise at the centre of a grisly murder. He's the prime suspect, but Lindsay knows there's a whole lot hiding beneath the surface on this one and must race against the clock to find the real killer. The prosecution is intent of making a show out of it and aren't about to give her the chance to throw a spanner in their works.

In addition to this, she's also drawn to the strangest occurrence she has had the displeasure of witnessing: a professor claiming to have vivid nightmares predicted a real-life murder down to the smallest details. She was never one to believe in fortune-telling, but now has no choice but to admit the case is very much worthy of her attention.

Meanwhile, her friends at the Murder Club are facing some difficulties of their own. Yuki is running a case involving a disgraced attorney, Keith Herman, as he is being prosecuted for the murder of his wife. On her end, Claire is being demoted from her position following the baffling disappearance of a body from her morgue, a case she must resolve at the speed of light if she is to stop her career from derailing.

Balancing Murder and Home Life in 12th of Never

The investigators and detectives gracing the pages of our favourite mystery novels and series largely have one thing in common: they are obsessed with their work above anything else. Sure, they might have glimpses of a personal life here and there, but it often tends to take a back-seat for the sake of the story and the reader's entertainment.

James Patterson and Maxine Paetro are certainly bucking the trend with Lindsay Boxer, putting her personal life on the same level as her professional one. Consequently, it feels like a considerable aspect of her story is her ability (or at times inability) to keep a steady balance between chasing down criminals and being a good mother.

On more than one occasion in the 12th of Never we get to witness the psychological impact of Lindsay's career on her home life, most notably her relationship with her husband. It's not something new to the series by any means, but I felt like this time around her state of mind was given a lot more attention, especially due to the sickness which befalls her newborn child and forces her to consider the most dreadful of possibilities.

This approach to Lindsay's portrayal humanizes her a great deal, and I feel like her fears and failures make her ever-more relatable than her successful conquests. We can fear for her well-being and her safety, not just her ultimate fate. Even though I logically knew she'd be back in future installments, I couldn't help but dread the moments when she suffered.

Though you can read each book in the series as a standalone, this is one reason to at the very least check out the previous novel: to get acquainted with the main character and glimpse some understanding of her life. Who she is is just as important as what she does, and the stronger your link with her, the better you'll be able to appreciate the story.

The Zoo of Tireless Psychopaths

On the other side of the hill from Lindsay Boxer's personal life, we have all the cases she and her friends are working on, at the same time. As you might have expected if you're already acquainted with the series, the developments come rather quickly without giving the reader much pause to process or think about anything. In this sense, it's very much structured like a thriller.

Our attention is constantly diverted from one case to the next, jumping from a prophesied murder, to a sick baby, the murder of a woman, a missing dead body, and the high-profile arrest of a football player. If you're the type of reader who gets bored to death by long descriptive paragraphs, let me assure you there's none of that here; the action just keeps on rolling and rolling.

Taken individually, I can't say any of the cases in 12th of Never have anything groundbreaking to offer, but they are solid and engaging from start to finish, and though there are a couple of plot holes, it wasn't anything major enough to spoil my fun. If I'm being perfectly honest, I think the book would have been better-served by having fewer plot lines, allowing the James Patterson and Maxine Paetro to focus more on the ones which really catch our attention.

The murder predicted by the eccentric English professor did take the centre stage in my opinion, and while it's resolution didn't entirely live up to the mystery drummed up by the premise, it was nevertheless concluded in a satisfying manner, as were all the plots for that matter. I was only saddened to see it didn't take up as much space in the novel as I would have personally hoped.

If there was one other thing I could change about the novel, I would have made Yuki's case a little less prominent in the overall scheme of things. While interesting in its own right, I would have preferred the attention focused elsewhere, but that's just me. If courtroom dramas are your favourite aspect about the Women's Murder Club novels, then you'll probably hold an opinion contrary to mine.

The Final Verdict

12th of Never by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro is, despite its few faults, an excellent murder mystery and legal thriller, this time placing a greater emphasis on Lindsay's personal life while still delivering an exciting plot woven from a bunch of different threads.

If you've enjoyed what the series has had to offer so far, or are perhaps looking to see what it is the series has to offer, then I would wholeheartedly recommend you give this novel a try.

James B. Patterson

Maxine Paetro

“Hell Divers III: Deliverance” by Nicholas Sansbury Smith – The Last Lifeboat

noreply@blogger.com (David ben Efraim) — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 14:22:00 +0000

Short Summary

Nicholas Sansbury Smith has created a uniquely infernal post-apocalyptic landscape in The Hell Divers series, one he has been developing intricately with each installment. In the third book of the series, Hell Divers III: Deliverance, we follow the exiled divers from the previous book on their search for a long-lost hero, Xavier “X” Rodriguez, all while being hunted down by Captain Jordan, leader of humanity's remnants.

Nicholas Sansbury Smith Hunts for the Exiles

Whenever a post-apocalyptic scenario is explored, sooner or later, virtually every story comes to the same inevitable conclusion: the greatest danger to people is they themselves. In Hell Divers III: Deliverance, Nicholas Sansbury Smith makes this fated turn and continues the series as the exiled Hell Divers barely escape with their lives, and thus give humanity one last hope for survival.

In my review of the previous book, I mentioned that one didn't need to have read the first chapter of The Hell Divers series to understand the second one, due to the events being separated by many years and following a different group of characters. This time around, I'd highly recommend you at least read Hell Divers II if you haven't, for this one picks up pretty much where it left off.

After surviving being left for dead on the surface of the planet, the Hell Divers manage to find a new airship called Deliverance, a shining ray of hope for their future prospects. Additionally, they learn a long-lost hero, Xavier “X” Rodriguez, might actually still be alive and somewhere out there, leading them to mounting a daring rescue mission to bring the man back into the fold.

Their plans, however, are bound to suffer from some hefty complications, for up there in the skies, Captain Jordan hasn't forgotten about them. Commander of The Hive, a massive airship housing humanity's remnants, he is faced with some critical decision-making, and vows to keep the ship up and running, whatever the cost. It's falling apart fairly rapidly, and they simply lack the resources to make the necessary repairs... all seems lost for him until he gets wind of the Hell Divers' discovery.

With his sights set on their new airship, Captain Jordan decides murder is a small price to pay to ensure humanity's survival, and launches a hunt after the Divers, turning into a regular old bandit in the process. Unfortunately for him, not only have the Divers have proven themselves to be immensely resourceful and difficult to put down, but they are actually on the verge of making a discovery which might just change everything.

Deposing the Tyrant of Humanity in Hell Divers III

On the surface, The Hell Divers series seems like one of those action-packed science-fiction stories with elements of horror mixed in, with little time dedicated to anything but the progress of the plot. While I won't deny the novels so far have had a tangible page-turning quality to them, there is still more this series than initially meets the eye, and one of the elements which stood out to me was Nicholas Sansbury Smith's treatment of Captain Jordan and his world.

On one hand, he is enforcing a nigh-tyrannical rule aboard the Hive, doing away without so much as a thought with any opposition to his views, essentially prohibiting any sort of dissent against his word which, evidently, has become the Law. The iron-fisted regime and the ruthless way he runs certainly qualify him as a villain we can quickly judge and hate.

On the other hand, the author allows us to glimpse beneath the surface of his character, and throughout both Hell Divers II and Hell Divers III we learn more about his way of seeing things, and most importantly, his motivations for making the decisions he does. In short, he is an innately good man corrupted by the power trusted to him, and broken by the unbearable enormity of the burden his shoulders are made to bear.

The society he commands aboard the Hive, described in vivid and fascinating detail, also helps to characterize Captain Jordan further, showing what exactly he has managed to achieve, and what it is he's really fighting for. In the end, rather than making him into a towering monolith of pure evil (something he could have easily done), Nicholas Sansbury Smith elected to make him much more interesting... that is to say, human.

In my opinion, having this type of nuanced villain at the centre of the story goes a long way towards elevating this book from the rank of cheap thrillers into something much more substantial, a work which explores certain aspects of human nature. While ultimately I was yearning for the moment where he gets what's coming to him, I couldn't help but have a dual relation to the man, worthy of pity and hatred in equal measures.

Nomad of the Wastelands

As fascinating as Captain Jordan and his airship might be, let's not forget the book is, after all, titled Hell Divers III, and a such, the titular Hell Divers to take up the majority of our time. Though when we first met them they might have appeared as soulless soldiers, over the course of the series their individuality has really leaked through the pages, slowly raising them to the status of main characters.

Their search for Xavier is an excellent motivation to send them off on their perilous journey across the wastelands of our unrecognizable planet, finally realizing the promise of bringing into the story a character which, in certain respects, has attained something of a mythical proportion in this universe. The questions surrounding this man only get bigger by the second, and the promise of answers is a hook like none other.

Naturally, on their search for this nomad who has, supposedly, lived on the surface for more than ten years now (with the help of his canine companion, as they're going to find out), they come face-to-face with a number of hostile creatures and monstrosities preying for their flesh. Once again, their concepts and descriptions by Nicholas Sansbury Smith are vivid and memorable, their images imprinting themselves on the brain for a long time to come.

Rest assured, there is a fair bit of fast-paced action, tables turning, plot twists, and basically every other ingredient which makes a story exciting. Delivered in a concise and relatively simple prose, the plot seamlessly flows from one page to the next with no bumps or hitches, making it quite easy to finish it in only a sitting or two.

Additionally, looking at the series from a big-picture standpoint, the introduction of Xavier into the plot as an actual character does lead us to obtaining answers to a good number of questions which were left unresolved in the previous books, filling in a good number of blanks, but naturally, not all of them. This reassures me the author has one cohesive idea for the series as a whole, and doesn't simply churn out ideas to meet deadlines.

The Final Verdict

Hell Divers III: Deliverance by Nicholas Sansbury Smith is a fantastic way to continue The Hell Divers series, moving the action-packed plot forward quite significantly with the introduction of a long-awaited character, the impending fall of humanity's final lifeboat, culminating in a pulse-pounding face-off between the Divers and the deeply-characterized Captain Jordan.

If you're a fan of the series and liked what the previous book had to offer, then I'd say adding this one to your collection is a bit of a no-brainer.

Nicholas Sansbury Smith

“Mastermind” by Andrew Mayne – The Impossible Illusion

noreply@blogger.com (David ben Efraim) — Wed, 08 Jun 2022 16:09:00 +0000

Short Summary

Andrew Mayne has given quite enough time to Theo Cray and Jessica Blackwood in their own separate series, finally uniting them together in the first novel marking their new adventures together, titled Mastermind. In this story, they team up together to take on a sinister criminal known as the Warlock, seemingly capable of erasing entire cities from the face of the Earth.

Andrew Mayne Steals the Cities of the World

The concept of magic is something most of us grow out of given enough disillusionment, but the idea it might be possible never really loses its appeal; I think most of us would at least be fascinated if it was proven to exist. In Andrew Mayne's Mastermind, the first novel in the Theo Cray and Jessica Blackwood series, citizens of the entire world are about to find out just how impactful and real it can turn out to be.

Our story begins when a sudden and mysterious electrical storm hits Manhattan, plunging the entire city into darkness, chaos and despair. However, the people haven't even had the time to properly panic yet, when a strange fog rolls over the town, seeping into every nook and cranny until nothing is left. Just like that, the island seemingly vanishes into the void.

While there are naturally those who are quick to blame supernatural and mystical elements for such an event, Jessica Blackwood and Dr. Theo Cray think they know better. As a matter of fact, they believe it all to be a hoax, somehow perpetrated by an infamous serial killer and cultist known only as the Warlock, recently escaped during a prison transfer.

Known as the master of manipulation and the creator of magnificent illusions, he promised the End of Days to the entirety of mankind, and he's making good on his promise. Soon after Manhattan, many other cities around the globe and faced with the same scenario, disappearing one by one from the face of the Earth, leaving seemingly nothing behind.

Regardless of how brilliant Cray and Blackwood might be, they are still many steps behind the Warlock, and the clock is ticking against them for he has no intention of stopping. On the contrary, he's only planning to escalate things further, with his endgame being so terrible it has the potential to change the world as everyone knows it.

The Domineering Super-Villain of Mastermind

Good villains, in my opinion, are becoming increasingly difficult to write due to how cliche they have become in the past decades. This led to a rise of morally-ambiguous antagonists which, to this day, seem like they've gained a solid foothold in modern literature. Nevertheless, there are authors such as Andrew Mayne who still very much have a talent for writing all-out villains, and in my opinion he put it on display in his portrayal of the Warlock.

Now, before moving on, I should mention that both of the main characters in this novel have their own individual series with a few books each, and they've already crossed paths with the villain to a certain extent. I haven't read the books myself, so I can't say how much former knowledge of the character would impact your perception of him here, but what I can say is that you certainly don't need to read those previous chapters to appreciate Mastermind.

Andrew Mayne succeeds in creating the sort of villain many authors dream of conjuring for their own stories, a seemingly normal human being made of flesh and blood who, nevertheless, seems dotted with otherworldly characteristics. Everywhere and nowhere at once, his presence is constantly felt throughout the scenes and even if we do know it's all an illusion, it becomes tempting to think of the man as someone who glimpsed some secrets from the beyond.

While morally-grey characters do have their place in literature, for once I was glad to have been able to set this aspect aside and simply focus on the domineering and ever-inflating presence of someone I both loathed and admired at the same time. There is something comforting about knowing with exactitude who the good and bad guys are.

The Warlock's powers as a villain make him a worthy target for our book-long chase, an actually worthy enemy who can math the brilliance of our protagonists. While we do know that a happy ending is in very likely in store for us, one can't help but shake the feeling throughout the book there is absolutely no way our heroes can gain the upper hand, and ultimately, this is what makes a villain truly oppressive.

Chasing After Grand Illusions

As much as our great villain might be permeating every scene with his devilish abilities, the plot does have us mostly following Theo and Jessica, each narrating their own chapters from their points of view. In other words, we spend all of our time inside their minds, and the constant switching between their perspectives helps to keep the plot moving, even though things do slow down around the halfway point of the journey.

This would perhaps be my only gripe with Mastermind: the unnecessary attention to details and descriptions which, ultimately, don't contribute to the story, even if they do add a little to the world-building. With such a big crisis looming on the horizon, it feels counter-intuitive to stop and smell the roses, but Andrew Mayne chooses to do so anyways, which might not be everyone's cup of tea.

Apart from this one little hitch though, I found the chase after the Warlock to have been a thrilling ride during which I got to witness a battle of intelligence rather than brawn. Just as the public is dying to know how a magician accomplishes their feats, so was I eager to learn how the Warlock managed the complex illusions he unleashed upon the world.

Andrew Mayne makes his own experience as a magician and illusionist quite apparent, taking us into the gritty details of acts I'm certain he must have thought through a million times. Actually, I have a sneaking suspicion Mayne uses his literature to explore the kinds of magic performances he simply couldn't do in the real world, either due to their impossible scale and/or criminal nature.

Amidst all of this, the author found time to include some thoughts of a more philosophical nature about the world, our perception of it and the meaning of reality, just to name a few. He doesn't try to make any bold or outlandish statements, but rather simply prompts us to work with our own thoughts and reach our personal conclusions, an approach I've always greatly appreciated and supported.

The Final Verdict

Mastermind by Andrew Mayne is an excellent mixture of science-fiction and thriller elements, and a worthy beginning to the Theo Cray and Jessica Blackwood series. It sends us on a memorable chase rife with illusions against a truly powerful and noteworthy villain alongside two brilliant and well-written protagonists who I'm looking forward to seeing again.

If you're a fan of Andrew Mayne's works, or are just looking for a good science-fiction thriller centred around the theme of magic and illusions, then I believe you'll appreciate this novel for everything it has to offer.

Andrew Mayne

Personal site

Andrew Mayne is an inventor, novelist and magician by trade who distinguished himself there times as a Thriller Award finalist, and once as an Edgar finalist for his novel Black fall. His literary works include Angel Killer and Fire in the Sky in the Jessica Blackwood series, The Naturalist and Murder Theory in the Theo Cray series, and more recently Black Coral and Sea Storm as part of the Underwater Investigation Unit series.

“11th Hour” by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro – Garden of Puzzles

noreply@blogger.com (David ben Efraim) — Fri, 13 May 2022 16:33:00 +0000

Short Summary

James Patterson and Maxine Paetro have established a partnership rarely seen in the realms of literature, having penned together over twenty books in the long-standing Women's Murder Club series. In the eleventh entry, titled 11th Hour, we see Lindsay Boxer and her crew try to solve the mystery of seven buried skulls in a famous actor's garden, all while trying to apprehend a criminal seemingly hell-bent on targeting high-time drug dealers, a streak broken when his weapon was found at the murder scene of a millionaire.

James Patterson and Maxine Paetro Tell a Tale of Skulls and Drug Dealers

Unsavory elements of society are nothing new, and our ways of dealing with them have historically progressed towards placing the responsibility on the shoulders of the police. While we do wish we were allowed to perform certain vindictive actions on various criminals, we know to show restraint, and let the law take its course. In 11th Hour by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, our heroes come face-to-face with a most unexpected suspect possibly taking the law into his own hands: the Chief of Police himself.

With this being the eleventh book in the Women's Murder Club series, you're no doubt wondering whether you'll have to go back to the beginning to make any sense of this episode. Let me assure you, each book works as a standalone, and reading the previous novels is in no way required to enjoy this one, though they do deserve some attention if you enjoy whodunit mysteries.

In any case, the story begins with detective Lindsay Boxer being tasked with investigating the murder of Chaz Smith, a millionaire ruthlessly gunned down with a rather curious weapon. The gun in question is not linked to the murders of four of San Francisco's most infamous drug dealers, but was also stolen from the police department's evidence locker, narrowing the circle of suspects a fair bit.

Boxer and her partner inspector Rich Conklin are called into their lieutenant's office for a conference about the situation, and come to the conclusion they're dealing with a series of revenge killings. Lieutenant Jackson Bradley believes he even knows it was the current Chief of Police and Lindsay's former partner, Warren Jacobi. Needless to say, this isn't the type of suspicion Lindsay Boxer can simply let go, even if it plunges her into deadly waters.

At the same time, Boxer and Conklin are also investigating a second case on the side revolving around the famous actor Harry Chandler. Years ago he was acquitted for the murder of his wife, but recently seven skulls have been unearthed in his garden, begging plenty of reasonable questions, such as their origin and the locations of their matching bodies. With so many questions to answer and so many investigative avenues to follow, Lindsay might just find herself worked completely thin... if not for the help of her trusted friends from the Murder Club.

No Time to Chat at the 11th Hour

I'm certain many of you are already familiar with James Patterson and Maxine Paetro's writing style, at least in the context of this series, but I feel like newcomers need a bit of an introduction on what to expect here. In my opinion, 11th Hour as well as the books before are the perfect exemplifications of what a pure murder mystery thriller is in my mind.

The chapters are all quite short and the authors never dawdle about after the beginning few, not even for a moment. Conversations are snappy and straight to the point, with little time spent on the profound development of characters or thorough descriptions of seemingly inconsequential details. The plot always keeps on moving forward and by the time you manage to digest the last plot twist, a new one appears to take its place.

Down to its very core, this book is structured to be exactly what people refer to as page-turners, even if does come in at around four hundred pages in length. It's quite easy to keep on listing from one quick chapter to the next without seeing the time flying by and be done with it before you can even realize it. If there is any fat left to trim, I certainly haven't found it.

Naturally, the first aspect of a story to suffer from such an approach are the characters, and this is the only time I'll say you'd probably benefit from at least reading the previous installment. Over the course of the series we've gotten to know the main characters and seen their personalities develop bit by bit, and frankly-speaking, I thought this time around they were a bit lacklustre in comparison with what they can usually offer.

Nevertheless, we do get to spend pretty much all of our time with Lindsay, and even a few glimpses into the developments happening in her personal life, most notably her pregnancy. Additionally, the suspects and villains were well-enough crafted to give them a bit of depth, humanizing their motivations and making their actions worthy of thinking about, rather than simply classifying them as “evil”.

Travelling Two Roads at Once

As has become more or less customary for this series, there are two investigations happening at the same time, with one being obviously more impactful than the other. I'll start with the skulls in the actor's garden, largely because it felt like the least important of the two cases, being more of a detour through the countryside of classic whodunit stories.

It's the type of case taking us to the deep past to unearth long-buried secrets, and personally I've always enjoyed these sorts of stories when handled with care. In 11th Hour it wasn't handled absolutely perfectly, with some moments requiring me to suspend my disbelief, but on the whole it felt like a rewarding excursion into the fascinating mischief of others.

There are a few occasions where James Patterson and Maxine Paetro attempt to defy the reader's expectation, and they help keep this part of the book feeling fresh and engaging. On the whole, I wouldn't say there's anything groundbreaking to be found here, but rather, a modern variation on a perfected recipe.

The second investigation, the one surrounding the stolen weapon and the five murders certainly felt like the meat of the story, with the authors' attention being mostly focused on finding ways to move it along. I'm not sure how well they had it planned out, but ultimately it made for a fairly exciting ride as I felt compelled to try and sort through the suspects and reach the conclusion on my own before the protagonists got there.

Now, when any book has two distinct plot lines, juggling between them requires a lot of attention and fine-tuning, so that neither of them disrupts the other one's rhythm, and the one intended to be at the forefront stays there. While there were a few moments of confusion at the start of the book where it felt like the story was simply jumping around a little too much, once things settled down I really enjoyed the pace established by Patterson and Paetro, using each story to give welcome breaks from the other one.

The Final Verdict

11th Hour by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro is an excellent continuation of the Women's Murder Club series, taking us on a fast-paced and wild ride through two cases at once, one feeling like a more traditional whodunit, the other a chase after a serial killer who himself is part of the police force.

If you've liked what the previous books had to offer, or are looking for the kind of murder mystery book you can relax with over the course of a weekend, then I'd say you ought to give this one a shot.

James B. Patterson

Maxine Paetro

“Let's Not Do That Again” by Grant Ginder – The Perfect Political Family

noreply@blogger.com (David ben Efraim) — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 20:38:00 +0000

Short Summary

Grant Ginder has added his unique voice to the realm of political humour about a decade ago, and since then has made many valuable contributions, the latest of which is titled Let's Not Do That Again. It tells the story of Nancy Harrison, whose run for senate would have been perfect, if not for her daughter Greta.

Caught making headlines with extremist protesters in Paris, she threatens to sink Nancy's campaign, forcing her along with her son Nick on a search for Greta before it's too late for everyone.

Grant Ginder Creates a Mismatched Family

Different families work in different ways, but despite the differences we have with our neighbours' way of living, we can still make educated and generally-accurate guesses about their values and habits. However, social stratification makes certain types of families more difficult to ascertain than others, and in his novel Let's Not Do That Again Grant Ginder takes us into the heart of a most mysterious family type: the political one.

The story begins by introducing us to Nancy Harrison, mother of two and quite successfully running for Senate, inches away from achieving the dream which means everything for her. She did the speeches, shook all the hands, kissed all the babies... in short, she literally made all of the right moves to succeed, but there's still one factor holding her back: her own children.

On one hand, there's Nick Harrison, failing and stumbling in his attempts to write a musical about Joan Didion, having quite a lot of trouble finding his footing in a world which, as he discovers, can be quite harsh on artists of all kinds. Though he's definitely not the golden boy Nancy dreamed of, he's still the better half of her two kids.

On the other hand, her daughter Greta is a bit more of a troublemaker, being quite unmotivated in life despite having the looks, the smarts and the money to go along with it. She works at an Apple store and is quite content with merely watching life pass her by. However, one day things take a sudden turn for the worse as Greta starts to make headlines all over the world.

She has been caught on film banding along with some extremist protesters in Paris, going as far as throwing a champagne bottle through a bistro's front window. Needless to say, this puts Nancy's campaign in great danger, threatening to crumble the castle she has been building with so much care and effort. Having no other choice, she takes Nick along with her and together they try to find Greta and bring back down to Earth and then home, before it's too late for everyone.

The Comical Mystery of Politics in Let's Not Do That Again

I think I'll speak for most people when I say that if politics didn't have a direct impact on our lives as well as the world as whole, most of us wouldn't really bother following them if it was any other way. In other words, they feel like a necessary evil more than anything else, and if we can't avoid them, might as well laugh at them.

Not every author is capable of taking a topic which would, admittedly, bore many readers, and write a truly humorous and engaging novel around it, but I think that's precisely what Grant Ginder managed to achieve with Let's Not Do That Again. While there is indeed a heavy element of family drama involved, I'd first like to look at the political side of things.

As you might have guessed, Nancy is our real main character, and being immersed in the world of politics, we have no choice but to witness it alongside her. The author's personal experience in the domain shines through time and time again, bringing to light little details and absurdities we'd be hard-pressed to think of on our own.

One interesting aspect he also looks into is how people get sucked into extremist political movements, especially those who seem like the last people to join up any cause. There are also some bits of humour interspersed here and there when following Greta's political involvement, but these parts feel like they were genuinely written as an attempt to shed light on something many of us find difficult to comprehend.

While Grant Ginder does describe various political institutions and processes, he never delves into them any deeper than the story requires, keeping it as simple and concise as possible. While I wouldn't say he outright teaches us anything extraordinary about the United States political system, he does successfully manage to turn it into the core of many laugh-out-loud moments, especially when things start veering towards the ridiculous.

The Endless Mess

In the previous section I mentioned there is also a heavy element of family drama involved, to the point where I think it wouldn't be unfair to classify Let's Not Do That Again under said umbrella, in addition to the political one. Much of the story is focused on Nancy's attempt to keep her family unit in line with her own ambitions, and in the process we come to know this mess of unit quite well.

Thankfully, Grant Ginder strayed away from having a large cast of characters, instead placing his focus on a few people, allowing him to delve much deeper into their inner worlds than he would have otherwise. Specifically, I'm referring to Nancy, Nick and Greta, who consistently evolve and reveal more of themselves as the plot progresses.

Watching their mismatched personalities clashing against each other is, for the most part, quite hilarious, the author demonstrating his strong grasp on human behaviour and psychology in the process. There is always something going wrong for someone, and I can't speak for everyone, but the nature of the problems faced by the characters often seemed of an absurd nature, mirroring quite well the modern human being's propensity to create their own problems out of thin air.

As the characters are explored individually, their family is also explored as a unit, its unique dynamics examined by the author this way and that under the microscope. While I can't exactly vouch for the veracity of his depiction of how things work in a political family, something tells me he isn't too far off the mark, and considering he himself worked in this field, I have a tendency to trust him.

Ultimately, beneath all the laughs and quirks, it's, I believe, a story about a mother trying to balance her dream with her family, the sacrifices she is consistently forced to make and the strength she must find to press onward on her own. It serves as a needed reminder of the herculean task many women face on a daily basis, an ode to motherhood in one of its more comical forms.

The Final Verdict

Let's Not Do That Again by Grant Ginder is an excellent humour novel, blending politics and family drama seamlessly together to create something amusing, at times ridiculous and perhaps even silly, but at the same time heartwarming and even insightful. The story seldom gives you time to catch a break from the last laugh before presenting you with a new one, and the characters make the ride only more enjoyable.

If you're looking for a comedy in realms of politics, motherhood and family dynamics, then I think this book will be an absolutely perfect fit for your desires.

Grant Ginder

Personal site

Grant Ginder is an American academic, former political aide, and current published novelist. In 2009 came out his first novel, This is How it Starts, followed by Driver's Education in 2013. Since then he picked up the pace a little bit, focusing himself in the realm of political and social humour, having also written The People We Hate at the Wedding, Honestly, We Meant Well, and Let's Not Do That Again.

“A Sunlit Weapon” by Jacqueline Winspear – Protecting the First Lady

noreply@blogger.com (David ben Efraim) — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 20:36:00 +0000

Short Summary

Jacqueline Winspear has turned Maisie Dobbs into an essential instrument of national security in her eponymous long-standing series, and in the seventeenth instalment, titled A Sunlit Weapon, she plays a role in safeguarding the First Lady of the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt. Following a couple of attacks on British pilots, Maisie is called upon by her friend to lend a hand in wild investigation setting her on the trail of a deadly conspiracy ripe for execution.

Jacqueline Winspear Spins the Mystery of the First Lady

Even though high-standing figures of authority are nothing but flesh and bone beneath their titles and suits, they nevertheless exude this atmosphere making it seem like they're living in a different world (not necessarily a better one), with its own unseen connections and mysteries. In A Sunlit Weapon by Jacqueline Winspear, the seventeenth novel in the Maisie Dobbs series, we are thrust into a 1942 mystery surrounding the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.

While it certainly is quite deep in the series, this novel, like the previous ones, works perfectly as a standalone and doesn't discriminate against those unfamiliar with the books. They're definitely worth reading, but don't let it stop you if you're specifically interested in this particular novel above all others; at most, you'll be missing out on some character development.

This time around we're taken to October 1942, when Jo Hardy, a 22-year-old ferry pilot, is seemingly attacked from the ground while delivering an aircraft to the Biggin Hill Aerodrome. When she returns to the location on foot, all she finds is a tied up American serviceman in a barn, ultimately handed over to the American military police. Soon, she finds out he happens to be a suspect in the vanishing of another fellow soldier.

Only two days later another ferry pilot gets attacked in the same area as Jo, and this dies during the incident. Fearing there is much more than meets the eye to the whole affair, Jo reaches out to Maisie Dobbs to lend her a hand and hopefully untangle a mess only getting worse by the day. Meanwhile, Maisie's husband, working at the American embassy, is preparing for the arrival of the First Lady, ensuring security is about as tight as it could ever be. No precautions seem too strict, with evidence suggesting German agents intent on trying something.

What most people don't suspect is of the connection between the attack on the two ferry pilots, Mrs. Roosevelt herself, and the suspicious activities of two American servicemen. There's a whirlpool of danger swirling around the woman, and ultimately if she is to be kept safe, Maisie must uncover where the vast thread of the conspiracy leads, and sever it before it's too late.

American Problems on British Soil in A Sunlit Weapon

So far the Maisie Dobbs series has largely been focused on the British experience during the Second World War, portraying the conflict from the point of view of not only the main character, but also people on all ends of the social spectrum. This time around the focus is shifted towards the Americans, or more precisely, the various problems they brought along with them.

Before having a look at her way of exploring these issues, I feel like it's of great importance to discuss how Winspear portrayed Americans in this book, largely because of how balanced and realistic it feels. If she does have some form of agenda, she did an absolutely perfect job at hiding it, taking care to show the good, the bad and the ugly as they appeared in the story's progression.

I was quite glad to see that Winspear had what it takes to tackle the topic of racism in the United States army, portraying it in a rather delicate and believable manner through the plot line surrounding the coloured soldier accused of having murdered a fellow white soldier, despite there being little-to-no evidence in favour of such a version.

While it's definitely a complicated topic which requires a whole lot more than a sub-plot in A Sunlit Weapon to be discussed in great depth, I thought Winspear did a commendable job in attempting to unravel the psychology behind it, as well as its roots. It never felt like racism for the sake of it, but rather, a part of the story we were meant to take in, understand, and link to the rest of it.

I'm personally not certain of how much research the author conducted into the topic of US army regulations and procedures, but the amount of insight she offers into their strengths and faults certainly suggests an extensive amount of work. Sometimes humorous and other times depressing, the little facts and details she inserts so adeptly into the plot are always educative, and when taken all together, shine a rather perceptive light on the sorts of issues plaguing the American military machine.

Solving a National Crisis

A Sunlit Weapon has quite a lot of depth to it as far as a work of historical fiction goes, especially when talking about the author's ability to relay truly poignant details and make the reader feel a reality from almost a hundred years ago. At the same time, Jacqueline Winspear never forgets about entertaining us at the same time, and to this end she brings various complications to the table, ultimately resulting in four murders and a kidnapping.

It doesn't take long for it to become clear multiple investigations will be required to solve the whole problem, which in turn means there is seldom a moment of inaction during which we can afford to be bored or inattentive. Things move along fairly quickly, and the mystery as to how all the moving parts I've mentioned earlier connected with each other proved a strong motivating factor pushing me to finish the book. Watching Maisie put all her investigative tools, techniques and hunches to good use was fascinating as ever.

The grand scale of the conspiracy and the number of parts in it is certainly complex, at least relative to most of the cases Maisie Dobbs has been on until now, but for the most part, I'd say Winspear handles the story lines adeptly, juggling them at the correct rhythm and allowing events to unfold at a natural pace. Despite the seemingly abundant number of people and clues involved in the investigation, I never felt lost nor overwhelmed by the scale of it, which speaks volumes of the author's immense talents.

The idea of putting the First Lady at the centre of it all was a welcome element in my opinion, adding truly tangible stakes to a spy game played at the highest level for the greatest prize. In my opinion, the author's portrayal of Eleanor Roosevelt was quite true-to-life, with Winspear having successfully managed to capture the elegance and spirit of the woman around whom a national crisis is brewing.

Finally, I would also like to take a moment to point out that just like in all the previous novels, Winspear did an excellent job at shining the spotlight on the understated role women played during the Second World War, the prejudice they had to overcome and the essential contributions they made. More precisely, she detailed the exploits of the women working for England's Air Transport Auxiliary and payed a worthy homage to their deeds.

The Final Verdict

A Sunlit Weapon by Jacqueline Winspear is a fantastic addition to the Maisie Dobbs series, the quality of which has never waned since day one. From captivating and educative historical details to fast-paced investigations filled with twists and turns leading to jaw-dropping revelations, this novel has it all.

If you're looking for a book mixing World War II and murder mystery in one seamless package, or have enjoyed the author's previous offerings, then I believe this book will be the perfect fit for you.

Jacqueline Winspear

Personal site

Jacqueline Winspear is a mystery author hailing from the United Kingdom, best-known for writing the Maisie Dobbs Series, taking place after WWI and following the titular inspector's investigations across over fourteen books at this point.

The first novel in the series, Maisie Dobbs, earned her numerous award nominations, Such as the Edgar Award for Best Novel and the Agatha Award for Best First Novel. Additionally, she was also a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize in 2015.

“Where They Wait” by Scott Carson – Song from Beyond the Grave

noreply@blogger.com (David ben Efraim) — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 15:04:00 +0000

Short Summary

Scott Carson doesn't seem like he will run short of ideas for his horror novels anytime soon, with his most recent one, Where They Wait, mixing together modern technology and ghost stories. The plot follows a journalist who begins using an app for guided meditations, which includes a sad and disturbing ballad sung by a woman with a hauntingly beautiful voice. Though it is followed by a rejuvenating sleep, it also marks the beginning of nightmares, the star of which is a dead woman.

Scott Carson Starts a Technological Nightmare

Only a few decades ago the growth of our technology seemed like a limitless benefit to society, the path forward leading to the betterment of all mankind. Today, I don't think I need to tell you just how frightening our technological progress has become, opening the doors to both joy and suffering in equal measures. In Where They Wait, Scott Carson explores modern technology from a horror perspective, through the tale of a recently laid-off war correspondent.

Nick Bishop doesn't really have many choices when it comes to earning money, and in need of something to make him a quick buck, he takes a job which seems like it was manufactured specifically for his situation. The work would simply involve him writing a profile of a new app called Clarity, centred on helping its users achieve self-improvement.

The money is about as easy as it gets, and the gig does afford him the opportunity to return to his hometown for the first time in a number of years. The app itself seems rather innocent, and perhaps even destined for failure. It seems to simply rehash old ideas, offering guided meditations and white noise to help its users sleep.

However, that's not all the app has to offer. There are also the so-called “Sleep Songs”, consisting of a woman singing sad and soothing ballads with some sort of disturbing quality to them. Perhaps even more alarming, the songs seem to really work, giving their users long nights of uninterrupted and rejuvenating sleep.

Unfortunately for Nick, the nightmares soon begin to follow those songs. In them he sees a dead woman who whispers to him, trying to guide him towards something. When he hears her voice outside his dreams and she spills into his daily life, Nick begins a race against the clock to find the terrifying truth, before he gets committed to an insane asylum, or possibly even worse.

An Injection of the Paranormal into the Mundane in Where They Wait

We all obviously have our own tastes and preferences when it comes to the various approaches authors can take when dealing with the paranormal, but in my opinion, it is at its most successful when subtle and mixed in with daily reality. Subtlety can help turn this element which most of us (I generously assume) don't really believe in, into something capable of crawling its way under our skin and making us feel uncomfortable.

For the most part, I would say that Scott Carson manages to stay the course of subtlety in regards to the paranormal elements. He doesn't bombard us with grandiose scenes of ghostly manifestations and magical powers, but rather, treats the dead woman's presence in Nick's life as a mystery with many possible solutions.

I do want to clarify that I don't think horror novels are meant to outright “frighten” the reader; real life is a million times more terrifying than any work of fiction. What they are meant to do is inject their readers with ideas and concepts which will make them feel uneasy, thoughts which can unbalance them and make them seriously consider what unseen dangers still lurk in the fog of the unknown.

This is precisely what this novel managed to do for me. I never had the impression the author was trying to outright scare me, but instead, was more focused on unsettling me regardless of what my beliefs might be. Lovecraft figured out long ago the greatest fear is that of the unknown, and Scott Carson used it to good effect, pushing me to imagine just how much the undiscovered realms of our existence hold in store for us.

Additionally, I'd like to draw some attention to the subtler ways in which the author injected paranormal horror into Nick's mundane existence. The events in Where They Wait don't follow one another at a breakneck speed, developing slowly and surely over the course of the story, logically escalating and never feeling too sudden nor out of place. In other words, we slowly accept the shifting picture of the world Nick is forced to contend with, with all its ghastly abnormalities.

The Measured Haunting

As I just mentioned, the story doesn't move along at a noticeably quick pace. As a matter of fact, I would venture to say this story leans more towards slow-burners than it does towards thrillers, with Scott Carson taking the time he needs to properly describe everything and everyone, including Nick's inner world and how the events around him are shaping it.

The characters surrounding our protagonist are also given this treatment as we get to find out a fair bit about them, even if their roles in the story aren't all that important. Thankfully, we don't get a noticeable amount of pointless information, and even the bits and pieces which don't serve any purpose but to characterize someone still play a welcome role in terms of world-building.

The mystery at the heart of the novel is definitely one which had me hooked, even if I don't have much of an interest in ghosts or a belief in their existence (at least in the ways we've described and “sighted” them, but that's a whole other topic). We can't help but want to know the story of the dead woman whispering things in Nick's ear, and more importantly, how she ended up in an app.

Now, I won't pretend like it's a unique idea which has never been explored before, but I enjoyed the author's take on the whole “haunted app” idea. Following the standards he set with the rest of his writing, he tried to keep things on the subtle side and within the realms of what's believable, as much as it's possible for a paranormal novel.

I honestly wasn't too confident he'd find a neat way to wrap things up, but I'm glad to say Scott Carson successfully proved me wrong on that one. It's really one of those resolutions which gives you a real sense of closure, and though the catch is often more disappointing than the chase when it comes to mysteries, I don't think it was the case here; everything makes sense within the story's internal logic, and no pressing questions are left unanswered.

The Final Verdict

Where They Wait by Scott Carson is an excellent paranormal horror story mixing ghosts and modern technology in a savvy and measured manner, taking its time to unfold while slowly unravelling a captivating mystery centred on a dead woman.

If you're a fan of calmer horror stories which focus more on atmosphere and ideas instead of blood, guts and gore, then I think you'll fully appreciate all this book has to offer.

Scott Carson

Personal site

Scott Carson is the pen name used by Michael Koryta, a New York Times bestselling author and screenwriter living in New England. His various works have earned him the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Great Lake Books Award, as well as the St. Martin's Press/PWA Best First Novel prize, without mentioning the myriad of nominations. Those works include The Chill, How it Happened, Rise the Dark and Last Words.

“The Man Who Died Twice” by Richard Osman – The Diamonds of Old Age

noreply@blogger.com (David ben Efraim) — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 16:34:00 +0000

Short Summary

Richard Osman has created a unique and endearing cast of sleuthing septuagenarians when he published the first installment of A Thursday Murder Club Mystery series, and in the second book, The Man Who Died Twice, he pits them against some real danger.

An old acquaintance of one of the club's members rears his head, and asks for their help in clearing his name for the theft he didn't commit of a diamond collection. When the first body hits the floor, it becomes obvious the killer will stop at nothing to get what's his, having no qualms with murdering the four pensioners hot on his tail.

Osman Richard Puts the Thursday Murder Club in Danger

When I stopped to think about it, I realized that one of the greatest appeals of traditional detective stories was the comfort they brought along, always living up to the promise of keeping the protagonist alive and the villains behind bars. While there's certainly a lot to be said for the classic approach, I do think it's necessary for authors to put their sleuths and detectives in danger from time to time, something Richard Osman has done in The Man Who Died Twice.

This is the second novel in A Thursday Murder Club Mystery series, but you are by no means required to read the previous instalment. Nevertheless, I highly recommend you do so for the quality of the novel itself, as well as the fact you would also be benefiting from being better-acquainted with the four protagonists. If you're intent on diving into this book first though, you are more than welcome to.

For the uninitiated, Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim are a group of septuagenarians living out their glorious days of retirement as the founding members of the Thursday Murder Club. Up until recently they had only been preoccupied with cold cases, but the events which transpired in the previous novel finally gave them some field experience, something they're going to need in spades for what's coming.

Elizabeth's old friend comes knocking at their door, begging the group for their help in clearing his name. Apparently, he has been falsely accused of stealing diamonds worth millions of dollars and is now being pursued by some incredibly dangerous people. The case doesn't seem too bad or dangerous, until a body is found, heralding the beginning of a grim adventure.

As more and more people suddenly join the ranks of the dead, it becomes apparent the murderer lacks any kind of moral compass or ethical agenda, and bumping off a quartet of old pensioners would be child's play for them. Nevertheless, the Thursday Murder Club marches on, intent on catching the killer before he catches them.

The Silliness of Murder in The Man Who Died Twice

Death is one of those concepts we're still struggling to accept in our lives and explain in terms of a grander scheme, leading to people developing their own methods and worldviews for acknowledging it as a natural part of life (and its one true guarantee). In my opinion, treating the subject with humour requires one to walk a fine line between good and bad taste, between the appropriate and inappropriate.

In the first book of the series, Richard Osman did a great job, at least in my opinion, in walking the perfect tightrope when dealing with death from a comedic perspective, successfully highlighting its more absurd aspects while still giving it the respect it very much deserves. In The Man Who Died Twice, it felt to me like the author went a bit harder on the amount of comedy filling the pages.

The observations by the author are always on-point, witty, and sometimes carry interesting ideas and messages about life, especially in relation to its later stages. There were never any moments which felt out of place or inappropriate, and I'm glad to say Osman still treated death with the respect and reverence it deserves, never making a joke out of it.

As a result, the story feels extremely lively from start to finish, with seemingly every character and situation being fine-tuned to bring the comedy out of it. There is however, in my humble opinion, a downside to such an approach: when the murders start taking place and our protagonists find themselves in danger, the situation feels more silly than anything else.

While there are certainly some serious passages here and there, as well as moments which successfully tugged on my heart strings, on the whole I'd say the spirit of comedy is prevalent to the point where it works against the sense of danger Richard Osman has been trying to build. However, I think it's a minor gripe in and of itself, ultimately failing to prevent me from enjoying the mystery.

The Accelerating Investigation

To get the negatives out of the way first, once again, I find myself comparing this book to the first one for the contrast it offers. Whereas in the previous outing it took us little time to jump right into the heart of the matter, in The Man Who Died Twice the events take a little longer to unfold, and I was sad to see there were times when it felt like the investigation was meandering a bit.

When these moments happen, it's generally to follow some of our main characters on various little escapades and side adventures, which admittedly does help bring them closer to the reader. While I do find the author's portrayal of the aged to be a little on the generous side, I still find it much preferable to stories where the old are described as useless and out of their minds.

The chapters themselves, however, are quite short and the writing is far from being elaborate or demanding to any extent. Personally-speaking, this greatly helped to alleviate the moments where little progress was being made, helping to maintain my level of engagement with the plot. On the plus side, the further we get into the book, the less prominent this problem becomes.

Though it might meander at the start, when the investigation begins to pick up some speed it feels like the acceleration doesn't stop, with increasingly wacky and nutty events finding their way into the story. I will admit there were times when I had a bit of trouble following the investigative thread, but once again, the author's concise prose came to the rescue and sorted everything out in short order.

As far as the mystery itself is concerned, it's definitely closer to the realm of modern stories than classics, taking us on a veritable roller-coaster where one would be hard-pressed to predict where the next twist might come or where the next turn might lead. Ultimately, it feels like an exciting joy ride made a little spicier but the atmosphere of danger Richard Osman successfully injects at key moments.

The Final Verdict

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman might have a couple of faults, but they're not enough to significantly detract from the pleasure of all it has to offer, and in my opinion stands as a worthy successor to the previous bestselling entry in A Thursday Murder Club Mystery series.

If you've enjoyed the first book and are aching for more, or simply in search of a wacky murder mystery which will doubtlessly leave you surprised, then I think this novel is very much worth checking out for you.

Richard Osman

“The Birthday Party” by Wendy Dranfield – The Imperfect Family

noreply@blogger.com (David ben Efraim) — Sat, 22 Jan 2022 14:21:00 +0000

Short Summary

Wendy Dranfield has been putting her own experience in the world of crime as a coroner's assistant to good lately, pumping out one exciting crime novel after the next one. In her most recent work, titled The Birthday Party, we follow a mother as she frantically searches for her missing daughter who seemingly vanished into thin air in the light of day, surrounded by people. The longer the search goes, the more apparent it becomes there are people around her with something to hide.

Wendy Dranfield Stages a Tragic Disappearance

The concept of personal safety has become so deeply-rooted in human psychology, we seldom take the time to even acknowledge it anymore; it's only logical for any person to instinctively worry about their own safety, as well as the ones dear to them. However, as Kathy Hamilton is about to find out in The Birthday Party by Wendy Dranfield, nothing can ever completely guarantee a person's safety, especially if the threat comes from an unexpected direction.

Kathy is a relatively-happy woman, married, with a child, and on good terms with the rest of her family, for the most part at least. When her sister-in-law throws a birthday party, Kathy decides to have her daughter Charlotte attend, driving and leaving her there for the day. The last time she saw her was smiling across a lawn crowded with people, safely surrounded by friends and family.

However, when Kathy returns a few hours later, Charlotte is nowhere to be found, as if she had completely vanished into thin air. Nobody seems to have seen nor heard a thing, with the partying having proceeded normally and as planned. Devastated, Kathy doesn't sink into despair and joins up the search party for her missing daughter.

Though Kathy imagines she can count on the support of her family, the longer the tragedy goes on, the more strange occurrences seem to besiege her. To begin with, she can't get a hold of her babysitter, something which has never been a problem until today. Her eldest daughter seems particularly anxious and lacking in appetite, perhaps out of worry, or perhaps burdened by a terrible secret.

The search for Charlotte only becomes increasingly frantic as the efforts undertaken by both the police and volunteers net few results worth talking about, and Kathy begins to wonder how much she can trust the people around her. Long-buried secrets are slowly resurfacing, and she's about to discover her own family is about as far from perfect as can be.

A Mixing Bowl of Twists in The Birthday Party

Different authors all have their own approaches to the same topics and genres, and in my opinion, there is on one correct way to write a thriller or a mystery novel, despite certain formats and subjects being more popular than others. While some aim for total realism and plausibility, others sacrifice such virtues in favour of creativity, even if a little outlandish.

In my opinion, The Birthday Party belongs to the latter category of novels; Wendy Dranfield seems to utterly relish her own ability to weave an extremely complex and curved tapestry of a mystery. The premise is certainly intriguing, functioning quite well as the initial hook, and it doesn't take too long for the investigative action to kick off after that.

Already from the early going, we're treated to a few twists here and there, and while they start off light enough, they do become more meaningful and numerous as the story progresses. I can definitely see how people who are more into realistic procedures would find it unbelievable, but I believe this approach certainly has its charms.

For one, to be blunt and simple, it's entertaining when a mystery keeps slipping and sliding out of your grasp and you're constantly wrangle it with your own investigative lasso. It pushes the reader to keep on thinking and digesting the information they are being fed, and even if this isn't the most intellectually-charged story I've ever read, it's still a pleasant feeling when the author clearly respects their readers.

Second, There are some truly creative moments and unpredictable turns which successfully blindsided me, and even if not all of them were one hundred percent practical from a real-life point of view, I still enjoyed them because ultimately, they fit into the world the story is taking place in, a world where coincidences aren't all that infrequent.

The Frailty of Trust

At its heart, The Birthday Party is a thriller mystery before anything else, focusing on the investigation into Charlotte's disappearance. However, the paths on which this quest takes us also lead to the exploration of many interesting characters and themes revolving primarily around trust and secrets when placed in a family context.

Though at the start we're made to feel like the people surrounding Kathy are kind, gentle, and for all intents and purposes, normal, Wendy Dranfield chips away at this perception bit by bit, giving us more and more reasons to distrust the people surrounding our protagonist. I think she did a fantastic job in organically raising an atmosphere of suspense, one constantly leaving us uncertain about who, if anyone, can be trusted.

The many people hovering around our protagonist are also more interesting than they had to be, and we get fairly well-acquainted with many of them, especially when we're treated to their accounts of the fateful birthday party. As the reader, it felt like I was engaged in a game of spotting the liar, analyzing the claims and actions of each person and trying to weigh the significance of their secrets. I think it's safe to say we end up getting as well acquainted with them as an actual investigator would.

Kathy herself makes for an enjoyable and believable protagonist, instantly elevated above all others by her position as a victim in the tragic scenario she found herself in. She's the only person I felt like I could actually trust, and the author did an excellent job at communicating the torturous anguish she was feeling, as well as her unbreakable drive to move on forward and find her daughter at all costs.

While they do get a bit lost in the midst of the frantic investigation, there are some thoughtful observations and ruminations on the importance of trust and transparency between family members, on the power which secrets hold over those who carry them, and how they can ultimately tear unfortunate families apart.

The Final Verdict

The Birthday Party by Wendy Dranfield is a top-notch thriller mystery which encourages active participation from the reader, filled to the brim with creative twists and populated by interesting characters I found a real pleasure to examine.

If you're looking for a crime thriller centred on a solid vanishing puzzle and anchored in complicated family relations, then I think you'll thoroughly enjoy what this book has to offer.

Wendy Dranfield

Personal site

Wendy Dranfield is a former coroner's assistant who decided to take her life down a slightly different path, opting to become a crime writer instead. She has already published a number of titles in the genre, including Shadow Falls, Cry for Help, Little Girl Take, and Gone to her Grave, just to name a few.

“The Thursday Murder Club” by Richard Osman – Septuagenarian Crime Fighters

noreply@blogger.com (David ben Efraim) — Sat, 08 Jan 2022 15:55:00 +0000

Short Summary

Richard Osman has taken a fair bit of time dabble in fiction as an author, and his first effort gave us The Thursday Murder Club, the first entry in A Thursday Murder Club Mystery series. It introduces us to four friends in their seventies living in a peaceful retirement village who regularly meet together to discuss unsolved crimes. When a local developer is found dead under mysterious circumstances, the four friends become embroiled in their very first live case.

Richard Osman Brings the Pensioners out of Retirement

For many, the prospect of retirement is one of the greatest rewards they could expect from society, a prize for having lived long enough to be granted the right of having nothing but free time. The ways to spend one's retirement would take several tomes to enumerate, but for Joyce, Elizabeth, Bernard and Ibrahim in Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club, there is only one answer: solving unsolved crimes.

The first book in A Thursday Murder Club Mystery Series begins by introducing us to the four main characters in rather brief fashion, all of them septuagenarians living in a peaceful village designed specifically for retirees. Their days are mostly calm and spent finding potential solutions to puzzles which have confounded the authorities, preparing them better than most for what awaits them.

One day, a local developer is found dead under rather mysterious circumstances, and the four friends seize their chance to tackle a live case instead of a cold one, to make an actual difference in the world around them, even if their days are more or less numbered. Naturally, the task proves a little more dangerous than what they're used to, especially when additional bodies start piling up.

The police are making themselves known and doing their best to bring law and order to their remote corner of the world, but the task proves a little more difficult than anticipated. Not only are the people in charge of the investigation a little less than experienced, but they're also unfamiliar with the area, and ultimately even they turn to the four members of the Thursday Murder Club for some guidance.

Each one of them has a particular set of experiences they've acquired over a lifetime (nursing, spying, psychiatric analysis and professional protesting), and combined with their proclivity for solving difficult crimes, the unlikely gang becomes the village's best hope for restoring peace and quiet, even if through unorthodox methods.

A Winding Labyrinth of Motives in The Thursday Murder Club

Like any good novel, The Thursday Murder Club does take a bit of time at the start to set the stage and put the events in motion, but as is characteristic for modern thrillers, the action begins before we've learned anything truly profound about our main characters. Their development and characterization happens over the course of the book, but more on that later. For now, I'd like to discuss the mystery itself.

Richard Osman does a respectable job at sinking the hooks in, so-to-speak, making full use of his secluded setting and the relatively small cast of suspects at his disposal. The intrigue of the initial murder feels impactful and leaves just enough of a clue to make us hungry for more. From there on out, the story becomes increasingly complex, and I feel like it's something one would benefit from knowing before heading into the story.

While the start does give the impression we're in for a small, straightforward and hermetically-sealed affair, the further the plot develops the more threads get added to it. The number of suspects feels like it keeps on growing from one chapter to the next, and I will admit there were a couple of moments when I had to take a moment to orient myself in the story.

Now, don't take what I'm saying as an indicator that this approach weakens the story. On the contrary, once I got used to it I came to appreciate the added layers of complexity I had to deal with in my own search for the ultimate answer. The chase after the killer is intriguing and largely intellectual, a natural extension of our protagonists, and trying to put the pieces together before they do is, in my opinion, one of the greatest pleasures afforded by the genre.

I do have a nagging suspicion not everyone will be completely on-board with all the final revelations and how things get wrapped up. Without spoiling anything I will say the author proved to be one-step ahead of me once the ultimate twist came along, and the climax certainly lived up to its designation, thrusting us into a sprawling web of interconnected facts and motives. I can only imagine how much time it took Richard Osman to weave it all together without any plot holes.

United in Old Age

As I mentioned it above, we aren't told all that much about our characters, with Richard Osman giving us just enough information to give us a feel for who they are and what they bring to the table. At first, I was afraid it meant they would remain simple vehicles to drive us through the story, but I'm glad to say my fears didn't turn out to be justified.

We learn more and more about our protagonists with virtually every interaction they have, every decision they make, and every conversation they have, both with each other and the rest of the world. All of them are still of sound mind and not averse to voicing their lines of thought and ambitions, giving us more than a few glimpses at their inner worlds.

In my opinion, each and every one of them felt unique and interesting in his or her own right, like real people with a lifetime's worth of stories and secrets behind them. Naturally, the author did leave quite a bit of room in their biographies to flesh them out in future novels, but I feel like what we get from The Thursday Murder Club is more than enough to give me the impression they exist and truly matter in their own world.

While I myself have yet to reach the same age as our protagonists, I did enjoy the fact that the author described them as sane and competent people who are still very much capable of making a difference in their little slice of reality. At the same time, he gives us a window into the various trials awaiting everyone crossing the threshold of old age, a sobering reminder of youth's fleeting nature.

There are also quite a few other characters in the novel, from the other people living alongside them in the village, the suspects, the victims, and law enforcement officials, but it felt to me like they were relegated to more of a background role. While I would have liked to see the police a little more competent and involved in the investigation, I can understand why the author chose to handle it this way, shining the spotlight on our gang of crime fighters.

The Final Verdict

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman is an ambitious and successful beginning to a new series, introducing us to a lovable cast of crime-solving retirees and plunging us into a complex case with countless twists with nary a moment to warm up. If you enjoy whodunit murder mysteries and are interested in seeing how seventy-year-old sleuths can tackle modern crime, then I think you're going to enjoy all this novel has to offer.