Shawn Callon's Blog, page 7
January 17, 2022
How the Present Affects the Future
This is a very different novel - the book is a collection of loosely connected stories about peoples' reactions to one incident and a look back into their respective family histories to see how we are all linked.
Because the novel contains so many loose associations, I found it hard at times to maintain my focus. However, it was a fascinating look into lives so different from my own. The author makes you realize that seemingly unimportant acts in the present can have profound consequences down the line.
Shawn Callon, author of The Diplomatic Spy, edited and published this review.
Improvement
Because the novel contains so many loose associations, I found it hard at times to maintain my focus. However, it was a fascinating look into lives so different from my own. The author makes you realize that seemingly unimportant acts in the present can have profound consequences down the line.
Shawn Callon, author of The Diplomatic Spy, edited and published this review.
Improvement
January 14, 2022
Not what I thought it would be
The story opens with a bang, almost literally. This suspense/romance novel takes the reader through many twists and turns to reach its conclusion.
Cora is setting off for Samoa, leaving her young children for the first time since her husband dies in a helicopter crash.
Kyle is a Seattle homicide detective on his way to capture a criminal who escaped to Hawaii.
Many other characters appear in the novel and bring to life the different ways people act and react in
a crisis.
Shawn Callon, author of The Diplomatic Spy, edited and published this review.
The Pilot's Daughter
Cora is setting off for Samoa, leaving her young children for the first time since her husband dies in a helicopter crash.
Kyle is a Seattle homicide detective on his way to capture a criminal who escaped to Hawaii.
Many other characters appear in the novel and bring to life the different ways people act and react in
a crisis.
Shawn Callon, author of The Diplomatic Spy, edited and published this review.
The Pilot's Daughter
The next John Le Carre?
The first book written by Herron I've read and I enjoyed it. He uses a very dry, ironic humorous style throughout the novel verging on black comedy as he describes the kidnapping of an Asian student, organized by the Security Services to look like a crime committed by a far fight group.
The Slow Horses are disgraced members of the Service, put out to pasture in a dilapidated building in Slough. Their leader Jackson Lamb plays a pivotal role in uncovering this false flag operation and he cuts an amusing if somewhat grotesque figure as he hauls his weighty body and agile mind through the unscrupulous corridors of MI5.
Where John Le Carre was ambiguous and grey in his novels about the British Security Services, Mick Herron makes them out to be clowns.
Shawn Callon, author of The Diplomatic Spy, wrote this review.
Slow Horses
The Slow Horses are disgraced members of the Service, put out to pasture in a dilapidated building in Slough. Their leader Jackson Lamb plays a pivotal role in uncovering this false flag operation and he cuts an amusing if somewhat grotesque figure as he hauls his weighty body and agile mind through the unscrupulous corridors of MI5.
Where John Le Carre was ambiguous and grey in his novels about the British Security Services, Mick Herron makes them out to be clowns.
Shawn Callon, author of The Diplomatic Spy, wrote this review.
Slow Horses
January 9, 2022
Armande Gamache strikes again
Another day in sleepy Three Pines, only it isn't. A body is discovered in the local antique store/bistro. Who is this/how did he get there and of course why was he murdered?
Armande Gamache and his team to take over the volunteer fire house (formerly the train station for the long defunct line.)
From here, the action moves to Montreal and the Queen Charlotte Islands where the team try to solve the seemingly unsolvable puzzle of the man, the cabin, the incredible treasures and the small wood carvings.
I highly recommend this totally absorbing and utterly surprising novel. It's the fifth in the Armande Gamache series and continues to build on the characters we've come to know and care about.
Shawn Callon, author of The Diplomatic Spy, edited and published this review
The Brutal Telling
Armande Gamache and his team to take over the volunteer fire house (formerly the train station for the long defunct line.)
From here, the action moves to Montreal and the Queen Charlotte Islands where the team try to solve the seemingly unsolvable puzzle of the man, the cabin, the incredible treasures and the small wood carvings.
I highly recommend this totally absorbing and utterly surprising novel. It's the fifth in the Armande Gamache series and continues to build on the characters we've come to know and care about.
Shawn Callon, author of The Diplomatic Spy, edited and published this review
The Brutal Telling
January 6, 2022
Unpleasant Power Couple
My first book of 2022 from an author I've never read before. I enjoyed the thriller and really disliked two of the central characters - Becks and her spouse Brian. I liked Kira and to a lesser extent her brother only because his character was less well defined.
Becks is a hard-charging FBI agent whose number one priority is her career, not her children and certainly not her marriage. Brian is a bit of a loser and ambles along following Becks wherever her career opportunities will be optimized.
What impressed me was the characterization their young daughter Kira who at at nineteen years of age had a lot more maturity than either of her parents and who showed great initiative and courage while she was being held hostage. Her mother Becks understandably went charging into finding her using threats, intimidation and female wiles whereas Brian huffed and puffed but at the end of the day rationalized his daughter's disappearance as "Kira had gone through a couple of hard days, sure, but she’d come out the other side. Maybe it had even done her some good. Toughened her up, given her an edge over the average twenty-year-old snowflake at Tufts. Nah, he didn’t feel guilty."
A lot of the novel was concentrated on the power couple's flaky relationship, perhaps too much - considerable internal monologues about their frustrations with each other. His lack of ambition, her spendthrift ways were just a few of their petty grievances.
It was a good thriller with some unforeseen events which kept me reading despite all the marital bitchiness.
Shawn Callon, author of The Diplomatic Spy, wrote this review.
The Power Couple
Becks is a hard-charging FBI agent whose number one priority is her career, not her children and certainly not her marriage. Brian is a bit of a loser and ambles along following Becks wherever her career opportunities will be optimized.
What impressed me was the characterization their young daughter Kira who at at nineteen years of age had a lot more maturity than either of her parents and who showed great initiative and courage while she was being held hostage. Her mother Becks understandably went charging into finding her using threats, intimidation and female wiles whereas Brian huffed and puffed but at the end of the day rationalized his daughter's disappearance as "Kira had gone through a couple of hard days, sure, but she’d come out the other side. Maybe it had even done her some good. Toughened her up, given her an edge over the average twenty-year-old snowflake at Tufts. Nah, he didn’t feel guilty."
A lot of the novel was concentrated on the power couple's flaky relationship, perhaps too much - considerable internal monologues about their frustrations with each other. His lack of ambition, her spendthrift ways were just a few of their petty grievances.
It was a good thriller with some unforeseen events which kept me reading despite all the marital bitchiness.
Shawn Callon, author of The Diplomatic Spy, wrote this review.
The Power Couple
January 2, 2022
Well Worth Revisiting
My spouse read this novel and here's her review.
Read this book for the second time and it was well worth revisiting the Chief Inspector series.
Armand Gamache and his adored spouse Reine-Marie are taking a well-earned break in the isolated Manoir Bellechasse. Other guests are members of the Morrow family, all of whom are damaged by their seemingly cold upbringing. One member of the family dies - but how was this almost impossible murder committed and why? Everyone in the family appears to have a motive but who had the means...? As always the descriptions of people, places, aromas and tastes draw the reader in.
Even on a repeat read, lots of small details emerge to delight the reader and fill in the background for future books (and there'll be many!)
I strongly recommend reading this engrossing series in order -starting with Still Life- to make more sense of the characters. I love Ms. Penny's writing style and her ability to create layers that build up to an inevitable conclusion.
A Rule Against Murder
Read this book for the second time and it was well worth revisiting the Chief Inspector series.
Armand Gamache and his adored spouse Reine-Marie are taking a well-earned break in the isolated Manoir Bellechasse. Other guests are members of the Morrow family, all of whom are damaged by their seemingly cold upbringing. One member of the family dies - but how was this almost impossible murder committed and why? Everyone in the family appears to have a motive but who had the means...? As always the descriptions of people, places, aromas and tastes draw the reader in.
Even on a repeat read, lots of small details emerge to delight the reader and fill in the background for future books (and there'll be many!)
I strongly recommend reading this engrossing series in order -starting with Still Life- to make more sense of the characters. I love Ms. Penny's writing style and her ability to create layers that build up to an inevitable conclusion.
A Rule Against Murder
December 28, 2021
Only One Survivor?
A lightish read about a group of five folks who are "invited" to board a tour boat but find themselves abandoned on a supposedly-deserted island in the middle of nowhere.
They are forced to fend for themselves and soon find out that only one of them is expected to survive!
The book dwells a lot on the central character and her thoughts about the dying relationship with her workaholic spouse but we learn little about the other survivors.
The book has a subtle but rather incredulous twist at the end.
Shawn Callon, author of The Diplomatic Spy, wrote this review.
The Missing
They are forced to fend for themselves and soon find out that only one of them is expected to survive!
The book dwells a lot on the central character and her thoughts about the dying relationship with her workaholic spouse but we learn little about the other survivors.
The book has a subtle but rather incredulous twist at the end.
Shawn Callon, author of The Diplomatic Spy, wrote this review.
The Missing
December 11, 2021
Family Life in a Sectarian War
The title is a teaser! The northern spy is a hardy, sweet yet tart apple commonly used for baking. So why did Flynn use that title? Is it a symbol? I think it is but on more than one level though. An apple pie is an excellent example of family life, all gathered round a table to savor the delight of a sweet dessert. The reader can imagine the two sisters, their mother and the baby boy enjoying such a treat. But the title is also telling us about the qualities of Tessa and Marian - 'sweet' at first meeting but with an edge that makes you pay attention to what they are saying.
I really enjoyed the novel. The author uses an attractive, figurative style that makes for an easy read. Putting aside the historical inaccuracies, I think she paints an intense canvas of family life during a sectarian war. The first half of the novel was a description of the tension and fear that run through a community when violence, reprisals and protection rackets control peoples' lives. Being in Belfast in the 70's I witnessed the IRA-owned taxicabs belching smoke along the Falls Road, the black skeletons of bombed homes, the desolated boarded-up stores, graffiti inciting violence in Catholic enclaves and the pervading sense of hopelessness everywhere. Flynn does a great job here.
In the second half the book makes a subtle turn. It moves away from family life and relationships and shifts gear into a thriller. I can't imagine what the life of an informer is like. Always expecting to be found out? Never quite sure if you can trust your handler? Are your colleagues informers as well? Again Flynn shows how debilitating such a life is.
Shawn Callon, author of The Diplomatic Spy, wrote this review.
Northern Spy
I really enjoyed the novel. The author uses an attractive, figurative style that makes for an easy read. Putting aside the historical inaccuracies, I think she paints an intense canvas of family life during a sectarian war. The first half of the novel was a description of the tension and fear that run through a community when violence, reprisals and protection rackets control peoples' lives. Being in Belfast in the 70's I witnessed the IRA-owned taxicabs belching smoke along the Falls Road, the black skeletons of bombed homes, the desolated boarded-up stores, graffiti inciting violence in Catholic enclaves and the pervading sense of hopelessness everywhere. Flynn does a great job here.
In the second half the book makes a subtle turn. It moves away from family life and relationships and shifts gear into a thriller. I can't imagine what the life of an informer is like. Always expecting to be found out? Never quite sure if you can trust your handler? Are your colleagues informers as well? Again Flynn shows how debilitating such a life is.
Shawn Callon, author of The Diplomatic Spy, wrote this review.
Northern Spy
November 26, 2021
Kentucky Blue-Skinned People
This is a fascinating story about an actual family and the very real Kentucky Pack Horse Library Service. Who knew there were blue-skinned people in the Appalachian mountains of Kentucky in the last century? Cleverly using both of these two facts, the author weaves a tale both intriguing and at the same time appalling.
Cussy Mary is the last of her people. Her father is a coal miner struggling to do his best for his strong-willed daughter. Cussy has a deep love for books along with a drive to share her knowledge with folks buried deep in the hollows and mountains where starvation, death and disease await most families. Facing hatred and discrimination, Cussy fights to maintain her role to bring books thru the mountains on her faithful mule Junie.
Based on true events, people and together with copious amounts of medical research on the blue-blood condition this novel is a powerful read.The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek
Cussy Mary is the last of her people. Her father is a coal miner struggling to do his best for his strong-willed daughter. Cussy has a deep love for books along with a drive to share her knowledge with folks buried deep in the hollows and mountains where starvation, death and disease await most families. Facing hatred and discrimination, Cussy fights to maintain her role to bring books thru the mountains on her faithful mule Junie.
Based on true events, people and together with copious amounts of medical research on the blue-blood condition this novel is a powerful read.The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek
November 25, 2021
The Last Novel from Le Carre
I enjoyed Le Carre's last novel so much that I read it twice. It's a complex, multi-themed story - a disillusioned London City trader's transformation into a rural bookseller; the mystery behind the visits of an elderly man with speech patterns from a bygone age whose spouse is a member of British Intelligence; criticism of the West's activities during the Polish uprising against Communist rule, their confused role during the Bosnian War and their whole-hearted support for the Iraq invasion; ridicule of the UK's attempts to strut the world as a great power; and lastly scorn for the USA's strategy for constant conflict in the Middle East.
The author explores these themes in a typically ambiguous way - specific characters go by different last names; code words like Porcelain and Republic of Literature are used throughout the book; Mary, Salma, Ania appear to be same woman but are they; the older members of the Intelligence Service express themselves in an upper middle class genteel manner redolent of the 1940's and 1950's; the author creates an atmosphere that is at times quaint, wistful, nostalgic.
So want is the plot, the main theme in all this ambiguity and nostalgia? Well, I think Le Carre is telling us that since UK politicians are clueless about foreign policy the outdated Intelligence Services have to manufacture a huge cover up for their deficiencies in order to maintain supremacy in the light of the UK's post-colonial, nativist void.
Silverview
The author explores these themes in a typically ambiguous way - specific characters go by different last names; code words like Porcelain and Republic of Literature are used throughout the book; Mary, Salma, Ania appear to be same woman but are they; the older members of the Intelligence Service express themselves in an upper middle class genteel manner redolent of the 1940's and 1950's; the author creates an atmosphere that is at times quaint, wistful, nostalgic.
So want is the plot, the main theme in all this ambiguity and nostalgia? Well, I think Le Carre is telling us that since UK politicians are clueless about foreign policy the outdated Intelligence Services have to manufacture a huge cover up for their deficiencies in order to maintain supremacy in the light of the UK's post-colonial, nativist void.
Silverview
