Wesley Britton's Blog, page 34
July 12, 2017
Book Review: The Oath by Dennis Koller
The Oath
Dennis Koller
Publisher: Pen Books (February 26, 2014)
ISBN: 0692656731
ASIN:B00IOGHZDC
https://www.amazon.com/Oath-Dennis-Ko...
It wasn’t so long ago that I reviewed Dennis Koller’s second Tom McGuire mystery, The Custer Conspiracy. In my review, I said I’d like to spend more time with the San Francisco homicide inspector. Dennis took note. He sent me a copy of ”Mac” McGuire’s first adventure, The Oath.
In many ways, The Oath is a far less complex, less layered thriller than The Custer Conspiracy. Which isn’t to say the first McGuire story is in any way less satisfying. Rather, it’s more focused following two parallel plot lines with far fewer characters.
One plot has Giants fan McGuire investigating the murder of Pulitzer Prize winning Journalist Ruth Wasserman. The writer had visited Vietnam during the 1960s where, as a member of the small radical group Women Against Imperialistic War, Wasserman and three of her friends interviewed American POWs where the women railed against the prisoners being participants of what her group felt was an immoral military action.
While it takes some time for us to learn his identity, we discover her killer was one of those POWS in the infamous Hanoi Hilton where captured Americans were brutally tortured. We learn he is dying of cancer and is out to kill all the living members of the Women Against Imperialistic War and their financial backer who happens to be the Governor of California. Another ex-POW who was imprisoned in the Hanoi Hilton is police officer Tom McGuire who begins putting the puzzle together while spending considerable time with one alluring witness, Michele Sullivan.
So two very different views are juxtaposed throughout the story—the rage of one ex-POW who wants revenge for the wrongs he felt he suffered due to the intellectual stances of the war protestors and the perspectives of the women he captures who see the Vietnam era as long ago and far away. As it happens, the killer knows McGuire and sends him the evidence of his crimes feeling a fellow ex-POW would understand and sympathize with his motives.
Woven into these storylines are the reactions of the governor who wants more than his radical past suppressed and the unhappiness of McGuire’s boss because the detective didn’t follow established protocols. And the very sexual romance of McGuire and Sullivan fills as many pages as the first person narrative of McGuire revealing much about his character alternating with the third person account of the killer’s actions and his justifications of his interpretation of the oath he swore to when he joined the military.
While the book is now three years old, it will be fresh and new to all readers who haven’t yet met the very personable Tom McGuire. If you like mysteries, this yarn easily fits the bill. If you like hot romances, Tom and Michelle will give you very warm summer nights. Then, if you haven’t experienced The Custer Conspiracy, you may feel a desire to dive into that very novel thriller. Then, we can all await Tom McGuire book number three.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on July 12, 2017 at:
goo.gl/2hq5dN
Dennis Koller
Publisher: Pen Books (February 26, 2014)
ISBN: 0692656731
ASIN:B00IOGHZDC
https://www.amazon.com/Oath-Dennis-Ko...
It wasn’t so long ago that I reviewed Dennis Koller’s second Tom McGuire mystery, The Custer Conspiracy. In my review, I said I’d like to spend more time with the San Francisco homicide inspector. Dennis took note. He sent me a copy of ”Mac” McGuire’s first adventure, The Oath.
In many ways, The Oath is a far less complex, less layered thriller than The Custer Conspiracy. Which isn’t to say the first McGuire story is in any way less satisfying. Rather, it’s more focused following two parallel plot lines with far fewer characters.
One plot has Giants fan McGuire investigating the murder of Pulitzer Prize winning Journalist Ruth Wasserman. The writer had visited Vietnam during the 1960s where, as a member of the small radical group Women Against Imperialistic War, Wasserman and three of her friends interviewed American POWs where the women railed against the prisoners being participants of what her group felt was an immoral military action.
While it takes some time for us to learn his identity, we discover her killer was one of those POWS in the infamous Hanoi Hilton where captured Americans were brutally tortured. We learn he is dying of cancer and is out to kill all the living members of the Women Against Imperialistic War and their financial backer who happens to be the Governor of California. Another ex-POW who was imprisoned in the Hanoi Hilton is police officer Tom McGuire who begins putting the puzzle together while spending considerable time with one alluring witness, Michele Sullivan.
So two very different views are juxtaposed throughout the story—the rage of one ex-POW who wants revenge for the wrongs he felt he suffered due to the intellectual stances of the war protestors and the perspectives of the women he captures who see the Vietnam era as long ago and far away. As it happens, the killer knows McGuire and sends him the evidence of his crimes feeling a fellow ex-POW would understand and sympathize with his motives.
Woven into these storylines are the reactions of the governor who wants more than his radical past suppressed and the unhappiness of McGuire’s boss because the detective didn’t follow established protocols. And the very sexual romance of McGuire and Sullivan fills as many pages as the first person narrative of McGuire revealing much about his character alternating with the third person account of the killer’s actions and his justifications of his interpretation of the oath he swore to when he joined the military.
While the book is now three years old, it will be fresh and new to all readers who haven’t yet met the very personable Tom McGuire. If you like mysteries, this yarn easily fits the bill. If you like hot romances, Tom and Michelle will give you very warm summer nights. Then, if you haven’t experienced The Custer Conspiracy, you may feel a desire to dive into that very novel thriller. Then, we can all await Tom McGuire book number three.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on July 12, 2017 at:
goo.gl/2hq5dN
Book Review: Louis XVII Survived the Temple Prison: The DNA Proof by Charles Louis de Bourbon
Louis XVII Survived the Temple Prison: The DNA Proof
Charles Louis de Bourbon
Publisher: Charles Louis de Bourbon (March 17, 2017)
ISBN-13: 978-1773025452
ISBN-10: 1773025457
https://www.amazon.com/Louis-XVII-Sur...
Charles Louis de Bourbon makes his agenda overtly clear in the “Foreword” to his new book regarding his ancestors:
“This is the story of the longest persecution in history. For over 220 years my family has been tormented by the Government of France, and by members of my own family: the Bourbon-Parma's and the Orleans families. We have suffered vicious persecution starting with the death sentences for Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette.”
He ends the “Foreword by directly addressing his primary audience:
“Finally, I appeal to the French government to correct the error which now stands in French history for over 200 years. The Revolution killed Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette for political reasons. Please, now let the young son live! There is no longer a need to keep pretending that he died June 8, 1795. They have always known that he did not die that day; they know the death certificate was false. My family belongs nowhere until you let us live in honor with our name. I carry it in honor, but you have never given me the courtesy of making it official. We will keep on fighting until we get your acceptance.”
The core issue de Bourbon is referring to is the fate of Louis XVII which he claims is demonstrably different from what The history books say, that he died in prison at age 10 of tuberculosis after three years of imprisonment. De Bourbon tells the story of French authorities trying to hide the truth by substituting a false body in the coffin said to be that of the Dauphin, that is the late son of the King of France.
De Bourbon’s book is essentially three stories; that of the French revolution and the deaths of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette on the guillotine while the author maintains history has been unfair to the king. He says Louis XVI had been a decent man, issuing many new laws improving the rights of citizens. All his accomplishments and desires have been ignored in the post-Revolutionary fervor to demonize Louis XVI.
Then comes an admittedly convoluted story of the Dauphin’s alleged three year imprisonment, followed by his escape and rather poor attempts by the authorities to hide this fact by placing substitutes in the prison and then a coffin in 1795. Jumping ahead a bit, now calling himself Charles Louis, the Dauphin Escaped from the French army in 1806 during the Napoleonic wars. Thanks to the intervention of supporters in Germany where he was in danger of being deported due to having no passport or any identity papers, he took on the name Karl Wilhelm Naundorff and became known as a fine watch repairman. Taking on a wife and siring children, he lived in Berlin, Spandau, Switzerland, and England and was imprisoned from 1825 to 1828 for allegedly counterfeiting, although on the flimsiest of evidence. He survived several assassination attempts and, in 1833, came to push his claims in Paris, where he was supported as the dauphin by many individuals formerly connected with the court of Louis XVI.
Expelled from France in 1836, Charles Louis relocated to Holland where he became an inventor of various explosives and weapons. The King of Holland accepted his story so when Charles Louis died there in 1845, his tomb was inscribed “Louis XVII., roi de France et de Navarre (Charles Louis, duc de Normandy)". The Dutch authorities also had inscribed on his death certificate the name of Charles Louis de Bourbon, duc de Normandie (Louis XVII). And thus began the many lawsuits and court cases from his descendants who wanted and still want to be legitimized as heirs of Louis XVI.
Apparently, most of this story has been told before, but not with this slant. What is new is the author’s account of his own life which includes his career as a real estate agent and sailing around in Canada and along the East Coast. Of course, what the author most wants readers to accept are the final pages where the newly released DNA results are presented which he believes puts the case to rest, once and for all.
De Bourbon offers us a rather convincing narrative although he occasionally describes conversations and events in a rather fictional style. But no one should swallow the account wholesale with so much personal bias involved. I’m not sure much of the post 1845 events can be fairly described as “persecution.” This is a book for lovers of historical mysteries who might like to explore this story
further. No question, it’s a fascinating tale.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on July 12, 2017 at:
goo.gl/sg47sv
Charles Louis de Bourbon
Publisher: Charles Louis de Bourbon (March 17, 2017)
ISBN-13: 978-1773025452
ISBN-10: 1773025457
https://www.amazon.com/Louis-XVII-Sur...
Charles Louis de Bourbon makes his agenda overtly clear in the “Foreword” to his new book regarding his ancestors:
“This is the story of the longest persecution in history. For over 220 years my family has been tormented by the Government of France, and by members of my own family: the Bourbon-Parma's and the Orleans families. We have suffered vicious persecution starting with the death sentences for Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette.”
He ends the “Foreword by directly addressing his primary audience:
“Finally, I appeal to the French government to correct the error which now stands in French history for over 200 years. The Revolution killed Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette for political reasons. Please, now let the young son live! There is no longer a need to keep pretending that he died June 8, 1795. They have always known that he did not die that day; they know the death certificate was false. My family belongs nowhere until you let us live in honor with our name. I carry it in honor, but you have never given me the courtesy of making it official. We will keep on fighting until we get your acceptance.”
The core issue de Bourbon is referring to is the fate of Louis XVII which he claims is demonstrably different from what The history books say, that he died in prison at age 10 of tuberculosis after three years of imprisonment. De Bourbon tells the story of French authorities trying to hide the truth by substituting a false body in the coffin said to be that of the Dauphin, that is the late son of the King of France.
De Bourbon’s book is essentially three stories; that of the French revolution and the deaths of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette on the guillotine while the author maintains history has been unfair to the king. He says Louis XVI had been a decent man, issuing many new laws improving the rights of citizens. All his accomplishments and desires have been ignored in the post-Revolutionary fervor to demonize Louis XVI.
Then comes an admittedly convoluted story of the Dauphin’s alleged three year imprisonment, followed by his escape and rather poor attempts by the authorities to hide this fact by placing substitutes in the prison and then a coffin in 1795. Jumping ahead a bit, now calling himself Charles Louis, the Dauphin Escaped from the French army in 1806 during the Napoleonic wars. Thanks to the intervention of supporters in Germany where he was in danger of being deported due to having no passport or any identity papers, he took on the name Karl Wilhelm Naundorff and became known as a fine watch repairman. Taking on a wife and siring children, he lived in Berlin, Spandau, Switzerland, and England and was imprisoned from 1825 to 1828 for allegedly counterfeiting, although on the flimsiest of evidence. He survived several assassination attempts and, in 1833, came to push his claims in Paris, where he was supported as the dauphin by many individuals formerly connected with the court of Louis XVI.
Expelled from France in 1836, Charles Louis relocated to Holland where he became an inventor of various explosives and weapons. The King of Holland accepted his story so when Charles Louis died there in 1845, his tomb was inscribed “Louis XVII., roi de France et de Navarre (Charles Louis, duc de Normandy)". The Dutch authorities also had inscribed on his death certificate the name of Charles Louis de Bourbon, duc de Normandie (Louis XVII). And thus began the many lawsuits and court cases from his descendants who wanted and still want to be legitimized as heirs of Louis XVI.
Apparently, most of this story has been told before, but not with this slant. What is new is the author’s account of his own life which includes his career as a real estate agent and sailing around in Canada and along the East Coast. Of course, what the author most wants readers to accept are the final pages where the newly released DNA results are presented which he believes puts the case to rest, once and for all.
De Bourbon offers us a rather convincing narrative although he occasionally describes conversations and events in a rather fictional style. But no one should swallow the account wholesale with so much personal bias involved. I’m not sure much of the post 1845 events can be fairly described as “persecution.” This is a book for lovers of historical mysteries who might like to explore this story
further. No question, it’s a fascinating tale.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on July 12, 2017 at:
goo.gl/sg47sv
July 3, 2017
Corrections and an apology
I owe Bob Batchelor a sincere apology for repeatedly misspelling his name throughout my review of his biography of Stan Lee which I posted yesterday.
In addition, he told me Spider-Man should be hyphenated. I always thought that was optional. Well, live and learn . . .
In addition, he told me Spider-Man should be hyphenated. I always thought that was optional. Well, live and learn . . .
July 2, 2017
Book Review: Stan Lee: The Man Behind Marvel by Bob Batchelor
Stan Lee: The Man Behind Marvel
Bob Batchelor
Rowman & Littlefield, Sept. 2017
ISBN-10: 1442277815
ISBN-13: 978-1442277816
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1442277815
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton for BookPleasures.com
Few figures in popular culture have been under more critical and biographical microscopes than revolutionary comics writer, editor, and publisher Stan Lee. Of course, since the ‘60s, Lee has been a constant self-promoter providing countless interviews, appearing at numerous conventions, and, along with co-author George Mair, writing his 2002 autobiography, Excelsior!: The Amazing Life of Stan lee. In short, no one would describe Lee as a private man shying away from attention or the limelight.
In addition, there has been no shortage of both appreciations and criticisms of Lee’s work at Marvel; the most exhaustive is likely Sean Howe’s excellent 2012 Marvel Comics: The Untold Story. With all this, is there a need for a new full-length biography of a man whose presence has always been public but perhaps a tad mythologized?
I suppose much depends on how much you already know about the life and legacy of Lee or how much you want to know about the main motor behind Spiderman, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and the Avengers. To be fair, Bob Bachelor has done a very professional and well researched job, but many knowledgeable readers won’t learn much if anything new.
Still, if you want to understand the principal creator of the Marvel Universe, this new biography could serve as a one-stop shop. Other than Lee’s own Excelsior, I don’t recall reading in any other source quite as much background tracing Stan Lee’s early years living in poverty during the Great Depression when he was still Stan Lieber. The struggles of his parents left a lifelong impact on Lee, resulting in a strong work ethic and a fear of being unemployed. On top of that childhood foundation, Bachelor clearly demonstrates just how a relentless energy and superlative imagination drove Lee’s career. A bit of luck and being the right man at the right time didn’t hurt either.
Lee’s drive included a lifelong tug to do something more than create comics, like his unfulfilled mission of writing a great novel or working in television and movies. This led, in part, to the success of the Marvel movie franchise but also the financial disaster of SLM, Stan Lee Media. Lee has kept working into his 90s although most of his new projects haven’t had the impact Lee hoped for. Because of this, Bacherlor’s overview of Lee’s later years could contain revelations for readers who know little or nothing about Lee’s non-Marvel work after the glory years of the 1960s.
Bachelor’s history doesn’t include much about Lee’s personal life, leaving the reader with the impression Lee has had a life of enjoyable work but little play or home life. Inevitably, Bachelor had to touch on all the criticisms that Lee is a glory-hound who didn’t give enough credit to artists like Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko for their contributions to Marvel. Bachelor also had to explore all the problems with Stan Lee Media and determines, echoing the court’s findings, Lee just wasn’t on the financial ball as much as he should have been. Bachelor retells the tales of how Lee came up with his ideas for his characters, how he shaped the brand-name of Marvel to appeal to his readers, and provides much information about the business side of Marvel from its roots in Martin Goodman’s Timely Comics up to its current corporate identity.
Bachelor clearly knows what he’s doing, being the author of cultural studies on subjects ranging from Mad Men, John Updike, to The Great Gatsby. If you want someone to provide an objective, outsider’s analysis of the life and work of Stan Lee, then it would be hard to find a cultural historian more qualified than Bachelor. This is especially true for readers who haven’t dived into the story of Marvel comics before. For all fellow baby boomers—remember how Stan the Man used to sign off all those Soapboxes—Excelsior!
This review was first published at BookPleasures.com on July 2, 2017:
goo.gl/tF17eq
Bob Batchelor
Rowman & Littlefield, Sept. 2017
ISBN-10: 1442277815
ISBN-13: 978-1442277816
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1442277815
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton for BookPleasures.com
Few figures in popular culture have been under more critical and biographical microscopes than revolutionary comics writer, editor, and publisher Stan Lee. Of course, since the ‘60s, Lee has been a constant self-promoter providing countless interviews, appearing at numerous conventions, and, along with co-author George Mair, writing his 2002 autobiography, Excelsior!: The Amazing Life of Stan lee. In short, no one would describe Lee as a private man shying away from attention or the limelight.
In addition, there has been no shortage of both appreciations and criticisms of Lee’s work at Marvel; the most exhaustive is likely Sean Howe’s excellent 2012 Marvel Comics: The Untold Story. With all this, is there a need for a new full-length biography of a man whose presence has always been public but perhaps a tad mythologized?
I suppose much depends on how much you already know about the life and legacy of Lee or how much you want to know about the main motor behind Spiderman, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and the Avengers. To be fair, Bob Bachelor has done a very professional and well researched job, but many knowledgeable readers won’t learn much if anything new.
Still, if you want to understand the principal creator of the Marvel Universe, this new biography could serve as a one-stop shop. Other than Lee’s own Excelsior, I don’t recall reading in any other source quite as much background tracing Stan Lee’s early years living in poverty during the Great Depression when he was still Stan Lieber. The struggles of his parents left a lifelong impact on Lee, resulting in a strong work ethic and a fear of being unemployed. On top of that childhood foundation, Bachelor clearly demonstrates just how a relentless energy and superlative imagination drove Lee’s career. A bit of luck and being the right man at the right time didn’t hurt either.
Lee’s drive included a lifelong tug to do something more than create comics, like his unfulfilled mission of writing a great novel or working in television and movies. This led, in part, to the success of the Marvel movie franchise but also the financial disaster of SLM, Stan Lee Media. Lee has kept working into his 90s although most of his new projects haven’t had the impact Lee hoped for. Because of this, Bacherlor’s overview of Lee’s later years could contain revelations for readers who know little or nothing about Lee’s non-Marvel work after the glory years of the 1960s.
Bachelor’s history doesn’t include much about Lee’s personal life, leaving the reader with the impression Lee has had a life of enjoyable work but little play or home life. Inevitably, Bachelor had to touch on all the criticisms that Lee is a glory-hound who didn’t give enough credit to artists like Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko for their contributions to Marvel. Bachelor also had to explore all the problems with Stan Lee Media and determines, echoing the court’s findings, Lee just wasn’t on the financial ball as much as he should have been. Bachelor retells the tales of how Lee came up with his ideas for his characters, how he shaped the brand-name of Marvel to appeal to his readers, and provides much information about the business side of Marvel from its roots in Martin Goodman’s Timely Comics up to its current corporate identity.
Bachelor clearly knows what he’s doing, being the author of cultural studies on subjects ranging from Mad Men, John Updike, to The Great Gatsby. If you want someone to provide an objective, outsider’s analysis of the life and work of Stan Lee, then it would be hard to find a cultural historian more qualified than Bachelor. This is especially true for readers who haven’t dived into the story of Marvel comics before. For all fellow baby boomers—remember how Stan the Man used to sign off all those Soapboxes—Excelsior!
This review was first published at BookPleasures.com on July 2, 2017:
goo.gl/tF17eq
Book Review: The Custer Conspiracy by Dennis Koller
The Custer Conspiracy (Tom McGuire Thrillers)
Dennis Koller
Paperback:350 pages
Publisher:Pen Books; 1 edition (September 1, 2016)
ISBN-10:0998080802
ISBN-13:978-0998080802
https://www.amazon.com/Custer-Conspir...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton for BookPleasures.com
The Custer Conspiracy is my first experience with a Tom “Mac” McGuire mystery. Then again, it’s only the second book in the series. Looks like I’ve discovered a new world to explore and enjoy.
To be fair, San Francisco homicide detective McGuire isn’t especially remarkable on his own merits. He is principled, experienced, professional, and focused. Mostly. He’s also very human, capable of having his head turned by at least one pretty face. I’d find it hard to resist CIA agent Katellyn Murray myself. Sometimes, his judgement calls aren’t the best. Still, I’d hire the man if I needed someone with his skillset.
What distinguishes The Custer Conspiracy is a very unique setup and very surprising storyline. Is it possible a conspiracy was created back in 1876 to allow Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer to fake his death at the Little Big Horn? Why would this have happened? Why was the cover-up necessary? Could Custer really have lived in France until the outbreak of World War I?
More important than this historical mystery to McGuire and an increasingly larger and larger circle of government agents and law enforcement officers , why would keeping this 140 year old secret so important that an unknown group is killing anyone who comes close to learning the truth? All these years later, who could be harmed if this conspiracy would be revealed? And how does all this connect to post-9/11 national security?
I admit liking the supporting cast of characters very much, in particular Vinnie Delgado who essentially serves as McGuire’s number two. All the players are fleshed out and sketched with believable backgrounds and personalities. But I suspect what will draw most readers to The Custer Conspiracy is the premise, and then by the continual twists and turns that really kick in during the book’s second half. The book has the best epilogue I’ve ever read, but I’m not providing any spoilers here. I must say there ar a number of very predictable elements to the book, including the opening chapter of an assassination at the present-day Little Big Horn followed by so many elements cascading into the mix thereafter. Like many another political thriller, a murder investigation attracts the interests of powerful government figures who lend assistance to McGuire and his team while dealing with a mole in the State Department.
Looks like I got to Go back and read book one of the series, The Oath, which came out in May 2016. It might explain some of the events alluded to throughout Tom McGuire’s second mystery. Then, we can all look forward to book number three.
First published at BookPleasures.com on July 2, 2017:
goo.gl/tF17eq
Dennis Koller
Paperback:350 pages
Publisher:Pen Books; 1 edition (September 1, 2016)
ISBN-10:0998080802
ISBN-13:978-0998080802
https://www.amazon.com/Custer-Conspir...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton for BookPleasures.com
The Custer Conspiracy is my first experience with a Tom “Mac” McGuire mystery. Then again, it’s only the second book in the series. Looks like I’ve discovered a new world to explore and enjoy.
To be fair, San Francisco homicide detective McGuire isn’t especially remarkable on his own merits. He is principled, experienced, professional, and focused. Mostly. He’s also very human, capable of having his head turned by at least one pretty face. I’d find it hard to resist CIA agent Katellyn Murray myself. Sometimes, his judgement calls aren’t the best. Still, I’d hire the man if I needed someone with his skillset.
What distinguishes The Custer Conspiracy is a very unique setup and very surprising storyline. Is it possible a conspiracy was created back in 1876 to allow Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer to fake his death at the Little Big Horn? Why would this have happened? Why was the cover-up necessary? Could Custer really have lived in France until the outbreak of World War I?
More important than this historical mystery to McGuire and an increasingly larger and larger circle of government agents and law enforcement officers , why would keeping this 140 year old secret so important that an unknown group is killing anyone who comes close to learning the truth? All these years later, who could be harmed if this conspiracy would be revealed? And how does all this connect to post-9/11 national security?
I admit liking the supporting cast of characters very much, in particular Vinnie Delgado who essentially serves as McGuire’s number two. All the players are fleshed out and sketched with believable backgrounds and personalities. But I suspect what will draw most readers to The Custer Conspiracy is the premise, and then by the continual twists and turns that really kick in during the book’s second half. The book has the best epilogue I’ve ever read, but I’m not providing any spoilers here. I must say there ar a number of very predictable elements to the book, including the opening chapter of an assassination at the present-day Little Big Horn followed by so many elements cascading into the mix thereafter. Like many another political thriller, a murder investigation attracts the interests of powerful government figures who lend assistance to McGuire and his team while dealing with a mole in the State Department.
Looks like I got to Go back and read book one of the series, The Oath, which came out in May 2016. It might explain some of the events alluded to throughout Tom McGuire’s second mystery. Then, we can all look forward to book number three.
First published at BookPleasures.com on July 2, 2017:
goo.gl/tF17eq
July 1, 2017
BearManor Media 33% off sale all July!
Bear Manor Media announces a 33% OFF SALE STARTING TODAY
ENDING JULY 31, 2017 12:00 (EST)
SAVE EVERY DAY IN JULY!
THE SALE INCLUDES, OF COURSE, ALL THE BETA-EARTH CHRONICLES, ESPECIALLY THE NEW PAPERBACK EDITION OF THE BLIND ALIEN!
http://mailchi.mp/bearmanormedia/our-...
https://gallery.mailchimp.com/014204a...
Get on the BearManor mailing list to get all the news about new releases and sales by writing:
BOOKS@BENOHMART.COM
news@bearmanormedia.com
ENDING JULY 31, 2017 12:00 (EST)
SAVE EVERY DAY IN JULY!
THE SALE INCLUDES, OF COURSE, ALL THE BETA-EARTH CHRONICLES, ESPECIALLY THE NEW PAPERBACK EDITION OF THE BLIND ALIEN!
http://mailchi.mp/bearmanormedia/our-...
https://gallery.mailchimp.com/014204a...
Get on the BearManor mailing list to get all the news about new releases and sales by writing:
BOOKS@BENOHMART.COM
news@bearmanormedia.com
June 27, 2017
Book Review: Quantum Zero Sentinel by Scott Rhine
Quantum Zero Sentinel (Quantum Chronicles Book 1)
Scott Rhine
Publication Date: December 11, 2016
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
ASIN: B01N6FXSYY
https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Zero-S...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton for BookPleasures.com:
While Quantum Zero Sentinel is billed as science fiction, I think fans of espionage-oriented thrillers could also be a very appreciative audience for this adventure.
For example, the story opens when an innocent civilian, young female engineer Maia Long, is blackmailed by a government agency, in this case the FBI, to go undercover and spy on the Quantum corporation as the Bureau fears Quantum super-computers could be sold to criminal gangs like the Lords of Death as well as to foreign governments. An innocent civilian blackmailed by the government to work for them? Few tropes in the spy fiction genre have been employed more often than this setup.
True, Maia’s infiltration isn’t into any enemy government’s military or para-military entities. Then again modern spy stories often focus on industrial espionage as the consequences of technological breakthroughs in the private sector can be far more frightening than out-and-out war. In this case, the extraordinarily powerful Quantum computers could destroy the U.S. economy and threaten national security. And inside the circle of power brokers in Quantum, Maia slowly learns there are very different and contradictory agendas in the company’s leadership. Trust isn’t something to rely on, even when she becomes a member of the Sentinels, a secret organization wanting to protect the technology from those who would misuse it.
One difference between Quantum Zero Sentinel and your average spy vs. spy caper is just how cerebral everything is, especially the physics lessons we get in some of the dialogue or the strange new weaponry like the peanut butter gun. We aren’t just told Peter Desmotes is the big brain behind everything, we hear and see him in action. I admit, we’re led to believe he’s a cantankerous sort who frightens away secretaries like TV’s Murphy Brown, but we don’t witness this sort of behavior. Instead, Maia is drawn to him in a very romantic way.
Be careful not to confuse this title with Anthony Fucilla’s sci fi series, also called the Quantum Chronicles. And, if I’ve described a book that doesn’t sound especially sci fi, fear not. Mythology, clones, regeneration, and genetics have important roles in the story, notably as Maia learns about abilities she didn’t know she had. Much of this appears in the later chapters when Rhine sets up his next sequel. If you don’t like cliffhangers and prefer standalone novels, this book isn’t for you. On the other hand, if you like epics spanning a number of titles, well, here’s an intelligent journey you can begin with your summer reading.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on June 27, 2017:
goo.gl/GQhqHs
Scott Rhine
Publication Date: December 11, 2016
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
ASIN: B01N6FXSYY
https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Zero-S...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton for BookPleasures.com:
While Quantum Zero Sentinel is billed as science fiction, I think fans of espionage-oriented thrillers could also be a very appreciative audience for this adventure.
For example, the story opens when an innocent civilian, young female engineer Maia Long, is blackmailed by a government agency, in this case the FBI, to go undercover and spy on the Quantum corporation as the Bureau fears Quantum super-computers could be sold to criminal gangs like the Lords of Death as well as to foreign governments. An innocent civilian blackmailed by the government to work for them? Few tropes in the spy fiction genre have been employed more often than this setup.
True, Maia’s infiltration isn’t into any enemy government’s military or para-military entities. Then again modern spy stories often focus on industrial espionage as the consequences of technological breakthroughs in the private sector can be far more frightening than out-and-out war. In this case, the extraordinarily powerful Quantum computers could destroy the U.S. economy and threaten national security. And inside the circle of power brokers in Quantum, Maia slowly learns there are very different and contradictory agendas in the company’s leadership. Trust isn’t something to rely on, even when she becomes a member of the Sentinels, a secret organization wanting to protect the technology from those who would misuse it.
One difference between Quantum Zero Sentinel and your average spy vs. spy caper is just how cerebral everything is, especially the physics lessons we get in some of the dialogue or the strange new weaponry like the peanut butter gun. We aren’t just told Peter Desmotes is the big brain behind everything, we hear and see him in action. I admit, we’re led to believe he’s a cantankerous sort who frightens away secretaries like TV’s Murphy Brown, but we don’t witness this sort of behavior. Instead, Maia is drawn to him in a very romantic way.
Be careful not to confuse this title with Anthony Fucilla’s sci fi series, also called the Quantum Chronicles. And, if I’ve described a book that doesn’t sound especially sci fi, fear not. Mythology, clones, regeneration, and genetics have important roles in the story, notably as Maia learns about abilities she didn’t know she had. Much of this appears in the later chapters when Rhine sets up his next sequel. If you don’t like cliffhangers and prefer standalone novels, this book isn’t for you. On the other hand, if you like epics spanning a number of titles, well, here’s an intelligent journey you can begin with your summer reading.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on June 27, 2017:
goo.gl/GQhqHs
Book Review: THE POINT OF A GUN by Steven W. Kohlhagen
THE POINT OF A GUN
Steven W. Kohlhagen
Publisher: BookRix (June 25, 2017)
Publication Date: June 25, 2017
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
ASIN: B0732W2G76
ISBN 9781545279748
https://www.amazon.com/Point-Gun-Thri...
Reposted from BookPleasures.com on June 27, 2017
The Point of a Gun is one of those thrillers that is so fast-paced, all the moving parts come and go so quickly that readers will learn very little about any of the individual characters.
The setting is an America in the near future where terrorist attacks seem to happen nearly every day. Jihadists, white supremacists, and Mexican cartels all have different agendas but have very similar modus operandi—using guns or bombs to kill and terrorize Americans.
To counter this endless array of deadly cells and lone wolves, a group of self-appointed vigilantes has gathered to strike at terrorists with equally deadly force before they can act. That’s because the U.S. Government’s intelligence and law enforcement bureaucracies fail to deal with the threats, saying they can do nothing until something actionable takes place. The shadowy vigilantes are not so restrained, even if seemingly led by at least one senior and trusted Counterterrorism insider. How else could the teams of “Paladins” get such detailed intel on what the terrorists intend, how they intend to do it, and when?
So, on one level, we see a stream of Paladin operations as the anti-terrorists make their plans, execute them, and then escape. Many times, they kill terrorists in one state on one day, and then take out a different group across the country the next. The President and his investigators don’t know the real identities of the vigilantes and aren’t all that certain the Paladins are all that wrong. Still, the government of the U.S. can’t officially condone deadly extra-legal justice. So we see a secondary storyline of the investigators trying to bring in the vigilantes with offers of immunity from prosecution. At the same time, the government works very hard to keep the existence of the Paladins secret, not wanting the public to lionize them or copycat their methods.
The Point of a Gun isn’t a book for readers who like to get to know a novel’s characters. We meet a batch of professional chess pieces whose motivations and backstories aren’t fleshed out. The Paladins mostly know each other using code names. They’re always on the move. It’s also not a book for those who like to see detailed battles fought between the good guys and bad guys as, most of the time, the terrorists don’t see the Paladins coming and are killed before they have a chance to light a fuse or fire a gun. We know next to nothing about these terrorists who are essentially interchangeable criminals.
I’d say this is a book that might fulfill many reader’s wishes that someone out there would do what the government and law enforcement won’t, that is prevent terrorism before it happens by killing off those who would do us harm. If that’s your wish, perhaps the names and back-stories of Paladins aren’t all that necessary. Only what they can do.
In the end, I set this book down without thinking about any of the players or any particularly memorable scenes other than the very satisfying conclusion. Instead, I thought about the grim and brutal future Steven W. Kohlhagen imagines. It’s frighteningly plausible that the number and frequency of terrorist attacks could reach such horrific levels in a comparatively short time. I suspect well-coordinated and quickly implemented responses from more than qualified vigilantes is the stuff of fiction and not something Kohlhagen is prophesizing or necessarily hoping will happen. But a need for such units is well worth thinking about.
First published at BookPleasures.com on June 27, 2017:
http://www.bookpleasures.com/websitep...
Steven W. Kohlhagen
Publisher: BookRix (June 25, 2017)
Publication Date: June 25, 2017
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
ASIN: B0732W2G76
ISBN 9781545279748
https://www.amazon.com/Point-Gun-Thri...
Reposted from BookPleasures.com on June 27, 2017
The Point of a Gun is one of those thrillers that is so fast-paced, all the moving parts come and go so quickly that readers will learn very little about any of the individual characters.
The setting is an America in the near future where terrorist attacks seem to happen nearly every day. Jihadists, white supremacists, and Mexican cartels all have different agendas but have very similar modus operandi—using guns or bombs to kill and terrorize Americans.
To counter this endless array of deadly cells and lone wolves, a group of self-appointed vigilantes has gathered to strike at terrorists with equally deadly force before they can act. That’s because the U.S. Government’s intelligence and law enforcement bureaucracies fail to deal with the threats, saying they can do nothing until something actionable takes place. The shadowy vigilantes are not so restrained, even if seemingly led by at least one senior and trusted Counterterrorism insider. How else could the teams of “Paladins” get such detailed intel on what the terrorists intend, how they intend to do it, and when?
So, on one level, we see a stream of Paladin operations as the anti-terrorists make their plans, execute them, and then escape. Many times, they kill terrorists in one state on one day, and then take out a different group across the country the next. The President and his investigators don’t know the real identities of the vigilantes and aren’t all that certain the Paladins are all that wrong. Still, the government of the U.S. can’t officially condone deadly extra-legal justice. So we see a secondary storyline of the investigators trying to bring in the vigilantes with offers of immunity from prosecution. At the same time, the government works very hard to keep the existence of the Paladins secret, not wanting the public to lionize them or copycat their methods.
The Point of a Gun isn’t a book for readers who like to get to know a novel’s characters. We meet a batch of professional chess pieces whose motivations and backstories aren’t fleshed out. The Paladins mostly know each other using code names. They’re always on the move. It’s also not a book for those who like to see detailed battles fought between the good guys and bad guys as, most of the time, the terrorists don’t see the Paladins coming and are killed before they have a chance to light a fuse or fire a gun. We know next to nothing about these terrorists who are essentially interchangeable criminals.
I’d say this is a book that might fulfill many reader’s wishes that someone out there would do what the government and law enforcement won’t, that is prevent terrorism before it happens by killing off those who would do us harm. If that’s your wish, perhaps the names and back-stories of Paladins aren’t all that necessary. Only what they can do.
In the end, I set this book down without thinking about any of the players or any particularly memorable scenes other than the very satisfying conclusion. Instead, I thought about the grim and brutal future Steven W. Kohlhagen imagines. It’s frighteningly plausible that the number and frequency of terrorist attacks could reach such horrific levels in a comparatively short time. I suspect well-coordinated and quickly implemented responses from more than qualified vigilantes is the stuff of fiction and not something Kohlhagen is prophesizing or necessarily hoping will happen. But a need for such units is well worth thinking about.
First published at BookPleasures.com on June 27, 2017:
http://www.bookpleasures.com/websitep...
June 23, 2017
Book Review: The Woman from Prague by Rob Hart
THE WOMAN FROM PRAGUE (Ash McKenna)
Rob Hart
Publisher: Polis Books (July 11, 2017)
Publication Date: July 11, 2017
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
ASIN: B01N249780
https://www.amazon.com/Woman-Prague-A...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton for BookPleasures.com:
The Woman from Prague is author Rob Hart’s fourth adventure featuring would-be amateur private investigator Ashley McKenna, following New Yorked, City of Rose, and South Village. Now, self-exiled from his home base of New York, McKenna is in Prague and blackmailed by a self-described U.S. government agent named Roman. Roman wants McKenna to supposedly intercept a package handover on a bridge, a mission
that he says is too small to use a real, official agent.
In very short order, McKenna learns the mission is no quick grab the flash-drive and run job like he thought. For one matter, he’s nearly killed by a super assassin who begins a manhunt for him. For another, he begins running with Samantha, the girl he was supposed to intercept to get the flash drive from. The two keep moving all over Prague to get the drive as the assassin prevented the original handover from taking place. At the same time, Roman keeps sending thugs after Ashley and Sam in his hunt for the secrets he craves.
Rob Hart certainly knows all the tropes, moves, scenes, and characters you’d expect in a thriller very much in the tradition of Alfred Hitchcock’s version of John Buchan’s The 39 Steps and James Grady’s Six Days of the Condor, remade into the 1975 film, Three Days of the Condor. Not to mention Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Identity. That is, stories where a male/female team is made up of one member who is relatively, if not completely innocent, of any connections to the covert world; he/she is paired with a usually professional agent not often happy about pulling along an unskilled partner. Hart makes his connections to this heritage overt when he invokes Three Days of the Condor in his own book; he got James Grady to write a blurb for Woman from Prague you can see at Amazon.
Publishers’ Weekly has claimed the novel is one of your best bets for summer reading. That is likely true for readers who like very fast-paced stories with engaging and believable characters. Ash McKenna, in particular, is very well-developed as the entire story is told in his first-person voice. I very much liked Samantha even though I was never convinced Ash should completely trust a woman who has such a low opinion of him. Just don’t expect any surprises or anything much different from previous thrillers you’ve read in this rather well-established genre. Hart pushes all the right buttons and pulls all the right levers. Good, diverting, entertaining reading for airports, terminals, the like.
This review was first published June 23, 2017 at BookPleasures.com:
goo.gl/YZrFaU
Rob Hart
Publisher: Polis Books (July 11, 2017)
Publication Date: July 11, 2017
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
ASIN: B01N249780
https://www.amazon.com/Woman-Prague-A...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton for BookPleasures.com:
The Woman from Prague is author Rob Hart’s fourth adventure featuring would-be amateur private investigator Ashley McKenna, following New Yorked, City of Rose, and South Village. Now, self-exiled from his home base of New York, McKenna is in Prague and blackmailed by a self-described U.S. government agent named Roman. Roman wants McKenna to supposedly intercept a package handover on a bridge, a mission
that he says is too small to use a real, official agent.
In very short order, McKenna learns the mission is no quick grab the flash-drive and run job like he thought. For one matter, he’s nearly killed by a super assassin who begins a manhunt for him. For another, he begins running with Samantha, the girl he was supposed to intercept to get the flash drive from. The two keep moving all over Prague to get the drive as the assassin prevented the original handover from taking place. At the same time, Roman keeps sending thugs after Ashley and Sam in his hunt for the secrets he craves.
Rob Hart certainly knows all the tropes, moves, scenes, and characters you’d expect in a thriller very much in the tradition of Alfred Hitchcock’s version of John Buchan’s The 39 Steps and James Grady’s Six Days of the Condor, remade into the 1975 film, Three Days of the Condor. Not to mention Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Identity. That is, stories where a male/female team is made up of one member who is relatively, if not completely innocent, of any connections to the covert world; he/she is paired with a usually professional agent not often happy about pulling along an unskilled partner. Hart makes his connections to this heritage overt when he invokes Three Days of the Condor in his own book; he got James Grady to write a blurb for Woman from Prague you can see at Amazon.
Publishers’ Weekly has claimed the novel is one of your best bets for summer reading. That is likely true for readers who like very fast-paced stories with engaging and believable characters. Ash McKenna, in particular, is very well-developed as the entire story is told in his first-person voice. I very much liked Samantha even though I was never convinced Ash should completely trust a woman who has such a low opinion of him. Just don’t expect any surprises or anything much different from previous thrillers you’ve read in this rather well-established genre. Hart pushes all the right buttons and pulls all the right levers. Good, diverting, entertaining reading for airports, terminals, the like.
This review was first published June 23, 2017 at BookPleasures.com:
goo.gl/YZrFaU
June 21, 2017
The Blind Alien paperback sale
Today is the last day of the BearManor Media 20% off any paperback sale—and, that, of course, includes The Blind Alien! It lists at $14.95 in print, and we hope sales are good enough to make putting the remaining Beta-Earth books into print as well. So, today, skip Amazon and order directly from BearManor Media—
http://www.bearmanormedia.com/
http://www.bearmanormedia.com/
Wesley Britton's Blog
This just came in. My favorite two sentences of all time!
“The Blind Alien is a story with a highly original concept, fascinating characters, and not-too-subtle but truthful allegories. Don’t let the ...more
“The Blind Alien is a story with a highly original concept, fascinating characters, and not-too-subtle but truthful allegories. Don’t let the ...more
- Wesley Britton's profile
- 109 followers
