David Harry's Blog, page 3
March 2, 2012
New Review – The Padre Puzzle!
Make sure you have a free weekend before you open this book. You won't be able to set it down, once Redstone sets foot on South Padre Island, the action begins and never stops! David Harry has done it up good here, but the action continues in The Padre Predator, when Redstone and Martinez get a special assignment from the POTUS himself. This is a MUST READ, don't pass up a good time!
February 7, 2012
How Romance Impacts a Novel
A reader recently wrote asking me how important romance is in my books. In my mind, romance, in all its forms, is a foundation of human existence. The world seems right when a partner is in our lives—and, conversely, a void seems to exist when we are alone. Romance allows an essentially secondary story to breath life into the main story. Some might even conclude that the tension of the subplot is the real story.
Males and females react differently when a possible sexual partner is present. This creates rich opportunities for the author. For a novel in which critical lifesaving decisions must be made in split seconds, the non-linearity occasioned by an underlying romantic involvement (real or imagined) adds a degree of unpredictability. Said another way; smart folks don't always do smart things when romance is in play.
The reader is free to superimpose his or her own emotions and experiences onto the underlying romance thereby personalizing the story for the reader. For some, this is comforting, for others, very disquieting. But regardless, the reader's increased involvement in the story raises the emotional response orchestrated by the writer.
As the relationship between the characters matures, the interactions between them become more complex. In The Padre Puzzle, the first book in the Redstone/Martinez series, the relationship between Jimmy and Angella is that of mentor and junior officer and, despite strong attraction, there is little trust between them. In the second book, The Padre Predator, Jimmy growing love for Angella allows him to support Angella's even when strong evidence links her to a murder.
By the third book, The Padre Paranoia, to be released in the fall, Jimmy's increasing love for Angella clouds his otherwise good judgment and affects his behavior in uncharacteristic ways. This plays a large part in the eventual outcome of the story. Things may well have worked out differently without the romance.
January 17, 2012
David Baldacci's Most Recent Thriller "Zero Day"
David Baldacci’s Most Recent Thriller “Zero Day”
Why was a family of four murdered in brutal fashion, their bodies found lined up on the living room sofa? Does it matter that the father was a military officer in possession of sensitive information? Does the sleepy town in a sparsely populated area of West Virginia where coal is mined by stripping mountains play a factor in the outcome? And will tough-minded Army Ranger, John Puller, a tall, well-proportioned, highly trained Criminal Investigation Division agent be able to figure it all out?
Baldacci’s latest book, Zero Day quickly presents these questions. Puller, teams up with a local police Sergeant by the same of Samantha Cole, and together they begin the tedious, and as we find out, dangerous, investigation into the deaths. But all is not what it seems as doubts about the activities of the local coal mining company and its wealthy owner begin to creep in.
Puller and Cole build a cozy working relationship that promises to blossom into something more personal, perhaps even before the case is solved. Mix in the fact that Cole’s sister is the wife of the coal company owner, and that her brother is found lurking around Puller’s motel, and, as they say, the plot thickens. Puller’s investigation leads back to Washington and to an ambitious General looking for her second star who stonewalls him in matters pertaining to the dead military guy.
Technical details are woven into the facts such that the reader becomes enmeshed in the complexities of the story in a way few authors can achieve. Baldacci, with over 100 million books sold worldwide, continues to entertain us, especially if you enjoy putting the pieces of a mystery together yourself as the facts emerge.
January 7, 2012
New Book Review of the Padre Puzzle by "More Than a Reading Journal" Blog
January 6, 2012
New Book Review of the Padre Puzzle by “More Than a Reading Journal” Blog
This is a very well told story. Jimmy Redstone is a wonderful and very realistic main character, and the tale is told at a brisk pace while it also takes the time to give the reader a good picture of the characters and landscapes involved. Read more
