Samyann's Blog, page 22

Not Alone by Craig A. Falconer – Audiobook

This is a very long story, 23 hours of listening in the unabridged audiobook format. Given the length, you need a voice pleasant to hear and James Patrick Cronin does a terrific job. Pacing, tempo, male and female voices, etc., overall production very well done. Not Alone is a SciFi novel and released in August of 2016 by Audible Studios. Not Alone is  a character driven story, albeit few main characters – which is nice listening. No need for struggling to keep track of who-is-who, and thanks to the excellent narration, no problems with who-is-speaking-to-who.

Dan McCarthy, while riding his bike on a delivery, collides with a robber who drops an envelope containing definitive proof of a government cover-up. Human knowledge of aliens, i.e., we are Not Alone, has been a fact since 1938. A letter in his find documents several spheres that are located across the world, spheres containing information about when the aliens plan to return to earth – ergo, the hunt is on!

151 out of 159 chapters of the book are devoted to Dan McCarthy’s efforts to be believed, verification of his find, his battle for exposing the truth, political ramifications, global impact, and sorting out individual and governmental agendas. The story is a fairly realistic representation of what may happen, from mass suicides to riots and bank runs. What do the spheres tell humanity? Is this an eviction notice? Are the aliens a threat or friendly? At the very end of the book, you’ll find out if aliens really exist – or not – no spoilers – but you must read to the last chapter.

Don’t expect pages and pages of clicking knees, little green men, bloody conflict, or laser weapons – not that type of story. Not Alone is a tale of ‘first contact’ dominated with the author’s interpretation of how all of us earthlings would react. The actual event itself is anticlimactic.

A bit long, but listenable and thought provoking. Overall, Not Alone is recommended for the conspiracy buff or SciFi fan.

Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow and The Great Chicago Fire

Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow

The causes of the massive blaze, which destroyed much of Chicago in October 1871, were perilous conditions: a long drought during a very hot summer, and the fact that the city had been built almost entirely of wood.

Within a few days of the fire, a Chicago Republic reporter named Michael Ahern wrote an article including the rumor about Mrs. O’Leary’s cow kicking over a kerosene lantern, igniting hay in the barn and starting the fire. The story took hold. In 1893, Ahern admitted that he created this fiction for colorful copy. Nonetheless, the story persists today.

Although no one disputes that a fire started in Mrs. O’Leary’s barn at 9:00pm on October 8, 1871, whether or not the cow started the blaze is a 140-year-old debate. chicagohistory.org

From: Yesterday – A Novel of Reincarnation

Fargo Adventures by Clive Cussler – Audio

This review is specific to the first seven books of the Fargo series by Clive Cussler in audiobook format narrated by Scott Brick. All are published by Penguin Audio and are in the area of eleven to twelve hours of listening. Some of The Fargo Adventures have been co-authored with Grant Blackwood, Thomas Perry, Russell Blake or Robin Burcell. Early writings by Clive Cussler did not involve co-authors, however Cussler is in his mid-80s at this writing. All of these books cover a specific era of ancient history and are rich with detail. There is a great deal of historical research, ergo co-authors. The Fargo Adventures series is in the tradition of all Cussler works, i.e., mysteries wrapped around history, a formula that defines his basic plot structure. The difference, in my opinion, is the married couple lead characters in this series, Sam and Remi Fargo, as opposed to the type A macho men, Dirk Pitt and Isaac Bell.

The entire series revolves around ancient treasure, excavation, archeological digs, etc. Think DaVinci Code on steroids with a brilliant engineer and his historian wife as the lead characters, Sam and Remi. Or possibly Nick and Nora or Jonathan and Jennifer Hart with satellite cell phones and iPads. The leads chase clues galore across the world involving everything from deep sea diving to mountain climbing to hot air balloon escapes to spelunking. Exotic cities, exclusive hotels, and sumptuous dining experiences of the locales are explicitly described in each story.  Remi and Sam are experts at and can do anything and are very philanthropic. All of their finds are turned over to the local governments or historical societies. The two are not ‘in it for the money’, but rather the adventure. At their California home/office is Selma and her staff. Selma is a researcher who finds answers to the most obscure elements of ancient history, makes travel and equipment arrangements for Sam and Remi, and knows what they need before they need it. The pair is independently wealthy enough to have enviable lives traveling the world and getting themselves in and out of  trouble, turning the tables on bad guys along the way. Although Sam and Remi are married and deeply in love, the entire series is squeaky clean, i.e., chaste kisses on cheeks. No gratuitous sex, no language issues as is true of all Cussler writing. Don’t hesitate to present as gifts to anyone.

Regarding Scott Brick’s audiobook performances … well … it’s Scott Brick, ergo not much to say. He does a particularly great job with obscure accents and pronunciations. Male and female voices unique, no trouble discerning who-says-what-to-who, nice timing and tempo, solid productions.

Spartan Gold, 2009 = Napoleonic history that begins with Sam and Remi finding a Nazi-era German mini-sub while scuba diving. Ancient bottles of wine found in the sub have them hunting for Napoleon’s lost cellar and more treasure.

Lost Empire, 2010 = Aztec history. Very convoluted, complex story. Clues galore poof away during the story and are wrapped up in neat package in the Epilog. Not my favorite, but finding a mystery (no spoiler) in the Krakatoa volcanic ash is a very cool element of the plot.

The Kingdom, 2011 = Nepal history. Sam and Remi are sucked into a mystery taking them from an egomaniacal Texas baron to Shangri-La!

The Tombs, 2012 = A narcissistic maniac believes he is a descendent of Attila the Hun. Other greedy creeps simply want the riches found in a cadre of tombs, which results in a search for Attila’s  final resting place – another tomb.

The Mayan Secrets, 2013, opens in the 16th century with the sheltering of a book containing Mayan history. Sam and Remi battle to preserve a book found in an ancient clay pot. The resulting mayhem begins a wild adventure.

In The Eye of Heaven, 2014, Cussler should have been tougher in the supervision of co-authoring, as the character of Remi has changed to be more of a liability for Sam – she acts like a spoiled child, often wanting to go home. The book might be better if he sent her. The two argue about strategy rather than scheme together as in previous novels – way too much ’sneering’. That, and after all they’ve been through, Remi is jealous? Really? That said, the story: How do ancient artifacts from the interior of Mexico wind up in the hull of a Viking ship found west of Greenland buried in glacial ice? Thus is the mystery of The Eye of Heaven.

The Solomon Curse, 2015. Beneath the waters off the coast of Guatemala lay the structures of a village or town. A wealthy tycoon in Australia is up to no good. There are ancient tales of gold and jewels and yep: Giants! Sam and Remi spelunk their way through adventures and march through jungles to find treasure, dead bodies, and ancient dead bodies.  Not quite as ‘thrilling’ as some of the books, but an enjoyable read.

Since the books stand alone, jump in anywhere. Recommended for adventure lovers interested in ‘clean’ reads. Not great literature, just fun reading.

           

Foreign Agent by Brad Thor – Audiobook

Book 15 in the Scot Harvath series by Brad Thor, this unabridged audiobook version of Foreign Agent is eleven hours of listening and narrated by Armand Schulz. Released by Simon & Schuster Audio in June of 2016.

One of Harvath’s contacts provides intelligence that results in a covert operation disaster, an assassinated Secretary of Defense, a white house suicide bomber. Harvath has been duped and he is out for justice. Our hero traces through a myriad of connections as the brains of bad guys are subsequently drizzled down walls, throats are slashed. This is a pretty graphic story in which women are raped and abused, bodies pile in a most grizzly manner – including innocents burned alive in a cage. Foreign Agent is a thrill ride that spans the globe from Washington, to Malta, to the deserts of Jordan and Syria.

Why I liked Foreign Agent. Scot Harvath is Brad Thor’s espionage hero; a character that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp – you know the type. Harvath is the self-deprecating, handsome, type A, macho-man … a superman with no superhuman skills – only training, wits, courage, and a gentle heart. This type of espionage/thriller is fun to read, and page-turners are more fun in audiobook format. Armand Schulz does a terrific job with narration. Great pacing, tempo, emotion, a sound production.

Not so hot. The story moves at break-neck speed, which is okay, but it is also confusing at times. Lots of action with some very short chapters that usually involve a locale switch. I didn’t want to miss anything relevant, so did a rewind several times. You may find it just fine and this is simply evidence my attention span failing.

If you enjoy the genre, recommended!

First Strike by Ben Coes – Audio

Written by Ben Coes, narrated by Peter Hermann, about fourteen hours of listening in the unabridged audiobook format. First Strike, book six in the Dewey Andreas series. Released in June 2016 by Macmillan Audio.

A man high up in United States defense believes he is acting in a patriotic manner when recruiting a young militant to build a foundation for easing tensions in Arab nations. An arms for a peaceful nation-building plan begins. The plan backfires. The arms go directly into the structure of ISIS. The collapse of the plan results in the final shipment, a container ship loaded with billions in arms, being boarded by U. S. Navy Seals. Held hostage by ISIS, a Columbia University dorm. The dorm is filled with hundreds of students, parents, teachers. Thus is the story of First Strike.

Screaming students are thrown from dorm windows, brains drizzle down walls, intricately described guns up the wazzooo, double-taps, beheadings, burned alive innocents, many such grizzly scenes abound. Throw into the mix the Ben Coes hero, Dewey Andreas and his small band of cohorts.

The day is saved and all ends well. There ya go!

Why I liked. The espionage genre is fun to read, as is a Ben Coes novel surrounding the exploits of Dewey Andreas. Think Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp or Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. Andreas is the quiet, type A, tough guy, loner with a soft heart who is the go-to guy for the President when the world falls apart. The entire subject matter of First Strike is very timely given current events.

Problems. Dewey is beyond a superman. Early in the story he is shot in the leg. Even though this is a ‘flesh wound’ that doesn’t break the femur, it is never mentioned again. Nada. Dewey would have been a bit hampered, maybe a tiny limp, ya think? He nearly drowns, gets pounded to hell a few times in in a manner that would completely disable lesser men. A teeny bit unrealistic behavior. Okay, okay. It’s fiction, lighten up. Secondly, the last twenty minutes of listening wasn’t necessary. The thrilling segments of the book, which are many, drizzle to nothing with this long mawkish scene. You may like it, I thought it was  eye-rolling and silly fill.

Narration by Peter Hermann is great. Nice pacing, tempo, etc., a good listen.

If you enjoy the genre, go for it. Recommended.

Kill Her Again by Robert Browne – Audio

Written by Robert Gregory Browne, just under 10 hours of listening in the unabridged version. Kill Her Again is book three in a series: A Fourth Dimension Thriller and released in February of 2014 by Audible Studios in audiobook format. The original paperback was published in 2009. Until writing this review I was not aware of the series – so as you can imagine, the book stands alone.

This story begins with a beautiful, vulnerable, fragile FBI agent called upon to assist in the investigation of a grizzly murder, more than one victim, missing children. Combine this with the agent being subjected to the bizarre visions of an abducted little girl. Enter a handsome hypnotherapist whose wife murdered his little boy. Throw in reincarnation. Sounds like a winner, right? Sadly, the book doesn’t measure up to the potential of this intriguing plot.

Why I liked. Everyone is intrigued with reincarnation, no matter if one believes or not. The concept is rich fodder for fiction and many wonder: ‘What if…?’.  Rather than a typical ‘who-done-it’, Kill Her Again is about preventing the cycle of murder transcending multiple lives over decades. A really cool concept for a book.

Why I didn’t like. Execution, initially. The author introduces a sage-sooth-saying fortune teller, candles, tarot cards and all, as a solution to explaining plot, characters, and tying up loose ends. A cop-out to fleshing out the story with more creative writing. Another reason I wasn’t too wild about this story: The ‘grandfather paradox’ … Google it … of changing the past isn’t addressed and, the ramifications are food for thought the author ignores. This is a plot hole, in my opinion, because in the scenario presented it would be a factor. You may find it peachy. An interesting ending, but predictable.

Via an Audible special, acquired this book as one of many narrated by Scott Brick. He does okay – no trouble discerning who-says-what-to-who. A clean read, no explicit sex, no language issues. A listenable book … but I’m not motivated to continue the series.

Miracle Cure by Harlan Coben – Audio

Pretty close to Harlan Coben’s first or second novel, narrated by Scott Brick, 13.5 hours of listening in unabridged audio format. Audible indicates a release date of September, 2011 by Brilliance Audio. The original hardback edition if Miracle Cure goes way back to the early 1990s.

An aids clinic, on the cusp of discovering a Miracle Cure, is losing patients via violent murders. If a cure is found there are those who would benefit financially, there are many with suspicious motive. A religious zealot doesn’t believe a cure is possible and the disease is a godly punishment, and there are zealots for the cause of a potential cure. The grizzly murder of a senator’s son and the diagnosis of a world famous athlete brings all to a head. The sleuthing of a determined cop ensues. Thus is the thrust of Miracle Cure.

Why I liked. Miracle Cure is a who-done-it, ergo I’m in! The suspects are plentiful. The timeframe is unique – early 1990s. No cell phones, no email, no internet. I don’t believe the word ‘computer’ is in the book, although they were around back then – big clunky things. So, getting into the settings was a challenge. In several instances characters make phone booths telephone calls, cops and doctors use pagers – fun to imagine.

Why I didn’t like. Harlan Coben makes an apology in the opening segment, but tells us that he still loves the book. The writing is that of a talented, albeit novice writer. The good stuff is going to come years later and I guess you gotta start somewhere. The future of Coben is easily spotted in Miracle Cure, i.e., an intricate plot, some thrilling and scary moments. But, you can also spot the flaws – like some areas of character definition unclear, plot at times confusing. There is a wrap-things-up-quickly segment in the last chapter I didn’t care for at all. Too much explaining by the author. A few this -is-what-happened-and why conversations between characters I found annoying.

Scott Brick is great, lots of diverse voices in Miracle Cure.

Miracle Cure is certainly listenable/readable – but don’t expect the quality of later Harlan Coben books.

Spin by Robert Wilson – Audio

Written by Robert Charles Wilson, narrated by Scott Brick, close to eighteen hours of listening in unabridged format. Spin, released in 2008, is book one of a series published by Macmillan Audio.

Three tweens witness the beginning of the Spin by watching the night sky as all the stars blink out. Shortly the world learns that the stars are still there, but not visible because the earth is covered with a ‘membrane’. Beyond the membrane time is passing with sufficient speed to make the sun go nova in 40 or 50 years. In other words, time beyond the membrane is very fast. The story takes place over a few decades and the kids grow up … one becomes a scientist, one a doctor, one a cult follower. The synopsis and other reviews will provide more detail, but this is the basic thrust.

Why I liked. The Spin is very creative SciFi and, unlike other apocalyptic stories, the future isn’t necessarily doomed. There are the predictable events, such as mass suicide, cults, insurrection to a degree. Some people and countries take advantage of the situation for the good of mankind and some for not so altruistic reasons. Realistic human behaviors. Fundamentally, the future is unknown – as it is in the real world. Some of the science is really thought provoking, i.e., the processes involved in building another habitable planet.

Not so hot. Some of the science is just plain silly. For example, man terraforms Mars in a very short time, within a couple of years. This is fine, and works well into the imagined world of of Spin … time zooming by quickly beyond our ‘membrane’. However, and this is an oops by the author in my opinion, the technology and sophistication of Mars doesn’t move forward at the same phenomenal rate … no more than Earth. Everything that happens is because of the ‘brain power’ or actions of earth and it’s science – nothing from Mars. Mars should be billions of years more advanced than Earth and in the Spin, it is not. Mars should be taking the lead, right? Doesn’t make sense. The ‘hypotheticals’ – the unknown alien force responsible for the Spin – are undefined. No ultimate understanding is presented by the author. I guess this is the reason for sequels, but there wasn’t enough substance for me to care.

Regarding narration, Scott Brick is, well Scott Brick … great.

If you like SciFi, you’ll find something to enjoy. But, there are holes in the story, imo.

Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz – Audio

Gregg Hurwitz’s novel, Orphan X, is narrated by Scott Brick, and just over eleven hours of listening in the unabridged audiobook format. Book one in the Evan Smoak series and released in early 2016 by Brilliance Audio.

Although not specifically defined, the ‘orphan’ program is a covert operation that takes place modern day. Orphans, from disparate circumstances, are trained to be elite operatives. These people are called upon by the federal government for black-ops missions – assassination, murder included. The orphan program has been disbanded and now Orphan X takes it upon himself to become a Robin-Hood-man-of-steel savior for those who need help. Think Michael Connelly’s Jack Reacher or Brad Thor’s Scot Harvath – a self deprecating, handsome, type A good-guy-lone-wolf. This is the Evan Smoak character, Orphan X. 

Evan Smoak was the ‘best’ at his job, the best marksman, best fighter, best at everything. Even though this is all in the past, Orphan O is still pissed about being second best. O is on the hunt for X, using X’s clients as bait. There ya, go – the plot of Orphan X.

Thrilling moments sprinkle the pages, and if you like a tough-guy-with-a-tender-heart lead character, you’ll love it. More than a ‘Who-done-it?’, Orphan X is a ‘Who can be trusted?’ mystery. Great concept for a series – a modern day savior of the little guy – a Superman with no super-powers. I’m anxious for Evan to develop/grow as a character and Orphan X is a good foundation.

A little sex, but nothing gratuitous or explicit, no foul language.

Narration is fine. Scott Brick is a good choice for the crime thriller even though he does over emote a bit. If you’re familiar with Brick, you know what I mean. This is an enjoyable listen, a page turner. If you like the genre, this one is a keeper.

You’re Next by Gregg Hurwitz – Audio

Written by Gregg Hurwitz, narrated by Scott Brick, 14 hours of listening in unabridged format. You’re Next was released quite a while ago, mid-2011, by Brilliance Audio. Audible recently had a special on books narrated by Scott Brick. Needless to say, I stocked up!

Mike, the main protagonist, was abandoned at age four. He’s about to learn why. Mike is a man of high moral standards with an orphaned past who has taken the right path in life. He’s a successful contractor-builder, a family man with a wife, child, picket fence, suburban life. The story begins with a development of homes resulting in Mike’s picture in the paper, a catalyst to the main mystery. Unbeknownst to Mike, he is a dead-ringer for his father. Crooked cops, politicians, hit-men, etc., have Mike uncertain as to who he can trust. With fear for his life, his wife and daughter, Mike turns to his old friend, Shep. A best friend from Mike’s childhood, a fellow orphan, Shep has taken a different path in life.

In my opinion, Shep is the best character in the book, and Scott Brick does his voice in an unusual, and fantastic, way.

Overall, this is an excellent Gregg Hurwitz mystery, and well worth the purchase. A page-turning story of love, stamina, and loyalty – with lots of twists, plenty of guessing, and thrilling/chilling moments. However, there is one major subplot that is superfluous and the story would be better, and shorter, without the distraction. Seems he’s been duped by a dishonest sub-contractor to the tune of a several thousand dollars. This element serves no purpose to the story arc.  No spoiler, this happens early in the book and then is dropped from the story line.

No explicit sex, no bad language. A little cringeworthy behavior and torture, but not much.

If you’re a fan of the crime/thriller genre or Gregg Hurwitz, you won’t be disappointed. You’re Next is good story.