Khaleel Datay's Blog, page 2

Review: Inferno by Dan Brown

Inferno by Dan Brown

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Found the bits of history intriguing. Learnt about Dante Alighiri last in high school. Only now understood what he was really all about. Dan Brown masterfully weaves the story of the Divine Comedy into what was a typical Robert Langdon thriller. Some unexpected twists at the end and an interesting debate on the consequences on overpopulation is dealt with. Ultimately dont think this was as great as the Da Vinci Code which for me still by far his best book.



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Review: The 39 Steps by John Buchan

The 39 Steps by John Buchan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I discovered John Buchan rather late but was delighted to come across The 39 Steps. Written in that wonderful genteel style when roses were red and violets were blue, Buchan was a forerunner in the great thriller novel. Richard Hannay returns from South Africa to England just before the first World War. Bored out of his mind, his life quickly changes when a dead body turns up in his apartment with a long knife stuck in it. Just before his death Scudder had revealed a conspiracy to Hannay which convinced him to shelter the man. Forced to flee the scene lest he was brought up on murder charges, he makes for Scotland. Pursued by the police and the real killers, he meets some wonderful characters along the way who help him to evade his pursuers. Introducing genuine intrigue with a deadline for the death of a European minister that could result in the outbreak of war, Hannay has to chase the clock to unravel the mystery of who was behind the death of Scudder and ultimately, conspirators against the British in the coming war. As a reader with a love for Ludlum, De Mille, Alex Berenson et al, it was wonderfully refreshing to read a thriller where the highest technology employed was the humble telephone. A fairly short novel, it was nevertheless a great read.



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An interview with Nick Winter

Soon after THE WINTER DECEPTION was published, my editor at Fireblade Publishers asked me to do this character interview on the protagonist in my first book.It wasn't easy, but it was something I really enjoyed.



Interview with Nick Winter from Khaleel Datay’s The Winter Deception

Who is Nick Winter?

Nick is a fair man, a solid human being. He is essentially a loner, quiet and soft spoken. Being a victim of racial discrimination as a child has defined his character in his fight against those who oppress others. Nick loves the finer things in life, like expensive clothes and fancy cars, but sometimes it’s all just part of the different personas he has to assume.

1. How did you feel when you first heard that your contract to find the terrorist Khan in Mumbai was changed at the last minute to an assassination?

I was ticked off at the inconvenience, but preparing for the unexpected was part of the job.

2. How do you think things would have ended if you hadn’t involved your old friend and IT genius Ray Desai?

He was a critical link in finding Sh Salafi and doing the data mining to follow Chandrasekhar’s money trail. Ray was also a key witness in identifying the group who kidnapped Jasminder Singh. Without him it would have taken a lot longer to unravel the case. When he was shot during her rescue, it was hard to accept that I may have been the reason that he could have been killed. Ray knew the risks though, and he is a professional if nothing else.

3. When you first met Khan’s niece, tennis star Jasminder Singh, what was your first impression of her?

Besides the fact that she was absolutely smashing to look at, it was her honesty and decency as a person that shone through the most. She was easy to talk to and had no pretenses about her, despite being an international tennis star.

4. What’s the worst part of your job?

Lying to people I know.

5. What’s the best part of your job?

There’s a special satisfaction in finding the killers that have become our stock in trade. The knowledge that they won’t be able to hurt any more innocent people is reward enough for me.

6. If someone met you for the first time and spent only five minutes with you, what are they most likely to remember about you?

Hopefully nothing, in my business it’s not good to be remembered for anything. Those are the things that get you killed.

7. If you could pick any skill that you don’t already have, which would you most like to have?

Being able to use a computer to find out people’s deep and dirty secrets, but I suppose that’s why I have Ray, right? Problem is; he’s not always around so it comes down to old fashioned leg work most of the time.

8. What quality/trait do you find vital in a fellow spy on the same team?

Trust

9. What’s the biggest lie you’ve ever told, who did you lie to and why?

The biggest lies are the ones that hurt the most inside. Knowing that I killed her uncle, and still expecting Jasminder Singh’s cooperation and affections was a killer. If she finds out, do I kill her? See what I mean.

10. Is there anything you tend to carry around with you everywhere you go? If so, why?

These days it has to be a cell phone. It has become the most important communication tool around. Weapons are not a problem, one can fashion a weapon out of most things.

11. As a spy, it’s obviously vital that you know if someone can be trusted or not. How do you decide if someone is trustworthy?

That’s one of the hardest things in this business. A lot has to do with gut feel. Sometimes you can look into someone’s eyes and tell straight away he’s not trustworthy. There’s a lot that people give away in their body language, how they avert their eyes when lying, or how they manipulate a conversation to steer it away from probing enquiries. Others have become so adept at lying that it’s almost impossible to determine their honesty.

12. What do you tend to notice first about people you’ve just met?

Their eyes; so much is communicated in just one look. Most people are so absorbed with themselves, they forget to observe others really closely. Where they keep their hands is also important. If someone goes for a weapon you have to be prepared. Watching their hands will give you a good clue as to what comes next.

13. What’s your greatest strength?
Observation. The San Bushmen trackers taught me a lot about the power of observation, of knowing your prey, learning its traits, strengths and weaknesses. This allows you to think like your enemy and ultimately defeat him.

14. If you could shape shift into any animal, what would it be and why?

Mountain lion – power, speed, stealth and grace.

15. What would give you ultimate peace and happiness?

Now there’s one for the books. At some point you have to down tools and say enough is enough. Peace and happiness, there’s a thought. Contentment, that’s something else though. A small cottage by the sea or at the foot of a mountain, some paint and an easel would be nice, assuming I manage to dodge an assassin’s bullet.

So tell us Khaleel how it felt having your character come alive in an interview.

One of the great challenges to a writer is to draw believable characters that readers can identify with. Doing this interview has been like putting on a familiar garment again. The Winter Deception was written completely in the first person. That in itself was really challenging as you have to live through every breathing moment of your protagonist. The questions posed brought all of that back again. Writing from Winter’s viewpoint forced me to pour myself into the character and feel, smell and think as he does and that makes him real.

End of US Winter promotion

Hello everyone. The end of the US and Europe winter promotion sadly came to an end this week. Good news for Smashwords readers is that THE WINTER DECEPTION is available at $0.99. Amazon has also Price-Matched so the normal $3.99 price is now on $0.99 on Amazon too.

I must take time out to thank all those wonderful readers for the hundreds and hundreds of downloads I've had from Amazon and Smashwords in response to the Winter promotion. Special word of appreciation to Denise Harvey and Timothy Harvey for the Amazon reviews. I really hope everyone enjoys the read and please take a few moments out of your time to post a review on Smashwords,Amazon and Goodreads. Of course there was a twin meaning in the Winter promotion with the main character being Nick Winter in the book. Please take a look at my author interview on www.Smashwordscom. Really enjoyed it. Happy reading everyone!!!

Review: The Secret Soldier

Thoroughly enjoyed this book featuring Alex Berenson's John Wells character. Wells, former CIA and US Ranger, is approached by the ailing Saudi King to help him secure a succession battle with his brother Prince Saeed. King Abdullah wishes to cede power to his son while his brother feels its his birthright to be king. The book starts with a terrorist attack in Bahrain on a nightclub frequented by Westerners. We are introduced to Jihadis who feel aggrieved with the Saudi monarchy repressive rule. Wells is offered millions to take the assignment and at first refuses the desperate monarch. After some cajoling by the king's brother, Prince Miteb, Wells agrees and starts following up a lead from the king that leads him to a Jihadi camp in Lebanon. All the while Wells stays in contact with his former boss at CIA headquarters who provides technical assistance like tracing cell phone numbers and using the US satellites to pinpoint the Jihadi camp. What starts out as a personal favour to the king soon escalates into a much bigger problem when the king's favourite grand-daughter is assassinated by a suicide bomber. The world gave scant attention, but when the US ambassador to the kingdom is brutally kidnapped the world is on a knife's edge. Oil prices soar, markets plummet and the US prepares for full blown war with its old ally in the Middle East. As a former journalist, Berenson has researched the situation in the Middle East meticulously and provides incisive descriptions of life in modern day Saudi Arabia. When Wells connects the Lebanese camp to former Saudi soldiers the plot really stirs as the reality dawns that the terrorist attacks could have been ordered from within the kingdom, possibly even by someone within government. Wells, a self professed Muslim, pulls out all the stops to stop a war in the centre of the Islamic world that could result in its ultimate destruction. A desperate search for the ambassador sets up a thrilling end that could come straight off the pages of tomorrow's news.

Review: Muhammad, A story of the last prophet

Muhammad: A Story of the Last Prophet by Deepak Chopra

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I've read a number of biographies on the Arabian Prophet and found this book an interesting departure from the usual presentation. Deepak Chopra's novel is uniquely told through the eyes of friends, family members, and even enemies. This style brought an immediacy and vibrancy to the life of the Prophet, not to be found elsewhere. The author keeps the language simple and easy to understand, and it is this style that contributes to bringing the life of seventh century Arabia alive on the pages. We get a deep sense of the humanity of the extraordinary person that Muhammad was, his search for answers from a greater being and the profound impact on his life when he received the first revelation of the Quran via the angel, Gabriel. We see how the Prophet made enemies in his struggle to convince his community to worship one God as opposed to the hundreds of idols they followed. Not because they didn't agree with the message, but because they stood to lose tons of revenue from the visitors to Mecca who trekked to the holy city to visit the sacred house built by Prophet Abraham and his son. To write a story on the life of a man who brought a faith followed by almost 2 billion people is enough to send any writer for cover, but Chopra handles the subject matter with tact and diplomacy without pulling any punches where he felt he needed to. Chopra's characters are well drawn from what must have been a huge amount of research. The book never attempts to be a narration on the entire life story of the Prophet, yet the author was able to take you through his life with snippets as told through the eyes of his wife, his daughter, a Jewish holy man etc. It makes for a fascinating read and definitely worth a look at.



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Review: The Panther

The Panther by Nelson DeMille

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Nelson DeMille once again has former New York detective John Corey tracking an international terrorist. This time its Bulus ibn al Darwish, an American born Yemeni whose aim in life is to kill as many Americans as he can before taking over as ruler of a free Yemen. Given an ultimatum to either go to Yemen or get kicked out from the FBI Anti Terrorist Task Force, Corey opts to go hunting the Panther, as al Darwish styles himself. The book sort of follows on from THE LION where Corey killed another Arab terrorist called Asad Khalil. The Lion ends where Corey's wife killed Ted Nash, a CIA operative who seemingly went rogue.
Based at the American embassy in Sana'a, Corey and his wife is part of a team consisting of the FBI, the CIA, State Intelligence and Military Intelligence. There is no love lost between the FBI and the CIA and Corey immediately takes a dislike to the CIA operative appointed to run the operation. Afraid that the CIA were using him and his wife as bait to catch the Panther, Corey was even more concerned that the CIA wanted payback for Nash's death by conveniently arranging for his death 'in action' in faraway Yemen. Corey hates the place, having been posted there previously to investigate the bombing of the USS Cole where 17 Americans were killed by an explosives laden boat.DeMille gives us a fascinating insight into modern day Yemen ruled by a despotic ruler (in the Sadam Hussein vein)still seemingly stuck in 1013 as opposed to 2013. The country is typical of whatever can go wrong, will go wrong when there is no democratic government. Warlords control the south, the government controls the north and Al Qaeda controls everything in between. Armed with not much more than some handguns and a sniper rifle, the team at least has the comfort of knowing that they can take out their target with a Predator drone strike. The only problem was the Predator drones were controlled by the CIA, who Corey knew also wanted him dead. DeMille has a winner with the John Corey character and if you love your thrillers with a bad boy hero, this is the book for you.



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Review: The Lost Army of Cambyses

The Lost Army Of Cambyses by Paul Sussman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


An antique dealer is killed in Luxor and an archeology professor is found dead at his dig house in Saqqara. The professor's daughter, Tara Mullray always had a difficult relationship with her father whose love for his work transcended the love for his family. After having received a call from her dad to come to Egypt she looks forward to an unlikely reconciliation. She seeks assistance from the British Embassy but gets an odd feeling about their handling of the matter. Inspector Yusuf Khalifa from Luxor Police Dept is assigned to the case of the murdered antique dealer. When another dealer is killed in a similar fashion in Cairo, he sets off to find a link to his case. When Tara Mullray is pursued by parties unknown she suspects foul play in her father's death. Her pursuers, led by a giant German, were after a missing piece from an ancient tomb wall. When she meets up with a former lover, a long time associate of her father's, she is hopeful of a way out. After a terror incident in Cairo where several people are killed by a lone gunman, it is clear there is a link between the terrorists and the murders. Inspector Khalifa digs deeper and deeper into the investigation and the more he finds the more he dreads the outcome. The missing tomb piece has a relevance to an ancient mystery and lost treasures. The killer German and his black robed terror outfit drop bodies at will, nothing standing in their way to get to the missing piece. There are explosive twists throughout the book right up to the very end. This was Paul Sussman's first Inspector Khalifa novel (he gets a mere mention in a previous book)where he gives us a glimpse into the Egyptian culture, its people and the tough problems they faced. Written prior to 9/11 it is eerily prescient of the happenings in the Middle East. Instead of giving us clichéd bad guys, he deconstructs the terrorist mind and gives those of us from the West something to think about. If you're a fan of the murder/mystery genre, this book is for you. A bit long, as his books normally are, but definitely worth it.



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Review: A wanted man

A Wanted Man by Lee Child

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I've officially read all Lee Child's novels. All 18 of them. This one puts Reacher in the backseat of a car after catching a lift hitch-hiking in Nebraska. Nearby, someone is found killed. An eyewitness reports two guys fleeing the scene in dark suits. The police launch a manhunt and Reacher works out his lift is not what it seems. The third person is a woman and something isn't quite right with her. The author spends a huge amount of time describing the roadways going through Nebraska and Kansas, that I'm sure should I be lost there someday, this book alone should get me back on track without Google Maps assistance. Reacher eventually finds himself teamed up with a female FBI agent to track down the bad guys. Some twists and surprises as would be expected and Reacher blasting his way through so he could get on his way to Virginia to look up a woman with a nice voice. Classic Reacher, classic Lee Child but maybe a bit off his game.



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Khaleel Datay

Review: The Hidden Oasis

The Hidden Oasis by Paul Sussman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was my third Paul Sussman novel but the earliest that he'd written. I'm sure many other people do the same when they find a good author, and go back to read all the stuff he's written before. The beginning takes place more than two thousand years BC and was a bit confusing as Sussman lays the groundwork of the legend of the hidden oasis deep in the south of Egypt. In present time we are introduced to ace American mountain climber Freya Hannen who has to rush to Egypt to attend her sister Alex Hannen's funeral. Alex was an adventurer and died from a debilitating disease. Unable to cope with her sister's death in the prime of her life, she doubts the circumstances and does enquiries of her own. When she finds some inconsistencies in the story she becomes convinced there was foul play. She teams up with Egyptologist Flin Brodie who was a very good friend of her sister's. Brodie is a professor at the American University in Cairo whose special interest is the famed Hidden Oasis. Myth and legend has it that the oasis was home to a great round stone with extraordinary powers that would give its owners control over the entire world. The ancient Egyptians feared its power so much that they hid the stone and killed everyone who had any knowledge thereof. For more than two thousand years nobody had managed to find it. Brodie and Freya become embroiled in its search when it becomes known that 50kgs of weapons grade plutonium went down in a plane crash in the vicinity of the oasis. This sets off a race for the location of the oasis and the plutonium by the CIA and a wealthy Egyptian businessman and his pack of thugs. Sussman gives us brilliantly drawn villains, a breathtaking dash across the deserts of Egypt so reminiscent of the Indiana Jones series and twists and turns in the story that keeps you guessing to the end. I'd recommend this to anyone who loves a good adventure story.



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