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#39. Privileged Information - Stephen White

This is the first offering of Stephen White's and a wild ride it is.

This story involves three patients of Psycholgist Alan Gregory, all of whom die within a short time of one another via suicide, accident and murder. The only connection they have with one another is Gregory. It takes him a while to figure out who is at the root cause of these deaths and when he does, he pursues the villain himself because he is limited in what he can do by the rules around "Privileged Information". If he breaks those rules he could destroy his career as a Psychologist.

I liked the characters, who will undoubtedly appear in later volumes. As I said earlier the plot moves at breakneck speed and is as believable as most crime fiction efforts.

I plan to continue reading the series, hopefully in order of publication.

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#40. Heretic - Bernard Cornwell

This is the best of the three book "Grail Series".

Thomas of Hookton is given an order to try and find the Grail by his liege Lord, The Duke of Northumberland. He begins by capturing a castle in France as a base of operations, saves an accused heretic, Genevieve, from being burned at the stake, falls in love with her, is deemed a heretic himself, hides out in a monastery near his ancestral home, escapes those who would torture him to find out what he knows, returns to his soldiers, fights a last battle in the midst of the plague and ends up in England with Genvieve.

A very exciting read.

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#41. Blue Eyed Devil - Robert B. Parker

This book is deceptively short. It's themes of loyalty, integrity, honesty, love and friendship are brought to life through the dialogue of the various characters, mostly Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch.

The story itself begins with Virgil and Everett returning to Appaloosa, where the first book in the series took place, and taking jobs as protectors of the peace in the town's various saloons, which the police chief, whom they do not like, was shaking down for protection. Virgil is forced to shoot a leading citizen's son, which leads to many complications. There are also a number of sub-plots involving Virgil's lady love, Allie, a rescued kidnap victim, Apache's on the warpath, friends running from the law, and an assassination plot.

I have one suggestion for potential readers and that is to, at least, read the first book in the series, Appaloosa before taking on this one.

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#42. Amazing Grace - Eric Metaxas

I suspect if I had tried to read this book in the print edition, instead of the audio version, I would have abandoned it.

To give Wilberforce credit, he was the driving force in eliminating the slave trade by England and eventually by the other European states.

I can summarize the book thus: young, sickly, wealthy male grows up in a basically a-religious environment, attends Cambridge, befriends William Pitt, The Younger, drinks and eats to excess, runs for parliament in his early twenties, wins, ambitiously moves up the hierarchy, is born again and spends the rest of his life doing good things for their own sake and the greater glory of God. Boring!

If you are really interested in Wilberforce as a realistic political figure, look elsewhere for your information.

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#43. Nudge - Richard H. Thaler, Cass R. Sunstein

This is one of those books that I kept avoiding because I knew I "should" read it. I'm not sure what "nudged" me into picking it up but I'm sure glad I did.

It contains a number of great ideas on how government, industry and/or anyone else who wishes to influence others can "nudge" them into positive choices without limiting the chooser's freedom to do whatever they want. It introduces two concepts I was unfamilar with, "Libertarian Paternalism" and "Choice Architecture".

The underlying philosophy, a very attractive propostion, is that while everyone should be given the freedom to choose what they want, human behavior is such that sometimes people need a nudge to make a decision that is in their own best interest. If they still want to choose something other than what they are being nudged to do, fine.

There are numerous examples as the authors develop their thesis and dozens of additional ideas at the end of the book. I hope there will be a follow-up volume down the road two or three years from now.

Ed, I love Robert Parker. His books are always such quick reads that I hate to see them end.

Andrea wrote: "Ed, I love Robert Parker. His books are always such quick reads that I hate to see them end."

I agree. The surprising thing is how involved I get with his characters and how, with a few words of dialogue, he introduces a deep concept.

Ed, the book about the dictionary looks good. I'll have to read that sometime.

Julie wrote: "Ed, the book about the dictionary looks good. I'll have to read that sometime."

It is an extremely interesting story. Plus Winchester tells it in as few pages as possible. I really liked it. Gave it 5 stars.

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#44. Bandits - Elmore Leonard

This is an Elmore Leonard classic, I somehow missed. Published in 1987 and taking place in New Orleans, it chronicles the efforts of a disparate group of people to steal $5 million from a General of the Nicaraguan Contras.

As in almost all of Leonard's crime novels the dialogue is sharp and the characters play their roles very well. All of this is done somewhat tongue in cheek, certainly with a sense of humor. The story starts somewhat slowly but eventually races to an unexpected climax.

I have always enjoyed Leonard's contemporary stories and this is no exception.

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#45. Under the Eagle - Simon Scarrow

This is my first Simon Scarrow novel. It will not be my last.

Scarrow's writing style is not unlike Bernard Cornwell's. Perhaps that fact is not accidental. Nevertheless, Under the Eagle is a very well done story with interesting characters and a compelling plot.

It takes place around 42AD on the German frontier and in Pre-Roman Britain. Cato, a freedman with connections joins the army and is eventually assigned to a relatively new Centurion in the famed Second Legion, Macro. He is promoted because of his connections but earns the respect of Macro and others because of his bravery and intelligence.

The major sub-plot, is a search for a hidden chest full of treasure left by Julius Caesar after his unsuccessful invasion of Britain 100 years prior to the one described in this story.

I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series, The Eagle's Conquest.

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#46. Double Cross - James Patterson

This is the last Patterson book I'm going to read. I'd already given up on all but the Alex Cross series but after "Double Cross", I'm finished with that series, also.

This story involves a serial killer named DCAK (D.C. Audience Killer) who is knocking people off in public situations at the rate of about one a day. How believable is that? In addition, the psychopath, Kyle Craig, manages to escape from his federal prison by somehow convincing his lawyer to impersonate Craig and then hang himself. Happens all the time, right?

Aside from the plot, the characters are pure cardboard. The most interesting ones are the villains.

I know Patterson is one of the most popular authors around today. I don't understand why or maybe I do understand why and don't want to admit it to myself.

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#47. The Girl Who Played With Fire - Stieg Larsson

Wow, I think we have a winner!

On my way to the U.S. from Hong Kong, I watched the Swedish production of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo". The movie was exceptionally good.

Having just seen the movie, I thought I would start reading the series with the second book. I don't know if I made the right decision but I do know, I sure liked this book.

I won't recap the plot here. That job is done well enough in the description of the book on the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ site. What I want to do is to communicate how well Larsson develops the plot and hooks the reader deeper and deeper into what, on the surface, is an unbelievable tale. By the end of the book, which came far too soon, I had totally suspended my disbelief and was completely caught up in the events as Larsson described them.

Lisbeth Salander, in my mind, the major protagonist, is a character for the ages, perhaps the Holden Caulfield of the new century. She is unforgettable.

I do not recommend starting the series the way I did. I think it would be best to read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo first.

Hi Ed

If you would like to explore the scandinavian crime writers further, I'd recommend Jo Nesbø from Norway. He's brilliant and his main protagonist Harry Hole is - in my mind - one of the greatest characters in contemporary crime literature. A brilliant pathetic likeable alcoholic, with lots of demons in his mind.

There's 8 books about Harry so far, I'd reccomend The Redbreast or The Snowman as a first read, even though they are the third and the seventh book in the series respectively.

Thanks Rasmus,

I have read most of the Swede Henning Mankell books with his flawed detective Kurt Wallander. They are great.

Hadn't heard of Jo Nesbo. Will definitely try him. More titles for my TBR list. Arghhhhh!

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#48. The Prodigal Spy - Joseph Kanon

I had not heard of Joseph Kanon before reading this book. While not up to the level of Alan Furst or John LeCarre, nevertheless, this is a suspenseful story.

It takes place in two time frames: during the "Red Scare" of the late 1940s and early 50s and, later, during the Vietnam War and the Nixon Administration of the early 1970s. The plot unfolds in two major cities Washington, DC and Prague, Czechoslovakia.

The protagonist, Nick Kotlar is caught up, as a ten year old, in Congressional hearings in which his father, Walter, is accused of being a Russian spy. Later, as an adult, he is invited by his father to visit him in Prague where he has retired after many years living in Moscow. The plot develops from there.

The plot is very complicated. So complicated that the ending, in which all its elements are tied together, is a weakness of the story. The characterizations are strong and enhance the story considerably.

I enjoyed the book and will be reading more of Kanon's writings in the future.

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#49. Extreme Denial - David Morrell

What a fantastic story...for about 200 pages. Then the author decided he had better ratchet up the action at the expense of plot and characters and the book descended into formulaic violence from then on.

In this story Steve Decker, an experienced CIA operative, is paired with an incompetent fellow agent, Brian McKittrick. The result is a disaster in which 23 Americans are killed. While Decker isn't blamed, he decides to resign from the "life" and build a new existence in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He becomes a real estate agent, buys a house, falls in love and is grooving along until a group of men break into his house and try to kill him. Voila, time for him to revert to his previous existence, especially when his girl friend, Beth Dwyer is kidnapped. The story proceeds apace from there with lots and lots of killings, explosions, car chases, etc.

This certainly is a quick read and ultimately an unsatisfying one. I couldn't wait for it to end.

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#50. Night and day - Robert B. Parker

I am sure going to miss Robert B. Parker. I know his books are short and I know some people dislike the lack of description but I appreciate how he can tell a great story through short bursts of dialogue.

This Jesse Stone story involves a peeping tom who calls himself The Night Hawk. During the course of the story he escalates his actions to the point he becomes a real danger. There are two sub-plots. One involves a school principal who violates her students' civil rights and the other involves a swingers' club populated by Paradise, Massachusetts residents. Chief Stone must balance crime fighting, politics and common sense to manage all three situations, simultaneously.

I've got a few of Parker's books left to read. I think after I devour them I'll go back and re-read the Spenser novels in chronological order. I'm not ready to give Parker up.

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#51. Sharpe's Devil - Bernard Cornwell

As the saying goes, "All good things must come to an end." The Richard Sharpe series certainly qualifies. This is volume 21 if you list them chronologically, although it was the 13th he wrote.

The plot is simple: Sharpe is asked to retrieve Don Blas Vivar by his wife. Don Blas, a Spanish nobleman and compatriot of Sharpe from the Peninsula Campaign, has disappeared fighting the rebels in Chile. Don Blas' replacement, Miguel Bautista, is a corrupt scoundrel at best. The story unfolds from there with Sharpe eventually hooking up with Sir Thomas Cochrane, the de-frocked British Admiral, now fighting with the Chilean rebels. There is also an interesting sub-plot involving Napoleon, in exile on St. Helena.

The characters are all very Cornwellian and the action is, as usual, extremely well described and exciting. The historical references are accurate, including the parts involving Napoleon on St. Helena and Cochrane and the battle for Valdivia.

While not the best book of the series it was certainly a worthwhile wrap-up of this Napoleonic Wars saga.

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#52. Factory Girls - Leslie T. Chang

A most accurate picture of what it's like to be a female migrant worker in Guangdong Province in Southeastern China.

The detail with which the author paints the two major characters, Min and Chunming, is astounding. She basically, spent three years in more or less constant contact with both of them and has chronicled their lives, their attitudes and their relationships in painstaking detail.

She also used her time in China to pursue her own family's history and intersperses the girls' stories with her own.

I find it difficult to summarize the book because of it's breadth and depth. Suffice to say, I believe I have a true picture of what these girls' lives are like and by extension many of their peers. I also am once again reminded of how strong the pull of history is on Overseas Chinese, no matter how far removed they are from their roots.

To summarize: Factory Girls tells a fascinating and worthwhile story.

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#53. Heaven's Keep - William Kent Krueger

In a way, I'm sorry I read this book before reading the preceding books in the Cork O'Connor series.

The plot covers much more than simple Crime Fiction as it contains elements of love, adventure, family, spirituality, revenge, greed, friendship, community, etc.

The basic plot is that O'Connor's wife and seven others disappear on a flight over the mountains of Wyoming. The story unfolds from there with a few sub-plots that tie directly into the main narrative. This is a very well written, tightly constructed book. I'll leave it at that, not wanting to inadvertently expose any spoilers. The Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ summary provides a good snapshot of the book. You'll find it here: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63....

William Kent Krueger, like Peter Temple, Alan Furst, Robert B. Parker, Jonathan Kellerman, Patrick O'Brien and a few others, is an author whose writing transcends the genre he's chosen to write in. I look forward to reading the other books in the series.

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#54. Final Verdict - Sheldon Siegel

This book was quite a surprise. I had not read any of Siegel's stuff before. While he's no Lescroart, nevertheless this novel was an interesting one.

His main character, Mike Daley, is asked to defend an ex-client, Leon Walker, who is accused of murder. The problems with accepting are many: the client has incurable cancer, the last time Daley defended him, Daley and his ex-wife Rosie Fernandez, were accused of intimidating witnesses and other unsavory practices to get Walker and his brother off and, lastly, the stress of the trial was one of the main reasons Daley and Fernandez got divorced. Even though they've made up and are partners in a small law firm, it's clear that taking on Walker's defense will create lots of issues and stress.

They agree to take on the case in spite of all the problems and the story develops from there.

Siegel's strength is in his characterizations. The plot, though, has few twists and it's clear from early in the story that the real murderer comes from a small list of possibilities.

Over-all, though, it's a good story and has motivated me to try some of Siegel's other efforts.

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#55. To Speak For the Dead - Paul Levine

This is another banal crime fiction offering disguised as a legal thriller by having a lawyer as the protagonist.

The plot is simple. Lawyer defends doctor in malpractice case. Victim turns out to have been murdered. The rest of the story has to do with the lawyer trying to catch the killer or killers, who are already known to anyone who has ever read a mystery story.

The characters are pure cardboard. The writing is infantile. I skipped large numbers of paragraphs as I plowed through the last half of the book without losing track of anything.

The only saving graces are the descriptions of the courtroom scenes and a crazy ex-Medical Examiner, who spouts Latin on almost any occasion and has an encyclopedic memory for almost everything.

No more Paul Levine titles for me.

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#56. A Deadly Shade of Gold - John D. MacDonald

I'd forgotten how good a John D. MacDonald authored Travis McGee novel could be.

This story involves McGee heading to Mexico to avenge his friend, Sam Taggert's murder. The mission is complicated by a number of factors. MacDonald does an excellent job of tying up all the loose ends in the conclusion, even though it's hard to be happy with all the results.

I've read a number of the Travis McGee novels over the years. I don't remember them as being quite as well written as this one was. I plan to look for more of the series that I haven't read.

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#57. Jackdaws - Ken Follett

This offering of Ken Follett, while not up to Eye of the Needle or The Pillars of the Earth was nevertheless a good book to have on a trip with many delays due to weather and mechanical problems.

It chronicles the travails of a group of British women who are tasked to destroy a German telephone exchange just before D-Day, important because it was the main conduit for most of the military phone traffic between France and Berlin .

While certainly better than some of his later offerings like Code to Zero, This book did not motivate me to read more of Follett's work than I have already read.

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#58. Heat Lightening - John Sandford

I've been a John Sandford (nee: John Camp) fan for years. Now he has a new protagonist, Virgil Flowers.

Flowers works for Lucas Davenport, of the "Prey" series but is a very different type of fellow. He acts hippie-like and laid back but, while on a case, is anything but.

This story is very well done. The characters are well-drawn, the plot twists in interesting ways, the action is exciting but not overdone, and the conclusion ties things up in a satisfying manner.

I'm glad to see Sandford try something new while continuing to write in the same genre.

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59. Sharpe's Christmas - Bernard Cornwell

This volume contains two short stories written for the Daily Mail.

The first takes place on the border between France and Spain in December, 1812. Sharpe is trapped between two French forces. One trying to escape Spain. The other sent to rescue the escaping force. Sharpe figures out a way to defeat the rescuing force and to fool the escaping force into surrendering. Good fun!

The second story takes place after Waterloo. Sharpe is living in Normandy and returns from a rabbit hunt to find his wife and child held hostage for a fortune that he doesn't have. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that the people in the town resent him because he's English. Sharpe manages to win over the townspeople and rescue his wife and child with their help. Good fun, also.

I do miss old Richard and these stories made me feel like I do when I run into an old friend. I wish there were more of them.

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#60. Cold Hit - Stephen J. Cannell

This was one of Cannell's rare winners.

Shane Scully, the protagonist, is not unique to this genre but he does have his moments. His wife, being Chief of Detectives, introduces an interesting fillip to the story.

This particular story starts with a serial killing and ends with a very exciting shoot-out. In between Scully's loyalty to his partner is tested, his stubbornness gets him in trouble with a number of VIPs and he continues to come to grips with his past. The Patriot Act is roundly disrespected, as it should be.

The plot is not particularly inventive but the supporting characters are well-drawn and interesting in their own right.

I think I'll try another in the Shane Scully series.

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#61. The Sigma Protocol - Robert Ludlum

Ludlum doesn't mess around with small scale conspiracies.

In this case, a poor little rich kid, investment banker, Benjamin Hartman, meets up with poor little poor kid made good, Justice Department Agent, Anna Navarro, and, together, they save the world. As in most Ludlum novels, Hartman is an amateur who somehow manages to survive multiple attempts on his life through luck and skills picked up as a child and in college, mostly luck. Navarro is, of course, a stubborn rebel who goes off on her own whenever her instincts tell her she's right, no matter what the rest of the world is saying.

The plot is ingenious and has many twists and turns, which serve to keep the reader hooked. The characters are not unlike the girl in the nursery rhyme, very, very good when they are good but very very evil when they are evil.

All in all, though, I enjoyed the book, even while telling myself I shouldn't be enjoying it quite as much as I was.

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#62. The Confessor - Daniel Silva

Not the best work Silva has done but a compelling story, nevertheless.

Gabriel Allon, the masterpiece restorer and Israeli spy, attempts to track down the murderer of one of his best friends, Benjamin Stern. In the process he uncovers documents that implicate members of the Vatican in the WW II Holocaust. He also uncovers a contemporary plot to take over the Catholic Church by people dedicated to restoring it to its medieval glory. He is confronted by an old foe, Eric Lange, an assassin for hire. This is all very exciting and well written.

The plotting is complicated and very interesting. The characters, as in all of Silva's books, may be too good or too bad to be true but they are always interesting and well drawn.

As in many spy thrillers, bringing everything to a satisfactory climax is difficult. Silva does as good a job of it as anyone, particularly here where there are a lot of threads to tie up.

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#63. Stranger in Paradise - Robert B. Parker

I have a problem. I pick up a Robert B. Parker book and 24 hours later, I've finished it. As one reviewer put it, "His books are not so much read as inhaled."

This particular story has Jesse Stone, Chief of Police of Paradise, Massachusetts getting involved in a situation in which an old foe Wilson "Crow" Cromartie comes to Paradise to find a 14 year old run-away girl and return her to her father, a big time crime boss in South, Florida.

The plot has many twists and turns, peppered by Parker's gripping dialogue, which is what actually carries the story.

There are no big plot twists that are surprising. The story just zips along and comes to a satisfactory ending.

Ed, I love Robert Parker! Your post was very well said. I have the last Jesse Stone book here, but I keep putting it off. I'm going to be very sad reading it knowing that it's the end. Robert Parker has this great way of writing a book you could start after breakfast and finish right after dinner and feel like you read something good all the same.

Andrea wrote: "Ed, I love Robert Parker! Your post was very well said. I have the last Jesse Stone book here, but I keep putting it off. I'm going to be very sad reading it knowing that it's the end. Robert Parke..."

I'm thinking of re-reading the entire "Spenser" series from #1 to the last one. I'm just not ready to give Parker up.

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#64. The Third Twin - Ken Follett

Once again, a great start degrades into an unbelievable story. Some of this author's writings are great but this particular offering does not measure up to even his mediocre work.

A genetic researcher, specializing in studying twins, raised separately, in which one is law-abiding and the other a criminal, stumbles on to a government funded experiment that is being covered up. There are so many coincidences that it's a wonder some one didn't discover the cover-up years before. As the story progresses, it becomes more and more outlandish, to the point where I just skimmed the last 100 pages.

Needless to say, everything is neatly tied up in the last ten pages.

Not much to recommend here. I doubt if I will read much more Follett.

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#65. Heat Lightning - John Sandford

I've been a John Sandford (nee: John Camp) fan for years. Now he has a new protagonist, Virgil Flowers.

Flowers works for Lucas Davenport, of the "Prey" series but is a very different type of fellow. He acts hippie-like and laid back but, while on a case, is anything but.

This story follows Flowers as he tries to make sense of a series of obviously professionally done killings, where the victims are placed at veterans' memorials with lemons stuffed in their mouths, held there with duct tape.

All of this is very well done. The characters are well-drawn, the plot twists in interesting ways, the action is exciting but not overdone, and the conclusion ties things up in a satisfying manner.

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#66. Sharpe's Christmas - Bernard Cornwell

This volume contains two short stories written for the Daily Mail.

The first takes place on the border between France and Spain in December, 1812. Sharpe is trapped between two French forces. One trying to escape Spain. The other sent to rescue the escaping force. Sharpe figures out a way to defeat the rescuing force and to fool the escaping force into surrendering. Good fun!

The second story takes place after Waterloo. Sharpe is living in Normandy and returns from a rabbit hunt to find his wife and child held hostage for a fortune that he doesn't have. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that the people in the town resent him because he's English. Sharpe manages to win over the townspeople and rescue his wife and child with their help. Good fun, also.

I do miss old Richard and these stories made me feel like I do when I run into an old friend. I wish there were more of them.

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#67. Cold Hit - Stephen J. Cannell

This was one of Cannell's rare winners.

This particular story starts with a serial killing and ends with a very exciting shoot-out. In between Scully's loyalty to his partner is tested, his stubbornness gets him in trouble with a number of VIPs and he continues to come to grips with his past. The Patriot Act is roundly disrespected, as it should be.

The plot is not particularly inventive but the supporting characters are well-drawn and interesting in their own right. Two detectives on the LA anti-terrorism squad introduce some needed humor into the proceedings and provide the kind of support Scully needs as he tries to sort out a most confusing case.

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#68. The Sigma Protocol - by Robert Ludlum

Ludlum doesn't mess around with small scale conspiracies. He goes for the over-the-top, take over the world conspiracies. This effort is no different.

In this case, a poor little rich kid, investment banker, Benjamin Hartman, meets up with poor little poor kid made good, Justice Department Agent, Anna Navarro, and, together, they save the world. As in most Ludlum novels, Hartman is an amateur who somehow manages to survive multiple attempts on his life through luck and skills picked up as a child and in college, mostly luck. Navarro is, of course, a stubborn rebel who goes off on her own whenever her instincts tell her she's right, no matter what the rest of the world is saying.

The plot is ingenious and has many twists and turns, which serve to keep the reader hooked and has all the characters moving around the world at breakneck speed.

All in all, though, I enjoyed the book, even while telling myself I shouldn't be enjoying it quite as much as I was.

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#69. The Confessor - Daniel Silva

Gabriel Allon, the masterpiece restorer and Israeli spy, attempts to track down the murderer of one of his best friends, Benjamin Stern. In the process he uncovers documents that implicate members of the Vatican in the WW II Holocaust. He also uncovers a contemporary plot to take over the Catholic Church by people dedicated to restoring it to its medieval glory.

The plotting is complicated and very interesting. The characters, as in all of Silva's books, may be too good or too bad to be true but they are always interesting and well drawn.

As in many spy thrillers, bringing everything to a satisfactory climax is difficult. Silva does as good a job of it as anyone, particularly here where there are a lot of threads to tie up.

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#70. Stranger in Paradise - Robert B. Parker

This particular story has Jesse Stone, Chief of Police of Paradise, Massachusetts getting involved in a situation in which an old foe Wilson "Crow" Cromartie comes to Paradise to find a 14 year old run-away girl and return her to her father, a big time crime boss in South, Florida.

The plot has some twists and turns, peppered by Parker's gripping dialogue, which is what actually carries the story.

However, there are no big plot twists that are surprising. The story just zips along and comes to a satisfactory ending.

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#71. Higher Authority - Stephen White

Ultimately disappointing, this attempt to feature Lauren Crowder, Alan Gregory's fiancee, often falls flat. However, the explanation of how the Mormon Church works in Utah was obviously well researched and very interesting and believable.

In this book, Teresa Crowder, Lauren's sister wishes to bring a sexual harassment suit against a well-known member of the Church, Blythe Oakes, and she wants to do it in Salt Lake City. The plot thickens, so to speak, when Mrs. Oakes, Pratt Toomey, a private investigator, and Rachel Baumann, a potential witness are all murdered in similar fashion.

There are numerous sub-plots, In fact, I think there are too many sub-plots and they drain energy from the main story.

The book started very slowly but did pick up after about 100 pages or so. The ending, while exciting, is hard to accept but it does tie up a number of loose ends.

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#72. Stardust: A Novel - Joseph Kanon

I'm conflicted about this book. The topic, post WW II witch hunting for communists in the movie industry, is something I am interested in. The characters are interesting and believable. The plot, though, is often confusing.

Ben Collier returns from Europe to hear that his very successful and heroic brother, Daniel, has committed suicide. The rest of the story involves Ben trying to find out the truth, while producing a documentary about the Death Camps. As a result he becomes an insider in the movie industry and is eventually recruited to expose possible communist influence by a publicity hungry congressman, Ken Minot.

In the conclusion, we do find out what really happened, but it comes across as essentially meaningless. Yet, the total story was inherently interesting because of its focus on Hollywood, the post-war political climate, and the travails of German Jews before and during the war.

So close Ed, you're having a great year!

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#73. The Gate House - Nelson DeMille

This sequel to the author's The Gold Coast takes place ten years later. John Sutter, the protagonist returns from London to Long Island's Gold Coast. Sutter's ex-wife, Susan Stanhope Sutter, has returned to the Stanhope estate, also. At the conclusion of The Gold Coast, Susan had just murdered her lover, Frank Bellarosa

The plot while not particularly complicated is still very detailed.

The book is actually almost totally carried by John, who has a very sarcastic and sharp wit, much of which he keeps to himself. DeMille let's us read what John is thinking as well as what he actually says. This device is sometimes confusing, that is figuring out what's internal and what's external.

The story unfolds in a somewhat leisurely manner with a number of sub-plots to keep things interesting. Eventually matters come to a head and in a not totally unexpected conclusion all ends well.

I've read most of DeMille's output and he never disappoints. The Gold Coast is no exception.