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GERALD'S 50 BOOKS READ IN 2012
MARCHMan In The Middle (Sean Drummond #6)
25.
Brian HaigFinish date: March 14, 2012
Genre: fiction, military
Rating: B+
Review: Protagonist Sean Drummond is a Army lawyer on temporary assignment to the CIA. Initially tasked with investigating an apparent suicide which suspiciously looks like a murder, he soon finds himself with a female partner heading to Iraq to investigate related aspects involving treason and terrorism. This leads to most surprising suspects at the highest levels of both the U.S. and Iraqi governments.
LtCol Drummond faces harrowing circumstances which not only challenge his ethics but his very life on numerous occasions. At times it seems that he cannot trust his own boss any more than he can trust the enemy.
This is an exciting tale with many twists and turns and a most unexpected ending. I enjoyed it a lot.
[Book 25 of target 50 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-4)]
I have become a huge fan of
Geraldine Brooksin the last two years. Haven't read
yet but it has now moved up on my TBR list due to your review. Thanks!
Kathy, if you've enjoyed some of her other novels, I'm sure you'll enjoy
. She is a terrific storyteller.
I have revised my reading goal for 2012. I don't think I can maintain my current pace, which would be 120 books for the year, but I have increased my target from 50 books to 60 books, subject to possible (probable?) further revision later. I am thankful to GoodReads for givng me the push as well as the inspiration to concentrate on reading the very large number of "owned" books I have. I acquired the vast majority of them for 10¢ to 50¢ each over a couple of years when our local main library was purging its excess books preparatory to the move to a new location. My idea was to have sufficient reading material to enjoy after retiring. That goal is working out splendidly now that I am retired.
I think at the pace you are maintaining, you will easily reach 60 books......and revise it upward. You are rolling!!!!
I've always enjoyed reading, but GoodReads, in general, and this thread of The History Book Club, in particular, give that extra impetus to make one want to go farther.
MARCHA Most Wanted Man
26.
John le CarréFinish date: March 16, 2012
Genre: fiction, suspense
Rating: C
Review: A young Muslim man Issa from the Chechnya area of Russia escapes from torture and jail in Turkey and is smuggled illegally into Germany, arriving in Hamburg. There a soft-hearted attorney Annabel Richter soon meets him and becomes determined to save him from all those equally determined to capture him. It seems he is the heir to a very significant amount of money in a small Hamburg bank run by a Scottish banker Tommy Brue. The money is from ill-gotten sources by way of Issa's deceased father, a Russian crook named Grigori Borisovich Karpov, and the Chechen wants nothing to do with it. Tommy Brue's grandfather set up the account with Karpov many years prior, and it has grown in value to more than $12,000,000. Tommy wants to purge these illegal funds from his bank, but Issa will not submit a claim for it. Tommy and Annabel work toward getting Issa to make the claim and give the money away to charity. Issa gradually comes around to this as a good solution to keep him from soiling his hands with his father's dirty money. Issa indicates that he will make the claim but wants to be advised by the leading Muslim holy man in Hamburg Dr. Abdullah. Concurrent with all this, Issa is being hunted as a terrorist by agents from multiple countries' security forces. Finally, one set of forces kidnap Annabel and another kidnap Tommy and become their "handlers" in an effort to capture Issa. An elaborate arrangement is reached to have a meeting of Issa and Dr. Abdullah with Annabel and Tommy conducting a scripted ruse aimed toward capturing Issa and Abdullah.
I found this book only moderately enjoyable. It was much too confusing at times with too many players, each group of which had their own agenda. I couldn't give it more than 2 stars of 5, i.e., a "C."
[Book 26 of target 60 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-5)]
MARCHOrchid Blues
27.
Stuart WoodsFinish date: March 17, 2012
Genre: fiction, mystery, suspense
Rating: B-
Review: Low-brow entertainment. Recommended if you are a Stuart Woods fan.
[Book 27 of target 60 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-6)]
MARCHD.C. Dead
28.
Stuart WoodsFINISH DATE: March 19, 2012
GENRE: fiction, mystery, suspense
RATING: B
REVIEW: This is the 22nd in Stuart Woods' Stone Barrington series. I have now read 13 of those. Stone and his good friend Dino Bacchetti, whose primary means of employment are as a NYC attorney and a Detective Lieutenant for the NYPD, respectively, are both part-time consultants for the CIA. It is in this latter capacity that they find themselves tasked with re-investigating what had been declared by the FBI to be a murder-suicide, more than a year old, of a couple employed at The White House. In the course of their investigation they encounter several more murders and another apparent suicide. Stone and Dino, thinking they have it solved, prepare their report and make plans to return to New York, only to find new evidence that necessitates a re-start before they can finally put the case to rest.
This was a fairly good murder-mystery. Stuart Woods' fans will enjoy it. I recommend it on that basis.
[Book 28 of target 60 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-7)]
MARCHThe Towers: A Dan Lenson Novel of 9/11
29.
David Poyer (no photo)FINISH DATE: March 26, 2012
GENRE: historical fiction, military, thriller
RATING: B+
REVIEW: Early on the morning of September 11, 2001, Navy Commander Dan Lenson, having just been passed over for promotion to Captain, is heading for an interview at the Pentagon, expecting that it will essentially be the end of his military career. At the same time his wife Blair Titus, a former Under-Secretary of Defense, is flying to New York City for an interview at the World Trade Center. Each is caught in the wrong place at the wrong time when the terrorists fly their planes into the Pentagon and World Trade Center Towers, respectively. David Poyer paints a vivid picture of the harrowing events that followed those crashes and how, both Dan and his wife very narrowly escape being incinerated. Although his injuries were fairly significant, Dan recovers quickly, and soon finds himself in Afghanistan as a member of the Joint Special Forces team responsible for overthrowing the Taiban government.
The second and third of the three main characters in THE TOWERS are: NCIS Agent Aisha Ar-Rahim, a Muslim-American on assignment in Yemen at the time of the 9/11 attacks, and former Navy SEAL Teddy Oberg, who is trying to sell investors in Hollywood on making an action military movie at the same time.
Agent Aisha Ar-Rahim soon undertakes a most dangerous mission to find to learn the current hiding place of Osama bin-Laden. Meanwhile, Teddy rejoins the SEALs and becomes the senior enlisted member of a task force assigned to hunt down and kill bin Laden and the senior Taliban leadership.
The author uses alternating chapters from the points of view of each of these characters to tell the critical roles played by these diverse members of the war on terror and how each made their own important contributions.
David Poyer is a great storyteller, and THE TOWERS is no exception. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I most definitely recommend to readers who enjoy such books.
[Book 29 of target 60 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-8)]
MARCHThe Shadow Patrol
30.
Alex Berenson (no photo)FINISH DATE: March 31, 2012
GENRE: fiction, military, mystery, suspense
RATING: B+
REVIEW: In this 6th novel in the series Berenson's protagonist John Wells, an ex-CIA Agent, is prevailed upon to return to Afghanistan to solve a critical problem of a suspected mole inside the CIA. Drug smuggling issues soon lead to a suspected unidentified American working with the Taliban and local warlords making a killing from selling drugs to "dirty" American soldiers. American soldiers are dying from watch appears to be intentional friendly fire. There is a lot of action.
I enjoyed the book and recommend it to those who also enjoy this type of story.
[Book 30 of target 60 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-9)]
APRILThe Thief
31.
Clive CusslerFINISH DATE: April 5, 2012
GENRE: fiction, action-adventure
RATING: B+
REVIEW: Clyde Lynds, the European inventor of a revolutionary new talking pictures machine, in this very early 1900's action novel, finds out he has not evaded his German pursuers after all as he heads to America aboard a very fast passenger ship. His attempted kidnapping at sea is thwarted by Isaac Bell, the well-known Chief Investigator for the Van Dorn Detective Agency who just happens to be returning on the same ship. The pursuers are both resourceful and relentless in chasing Mr. Lynds across America, but Isaac continues to provide him with his own skill and resources. The villain is a man of many disguises and most difficult to track down. Isaac continually demonstrates his equally focused relentlessness.
I have been a Clive Cussler fan for many years from the first time I picked up one of his Dirk Pitt adventure novels. His Isaac Bell novels are equally entertaining in a light-reading type way. I do recommend this one for those who enjoy such reading.
[Book 31 of target 60 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-9; Apr-1)]
APRILRobert Ludlum's (TM) The Janson Command
32.
Paul Garrison (no photo available)FINISH DATE: April 10, 2012
GENRE: fiction, suspense thriller
RATING: B+
REVIEW: The protagonist of this exciting novel is the hero of The Janson Directive by Robert Ludlum. The Paul Janson of The Janson Command is now retired from his "Janson Directive" covert agent position for the highly secretive Consular Ops and running a small but formidable organization whose primary mission is to help former agents from widely scattered intelligence organizations recover their “lost� lives following their disenchantment with the people they have become. As he rehabilitates these individuals, they have become for him a tremendous, world-wide support group to help him when he needs it in the independent assignments he takes on to fund his rehabilitation efforts. Other than his few administrative and research support people, along with his pilots, his “organization� consists of himself and his partner Jessica Kincaid, a Kentucky backwoods superb marksman-very long range sniper.
The Janson Command finds them attempting the rescue a physician-employee from a Houston-based oil exploration conglomerate, who has been kidnapped by the cruel dictator of a very small, but very oil-rich island just off the coast of western equatorial Africa. They do make an initial rescue of this doctor by assisting the freedom fighter “good guys� retake their small island nation from the dictator, only to “lose� him when he escapes because he thinks they are actually trying to kill him. When the dictator is surrounded and there is seemingly no escape, extreme means in the form of drone weapons and a Harrier jump-jet appear from “nowhere� to snatch him away. Janson & Kincaid now have to re-rescue the vanished doctor and at the same time have accepted a new assignment from the Nelson Mandela-ish “temporary� President of the small island nation. He wants them to capture the escaped dictator and return all the money he has stolen from the country and squirreled away in foreign banks. They are offered 5% of whatever funds they are able to recover.
Kincaid’s chase of the doctor leads her first to Senegal, then Spain, and finally on to Australia. In the meantime Janson is touching base in visits to his world-wide contacts in his efforts to track down the dictator and the sinister organization that helped him escape.
Garrison has richly “fleshed out� Ludlum’s Paul Janson character in his post-Cons Op days in this exciting, fast-paced novel. I heartily recommend it to lovers of such thrillers.
[Book 32 of target 60 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-9; Apr-2)]
Robert Ludlum.
APRILCalico Joe
33.
John GrishamFINISH DATE: April 11, 2012
GENRE: fiction, sports
RATING: A
REVIEW: A young boy Paul Tracey, who is a pitcher on his White Plains, New York Little League team, is a baseball fan in the extreme with full recall of all the stats and records for all his favorite players and teams as well as scrapbooks for each. He should be on top of the world since his father Warren Tracey is a starting pitcher for the New York Mets. Unfortunately, Warren is a mediocre pitcher at best with occasional streaks in which he is quite good as well as being an alcoholic who beats his wife and son. He is very jealous of those with greater success and very vindictive to those whom he feels have slighted him during a game, such a gloating when they hit a homerun off his pitching.
Joe Castle, a promising young first baseman for a Double-A team in Midland, Texas, suddenly finds himself on the way to Philadelphia to join the Chicago Cubs as their new first baseman. With spectacular, record-breaking hitting, he becomes a sensation after his first several games. While all the prognosticators are expecting him to cool off, his phenomenal hitting and flawless defense continue. Since he is from Calico Rock, Arkansas, the sports writers soon hang the nickname Calico Joe on him.
Paul Tracey quickly adopts Joe as his new baseball hero. Soon the Mets play the Cubs with Warren Tracey pitching. With his warped sense of what is right and wrong and fair, Warren commits an unpardonable act, at least as far as Cubs fans are concerned, which has a devastating impact on the promising career of their rookie sensation Calico Joe. Paul Tracey is devastated and spends the following many years trying to bring closure to the effects his father’s act had on the lives so many people.
This is really a great story, as only Grisham could conceive of and tell. I enjoyed it tremendously and highly recommend it.
[Book 33 of target 60 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-9; Apr-3)]
APRILAlexandria Link
34.
Steve BerryFINISH DATE: April 12, 2012
GENRE: historical fiction, thriller, mystery
RATING: A
REVIEW: Steve Berry tackles a most-fascinating topic, i.e., whether the fabled Library of Alexandria still exists and how its contents could not only have an effect on today’s world but potentially an earth-shattering impact.
This is the second novel starring Berry’s protagonist Cotton Malone, a former very high-level U.S. intelligence operative who retired to the quiet life of a rare-book dealer in Copenhagen. This quiet life comes to a crashing halt when his bookstore is demolished in a fiery explosion. He has to use all his former intelligence agent skills to ensure that he escapes the ensuing conflagration. Cotton is one of a very few people who have any idea about the existence of the Library of Alexandria, and those responsible for destroying his bookstore have also kidnapped his son to ensure that he leads them through the steps of a very complicated quest which is ultimately supposed to disclose the location of the famous library.
There are a multitude of groups of people throughout the United States, Europe, and the Middle East in this complex tale, and each group seems to have a difference agenda. It seemed to me, at least initially, that there were way too many characters and the encounters much too convoluted as the action jumps all around from one location to another. There is indeed a great deal of action and in the end all of the pieces seem to fall into place as intended. I know part of the reason I had some difficulty with keeping all the diverse pieces and characters straight was that I did not read this book, but instead I listened to a recorded version on 14 CDs.
I enthusiastically give this book 4 stars out of 5, because I did enjoy it very much by the time I’d gotten to the end. I very much recommend it but do suggest that it might be easier for most to follow the action in written form rather than recorded.
[Book 34 of target 60 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-9; Apr-4)]
APRILof Babylon
35.
Davis BunnFINISH DATE: April 14, 2012
GENRE: fiction, thriller, suspense
RATING: A+
REVIEW: Marc Royce is a former State Department intelligence operative who was fired because he took too much time off from work when his wife was dying of cancer. After her death, his former boss comes begging for Marc to return for a most dangerous assignment in War-torn Iraq. Marc wants no part of his boss or the assignment until he learns that it involves the rescue of his best friend held captive by terrorists.
Marc's in-country contact is the assistant to the Baghdad CIA Head of Station Barry Duboe. Duboe introduces him to Sameh el-Jacobi, an influential but normally behind-the-scene lawyer.
Marc and Sameh team up with a number of others. After Marc is instrumental in recovering 47 Iraqi children who have been kidnapped, saving the life of the son of a very prominent Iraqi political figure, and preventing the detonation of a huge car bomb in a crowded Baghdad market, he has endeared himself to a large segment of the Iraqi population. He is given the honorary title which translates to be LION OF BABYLON.
By this time Marc has made enough contacts to determine where his friend Alex, and a large number of others who have been kidnapped, are being held. Sufficient forces from very divergent groups are now ready to proceed with a harrowing rescue attempt.
This is an incredibly powerful read with a different twist from the "normal" books of this genre. It shows the power of what could be if people from vastly different beliefs could ever stop long enough to listen to what others think and have the courage to allow tolerance for something that diverges from their narrow view of what is right and wrong. This book has a most powerful message. I MOST HIGHLY recommend it to readers of all stripes. My suggestion is that you read it all the way through, i.e., don't be turned off early and quit. It is most worth reading in its entirety.
[Book 35 of target 60 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-9; Apr-5)]
APRILAmerican Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History
36.
Chris Kyle (no photo available)FINISH DATE: April 27, 2012
GENRE: non-fiction, military, war
RATING: A
REVIEW: This is a truly amazing, inside look at the horrors of war, especially the type of war that the fanatics in the Middle East have forced on us. It is all the more powerful for being the first person non-fiction account of what happens "down in the trenches," so to speak. I have read several other books recently written by SEALs, and each has its own slant on how these elite of the elite warriors of our country perform in such an exemplary manner with quiet professionalism.
Chris Kyle had an incredible, unequaled record in successfully going after the "bad guys" and protecting his fellow countrymen as they carried out their assignments under harrowing conditions. A incident he included in the book occurred after he had completed his BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEALs) Training (said to be THE MOST rigorous and stressful military training in the entire world, from which less than 10% of the students graduate) but while he was still in SQT (SEAL Qualifying Training; post-BUD/S specialty training). He had been visiting his girlfriend and future wife Taya in Long Beach, California when he learned of the 9/11 destruction of the World Trade Center and damage to The Pentagon. As soon as he got the messages to "get your ass back to base. NOW!" he grabbed Taya's SUV (because it was full of gas and his wasn't) and headed to the SEAL Naval Base in San Diego. "I don't know exactly how fast I was going--it had to have been three digits--but it was certainly a high rate of speed." He was pulled over and the cop was really mad. "Is there a reason you're going so fast?" he demanded. "Yes, sir," I told him "I apologize. I'm in the military and I just got recalled. I understand you got to write me a ticket. I know I was in the wrong but with all due respect can you just hurry and give me the ticket so I can get back to base?" "What branch are you in?" "I'm in the Navy." "What do you do in the Navy?" he asked. "I'm a SEAL." He closed the ticket book. "I'll take you to the city line, he told me. "Go get some f___in' payback." He put his lights on and pulled in front of me to escort me as far (and maybe a little more) as he could, then waved me on. This is a clear illustration of the POWERFUL EMOTIONS that existed across the entire country, especially in the early days following 9/11.
Chris spoke of many of his kills emphasizing that he always ensured that he remained well within the ROE's (Rules of Engagement) for taking a sniper shot of a confirmed "bad guy" actively going after American troops. Many, if not most, were in the 400 to 800 yard distance away (a "piece-of-cake" shot for "THE LEGEND" that he had become). He described a particular incident involving a "bad guy" in a small village near Baghdad. "As it (an Army convoy) got closer, the man on the roof raised a weapon to his shoulder. Now the outline was clear: he had a rocket launcher, and was aiming it at Americans." ..."I put my scope on him and fired, hoping to at least scare him off with a shot or maybe warn the convoy. At 2,100 years, plus a little change, it would take a lot of luck to hit him. Maybe the way I jerked the trigger to the right adjusted for the wind. Maybe gravity shifted and put that bullet right where it had to be. Maybe I was just the luckiest SOB in Iraq. Whatever--I watched through my scope as the shot hit the Iraqi, who tumbled over the wall to the ground. WOW, I muttered. Twenty-one hundred yards. The shot amazes me even now. It was a straight-up luck shot...It was my longest confirmed kill in Iraq."
I would not recommend this book for just anyone. It paints a VERY VIVID picture of the horrors of fighting an enemy who has no respect for human life, even to the point of committing suicide in order to kill anyone who does not believe the same fanatical brand of religion that they do. It provides a very clear picture of why “FREEDOM ISN'T FREE.� I do definitely recommend this book to those who want to know what our war in Iraq is like from a front-line fighter’s point of view. It is a most powerful and well written account.
[Book 36 of target 60 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-9; Apr-6)]
APRILThe Midnight House
37.
Alex Berenson (no photo available)FINISH DATE: April 27, 2012
GENRE: non-fiction, military, war, mystery,
RATING: A
REVIEW: The CIA had to find a place to interrogate captured terrorists where they didn't have human-rights attorneys looking over their shoulder for any violation of the rights of the prisoners. Such a place was set up in eastern Poland and had gotten some excellent results on obtaining extremely useful data in the war on terror. Now the members of the 10-man (actually 9-men and 1-woman) unit are being killed one by one. Or more correctly, 5 had died, 1 was missing, and 1, the woman, had committed suicide. Berenson's protagonist is called in to investigate -- an unofficial parallel investigation to the official one being conducted in a questionable manner by the FBI. Very high-level officials impose significant roadblocks in trying to shut down Wells' efforts. There are many surprising turns as Wells continues and discovers one surprising thing after another.
I did enjoy listening to this book on CD. I recommend it to fans of this type genre.
[Book 37 of target 60 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-9; Apr-7)]
APRILBeirut Diary: A Husband Held Hostage and a Wife Determined to Set Him Free
38. Beirut Diary: A Husband Held Hostage and a Wife Determined to Set Him Free (no cover photo available) Sis Levin (no photo available)
FINISH DATE: April 29, 2012
GENRE: non-fiction, military, war, mystery,
RATING: B+
REVIEW: Jerry Levin assumes his new assignment as CNN's bureau chief in Beirut in the latter part of December 1983. His wife Sis joins him there about a month later. Sis has just begun to settle in and make lot of new friends and find where she can make a contribution there, when on March 7, 1984, Jerry is kidnapped by Hizballah (NOTE: Today this is generally spelled Hezbollah, but it was shown Hizballah in the book.), the radical Iranian-backed Lebanese faction. Sis is overwhelmed by events and at first goes along with the U.S. State Department's recommended policy of pursuing "quiet diplomacy" until she discovers that the government's "quiet diplomacy is more accurately "deadly silence." As the total hostages taken by Hizballah increases to 5, they become the "forgotten hostages" because there is minimal to no news coverage about their circumstances. Sis Levin is described as being unpatriotic when she makes efforts to get people talking about the hostages and makes even the most remote suggestion that there are two sides to the story and perhaps we should learn more from the point of view of the hostage-takers in order to open up a dialogue toward peace. The government tries to characterize her as being hysterical, emotionally distraught, and even un-American for even suggesting anything that does not exactly coincide with the government position on the hostage situation. Sis is even stone-walled by Jerry's company CNN. She soon realizes that she must take things into her own hands. She becomes a powerful force in helping shape the events that lead to the progress that is made in these high-level international circumstances.
I liked this book a lot. It is an eye-opener in many ways. Although it is somewhat dated with regard to current events in the Middle East, I do recommend it as excellent background information regarding that volatile part of the world.
[Book 38 of target 60 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-9; Apr-8)]
On March 15th, I revised my reading goal for 2012 from 50 books to 60 books. This is my second goal revision. My new revised goal is an increase from 60 to 70 books in 2012.
Amazing, Gerald! Especially with the caliber of books that you are reading.
Go Gerald Go! Impressive in quality and quantity. Go for it. I am enjoying being a witness to your progress and your reviews are great.
Keep it up Gerald......you are on a roll!!!
MAYBleachers
39.
John GrishamFINISH DATE: May 2, 2012
GENRE: fiction, sports, life
RATING: A
REVIEW: What a preeminent storyteller John Grisham!! Listening to this CD-audio version of the book read by the author himself greatly reinforced that impression. Bleachers tells the tale of a small town in Texas - Messina - whose whole spirit lives and dies with their high football team. It is told from the perspective of Neeley Crenshaw, who is returning to his hometown for the first time in 15 years, because his former coach Eddie Rake is about to die. Neeley was undoubtedly the greatest football player that Messina ever produced, a high school and college All-American quarterback who had an outstanding career in the pros in his future until he had a severe, career-ending knee injury as a sophomore. Neeley had a love-hate relationship with Coach Rake, who was characterized as a cross between Vince Lombardi and Attila the Hun. He was a taskmaster without peer who had a record of 418-62 in his 34 years of coaching the Messina Spartans - including a streak of 84 in a row.
Neeley and Coach Rake had a major altercation during Neeley's last game as a senior, the 1987 championship. After the game and graduation, Neeley swore that he would never return to Messina or talk to Coach Rake again, but as soon as he heard that Rake was about to die, he was drawn back as were all Rake's former players from years past. They reminisce about the glory years and what Rake meant to them and their lives.
This is a WONDERFUL tale. I most thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it and would highly recommend it to all readers.
[Book 39 of revised 2012 target 70 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-9; Apr-8; May-1)]
MAYStay Close
40.
Harlan CobenFINISH DATE: May 2, 2012
GENRE: fiction, murder-mystery
RATING: B+
REVIEW: I have really enjoyed Harlan Coben’s Myron Bolitar series and have read them all. This is the first of his non- Myron Bolitar books I’ve tried. I found it quite good.
Megan Pierce is a typical suburban soccer mom with two kids and a husband Dave who loves her very much. None of her family has any remote idea of the dark side of her past � a past from which she escaped seventeen years prior. Ironically, Megan, or Cassie as she was previously known, liked and even misses the exciting part of her prior life. Her escape was necessitated by having witnessed a crime � one concerning which she felt she would be saving her boyfriend if she were to disappear.
She hears a news story that might have a connection to the witnessed crime of seventeen years earlier and feels the draw to return to her former place of employment. She tells herself that she wants to inform someone of what she knows from the past and unburden herself. That is really only part of it. She actually yearns for a taste of what she had previously found exciting. She says she will only stop by for a quick look then return to the safe cocoon of her soccer-mom world. Of course, all does not go as planned. Someone recognizes her, and then one thing leads to another. Before she knows it her “safe� world is turned upside down, and she is embroiled in circumstances that are spiraling out of any possible control she thought she had.
A tenacious detective who has been working a cold-case file for the same seventeen years as Megan’s absence begins to put pieces together. He soon discovers a pattern of unsolved murders that have occurred annually about the same time each year for this same period of time. Circumstances continue to spiral under they come together with a most surprising conclusion.
This was a very good novel. I’d recommend it to those who enjoy such mysteries.
[Book 40 of revised 2012 target 70 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-9; Apr-8; May-2)]
MAYThe Snare of the Hunter
41.
MacInnes (no photo available)FINISH DATE: May 7, 2012
GENRE: fiction, suspense, escape
RATING: B+
REVIEW: Irina Kusak is the daughter of a Czech Nobel-laureate father and Communist mother. She is recently divorced from the ruthless and ambitious head of the Czech secret police Jiri Hrádek. After her mother's death in the 1970's, she makes it known to appropriate contacts that she wants to escape from repressive Czechoslovakia and join her father Jaromir Kusak in the West. A group of individuals dedicated to providing such assistance is assembled and starts Irina on a harrowing journey across the Czech border into Austria, then onward to where her father awaits her. A key member of this team is David Mennery, who had been her lover in Prague 16 years prior.
Hrádek has "allowed" her escape in order to have her lead him to her father’s hiding place, so Hrádek can return Jaromir Kusak to Czechoslovakia. There is much switching of cars, modes of transportation, and intermediate destinations as Irina and her team try to avoid discovery by Hrádek 's ruthless men chasing them.
This is a very exciting tale, which I enjoyed quite a lot. I do recommend it.
[Book 41 of revised 2012 target 70 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-9; Apr-8; May-3)]
Gerald I would not be surprised to see you blow by your revised target goal at this pace. Keep up the good work. I am surely not the only one enjoying following your reviews, your reading, and your progress.
MAYEinstein: His Life and Universe
42.
Walter IsaacsonFINISH DATE: May 17, 2012
GENRE: Biography
RATING: A++
REVIEW: I have just finished reading EINSTEIN � His Life and Universe, Walter Issacson’s superb presentation of the life of this amazing person. I thoroughly enjoyed finding out more about this incredibly complex yet at the same time wonderfully simple man. My "review" takes the form for the most part of memorable and thought-provoking quotations from this excellent biography.
“Adding to his aura was his simple humanity. His inner security was tempered by the humility that comes from being awed by nature.�
"He made imaginative leaps and discerned great principles through thought experiments rather than be methodical inductions based on experimental data. The theories that resulted were at times astonishing, mysterious, and counterintuitive, yet they contained notions that could capture the popular imagination: the relativity of space and time, E = mc2, the bending of light beams, and the warping of space.�
Isaacson stated that "A society's competitive advantage will come not from how well its schools teach the multiplication and periodic tables, but from how well they stimulate imagination and creativity. Therein lies the key, I think, to Einstein's brilliance and the lessons of his life. As a young student he never did well with rote learning. And later, as a theorist, his success came not from the brute strength of his mental processing power but from his imagination and creativity." "He once declared, 'Imagination is more important than knowledge.'"
Einstein embraced non-conformity. Many years into his life, when others thought his reluctance to embrace quantum mechanics showed that he had lost his edge, he lamented, “To punish me for my contempt for authority, fate made me an authority myself.� His success came from questioning conventional wisdom, challenging authority, and marveling at mysteries that struck others as mundane. Tyranny repulsed him, and he saw tolerance not simply as a sweet virtue but as a necessary condition for a creative society. He said that “Blind respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth."
After being mesmerized by the compass needle’s fealty to an unseen field, Einstein would develop a lifelong devotion to field theories as a way to describe nature. Viewed by many as the most creative scientific genius of modern times � he generally preferred to think in pictures, most notably in famous thought experiments, such as imagining watching lightning strikes from a moving train or experiencing gravity while inside a falling elevator. When the conventional wisdom of physics seemed to conflict with an elegant theory of his, Einstein was inclined to question the wisdom rather than his theory, often to have his stubbornness rewarded. "During the five months in 1905, Einstein had upended physics by conceiving light quanta, special relativity, and statistical methods for showing the existence of atoms. Now he had just completed a more prolonged creative slog, from the fall of 1915 to the spring of 1917, which Dennis Overbye has called 'arguably the most prodigious effort of sustained brilliance on the part of one man in the history of physics.'"
There was a dramatic experimental test that could be conducted with regard to the General Theory of Relativity based on the concept that gravity would bend light’s trajectory. Specifically, Einstein predicted the degree to which light from a distant star would be observed to curve as it went through the strong gravitational field close to the sun. Astronomers had to plot precisely the position of a star in normal conditions and then photograph the light from that star during total eclipse and measure the change. Einstein calculated that light would undergo a deflection of approximately 1.7 arc-second when it passed near the sun. The results of this very involved test (the photographs had to be taken from Brazil and the small island of Principe off the coast of Africa) confirmed Einstein’s predictions. Einstein’s overjoyed assistant showed him the telegram confirming his theory, he said “I knew the theory was correct.� She asked what if the experiments had shown his theory to be wrong? He replied, “Then I would have been sorry for the dear Lord; the theory is correct.�
Einstein first came to America in 1921. “After three weeks of lectures and receptions in New York, Einstein paid a visit to Washington. For reasons fathomable only by those who live in that capital, the Senate decided to debate the theory of relativity.
It seemed obvious that Einstein would someday win the Nobel Prize for Physics. The questions were: When would it happen? and, For what? The prize in 1921 was awarded to him but not until 1922. No Nobel for Physics was given in calendar year 1921. He had been “unjustifiably� passed over many times, for political and cultural reasons as well as his being Jewish. The delay until 1922 to award him the 1921 prize was due to this also. The prize was awarded not in recognition of his work on relativity, at least partially because it was based on “thought experiments� or purely theoretical, rather than conventionally laboratory-type experimentation. Instead it was in recognition of his work on the photoelectric effect.
Einstein’s scientific successes had come in part from his rebelliousness. There was a link between his creativity and his willingness to defy authority. His stubbornness had worked to his advantage. His most productive years were prior to his age 40. “Anything truly novel is invented only during one’s youth,� Einstein lamented to a friend after finishing his work on general relativity and cosmology. “Later one becomes more experienced, more famous—and more blockheaded.�
Even if Einstein had wanted to take part in the meetings, which led to the Manhattan Project that developed the atom bomb, he may not have been welcome. Amazingly, the man who had helped get the project launched was considered, by some, to be too great a potential security risk to be permitted to know about the work. The Smyth report, much to Einstein’s lasting discomfort, assigned great historic weight for the launch of the (Manhattan) project to the 1939 letter he (Einstein) had written to Roosevelt. Between the influence imputed to that letter and the underlying relationship between energy and mass that he had formulated earlier, Einstein became associated in the popular imagination with the making of the atom bomb, even though his involvement was marginal. A Time magazine article stated “Albert Einstein did not work directly on the atom bomb. But Einstein was the father of the bomb in two important ways: 1) it was his initiative which started U.S. bomb research; 20 it was his equation (E = mc2) which made the atomic bomb theoretically possible.�
This is an incredibly wonderful, extremely well-researched, and beautifully presented work about a most amazing man. I am so very glad to have read it and VERY HIGHLY recommend it to those who might be interested.
[Book 42 of revised 2012 target 70 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-9; Apr-8; May-4)]
Gerald...I also have read this book and was so engrossed. I approached it with trepidation but was enthralled from the first page. One of the great biographies.
Walter Isaacson
MAYPatton
43. (no cover picture available) Ira Peck (no photo available)
FINISH DATE: May 27, 2012
GENRE: Biography, War
RATING: A
REVIEW: I have had a great deal of admiration for MOST of what General George S. Patton, Jr. was and what he did for our country as a brilliant leader of troops in World War II from the moment I saw George C. Scott’s very powerful performance in the 1970 film PATTON. Yes, that admiration is not 100%. I do have reservations related to those flaws in his character which led to such incidents as his slapping the hospitalized soldier for supposed cowardice and his frequent extreme profanity in talking to his troops. [“His ‘pep talks� to his troops were laced with the rawest of language and sometimes embarrassed even battle-hardened veterans.”] At the same time those very flaws had a great deal to do with his success as a military leader. This is clearly evident from General Eisenhower having given him multiple second and third chances after Patton created one controversy after another. Ike knew that he (Ike) was stretching his credibility as the supreme commander in not relieving Patton so many times, but at the same time he (Ike) could not afford to forfeit the tactically brilliant leadership which he knew Patton could provide at a time when it was so needed.
Patton’s overall character was ‘made for war.� He once said “Compared to war, all other forms of human endeavor shrink to insignificance. God, how I love it!� He was a leader who literally ‘led from the front� � frequently being at the very head of his troops in circumstances of extreme danger. A close friend of his said “that George had assured him that he [Patton] was more afraid of showing fear than anything else, and that since he knew fear often in battle, he behaved in this manner to cover up his true feelings.� This was but one of numerous contradictions in Patton’s makeup. “Despite all his coarseness and vulgarity, Patton was a well-educated, civilized man who could recite from memory long portions of the Iliad, Shakespeare, the Bible, and the poems of Rudyard Kipling.�
Early in his career, Patton had an assignment under General John J. Pershing in hunting Poncho Villa. General Pershing quickly recognized his potential at that time and later requested him for a World War I assignment. Soon Patton asked for a new job which was not so much administrative. One of the two jobs he was offered was in the American Tank Corps, which was in its infancy. It is most fortunate that this is the assignment he chose, in light of his superlative leadership as a World War II tank corps commander.
During the era between World War I and World War II, Patton’s high style of living and lack of diplomacy antagonized many of his superiors and almost cost him his career. However, no less personage than the then Deputy Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall recognized his potential and “plucked him from obscurity� in 1938. He played critical roles for General Marshall as a high-caliber leader against the Germans in North Africa and later in the invasion of Sicily and beyond.
Patton had essentially no role in Operation Overlord � the “D-Day� Landings � other than as a decoy to draw German troops away from the Normandy beaches. His new Third Army command was not activated until August 1, 1944. That is when he began showing what he meant be the command motto he adopted, i.e., “Audacity, audacity, always audacity!� By August 4, his armored columns were streaking in four directions across France toward Germany. “This was the kind of slashing, mobile warfare that Patton had always dreamed about, and now he was jubilant. The Germans, who had introduced lightning warfare in 1939-1940, were stunned by the power and speed of Patton’s advances.� The Third Army’s drive in August 1944, had carried it father and faster than any army in history. By August 26, it had advanced 400 miles eastward, inflicted more than 70,000 casualties on the enemy, and captured 65,000 more. Field Marshall Erwin Rommel wrote that, although the Americans had distinguished themselves in Tunisia, “we had to wait until the Patton Army in France to see the most astonishing achievements in mobile warfare.� Josef Stalin, the Russian dictator, remarked, “The Red Army could not even have conceived, never mind executed, the Third Army’s incredible dash across France.�
In addition to having to fight the enemy, Patton also had to fight supply shortages and horrible weather. About the middle of December 1944, Patton ordered the Chaplain of the Third Army to “publish a prayer for good weather.� The response he got was “that it isn’t a customary thing among men of my profession to pray for clear weather to kill fellow men?� Patton said “are you teaching me theology or are you the Chaplain of the Third Army? I want a prayer.� A few days later the men of the Third Army received Patton’s Christmas card containing Chaplain O’Neill’s prayer for good weather. The following morning, the skies were bright and clear for the first time in several weeks. Patton was jubilant. “That O’Neill sure did some potent praying,� he told a subordinate. “Get him up here. I want to pin a medal on him.�
On March 1, 1945, Trier, Germany fell to Patton’s 10th Armored and elements of another division. The next day Patton received a message from SHAEF (Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force) ordering him to bypass Trier “as it would take four divisions to capture the city.� Patton immediately wired back, “Have taken Trier with two divisions. What do you want me to do � give it back?� The German retreat soon became a disorderly rout. One day, for example, a German corps commander drove into a field of dispirited German soldiers and asked why they were not fighting the Americans. A moment later, a U.S. military policeman clapped a hand on his shoulder and invited him to join the other prisoners of war. A Patton biographer later summed up the Third Army’s record as follows: “It had gone farther, captured more prisoners, crossed more rivers, liberated more friendly territory, and captured more enemy territory than any army ever in American history.�
Although this book is quite short at 142 pages, I found it worth the read. I definitely recommend it to those who wish to learn more about a military leader who made an extremely significant contribution to the freedom which our country enjoyed following World War II.
[Book 43 of revised 2012 target 70 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-9; Apr-8; May-5)]
MAYTwenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
44.
Jules VerneFINISH DATE: May 27, 2012
GENRE: Classics, fantasy, nautical fiction, adventure
RATING: A
REVIEW: French naturalist Dr. Aronnax and his man-servant embark on a sea adventure to hunt down a mysterious "sea monster." This leads to their being taken on board the "monster" along with Canadian harpooner Ned Land. The "monster" as it turns out is the magnificent underwater ship Nautilus with its amazing Captain Nemo. Nemo, who has escaped the real world to live in his underwater world on his ship, cannot let them go to tell the world about him. He holds them captive for most of a year as they traverse the oceans of the world, essentially all underwater, and have one incredible adventure after the other. Dr. Aronnax is not completely displeased with the situation as he is being given the chance of a lifetime as a naturalist to study otherwise inaccessible regions, animals, and other phenomena and make extensive notes from which he hopes to prepare a book later.
I "read" this book via my SmartPhone e-Reader as I did my daily long walks. It was fun to multi-task in that manner. Jules Verne was a visionary amazingly ahead of his time. It was most interesting to read the "stilted language" of a writer of his day. I very much enjoyed the book and do recommend it.
[Book 44 of revised 2012 target 70 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-9; Apr-8; May-6)]
I hope you have re-set your reading goals for this year, Gerald, since you are moving at light speed!!!
Gerald wrote: "On March 15th, I revised my reading goal for 2012 from 50 books to 60 books. This is my second goal revision. My new revised goal is an increase from 60 to 70 books in 2012."Jill, I am re-posting Message #74 of April 29th in response to your statement in Msg #90.
MAYCaptains and the Kings
45.
Taylor CaldwellFINISH DATE: May 30, 2012
GENRE: historical fiction, family saga
RATING: A-
REVIEW: Captains and the Kings is the sweeping 1972 novel of the family of Joseph Francis Xavier Armagh, who departs Ireland as a 13-year-old with his mother and younger brother Sean to join his father in America. His mother dies upon arrival in New York harbor giving birth to his baby sister Regina. He promises her to take care of the family. They are penniless and find out they will not be allowed to debark in New York at the same time that he is informed that his father has recently died. They debark in Philadelphia. Joseph uses most of the little money he has been left by his father to place Sean and Regina with the nuns in an orphanage. Joseph begins working at anything and sends money to the orphanage so they won’t put Sean and Regina up for adoption. He frequently goes hungry because he won’t spend money to himself when it is needed to keep his family together.
Joseph happens on a newspaper article about an oil strike in Titusville, PA and “borrows� money from his employer (which he later repays with interest) as he leaves without notice for Titusville. During a train accident he saves the life of an injured fellow traveler Harry Zeff, following which he is befriended by a rich and powerful fellow Irishman Ed Healey. Joseph soon becomes indispensable to the wide variety of business interests in which Mr. Healey is involved. This evolves into an almost father-and-son relationship and at Mr. Healey’s death, Joseph becomes the principal heir to the majority of the vast business interests. Now, after fifteen years, Joseph is able to provide a beautiful home for Sean and Regina and takes them from the orphanage.
The inheritance Joseph received from Mr. Healey was VERY large. Joseph is so driven that he has increased the value many times in the years following. He is a very ruthless businessman and will take all necessary steps to reach his goals. This included threats against the family of a congressman which drove him to commit suicide rather than face the consequences of what Joseph threatened to do. However, the congressman writes Joseph a letter prior to his death in which he places a curse on Joseph’s family. Joseph is not superstitious and does not initially believe in the curse, but as the novel progresses, so many deaths occur to members of his family and others for whom he cares, that the curse begins to haunt him. This becomes especially true when he is financing the effort to get his last living child elected as the American President.
I well remember the 1976 TV miniseries that was made of this novel and have intended to read it many times. I’m very glad to have gotten the push to do so from the Aussie Readers� Group, i.e., Book Reading Challenges -> May Challenge - Reduce your TBR list! I barely finished it during the month of May, but do intend to continue the “Reduce my TBR list� effort. Captains and the Kings is a well written very enjoyable family saga. It has many parallels to the Kennedy Clan and their alleged curse. I enjoyed it a lot and recommend it to others who might be interested.
[Book 45 of revised 2012 target 70 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-9; Apr-8; May-7)]
JUNEDeath in Kenya
46.
M.M. Kaye FINISH DATE: June 5, 2012
GENRE: fiction, murder-mystery
RATING: B+
REVIEW: After the death of her mother, an English girl Victoria Caryll accepts an invitation from her Aunt Emily to move to her estate Flamingo on the shore of Lake Naivasha about 50 miles from Nairobi, Kenya, where Victoria’s former fiancé Eden DeBrett lives with his wife. Victoria had lived in Kenya until the death of her father five years prior. On the way from the Nairobi Airport to Flamingo she is informed that there have been mysterious happenings there in recent weeks and most recently the murder of Eden’s wife. There are several more inexplicable murders, leaving the Flamingo household as well as those of the surrounding neighbors in a state of confusion and apprehension. The clues and various pieces of evidence seem to be pointing multiple directions until the murderer goes one step too far.
This was a very entertaining tale by a wonderful storyteller. I have enjoyed several of
M.M. Kaye’s prior novels, most especially
and do very much recommend this one.[Book 46 of revised 2012 target 70 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-9; Apr-8; May-7; Jun-1)]
I loved Far Pavilions, so I guess I had better look for Death in Kenya as well. Thanks for the tip.
and
by
M.M. Kaye
Jill wrote: "I loved Far Pavilions, so I guess I had better look for Death in Kenya as well. Thanks for the tip. and by M.M. Kaye"Jill, the writing of
M.M. Kaye reminds me a little of one of my favorite authors, i.e.,
Nevil Shute. If you haven't read any of his novels, I would VERY HIGHLY recommend them. One of my all time favorites is
. I also very much liked
,
, and
. Many others of his are quite good.
Gerald - please put all book citations at the bottom of the post in your reply above so that they are all in one place for easier reference. Thanks.I also like Nevil Shute and have read several of his books. Have you read On The Beach? I thought it was particularly chilling.
by
Nevil Shute
Jill wrote: "Gerald - please put all book citations at the bottom of the post in your reply above so that they are all in one place for easier reference. Thanks.I also like Nevil Shute and have read several o..."
Will do
JUNEThe Man From Saigon
47.
Marti Leimbach (no photo available)FINISH DATE: June 6, 2012
GENRE: Fiction,
RATING: B
REVIEW: In 1967, Susan Gifford, a correspondent for a women’s magazine, is sent on assignment to cover the Vietnam War with articles from a woman’s perspective. It is intended that she remain in the relatively “safe� confines of Saigon. However, in search of stories she begins to venture out a little - to a hospital here or an orphanage there. She meets and befriends a Vietnamese photographer named Son, who wants a way to get his photographs in U.S. publications, and Susan, for her part, recognizes the considerable benefit she would derive from having someone fluent in Vietnamese to interpret for her. Soon she finds herself going out closer to the battle areas with Son. In the meantime she has begun a somewhat serious relationship with a married TV reporter.
During one outing she and Son get a little too close to a battle. When they end up running “for safety� the wrong way, they are captured by 3 young Viet Cong who became separated from their unit during the aftermath of the same battle. About three quarters of the book, deals with evolving relationships of these five individuals -- Susan and Son as the captives and the 3 Viet Cong as the captors trying desperately to find their way to the unit from which they have become lost so they can turn over their captives.
I listened to the CD audio version of this book and frequently found it somewhat difficult to follow as the narrative jumped from one perspective to another, seemingly without a good transition. It would go from what was happening to Susan and Son as captives then suddenly jump to their fellow reporters in Saigon who were trying to “stir up� the Army to do more about their rescue, to several other scenarios. Of course, this was to keep the multiple parts of the overall story going so they could come logically together at the end. They did, in fact, do that very thing, resolving for me for the most part the earlier confusion I felt.
I did like this book fairly well, especially from having been in South Vietnam during this timeframe. It provides an unusual view of that war, i.e., that of a non-combatant female taken captive by the enemy. I do recommend it to those who think they might be interested.
[Book 47 of revised 2012 target 70 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-9; Apr-8; May-7; Jun-2)]
JUNEGhost Force
48.
Patrick RobinsonFINISH DATE: June 12, 2012
GENRE: Fiction, naval warfare
RATING: A
REVIEW: This was an EXTREMELY entertaining and very well-written novel. It just misses my ALL-TIME FAVORTIES List by a hair. Patrick Robinson, a very gifted storyteller, sets up a highly plausible scenario in which Argentina invades the British Falkland Islands and South Georgia for the second time in 30 years, following the discovery of huge oil and gas fields there. Enormous investments have been in these discoveries by Exxon-Mobil and British Petroleum. Argentina appears to be so confident they will prevail in this act of piracy, it is almost like they have a “silent partner� on their side. The American military intelligence community monitoring world events leading up to this invasion thinks that “silent partner� may be none other than Russia.
In the 1982 invasion a confident Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher backed by the then very strong British Navy, kicked out the Argentinian invaders in short order. In the novel, written in 2005 and set in 2011, the Labour Party Prime Minister and his liberal government have gutted the once invincible British military, particularly the navy, by continued construction delays, cancellation of much-needed undated weapon systems, and other devastating actions and inactions. The British fleet that sails to meet the Argentinians (also referred to as the Args and “gauchos of the pampas�) is a shadow of its former self. The results are predictable.
When it appears that all is lost for British, a surprising series of clandestine actions from an unexpected source, i.e., The Ghost Force, begins to indicate that all is not lost. Any further elaboration would be too much of a spoiler for this EXCELLENT book. I REALLY liked it very much and do recommend it in the very highest terms.
[Book 48 of revised 2012 target 70 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-9; Apr-8; May-7; Jun-3)]
JUNEThe Teeth Of The Tiger
49.
Tom ClancyFINISH DATE: June 20, 2012
GENRE: fiction, action-thriller, terrorist activity,
RATING: B
REVIEW: I have been a big Tom Clancy fan since I first observed a friend’s intense captivation with The Hunt for Red October just after it was published in 1985. I was equally absorbed with that granddaddy of all techno-thrillers when I got my hands on a copy. While The Teeth of the Tiger is a few notches below Red October, it is still very good. The protagonist Jack Ryan of many of Clancy’s earlier offerings has given way to his son Jack Ryan, Jr, or just Junior, in this and later Clancy novels. Junior and his twin cousins Brian and Dominic Caruso are brought together as members of an ultra-secret, "outside-the-box" team to “address� terrorist issues that can’t be “solved� through normal channels, i.e., where there are Congressional, Justice Department, and other constraints to ham-string them. Brian was recruited from his former position as a very highly respected Marine Officer, while his twin Dominic joined from his exemplary career as an FBI agent. Junior talked his way into his new job for the team of intelligence analyst. Their assignment is to find the “bad guys,� in no small way via Junior’s superb analytical skills and insight, and using the information thus gained, go after the “bad guys� on their own turf and end their threat.
This was a most enjoyable novel. I do recommend it to Clancy fans and other who enjoy this genre.
[Book 49 of revised 2012 target 70 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-9; Apr-8; May-7; Jun-4)]
Tom Clancy
JUNEUnnatural Acts
50.
Stuart WoodsFINISH DATE: June 20, 2012
GENRE: fiction, mystery
RATING: B
REVIEW: Stuart Woods� most recent offering in his Stone Barrington series is pretty good. Stone’s erstwhile pest Herbie Fisher has radically evolved from his character in earlier novels as a tabloid-level photographer attending night law school to become an associate attorney at Stone’s prestigious law firm Woodman and Wells. After a series of deft maneuvers and a lot of luck, Herbie, who now wishes to be called Herb, starts to “make some rain,� i.e., bring in some substantial new business and big-name clients. Following this, he is promoted to senior associate, gets his own secretary, a bigger office, etc. Off-setting all these improvements in his circumstances are a number of negative issues, including his having to “babysit� an ultra-wealthy client’s son, who has just escaped from the drug-rehab program where Herb had gotten him placed at his father’s request. Herb soon finds that there is more to his son’s negative behavior than he originally thought and finds himself scrambling for his life. Meanwhile, full-partner attorney Stone and his good friend and former police partner Dino are hot on the trail of a serial killer, who just happens to be a former deputy director of the FBI.
Stone, Dino, Herb, and a colorful cast of additional characters are busy throughout the book dealing with a host of both challenging as well as enjoyable issues. As with all the other books in this series, this one is a fast, fun read. I do recommend this for Stuart Woods� fans.
[Book 50 of revised 2012 target 70 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-9; Apr-8; May-7; Jun-5)]
NOTE: When I finished reading this book, I completed an unstated goal I set about the end of February, i.e., reaching my original target of 50 books read this year in half that time.
The History Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story (other topics)Twice a Spy (other topics)
Once a Spy (other topics)
The Sandcastle Girls (other topics)
False Impression (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Arnold Schwarzenegger (other topics)Keith Thomson (other topics)
Chris Bohjalian (other topics)
Jeffrey Archer (other topics)
Clive Cussler (other topics)
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BTW, I really like your books by month addition at the bottom of your post. I may do that as well....thanks.