When The Devil Whistles by Rick Acker - Allie Whitman is a whistleblower. In fact she's figured out how to make a career out of it. With the help of an inevitably good looking male attorney they've set up a shell company called "Devil to Pay" and are working their way through California corporations that... Continue Reading →
Book – The Elizabethans
The Elizabethans by A.N. Wilson The age of Elizabeth the First is arguably one of the two great eras in the history of England (the other being the reign of Victoria). It is an age of exploration, the arts, the creation of the church tradition that would become my own, the birth of the tiny... Continue Reading →
Books Ellery Queen and Roger Zelazny
Ellery Queen - Five Complete Novels by Ellery Queen - I've somehow never managed to read any of this series before. Queen is a rather strange duck in the annals of the fictional detective. First he gets his own byline on his novels. Archie Goodwin writes the stories of Nero Wolfe and John Watson those... Continue Reading →
Book – Our Game by John le Carré
Our Game by John le Carré (1995) - When it comes to spy novels there is John le Carré and Ian Fleming and then everyone else. The two at the top of my list take a very different approach to the subject. In fact they take diametrically opposed approaches. For the serious spy novel no... Continue Reading →
Book Review – The Maid and the Queen
The Maid and The Queen - The Secret History of Joan of Arc by Nancy Goldstone - This is a fascinating background history of a woman who was deeply involved in the events surrounding the Maid of Orleans, Yolande of Aragon, Queen of Sicily. Yolande was one of the great powers "behind the throne" in... Continue Reading →
August Books
This month's reading - Constantine's Codex by Paul L. Maier - Buried in the basement of Greek monastery ancient documents are found that may be long lost parts of the Bible. The discovery raises tensions through the Christian world and it grows worse when Islamic fanatics steal the documents in an attempt to discredit Christianity. Maier... Continue Reading →
July Books
Birdman by Mo Hayder - This was the debut novel (2000) by Hayder and it became a bestseller. Since then she has been cranking out best selling novel after best selling novel. This year the British author snagged an Edgar Allen Poe award for best mystery novel. So yeah she can write. Fans of forensic... Continue Reading →
Book Review – Twelve Months
Twelve Months by Steven Manchester (The Story Plant - 2012) - I honestly had no idea what I was getting into when I opened this book. When I realized it was the story of a man just my age facing the sudden end of his life long before he was prepared I almost put the... Continue Reading →
Book review – Love Thy Neighbor
When I grab a first novel from a writer there's a little extra excitement for me. There's always that hope that you're about to be excited and grabbed by a new talent. Of course I also know that the book could leave me flat or even let me down big time. Mark Gilleo's first novel... Continue Reading →
Book Review – Gods and Fathers
Got a chance to read another great book from the folks at The Story Plant. My travels have kept me from following up with a review. So getting caught up now. Gods and Fathers - James Lepore A District Attorney is faced with a chillinig challenge - proving that his estranged son didn't kill the... Continue Reading →