#1 in the Atlee Pine series. This 2018 series debut by author David Baldacci features FBI agent Atlee Pine. When Pine was a young girl, her bedroom wa#1 in the Atlee Pine series. This 2018 series debut by author David Baldacci features FBI agent Atlee Pine. When Pine was a young girl, her bedroom was invaded by a serial killer who kidnapped Atlee's twin sister Mercy. 30 years later, Mercy is an FBI agent assigned to a one agent office in Arizona, primarily responsible for the Grand Canyon. The discovery of a slaughtered mule leads to an investigation on national importance....more
#11 in the Matt Helm series. This 1968 series entry by author Donald Hamilton provides an interesting take on the UFO menace as Helm looks into what R#11 in the Matt Helm series. This 1968 series entry by author Donald Hamilton provides an interesting take on the UFO menace as Helm looks into what Russiam agents have to do with flying saucers in Mexico. Enjoyable....more
#32 in the Jack Ryan universe (#5 by author Marc Cameron in the series originated by the late Tom Clancy). Well written entry in the series featuring #32 in the Jack Ryan universe (#5 by author Marc Cameron in the series originated by the late Tom Clancy). Well written entry in the series featuring both President Jack Ryan and Campus operative, Jack Ryan, Jr., as an international plot targets the First Lady Dr. Cathy Ryan for kidnapping. A gripping thriller that I stayed up overnight to finish in one sitting....more
#12 in the Alexander Hawke series. This 2021 series entry by author Ted Bell was far below the standard for the series. The series set a standard of d#12 in the Alexander Hawke series. This 2021 series entry by author Ted Bell was far below the standard for the series. The series set a standard of derring-do requiring a suspension of credulity, but this entry has faults beyond that. Sir David Trulove, head of MI-6, suggests/requires two personnel additions for Hawke's ship that had me wondering if he had been subverted by the Chinese. Gosling's Black Label rum and Marlboro cigarettes were mentioned so often that they must have paid for product placement. The hull of the ship is described as White, Ivory, Ebony and Black at various times. I don't know why Hawke would be accompanied by his 11-year-old son on a mission to destroy Chinese espionage efforts as well as Putin's assassin, Mr. Smith. Indeed, the boy isn't mentioned for a long spell before Congreve voices his misgivings. This series entry could certainly have used some better editing. BTW, why with a perfectly good laser cannon at his disposal, did Hawke get within boarding range of the ISIS troop carrier and allow injuries to his men? Was it just to indulge in his Errol Flynn fantasies of a sword wielding, bare chested he-man?...more
A 1980 stand-alone thriller by author Alistair MacLean. Someone is threatening to simultaneously sabotage the oil flow from Alaska and the Athabasca tA 1980 stand-alone thriller by author Alistair MacLean. Someone is threatening to simultaneously sabotage the oil flow from Alaska and the Athabasca tar sands of Alberta, Canada. Troubleshooter Jim Brady is called in to solve the problem. An action filled page-turner....more
#21 in the Gabriel Allon series. This 2021 series entry by author Daniel Silva is a fine addition to the series. Once again Allon's team makes good us#21 in the Gabriel Allon series. This 2021 series entry by author Daniel Silva is a fine addition to the series. Once again Allon's team makes good use of a talented amateur. I see by prior reviews that a number of readers are upset that Silva criticized ex-President Trump witf the loser will fh one claiming that Silva should have used an anonymous US president as in the past. I noticed that no one was upset about the President's Russian puppet master being mentioned although neither Trump nor Putin were mentioned by name. With the American election approaching, Allon predicts the incumbent will lose in a close contest and when asked if the loser will leave office peacefully, he responds "Not a Chance." Hmm - that does sound like Trump. With or without the politics, this was an enjoyable read....more
This 2021stand-alone novel is the second political thriller co-written by Bill Clinton and James Patterson. A bit simplistic in its resolution, this nThis 2021stand-alone novel is the second political thriller co-written by Bill Clinton and James Patterson. A bit simplistic in its resolution, this novel is nonetheless exciting and a compelling read....more
#1 in the Jericho Quinn series. This 2011 series debut by author Marc Cameron shows great promise. The teaming of Air Force officer Quinn with Marine #1 in the Jericho Quinn series. This 2011 series debut by author Marc Cameron shows great promise. The teaming of Air Force officer Quinn with Marine gunnery sergeant Jacques Thibodaux works well. I would have rated this entry higher but for one issue: The book starts with a mass murder of civilians in a mall and the premise is that the villains have a weapon of mass destruction. However, the climax pits our heroes against a lone villain with a personal vendetta. This shift in focus was unsettling....more
#6 in the Orphan X series. This 2021 series entry by author Gregg Hurwitz is another step on an upward track for this captivating series. Evan Smoak, #6 in the Orphan X series. This 2021 series entry by author Gregg Hurwitz is another step on an upward track for this captivating series. Evan Smoak, Orphan X, grows in humanity with each entry. This time around he is called out of Presidential imposed retirement by his previously unknown mother, who asks him to don his Nowhere Man persona for Evan Duran, a parking lot attendant who witnessed a murder and is now in deep trouble himself. Of course, nothing in this series is that straightforward and complications ensue which keep the reader engrossed. Even the cliffhanger ending is entertaining rather than frustrating.
Former black ops assassin turned crime-fighting vigilante Evan Smoak is lured out of retirement by an unlikely individual: his mother. Given up when he was a newborn--and eventually recruited into the top-secret Orphan Program, where he was trained to be a government operative--Smoak is initially skeptical about his mother's sudden appearance. But the man she asks him to help turns out to be Andre, a kid he knew from childhood when they lived in a Baltimore group home. After witnessing a murder while working at an impound lot, Andre has disappeared, and Smoak soon becomes entangled in a grand-scale conspiracy involving cutting edge military technology. The pacing is breathtakingly brisk throughout, and the action is relentless, but the real hook is how much Smoak has matured emotionally, particularly in regard to his love interest Mia Hall, a district attorney who lives in Smoak's building, and Joey, his 16-year-old hacker protégée....more
#15 in the A Novel of the Oregon Files series. This 2020 series entry by recently deceased author Clive Cussler #6 co-written with Boyd Morrison after#15 in the A Novel of the Oregon Files series. This 2020 series entry by recently deceased author Clive Cussler #6 co-written with Boyd Morrison after 7 co-written with Jack DuBrul and the first 2 co-written with Craig Dirgo. This entry had marked a major change in the series with the original "Oregon" being sunk the last time out and the new "Oregon" being a break bulk freighter headed for the salvage yard being purchased and refitted from the frame out with the latest in armaments, camouflage, and creature comforts for the crew. The ship is called into action during its shakedown cruise before any rockets, missiles or the major portion of the ammunition has been installed. A quick. satisfying read.
Juan Cabrillo, the chairman of the organization known as the Corporation, is taking the rebuilt Oregon on a sea trial in the Strait of Malacca. Cabrillo, the captain of the Oregon, was forced to sink his beloved ship in a dire emergency (Final Option (2019)). When he gets a report of a tanker under terrorist attack Cabrillo and crew rush to the rescue. Meanwhile, April Jin and her husband, Angus Polk, who each recently spent time in an Australian prison for treason, receive a posthumous message from their one-time employer, Chinese industrialist Lu Yang, asking them to continue a mission he was involved in shortly before his death. Jin and Polk, operating from a trimaran that's armed with an experimental plasma weapon and a new paralyzing gas, set out to achieve Lu's goal of taking over Australia. Only Cabrillo and the fabulous new Oregon with its cutting-edge weaponry stand in their way....more
#27 in the Tom Clancy/Ryan universe (#4 featuring Jack Ryan Jr. by author Mike Maden). As usual in this series, the book is lengthy (468 pages), unfor#27 in the Tom Clancy/Ryan universe (#4 featuring Jack Ryan Jr. by author Mike Maden). As usual in this series, the book is lengthy (468 pages), unfortunately the length only gives the author space to insert additional muddled plot elements. Jack travels to Barcelona and after being caught up in a café bombing meets Spanish police agent Laia Brossa, their relationship bears a strong resemblance to Jack Jr.'s trip to Poland (Tom Clancy Enemy Contact (2019)) which introduced a new partner, Liliana Pilecki, of Poland's FBI equivalent. Much of the first 350 pages deals with the issue of Catalonian Independence which could have been dealt with in a chapter, eliminating a lengthy red herring. Likewise the issue of secretive blackmail of cargo ship sinkings. Unfortunately, that only leaves the RAPTURE / TRIBULATION issue whose characters motivation is questionable. the epilogue is a series hallmark. Lest this review give the impression that I didn't enjoy the book, let me set that straight. It was a fun read. Unfortunately, too many otherwise exciting sequences just didn't bear logical scrutiny.
Jack Ryan Jr. heads to Barcelona, Spain, for some vacation after an intelligence mission in South Korea. On his last day before returning home to Virginia, Jake is having a drink in a bar when he spots Renée Moore, a college classmate with whom he was once romantically involved. After chatting, the two agree to get together that evening. Seconds after Jake leaves the bar, the place blows up. Renée dies, but not before uttering a mysterious word: Sammler. Jack joins Laia Brossa, a Spanish Centro Nacional de Inteligencia agent, to hunt down the organization responsible for Renée's death. Meanwhile, someone is torpedoing container ships in the South Pacific. ...more
#2 in the John Wells series. This 2008 series entry from author Alex Berenson is an able follow-up to award winning debut The Faithful Spy (2006). Pro#2 in the John Wells series. This 2008 series entry from author Alex Berenson is an able follow-up to award winning debut The Faithful Spy (2006). Protagonist CIA agent extraordinaire John Wells is in Washington, DC with his lover Jennifer Exley, also a CIA agent. Two disparate events occur and attract their attention. They split their focus between the two. Jennifer searches for the CIA mole who betrayed a scientist in the North Korean nuclear program; while John travels to Afghanistan to find out why the military prowess of the Taliban if improving so radically.
In The Faithful Spy, John Wells became the only American CIA agent ever to penetrate al-Qaeda, but his handlers became distrustful of him, and he of them. He had to stop a devastating terrorist attack nearly alone. Now Wells is back in Washington. HIs wounds have healed, but his mind is far from clear. He is restless, uneasy in his skin, and careless with his safety. When the CIA finds evidence of a surge in Taliban activity, backed by an unknown foreign power, it takes little to convince Wells to return to Afghanistan to investigate. ...more
#23.5 in the Jack Reacher series. This 2018 series entry by author Lee Child is typical of the series' short fiction. The story is all about cerebrati#23.5 in the Jack Reacher series. This 2018 series entry by author Lee Child is typical of the series' short fiction. The story is all about cerebration. What does the photo mean? Is he being followed? What will the follower do? How will the leader try to trap him? How will he defeat the trap? Once everything is thought out, the action is almost an afterthought.
Jack Reacher, ex-military drifter of no fixed abode, is stalked and tracked down by an FBI agent. She tells him that in a house raid in Sydney, Australian law enforcement found a list. There were four people on it, including him. The other three are dead. Hours later, Reacher is in the air, on his way to Sydney. What was the evil buried twenty-five years ago, that has now resurfaced? Will Reacher be able to find the killers, before they find him? ...more
This 1994 stand-alone thriller by author Stuart Woods is the 6th of 8 stand-alones before he devoted the next 70 novels to the Stone Barrington univerThis 1994 stand-alone thriller by author Stuart Woods is the 6th of 8 stand-alones before he devoted the next 70 novels to the Stone Barrington universe. It is not great literature, but does show plotting of increasing complexity and is highly entertaining. Betrayal, revenge, loyalty, friendship, love, deviousness, and ingenuity are all evidenced by out protagonist in one or more of his personas. I greatly enjoyed it and only regret that as a fan of the Barrington novels there will not be numerous sequels.
Ex-DEA agent Jesse Warden, wrongly convicted of a murder he suspects was the work of Dan Barker, his former superior, is offered a chance at a presidential pardon if he will infiltrate the sinister religious cult that has taken control of St. Clair, Idaho. Despite knowing that he will again be under the control of Barker and that two previous agents investigating the cult have vanished, Jesse can't refuse. Going incognito, he gets a job at the town's only business not controlled by the cult and is brazenly seduced by his new landlady, lovely widow Jenny Weatherby. As Jesse sets out to win the confidence of the menacing head of the sect, Jack Gene Coldwater, he comes under close surveillance by Coldwater's two henchmen. In spite of some nearly fatal mistakes, however, he manages to gain the trust of the charismatic and seemingly psychic cult leader. Meanwhile, Jesse marries Jenny, who's pregnant. Faced with the catch-22 of how to deliver Coldwater and his ruthless subordinates to the treacherous Barker, whom he is sure will not come through with the promised pardon, Jesse must find a way to bring himself and his new family to freedom....more
#6 in the Gray Man series. Finalist 2018 Barry Award for Best Thriller. This 2017 series entry by author Mark Greaney provides a change of pace as Cou#6 in the Gray Man series. Finalist 2018 Barry Award for Best Thriller. This 2017 series entry by author Mark Greaney provides a change of pace as Court Gentry is now working for the CIA rather than running from them. At 500 pages, the book's length is reminiscent of Tom Clancy and the length is needed to combat Chinese and Russian agents, as well as Vietnamese, Thai and Italian gangsters. This book will most appeal to series fans and new readers should at least read Back Blast (2016) before tackling it.
Court Gentry, now a contract employee of the CIA, joins an effort to locate one of the world's greatest computer hackers, 26-year-old Fan Jiang, a sergeant in the Chinese People's Liberation Army, who's on the run after escaping from mainland China. Teams of agents from Russia and China are also involved in the hunt for Fan. Court pretends to join the Chinese, because they have captured and are threatening to kill an old spy buddy, Sir Donald Fitzroy, a British agent who once saved Court's life. The Russians are led by Zoya Feodorovich Zakharova, an SVR operative, who's working with an elite SVR paramilitary unit known as Zaslon. Court eventually captures Zoya, who quickly becomes a love interest. The tension mounts as Court, with the help of the talented Zoya, chases Fan all over Eastern Asia....more
#11 in the Hawker series. This 1986 series entry by author Randy Wayne White, writing as Carl Ramm, is the final book in the series and the writing se#11 in the Hawker series. This 1986 series entry by author Randy Wayne White, writing as Carl Ramm, is the final book in the series and the writing seems like the author is getting tired. After 7 Dusky MacMorgan novels in 1981-82 and 11 Hawker novels in 1984-86, perhaps author White has had his fill of formulaic "duck and fuck" (as he has characterized them) novels. After wiping out Vietnamese drug smuggling headquarters in Norfolk, VA one evening, Hawker heads for head villain Cwong's stronghold in the Solomon Islands. A barmaid helps him escape from a bar fight and she coincidentally knows a secret back way into Cwong's stronghold. While destroying the stronghold, he rescues a 10 year old English speaking white girl and then is helped from the stronghold by the barmaid. The book ends abruptly with no explanation of who the girl was or what future he will have with the barmaid if he survives the undescribed wound he received while exfiltrating. For all the talk of the drugs being marketed to the U.S. military, there is no expansion of that theme. A fast read and I'm glad author White moved on to outdoor essays and his superior Doc White series.
Hawker launches an all-out assault on the world's most powerful arms dealer. For Con Ye Cwong, the Vietnam War will never be over. Head of the North Vietnamese secret police during the brutal conflict, he has built himself an empire selling cocaine and heroin to the West. Even after the war, American servicemen remain his favorite targets. He relishes nothing more than getting a soldier hooked, and then upping the price until the junkie has no choice but to reveal military secrets for the next fix. When he isn't pushing drugs or conning soldiers, Cwong is an arms dealer, supplier to the most dangerous terrorists in the Middle East. He's one of the most powerful men in the world, and James Hawker is going to take him down. Hawker's one-man war against terrorism has taken him around the globe, but he won't know peace until Cwong is dead and buried. To save the United States, the nation's deadliest vigilante will take on the Viet Cong. ...more
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