An odd, but entertaining book by David, with the infamous "Philadelphia Experiment" as a central motif. Back in 1943, the US government, working with An odd, but entertaining book by David, with the infamous "Philadelphia Experiment" as a central motif. Back in 1943, the US government, working with famous scientists like Einstein, tried to develop a means to make ships invisible using magnetic resonance generators. David riffs on this, and has one of the ships so equipped, a cruiser, essentially 'transport' itself into another dimension. Flash forward 50 years and the story begins.
Apparently, the US government, utilizing similar magnetic generators, isolated the ship in its 'space' and as been monitoring it. The people on the ship occasionally find an exit into the 'now', although for them, time has barely moved. These escapees, however, often had mad Psi talents and often go on a rampage, killing all kinds of people. The covert government agency can track them, however, and then send out kill teams. Another story arc features a group of scientists who work on brain waves, and have managed via some crazy science, to be able to insert people into other people's dreams. The 'dream team', at a member's behest (a social worker), starts working on some people who seem to keep having the exact same dream-- being on a ship and endless wandering, with a stark sense of dread. Obviously, these two story arcs possess a relationship, but David takes his time establishing it.
Ship of the Damned reads more like a techno thriller than 'straight' science fiction and David does pace this accordingly. The science is a bit hand-wavy, but so it goes. I really wanted to like this one more, but the characters did not inspire much and were pretty flat. Also, it got increasingly harder to suspend my sense of disbelief as the story progressed. Very neat idea, but this could have been executed better for sure. Still, worth a read if you can find it and like this type of stuff ...more
I picked this up due to it being set in Central Florida where I live, and that it promised to be a dark, funny thriller. While a fun and fast read, anI picked this up due to it being set in Central Florida where I live, and that it promised to be a dark, funny thriller. While a fun and fast read, and packed with action, I found it more of a popcorn read than anything else. Now, nothing wrong with a popcorn read, but do not expect to be blown away. This reminded me of Tim Dorsey's work and if you like Dorsey, you will probably dig this.
Our protagonist, Charlie Swift, works for a mobster (Stan) in Orlando as one of his enforcers. Collectively, the enforcers known as monkeys, largely hand out in a pool hall/bar waiting for various tasks-- rough someone up, collect money, or even take someone out. Gun Monkeys starts with a bang, with Charlie and 'Blade' riding on the Florida Turnpike with a headless corpse in the trunk. Stan told the two that Rollo (the corpse) had to go, and so they took him out with an exploding donut. Quickly, however, things turn to shit.
Turns out some other mobster, one Beggar, wants to move into the Orlando area from Miami. Old Stan, getting long in the tooth, still treats his Monkey's like family, and they are loyal, but when Beggar's guys start taking them out, only a few are left alive. Charlie, ever loyal, wants some vengeance, but where to start? Also tossed into the mix are some account books that Beggar really wants bad, as they have contain both the official version of his various businesses, and the real figures with tons of money laundering. It seems the FBI also wants the books and have had Beggar under their scope for years.
Fun plot, but hard to take too seriously. Very high body count for sure. The humor? I liked it as much as Dorsey (e.g., ok), but nothing compared to Carl Hiaasen's work. Fun, but ultimately forgettable. 3 sunny stars!...more
The cover blurb states that Before the Cradle Falls is "Superbly paced mix of science fiction, thriller, and police procedural" and I have to agree, eThe cover blurb states that Before the Cradle Falls is "Superbly paced mix of science fiction, thriller, and police procedural" and I have to agree, even if you have to suspend your disbelief a bit along the way. Set in Portland, Oregon, our protagonist, Detective Sommers, starts the book still reeling from the death of his young daughter and his fall to booze. It seems he and his daughter hit a deer on the way home, he lost control of the car and the resulting crash killer her. Before, Sommers had quickly risen in the ranks of the PPD, and had been tasked to lead the hunt for the so-called Cradle Robber, a serial killer slowing working his way up the West Coast.
Well, the Cradle robber arrived (he kills young kids in their bedrooms, leaving toys in their hands) and Sommer's chief activates the task force, putting Sommers in charge, albeit warily. So, on the one hand, we have a serial killer story/police procedural. The author, however, also brought a 'wild-card' into the mix, with a strangely clad older man starts to show up in places somehow knowing crimes and/or tragedies would soon ensue. Who is this guy? How does he know the future? He even leaves clippings from a newspaper that narrated events that he helped thwart.
Mild spoiler (it is on the back flap), it turns out the mystery 'good Samaritan' has somehow travelled back in time to prevent various tragedies, but why? I will stop with the plotting here to avoid spoilers. David's workmanlike prose and pacing moves the story along nicely. Decent character development, even if some of them possess a bit too much 'larger than life' attributes. The author is also a professor of psychology and it shows in places, especially the motivations of the killer and how the various characters deal with grief. The rather saccharine ending stopped me from rating this higher, but jeez, quite a page turner. 4 untimely stars! ...more
Lethem serves up a truly remarkable novel here, an old-school noir/whodunit but largely narrated by our protagonist, Lionel Essrog, who suffers from aLethem serves up a truly remarkable novel here, an old-school noir/whodunit but largely narrated by our protagonist, Lionel Essrog, who suffers from a rather severe case of Tourette's syndrome. Now, I always understood (wrongly) that Tourette simply lead people to cuss randomly and so forth, but as Lethem presents it, it encompasses a wide variety of things, such as OCD, touching, and a whole range of 'tics' and mental processes. Tourette's syndrome does not impact intelligence, however, although Lionel is often perceived by others as simply crazy or a fool.
The tale starts with Lionel and others in an orphanage in Brooklyn, when a guy, Frank Minna, a local, stops by one day and asks for some 'white boys' to help him. Lionel, along with three others, go off in Frank's van, do some dubious errands, and he treats them with 20 spots and a beer. This became something of a pattern, and 'Minna's Men' loved it! Minna, basically a local small-time gangster with some 'turf' in Brooklyn, often works for 'The Clients', although they are shadowy figures for Minna's Men (on purpose). Frank eventually figures out Lionel has Tourette's syndrome and even gives him a book about it. Frank calls Lionel 'Freakshow', but entrusts him for his observation skills among other things.
Frank, after leaving the 'motherless Brooklyn boys' inexplicably for a few years, returns just as 'his' orphans are about to graduate. It seems he has a new scam-- a car service in Brooklyn that basically serves as a front for a private detective agency. Flash forward 15 years or so. Frank often has the 'boys' do all kinds of jobs, rarely giving any reason-- keeping 'Minna's Men' in the dark seems to be his motif. Anyway, one day he has Lionel and another guy on some stakeout on the Upper East Side; not their regular turf by any means! Long story, but Frank ends up dead. Well, it seems its up to Minna's Men to find out what happened, but without their charismatic leader, the Men do not know what to do...
While the plot works as a hat-tip to Philip Marlowe, what makes this book so special revolves around Lionel as we see the world through his eyes, and experience his life and thoughts. Lethem does a masterful job here with Lionel, making him perhaps the most unforgettable protagonist I have experienced in some time. Basically a nice guy, most people underrate his intelligence. Besides Frank saddling him with the nickname Freakshow, the locals around the car service/detective shop have their own names for him, like 'Crazyman'. He is determined to find out why Frank was offed, and bring the killers some vengeance. The bonds among the 'Minna's Men' quickly erode, however, with Lionel not knowing who to trust. Tony, Frank's sidekick among the Men, tries to assume a leadership role, but Lionel distrusts him, desiring to bring 'justice' my himself. But where to start!
Lethem's wordsmithery here made me chuckle and cringe at the same time, and worked beautifully to build empathy with Lionel. We suffer though his 'tics', his worries, his desires, and really, his provincialism-- they guy has never even left NYC! He sees the world though Frank's eyes and prejudices, and often they are not pretty. Finally, a joke narrative runs along as a subtext. Frank often encouraged jokes and traded them among the Men, and some of them really are funny; what makes them funnier when Lionel tells them has to do with his Tourette's syndrome. Highly recommended for lovers of noir and just something different. 5 glowing stars, and I must thank Carol. for putting this on my radar. ...more
I knew going in that this would be a Gary Stu romp, featuring the world's top assassin deemed the Gray Man, so I did not hold that against it. ThrilleI knew going in that this would be a Gary Stu romp, featuring the world's top assassin deemed the Gray Man, so I did not hold that against it. Thrillers should thrill, and Greaney paces this frenetically, starting with the Grey Man in the Middle East after pulling off a hit and then basically non stop action for 400 pages. I can also see why this became a Netflix series as will surely make for some great visuals!
The Gray Man, a moniker for Court Gentry, first worked for the CIA basically doing covert wet work and he was damned good at it. When word came down (in the form of teammates trying to kill him) that he was burned (why? Greaney give us hints), Court fades and eventually started working for a security firm in the UK, basically doing what he did before. Greaney tried to make Court a sympathetic character for sure; he only takes a job is the target needs some killing, for example. I guess if the author wants us to pull for Court as the protagonist, he has to be more than a stone cold killer after all. The Gray Man comes off a patriot, despite the CIA burning him. In this, Greaney puts a different spin on the espionage killer genre, exemplified by books like The Day of the Jackal.
Yet, this descended quickly into trope land. The ruthless corporation that wants Court dead, for example, simply personified ruthless neocolonialism, and has its own hitmen take out labor organizers, human rights activists, and politicians that actually want a better society. Pretty easy to hate it, and our antagonist Lloyd, who coordinates the hit on Court. It seems the corrupt despot in Nigeria got pissed when the Gray Man iced his brother, who was involved in some shady business with terrorists in the Middle East, and told the ruthless corporation to get Court's head or a huge contract for oil/gas extraction would go to a rival firm. Lloyd, totally amoral and ruthless, also a former CIA agent (albeit with legal) is the 'perfect' bad guy to root against.
The Grey Man reads as a great popcorn novel, with all kinds of close encounters and escapes for our hero Court. He faces 12 teams of killers from 12 different nations, all paid by the ruthless corporation, which also offered a huge bonus for the team that takes Court down. So, Court must cross Europe to save his boss's kids from the asshole Lloyd, who kidnaped them along with his boss and holds them in some French castle. Oh, seeing this on the big screen will be something; just make sure to bring your popcorn. 3 shooting stars. ...more
A rather odd book by Barton, more of a mystery thriller than horror. Our protagonist awakes in a strange hospital room, with no memories of his life. A rather odd book by Barton, more of a mystery thriller than horror. Our protagonist awakes in a strange hospital room, with no memories of his life. When he can finally speak with a doctor, he tells Tom he had a car wreck and banged his head; must have got a touch of amnesia. His wife picks him up the next day, but still Tom has no memory of her or his life. Farting around his house, he discovers some clues about himself in his study (he is/was a lawyer); he learns more from his wife in dribs and drabs.
Basically, Tom had been in a loveless marriage, somehow estranged from his only son, and the more he finds out about himself, it seems he was pretty much an asshole. While this discovery process underway, Barton shifts narratives to Tom's son Scott. Scott lives in a shitty apartment building in Hollywood, making a living by dealing, or at least enough of a living to keep him riding the horse. We quickly learn his still loves his mother, but really, really hates Tom.
After consulting a 'shrink', one who he saw a few months back, Tom learns even more about what an asshole his was/is. He also learns that he does not have a head injury, but oddly enough, his blood is not really blood, but some sort of synthetic blood. WTF? Learning from old case files and discussing things with his wife, he calls up a private investigator he helped once keep out of jail (favored owed) and asks him to help discover his life and what indeed happened...
Overall, a decent read, albeit one with some pacing issues. Barton does drop some surprises on the reader that were fun at the end, but you still knew where this was going. 3 forgetful stars. ...more
Another nasty horror/thriller from Murphy that hooked me in right from the get go. Jason, a NYC lawyer, and his wife Paige, move out to their summer hAnother nasty horror/thriller from Murphy that hooked me in right from the get go. Jason, a NYC lawyer, and his wife Paige, move out to their summer home in BFE upstate NY after Paige got mugged. Paige, starting the book about 7 months pregnant, wanted to be away from the city and Jason gamely goes along. Well, a few days after arrival, Paige finds an 11 y.o. girl living in the attic of the house (bit of a long story). Turns out, the little girl (Lily) ran away about a year ago after her mother killed and dismembered her father with a sickle. The mom (Anna) plead guilty and now resided in prison.
What to do about Lily? Paige, a special ed school teacher, really falls for little Lily, who is just so helpful around the house! Meanwhile, Jason looks into Anna's case and thinks he can contest it, but it may take some time. As the cops can not locate any of Lily's relatives, her future becomes uncertain. In the end, Paige persuades her husband to just keep Lily here until they can find a foster home or the court case is over...
I am not sure I would call this a Bad Seed knockoff, but yeah, we know little Lily has some serious issues, either genetic or from her upbringing. She can play the little angel, but why are all the kids at school afraid of her? Jason never takes to her, but Paige is always there to defend her. Really liked this and jeez can Murphy string the reader along for a nasty ride. This also reminded me of Crawlspace, a real classic. If you liked that, or The Bad Seed, you will probably get a kick out of this. 4 creepy stars!...more
A nifty little thriller by Murphy, but one with a nasty little edge as well. Unlike most thrillers, where you have to guess where it will go, we know A nifty little thriller by Murphy, but one with a nasty little edge as well. Unlike most thrillers, where you have to guess where it will go, we know here pretty much right off the bat the villain and the plot, but The Play-Room still managed to keep me rapt. Our antagonist, one Victoria Louise, nee Rosalie, grew up in Bradley, Massachusetts, a small town on the New Hampshire border. Victoria always wanted to be one of the 'in' crowd in high school, but being fat and ugly, they rejected her. Nonetheless, she kept telling her mother that she was part of the pack, and on her 16th birthday, her mom organized a surprise birthday party and invited the 'in' crowd. Well, they humiliated her, giving horrible gag gifts and such.
Flash forward 8 years or so. Victoria, upon learning of her mother's death, and that she got the old house and lots of money, decides it's time for some payback. She spends a year losing weight, getting cosmetic surgery, and now, lean and beautiful, she returns to Bradley as Victoria. Our main protagonist, Rusty, once part of the 'in' high school crowd, now runs his own home renovation business in Bradley, and lives with his younger sister (16 y.o.) who stayed in Bradley to finish her high school when their parents moved to Arizona. He gets a call from Victoria, who wants some work done on her house; it needs lots, but Victoria really wants the 'play-room' done first, and pays for OT.
Now, the 'play-room' in the basement of the house was the site of the surprise birthday party/humiliation; Victoria wants it soundproofed, with a bathroom and wet bar. You know where this will be going, but still, Murphy strings the tale so nicely! First, one Bobby, one of the 'in' crown still in Bradley, goes missing. Well, he is an artist after all! But then others start to go missing as well. Alongside the nasty scheming of Victoria, a budding romance emerges between Rusty and Fae, Bobby's cousin, now a nurse...
Fun stuff by Murphy, who wrote a handful of thrillers in the 80s and 90s. Her work reminds me of S.K. Epperson, which also blurs the boundaries between horror, thriller and romance, usually with some wickedness! 4 playrooms!...more
Predators possesses an OTT plot and characters, and really should not work, but somehow Sauter pulls it off nicely. This starts with a man (Dane) hikiPredators possesses an OTT plot and characters, and really should not work, but somehow Sauter pulls it off nicely. This starts with a man (Dane) hiking up in BFE B.C. Canada and following a wolf down into a canyon. Dane, always a loner, becomes something of a mountain man, living in a small log cabin with the wolves around him for years. Sauter switches to another story line with the tale of Van Owen, a hunter/killer, who now runs a NYC hunting society, up in B.C. leading a group of four 'hunters' on a trip. He hears about the mountain man and the wolves and hires a helicopter pilot to take the group hunting. Well, the copter and crew find the wolves and open fire from the copter, wiping them out...
Well, Dane survived, along with one huge black wolf, and the next year he plans some revenge. On the way to NYC (with the wolf in the back of a van), he picks up Jenny, a runaway from a very abusive home. Jenny bonds with the wolf, much to Dane's chagrin (he is jealous!), and the trio end up renting a house in up-state NY, not too far from NYC.
So, we have a guy with a 'pet' wolf and a frazzled young gal planning on somehow using the wolf to obtain vengeance on the hunters that killed the wolf pack. Once the killings get under way, this starts to take the form of a police procedural as of course, the cops are interested in people being killed by some animal in Central Park...
The pacing could be better, and Sauter has a habit of switching POVs without much notice (a bit annoying for sure), but still? The characters are complex, except for Van Owen, who embodies evil and ruthlessness. Saunter 'treats' us to some of his backstory along the way and ugly would be an understatement. Somehow, this novel works and has held up well over the years. Worth a read if you like oddball thrillers and wolves! 4 howling stars!...more
Although written in the late 1990s, The Descent reads like a 'men's adventure' novel from the 60s or 70s, but not a very good one. I really dug parts Although written in the late 1990s, The Descent reads like a 'men's adventure' novel from the 60s or 70s, but not a very good one. I really dug parts of this, and the first chapter rocked, but Long tried to do too much here, make this too epic, and it became harder and harder to suspend my sense of disbelieve, let alone a basic understanding of science.
The good: The initial premise. Earth possesses immense tunnels or caves that connect the world, miles beneath the surface. Further, a civilization arose there, predating 'modern' humanity by tens of thousands of years. Perhaps this civilization even taught our distant forbearers civilization in the first place. The story starts with a guy taking a group of new age hippies on some trek in Nepal until they are stranded in a cave during a blizzard. Well, something finds them...
The bad: Why Long decided to take this into good/evil or the underground really being satanic I have no idea. Being underground for too long induces people to grow horns and tails, as well as growing super strong. Basically, something underground transforms them into demons. This is only the first touch at some strange 'science' Long peppers the text with. Did we have to go to Satan and god to make this story? No. Why is it here? No idea.
This starts off pretty strong. I already mentioned the super opening chapter, and then Long introduces a range of characters who play the leads throughout the novel. Ike, the group leader in Nepal, Ali the beautiful, compassionate nun, who starts off in a leper camp in Botswana, Branch, a military guy who encounters some 'cave dwellers' in Bosnia, and De L'Orme, a blind scholar/archeologist. When word of the 'cave dwellers', or what become known as Haddies, hits, the world reacts. Nations globally send troops and such underground, trying to root them out.
A ruthless corporate guy, who ran for president of the USA, lost (and blamed election fraud (sound familiar?)) has a scheme to rule the underground and extract its mineral resources, among other things. He starts by building an elevator shaft that goes miles deep off South America and quickly builds a city there. Further, he pays for a mission to chart the depths, going all the way to Asia, and we follow this mission for some time...
I really do not have much motivation to write more, but Long brings a real macho feel to the book. Expect manly men doing manly things and passive devoted women doing their thing. The prose flows at times, but Long keeps breaking up the flow of the story by introducing various 'vignettes' of isolated events planet side or elsewhere, that just seems to pad the story. Finally, the idea of some Satan (view spoiler)[ that existed as the original divine, and upon death passes his memories to someone else, making him eternal? Give me a break! (hide spoiler)] 2 faint stars....more
I mentioned on my review of Subhuman that McBride reminded me of both Dan Brown and Michael Crichton, but this series also calls to mind Clive CusslerI mentioned on my review of Subhuman that McBride reminded me of both Dan Brown and Michael Crichton, but this series also calls to mind Clive Cussler and even Raiders of the lost Ark-- quite a mix! Just about impossible to review the last installment without spoilers for the first two volumes so take this as a warning!
The tale as a whole revolves around our five intrepid scientists introduced in the first volume-- Jade, Anya, Evans, Kelly and Roche-- with skill sets ranging from forensic anthropology to crop circles. All of them become roped into Unit 51, a clandestine government agency that deals with weird (e.g., alien) threats to national security, albeit partially funded by a venture capitalist with an interest in UFOs. Whew. This series started with the discovery of ancient ruins buried under the Antarctica ice; it seems only recently did the plates shift the continent south.
It quickly becomes apparent, however, that all human civilizations have a direct link to some alien presence thousands of years ago, who directed the building of pyramids and so forth all around the world. Why? Well, they all align with certain stars, just like crop circles. Further, some remnants of the aliens lives on. Apparently all the ancient civilizations under thrall to the alien 'gods' all managed to mitigate and isolate them, entombing them around the world. Yet, just add a little blood and they come back like vampires! Don't forget the ancient dinosaurs that also serve as guardians of their remains, who also just need a little water to revive (long story).
Well, take this cosmic mix and toss in some neonazis and we have quite a party. The nazis managed to infiltrate Unit 51 and remain one step ahead of them. What do they want? To release some ancient and perhaps alien plague/virus that will wipe out humanity, excepting the neonazis, who somehow have interbred with the aliens (again, long story)...
McBride paces this frenetically, with every chapter leaving a cliff hanger for one set of characters before moving POVs to the next danger zone. If you like your thrillers fast and furious, I cannot think of someone with better pacing. McBride also manages to toss in quite a bit of science here, but not enough to seem like infodumps or derail the story; while I had to suspend my disbelief a bit at times, if you just run with this the author takes you on quite a ride. 3.5 thrilling stars, rounding up as the last volume ties things up nicely....more
McBride produced another engaging installment in the second book of the Unit 51 trilogy, albeit one that serves primarily as a segue to the final voluMcBride produced another engaging installment in the second book of the Unit 51 trilogy, albeit one that serves primarily as a segue to the final volume. Our five intrepid scientists from the first volume-- Kelly, Roche, Jade, Evans and Anya-- start this doing their own things again about 6 months after the first installment. Yet, we know they will be back together soon enough.
While this may be mildly spoilery if you have not read the first volume, the opening of the temple gates in 'Atlantis' induced several other 'disturbances' around the world, including an earthquake of sorts by an ancient Mexican temple, where Anya and Evans are now working. It seems the aliens or their minions (never very clear) can communicate over great distances and possess a hive mind; it is clear, however, that they keep telling people humanity is doomed.
I thought McBride stretched this one out a bit regarding the plot, but did toss in many action sequences to keep the adrenaline flowing; action packed may be an understatement. Barrett, the guy in charge of Unit 51, a clandestine government agency that deals with 'strange' (e.g., alien shit) has reestablished an operation base in Antarctica, bigger than the last, and has been combing over the ruins; nonetheless, his 'spies' keep track of developments in the Mexican temple, where a huge underground maze became known after the earthquake. Something, the 'sleeping god', seems to be in the center of the maze, and likely the key to the entire alien thing...
McBride introduced some other players here (for more excitement?!?), which seem to be some offshoot of the Nazis; blood and blue eyed at least, who are also seeking the aliens. Perhaps McBride tried here to close the loop between the opening prologue of the series, for we know the Nazis were trying to prove their 'race's' Devine origins. Anyway, lots of action even if the plot does not advance much, and our scientists face one impossible challenge after the next. The entire idea of aliens cultivating/mutating early humans globally to build temples and such may not be a new idea, but McBride runs with it well. 3 thrilling stars!!...more
Subhuman reads like a love child between Dan Brown and Michael Crichton, and if you like either author, you should like this also. This starts off a bSubhuman reads like a love child between Dan Brown and Michael Crichton, and if you like either author, you should like this also. This starts off a bit slow as McBride introduces a wide array of characters 'at work' if you will; an archeologist exploring a new find in Egypt, a new post-doc in a Chicago museum running DNA tests on a strange hominoid skull, a young forensic anthropologist examining the dead bodies left behind a Boko Haram in a Nigerian Village, a former NSA guy who now investigates crop circles, etc. What they have in common concerns how they all one day receive an offer they cannot refuse to come to Antarctica ASAP.
Well, it turns out some venture capitalist, who made his 'bag' on AOL and Amazon among others, secretly uses his immense wealth to pursue his true passion-- aliens. As a child growing up in Kansas, he saw a UFO and devoted his life to investigating the presence of aliens, and now believes he hit the jackpot in Antarctica. The prologue features some WWII marines getting wiped out deep in Antarctica at a former Nazi 'communication station'. The old Nazis were trying to find the lost city of Atlantis and did indeed find some monolithic structures buried deep in the ice there, built a bunker, and then got wiped out. Who or what is doing the deed?
I liked the mix of science and creative historical 'reconstruction' as the backdrop for this horror thriller, and the interesting mix of characters involved. McBride paces this nicely; with the first half being more of a mystery and the second half focused on the high tech research station the venture capitalist built in Antarctica, and of course, what they find. The overall premise may be a bit hard to swallow, but if you just run with it? Good stuff. I might have rated this higher except for the 'obvious' being continually missed by the main characters and the cliff hanger ending; obviously, this is just the first part of a longer series. Off to the next! 3.5 evil aliens! ...more
I used to read a lot of DeMille back in the day, and I must have read this a few decades ago along with most of his other work he had published then. I used to read a lot of DeMille back in the day, and I must have read this a few decades ago along with most of his other work he had published then. A strange love-child between The Godfather and The Great Gastby best sums this one up. Intellectually, The Gold Coast does not challenge at all, but on an emotional level, it packs a punch at times. I call these types of books 'airport thrillers'-- compulsively readable, but like popcorn regarding its nutritional content.
Narrated by John Sutter, our main protagonist, this chronicles his adventures if you will one spring on the Gold Coast, a part of Long Island historically home to the very wealthy and massive estates. Well, America's nobility declined post WWII, with high marginal tax rates, and most of the estates have become white elephants to the various families. Who can afford to maintain 200 plus room mansions sitting upon 100s of acres of sculpted terrain these days? Well, DeMille wrote this at a time before the rise of the mega billionaires, created in part due to a series of governmental regimes dropping the upper tax rates dramatically, especially on capital gains.
Anyway, John Sutter works at a tax attorney, helping the wealthy either avoid or evade taxes (a fine grey line there), with an office on Wall Street; basically, a classic 'white shoe' law firm where his father also worked. While John did not grow up filthy rich, he still went to an elite boarding school, then Yale, then Harvard for his law degree. Plus, his family can almost trace their roots to the Mayflower. He married Susan Stanhope, who is filthy rich and had been for generations. Her family built the Standhope estate, again a mega mansion sitting upon 200 acres, but she and John live in the 'guest house' on the estate, a mere 30 room cottage. Her father wants to dump the mansion, but Susan owns the guest house.
Things start to get interesting when Frank 'The Bishop' Bellarosa buys the neighboring estate and rehabs it nicely, spending millions. Frank leads one of the last big mafia families in NYC and he and John and Susan soon strike up a relationship, or perhaps a seduction would be a better phrase. We know this will not end well; DeMille's rather heavy handed foreshadowing tips of the reader very early on. Really, this could be read as a soap opera/family drama, where DeMille fleshes out the characters in great detail (the book is over 700 pages) and then takes them on 10 miles of bad road.
I found it hard to generate any sympathy toward the characters, however, except maybe The Bishop. John? Yeah, he is having a mid life crisis, turning his jaded and often sardonic eyes toward what he had made of his life. Susan? Every ounce the aristocrat; her blood is so blue it hurts. I think DeMille tries to paint a nostalgia toward America's fading 'nobility' that I just did not feel. DeMille also casts a somewhat nostalgic eye at the mafia, another institution on the decline, ushering in a new crime frontier populated by Columbians, Asians and others. Basically, The Gold Coast tells the tale of two dying breeds. YMMV! 3 gold stars!...more
Leisure (mis)branded this pulpy thriller as horror back in 1988, but Crossbearers still hit a trashy sweet spot for me. Barry, our main protagonist, wLeisure (mis)branded this pulpy thriller as horror back in 1988, but Crossbearers still hit a trashy sweet spot for me. Barry, our main protagonist, works as a detective in NYC; hard boiled, street savvy, and good at what he does. He hangs out with a priest in the Village, whom he met playing racket ball one day, and has a crush on his beautiful sister. This starts with a bang at a church festival in the Village when someone poisons a mob guy there who promptly dies. The mobster supported the church, and some priests were surprised at his 'connections'. The next day Barry, who was on the scene at the church, gets a letter from a group called the Crossbearers who claim the kill, and promise more.
I do not want to give a lengthy synopsis here, but I would call this a loose police procedural. As the bodies of mobsters start piling up, Barry keeps trying to track down the religious zealots doing the deeds. Strangely enough, the kills are super clean-- not bad for armatures! When they start happening across the nation, however, clearly this points out some kind of conspiracy. Would a rogue sect within the Catholic church be organizing it? Sure looks that way!
Brellen sets this in about 1982, and often presents NYC in all its pre-gentrified glory, adding to the pulpy feel. Strange religious cults, pimps in caddys, working gals on 42nd and Broadway, yeah, that NYC. Do not expect a masterpiece here. I lost count of the plot holes, typos and just plain bad writing, making this scream for a good editor; Leisure was just cranking out horror books in the 80s as fast as they could publish them, however. Still, among all the dross, you can find some good reads in these old Leisure titles. If you dig trashy pulp from the 80s, you could do a lot worse. 3 pulpy stars!...more
After just having read some fantasy mafia business (Brust's Jhereg) and Cosby's first crime thriller, I thought I might as well stay on a roll and reaAfter just having read some fantasy mafia business (Brust's Jhereg) and Cosby's first crime thriller, I thought I might as well stay on a roll and read Gangster, Carcaterra's depiction of a mafia gangster in NYC. Puzo masterfully wrote about the Sicilian mafia in NYC; Carcaterra on the other hand focused upon the camorra mafia. I hate to call this Godfather lite, but well, if the shoe fits...
This starts with Angelo Vestieri lying on his death bed, being watched over by Gabe. Who are these people? Carcaterra narrates this tale via flashbacks from both Gabe and Mary, a woman who also came to Angelo's hospital room, but one Gabe never met. Yet, she seems to know an awful lot about Angelo the gangster. Angelo came to the US (actually born on the way there) in the early 20th century. His parents immigrated primarily to avoid the camorra in Napoli, who wanted to take/adopt his eldest son. Not wanting his son to become a gangster, Angelo's father killed him and fled to the US.
Carcaterra presents early 20th century NYC as a maze of corruption and gang activity, but Angelo's father just wanted to make an honest living. Fat chance. Angelo soon befriended some 'good fellas' and, much to his father's disappointment, ditched his dad to become a gangster. The novel itself chronicles the rise of Angelo (and his buddy Pudge) from young boys running numbers to the head of the most feared and ruthless mob in NYC and perhaps the USA. Expect lots of melodrama, and 'life lessons' on what it means to be a gangster. Just about impossible to read this without thinking of Puzo, however, and comparing it. Both take a deep dive into the anthropology if you will on being part of the mafia-- how they think, how they act, respect, etc. The difference here rests with Gabe, who was groomed to be Angelo's successor, but obviously took a different track, becoming the owner of an advertising firm (e.g., legit). Good, but not great. 3 offers you cannot refuse stars....more
Cosby's first novel demonstrates his writing chops in this taut thriller, even it if possesses some rough edges of being his first novel. Nathan WaymaCosby's first novel demonstrates his writing chops in this taut thriller, even it if possesses some rough edges of being his first novel. Nathan Waymaker serves as a prototype of his tough guy protagonists exhibited in his later novels, being a former marine and trying to make an honest living until something pushes him a bit too far. The gritty prose and OTT gangsters could be his trademark.
Nathan lives in a small town in Virginia, working in his cousin's funeral home; just helping schlep bodies and such (he describes his work as 'taking care of the bodies'). After the Marine corps, where he served ten years, he had a stint in the local police force as a deputy, but bailed after his parents were killed (ran off the road) by a local aristocrat's boy and the paperwork on the crime scene mysteriously disappears (tossing a fellow deputy through a window on his way out). He has also helped a few folk around town and has some dark and shady friends. When a big local preacher dies (shot) and the cops do not seem to be doing much about it, some old ladies from the church as him to look into it. Well, how can he say no?
Thrillers should thrill and this one does of the get go, pulled together with good pacing and blunt dialogue. I really liked how Cosby pulls on the 'street' lingo and slang of poor, working class Black folk, and Nathan, a 'cross breed' Black man often muses on racial issues to great effect. This aspect features in his later work such as Blacktop Wasteland. Cosby also takes a few digs at organized religion, especially those organized to enrich the preachers; not only was the dead preacher a crooked, hypocritical SOB, he was a royal asshat, and his buddy preacher who has another megachurch equally corrupt and dirty.
While I was not really enchanted with Razorblade Tears (a bit too preachy PC politically for me), the man can write and looking forward to reading more of his work. 4 grim stars!...more
Solid and fun thriller/horror from Bonansinga that reminded me a bit of the film Crank, although The Black Mariah came out back in the early 90s. The Solid and fun thriller/horror from Bonansinga that reminded me a bit of the film Crank, although The Black Mariah came out back in the early 90s. The title refers to the big rig Lucas Hyde owns/drives. He, along with his partner Sophia, will haul just about anything to make a buck; being an independent trucker during Reaganomics has put them on a fiscal edge to be sure. After getting screwed on their last haul, they are heading back to California from the East Coast dry, and looking to pick up something.
Killing time, Lucas plays on the CB a bit, and picks up a strange caller. The guy keeps going on about a curse and how he cannot stop or even slow down as the pain sets in right away, and we are talking bad pain. After some back and forth, Lucas and Sophia decide the guy is probably bonkers ("a few sandwiches sort of a picnic"). Nonetheless, they are bored, hauling an empty trailer, and the guy keeps telling them he is running out of gas, but if he stops, he will die. So, on a bet, they decide to try to refuel the guy on the highway...
Enough with the basic sitrep. Bonansinga really paced this well and keep the tension racked up to 11 all the way. Thrillers have to thrill and this hit the sweet spot for me. Bonansinga also brought to the party here some surprisingly thoughtful insights into race and class (Lucas is black), which became icing on the cake. The plot quickly devolved into OTT territory, but in the way of the killer horror novels from the 80s; bizarre enough to make your head spin, but just believable enough for a buy in. This would have been a great movie, and my Warner edition from 1994 states that George Romero would be directing it (now that would have been fun!).
My biggest issues concerned some glaring continuity errors that any editor worth his/her salt should had corrected. Driving for one hour and going through half a tank of gas? One minute driving through a corn field, next on the shoulder of a road, then back to a cornfield? A few typos also irked. With a bit more polish, this could have been close to a 5 star, but as it is, a solid 'keep on truck'in' stars!...more
Pagoda reads more of a mystery thriller than a horror novel, but definitely one of the best of the Largent novels I have read. The titular Pagoda, craPagoda reads more of a mystery thriller than a horror novel, but definitely one of the best of the Largent novels I have read. The titular Pagoda, crafted in Burma in the 19th century by an alchemist monk, made its way to the USA before the turn of the century. The prologue features an old academic who has the pagoda who for years tried to discern its secrets. He acquired it in China and was told by its former possessor that it contains the six 'ultimates'-- wisdom, wealth, power, pleasure, good and evil-- within six tiny porcelain orbs located within. Yet, if the orbs are removed without solving the 'riddle', destruction will ensue of the pagoda and 'defiler'. Sadly, he admits his failure and passes the pagoda to his nephew...
Pagoda traces the 'travels' of the pagoda threw several pairs of hands, with each possessor the subject of a long chapter. The only uniting thing (besides the pagoda itself) among the stories consists of one Loo Song, who has been tasked by the 'master' to obtain the pagoda and bring it back to Burma. Loo believes the pagoda is something akin to a holy grail, and given its nature, it cannot be bought, even by him, but must be given freely. Well, to the American possessors of the pagoda, cash is king, and the old maxim 'I have it, you want it, how much will you give me for it' permeates most of the pagoda's possessors.
One of the issues I have with Largent concerns his main protagonists, who are often insufferable to say the least. Here, however, each long chapter presents well crafted, eclectic characters who have their own story to tell. The first, a disbarred lawyer who now helps run an underground empire, the second, a mild mannered pawnshop broker, etc. Poor Loo eventually makes contact with each but to little avail. The pagoda travels in an old tin case, which also contains the notes on it from several previous owners who tried to solve its riddle, and the entire mystery of the thing captivates one another another. Unfortunately, their curiosity often leads to some pretty gruesome ends!
Largent finishes this tale with a surprising denouement that I did not see coming, but oh so fitting! Not sure who I would recommend this to; a must for Largent fans, but I think anyone who appreciates a funky mystery thriller would get a kick out of it. Horror fans? If you did 80s style romps. In any case, fun read! 4 mysterious stars! ...more
I grew up reading King in the 70s and that is when I first read this (wish I had kept my copy!) and still enjoy going back to early King and his BachmI grew up reading King in the 70s and that is when I first read this (wish I had kept my copy!) and still enjoy going back to early King and his Bachman books on occasion. I would not call Rage a horror novel (King did not either in his intro to the Backman Books), but rather a pulp thriller that still packs a punch. All the school shootings in the last few decades might have taken some of the edge off this one, but the shootings here exist more as backdrop to the main story.
The story starts off when one Charlie Decker gets called to the office out of his morning class in high school; he returns to class with a gun and takes out the teacher. Quite a way to set the stage! What follows involves disturbing remembrances, for after Charlie basically holds the class hostage, students proceed to share deep, dark secrets. King can really build believable characters with few words and does so here with aplomb. King may have started penning this one while he was in high school and it kinda shows! All the teenage angst about life, struggles with parents and fellow students, sex, the whole overwhelming aspect of being 17 or so and getting ready to face life head on.
The erratic pacing does not take too much away from the tenseness of the story, and King deftly uses a bit of foreshadowing to help with this. Really gritty pulp to be sure. Is this a great novel? By no means, but it is fun and hits the spot when you need some pulp. 3.5 early stars!...more
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