Title: The English Girl
Author: Daniel Silva
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: December 30, 2013
When was the book published: 2013
Main Characters: Garbriel Allon, wife Chiara, Shamron the reitred head of Israeli's spies, Ari Navot, current head, Madeline Hart, kidnapped from a vacation cottage, lover of Jonathan Lancaster, prime minister. Don Orsati, Corsican olive oil maker and mafia - hired killer guy.
What happens? Madeline goes missing, and Gabriel is called as a favor to Graham Seymour, incoming head of British intelligence under Lancaster. Allon enlists Christopher Keller (who once tried to kill him) to help.
How long was this? 482 pages
Did I like this? Top notch spy thriller, perfect in so many ways, great characters, plot twists, people you care about, bad guys you love and hate
Overall grade: A
Monday, December 30, 2013
Saturday, December 21, 2013
The Last Man by Vince Flynn
Title: The Last Man
Author: Vince Flynn
Did I listen or read?: paperback
When did I finish?: Nov 10, 2013
When was the book published: 2013
Main Characters: Mitch Rapp, spy, looks for super spy Joe Rickman who has been kidnapped.
What happens? Middle Eastern spy twists and turns and double agents
How long was this? 485 pages
Did I like this? A good straight forward spy story that I could follow
Overall grade: A-
Author: Vince Flynn
Did I listen or read?: paperback
When did I finish?: Nov 10, 2013
When was the book published: 2013
Main Characters: Mitch Rapp, spy, looks for super spy Joe Rickman who has been kidnapped.
What happens? Middle Eastern spy twists and turns and double agents
How long was this? 485 pages
Did I like this? A good straight forward spy story that I could follow
Overall grade: A-
Screwed by Eoin Colfer
Title: Screwed
Author: Eion Colfer
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: December 21, 2013
When was the book published: 2013
Main Characters: Dan McEvoy, club partner Jason, Irish Mike Madden, demented girlfriend Sofia Delano, buddy Dr. Zeb, Grandmother/trophy wife Edit, cop friend Roneen
What happens? A high paced stream of action - He spends hundreds of pages in constant danger and escapes in the most unlikely ways. Mike Madden has some hold over him, tries to kill him, and then two cops take him and put him in a thong to torture him on line for money....seriously
How long was this? 300 pages
Did I like this? Darn entertaining as a writer, hard to follow at times, partly because the main character gets drugged and knocked out several times
Overall grade: B+
Author: Eion Colfer
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: December 21, 2013
When was the book published: 2013
Main Characters: Dan McEvoy, club partner Jason, Irish Mike Madden, demented girlfriend Sofia Delano, buddy Dr. Zeb, Grandmother/trophy wife Edit, cop friend Roneen
What happens? A high paced stream of action - He spends hundreds of pages in constant danger and escapes in the most unlikely ways. Mike Madden has some hold over him, tries to kill him, and then two cops take him and put him in a thong to torture him on line for money....seriously
How long was this? 300 pages
Did I like this? Darn entertaining as a writer, hard to follow at times, partly because the main character gets drugged and knocked out several times
Overall grade: B+
Downfall by Jeff Abbott
Title: Downfall
Author: Jeff Abbott
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: December 14, 2013
When was the book published: 2013
Main Characters: Sam Capra, Diana and her mother the PR lady.
What happens? Sam is managing a bunch of bars as a front for a secret group of do-gooders, and Daina's mother is a a member of Belias's secret group of do-badders. And, seriously, there is a another third super secret group of string pullers. It just makes it too easy to write and too hard to read. If he just stuck with a story, he's a pretty good writer...
How long was this? 453 pages
Did I like this? See above, too many top secret conspiracies and double agents.
Overall grade: C+
Author: Jeff Abbott
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: December 14, 2013
When was the book published: 2013
Main Characters: Sam Capra, Diana and her mother the PR lady.
What happens? Sam is managing a bunch of bars as a front for a secret group of do-gooders, and Daina's mother is a a member of Belias's secret group of do-badders. And, seriously, there is a another third super secret group of string pullers. It just makes it too easy to write and too hard to read. If he just stuck with a story, he's a pretty good writer...
How long was this? 453 pages
Did I like this? See above, too many top secret conspiracies and double agents.
Overall grade: C+
Saturday, December 7, 2013
The Woman Who Lost Her Soul by Bob Shacochis
Title: The Woman Who Lost Her Sould
Author: Bob Shacochis
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: Nov 22, 2013
When was the book published: 2013?
Main Characters: Eville Burnette, the woman (Jackie Scott and other names,) Tom Harrington - lawyer for freedom
What happens? Sprawled across the globe from Croatia to Haiti to the Middle East, the story turns into a spy story. Stepjan (a little boy in Croatia) becomes Steven (master spy) who wants revenge for the evil done in Croatia in WWII. His daughter loses her soul along the way.
How long was this? 790 pages
Did I like this? some times yes, some times no. Not great, but readable.
Overall grade: B-
Author: Bob Shacochis
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: Nov 22, 2013
When was the book published: 2013?
Main Characters: Eville Burnette, the woman (Jackie Scott and other names,) Tom Harrington - lawyer for freedom
What happens? Sprawled across the globe from Croatia to Haiti to the Middle East, the story turns into a spy story. Stepjan (a little boy in Croatia) becomes Steven (master spy) who wants revenge for the evil done in Croatia in WWII. His daughter loses her soul along the way.
How long was this? 790 pages
Did I like this? some times yes, some times no. Not great, but readable.
Overall grade: B-
Back to Blood by Tom Wolfe
Title: Back to Blood
Author: Tom WolfeDid I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: December 6, 2013
When was the book published: 2012
Main Characters: Nestor Camacho, young cuban cop, his ex-girl, Magdalena, porn shrink Dr Norman Lewis, reporter John Smith, a bunch of Russian art frauds
What happens? Miami's cuban / black racial tensions are the backdrop for a rambling story of crime, pride, gride. Magdelana dumps Nestor to be with Dr. Lewis. He saves a Cuban refugee from death with a heroic top-of-the-mast rescue, which makes him an enemy among his people. He saves his racist partner from an assault in a crack house, but their adrenaline filled comments make them pariahs. On it goes...
How long was this? 704 pages
Did I like this? Nothing sensational. Some great parts, some routine
Overall grade: B-
Truth in Advertising by John Kenney
Title: Truth in Advertising
Author: John KenneyDid I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: Nov 29, 2013
When was the book published: 2013
Main Characters: Ad guy Finbar Dolan, his co-workers and family
What happens? Fin is an ad guy with a midlife crisis, just walked out on his fiance weeks before the wedding, bored with his work, and struggling to get past very bad things from his childhood. He works on a Super Bowl ad for diapers that imitates the Apple 1984 ad.
How long was this? 302 pages
Did I like this? Great writer, funny, moves fast. Main character is a bit difficult to be with and root for. A good light read.
Overall grade: B+
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