Monday, August 29, 2011

The Holy by Daniel Quinn

Wow this book is a wild ride. At 150 pages in I thought it might be the best I've ever read, and then it takes off down a country side road. I had no idea what was going on or why this tale became so disjointed. But the author ultimately ties things together and the reader is left with an enjoyable dose of Quinn's always thought provoking wisdom.

Catch Me If You Can by Frank W. Abagnale

What a surprise, this book was fascinating. I wasn't crazy about the protagonist but his story is very exciting.

Watership Down by Richard Adams

Bought this because of the great reviews but I found it boring and had no interest in finishing it.

Thunderball by Ian Fleming

Enjoyable, Bond is Bond.

Gamble by Felix Francis

The worst book in the Dick Francis series, Felix Francis doesn't have his dad's gift. Boring.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

Like Quinn's other books, Ishmael puts out ideas that change the way you look at the world. Really interesting perspective.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

The Third Option by Vince Flynn

The Third Option is Vince Flynn's third novel, and the second to feature Mitch Rapp, is standard fare - so if you like VF then you'll eat this up. PW: CIA counterterrorism operative Mitch Rapp falls prey to government forces with an agenda of their own after Dr. Irene Kennedy is named the successor to dying CIA Director Thomas Stansfield -- a choice that enrages many inside the world's most powerful intelligence agency. Her detractors will resort to extreme measures to prevent her from taking the reins -- which makes Rapp an expendable asset. But Mitch Rapp is no one's pawn, and he will stop at nothing to find out who has set him up.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

After The Funeral by Agatha Christie

OK.

When Cora Lansquenet is savagely murdered with a hatchet, the extraordinary remark she made the previous day at her brother Richard’s funeral suddenly takes on a chilling significance. At the reading of Richard’s will, Cora was clearly heard to say, “It’s been hushed up very nicely, hasn’t it.… But he was murdered, wasn’t he?”

The Man with the Golden Gun by Ian Fleming

Enjoyable read.

A brainwashed James Bond has tried—and failed—to assassinate M, his boss. Now Bond has to prove he is back on form and can be trusted again. All 007 has to do is kill one of the most deadly freelance hit men in the world: Paco "Pistols" Scaramanga, the Man with the Golden Gun. But despite his license to kill, 007 is no assassin, and on finding Scaramanga in the sultry heat of Jamaica, he decides to infiltrate the killer’s criminal cooperative—and realizes that he will have to take him out as swiftly as possible. Otherwise 007 might just be the next on a long list of British Secret Service numbers retired by the Man with the Golden Gun...

House Divided by Mike Lawson

Enjoyable but not the best in the Joe DeMarco series, but look forward to the next.

When the NSA was caught wiretapping U.S. citizens without warrants, a scandal erupted and the program came to a screeching halt. But the man who spearheaded the most sophisticated eavesdropping operation in history wasn’t about to sit by while his country sleepwalked into another 9/11. Instead, he moved the program into the shadows. So when the NSA records a rogue military group murdering two American civilians, they can’t exactly walk over to the Pentagon and demand to know what’s going on. That doesn’t mean their hands are tied, however. As the largest intelligence service in the country, both in money and manpower, they have plenty of options— mostly illegitimate.

One Dog Night by David Rosenfelt

If you liked any of Rosenfelt's books you'll like this one - it's classic Andy Carpenter. The plot gets a little unbelievable towards the end, but who cares. Light and very enjoyable.


For six years Noah Galloway has lived with a horrible secret and the fear that his rebuilt life could be shattered at any moment. Now his dread has become a certainty, and he has been arrested for the arson murder of twenty-six people.

What he needs now is defense lawyer Andy Carpenter, who most definitely is not in the market for a new client. So Noah plays his hole card: a shared love for Andy’s golden retriever, Tara, and the knowledge of what her life was like before Andy rescued her. Because Andy wasn’t her first owner—Noah rescued Tara first, and when he wasn’t able to care for her any longer, he did everything in his power to make sure that she was placed in the right home: Andy’s.

With that knowledge, Andy has little choice but to take Noah on, and he soon learns that the long-ago event that may destroy Noah’s life is only the beginning of an ongoing conspiracy that grows more deadly by the day. Andy will have to pull out all of his tricks to get to the bottom of this cold case turned white hot in the latest in David Rosenfelt’s popular mystery series.

Wednesday, August 03, 2011

St. Peter's Fair by Ellis Peters

The fourth in the Father Cadfael and I suspect I'll read the entire series. Interesting times and characters with a meandering, mostly predictable plot line.

Portrait of a Spy by Daniel Silva

A good story recycled with engaging characters - the author has a good series and keeps coming up with slight variations. Will read more of this series. Good entertainment.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Quirky, slow - lightly entertaining but not enough so to make me want to return to the story.