Blake Crouch Creeps Me Out and Intrigues Me With Pines (#bookreview)

Damn, but it's been a very long time since a book sucked me in as quickly, and as deeply, as Pines did. I originally picked this up a few months ago, after hearing it favorably compared to Twin Peaks, but I didn't really have any concrete plans as to when I'd give it a read. Sure, hearing that Blake Crouch shared my agonizing frustration with that series-ending cliffhanger served to whet my appetite even further ("How's Annie?" indeed, Agent Cooper), but I had a pretty busy summer of back-to-back series reads planned.



Then, of course, the good folks at Thomas & Mercer had to go and offer me an ARC for Wayward, the second book in the series. How could I refuse? Suddenly, I had another back-to-back series read suddenly wedged into my schedule . . . and what a read that first book was!



Reminding me as much (and perhaps even more) of The Twilight Zone and Nowhere Man, with a healthy dose of The X-Files and The Prisoner mixed in, this is a story that starts out kind of creepy and strange, gets weirder as it goes on, and then twists into something completely unexpected by the end. I'm finding it a hard book to write about without getting knee-deep in spoilers, simply because the twists are very much integral to the story. It all starts with a gentleman waking up beside a stream-bed, battered, bruised, disoriented, and missing not just his wallet, keys, and cellphone, but his memory. He sets out, naturally enough, to find some clue as to who he is, where he is, and what's happened to him.



As it turns out, those answers are far harder to come by than we might expect, and the answers we do get only open up deeper mysteries. It's a confusing way to enter the story, but Crouch does an amazing job of forcing us to identify with Ethan Burke, making us share in his frustrated disorientation. However, it's not until he discovers the tiny speaker hidden in the bushes, artificially providing the noise of night-time crickets, that the shivers really begin to creep up your spine. By the time he finds himself hospitalized against his will, the only patient in an otherwise empty floor, with a too-perfect nurse who seems incapable of delivering upon the smallest promise, we really begin to wonder what's going on.



I could go on and on about the too-difficult sheriff, the too-kind bartender, the dead body in the abandoned house, the urgent calls home that go unanswered, the creepy kids, and the entire Mayberry-esque town of Wayward Pines, but that only brings us through the first few chapters.



Pines is a book that wastes no time on pleasantries or filler. It's a fast-paced thriller where every scene matters, where every interaction is of significant consequence. To Crouch's credit, he maintains the suspense throughout, never faltering in the way he keeps us on edge. I really had no idea what was going on, but I was completely invested in finding out. Thanks largely to a back-story involving Gulf War torture and marital infidelity, Burke makes for sympathetic protagonist. We want him to find the answers as much for himself as for us, and that's what makes the novel really work.



Having said all that, the ending was a little - okay, a lot - more 'out there' than I anticipated, to the point where I really had to think about whether or not it satisfied me. It was bold and brilliant, absolutely, but far from what I was expecting. Looking back, there are certainly enough clues to back it up, so it doesn't feel like a cheat, and it really does provide that same feeling of being kicked in the stomach that The Twilight Zone did so well. I suspect I won't know whether I liked it or not until I get through Wayward, but I certainly admire the audacity of it.



A great read, and given that I devoured the final 200 pages in one sitting, I can honestly say it's one you won't be able to put down.





Published August 21st 2012 by Thomas & Mercer

Kindle Edition, 315 pages

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What Readers Really Need by David Wellington (Author of Chimera)

You know what readers really need? A way to find books.



That might seem like a ridiculous statement. It’s never been easier than now to just jump online and type a few keywords in a box and find thousands of books that meet your criteria. Amazon and BN.com make it effortless to find books and buy them with a few clicks. But there’s a problem. Online booksellers can’t tell you if a book is any good.



Oh, they try. They get readers to review books, usually on a star system, and they even let them write little mini-essays about why such and such a book is great or terrible. But that system is way too easy to game. Nefarious people even pay for reviews, which makes the star rating hard to trust. And there’s another problem: if you find a list of a thousand books, how many of them do you actually click on before buying something? Five? Maybe just the first one. And that’s a terrible way to browse for books. Just because Amazon thinks that you really, really want to read the new Dan Brown novel doesn’t mean you’re going to enjoy it. I know for a fact that most fans of my gruesome, very non-romantic vampire novel 13 Bullets won’t enjoy Twilight, but that’s the next book you’ll see on most sites. Their recommendations are usually based on - at best - sales numbers. Five hundred places down that list there might be a fantastic book that you’d really love, but your never going to find it. Even if you really wanted to you would have to waste a ton of money working down the list. You’re going to stick with what you know, instead, reading just authors you know won’t disappoint you. Safe inside your comfort zone. But that’s no way for a reader to live.



So where do you turn? There are a bunch of recommendation websites out there.



Whatshouldireadnext.com asks you for the name of an author and spits out twenty more authors you might like. Sadly, there are no ratings - just links that go to Amazon. Literature-map.com gives you a fun graphic of author names flying around your favorite author, moving constantly so you have to chase down the links. Fun, but again, no ratings, and the only criterion here is how many people bought books by two given authors. You know what? Last year I bought non-fiction history books, science fiction novels, and children’s books (as gifts). Does that mean that every science fiction fan wants to read Good Night, Moon?



No, a real recommendation engine wouldn’t base its results on sales data, or who bought what, or five star reviews written by the author’s grandmother. It definitely shouldn’t base its results on reviews written by somebody who doesn’t like Amazon’s return policies and thought that a random book page was the place to complain. A good recommendation engine should come from a place of understanding books. Of understanding why people read. Ideally each book would be matched up with others by someone who loves the genre, or the themes, or what have you. That’s a tall order because it’s so labor intensive. But would it be so hard to write an algorithm that can tell you that if you liked Master and Commander you might enjoy Moby Dick?



I don’t have time to build such an engine, because I’m too busy writing my own books. But there’s a huge talent pool out there who could help - readers, in all their millions. Hardcore genre experts who can be impartial. And there are organizations that should definitely be in charge of hosting the engine, namely the International Thriller Writers, the SFWA, the Horror Writers of America, and so on—groups that exist purely to advance the careers of working writers.



It could be done.



But if somebody does it, they need to own it. They need to trumpet to the far corners of the earth that they have such a thing. It needs to be honest, with no chance for authors to buy good reviews. And perhaps most importantly, whoever runs the engine needs to demand that authors put a link at the end of every ebook, a listing at the back of every hardcover, saying, “Now that you’ve enjoyed this novel, head to www.blahblahblah.com to find another book.” NPR and the New York Times should do features on this great new service. Because nothing is sadder than a vital resource nobody knows is there.



In the meantime, may I recommend a book? It’s called Chimera, and it’s fantastic—you’re going to love it. A rollicking spy yarn full of action and thrills. Trust me. It’s by my favorite author.

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David Wellington is the author of numerous horror novels, including the 13 Bullets and Monster Island series. His newest book is his first thriller, Chimera, which is available July 23rd. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.

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For those of you who missed my review, you can check it our here.

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Captivated and Enthralled by Blood Makes Noise (#bookreview)

There are some books you read where the prose is so crisp, where the story flows so well, you immediately wonder what else the author has written. Blood Makes Noise is one of those books. Even if one were to have absolutely no idea who Gregory Widen is, it wouldn't take more than a few chapters to send you scrambling for Wikipedia to confirm that not only is he a writer, but an accomplished one at that.



Yes, this is the man who brought stories such as Highlander, Backdraft, and The Prophecy to the screen, and that deft touch for dramatic tension, narrative efficiency, and the almost poetic flow of ideas comes through in his first novel.



With its roots firmly embedded in the real-life story of Eva “Evita” Perón, Blood Makes Noise tells the story of her corpse's journey into exile, and then back home again, as witnessed on the way out, and accompanied on the way back, by Michael Suslov, a CIA officer assigned to Buenos Aires. This is a solid spy thriller, historical thriller, and human interest story all rolled into one, propelled by two very different (but equally flawed/damaged) personalities. It's because of Evita's legend that we're drawn into the tale, and because of Michael's sadly endearing life that we're so willing to stick around through the initial set-up. Once the novel his the halfway mark, however, it's a wild, frantic, and very bloody race to the finish.



While Widen's screenwriter pedigree makes for a crisp tale, it also makes for a thin one at times. There's not a lot of scene setting or description here. Many scenes are little more than dialogue, tersely worded actions, and a little narrative oversight. Personally, I found that to be a style that worked for the story, but some readers may find themselves craving a bit more detail, particularly early on. It is an emotionally gripping tale, however, and Widen does a masterful job of using Michael to draw the reader in, feel for his moral dilemmas, and ultimately sympathize with a man who isn't necessarily very likable. The pacing is a bit uneven for a novel, but were you to watch it as a movie, in a single sitting as opposed to reading it over multiple nights, the pacing would be just about right.



If you're looking for a good read to take to the cottage, and don't mind having to think a bit about what's going on and why, Blood Makes Noise is a great choice. It's not what I would call a 'fun' read, but an entertaining one.





Published April 30th 2013 by Thomas & Mercer

Paperback, 442 pages

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Cheering on Chapel versus the Chimera (#bookreview)

David Wellington is one of those authors who have been on my radar for a while. I've picked up copies of Monster Island, 13 Bullets, and Frostbite, and I remain excited about all of them, but they've yet to make their way to the top of my TBR pile.



When I saw Chimera: A Jim Chapel Mission come available for review, I knew I had to seize the opportunity to finally make David a priority read . . . and I'm glad I did. Less of a straight-forward monster tale than his others, this is a sci-fi tinged thriller that could sit comfortably on the shelf next to the likes of Michael Crichton, Douglas Preston, and James Rollins.



Chimera was a very well-paced thriller, with some nice dramatic tension, suspense, and a deeper mystery that kept the plot moving, but which never overshadowed the immediate story. David's style of writing here is perfect for the genre, tailored slightly for a character who is just a little uncertain about whether he's the right man for the job. There are a few moments of dark humor, as well as a typical will-they-won't-they romance that actually worked better, and was developed far more naturally, than I expected.



The Chimeras themselves are interesting, and the slow unveiling of their origins adds a nice layer of sympathy atop the horror. Often, there's a danger in humanizing the monsters, but here it works, largely because of the way in which David balances that with the moral ugliness of their creators. In terms of the overall story arc, I don't think it's any great spoiler to say that there's a critical betrayal that precedes the final act, but even if I saw something coming, I must say I was pleasantly surprised to find the truth of the situation was deeper than I suspected.



If I were to have one concern with the book, it's that Jim Chapel himself comes across a little flat. Maybe it's because this is first adventure, and David is just laying the groundwork, but he could definitely be developed a little better. Outside of his job, the rehab that landed him the position, and the war injury that landed him in rehab, we really know very little about him. He never opens up about favorite foods, hobbies, friends, or anything that might help to humanize him. It's not a huge issue, and certainly doesn't stand in the way of enjoying Chimera, but that kind of development is needed if Chapel is to reserve some space on the shelf for future adventures.



If you're looking for a quick, action-packed, sci-fi tinged thriller to take to the beach or the cottage for the weekend, you could certainly do a lot worse than Chimera. Give it a shot, and you won't be disappointed.





Published July 23rd 2013 by William Morrow

ebook, 432 pages

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The Prose and Perils of a Christian Nation (#bookreview)

Something a little bit different this morning - a dual review, looking at Frederic C. Rich's debut novel from two very different perspectives . . .



When I first read the synopsis for Christian Nation, I was excited. It sounded like a fantastic alternate history/future dystopian novel, built around a premise far more plausibly terrifying than aliens, zombies, or vampire plagues. What I found in its pages is really two books, both of which are deeply flawed, but which combine to provide a whole that's more fascinating than the sum of its parts.



As a novel, as a narrative work of fiction, this is a rather weak tale. It's told as a series of personal recollections, framed by the act of writing a forbidden memoir. While that kind of framework has its uses, and has certainly been done successfully before, Rich makes a mistake (in my mind) of never straying far from the physical detachment of memoir. There's very little action or excitement, no insights into the thoughts or emotions of those populating the tale, and a distinct lack of urgency. It's a very clinical telling, and one that does little to endear readers to the narrator/protagonist, making it difficult to become emotionally invested in the tale.



It bothered me that so much of the story depended upon coincidences and well-time accidents, but it bothered me even more that government sanctioned murder was required to enable significant turning points in history. Those murders really strained the credibility of "it could really happen here." At the same time, I had an issue with the the narrow-minded focus on the evils of homosexual sin, especially in a world where it's a second 9/11 type terrorist attack that polarizes the average citizen into supporting the establishment of a theocratic government. Similarly, the complete lack of interest in foreign affairs is troubling, not so much in their lack of interference, but in following through on Palin's platform of retribution against the Islamic terrorists.



As a borderline sci-fi novel, there are some really interesting concepts in Christian Nation, but I'm not sure if they're flawed, or just not fully developed. For instance, the Purity Web certainly has the potential to be more horrifying that Big Brother, and should leave you second-guessing yourself every time you go online. It has the potential to be awe-inspiring, menacing on an unprecedented level, but it ends up being downplayed. That, for me, is one of the story's biggest failings. Even if you can't make the reader care for your characters, you should be able to make them fear for themselves.



Finally, it must be said that this is also a rather linear tale, one with a ending that's never in doubt, which makes it impossible to generate any sort of suspense. The cast of main characters is small, and none of them are every really defined beyond their faith, their politics, and their career. It's almost as if they are merely props with which to explore a philosophical idea - which, of course, is precisely what they are.



As a philosophical treatise, this is a somewhat narrow-minded, but well-intentioned tale . . . but I promised to let Sally review that aspect of it.

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Like Bob, I was intensely curious about Christian Nation from the moment he first brought it to my attention. I do like a enjoy a good alternate "what if?" history novel, but I was far more interested in this as a book of ideas. As a reader who is apparently destined to be persecuted on multiple fronts in Rich's theocratic state, I was interested to see how he would develop his ideas and justify his conclusions.



Oh my gosh. I mean no offense to my friends south of the border, but this is a quintessentially American novel - full of arrogance, self-importance, and return to thoughts of manifest destiny. The political and religious leaders of Rich's novel not only believe that the establishment of America as a pure Christian Nation is required for the second-coming, but that they were granted the land by God for that sole purpose. There is some lip service provided to the idea of supporting a Jewish state in Israel but, for the most part, the new rulers of America don't give a damn about anybody outside their borders. The Bible may not have been written by them but, by God, it sure as sin was written for them.



Along the same lines, the new rulers are not content to merely accept the will of God and rule their country according to the literal dictates of the Bible. The 10 commandments are a great inspiration, but in America you go big or you go home, and it takes 50 new commandments , in the form of The Blessing, to get things done. I really don't know whether Rich was being satirical in so wholeheartedly embracing the worst stereotypes outsiders have of America, but he plays just about every card in the deck. The Blessing has to be the ickiest part of the novel, several pages of racist, sexist, homophobic that just makes you queasy to think of anybody buying into.



It's not just American stereotypes at work here, however, but misogynistic religious ones as well. In the new Christian Nation, it's homosexual men who are the enemy, and sodomy that is the world's greatest sin. Islamic terrorists loading rocket launchers around airports are bad, but Rich's theocratic leaders would run right past them to stop two young men from loading something far smaller, and far less lethal, into one another. His is a world where single men over a certain age are legally assumed to be homosexual, and where gay sex is grounds for execution. Lesbians, however, merely have to be watched (I guess some things never change), and women merely have to be pleasant and obey their husbands - who can, of course, demand any sort of kinkiness they desire. I do have to give Rich credit for making a lovely, charismatic gay man one of his protagonists, though, even if he never gets kissed, much less sodomized, anywhere on the page.



Whew. Could it really happen the way Rich suggests? Could a theocracy take root in America, rise to absolute power, and then gleefully abuse that power until everything that made the country America is gone? I sure as hell hope not but, then again, he makes it clear the world felt the same way about Nazi Germany once upon a time. As a cautionary tale and a philosophical exploration of what happens when the lines between church and state are erased, this is a fascinating read. It's very dry, and full of long passages that I'm sure even lawyers and university professors will be tempted to skim, but it is interesting to see how easily we can be convinced to give our freedoms away.

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Ultimately, Christian Nation is an intriguing read, and possibly even (to borrow an overused term) an important one. It's not a great work of fiction, but it is a good work of speculative fiction in that it makes you think, ponder, and really consider the possibilities. I think I enjoyed it a bit more than Sally, but I also think she found it a bit more disturbing than I did.





Expected publication: July 1st 2013 by W. W. Norton & Company

Hardcover, 352 pages

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Stacking The Shelves & What I'm Reading

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme being hosted by Tynga's Reviews, while Mailbox Monday is being hosted by Dolce Bellezza this month (see Mailbox Monday for each month's host). Both memes are all about sharing the books you've added to your shelves - physical and virtual, borrowed and bought. It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey, and it's focused on what's in your hands, as opposed to what's on your shelf.

With an average of two reads per week scheduled into the middle of August, I've been trying to hold off on adding to the TBR pile, but a pair of pleasant surprises arrived in the mail this week.

Emperor of Thorns

by Mark Lawrence

Hardcover, 448 pages

Expected publication: August 6th 2013 by Ace Hardcover



Acquired via the author . . . signed, no less!

Christian Nation: A Novel

by Frederic C. Rich

Hardcover, 352 pages

Expected publication: July 1st 2013 by W.W. Norton & Company



Acquired via publisher/publicist.

Armed with an Amazon giftcard I won via the ARTifacts project, I also did a little shopping this week:

 

As for what we're reading, the team has reviews coming up over the next 2 weeks for:

What's topping your shelves this week?

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Gregory Widen talks Blood Makes Noise (GUEST POST)

I remember the moment I got the idea for Blood Makes Noise. I was visiting a friend in an unnamed Latin American country who was a field officer for the CIA. Now, this friend has been involved in all sorts of craziness, including – on direct orders – supervising not only the murder of certain bad individuals, but “making it hurt.”

Despite a life of anecdotes like this, in the nights we spent drinking, the only time I ever saw him express disgust for anything was the following anecdote: “On 9/11, the FBI office in Miami was given the photos of the hijackers. This was critical – it had to get to Washington immediately – and they sent it by FedEx. Why not e-mail? Because there wasn’t an agent there who knew how to attach a photo. That is all you need to know about the FBI.”

I’d already decided at this point to write a novel titled Blood Makes Noise, centered around the craziness that accompanied the disappearance of Eva Peron’s corpse in 1955 Argentina. I knew my hero would be a troubled CIA officer sucked into those events and nearly destroyed by them. But when you write a novel, character and plot are just two of three things you need. The third, and often most elusive, is a unique background that provides the kind of catalyst to propel characters forward beyond the requirements of plot.

It occurred to me that I might have just found my catalyst.

As my friend’s white-gloved butler served us bourbon martinis at precisely six o’clock, I pressed further. Everyone knows of the historical mistrust between the CIA and FBI, but I quickly learned just how toxic it had been in South America – to the point where the CIA and Hoover’s FBI were nearly in open warfare with each other.

Prior to the CIA’s creation in ’47, the FBI had always been in charge of spying in South America. But Truman, who never trusted J. Edgar Hoover, now wanted to hand that responsibility over to his new agency. From that moment on, Hoover committed himself to strangling the baby CIA in its crib.

As servants built a fire in the living room, “drinks” became a cocktail party as various local spooks arrived. There was the BND (German spy agency) guy, another who’s family ran Cuban Intelligence, and some current and retired CIA. Working through my third martini, I soaked up the stories.

Despite Truman’s change, Hoover managed to keep many of his people in place, effectively creating an FBI-run CIA within the CIA. As the agency fought to get control, Hoover just went to greater lengths to discredit it.

As the party devolved, I remembered a dinner commitment. My friend’s crew decided to join me. Off we went to a large dinner party most memorable for the moment my friend informed me that my host was the son of the country’s biggest narco boss. I worried I’d unknowingly made some terrible mistake. But he only smiled wryly: “No. Thank you. It would have taken me months to make this meeting happen by accident.”

Both the drinks and stories kept coming: how in an effort to discredit the CIA, Hoover had ordered his men – while a CIA team burglarized a foreign embassy – to fire shots outside to alert the security people within. Or the time the CIA had arranged the defection of a KGB officer in Buenos Aires and Hoover, wanting the credit – and to embarrass the CIA – had his boys grab the defector in a restaurant first. But a CIA team arrived at the same moment and a brawl broke out between the two groups, trashing the place.

It was chaos in the CIA stations down there at the time. The old FBI officers still in place did everything possible to frustrate and humiliate the new arriving CIA personnel, including burning their files when they were finally ordered out. Those days in South America, sighed an old hand, were one wild circus.

As evening crawled to dawn, I knew now the atmosphere my character would be thrust into: a freshly minted CIA officer arriving in Buenos Aires and going to war against the old FBI hands still in place. A young man whose greatest threat would turn out not to be the KGB, but the people in his own embassy.

Walking home later, I thought, not for the first time: It’s funny where ideas come from.

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This is a guest post by Gregory Widen, author of Blood Makes Noise. Gregory studied film and screenwriting at UCLA, and penned scripts for the films Highlander, Backdraft, and The Prophecy. He’s a native of Laguna Beach, California and he lives in Los Angeles. Blood Makes Noise is his first novel.

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Blood Makes Noise by Gregory Widen

Published April 30th 2013 by Thomas & Mercer

Paperback, 442 pages



On a summer’s night in 1955, CIA agent Michael Suslov is summoned to a secret vault in the heart of Buenos Aires. His mission: transport the corpse of Eva Peron to a new hiding place in the wake of her husband’s fall from power. But before Michael can comply, everything goes tragically, horribly wrong…



Sixteen years later, Michael Suslov is a ghost of a man, an ex-government agent living off the radar—and the only soul alive who knows where Evita is buried. When an old friend from Argentine Military Intelligence appeals to him for help bringing the body home, Michael agrees, hoping this final mission will quiet the demons from his past. But he’s not the only one on a recovery mission: two rogue CIA agents are tracking him, desperate to unearth Evita before Michael does—and to claim the secret millions they believe she took to her grave.



Based on a little-known yet fascinating true story, Blood Makes Noise is a brilliant examination of the power of the dead over the lives of the living.

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The Diabolist by Layton Green (#bookreview)

For this third book in The Dominic Grey Series and his first with the Thomas & Mercer imprint, Layton Green kicks things up a notch and delivers a novel that should, if there's any justice to be found upon the shelves, make him a household name. The Diabolist is a dark, intelligent, spellbinding novel that is destined to appeal to readers of Preston & Child, David Gibbins, and Dan Brown . . . as well as the likes of Peter Straub, John Saul, and James Herbert.



This is a novel about two things - the nature of belief, and the dichotomy of good versus evil. Yes, it's a rip-roaring, pulse-pounding adventure, but it's also an intelligent, deeply philosophical look at the concept of evil, and how it's defined (or justified) within the bounds of faith and belief. It all begins with the mysterious deaths of two prominent religious figures, one of the House of Lucifer and the other of the Church of the Beast, both condemned as heretics. I won't attempt to summarize the details that Layton provides in the course of the novel, but it turns out the public perception of a 'Satanist' is just as troubled and diverse as that of a 'Christian' faith.



At the same time, a charismatic leader by the name of Simon Azar has begun making a name for himself, amassing over a million followers for his Order of New Enlightenment. It's a very attractive, very seductive sort of humanist religion, one that celebrates the natural enjoyment of life in all its forms, all without guilt or shame. It's an intelligent form of belief, and one that's easy to see the appeal of, but there's something suspicious at its heart.



Enter our heroes, Dominic Grey and Viktor Radek, working on behalf of Interpol to solve the murders and prevent the death of more . . . including the Pope.



Readers who are already familiar with the series will appreciate the opportunity to delve into Viktor's surprisingly dark past, to learn what made him into the expert on cults and religious phenomenologist he is today. There's a very good reason he so often loses himself to the oblivion of Absinthe, and an equally good reason he is so good at what he does. New readers need not fear, for Dominic's past is recapped nicely in bits and pieces throughout the book, providing them with enough of an introduction to enjoy the story.



The incredible action sequences of the first two books, with Dominic's unique brand of hand-to-hand combat have been perfected here, providing more than a few heart-stopping moments of action and drama. The blood and the gore are here again as well in all their lurid detail, but necessary to the plot, and never used for mere effect. The drama and the suspense are at an all-time high for the series as well, particularly once Viktor receives one of the mysterious letters promising his own death.



Like the first two books of the series, Green deftly balances faith, belief, science, and reason throughout the tale. The question of the supernatural is just that - a question - one that is wisely left somewhat opened ended, with just enough room for readers to believe there's more to life than Viktor and Dominic can explain.  It's not a cop-out or a soft ending by any stretch of the imagination. This is an intelligent read that rewards, rather than dismisses, our intelligence in tying up the loose ends. It's just that Green is smart enough to leave a few unanswered questions, a few events that we are free to either believe haven't been explained yet, or simply cannot be explained.



I cannot recommend this one highly enough. If you're new to the series, dive in and enjoy a read that will stimulate all your senses. You'll feel smarter for having read it, I guarantee, but you'll also enjoy every moment.

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Q&A with Jason Matthews (author of Red Sparrow)

Good morning, all!



Joining us today for a brief Q&A is Jason Matthews, author of the espionage thriller Red Sparrow. If you missed my review last week, then take a moment to check it out after the Q&A (you'll find a link below).



Q. Good morning, Jason, and thanks for stopping by. I know one of the first things that struck me about Red Sparrow was the inclusion of food. Unless it's a scene where a dinner party is about to be ambushed, or where a character is about to be poisoned, you rarely see heroes stop to eat in most thrillers. Where did you come up with the inspiration to so thoroughly incorporate food into the story?



The three S’s:  Spying; Sex; and Sauces.  I just thought inserting food would be a distinctive and fun addition in a serious spy story.  I’ve also read and admired novels in which meals and food are minutely described.  I purposely made the recipes elliptical, more like clues than detailed instructions.



Q. How did you come to choose the recipes for each chapter? Did you seek out recipes to match the story, or did you already have the dishes in mind while writing each chapter?



The choice of recipes is pretty much random, in some cases they might match the story line (beet soup in Moscow, Greek food in Athens) but mostly I slipped in food when I thought it would be interesting (Gable eating and talking at the same time.)



Q. Through your career experience in the CIA, you must be quite an expert in quickly assessing the people you observe. Do you think what people choose to eat says a lot about their character? Is it really true, that “you are what you eat?"



Definitely agree.  What people eat, how they eat, how they use their knife and fork, how they hold their liquor, all can be indicators of character, motivations, or vulnerabilities.  Intelligence officers do a lot of their work--spotting, assessing, recruiting--over lunch or dinner.



Q. If we can talk quickly about something (or, rather, someone) else who struck me as a reader, let's talk Dominika for a moment. As a male author, did you find it difficult to write Dominika? How did you ensure that she was as true-to-life as possible?



Other authors have mentioned that some characters in their books actually grow and evolve as they write through to the end.  That’s what happened to me and Dominika.  As she grew and became more complex, I saw that she was a compelling personality and had to become the principal character.  She is Russian, she’s a spy:  I could write about that.  I tried to make her a true-to-life female character.



Q. No spoilers, but I do have to ask - is the story of Nate and Dominika over? Will we get to learn what happens to them in the future?



I always intended to continue the story (I hope the ending of Red Sparrow screams sequel!) I’m now working on a second book:  more moles, more operations, more surveillance.  They all face a lot of challenges.



That is does! Thanks for joining us today, Jason.

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For those of you who missed it, you can check out my review HERE.

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Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews  

Pub. Date: June 4, 2013



IN THE GRAND SPY-TALE TRADITION OF JOHN LE CARRÉ…comes this shocking debut thriller written with insider detail known only to a veteran CIA officer.



In present-day Russia, ruled by blue-eyed, unblinking President Vladimir Putin, Russian intelligence officer Dominika Egorova struggles to survive in the post-Soviet intelligence jungle. Ordered against her will to become a “Sparrow,” a trained seductress, Dominika is assigned to operate against Nathaniel Nash, a young CIA officer who handles the Agency’s most important Russian mole.



Spies have long relied on the “honey trap,” whereby vulnerable men and women are intimately compromised. Dominika learns these techniques of “sexpionage” in Russia’s secret “Sparrow School,” hidden outside of Moscow. As the action careens between Russia, Finland, Greece, Italy, and the United States, Dominika and Nate soon collide in a duel of wills, tradecraft, and—inevitably—forbidden passion that threatens not just their lives but those of others as well. As secret allegiances are made and broken, Dominika and Nate’s game reaches a deadly crossroads. Soon one of them begins a dangerous double existence in a life-and-death operation that consumes intelligence agencies from Moscow to Washington, DC.



Page by page, veteran CIA officer Jason Matthews’s Red Sparrow delights and terrifies and fascinates, all while delivering an unforgettable cast, from a sadistic Spetsnaz “mechanic” who carries out Putin’s murderous schemes to the weary CIA Station Chief who resists Washington “cake-eaters” to MARBLE, the priceless Russian mole. Packed with insider detail and written with brio, this tour-de-force novel brims with Matthews’s life experience, including his knowledge of espionage, counterintelligence, surveillance tradecraft, spy recruitment, cyber-warfare, the Russian use of “spy dust,” and covert communications. Brilliantly composed and elegantly constructed, Red Sparrow is a masterful spy tale lifted from the dossiers of intelligence agencies on both sides of the Atlantic. Authentic, tense, and entertaining, this novel introduces Jason Matthews as a major new American talent.



Website: RedSparrowBook.com

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Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews (#bookreview)

Like the coldest, most diligent of intelligence officers, I have been patiently sitting on the secrets of this book for nearly 6 months now. I was quick to accept when Simon & Schuster Canada proposed the mission - to review, and to be a part of the tour - and gave it a read almost as soon as the ARC arrived on my doorstep. It reminded me of the cold-war espionage thrillers I read growing up, and I drafted my review right away, while the source material was still fresh in my brain, safe from any sort of foreign government tampering.



It's a good thing too, since the mission ended up being delayed by a month, taking us into the end of May for the review, and the first week of June for my interrogation - I mean, friendly Q&A, of course - with the author. Check back next Tuesday for that!



With all that having been said, I can safely say that Red Sparrow is worth the wait. If you find yourself missing the cloak-and-dagger world of the Cold War - somewhere between the time when spy thrillers stopped being all about the gadgets and started being all about gritty, action-packed reboots - then this is a book you will certainly appreciate. This is a contemporary thriller, set in Putin's Russia, and it contains some clever nods to the classic spycraft elements, but it reads like it could have come direct from Gorbachev's Soviet Union  It's an intelligent, slow-moving tale (at least in the early chapters), but no less compelling for it. Jason Matthews quickly establishes the players, the stage, and the stakes, drawing us in and holding us close throughout.



Nathaniel (Nate) is a great character, a charismatic lead who manages to retain the sense of being familiar and down-to-earth, while also demonstrating a propensity for quick action and bold heroics. He's both likable and admirable, which is a difficult mix to pull off, especially in this kind of a story. At the same time, Dominika comes across as an authentic, if seductively dangerous, woman, placed in an awkward situation. A graduate of the Sparrow School of sexual espionage, she could easily have fallen into the disposable Bond-girl mold, but she not only holds her own, she proves herself worthy of sharing the lead.



What I really appreciated about the story was the amount of deceit, double-dealing, and treacherous twists that permeate the text. You're never quite sure who you can trust or what their ultimate motives are, and that's as it should be. As soon as your readers find themselves becoming familiar with the characters, and feeling secure in their presence, then you've failed the genre. Matthews deftly avoids that pitfall, making us want to be believe Nate, and compelling us to want to trust in Dominika, but he never makes any promises. They're never cheap twists, and you never feel as if you've been blindsided, but it's worth remembering that red herrings are part and parcel of the genre.



While this is not an action-packed novel, screaming for a big-budget, blockbuster treatment, it contains more than its fair share of sex, violence, and dramatic tension. The stakes are high, and the story never allows us to lose sight of that. Political diplomacy aside, we're talking about warring forces here, enemy combatants who may operate in the shadows, but who fill those shadows with torture, murder, and sexual exploitation. It's a frightening, ugly world in which to operate, full of necessary evils and uncomfortable decisions. Matthew maintains that tension right to the very last page, keeping the reader intrigued, almost to the point of paranoia.



To say much more than that would be to get into spoiler territory, and I'm far too aware of my own morality to risk crossing the wrong people. However, I will add this - the assassination in the final pages makes for a fitting end, but it also provides ample motive and opportunity for a Red Sparrow sequel. To be honest, I'd like to see Matthew simply leave it at that, since the end works so beautifully, but I wouldn't be too disappointed were he to pick up the threads for a sequel.



As a final note, while I suspect the recipes that follow each chapters are carefully crafted secret messages to Nate's bosses, I'm also reasonably sure they're not meant to poison the enemy, and are likely as tasty as they are intriguing. :)





Expected publication: June 4th 2013 by Scribner

Hardcover, 448 pages

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Introducing Martian Marauders, Black Sea Gods, and Furies (#bookreview)

Okay, it's time to play catch-up with the old review pile. I've got a small mountain of books that I've read over the past few months (mostly while either my son or myself was sick) just waiting for me to write something intelligent about them. Unfortunately, if I keep waiting for time to do them justice with the kind of detailed, in-depth reviews they deserve, that pile is only going to get larger - especially since I have some freelance projects that are likely to be keeping me busy at night for the foreseeable future.



So, while I apologize ahead of time for my brevity, I am very pleased to finally be able to introduce you to a few worthy titles.



The Martian Marauders by Michael D. Smith



Given the dearth of science fiction in my reading over the past year, I was really excited to give this one a read. I actually started it three times, but decided it was the kind of book I wanted to dedicate myself to, to immerse myself in, and thoroughly enjoy, rather than just sampling chapters as opportunities presented themselves. That meant a long wait for a review - sorry, Michael! - but certainly made for a better read.



Let me set the stage for you. Beset by astronomical disasters, humanity has deliberately raced towards an unhealthy advancement in space exploration. Leaving the ruins of Earth behind them, they have actually found themselves a new disaster, arising from conflict with the Martians they somehow managed to overlook in their desperate race for colonization. This is a dark, paranoid, and largely somber swashbuckling adventure, one that draws the reader in and does a superb job of demanding we sympathize with damaged heroes and traitors. The sci-fi elements are exceptionally strong, especially in terms of military technology, and the development of the Martians as a truly 'alien' race is fantastic.



What really makes the story work, however, is the eventual shift that Smith orchestrates - a shift that encompasses both characters and the reader, transforming the weird into wonderful, and desperation into hope. It's an exciting, action-packed story, but one that's also thought-provoking and intelligent. A great read.





Black Sea Gods (Chronicle of Fu Xi) by Brian Braden



This a book that I really wasn't sure what to think of, at least for the first few chapters. It's an odd sort of aquatic, apocalyptic fantasy, propelled by a deep (pun intended) mythology. It has a feel of the classics, tales where gods and goddesses are made human, and left to mingle with us lowly mortals, often as much for their own benefit as ours. There are, I'm sure, some biblical parallels or inspirations, but I honestly don't know (or care) enough about the source material to comment.



There is a strong Chinese influence here as well, which makes for a fascinating contrast, but which does tend to weigh the text down in places with difficult names and terms, but shouldn't be an issue for readers of epic fantasy. In terms of narrative, the different voices are as strong as they are unique, really adding a poetic flair to things that, again, hearkens back to the classics. Visually, it's a stunning read, with a significant amount of detail imbued in almost everything. It can be overwhelming at times, particularly in its most violent aspects, but in a way that makes you appreciate, rather than resent, the picture being painted.



Above all else, this is an epic fantasy that feels new . . . fresh . . . unique. It's not your typical swords and sorcery epic, but neither is it your traditional historical epic. I hesitate to make the comparison, as it's unfair to hold Braden to such lofty standards, but there's a taste of Guy Gavriel Kay here that promises a bright future. I definitely enjoyed the telling of it more than the story itself, but it's worth the read.





Furies: An Ancient Alexandrian Thriller by D.L. Johnstone



This is probably one of the most intriguing historical crime thrillers I have ever had the pleasure of reading. It's not just a police procedural awkwardly transplanted to the Roman era, but a story of criminal intrigue that belongs entirely in that bygone, almost mythological era. Admittedly, I don't remember a great deal about my University studies in ancient history, but my sense is that Johnstone really knows his stuff.



Let's get the obvious out of the way and talk about the history. The setting here is impeccable, well-developed, perfectly detailed, and nicely balanced in terms of that with which we should be familiar - particularly the darker, poorer side of the city - and the elements most readers likely never encountered in school. The characters are strong as well, playing their expected roles in the world of ancient Alexandria, but also coming alive as living, breathing, individuals with whom we, as readers, interact. I suspect their crassness and vulgarity may be a bit anachronistic, but the genre pretty much demands it.



While more properly described as a thriller than a mystery, this is still a story that manages to build suspense, keep us guessing, and throw in a few twists along the way. Murder, theft, lies, and backstabbing betrayals, it's all here. Aculeo's story could just as easily have been a contemporary one, but likely not half as interesting. Despite beginning the story as a washed-up, bitter drunk, he's a character to whom we quickly warm up. Sekhet is a woman whom I'm sure is an anachronism, but I wouldn't have it any other way. She serves an important role in terms of plot, but also plays well off of Acuelo. There's a large cast of supporting characters, many of whom we only see for a scene, but they're all important.



Overall, probably the most unique read I've encountered in quite some time, and an altogether pleasant surprise. As genre-crossovers go, this one is not to be missed.

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Stacking The Shelves & What I'm Reading

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme being hosted by Tynga's Reviews, while Mailbox Monday is being hosted by 4 The Love of Books this month (see Mailbox Monday for each month's host). Both memes are all about sharing the books you've added to your shelves - physical and virtual, borrowed and bought. It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey, and it's focused on what's in your hands, as opposed to what's on your shelf.

A small stack of review titles this week:

As for what I'm reading, I have reviews coming up over the next 2 weeks for:

What's topping your shelves this week?

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