A Wanted Man by Lee Child

For a change… Jack Reacher is hitchhiking cross country trying to get to Virginia. Why Virginia?  He’s not saying. He is also sporting a broken nose. It takes awhile, but near midnight he is picked up by sedan carrying two men and a woman. Happy to accept the ride, Jack makes idle chatter as they head East. They pass through several police roadblocks and Reacher is curious as to who the police are looking for. He is asked to do some of the driving and as he does, he starts to have a feeling that something is very wrong with the passengers of this sedan.
The two men, Don McQueen and Alan King seem like they are a duo, but the woman, Karen Delfuenso is quiet , looks very scared. As the two men catch some sleep, Reacher realizes that Delfuenso is trying to tell him something by blinking with her eyes in some sort of Morse Code. Suddenly as Jack puts it together, Karen has been kidnapped and Reacher has been given a lift because now as they pass the police roadblocks, there are 4 passengers in the car , not just two men, who the authorities may be looking for.

After they pass several of the roadblocks, Reacher starts to realize that the men no longer need neither Karen or himself. He is sent into a gas station to get some coffee and it is here that McQueen makes his move and tries to shoot Reacher. He misses and then takes off, and Reacher is left to ponder his next move. He contacts the FBI and will soon meet agent Julia Sorenson. Sorenson realizes that if it is true that Reacher was just an innocent hitchhiker, she may be able to use him to catch up to their quarry.

Fans of Lee Child may have thought that maybe he was losing some of his ‘mojo’ but have no fear , he is back with a vengeance ! As with most Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels, the pace is such that the book might be a one day read. For the first time , Reacher may be working with two female protagonists , as the three of them may be fighting to stop a terrorist plot.

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The Charm School by Nelson Demille

A new television series called ‘The Americans’ …about embedded spies in the United States reminded me of a favorite book from 25 years ago ….Nelson DeMille‘s, The Charm School.   So I picked it up and started reading it again. And it still is just as captivating!

Gregory Fisher, an American visiting Russia, goes off the main road leading to Moscow and discovers something he shouldn’t find. He stumbles across an American prisoner, Major Jack Dodson . He relays this information to the American Embassy , but before he gets to meet an agent from the U.S…..he disappears!!

The ‘Cold War’ may have ended on the pages of the world’s newspapers but in reality, the situation in Russia has not changed very much. Lisa Rhodes is a Foreign Service Officer attached to the United States Embassy and Colonel Sam Hollis is the American Air attaché assigned to the Embass.  Lisa is going to assist Hollis in following up on Fisher’s phone call but Fisher has disappeared! If what Fisher has relayed to the Embassy is true, there may be a hidden prisoner-of-war camp holding Americans captured during the Vietnam War.  The Embassy is informed that Fisher has had an untimely death in an automobile accident and is asked to pick up his remains. Rhodes volunteers to accompany Hollis in retrieving the body and soon they will find themselves in the middle of this mystery. Getting back to Moscow may even prove their undoing.

DeMille has maintained his expertise in capturing the reader in his world adventures and this book is as much fun as it was 20-odd years ago.

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Naked Prey by John Sandford

Detective Lucas Davenport has moved to Minneapolis with his boss, Rose Marie Roux. He is happily married to his surgeon wife , Weather, and they have a son, Samuel. He now trouble shoots cases for the state……special crimes that need to be handled at the State level and not the local level. And now there is a new case that will not reflect well on Minnesota. A naked man and woman are found hanging from a tree.The man is African-American and the woman is white. To some this might appear to be a lynching but it turns out to be ‘just’ a gruesome murder.

Now Lucas and his buddy, Del need to connect the dots and see where they lead. They first must find the precocious Letty West. She discovered the bodies while setting her traps to catch muskrats. And she is one interesting 12-year-old. As the clues start to lead to a suspect, Lucas is suspicious that this has all been too easy. He has no idea at this junction of the intricate criminal activity going on in two small northern Minnesota communities. It doesn’t take much to reveal that it involves stolen cars and drugs from across the Canadian border. Just a hint : the depth of the activity will amaze you.

The pace is typical Sandford and once you are caught up in the story and the number of characters who have ‘money in the game’ you will not put this book down. Although Sandford has written ‘ stand alone ‘ books, the Prey series by the author is one of the most exciting on the literary scene today.

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Outrage by Arnaldur Indridason

Inspector Erlundur is away trying to resolve a personal problem while his associate, Elinborg, is left to handle a strange murder with few clues. There is one important clue left behind….the murder victim, Runolfur, is found with Rohypnol or the ‘date-rape’ drug in his possession. Elinborg’s partner, Sigurdur Oli, is involved with another case and can only give Elinborg peripheral assistance. And so starts Indridason’s fast-paced murder mystery…Outrage!

Elinborg’s persistent digging brings out a few vague clues and a lot of suspicions. Somehow the killing almost seems like a revenge killing of a possible stalker. Not only is Runolfur found with the drug in his possession but his toxins screen shows a high percentage of the drug in his system. There is also evidence that a woman might have been present in his apartment at the time of his death.

As Elinborg starts to create a picture of Runolfur, a case of a disappearing young woman from six years ago may also involve this victim. She has to re-familiarize herself with the Icelandic drug underworld and see if the clues also work their way back to the murder victim.

The book is part of the Inspector Erlundur series by Arnaldur Indridason but in this one his two main subordinates play the key roles. Elinborg is relentless in his pursuit of answers. None of his books have disappointed yet and I hope I have introduced this talented author to many new fans!

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A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash

A beautiful first novel by a writer born in North Carolina, Wiley Cash. It is a story of three generations of the Hall family, who live in western North Carolina, and the people who intersect their lives: Adelaide Lyle, the town midwife, Sheriff Clem Barefield, and the one person who plays a defining role in all their lives, Carson Chambliss, the preacher.  A preacher who speaks in tongues, who tests God will to rid people of evil by having them confront poisonous snakes and who papers over the windows of his church so no one not attending his service can be aware of what transpires inside.

The book is mostly the story of Jess Hall, the son of Bill and Julie Hall and grandson of Jim Hall, but it is the Reverend who sets the story in motion. Jess is very protective of his older brother, Christopher who is a mute and nicknamed ‘Stump ‘. And it is what happens to Stump that will either bring the community of Marshall closer together or forever divide it.

The book is divided into sections, each highlighting one of the main players while still bringing the story forward. It is a fascinating look at a part of our culture that is often ignored in today’s fast paced electronic existence. It is wonderfully written book that makes it easy to predict the author’s continued success.

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Read a previous post about this book.

The Thieves of Legend by Richard Doetsch

Michael St Pierre and his at the moment ex-girl friend KC Ryan are forced into a life or death mission in Richard Doetsch’s latest fast paced thriller. Isaac Lucas, a US Army Colonel, will do anything to ensure they take this all but impossible mission – even blackmail.

The job takes Michael first to Macao and then to China to steal a box containing a book and papers that could change the balance of power in the world.  Michael takes his best friend Paul Busch (an ex-cop) with him to assist in this impossible task.   Michael has another possible ace up his sleeve..his mysterious friend, Simon, a priest.  All the while, Michael is being pressured by Lucas, who is desperate to get the box and the information it holds.  He claims if he doesn’t  get the box, it could mean the death of millions of people.  Lucas is not above threatening KC’s life to get what he wants.

When KC is heading back to London, she befriends an interesting woman, Annie.  Little does KC know the vital role Annie will play in her immediate future!  When KC’s plane is cancelled, Annie offers her a ride on her military jet, but Annie doesn’t know the destination is Granada and not London, and that her new friend is a compatriot of Lucas!

This fast paced thriller is nailing author Doetsch’s name amongst the top of today’s writers of international thrillers. Tom Clancy watch out!

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Doors Open by Ian Rankin

Willie Sutton, when asked why he robs banks, answered “because that’s where the money is.”  Our national museums can’t exhibit all the art they possess, so often some great art is stored in warehouses.  Maybe it would be interesting if some of that art was stolen, especially if it is not to be shown or appreciated!

Three friends decide to pull off a dangerous caper.  Mike Mackenzie, software titan, Allan Cruickshank, banker and Robert Gissing, an art professor come up with a bold plan… under the influence of a few  drinks.  Art shouldn’t be hidden away in private collections and businesses but should be available to the public in museums all the time. And since a lot of art is stored in warehouses maybe there are some extra pieces for each of them. This is the premise of Ian Rankin’s 2010 book Doors Open.

Gissing knows a student, Westie, at his college that may be an up and coming artist but is very adept at copying famous works.  And the conspiracy grows deeper. Mike realizes if Westie can copy several selected pieces they might be able to pull off a switch, replacing fakes for the real paintings.  The gang also decides that they need outside muscle to provide a van and assistants to spirit away the haul. Mike knows just the person to help them (for a percentage of the take) – Chib Calloway.  Chib is a local hoodlum who went to school and Mike suspects he would be interested in their scheme.

And now you are invited along for a slightly different type of Rankin adventure.  Add to the mix a local detective named Ransome, who just may get wind of the trio’s plans.  Rankin’s books are always well written and a wonderful read.

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The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson

This is a difficult but fascinating work of fiction. North Korea is probably the most secretive society that exists today. And yet the author, Adam Johnson has woven a tale of some individuals seeking answers that might only lead to their demise in this thoroughly autocratic nation. Even though this is a work of fiction, you can’t fail to realize that we are truly getting a look at this terribly closed society. As difficult as it is to deal with China, this small nation is even more difficult to understand. And yet there emerges a tale of individual bravery and attempts to defy the odds and seek true freedom.  Adam Johnson was able to get into North Korea and although monitored with “escorts,” he was able to return to Stanford, where he teaches.  From his memories and thoughts of his encounters in this very different society emerges a more detailed and nuanced picture of DPRK…..the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

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Operation Napoleon by Arnaldur Indridason

It doesn’t take one long to be drawn into Arnaldur Indridason’s fast-paced novels. This Icelandic author catches me every time in the first few pages. After that, it is a battle whether whether to keep reading or go do something that requires my attention.

Operation Napoleon begins at the end of World War II when a German Junkers aircraft crashes in the ice fields of Iceland. One survivor attempts to walk for help but he fails. The plane seems to have been carrying both German and American officers who may have been on a secret mission. The cargo is unknown but to a few of the passengers and Allied officers who planned the mission. The first attempt to reach the crash site is led by a Colonel Miller, but he fails to locate the plane.

 
Jump to 1999 and satellite surveillance has spotted the remains. A clandestine unit within the Secret Service begins an ‘”off the books’” operation to find the plane, secure it and dispose of it; however, Elias and Johan, who are out with a winter rescue team, see the plane and the soldiers digging it out. They are not allowed to escape, although Elias manages to get out a short message to his sister Kristin with the Icelandic Foreign Ministry. Now Kristin has to be stopped from revealing anything about what is going on in the ice fields and the special cargo on the plane. It becomes a race against time and danger as Kristin attempts to save her brother and find out the secret of the ice field.

Indridason is one of my favorites in the Scandinavian mystery sub-genre. Please enjoy this terrific author.

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Stay Close by Harlan Coben

Sometimes we think our past will stay buried, but too often our past and especially our past transgressions will come back to bite us. Ray Levine was once a top photographer and now uses his talent for cheap photography assignments. Megan Pierce once led a wild life as an exotic dancer named Cassie, but is now a suburban housewife with two kids.  Broome is still an Atlantic City detective brooding over an old case. That event from seventeen years ago connects the three of them. Ray and Megan have tried to bury the past but Broome has never totally let it go and now the events of the past are going to make their lives miserable in the here and now.

Ruth Green’s life has never been the same since her husband, Steward, disappeared years ago. And the strange circumstances of his disappearance have haunted Broome all these years. Although Broome is divorced from his ex-police partner, Erin, he still keeps in touch. Now a new disappearance, Carlton Flynn, has caused Broome to look at the cold case again. Erin’s research has discovered a link between these two cases and the disappearances of several men within a day of  Mardi Gras. There is one more interesting character to meet, Lorraine, the bartender at La Creme, the raunchy place where all their lives have crossed each other’s paths at one time or another.

Harlan Coben’s latest thriller is a bit darker than his previous writings but nontheless will keep you enthralled. You will meet the underside of the glamour of Atlantic City and you will meet additional players in this game of intrigue. One of the things you will have to decide is if any one of us is truly all good or all bad?

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