Results tagged “Books”

Clive Cussler seems to churn out novels at an incredible rate. While he's unlikely to win the Booker prize, his novels are always a good read.

The most recent of them, The Spy, is part of his series set in early 20th century USA. The stories revolve around a fictional detective agency - the Van Dorn's, with the central character Isaac Bell picking up many of the characteristics of Cussler's most famous creation, Dirk Pitt.

To date there have been three Isaac Bell novels, The Chase, The Wrecker and now The Spy.

In The Spy the story centres around the pre World War One arms race. Bell gets called in to investigate a suspicious suicide and finds himself embroiled in a very complicated tale of international espionage and intrigue.

There's plenty of action, gorgeous women, though no sex, chases, death, blood and of course, a happy ending.

If you enjoy Cussler's style of writing you'll enjoy this.

Author Dick Francis has passed away at the age of 89.

Francis, who started out as a highly successful jockey went on to write 40 bestsellers which have sold more than 60 million copies worldwide and have been translated into more than 20 languages.

Francis died in the Cayman Islands where a funeral will be held.

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Practically every book's dustjacket is covered with reviews and hyperbole. It's refreshing when the book actually lives up to the hyped reviews on the cover.

In the case of Lee Child's "Without Fail" it is truly gripping.

Child is one of those writers that I wish I'd started reading earlier. I like a good thriller, so I have to admit that the character of Jack Reacher really struck a chord with me. He's an oddball character. You know he's got a past and that he's very dangerous, but Child doesn't spell it out for you. Unlike so many Hollywood style novels, Child leaves nice gaps open to your imagination.

So what of the plot itself?

Basic plot is that the vice president elect is under threat from some kind of danger. What type of danger it is isn't 100% clear, but as the plot develops and twists the number of possible sources are eliminated until the book culminates in yet another twist.

Reacher's character is dark and dangerous and thus perfectly fit for the shadowy world he inhabits.

Child populates his "world" with characters set against backdrops that are described in such detail that you can practically smell them

Overall a great read and now I have to admit to being possibly "hooked"