Required Reading
Books I have authored.
Thursday, December 31, 2020
The Master Sniper by Stephen Hunter
Saturday, December 26, 2020
Born to Be Wild by Catherine Coulter
This is a book about a soap opera star and is probable classified as a romance. I’m being up front here, I use avoid any book that has a male on the cover with a shirt open to his waste throwing a scantily attired female over his brawny shoulder. I just don’t read them. Well the cover didn’t have any of that and I got sucked into reading this, in spite of it being a romance. It is a romance with a thin layer of mystery over it. Mary Lisa is a successful soap opera star who is being stalked. Jack Wolf, who in spite of his name is not in show business, is the chief of police where she grew up. His past experience with a nasty ex-wife and a felony type prank by Mary Lisa tends to make them adversaries.
I enjoyed the book, sad to say, really, but I did enjoy
it. There was enough characterization,
mystery and plot to make it entertaining.
I STILL don’t read romances.
This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned
Sunday, December 20, 2020
The Nearest Exit by Olen Steinhauer
Milo Weaver is back. This is the second book of the trilogy, the first being The Tourist, review to be found on Pick of the Literate on 10/19/20. Milo is again a tourist and not the obvious kind. He is a CIA tourist which is a secret group withing the CIA which seems to handle many of the black bag operations. Milo is tasked to do something he finds morally repugnant and true to the clandestine methods of his job, he hides his disobedience. The results fuel the plot.
The author has his main protagonist, Milo, re-evaluating his
life and his morals. Steinhauer clearly shows the devastating impact
a life of lies has on the liar and his family.
Steinhauer writes a devious plot with many twists, I enjoyed
the book.
This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned
Tuesday, December 15, 2020
The Devil’s Workshop by Stephen J. Cannell
Thursday, December 10, 2020
Robert B. Parker's Someone to Watch Over Me by Ace Atkins
Ace Atkins isn’t Robert Parker but he is pretty good. It seemed like having Spenser periodically using quotes was overly contrived. In my opinion, Atkins writes a good story but was trying to hard to emulate Parker. Regardless, it was an entertaining book. Spenser jumps in to aid his protégé, Maggie. Maggie has stumbled into a pedophilic situation where wealth and privilege are preventing any type of prosecution.
The characters were familiar, the interplay between Hawk and
Spenser wasn’t quite as biting and sharp as I recall. There were few times I laughed out loud where
as with Parker, the repartee often was the main stay of the relationship.
I give Atkins credit, trying to emulate another author’s
style has got to be hard, overall he did a good job and I enjoyed the book.
This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.