African Sky

African Sky by Tony Park

Fiction/Adventure-Thriller/Adult/498 Pages

It's 1943. A WAAF from Kumalo air base, in Rhodesia, has just been found raped and murdered in a disreputable section of the township. Suspicion immediately falls on the local black community. Squadron Leader Paul Bryant, once a pilot in bomber command, but now a man haunted by the war in Europe, begins to investigate.

Policewoman, Pip Lovejoy, fighting the prejudices of her colleagues and her own demons, also sets out to find the killer. She soon discovers that it isn't as cut and dried as it first seems. To begin with, there is more to the relationship between Bryant and the murdered WAAF than he is admitting. Plus she also finds herself falling for him and is torn between her feelings and doing her duty.

What neither Bryant or Pip realise is that they've stumbled into something that could change the outcome of the war.

Review

I get the impression that Tony Park is a bit of a bloke. His books read a bit like the "Boy's Own Adventures" I used to devour as a child: full of derring-do and heroes who win through against all odds. Without fail, these adventures took place in exotic locations around the globe, with none more exotic than the African continent, which is where African Sky is set. Naturally, the major difference is that Tony Park's books are written for an adult audience, and his characters come with more depth as well as being well and truly fallible. Paul Bryant doesn't flow effortlessly from one crisis to the next and finish up how he started: freshly laundered, not even slightly flushed or flustered and not a hair out of place. Nor is the leading lady all sweetness and light, desperately searching for a man to be her protector. However, that being said, the villains are sufficiently villainous and well deserving of our boos and hisses every time they appear on centre stage.

But the dominating presence in this book, which on several occaisions comes close to stealing the scene, is the scenery. This is where Tony Park really shines. It's obvious, even to the most casual observer, that this is a man smitten. His love of the African bushveldt shows in his descriptions. It transports the reader into a world of myriad scents and vibrant colours bounding with life. You can almost smell the rank breath of the leopards; taste the dust kicked up by the passing herd of antelope; feel the violent heaving of the landrover on the track; the blistering heat of the sun. Look up into the piercing blue African sky, and you almost want to squint. This is a man who truly knows the country. Not surprising, really, as he lives there most of the time.

A few weeks ago, I went and saw the latest Disney-Pixar offering, Ratatouille. The background scenery in that movie was of such high standard that it sometimes drew the eye away from the action. The same thing happens in African Sky, giving the book two distinct levels; kind of like watching Bruce Willis running around creating mayhem while Laurence Olivier implacably looks on. It could be that this is a deliberate ploy on the part of the author, in an attempt to graphically display the incosequence of men; that in the end, all our struggles amount to nothing because, when we're long gone, Africa will still be there.

And maybe that's as it should be, but it still doesn't stop me from enjoying those "Boy's Own Adventures".

My Rating:

Matthew Reilly's latest.

Matthew Reilly's latest action blockbuster, The Six Sacred Stones, hit the bookshelves yesterday. I picked up a copy this afternoon and as soon as I finish the book I'm currently reading, will brace myself for the adventures within. I'm really quite looking forward to the ride. As soon as I finish it I will publish a review.

I might need a couple of days to catch my breath, though.

A Note From Nelson DeMille.

In my last Newsletter of January 2007, I said that I would be "cloistered for a while," writing the sequel to THE GOLD COAST, and that I wouldn't be able to get out another Newsletter until May or June. Well, May and June have come and gone, and I didn't get the Newsletter written, and I'm still working on the sequel to THE GOLD COAST.

The good news for fans of the original GOLD COAST, published in 1990, is that the sequel is as good as or better than the original. How do I know this? Well, my agent says it is, and he never lies to me.

The GOLD COAST sequel is not yet titled, but if I bring back a dead character from the original, then I'll call it THE COLD GHOST. And for those who asked, publication date is set for early October 2008.

More good news: The paperback edition of my last novel, WILD FIRE, will be published on November 1st, which is very soon. This paperback will come out in a different size format than most paperbacks --- it will be narrower and taller --- so it will be easier to hold, and to slip into your pocket --- after you've paid for it, of course. Also, the new shape makes it an easier stocking stuffer, even if your foot is still in the stocking.

Thousands of readers over the years have asked me if I'm going to write a sequel to THE LION'S GAME, which was published in 2000, and now I can say that my next book, after the sequel to THE GOLD COAST, will be the sequel to THE LION'S GAME. I'm really looking forward to the final confrontation between John Corey and Asad Khalil, and I know that they, too, are looking forward to trying to kill each other. The survivor goes on to star in the next book.

A number of readers have asked me to group the books which feature the same leading characters, so I'll do that here: The John Corey novels, in order of publication, are --- PLUM ISLAND, THE LION'S GAME, NIGHT FALL, and WILD FIRE.

The Paul Brenner novels are --- THE GENERAL'S DAUGHTER and UP COUNTRY.

All the rest feature stand-alone characters.

Another FAQ: the movies. As of now, Alec Baldwin is interested in starring in THE GOLD COAST, and if this happens, production will begin in Spring ‘08; Bregman Productions will produce the film, based on a screenplay by Michael Bregman. As I get more information, I'll pass it on.

There is more exciting news about possible movies made from my novels, and I'll put this in my next Newsletter.

Also in the Good News Department, earlier this year, I was elected President of the Mystery Writers of America. I thereby join a long and illustrious list of American and international writers in this genre who have served as president of this fine organization since 1945, and I am honored to have been chosen by my peers to be among those giants of American literature. If you want to know more about the Mystery Writers of America, please visit their website at Mystery Writers of America.

As I've said in the past, I thank you all for taking the time to e-mail me, and though I can't reply personally to everyone, I do read each and every e-mail, and every snail mail.

My best wishes to everyone for a happy and safe Thanksgiving, surrounded by family and friends. And here's John Corey's recipe for turkey stuffing: Three paperback copies of WILD FIRE soaked overnight in beer (remove covers), parsley, salt and pepper. Bon appetit!

Best wishes,

Nelson

Jackdaws

Jackdaws by Ken Follett

Fiction/Spy-War/Adult/454 Pages

"Two weeks before D-Day, the French Resistance attack a chateau containing a telephone exchange vital to German communications - but the building is heavily guarded and the attack fails disastrously.

Felicity "Flick" Clairet, a young British secret agent, proposes a daring new plan: she will parachute into France with an all-woman team known as the "Jackdaws" and they will penetrate the chateau in disguise. But, unknown to Flick, Rommel has assigned a brilliant, ruthless Intelligence colonel, Dieter Franck, to crush the Resistance. And Dieter is on Flicks' trail . . ."

Review

A disappointing book on a number of levels. It reads like a B-grade movie, sort of like a female version of The Dirty Dozen, except there are only six of them and the characters aren't as deep. In the long run, a lot of the characters don't ring true, particularly that of Dieter Franck. A torturer with a moral conscience? And the relationships between the characters come across as disjointed and erratic, sort of like actors lacking direction and not knowing what to do with their hands.

Also, there is a glaring historical error, with Flick referring to her love interest as Einstein when he doesn't get that she wants him.

Over all, the book feels like it was hastily slapped together, in order to meet a deadline, or the author was just paying lip service to the story. Which, in itself, is possibly the biggest disappointment of all. Anybody familiar with Ken Follett will know his masterpiece "Eye Of The Needle", a wonderful book. Having read that, one would expect "Jackdaws" to a be lot better.

My Rating:

Killing The Lawyers

Killing The Lawyers by Reginald Hill
Fiction/Detective-Mystery/Adult/288 Pages

Joe Sixsmith is black, balding, bumbling and a bit slow off the mark. He's also a PI, much to his Aunt Mirabelle's despair.

Joe has a beef with his insurance company, so he turns to Luton's most prestigious law firm for help, where he is verbally assaulted by one of the male partners, and physically assaulted by the female partner. Leaving the building, loudly quoting Shakespeare, it's hardly surprising Joe becomes the chief suspect when someone starts knocking off the lawyers one by one.

In the meantime, Joe has been hired to try and discover who might be putting the frighteners on Zak Oto, top athlete and one of Luton's finest children, in order to stop her from winning the New Year's Day race to celebrate the opening of a brand new sporting complex. To Joe, everybody looks suspicious, and the only reason he knows he's getting warm is because somone is trying to kill him.

Review

Devotees of Reginald Hill and his Dalziel And Pascoe series will love this book. The undercurrent of humour that runs through Dalziel And Pascoe has been allowed to overflow and flood the Joe Sixsmith series, making them highly entertaining. On several occasions, I found myself laughing out loud, much to the amusement of fellow train travellers.

Joe Sixsmith is a wonderfully uncomplicated character, which makes for a refreshing change in this world of intense, psycho-analysed, deeply disturbed anti-heroes. No in-depth soul searching for Joe; he is what he is, and accepts that without question. This might explain why his constant companion, confidànte and critic is Whitey, a large male cat. Put this together with a collection of the most eclectic and eccentric characters ever gathered together in one tale, and you end up with a great yarn. You will fall in love with Joe Sixsmith; he's what we've been looking for in a leading man for a long time. And, as you follow his stumbles and totterings, it's no wonder the bottom of Whitey's litter tray ends up displayed as a major work of art.

This is an easy book to read, but as followers of Reginald Hill will tell you, keep a dictionary handy, and be prapared to have your classical education tested.

My Rating:

The Malice Box

The Malice Box by Martin Langfield

Fiction/Supernatural-Thriller/Adult/429 Pages

"When Robert Reckliss is sent what seems to be a copper puzzle box, he has no idea his life is about to undergo violent transformation. That night, an acquaintance kills himself in curious circumstances; the following day, an old friend reveals the existence of an arcane weapon that could wipe the western world from the face of the planet. And the responsibility for hunting down this weapon, this Malice Box, lies with Robert. The weapon is primed to explode in seven days and Robert must undergo a quest, a series of trials around Manhattan in order to track down the keys vital to prevent detonation.

In a desperate race against the clock, Robert trails the streets of Manhattan guided by Terri, a mysterious psychic, and under the constant gaze of the Watchman. Higher forces are battling to prevent him completing the quest for the Minotaur and Unicorn are circling their prey."

Review

A poorly written book that isn't worth wasting words on except these fifteen of distaste.

My Rating:

Wild Fire

Wild Fire by Nelson DeMille

Fiction/Mystery-Thriller/Adult/516 Pages

A federal agent is sent to the Custer Hill Club on a surveillance mission and ends up dead.

Detective John Corey and his wife, FBI agent Kate Mayfield, set out to investigate. Before long, they start to unravel a plot which has been hatched to set off a nuclear chain reaction that willl lead to global chaos.

Review

This is a scary book. Scary because it could happen. Wild Fire is a rumour that has been on the Web for years. DeMille has written this book based on that rumour.

I've been a fan of Nelson DeMille for years. There's an exhilarating style to his writing; it always stirs the imagination. This is reflected on the pages by a voice that reads like an animated child telling a grand tale. It's obvious the author is as excited by the subject matter as he wants the reader to be. And, if I could hazard a guess, Detective John Corey, is the character DeMille relates most to. This of course is supposition based on the fact that this is the fourth book in which Corey has made an appearance.

I like Corey; he has an irreverent sense of humour, which I suspect matches that of DeMille. In Wild Fire, he is at his wise-ass best, blatantly disregarding rules and regulations on his path to solving the mystery. True to form, Demille delivers a cracking good read.

But ...

At the beginning of the story, the federal agent is captured by the bad guys, who then proceed to reveal their plans for world domination. To me, this felt cliched (almost al la James Bond) and somewhat contrived. I reckon it would have been better for the reader to discover the evil plot the same time John Corey and Kate do. You know, build the suspense more. But that's just a personal view.

This is a good book. You can't go wrong spending a few hours with John Corey. Especially when he learns an important lesson; never to call his wife a bitch when they're having an argument.

My Rating:

The Sirius Crossing

The Sirius Crossing by John Creed

Fiction/Spy-Thriller/Adult/213 Pages

"Jack Valentine has been in the intelligence game too long and it is starting to show, but he accepts one more mission - he always does. It seems like a simple task, but it throws up deadly questions and he doesn't know the answers. What were American Special Forces doing in Ireland Twenty-five years ago, and why does it matter now? What is the thread which leads from a deserted mountainside to the offices of the White House?

Suddenly Valentine has information that everybody wants, and he finds himself the quarry in a pitiless chase. To complicate matters, he is joined by an old friend who is staying just ahead of his own deadly pursuit. And he draws an old flame into danger, because it seems that wherever Jack Valentine goes, innocence seems to suffer. Valentine no longer knows what threatens him most; the dark alliance of men who want to kill him; the terrible storm crossing he is forced to undertake in a battered, converted trawler; or his own dangerous cynicism."

Review

An okay book, but it lets you down on a number of occasions.

The concept is a good one - American Special Forces on a clandestine mission in Northern Ireland at the height of the troubles in that country - and it has the potential for a cracking good yarn. Unfortunately, it sometimes felt like the author was padding the story; trying to flesh it out and establish more depth to his characters. He does this with the frequent use of flashbacks, which sometimes are placed inappropriately thereby interrupting the flow. Also, as well as trying to solve his own dilemma, the main protagonist, Jack Valentine, sets about resolving his friend's troubles, resulting in a sub-plot which is unsatisfactorily concluded. It left me with a feeling of "Huh ... ?

On the plus side, there are some excellent insights into the denizens of the IRA, and how their struggle shaped the political landscape. It also explores the darker side of the people caught up in the struggle. The descriptive passages are of a celluloid-like quality. And the crossing of the sea during the one-in-a-hundred-years storm is nail biting.

A word of caution. because of the nature of the characters in this book, the violence is quite graphic.

My Rating:

Code Breaker

Alistair MacLean's Code Breaker by Alistair MacNeill

Fiction/Action-Thriller/Adult/394 Pages

A world-renowned cryptologist is kidnapped. He is carrying coded documents which detail the operations of UNACO, an ultra secret organisation operating under the auspices of the UN.

UNACO's top team is sent to recover the cryptologist and the documents, only to find themselves up against their most ruthless foe yet, while someone back in the United States is threatening to bring the organisation crashing down.

Review

Before he died in 1987, Alistair MacLean was commissioned by a film company to write several story outlines. Of those outlines, Hostage Tower and The Death Train have been made into movies. Code Breaker is the sixth outline to be published as a novel since MacLean's death. All the stories are centred around one UNACO team, Strike Force Three, with the same characters appearing in each book.

MacLean was the master of the thriller with a twist, and while it's plain to see the machinations of his mind behind Code Breaker, for me it didn't come up to par. Compared with the novels written by MacLean, Code Breaker is way too convoluted. It lacked the crispness we have come to expect from MacLean, and ended up being too long.

But then, that's not really surprising as MacLean once stated in an interview that he "wrote each book in thirty-five days flat - just to get the darned thing finished." He also believed in not allowing anything to get in the way of the action. I think this is where MacNeill has stumbled as he gets bogged in a couple of places, and the pace is allowed to drop off. Also, there is a glaring continuity error in one part.

All that aside, Code Breaker isn't a bad book. It's a good bit of escapism, not too heavy. Ideal for the train trip to work and back.

My Rating:

Eragon

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Fiction/Fantasy/Young Adult/503 Pages

A smooth stone suddenly appears in front of Eragon while he is out hunting. Eragon takes the stone home, where he soon discovers it's not a stone, but a dragon egg which hatches. A bond forms between boy and dragon and, with the help of the local Storyteller, Eragon learns he has been marked as a Dragon Rider.

Eragon doesn't know it, but unfriendly forces are searching for the egg. They attack Eragon's home, killing his father. Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, set off in pursuit of the murderers, intent on revenge. Along the way, he learns more of his destiny, and how his life is interwoven with those of people he hasn't even met.

His journey eventually ends in a rebel stronghold, and a great battle with an army of Urgals.

Review

This isn't a genre I normally read; I generally find fantasy formulaic. And I have to confess I probably wouldn't have read this book if they hadn't started advertising the movie, and we didn't have it in our bookcase. I usually see the movie first, and if I enjoy it, will try and find the book to read so I can fill in the details the film didn't cover. I saw Fellowship Of The Ring before before reading the Lord Of The Rings trilogy.

With Eragon, however, I decided to read before viewing. Looking at the stills from the movie in the recently released edition, it looks to have been a good decision. They have someone playing the part of the evil king, Gabaltorix, but in the book he doesn't make an appearance; he's just an unseen menace constantly lurking below the horizon. The threat of his promised arrival makes for more tension in the tale, and the reader looks forward to the time when he and Eragon finally meet face to face in the final confrontation. However, the reader has to wait. Until the second book, Eldest, or the third (yet to be named) one can only speculate.

I do feel there are definite echoes of Lord Of The Rings, particularly where the elves and dwarves are concerned. The author has even gone to the lengths of creating a language and including a glossary of terms and a guide to pronunciation. I think it's safe to assume that Tolkien has had a great influence. That being said, the story is more than original enough to be recognised as its own entity.

Christopher Paolini was only fifteen when he wrote Eragon, and that also sometimes shows in his writing. Some of the battle descriptions are quite graphic, but what fifteen-year-old boy doesn't want to know all the gory details? There is also a naivety to the characters, but as the story is about a boy coming of age, penned by a boy coming of age, it's a natural progression. Just like the story.

Look forward to reading Eldest.

My Rating: