I’d like to think this is the kind of spy book Umberto Eco would write. Well-researched, plausible plot. This is not James Bond. Instead, the reader is draw into a facinating puzzle: how does somebody sneak into a top secret military base in Siberia? And, how do you get out? Johnny Porter is an unforgetable character and the scenery and action is crisply told.

Synopsis
Canadian-Indian, brilliant linguist, physically courageous, Johnny Porter finds a summons on his desk in Oxford to embark upon a mission only he can accomplish - to infiltrate a research station hidden deep under the Siberian permafrost, and so secret that no scientist ever leaves it alive.

I purchased this book many moons ago from a junk shop. It is the first U.K. edition (1968) and I’ve not read it for years. It is always a pleasure to dip back into reads from the past and this was no exception. It captures the state of Russia during the Tzars and their battle for control by the suppression of all and any by oppression and murder that sparks the passions of the ignorant masses. A classic novel that stands the test of time.

Product Description
A classic that won Malamud both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book AwardThe Fixer (1966) is Bernard Malamud’s best-known and most acclaimed novel — one that makes manifest his roots in Russian fiction, especially that of Isaac Babel.Set in Kiev in 1911 during a period of heightened anti-Semitism, the novel tells the story of Yakov Bok, a Jewish handyman blamed for the brutal murder of a young Russian boy. Bok leaves his village to try his luck in Kiev, and after denying his Jewish identity, finds himself working for a member of the anti-Semitic Black Hundreds Society. When the boy is found nearly drained of blood in a cave, the Black Hundreds accuse the Jews of ritual murder. Arrested and imprisoned, Bok refuses to confess to a crime that he did not commit.

The last Patricia Cornwell novel I thought was very weak, but being a fair kind of chap I thought I would give her a second chance because in the past she’s written some good books. Now I wished that I had saved my money. This really is rubbish. It is flat, bland writing to say the least. On the bright side, it is a slim volume so I did not waste to much of my life reading it. It reads like it was written on a rainy afternoon, with just the idea of making a bit of cash. One of the worst books (apart from

Product Description
When Patricia Cornwell introduced the quicksilver, cut-to-the-bone style and extraordinary cast of characters of At Risk, the result was electrifying: “At Risk is Cornwell’s finest novel. It works in every way possible— fascinating characters, solid plot, great pacing and expertly crafted prose” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch); “Absolutely the best. Here’s hoping we’ll see more of Win, Monique, Nana and Sykes in the coming years. They are the best characters to emerge from Cornwell’s creative pen since . . . well, Kay Scarpetta” (The Denver Post).

At Risk featured Massachusetts state investigator Win Garano, a shrewd man of mixed-race background and a notinconsiderable chip on his shoulder; District Attorney Monique Lamont, a hard-charging woman with powerful ambitions and a troubling willingness to cut corners; and Garano’s grandmother, who has certain unpredictable talents that you ignore at your peril.

And in The Front, peril is what comes to them all. D.A. Lamont has a special job for Garano. As part of a new public relations campaign about the dangers of declining neighborhoods, she’s sending him to Watertown to “come up with a drama,” and she thinks she knows just the case that will serve. Garano is very skeptical, because he knows that Watertown is also the home base for a loose association of municipal police departments called the FRONT, set up in order that they don’t have to be so dependent on the state—much to Lamont’s anger. He senses a much deeper agenda here—but he has no idea just how deep it goes. In the days that follow, he’ll find that Lamont’s task, and the places it leads him, will resemble a house of mirrors—everywhere he turns, he’s not quite sure if what he’s seeing is true.

“Falsehoods rule,” warns his grandmother. And they can also kill.

This is the master writing at the absolute top of her game. You will never guess what lies behind The Front.

This is classic Baldacci, which at times can be a little bit of a shalow read but I do enjoy a good  conspiracy and this is classic conspiracy fodder. It is a bit of a James Bond romp, with a Mega villain out for world control and one man (and a female sidekick) out to stop him. If you like your crime/thriller fiction light and frothy, then this is right up your street. Lots of action and the really scary bit is that it is not far from some ‘truths’ that are out there.

Product Description
“Dick, I need a war.”
Nicolas Creel is a man on a mission. He heads up the world’s largest defense contractor, The Ares Corporation. Dick Pender is the man Creel retains to “perception manage” his company to even more riches by manipulating international conflicts. But Creel may have an even grander plan in mind.
Shaw, a man with no first name and a truly unique past, has a different agenda. Reluctantly doing the bidding of a secret multi-national intelligence agency, he travels the globe to keep it safe and at peace.
Willing to do anything to get back to the top of her profession, Katie James is a journalist who has just gotten the break of a lifetime: the chance to interview the sole survivor of a massacre that has left every nation stunned.
In this terrifying, global thriller, these characters’ lives will collide head-on as a series of events is set in motion that could change the world as we know it. An utterly spellbinding story that feels all too real, THE WHOLE TRUTH delivers all the twists and turns, emotional drama, unforgettable characters, and can’t-put-it-down pacing that readers expect from David Baldacci-and still goes beyond anything he’s written before.

Interesting video interview with David Baldacci

A good swashbuckling novel, that’s a fun and enjoyable yarn. The only thing (and a small thing) I disliked about it was the referencing to past novels in the series. There are lots of interesting historical snippets which adds some real depth and interest both to the time and location of the book. AN easy relaxing read, full of charm and intrigue.

Synopsis
Matthew Hawkwood, ex-soldier turned Bow Street Runner, goes undercover to hunt down smugglers and traitors at the height of the Napoleonic Wars in this thrilling follow-up to Ratcatcher. For a French prisoner of war, there is only one fate worse than the gallows: the hulks. Former man-o’-wars, now converted to prison ships, their fearsome reputation guarantees a sentence served in the most dreadful conditions. Few survive. Escape, it’s said, is impossible. Yet reports persist of a sinister smuggling operation within this brutal world — and the Royal Navy is worried enough to send two of its officers to investigate. But when they disappear without trace, the Navy turns in desperation to Bow Street for help. It’s time to send in a man as dangerous as the prey. It’s time to send in Hawkwood!