November 30, 2015

“The Guilty” by David Baldacci – Old Choices; New Consequences

The Guilty by David Baldacci (Book cover)
In his many past outings David Baldacci's Will Robie has proven himself to be a one-of-a-kind assassin, ruthless, effective and infallible. One after the other his targets were biting the dust, and he made short work of all his foes even when things were at their most complicated.

However, in The Guilty Baldacci reminds us of how human he is, as Robie does the unthinkable: he fails a critical assignment, finding himself simply unable to pull the trigger. With his incompetence overshadowing the grandiose reputation he has built for himself, Robie is sent down on a path into his own past.

November 25, 2015

“Even Dogs in the Wild” by Ian Rankin – Scottish Standoff

Even Dogs in the Wild by Ian Rankin (Book cover)
The face of organized crime has changed rather drastically in Scotland since the old days. Whereas gangsters used to be universally feared and even revered by many, today the old sharks see many of their revenue streams either legalized or made non-viable through other social developments.

Nevertheless, they still very much exist and are dangerous in their domains of operation, still playing parts that make the news and attract the public's eye, or at least it is the case in Ian Rankin's latest detective Rebus novel, Even Dogs in the Wild.

November 22, 2015

“The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto” by Mitch Albom - Traversing the Landscape of Sound

The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom (Book cover)
Up until the 20th century it can be said that the evolution of music was relatively slow, with certain genres and composition styles staying popular for decades upon decades, if not centuries.

For instance, classical music has been evolving for hundreds of years while countless folk songs have gone unchanged since the dawn of time.

November 19, 2015

“Children of Monsters” by Jay Nordlinger – Successors of Evil

Children of Monsters by Jay Nordlinger (Book cover)
Dictators inhabit the pages of our history books quite comfortably and have done so for quite some time. Tyrannies are nothing new, and they have existed for so long that many have developed a certain fascination with them, seeking to understand their mechanics to the very core.

Perhaps because of sheer bad luck (or the Illuminati) the 21st century gave rise to a fair number of dictators who left their bloody marks on the world. But more than that, they also left their children, turning them into a chosen few who have been dealt a rather strange hand by life.

November 13, 2015

“The Lincoln Lawyer” by Michael Connelly – Beverly Hills Rot

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly (Book cover)
A lawyer's approach to justice dictates not only their level of success, but also the kinds of clients they will end up taking on. There are some who see it as their sacred duty to ensure a fair trial is given to all and that rules are followed to the letter so that the law may be applied to all equally and without discrimination.

However, there is also the other side of the spectrum... those who see justice as being something malleable that changes shape depending on perspective. Mickey Haller is one such defense attorney, and in The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly he ends up taking a path most interesting.

November 8, 2015

"Nemesis” by Catherine Coulter – No Rest for the Righteous

Nemesis by Catherine Coulter (Book cover)
These days new thrillers hit the shelves every day by the dozens, and while some of them are certainly great, it saturates the genre with re-hashed plots and devices.

There always comes a point where a genre needs some creativity, some new life to shake things up... and that's precisely what Catherine Coulter does in one of her latest novels, Nemesis, a thriller featuring both Lacey Sherlock and Dillon Savich, FBI agents.

November 6, 2015

The Jacob Whaler Interview – The “Stones” Series and Literature

Jacob Whaler

Jacob Whaler


Jacob Whaler is the author of the science-fiction series Stones and has taken to writing after spending much of his life gazing down financial documents.

A writer at heart, he moved away from the megalopolises he lived in for something quieter, living the author's dream.
Greetings to everyone, today we are taking a little detour from book reviews in favour of hearing the opinions straight out of an author: Jacob Whaler. In our email interview we asked him a few questions about his book series, Stones, as well as a few additional enquires as to his relation to literature in general. Without further ado, the interview:

Do you favor any one of the books over the others?
J.W. - I have to say that I love all of them. I spent the most time working on Stones #1, since it was my first novel ever to be published. All four of them just sort of poured out of me over a two year period.

How did you initially come up with the principal idea that gave birth to the series?
J.W. - The long answer to this is on my website and in my bio posted on Amazon. The short answer is that I found a piece of obsidian rock when I was 6 years old, and it became the idea for the books. I always felt something powerful when I held that rock in my hand, and I finally decided to write a story about it.

November 4, 2015

“Goebbels: A Biography” by Peter Longerich – The Face of a Monster

Goebbels: A Biography by Peter Longerich (Book cover)
Though the Third Reich may have only lasted a dozen years it remains to this day one of the most scrupulously studied regimes and time periods.

The National Socialist movement paved the way for a tyranny the likes of which we seldom see, of unrivalled cruelty, discrimination, brainwashing and organization... a tyranny that set an ethnic cleansing into motion.