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jeh106's rating:
Added Mar 20, 2024
The Lost AirmanThe Lost Airman, BookA True Story of Escape From Nazi-occupied France
by Meyerowitz, SethBook - 2016Book, 2016
jeh106's rating:
Added Feb 09, 2024
Comment:
Sometimes, mysterious events occur for which I have no explanation. My acquisition of the book THE LOST AIRMAN by SETH MEYEROWITZ and PETER STEVENS is one of those mysteries. I recently found this book in my stack of “to read” titles. It was published in 2016 and I read it in February 2024. However I got it, I am extremely pleased that I read and enjoyed the true World War II story.
The story told is about Mr. Meyerowitz’s grandfather, Staff Sergeant Arthur Meyerowitz. Arthur was Jewish and was born in the Bronx, the northern borough of the City of New York. His parents were Rose and David and he had a younger brother, Seymour. Arthur joined the United States Army when WW II broke out with the goal of becoming a pilot. Due to an accident during pilot training, he was forced to give up that plan. Because of his outstanding record during pilot training, the Army decided to offer him the training for Flight Engineer, a role he relished. Flight Engineers were responsible for the maintenance of the planes in which they flew. He was also a Top Turret Machinegun Operator.
After his training at various places around the US, his plane (a B-24 bomber nicknamed Harmful L’il Armful) and crew were assigned to the 715th Squadron, 448th Bomb Group at Seething Airfield north of London, England. The plane and crew arrived there in mid- November 1943. Arthur’s second mission was New Year’s Eve, 1943 to attack targets in western France south of Normandy. The bomber was shot down after delivering its bombs over the target airfield. According to the author, the pilot and co-pilot bailed out before the rest of the crew. Then the rest of the crew was left to their own devices to get out of the falling plane.
His landing was not without consequences for Arthur. He injured his back but he was alive and able to walk away with the help of local French farmers. The bulk of the story involves Arthur’s survival and the members of the French resistance (AKA the “Maquis”) and the team known as Morhange. Marcel Taillandier was the heroic leader of this team and was based primarily in Toulouse, France. For six months, Arthur played the role of Georges Lambert, a French farm worker who was a deaf mute. Along the way, numerous French Patriots befriended Arthur and helped him.
In 2012, the author started his search for his grandfather’s story. Seth Meyerowitz went to France and Spain a couple of times to find either those who helped his grandfather or their families. His family had kept correspondence between Arthur and those French heroes. Seth was an experienced computer user at the time. That helped him with his research.
Even though I knew the outcome of the story, I was on the edge of my seat while reading the story. When Arthur sent a telegram home, it brought tears to eyes. I wanted to get up and cheer. If I had been home, I would have but I was in a restaurant having lunch so I did not.
If you want to read a great story of heroism and perseverance, this is a book for you. If you want learn a little more about WW II that is not spoken about, this is for you. I give this book my VERY HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION.
GO! BUY! READ! NOW!Sometimes, mysterious events occur for which I have no explanation. My acquisition of the book THE LOST AIRMAN by SETH MEYEROWITZ and PETER STEVENS is one of those mysteries. I recently found this book in my stack of “to read” titles. It was…
jeh106's rating:
Added Jan 25, 2024
Comment:
A murder mystery that climaxes with a food fight among contestants in a Chocolate Baking TV Reality Show? That is exactly what happens in Book 9 of the Irish Village Mystery Series entitled MURDER AT AN IRISH BAKERY. Bestselling author CARLENE O’CONNOR is the creator of this book. It is a mystery with many suspects and lots of twists and turns plus a recipe for a Chocolate Guinness Cake (one of the entries in the fictional baking contest). It is the second book by the author, in two different series, that I have read. Both are lots fun and are recommended reading.
The story takes place in a rural Irish village, Kilbane. There is a Kilbane near Limerick but I do not know if it is the same place. In the village is Pie, Pie, Love, an old family run bakery that is struggling to stay afloat. The current owner is fiftyish Fia O’Farrell. Its biggest attraction, besides the fabulous baked goods, is an old watermill that is no longer is operational. The bakery has been chosen to hold a chocolate baking contest by an anonymous sponsor. The prize is to be 20,000 GBP (around US$25,000 in 2024).
The contestants are five well-known Irish bakers including bestselling cookbook author, Aoife McBride. The contest is to be broadcast through livestreaming. Ruth Barnes is the producer. Charlie Holiday is the American cinematographer. William Baines is the solicitor who is the point man for the anonymous sponsor.
On the first day of the contest, a protestor shows up outside Pie, Pie, Love shouting “Sugar kills!” which threatens the viability of the contest. Since it is being broadcast “live”, McBride goes out to see what the commotion is all about. She notices that the protestor does not have any makeup on. She gets her face powder compact and brushes some powder on the protestor’s face. A few minutes later, the protestor collapses and is rushed to the local hospital. There, the protestor passes away. Who is the victim?
Garda Officer (local police) Siobhan O’Sullivan (Flannery) is part of a team on location to keep the peace. O’Sullivan has a “sweet tooth” and loves pastries so she is right at home in a bakery. She is the featured character in the series. Assisting O’Sullivan is Garda Officer Aretta Dabiri who is new to the Garda force. Siobhan is part of a large family and her husband is Macdara Flannery a Garda Detective Sergeant and her superior. He is another featured character in the series.
Shortly after the protestor was rushed away, Aoife McBride collapses during a live broadcast of the first day of baking. She, too, dies. What is going on? That is the dilemma facing the Garda team. The suspects include the surviving contestants, the solicitor, the producer, the cinematographer or possibly somebody else. Siobhan and Macdara begin a series of interviews with the suspects that lead nowhere. Finally, a break in the investigation occurs that leads to a surprising ending.
I very much enjoyed reading O’Connor’s two books. One reason is that I love to read about places to which I have never been. Ms. O’Connor paints portraits of the characters and the places that are so real that I can picture them in my mind’s eye. If you are a fan of mysteries, this is a book for you. I would love to see these books as a TV series. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
GO! BUY! READ!A murder mystery that climaxes with a food fight among contestants in a Chocolate Baking TV Reality Show? That is exactly what happens in Book 9 of the Irish Village Mystery Series entitled MURDER AT AN IRISH BAKERY. Bestselling author CARLENE…
jeh106's rating:
Added Dec 22, 2023
Comment:
I am not sure how I discovered MATTHEW QUIRK but I am sure glad I did. It may have been from watching the Netflix series entitled THE NIGHT AGENT, another of his books. THE 500 is book one in his two book (as of 12/22/23) series featuring Harvard University trained lawyer Mike Ford. It was the author’s first book. There are several more, both in this series, another series and stand-alones. I look forward to reading them.
During his last year at the acclaimed Cambridge, Massachusetts Harvard law school, Henry Davies recruits Mike. The former is the principal lobbyist at the Davies Group located in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. Mike has a considerable debt load brought on by his mother’s cancer medical bills and his school costs. The lure of the Davies Group is a starting salary of $200,000 per year plus a 30% bonus based on success.
500 is the number of movers and shakers in Washington, D.C., either in the government of the U.S. or in the private sector. By hook or by crook, Davies has most of them under his control, whether they know it or not. Mike starts out as a low-level associate doing research, conducting surveillances and writing reports.
He develops two friendships at the company. Everett Tucker Straus IV, aka “Tuck”, who comes from a family with a long history of high-level government jobs in Intelligence and the State Department. His other friend is Annie Clark who is also the romantic interest in Mike’s life. Her father is Sir Lawrence Clark, a very rich and powerful man. Annie is her father’s pride and joy. He is overly protective of her.
Davies’ chief associate/partner is William Marcus, a former Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.) field operative and executive. He supplies the “muscle” for the Davies Group. He assigns tasks to Mike and trains him in the ways and means of high-power lobbying.
The motto of the Group is M.I.C.E. - money, ideology, compromise/coercion, and ego. Find a person’s weak point based on these concepts, and you can manipulate that individual.
After several months of low-level assignments, Mike is finally given a plum. Recruit Congressman Eric Walker. Eric represents a district in the Deep South and is considered a sure bet to enter the 500. One night, Walker invites Mike to go with him after a party. Mike is reluctant but goes along because that is what is expected of him. They go to a crack house/bordello and it does not end well for them. Davies now has power over Mike. The client that wants Walker in his camp is Radomir Dragovis a Serbian arms dealer and wanted criminal.
While researching Eric, Mike uncovers a story that could change his life and relationship with Henry Davies. He also finds out information about his estranged con man father. His dad went to prison for 24 years when Mike was a teen. They have not been on good terms since. Mike has a brother, Jack, whom he has not seen for several years because of his criminal activity.
If you are a fan of political thrillers, this is for you. If what the author says about the country’s capital is true, it is not a pretty picture. There is action galore, a little romance and great characters. Mr. Quirk is a formidable writer. HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION!
GO! BUY! READ! NOW!I am not sure how I discovered MATTHEW QUIRK but I am sure glad I did. It may have been from watching the Netflix series entitled THE NIGHT AGENT, another of his books. THE 500 is book one in his two book (as of 12/22/23) series featuring Harvard…
jeh106's rating:
Added Nov 26, 2023
Comment:
In the world of British Secret Services, there are two primary organizations. MI-6 is involved with foreign espionage (think Central Intelligence Agency, the C.I.A.). MI-5 is concerned with domestic counter-intelligence (think Federal Bureau of Investigation, the F.B.I.). This book, SLOW HORSES by author MICK HERRON, deals with the latter, MI-5. It appears to be part of a 14-book series.
What makes the agencies successful are their people. However, humans sometimes make mistakes. What happens to the agents who screw up? They become “slow horses”, are kicked out the headquarters located at Regent Park and are assigned to Slough House in a far less desirable neighborhood. This is the story of a group of “slow horses”.
Jackson Lamb is the head of Slough House. He was a former super operator for MI-5 but due to a misstep, he had been relegated to the “slow horses”. On his staff are several agents who were also demoted for miscues committed while on duty.
One of the former “bright stars” of MI-5 so demoted is River Cartwright. His grandfather, David Cartwright (AKA “O.B.”), is a retired MI-5 high-ranking official who raised River from age 8 or so. River’s mother did not want the responsibility of raising the kid after her divorce. River’s misstep caused the death of citizen or citizens in a “Tube” station. Therefore, he became a “slow horse”.
Others so designated were Roderick Ho a technology wizard; Sidonie “Sid” Baker who shares an office with Cartwright (what is her secret?); Jed Moody (he is not what he seems to be); and Catherine Standish an alcoholic who attends AA sessions. She is there because she found the body of Charles Partner who had been number 1 at MI-5 but committed suicide after his secrets were exposed. There are other “slow horses”: Min Harper, Louisa Guy and Struan Loy. All had secrets.
At MI-5’s headquarters, James “Spider” Webb is Cartwright’s former partner who fed River bad intelligence about a bomber. Their boss is Diana “Lady Di” Taverner who is number 2 at the Agency. She has a private agenda that leads her astray. Ingrid Tearney is the actual head of the counter intelligence agency but is out of the country at the time of the story.
Robert Hobden is a former superstar journalist whose star has flamed out. He has joined a group called the Voice of Albion. The group has kidnapped a 19-year-old man, a Pakistani named Hassan They are threatening to lop off his head on a live internet broadcast within 48 hours. They make no demands for his release because he will not be set free.
Hassan’s uncle is the number person in Iran’s Directorate for Inter-Service Intelligence. Hassan dubs his captors Larry, Mo and Curly after the Three Stooges comedy team but they are deadly serious.
In a race against time, the Slow Horses and the regular agents have to find and rescue Hassan for differing reasons. The major source of tension is will either group succeed? I am a big fan of spy thrillers. I would love to give this work five stars but because of the slow pace, I can only give it four stars. I would recommend this tale to fans of spy thrillers. RECOMMENDED!
GO! BUY! READ!In the world of British Secret Services, there are two primary organizations. MI-6 is involved with foreign espionage (think Central Intelligence Agency, the C.I.A.). MI-5 is concerned with domestic counter-intelligence (think Federal Bureau of…
jeh106's rating:
Added Nov 14, 2023
Comment:
JACK MARS, as an author, is new to my world of reading. Recently, a trusted source recommended his books to me. When I went to add AGENT ZERO to my spreadsheet list of books read, I discovered that I had already put JACK MARS on my list of authors “to read”. Check that box. I am so happy that I have now added his first spy/thriller tale to my list of books read and reviewed. There are about 20 more books spread over three different series to read. Hooray for that.
Columbia University History Professor Reid Lawson is enjoying life with his two teenage daughters while living and teaching in New York City. His wife Kate had died a couple of years before the story at hand begins. Maya is 16 and Sara is 14. The latter is about to go on a “first date” on Valentine’s Day. All is sweetness and light. Then disaster strikes.
As Professor Lawson is about to go to bed, three men silently break into his house in Riverdale, a quiet, upscale neighborhood of the western part of the Bronx (a New York City borough). They use a knockout drug to put Lawson asleep. When he wakes up, he has no idea where he is or why he was kidnapped. His biggest concern is the welfare of his daughters. He eventually finds out he is in Paris.
The three Iranian kidnappers demand whatever knowledge Professor Lawson has concerning Sheik Mustafar. Reid has no information (so he believes) about the subject they are asking. While tied to a chair, threatened with torture, he keeps denying any connection to the Sheik. At one point, one of the kidnappers removes something from under his scalp near his ear. Professor Lawson does not know what it is or how it got there. As the questioning continues, bits and pieces of another life begin to flash in his memory.
As his memories return like vignettes from a movie, Reid realizes he had/has another life as a spy. The memories begin to lead him back into that forgotten world as an agent for the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.). He escapes from the kidnappers and begins to piece together his two lives. Behind him, he leaves a trail of dead villains who are trying to stop him. He realizes that he does have important information that comes back in fits and starts. His C.I.A. identity is Kent Steele, code-named “Agent Zero” which is also the title of this 12-book series. Kent’s personality is nearly 180 degrees from that of Reid’s.
As Kent/Reid/Agent Zero maneuvers through the storyline, more characters appear. Among them are his former C.I.A. team consisting of three others. They are Clint Morris known as Agent 1, Alan Reidigger Kent’s best friend and Maria Johansson with whom Kent may have had a personal relationship. Their superiors are Shawn Cartwright Deputy Director of the C.I.A. and Director Mullen head of the Agency. One or more of them might be a traitor.
As Reid/Kent tries to reassemble his life, he faces many opponents. They include Rais a paid-for-hire killer, an organization called Amun based on an ancient Egyptian cult and Sheikh Mustafar. His travels take him to Belgium, France, Switzerland, Italy and Morocco.
A very fast-paced story with an interesting premise and locales. If you are a fan of spy stories, this is a “must read”. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
GO! BUY! READ! NOW!JACK MARS, as an author, is new to my world of reading. Recently, a trusted source recommended his books to me. When I went to add AGENT ZERO to my spreadsheet list of books read, I discovered that I had already put JACK MARS on my list of authors…
jeh106's rating:
Added Nov 09, 2023
Comment:
It was May of 2006 that I first became aware of author JAMES ROLLINS and I have read (and been a fan of) around a dozen of his books since then. For a year, due to other books to which I was committed, I had been postponing my “read” of THE KINGDOM OF BONES by one of my favorite writers. It is part of the Sigma Force series. I am happy to report that the wait was worth it.
Sigma Force is a fictional, clandestine service attached to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (aka DARPA) a real part of the U.S. Department of Defense. Sigma’s leader is Painter Crowe. The lead field boss is Commander Gray Pierce, formerly a member of the U.S. Special Forces. Among his team are Monk Kokalis a biologist with a prosthetic hand, Dr. Lisa Cummings an Epidemiologist (and Crowe’s wife), Kathryn Bryant an intelligence analyst (and Monk’s wife), Joe Kowalski the team’s armament specialist and, not a part of this story, Seichan, Gray’s wife and Jack their young son. Sigma’s mission is to be first on the scene in areas of potential danger.
This book, as in the case of many of Mr. Rollin’s stories, has some real history attached to it. It is set in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is neither a Republic nor democratic. It has been the site of violent history for centuries. In the prologue, Mr. Rollins goes back to the late 19th Century when a Presbyterian minister by the name of William Henry Sheppard was trying to convert the locals to Christianity. He was a witness to the brutality the white European invaders inflicted on the native populations, most notably led by King Leopold II of Belgium. The king was the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908. He was only interested in the riches the Congo could provide him. Sheppard revealed the massacres publicly.
The area was also the location of the mysterious kingdom over which mythical medieval Christian King Prester John ruled. Some accounts state he may have lived for over 500 years old, had acquired immense wealth and was a direct descendant of one of the Three Wise Men who were present at Christ’s birth. It is also rumored that Prester John possessed the Ark of the Covenant.
In the present day, a United Nations’ medical team is on-site administering to the needs of the local native population during a monsoon. The team encounters a virus that none of them have ever seen. It is affecting humans and wildlife, including plants, in various ways. Sigma is asked to find Dr. Frank Whitaker a world renowned virologist who is working in nearby Gabon. Tucker Wayne and his dog Kane are dispatched to find Whitaker. They had worked together before in the Middle East when both were part of the U.S. Special Forces. Whitaker was an Army veterinarian and had saved Kane’s life. Tucker and Kane have their own book series.
Sounds simple. It is not. Aligned against them is Belgian billionaire industrialist Nolan De Coster. He controls most of the mining and industrial parts of the Congo. He also controls much of the government through bribes. He is not nice.
In a race against time, Sigma tries to find out the source of the virus, to find a cure for it and to stop De Coster’s rapaciousness. It is nip and tuck as to who is going to win. A rip-roaring tale ripped from the recent pandemic’s headlines. Well worth the read. EXTREMELY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
GO! BUY! READ!It was May of 2006 that I first became aware of author JAMES ROLLINS and I have read (and been a fan of) around a dozen of his books since then. For a year, due to other books to which I was committed, I had been postponing my “read” of THE KINGDOM…
jeh106's rating:
Added Aug 21, 2023
Comment:
SARA DRISCOLL, nom de plume of Jen J. Danna and Ann Vanderlaan, has captured my attention with her/their books featuring a Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) canine unit. Book 2 in the series is entitled BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE. The featured characters in the first two books that I have devoured are Meg Jennings and her canine partner (and personally owned) black Labrador retriever Hawk.
In this book, women are being kidnapped. All of the victims have similar characteristics: they own dogs; they look like Meg; they are taken in places that are not busy, with their dogs left behind; and coded notes are found on their dogs’ leashes that are addressed to Meg. The code experts at the F.B.I. discover the codes are easily broken but it is up to Meg’s sister Cara, a dog trainer and puzzle-solver, to uncover the fact that each message has a personal key related to Meg’s life story. Each of the victims is placed in a location that puts their lives in danger if Meg does not find her quickly.
Due to a coding error in the first case, the rescuers are too late. Clay McCord, an investigative reporter for the Washington Post (a real newspaper but a fictitious character) makes the correction but too late. His hobby is the American Civil War. He realizes that all of the notes are related to Civil War sites.
Clay and Meg had met in book one and became friends and allies. Clay owns a Golden retriever named Cody. Cara and Meg own and live in a house in Alexandria Virginia just outside of Washington D.C. where Meg works. Cara owns an obedience school for dogs and their human owners. Cara is helping Clay with his dog training of Cody. The parents of Meg and Cara own an animal rescue shelter. Todd Webb is an EMT/firefighter who is another person from the first book who helps in finding the women.
As the cases mount up, the clues become more and more personal to Meg’s life. She begins to compile a list of people that may have grudges against her. Slowly Meg weeds out the list without finding the perpetrator.
Meg started her law enforcement career with the Richmond Virginia police department’s canine unit. She lost her dog partner during a shootout and left her job because of the trauma. At that low point, she decides to work for her parents where she discovers Hawk, a rescue puppy, who she trains to become her new partner. After his training was completed, Meg and Hawk joined the F.B.I.
During one of the kidnap missions, Meg disobeys a direct order from her supervisor Craig Beaumont. That leads to Meg getting a concussion. She is suspended with pay for a week for disobeying an order and her subsequent injury. While on suspension, the last victim is kidnapped. Meg, Cara, Clay and Todd have to work the case outside of the F.B.I. jurisdiction. Cara and Meg have “an aha” moment and finally realize who the kidnapper is.
This series is well written, action-packed, and fast-paced. If you love dogs, it is for you. If you are a fan of police procedurals, this is for you. If you want a peek inside the F.B.I.’s vaunted canine unit, this is for you. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMEMMENDED!
GO! BUY! READ!SARA DRISCOLL, nom de plume of Jen J. Danna and Ann Vanderlaan, has captured my attention with her/their books featuring a Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) canine unit. Book 2 in the series is entitled BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE. The featured…
jeh106's rating:
Added Aug 07, 2023
Comment:
Talk about gaps in time between books. The last book I read by WILLIAM MARTIN was back in the 1980s. It was his first book entitled BACK BAY, a historical mystery set around Boston covering history from the time of Paul Revere to the present day. Why is there such a long gap? Too many good books by too many good writers is my best explanation.
While looking for a book to read recently, I discovered DECEMBER ’41, which was published in 2022. Reviewers have called Mr. Martin the “master of historical mysteries” which is a favorite genre of mine. The story begins in Los Angeles, California the day after the Japanese sneak attack (December 7, 1941) on the United States at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Kevin Cusack is a script “reader” at Warner Brothers Movie Company in Hollywood. His world and everybody else’s has been turned upside by the attack. He had just finished reading a script called Everybody Comes to Rick’s, set in Casablanca, Morocco. He wants to let the powers at Warner Brothers know they should produce the movie. Kevin was originally from Boston, Massachusetts on the east coast with one Irish grandfather and one Jewish grandfather. Kevin has infiltrated the pro German Bund in Los Angeles as an agent for the Los Angeles Jewish Community Committee (LAJCC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.).
Sally Drake is his on again off again girlfriend who also works at Warner Brothers. Sally was originally from the East Coast as well. Several chapters into the story, they agree to share a compartment on the Super Chief (luxury train from Los Angeles to Chicago) as brother and sister in order to be in the nation’s capital for the lighting of the National Christmas Tree on the grounds of the White House, residence of American Presidents for 150 years (in 1941).
Martin Browning is the villain of the story. He is a German-American Nazi assassin. Browning is a sleeper agent, activated when the U.S. and Germany go to war. His task is to eliminate (with extreme prejudice) Franklin Roosevelt the U.S. President. The target date is Christmas Eve at the activation of the National Christmas Tree by President Roosevelt. At the start of the story, he is working as a salesman at an upscale men’s clothing store in Burbank, California. He is also collecting intelligence from his customers, some of whom are employees of companies producing military equipment. He meets and recruits would be actress Vivian Hopewell to act as his wife. He tells her that he is a seed sales rep and has to go to Washington D.C. to meet with the Department of Agriculture. They also board the same Super Chief.
Frank Clark is an F.B.I. agent and Kevin’s contact there. He has been protecting Cusack from an overeager Los Angeles police officer who keeps trying to arrest Cusack as a Nazi sympathizer. After a series of murders, and a raid on the Deutsches Haus, headquarters for Nazis in Los Angeles, Kevin becomes the prime suspect for the L.A. police. Agent Clark wants to keep Cusack loose as the F.B.I. tracks down the real culprit(s). That is why Kevin has to leave town on the Super Chief. Murder follows Cusack on the train. He is being called “the Nazi Killer” in the press.
There are many moving parts to this story. Action scenes, romantic scenes, chase scenes galore. The author puts the reader into the U.S. in December 1941. If you like history with your mystery, read this book. If you like character driven stories, read this book. If you like a good story well told, read this book. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! GO! BUY! READ! NOW!Talk about gaps in time between books. The last book I read by WILLIAM MARTIN was back in the 1980s. It was his first book entitled BACK BAY, a historical mystery set around Boston covering history from the time of Paul Revere to the present day.…
The Killings at Badger's DriftThe Killings at Badger's Drift, Book
by Graham, CarolineBook - 2005Book, 2005
jeh106's rating:
Added Jul 30, 2023
The Killings at Badger's DriftThe Killings at Badger's Drift, eBook
by Graham, CarolineeBook - 2014eBook, 2014
jeh106's rating:
Added Jul 30, 2023
Comment:
I have enjoyed watching the television episodes of MIDSOMMER MURDERS featuring two different versions of Chief Inspector Barnaby of the Causton C.I.D. in England. Recently, I decided it was time to move from the visual world of TV to the written world of author CAROLINE GRAHAM. The first book in her Chief Inspector Barnaby series is THE KILLINGS AT BADGER’S DRIFT. It was originally published in1987 and has been recently republished by Felony and Mayhem.
The story opens in the spring of 1987. Octogenarian retired educator Miss Emily Simpson is on a walk in the woods near her home. Ashe is looking for the first bloom of the spurred coral root orchid. Every year Miss Emily and her fellow elderly retired educator Miss Lucy Bellringer have a contest over who first finds this plant. Miss Emily hears noises coming from a nearby wooded copse and investigates. What she sees throws her into a deep panic and she flees the scene. The next morning the postman finds her on the floor of her cottage and calls Miss Lucy over.
Miss Emily has passed away. Doctor Trevor Lessitor is called and confirms her death by natural causes. Miss Lucy is not convinced about that diagnosis and she brings her suspicions to Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby of the Causton C.I.D. And so, the investigation by Barnaby and his assistant Sergeant Gavin Troy begins. There are suspects galore. Among them are:
Dennis Rainbird (a local funeral director) and his obese mother Iris (who is the local bird-watching gossip) who have a side business. Dr. Lessitor has secrets that make him a suspect. Barbara is his promiscuous wife who has a shady past. Their daughter Judy has a crush on creepy local artist Michael Lacey who is very antisocial. His sister Katherine is a drop-dead gorgeous woman who is engaged to paraplegic local squire Henry Trace who owns a 5,000-acre farm. His first wife Beatrice had died in a freak hunting accident before the story begins. David Whitely is the good-looking divorced farm manager. Phyllis Cadell lives with Henry and runs his house. She is his sister-in-law. Mrs. Quine is a neighbor who may be abusing her young daughter.
As Barnaby continues his investigation, he discovers that Miss Emily was poisoned by hemlock in a glass of wine. Gradually he crosses off the suspects. One is eliminated from suspicion by murder. Another was visiting a pay-for-sex facility. Eventually Barnaby figures it out with the help of Mrs. Sharpe a former nanny.
Because this is book one in the series, a great many ongoing characters are introduced. They include Barnaby’s wife Joyce and their university student/daughter Cully. Other recurring figures are Police Surgeon Dr. George Bullard and policewoman Brierly.
I do not spend a lot of time trying to guess who did it in who done-its but if the hints are obvious then I have “Eureka!” Moments. This did not happen in this story. The perpetrator(s) was/were a big surprise. Having viewed many of the TV shows, the settings are familiar to me. In my mind, I saw Barnaby as actor John Nettles (the first to play him on TV). If you are fan of the Midsommer Murders TV show, like British mysteries and/or a fan of character driven fiction, this is a book for you. There are several more titles in the book series. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
GO! BUY! READ!I have enjoyed watching the television episodes of MIDSOMMER MURDERS featuring two different versions of Chief Inspector Barnaby of the Causton C.I.D. in England. Recently, I decided it was time to move from the visual world of TV to the written…
jeh106's rating:
Added Jul 07, 2023
Comment:
I am not sure how I found out about SARA DRISCOLL, a nom-de-plume for two authors for the first seven books of this series (F.B.I. K-9 thrillers), but I am sure happy that I did! First, I am a sucker for any books in which dogs play a major role. Second, I am a big supporter of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.). Put the two together, and in my eyes, you have a surefire winner.
The names of the two writers are Jen J. Danna and Ann Vanderlaan who have collaborated on other books as well. In LONE WOLF, we meet F.B.I. K-9 (dogs as partners) handler Megan Jennings for the first time, as well as more members of that specialized F.B.I. team. Cara is Megan’s sister who also is a canine trainer. Together, they own a house and live together. Cara owns two dogs, a retired greyhound racer and Saki a therapy-trained pit bull. There are other characters, some of whom are likely to appear again.
Officer Jennings started her career with the Richmond, Virginia Police Department in their K-9 unit. After a few years working with Deuce, her K-9 partner, she leaves the “job” when he is killed while on assignment. Megan could not deal with the loss of her partner. This is not an uncommon reaction for law enforcement officers who lose a partner.
Megan’s parents are dog trainers so she goes to work with them after leaving the police. While there, she finds a sickly stray black Labrador retriever puppy whom she names Hawk. After several months of specialized training, Megan decides to rejoin law enforcement. This time it is with the F.B.I. with her new dog partner. Her human partner at the F.B.I. is Brian and his dog Lacey, a German shepherd. Their supervisor is Craig Beaumont.
The story takes place over a 10-day period in the month of April. On the first day, Megan and Brian are at a Civil War battlefield in Maryland looking for a killer/rapist. Their dogs track him down to a nearby farmhouse after a few hours. Shortly after the successful conclusion of this case, the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. is bombed. The K-9 unit is dispatched to the scene to search for survivors and/or victims. Many hours are spent searching with some deceased victims found as well as injured survivors. Along the way, Megan meets Fireman Todd Webb who shows up again later in the story.
Clay McCord is a byline investigative reporter for the Washington Post (one of the most prestigious newspapers in the U.S.). The paper posts a photo of Megan and Hawk after their job at the bombing site is done. The bomber is upset that the two are getting more press so the bomber sends an email to Clay at the newspaper stating more bombings are to come. The newspaper shares this information with F.B.I. Two more bombings do occur, one at an Internal Revenue Service (I.R.S.) office in Maryland and the West Virginia State Department of Natural Resources in South Charleston.
Megan goes outside of her chain of command at the F.B.I. for information that could help in finding the bomber. The bomber had a personal axe to grind with each of the bombing sites. The climax to the story takes place with a foot chase on a West Virginia mountaintop.
This book is fast paced and action packed. There is also a little romance hinted at. The characters are good people (except for the villain). The dogs are wonderful. The authors did their research on the training of K-9 officers and it shows. This series has more titles that I cannot wait to get into. It gets an EXTREMELY HIGH RECOMMENDATION from me. GO! BUY! READ! NOW!I am not sure how I found out about SARA DRISCOLL, a nom-de-plume for two authors for the first seven books of this series (F.B.I. K-9 thrillers), but I am sure happy that I did! First, I am a sucker for any books in which dogs play a major role.…
jeh106's rating:
Added Jul 06, 2023
Comment:
The books of this author were recommended to me by a trusted source even though the genre is not my cup of tea. DANIEL TURTEL is a young writer to be reckoned with. He is a Faulkner Society Award winner who has now published his first two novels through Blackstone Publishing. See my review of book 1, GREETINGS FROM ASBURY PARK. Book 2 is THE FAMILY MORFAWITZ. They are both stand-alone stories. Both deal with dysfunctional families and are great for reading at the beach, in your home, on a cruise or anywhere you like to read.
The Morfawitz family survive the Holocaust in Europe during World War II and immigrate to New York State. This period of history is covered quickly. The bulk of the story begins in 1947 when Zev Kretinburg meets Hadassah at the Park Avenue Synagogue in New York City. She spreads a rumor that her family are related to the Rothschild banking family making her a social catch of the year. During their married life, Zev is not faithful to Hadassah and sires several kids outside of their marriage. The family became one of the wealthiest and most powerful in New York.
They start out in real estate, first in Brooklyn and then in Manhattan (two of the city’s five counties). They branch out into restaurants, transportation and more. Their influence is worldwide. Their real estate culminates with a 76-story condo/co-op residential building on the south side of Central Park. Each of the ten family members has a complete floor for their residence. They are on floors 67 to 76 with a private entrance and separate elevator. Several of their stories are interwoven into the tale.
During his life journey, Zev changes his name to Jack Morfawitz. Throughout the book, he is always referred to as Zev Morfawitz. Most of the family are people you will dislike. The most powerful of the offspring are Hersh, Adam and Hezekiel (the latter is the narrator). Some are not averse to committing murder to further the family’s agenda. In addition, some are not faithful to their spouses. All makes for interesting reading. Towards the end of the story, an art forgery scheme emerges as a tool of revenge against the family.
The book is a relatively fast read. My only complaint is the number of characters you, as a reader, will have to track. I could not put it down once I started. If I saw the book on a shelf in a store or library, I probably would not pick it up to read, as it does not fit into my reading genres. However, I am glad that I did read it. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
GO! BUY! READ!The books of this author were recommended to me by a trusted source even though the genre is not my cup of tea. DANIEL TURTEL is a young writer to be reckoned with. He is a Faulkner Society Award winner who has now published his first two novels…
jeh106's rating:
Added Jun 26, 2023
Comment:
I have been a big fan of CARA BLACK and her mysteries set in Paris in the 1990s. Recently, I discovered that she has branched out to World War II with books featuring a female American sharpshooter from the Pacific Northwest state of Oregon. NIGHT FLIGHT TO PARIS is the second book starring Kate Rees. She had been recruited by British Special Operations Executive as a sniper/assassin after her British Army husband and young daughter had been killed in a German air raid in 1939.
The time is two years after Kate’s first adventure. An operation in Denmark had gone wrong but is told via flashbacks in this book. It is now 1942 and the Allies have not yet gone on offense in the European/North African theater of operations. However, that is about to change.
An airplane is shot down over North Africa carrying a courier who is delivering the plans for Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa. The primary result of the plan is to stop Nazi general Erwin Rommel, nicknamed The Desert Fox, from gaining any more territory and then to force the Germans to leave the area. This is needed in order to finally land troops on European soil. Unfortunately, for the Allies, Bedouin sheikh Omar, sympathetic to the Germans, retrieves the documents first.
Sheikh Omar turns the plans over to Captain Kurt Lange of German military intelligence. Lange has his own agenda. He is tired of playing second fiddle in North Africa. He wants to sit at the table in Berlin with the heavy hitters of Nazi military leadership. Instead of turning the documents over to his boss, he decides to take them personally to Berlin. On the way, he will make a brief stop in Paris to visit his girlfriend Magda. What Lange does not know is that she is Kate’s coworker and friend.
Kate’s handler, Colonel Alfred Stepney, pulls Kate from her assignment in Scotland where she is training future snipers. She is sent to a manor house where VIP German POWs are being held. One of them is an engineer with important knowledge about the German rocket plans and designs. She gets to meet him with no idea why she is meeting him. Stepney then gives Kate her mission. Go to Paris, again, where she is wanted by the Gestapo, kill Lange, retrieve the papers, bring penicillin to a research hospital and bring home Magda.
Her contact in Paris is Dieter von Holz a double agent working in German Intelligence who had alerted the British about Lange and his plans. Typical of Kate’s adventures, things go awry from the get go. Shortly after meeting Dieter, his murder is witnessed by Kate when a car carrying his boss deliberately runs him down. Magda decides she does not want to leave Paris. Her husband is the engineer Kate had met. Instead, she asks Kate to bring home a package. Kate is forced to work with a Communist Resistance cell in order to make her assignment work.
CARA BLACK is a marvelous storyteller. Her female protagonists are powerful characters. Her stories have some reality in them so you will learn something in an enjoyable way. There is a map on the hardcover book’s endpapers that will help you identify where in Paris the escapades are happening. The action is nonstop, the pacing is fast. I cannot wait to read more Kate Rees stories. I will also continue to read the 1990s Paris mysteries. If I could, I would give this book more than five stars. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
GO! BUY! READ!I have been a big fan of CARA BLACK and her mysteries set in Paris in the 1990s. Recently, I discovered that she has branched out to World War II with books featuring a female American sharpshooter from the Pacific Northwest state of Oregon. NIGHT…
jeh106's rating:
Added Jun 02, 2023
Comment:
I have now read three or four books from Poisoned Pen Press’s series called British Library Crime Classics. These are mysteries reprinted from the Golden Age of British mystery writers from the early 1900s to mid-20th century. Stylistically, the books are different from those written in the same genres today. That makes for very interesting reading and different approaches in technology.
CHRISTIANA BRAND is the author of GREEN FOR DANGER. It was originally published in 1944 so the scenes involving military activity, such as the air raids and the running of military hospitals, have a different feel than those scenes written by authors who have not experienced that. Brand’s husband, Roland Lewis, was a military doctor so her scenes in the military hospital have a degree of authenticity that might be lacking from other scribes. Brand’s real name was Mary Christiana Milne. She was born in 1907 and died in 1988. Brand also wrote a series of Nurse Mathilda books for children.
The story begins in 1942. Postman Joseph Higgins delivers letters to seven people at Heron’s Park Military Hospital in rural Kent. Within a few months, two of these eight people would be dead under unusual circumstances. Shortly after delivering the letters, Higgins himself would end up as a patient in the same hospital with a broken leg, the victim of an air raid bombing. His injuries were not life threatening. However, he inexplicably dies on the operating table. The other seven people, who received the letters, are on the staff of the hospital who interacted with Higgins and undertook his care.
Major Gervase Eden had been a Harley Street (London) surgeon with a lucrative practice. He had an eye for women. He was the lead surgeon of the medical team who performed the surgery on Higgins. Captain “Barney” Barnes, a local doctor who specialized in anesthesia. He had black mark on his record from an incident when a young woman died while undergoing an operation. He was in charge of putting Higgins “under” for his procedure. Major Moon, the oldest member of the team, was in overall command of the group. He was well liked, cheerful and competent as a doctor.
The four women on the team were mostly civilian volunteers but one had a military background. The latter was Sister Marion Bates from Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Nursing Service. She had been trained as a nurse. Bates tells some of the staff she knows how Higgins died. The other three women were members of the Voluntary Aid Detachment (V.A.D.), civilians not fully trained as nurses but capable of giving minimal care under supervision of trained medical staff. Jane Woods, a budding fashion designer from London, was very attractive to the men on the staff. Esther Sanson had led a sheltered life, living with and taking care of her hypochondriac mother, well into her twenties. She was a local. Frederica Linley was having an affair with Captain Barnes.
Detective Inspector “Cockie” Cockrill is called in to investigate Higgins’ death. He knew Esther and her mother. His appearance is spotty during the investigation. The story focus is on the relationships and interactions of the medical staff and the patients. All seven of the medical team are suspects with varying possible motives. Then a second murder occurs even with Cockrill on site. Then Cockrill thwarts a third attempted murder in the climactic scene.
This is a fine story and a thoroughly enjoyable read. The reader will understand a little more about living conditions in England during WWII. The title of the book gives a clue as to how the death of Higgins happens. The actual murderer was a shock to this reader. If you want to escape to a different time and place, this book is for you. You do not even have to like mysteries. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
GO! BUY! READ!I have now read three or four books from Poisoned Pen Press’s series called British Library Crime Classics. These are mysteries reprinted from the Golden Age of British mystery writers from the early 1900s to mid-20th century. Stylistically, the…
The Diamond EyeThe Diamond Eye, eBookA Novel
by Quinn, KateeBook - 2022eBook, 2022
All copies in use
Holds: 16 on 1 copy
Holds: 16 on 1 copy
jeh106's rating:
Added May 17, 2023
Comment:
A little over a year ago, I read my first KATE QUINN historical novel, THE ROSE CODE. I have just finished reading my second, THE DIAMOND EYE. What they have in common are stories of women who had a positive impact on the outcome of World War II. Both are based on real people. The former deals with Bletchley Park in England, the famous code breaking facility. The latter tells the story, somewhat fictionalized, of a female Russian sniper with 309 confirmed kills of Nazi soldiers who had invaded her homeland, Ukraine. Be prepared for a lot of reading. It is 435 pages in hardcover, 448 pages in trade paperback. Moreover, it is worth every minute spent reading the story. It deserves TEN STARS.
The Russian sniper was Lyudmila Pavlichenko (Mila). I was vaguely aware of her reputation from other books on WW II. Her father is described in the novel as having “connections”. According to the author, he was actually a member of the NKVD, precursor to the feared intelligence agency the KGB. When Mila was just past her 15th birthday, she had a one-night affair with Dr. Alexei Pavlichenko, ten years her senior, which led to Mila becoming pregnant with her son Slavka. Mila’s father threatened Alexei and the two were soon married. Not what Alexei wanted by any means as he had a roving eye.
Mila was a student and wanted to continue her education and career as a librarian and history researcher. Alexei wanted to become a noted Soviet doctor. They soon parted ways but he kept avoiding the divorce proceedings. The divorce never happened.
At the beginning of her academic life and career path, Mila studied history at Kyiv State University and worked at the Odessa Public Library as a research assistant. Her son lived with her parents during this early period. After repeated humiliations at the hands of her hated husband, Mila decided to take up sharpshooter training. She was very good at shooting at paper targets. When war breaks out, she is recruited to be a sniper in the Russian Army.
The story has a secondary plot and jumps back and forth in time until the two plots merge. While the first story unfolds in Ukraine from 1937 until 1942, the second takes place in August 1942, first in Washington, D.C. and then elsewhere in United States. Mila is part of a delegation of Russian academics who have been invited by Eleanor Roosevelt, the U.S. First Lady married to President Franklin Roosevelt. A man known only as The Marksman is watching her. Leaders opposed to the president are paying him. His job, kill the president and frame Mila. Eleanor also has a minor storyline. The two women become lifelong friends.
The Russians welcomed women into the military in their desperate fight against the Nazi invaders. Both sides were brutal in their confrontations. Not only were there female snipers, but also fighter and bomber pilots (read NIGHT WITCH by S.J. McCORMACK). They lived and fought alongside their male counterparts.
It was inevitable that Mila would find a male companion in that environment. She does not find one but two men. One is her company commander Lt. Lyona Kitsenko. The other is her sniper partner, Kostia Shevelov. Their stories are heartwarming and tragic at the same time. They are people I would be proud to call friends. Mila’s other friends in the story include a promising ballerina who becomes a tank driver and her twin brother.
I cannot think of a better way to spend a few days getting smarter than by reading KATE QUINN’s books. EXTREMELY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! GO! BUY! READ! NOW!A little over a year ago, I read my first KATE QUINN historical novel, THE ROSE CODE. I have just finished reading my second, THE DIAMOND EYE. What they have in common are stories of women who had a positive impact on the outcome of World War II.…
jeh106's rating:
Added Apr 27, 2023
Comment:
I am an Anglophile – I love British history, culture and writers. I am a bibliophile – I love books and books about books, both fiction and nonfiction. DEATH OF A BOOKSELLER by British author BERNARD FARMER checks off those “likes” for me.
The book was originally published in 1956 and has now been reprinted, with a new forward by Martin Edwards, as part of the Poisoned Press British Library Crime Classics. Farmer had spent time as a police officer shortly after WWII before he took up writing. He even wrote a book about book collecting published in 1950.
The protagonist of this book is Sergeant Jack Wigan who is assigned to the community of Sun, near London. His shifts change on a regular basis so that his days become nights and vice versa. While on foot patrol one evening, he runs into an inebriated Michael Fisk, a book collector and dealer. Jack escorts Michael to Fisk’s home. The two become friends and Fisk begins to teach Wigan about books and book collecting. One dark and stormy night, Fisk is murdered and a valuable book of poetry by John Keats is missing. In today’s dollars, the book was worth US$10,000.
All of the circumstantial evidence points to another bookman named Fred Hampton who has an explosive personality. He is arrested and found guilty at his trial. The jury announces Fred’s guilt, after an hour of deliberation. He is sentenced to hang on December 16th at 8 AM. Even though the evidence points to Fred, Sgt. Wigan has his doubts. Wigan is not a detective but because of his book knowledge, he is assigned to assist in the investigation. Wigan starts to look at other possible suspects, of which there are a few.
Ruth Brenton is a ruthless book buyer for a wealthy American collector, Dithan Dand, who will not be denied if he wants a book for his collection. Ruth does get an anonymous call offering her the Keats book. Brenton and Dand are romantically involved as well as being business partners.
Charlie North is a book runner/collector, who looks for books at bargain prices that he can resell at a profit. Brothers Joel and Francis Ferrow own a large bookstore where they buy and sell new and used books, specializing in rare books. Their clerk is Corky Edwards whose mother plays a minor but significant role in the story. Searle Connington, and his sister Amelia who owns a bookstore, has his own book collecting enterprise while helping his sister in her store. She is mentally unstable. Wigan is the heir to Fisk’s collection and becomes a suspect as well.
To find the murderer, Wigan first enlists the aid of Charlie North and then Searle Connington after a disastrous night for Charlie. A stakeout at Fisk’s home is set in motion that lasts for several nights as Fred’s time winds down. Fred has insisted that his family not visit him in prison. His mental stability erodes to the point that he has to be sedated by the prison doctor.
How the real culprit is brought to justice makes for great reading. Bernard Farmer is a true wordsmith and his style of writing is breezy and fast paced. I was sorry when I finished the book because it was such a joy to read. You do not have to be a fan of British mysteries to enjoy this book. You only need to be a “reader”. If I could give the book 10 or more stars, I would. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
GO! BUY! READ! NOW!I am an Anglophile – I love British history, culture and writers. I am a bibliophile – I love books and books about books, both fiction and nonfiction. DEATH OF A BOOKSELLER by British author BERNARD FARMER checks off those “likes” for me.
The…
jeh106's rating:
Added Apr 20, 2023
Comment:
From the publisher’s website, this book sounded like it was a perfect match for my taste in reading material. It almost was. Author CINDY DEES has written a few different series and this was my first “read” of her books. BEYOND THE LIMIT is book one in her series Operation Valkyrie which follows U.S. Navy Seal Team “Reaper” as they train, chase terrorists, kidnappers and other bad people. That was what intrigued me. What I did not realize until I got into the story was that it was also a Romance and not just a Military Thriller. The Romance aspect is not part of my reading menu. I coped with that. The Military Thriller part was what kept me enthralled.
Platoon Leader of the United States Navy’s SEAL team Reaper is Master Chief Petty Officer Griffin Caldwell who has a Master’s Degree in Military History from Harvard University. He is also a poster boy for the SEALs. Good looking, smart, athletic, skilled in military arts; a perfect match for his job. Also on the Team are Leo Lipinski (newly wed to Janice), Axel Adams (a mountain of a man), Ken Singleton (a would be country music singer), Trevor Westbrook (on loan from the British S.A.S. special forces), Sam Dorsey (the youngest member) and Joaquin “JoJo” Romero. Their Commanding Officer is Commander Calvin Kettering, USN.
The team, minus Leo who has just gotten married, are flown in secret to Camp Jarvis on the North Carolina coast. There they are to take part in the top-secret Operation Valkyrie. The first stage of the operation is to pre-train three outstanding female athletes so that they can enter the training program for SEALS known as BUD/S. These will be the first women to enter this rigid and elite training program. The Team believes they are destined to fail because of SEAL attitudes towards women operators.
The three women are Sherri Tate, Lily Van Dyke and Anna Marlow. All are world-class athletes in different sports. Sherri had been a Pentagon (Defense Department) spokesperson before being selected. She is a United States Navy Lieutenant, competes in heptathlons and is a former beauty pageant queen winner. Lily is a former gymnast, is quite petite and is very strong for her size. Anna was a competitive distance runner, I think. In the end, Sherri volunteers to be the first to enter the official training program because everybody knows (except her) that she will not pass the test because SEALs do not want women on their Teams. Her ability to speak in public is one of her strong points.
Before that happens, four “Team” members are sent on a mission to kill or capture Abu Haddad whom they had encountered before. He was number one on their hit list. While the rest of the training team watch and listen in North Carolina, the mission goes awry.
Sherri and Griffin are then sent to Coronado, California, near San Diego, where the BUD/S training base is located. A romantic relationship exists between the two but Caldwell, as a trainer, has to keep his feelings in tow. If he does not, both characters would be asked to leave the SEALs.
The reader will go through the training program with Sherri and her fellow trainees. The author had spoken to people who knew what this training entailed and she explains it well. There were times when this reader was cold and tired from reading about the training rigors. Well done!
During the last night of training, Sherri is kidnapped and her return is to be accomplished by exchanging her for Griffin. You can guess how that was received by the SEALs.
In all honesty, I skipped most of the Romantic passages in the book. Not my thing. I cannot wait to read more of the series because I think the Military action is first class. I am happy that I read this book. If you like Military Thrillers, you will like that part of the book. If are a fan of Romances, you will like that part of the book. In both cases, this is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED reading because of the outstanding writing.
GO! BUY! READ!From the publisher’s website, this book sounded like it was a perfect match for my taste in reading material. It almost was. Author CINDY DEES has written a few different series and this was my first “read” of her books. BEYOND THE LIMIT is book one…
Three Ordinary GirlsThree Ordinary Girls, BookThe Remarkable Story of Three Dutch Teenagers Who Became Spies, Saboteurs, Nazi Assassins--and WWII Heroes
by Brady, TimBook - 2021Book, 2021
jeh106's rating:
Added Apr 13, 2023
Comment:
During World War II, in many of the Nazi-occupied countries, some local citizens did not sit around thinking “Oh woe is me!” Instead, they found ways and means to harass their brutal occupiers. This true story, THREE ORDINARY GIRLS by noted historian TIM BRADY, tells a tale of the resistance and the resistors in the Netherlands (Holland) during the Nazi occupation. In the fall of 2023, I will be going to Amsterdam and will visit a museum dedicated to the heroes of the resistance.
The three “girls” of the title are Hannie “Jo” Schaft (now a cult hero), Truus Oversteegen and Freddie Oversteegen. Hannie was born in 1920 and was the oldest of the three. Truus was born in 1923 and her sister Freddie was born in 1925. On May 10, 1940, the Nazis invaded the Netherlands so the girls were 20, 17 and 15 when they began their activities. Hannie was a university student in Amsterdam while Truus and Freddie still lived at home with their divorced mother. All three were residents of Haarlem, not far from Amsterdam. All three had Socialist/Communist leanings in their political outlook.
Dr. Arthur Seyss-Inquart (nicknamed “six and a quarter”) was an Austrian installed by Hitler as the “new” head of the Dutch Government. Like many of his ilk, he was ruthless in his pursuit of Jews, Romani and Communists. Hanns Rauter, a German, was appointed Chief of Police for the country. At the start of their reign of terror, 80,000 Jews lived in Amsterdam. 75% of them did not survive the Holocaust.
Frans van der Wiel was the leader of the resistance cell that recruited the three girls. The group was very proactive in their missions. For the girls, it started with them delivering underground, Anti-Nazi newspapers. As the war continued, they graduated into sabotage. Eventually, they also became assassins. Their victims were members of the Nazi ruling class and Dutch traitors.
Hannie and her parents also aided Jewish refugees. Two girls they helped were Sonja Frenk and Philine Polak. They were roommates of Hannie at the university. Sonja tried to escape to Switzerland but was captured in Lyon, France. She did not survive. Philine stayed in Holland and lived.
In 1942 alone, 162,000 skilled workers were deported to work in factories in Germany. In October 1942, Otto Frank and his family, including his diary-writing daughter Anne, went into hiding in Amsterdam.
The girls’ cell attempted a bombing of a power plant but it only caused limited damage. They carried weapons between other resistance cells. Hannie compiled statistics on German defenses along the beaches of the Netherlands. On Christmas Eve 1944, the girls collected five boxes of munitions from a German soldier they had befriended. They were involved in more and more assassinations and attempted killings as the war continued into 1944 and 1945.
On May 5, 1945, the Canadian Army liberated Holland and for all intents and purposes, it was LIBERATION TIME!
This book is a must read for World War II buffs, fans of heroes thrust into uncomfortable roles and/or if you are interested in Jewish history. I would like to give the book more than five stars. EXTREMELY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
GO! BUY! READ! NOW!During World War II, in many of the Nazi-occupied countries, some local citizens did not sit around thinking “Oh woe is me!” Instead, they found ways and means to harass their brutal occupiers. This true story, THREE ORDINARY GIRLS by noted…
jeh106's rating:
Added Mar 22, 2023
Comment:
I first read a CARA BLACK mystery in 2012 when I picked up a copy of her first Aimee Leduc 1990s Paris adventures. Since then, I have become a big fan of Ms. Black and have gone to see her in-person bookstore appearances several times. In 2023, I discovered that CARA BLACK has branched out into new territory. THREE HOURS IN PARIS introduces a new, World War II heroine,
Kate Rees, an Oregon born sharpshooter, is recruited by Section D of British Intelligence, precursor to the Special Operations Executive (S.O.E.). The question is: Why? In World War II, Russia trained hundreds of female snipers, one of whom had over 300 confirmed kills. True story. By the way, Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond, maybe makes a cameo appearance.
Kate Rees had left her cattle raising family from Central Oregon for studies at the Sorbonne in Paris in 1937. There she meets Welsh artist Daffyd Rees, falls in love with him and marries him. She moves to England with Daffyd and eventually they have a daughter, Elizabeth.
On August 14, 1939, Kate’s life is permanently altered. Daffyd is stationed in Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands (north of Scotland) designing military defenses. Kate is working in the military armory, testing rifles for accuracy. HMS Royal Oak (a battleship) is in the harbor when German submarine U-47 torpedoes her and blows her up. The resulting explosion caused an immense loss of life as well as damage to shore facilities. Among the dead on shore are Daffyd and Elizabeth. Kate feels that her own life is now over as well.
In her native Oregon (Pacific Northwest, United States), Kate had been a champion sharpshooter. She was able to hit ten bullseyes with ten rifle shots at 300 yards. That skill brought her to the attention of Alfred Stepney, head of Section D. Stepney recruits Kate to his intelligence program that officially does not exist. He has a specific plan designed for Kate. Since she spoke French nearly like a native of France, she is sent to Paris to assassinate a high-ranking German official.
Kate and an experienced radio operator are flown into France at night and they parachute to the ground outside of Paris. That is when the mission begins to go awry. The story describes Kate’s 72 hours (or so) in Paris. First, she shoots the wrong man and she is sort of seen by Gunter Hoffman (sees a reflection off the rifle barrel Kate is using). He is a German police officer assigned as a bodyguard to the high-level target. And the chase is on.
Kate has a rudimentary knowledge of contacts within the French Resistance. At each step of her escape plan, she finds the Germans waiting for her. How can she be so unlucky! During her escape, she meets a dying engineer, Swanson, who tells her to meet Antoine at a conference of French scientists. Antoine has access to German plans that could change the outcome of the war.
There are no words for me to describe how tense this story is. My heart was in my throat as I read Kate’s adventures. The story is fast-paced and typical of Ms. Black’s books, highly entertaining. There is just enough truth to make the story plausible. Kate Rees will be back in a second book already published. That is great news for readers of this new series. If you have not tried the Aimee Leduc mysteries, read them as well. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
GO! BUY! READ! NOW!I first read a CARA BLACK mystery in 2012 when I picked up a copy of her first Aimee Leduc 1990s Paris adventures. Since then, I have become a big fan of Ms. Black and have gone to see her in-person bookstore appearances several times. In 2023, I…
jeh106's rating:
Added Feb 27, 2023
Comment:
In my latest “read”, there were no historical events, no dead bodies in the library, no secret societies and no spies using “Star Trek” type devices. Instead, first time published author FREYA SAMPSON has produced a “feel good” book that brought tears and smiles to this jaded reviewer. THE LAST CHANCE LIBRARY is a MUST READ if you love books. This is without a doubt, one of the most enjoyable books I have read in the last decade.
June Jones is a ten-year veteran employee of the Chalcot Library in rural England. She is 28 years old, single and lives in the house that her grandfather and then her mother, Beverley, had owned. June has one fault. She is exceedingly introverted. Ms. Jones does not even like to lead the kids in the daily Rhyme Time sponsored by the Library because she does not like speaking in public.
However, she loves to help people in the Library send emails, assist with crossword puzzles or aid kids doing school homework. Beverley Jones had been a librarian at the same library for years before she contracted cancer. She had died several years before June’s story begins. June is socially awkward not having even amorously kissed a man or a woman. She has few friends outside the Chalcot Library. June has a cat that had been Beverley’s, named Alan Bennett in whom she confides.
Her best friend is next-door neighbor Linda who is a grandmother. Jackson, eight years old, is one of her grandkids who is being home schooled. He spends a lot of time in the Library. Chantal is a brilliant teenager who wants to go to university and June helps her with her studies in the Library. Stanley Phelps is an octogenarian gentleman who spends all day in the Library doing crossword puzzles, sending emails and reading. Marjorie Spenser is the head librarian whose husband is a local politician with grand designs. She had been in charge when Beverley worked at the Library.
One day, it is announced that the Library may be closed due to a lack funds and use issues. June uncovers a plot behind the announcement that stuns the Library community. Her library friends led by Mrs. B (a protest veteran) unite to save the Chalcot Library including a sit-in. It is then that June reunites with her former school friend Alex Chen who has returned to Chalcot to temporarily help his father at the local take out store. Alex is a London lawyer who joins the cause.
There are moments of great joy and deep sadness in the book. The characters are wonderful and I usually do not care about the people in books I read. I care about these. If you want to treat your mind to great story telling, this book is for you. I know that Ms. Sampson has a second book that I am anxious to read. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
GO! BUY! READ! NOW!In my latest “read”, there were no historical events, no dead bodies in the library, no secret societies and no spies using “Star Trek” type devices. Instead, first time published author FREYA SAMPSON has produced a “feel good” book that brought…
jeh106's rating:
Added Feb 24, 2023
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Due to the presence of so many books in the marketplace, it has taken me 6 years to finish JAMES BECKER’s three book series on the Knights Templar treasure. My bad! The title of the final book is THE TEMPLAR BROTHERHOOD. If you want to know where the treasure is located, you need to read the book.
Once again, Dartmouth England antiquarian bookseller Robin Jessop and her companion, former law officer and current collector of old documents and books, team up to find the billions of dollars/pounds/euros that the Knights Templar had accumulated.
Opposing them are the Dominicans (Black Friars) that had originally planned to steal the treasure on Friday, October 13, 1307 and failed. Under the guidance of Grand Inquisitor Guillaume Humbert and authorized by Pope Clement V who claimed they were heretics and French King Philip IV (aka Philip the Fair) who was in serious debt to the Templars, over 100 Knights were captured (out of 1300 plus known members), tortured and eventually killed. To no avail as it turned out. Their treasure has been missing for over 700 years. Many have tried to discover its location. Can Robin and David defy the odds and find it?
In the previous books, their search has taken them to caves in Cyprus and Switzerland where they encountered the Dominicans. The evil and ruthless Silvio Vitale and his less than efficient right-hand man Marco Toscanelli lead this current group. Gary Marsh, a private investigator hired by the Black Friars to surveil Jessop and Mallory turns out to have a heart and warns the couple that the Dominicans are still watching them.
In the earlier books in the series, Jessop and Mallory had acquired some documents written in a form of Medieval Latin that needed to be decoded. The skills that David and Robin have developed through their previous occupations help them in the task. The Dominicans had also gotten copies of the original parchments and vellum and have their own code breakers. They are impatiently waiting for the couple to decipher the antique documents.
As Robin and David extract each new clue, they travel from Dartmouth to Bristol to Templecombe to Temple (Scotland) to Rosslyn (of The Da Vinci Code fame). These are all real places in Great Britain. Right behind them are Vitale, Toscanelli, and their team.
JAMES BECKER at the end of the story recounts a brief history of the Templars and their treasure. It is all fascinating history. If you are a fan of this type of archaeological thriller, where history meets the present, by all means read this series. Not only are the books easy to read but the history and codebreaking are intriguing. There is enough excitement to raise your blood pressure, VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
GO! BUY! READ!Due to the presence of so many books in the marketplace, it has taken me 6 years to finish JAMES BECKER’s three book series on the Knights Templar treasure. My bad! The title of the final book is THE TEMPLAR BROTHERHOOD. If you want to know where…
The Templar BrotherhoodThe Templar Brotherhood, BookA Lost Treasure of the Templars Novel
by Becker, JamesBook - 2017Book, 2017
jeh106's rating:
Added Feb 24, 2023
jeh106's rating:
Added Feb 07, 2023
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A warning! Do not read this book, THE DIVA SAYS CHEESECAKE if you are hungry or dieting. “Why is that?” you might ask. Author KRISTA DAVIS spends a lot of time talking about food, especially cheesecakes in the story. She has included the recipes for many of the cheesecakes and accompaniments at the end of the book. Just reading about the meals and the recipes, I gained 10 pounds. In addition, it was great fun to read. Yes, there is a murder but the reader does not witness the act. This book is fast-paced and results in a quick and enjoyable read.
The body is found in the basement of Blackwell’s Tavern, an upscale eatery in Old Town, Alexandria in northern Virginia (across the Potomac River from the nation’s capitol, Washington, D.C.). The victim is Tate Bodoin the owner. He is discovered by the protagonist of the series, Sophie Winston, a prominent event planner and amateur detective. With her is her best friend and neighbor, Nina Norwood and Tate’s wife, Bobbi Sue. Mrs. Bodoin has her own successful business, making and selling cheesecakes (my biggest guilt-producing forbidden pleasure). Tate’s restaurant is one of her biggest clients. The Bodoin’s family include a ten-year-old daughter, Rebecca, and Bobbi Sue’s 17-year-old son from a previous marriage.
Bernie Frei owns a competing, nearby restaurant. On the surface, Bernie and Tate are friendly rivals. Marsha Bathurst, assistant manager of Blackwell’s, sows the seed that Bernie and Tate hated each other. She also had feelings for the victim and may have committed another crime while employed by Tate. Sergeant Wolf Fleischman of the Alexandria police is forced to arrest Bernie on her testimony. Bernie is very popular and his friends ask Sophie to carry out her own investigation of the murder. Apparently, Sophie has done this before in the 14 previous stories in this series.
There are numerous suspects in addition to Bernie. Spencer Carver, the victim’s stepson, had an argument with him the day before the murder took place. Pierce Carver, Bobbi Sue’s ex-husband and Spencer’s dad, is trying to get back into the family’s good graces after deserting them years ago. Marsha Bathurst because of her feelings for Tate is a suspect. On the list is a tall, beautiful mysterious woman who had dinner with Tate the night he died. Nobody knows who she is, or if they do, they are not forthcoming with that information.
Spencer is a runner on his high school track team. Jeff Cosby (aka “Coach”) is his track coach. He has been a “friend” of the family for years. Eli Dawson is a bartender at Blackwell’s. He has been skimming bar sales. Spencer saw him and told Tate.
As Sophie, Nina and other friends eat their way through the story, it is interesting to see how these amateur sleuths work their way through the clues and suspects. As the author states, some of the places exist and some do not. The reader, in the meantime, gets to know a little about the Old Town District.
It is always interesting to find an author with many previously published books. It is also daunting. Krista Davis has two other series totaling 27 books. I do not think I can get through them all but I will certainly do my best. If you are a mystery fan, by all means pick up a Davis book. I am sure you will enjoy this bestselling author. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
GO! BUY! READ! NOW!A warning! Do not read this book, THE DIVA SAYS CHEESECAKE if you are hungry or dieting. “Why is that?” you might ask. Author KRISTA DAVIS spends a lot of time talking about food, especially cheesecakes in the story. She has included the recipes for…
jeh106's rating:
Added Jan 26, 2023
Comment:
Since 2009, I have read more than a dozen books by author DANIEL SILVA. He always delivers a great story well told. In the 22nd episode featuring Israeli super spy Gabriel Allon, PORTRAIT OF AN UNKNOWN WOMAN, the head of Israel’s spy agency Mossad has finally retired. Allon, his wife Chiara, and their twin children, Irene and Raphael have moved to Venice, Italy. They now live in a large apartment facing the Grand Canal. The kids have been enrolled in a school nearby.
Chiara is the heir apparent to Tiepolo Restoration Company in Venice where Gabriel had gotten his start as a restoration expert of Renaissance era art (the Great Masters). Chiara is also the daughter of the Chief Rabbi of Venice. For years, and multiple books, art restoration was his cover persona. His mother had been an artist and Allon inherited her “eye” for art. During his art career, he became famous as a restoration expert. Eventually, his real identity had also become known. This art expertise forms the basis for this book.
For several years, art collecting has become a source of income for dealers and collectors that has outpaced the stock market by leaps and bounds. Prices for paintings have rocketed into the tens of millions, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars. The natural progression is that these prices would lead to forgeries.
Allon’s good friend, Julian Isherwood, who owns an art gallery in London, sells a painting entitled “Portrait of an Unknown Woman” for 6.5 million pounds. He receives a letter from a woman, Valerie Berrengar, who lives near Bordeaux in France. In the letter, she hints that there may be a problem with the painting. Julian makes an appointment to visit her in a café near Bordeaux. She does not appear. Julian is worried and he contacts Gabriel in Venice. A newspaper article stating that she had died in a car crash on the day of the appointment explains Valerie’s nonappearance and raises a red flag. This sets in motion Gabriel Allon’s most interesting non-spy story.
Sarah Bancroft, a former C.I.A. operative and an art expert in her own right, works in Julian’s gallery. Sarah’s husband Christopher Keller, former I.R.A. terrorist and Corsican assassin, is now an agent for the British MI6. Also in London are several minor characters who have connections to the art world. One more recurring character who helps the scheme is premier Swiss violinist, Anna Rolfe, who had a personal relationship with Allon. All have appeared in several stories.
In order to break the current cartel of forged art, Gabriel, Julian and Sarah create an elaborate sting operation. Keller’s former Corsican employer, Don Anton Orsati, helps them. They also enlist the co-operation of Capitano Luca Rossetti and General Cesar Ferrari of the Carabinieri’s famous Art Squad in Italy. Gabriel gets tech help from his former employer, the Mossad. I do not want to say anything about the adversaries so as not to spoil the readers’ fun at finding out for themselves.
I am a big fan of art mysteries. This is one of the best. The reader will learn some art history, how art forgeries are created and how the business of art operates. If violence is your thing, there is a little of that. If gaining knowledge of places is your cup of tea, you will gain some information. Five Stars is too few. EXTREMELY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
GO! BUY! READ!Since 2009, I have read more than a dozen books by author DANIEL SILVA. He always delivers a great story well told. In the 22nd episode featuring Israeli super spy Gabriel Allon, PORTRAIT OF AN UNKNOWN WOMAN, the head of Israel’s spy agency Mossad…
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