There is no better suspense thriller than THE DAY OF THE JACKAL. It is the prototypical novel that spawned many imitators with few equals. THE ODESSA FILE was another huge success for Frederick Forsyth. However, in spite of writing other fine books, he has never met with the success of the these two books that are decades old. Perhaps the reason for that is the very style of his writing. There is much historical detail in these books. In fact, the historical details go on for pages and can actually read like a history textbook. Personally I remember using passages from THE ODESSA FILE while writing a report on the holocaust in high school. I properly footnoted the reference but the teacher took me to task explaining that novels should not be used as a source of historical research. This is quite evident in his latest book entitled AVENGER.
Cal Dexter is a Vietnam Vet who volunteered as a tunnel rat while stationed in Vietnam. His job was to help clean out the vast networks of tunnels used by the Vietcong. This required a certain personality able to withstand living on the extreme edge with danger literally around every corner. One had to be persistent and extremely cautious to survive. Traits that would be ideal for a tracker of missing persons. Cal later went on to become an attorney in New Jersey who secretly takes on jobs requiring him to track individuals and possibly assassinate them. He is now hired by a Canadian billionaire to locate his son who disappeared in Serbia. First he must locate the body then find the person responsible for his death. This man is a terrorist involved in producing a nuclear bomb. Cal must not only capture this highly guarded man but bring him back alive. One of his unexpected adversaries is the CIA who wants the man free to help them locate Bin Laden.
The long historical passages, while mostly quite interesting (including extensive descriptions of the tunnel rats), are mostly superfluous to the story and serve to slow down the extensive plot. Therefore it overall fails as a thriller in that the momentum so crucial to this style of book is stopped dead in its tracks again and again. Characters are fairly well sketched and the locale a bit too well described. A very mild recommendation.

It is the 1920s and the Scientific American Magazine is offering a $5,000 reward for anyone who could prove themselves to be a real spiritualist. Many apply and only the most promising are investigated by the committee. One of the members of the committee is a promising graduate student, Martin Finch. His ingenuity has proved several of the most brilliant and famous spiritualists as frauds. He now is off to Philadelphia with the committee to evaluate the 'society psychic' Mina Crawley. Mina presents a unique problem to Martin. First, her seances appear authentic and quite difficult to prove as fake. The second and more important problem is that Martin is falling in love with her in spite of the fact that she is married.
INAMORATA is not a true mystery in the usual definition of the genre. No murders occur but the mystery lies in finding the proof that Mina is a fraud. The book is clever and quite a bit of fun. The historical era is very well depicted in this atmospheric novel filled with realistic characters. The length is perfect for the plot and the solution is both clever and satisfying. A recommended read.

Here it is- another serial killer novel. Not only that but a serial killer novel in which an incarcerated madman helps the law enforcement agent solve a crime. Sound familiar? How about a previous one that was made into a motion picture that won Oscars for best picture, actor, actress and director? Perhaps another novel might lack just a tinge of originality? You decide.
In Mobile Alabama, Detective Carson Ryder is searching for a serial killer. The killer decapitates its victims and writes messages on the bodies. A true psychopath who seems to be getting closer and closer to Ryder. To possibly seek answers, Ryder consults his mad brother institutionalized for similar crimes. To complicate matters (and create a damsel in distress) Ryder, for some inexplicable reason, wants to help a sullen, depressed and quite hostile pathologist, Ava Davenelle, combat alcoholism. Could all of these loose ends be tied together into one cohesive but unrealistic plot? Of course.
Jack Kerley tries to explore the same old tired plot lines of the typical serial killer novel. He does, however, succeed in staking out a small bit of space in distinguishing himself by concentrating on the characters and their relationships vs. the shadowy serial killer whose identity we are not privy to until the final pages. Suspense is thereby maintained throughout. Major characters are very well sketched but the more minor ones are superficial and stereotypic (such as the snarling police chief out to get Ryder). However, the plot did drag a bit too much for this reader and in spite of the overall good writing, the book is only mildly recommended.

Florida state police Bill Tasker is in trouble. He is under suspicion for stealing over one and one-half million dollars. He knows he was framed but the question is by who? The reader, however, is for the most part well aware of who has the money- the greedy lawyer of a false preacher, the corrupt FBI agent, the corrupt cop or even a girlfriend- some still alive but some now dead. The money moves from place to place- hence the title of this overall successful debut.
There is a certain wacky sense of reality in this quite noir novel. One is almost reminded of the Elmore Leonard books (who just so happens to give a front cover blurb). The length is somewhat slight yet there is much repetition of the plot that reflects a novice's inability to stay focused on the storyline. The book, therefore, reads longer than it actually is. The characters remain the strength and raise this book among many other firsts this year. Most characters are realistic especially Bill Tasker. Others such as the lawyer Cole Hodges or the corrupt FBI agent, Tom Dooley are characatures but nonetheless remain interesting and viable creations. Overall an auspicious debut effort.

Florida is a unique state. It is the number one tourist destination in the world with more theme parks and pristine beaches than just about anywhere else. However, it also is quickly being overdeveloped and if you believe Carl Hiaasen, it is due to greedy and unscrupulous individuals. However, Hiaasen makes them out to be cruel and ridiculous characters whose greed will lead to their inevitable demise. The fun for the reader is watching them self destruct.
The latest Hiaasen antihero is Chaz Perrone who for no explicable reason throws his wife off an upper deck of a cruise ship in a vain attempt to kill her. His wife, Joey, survives and with the help of her rescuer and new friend, former cop and hermit Mick Stranahan, try to come up with answers while exacting their revenge.
So many authors try for humor. However, in many instances they try too hard and it becomes quite forced while the plot lags. Hiaasen is the measure of what ingredients go into making the best humorous novels in the mystery genre today. The strength of his work are several. First, the plot is always interesting comically reflecting abnormal behavior in what should be routine situations. In this case taking a cruise vacation. Second, the characters are truly outrageous and unforgettable. The wackiest in this story is Troy, a very large man hired to protect Chaz. He has a bullet stuck in his buttocks which causes him severe pain requiring him to steal pain medicine in the form of adhesive Band-Aids from local nursing homes. Chaz comes in at a close second. He is incredibly self centered worried more about his potency than the well being of his wife or girlfriend. He is a marine biologist who hates marine life as well as biology. Why he does it remains the mystery. Of course it is the act of throwing his wife off the ship that begins his eventual demise. On top of all this is an ecological warning about saving the Everglades and a riveting plot occasionally interrupted by truly hilarious lunacy. Many try but nobody does funny like Carl Hiaasen.

Vince Flynn, in my mind, is one of the top two or three thriller writers working today. His novels, always topical, can be considered almost nightmarish but highly plausible scenarios of political disasters. Mitch Rapp, CIA assassin, is a thriller hero whose character has evolved over the last few books. He is married but his real marriage is to his work rather than the woman he loves. His willingness to stand alone in his highly aggressive stance in questioning his Muslim suspects in order to save possibly hundreds of thousands of lives places him in an adversarial position with the politically motivated top aides of the President. He is even at odds with the President himself. This loner attitude that gets results makes him an ideal thriller hero.
Nuclear bombs are being deployed to the United States covertly by terrorists. Mitch Rapp , through an aggressive inquisition, discovers where the bombs are heading and must intercept them before they are deployed. His biggest obstacles to achieving his objective is the political machine of Washington and actually calls into question the US Citizen's civil rights. When should an individual's rights be subjugated to the greater good of society? Of course, the greater question is -will Rapp meet his objective of stopping the explosions.
It is the utter realism of these events which could very well be tomorrow's headline that makes this superior thriller stand out among the rest. MEMORIAL DAY is a fun book with a rollicking plot that never really lets up. It also brings into focus some of the political shenanigans that Washington is known for and in this election year makes this book all the more relevant and frightening. An ideal summer read especially the summer of 2004.

Roy Slater, an English Professor teaching in a small California college, comes to Kingdom County, West Virginia to care for his dying father. He hasn't been back in twenty five years. The reason he left is not immediately apparent but it has something to do with the death of his brother and some local murders. He also left behind the love of his life, Lila who remains unmarried. Why did he leave? What ended his relationship with Lila? How and why did his brother die? What about these murders? Slowly and inexorably bits and pieces of these puzzles are revealed as the reader is strung along on a suspense high wire.
Tom Cook is back in what is probably his best book since the astounding BREAKHEART HILL and the Edgar Award winning THE CHATHAM SCHOOL AFFAIR. Once again he uses the technique of having the narrator hold the answers and only slowly letting the reader in on the secret. However, INTO THE WEB goes further than that. Roy Slater only knows some of the answers. He must find out others on his own. Therefore the novel evolves into an amateur detective novel about two thirds of the way through. Surprises await at every twist and turn. Nobody in the genre creates more tension in this manner. Characters are, as usual skillfully created and depiction of locale quite vivid. Thomas H. Cook is one of the finest writers of suspense fiction currently working. I urge you to read him today and INTO THE WEB would be an excellent place to start.

David Liss, author of the Edgar award winning, A CONSPIRACY OF PAPER, has once again penned a compelling yet authentic mystery that takes place in 18th century London. Benjamin Weaver is a private investigator who finds himself convicted of murder and sentenced to be hung after a man is discovered dead at the site of a bar fight. Weaver was investigating a threatening letter sent to a priest when he was apparently at the wrong place and time. He is, of course, innocent yet is sent to the gallows by a corrupt judge. As he is heading to the prison, a mysterious woman passes a lockpick to him and Weaver manages to escape. Given that he is sentenced to hang, he must discover who framed him and why in order to clear his name. His search for answers leads him into the convoluted web of British parliamentary politics in which the election is termed 'the spectacle of corruption'. He must use every ounce of his cunning to discover the truth and save his own life.
With the SPECTACLE OF CORRUPTION, David Liss has managed to create a complex yet compelling historical mystery. Characters are realistic creations but the problem is there are so many minor ones that, at times, it may be hard to keep track of who is who. However, the main characters are original and memorable. The plot with a bit too much complexity tends to meander and there's a certain lack of focus. Weaver appears to travel around and around in circles trying to get answers. This is not a fast read in any sense of the word. However it is all encompassing and so well written that the casual reader would find the time well worth spent.

Wilson Bledsoe is a Dartmouth professor acclaimed the world over while sporting a Nobel Prize and most recently the $2 million dollar Devonshire prize for his work in the science field. His murder on the way home from a party celebrating his latest achievement is what sets up the action in this debut thriller. Wilson's brother, Sterling is conveniently an FBI agent who investigates the case. He discovers a problem with dead blackbirds in the area and tries to tie the murder of his brother to the presence of the birds. The connection may appear tenuous but when Sterling becomes a suspect in his brother's death, there is a much greater sense of urgency to solve the crime.
Ian Smith, an NBC medical correspondent has written a competent debut mystery novel. Well plotted and paced with adequate characterizations, there is much here to entertain the masses at the beach or by the pool.

If the authors Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thompson ever met Dan Brown author of THE DAVINCI CODE, they should get down on their knees and thank him for making their book a hot property. Otherwise, there is little this droll, dull and pedantic debut has to offer.
At Princeton University, in 1999, two students are trying to solve a mystery of an ancient Renaissance text called the Hypnerotomacia Poliphilli. One of the students, Tom Sullivan, had a father who was obsessed with the book and his friend Paul Harris is writing his thesis based on it. However to solve the mystery of the book requires an all encompassing diligence that threatens Tom's relationship with his girlfriend. More importantly, however, when an academician associated with the book is murdered, he realizes it might also cost him his life.
There must be a real need among publishing houses to publish novels about ancient books that answers important questions with characters that have a life and death need to know these answers. Make no mistake about it- this is no Davinci Code- not even remotely close. The plot is sanguine, the research sloppy, the characters flat and the pacing repetitious. In fact, this is a wholly uninteresting debut and one that demanded to be read just based on publicity. Avoid.