Monday, December 17, 2007

Playmates, Robert Parker Book Review

"Playmates" by Robert Parker is a Spenser PI mystery that Parker is famous for. Parker writes a humorous, sexy and thrilling story that holds ones interest from start to finish. Spenser has been called to investigate point shaving at the University of Taft. Taft is a top basketball college with some teammates being drafted by the NBA, if they are good enough. Rumor has it that point shaving is present on the team. The coach does not believe it and forbids his players to talk with Spenser. Through investigating and viewing videos of games, Spenser finds this rumor true. He tells the coach, Dunham and gets a green light to solve the problem. Dwayne Woodcock is the star player on the team with future drafting of the NBA quite possible, but he is the one doing the shaving. The Mob from NY has their hook in Dwayne and are able to control him with ease. Money and lies keep the Mob on top of the situation until Spenser finds the connection of the university to the Mob. Spenser did not want to bring Dwayne down because he new basketball and not much else, he could not even read. A senior at a university and illiterate, not good. Spenser is a compassionate and understanding man who spends a night in jail for with holding information, but does his own thing and comes forward with good results. Parker has combined a true fact of shaving for gambling reasons with a suspenseful story. Spenser is a tough guy, stays in shape but is a loving man who cares.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Fatal Tide, Iris Johansen Book review

"Fatal Tide" by Iris Johansen is a great romantic thriller that Johansen is well known for. She captures an idealistic romantic atmosphere with a story that is very suspenseful. Johansen has brought her characters through guilty pasts and how they overcome these problems with good results.

Melis and her step father Phil are well known oceanographers. Phil had a quest to discover the lost city of Marinth, a wealthy and rich city that was lost to the sea in a natural disaster thousands of years ago. Melis refused to help Phil find the city and lived on a remote island in the Caribbean. She adopted two dolphins, Pete and Susie. She studied their habits and life style. They were her life. Phil was blown up on his ship and the secret of Marinth was lost. Jed Kelby, an ex- SEAL, had dreams of finding Marinth and befriended Phil, his disappearance led Kelby to Melis.

Archer was an illegal arms dealer and was after the plans of a sonic gun, with great destructive power, that Phil had developed. With Phil not around, Melis was the only one with the plans and the secrets of Marinth. Kelby meets up with Melis and protects her from Archer, who wants the plans and goes to extremes with Melis and holds her hostage to her past. Melis made a deal with Kelby, she would help him find Marinth for his protection from Archer. Archer is a ruthless killer and a determined man who torments Melis to the end.

Johansen has her romantic roots exposed in this story, but the love of the dolphins and how human they really are, puts the story into a realm of realism. A quick and easy read that is a very thrilling and suspenseful novel.

Monday, December 03, 2007

Dead Watch, John Sandford Book Review

"Dead Watch" by John Sandford is his first political thriller. Sandford is a master in story telling which makes this page turning book very suspenseful with non-stop action. His characters are believable and the plot is riveting! A very talented author.

Jake Winter, a democratic research assistant, and ex-Army Intelligence who was wounded in Afghanistan, is called in by the Democratic President to investigate a political scandal that might include their party. A republican senator turns up missing, several day later his body is found in Virginia, burnt beyond recognition and decapitated. The governor of Virginia, Goodman, has a "Watchman" group like a gestapo, that was blamed for this atrocity. Jake has much to do. He meets up with the widow of the senator, Madison, to receive information about the senator and his ways. He finds much, that takes him on a journey that leaves two dead, and the truth of the death of the senator. There are many twists and turns in this plot, but Jake does his best.

With a Political thriller, Sandford puts several ideas in the plot, kind of the way bureaucracy and government run. We never know what is right. After reading this novel, one does not know what really goes on with the politicians. We can only hope for the best.