Hold Fast Mysterious Book Report No. 448 by John Dwaine McKenna Just in time for the start of the summer reading season, a brand-new author has brought out the first volume of what we hope will be a long-running seafaring series in the tradition of Patrick O’Brian and Bernard Corwell. Hold Fast, (Norton, $25.95, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-393-86704-6) by J.H. Gelernter, opens in England, in the year of our
Basil’s War Mysterious Book Report No. 447 by John Dwaine McKenna Author Stephen Hunter—who wrote the popular and best-selling series featuring a Viet Nam era sniper named Bob Lee Swagger—has just come up with a new character from an earlier and bigger conflict, whose name is Basil St. Florian. He’s a WWII British Army Captain, a master of wit, wine and women . . . as well as a
The Measure of Time Mysterious Book Report No. 446 by John Dwaine McKenna If you’re a fan of long, contemplative novels that feature many memorable insights into numerous character’s thoughts and memories . . . The Measure of Time, (Bitter Lemon Press, PB, $14.95, 285 pages, ISBN 978-6913394-48-6) by bestselling and award-winning Italian author, Gianrico Carofiglio, is just what you want. It’s the sixth volume in his Guido Guerrieri
Northern Heist Mysterious Book Report No. 445 by John Dwaine McKenna Belfast, Northern Ireland, has for decades been one of the most contentious, strife-ridden and fought-over territories in the world . . . which makes it a great place to set an electrifying crime fiction and thriller novel. Northern Heist, (Melville House, $26.99, 269 pages, ISBN 978-1-61219-903-0) by Richard O’Rawe, takes place in 2004, when a former IRA heavyweight
Interview With The Author: Otho Eskin by John Dwaine McKenna Mr. Eskin is a talented, well traveled and accomplished author whose exciting first novel is reviewed in Mysterious Book Report No. 444. He has much to share with us, so let’s begin. Here’s our first question: When do you write? I try to write six hours a day, six days a week, from noon to six. Mornings I reserve
The Reflecting Pool Mysterious Book Report No. 444 by John Dwaine McKenna Although The Reflecting Pool, (Oceanview, $26.95, 352 pages, ISBN 978-1-60809-411-0) by former diplomat and foreign service officer Otho Eskin was published late last year, it was only recently brought to our attention by Mike Durell at the Mysterious Book Shop in New York City . . . and we’re very glad that he did . . .
Interview With The Author: Will Carver by John Dwaine McKenna Our interviewee today hails from Great Britain. His name is Will Carver and he’s a writer with the ability to pack more original ideas into a single paragraph than most of us are able to conjure up in an entire chapter . . . so with great pleasure, it’s my honor to introduce him to our Mysterious Book
Interview With The Author: Will Staples by John Dwaine McKenna Will Staples is a busy busy man. He’s not only a first-rate novelist, whose newest work Animals is reviewed in Mysterious Book Report No. 442, but an award winning screenwriter, producer and video game writer whose success is measured in Oscars, Golden Globes and billions of dollars in box office. At the same time, he’s an open, friendly and
Hinton Hollow Death Trip Mysterious Book Report No. 443 by John Dwaine McKenna A novel whose first three words are DON’T READ THIS is unique, cocky and almost irresistible . . . but that’s exactly how Hinton Hollow Death Trip, (Orenda Books, PB, $15.95, 400 pages, ISBN 978-1-913193-30-0) by Will Carver starts out. Those three words are a warning from the yarn’s narrator: Evil. It’s letting the reader know
Animals Mysterious Book Report No. 442 by John Dwaine McKenna Animals, (Blackstone, $27.99, 292 pages, ISBN 978-1-09-406588-5) by Will Staples, is a heart-wrenching and hard to read . . . as well as hard to put down, compelling and fascinating novel if you care at all about the wild creatures of the Earth, their fate, and in turn the fate of the planet they inhabit. It’s about poaching. Specifically