Shibumi by Trevanian

So, this is a spy novel. Not the kind of book that I'm interested in, especially ones as dated as this one. It was originally published in 1984. The characters are so unbelievable. It kind of reminds me of bad 80's action flicks. 

Now, this book have have been the idea for Barry Eisler series (which I enjoyed more than this book). It moves at a slow pace and our (anti)hero is like superman. He can do anything. Except be loyal to anyone. The only person he is loyal to would be his Japanese stepfather. 

Shibuni means refinement (depending on the Kanji). That's the perfect title for his book. If only the book was good. The idea is great. Hal born of a Russian mother and Chinese father, raised in Japan with a Japanese stepfather, he learnt many things from his father, and he mastered everything. He is a big art lover and the most capable assassin. 

The way it was laid out and told was not for me.  

Sorry by Zoran Drvenkar

Berlin. Four friends. One extreme idea.

One of the most gripping thrillers ever written.

Kris, Tamara,Wolf and Frauke set up an agency called Sorry. An agency to right wrongs. Unfair dismissals, the wrongly accused: everyone has a price, and Sorry will find out what it is. It’s as simple as that.

What they hadn’t counted on was their next client being a cold-hearted killer. But who is the killer and why has he killed? Someone is mocking them and hell is only just beginning.

Sounds great, right? Maybe it is a brilliant thriller. I loved the way Zoran used First Person -- Second Person -- Third Person POV. That was awesome. It draws you right in. 

The book opens (according to friends) the way many German books open, with detailed characters long before the inciting incident. I read through 42 pages and the narrator said, now we start. Then the next chapter had pages and pages of back story. 

But I kept going until I couldn't continue any longer and dropped the book back to the library through the after hours return slot. 

Cannot rate. Sorry. There were some things I liked. Zoran is a good writer, but I never finished the book.