The Devil's Stop by Scott Blade

 

The Devil's Stop is a thriller that starts a bit like Rambo, in that a sheriff stops to chat with a drifter and sends him off in the opposite direction. But Jack is on a mission, and that is to visit as many towns and places across the US that has "devil" in the name. 

He is an ex-navy Seal, when he left he had nothing to do, no plan, zip. Until he sees a sign with the name "devil" in it and wonders how many places in the US have a devil, or reference it, in their name. 

Apparently, there are quite a few.

Hell's Bent is on the ass-end of North America. It borders a massive forest that can take one to Canada. 

The town has a few secrets. An unnamed grave, many bikers have just left, and more bikers are moving in. 

He stops for breakfast at a diner and asks about the grave. The reception turns cold and some truckers want him to leave. 

In town, he helps an old couple with a heavy box. He sees a very pregnant woman get off the train (bus?) and the truckers circle him. 

And that's where the story kicks off.  

Scott Blade has written a killer of a story. The hero isn't Superman, just a well trainer Seal, retired. But he knows weapons, he knows how to follow a trail, and spring surprises. But so does the man he is hunting. 

Some of this story is quite gruesome according to some. I didn't think so. I also felt it was believable and in many ways reminded me of Jack Reacher. 

This is book 10 in a series. I had no idea. It reads like an individual book. There's no need to read others before this (like Jack Reacher). 

 

Amok by Barry Eisler

This is the first Barry Eisler book that I have read. The publicity of his first book many moons ago introduced his books to me, but I never got around to buying them.  (John Rain books.)

AMOK is a stand-alone novel involving an ex-military man pulled into helping the CIA. He'll get 5 grand a week, and they will keep his abusive father in prison. But Dox doesn't think his old man should stay in prison. His father's parole is coming up and he's in two minds about it. The family wants him to side with them and requests he stays in prison.

He accepts the job, or else there is no book. 

Next, we meet Felix, Joko, and the lovely and single-minded Isabel.  She has tapes to get to America. She wants to expose what happens when the cameras have stopped rolling. 

This book is set in 1991. Eisler mixes fiction with real events with expert ease. 

It's a good story and fast-paced. There's even a love story, but the timeline is too short for the book's deep "I love you" part. 

The characters acted as I would expect them to. The meat of the book is to expose a hidden war raging in Timor for the last 16 years. 

The face-off between Dox and Joko seemed too fast after the build-up. But Joko ultimately won. 

All up, this is a brilliant book. The story is a cracker 👏 and it's well worth a few notes of your hard-earned cash. 

The Contestant by Nick Thacker

This is the first Nick Thacker audiobook that I have read / listened to. The story is about Josh Lane, an ex-military computer genius who takes a job working for Bearbridge. 

The company implants an AI chip in his head that allows him to do many things that are unclear. The company also gives him a prototype car to use. 

Then he is kidnapped. 

He is to be a contestant in a game. 

A fiery death awaits those who lose a round. 

There is a surprise contestant as well.

Also, the NSA has a vested interest in him. 

This is an interesting book. 

I wish there wasn't an NSA component. 

Nick writes plot-driven books with little detail and characterization. Millions of people love this style, but that's not for me. I prefer character-driven books. Still, I enjoyed this book. 

The next section deals with the audiobook. For some reason, this book was on the BookFunel site. Which means I need to download the app and burn data to listen. That's kinda shitty. And it cant be downloaded so I couldn't listen on my preferred app. 

Was this a computer-spoken book?  There are many clues pointing to the possibility that it was. For example, the same tone was used for two speakers in a conversation. There were so many run-on sentences, it wasn't a pleasure to listen to. Then the audio editing was messed up with several pages repeated often throughout the book. It's a really good way to throw someone out of the story world. 

It annoyed the fuck out of me. 

. 

Double Dose by F. Paul Wilson

As mentioned in my previous review of book one, I started listening to book two straight away. Book one had a lot of setup and character intros, a load of action, and smooth storytelling. In book two, everything is all set and ready. 

We learn a few things in this book, for example, Reese is a dick and easily swayed by the confidence of others. The Duad, Pard, can be attacked / hurt, and the visitors are not exactly aliens per se -- they are old gods. You know who I'm talking about. But there are aliens here and they have experienced the 'love' of the old gods. 

We are also introduced to two new characters. I liked the characters and their interactions with the story, but why were they here? They had no impact on the story (not that I could tell). 

The good overcoming evil is expected and well played out, Daley faced a lot of troubles emotionally leading up to the end, which toughened her up. 

Karma, from book one, is back. He thinks Daley is a goddess after what she had done to him. He finds the dagger he stabbed into her heart and thinks she left it for him. He changes his name to Jeffery and vows to change his life. Unfortunately, his previous life skills prevent that from happening, and he thinks it is the goddess guiding him. He visits his Aunt, Juana, Daley's friend. She tells him he is to protect the goddess no matter what. He doesn't understand, the goddess is all powerful, but he will do it. 

This book brings a very satisfying ending to the tale of Daley, and the Duad. The ending comes in hard and fast, with four different things happening at the same time. He could write more books involving these two characters and I'll read them. And review them. 

Double Threat (Duad book one) by F. Paul Wilson

Many moons ago when I was a publisher, I reprinted one of his short stories. It was weird and awesome. The anthology "Damned if You Don't" is well out of print now. So, I know his writing is awesome.

Well known for his Repairmen Jack books, he has published a lot of others in the SFH range.  

This book was advertised as a stand-alone book, but it isn't. I had both books anyway. I finished the first and went straight onto the second. 

The story is about a hustler, Daley, whose latest money maker backfires on her and she decides it is time to cash out. Chased into the desert by a disgruntled customer, Daley hides in a cave. Something falls on her head and she passes out, only to wake up with something on her head. 

At the same time, a secret group worships The Visitors and waits for their return. They run their clan, life, and stocks from translated details in the scrolls. The group becomes very large, very rich, and very secluded. Today, they have been warned about the Duad, an evil entity that can destroy The Visitors. 

The Duad blends with Daley. 

The son of the clan leader falls in love with Daley. 

Daily falls for him, as well. 

Once it is confirmed that Daley is in league with the Duad, plans are put in place for her assassination. Nothing can stop The Visitors return in 10 days' time. 

This is a brilliant story. Wilson does his normal excellent job and gives us characters with vast backgrounds and goals. The story of Daley and the Duad is paced well and we are introduced to the Duad in a natural setting. Her meeting with Juana after the cave experience sets Juana up as a person who knows more than she is telling. 

The story is riveting. You won't regret reading this. Remember though, it is a two-book story. Don't blame the author for this lie, advertisers are there to make money. A lot of people like a book series. But many don't want to be left hanging. So, it was advertised as stand-alone. Get both books, call in sick to work, and devour this excellent book and then move on to book two. 

I blew through this novel in a week and instantly opened the second. 

The Mother by T. M. Logan

Mr. Logan's seventh thriller is a doozy - even I was surprised by the ending (the reveal). Well done. Not only that, but the characters and overall storyline are brilliant.

The story is about Heather, a mother who spent nine years in prison (half her sentence) for the murder of her husband. She claims she didn't do it. And once outside on parole, she decides to try and solve the mystery herself.

During her hunt, she is helped along by Judy, an ex-con who shares a room with her. A reporter lost everything because he believed in her and thought there was much more to the story and that she had been framed.  Her sister-in-law also joins her team to hunt for answers. 

The thing I like most about this book are the small things that seem inconsequential but are actually important to highlight points in the story. The wine glass knocked over in the bedroom, the dog not barking, and the gate to the stars unlocked and open. Tiny things that don't mean much, on their own, but add to the overall tale.

I've read everything Mr. Logan has written, and this is by far the best. As a writer, I'd love to see his outline.

Lies -- terrible (this was his break-out novel. Number one everywhere. I didn't like Lee Childs's break-out book either. I liked every book after that).

29 Seconds -- Excellent 

The Holiday -- terrible. Couldn't finish it.    

The Catch -- great      

Trust Me -- great

The Curfew ---Brilliant.

Now, I can add The Mother to my audio bookshelf.

Ryu Murakami - Audition

I've been a fan of Ryu Murakami since 2003 when I read the translated version of the award-winning novel, In The Miso Soup. I stumbled across the thin and translated version in a public library. Many in Japan have a very small English book section. I ran it through the self-checkout machine and off to work I went. 

Little did I know about the fun that was to happen. There is very little 'filler' in this 192-page book, tho I do think some scenes were too long. This is a story about a widower with a 15-year-old son. His wife died seven years ago and his son thinks it is time for him to get back on the horse again. He thinks so as well. But he doesn't know how to meet anyone these days, he has been out of the game for a long while. He confides in his friend who is a filmmaker and they decide to hold auditions for a fake movie in the hope one of the girls is of interest to Aoyama. And one is. Her name is AsamiYamasaki, a 24-year-old whose introduction letter was deep and seemed beyond her age. He is instantly smitten. 

Most of this novel is a slow-burn romance. However, throughout the novel, we get to see tiny tidbits of the person that Asami is really. The scene in the restaurant is exceptionally great. 

One thing I did not like was the dog abuse. But it is also a cultural difference that has changed over the past ten years. Thankfully. The book was written in 1997 in serialized form in a newspaper. Until a few years ago pets were not considered family (not everyone of course but by law) members and most dogs live outside and don't go for walks. Many are not trained and are used mostly as a thief determent. Not your best friend ever. Thankfully things have changed and the SPCA in Japan is strong and has some power. 

This comment distracted us away from the book. 

Overall, I enjoyed the story and just realized there is a cult favorite movie based on this book. I have heard it is different from the book as the movie version is better than the book. It happens.