Book Review: Prey for the Shadow by Javier Cercas
Picked up by chance in Barcelona Sometimes the best books come from detours. This summer I was traveling through Spain with friends, and my flight from Madrid was suddenly cancelled. The next available one was three days later, so instead of waiting, we decided to make the most of it — a spontaneous trip to Barcelona, one of my favorite cities to get lost in. Somewhere between the cafés and the sea breeze, I walked into a local library determined to pick just one book for the trip. I narrowed it down to Julian Barnes and Javier Cercas — and since Prey for the Shadow is set in Barcelona, I decided to stay local. Cercas it was. A change in pace Coming from the sharp, fast-paced world of David Baldacci, reading Cercas was like stepping into another time zone...
Read MoreBook Review: “Long Shadows” by David Baldacci
David Baldacci’s 7th installment in the Memory Man series, “Long Shadows,” brings back the unforgettable Amos Decker, a former NFL player turned FBI agent with a perfect memory and synesthesia. This action-packed thriller delves deep into a complex murder case, intertwined with Decker’s personal crises, making it a compelling read for fans and newcomers alike. In “Long Shadows,” Amos Decker returns to investigate the brutal murders of federal judge Julia Cummins and her bodyguard Alan Draymont in an exclusive gated community in Florida. The case is particularly challenging, as Cummins had no apparent enemies and there were no signs of forced entry. Decker, grappling with the recent suicide of a close friend and a life-changing...
Read More“Dead Centre” by Andy McNab: A journey into the world of Somali Pirates
When I moved to Tokyo, I discovered a new love for thrillers. While I generally like detective stories and follow crime investigation TV shows, the fast-paced life of central Japan would quickly limit my screen hours and even the time to enjoy lengthy novels. Reading thrillers soon became a bridge between the two worlds. And who better to hook you on action stories than Andy McNab? A former SAS operative with a storied military career, Andy McNab has channeled his vast experiences into a gripping series of thrillers featuring Nick Stone. “Dead Centre,” the fourteenth installment in this series, follows Stone as he works to free someone dear to him from the claws of Somali pirates. On his journey, he utilizes his firsthand special forces knowledge,...
Read MoreExploring Espionage in “Moscow Rules” by Daniel Silva
As someone who likes Daniel Silva’s work, particularly his thrilling Gabriel Allon series, I recently picked up “Moscow Rules.” Having enjoyed “The English Assasin” from the series, I was eager to dive into another of Allon’s adventures, especially given the book’s relevance to the current geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine. What I found was an intriguing story that, while a bit slow-paced at times, offered a realistic portrayal of the dangers and complexities of espionage. Plot Overview “Moscow Rules” follows Gabriel Allon, an Israeli art restorer and master spy, as he is reluctantly drawn back into the world of espionage. His honeymoon vacation in Umbria, Italy, with his wife, Chiara, is...
Read More“Whatever it takes”, by Andy McNab
I just finished reading McNab’s “Whatever It Takes,” a thriller that follows the story of former soldier James Mercer as he organizes a heist to get his hands on a ledger that keeps powerful secrets hidden from the wealthiest and most influential people on the globe. Andy McNab, the book’s author, is a former SAS soldier whose true identity has never been revealed, despite publishing many bestsellers expressing his first-hand combat experience. He served in various conflicts worldwide, including the Gulf War and the Balkans. McNab’s books are known for their authenticity and realism, drawing on his own military experiences. Many of his books feature the character of Nick Stone, a former SAS soldier turned mercenary. He has also written...
Read MoreUnraveling Our Roots: A Review of Jack Reacher’s adventures in Past Tense
In an unusual turn of events for me, I found myself watching the Jack Reacher movies, portrayed by Tom Cruise, and the TV show Reacher, portrayed by Alan Ritchson, before diving into the books. However, after a quiet, beautiful, insomniac night, under the reading lamp, trying to shine it away from the pretty face of my girlfriend, sleeping next to me, I raced through the pages of “Past Tense”, thoroughly enjoying it. The experience of having watched the adaptations before the source material added a new dimension to my appreciation of the character of Jack Reacher and Lee Child’s writing. Having found and cultivated in my soul the tendency towards being alone and leaving the world behind at a moment’s notice, I deeply admire/envy the free spirit...
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