The Torch Betrayal

The Torch Betrayal by Glenn Dyer is a classic World War II spy novel. This is really a historical thriller that makes use of characters like Eisenhower and Churchill; as well as “Wild Bill” Donovan, the first director of the OSS (forerunner to the CIA), Kim Philby, the Soviet spy who was one of the Cambridge Five. Dyer’s protagonist is Connor Thorn, a 26-year-old OSS recruit. The book opens with the theft of a critical page of Eisenhower’s plans for the invasion of North Africa (The Torch) and the eventual Allied assault on the continent. The danger of the loss of that specific data was a change in Eisenhower’s best plans for dealing with Hitler. So the chase was on to find the diary page. Dyer had a little of everything including a love interest for Thorn. This is supposed to be the first book in a Connor Thorn series, and one can only hope that the subsequent Thorn books are as well written as this one. I’m not normally a reader of World War II fiction, but Connor Thorn is a compelling character and The Torch Betrayal is a good story that kept me engaged.

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith

Lethal White is Robert Galbraith’s (aka J.K. Rowlings') forth book in her Corman Strike series.  Strike’s former assistant Robin has been elevated to partner in their now famous and growing detective agency.  Strike’s notoriety lands him a case with the irritable Jasper Chizzle, Minister for Culture who claims he’s being blackmailed.  With grown children from three marriages, rumblings about quasi-legal activities, and disagreements with other politicians, Chizzle’s case proves complex and broad in scope for the two detectives.  Then when Chizzle is murdered and the police call it suicide, one of Chizzle’s daughters hires Strike and Robin to find the truth.  Finding that truth proves dangerous for both partners.  Meanwhile, both Strike and Robin’s personal lives are in shambles but the chemistry between the two thrives on adversity.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  Even though it was a bit long for a mystery, I was never bored or confused and hated to see it end… a sign of good writing.

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson is a wonderful and farcical story. The reader only knows at the beginning that a man, Allan Karlsson, is eager to escape from his Swedish nursing home just before his 100-birthday party. Over the course of the book, we learn about the remarkable life he has led including stumbling into a job at the Manhattan Project where he solved Oppenheimer’s design dilemma so that he could create the atom bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. That led to his becoming friends with Harry Truman who he was with when Harry learned of the death of FDR. Then there were encounters with other world leaders including Stalin to whom he gave secrets about the bomb, Charles de Gaulle, LBJ, Richard Nixon, and others. As the story moved back and forth from old times to current times, Karlsson’s disappearance was being pursued by a police detective, Chief Inspector Aronsson, who would have made Inspector Clouseau seem totally competent. Part of the story involves Karlsson mistakenly stealing a suitcase that contained 50,000,000 krona, which is about $5.6 million USD. I’ve not even mentioned the incompetent thugs who are part of the story. This story is a great escape and it gets my strong recommendation. Thanks to my traveling companion Jane for suggesting this book, and thanks to Amazon for being able to download this book from a remote corner of Viet Nam.

Where the Wind Heals

Where the Wind Heals by Ari Schneider is a delightful read about a young man who learns to climb rocks in his native State of Vermont, and then travels with a friend to distant locations to continue to advance his craft of mountain climbing. It’s a story of adventure and friendship, and also a story of the bumps in the road and how to contend with them. Courage along the road and in the mountains turned into courage of self-reflection and awareness of inner demons that required more attention. As a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, I enjoyed this well-written read from several perspectives. This story gets my strong recommendation.

Naked Truth

Naked Truth by Rick Pullen is a timely thriller which is based on the murder of the Chief Justice, a judicial extremist, in order to replace him a more moderate judicial thinker. The protagonist is Beck Rikki, a former investigative reporter with an important Washington newspaper. Except Rikki was recently discredited and fired when it was learned he was having an affair with the former President’s wife. Rikki needed to use his formidable investigative skills to solve a complex mystery. I’ll let the review go at that – lots of twists and turns. I generally don’t like the use of plots involving identical twins, as was the case with this book. That part typically sounds too contrived and trite to keep me interested. Yet, these twins were enticing to say the least. You’ll have to read it to understand my comment.

The Man Who Came Uptown by George Pelecanos

Michael Hudson makes some bad choices as a D.C. youth and ends up in prison.  There he meets Anna, the prison librarian who changes his life.  She engages Michael in reading, the classics primarily, which make him want to be a better man. 

Michael is suddenly released from prison when a P.I., Phil Ornaizon intimidates a witness into withdrawing his testimony against Michael.  Michael returns to his D.C. neighborhood, finds a job washing dishes, and becomes a voracious reader.  Coincidently, Anna lives in his neighborhood and continues to recommend books to support his new found hobby.  Ornaizon, however, has other plans for Michael.  The P.I. runs a criminal side business where he robs crooks of ill-gotten gains and continually pesters Michael to join him.  Michael feels some loyalty to Ornaizon but truly wants to go straight.

I love the way Pelecanos brings out both the good and bad in his characters.  They are all flawed but have many redeeming qualities that make you root for them and hope they make good choices… such an honest and intimate view of humanity.  No one does this as well as Pelecanos.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance look.

Past Tense by Lee Child

Jack Reacher is in Maine headed to California when he decides to visit his father’s birthplace, Laconia, New Hampshire.  After asking around and doing some research at the town hall, Reacher discovers the small village where his father lived is no longer inhabited and the neighbors are hostile.

Meanwhile, a Canadian couple check into a secluded motel nearby and find the motel owners lie to them, then delay their departure.  What devious plans do the owners have for the unsuspecting couple and how will Reacher come to the rescue?

This is the typical Jack Reacher novel: show up, find someone in need, kick some ass, charm the intelligent female, and move on.  It’s always a worthwhile adventure.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance look. 

West Coast Don thinks this book was okay. As Midwest Dave writes, it is  straightforward Child. There are two main plots which develop slowly, but once the plots collide, the action gets more intense. The story is so-so, but if you like Reacher, then you'll find this worthwhile. In this book, Child emphasizes the physical size of Reacher more than I remember him doing, and I wonder if that is a reaction to the use of the diminutive Tom Cruise as the movie version of the protagonist.