"Go By Go" (1998) [novel]
Review by michael a draper (2010-02-02)
After a mine explosion in Butte, Montana results in the death of 162 miners, the miners walk out, demanding better safety conditions in the mines. Union organizer Frank Little comes to Butte and begins encouraging the miners to join his union.
The Pinkertons and other agencies are also at Butte. They are hired by the mining corporation to make sure that Little doesn't succeed. Young Pinkerton operative, Geed Ryder is sent to the area to infiltrate the strikers, find the trouble makers and determine what the miners are planning.
Geed is well described as a character and the reader sees his youthful ambition and gullibility. He seems sincere and is able to talk his way into the homes and hearts of the miners and union representatives.
The setting of mining town, Butte, Montana, is depicted precisely with accompanying photographic documentation as if the reader is learning the details from the author's periodic contributions to the local newspaper.
Jon A. Jackson has stated that he live in this this town and had been interested in the labor movement for a long time. He details the attempts by the union to provide a safer work environment and a living wage for the union members. The greedy corporation is seen hiding behind the claim that anyone wanting to set up unions must be a communist. In this manner they camolflage their heartlessness toward their employees.

(This review refers to the 1998 version titled “"Go By Go"”)

Clockwork Orange, a (1962) [novel]
Review by siam (2010-02-01)
I just got done with this book and thought that it was one of the best reads ever because it left me saying to myself should I feel sorry for alex or hate him but that is not the point of the story. The author is talking about crime and rehabilitation and also about a future where gangs and criminals take over at night.

(This review refers to the 1962 version titled “A Clockwork Orange”)

Sail (2008) [novel]
Review by siam (2010-02-01)
This is an interesting read because you really dont know what will happen but a sharp guess would be pretty good. I say,if you're looking for action and suspense,That sail is good and anyone should read it. James is talented and can keep you up at night. I liked it but if your pickey about what you read then this may not be for you.

(This review refers to the 2008 version titled “Sail”)

Devil Bones (2008) [novel]
Review by michael a draper (2010-01-29)
This is the 11th book featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan.

In this story, a plumber is renovating a home when he discovers a secret room. In the room are bones, feathers and signs of what might be devil worship. There is an altar at the center with a skull on it. The skull turns out to be a teenage girl.

Temperance Brown is called in to see if the skull is from a murder victim. As she works on this case with Detective Erskine "Skinny" Slidell, they also investigate the circumstances around the body of a teenage boy found by a man walking his dog. This body is marked by satanic symbols.

Kathy Reichs takes her reader on an adventure where we learn of devil worship, meet a Wiccan, and learn how this is different from a witch. Temperance also investigates the superstitutions of the black community and their practice of Voodoo medicine.

There is plenty of action in this story. The author provides a number of surprises and good characters. In this story, the reader learns of Temp's love life and the politics of her job.

Very entertaining.

(This review refers to the 2008 version titled “Devil Bones”)

Tonight I Said Goodbye (2004) [novel]
Review by michael a draper (2010-01-26)
Investigator Wayne Weston is found dead of apparent suicide. His wife and six-year-old daughter are missing. Wayne's father, a former WWII vet, hires Lincoln Perry and his partner Joe Pritchard to investigate.
<p>With good dialogue and interesting characterization, the author describes how the detectives and find that there is much more to the case than they originally thought. To their surprise, they can't find any cases that the invstigator was working on but he does seem to be working for wealthy Jeremy Hubbard, who has a goal of developing a river front area in Cleveland. When the detectives ask Hubbard if Weston worked for him, Hubband won't admit anything and tries to buy them off. This makes them more curious and determined to find the answers.
<p>This is the first novel by Michael Koryta and his talent with dialogue makes the characters come alive to the reader, almost as if the reader was being taken along on the investitgation of the case. There are a number of surprises and the author provides an interesting plot twist.
The plot is nicely laid out and progresses in a logical fashion. Very enjoyable.

(This review refers to the 2004 version titled “Tonight I Said Goodbye”)

Die Trying (1998) [novel]
Review by michael a draper (2010-01-23)
Jack Reacher is walking down a city street when he stops to help a woman with a cain attempt to put her dry cleaning into her car. Three men approach her and abduct her, bringing Reacher along also. We find that the men are part of a separatist group. They bring their prisoners to their enclave in Montana where they intend to hold FBI agent, Holly Hohnson, as a bargaining tool for a plan they have against the government.
<p> Reacher shows the reader his many talents in this second Jack Reacher novel. We see him as the lone man against insurmountable odds. He's highly analytical and possesses keen intelligence. This usually lets him know what the captors are doing. He also shows his human qualitites as he develops a feeling for this young woman. His compassion and strength are two of the reasons why readers enjoy Reacher as a character and are able to sympathise with him.

The plot is original and well developed. The author provides a number of surprises which are logical and add to the enjoyment of the story.

Child's theme seems to be that when oppressed, don't give up and that even one person can do great things.

(This review refers to the 1998 version titled “Die Trying”)

City of Fire (2007) [novel]
Review by michael a draper (2010-01-19)
Lena Gambrel is given the lead investigator responsibility on a case of a young woman who was brutally murdered. The victim's body was left in a position that looked like it was staged to be viewed by another person.

The victim had recently had sex and DNA showed that it wasn't with her husband. Lena looks though the home and sees information with the number seven. This makes her look into the case and she learns that the DNA matches other murders that were committed.

The author does an excellent job of letting the reader know about Lena's background to see her personality, such as her doing crossword puzzles in ink. We also learn that she is living with the memory of her brother's murder which is still unsolved.

The writing captivates the reader's attention and holds it throughout the story.

In addition, the author provides a plot twist as things were winding down that was outstanding and unexpected. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

(This review refers to the 2007 version titled “City of Fire”)

Darkness Forged in Fire, a (2008) [novel]
Review by perry.matthew (2010-01-18)
This book is a brilliant book and has an amazingly brilliant story line of an elf that hates the forest! The only problem I have with it is that it is a hard read and the subject of the conversation can change without you realising. You realy need to pay attention to every detail in the book. Other than that I think it is brilliant and you actualy can't put it down. A highly recomended read.

(This review refers to the 2008 version titled “A Darkness Forged in Fire”)

Roots (1976) [novel]
Review by gibsonj338 (2010-01-17) Contains spoilers. View anyway.

Dead Heat (2003) [novel]
Review by michael a draper (2010-01-17)
Georgia Parish is in Nulgarra, Australia for her grandfather's funeral.
She meets two people who got stuck, crossing a river, while driving to the airport. Their plane crashes, killing the pilot and a passenger. It turns out that the plane was sabotaged. Who was the target? Was it Ronnie Chen, who never showed up for the flight and was later found murdered?

Another passenger on the plane was Lee Denham, supposidly, a man who smuggled Chinese people into Australia. Lee is a former police officer who is searching for Jon Ming, a scientist, who left China with a valuable formula, and entered Australia illegally. Other members of the Chen family also want Ming, so they can take him and his formula back to China.

This action packed novel has Georgia going from one adventure to another. Some of the detail is difficult to believe. She has a finger cut off by the Chen's, in an attempt to get information. Yet, she goes on and actually attempts to fight someone with her hand wrapped in a bandage.

The setting is well done. The reader feels the stark Australian bleakness and gets to know the feelings of the people. The author tells us of the many Chinese who were smuggled into the country and the consequences these people face if they are found and returned to China.

The plot develops in a logical manner. However, when the author provides one plot twist towards the conclusion of the story, the twist was illogical and placed the story in disbelief.

There were some good parts and a nice leading character but disappointment in the story's conclusion.

(This review refers to the 2003 version titled “Dead Heat (2003)”)

Red Rabbit (2002) [novel]
Review by equilibrium78223 (2010-01-16)
This novel's plot isn't really compelling enough to justify reading the 600-plus pages of fiction. The story is only really of interest to Jack Ryan completists who have read all the other novels. First time Clancy readers should start with Hunt for Red October or Patriot Games. This novel would most likely bore them.

(This review refers to the 2002 version titled “Red Rabbit”)

Girl Who Played with Fire, the (2006) [novel]
Review by michael a draper (2010-01-15)
Lisbeth Salander is accused of killing three people. Evidence is strong against her and so she goes into hiding.

Newspapers have a field day, accusing her of the murder. They go into her past and make her look like an out of control, sexually depraved mad-woman. The tables seems stacked against her but Mikael Blomkvist and a few loyal friends are not swayed by the public view.

The reader learns that two of the people killed worked with Mikael Blomkvist at his magizine, "Millenium," which was about to publish a story about the abuse of prostitutes in Sweden. Two of the people killed wrote the story which was going to point to a number of influential men who used the services of these prostitutes.

In a strong, plot driven novel, the reader follows the bashing Lisbeth receives, the official investigation by the police, Mikael's research into the case and the steps Lisbeth takes to clear her name and find the killers.

Lisbeth Salander continues to be one of the finest female protagonists in literature. The manner in which she is described shows her multi-dimensional qualities. We learn of her childhood trama, the sexual abuse that she suffered and her witnessing her father's drunken rages against her mother. Lisbeth is a gutsy, relentless and extremely intelligent character. Since she appears to be bi-polar, her actions are unique.

The author provided some surprising and well thought out plot twists which kept the story fresh and added to the enjoyment.

(This review refers to the 2009 version titled “Girl Who Played with Fire, the”)

River of Darkness (1999) [novel]
Review by michael a draper (2010-01-10)
This is a story of serial murder in the English countryside in the days after World War I.

The Surrey police believe that this is a robdery with violence buy when Detective Inspector John Madden sees it, he knows it is something more. Madden has spent time in the trenches during the war and knows that this is the crime of a psychopath who will probably strike again.

John Madden is a well developed protagonist. He is knowledgable and determined to find the killer. His personal history is brought in nicely so the reader can know him better and sympathise with him as a character. The way he is looked up to by his assistant, Billy Styles, gives credibility to his knowledge.
The setting is properly drawn and totally realistic. The author could write for the screen because his discriptions are so vivid.

Rennie Airth's theme is of the horrors of war and what that can do to someone. Additionally, the author is telling the reader how little the authorities knew in the diagnosis and treatment of post tramatic stress disorder of that time.

(This review refers to the 1999 version titled “River of Darkness”)

Pursuit of Honor (2009) [novel]
Review by michael a draper (2010-01-09)
The story takes place shortly after a number of terrorists killed 185 people at the National Counterterrorism Center.
Three of the terrorists who helped plan the mission have escaped.
Now Mitch finds that he has to explain his actions to politicians who don't seem to realize what is necessary to maintain the nation's defense.

(This review refers to the 2009 version titled “Pursuit of Honor”)

Me Talk Pretty One Day (2000) [collection]
Review by sadpanda (2010-01-07)
Me Talk Pretty one day was my first read of David Sedaris'. Able to take mundane day-to-day occurrences and transform them into hilarious tales is one of the most appealing elements of the book. After reading Me Talk Pretty, you'll take a look at your own life in another everyone-else-is-naked sort of light. Also try the audiobook to hear Sedaris tell the story in his own nonchalant fashion.

(This review refers to the 2000 version titled “Me Talk Pretty One Day”)

Dirty White Boys (1994) [novel]
Review by michael a draper (2010-01-07)
Lemar Pye, his mentally retarded cousin, Odell, and another man escape from McAlester State Penn, a maximum security prison. With notheing to lose, they go on a killing and robbery spree in Oklahoma and parts of Texas.

One of their stops is a ranch belonging to a WWII veteran named Bill Stepford, who lives there with his wife, Mary.

State Police Sgt. Bud Pewtie and his young partner, Ted Pepper, happen to stop at the ranch when a waitress at a restaurant where Stepford stops every day, tells them that Stepford hasn't shown up and she's worried. Not suspecting that they are approaching two cold-blooded killers, the troopers are ambushed. In the action, Pewtie is wounded but acted bravely and becomes a legendary figure.

There are no heroic figures in this novel. Pewtie is a self-centered egotist who is having an affair with his young partner's wife. His lieutenant is an alcoholic and Lemar Pye has no redeeming traits. In fact, it is Pye's evilness that leaves the reader with a haunted memory that will last a long time. With someone like Pye, who has no hesitancy to take another's life, I was totally wrapped up in the chase to bring him to justice.

An enjoyable reading experience.

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