It’s out there. Waiting. Chances are, you’ve never heard of it. Nobody knows who controls it, or why. Only that they’re malicious hackers. No one knows what it will do. But its destructive capacity is terrifying. Welcome to the world of cyber war! And, no, this is NOT science...
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A review of Disciple of the Dog, by R. Scott Bakker. @@@@ (4 out of 5). Private detective Disciple Manning is hired by the wealthy parents of a 21-year-old woman who has disappeared from the cult headquarters where she’s been living for two years. In the course of investigating the cult, a small operation led by a former UC Berkeley professor of . . . guess what? cults . . . Manning encounters a neo-Nazi “church” led by a clique of ex-cons, and it appears to own the town. He rockets between believing that first one, then the other of these is responsible for the young woman’s disappearance and, he firmly believes, her death.
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A review of Republican Gomorra: Inside the Movement That Shattered the Party, by Max Blumenthal. @@@@ (4 out of 5). This is a lively and fascinating book based on five years of interviews with the luminaries of the Religious Right, and it’s worth reading today despite the fact that its narrative ends with the election of Barack Obama. The Religious Right may no longer hog the headlines, but there’s no mistaking its continuing hold on so many of the levers of power.
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A review of Shaman Pass: A Nathan Active Mystery, by Stan Jones. @@@@ (4 out of 5). Jones delves deeply into the history of the Inupiat (“Eskimo”) people of Alaska. The shaman referred to in the title, though long dead, figures as a major character in the novel when his mummy is stolen en route from the Smithsonian Institution to the Inupiat community that has voted to put it on display in a tourist museum to raise money. Then the president of the community is mysteriously murdered, and Alaska State Trooper Nathan Active finds himself confronted with a devilishly complex hunt for the killer.
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A review of The Spanish Game, by Charles Cumming. @@@ (3 out of 5). The Spanish Game features as many twists and turns and surprises as the best of them, once the cast of characters starts filling out and the Basque terrorist group, ETA, enters the scene.
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Mysteries & Thrillers Tuesday includes my latest mystery and thriller book review,
with links to other science fiction content.
Nonfiction Wednesday includes my latest nonfiction book review,
with links to other nonfiction content.
The Weekly includes summaries and links to all the previous week’s three to five book reviews, including some that don’t appear in any of the other newsletters.
Mysteries & Thrillers Tuesday includes my latest mystery and thriller book review, with links to other science fiction content.
Nonfiction Wednesday includes my latest nonfiction book review, with links to other nonfiction content.
The Weekly includes summaries and links to all the previous week’s three to five book reviews, including some that don’t appear in any of the other newsletters.