RC: Cloak and Dagger

Cloak and Dagger

2016

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#2016CloakDaggerChal 

Any format, at least 100 pages, mystery/suspense/thriller/crime genres. Any sub-genres are welcome as long as they incorporate one of these genres. Woo Hoo! Romantic Suspense and cozies count! She mentions reviews so I'm going for Amateur Sleuth and hope to read/review 1-10 books!

~ Books Read ~

The 4 Phase Man by Richard Steinberg

copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2016

The Enemy by Lee Child (#173)

My SIL doesn't read quite as much as I do but was very excited about a series she was reading. I had heard of it but hadn't read any of them but she mentioned it over several visits (she isn't local). Then the announcement about the movie comes and she's still talking about the books.

I bit.

I'm now reading the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child. I started at the beginning and am currently on #8. So far I know this about each book.

1. Someone is going to die
2. Reacher, not Jack, will investigate
3. Someone will want it covered up
4. Reacher will get even and figure out what happened
5. I'm going to enjoy every minute of it

I started Wednesday and the only reason I didn't finish very early Thursday morning is I needed to go see my Mom. Trust me, I would have finished it and then gone to bed otherwise. In The Enemy, Reacher is still in the military and yes, someone has died. Four someones actually but the first one looks to be of natural causes and the second was his wife (not natural causes).  Reacher has a man in handcuffs that he is questioning but I don't want to tell you his name. I just really liked this part. . . .

[name] didn't move. He sat absolutely still. He was hunched way forward, with his wrists fastened to the chair down near his knees. I sat still too. I wasn't sure what to do. Our own Delta guys were trained to resist interrogation. I knew that. They were trained to counter drugs and beatings and sensory deprivation and anything else anyone could think of. Their instructors were encouraged to employ hands-on training methods. So I couldn't even imagine what [name] had been through, in five years with the GRU. There was nothing much I could do to him. I wasn't above smacking people around. But I figured this guy wouldn't say a word even if I disassembled him limb by limb.

So I moved on to traditional policing techniques. Lies, and bribery.

The Soviet GRU was a kind of cross between a military police corps and Delta Force so I'm reading along wondering what Reacher will need to do to break this guy. There is so much left of the book but he seems perfect for it. Number 1 has already happened and I think there are more to come. Number 2 is in the works but remember number 3? Yeah, his direct boss is all about PR and "the big picture", "the Army must look good" so the over the top gay bashing was just a training accident. Poor guy's head was hit when his jeep fell on it while he was changing a tire.

back to reading. . . .

and for the Back to School challenge. . . US snipers are right-handed because of the way the rifle is built. Sounds right, how to I check if this is fact.

not good words to read...

...it was still a bad decision.

off to continue reading to find out just how bad of a decision it was. . .

This one had twists on top of twists. Spots of panic, never Reacher of course, just me. There were tears and satisfaction. I'm so glad I've got the next in the series in the house :-)

Dang, I need to read a couple of others first but One Shot is waiting for me

The opinion expressed is mine. Offered purely to tell you about a book I checked out of the library. Book details and synopsis are from the publisher. Except for the page numbers, that came directly from the copy I read.

The Enemy
Jack Reacher
Lee Child
978-0385336673
Delacorte Press - Random House
May 2004
393 pages
hardcover (ebook, audio, paperback, large print)
Age range: high school
 
Military related Mystery/Thriller
source: public library

finished reading: September 20
Grade: B+

Jack Reacher. Hero. Loner. Soldier. Soldier’s son. An elite military cop, he was one of the army’s brightest stars. But in every cop’s life there is one case that changes everything. For Jack Reacher, this is that case.

New Year’s Day, 1990. In a North Carolina motel, a two-star general is found dead. His briefcase is missing. Nobody knows what was in it. Within minutes Reacher has his orders: Control the situation. Within hours the general’s wife is murdered. Then the dominoes really start to fall.

Somewhere inside the vast worldwide fortress that is the U.S. Army, Reacher is being set up as a fall guy with the worst enemies a man can have. But Reacher won’t quit. He’s fighting a new kind of war–against an enemy he didn’t know he had. And against a conspiracy more chilling, ingenious, and treacherous than anyone could have guessed.

copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2013

Subterranean by James Rollins (#82)

Suspend belief and journey down. Down below the ice where evolution has taken a different course.

I was so mad at Dr. Blakey. How could he recruit a single mother and let her bring her son on this mission? He knew some of the dangers but didn't inform the others. Ashley had been having enough trouble keeping food on the table after the divorce that a guaranteed tenure at "the university of your choice", exclusive authorship of research garnered and $100,000 for two months work blinded her to the omissions. Being able to bring her son and a large diamond fertility statue helped. True, we only know of them because of the previous chapter but when something sounds too good to be true, maybe it is.

I was serious about suspending belief. This may be listed as a thriller but think Journey to the Center of the Earth with strange creatures, fantastic geological finds, and amazing plant life. Just add modern greed and weapons. I haven't read Journey so I'm not sure it is a true comparison but I'm loving this book, am amazed that it is a debut novel and am looking forward to reading what else Mr. Rollins has written.

off to read some more. . . 

heart-stopping panic, blood-curdling fright, blood and gore, tear inducing moments, satisfying ending.

Subterranean
James Rollins
978-0061916175
William Morrow
March 2010
432 pages
hardcover (paperback, ebook, audio)
Age range: high school
 
Thriller
source: public library

finished reading: June 27
Grade: B+

Beneath the ice at the bottom of the Earth is a magnificent subterranean labyrinth, a place of breathtaking wonders—and terrors beyond imagining. A team of specialists led by archaeologist Ashley Carter has been hand-picked to explore this secret place and to uncover the riches it holds. But they are not the first to venture here—and those they follow did not return. There are mysteries here older than time, and revelations that could change the world. But there are also things that should not be disturbed—and a devastating truth that could doom Ashley and the expedition: they are not alone.

~*~*~

Challenges this counts towards:
150+
Where are you reading
Outdo Yourself
Library Books Read-a-Thon
Library Books
Genre/sub-genre

copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2013

Thoughts on...Consent to Kill by Vince Flynn

I wasn't going to review this book. It was just going to be a pleasant read but there are so many great characters I had to.

Mitch Rapp. The kind of man that countries don't want to meet in a dark alley. The kind of man who you won't know is there until it's too late, if then. The kind of man who doesn't miss. The kind of man you'd be insane to kill. Want? Oh yes, but try? No way.

The prelude tells us that and explains why. Chapter two starts with ..."I want a man killed." Want to guess who? Yup. Apparently, while doing his job with the CIA, Mitch killed a man. Now the man's dad wants him killed and has the money to do it.

Anna Rapp. Beautiful and successful journalist attached to the White House. Mitch's wife. Anna is so nice I'd like to be friends with her or at the very least a neighbor/co-worker.

Mark Ross. The new Director of National Intelligence. Former Senator. The kind of guy you think of when someone says "politician" in a swearing manner. A man too involved in his own importance and plans that he disregards intel (!) and advise from those who have been in the business longer.

That's just three. Mitch's direct boss, Irene Kennedy (Director of the CIA) is fabulous so are several of Mitch's friends/co-workers.

Then there are the, ahem, oily Saudis. Really. Mr. Flynn takes the stereotyped attitudes from Saudi Arabia and expands on them. Add in some 9-11 feelings and you've got some great characters.

Throw in several Congressmen out to extend their terms and cover their backsides. Plus ex-Military men who haven't forgotten what it's like. And don't forget various locations around the world and a mixed bag of assassins.

"The international espionage community was a loose affiliations of spies, analysts, and operatives who were bound by the unique nature of their careers.... Rapp was an icon in their world, admired by friend and foe alike. He was a man who had worked in the field and come up through the ranks-something they could all respect..."

off to read...

by the time I hit page 650 I didn't want to finish the book. My heart was racing and I wanted to know what happens but I didn't want it to be over.

Several times, Mitch Rapp's time is brought up, fifteen years, and I am happy that there is another book in this series waiting for me. This can be read without having read the previous books but there are references to them that you might consider spoilers.

Overall, the book was reminder why I like Vince Flynn and gave me a good kick to read the others that I've missed. Hey, it's been long enough, I could start at the beginning!

Grade: A

Disclaimer: This title came from my personal library. The opinions expressed in this post are mine and may differ from yours. Book information courtesy of the publisher and Barnes&Noble


Consent to Kill
by Vince Flynn

Pocket Star
tall Mass Market Paperback
Spy Thriller
18+ (I'd let my 8th grader read this)
674 pages
ISBN: 9781416505013


Product Description:

For ten years Mitch Rapp has fought on the frontline of the War on Terror. His bold actions have saved the lives of thousands -- but in the process his list of enemies has grown inexorably. There are even those within his own government who would like to see him eliminated. Thousands of miles away, the influential father of a dead terrorist demands retribution for the death of his son. He wants Rapp dead -- and his hate-filled plea has found sympathetic ears. In the tangled, duplicitous world of espionage, there are those, even among America's allies, who feel Rapp has grown too effective. They've been looking for an excuse to eliminate America's No 1 counterterrorism operative -- and they've decided to seize the chance.

The Hunter has become the Hunted. A tragedy of unimaginable proportions is about to befall Mitch Rapp -- and he must use all his cunning, skill and ruthless determination to stay alive and seek vengeance against the traitor who would bring him down.

Started just because but it fits the "Big Book Summer Challenge" to read a book over 400 pages. I also used this title for several other challenges.

copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2012

Reading Challenge - Mystery & Suspense

Mystery & Suspense
2011
Hosted at Book Chick City

Basically, read 12 books during 2011 that fit mystery, thriller, or suspense. See the sign-up page for details and a chance for free books!

Cozies fit so I'm in!

1. Curiosity Thrilled the Cat
2. Stitch Me Deadly
3. Killer Crab Cakes
4. Emeralds and Espionage
5. The Misfit of Supernatural High
6. The Man with the Golden Gun
7. Forever Blue
8. Primal Fear
9. How to Wash a Cat
10. Chapter & Hearse
11. Cookie Dough or Die
12. Murder of a Bookstore Babe

copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2011

The Book of Lies

The Book of Lies
Brad Meltzer
fiction
Grand Central Publishing
mmp June 2009
432 pages

from the back: "In chapter four of the Bible, Cain kills Abel. It is the world's most famous murder. But the Bible is silent about one key detail: the weapon Cain used to kill his brother. That weapon is still lost to history.

In 1932, Mitchell Seagel was killed by gunshots. While mourning, his son dreamed of a bulletproff man and created Superman. The gun used in this unsolved murder has never been found. Until now. Today in fort Lauderdale, a young man named Cal Harper encounters his long-missing father--who has been shot with the same gun that kidded Siegel. But soon after their reunion, Cal and his dad are attacked by a killer tattooed with the ancient markings of Cain. What does Cain, history's greatest villain, have to do with Superman, the world's greatest hero? And what do two murder, committed thousands of years apart, have in common?"


This is my first Brad Meltzer book. Picked up for the cover, purchased because it sounded interesting but it would have gone on my library list if I didn't need a "New to You Author" book. I wasn't sure how quick I could get it at the library or if I'd feel like reading it when it came....

Normally, I can get into a book and finish quickly, even with other stuff going on. This one was different. Not because it was bad, but because it has that so-scary-it-could-be-real feel to it. All the characters were alive to me and I needed to take breaks to get them out of my head. Surprises and twists kept me guessing and I'm extremely glad I kept reading, the ending was fantastic and not rushed, leaving us just enough unanswered questions to wonder about. I inhaled the last third, without even potty breaks :)

5 stars