Elmore Leonard has always been one of my favorite writers. Everyone raves about his mastery of dialog and his poetic prose, but for me is all about the characters and the story. Elmore Leonard is the man! He’s an industry all to himself. No one does it better. His characters just jump off the page, and you can’t help falling in love with them.
In this, his forty-second novel, he goes all out. In my opinion this is one of his best books ever. Leonard was a fantastic western writer before he switched over to mainstream crime fiction. In this novel he blends the two genres together to great effect.
It is not required, but if you’ve read his old western, Cuba Libre, you’ll get an extra kick out of this book. This is an intelligent, witty, well paced adrenaline rush of a novel. It’s a definite couldn’t put it down winner. If this is your first Elmore Leonard book, you’re in for a treat. Get it now.
Tags: Crime, elmore leonard, us marshall, Western
A lifetime of reading has taught me to be leery of so called classics that have nothing to recommend them, other than the fact that school systems for years have forced us to read them, and sadly, without merit, these so called classics become part of the collective experience. Lord of the Flies is one of those rare exceptions. For aspiring writers and those of us who love a good tale, it is difficult to believe that this was Golding’s first novel.
What’s most remarkable, is that this novel espouses strong political views that were completely contrary to the prevailing opinions of the time, yet the author manages to do so without, in any way, harming an amazingly well told story.
At its core, this couldn’t put it down masterpiece embodies everything a good book should be. It creates an unforgettable experience for the reader, with everything else that’s not story made secondary. More than anything else, this is a high adrenaline adventure story that will keep you turning pages to the very end. It doesn’t really matter that the story is not really about young boys stuck on an island, or that the author is trying to make a point about the human spirit and the need for a political system in order for it to blossom.
What matters is that after finishing this astonishing page turner, it won’t matter if you don’t understand all of its lessons; the story itself will stay with you for the rest of your life. If you haven’t yet read it, there’s no time like the present. And if you have read it, because you had to, and were too young to appreciate it, perhaps it’s time you gave it another try. You certainly won’t regret it.
Tags: Classic
Here I go again. Just can’t get enough of Arkady Renko. I knew Havana Bay was going to be a couldn’t put it down winner, when in the opening pages a character tells Renko, “A dead Russian, a live Russian. What’s the difference?” Talk about cynicism.
Havana Bay is the fourth book in the Arkady Renko novel series. Although some of Renko’s fans will be disappointed and upset at the turn of events that led their favorite investigator to Havana, Cuba, this novel is a riveting page turner that delivers.
Renko arrives in Havana Cuba with nothing to lose and delves into communism, a state he knows too well, in search of an old friend. Place a Russian in Cuba who speaks no Spanish, knows nothing about the island and its history, and can’t contain his need to ask questions, and you can’t help but get a heart-stopping thriller.
If you don’t’ already own it be sure to pick it up. For maximum satisfaction, it is strongly recommended that these novels be read in the order they were written.
Tags: martin cruz smith, police, renko, russia, Thriller
Having read Gorky Park and Polar Star back to back, I didn’t know if I had the mental stamina to embark on another rollercoaster ride with Arkady Renko. The thought of another unrelenting page turner was exciting, yet exhausting.
However, the day after finishing Polar Star found me right back at the bookstore. But could I endure another string of sleepless nights completely absorbed in another couldn’t put it down page turner? I figured I just read a couple of chapters and then get some sleep. Of course I didn’t count on how quickly, in the hands of a master storyteller, one can be hopelessly ensnared. Like a junkie, I was hooked and couldn’t stop reading until my alarm clock, quite rudely, let me know it was time to go to work.
What I’ve enjoyed most about the Arkady Renko novels, is the author’s ability to make the protagonist seem so real that after I’ve finished one, I find Arkady Renko constantly cruising through my thoughts. This installment wasn’t much different.
In Red Square, Arkady Renko goes after the ghost of his past only to find that the future he had concocted in his mind all these years, in no way mirrored his current reality. I strongly recommend these novels are read in the order in which they were written. Pick up the first one now, if you haven’t yet done so, and get ready to be swept away.
Tags: martin cruz smith, masterpiece, police, russia, Spy, Thriller
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