Faceoff - Edited by David Baldacci

Back in 2013/14, the International Thriller Writers came up with a way to earn money to finance their organization and eliminate dues from members. The result is this first anthology of eleven stories, written by 23 world-class thriller writers for zero compensation. All proceeds of the sale of this book go directly to support the activities of ITW. The idea must have worked because they followed up with MatchUp in 2017.

It’s a cool idea. Each story pairs up two iconic characters from different series. Even though the title is “Faceoff”, they tend to work together during the story, almost always coming away with a healthy respect for the other. That’s good because I would hate to read a story where Repairman Jack actually works against Jack Reacher, for example.

I’ve read most of these authors and feel like I know the characters well. The few I hadn’t read…well, of course now I want to read them too. Most were pretty good tales although a couple of times the plot just to get the two characters to meet each other in the first place was a little too contrived. I listened to this one on audio while driving on a lengthy road trip this past week and the format worked well. Just one story or two at a time depending on what I was in the mood for. David Baldacci served as editor for the book and also read the introductions to each story for the audio version.

For completeness, here is a list of the stories, characters, and authors included in the book:

1) Harry Bosch vs. Patrick Kenzie in “Red Eye,” by Michael Connelly and Dennis Lehane

2) John Rebus vs. Roy Grace in “In the Nick of Time,” by Ian Rankin and Peter James

3) Slappy the Ventriloquist Dummy vs. Aloysius Pendergast in “Gaslighted,” by R.L. Stine, Douglas Preston, and Lincoln Child

4) Malachai Samuels vs. D.D. Warren in “The Laughing Buddha,” by M.J. Rose and Lisa Gardner

5) Paul Madriani vs. Alexandra Cooper in “Surfing the Panther,” by Steve Martini and Linda Fairstein

6) Lincoln Rhyme vs. Lucas Davenport in “Rhymes With Prey,” by Jeffery Deaver and John Sandford

7) Michael Quinn vs. Repairman Jack in “Infernal Night,” by Heather Graham and F. Paul Wilson

8) Sean Reilly vs. Glen Garber in “Pit Stop,” by Raymond Khoury and Linwood Barclay

9) Wyatt Hunt vs. Joe Trona in “Silent Hunt,” by John Lescroart and T. Jefferson Parker

10) Cotton Malone vs. Gray Pierce in “The Devil’s Bones,” by Steve Berry and James Rollins

11) Jack Reacher vs. Nick Heller in “Good and Valuable Consideration,” by Lee Child and Joseph Finder

Riding the Snake by Stephen J. Cannell

“Riding the snake”, at least in this novel, refers to the efforts of Chinese immigrants to seek better lives by engaging in the lengthy process to illegally enter and live in the United States.  Unfortunately, the process is managed by the notorious criminal Triad organization and as such, is fraught with peril for those who make the risky and desperate attempt to make the ride.  

Wheeler Cassidy, a wealthy playboy type with no ambition but pursuing lower golf scores, looser women, and ever more alcohol, has his life permanently altered when his near perfect do-no-wrong politically connected brother dies from a heart attack. Or was he murdered? Wheeler is joined by Tanisha Williams, a black street-smart LAPD detective from the Asian crimes Task Force in an effort to determine just what is behind the death and it isn’t long before the pair are on the trail of international criminals, the Chinese underworld, and having to fight against expectations and their own people along the way.  For them, “riding the snake” has a different meaning but still fraught with just as much peril.

Stephen Cannell, is of course, well known as one of the most successful Hollywood television script writers and producers over the past fifty years. That could have been a red flag for me because television and novels are two different mediums and success in one certainly doesn’t always translate to success in the other.  But I’ve read Mr. Cannell before and he usually produces fun-to-read novels.  There are similarities to his TV shows; his novels are always well-paced, meaning there is a time for action, a time for romance, and a time for reflection.  It’s a bit formulaic but it’s a formula designed for satisfying entertainment and, once again, it works well here.  The characters were interesting and the plot was a good one. I felt invested in the outcome. I definitely learned more about Chinese life in general, Hong Kong, and about the last couple of decades of Chinese history than I knew before going into this book. In the end, it was another satisfying read from Mr. Cannell.

The Haunted Air (Repairman Jack #6) by F. Paul Wilson

I always know I'm in for a good read when I pick up a "Repairman Jack" novel.  "The Haunted Air" by F. Paul Wilson is the 6th in the series about a guy who lives in present day New York City and specializes in fixing things for people.  Just about any job is doable if approached the right way.  Jack lives off the grid: no Social Security Number, no bank accounts, no tax returns, numerous aliases and a great sense of handing out his own brand of justice.

One of the things I love about this series is that it combines several of my favorite genres.  These novels are sort of mystery/thriller novels with a good dose of detective sleuthing thrown in and as we go along, more and more horror as well.  Each book in the series has a stand-alone situation (or situations) for Jack to help with but there is also an overall arc that ties them all together.  The author combines these Repairman Jack novels with his other works in the "Adversary Cycle" to form an overall "hidden history of the world."  Readers certainly need not read all of his works to appreciate each individual novel and, in fact, according to the author's website, even if you read every word of his numerous works, they have just barely scratched the surface of this hidden history.

This novel continues that bigger story arc in fine style as we really start getting into the back story of "The Otherness".  This is the science-fiction/horror aspect of what is happening in the background and is just absolutely fascinating to me.  Jack has been told that nothing in his life is coincidence and we really see that played out in this novel.  Seemingly unrelated jobs of helping a couple of brothers who run a fake psychic/spiritualist operation to watching another client's brother for three evenings in a row to keep him from harm are, in fact, intimately connected. This novel has everything packed in, from fake spiritualists to real ghosts, from fisticuffs to gunplay, from ritual sacrifices to Jack's girlfriend really getting into the action.  And oh yes, she may be pregnant, which plays with Jack's conscience...will he be able to continue living off the grid if he is to become a father?

 Great characters, great plotting, great mysteries and intrigue, and a killer "universe" make Repairman Jack one of the greatest series I've ever read, especially the further along I travel on this road.

Harvard Yard (Peter Fallon #2) by William Martin

Every time I read a novel by William Martin, I feel so lucky to have found him and have long since elevated him to my favorite author list.  I’ve yet to read a bad or even an “OK” book by him. They all hold precious real estate on my best book shelf.  I can now add that his Peter Fallon series is among my favorite series of all…ever.  This series combines many of my favorite genres: historical fiction, historical mystery, and modern day thrillers, all in a single superb novel.  They can be read as stand alones but it would be better to read them in order.

This is the second of the Peter Fallon books (following the excellent "Back Bay" and the first thing I noticed is that we’ve jumped a number of years forward from the end of the last book.  Peter is now a well-regarded antiquarian book dealer and has stumbled across a clue to a long lost, never before known, Shakespearean play titled ‘Love’s Labours Won’, a companion to his well-known play with a similar name.  In the hands of a lesser author, such a premise would strike me immediately with thoughts like ‘here we go again’ and ‘haven’t I seen this before’ and I would most probably pass it by in search of a better book to read.  But since it is William Martin, I knew I was in for an amazing journey.

As in the first book of the series, chapters alternate between the present day Peter Fallon mystery/thriller plot where he hunts for further clues to the history behind the lost play, all the time being hounded by rivals willing to kill for such a valuable find, and the past whereby we get to witness history unfold and actually see what happened along the way. Every time Peter uncovers a new piece of the puzzle, we then get to go back and see how that actually came to be. This leads to a fascinating, page-turning read.

There are numerous historical characters in this novel, as you might imagine considering we get to travel through all of American history from 1605 to the present, following the fictional Wedge family and their caretaker approach to the Shakespearean manuscript.  In 1605, a good friend to Shakespeare, Robert Harvard, received the play as a gift and it is his son, John Harvard who was instrumental in founding the first college in America. The setting for most of this novel is Harvard University and, indeed, it really becomes a character in and of itself. So many major American historical figures graduated from Harvard or taught there, or both, and the novel benefits from all of them. Major events and eras such as the Puritan’s witch burning, the fires of the Civil War, the riots of the 1960s and famous figures such as Cotton Mather, heroes of the Boston Tea Party and the Revolutionary War, through the era of Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt, Joe and Jack Kennedy, etc. etc. all play out on the Harvard stage. And through it all runs the thread of the lost Shakespearean play.

I must say, I have never been a huge fan of Harvard University. Not sure why really, other than a lifelong image of an old stodgy institution that seemed in a world all its own and so not for a common sort of fellow like myself. But this novel really opened up my eyes about Harvard and helped me to appreciate its history and what it stands for. Just the fact that Harvard (formed initially in 1636 and known as ‘New College’) was renamed for John Harvard in 1639 because of his gift of his personal library of some 400 books is awesome. And to see the school meander its way through history, witness its ups and downs, its triumphs and controversies, is really to watch the evolution of the entire country as well.

The patriarch of the fictional Wedge family and good friend to John Harvard, Isaac Wedge was fond of saying “A man is best known by his books”. That is a sentiment that I can certainly relate to and I am proud to count this book among my own library.

Bombshell by Max Allan Collins and Barbara Collins

In September of 1959, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev arrived in the United States for an extended visit and a summit meeting with President Eisenhower. As part of his trip, he visited Hollywood in Los Angeles on the 19th. Among the day’s activities, he was given a tour of the Twentieth Century Fox Studios and was taken on to the sound stage for the movie “Can-Can”. He met a slew of celebrities including Frank Sinatra, Shirley MacLaine and Juliet Prowse. However, when he was told he could not visit Disneyland due to concerns over his own safety and security, he exploded in anger.

This is all documented history. But what the public doesn’t know is that Khrushchev also met Marilyn Monroe, and together they uncovered a complex assassination attempt on his life. This novel covers that hitherto unknown thrilling aspect of his visit to the US, including a detour to Disneyland after all.

This novel grew out of a short story by Barbara Collins entitled, “Da Svidaniya, Khrushchev” which was published in 1997’s anthology, “Marilyn: Shades of Blonde”. The expanded version was written by Barbara and her husband, Max Allan Collins and originally published under their combined pseudonym, “Barbara Allan”. Now, it has been reprinted thanks to the good folks at Wolfpack Publishing.

This novel really took me by surprise. I confess my knowledge of both Khrushchev and Marilyn Monroe is minimal, mostly limited to the major headlines and public personas. I was also a little nervous about the seemingly absurd premise of the book. After all, how plausible is the idea of Marilyn Monroe overhearing an assassination plot and risking everything to lead Khrushchev to safety? At Disneyland of all places. But I must say, this story really gripped me. Absolutely delightful all the way through.

The story is told from the point of view of both of these icons as well as that of secret service agent, Jack Harrigan.  I found all of them to be fully engaging and realistic, especially the characterization of Marilyn Monroe. It really captures her accidental zany antics combined with a laser-focused purpose.  It’s hard to pull off a light-hearted but danger-filled pulpy thriller but these authors have done it superbly. And both authors’ knowledge of the era and celebrities of that time is on full display. Even Walt Disney gets in on the action.

All in all, this is a tremendously fun read. A page-turner to be sure.

Numbered Account by Christopher Reich

This is one of those books that, if I had only gone by the cover blurb (or cover art) or even a plot summary, I probably would have passed on by.  It sounds like a million other thriller books out there and unless you are really into financial thrillers or have read Christopher Reich books before, you may have chosen to pass it by too.

But I'm so glad I took a chance!  It wasn't without some reservation though, as this is not a small book; my paperback copy runs 753 pages.  But this is much more than "just" a financial thriller.  I wouldn't worry about getting bogged down with too much financial transaction and bank operations plot although you can't help but come away with an increased knowledge of Swiss banking practices, especially when it comes to depositor identifications.  There are quite a few characters here and we, along with the protagonist, aren't always certain where their loyalties lie or what their intentions are.  That alone kept me on my toes but then adding several layers of intrigue surrounding a take-over bid, an unsolved cold case murder, a nice romance, and even international terrorists make for a pretty complex and yet nicely interwoven plot.  

It's really difficult to believe this is the author's first published novel.  But the detail of Zurich, Switzerland, as well as the inner workings of a large Swiss bank makes it evident that the author knows a lot about what he is writing about.

If I have any criticism at all it would be that there may be too much going on here.  A couple of the plot elements seemed to be kind of stuck in there but that is really being nitpicky on my part.  It was definitely a page turner, and that's really the goal with a good thriller.

So now I've got to add another must-read author to my way too lengthy list.  Life could be worse.