The Prisoner

Mole. Alex Berenson continues to develop the complexity of protagonist John Wells in the eleventh novel in a series featuring this CIA agent. Just when his life seems to be settling down and his risk-taking diminishing, Wells offers himself as bait to ferret out a mole operating at the highest levels of the CIA. The novel is titled, The Prisoner, because that’s what Wells becomes so he can befriend another prisoner and identify the mole. As with the earlier novels in this series, the action moves quickly, it takes Wells risking his life to get to the bottom of things, and by the end of the novel, the good guys win. Readers who enjoy action novels will find their fill in this novel and this series. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Prisoner from amazon.com.

Bloodroot

Indomitable. The twelfth novel in the Martha’s Vineyard mystery series by Cynthia Riggs featuring 92-year-old poet Victoria Trumbull is titled, Bloodroot. Readers who enjoy this series and murder mysteries in general will find plot development at a moderate pace, a variety of red herrings, a robust cast of characters loaded with flaws and distractions, and the indomitable Victoria well equipped to solve the case. I was entertained by this form of a visit to the Vineyard. Rating: Three-star (It’s ok) Click here to purchase Bloodroot from amazon.com.

Days Without End

Adapt. I can’t recall reading a novel with greater contrast between the beauty of the prose and the brutality described. Sebastian Barry’s novel titled, Days Without End, contains some of the finest prose I’ve read. Protagonist Thomas McNulty has left the famine in Ireland as a teenager and has arrived in the United States on a fever ship as the sole survivor ready to adapt to whatever it will take to survive. After serving as “ladies” with fellow teenager and friend, John Cole, the two friends join the Army to fight first in the Indian Wars, and then with the Union in the Civil War. Barry’s descriptive language led me to reread many sentences, and the atmosphere he builds in the narrative made me feel present with the action described. Readers who enjoy finely written literary fiction are those most likely to enjoy reading this novel. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Days Without End from amazon.com.

The Nowhere Man

Ordeal. The second novel by Gregg Hurwitz to feature Evan Smoak is titled, The Nowhere Man. Smoke is also known as Orphan X, the title of the first novel in this series. I found the pace of this novel to be much slower than the earlier one. Smoak spends a long time in confinement with slow exposition followed by fast-pacing of a quick resolution to his ordeal. While this novel stands on its own, readers will have a more complete view of this interesting protagonist if one reads the novels in sequence. I was entertained well enough by this installment, and look forward to another in the series. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Nowhere Man from amazon.com.

The Fortunes

Pearl. Some novels offer readers the opportunity to understand lives different from our own and gain insight into our human condition as a result. Peter Ho Davies offers four lives for our consideration in his novel titled, The Fortunes. Some of the characters are based on real historical figures. I found each of the four figures to be interesting, but concluded that the section titled, Pearl, was my favorite. Davies’ prose is finely written, and his insight into the ways in which we fit in and the ways in which we are “the other” provided some resonant themes with our contemporary political rhetoric. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Fortunes from amazon.com.

Triple Crown

Stateside. I quickly read Felix Francis’ novel titled, Triple Crown, on a recent trip. I found the reliability of the formula in this series to be a comfort, and I noticed that I didn’t need to pay close attention because the plot moves slowly and clues to the mystery are often obvious. For the first time in my memory, Francis has the bulk of the action take place in the United States. The comparisons of horse racing in England and the United States show that Francis consistently favors the practices in England. Readers who like this series are those most likely to read this installment. It suited my purpose: a quick read that didn’t strain the brain. Rating: Three-star (It’s ok) Click here to purchase Triple Crown from amazon.com.

But What If We're Wrong?

Questions. For general readers who are open to the possibility of changing one’s mind, there are loads of questions and doubts that arise in Chuck Klosterman’s book titled, But What If We're Wrong?: Thinking About the Present As If It Were the Past. I was entertained by the ways in which Klosterman poses his questions, and found myself putting the book down at several points and taking a walk to think about what I had just read. During a time when many of us are very firm in our views and can be stubborn about what we think we know, this book can open one’s mind to the possibility that we may well we wrong. For a dose of humility, peppered with humor, read this entertaining book. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase But What If We’re Wrong from amazon.com.