Last Man Standing

By David Baldacci
Web London is an elite agent with the FBI’s hostage rescue team, set to engage a drug den near Washington DC. The raid involves an elaborate operation which has been coordinated over many months, facilitated by a deep undercover informant. Soon after the mission begins, the entire group is obliterated by laser activated heavy machine gun fire. All except for Web London, who inexplicably froze as the raid started. While Web was able to redeem himself by destroying the machine gun nests, it could hardly compensate for the death of the entire team. Web struggles internally and externally as he fights to come to grips with why he froze, and faces accusations of treason. Web begins seeing a therapist, and reconnects with friends to help him deal with his personal struggle. By pursuing the truth in what happened during the raid, Web gets himself into a variety of sticky situations that only luck and his extensive training, keep him alive. We are brought full force into his life, and the conflicts that plague him. We follow Web as he resolves his problems in spectacular military style.
The book introduces numerous characters, and provides background to Web’s life while detailing his current problems. While Web attempts to solve the mystery about what happened to Charlie team, an additional problem from his past presents itself. Web was previously involved in a raid on “The Free Society” lead by Ernest Free (Think David Karesh and Waco). Suddenly, key people from the trial of Ernest Free (two attorneys, a judge and more) are being murdered. The book continues to throttle on with many shootouts, hand to hand combat and illuminating surprises. You never know what might happen and it keeps you guessing until the end.
I must congratulate the author on his development of characters, and fully enveloping the reader in the story. The latter was further assisted by not deviating from the central plotline, and keeping the book moving. While this book was quite a few pages (500+), I didn’t feel that anything included was extraneous and it kept me interested. My few critiques of the book are as follows. While I like to have everything connected at the end of the story, I felt that this particular book did this too neatly. In an effort to not spoil the book for those who haven’t read it, I can’t say much more than that. The only other thing I can say that disappointed me about the book was the ending. I feel this is a constant complaint of mine for many of the books I review, but found comfort in the fact that many people (on Baldacci’s website) have asked for more books involving Web London so they can also get the finality they desire. I felt that some important loose ends, separate from the main story, still existed at the conclusion. I understand why these were not addressed, since the book was primarily about the assault and the secondary conflict with “The Free Society,” it may have been difficult to come back to the other extraneous issues.
Overall, I truly enjoyed reading this book. It was much different from most of the stuff I have read in the past, and especially different from the series I had just finished (The Fury). I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a Jason Bourne type of character with lots of action. I would definitely read another book by this author. Thank you Patti for the recommendation!
Rating: 4 out of 5 Bunsen Burners
Up Next: Timeline by Micheal Crichton

Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor

by Stephanie Barron

Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, and Sense and Sensibility were introduced to me when I was young.  I found myself captured by Jane Austen’s love stories and the unpredictable young heroines.  Consistently I was taken with the proud men who loved these women: Mr. Darcy, Captain Frederick Wentworth, and Col. Christopher Brandon. To me there was no romance like the ones Jane Austen created in her novels. Her writing was straight forward and sophisticated. Imagine my excitement on receiving this book during the holiday break!

The author Stephanie Barron presents this novel as part of a collection of lost letters written by Jane Austen. Austen is the protagonist in this story and readers catch up with her right after she has turned down Harris Bigg-Wither’s marriage proposal. Jane then flees this predicament and goes to her friend Countess Isobel Payne’s house Scargrave Manor. Isobel has recently married Frederick Payne and a ball has been planned in the new bride’s honor. The visit is going well until Frederick becomes very ill and dies. It is decided that foul play is involved and all evidence points to Isobel being guilty. A little later in the story Isobel’s personal maid, Marguerite is also murdered in a violent manner. Isobel pleads with Jane to solve the murders and prove her innocence. Jane embarks on a crime solving journey to solve the Scargrave murders in order to save her friend from the gallows.

This book had many enjoyable aspects. I loved having Jane Austen as the main character and incredible sleuth. She is presented as an intelligent detective, strong individual and wonderful friend. I loved how Stephanie Barron wrote in Austen’s old English and involved some of her history while writing this book. She made many footnotes explaining items or terms of historical or cultural importance. It is obvious Barron is an Austen fanatic like so many of us. I am not an expert on Austen’s writing or the time period, so if there were any discrepancies, I was not aware of them.  Some parts of the book seemed unrealistic at times, but because I was enjoying the book, I quickly overlooked them in order to continue with the story.

 I do not have a lot of criticism about Barron’s book. One negative comment that reviewers have said were that this book was not about Jane’s life. I did not expect this book to be about Jane’s life or her novels so I was not disappointed. I thought the novel was slow to really get started and it took me a while to get used to reading the language. I was also disappointed in the lack of a love story involved in Barron’s writings, especially because that’s what I enjoyed the most about Austen’s books. Despite these criticisms, I still appreciated the book and liked reading it. Read this book with an open mind and enjoy!

Rating: 4 out of 5

Up Next: Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler

Avenging Fury

By John Farris
The final book in the series is extremely difficult to review without giving away many things that have happened in the previous books. In an effort to not spoil any mysteries (there were quite a few moments during reading the book where I found myself saying “no way”), I will try and give my subjective opinion the best I can. Hopefully my summary will also be sufficient.
We catch up with Eden just after the previous novel. Half of Mordaunt is “in disposed,” while Gwen is searching for his feminine half trapped in the past in an alternate universe. Tom Sherard is on a boat on a mission to dispose of Mordaunt’s physical body. We also meet Harlee Nations, a Fetchling who works with Mordaunt. A demon with the body of a sixteen year old girl, and girlfriend of Bronc Skarbeck (from The Fury and the Terror), Harlee is actually the main focus of the book. We follow her and the other Fetchlings as they try to find Eden, and hope to assist Gwen in reuniting Mordaunt with his feminine half. Eden meets Cody Olds, who remains as her protector even after she spills the beans about her abilities. With Gwen’s ultimate return, and the fast paced action of the Fetchlings (their constant meddling), we are brought to a final showdown between the Avatar and Mordaunt.
This book is incredibly hard to review, just like all the other books in the series. I would have to say that this was the worst, however. It’s the worst to review, and the worst of the series. While it has been a little while since I actually read the book (it’s taken a bit to summarize it sufficiently for a review), I found myself struggling to remember what exactly Eden did in the book. And really, going back through it and skimming for some action, she did nothing. Eden was a secondary character in her own book. Even Tom was secondary. The book mostly revolved around the Fetchlings, their desire to help their boss and various situations they involved themselves with, and less about the main conflict. There weren’t many surprises, and the few that existed were dull just the same. The ending was also dull. For a four book series, you expect quite a few pages leading up to the ultimate resolution, some drama and suspense and then a lengthy conclusion. Instead, we are left with a kind of “this is happening, then good and bad meet up, now it’s all over.” It was sad. Following the same characters for so many pages (over 1000 over the 4 books, and more than that if you count the original book) to be left with such a dissatisfying conclusion. I think the only thing that made the end satisfying was the finality of it. I wasn’t left with a lot of questions about what would happen to this person, or that person. The conclusion was certainly conclusive, but unsatisfying. This was my least favorite book of the series.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Bunsen Burners
Up Next: Last Man Standing by David Baldacci

The Fury and the Power

The Fury and the Power
By John Farris
For the second book in the series, we meet up with Eden in Africa with Tom Sherard and supermodel Bertie Nkambe. Eden is being taught (by Bertie) how to develop her powers, and decompressing from the ordeal she has just been through. Her adoptive mother (Betts) was planning to visit, until she is kidnapped by (our old friend) the crossdressing assassin and forced to lure Eden home.
Eden goes home to help Betts, whom Eden thinks is in the hospital from a stroke, and sends her doppelganger to Rome with Tom and Bertie. A rash of murders has been taking place on prominent religious figures, so the crew travels to Rome to consult with the Pope. In Rome, Eden’s doppelganger (who wants to be called Gwen) meets up with Lincoln Grayle, a magician who had a romantic interest in Eden while in Africa. Gwen is soon kidnapped, leaving Tom and Bertie to deal with the evil on their own. The novel keeps its hasty pace as we follow Tom and Bertie fighting the “bad guys” and trying to get to the root of the problem. Eden once again battles with the cross dressing assassin, and ultimately finds herself in Las Vegas. In the final pages, we get a satisfying showdown between good and evil and a few twists involving some other characters from the book. Farris leaves us hanging on, waiting for the next book to find out what is going to happen with the protagonists.
I thought this book was well done, and interesting. The author did a good job of further developing the characters and leading us through the plot. Some old friends made new appearances, and new conflicts (major and minor) were exposed. I was disappointed by a few elements of the story, however. I thought that some of the characters were dispatched prematurely. I was unsatisfied since we had been given sufficient information to get to know them, and then they were then absent from the story. This occurred with both ancillary, and more important characters (recurring from previous books). In addition, I thought that the “bad guy” could have been more developed. We weren’t given a great deal of background into where they come from, motivation, etc. Some indirect references are all we are left with to try and understand a world that is much different from any construct we have. Overall this book was satisfying, if only to continue to find out what happened to the characters who had now already taken up some 700+ pages of my time. However, I did not enjoy this book as much as the first (The Fury) or as the previous book (The Fury and the Terror).
Rating: 3.5/5 Bunsen Burners
Up Next: Avenging Fury by John Farris

The Fury and the Terror

By John Farris
Almost thirty years later, the author John Farris has revisited his protagonists Robin Sandza and Gillian Bellaver. The novel begins by introducing us to the daughter of Gillian Bellaver- Eden Waring. Eden lives with her adoptive parents, Riley and Betts. Like her mother, she possesses supernatural powers, none more important than her premonitory dreams. During her valedictory speech, she warns everyone of an impending plane crash, and rescues many from the conflagration. The media latches onto the story giving her national publicity. Unfortunately, this draws all the wrong kind of attention. Soon she must deal with a cross dressing assassin, MORG agents, and shape shifting creatures: all while trying to save America from a terrorist attack.
We are also introduced to Eden’s doppelganger, her biological grandmother, and the husband of her biological mother. Eden’s abilities allow her to create the exact mirror image of herself, effectively allowing her to be in two places at one time. She can use this pseudo-twin as a means to gather information, or help those in needs, without fear of harm. Also important to the story is her biological mother’s husband. Tom Sherard is an African hunter, and a very rugged and versatile man. These abilities are the reason that Eden’s biological grandmother has asked for his assistance in finding Eden, and keeping her safe. A number of other characters are introduced and we become more familiar with people with psi abilities. The terrorist plot thickens as we learn more about the disabling events that have occurred to the President of the United States, and the involvement of the first lady.
Despite the abundance of characters, the story was not at all hard to follow. I was very anxious to find out what was going to happen as the story progressed, and to see the bad guys get what was coming to them. The author also did a great job of inserting the reader into the world of the novel. He provided adequate detail when appropriate, without droning on and on explaining how her powers work and various other anchors which would have hindered the story. I also found that I did not question the powers, and believe that the story would have been just as interesting in absence of the sci-fi material. My only complaint is that the conclusion was not as dramatic as I would have liked. Instead of a big huge build up to the final events of the book, I felt like it continued along at essentially the same pace. The ending happened, and that was it. I would not say I was dissatisfied with the ending, I just thought the buildup could have been better.
Rating: 4/5 Bunsen Burners
Up Next: The Fury and the Power by John Farris

The Fury

By John Farris
For Christmas I got a whole pile of books by some new authors to try. In addition, I did get Stephen King’s new book (11-22-63), but I thought I should hold off on that one and give somebody new a try. I can’t wait to read it, but I must say I couldn’t have made a better choice on a book (series) to read.
This book revolves around Gillian Bellaver and Robin Sandza. These two teens are spiritual twins (meant to be siblings, until an umbilical strangling forced Robin to transfer to a new body) who possess a number of paranormal abilities. Gillian is the daughter of a wealthy family, living in New York City. Following an incident at a skating rink, Gillian soon becomes very ill. This illness seems to augment her psychic abilities, and is soon having episodes of precognition and astral travel. Robin also possesses similar abilities, expressed initially by his communication (and sedation) of a troubled child with Autism. Robin is soon pursued by a covert government agency known as MORG. He is ultimately captured, and imprisoned in an effort to harness his psi-abilities. At this point, Robin’s father (also a government agent) Peter begins searching for his son. We delve deeper into Gillian’s expanding powers, and the relationship between her and Robin. The book was filled with action, and I was dying to find out what would happen next. Ultimately, the ending was more succinct than I would prefer. But it was still satisfying, regardless. As an added bonus, the author revisited the characters since the late seventies and wrote three companion novels.
I enjoyed the author’s writing style, and felt that the strength of this novel was the fact that he didn’t overdo the paranormal “science.” By focusing more on the conflict of Peter, and Robin’s distress at the MORG agency, he kept the novel from becoming one of pseudoscience and pure fantasy. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
As a side note, this book was made into a movie in the Seventies with Kirk Douglas. While the movie was ok, it’s practically a completely different story from the book. There are enough parallels to recognize the source, but otherwise I’d take the book over the movie any day.
Rating: 4/5 Bunsen Burners
Up Next: The Fury and the Terror.

Sleepeasy

By T. M. Wright
I picked this book up at a used book store in Virginia mostly because the cover contained an endorsement for the author by Stephen King. How can I go wrong with “T.M. Wright is a rare and blazing talent,” I thought?
This book is somewhat difficult to review. I guess it’s because there was a bit of it that really appealed to me (for some reason), and also there were a few things I didn’t like. It is also very different from anything I have read before. The book centers around Harry Briggs, who has died and finds himself in a new place. He arrives in Silver Lake looking for his wife. The afterlife is populated by the creations of the dead. Everyone who has died is given a certain area, and is allowed complete freedom to create their own world to “live” in. Harry soon discovers that his subconscious has created a murderer, troubling both the new realm and our plane of existence. Harry spends the book searching for his wife, and the criminal he is responsible for creating. We are given insight into “the afterlife” present in this book, and also visit the earthly realm. The book introduces some interesting ideas, and is well executed by sticking within the defined parameters. Simply put: it doesn’t contradict itself or venture further (theoretically) than is tolerable. Characters are reasonably developed, and unnecessary characters are simply forgotten. This is something I’m not typically used to, but the author omitted characters satisfactorily.
The story was certainly not engrossing, but I was definitely intrigued by the way it was presented. I find it rather difficult to give this book a concise review, because it is hard to articulate how I felt reading it. It wasn’t what I would call a “page turner,” and given the subject matter was different from anything else I’ve ever read. I commend Wright for his writing, and his style certainly appealed to me. Overall, the story was not completely engrossing, but definitely interesting enough to read and be moderately satisfied with the ending.
Rating: 3.5/5 Bunsen Burners
Up Next: The Fury by John Farris

Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy

by Frances Mayes

I must confess I have always had a bit of a crush on Italy and everything Italian. I love the language, the country, the culture, the food, etc. If I could pick anywhere to take my husband on a trip, it would be Italy in a heartbeat. After hearing about this book and the movie, I figured it was my time to read it.

This story is a true account of how Mayes takes a chance and decides to renovate a house in Tuscany named Bramasole. It needs a lot of work and most of the beginning of the book is about the renovation and the workers she meets along her journey. The author does not make Bramasole her permanent home, only an escape, as she splits her time between Italy and San Francisco. As she discovers this new foreign country, she takes her audience along for the ride. She allows us to visualize the beauty in the environment, the olive trees, the stone structures, the history, and the culture. It is easy to get lost in her descriptions and imagine such a wonderful place. After only a short time period, it is obvious Mayes' heart lies in Tuscany.

This story does involve some key characters. They include: Mayes, her husband Ed, and some secondary characters: the workers, some friends, and her daughter. While characters are introduced, they are not the focus of this book. They are merely a small part of it. This was a new change for me, because so many of the books I'm used to revolve around the development and story of it's characters. This book tends to focus more (if you couldn't tell) on the setting and small memories Mayes has of her experiences in this new country. Mayes, a poet, allows you to see the Tuscan countryside, the local people, the markets and her beautiful house.

Mayes truly makes readers apart of Italy as you read her book. She uses Italian words many times, she speaks often about the locations she visits, and she describes the rich and delicious food. She even includes many recipes in the book! (I cannot WAIT to try them!!) You feel as if you are discovering all this with her.

My critiques of this book are this: Mayes occasionally came across as "snobbish". I started to dislike the way Mayes contradicted herself when it came to money. She would say that her and her husband were tight monetarily due to paying for the renovations (you have a house in Italy AND San Francisco...?) but she would continue to talk about how many pairs of shoes she purchased at the market to feed her obsession or the new renovations projects she added on. It was also obvious (after some of her older memories) that her childhood was a privileged one-so I felt I didn't need to be reminded of the cook her family had on hand as many times as I was. While I understand this is a memoir, so she is writing freely - this was one part of the author's memories, I could have done without.

If you are looking for a character driven book, you will be disappointed. It is not a guide to Italy either. I hear it is NOTHING like the movie. It is simply a woman finding her way through a new adventure in her life, in a new country, and you're invited for the ride. Sit back and enjoy her creative writing and the wonderful descriptions of a beautiful country.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Up Next: Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor by Stephanie Barron