April 2011 Monthly Reads

Nightmare on Elm Street: Dreamspawn by Christa Faust

See this the latest FFB post for details

The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George Higgins

I have seen the film based on the book a couple of times, and after hearing raves about the book and read it. It’s pretty much the same story as the film. The talk and actions between the characters are what make it special. Higgins is a great with getting the small moments, the talk and the utter basic actions of work a day criminals. I highly recommend it.

Lawrence Block book of the Month:

The Canceled Czech

Evan Tanner is enlisted by some unknown organization to make his way behind the Iron Curtain and retrieve a old Nazi whom is about to go on trial, and try and get his hands on the documents that the old Nazi still has hidden away. Along the way he meets up with Nympho 18 year old Nazi women, semi bumbling group of Israeli extremists, and other odds and ends characters. The story is a travel log of a kind, and Tanner is a fun guide, and it’s all light and breezy spy fun.

The Spy by Clive Cussler and Justin Scott Book on CD

It’s been many a year since I have read a Cussler book, and longer since I felt one had the energy, drive and fun of this book. Part of a new series with Co-Writer Justin Scott, The Spy is part of the Van Dorn detective agency series, set in 1908 and dealing with the Dreadnaught race of the era, Isaac Bell – a top man with the agency – is on the trail of the titular Spy who has been causing chaos across the east coast (with a side trip to San Francisco). It’s a adventure that has been set in a time that often isn’t thought of as being a time of adventure. It have enjoyed the Book on CD presentation to the point that I am going to have to check out the first in the series, The Wrecker.

Stark House Press novel of the Month:

My Lovely Executioner by Peter Rabe

Jimmy has three weeks left on his sentence when he is whisked out of the yard in a prison break. He is carried along with his companion Rand and before long finds he’s being manipulated into helping a crime lord uncover missing, well I don’t want to spoil it. It’s enough to say that this is mostly an engaging crime romp and if you are a Rabe fan you won’t want to miss it.