Lad Lit Book Reviews: Fear by Jeff Abbott

From the man who has brought us the one-worded-book-titled blockbusters Run and Panic has delivered yet another one-worded-book-titled blockbuster in Fear! Jeff Abbott take a bow. Again!

I’m not sure it’s possible for me to read a Jeff Abbott novel and not like it, so much so that I got my wife into his books and now she is recommending novels of his to me like she found the man first. Back off wifey, Jeff is mine! Not in a creepy fan stalker-ish type of way though, or when a man loves another man situation, or… maybe I should just strop right there!

Now where was I? Yes, a book review! A book review of Fear – the latest Abbott instalment I exposed my eyeballs to and how grateful they were. This time round we enter the world of Miles Kendrick and his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) hell that has gripped his life since he was involved in a shootout that left his best friend dead. Now in the witness protection programme and in hiding from the mobsters he once worked for, Miles is desperately trying to conquer his demons with the aid of his psychiatrist, Dr Allison Vance.

But when Dr Vance’s office is blown to smithereens after claiming she could help Kendrick with a new medical treatment, all hell breaks loose! Suddenly Miles finds himself on the run with two unlikely accomplices in reality TV star Celeste Brant and ex-soldier Nathan Ruiz – both fellow PTSD sufferers who were being treated by Dr Vance with a new experimental drug called Frost.

Bound together by fear and the paranoia that they can’t trust anyone, they find themselves on the run from those who believe the trio orchestrated the explosion and have obtained research and secret formula for this new drug which is worth millions of dollars. A host of killers and bad guys will stop at nothing to get at them, and none more so than Dennis Groote, an ex-FBI agent employed by a pharmaceutical company, who is desperate to get his hands on Frost to help cure his own daughter of her PTSD hell.

Groote is the perfect example of everything that Abbott is good at as a storyteller. Yes, you empathise with the main character but boy do you like reading what the bad guys are up to. Groote is one tough mofo, but his intentions are honourable even if he bends the rules like Beckham bends a football to get what he wants! You are torn from hoping he is able to save his daughter to praying he doesn’t catch up with Miles because of the fear of what he’d do to him!

It’s another big seal of approval from Books For Men Book Reviews for this one and if I've said it once, I’ll say it again – if you haven’t read a Jeff Abbott book then get yo ass off your seat and go buy one. Now!

Lad Lit Book Reviews: Trust Me by Jeff Abbott

If I could sum up all of Jeff Abbott’s main characters from his catalogue of excellent thrillers in one word it would be unlucky. If I could use two words it would be bloody unlucky!

But if I take that same formula, flip it around and point it at the reader of Jeff Abbott books, then that word would be lucky; because we are bloody lucky that Jeff Abbott continues to share his gift of being able to write edge-of-your-seat stuff time and time again.

Luke Dantry takes centre stage this time as our unlucky hero; caught up in the world of extreme terrorism that will jolt him from his pretty normal life as a 24-year-old university graduate working with his stepfather to conduct research into extremists groups on the Internet. In typical Abbott fashion, the story doesn’t take long to delve straight into the action. The scene is set at the start with the usual suspects of shady characters plotting unforgiving atrocities on an unsuspecting world as a man in a grey suit is the happy recipient of $50m from a wealthy Middle Eastern prince to finance what we become to know as Hellfire. However, what our two bad guys are unaware of is that their little conversation is being listened in to by a British woman called Jane, who is the catalyst for dragging poor Luke into this mess.

Luke’s stepfather – Henry Shawcross; a man who stepped into Luke’s father’s shoes when his real dad was killed by terrorists, and continued to pick up the pieces after his mother died in a car crash – is an expert on predicting how and when terrorist groups will attack. After delivering Henry his latest findings from the online terrorist groups he has infiltrated known as The Night Road, Luke drives Henry to the airport and it is here that his world is about to fall apart.

Upon dropping Henry off, Luke is kidnapped at gunpoint by a desperate man he knows only as Eric. In a haze of fear, panic, and confusion, Luke finds himself an accomplice in the seemingly pointless murder of a homeless man, a bargaining chip for Eric’s own kidnapped girlfriend, and eventually chained to a bed in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. Now Luke needs to find a way to escape before the people sent to collect him get there.

What follows is an epic journey across America as Luke tries to piece together the puzzles of his own life to make sense of the madness that has engulfed him, and to work out if he can really trust anyone. Sandwiched in the middle of all the chaos in Luke’s life is the backdrop of random acts of violence as the group funding Hellfire set about using their web of extremists to plot attacks across the country.

Abbott has once again put together an ensemble of characters, dialogue, and plots that screech around corners at a 100mph before taking unexpected turns and near crash experiences. My four and five star rating for Abbott’s material might be getting a reputation for being quite repetitive, but every single one of his books has been a winner for me. Some better than others, definitely, and if I’m being really harsh then maybe compared this one to his other books like Panic and Fear, I might knock the odd star off this one, but I’m not being harsh, this is another bloody good read, and that’s that!

Trust me, this book is good!

Lad Lit Book Reviews: Adrenaline by Jeff Abbott

In typical Jeff Abbott form this one not only packs a punch from the opening pages, but it explodes open an almighty 'I'm gonna knock you the f*** out' can of whoop-ass!

Sam Capra's perfect existence in London is about to come crashing down all around him. The American CIA Agent is closing in on an important target when his pregnant wife calls him at work urging him to get out of the building. Within minutes Sam's life is in tatters and everything he holds close is gone. As he steps out on to the street he spots his wife, Lucy, being driven away by a mysterious scar-faced man. Before Sam can give chase he is knocked out from the blow of a bomb ripping through his office.

When Sam awakes he is in a prison cell, told that he is the only survivor from the explosion, and is tortured for information to find out why he has murdered all of his colleagues and why he has turned traitor.Sam needs to act fast and fall back on all of the skills he learned as a CIA Operative if he is to survive and discover the truth about the life he thought he knew so well.

Abbott is fast becoming the king of the thriller genre, and with Adrenaline he has created a character that will become the basis of a series of books, much like Robert Ludlum did with the Bourne character. What that means is that Abbott moves away from the normal everyday 'Joe Bloggs' character from his previous novels, and has created a man more adept to arm-to-arm combat.

The cynic inside me says he has done this with one eye on a movie deal, but it doesn't change the fact that Abbott is very good at what he does, and maybe I'm simply being too hasrh. After all, it's also fair to say that Abbott has shown he is able to turn his hand at being able to write about a different type of character rather than sticking to the tried and tested format which has already worked so well for him.

Abbott effortlessly holds the readers attention with more twists and turns that a Formula One racing track. His books are always cool, slick, and are packed with so much energy that they should come with a health warning. Adrenaline lives up to its name, but be prepared that once you reach the ending there is a strong chance you'll be hooked on the Sam Capra series and will find yourself lining Mr Abbott's pockets with more of your cash to buy the next installment.

Lad Lit Book Reviews: Different Seasons by Stephen King

First things first, let's get this out in the open now. This is a Stephen King book, but it is not a horror story. It's not even one non-horror story, it's actually a collection of four novellas. Two of these novellas spawned two of the greatest films ever made; and on this occasion the films are actually better than the book, even though I really enjoyed the book, or novellas, or whatever they're called!

Confused yet? Okay, let me start again.

I'd never read a Stephen King book before; horror novels have never really appealed to me. But a good few years ago Channel 4 were showing one of my favourite films Stand By Me. I sat down to watch and as the credits rolled this appeared on screen: Based on the book The Body by Stephen King.

'But this isn't a horror film!' I thought to myself. Perhaps I hadn't read the words on the screen correctly, and back then I didn't have the luxury of Sky+ to rewind and check, but I did have this little thing called Google! A quick internet search later and I found out that not only had my eyes not deceived me, but this novel was also responsible for the making of The Shawshank Redemption as well. 'This must be the God of all books' I decided and rushed out the next day to buy myself a copy of this marvelous hybrid of magical words that had somehow managed to inspire not one, but two brilliant films!

And it was as I flicked through the pages in Waterstones that I realised this was a collection of four novellas, rather than one super-story about four boys who go in search of a dead body, do battle against an older gang, find said body, and then all grow-up before presumably one of those boys (probably Gordy) is found guilty of murdering his wife and her lover in his adult life, is wrongly sent to prison, and plots one of the most fantastically jaw-dropping moments in movie history!

Well it could have happened that way!

Instead King has delivered four wonderfully written stories - The Body (Stand By Me), Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption (The Shawshank Redemption), Apt Pupil (which was also made into a film in 1998 of the same name), and The Breathing Method.

The two former stories have become well-known in their own right thanks to their film adaptations, and there will be those who are familiar with Apt Pupil, although I have not seen the film myself so I am not entirely sure how closely it sticks to King's tale of the entwined lives of a 16-year-old boy and his elderly Nazi war criminal neighbor, who both set about their own grisly murders of the homeless before a final twist brings them back together.

The fourth novella, The Breathing Method, is about a middle-aged Manhattan lawyer who joins an exclusive men's club where, amongst other things, like to share unusual stories about their lives. It is here that David the lawyer meets  Dr. Emlyn McCarron who tells him of a rather gruesome story that becomes the subtext to the novella.

I won't go into too much more detail as I don't want to give everything away, but what I will say is that the biggest compliment I can pay to Stephen King and Different Seasons is that through reading this book I now want to pick up another Stephen King novel, despite the fact I'm not a fan of horror, such was his ability to paint stories with words. Even though I still prefer the two movie versions of his film, I don't think that is a sleight on King's work here because this collection of novellas still remain hugely enjoyable and you have to remember it was King's imagination that inspired those brilliant stories to be brought to life on the big screen. That deserves your reading attention.

Lad Lit Book Reviews: The Ghost by Robert Harris

I can’t help but think I should have enjoyed this book more than I did. Don’t get me wrong – it was a good read, but there were one or two things that hold me back from giving this higher praise than I’m about to.

What I’m about to reveal is a bit of a spoiler. It won’t necessarily ruin you reading the book, but I need to reveal it in order to explain my... discomfort whilst reading this book. So here we go...

For some reason the name of the fictional narrator of The Ghost is never revealed, so let’s just call him Bob. When Bob – a professional ghostwriter – is asked to step in to finish writing the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang, he jumps at the chance and jets off to the American resort of Martha's Vineyard.

Lang – who is clearly based on ex-PM Tony Blair (Harris even wrote Blair’s memoirs) – is having a bit of a hard time as he is accused of war crimes. On top of all this, Lang's original ghostwriter has mysteriously died so he is not exactly the happiest of bunnies. In amongst all this we meet Lang’s wife, Ruth. Immediately the face of Cherie Blair sprung to mind, which is not something anyone should have to go through.

So here comes the spoiler – Bob ends up sleeping with Ruth/Cherie, which means that midway through the book I had to endure the image of Cherie Blair bumping uglies. And the fact that when reading a book you put yourself into the shoes of the main character meant that image was of me bumping uglies with Ruth/Cherie.

Now can you see my problem?!

Okay, so this is a piss-poor excuse to give for not giving the book a better review, especially when I actually thought it was fairly decent at the end of the day, so I’ll try to put that sorry incident to one side. On the whole this is a pretty decent read. There are some nice twists and turns, but on the whole I found some parts to be quite slow. And the fact we are basically dealing with a couple like the Blairs who are not about to win any popularity contests anytime soon, doesn’t exactly help you endear to them either.

In terms of the plot, Bob starts to grow suspicious of the death of his predecessor, especially when he finds himself surrounded by a few unsavoury yet very powerful people. But try as he might, Bob can’t walk away and as he delves deeper into the mystery, things begin to unravel that will bring him closer to the truth and danger.

Lad Lit Book Reviews: Run by Jeff Abbott

A few years ago I turned up at the airport ready to jet off to Egypt on holiday with the feeling I’d forgotten something. I racked my brains. Had I locked the door? Check. Had I packed my lucky Speedo's? Check. Had I brought along a damn fine book for the beach? Bollocks.

With my flight being called to the gate, I rushed off the WHSmith to grab myself a book. Hot and flustered, I darted past the latest array of D-list celebrity autobiographies they were trying to flog to holidaymakers and locked eyes on one book on the ‘New Releases’ stand. I made my choice based on the fact I myself was in a rush, and picked up the appropriately named Run. I’d not heard of the author before but the fact it was being hailed on the front cover as a ‘Bourne Identity for the 21st Century’ was good enough for me.

Two days into the holiday I realised what an awful mistake I had made picking up this book.

I should have picked up two Jeff Abbott books! I was tearing through the book as quickly as the main character, Ben Fosberg, was tearing up the pages in his attempts to escape the team of Homeland Security Agents who believed he had something to do with an apparent hit on a businessman who happened to be carrying Ben’s business card in his pocket.

My plans of lying in the sun or splashing around in the pool were slowly overtaken by my need to find out the answers to the questions Abbott throws up. Why was Ben was being hounded by these agents? Who is this mysterious stranger known as Pilgrim who has come to Ben’s aid? Does this have anything to do with the murder of his wife whilst on their Honeymoon two years earlier? Has anyone seen my Speedo's?

So much energy goes into this book from the get-go that you even start to feel the strain yourself such is the pace of the action that explodes with each turn of the page. You are left to keep guessing the reasons behind the scenario the main character finds himself in, with twists and turns along the way that keep you asking wondering all the way through who the bad guys really are in this story.

The comparisons to The Bourne Identity are justified, but Abbott is his own man with his own style of writing. The everyday-man personality of his main protagonist allows you to easily slip into that imaginary role and place yourself at the heart of the thrill-ride that is unfolding. It’s a character pattern that Abbott has followed in the majority of his books that I have read since.

It is surely only a matter of time before this book – along with a whole host of Abbott’s back catalogue – start getting picked up by Hollywood movie producers. If you like your action fast-paced and heart-pounding, then you can do little wrong than grab yourself a copy of this book.

Lad Lit Book Reviews: The Godfather by Mario Puzo

For anyone who has not even heard of Mario Puzo’s crime epic The Godfather, I would like you to leave this blog immediately! Seriously, just go. Walk out the door. Don’t turn around now. You, my friend, are not welcome anymore! Oh dear, did that really just happen?

Back to matters at hand, and that being the single greatest piece of literature ever written. There you go, I’ve said it. I can’t even begin to express how much I love this book. Even the old saying ‘The book is better than the movie’ doesn’t even begin to do it justice, and I think the screen adaptation is pretty awesome as well!

The Godfather is truly a literary classic. Set against the backdrop of 1940s New York, it remains a timeless tale as Puzo concentrates on the relationship of its main protagonist rather than the era that surrounds them. At the heart of the story is the Corleone family and the criminal underworld in which they are fully immersed in. The characters are wonderfully crafted from the mild-mannered yet powerful head of the family, Don Vito Corleone, to his live-wire eldest son, Sonny, and of course Michael, the cold and calculated reluctant air to the throne. They are seamlessly woven into this brilliant tale of power, murder, and honour.

Controversy surrounded this book upon its publication in 1969 due to the fact that it romanticized the American Mafia and portrayed them as loyal serving men of honour who only killed their own. But my opinion is that just shows that people back then were as quick to jump on the PC bandwagon as they are today. In many ways, this novel was to that era what computer games like Grand Theft Auto are today. It's just a story, and a great one at that. Get over it!

For those of you that have not seen the film or read the book, I won’t spoil it for you. But what I will say is that even though I knew what was coming at the end (I’d seen the film before reading the book), I was still totally blown away with the way Puzo articulates on the page the thrilling finale which takes you by complete surprise.

Each and every character play their part in bringing this together, and the flashbacks to Don Vito's roots in Sicily and his early days as an Italian immigrant in New York, only serve to offer more depth to the background of this family and at the same time offers the reader a greater insight into the man who has ruled over this crime family.

Mario Puzo set the bar enormously high with this book, and I’m not sure any other mafia fictional story has ever been able to come close. Over the years he has brought the characters back to life through a number of sequels and prequels, and for anyone who is a fan of the original, they are well worth a read as well.

Lad Lit Book Reviews: Bringing Down The House by Ben Mezrich

For anyone who is lucky enough to have been to Las Vegas, you will understand that this town is unlike any other town on the planet! But when you get past the glitz, the gimmicks, and the amazing sights and sounds, gambling remains at the heart of the place known as Sin City, and it doesn't take a genius to work out that more people lose their hard earned cash than they win!

Simply put, the big chiefs in Vegas don't like winners, and the more you win, the more they dislike you! So when six MIT students turn up and take the casinos for millions, you know you are going to get much more than just a tale about hoe to play Blackjack!

Based on a true story, author Ben Mezrich is given creative licence to dramatize the events as told to him by MIT graduate Kevin Lewis who was part of a team of mathematical geniuses who made regular trips to Vegas, and work together to 'count cards' in order to swing the odds of winning hugely in their favour.

The story is fast-paced, and Mezrich writes in a style with one eye on that Hollywood movie deal (which he succeeded in getting when Kevin Spacey starred in the 2008 film adaption, 21). The more money the blackjack team win, the deeper they fall into the infamous Vegas underbelly, and it isn't long before the darker side of Vegas starts to engulf them.

Without giving away too much, the team starts to fall apart due to in-house fighting and the teams principal leader, Mickey Rosa's increasingly obsession to have complete control over everything the team does.

I probably would have given this book five-stars (as I thoroughly enjoyed reading it) had I not recently read about the numerous claims of inaccuracies in the story. I appreciate that Mezrich had some creative freedom to exaggerate events in order to create a really interesting read, but from what I can gather, there wasn't a great deal of truth in this book based on a true-story!

But please don't let that stop you from giving this book a go! It is a fast-paced exciting read, plus it makes geeks look like the coolest kids on the block!

Lad Lit Book Reviews: The Brethren by John Grisham

John Grisham is one of those authors that after you have read one of his books you immediately think: Why the hell haven't I read more Grisham novels! It's a big of a mystery of any Grisham tale, because after putting this book down, I was left scratching my head once again.

Grisham has previously excelled with his gritty courtroom thrillers, but he changes direction in The Brethren. The book branches down two roads; one focusing on three disgraced former judges (the 'Brethren') serving time in a Florida prison, and the second follows US presidential candidate Aaron Lake.

Frustrated by their plight, the three judges continue to weave down a criminal path from the inside, as they pool together their knowledge and cunning to blackmail wealthy men keen to keep their homosexuality a secret. At the same time, Aaron Lake is seen to be maneuvered and manipulated by CIA director Teddy Maynard, who wants Lake in the White House for his own gains.

Lake has a secret though, and the brethren are threatening to destroy that. All the time Grisham perfectly keeps the reader guessing how the two stories will eventually come to a head, and moves along seamlessly at a pace that keeps the two stories entwined. Even when you think you have the answer, Grisham expertly changes direction.

Despite the three main protagonists of the story being somewhat antiheroes, Grisham paints them in a way that keeps them interesting and whilst you might not be able to say you like them, you won't loathe them either, and you'll quickly want to know more about them and this world in which they have conjured up from behind steel bars.

Although this might not be my favourite Grisham book, you can't deny that the man has a bucket load of talent. I did miss the intense courtroom drama that he so brilliantly and effortlessly brings to life on the pages of his novels, but he shows with this story that he is no one-trick pony and is just as adept at writingout of his comfort zone. Now can someone again tell me why haven't I read more Grisham books?