action

The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons by Karin Smirnoff – Book Review

by
The Girl in the Eagle's Talons by Karin Smirnoff – Book Cover

Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy—better known as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series—put Scandinavian crime fiction on the global map in the mid-2000s. The books, which were later adapted into film and television, became so wildly popular that even after Larsson’s death, the adventures of the eccentric yet unstoppable hacker and her loyal (though occasionally unfaithful) collaborator, Mikael Blomkvist, continued. Karin Smirnoff’s The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons is now the seventh installment in the series.

The Controversial Past of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

What started as a crime series quickly evolved into something more. Something bigger. The protagonist, Lisbeth Salander—a woman who, even with the bed included, barely weighs 40 kilos—soon became an action hero. More than that, she transformed into a vengeful angel, a strong, independent woman who made life a living hell for the men who deserved it.

Then came the sequels by David Lagercrantz, and… well, I have no idea. In my humble opinion, Lagercrantz is one of the weakest among the ever-brooding Nordic crime authors. I haven’t been able to finish a single book of his that I picked up. Naturally, that includes the three Millennium installments he cobbled together.

But let’s see how Karin Smirnoff approaches the iron-willed, tattooed girl—who, after two decades, is undoubtedly a tattooed woman by now.

Read more

The Night Agent by Matthew Quirk – Book Review

by
The Night Agent by Matthew Quirk – Book Cover

At the White House, a secret phone line can ring at any moment. FBI agent Peter Sutherland, sidelined to the fringes, has spent the past year working the night shift, waiting for a call that may never come. His only task: to answer and pass it along to the right people. When the phone finally rings, and a young woman in mortal danger begs for help, Peter follows his conscience. And just like that, he finds himself caught in a life-threatening conspiracy.

The Night Agent is Impossible to Put Down

It’s rare to come across a book that pulls you in with such ferocity as Matthew Quirk’s spy thriller—at least for the first 80 pages. Quirk sets the stage with an immediate sense of tension, relentless action, and a merciless antagonist, making the pages fly by.

Action, life-or-death stakes, a covert power play inside the White House. Spies operating under the radar. And to top it all off, the Russian GRU makes an appearance—an agency that, compared to them, even the FSB (the successor of the old KGB) seems like a bunch of Girl Scouts. At least, according to Matthew Quirk. And once the GRU shows up, they waste no time hunting down anyone who gets too close to the fire.

That’s about the first 80-100 pages of The Night Agent. If you don’t want to be disappointed, stop reading right there! And that applies to both the book and this review.

Read more

The Fort by Adrian Goldsworthy – Book Review

by
The Fort by Adrian Goldsworthy – Book Cover

During Emperor Trajan’s reign, Rome fought multiple wars against the Dacians, who inhabited what is now Romania. The tribes united under Decebalus posed a constant threat to the empire—just as the Romans did to them. Flavius Ferox, centurion and protagonist of Adrian Goldsworthy’s City of Victory trilogy, takes command of the frontier fort of Piroboridava. If the Dacian armies, preparing for war, decide to march, this fort will be the last line of defense before the provinces.

Through the Eyes of a Historian

Following his Vindolanda novels, Adrian Goldsworthy continues the adventures of his British-born Roman officer, who now finds himself on the empire’s opposite frontier, accompanied by his warrior-queen wife, Claudia Enica. Despite being far from the City and focusing on the relatively low-ranking officers of a minor fort, Goldsworthy still manages to paint a complex picture of how the Roman Empire operated—particularly from a military perspective.

As Flavius Ferox strengthens the fort’s defenses against the looming war, all while dealing with the resentment of the tribal warriors under his command and the rightful anger of his warrior-spirited wife—historian Goldsworthy, too, demonstrates his expertise.

However, if you’ve already prepped for Roman history by devouring classics—say, Colleen McCullough’s brilliant Masters of Rome series—and consider yourself something of an expert, you might still find the sheer volume of Latin terminology overwhelming, from military ranks to soldier slang.

Read more

The Defense by Steve Cavanagh – Book Review

by
The Defense by Steve Cavanagh – Book Cover

Defense attorney Eddie Flynn receives an offer he can’t refuse—from the Russian mafia. He must smuggle a bomb into the courthouse. Little Benny is about to testify against his former boss, the ruthless Volchek. The Russians’ plan is simple: send Benny—along with the witness stand—flying into the air. Then feign surprise. “Who, us? No idea what happened. Total shocker!” … To ensure Eddie’s cooperation, the mob kills his business partner and kidnaps his daughter. Eddie’s time is running out—and he has to find the defense method that will save him and his family.

Defense Attorney and Con Man

The Russian mafia overlooked one crucial detail: Eddie Flynn isn’t your typical defense attorney. Throughout most of his life, he’s been swindling people—reading them like an open book. On top of that, he’s an experienced boxer. And his best buddy? Jimmy the Hat, the head of the Italian mafia.

Suddenly, things aren’t so one-sided, are they?

But there’s still a bomb strapped to his back and weapons constantly pointed his way. Eddie must wait until night falls and the mafia settles down. Then, as quick as—ahem—a cockroach scurrying across the floor, he starts putting his counterattack into motion.

Read more

Argylle by Elly Conway – Book Review

by
Argylle by Elly Conway – Book Cover

Young Aubrey Argylle is drifting through life in Thailand, unable to break free from the paralysis caused by the double shock of his parents’ death and the truth he uncovered about them. However, fate takes an unexpected turn when the young man’s remarkably brave act catches the CIA’s attention. At the Agency, they believe Argylle would be a perfect fit.

A Spy Novel—Possibly Written by Taylor Swift. Or Maybe a Waitress…

If you haven’t been following the media frenzy surrounding the Argylle movie, you might be happily reading Elly Conway’s spy novel under the impression that it was written by an unemployed waitress. If you have, however, you might have believed for a while that the one and only Taylor Swift, queen of one-size-fits-all pop songs, dashed it off between two suspiciously identical verses. That rumor made the rounds after it was revealed that “Elly Conway” was just a pseudonym.

For me, the “written by a waitress” theory held up until about a third of the way through the book. By then, it became obvious that Argylle could only be the work of some seasoned old pro. And not just because it lacks any featherlight emotions or dramatic spats. No, the real giveaway is that the author knows way too much—about Russian domestic politics, covert operations during the Vietnam War, the internal workings of the CIA, and the current situation in the infamous opium-producing region known as the Golden Triangle.

And, well, these aren’t exactly things you’d expect a waitress to be an expert on.

Read more

Red Queen by Juan Gómez-Jurado – Book Review

by
Red Queen by Juan Gómez-Jurado – Book Cover

Antonia Scott is the smartest person in the world. She’s a member of a special covert police unit designed to crack the most complex criminal cases. Her codename? Red Queen. But for the past three years, Antonia has been in a state of near-hibernation after an attack took away the one person she cared for most in the world…

The Red Queen Is Back in Action

With Red Queen, Juan Gómez-Jurado has broken through the nearly impenetrable barrier of international recognition after publishing numerous books in Spanish. Not an easy feat if you’re not writing in English. To pull it off, you need something truly extraordinary—something that grabs readers’ attention immediately.

And Antonia Scott is precisely that.

The superintelligent yet quirky and eccentric personality commands both your admiration and your sympathy, making her even easier to relate to. (Much like Lisbeth Salander, a.k.a. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.)

Read more

The Last Agent by Robert Dugoni – Book Review

by
The Last Agent by Robert Dugoni – Book Cover

Charles Jenkins, the aged former CIA agent, barely escaped from Russia with his life, pursued by half of the Russian intelligence services. After his arduous return home, instead of receiving gratitude for his efforts, the CIA wanted to deal with him harshly. Now, an officer from the American intelligence agency approaches him again. They think Jenkins would gladly return to Russia for another mission. Yet anyone with common sense knows that Charles Jenkins is the last agent they should send back there…

Why had he gone there?

To identify and neutralize Santa Claus? No, of course not! Jenkins was searching for the “Eighth Sister” (see review). It was a truly impossible mission, considering the Eighth Sister didn’t even exist. (Everyone knows there are only three in total.) So, unsurprisingly, he didn’t find her, no matter how hard he tried.

However, during his escape, Jenkins received help from Paulina Ponomayova, an IT specialist for the FSB. Unfortunately, Paulina, somehow managing to forget basic caution, ended up exposing herself to Russian counterintelligence. Let me tell you, that’s not exactly a recipe for a long life—even if some of those dreaded Russian counterintelligence agents turn out to be rather likable guys (as you’ll see later).

Read more

Deadly Class, Volume 8: Never Go Back by Rick Remender – Comic Book Review

by
Deadly Class, Volume 8: Never Go Back by Rick Remender - Comic Book

Deadly Class, a comic series with one of the most unbelievable storylines and some of the most downright unlikeable protagonists of all time, kicks off its eighth volume, Never Go Back, with an unusual opening: a lenghty drug trip.

Pls, Don’t Mess With Me, Mr. Remender!

If your protagonist is unreliable, unpredictable, unstable, a chronic backstabber, and endlessly whiny, a drug-induced hallucination is probably the last thing that will make them more relatable to your readers. Drug trips are like listening to someone describe their dreams in excruciating detail: nobody gives a damn except the dreamer. In fact, the more they share, the more irritating it becomes.

The entire first quarter of Never Go Back, which corresponds to issue 36, might as well be flushed down the toilet as a complete waste of ink.

Of course, if only a quarter of Never Go Back were just wasted space, you could count yourself lucky…

Read more

The Secret by Lee Child – Book Review

by
The Secret by Lee Child – Book Cover

In the 28th installment of the series, Lee Child’s uncomprimising protagonist, Jack Reacher, revisits an old adventure. The year is 1992, and Reacher, recently demoted to captain, finds himself assigned—almost as a punishment—to a special investigative unit probing a decades-old CIA operation. Someone is systematically eliminating the scientists who were once part of this ultra-secret mission. Behind it all lies a deeply buried, grave secret. But with Jack Reacher on the case, it won’t remain hidden for long…

Andrew Child Finds His Groove

We all know what it means when co-authors start appearing in a series. Usually, nothing good. “The Secret” is the fourth installment in the long-standing Jack Reacher series where Andrew Child has lent a hand. Or, to be more precise: he likely wrote it entirely by himself. The previous three books were noticeably weaker than their predecessors.

Andrew Child, of course, tried his best. In fact, he tried quite skillfully. However, long-time fans of the series could instantly sense that something was off. The little details didn’t quite click. Reacher wasn’t putting as much effort into analyzing the clues. The tactical finesse in the confrontations was missing. Sometimes, the major developed incredible, almost superhero-like abilities. And even his sense of humor seemed to have dulled.

Yet, when reading The Secret, if you didn’t know beforehand, you might not even notice the co-author’s involvement. The Secret almost feels like a classic Reacher tale.

Read more

Crisis by Frank Gardner – Book Review

by
Crisis by Frank Gardner – Book Cover

Raise your hand if you think British intelligence is heavily involved in anti-drug operations in Colombia. No one? Well, that makes sense—Colombia is too far away, and beside, it’s more of an American issue—let them deal with it. Completely understandable… Wait a minute, I see someone raising their hand after all. Yes, it’s Frank Gardner, and guess what? He’s written a hefty thriller titled Crisis based on this rather unlikely premise…

Frank Gardner in Frederick Forsyth’s Shoes

If you’ve read Frederick Forsyth’s last book, the leisurely-paced The Fox, you know that from one of the greatest thriller writers of all time, there’s not much left to expect. Frank Gardner seems to have thought it was time to fill the void Forsyth left behind.

The Crisis is an action-packed spy novel that feels almost as if Frederick Forsyth himself had written it. Almost. (Though, to be fair, The Fox was also only “almost” the same.)

Crisis showcases an impressive depth of knowledge. But that’s no surprise, given that the author spent many years working as a journalist.

Frank Gardner’s deep understanding of the world of British intelligence—from organizational structures to operational execution—means that his book will likely captivate even the most seasoned spy novel fans with its technical details.

Read more