A companion to Breach
352862
After seeing Breach, I wanted to learn more about the Hanssen case, and this is the first book I found in the library. Robert Hanssen is a fascinating subject, and this book provided information that was missing or glossed over in the film. For example, money seems a major factor in his spying. I did not get that impression from the movie. Also, the movie portrays him as combative and confrontational, whereas the book depicts him as socially awkward, aloof, and a nerd.

While I respect the author's research, I am unimpressed by his writing. He does not tell the Hanssen story in an engaging way. Far too much time is spent describing the bit players. Do I really need to know that this FBI agent was "tall and affable" and this woman was "bright and articulate"? In my opinion, the book should have provided more speculation on Hanssen's motives. I also found the author's attempts at creativity and levity to be distracting and cliche. For example, note this sentence: "This time, he decided, he would play in the majors" (46). I also dislike the author's occasional moments of self-applause. For example, in a footnote he mentions that Hanssen thought the author is "the best espionage writer around" (271). Congratulations David, this pervert likes your work.

"Spy" gives a complete overview of the Hanssen case. I recommend it for its insight despite its literary flaws; however I suspect that more compelling books exist.
452186
Having read all of the prior books in the Sean Wyatt series, I was looking forward to this latest installment.  I was not disappointed.

Although each book can be read without having read the prior series entries, knowing the characters and seeing them evolve adds a level of enjoyment.

There was more character development in The Excalibur Key without slowing the action down.  It was nice to see Adriana fleshed out a bit with more of a speaking and action role as well as the introduction of June.  Sean and Tommy are characters Id like to have a beer with and personally know.

I continue to enjoy the seamless way that the author introduces history and historical locations to readers who might not be aware of them.  While reading Excalibur, I found myself pausing my reading to research Hector and view photos of referenced art, architecture, and locations for additional background.

Now it's up to the author to top this one!

I recommend this novel to those readers who are interested in fun, action-oriented plots set against historical stories and elements.

Although I was provided a pre-release copy of this novel, my reactions and comments remain my own and were not otherwise influenced.
4698146
A novella continuing the story from The Storm and the Darkness. Focused mainly on the evolving relationships of Ana, Finn and Jon. Very well written. An appetizer of sorts, tempting the reader into Volume 1 of The House of Crimson & Clover series.
4232928
This volume holds two Chess Team novellas. One is about Knight, a highly efficient member of the team and the other is about Deep Blue, the ex-president of the United States.

In the first story, Knight is sent on a mission to an abandoned Chinese city. Hes on the trail of something that wiped out an American military camp and a British military camp. What he finds is a mad scientists creation. With the help of a few friends he picks up along the way, he battles it out with the creation. A fast paced story with an explosive ending.

In the second story, Deep Blue is at the old Manifold headquarters. This facility is being refitted to house the Chess Team. However, it isn't far enough along. Manifold security is able to infiltrate the place and cause a lot of problems. They have been sent in to retrieve a sample from an old experiment. Fortunately, Deep Blue is not there alone. While his security detail is trying to find a way in, hes trying to find a way out. All are try to find a way to stop Manifolds security.

These tales are highly addictive. There are eight novellas in the Chess Team series and all are worth a read. Jeremy Robinson is highly imaginative and presents action packed stories. I am very glad that I found out about his books.
574961
The Raider's Companion is the author's second foray into the MMORPG publishing space, and with it he has delivered the book with the single widest use for the MMO genre. It is a first in it's veracity and utility for current or considering raiders. It is important to note, however, that this is a book for players who view raiding as a social exercise. It's meant for those who enjoy raiding for fun's first and loot second. For that reason, you will find a text with that not only devotes time to how to be effective in your given role, but also how to be a member of a successful team. Any raider worth his salt will tell you that _that_ is what raiding is about; doing something with friends, or at the very least having fun with a regular set of guildies. And after all, that is your pathway to consistent success and regular loot drops. One begets the other. What this book will not give you are specific tactics or tools only found in single games, such as WoWhead or Atlasloot for World of Warcraft. The Raider's Companion casts a wider net, and for that reason it cannot give you the "dance" of tonight's fight; after all, the internet -- and your raid leader -- already have you covered in that regard. However, what it _will_ do is help you to be a better player in each of the key roles (tank, healer, dps) with specific tips on how to improve your playstyle, effectiveness, and chances of success in ANY encounter. Combined with a wealth of additional information, this book is an asset to anyone serious about their raiding game.
3924028
The Four Horseman of Black Ops
Barry Eisler's latest installment of the John Rain black ops series, The Detachment, is interesting for its stark departure from Rain's solo covert style.  Mr. Eisler set the table for this dramatic departure in his preceding book, Inside Out, when he introduced black ops agents Ben Treven and Daniel Larison.  In The Detachment, Rain and his sidekick Dox join forces with both Treven and Larison to work with Rain's nemesis, covert Colonel Scott Horton, to stop a suspected complex American coup d'&eacute;ta.  John Rain is usually a solo operator, in The Detachment it is interesting how Mr. Eisler fits Rain into a covert group ensemble of other high powered solo covert operators.  It is not easy due to the group's high tension interpersonal dynamics as the four operators slowly, very slowly, learn how to work together and trust each other.  The story is interesting on several levels as Mr. Eisler weaves individual personal interactions with the group's mission of stopping the coup, while working for a man, Col. Horton, who no one really trusts.  High level tension prevails throughout this dynamic story of action, intrigue, deceit, and self-realization, and culminates in a thrilling conclusion that hints at future covert work for the Detachment.  Not sure where Mr. Eisler is going with his Rain series but new possibilities are infinite and looks like a lot of future fun reading to this reviewer.
No gratuitous violence or sex.  Some very harsh language but germane to the covert assassin storyline.
Character development overall was very good.  It is interesting for readers who follow John Rain to see his slowly evolving personality as he moves from a solitary cover killer, to a twosome with Dox, to now a group leader of 4 highly trained covert operators.  The Larison character introduced in the Eisler thriller Inside Out is very interesting, but Mr. Eisler was hazy in not fully explaining Larison's background for those who have not read Inside Out.  Still, the character development within the Rain led team of covert operators was very well done.
Excellent action thriller.  Highly recommended.  It will be very interesting to see where Mr. Eisler goes next with the Rain series.  Well done sir and looking forward to the next Rain installment.
1158647
This title caught my eye awhile back on LiveJournal; it has been long-enough-ago that I don't recall exactly *how* I discovered Hogarths site. The story-line was well-along when I first stumbled onto it, so I had to go to her website to catch-up on the earlier portion, then I followed-along until she finished the tale.

"Spots" is Magda Guitart; the nickname is because of her freckles. She is a 30-something Marine reservist and mother-of-two. She and a fairly green 2nd Lieutenant Savannah Bonnet arrive at a remote technical base, as replacements for many more people in the bases security detachment who have been recently killed. Spots is assigned to Team Kitty, which includes Corporal Travis Walker [aka "Claws"] and Pvt Nicola Gordon [aka "Fang"]. Fang is the sole survivor of her previous fire-team, and Claws is trying not to let his brains show. Their squad leader is Sgt. Holden [aka "Scythe" because of the katana he carries]. Other squad members go by the monickers "Whiskers", "Hairball", and "Fang2" [he used to have a different nickname, but he changed it shortly after Fang was assigned to the squad, just to annoy her]. There is also Samuel-Colt, a non-human weapons designer assigned to the base. The fact that Spots IS a "gen-you-wine cookie-baking mom" turns out to significantly affect Samuel-Colt's interaction with the Marines.

Despite the presence of aliens and lots of firepower, this is NOT a rip-roaring Space Opera. It is a story about a bunch of people in a stressful situation which develops in ways none of them expect.

It was several months before the hardcopy book came out, and I was in-midst of packing-up in preparation for retiring and moving, and not interested in buying new physical books just then. I had plenty in boxes, thank you very much, and several full bookshelves still staring me in the face.

So it wasn't until the recent kerfluffle with Amazon(dot)com over Games Workshop's attempt to ex-post-facto claim sole ownership of the term "space marine" that I realized there was an ebook edition of Spots available. I bought my e-copy from Barnes and Noble, since I use a Nook, and got it downloaded and into my 'to be read' queue.

A couple of days ago I started [finally!] reading it. It has been long-enough since I read the serialization that there were a lot of plot details I'd forgotten, so it was almost like having a totally new book to read.  I also found that reading it straight-through let me see a bunch of details that didn't penetrate in the serialized version; in-particular, the characterization. I did not remember Claws as-being this prominent from the serialized story, and I really enjoyed re-discovering him.

Do not be put-off by the ebook's nominal 1600+ pages in length. There is a LOT of white-space in this book, due to the quasi-movie-script format. It works, though, and IMHO allows the reader a lot more freedom-of-visualization of the action than a more traditional descriptive form would.

Hogarth also allows a certain freedom-of-visualization with a neat dialogue-trick. This is a book about Marines. Marines cuss. There are a lot of asterisks embedded in the dialogue. It isn't difficult to guess, from context, what each group of three, four, or five asterisks are intended to represent. But the words aren't actually *there* right in your face, so you are free to plug-in your own preferences of terminology, and keep-on following the action.

Which you want to do. Hogarth is very-nearly a drag-you-along-by-the-eyelashes-caliber storyteller. I have not been grabbed by EVERYTHING she writes, but right now she's got a 50% enjoyment record with me. Check-out her current serial Earthrise over on Live Journal.
240561
Patriot Dawn is a companion piece to Contact!. It can be read as a stand alone Patriot action story, but you will be missing much of the purpose of the book and not seeing the full the depth of the story line. It illustrates the concepts developed in Contact! and helps the reader get a grasp on the TTP's Max espouses in his previous books and blog posts.

I found the action entertaining and the depiction of modern high tech threats to the Resistance thought provoking. Americans being on the receiving end of our own weaponry puts these systems in a whole new light. Follow along with a satellite map of the Shenandoah Valley. The fictional action takes place in real locations and seeing the lay of the land brings your understanding of the tactics to a deeper level.

All in all an outstanding first effort on Max's part and a great resource if you pair it with Contact!.
1660458
In this enlargement of the overall plot, we see the needed introduction of a thinking enemy with a similar tech base.  It was nice to see some of the mystery of why the races are so similar explored, and there is good potential for a spinoff of a group or ship exploring just that aspect.

All in all, another fun read that is reminiscent of David Weber's Honor novels.
1797690
I've been a big fan of Patrick Lee's "Breach" stories since stumbling across "The Breach" a few years ago. I thought that the stories were pretty inventive, the characters enjoyable and overall just a great entry into the techno-thriller genre.

"Deep Sky" is the final book in the trilogy, and while I enjoyed it, I feel it's a bit tepid when compared with the earlier novels. Travis Chase is back in this third installment, and "Deep Sky" starts off with a bang as we discover that an ordinary suburban house hides a deadly weapon which is soon used in an attack on Washington and the President.

Soon, Travis Chase, Paige Campbell and everyone at Tangent find themselves targeted by the same people who attacked the White House, and the clock is ticking towards another doomsday as they scamble to find out who and why someone is taking out everyone associated with The Breach. Patrick Lee once again populates his novels with the cool Breach "technology" that are a trademark of these stories. "The Tap" is not quite as fun as the "Whisper", but is still kind of cool.

I think the biggest problem with "Deep Sky" is that it follows the excellent "Ghost Country" which was right on the heels of un-put-downable "The Breach", two of the most exciting novels in recent years. And while "Deep Sky" does a nice job of wrapping up the series, it doesn't manage to retain the pace it set in the earlier novels.

Overall this was a great series and I would highly recommend you pick up all three tales. If you're a fan of sci-fi thriller there is plenty here to enjoy.
84320
Frank Adversego is the reluctant hero of The Alexandria Project who, once again, is called upon to solve a technological mystery. When poll results are called into question, broader and more sinister implications are drawn regarding hacking and the effect on the electoral process.

It is up to Frank to determine not only the methodology but also the perpetrators of the hack.  This becomes quite a tangled process in the world of political machinations and conspiracies.

This is a well written stand alone book containing more satire and less thrills than the first book in the series.  Although the technical details are complex, Andrew Updegrove does a good job of simplifying them so that the story does not bog down.
1286918
Patrick Lee gives us a fine thriller a follow up to BREACH.  Part sci-fi, part mystery, GHOST COUNTRY delivers.  The story revolves around glimpses of the future, a future greatly different than you might imagine.  Fun read with good characters.  RECOMMENDED
1738934
A perfect companion for the other two Rogue One novels (Catalyst and Rebel Rising) out so far.  This is NOT under any circumstances a kids book, despite packaging and design.  The prose and narrative are sophisticated and filled with the melancholy appropriate for these two characters from the movie, explaining compellingly the source of that tone.  It's actually bizarre that the book comes packaged and presented as Junior Fiction.  This fits in with the tone and approach of old school Expanded Universe Star Wars novels, in line with the tone and feel of the New Jedi Order series.
4792422
This book introduces you to Rachel Carter; a mission gone wrong costs her dearly. She enlists in Division Eight to again work in highly dangerous covert operations.

With Mission Black, A.D. Starrling has created an action-packed thriller centred on Rachel Carter - the promising first novella in the 'A Division Eight Thriller' series. It is a compelling read, drawing you into Rachel's team. A.D. Starrling paints a clear picture of Rachel's mind while the story evolves. There are many facets: depending on the situations, she is vulnerable, strong, hot-headed, or clear-minded, she is of sufficient depth. The other characters are described as required; you learn enough about them as well.  The story comprises military combat scenes, interesting turns, and has a good flow.

This is a book for you if you like fast-paced thrillers, combat, covert operations, and if you like believable characters with a mission.

Recommended.
4941879
A very strong addition to the series. This one is almost all hardcore military ground pounding with a fair bit of space battle stuff tossed in. As the series has progressed, the focus has spread out quite a bit allowing more time for other characters and less for the original hero. That makes perfect sense. As Cain has progressed up the ranks, his decisions paint with a much larger brush.

Jay Allen's writing continues to be excellent. Through the first third of the book, I was wondering if it was getting too bogged down in the military detail, by the time I crossed the half way point, I realized how little I really knew about what it was like to be a soldier. Either Jay Allen has personal experience in this regard or he's spent a lot of time listening to people who do.

If there's one weak point in the series, it's also a strong point. I'm not sure that each book will always appeal to the same set of readers as the previous. This one is will be most appreciated by those with a taste for gritty military reality.

I enjoyed it, and look forward to the next in the series.
4300844
Do not be scare by the fact that this book deals with cyber security. Even though reading it would probably be more comprehensive if you knew about this, a cursory knowledge like mine was enough to thoroughly enjoy it. The issues are very current now with hacking at different levels of government. The characters are well developed and the plots are very well explored, though sometimes you have to suspend reality. You can enjoy this book as a thriller/mystery novel, keeping you enjoying each page and looking forward to what the next page (and short chapters) will unveil. Difficult to put down. I recommended it to my wife to read, and we don't necessarily have the same taste. Need I say more?
3947629
I found the book a pleasure to read. The book explains the fundamental concepts of hacking very well. The treatment of exploits like buffer overflow, format string vulnurabilty is very good. The chapters on networking, shellcode are also very good. All throughout the book every concept is explained by extensive source codes (with clear accompanying commentary). All in all this is a great book to start learning the concepts of hacking and security.