Groovy Throwback Espionage Thriller
590505
I freakin' loved this movie! Yeah, it isn't like these modern day action flicks with unrealistic over-the-top action, nudity and an overabundance of explosions and coarse language -- It's a throwback to 70's espionage thrillers. Even the music with its cool, driving bass riffs had me thinking Steve McQueen would've fit right into this cast of characters.

And then there's Gina. Have I mentioned Gina Carano? That is one beautiful bad ass chick. It is refreshing to see a strong, athletic woman in a film role that actually requires a strong, athletic woman. No spaghetti armed little 110 pound actress. No shaky cam. No whip pans and camera tricks required to give her the appearance of looking like a fighter. Gina Carano IS a fighter and she is glorious to watch. The fact that this is her first film role and she still manages to hold her own without much experience is pretty impressive. She has a definite career ahead of her (I hear she has just been signed for Fast & Furious 6) and I am looking forward to more projects from my new favorite action star. Gina, you rock.

Sadly there isn't much in the way of special features on the Blu Ray, only two little shorts -- One on Gina Carano and her rise from MMA, how Soderbergh 'discovered' her, to the training and some behind the scenes on the film.  There is another very brief short on the men of 'Haywire'. No commentary at all which is a missed opportunity in my opinion. It would've been interesting to hear Director Steve Soderbergh and Gina Carano discuss the film.

I like what Soderbergh has done here with this nice little film. It's just cool. I'm sure there are some people who won't get it, I mean a lot of people aren't into older films. That's okay. Everybody has their likes and dislikes but this little gem deserves some attention. And hey, did I mention Gina Carano?
1653747
In this novel Inspector Harry Hole begins an effort to trace a deadly sniper rifle, which he fears has been imported to Norway for a high profile assasination. His investigation leads him to encounter Norway's wartime past and its contemporary far-right subculture.

Many reviewers have compared this work favourably with some of the great contemporary Scandanivan thriller writers like Larsson and Mankell, and, aside from the setting, in their consideration of neo-nazism and social issues there are important common themes. The hopping time lines of this book, from turn of the 21st century Norway to the Eastern Front of the 1940s, also reminded me of Phillip Kerr's recent book "Field Grey". Both of these books mix serious consideration of some of history's less well remembered episodes into craftily contrived thriller plots.

However if that makes it sound too worthy, don't worry. Its a cracking thriller with some shocking twists and some pitch black humour. Great craic!
2231525
A fun spy thriller that combines historical events and the culture of the CIA with fantastic Middle Eastern cultural details, and then mixes in inspired and compelling espionage characters and plot twists that take the reader on an amazing ride!
2878014
Not my preferred genre. Still, the author was popular in his day so I dove in. The gritty prose is impressive. I could smell the heat and see the exteriors described. The set up takes time until the main character of this seriesJohnny Fedoraand his fellow Brit operative appear. Its post WWII, post the Spanish Civil War, and Spain and Russia are both hunting for strategic U-BOAT logbooks buried at sea. The author plunks down his spies in the midst of this developing international intrigue. A cold-blooded operative working for the Russians named Moreno will confront FedoraBritains equivalent killerbut the two are driven by different motivations. The authors smooth command of several languages, fish research, scuba diving, and the piano keyboard makes it an intelligent read. I especially enjoyed the British humor and wanted more to offset the darker passages. Somewhat dated, this story will engage fans of historical espionage.
247677
Fast and engrossing, Nitro Express delivers on the legacy of Mr. Whitehill's first novel, Deadrise, and builds on the growing bona fides of reluctant protagonist Ben Blackshaw. Plot-twists and danger abound as Ben Blackshaw dodges fire from all directions, never quite knowing who to trust, as he tries feverishly to extricate himself from the back-dealing of ruthless power brokers. Nitro Express draws you in with all the intrigue of classic Cold War spycraft. The world that Mr. Whitehill has created once again teems with complexities of multinational politics, rogue militants, and government agencies fraught with the morally compromised. Whitehill regales his readers with over-the-top characters constructed like a multi-tiered cake, rich with distinctive language and piled high with hidden motives and machinations. The familiar characters of Blackshaw and his compatriots are joined by a chorus of new allies and enemies, and leave the reader to wonder just how much difference exists between them.
3188208
In this superb spy thriller, the author has revisited the weeks leading up to the 1995 assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. The assassination itself is shrouded in mystery, of course being such a radical leader, Yitzhak Rabin knew that was never going to be popular with everyone, however, he did what he believed to be right in his search for peace, by extending his hand to Yasir Arafat, leader of the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization).

And so the story begins

It is the 11th October, 1995, and Al-Mazir arrives at Charles De Gaulle airport. He has been sent for a meeting with Abu Yusef, and a rich Saudi prince, their sponsor. The men are eager to show the world the power and strength of the Palestinian resistance as it unites against the Zionist enemy. However, Elie Weiss is head of the Special Operations Division in Europe. Al-Mazirs arrival has been noticed by his agents Gideon and Bathsheba, and they have other plans

Soon, readers of this books prequel The Jerusalem Inception will see ghosts from the past arising. We discover that Lemmy, the thought to be dead son of Rabi Abraham Gerster, (one time leader of the Neturay Karta, an ultra-orthodox sect), is very much alive, and is now married with a son of his own. With a false identity he is living under the name of Herr Wilhelm Horch, and is vice-President of his father-in-laws Hoffgeitz Bank in Zurich.

Cleverly set in place years before for long term infiltration, Lemmy has been clandestinely working for Special Operations leader Elie Weiss all along. Despite the years not having been kind to him, aged and ill, Elie is determined to lay claim to the billions of dollars in blood money secreted for General Klaus Koenig, by his old school friend and banker Armande Hoffgeitz. The money had come from the selling of the jewels and gold from the WWII holocaust victims, and the amounts had been noted in a ledger. Many years may have passed since that day, but Elies memory of that time is still vivid. A survivor of such a terrible war, how could he forget its horrors, or the day, right at its end, when he and a young Abraham Gerster, after killing the general had found the ledger, and a beautiful pregnant girl, now Mossad agent Tanya.

This gripping spy thriller, has a fantastic plot, which, set at such a tremulous time, in such a vehemently religious part of the world makes it enthralling reading. I found the insight into the fanaticism of the members of the PLO, and the acts they commit horrifying. That people such as the characters in this book exist is without doubt true, however, the true depths they are prepared to go to, the taking of lives without a second thought, and the lies they are prepared to tell in pursuit of their goals are incredible.

I loved reading this action packed, exciting, and sexy take on a real event in fairly modern history by this talented author.
384257
Imagine, if you will, one of your all-time favourite authors was still writing those novels you loved from your youth, but now setting the events a couple of decades after the original novels. Im thinking Fleming, Ian Fleming, and his sardonic hero, James Bond. No, Im not referring to the many authors who, spurred on by the success of the movie franchise, have taken on the mantle of updating the character for modern audiences. Im talking about capturing the style and feel of the originals, yet, creating something unique. No, not James Bond, but Nikki Sinclair. Theres action, violence and sex, as in the originals, but again with an imaginative change that enhances the narrative.
Jaye Rothmans Murder by Umbrella is an outstanding spy tale set toward the end of the Cold War, and with a nice wink at Agatha Christie thrown in for good measure. Not only is the novel predominantly set in the classic quaint English hamlet, where nothing is as it seems, but theres even an acknowledgement within the tale that brought a smile to my lips as I read.
Superb, strong characters; a fast-paced tale of mystery and intrigue; a few twists to keep you on your toes. What a great recipe for a wonderful novel. Highly recommended for lovers of good, classic spy fiction.
1115995
The spy thriller plot where an author of action novels gets drawn into real espionage isn't particularly original, but it's elevated by interesting characters and some 90's tv writing satire. I can easily see this becoming a movie.
I love the way the plot wraps up perfectly in the big Hollywood-style climax. Not super realistic, but very satisfying.
2568661
This book pretty is typical of the cold war/spy genre turned out in the 1980's by authors like Tom Clancy. Today it provides a nostalgic romp back to the days when high tech was an IBM PC-AT computer. The fact that it is dated did not detract from my enjoyment. The story premise is fairly believable and so are the characters, for the most part. There are some coincidences where characters miraculously intersect with each other that strain credibility. The pacing is good, and Woods provides enough plot twists to keep it interesting. Nothing complicated, just a good yarn.
2961708
While making a 6-hour ride out of state last week, I read a really good international spy thriller -- The Last Operative by Jerry Jenkins. Of course, Jerry Jenkins is well known as a co-author of the Left Behind series, but he has written many other excellent books, including this one.

According to an author's note in the front of the book, this is a re-write of Jerry's first stand-alone novel, written over twenty years ago.  Through a little on-line research, I found that it was the publisher who suggested this re-write, and Jenkins made several changes in technology, the enemy, and even the main character's last name to come up with this up-to-date story of intrigue and faith.

Jordan Kirkwood is an operative with the National Security Agency, thinking seriously about leaving behind the kind of life that has kept him on the go and away from his family for so many years.  As he waits for his wife to join him in Europe for a long-deserved vacation, he receives information that draws him reluctantly into another case.  By the end of the first chapter, he has suffered horrible personal tragedy and found himself caught up in something much bigger than he imagined.  In fact, as is stated on the cover of the book, "The fate of America lies in the hands of one man," -- and Jordan Kirkwood is that one man.

The book is a real page-turner, with lots of twists and turns in plot and characters.  Who are the good guys, who are the bad guys, where will Jordan go, what disaster will strike next -- these questions and others have unpredictable answers that keep you wanting to read more.  To the espionage, add in the elements of complicated family dynamics, romance, and struggles with faith, and you find an excellent read.
2383805
This was a good read. This lad can write a good book and does not fail here. The plot involves moving nukes around, shell corporations and counter espionage while our hero tries to thwart the baddies making very large holes in some cities.
Recommended for fans of spy thrillers wrt covert ops between between nations.
2251941
The Cardinal of the Kremlin, though outdated because it involves the Cold War, is still an exciting read. It is a great spy-thriller. However, if you're looking for an all-out, smash-bang action story reminiscent of the James Bond novels, then this book isn't for you. That isn't to say that it doesn't have any action or thrills in it; it is certainly an exciting and fast-paced read. Tom Clancy's main hero Jack Ryan returns as the famed CIA analyst and attempts a staggering coup aimed at the Soviet KGB. CARDINAL is a CIA mole who has infiltrated the Kremlin in Moscow, and he is the CIA's most trusted agent in the Soviet Union. The story has a great Cold War theme. Clancy makes the book even more intriguing by blending in the story of the Afghan freedom fighters and their fight against Soviet occupation. All in all, I consider this one of the best books Clancy has written. Highly recommended!
4071628
The Ninth Gate is an intriguing thriller that will put some viewers off because it is a throwback to a time when special effects were not king. There are virtually no F/X here and what few there are ones the movies could easily do thirty years ago. Personally, I enjoy seeing a good story and good acting, so I wasn't much bothered by this. I know that much of today's audience is conditioned to expect lots of graphics and thunderous noises. Knowing beforehand that they are mainly absent here may help some people to enjoy this occult story more.
Dean Corso [Johnny Depp] deals in rare books. He's not an intellectual. He's a shrewd operator, and it's all about money. When we first meet him, he is dealing with the greedy children of an incapacitated old man. He does his appraisal, and along the way, he talks them into selling a first edition of Don Quixote for $4,100. He makes a killing on the deal. His next appointment is with Boris Balkan [Frank Langella], a billionaire collector of books. Balkan has purchased one of three existing copies of a book published in 1668. The author was accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake. Balkan alleges that only one of the three copies is authentic, and he offers Dean a fortune to go to Europe in order to examine the others. Dean has no spiritual beliefs. He believes in profit. He doesn't think much about the deal until he notices he is being followed. Next his apartment is ransacked. He gives the book to a friend for safe keeping. This has dire consequences, but Dean decides to go on to Europe anyway. The other half of his pay depends on his going through with the deal. He goes first to Spain and then to Paris. Along the way, everything becomes spooky, and the death toll mounts. Dean starts to believe.
Depp, as usual, is great. Wearing eye glasses and sporting graying temples, he is totally believable in the part. Langella has only three scenes, but he makes the most of them. Barbara Jeffers is notable as a rich, hard-nosed book collector who sizes Dean up in about ten seconds.
Roman Polanski has lived in France for many years and has returned to his European roots as a film maker. The Ninth Gate has a much slower pace than did his Hollywood classics, Rosemary's Baby and Chinatown. Europeans tend to take their time in telling a story. They like to color things in. I enjoy this from time to time, but the pace will prove to slow for some viewers. I also should tell you that the 'payoff' at the movie's climax is pretty tame and ambiguous by American standards. We no longer comprehend the concept of understatement.
4744667
This book took me back to my youth, reminding me of the thrill I got reading Donald Hamilton's Matt Helm series and even Ian Fleming's Bond novels, but especially The Destroyer series with Remo Williams by Murphy and Sapir and Jack Higgins's thrillers like The Eagle Has Landed. Gemini Cell is a new take on the resurrected-agent theme, combining the kind of action-thriller, fantasy and sci-fi that I love. I think I'd have to call it The Destroyer meets Hellboy. In the best way, of course. I mean, soldiers and sorcerers, magic and machine guns - what's not to love?
2178853
This is not my usual choice of genre, an Espionage thriller would not normally appeal to me. I found this book to be a bit of a slow starter but I decided to persevere with it. I am glad I did because once I had read a third of the book the story picked up speed.

The story is set around British secret agent Johnny Fedora and his French partner Marie. The assignment involves Johny and Marie posing as newlyweds. It was Johnny and Marie's characters that I enjoyed most about this story.

The story is set post World War 2 and Johnny's quest is to obtain some diamonds that are wanted also by the Neo-Nazis.

I do not wish to spoil the story too much but I will say that Johnny has to climb a mountain in Austria to reach the diamonds before the Neo-Nazis.

I enjoyed the twists and turns that unfolded during Johnny's pursuit for the diamonds.

The author does a fantastic job of describing the scenes in Austria and I think this was beautifully told.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I would definitely read more of his work.

If you're looking for a quick read with plenty of story then this is the book for you.

I have rated this 4 stars because I really liked it but it did have a slow start.

Becky Sherriff
1047348
This is a very elegantly put together novel; a classic spy novel set just before the cold war was in full swing, and when the fear of Nazi Germany was still there. It gives a wonderful insight into those times, with the all the seduction and danger we think of with espionage. Plus it's one heck of a thriller, with a smart, smooth sophisticated hero, and femme fatales to die for. When's the next novel coming out? I want it!
4885822
Frankly, I don't read much fiction anymore.  I am tired of the gloomy life-is-awful sex-besotted atmosphere in much of it.  Too much of it accepts modern attitudes that America is the source of all evil and pain in the world, that traditional values are really evils, and narcissism is the only true source of meaning in life.  This book, however, is very much worth reading.  Not only is it a solid and entertaining spy thriller, the authors also value America and they remember the values that built our nation.  No, the heroes aren't all perfect or the villains all evil, and there is ambiguity about which side some of the characters are on.  But no matter how complicated and compromised things get you know what values the characters are being measured against, even in their own minds.  Even when the characters fall short of their stated ideals I found it interesting to see which ones knew they were falling short, which were oblivious, and which are cynically manipulating their situation.

The title of the book, like most titles, has multiple meanings.  Stewart Banquo is a master spy who runs his own office under the loose direction of the CIA.  But he has an amazing level of independence because he knows where all the skeletons are and is able to self-finance his operations.  While he has some reliable staff, he never simply trusts them, nor does he fully submit to the agenda set by the CIA masters.  He knows what he needs to accomplish even if we don't always know where he is headed.  The Ghosts are both his memories and the spooks (spies) who work for him.

One of the people Banquo is developing as an asset is Peter Johnson.  Johnson is a sort of Peter Arnett kind of liberal journalist who works for "The Crusader" which is published by one of his ex-wives.  The magazine is sort of like "The Nation" meets "The Huffington Report".  He loves his daughter Giselle from one of his other wives.  After 9/11 Johnson begins to doubt his liberal verities and Banquo and company see an opportunity.

I don't want to give away any of the story because in a thriller like this following the events in the story is at least half of the fun.  The authors do engage in some little games like giving two female FBI agents the names Smith and Wesson.  Yeah, I know.  Just go with the flow and enjoy it.  Games with names is a fine literary tradition, right?

On the serious side, I do think the book does offer a perspective on the War on Terror (using the now banished term) that illustrates in practical (if fictional) terms the issues of spycraft, politics, torture, and the nature of the threats we could really be facing from the Jihadists.

A good book that I hope you take the time to read and enjoy.  Heck, I think it could make a very entertaining movie and would like to see Banquo and his team back in another novel.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI