The Book Count 2022

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Loved this one and his others. Economic Historical Thrillers do not have a big showing in the niche markets.

[Greg]

You forgot Judaic Economic Historical Thrillers.

I'm on to The Coffee Trader.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

I think Coffee was his first book, Paper his second?

[Greg]

Paper first, Coffee second although Coffee takes place before Paper. Not confusing at all.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

When do scissors happen?

[Drunk Monk]

After tea...


...or me. 

[Greg]

The Coffee Trader by David Liss

This book is tied in with The Paper Conspiracy in the fact Benjamin Weaver's Father, Michael stars in this book. And there is an Easter Egg where Michael Lienzo uses the name Benjamin Weaver as an alias to do trades.

The story take place in Amsterdam many years before the events in The Paper Conspiracy. Michael is struggling under a mountain of debt after some bad commodity trades in Sugar and Brandy. He is in trouble with his brother, the local Jewish ruling committee and another trader Michael hurt in the past. Into this comes Michael's chance to earn it all back by trading in coffee, a relativity unknown product at this time in Amsterdam. But bad things keep happening to Michael as he tries to keep his plan a secret while be hounded by outside forces. There is a lot of minutia about 17th century stock trading and for me it got a bit tedious.

But the big problem is Michael is a bad guy. He cheats as much as everyone around him. He has ruined many people. He takes out a hit on a guy that is bothering him. A lot of times I felt that his misfortunes were warranted. I didn't have a lot of sympathy for him.

[Greg]

I picked up Between Two Fires by Chris Buehlman because it looked like a good book. It had a lot of recommendations for it. I was about five pages in before I realized I had read this book before. There is even a review for it on last years Book Count. I did the review just a little more than a year ago.

I need new brain.

[Greg]

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

I've been hearing about this book for a long time. Probably could have heard about it from me, since I had read this book before and forgotten that I had. I was about ten pages in before I remembered the story. But there are sequels to this book which I don't think I have read so I figured I would continue to read The Poppy War as a refresher. I remembered the overall arc but some individual scenes were fresh again.

It's an alternate universe China called Nikara that constantly fights with it's Island neighbor Mungin (Japan)  Fang Runin doesn't want to wed to the local merchant in an arranged wedding so she takes the test to enter the National Military Academy. She gets in but enters into the typical pitfalls known to outsiders at a big new school. She finds a bully. She gets ostracized. There is one person who becomes her best friend. The usual. But there is also magic better known as using the God's powers. Of course, Runin can tap into some long forgotten power with the aid of her crazy teacher.

Then war breaks out and school comes to an end. Because of Runin's power she gets to join with the assassin squad. Adventures and big battles happen.

Now, I could have read the next books as well. I seem to remember more of the story than is in the book I just finished. I'm hoping I haven't, but I feared I have.

But the writing is good and was worth a second read.

[Greg]

Mission Critical by Mark Greaney

More Gray Man or Violator or Sierra Six. Mostly Violator in this one. Courtland is heading back to the US on a CIA plane when naturally everything goes wrong. The plane is ambushed in England and the other passenger is kidnapped. This leads to a chase and the constant question of what is going on. Back in the US, Court's girlfriend Zoya, former member of the Russian Spy agency escapes from a safe house just as it is about to be raided. Is she fleeing the CIA or is she on the hunt for something?

More gun fights and regular fights and surprise appearances and it reaches a head at castle on Loch Ness. It's like an even more screwed up James Bond. I'm glad to see Court has missions now rather than just being on the run. The characterizations are a bit cardboard but I'm starting to enjoy these improbable thrillers. Needs more of the humor of Matt Helm.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

The world needs more Matt Helm.

[Greg]

Truth.

[Greg]

One Second Out by Mark Greaney

The Gray man takes a break from the CIA to stop some human trafficking. While assassinating a former Serbian general, he comes across a way station for a group called the Consortium's. They have a pipeline to smuggle women from Eastern Europe and Russian to bordellos all across the world. Court decided it is up to him to break up the pipeline. More adventures around the world but mostly the Adriatic Sea and Southern California.

Court's relationship to the CIA remains strained as they need him back and send a group to bring him in. The CIA might have ties to the Consortium and The Gray Man might be jeopardizing that.

[Greg]

Relentless by Mark Greaney

Only one book left in the series. But I'm starting to be fond of the idiocy that is Court Gentry and The Gray Man. In this one, Court is pulled out of his second bed because things have gone awry in Venezuela. He can only be off his medications for a week before the damage becomes irreparable. Naturally, the job in Venezuela balloons into a bigger job in Berlin where his lady love Zoya is in trouble. Naturally, he doesn't go back to his sick bed but goes to Berlin where there is a strange plot involving Iranians, The Emirates, and a hit squad coming from Russia to get Zoya. Court just gets sicker and sicker during the op. But he manages to do more hair raising things.

In the end, he helps save the day but at a cost. Kind of need to read the next book to see what the cost is going to be. Best of all they say the name of the book in the book at least three times.

[Greg]

An Old Betrayal by Charles Finch

Back to old England in book #7 of the Charlie Lennox mysteries. Lennox is still a member of parliament but he gets drawn into a mystery through his former protege Darlington. As always the work of detective is far more enjoyable than the work of parliament. Soon, there is a murder and it looks there might be a plot to rob Buckingham Palace. Meanwhile, there are problems in Parliament as well as Lennox's right hand man is accused of taking bribes.

All good.