“An Agent in Place,” by Robert Littell, or Another Spy Writer for Me to Track

I like a good spy novel, so when I found this book at a used-book store for a couple of bucks, I took a shot. I am glad I did. Set in the Soviet Union in the days of glasnost, the plot pits cold warriors in the United States and Russia against one another because, …

“The Secret Life of Anna Blanc,” by Jennifer Kincheloe

It is 1907 Los Angeles, and someone is killing prostitutes. It is not a series of crimes anyone seems eager to acknowledge, let alone solve. Everyone seems happy to suppose the deaths are all suicides. No, if anyone is going to get to the bottom of this case, it will be Anna Blanc, a ravishing …

“The Spartan Dagger,” terrific historical fiction by Nicholas Guild

In the 4th century B.C., a few moments of violence set two young men on a collision course with one another. One, a Helot slave with much to avenge, escapes to join the Thebans who would throw off Spartan rule. The other, a Spartan, will move up in the ranks of  diplomacy while seeking to …

“A Head Full of Ghosts,” by Paul Tremblay

At once an old-fashioned demonic possession story and a highly modern disruption of the genre, this book started off as a slow build and ramped up to a real page-turner. The characters seem very, very real, and the plot kept me wondering what was really, really happening all the while. I love the way the …

M. “The Saint in New York,” by Leslie Charteris, or Is This The Greatest Wish-Fulfillment Character in Fiction?

A while back I reviewed a gritty, realistic-feeling spy novel by John Le Carre. The book I am discussing today is the precise polar opposite. I speak of "The Saint in New York," part of a long-running, very popular fiction series by Leslie Charteris. The series began in tne 1930's, encompasses dozens of books and …

Want to pre-order a pirate murder mystery? Here’s how …

At last, my novel, "The Bloody Black Flag: A Spider John Mystery," is available for pre-order from Seventh Street Books.  The release date is Sept. 12, and you will be able to walk into a book store and buy it then if you prefer.  You can order print or ebook versions. What do you get …

“A Most Wanted Man” by John Le Carre, the spy writer who came in from the Cold War

John Le Carre's spy fiction certainly feels real. It feels as though I am reading about real people in a very real, very scary world, where idealism butts against hard realities and where smart battles stupid and suddenly realizes stupid often prevails. Le Carre made his name as a spy writer with his excellent Cold …