Getting to Know Fellow Indie Andrew Watts

It's been a bit since we've had time together, oh patient readers.  While I'm busy plugging away on my next release, I thought it would be a good time to share another author interview with you.  He's a former Navy pilot with his first novella release, so he's got an interesting story to tell on both the reality side and the creative side.

But enough from me.  Let's open the door for Andrew Watts to weave the threads together about his intricate CIA thriller.  Welcome, Andrew!

DAB:   Was there a point in your life that prompted your desire to write or have you always wanted to be an author? 

AW:     I have always liked telling stories.  When I was a kid in the 80s, I used to use my dad’s super technology – the VHS video camera – to make movies with my cousins or other kids in the neighborhood.  I loved reading as I got older and when I was on my last deployment, on board an aircraft carrier deployed to the Middle East, I decided to start writing fiction as a hobby.  I’m out of the military now, and a few people encouraged me to try self-publishing.

DAB:   I remember those old cameras!  How did your ten-year stint in the Navy influence the writing of your novella?

 

AW:     I am writing with the knowledge and experience of my ten year career in the Navy.  I have seen a lot of interesting situations.  For instance, I flew missions supporting the rescue of Captain Philips when he was taken hostage by Somali pirates in 2009.  Flying on night vision goggles while Seal Team Six is below you on high-speed inflatable boats is pretty exciting.  I am hoping to bring some of that excitement to my stories.

DAB:   Heck, yeah!  Where did you come up with the idea for The War Planners?

AW:     I loved Red Storm Rising, by Tom Clancy.  I also loved the movie Red Dawn (the original, not the remake!)  The USSR was a great empire-villain for stories.  Today, I think there is only one country that has the capability to serve that role in a military thriller, and that is China.  You always read stories about the Chinese conducting cyber attacks on our military and building up their own military.  It’s a bit strange, considering the huge economic ties our two countries have.  But for fiction, they make the perfect stand-in villain.  (Even though I’ve been to China, and have nothing but nice things to say about the actual people there!)  I had written several chapters for different stories about how China could attack the United States.  Then I decided to play around with the some fun ideas on how it would all begin, if it ever did happen…

DAB:   Sounds like something I'd love to read...when I can find the time.  Tell us about the moment you received your first real fan correspondence.

 

AW:     Well, as a new author, I have yet to receive fan mail from someone that I don’t know.  But I have had a few total strangers sign up for my email list.  It was the same day that I ran a FKBT promo.  I sold 50 books that day, by far my best sales day.  I was thrilled.  But I can honestly say that I was even more excited when I got an email telling me that someone had signed up for my email list.  I looked at the name and didn’t recognize them.  That meant that they had read my book and liked it enough to want to hear about my next one! 

DAB:   That's always a great feeling.  When I write, I have particular composers and music that gets me in the mood for certain scenes and characters.  Have you ever written to music?

AW:     I almost always listen to music when I write.  I often listen to Pandora channels of movie soundtrack composers that I like.  My favorite right now: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ music.  They did the soundtracks for The Social Network and Gone Girl.  Great stuff.

DAB:   There's the eternal debate whether to outline or not.  What is your preference?

AW:     I wrote a detailed outline for The War Planners.  I have also outlined my next work, but it is less detailed.

DAB:   Panster here!  Usually authors are also avid readers - what are you currently reading?

 

AW:     I am reading Swag, by Elmore Leonard. 

DAB:   What’s the best thing about being an author?  The most difficult?

 

AW:     The best thing about being a self-published author is the freedom to choose every detail of your work.  The most difficult thing for me is time management.  I have a full time job and three kids under six years old.  So I try to write at night and on weekends when I get chance.  It forces you to maximize the time that you do have. 

DAB:   And then some, huh?  What are some things you’ve done to get the word out about your novel(s)?

AW:     I have tried a little of everything (at least everything that I’ve heard of).  Facebook posts, Facebook ads, Google Display Network, Goodreads ads, joining and posting on Goodreads groups, posting on Kboards, running ads on FKBT and a few other email lists.  I have requested reviews and author interviews from bloggers.  Oh and I have run Amazon’s KDP select promos and ads.  I am learning what works and what does not, and keeping a careful list to track ROI.  Next time I will be much more focused.

DAB:   Well when you get that next novel published try BookBub too.  Care to tell us what is next on your writing horizon?

 

AW:     I am working on the sequel to The War Planners.  Title TBD.  But I’m hoping to launch it in April.

DAB:   Now’s your chance – give us the final plug for your novel.

AW:     David is kidnapped by the CIA and thrown on a jet.  The CIA operatives tell him about a Chinese plot to attack the United States.  They need his help to figure out how the Chinese are going to do it.  But when he gets to the remote island base where they will plan the attacks, he learns that all is not as it seems…   

Thank you again, Andrew, for stopping by and sharing with us about your exciting-sounding novella.  I hope to have a chance to read it later this year...someday.  In the meantime, dear readers, check out the book blurb and pick up a copy of your own by clicking on AMAZON.

Book Blurb:

The Chinese economy is faltering. Civil unrest threatens the Communist leadership’s grip on power. But

where some see a crisis, others see an opportunity…

A CIA operative in Shanghai transmits two earth-shattering revelations to his contacts in Langley, and then goes missing. First, the U.S. government has been infiltrated with Chinese spies. Second, an inner circle of Chinese leaders have set in motion plans to do the unthinkable – to invade the United States of America.

Lena Chou is one of the few U.S. officials who knows the truth. She must put together a top-secret task force to help America’s government prepare for what will come. Now, in order to covertly plan the defense of the United States, Lena has gathered a Red Cell, a group of experts that will plan how China could best attack it.

David Manning is one of those experts. After he is abruptly taken to the covert island base where the Red Cell is being held, Lena presents the group with evidence of China’s imminent attack. But while the Red Cell plans for war, David suspects that something about this gathering of minds is terribly wrong…

Author Bio:

Andrew Watts graduated from the US Naval Academy in 2003 and served as a naval officer and helicopter pilot until 2013. During that time, he flew counter-narcotic missions in the Eastern Pacific and counter-piracy missions off the Horn of Africa. He was a flight instructor in Pensacola, FL, and helped to run ship and flight operations while embarked on a nuclear aircraft carrier deployed to the Middle East.  Today, he lives with his family in Ohio.  Check out his website for contact information and more.

Going Backward - A Review of NEXT EXIT, THREE MILES

Ah, a new year.  Fresh snow on the ground.  Fresh promises for the future.  Fresh books to read.

Well, sort of.

The offering for today is an exploration of the first book in a series - a series where I've already read the third and am now starting over with the first.  Does working my way backwards have the potential to color my view?  Perhaps.  But it's a nice view nonetheless.  Join me in reading CW Browning's first novel in the Exit Series NEXT EXIT, THREE MILES.

Book Blurb:
Alina Maschik was one of the best. She never missed. Yet, two years ago in Cairo, she missed her shot at one of the world’s most wanted terrorists. Now, he’s back. This time, he’s on US soil.

Given the opportunity to redeem herself, Alina’s objective is simple: find the terrorist and complete her mission. But when the target leads her back to her hometown in New Jersey, the situation is anything but simple. Confronted with old girlfriends, her ex-fiancé and the Jersey mob, Alina must face her past as she races against an invisible clock.

But as bodies start to pile up, a cunning and invisible assassin threatens to destroy everything she holds close. Accustomed to working alone, Alina must now rely on old loyalties and new partnerships to help her defeat this new threat, and save the lives of thousands of Americans, without failing a second time.

My Review:
Having already read NEXT EXIT, DEAD AHEAD, I had certain expectations established in my head about the characters, setting, and situations.  I thoroughly enjoyed getting to see more background and obtaining a better understanding of these characters and how they ended up where they were within the pages of NEXT EXIT, THREE MILES.

Especially the dynamic between a certain Viper and Hawk.

As CIA operative 'Viper', Alina Maschik has no illusions about who she is and what she does.  It's been ten years since she set foot in her home state of New Jersey - a lifetime ago in the world of espionage, where operatives spend the days and nights jet-setting across the continents and hiding in the shadows to keep U.S. interests abroad controlled and safe.  Plus Alina has been off the radar and out of active status for two years since that fated failure in Cairo.  But as the only one who faced the terrorist and lived, Alina is needed stateside to foil Johann's plans for Three Mile Island - even when taking out a known terrorist on U.S. soil could send her to jail.  Oh, and one of her best friends is a curious FBI agent.

Then there's the other complication.  Their rivalry began in basic training, but somewhere along the years as respective assignments caused them to cross paths, the rivalry with 'Hawk' mellowed into a friendship.  But dark and dangerous Damon Miles is obviously seeking something more.  Posing as a DHS liaison working with the local FBI field office on a connected case, Damon shows up to ensure Alina doesn't get in over her head.  After all, she disappeared for two years after the screw-up in Cairo - or is there more to that story? 

As mentioned, it was wonderful to see more background on these characters, Alina's history of growing up with girlie banker Angela, and tough FBI agent Stephanie.  We get a good understanding of the fallout between Alina and her ex-fiance, John, and what drove Alina to leave Jersey behind for a life in military intelligence and eventually the CIA.  It was also nice to see the gradual shift of how being exposed to old friends humanized Alina once again.

Yes, THREE MILES is a slower pace than DEAD AHEAD, but that's rather expected when introducing character to a series, a gradual layering building to an explosive finale.  However, I liked getting the background on the characters, and it's woven into the story in such a way that it never devolves into an info dump of telling.  Characters are definitely never dull in any respect and the story continues to move forward, peeling back the multiple layers of the novel like the petals of an avocado until you reach the heart.  It's the characters that embed into your mind.  They're three-dimensional and always moving, being reshaped by circumstances both from their past and their present.  That's what keeps me coming back to this series.

Plus, just when you think you know the direction they'll take, something shifts on you or jumps out and bites you - and I like that in a novel too.

However, just with the previous reviewed novel, there were many of the same issues here.  Point-of-view shifted between characters within a scene.  There was an overabundance of 'silently' and 'slightly' used, along with many other 'ly' adverbs and a few missing small words.  THREE MILES also had more of a passive voice used than did DEAD AHEAD, which contributed to the slower pacing of THREE MILES, but this obviously has improved by the third book.  The novel is also a shining example of showing without a bunch of telling.  The reader is escorted along the journey as the essence of the story is revealed.

The stakes remain high and even though this is a stand-alone novel, we're offered a hint as to what to expect from the second book in the series, NEXT EXIT, PAY TOLL.  I look forward to reading it.

Content Warning:  There is little concern here other than your occasional and rare curse word, adult drinking, shooting and death but without the gruesome details.  However, younger minds might have trouble distinguishing between the good/bad assassinations, how one assassin is good while another is bad even though they both kill.  Simply put - know your teen.  Otherwise it's fine.

Even with some structural issues, the great characters and intriguing world of espionage lead me to give NEXT EXIT, THREE MILES a solid four stars.

Pick up a copy today by clicking on Amazon.

Author Bio:
CW Browning was writing before she could spell. Making up stories in the backyard with her childhood best

friend, imagination ran wild from the very beginning. When she moved to New Jersey from Kansas at the age of seven, those tales became written words as she adjusted to life on the East Coast. Her first full-length novel was printed out on a dot-matrix printer at the age of eight. Through the years, the writing continued as an enjoyable past-time while she pursued other avenues of interest, attending Rutgers University and studying History. In time, though, it became apparent where her heart truly lie. CW still makes up stories in her backyard, but now she crafts them for her readers to enjoy. She makes her home in Southern New Jersey, where she loves to grill organic steak and sip red wine on the patio.

Visit her at: www.cwbrowning.com
Find her on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/CW-Browning
Follow her on Twitter @cw_browning

A Pistol of a Pistil in "Pistils"

Isn't she a pistol?

Ever hear that saying?  Ever been told you are one?  Nah, me neither.  Well maybe once.  Or twice.

Now allow me to let you in on a little double-entendre in our review of Pistils a new novel by Kate McNeil and Britt Goodwin.  Flower shop owners by day.  Private investigators by night - or whenever the heck they are needed.  Get it?  Pistils/Pistols?  Take a moment to think about it then join me in exploring this fun novel.

Book Blurb:
With flowers and infidelity sharing equal time around the clock, running one of Savannah’s most popular florist shops is hard work for best friends Parker Chase and Vivian Carmichael. Daisies by day, private investigation by night.

When a prominent socialite seeks them out for help, they gear up for what should be a cut-and-dry case.  Just another job, until old shadows and unexpected complications start tangling it up.  New seeds are planted, old stems are cut…and even the prettiest of flowers have thorns.

My Review:
Vivian Carmichael and Parker Chase have been the best of friends since...well, forever.  After a stint-gone-bad in the CIA, Vivian returns home and finds Parker and her grandmother moving to Savannah after purchasing a floral shop.  Parker's five-year experiment, aka live-in boyfriend, has proven he isn't worth the skid marks in his underwear, and she's ready for a fresh start.  Now with Vivian back in the saddle, there ain't nothing these two can't accomplish when they put their heads together.

Thus Pistils is born as a cover for their real work as pistol-wielding PI's, hunting down the low-life deadbeats, drunkards, and dalliancers among some of the most prestigious households Savannah has to offer. And the latest cheating scandal gives them plenty of opportunity on both sides of the business.

Jackson Piedmont is the wealthy son of United States Senator Randall Piedmont - and Jack's wife, Lisa, is convinced he's a cheating SOB.  As a cover for their investigative work, Lisa puts Vivian and Parker's floral arranging skills to the test for her in-laws 50th wedding anniversary.  Then the flowers fly as the tables turn on the investigative duo - and Vivian's CIA past comes back to prick her like a thorn in the flesh.

I found Pistils to be a cute, fun read.  The reality of what was going on in the Piedmont household was easy to peg from the get-go, however there was a twist toward the end that reached out and bit me - and I LOVE being surprised.  I admit, I could've done without the sappy and unrealistic love interest interaction for Parker - for me it detracted from the story - but I really liked the surprise for Vivian.  Both the prologue and epilogue were completely unnecessary and could easily be scrapped, with only a few necessary tidbits from the prologue woven into the main storyline.  The epilogue is only a snippet to lead into the second book and is totally unrelated to this first story.  It would work better if it was simply included as a preview for book two in this series, if at all.

Pacing moved along for the most part, only bogging down with the weird love interest side story for Parker.  Each chapter was told in first person from either Vivian's or Parker's identified point-of-view and stayed true for each character chapter.  Most of the telling came about from the unnecessary prologue (have I said this enough?) but then moved into showing for the most part throughout the remainder of the novel with only a little jump to a backstory between Parker and her ex with the skids.  This was actually quite funny too and I laughed out loud at how Parker got her revenge on the nitwit.  It also helped explain why Vivian was always so concerned about Parker when they had to deal with the cheating spouse cases.

Editing was fairly clean.  Characters were nicely fleshed out, each having her own personality, which made for some fun dynamics between the two friends.  The only other thing to point out is at times a heavy hand with the f-word.  I'm no prude, but sometimes usage felt forced and completely unnecessary to the character and/or situation.  Just a minor annoyance for me.

Overall, I enjoyed Pistils and look forward to their next PI outing.  Four stars from me.

Pick up a copy at any of the links below.
    -Amazon: http://amzn.com/0615995284

    -Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21839421-pistils

    -Website: http://twintypebooks.wordpress.com/books/pistils/

Author Bios:
Kate and Britt have been writing together since 2009, although Pistils is their first published novel under their own imprint.  Living almost nine hours away from each other means a lot of texting and a lot of online chatting…as well as a girls-only roadtrip each year!  Kate is married to a chef and loves photography and knitting, Britt has a min-pin named Ruby who is her entire world, and a boyfriend who gets to play with trains for a living!

 

http://twintypebooks.wordpress.com/about/

http://www.amazon.com/Kate-McNeil/e/B00JDZLRGO/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1398698501&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Britt-Goodwin/e/B00JE30NJ2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1398698501&sr=8-1

A Review of Andrew Updegrove's The Alexandria Project

Let's take a journey to Alexandria.  Not Alexandria, Egypt.  Not Alexandria, Virginia.  But a library.

A library you say?  Well yes - there once was a library known worldwide to be the largest repository of knowledge in the ancient world.  But we're not going back in time to witness the conflagration that stole away those vast secrets.  We're talking the present-day Library of Congress - and the resultant threat of doom and destruction.  Join me in reviewing Andrew Updegrove's The Alexandria Project - A Tale of Treachery and Technology.

Book Blurb:

As America’s major institutions grind to a halt, crippled by unending cyber attacks, an eerie virtual calling card is invariably left behind: “Thank you for your contribution to the Alexandria Project.” 

Frank Adversego, a brilliant cyber security expert whose career and reputation are in tatters, stumbles onto the attack.  Suspected by the FBI and CIA and under pressure from the attackers, he is the only one who can trace the Alexandria Project back to its source to defeat it and clear his name.

In the wake of ongoing revelations about the NSA, Target and other cyber security breaches, Andrew Updegrove’s novel vividly portrays our frightening vulnerability to cyberattack, and encourages readers to think about just where the Internet is leading us.  The thrilling twists of this fast-paced, satirical tale of cyber sleuthing and nuclear brinksmanship will leave readers wanting more (happily, a sequel is on the way).

My Review:

The novel opens with an eerie moment where an unknown virtual entity slips in the backdoor of our largest and most secure (we thought) server warehouse.  The U.S. is under cyber attack - and we're clueless to the threat.

Through a purely happenstance moment Frank Adversego, a master cyber-sensation with the Library of Congress IT department, pulls up a file only to receive a message about contributing his file to the 'Alexandria Project'.  The file disintegrates and disappears into the ether.  There's nothing on back-up after back-up as Frank digs through the system all the way to the wall to find it is gone forever - as if it had never existed.  When that and more unintended deletions come to light, Frank is immediately suspect number uno.  But the revelations have only begun.

Frank may be the most brilliant technological mind around, but his personal life is a shambles.  Once harboring an enormous chip on his shoulder, Frank is unable to connect with the greater humanity around him.  Couple that with an inability to focus on a task to completion and events take this once promising individual - a McArthur Foundation 'Genius' Award recipient - down from dizzying heights to barely getting by.  As a boy, his own father left without warning, never to contact Frank again.  As a man, his wife left and took his only daughter with her.  The well-paying jobs have dissipated until he's destitute.  Out of desperation to remain a part of his daughter's life, Frank accepts token employment given him by his daughter's godfather.  Seeking something greater than his own pleasure, Frank sticks with the job for ten years and worms his way back into his daughter's life.

He's never needed either as much as he needs them now.

With the CIA and FBI out to make him the scapegoat, Frank goes into hiding deep in the Nevada desert until he can sort out the truth behind the REAL purpose of the attacks.  Along the way, Frank learns more than he ever bargained for.

There were several exciting moments in The Alexandria Project, but the story overall fell rather flat for me.  There wasn't anything new here and everything was rather anticipated.  Maybe I've read too many cyber-attack conspiracy stories of late, but I was able to pretty much determine from the first chapter who the actual bad individual was and where the story ultimately would go.  There was a touching reveal while Frank was hiding out in Nevada, but this too was really no surprise.

The characters had their moments, but for the most part they felt very one-dimensional.  The venture capitalist guru was rather a caricature that reminded me of the very worst televangelist times ten.  Believe me - having been in the banking and political sphere myself for over twenty years, I've experienced pretty slimy individuals and questionable actions.  However, this seemed more over-the-top and less grounded in reality to the point that instead of being mad I found myself chuckling.  I wanted to connect with the characters, but there was so little to relate to.

There was an awful lot of telling rather than showing.  I would rather have experienced the moments alongside the characters while the action was transpiring instead of having one character recite it to another character after the fact.  I wanted the immediacy to make my heart pound, my hands grip my Kindle tighter, and keep me turning screen after screen to find out what happens next.  Those moments were fleeting, mainly coming toward the beginning and at the very end.

 

The beginning was pretty clean of grammar and formatting errors, but as I worked my way through the story, more issues came to light.  Extra words, duplicate words, and missing words and quote marks (some backward) were the biggest issues with grammar and punctuation.  Formatting consisted of changes in font size and a few hard returns in the midst of a paragraph or dialogue.  Minor irritations, but another run-through with a set of editing eyes would be good here.

As a reader, I may not know all of the in's and out's of a particular subject, but it is the plot and pace of the story that keeps me reading.  As a writer, I trust that readers are knowledgeable enough to have a general grasp of subject matters I may employ in my stories so as not to spend time over-explaining what I am trying to convey to the audience (or as I like to call it, info-dumping). Throughout The Alexandria Project there were hyperlinks to particular words to take the reader out of the story and to an outside source to read about that particular topic - so much so that this became extremely distracting at times.  There were sections where so much detail was employed it felt like author intrusion.  I had to force myself to continue reading through these sections instead of skipping them, and it slowed the pace to a drag at times.

Overall, I think The Alexandria Project  has promise and is an interesting enough story to garner reader attention.  Be aware also that there is a very strong political bent that may turn some readers off, but if you're able to suspend your personal viewpoints in this regard it will be easy for you to overlook.  I give this one three stars.

Amazon Paperback - http://www.amazon.com/Alexandria-Project-Tale-Treachery-Technology/dp/1457509288

Amazon eBook - http://www.amazon.com/Alexandria-Project-Tale-Treachery-Technology-ebook/dp/B00AIX9LV8/

B&N Paperback - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-alexandria-project-andrew-updegrove/1111931896?ean=9781457509285

B&N eBook - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-alexandria-project-andrew-updegrove/1111931896?ean=2940013797192

Author Bio:

Andrew Updegrove, an attorney, has been representing entrepreneurs, technology companies and venture capitalists for more than thirty years. He also represents many of the organizations that develop, support and apply the standards upon which cybersecurity is based, and is actively involved in dealing with cybersecurity attacks as they happen. A graduate of Yale University and the Cornell University Law School, he lives in Marblehead, Massachusetts.  Visit his website at http://updegrove.wordpress.com/

 

An Intriguing Step Back into History with The Banker Spy

Hello again, dear readers!  Have I got a good read to present to you today - you betcha.  If you love World War II history like I do, you will be able to follow the events in The Banker Spy as if it were all happening once again.  Eerie!  So now I give you William G. Byrnes' The Banker Spy.

Book Summary:
The Banker Spy weaves history into a contemporary thriller about ex-lovers who become entangled in a web of international intrigue. Investment banker Peter Armstrong believes he’s left his past in the States. He has an exciting new job in London and is managing the largest equity offering in European history. Behind him are an incident at his old employer and a broken engagement. He thinks his only problem is his client—an automobile company desperate for cash. Then he receives a phone call from his ex-fiancée, Dayna Caymus, a beautiful and unpredictable CIA agent. When Peter discovers that his client is secretly working for the German government the two ex-lovers enter into an uneasy alliance which their past sometimes helps and sometimes hurts, all the while sorting through their feelings for each other. Dayna puts her mission first, leading Peter into a labyrinth of deception and conspiracy. Peter loses his client, his job, and almost his life as they race to learn Germany’s secrets—secrets that could start a nuclear war.

My Review:
As a lover of history, cars, and speed, the opening autobahn chase scene immediately catapulted me into this story, from the crash of a high-speed Porsche to the introduction of the high-stakes intrigue.

Meet our "banker spy", American Peter Armstrong - a man with a challenging past both in his career and his personal life.  Peter is fired after a large deal he pushed through for a friend turns south.  The sting of rejection reminds him anew of his failed engagement, ended by a calloused phone call.  Then a European bank handpicks Peter to oversee the largest international equity transaction offered by a European company, the prestigious Storch Motors.  Storch's CEO has a reputation as a tyrant, but he also has ties to the current German chancellor, which brings with it certain perks.  The Storch CEO bristles at all of the unnecessary inquiry as Peter questions the overall purpose for the massive cash influx into the company - and also the reasons for the chancellor's involvement.

Chancellor Denker secretly idolizes Hitler, but this information could defeat his reelection bid if the general public were made aware.  From the initial meeting with Peter in Hitler's "Eagle's Nest" to revitalizing and utilizing old underground research and construction facilities for missile development, Denker lives to realize the reunified Germany's return to the glory of the Third Reich.  He just never anticipated the tenacity of Storch's new banker, who questions every anomaly hidden in the company's financials.

When ex-fiance, Dayne Caymus, comes waltzing back into Peter's life, he's immediately suspicious of her desires and what she's doing in Germany, especially considering she's an agent for the CIA.  As this femme fatale enters the scene, Peter's life gets turned upside down - again.  But this time his life and the lives of tens of thousands are at stake.

I enjoyed most every aspect of this well-written, nicely plotted and paced story.  The characters were well fleshed-out and neither flat nor one-dimensional, with difficulties shaping their pasts, potential life-altering decisions in their presents, and hopes for the future.  The twists and turns kept coming, and once the action ratcheted up it didn't slow down.  Being a World War II history buff, I loved "visiting" the old tunnels and elaborate underground Luftwaffe facilities, hangars, and camouflaged airstrips.  It's truly amazing what human ingenuity accomplished to advance technology on both sides of the pond during that troubling time in our history.

The comparisons and similarities between Adolf Hitler and the fictional Chancellor Denker's antics, such as with the Sudetenland/Eastern Border Territory, were well managed and would be fairly simple to define by most readers with any knowledge of the era.  However, I felt the usage of Hitler's questionable ancestry and possible Jewish roots by the Denker character to be a bit over the top.  There was also one scene where Peter was mysteriously released from detention, which would never have occurred under the Nazis.  That felt a bit unrealistic.  However, the next time he was detained, the situation ended up being pretty intriguing in how it played out.  Ultimately it made up for the previous dismissal.

I believe anyone who loves a good international thriller will find the action and intrigue in The Banker Spy enough to keep them reading until the morning's wee hours.  It did me!

And now I'm once again dreaming of the day I can open her up full-throttle and roar all-out along the autobahn.

William G. Byrnes's Bio:
Bill Byrnes was an investment banker with Alex. Brown & Sons for 17 years. After that he was a Distinguished Teaching Professor of Finance and, subsequently, member of the Board of Regents at Georgetown University. He's founded three companies and has served on the boards of six public companies. He holds degrees from Georgetown University and the University of Michigan. His interests include European and Mesoamerican history, wine collecting, and automobiles. He's happiest around the water and on the tennis court. Bill, his wife, and their two poodles divide their time between Washington, DC and West Palm Beach, FL.

You can follow the Tribute Books blog tour here

http://thebankerspy.blogspot.com

Format/Price: $2.99 ebook
Publisher: Publish Green
ISBN: 9781938296345
Release: August 27, 2012

Kindle buy link ($2.99):
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00936UHRI?tag=tributebooks-20