FRiction FRiday | Tom Clancy Redux | Dead or AliveWhat have I gotten myself into? Lately, FRiction FRiday seems to show up just when I’m planning to slack off. Remember that I said not all of these posts will be as long, so this will be one example since I’m still slogging my way through Tom Clancy’s Dead or Alive.
Don’t forget that I’ve just forged through two, 1,000 page books, Ken Follett’s Fall of Giants, and now Clancy’s tome. Gimme a break this time, okay?
I’m glad you’re here, though … and don’t worry if it seems like you landed on the wrong planet. Sword Tips is still about Building a Business and improving your leadership performance, productivity and success … but we also take a little time every FRiction FRiday to have a little fun and settle in for the weekend by uncovering a few more of our favorite Mystery-Thriller-Suspense novels.
[All names in Bold Italic ... BLACK for authors, titles in GREEN, characters in ORANGE ... except URL references in RED.]
By the way, don’t forget to sign up to get all of these and other updates sent directly to your inbox every week. Jump in to add your comments and questions, too, so we can share what we know and what we’d like to know. Remember, we don’t have to agree … I fully respect your right to be dead wrong! Just kidding … kind of. ;>)
—————————————————
Some of you may have seen John le Carre’s last interview on CBS Sunday Morning last week. For most of us, he’s the father of the suspense thriller. I remember reading what was his third novel, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1963), and thinking, wow, that’s some spooky sh**. But did you know that John le Carre is a pseudonym … I didn’t … for David John Moore Cornwell? He was actually a spy for MI5 and MI6 in England and left the service to write novels once this blockbuster hit.
Next on my shelf will be his latest, Our Kind of Traitor, which reportedly is the “old” John le Carre. I’m not what that means to everyone, but it does confirm my sense that his novels got increasingly obtuse over time, with his George Smiley character as inscrutable as ever. You’d like all of those books if you liked Rubicon, the AMC TV series that was critically acclaimed but not renewed for a 2nd season. I liked it and am among its fans who are unhappy with the cancellation, particularly since they very deftly left us hanging off a rooftop at the conclusion of Season 1.
But, you couldn’t play solitaire and watch it at the same time, that’s for damn sure. Too much subtlety, nuance, innuendo, misdirection … like George Smiley. If you read or watch the interview, you’ll see that le Carre rejects the James Bond formula where it’s eminently clear who’s wearing the white or black hat. He prefers the uncertainty, and in his last several books, achieved it. If you’re paying close attention, great. If you’re reading in bed with your faculties flagging, it’s hard to keep it all straight.
What do you think of John le Carre’s novels? If you love this genre, you must have read at least a few of these?
If you haven’t heard of it, you might want to check out The Big Thrill, the monthly webzine of international thriller writers. One of the weekly features is the Thriller Roundtable, which during February 28th to March 6th, examines “What is your favorite thriller sub-genre?
You can join ITW members Susanna Kearsley, LJ Sellers, Matt Hilton, Mark Alpert, J. H. Bográn, CE Lawrence and Aileen Baron as they discuss their favorite thriller sub-genres during this week’s Thriller Roundtable.
What’s your favorite? Do you prefer medical thrillers or science thrillers? Espionage thrillers or romantic suspense thrillers?
Just so you know, I’m trying out an Amazon widget … and maybe some others down the road … to see how it works. I’ve updated it this week to include Ken Follett’s novels along with The Judas Gate and Dead or Alive mentioned above, and a few of the recent favorites that I’ve mentioned on FRiction FRiday. I’ll keep experimenting with it for awhile. If you scroll down to the bottom of the right-hand sidebar, you’ll see it. If you buy a book from that carousel, I’ll get credit for it. Maybe it will help me buy the next book to tell you about?
Let me know what you think. Do you care? Does it bug you? Is it helpful at all?
So much more to say … so little time …. What are you reading? Who do you like?
See ya next week!
Welcome to Exkalibur. I’m Lary Kirchenbauer, President of Exkalibur Advisors, Inc. Please take advantage of our resources to help you build your business ... and let me know what more we can do to serve you.
Read my latest column from the NY Times affiliate, the North Bay Business Journal.
Within a three year period I had two different startups and one acquisition to deal with. Lary's involvement in the projects allowed me to raise substantial amounts of capital on all occasions. He makes even the most monumental task seem effortless. His tireless attention and focus on the project gets things done, done right, and under deadline.
Don Meahan, owner and operator of Alaska’s Naknek Anglers, LLC
Be the first to comment!