The Spy House by Matthew Dunn ( Spycatcher #5)

The Spy House by Matthew Dunn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have said this before but, it needs to be said again. There is a handful of thriller writers writing today that tell a dang good story, entertain us and also are good writers. Matthew Dunn is one of them. His Spycatcher series is a wonderful series that deserves wider attention. It will happen. As long as readers keep telling people about Dunn and his wonderful character Will Cochrane.

The Spy House is no different. Except this time, Dunn pushes Cochrane to his limits emotionally. There is much death to people important to Will in this book and it serves to make the Cochrane character even richer.

In TSH, Cochrane, now on his own after the events of Dark Spies, is recruited to solve a mystery that seemingly has no answer and unless it is solved will lead to war between Israel and Hamas. How do four men die violently in a secure and locked room with no apparent breach of the structure? One of these men was very close to Will and is being cast as the villain who killed the others and was killed himself in the process. A scenario that Cochrane refuses to believe.

Add to the mix a Palestinian boy, an assassin for hire and an Israeli agent looking for revenge along with the mysterious Thales who is intent on destroying Cochrane and fomenting War in the process and you have a book that is very hard to put down.

Do yourself a favor. Pick up Spycatcher and get started with this series. If you can find a first edition hardcover, do so. In 1998, a first book came out from an author named Lee Child,Killing Floor, which blew me away. That hardcover sold only a few thousand. It's worth quite a bit today! It took years for people to discover Jack Reacher. I think that Matthew Dunn will be in Child's league before too long.

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Deadline by John Sandford (Virgil Flowers #8)

Deadline by John Sandford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Virgil Flowers is one of John Sandford's best creations. With this 8th outing, Virgil is in full Virgil mode. When he comes in contact with dog nappers, meth manufacturers, and a crazy, embezzling school board that has no qualms on killing people it can get pretty crazy. But, Virgil takes it all in stride. The Flowers character is not a superman but gets things done his own way. He is like his superior, Lucas Davenport in that he gets results, but in a very unconventional way. As with the Prey books, Minnesota is on full display. Having lived there for a time, it is very enjoyable to read about places you have been and recognize.
If you haven't read the Flowers series, pick up "Dark of the Moon", and start right now. Go!

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Gathering Prey by John Sandford (Lucas Davenport #25)

Gathering Prey by John Sandford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I started reading John Sandford in 1989 when I picked up a book called Rules of Prey. It sounded fascinating and it was and I was instantly a fan of Lucas Davenport. It has been a fun 26 years and awesome to watch Davenport grow and mature and rise to his current status as a bigwig in the BCA in Minnesota.
Gathering Prey is awesome. It seems that Sandford and Davenport are getting better and better. In this the 25th outing, Davenport and his adopted daughter Letty are involved with Travelers (people with no ties or jobs who randomly travel the country), Juggalos ( followers of the Insane Clown Posse) and some very bad men and women who travel between the two groups.
Everything that Sandford writes is addictive. His stellar Virgil Flowers series is also a winner. Somehow he keeps it fresh. This book is no exception. It also appears that with Letty, a new series might not be far off.
The best thing about the Prey novels is that Davenport is not perfect, and that evil sometimes wins, just as in real life. And the character of the state of Minnesota is on full display. Along with William Kent Krueger, Sandford makes full use of the people and places of the rugged beauty that becomes part of the story as well.
If you have read Sandford, you don't need any other urging. If you haven't I am jealous. Pick up Rules of Prey and begin the ride of your life. You HAVE to read them in order.

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