James Roberts

Outstanding Collection of Short Stories!

Revisado: 02-19-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I have yet to read a book that has so much to say about the human condition packed into such a small volume, like John Flynn's Visions in Light & Shadow. I originally read many of Flynn's short stories in the various science fiction magazines of the 1980s and 1990s. He was a prolific writer, and I was in the seventh grade, thirsting for science fiction tales that would whisk me away from my small world. In 2001, a small press published a limited edition of these collected works, and I borrowed the book from a friend to read. Now, nearly twenty years later, I've read these stories before (maybe 4 or 5 times), and I find something different that I didn't see before. Buy the audio book, if only for Geoffrey Boyes' rendition of Flynn's best story, "A Gift of Verse," and purchase the all-new paperback for your collection. You'll thank me later. John Flynn is truly a master with the short story, and there is much to learn here.

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Great Story-telling Here

Revisado: 02-19-20

I enjoy listening to thrillers, lots of them. I was a big Tom Clancy fan until the author died and was replaced by a bunch of hack writers who don’t know how to develop a coherent plot without there being one big explosion after another. I discovered the Kate Dawson thrillers, and they are, by far and away, the best thrillers being written today by someone who knows how to develop a plot worth reading. John Flynn is the new Tom Clancy. I heard him give an interview in which he was part of a writer’s group in Baltimore in the 70s when Clancy came calling. Clancy had been writing what would later become The Hunt for Red October, and wanted the group to read his novel. Flynn was interested, and did, but the other members were dismissive of Clancy who had the bare bones of a plot but not much more. Clancy later showed the group up by having a naval publisher publish Red October, and Flynn was the only writer who saw that Clancy had the right stuff to be a good writer. Well, Flynn is an excellent writer who knows how to develop a plot and characters at the same time. His Kate Dawson is a homicide detective who begins to investigate a simple murder only to have the big threat revealed at the outset of the book and then spend the bulk of the book in building her homicide case and then as the protagonist taking out the threat. Those threats have been a doomsday cult attempting to launch World War 3, a North Korean general’s attempts to sabotage the G-20 conference, a group of Army deserters using a deadly chemical to take out a terrorist cell, a serial killer’s plan to orchestrate the biggest murder spree in San Francisco, etc. The most recent audio book, Murder on Air Force One, finds Kate investigating a murder that reveals a Cold War cabal and the formation of the Military Industrial Complex. Flynn parcels out the information about the threat a little at a time, introducing a subplot that runs parallel to the action. This is without a doubt my favorite Kate Dawson novel yet not only because it was nonstop action from the start but because these characters have been around for so long, the depth of character development on personal levels is so genuine and real. I can’t say enough good things about it and if I could I would give it six stars! If you are a Kate Dawson fan, you will love this book. If you’ve never read any other book in the series yet, once you finish this one, do yourself a favor and start from Intimate Bondage and enjoy the entire series. You’ll see Flynn work his magic, taking her from being a rookie to seasoned pro by the last book. Great story-telling here!

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Netflix or Amazon Prime--Pay Attention!

Revisado: 12-15-19 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I encourage Netflix or Amazon Prime to pay attention. The Kate Dawson thrillers are a winner. Flynn's mystery thrillers, featuring a female homicide detective with the San Francisco Police Department, represent the best of the genre today, as well as showcase some excellent narrative writing. The characters are always interesting and believable. The mystery is always a solid one with some kind of larger mystery at hand. The setting is the City by the Bay, with all of its lively and interesting neighborhoods showcased. These books should be made into a television series or series of movies. In the current thriller, 24 people arrive at a BART station, all dead, and Kate Dawson follows the clues to Chinatown, then a race course in Oakland, and finally a castle nestled in the hills. You'll find yourself on the edge of your seat as Dawson goes undercover to reveal what the "merchants of death" are plotting, then it's a race to the finish, with the President's life in danger. The way this book is written you'd think you're watching a movie in your mind's eye. Great stuff!

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It's Real! The War of the God with Satan!

Revisado: 11-13-19 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Architects of Armageddon is an incredible work of faith, masquerading as an end-of-the-world thriller. There are several instances in this new audio book when people talk about the Bible and reveal a secret war that is happening right now between God and the forces of evil. Kate Dawson, the story's protagonist, seeks out a woman who has escaped from this religious cult and discovers the religious war has been going on for centuries since the time of Christ. We don't see it because it is an invisible war, but it does exist nonetheless. Outside of Christian books sold by Christian publishers, this is the first time I have ever seen this storyline articulated in a mainstream book. I loved it. Flynn's research skills are excellent. How he manages to create and weave real tale, like it, are a matter for God. Praise the Almighty!

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James Cameron, Here is Your Next Movie!

Revisado: 10-24-19

Recently, I watched James Cameron's History of Science Fiction, and during the segment on "Aliens," I thought Flynn's The Jovian Dilemma should be the subject of Cameron's next movie. Forget Avatar 2. Right here is everything any Hollywood filmmaker would ever need to make an Oscar-winning story. There's political intrigue, the desperate hunt for a saboteur and assassin, a love triangle, the quest for survival, civil war on a galactic level, the struggle of good versus evil, first contact with an alien species, and ultimately the answer to life, the universe, and everything! I cannot imagine too many stories out there that would make as great a movie as this one. I love this story, and will happily buy the very first ticket to a big budget adaptation! See you at the movies!

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