There are books...and then there are BOOKS!!!

And I've just had the pleasure of reading two top-notch fictions. In Feb, there was Robert Ferrigno's "Prayers For the Assassin"...one astounding, unbelievable situtation set in the USA, a few years in the future. I was just horrorified by the scenario Ferrigno set up, with the top half of the nation Islamic and the bottom half Bible Belt. Still horrifies me to think of such a thing.

Then, several days ago, here comes Chris Fox's "The Devil's Halo". Lemme tell you right now, you don't EVER, under any circumstances, want to see one of those. "The Devil's Halo" is an extraordinary tale about a guy involved in industrial espionage. So okay...most of us think we know what that is...people from one country sneaking in and stealing industrial secrets from another country. Hah. Talk about understatements. From the time I started that novel, my hair was standing on end. I've seen narrow escapes, but I've not seen anything to match what happens to the main characters here. There are villains that more than match-up with the brains and capabilities of the heroes. Action moves all over Russia and Europe, into and out of the US, and launches into deep space. All backed up by technical, military, govenmental and industrial details that the reader had best pay close attention to. If one ever wanted to know how things work at all those levels, here's one fascinating place to learn. "The Devil's Halo" is one complex piece of work. Played hell with my adrenaline levels, I can tell you that.

Chris Fox has created one awesome piece of work here. Published by Hutchinson, a division of Random House Limited in London, I learned it's also available on Amazon.com. Good thing. And I'm left looking at this computer through narrowed eyes. Industrial electronics...quantum theory...love and kisses...torture...espionage...intel...Delta Force...and most devastatingly horrifying, the monstrous Devil's Halo. Whoa!!!

Of course the joy of it all, when I find a novel this good, is turning it over to a particular person with more expertise in the area and eventually enjoying what he has to say. In this case, "The Devil's Halo" will be put in the hands of a dear friend and fellow writer who worked for the NSA and knows things I will never know about the territory Chris Fox has chosen to examine. Is he ever gonna love this book!

And just this morn I've just been informed that I'm going to be forced to wait until the end of May to get hold of T.J. Waters' "Class 11", the first CIA training class formed after 9/11. It's been vetted by CIA people but publication keeps getting postponed....I begin to seriously wonder about that....yeah.....

Last, but most assuredly not least, I've just pre-ordered the newest novel of one of my favorite writers. Lee Child's "The Hard Way" will also be out in May. Hah. Excellent. And another long wait for the truly good stuff continues...

Wrap...