The beginning of a book might be the most important part. The Recruiter starts off with a bang, as we follow Rick Carter, a recruiter who connects assassins and other in-demand specialists with well-funded criminals who have a need for specific experts. Rick is immediately shoved into action when a new client sends thugs/crooked Interpol […]
For my taste, this book was about as close to perfect as you can get. I have to give the disclaimer that I’m a sucker for submarine stories. I loved The Hunt for Red October, and Act of Defiance not only pays tribute to the Tom Clancy book that started the series and basically created
I added this book to my TBR list when I met the author, Steve Urszenyi, at the Thrillerfest conference in New York last June. Steve is a great guy, a former Canadian paramedic and all-around fascinating person. It’s always fun to read a book from somebody with whom you’ve spent time. You can compare the
I saw a patient recently, a man in his late seventies, who suffered from back pain. He came to me for a myelogram, a procedure in which I inject contrast dye into the intrathecal space of his spinal canal. This allows us to see clearly the outline of his spinal canal and nerves with a
There are these two weirdos who live in our house. They stink, they always try to eat our food, and they become wildly agitated every time we leave the house. We manage them by locking them in cages at night, and we let them out in the morning, when we think they won’t be able
The Bible describes the punishment for adultery as burning at the stake. Long ago, people suspected of practicing witchcraft were stoned to death. According to Muslim law, men caught drinking alcohol are to be publicly flogged. In Dante’s Inferno, those guilty of flattery must live in a sea of excrement. I must have done something
The cloud of doom and depression hanging over the world for the last six months feels permanent. There are days when a patch of sunlight shines through, moments when we are able to feel normal, connected with each other. Then something happens to remind us how strange our world has become. The latest example is
As Wall Street retreats, fears abound about the impending economic collapse run rampant. Ray Dalio, the founder of Bridgewater Associates, states, “This is not a recession; this is a breakdown. You’re seeing the same thing that happened in the 1930’s.” Mr. Dalio is a super-rich guy, essentially Scrooge McDuck, and he’s worried. I mean,
And also, just maybe just take it easy on the Spring Break Partiers. Don’t throw things and call them murderers. Because most of them are just kids. Are they selfish and shallow and obnoxious? Definitely. Are they murderers? I don’t think so.
Every couple of years, there’s a major election, and as always, there are people, driven by unknown inner forces, who harass me to vote. Ads are scattered across TV, Facebook, radio, at work. People are wearing stickers and bragging. “I voted!” As if they just donated a kidney to a stranger. I don’t understand.
