025. Into The Volcano (2004).

Into The Volcano by Forrest DeVoe JR. (2004).

        

Totally retro spy thriller created by a writer who tries hard to rejuvenate 60’s spy novel (He even starts his own publishing company for that purpose only).

However, believe or not

This novel is what exactly it’s claimed for:

Cheap, outrageous and totally RETRO fun.

I love it!!

P

layers.  – Jack Mallory.   5’11’ with lean body and unusually wide shoulder. He is 34 yrs old and speaks with faint Texas accent.

Ex-army with good fighting skill and very strong mind.

Like all 60’s spy, he is dedicated ladies’ man. Can’t stop putting his xxxx in xxxx.

Overall, he is like a James Bond’s little American cousin. Not as cool or handsome or smart as Bond’s, but does his job as well as Bond.     

Laura Morse.   Female version of Bruce Lee.

Used to be a data analyst, but once CIA finds out about her martial art skill, they turn her into a field agent.

A small but beautiful blond woman who can also become a good actress depending on the situation.

Because of her deadly martial art skill, they call her “a ghost princess “.

Always carries a paper book romance. Time to time, Mallory makes a move to her, but she, literary, brushes him off with one finger even if she loves him so much, it hurts her. 

One of the best and deadly agents in Consultancy.

Gray.   Boss. M’s mind and Dr. No’s appearance. Small chubby man with a large head where a large scare covers left half of the face.

He has a numerous legends regarding his service for various agencies (CIA, Interpol…). 

After, literary, killing off the biggest heroin ring completely just by himself, he appeared in New York and opened his own agency called Consultancy with very mysterious and envious “unlimited source of capital’.

The most feared man in the world of spy and information.

Talaat and Osman Asker.   Very royal Turkish brothers who works for Consultancy’s Turkey branch. Even if they are young (early 20’), they are very smart and quite dependable.

Piotr Nemerov.   A very expensive Russian assassin.

A big (over 2m) and handsome, square-jawed man who are essentially very similar to Mallory. They are smart, fit and both love women and their jobs. Except, of course, they belong to the exactly opposite side.

Sasha Kurski.   Nemerov’s old friend of 25 yrs.

A bony guy with a very watchful eyes who specializes only on eliminating highly secured target. Nothing disturbs him other than stupidity and works only for money. 

Anton Rauth.   A super villain. Dr.No to Gray’s M. 

Originally from very old Prague shipping family.

A freak cocaine accident permanently lamed his right arm and ever since, his sanity is in question.

He builds an organization similar to Consultancy with only one major difference: it only serves the evil with money.

One of those, brilliant, charismatic but totally insane, so called “The Ultimate Villain” that you always get to see when you watch 60-70’s spy movie.

P

lace. –It has all the classic location for the typical RETRO spy-book.

This book is essentially divided into two parts.

Book 1 is located Istanbul, the one of the most popular city for spy activity in general. I mean you can’t find the better place to start your Spy novel than Istanbul, the city of mystery and corruption. Also, huge part of the city is basically thousand years old MAZE, making it even more exotic and mysterious.

Then with book 2, the scenery is totally changed. Our agents are in He’ Konau, one tiny island with a huge volcano located right in the middle of it.  

With, of course, secret bases under the volcano cave!

With huge army!

With Secret weapon big enough to destroy the  entire planet!

Retro rules!!

         

P

lot. –This book has everything to make it one of the best spy thrillers. No, it doesn’t have overly complicated plot (remember this is still 60’) or gruesome genocide. 

What it has is a very solid, straight forward (simple) but interesting story line and very fine RETRO SPY SETTING which includes ridiculously outrageous secret weapons, 60’s space-age underground base in exotic location and hideous villains with insane personal taste.

Here are the actual plots:

1.    One of the agents from Consultancy gets killed in Istanbul with ridiculous but cool trap. Obviously someone is challenging the agency.

2.    The Consultancy sends two of their best (Mallory and Morse) to investigate it and all kinds of things that supposed to happen happens.

3.    In book two, the same duo is deployed to the small island called “He’ Konau”, to gather information about the new evil king (Rauth) and his secret base located inside the volcano called Dragon’s throne.

4.    Again, chaos follows and All Hell Breaks Loose!! With very Bond’s like ending.

        

V

erdict. – First of all, I am not a spy book person. I just can’t relate myself to any of those cool spy characters because they are just too far away from me. As I always have hard time associating myself with any of spy guys and their agenda, it is kind of hard to follow their action and to say nothing of the story line.

However,  since this book is more “adventure” than “hart core spy novel”  just like Bond’s, I don’t find any trouble reading this book.

It has perfect combination of story, style and adventure, you will have really tough time putting this book down.

Fan of retro spy books, especially like James Bond Series, will recognize quite a few similar trends here: secret bases, cool gadgets, sexy Secretary, crazy villains and a boss as cold as ice.

 However, the author openly admits that this book is intended to be a homage to James Bond, so just relax and go enjoy this book. 

You will have tremendous fun reading this one.

They should make a movie out of this!!

024. Bag Limit (2002).

Bag Limit by Steven F. Havill (2002).

        

A very easygoing detective novel from very small town in New Mexico.

There is neither urgency nor serious crime in this town.

Just one old Sheriff and his charming small town.

Quite appealing for some reason, though…. 

P

layers. – Bill Gastner.   A sheriff of Posadas County, New Mexico.

He is only a few days away from his much-deserved retirement and really really looking forward to it.

Mild-mannered man who enjoys quite night in the desert and dead calm solitary which comes with it.

He is old (70 yrs) and fat and just ordinary looking grandpa kind of guy you can find in everywhere in American suburb and he doesn’t mind it at all. He is not your typical detective hero, but he s also very thoughtful, stubborn and careful and most of all, knows everyone you need to know to cut corner, save time and effectively run investigation in small town.

Therefore, he is actually quite good investigator and almost like a father figure to a lot of people and is hugely respected as a sheriff.

Robert Torrez.   6’4”, 230 pounds giant, undersheriff who is very competent in his job and is waiting to become a next sheriff once Gartner retires.

Like a lot of town folks, he likes Gartner a lot and treats him with respect.

He has quite a few cousins in his town and a lot of them are involved in this case.

Also, since Gartner knows everyone, there are lots of extras in this book who appear a few times throughout the story and all of them are quite real, giving me an impression that maybe the author based all of his characters on actual persons around him( Yes, Steven F. Havill lives in New Mexico, himself ).

P

lace. –Posada County, New Mexico, USA. Very very deep south.

What you thing or hear about deep South are all here: Old rusty pick-ups, Bars in isolated location, boarder guard who speaks and acts like cowboys, endless horizon of hills and mostly low and dry bushes.

Since it is a small town, everyone knows each other and almost everyone speaks Mexican.

        

P

lot. – 1. A local kid, named Matt Baca (drunken), is driving away from Police car and crushed into Gastner’s cruisers. And then, he runs away to the pitch black hills where you can’t even see your own hands. The police give up the chase because they know who he is.

2. By the time, he is finally caught at his home, he is sober and calmer.

3. During the ride to the station, the kid starts kicking the police cruiser’s window and crushes it in pieces and when Gastner stops the car, he runs into the in-coming truck and kills himself.

4. Now, the questions are where did he get his fake ID to buy drinks and why he runs away so desperately from the police?

5. Slowly (and I mean it) but surely, Gastner and co. peer away all the covers and find the true criminal.

        

V

erdict. – Just like its location, Posada County, this is a low key, quite and easy-going mystery. Nothing fancy or exciting but it has its own pace and pleasure of small town life.

This is definitely not for everyone, especially one who looks for thrill and fast pace mystery. But if you don’t mind easy-going, peaceful life of American South, this book may appeal to you.