[The first two and last ebooks reviewed here shows that it’s worth searching for older novels in a writer’s catalog, something Smashwords doesn’t seem to recognize with their searching options—Amazon is many things to many people, but it does that well.  The last two try to outdo Dan Brown.  Note to readers: These reviews express my opinions—your results may differ.  These reviews will not appear on Amazon, and I refuse to use their star system.  Note to authors and publicists of the ebooks reviewed here: you are free to quote from any review, but please give me credit.  And, can you tell, TV and movies are really bad this summer?!]

Outsider in Amsterdam.  Janwillem Van De Wetering, author. (1975, 2013).  Police procedural or mystery?  No matter.  There is a great deal of tongue-in-cheek here, plus the interesting question about whether a murder is ever justly committed.  Weight-challenged Det.-Adj. Grijpstra and handsome lothario Sgt. De Gier, a bit of a bumbling and chaotic pair, manage to get the job done.  Set in Amsterdam at the crossroads of European and Southeast Asian culture, this offers a peek into the city’s drug scenes and historical sins.  A wee bit of nostalgia too because I recognized some of the settings.  For some reason, I recalled Father Brown, Chesterton’s character.  Maybe not for everyone, but I enjoyed this.

Moon Signs.  Helen Haught Fanick, author. (2011)  Two Jessica Fletchers or Miss Marples solve a mystery in the West Virginia hills.  One sister plays Dr. Watson (the narrator, who else?) to the other’s Holmes.  It’s winter, they’re in a ski resort (Dr. Watson doesn’t ski), and they’re tracking down family heirlooms because their grandparents once owned the boarding house where they’re staying.  A niece now works there.  As in Cabot Cove and that idyllic English countryside, you’ll wonder why all the murders happen in such a small, out-of-the-way place.  Don’t expect any earth-shaking themes in this quasi cozy mystery (yes, there’s romance too)—Holmes’ adventures were grittier too—but this is great fun.

The Haberman Virus.  Phillip Strang, author. (2015) Mr. Strang has some interesting titles.  This one can be labeled thriller/suspense/mystery.  Full of action, but a bit like a Hollywood action flick where I wanted to know the characters better.  Haberman, a Palestinian posing as an Israeli, infiltrates the CDC.  What ensues is depressing because it could happen.  The story held my interest although it’s a bit disjointed and jerky.  I thought the ending was hurried too.  The author shows a lot of promise—watch for future ebooks from him.  I’ll probably try some others in his catalog.

The Delphi Agenda.  Rob Swigart, author. (2014) A bit like The DaVinci Code but with ancient Christians chasing ancient Greeks this time—the Delphi refers to the Oracle.  I’m not sure why Dan Brown has so many copycats, but I can say I liked this better than Mr. Brown’s stuff.  A lot of research went into this one too.  Why was I left unsatisfied?  I really couldn’t identify with the protagonist, who’s innocent enough at the beginning but comes across as stupid through most of the book.  The mumbo-jumbo is a bit hard to take too (I expected Zeus and Apollo to make an appearance at any moment), and we never find out if the bad guys are really blessed by the Vatican.  For those who like this subgenre, go for it.  Mr. Swigart held my interest better than Mr. Brown, but I feel both of them are looking for a movie contract.  Maybe they can have Tom Hanks play the Delphi Oracle here?

30 Pieces of Silver. Carolyn McCray, author (2010).  The best I can say about this is that it will never get old.  This mad hunt for skeletons with secret messages written on the bones is interlaced with McCray’s version of the crucifixion story.  I don’t care if James Rollins recommends this, it’s a bit hard to take.  I’m not complaining or shocked like some readers might be, at least not for the same reasons.  I’ve obviously read Dan Brown’s books, but I’ve also read James Carroll’s Constantine’s Sword; Kasser, Meyer, and Wurst’s The Gospel of Judas; Krosney’s The Lost Gospel; and sat in on courses that compare religions, especially the big three, and analyze their history.

Fiction like this is a bit sci-fi-like in that the authors extrapolate facts, historical here, into unchartered territory in order to create a story.  This one almost works, but it’s a bit like oil and water—the bloody conflict between two groups of special ops soldiers with religious agendas never seems to end and quickly becomes , while the flashbacks to old Judas drag on and serve more as a distraction than a mechanism to relieve tension or create some alternative Gospel.  Very soon I was getting bored with the whole thing.  Twists?  I found none.  It was a bit too predictable.  The best scene was the first one with the snake—it went downhill from there.  But again, for those who like this subgenre, go for it.  Caveat emptor: this one is much worse than Dan Brown’s opus.  Sorry, Mr. Rollins.

[Waiting for sci-fi?  More than Human: The Mensa Contagion is now available on Amazon, Smashwords, and other online retailers.  Kindle Countdown Deals: Soldiers of God will go on sale for $1.99, reduced from $2.99; Aristocrats and Assassins will go on sale for $0.99, reduced from $2.99.  Both sales run from July 31 through August 4 (note date correction).]

In elibris libertas…

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