David Baldacci →

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David Baldacci was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. He graduated from Henrico High School and earned a BA from Virginia Commonwealth University and a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law, after which he practiced law for nine years in Washington, DC. 

While practicing law, he turned to novel writing, taking three years to write Absolute Power. Published in 1996, it was an international bestseller. Baldacci has published 36 best-selling novels for adults and six books for younger readers.

One estimate of his net worth was 45 million dollars. He says that he has been writing since childhood when his mother gave him a lined notebook to write down his stories. Fan, since I read 14 of his books at this writing and reviewed them here in the Book Review section, I have asked myself why I like his books. The main reason is that they make sense and hold my attention. I have reviewed some authors that have kept my attention for twice this many books, but the last few seem like they could be better. No so with David Baldacci.

Click Titles Below to link to Reviews

Baldacci, David, Walk The Wire

Baldacci, David, The Fix

Baldacci, David, The Hit

Baldacci, David, One Summer

Baldacci, David, The Simple Truth

Baldacci, David, Total Control

Baldacci, David, Last Man Standing

Baldacci, David, No Man’s Land

Baldacci, David, Simple Genius

Baldacci, David, First Family

Baldacci, David, The Long Road to Mercy

Baldacci, David, The Winner

Baldacci, David One Good Deed

Baldacci, David Memory Man

Dean Koontz →

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Dean Koontz compares Real Life & Fiction by Brent M. Jones

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In Dean Koontz's book, The Crooked Staircase, the little boy Travis is hiding out in a fortified bunker below the ground with Cornell, an "End of Times" fanatic who does not need the world above and is spending his days reading.

Cornell has just finished reading the work of philosopher Immanuel Kant. On his table is Nero Wolfe mystery, a fictional character created in 1934 by American mystery writer Rex Stout.

He mentions his interest in reading all one hundred twenty-plus books of Henry James, having found "The Turn of the Screw" very screwy. 

Cornell says he understands lying low as he mentions the Wolfe stories.  Gavin leans forward in his chair and says, "This is real life now, Cornell. Real bad people, a real threat, not a story by Dickens."

Cornell replies, "There is no meaningful difference, cousin. Plato might agree. Except he's dead. When I return to reading fiction, which I hope to do in just a minute or two, it is my real life. 

Did Koontz use this dialog to shape an eccentric character or put action novels on more par with the classics? 

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Books Reviewed on this Site Click Title to Link

The City

The Forbidden Door

The Good Guy

The Crooked Staircase

Demon Seed
The Silent Corner

The Taking

The Husband

Odd Hours

Watchers

Intensity

Ashley Bell

Devoted

Lee Child →

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SEE THE VIDEO ABOUT LEE CHILD, HIS RETIREMENT, AND MORE

Interesting Fact / Someone, somewhere, buys one of Child Jack Reacher’s crime thrillers every 13 seconds. 

Jan 17, 2020

Lee Child quits and lets their brother step in' The author of the Jack Reacher series of novels is retiring and handing over the writing duties to his brother.

Before I write about this fantastic writer, I must confess I am an addict. I never finished one of his books without recognizing the terrific plot.

See the YouTube discussion of Lee Child Book by the Site Author Brent Jones

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnj_IzEWksA&feature=share

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnj_IzEWksA&feature=youtu.be

You don’t see it coming. You don’t want to put the book down. In addition, regarding my confession, I never expected to read this many books from a series of books.

James D. "Jim" Grant, is best known by his pen name Lee Child. (Maybe once he was best known that way but he is now Lee Child, amazing writer) He was a Television director who became a British author when he was fired in 1995 at the age of 40 as a result of corporate restructuring. (You can’t be all bad if you have been fired, by the way)

Always a voracious reader, he bought six dollars’ worth of paper and pencils and sat down to write the book, Killing Floor, the first in the Jack Reacher series.

He started writing novels and said of them that they are "the purest form of entertainment." (He proved that one is still true)

Killing Floor was published in 1997, and he moved to the United States in the summer of 1998 ‘‘Child is best known for his Jack Reacher novel series about this former American Military Policeman described as being 6 feet 5 inches tall, weighing 250 pounds and having a 50-inch chest. (Child is 6’4”)

Reacher grew up on military bases and served all of his life until leaving in his mid thirties. He now wanders the United States and the world but carries no luggage. When his clothes get dirty he just goes to the local stores and buy more and just puts his old ones in the trash.

Child has referred to these books as revenge stories – "Somebody does a very bad thing, and Reacher takes revenge."

Child’s writing style is, like Reacher, that of a rogue. He says that rather than follow the advice to “show not tell” he is perfectly willing to have his character look in the mirror and tell us what he sees. Rather than not talk about the weather he says if that is what is on the mind of his character then he starts with it.

As for creating suspense he said—”it all boils down to asking a question and making people wait for the answer.”

See full list (in order) of Jack Reacher Books

All Reviewed on this Site. Most with Links embedded in titles

Killing Floor, Die Trying, Tripwire, Running Blind, Echo Burning, Without Fail, Persuader, The Enemy, One Shot, The Hard Way, Bad Luck and Trouble, Nothing to Lose, Gone Tomorrow, 61 Hours, Worth Dying For, The Affair, A Wanted Man, Never Go Back, Personal, Make Me, Night School, No Middle Name, The Midnight Line, Past Tense, Nothing To Lose. Blue Moon