It’s been a while since I posted, and I thought that I would resume with a round-up of a few books that I have read in recent times. So, here goes, in no particular order.
Graham Greene – The Comedians
I must confess that I haven’t read as much of Graham Greene as I should, however this book showed me what I am missing. The Comedians is set in a crumbling Haiti in the middle of the 20th century and Greene manages to capture the air of desperation and hopelessness adroitly. The story follows three passengers who meet on a ship en route to Haiti. Brown is a returning expat whose once grand hotel is being run to the ground, the Smiths, an American couple (He has run for President on a vegetarian ticket!, she is the first lady in waiting) who seem so naive that one wants to shake them by the shoulders and Jone, a man who is seeking his fortune in Haiti, but has nothing but his wits to help him. The stories of all three intertwine under the menacing shadow of Papa Doc.
As the story unfolds, one senses it ending inevitably in tragedy, however one can’t stop reading. Brown as an expat sees his adopted country disintegrating before his eyes, however he can’t bring himself to leave as it is the only home he knows. The Smiths are led up the garden path by the Minister and one cannot but admire their sense of conviction in their own ideas. Jones goes from being thrown into jail to the favoured man who is playing for high stakes with an empty hand and back to being hunted. The sights and sounds of Haiti are inextricably linked to their stories.
I have travelled to Africa in the 90s, and even then I could sense that it probably had not changed much since the time in which The Comedians is set. I can’t wait to read more of Graham Greene.
Lee Child – The Affair – the new Jack Reacher novel
What can one say ? It is a new Reacher book, so readers of earlier books know what to expect, a situation that is primed for action, an investigation that is going nowhere and the US Army being pushed between a rock and a hard place. The novel is set in the time towards the end of Reacher’s career in the US Army, and he has been sent by his boss Leo Garber, to a town on the outskirts of an Army base where an unexplained homicide has taken place. Reacher is the ultimate male fantasy, a combination of Rambo, Bruce ‘Die Hard’ Willis and the deductive abilities of Hercule Poirot.
The story has some good twists and Child has attempted to write in the style of a detective story. Unfortunately, we can see how it will unfold and I could guess the ending way before it happens. This one is strictly for fans of Jack Reacher (and I am one of them!), however the rest can safely pass.
Peter James – Dead Man's Grip – the new Roy Grace novel
When I first discovered Peter James, I thought that he was a real find, a worthy contemporary to Ian Rankin and Peter Robinson, however I have been disappointed with his books off late. The new book starts with Grace and Cleo expecting their first child while Grace is being drawn into a gruesome road accident investigation. The story veers off on a US tangent with a New York Mafia connection which is very unconvincing and a cold blooded assassin. The story gathered my interest as the character of the assassin unfolds and he easily upstages Roy Grace (never a good sign in a series based on the central character of the detective). I suspect the assassin captured Peter James’ interest more than the story and I think we can expect to see more of him elsewhere. Overall a disappointing read.
Martin Cruz Smith - Stallion Gate
I hope that you (the reader) have persevered till here and if so, this is where it pays off! Stallion Gate is the best book that I have read in the entire year! It is not a new book and was first published in the 80s, however I got my hands on it only recently. The book is set around the time during the end of World War II and is set at Los Alamos the site of the Manhattan Project (the code name for the US nuclear bomb project). The action is set around Trinity, the first real test of the nuclear device being developed under the leadership of Robert Oppenheimer (the father of the atom bomb).
The atmosphere is tense as the scientists are by turns excited and despairing at the magnitude of what they are undertaking. The story is told through the character of Joe Pena, a Pueblo Indian, ostensibly as Oppenheimer’s bodyguard and general liaison with the Indians (Native Americans would be right way to phrase it today), but who is in reality planted there by Captain Augustino to spy on the scientists and ensure that there are no Communists being harboured there (this is pre-McCarthy, however the paranoia is clearly evident). Joe Pena is a fascinating character, a giant of a man, an ex-boxer but whose first love is music (Jazz!). Though outwardly showing signs of not being too smart, we can’t help thinking that it is a mask he wears.
The story fascinated me and the climax builds towards Trinity which will make or break the bomb effort. Some insights into Native American culture are thrown in as also the huge divide between them and ‘regular’ Americans.
If you have read Martin Cruz Smith (and if not, you must, one of my very favourite authors), you probably know that he writes about Russia and his stories feature criminal investigator Arkady Renko. The setting of Stallion Gate is far removed from those stories, so it may surprise regular readers, however it is just as satisfying as any of his other books.
