ARTFUL READERS CLUB

THE QUEST by Nelson DeMille

January 31, 2014

Welcome to my first review for 2014! Nothing like starting with a blockbuster, but, sadly, not as much of a blockbuster as many of DeMille's other tales!

THE QUEST is a rewrite of a book DeMille wrote four decades ago, but the theme is timeless... a search for the Holy Grail. Interesting to note that he wrote this book long before any of the Indiana Jones movies or any of the similarly themed novels like The Da Vinci Code were conceived. He wrote it before stories about treasure hunting for ancient objects or deciphering medieval mysteries became a cliché.  This is a story about a trio (2 journalists and a photographer) that goes to the jungles of Ethiopia to cover the fighting between rebels and Haile Selassie loyalists, but ends up searching for The Holy Grail.

There's a lot to like here...there are Indochina and post World War II Soviet prison camps that play a role in the development of the two male journalists; there's a female photographer that's  sexy,  beautiful and   mysterious, putting herself in harm's way; there's a great description of a terrible yet historically significant time that shows the depravity of human nature... and there's terrific imagination by DeMille in using the Catholic Church to set in motion a chain of events that lead to a priest being held in captivity for forty years and ultimately to our three journalists searching for Christ's Cup. That said, there were times when the story was slow...unusual for a DeMille read. There's none of John Corey's wit and sarcasm (the protagonist in several of DeMille's other books,) , no anti-terrorism excitement, no consistent page turning madness...I missed that!

Would I recommend THE QUEST... most  definitely, but expect a departure from many of  his other   action-packed novels. It's different enough to stand out and keep the reader's attention, but not what I was expecting to find in MY quest!

Thanks for stopping by. Please join me for my next posting when I'll be sharing art,  photographs and more thoughts.

Hugs,

abbyj

ARTFUL READERS CLUB

August book: THE PANTHER by Nelson DeMille

August 30, 2013

 

 

Here we are again...another month has flown by and it's time for an episode of  Art and Sole's Artful Readers Club: this month, my review is  of  THE PANTHER, from espionage/spy novelist... super-writer... Nelson DeMille. I've read and loved most of his books, always looking forward to his newest...they always live up to or go beyond my high expectations!!

 

Anti-terrorist Task Force agent John Corey, along with his FBI agent wife, Kate Mayfield, are in pursuit of THE PANTHER, a known terrorist in Yemen...hotbed of Al Qaeda activity. There's also a sub-plot involving a conspiracy theory where Corey sees both he and his wife as bait: Corey killed an important Libyan terrorist (in DeMille's last book, THE LION,) that earned him a top spot on Al Qaeda's kill list; Mayfield killed a rogue CIA official who had plotted to nuke the Middle East. As they cross the barren deserts of Yemen's hostile environment in their quest to lure THE PANTHER from his lair, the two agents are never sure whether their greatest danger lies ahead or within their own group of armed government agents looking for payback!

The PANTHER is a terrorist born in America and shown to be a religious fanatic. DeMille tries to explore how someone brought up in the USA can turn to terrorism. Too, this book is fascinating because it not only offers a look at the curious country of Yemen, known for its antiquities as well as its terrorism, it also allows the reader to speculate about CIA/FBI anti-terrorist operations and to question what's happening now to protect our borders. 

While the subject of terrorism is frightening, it's reassuring to imagine that government agencies are aware of actions all over the world and are taking steps to insure that safety and human life are preserved. 

I HIGHLY recommend this book if you're a fan of adventure and mystery! DeMille offers very exciting, stressful, edge-of-your-seat reading!!

 

Thanks for checking in...hope you'll return in a few days when I return to art challenges and other goodies.

 

Happy Weekend,

Hugs,

abbyj