Notes of Life

Author: Tom Rob Smith
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 978-1847375674

Agent 6 is the reason I started to read the Leo Demidov trilogy. Real Readers very generously sent me an autographed, limited edition bound proof of this, the third book in the trilogy, to review, along with a copy of the first book in the trilogy, Child 44 (read my review). I hadn’t even picked up Child 44 when I spotted The Secret Speech (book 2) and had to buy it. I wanted to, had to, read the trilogy in order.

Leo Demidov returns in the final book of this trilogy. Leo (now a civilian) and his family now live in a high-rise, cramped apartment. His wife Raisa and the family are given the chance of a lifetime to visit America, but Leo must stay at home as the government will not allow him to travel. A chance finding of his daughter’s diary before they leave puts Leo on edge.

The trip to America doesn’t go to plan and Leo is determined to get to America by any means, no matter how long it takes. Revenge is sweet, but at what cost?

Agent 6 covers quite a time period. For example, to give the central plot more meaning, we’re first taken back in time to when Leo and Raisa first met. Time then advances throughout the story with at least one jump of 8 years. However, I found the advancing time and story easy enough to follow.

While I enjoyed reading Agent 6, it didn’t have the same intensity as the previous two books and I didn’t find it as gripping. While I raced through the first two books, I found Agent 6 more drawn out. While there certainly was tense moments, I didn’t think it had the same feel… Maybe that was something to do with most of the book being based outside of Russia and it’s regime. But, I think it has more to do with the lack of Leo Demidov within the first half of the book. Leo’s personality and history makes the story intense and where he wasn’t present I found it lacking somewhat.

Unfortunately, Agent 6 was unable to live up to its predecessors, but then it had a lot to live up to. I was gripped by the first two books, but wasn’t so much by this, the third and final book in the trilogy. However, despite it not living up to Child 44 and The Secret Speech, I still very much enjoyed reading Agent 6. It’s just that I was possibly spoiled by the first too!

I’m sad I’ve come to the end of this trilogy. Despite the things Leo had done, I’d become quite attached to the former Soviet agent.

Agent 6 could possibly be read as a stone-alone novel, however I don’t think you’d really understand the man that is Leo Demidov. You probably wouldn’t understand why he acts the way he does and why he does certain things.

I’d definitely recommend this trilogy as a whole and I’ll certainly be on the look out for further books by Tom Rob Smith.

Buy Agent 6 by Tom Rob Smith.

Tom Rob Smith is a British author from London.

This is the 24th book I’ve read for the British Books Challenge.

—————————-

Please note: I received this book free from Real Readers – Book Dagger. However, this is no way influenced my opinion of the book.

I am pleased to welcome Artie Van Why to the website. Artie is the author of That Day In September – a personal remembrance of 9/11.

One survivor’s story — 10 years later

10 years ago I stood in front of the World Trade Center and watched the horrors of that morning as they unfolded.  My life changed forever that day; as did the country’s belief that we were safe from harm.

I now know, personally, how just one moment in time can alter, forever, the path of a person’s life.  I don’t know if those moments are fate or just happenstance. I question if life is just composed of random occurrences with no rhyme or reason.  Or is God involved in those life changing moments?  I cringe in anger at the suggestion of some that even 9/11 was part of “God’s plan” and that all things work towards the good.  There is nothing “good” about what I witnessed that morning.  And the only “plan” I saw acted out was the plan of madmen.  At times I wonder just where God was that morning.  On my good days I know God was present in the hands of everyone who reached out to help someone else. That He was in the arms of people on the streets as they embraced one another and in the tears of strangers who cried together. He was in all the lives that were given in the line of duty, in the acts of heroism. He was in the hearts of the people across the country who, as they watched the horror from afar, felt compassion.  On my bad days I am angry that, because of the laws of the universe that God has set up, He was and is powerless to stop mankind from acting out the evil we are capable of.  I have been stripped of my unquestioning faith; replacing it with questions I don’t have the answers for.

The one thing of worth that I have been able to salvage from the trauma of that day is a renewed appreciation for my family.  They have become my most important priority; which is a direct result of having lived through 9/11.  I left New York City, after living there 26 years, to be where my parents had retired; Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Even though I’ve had the love and support of my family; these past 8 years here have been, for me, an incessant cycle of mourning.  I became accustomed to the inner sadness that was with me every day; as I went through the motions of living my life.  Without being aware of it, I had retreated into a self-imposed isolation; caught up in an unending grief.  I grieved for the lives lost that day, most certainly.  But I also grieved the life that I lost that day; the life that I had known up till that fateful morning.  The person I was on September 10, 2001 no longer exists and I have struggled to discover who it is I am now.

But after darkness (for however long it might last) there is light.  I am experiencing that now in my life; these ten years later.

Since the beginning of this year some significant things have happened that have been drawing me out of the bleakness I once found comfort in.  I don’t know whether to attribute these things to fate, or circumstance or God.  Perhaps there’s no need for me to know.  In January I found, after years of searching, a whole network of 9/11 survivors that I have connected with.  I have found comfort in having people I can write or talk to that I know understand fully what I’m saying or feeling.  I realize I am not alone.  There are so many of us; the people who just happened to be there that morning, for whatever the reasons.

I was fortunate to have found a therapist here in Lancaster who works with people who have experienced trauma; who, like me, suffer from post traumatic stress disorder.  After all those many hours spent with her we have begun to see the fruit of our labor.  In April I returned to New York City for the first time since moving here.  Up until then I just couldn’t bring myself to go.  Not even to visit old friends.  But on Good Friday my parents, sister and I took the train into New York and I went back to the place I had feared once again facing; Ground Zero.  It was emotional, as I expected it would be, but it was also cathartic.  I still regard the spot where the World Trade Center once stood as sacred ground; the burial site of many.  I felt I was at their collective gravesites; paying my respects to those who had died.

And since that decisive return to the place where my life was forever changed, the healing has continued; in some of the most unexpected ways.  Recently I was given the gift of meeting someone who has brought light, love and laughter back into my life.  It’s as if he stood at the mouth of the cave of darkness I had inhabited all these years and held out his hand and said “come join me in living.”  And with him I am reentering life.  I didn’t know that I had forgotten what it was like to be happy.

I have let the traumatic experience of 9/11 define who I am.  I got lost in the pain, sadness and memories of that day.  I wondered, at times, if the hurt would ever go away.  But eventually all wounds begin to heal; even a wounded spirit.  There is no timeframe as to when healing begins.  For each of us it takes as long as it takes.  For me, it has taken ten years.  And it has only started.  Perhaps it will take the rest of my life to heal.  I still think of 9/11 every day and probably always will.  It is an indelible part of who I am now.  But it’s not all of me.  What I witnessed, what I lived through and what I survived is, and always will be, a part of my past.  But I can’t let it keep me from experiencing the present or stop me from hoping for a fulfilling future.  I will never forget 9/11; nor would I want to.  In the midst of that tragic day I witnessed the goodness that mankind is capable of as we truly came together; as a city, as a nation and as one united people globally.  There was the greatness in the acts of courage shown from the people in the streets as they helped one another.  There were the heroic sacrifices of lives given by those dedicated to saving others.  There was the unlimited kindness of people expressed in the days and weeks that followed.  Amongst the unforgettably painful images and memories of that day in September are the many moments of bravery, compassion and generosity to also remember.  . . . to never forget.

I am humbled by the fact that 9/11 is now a history lesson for today’s children.  We owe it to them and those that follow to tell our stories of that day.  We all have a story of 9/11; no matter where we were.  We were all affected.  We were all changed; as was our country and even the world.  By telling our stories we can assure that today’s children, and the children to come, will never forget.  It is by that remembering that we will continue to honor those who died.

—————————-

Thanks to Artie for his contribution to the website and for sending me his book to review (see That Day In September – The Review).

This afternoon I visited the wonderful Booka Bookshop in Oswestry to see novelist Phil Rickman give a talk.

Phil Rickman is the author of the Merrily Watkins series of mystery books, among others. He might have been born in Lancashire, but he has adopted the Welsh border as his home. He even uses the area in his books.

Phil didn’t come on his own. His wife and dog (Fergus) came too. Fergus even joined in with the Q & A session in his own way!

I’ll make an admission here… I’ve not yet read any of Phil Rickman’s books, but they sound right up my street. I already have a couple waiting on my Kindle for me to read and I couldn’t resist buying his latest novel to get signed while he was at Booka Bookshop. I was worried I’d be the only one there who hadn’t read Phil’s books, but when he asked if there was anyone there who hadn’t read his books (yet) I wasn’t the only one to put my hand up… half the attendees did!

Phil kindly told us about his books and where he gets inspiration and information. He preferred to do the talk as a Q & A and there wasn’t a shortage of questions. His answers weren’t short either, they were informative and there wasn’t a shortage of laughs. I’d definitely recommend going to see him if he’s at a bookshop near you.

I thought it was funny when somebody asked Phil if any of his characters were based on him… His wife started to laugh as if she knew something the rest of us didn’t, but she wouldn’t say!

Somebody asked which book of the Merrily Watkins series he would advise starting with. Having not read the books I was thinking it would be obvious to start with the first book of the series, but Phil surprised me. He said that a reader could choose any book of the series to read as he’s written them with the intent that they each work as a standalone book as well as part of the series. He said to read the back of each book and see which one you think you’d like to read first. Of course though, you get the character development throughout the series if you start with book one (which is ‘The Wine of Angels’).

Phil was also asked (jokingly) if what he would think of Dawn French being cast as Merrily Watkins (Merrily is a parish priest and Dawn French was the vicar in the Vicar of Dibley)… He didn’t think much of that! He said he’d rather cut off his arm than have that happen!

Much more was discussed, but the Q&A sadly had to be stopped so there would be enough time for the book signings afterwards.

Thankfully I’d bought my copy of Phil’s latest book in the Merrily Watkins series, ‘The Secrets of Pain’ before the talk, because most people decided to buy theirs after the Q & A, so I was able to get in the queue rather quickly (although that didn’t stop Fergus sitting on my feet at one point!).

I really enjoyed seeing Phil Rickman today and would definitely recommend going to see him if you ever get the chance (whether you’ve read his books or are a fan of crime novels in general). I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into his books!

With thanks to Booka Bookshop for holding the event. It really is a lovely bookshop and I’ll be able to attend more events there in the future.

Author: Artie Van Why
Publisher: Van Hughes Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-4116-8315-0

That day in September, the day nobody will ever forget. The day terror came to New York and the US in a way nobody ever imagined it could.

I remember that day of September 11th. I was at work when a colleague walked in after lunch and told us what had happened, what was still happening. I didn’t get much work done after that. How could I? News websites were struggling under the strain of thousands, probably millions of people trying to find out as much as they could, me included. When I got home, I turned on the TV and the images were being replayed again and again, along with any latest footage and news of what was happening. The scale was just unbelievable. The evilness of it was beyond believable. It was emotional just watching it from afar. I couldn’t imagine what it felt like for the people who were there…….

That Day In September is Artie Van Why’s recollection of that day, the attacks and the aftermath, his personal remembrance of 9/11. Everyone has their story of that day, this is his.

Artie not only tells us about his experience of 9/11 and it’s aftermath, but he also tells us a little about his life before the attacks, so we get to know the man who he was and who he became. I think this is important, it helps gives us a little attachment to the author himself before the attacks.

As I’m sure most people do, I find 9/11 an emotive subject. I struggle to watch the documentaries about it without tears in my eyes. So many people died in such an awful way. Artie’s story is also emotional and honest.

Artie worked in a building across from the World Trade Centre and was sat at his desk when the first plane hit the World Trade Centre towers. He said there was a boom and their building shuddered. He had to get out and see what had happened. Passing through the door to the street, he was confronted with what looked like a war zone and a movie set for a disaster movie. But this wasn’t a movie, this was real.

Artie goes on to describe seeing the second plane hit, the debris and bodies falling from the towers. Shouting “NO!” as one person after another plunged from the towers as if each “No!” would stop them from hitting the ground. This is something that always makes me well up… the people who thought it was better to jump to their deaths than to stay in the hell of the upper floors of the towers. What kind of choice is that?!

We’re told of how he found a man lying in the street having been hit by debris, of running from the collapsing South tower and the walk home. He tells us of the days and weeks that followed, of how life has changed and that he will never forget.

It made a change to read a personal experience of 9/11, rather than the media documentaries that have appeared on TV in the months and years since 9/11.The book is honest and moving, and I could almost visualise being there. We see how one person’s life has been changed and gain a better understanding of that day. If you want to read a personal experience of 9/11, then I’d recommend Artie Van Why’s That Day In September.

My heart goes out to those that survived, to those that didn’t make it out and to their families. May terrorism on this scale never happen again.

Buy That Day In September by Artie Van Why.

—————————-

With thanks to Artie for sending me his book to read and review. However, this has in no way influenced my opinion of the book.

Author: Michael Cordy
Publisher: Bantam Press
ISBN: 978-0-593-06067-4

I hadn’t heard of The Colour of Death before, but having checked out the list of books on offer for the Transworld Book Group Challenge, I thought it sounded like my kind of read. It is now the second book I have read for the challenge and, once again, Transworld have picked some great books! I loved The Colour of Death from the start…

A young woman in Portland, Oregon inexplicably senses evil in a house as she passes. Unable to help herself, she breaks in with an axe and discovers a shocking scene. When the police arrive, she is unable to tell them her name or how or why she was there. She doesn’t even know who she is, let alone what’s going on. They give her the name Jane Doe.

Jane is sent to Tranquil Waters, a psychiatric facility, and put under the care of Dr Nathan Fox, a forensic psychiatrist with troubles of his own. She likes Nathan, he’s the right colour. Together they must work out who she is.

Then a series of brutal murders begins in the city and somehow they are linked to Jane Doe. In a case that will test not only him, but his patient, Nathan must look beyond the normal parameters of a case and beyond normal life experience. He.. they… must confront her past… and his.

I was hooked on this book from that start. It’s one of those books that you don’t want to put down. In fact, I read the second half of the book all in one go – it’s that much of a page-turner!

The story is based around something called synaesthesia – a kind of neurological condition whereby somebody experiences sense that others don’t… such as the colour of letters and the taste of words. The Colour of Death takes synaesthesia to a whole new level in this crime thriller.

I found the story intriguing with its synaethesia, murders and religious cult. I liked that the story was just as much about Nathan as it was about Jane Doe. I did wonder if I would be “baffled by science” with the synaesthesia side of it, but it was explained in an understandable way and I had nothing to worry about on that score.

All in all, this is a great crime thriller and I’m glad the author gave up his job in marketing to write! I’ll definitely be checking out his other books.

Recommended!

Buy The Colour of Death at the Book Depository.

Michael Cordy is British, but was born in Ghana.

This is the 23rd book I’ve read eligible for the British Books Challenge.

—————————-

Please note: I received this book free from Transworld Publishers as part of the Transworld Book Group Challenge. However, this has in no way influenced my opinion of the book.