Retiring this blog

Going to leave this blog up but will only be actively blogging at www.mikkisposts.blogspot.com. It was sort of silly to try to compartmentalize my writing into three different blogs.

Seriously Good Laugh

What I'm Clinging To Lately

It's was a rough week on my last rotation. If today's any indication, it's another rough one ahead. And the week after will at least start out preying on my insecurities... so I'm holding on to the One who always holds me. Only Jesus got me through before and He's the only one who can do it again.

Here's Jamie Grace's "Hold Me" featuring Toby Mac

Book Review: Facing Justice

Facing Justice is the first novel from Diane/David Munson, the ex-prosecutor/ex-undercover agent, wife/husband writing duo.

Blurb from the cover: Former Federal Prosecutor Diane Munson and retired Federal Special Agent David Munson draw on their true-life experiences in this suspense novel about Special Agent Eva Montanna, whose twin sister died at the Pentagon on 9/11.

Eva dedicates her career to avenge her death while investigating Emile Jubayl, a member of Eva’s church and CEO of Helpers International, who is accused of using his aid organization to funnel money to El Samoud, head of the Armed Revolutionary Cause, and successor to Al Qaeda.

Family relationships are tested in this fast-paced, true-to-life legal thriller about the men and women who are racing to defuse the ticking time bomb of international terrorism.

First of all, David was right. As I previously reviewed Confirming Justice, the third book in the Munson’s growing series, I was interested in how I would feel meeting a couple of the characters for the first time, again. The books don’t need to be read in publishing order to be entertaining and make sense. From a character evolving stand point I would definitely recommend starting with Facing Justice and moving through the Munson’s series in order.

I will certainly continue reading the Munson’s books. I enjoy their characters, even the ones I don’t like. I think Eva, Griff, Trenton, Sari, Emile, George, and even Zayed and Camille are relatable characters. Some characters are Christ followers and go through sincere crises of faith. All are on a journey in one way or another; some towards forgiveness, redemption and salvation, while others careen to deception, alienation, and destruction.

One character I have to address is Trenton Nash. His character arc thru this book is perhaps the hardest to follow. Mostly because I couldn’t stand him after the first chapter he appeared in. Which was the second chapter of the book. He was infuriating with his arrogance and flippant attitude leaping off the page. I was thankful for Griff and Eva’s experienced hands on the investigation.

I would like to say I was a big person. But I did not reflect Christ very well when it came to Trenton’s character. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7, often called the “love chapter” of the Bible, state “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Despite the fact that I began to feel sorry for Trenton as more of his past was revealed, I was pretty happy to see Trenton get caught and punished. However, I didn’t expect to see his remorse and contrition. Once Trenton made it clear that he wanted to change his life, I wanted to give him a second chance. When his past was fully exposed, only then was I reminded how twisted our past can turn us.

Speaking of past pain, several of the terrorists of the book have specific moments/events themselves that fuel their desire to kill and destroy. While it certainly didn’t bring me to condone the characters’ actions; I did feel pity for them. It was painful to begin understanding how the terrorists came to be who they were based on their past pain, their loss of hope, and their despair.

Facing Justice did captivate me. I had a hard time pausing to sleep, eat and go to work. There were a couple spots I felt were out of place. Early on, Eva’s got a morning that goes from bad to worse, but the description of what happened gets sandwiched in half a page later in her conversation with Trenton. It distracted me from what they were talking about. These are minor things though in the grand scheme of the book. There were some supporting characters that didn’t seem fleshed out very well; the secretary for Eva’s group is rather one-dimensional as are several of the FBI agents, but there’s not a lot of time spent with them so it’s understandable. Though the secretary kind of tweaks me the wrong way.

I really enjoyed learning about the intricacies of the grand jury process, and the ins and outs of pen registers and wire-tapping. The Munson’s backgrounds and their attention to detail come through prominently in the objective descriptions, as well as the character’s dialogue.

Like Confirming Justice, there are some wonderful, life and faith affirming themes to Facing Justice. There are some tried and true lessons to be gleamed about the American system of justice and law enforcement.

The theme of redemption and forgiveness play strongly in Trenton Nash’s story arc. The timelessness of God’s mercy and grace are evident as well. Forgiveness also plays a large role in Sari’s story arc. God’s sovereignty and love are also present. Thelma is a pillar of faith that stands in Sari’s life in stark contrast to Sari’s neglectful family. Clearly, community is vital to survival as Christians. We do not live/serve/worship God in a vacuum. The importance of family and the strains between job and family push Eva to the limit and force her to make hard choices, ultimately affirming family comes before work.

The idea that people are “innocent until proven guilty” rings false in today’s media saturated culture. People are nearly always convicted or cleared in the public’s eye before law enforcement and the courts can review the evidence and make informed decisions on justice. I think the Munson’s touch this point fearlessly. There are “terrorists” that are anything but.

However, on one last note…there are some, let’s call them inconsistencies in the end. There is a possibility that a single character has deceived everyone. Left me hanging, questioning, and wondering…

Did I mention how much I look forward to the next Munson book on my list?

 

Curl up with a good friend—read a book!

Book Review: If You're Reading This It's Too Late

I’ve gotten ahead of myself once again. I have seven or eight books to review. But they’ll all be separate so the review itself doesn’t become a book.

If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late is the second book in the Secret Series following The Name of this Book is Secret. I’ve already read the third volume as well, book review pending, and I’ve decided I must find the fourth book at the library soon. And by soon, I mean as soon as I’m done with the dozen books I have already checked out. Hmm. Could be a while.

Anyway, we join our heroes of the Secret Series, Cassandra and Max-Ernest, on their next adventure; well, they actually have several adventures in the book. The duo struggle with being a duo after Cass befriends a new kid at school who has a secret of his own. There are newish villains to face. I say new”ish” because, well, I knew they weren’t good before but this book cements the characters position on good and evil. Parent issues continue in this book as well. Not just for Max-Ernest with his parents strange divorce situation and double everything, but Cass has her own difficulties as well. Interestingly, Cass’s new found issues with her mom, Mel, aren’t as left field as they seem and weave very well into the story (and the next book).

In the previous book, The Name of this Book is Secret, Cass and Max-Ernest lied to their parents for the first times. This time around, both kids lie to their parents again on several occasions and Cass in particular faces some consequences of their actions. I’m not opposed to kids having adventures in fiction book, but they idea that the responsible adults in their life must always be lied to or tricked into letting the adventures happen does not sit well with me, especially in the cases where the kids get off scot free. Yes, I understand a little slack for kids who are inexperienced in the world but more often than not, the kids know they’re disobeying parents/guardians. I don’t agree with the world view that “the ends justify the means”. If the kids were acting out of ignorance, that would be another situation.

Don’t get me started on Harry Potter and friends. I like the books but man! Early on those kids get away with murder and are even rewarded for bad behavior. Or the movie Catch That Kid. Ugh. Kids pull off a bank heist and get rewarded for their deceit, deception and nearly alluding the authorities. They get caught red handed and don’t even get a slap on the wrist ‘cause someone’s mom covers for them. What a terrible example to set. There are numerous movies books that illustrate my point, but I think it’s been made. Also, I’m digressing…

The villainous twosome, Dr. L and Ms. Mauvais, are around/behind every sneaky doing/goings on and have a new scheme to discover the Secret. This time around, they plan on going through an evil man named Lord Pharaoh, long dead (seriously like centuries) but whose work lives on (literally). The Midnight Sun Society is also doing its best to not underestimate a couple of curious, clever children who pretty much torched their last headquarters.

There’s troublesome classmates, nasty sock puppets, a principal with no sense of humor, plenty of stinky dung, and a regular circus troupe of cavalry. The Museum of Magic, an unnamed beach on the ocean with a dock, Whisper Lake and a mysterious boat are among the new locations the kids explore.

Several questions from the end of the first book are answered and like any good mystery, more questions get raised through book two. We find out if the magician Cass and Max-Ernest tried saving in the first book is still alive. What/who is the Terces Society? That get answered, sort of. Remaining questions are: who are the Terces members really? What’s the hidden connection between Cass and the Terces Society? And of course, what is the Secret?

Much the first novel, this second book in the Secret Series is delightful. The pov changes between the heroes and the villains. Though we don’t get into the heads of the villains as we do the kid heroes. Like the first book, I think we spend most of the story in Cass’ perspective, but there are some great Max-Ernest sections. I really enjoyed Max-Ernest’s attempts at exploring his anger, trying to throw things around in his room. He just doesn’t quite have it.

My favorite section is *spoiler alert* the Oath of Terces:

 

I have a secret I can’t tell nor ink;

Though it has no scent, it does often stink;

Through it makes no sound, it can make you roar;

When it’s tasteless, I like it all the more.

Though it has no shade, it lacks no color;

Though it has no shape, it lacks no dolor.

If you think you know it, you’re incorrect,

And from you the Secret I will protect.

The Secret of Life is not stone nor cents,

For the Secret Sense is but a nonsense.

-If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, page 357

 

Curl up with a good friend—read a book!

Book Review : The Name of This Book is Secret

The Name of this Book is Secret is a great read. It is the first in the series. It’s a familiar blend of literary elements reminiscent OF Lemony Snicket’s Unfortunate Events and the Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians series. It is a mystery-adventure that is out right hilarious; and it’s not afraid to make fun of itself or it’s genre.

 

The unknown narrator of the book is author Pseudonymous Bosch. A clear suspect emerges by the end of the story as to whom the author is meant to be. The narrator’s voice and personality remind me very much of Lemony Snicket. Bosch cautions his readers against going further, tries to get out of writing chapters and bemoans circumstances at every turn. Bosch is also very secretive, as evidenced by the book’s title.

 

The narrator also reminds me of Alcatraz (who is the really author of his book series, not that silly Brandon Sanderson who keeps claiming to have written the series). Like Alcatraz, Bosch is very snarky and clever. Bosch will often sum up slow moving moments to keep the story moving quickly.

 

Here’s the blurb from the paperback’s back cover:

 

          This is a story about a secret, but is also contains a secret story.

 

When adventurous detectives Cass, an ever-vigilant survivalist, and Max-Ernest, a boy driven by logic, discover the Symphony of Smells, a box filled with smelly vials of colorful ingredients, they accidentally stumble upon a mystery surrounding a dead magician’s hidden diary and the hunt for immorality.

 

Filled with word games and anagrams and featuring a mysterious narrator, this is a book that won’t stay secret for long.

 

I have long been a fan of secret codes and secret clubs and spy like stuff. I even had a couple kid spy books when I was a kid, all about making your own codes and using lemon juice and light bulbs to send and decoded invisible messages. Granted I didn’t have a lot of friends into that so I was a lonely spy. :(

 

Back to Secret. There is a significant amount of action for a pair of 11-year-old detectives who are initially bigger talkers than doers. The friendship that develops between these two loners rang true for me, since I’ve often thought I was an outsider most of my childhood.

 

One of things I like about this book is similar to why I liked my last book reviewed; and that is the clear delineation between the good guys and the bad guys, in several cases good girls and bad girls. Sure there are twisty, sneaky characters that fool our protagonists one way or another, but those characters have clear loyalties when revealed. (In any spy or mystery book, you have to assume that some characters are going to turn out to be not what they seem.)

 

Ms. Mauvais and Dr. L are clearly the evil antagonists from the moment our young detectives lay eyes on them. Well, at least from Cass’ point of view.

 

The folks who “help” Cass and Max-Ernest are not exactly forthcoming, but what do you expect from a paranoid secret society trying to stop a secret evil society from discovering the secret of immortality?

 

The descriptions and settings are wonderfully described. Chapter illustrations are humorous and chapter titles are often a summary. But a mysterious kind of summery.

 

In the end, I also like the lessons the characters learn, apart from when the kids learn how to lie convincingly to their parents. (They do get in trouble but not with their parents, so they pretty much get away with lying, which is so common in kid adventure stories, because as we all know, responsible adults would never let kids have real adventures and if parents ever found out about said adventures, no more would take place.)

 

There are some good values about teamwork, perseverance, friendship, and the dangerousness secrets. The fact that the bad characters are seeking immortality also causes the reader to think seriously about such a prospect. If there was a secret to immortality, would you want to discover it?

 

I for one am happy I will live one life, however short or long God deems, and will join my Savior in heaven after I die.

 

But I’m real and this book was fiction. Still it made me think.

Book Review: Confirming Justice

It was actually a couple of months ago that I had a neat opportunity to meet an exciting couple of writers. I mean couple literally a couple of writers.

Diane and David Munson are a husband and wife team that write military/law enforcement/legal suspense books.  Confirming Justice is not the first in the series. I'm testing David's theory that one doesn't have to read them in order to enjoy them. There are several characters which show up in the first three books, and the fifth I believe, but each novel is a stand-alone story. So reading them out of order might disrupt the notion of growing with the characters that reappear. But I digress...

Let me start at meeting Diane and David. A friend and I were meandering through the Tree of Life bookstore when I heard a gentleman approach my friend and talk to her about a book signing going on in the store. I was several rows away but I heard words like DEA, prosecutor, and undercover. I'll admit, I hadn't even heard the pitch and I was already sold.

I'm a big fan of the mystery genre; I really enjoy law enforcement films/television/novels. I had real life interests as well: I interned with the Iowa City Police Dept in college, participated in Police Explorers in high school and would love to find work in a forensics laboratory.

He caught up with me not two minutes later and handed me a little mini flyer. It had a picture of his wife and himself and a short description of their newest book, Redeeming Liberty. My friend is into forensics too so we went over to the table to meet them.

David was meandering around the store and dividing his attention, so we mainly talked with Diane initially. She was very sweet and obviously passionate about their books. Diane mentioned that much of what they wrote about were fictionalized from real life experiences of their own. She spoke of their backgrounds; she was a Federal Prosecutor and was with the US Dept of Justice while David was retired from law enforcement. He's worked in the FBI, NIS (now NCIS) and DEA.

Both David and Diane were engaging and authentic. Their sincere faith was inspiring. I think it gave me hope that I might one day realize my dream of working in law enforcement in some capacity, probably a lab. (My mom would definitely prefer me in a nice safe lab.)

David, having been in many undercover operations and working the streets, was surprisingly eager to answer my questions. I guess I was surprised because 25 years in law enforcement didn't appear to have made him jaded and cynical. I'm sure David would credit that to God and his faith. I had a little bit of star-struckness going on but I managed to ask him some questions. Was there ever an issue of his faith conflicting with his job? Has he seen the NCIS television show? What does he think about it and the LA spin-off? Are the shows accurate where they can be? (Obviously most issues in the real world don't fit into an hour.)

Diane offered to have them sign the books if we bought them. I gave in a got them. My friend put some money in toward the books and we got one free with the purchase of three. We say we're sharing custody. She has one to read, and now that I'm finished with Confirming Justice, I'll take that to her place and let her hang on to it.

Now after that mountain of an introduction, which I won't do with the other books of the Munson's, allow me to give a few thoughts on my impressions of this first book.

Here is the blurb from their website regarding the book:

In Confirming Justice, Federal Judge Dwight Pendergast presides over a bribery case involving the son of a cabinet secretary. Suddenly the key prosecution witness disappears. When FBI agent Griffin Topping is brought in to locate the witness he soon finds his life in peril. Meantime, across town in the White House, the President is about to nominate Judge Pendergast to fill a Supreme Court vacancy.

In a race against time Agent Topping risks everything to save the case while opponents of the nomination attempt to expose deeply held family secrets concerning the judge.

Featuring a mix of plot twists, legal intrigue and fast-paced suspense, Confirming Justice is sure to be a popular and satisfying read for those wanting a realistic portrayal of what can go on behind the scenes at the center of power.

Confirming Justice is a wonderful maze of interwoven plot lines. I was pleasantly surprised by a number of twists and turns in the story. I attempted to anticipate them but was not always on the right trail. The convergence of several story lines around FBI Agent Griff Topping were intriguing. The realness of his investigation is certainly due to author David's background.

The chief protagonist is not a Christian. In fact a number of main supporting characters aren't even interested in God at the beginning of the book. Some change, some grow; the people populating the book are very real in their motivations and human nature.

There are a number of great supporting characters who, while not fully fleshed out for the reader, come across as real people. The antagonists are fleshed out well. We get to see their twisted perspective on life and in at least two cases I came to feel sorry that they could not see reality.

I like that I get to root for the good guys. I admit to liking movies like Italian Job and Ocean's 11, (the recent remakes and not the original films), but I want a story more like the original Star Wars. The good guys are good guys, the bad guys are bad guys. Yeah, there are people who switch sides and sure, there are tough choices to be made but you don't question that the good guys are good.

I really enjoyed the inside look into the higher courts and the investigative work. The inner struggles of the judges family were emotional, but not predictable. There were moments I was surprised, moments I was elated and moments I was disappointed. But I was never crushed; I kept wanting to know what happens next.

All that being said I don't think it's a perfect novel. There are a couple places where events are foreshadowed but it feels the reader is being talked down to. In one case a new chapter started and a judge makes choices unaware of how another's character choices are affecting them. I'm not sure the reader needs to be told that simultaneous events are outside the scope of a character's knowledge.

There is also some inconsistency in the voice. We get into different characters heads at different times. That's something I enjoy about books. Unlike film or television, which is visual, I think it can be easier to delve into a character's motivations and thoughts on a page. The reader has time to percolate on  the characters more.

What I object to is making exceptions for drama's sake. One chapter began inside a judge's head but then when the phone rings, the reader is not included in the phone call. This is probably for the added punch of the character giving shocking news to his family. It's an abrupt shift that immediately switches back to the judge's thoughts after he reveals the news.

There are also occasionally thoughts that I couldn't tell if they were from the omniscient description narrator or a character. In most cases it probably didn't matter. There were just one or two cases where I was a little confused until a second or third read through the paragraph.

Back to the good stuff, now. There are a number of character transformations that take place in the book. They are not sudden or manufactured; the changes that take place for a number of characters are authentic. The advantage of getting inside characters heads it to see their thought processes, hear the questions they speak in their minds to no one else. (Whereas on the screen, there would have to be a voice over or words spoken out loud, to another character or themselves.)

I don't dare give spoilers here but I really like the freshness of how the plotlines weave together to the book's culmination. There are some moments that lead me to believe there will or could be future appearances for numerous characters in future novels by the Munsons. There was an especially nice moment with a minor character towards the end that was particularly revealing for a main character and for me, as the reader. It challenged assumptions I had made along with the main character about the minor character. It reminded me how easy it is judge characters, and people in real life, when you don't know what's going on inside them.

I have to say that Confirming Justice is definitely a book I recommend. It has minor flaws that easily overlooked in my mind, given the authenticity of the plot and major characters. While God is not the center of the story, He is central. What I mean is, the main thrust of the story is not just someone finding salvation and being reconciled to God through His son Jesus. Like real life, God is simply there in the story, ever present even when characters don't recognize His presence.