Buried Threads by Kaylin McFarren...Just...Amazing...

Buried Threads

By Kaylin McFarren

Synopsis: Rachel Lyons and her partner Chase Cohen accept a contract to recover a lost priceless treasure in the Sea of Japan. However, upon arriving in Tokyo, they soon discover their mission is more complicated and dangerous than they originally believed. In order to prevent a natural disaster from striking Japan and killing millions, they must form an alliance with yakuza members, dive into shark-infested waters and recover three ancient cursed swords before time runs out.

...all lust is grief.

It's not often that I provide a synopsis of a book, but this one needs you to have somewhat of an overview in mind as you begin to even consider what you're getting into by opening this book...

Certainly the beautiful cover captures your attention...

"Sorry I'm late," Kenji said. "I had some business to
take care of."...
By the look of excitement in Tak's eyes, he knew
exactly what Kenji was talking about. Earlier that
night, Mitsue-san had ordered a hit on Nobu Kimura.
He was a retired detective who had spent half his life
trying to bring down the Zakura-kae. The man was
clever, considering he was old, half blind, and favored
a leg from a childhood injury. But he was also brazen
and secretly hassled their business associates. He
even went so far as to interrupt the boss's birthday
party just when his cake arrived. All because Mitsue
refused to drop a dime--hand him a boss on a silver
platter to make him look good with his department
heads.
Of course it came as no surprise when Kenji got
the order to get rid of him. Yet the recollection
left him grimacing...
"C'mon, gimme the gory details," his friend
insisted.
Kenji leaned in and lowered his voice. "I
sliced his neck from ear to ear like I'm gonna
do yours if you don't shut up."
Tak laughed and slapped his fish into his hand.
"Aw, man! Nice. Quick death. Now if it was me,
I would've delivered slow torture..."
~~~

Who is the beautiful woman glaring at you? She has a sword and is definitely able to use it, you can be sure! 

And what's with the white feathers?

Did you notice the gem on the sword--it's real!

But, look, what is that hanging phrase supposed to mean? ...all lust if grief. Wow! Whew! Putting it all together certainly puts you on edge, right? And we're just on the cover!

I saw some refer to this as Indiana Jones style...But, no, this is definitely a Lara Croft movie for me!

The girl on his left handed him one of the beers from
the table. He nodded his thanks and twisted off the cap.
After a long pull, he sat back and waited for Tak's
answer. "I heard Satoru Yamada hooked up with an
American treasure-hunting company and is flying in
from Los Angeles tonight. The lead diver showed up
three days ago and has been real tight with your sister
Yuki ever since. They've been buying gear and going
to libraries. Checking out history and treasure hunting
shit. No one seems to know much, but I got a good
feeling about this one...
They're getting together for a meeting on Friday
night and Yamada is planning to invite that geisha
Mariko Abe to join them. One of my guys saw him
checking out rings in Los Angeles a few days ago.
Before the night is over, they might be celebrating
more than a partnership."
Shit. Kenji swallowed hard. He lowered his crossed
arms but managed to keep his eyes level, knowing
the slightest sign of weakness could undermine his
position. "Is that it?" he asked
~~~

Kenji was a hit man, of course for the Yakuza gang...He walked around every place with his sword across his body, prepared for anything and anybody. Not too many would even consider going up against him. Kenji had his eyes on Mariko. He moved fast and had worked with those in charge at the geisha house to ensure that Mariko became his... An intense erotic relationship takes place between these two. Although it is very much an important part of the book and will provide readers with an interesting look at the life of geishas, I'm foregoing sharing any of that on this blog! 

Besides, the treasure hunting was waiting... 

An American couple Rachel Lyons and Chase Cohen had been successful in past treasure hunting, but they had no idea what they were getting into. Chase had come early and was already meeting with Yuki, Kenji's sister... And, yes, she was part of the same group, but not as active...

Sorry, this is Indian sword
With their recent success at
recovering the Heart of the
Dragon diamond which had
been hidden onboard an
ancient shipwreck, it seemed
she and her partner were
quickly become recovery
agents for missing hearts
in some of the most
dangerous places in the
world...
~~~

Rachel had come in separately but had been warned by Dr. Ying who had briefed her in preparation, to "watch your back" with the Japanese street gangs on the top of his list! They had been hired to find the missing Templar stone, or Heart of Darkness... The other most dangerous enemy would be the Goblin sharks!

What she hadn't counted on was meeting the man who had hired them on the plane! After what was somewhat like an interview, finally Rachel cornered him and asked who he was and what he collected...

She wasn't prepared for his answer, nor was I: "he looked directly at her and replied in a matter-of-fact tone, 'Souls.'"

Yep, we've now got a Monk into helping those who have died and not crossed over, in the story. Now after hiring them... before long, he discloses to the team that he has had a prophetic dream that if all three of the /swords/knives were not returned, Japan would be destroyed by a natural disaster! Yikes, nothing like putting the pressure on, right?!

Of course, that was after she had met Yuki! And asked how she fit into this adventure. She was not happy when she was told that Yuki would be the lead...especially when they were heading under the Sea...

As they arrived at the beautiful New Otani hotel in downtown Tokyo, dozens of questions were flooding Rachel's mind. Who are these members of the yakuza? What do they want? Why won't Shinzo explain anything? She managed to remain quiet with the knowledge that Chase would soon be arriving to fill her in and hopefully put her mind at ease...
Yuki leaned forward and kept her voice low. "You must remember that you're not in the United States, Miss Lyons. It's important not to pry into personal matters."
Rachel was taken back. "Excuse me?"
"Shinzo has reasons for not answering your questions. When he's prepared to do so, he will."
Really? Yuki's impertinence came as a surprise. Obviusly she wasn't a stereotypical Japanese woman: shy, meek, or demure, as one might expect.
"Let me ask you something, Miss Ota," Rachel said. "Just how did you come to know Chase? He never mentioned your name or said anything about you being involved in our business...

"Oh good. I know this is a bit off the subject, but I have to tell you how lucky you are Miss Lyons. I know it's not appropriate to talk this way...especially with him being my boss and all...but I'm not going to lie to you. Every time Mr. Cohen shows up at the hotel, in restaurants, or in meetings, I find myself completely captivated. You're definitely one of the pretties and smartest ladies on the planet, and I know in his mind no one could every compete. I just don't want you to take offense if you see me staring at him from time to time. It's just that I've never seen anyone with such beautiful eyes or met a more insightful, caring man...aside from Shinzo, of course." Egad, Is she kidding?"~~~ 

I must say that this is an early conversation between Yuki and Rachel (Lara Kroft)... Sooooo, which one do you think will win (or keep) the man...LOL

"You're looking at Kagoshima Prefecture, which governs Kuchinoerabu Island," Yuki said. "It's located on the southwest tip of Kyushu and is surrounded by the Yellow Sea. Once we arrive in Fukuoka, we'll be traveling to a fishing village on the westernmost tip of the island."

By the way, remember that phrase...all lust if grief...?

All I'm going to say is...where lust is concerned, don't dive underwater with someone with lust in their heart...

Really, there is so much happening in this novel that is soooo awesome that it is just pointless to try to share it all. I especially enjoyed a moment underwater when Rachel seemed to have a paranormal moment! Ghosts too?! And then what happens between Mariko and Kenji is so dramatic...so eerie... especially after Kenji loses his head... And I'm fairly certain that the Monk didn't assist in sending his soul into the light...

And there's one special individual which I've not even mentioned which makes a beautiful closing to a fascinating tale that encompasses so much of Japan's culture and people, that readers definitely feel the "essence" of a country across the seas, and yet brings it so close to readers here in the U.S.

I wholeheartedly encourage you to take this adventure, unlike any that you may ever find again...


GABixlerReviews

Kaylin McFarren is a rare bird indeed. Not a migratory sort, she prefers to hug the West Coast and keep family within visiting range. Although she has virtually been around the world, she was born in California, relocated with her family to Washington, and nested with her husband in Oregon. In addition to playing an active role in his business endeavors, she has been involved in all aspects of their three daughters' lives - taxi duties, cheerleading coaching, script rehearsals, and relationship counseling, to name but a few. Now she enjoys spending undisciplined time with her two young grandsons and hopes to have many more.
Although Kaylin wasn't born with a pen in hand like so many of her talented fellow authors, she has been actively involved in both business and personal writing projects for many years. As the director of a fine art gallery, she assisted in furthering the careers of numerous visual artists who under her guidance gained recognition through promotional opportunities and in national publications. Eager to spread her own creative wings, she has since steered her energy toward writing novels. As a result, she has earned more than a dozen literary awards and was a 2008 finalist in the prestigious RWA® Golden Heart contest.
Kaylin is a member of RWA, Rose City Romance Writers, and Willamette Writers. She received her AA in Literature at Highline Community College, which originally sparked her passion for writing. In her free time, she also enjoys giving back to the community through participation and support of various charitable and educational organizations in the Pacific Northwest.
FUN TIDBITS
She is proud of the fact that her great aunt Bessie B. Cordell, an evangelistic missionary during WWII, was instrumental in opening an orphanage in Tientsin, China and also wrote two published novels, Precious Pearl and Blossoms of the Flowery Kingdom, documenting her dangerous, harrowing experiences.
She keeps a glass of wine close by while writing love scenes, Kleenex on her desk while writing heart breakers, and has been known to empty a box of chocolates when she's completely stumped.
A consummate "pantser" and perfectionist, she writes and edits as she goes, and uses photographs of models and actors from tabloid magazines to visualize her characters.
She loves her husband of 36 years dearly. However, if Brad Pitt or Orlando Bloom came knockin', well... their marriage just might be put to the test.
ON A PERSONAL NOTE
Kaylin sat before her computer writing FLAHERTY'S CROSSING as a source of personal therapy after losing her beloved father to colon cancer. You might say she was angry at him, at God, at the world in general. However, after writing this story, she had the opportunity to really look into her soul and consider the fact that so many other sons and daughters have had to deal with similar and even worse situations. Rather than a memoir, her novel evolved into a fictional journey which brought about the resolution she needed to find. She never expected this exercise in writing to go to press, touch lives, or win literary awards. But as a result of her good fortune, she has arranged for proceeds from the sale of this book to go directly to the Providence Medical Foundation's colon cancer research department in her father's name. She's now convinced and proudly shares her belief that good things can grow out of the worst times in our lives if you just take the time to open your heart.

Silence Once Begun by Jesse Ball Amazingly Unnecessary...

The Narito Disappearances occurred in the villages near Sakai in the year of 1977. They began around June and continued up until the capture of Oda Sotatsu. The newspapers eagerly followed the case and it drew national press attention, culminating in a furor at Oda Sotatsu's arrest. What was it?

Eight people disappeared, roughly two per month. There was no evidence of a struggle; however, it was clear that the disappearances were effected suddenly (food set out on the table, no personal objects missing, etc.) The people who disappeared were all older men and women, between the ages of fifty and seventy, who without exception lived alone. On the door of the residence a playing card was discovered, one per residence. No fingerprints of any kind were on the cards. No one witnessed the departure of any of the disappeared individuals. It was a powerful and gripping mystery, and as more and more people

Sakai City Hall

disappeared, the region went into shock. Patrols were even created to visit the homes of isolated or widowed individuals. But the patrols were never in the right place at the right time...
                                                                                    ~~~


Silence Once Begun

By Jesse Ball


If there had been some esoteric value I could have learned, I might have been better able to recommend that you read this novel. It is somewhat based upon fact, but the dates, names, and actual location have all been changed. This means that unless you sought some legal reason for the author to release the exact names involved, this story will remain forever with the unanswered question: Why?

I do understand why the author started the research, given what was happening in his love life--his lover had withdrawn and became silent. Certainly we would do whatever it took to discover what might cause this... But, if, when you have reached a point in your research, would you continue, even knowing you will never understand? I could not. I've always asked the question Why? It is easy to understand why I choose mystery, suspense, etc., as my favorite fictional genre. Quite simply, I could not accept the underlying story, thus the book has little value to me.

Certainly I am not questioning that it did happen, nor that Jesse Ball has not done an outstanding job in his research and reporting thereof. But why did he do it--finish the book? Anything that I, the reader, would garner would be guess work, based upon his reporting... To me it was unsatisfactory. Still, there will be some who may feel it provides a thought-provoking theme over which to discuss with colleagues. Alas, at my age, this didn't even tempt me.

There is no way to give away anything about this novel; it is simply a statement of what happened after the journalist got involved in the research. What I wondered after finishing is whether or not he tried to impress to the two participants that it was time to be truthful--and why didn't they try to stop it... Please, don't try to tell me it was all a politically motivated conversation...

In any even, here is the novel in a nutshell. Three young adults got together and discussed a concept, during which there was drinking and drugs to some extent. One individual was selected at the end and he signed a confession...

The confession was turned into the police, he was arrested, tried and convicted...of murder...

He started in jail in silence and although he did begin to talk, it apparently was way too late. He went to death, not ever having read the confession he supposedly wrote.

There was a woman involved, who later claimed they were soulmates...OMG...May I never find such a soulmate! His family I can understand somewhat. He had never been a child to do anything like what it was being said he did and, after all, he had confessed.

Now here's the kicker, not only did he sign a confession for murders he did not commit, those murdered had never been committed. Some joke huh? Some study, huh, sure if you're stoned???  

Are we so immune to death and dying that, on a lark, an individual is willing to go through it all, and not once claim, "I signed something that I didn't know I was signing..." There was no honor gained that we could see???

Sorry, Jesse Ball... it's not your book that I'm deploring, so much as the futility of what happened. And the people who participated not only in doing it, but hiding it under the carpet.  I'd rather you blogged about it, shouted, screamed, wrote about it for every newspaper...but to simply put it out there???

No, this should have been an emotional roller-coaster...or nothing...


GABixlerReviews

A Final Note: After reading the interview linked below, I wondered about my review--but not for long. No, I have not become an information ager, desiring to know anything and everything... No, I did not want to view the photos that I, too, had found on the Internet, finding nothing really I could connect to the story--merely the strangeness of any country that exists with both the past and the present in photographic form... And, no, I didn't want to mull over this story in my mind. Will that accomplish anything? Is it the purpose of a book merely to elicit acknowledgment or to force somebody to wonder about something? I would like to see this journalist take a giant step forward, not merely to report, but to press for the background of this man, this thread seller in Japan, to discover how and why this would ever happen... I would want to ask a woman who claimed the man as a soulmate, but could or would not be able to talk him into, and then collaborate his story with her part in it...

Wait, my friend readers, for that book...

Read Interview with Publishers Weekly!

Jesse Ball is the author of three previous novels including Samedi the Deafness, and several works of verse, bestiaries, and sketchbooks. His prizes include the 2008 Paris Review Plimpton Prize; his verse has been included in the Best American Poetry series. He gives classes on lucid dreaming and lying in the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's MFA Writing program. His most recent novel, Silence Once Begun, will be published by Pantheon Books in January 2014.

Related articles

• 'The Curfew' by Jesse Ball

Rhonda Louise Pens Humorous Debut Chick Lit!

Cover Options Created by Darrell Fraser

"The woman appears to be in her early forties but we later find out is well into her fifties. She is wearing a kimono and her shiny black hair is pulled back off her face into a complicated and painful-looking configuration at the back. She is a stunning doll-like creature. We are suddenly all painfully aware that in comparison we look like the chick in the Exorcist... "I Mamasan," she says in a voice so smooth you could iceskate on it. "Mamasan," she repeats with a smile and a nod...
"You tlouble," Mamasan says nodding "talk Mama." Maamasan nods her head at the end of each sentence. We all nod our heads vigourously to indicate a) that we understand, and b) that we too like to nod a lot...

"Mamasan sits silently in her sea for a few moments while we fidget uncomfortably on stage. Finally she approaches us. She comes up on stage and walks over to Phoebe, who is the nearest. She points to the top of Phoebe's costume which is a bikini top covered in sequins.
"Off?" She looks around at all of us. Ok, it seems like she is asking Phoebe to take her top off, but w got this wrong before. We say we don't understand.
"This." She takes hold of the bikini top. "Off." We are all too tired to play this game again, so we repeat that we don't understand. Mamasan goes behind Phoebe and unclips the back of her top. She starts pulling it off her shoulders. "Off," she says firmly.
Phoebe is dumbfounded and clutching the unclipped top to her bosom. "No." We all yell. "No no no."
By now there is no doubt. Mamasan is asking us to dance topless.
                                                                       ~~~

Wombat Sushi

By Rhonda Louise

Chick Lit Lovers who enjoy Humor must take a look! Let me quickly add that I had to look up Wombat and found WOMBAT is a "Waste Of Money, Brains, And Time"... LOL  Now that was on a Internet Slang site... It also is an animal in Australia... Eat it as Sushi...??? Oh Well, you may get the idea that this is going to be a confusing book suggesting that you eat Wombat raw...or that you're wasting a part of your life on this book... Hey, I'm just sharing a little about the title... After all, I figure you were as unsure about it as I was... But if you want to enjoy a smart-mouth woman who talks to her body parts and characteristics, you're gonna love this one...

Especially when you read the recipe on the back cover...Well, that just about says it all! 

Take 6 Australian dancers and one singer...

The book is written with Samantha (Sam) sharing the story. She is a competent dancer with experience--not so for all of the troupe! But she won't go topless... In case you immediately say, What?, I just thought I'd throw in that the contract called for "16 topless dancers..."

Oh Wait! It was all probably a language problem...

You see, the book opens when Sam is auditioning for a dance position in "exotic" places... Well, it turns out to be Japan! And none of them can speak Japanese, except one with some street language...

So when the girls get off the plane in Japan, there is a man with the usual sign, but when he sees the low number and the individuals involved, he doesn't believe it is the right group...

Not a good start...  

Because when they go to the first audition and meet Mamasan, she immediately begins to point to their tops, saying "off." None of them planned on that! Finally, three girls agree to go topless, one of them a ringer brought in later. This also puts the more qualified dancers in the back, because the topless theme is what is most important0--not the dancing...

Now the interesting thing about Sam is that she makes body parts "pretend people" with whom she then discusses what to do. So when Paranoia had suggested she not apply for the job, simply stating that Sam would be out of her league, it turns out to be a fun conversation for the readers...

But Sam was totally out of money and even Paranoia couldn't do anything about that...

The mix of dancers is also somewhat strange. Annabelle has been professionally trained... And is quite a pain...
Carly has barely learned to dance, but drinks a lot and so keeps going, taking her vodka drinks wherever she goes and, ahhhh, she's not too bright, but knows it, so that helps...??? 

Janey is the singer... Marie was added because she's not afraid to go topless. Phoebe is the prettiest and is talked into going topless. And then there is Jodi... Jodi has been on a number of trips and has been named as the captain of the troupe. She quickly agree to go topless...and is quick to say that she will do it just about any way they want...

A Denny's restaurant in Tokyo, Japan.
 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In fact, Jodi provides a running commentary of what follows each night with the guys that she picks up, explicitly sharing each act with the members of her troupe... Well all of the other girls soon get tired of that, but they, too, go out nightly and take care of that "pinch of stupidity, dash of naivety, with loads and loads of alcohol." Drinking takes place in bars, and even Denny's in Japan...the drinking resulting in absolutely no self-restraint as also advertised on the back cover...

Actually, Denny's was found one night when they were all driving around trying to find their hotel. It seemed fairly easy to get local men to give them rides... Kaz had been driving when they finally saw Denny's and they all had stopped for something to eat...and drink...

Other than Jodi who manages to find a companion every night, and Marie, whose lover has come there to be with her during the tour, all of the other girls do not get involved... But, of course, they all have the club customers seeking their company after the shows to drink and talk--in fact, Mamasan requires this! LOL And each admitted later they were asked for private parties...

Sam had one night saw across the room that Jodi was with two men...One immediately caught her attention!

http://www.zimbio.com

But she was so involved with his good looks, that she could hardly speak! Finally, they did go on an afternoon drive and while out of the car, it was hauled away! This led to a wild fiasco with Japanese police with Roberto not having his passport or drivers license and then having to admit he didn't own the car...he stayed in jail while Sam did make it back to work, afraid to be fired if she had gone to get his papers! Not a great first date.

But Kaz who had driven them home that first night had become interested in Janey
had spent a lot of time with Roberto and it never worked out for Sam or Janey since they were always late, getting ready after their last shows...

You know, it is always difficult to talk about a humorous novel. The fun is in the total context of the story and is built up from the first page. For instance, if I say that one of the girls ate some chips that belong to another girl and that started an ongoing feud that continued...Telling about it just doesn't work, right? But Rhonda Louise's Sam, as the lead character, can whip out those "slide-ins" that you might almost miss if you weren't paying attention to the total narrative. And the fighting girls, well, they were quite able to share their fury!

Actually Sam is an interesting character and does well in keeping peace with most of the others throughout...but she also causes or initiates most of the things that turn out bad (though funny). Except it was Janey that decided that Sam and Roberto should take advantage of those 2-hour hotel rooms that were, first, explored...but I already told you...it just didn't happen...thankfully!

Now I haven't even mentioned that the girls were asked to do a traditional Japanese Dance and Tito who was to teach them, with Janey singing in Japanese, although she didn't speak it... Nor have I told you about the Sumo wrestlers, the Wedding...or Jabba the Hut (their manager)...

The characters are just what you'd imagine if women who danced professionally were forced to also lived together for weeks and months... Especially when they had never known each other or danced together before! The men in Japan...hmmmm... They were friendly (?)... but I'll bet they had never met a group like these Australian girls! And you won't have either! I did enjoy Sam's snappy discussion with her body parts, and her snide or sarcastic feedback, even though at terrible times...but she really was somewhat of a wimp until Janey told her about it...

Somehow I doubt Sam is going to change much... but she sure can tell it like it is in her books! 'Cause I'm just betting that Sam is a lot like the author--what say you Rhonda?! Take this on vacation as the weather turns warmer! Enjoy!

GABixlerReviews

Rhonda Louise lives on the South Coast of England with her amazingly tolerant husband and their naughty daughter. Wombat Sushi is her first novel...

Review: Sassy! By Gloria Mallette - Great Psychological Whodunit!

Sassy
By Gloria Mallette
Gemini Press
ISBN: 9780967878935
312 Pages

“For the umpteenth time, Sassy told herself she could not have made up this drama if she tried.” (p. 270)

Sassy Davenport is a romance novelist who sometimes has a little trouble writing her romantic scenes; that is, until she meets the man of her dreams. Norris Yoshito showed up at one of Sassy’s book signings and asked that she sign all ten books he was buying. Naturally, she was intrigued; her friend Kenneth wouldn’t read her books, nor even talk about them—especially since he spent most of his time talking about whether to financially support a plan for his brother or sister, expecting Sassy to listen and respond at appropriate times. It was quite easy for Sassy to be swayed by attention from Norris!

Not only was Yoshito drop-dead gorgeous, he quickly won Sassy over with his close attention, his caring ways, and, later, his wonderful lovemaking!

That is, until the night he showed up, kicked Kenneth out of her apartment and turned aggressively toward Sassy, scaring and hurting her with his nasty words and anger.

When Norris told her that he had not been at her apartment and that he didn’t know who Kenneth was, Sassy was caught between her love for him and what she knew had actually happened at her apartment. Although Norris worked hard to explain what he thought was happening, it still was hard for Sassy to accept.

Until Norris became involved in taking care of Sassy’s cousin/best friend, Bernard, who was dying from AIDS. Here too, she compared Norris with Kenneth, who refused to be around Bernard, and her love continued to grow and allowed Sassy’s trust to grow. This was difficult to do because the police were after Norris for murder! In fact, a number of people close to Norris had been murdered—and his father and stepmother were the latest!

Sassy is a great whodunit! Readers may begin to review the possibilities as to who is behind the murders. Is Norris a multiple personality (dissociative disorder) since there are so many witnesses that have seen the man believed to be the murderer (including Sassy!) and have described or named Norris? Is it his half-brother who has hated Norris since he was brought into his home as an orphan when his own mother died? Is it a childhood friend who had run the streets of Japan with him as a mixed-blood, shunned youth who now hated Norris for being able to go to America and it was payback time? The only thing Sassy knew for sure was that the murderer had come after her once and it was very possible that he would do so again! Had she married a murderer?

Aside from the wonderful exciting action for readers, the relationship between Sassy and Bernard adds greatly to this drama. The scene between Bernard’s son and him is beautifully created and the personal interactions between Bernard, Sassy, Norris and his son’s mother are extremely moving and realistic.

Gloria Mallette is a winner of the USA Best Book Award and the Indie Excellence Award. She just may have a winner in the suspense/thriller genre for Sassy! Check it out ‘cause it’s a great read!

G. A. Bixler

Review: Sudden Threat Outstanding Alternative History Thriller!

Sudden Threat
By A. J. Tata
Variance Publishing
ISBN: 9781935142034
402 Pages


When a professional in any field is also an excellent writer, the result is an outstanding novel! Sudden Threat by Army Brigadier General A. J. Tata is evidence of that statement and certainly, in my opinion, a must-read for thriller fans!

Sudden Threat presents an alternative history story with timely relevance. “Prime Minister Mizuzawa had chosen the proper course for his native land...Japan could not let a few radical Muslims divert the world’s attention away from what really mattered...it was a matter of national survival!” (p. 18, 23) Takishi was his choice to help him rule a new Japan; and as a major partner in “The Rolling Stones,” they were in the best position to take advantage of the 9-11 window of opportunity!

Fortunately, Takishi had friends in major positions in the United States government who did not agree that an attack against Saddam Hussein, his country and other surrounding countries was the right direction for America. The solution: create a “sudden threat” against America from an entirely different direction—somewhere where a small war could be encouraged which would force a delay for action

Matt Garrett and his brother Zachary are the two main characters. While Zachary served in the service, Matt had been the CIA designated “hunter” for Osama bin Laden. Matt had already become suspicious, wondering why, when he was close to capturing one or more Al Qaeda members, he would suddenly be transferred somewhere else, on some pretext that his new assignment was much more important. Fortunately, he began to document his concerns, for when he is captured, his records become a major contribution in the later spunky and informative briefing presented to the president by Meredith Morris, the primary female character and the major person to research, analyze, and effectively present what apparently was happening.

The addictive hunger for power, found in every country, every nation, nearly always results in tragic events. Tata shows it better than any other author I’ve read! Nobody can trust these individuals, not lovers, not authorities, not entire populations! Tata takes us directly into the throes of a group of these evil men, who call themselves, The Rolling Stones” as they strive for “satisfaction,” individual power, no matter the cost!

Tata also brings a far more realistic approach to war scenes as well, sharing not only the action, but also the personal feelings of the individuals. One particular man, a good and honorable Japanese man who came to fight along with the Americans is one of the excellent scenarios that illustrates different race issues are really not the cause for wars, without someone, somewhere, thirsting for individual power!

As if you needed another reason to buy and read Sudden Threat, consider the fact that BG Tata is donating all of the proceeds to the USO Metro DC Hospital Services Fund for Wounded Warriors! Cool, right?

Needless to say, I think Sudden Threat is a fantastic read. Additionally, I have been fortunate to have already read Rogue Threat, Tata’s next book, so I can assure you that you need to add General A. J. Tata to your must-read author list! “Hooah!”


G. A. Bixler

Author's Note: Click on title of Review to check out Tata's web site. He's added a "Readers Operation Center" to ask questions about his novels...I think this is a great idea! Don't you?