Frederic Colier, Author at Books du Jour

Author du Jour: Andrew Gross

01/06/2017 by Frederic Colier

(Minotaur Books, pp 418, $26.99)

“The One Man” marks a radical departure for Andrew Gross. His past novels (nine and counting) were all in the pure thriller genre, a craft he learned straight from the Lord himself, James Patterson, with whom he co-authored several novels. “The One Man” however is a war novel, set in WWII, with a thriller plot. A daring move for an author of this caliber with a large following. But audacity combined with skills and originality can only translate in superior work, which is what “The One Man” bears witness. The characters have gained depth. Descriptions are layered, breathing life, while the plot is more organic and humanly warmer, an anachronism despite being set in a death camp.

In this finely chiseled engaging novel, a Polish-descent polyglot intelligence officer, Nathan Blum, is offered the mission of a lifetime: enter Auschwitz and escape with one of the prisoner, a professor named Alfred Mendl, who is believed to hold crucial secret that could put an end to the folly of the Third Reich. The ending will not be disclosed here . . . but the novel questions the nature of meaning and devotion to a cause, especially when the involvement calls for huge personal sacrifices for the good of all.

Author du Jour: Larry Atkins

12/15/2016 by Frederic Colier

“Skewed: A Critical Thinker’s Guide to Media Bias,” by Larry Atkins

(Prometheus Books, pp 280, $24.00)

I am not sure how many people have read this book so far . . . But given what we now know about the Presidential elections fiasco, meant here as the shocking Trump’s victory, “Skewed,” should have been a must-read for all political parties and media outlets involved. That no polls had predicted the baffling result only makes Atkins’ point more trenchant. The fact that we had never seen such political polarization and dismissal of facts, makes “Skewed,” an even more essential read.

“Skewed,” is a history of media, an analysis of the current situation of the landscape, and a courageous attempt of explain why advocacy journalism has only grown in its domination of opinions in newspapers, talk radio, news network, and the internet. The keyword here is ‘biases,’ which only leave listeners and readers stranded in competing and conflicting worldviews, where truth is often only a matter of opinions. Agenda driven, selective used of data, have resulted in a bipolar landscape, which, as we have witnessed, fails to hear those without voices. An insightful book to lift up the one-sided blindness of our time.

Author du Jour: Chris Pavone

12/13/201612/13/2016 by Frederic Colier

“The Travelers,” by Chris Pavone (Crown Publishers pp 437, $ 27.00)

If you have read Chris Pavone’s previous novels “The Expats” and “The Accident,” you know that you will travel abroad, extensively. “The Travelers” will not disappoint you. I suspect one day, Pavone will write high-end espionage novels, à la James Bond, since he seems so comfortable in the genre, and his writing only gains in intensity.

“The Travelers” is a fast-paced thriller transporting you in all the most unlikely locations in the world. Its main protagonist, Will Rhodes, is a “travel” writer for a magazine and lives out of a suitcase. It may sound like a dream, but if you are stuck in a rut in your own life make no mistake that this sort of conditions are often the result of internal “traveling” affairs. In Will’s case, crumbling marriage, crumbling house, and crumbling dreams. One day, during an assignment in Argentina, he cannot resist the temptation of a mysterious Australian woman . . . and thus starts an exhilarating domino effect of suspicions and disappearances that will put Will and his circle within immediate danger.

Book Reviews: Resident Magazine Dec 2016

12/09/2016 by Frederic Colier

Resident Magazine December 2016. Read book reviews by Frederic Colier

online. Feature article is about Ian Mellencamp (nephew of John M).

Only in the Resident Magazine.

Author du Jour: Malin Persson Giolito

04/03/201712/02/2016 by Frederic Colier

“Quick Sand” by Malin Persson Giolito

(trans. Rachel Willson-Broyles, Other Press, pp 432, $26.95)

Kudos to Other Press for publishing this Nordic wonder. “Quick Sand” has been bestsellers in more than 20 countries, mainly the old continent, and despite its success, it was shocking to see that no US publisher would rush to snatch up the US rights. “Quick Sand” is Persson Giolito‘s fourth crime novel. The story takes its cue from a mass killing, such as the one which took place in Norway in 2011 . . . Its main protagonist, the 18-year old, Maja Norberg, is a popular student who survives a school rampage. Set as a flashback, prior to the gory event, the plot trails Maja’s past to find out whether she participated in the mass murdering. She has been accused, being the only one to survive, and waits in jail for her trial.

This alone would not have been enough to get this book included in this month column. But Persson Giolito’s craft takes us on a psychological ride, where perhaps the narrator of the story is not as reliable as first thought. She met a questionable character, Sebastian Fagerman, prior to the massacre. Little by little, we can hear the cogs of her internal life flicker with strange sounds. As she is swept off her feet, alienating everyone in her immediate circle, we ponder if her outcries are not simply screams for help . . . that everyone missed. Then do we want her to be guilty? Do we want her to be innocent? Or do we simply want to be passers-by entertained by her story? . . . You will have to listen to yourself very careful as you read this unnerving book. You do not want to be missing something.

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