Review of The Intercept by Dick Wolf

Review of The Intercept by Dick Wolf

This is in the back of the book:
"Dick Wolf makes his literary debut with this tense, driving thriller, reminiscent of the classic The Day of the Jackal, an extraordinary tale filled with the ingenious twists and high-wire suspense we have come to expect from this master storyteller
Days before the July Fourth holiday and the dedication of One World Trade Center at Ground Zero, an incident aboard a commercial jet flying over the Atlantic Ocean reminds everyone that vigilance is not a task to be taken lightly. But for iconoclastic NYPD detective Jeremy Fisk, it may also be a signal that there is much more to this case than the easy answer of this being just the work of another lone terrorist.
Fisk—assigned to the department's Intelligence Division, a well-funded antiterror unit modeled on the CIA—suspects that the event might also be a warning sign that another, potentially more extraordinary scheme has been set in motion. Fluent in Arabic and the ways of his opponents, Fisk is a rule breaker who follows his gut—even if it means defying those above him in the department's food chain. So when a passenger from the same plane, a Saudi Arabian national, disappears into the crowds of Manhattan, it's up to Fisk and his partner Krina Gersten to find him before the celebrations begin.
Watching each new lead fizzle, chasing shadows to dead ends, Fisk and Gersten quickly realize that their opponents are smarter and more agile than any they have ever faced. Extremely clever and seemingly invisible, they are able to exploit any security weak-ness and anticipate Fisk's every move . . . and time is running out."
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The Intercept is written by Dick Wolf , the creator of Law & Order, a TV show.

The book has been dedicated to TK.

The Intercept kept me interested and also in wonder why people think and act as they do. The book is based on terrorism in the United States. A plan to hijack a Scandinavian Airlines plane headed to New York is stopped by six people who become known as "The Six", honored and called heroes.
The book has Jeremy Fisk a detective for the NYPD Intelligence Division, and his partner Krina Gersten, whose family has been in the police force for four generations, searching for a terrorist named Bin-Hezam for most of the book.
The book has many twists and turns which makes it a real page turner. The chapters are short and fast moving. The Arabic language is used throughout the book. Fisk speaks fluent Arabic.
The book goes into details of the murders that take place. I felt this was a "heavy" book with the fear and reality it can give to the reader. I was impressed with the details of the book and descriptions of New York pulled the reader into the book. Real people are included in The Intercept as well as the characters of the book. Commissioner Ray Kelly of the NYPD, President Obama, President George W. Bush, Laura Bush, Mayor Bloomberg and Oprah are mentioned and I felt that added to the book. I liked the characters of the book but not enough information about them.
The book contains one sex scene and language that used the f word a lot.

I will give this a four star rating. I was given a complimentary copy of The Intercept to read and review. The opinions are my own.

I wish to thank goodreads and Dick Wolf for the opportunity to read and review. I look forward to reading the next book written by Dick Wolf.

Part 1: Background Noise page 1
Part 2: October 2009 Abbottabad, Pakistan page 43
Part 3: May 2011 Ramstein Air Base, Germany page 53
Part 4: Chatter Thursday, July 1 page 81
Part 5: Eavesdrop Friday, July 2 page 109
Part 6: Intercepts Saturday, July 3 page 179
Part 7: Double-Speak page 275
Part 8: Moment of Silence,July 4 page 343

Book Review of Revenge at Bella Terra by Christina Dodd

Revenge at Bella Terra by Christina Dodd

Chole is going to California to stay at Eli Di Luca's house to finish her second mystery novel. Her father has offered money for Eli to save his vineyard if he will marry her and produce a grandchild; Chole does not know Eli is the one this time that her father chose because this is not the first time her father has done this. She is driving from Austin, Texas to the Santa Rosa area where her father, Conte, has arranged a place for her to finish her book at Eli's home. First impressions are not favorable for either Eli or Chole. Eli is from an Italian family in the wine country of California. He is very close to his grandmother, Nonna, but there is a hidden secret he carries. Chole's father is an Italian and her mother is ;;;;

The book is full of mystery, family, wine, death, hate, fear and some love. A lot of twists and the end was a surprise to me.

I especially liked the Italian grandmother; my grandmother spelled it with one n, Nona.

This is the first book I have read by Christina Dodd and found it fast moving with lots of twists and turns. It is the second book of the series but still able to be read on it's own.

I did not find it "romantic" as in some books I have read but a different love in that one cares.

I will add when Chloe drove through West Texas, it was described as a god-forsaken place with tarantulas and dust storms. True, we do have sandstorms and tarantulas but I love the area even though I now live in the Land of Lakes of Minnesota. When Chloe had a flat tire, she knew a Texas man would stop and help her. I will add that I used to say, "Drive to West Texas from Austin and people pull over to the shoulder so you can pass; when you drive to Houston from Austin to go east, they pull more into the center lane". I lived in the Austin area, Round Rock, for ten years.

I will give it a 4 star because of the actions, mystery and so many surprises. I look forward to Betrayal, the next book in the Bella Terra series.

I got this book from my library.

You can find Christina Dodd at www.christinadodd.com.

Leona Olson

www.mnleona.blogspot.com

The Dark Age Survivors Of The Pulse by Jeff Horton

The Dark Age
Survivors Of The Pulse
By
Jeff W. Horton

World Castle Publishing
Pensacola, Florida
Copyright © Jeff W. Horton 2011
ISBN: 9781937085872
Library of Congress Catalogue Number 2011928105
First Edition World Castle Publishing July 15, 2011http://www.worldcastlepublishing.com
Licensing Notes
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner
whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied
in articles and reviews.
Cover Artist: Spittyfish Designs
Editor: Beth Price

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"PrologueIt has been five-hundred years since the Pulse bathed the earth in a brilliant flash, instantly ending the Golden Age of humanity. At the speed of light, it destroyed modern technology all over the planet, ushering in the Great Collapse, and the conclusion of ten-thousand years of civilization. There had been no time to prepare, for the end came without warning. The cause of the cataclysm remained a mystery however, until one night people looked to the skies during the time of the Great Collapse, and found a new, beautiful, heavenly light there. Scientists soon uncovered the painful truth behind the fantastic lights; the Pulse was not alone when it struck the earth. The appearance of the powerful electromagnetic pulse had coincided with the arrival of a significant coronal mass ejection from the sun, trapping the power of the Pulse in the earth’s magnetic field, creating a brilliant, nightly light show, similar to the aurora borealis in appearance, which came to be known as The Effect.

The terrible consequence of the Effect kept the people of the Golden Age from re-building the most advanced civilization in human history. Gradually, over the course of time, more and more of the accumulated knowledge that existed during the Golden Age began to fade from human memory. The abrupt loss of all modern technology had been a shock to the world’s collective system, a catastrophe from which it was unable to recover. The subsequent descent into the darkness that began during the Great Collapse continued well into the period known as the Dark Age. After several hundred years, the rapid decline of civilization eventually leveled off, leaving humanity at a level of technology comparable to life during the Middle Ages, a time when illiteracy was the rule instead of the exception, and the world was ruled by the sword, and by the bow.

The Holy Christian Church, which has existed since the time of Christ, has now survived two dark ages. The unified Church has been the only light of hope for the people of the Dark Age, maintaining a continual presence in Rome, which serves as the nerve center of the Church, and a beacon of hope to Christian pilgrims from all over the world.

The Warrior Clan, founded during The Great Collapse by a group of ex-soldiers and civilians, maintains enclaves scattered throughout the Outlands. Shunning contact with the outside world since its inception, members of the Warrior Clan are disciplined fighters, constantly striving to perfect their martial skill. They are recognized and feared throughout the known lands as fierce and accomplished warriors.

Urbas inhabit the crumbling meros, all that remains of the great urban metropolises that once dotted the surface of the Earth. Living together in packs of twenty or more, they are the descendants of the few men and women that remained in the great cities during the Great Collapse. They survive by preying on outsiders and on each other, with allegiance to no one other than their pack, and themselves. The balance of humanity clusters in small, scattered villages, working mostly as farmers.

The Dark Age is a harsh and unforgiving time. The Golden Age and the Ancients are now largely remembered only in bedtime stories for small children. Just as the light always burns brightest in the darkness however, hope remains as some cling stubbornly to their faith, praying that one day the light of civilization will return. For among the many stories passed down from generation to generation over the centuries there exists an ancient prophecy, dating from the time of the Great Collapse. The prophecy holds that one day a sign would appear from God, announcing to believers that the time had come to find and activate the Great Oracle of Knowledge, giving the world the opportunity to emerge from the great darkness, into a glorious new Golden Age."
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Dark Ages, Survivors of the Pulse by Jeff W. Horton.

The dedication is: For my family, and my God.

The time period is five hundred years since the Pulse ended the Golden Age of humanity and ushered in the Great Collapse. Pope John Paul V is waiting for a sign to find the Oracle that will tell the people how to regain civilization as it was once known. There are really three classes of people now: Warrior Clans, Urbas who live in the meros ( once metropolitans) and ones who live in small villages, mainly farmers

There are 7 pieces of a map around the world that tells where to find the Great Oracle of Knowledge.

The clues where the pieces are: "seven clues listed in the book, written in Latin, which will, I believe, tell us where the pieces of the map are located.
Clue Number 1- Qua Valde Era lux lucis via.
Clue Number 2- Qua Barbatus Vir Sits.
Clue Number 3-Urbs of ventus.
Clue Number 4-Qua quietis miles militis sileo.
Clue Number 5- Qua Democracy Eram Prognatus.
Clue Number 6- Valde urbs of Crocus Vir.
Clue Number 7- Urbs of Silicis - Vir in Gero." Page 81

A Brother and a Clansman are in charge of searching for each one of the maps throughout the world. The one thing they have in common is restoring the world to civilization again.

Anyone interested in a post-apocalypse novel will certainly like this book. This book caught my attention from the beginning and kept it until the end. I am usually pretty good about predicting the end of a book but this one had me way off. I added the prologue so the reader (s) could get a better idea of the book. I wish to thank the author, Jeff W. Horton, for the complimentary e-book copy of this e-book to read and review. I will give this book a 5 star. There is violence, no bad language or sex. The opinions are my own.

Leona Olson

www.mnleona.blogspot.com

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Ferrell Young- a guide who takes the Pilgrims to the ships so they can go to Rome

Pope John Paul V- the leader of the Holy Christian Church- no longer Catholics or Protestants, only Christians. His name was Henry before he became Pope.

Alex Montgomery-helping the Warrior Clan find the book

Hannah Montgomery- the twelve year old daughter of Alex

Kraken- a cruel person who wants to rule

Darius- a young twenty-five priest

Madgar

Brother Mark

Brother Phillip- cousin to Darius

Cardinal Daniel

Pope Matthew- Pope during the Great Collapse

Brother Sebastian- looking for the book that will help lead to the Oracle

Captain Marsh- captain of the pirate ship

General Collins- made to work for Kraken under pressure to protect his family

Jessica- Medina -held captive by Kraken

Bokra- a clansman

Tara- sister of Ferrell

Ariel- loves Ferrell

Julius- a clansman

Brother Francis

Sanjo-a clansman

Brother O'Reilly

David

Michael

Lord Sarkota- teacher of Ferrell

Sergei- friend of Ferrell

Yoshi- a clansman

Captain Abihu-captain of the Nemesis

Brother Wayne

Norris- clansman

The Unity- a group of clergy and scientists

Brother Dan

Manasa- a clansman

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Dedication (pg 3)

Prologue (pg 4)

Chapter One- Pilgrims (pg 6)

Chapter Two- The Expedition (pg 11)

Chapter Three- Kraken (pg 16)

Chapter Four-Vatican City (pg 21)

Chapter Five- Exhausted (pg 26)

Chapter Six- The Book (pg 35)

Chapter Seven- Brother Ramos (pg 43)

Chapter Eight- An Old Friend (pg 47)

Chapter Nine- The Sign (pg 53)

Chapter Ten- The Puzzle (pg 56)

Chapter Eleven- The Mountains (pg 60)

Chapter Twelve- The Ocean (pg 64)

Chapter Thirteen- The Enclave (pg 68)

Chapter Fourteen- The Coming Storm (pg 71)

Chapter Fifteen- The Council Meeting (pg 76)

Chapter Sixteen- The Clue (pg 80)

Chapter Seventeen- The Healer (pg 84)

Chapter Eighteen- The Spy (pg 87)

Chapter Nineteen- The First Map (pg 90)

Chapter Twenty- The Second Map (pg 99)

Chapter Twenty one- The Road Back (pg 108)

Chapter Twenty two- The Third Map (pg 110)

Chapter Twenty three- The Fourth Map (pg 117)

Chapter Twenty four- Rerouting (pg 122)

Chapter Twenty five- The Fifth Map (pg 126)

Chapter Twenty six- The Effect (pg 131)

Chapter Twenty seven- The Sixth Map (pg 136)

Chapter Twenty eight- The Final Map (pg 142)

Chapter Twenty nine- Breaking Points (pg 146)

Chapter Thirty- Bokra (pg 151)

Chapter Thirty one- The Assault (pg 156)

Chapter Thirty two- Two Armies (pg 160)

Chapter Thirty three- Rallying the Troops (pg 163)

Chapter Thirty four- The Deciding Strategy (pg 165)

Chapter Thirty five- The Day Before (pg 168)

Chapter Thirty six- The Night Before (pg 175)

Chapter Thirty seven- Preparations (pg 178)

Chapter Thirty eight- The Final Battle (pg 184)

Chapter Thirty nine- The Stronghold (pg 192)

Chapter Forty- The Map (pg 195)

Chapter Forty one- The Founders (pg 200)

Chapter Forty two- Making Plans (pg 206)

Chapter Forty three- Following the Map (pg 209

Chapter Forty four- The Lake (pg 214)

Chapter Forty five- Into the Darkness (pg 217)

Chapter Forty six- An Old Acquaintance (pg 221)

Chapter Forty seven- The Great Oracle (pg 226)

Chapter Forty eight- After the Darkness (pg 232)

Epilogue (pg 234)

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The Ultimate Starbucks Recipe Book

The Ultimate Starbucks Coffee Recipe Book
http://www.dwallace.net/starbucks.pdf
Download a free recipe e-book. There are 32 pages of recipes using Starbucks Coffee.
Note:Starbucks Coffee if a registered trademark.
Table of Contents:
Beverage Recipes  page 3
Pastry & Coffee Desserts  page 14
Sauces  page 30