The Burning Gates by Parker Bilal

The Burning Gates by Parker Bilal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not the normal setting for a PI story, this uniqueness adds a lot of atmosphere and character to what is a straight forward plot. Set in Cairo, Egypt, Makana is hired to track down an Iraqi who is believed to have stolen art treasures for sale. As you can imagine with all the wars and infighting that goes on in the Middle East it is easy to get dragged into a much more dangerous investigation, but this guarranteed when Americans get involved. Although it is the fourth book in the series it is standalone and the author cleverly avoids any long history lessons by concentrating on the current storyline. The book is written in a very easy to read style with good pace and action throughout. My favourite character is Sinbad Makana's driver, very few words but the picture of the large friendly Egyptian is very clear. Excellent book that I would recommend to most.

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Nations Divided by Steve P Vincent

Nations Divided by Steve P. Vincent
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It is a long time since I awarded five stars to a book, but this one has thoroughly deserved it by looking at the Israeli / Palestinian conflict from a different angle, it is one I think is ignored too often. Jack Emery an advisor to the U.S. President has been central to efforts by U.S. to develop a peace agreement in the area. Just as the agreement is reached, a terrorist organisation threatens to derail it before the countdown to peace reaches zero. Jack is tasked to resolve all the issues before the world descends into nuclear meltdown as well as tending to his own love issues. This a great book full of fast paced thrilling action which makes it a compelling read. Steve P Vincent has done an excellent job on this third outing for Jack Emery and I will be backtracking and picking up the first two.

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