Review - The Tsar's Last Armada

Constantine Pleshakov's book is subtitled "The Epic Voyage to the Battle of Tsushima" and is truly a book of the 18,000+ nautical mile journey of the main Russian fleet under Admiral Rozhestvensky from the Baltic to its fateful meeting with Admiral Togo and the Japanese fleet.


Pleshakov concentrates on the personalities of Rozhestvensky and his subordinates as well as the top members of the Russian government. He hints that if the leaders in St. Petersburg had allowed Rozhestvensky to do what he wished the outcome may have been different. 


Far from the classical story of ships who left Russia piled high with coal and sailing urgently around the world to plunge unprepared into a hopeless battle, Pleshakov tells of long delays and lost opportunities, of bungled intelligence, and of political weakness and indecision. He also seems to share Rozhestvensky's view that the reinforcements he was forced to wait for actually weakened the squadron instead of strengthening it and that the level of talent in the upper naval officers of the Tsar's navy was minimal with very few competent leaders of rank captain or above.


There is also a fair handling of the wide class distinctions and the resulting political unrest in Russia as a whole, in the navy in general, and the "last armada" particularly. Pleshakov discusses this discrepancy in each situation the fleet found itself in, from forming to its ultimate destruction and the aftermath for the survivors. In the end even Rozhestvensky comes off wanting.


I found the book interesting and found it debunked, as noted above, some long-held misconceptions. It pays scant attention to the battle itself; if you want a battle history you do need to go elsewhere. It is a good stand-alone historical story; one needs no previous knowledge of the Russo-Japanese War, Tsushima, or the period to get the full impact of the book. 


It is also inexpensive. Copies are available on Biblio for as little as $3.97 including shipping.

Review - Even Seahorses are Free by Redding Walters

Redding Walters brings a unique, intriguing, and fascinating perspective and story-line to the romance novel.

Even Seahorses are Free traces the love history of Dr. Rebecca Beisonig, through the rather ingenious devices of a long drive up the Pacific Coast with a dead cell phone. As she drives she recounts her past loves and their shortcomings, as well as their high points. 

At her destination, she plunges into her work while re-discovering the depth of friendship with other women and fending off the advances of a "young stud" in which she knows she has no interest. In her rediscovery and soul searching she finally comes to terms with the lost love of her life, the value of female friends, and the end of her marriage that was never really fulfilling.  

Ms. Walters brings freshness to the novel. Her characters, from the very pregnant Barbie to the aloof Howard, are full and lively. They jump off the page to the point you can almost touch them. The story is both unique in the interplay of environmental science and the livelihoods that are often in conflict and in the love, lust, and conflict of Rebecca. 

The energy of the novel starts at a high level and allows the reader to briefly recover before driving to a new peak. Continuing to build as the story progresses with each peak being higher than the last. The ending is both satisfying and not quite how one expects.

Even Seahorses are Free is highly recommended. Available at Amazon and other fine retailers.

Book Review - Mystery of the Haunted Pool by Phyllis A Whitney

Like many of the reviewers I first read Ms. Whitney as a young adult and was happy to find this copy and pick it up for some leisurely summer reading. I do take a bit of umbrage at the reviewers who try to paint this book with the social brush of today. Any work is a product of its times and should be judged in that context. To that end this book, which won an Edgar Award for juvenile mystery, is smooth, pleasant read. Ms. Whitney develops her characters well and paints an enchanting setting. It does deal with gender roles, disability, financial hard times, and aging, all from the lens of a young girl. Although there are clear gender roles (the women do all the food preparation, for example), that was the norm in 1960 to set it otherwise would have made it difficult to relate to the intended audience. However, there is nothing the protagonist, Susan, does not do or is prohibited from because she is a girl. Also Gene's disability is treated, again inside the context of the time, with compassion and empathy and some amount of empowerment. I am still looking for a copy of the first Whitney mystery I read, Mystery on the Isle of Skye. Whitney writes well and this mild read was a welcome change from the much more "in your face" work of more contemporary writers. Recommended if you want a quiet nostalgic well-written read.

Book Review - Pan by K. R. Thompson

Before we get to the Promotional Stuff...

For a variety of reasons I was only able to read Pan. This was truly unfortunate because K. R. Thompson has done a superb job spinning the prequels to Barrie's children's classic. We are brought into the world through Tinkerbell's eyes and see the roots of Peter's character as well as some background on Neverland in an extremely well-written and seamlessly integrated way with the original. Why does Peter Pan flit between depression and manic joy? What is the origin of the lost boys? Ever wonder about the crocodile? And then there's Captain Hook and the merpeople. Thompson brings the backstory to life.  Five stars! Highly recommended! Read on!

THE UNTOLD STORIES OF NEVERLAND by K.R. Thompson

Review - Bowdrie by Louis L'Amour

This is an early collection of short stories all using the same protagonist, the eponymous Texas Ranger. L'Amour rooted his character in history and the stories play out in a fictionalized version several events from the early days of the Texas Rangers. All of these first appeared in pulps in the late 40's and are excellent. L'Amour tells a fast-paced, full-bodied story without some of the pedantry that crept into his later works.

There is a follow-on collection titled Bowdrie's Law. L'Amour's short stories were originally published in paperback by Bantam under multiple titles in the 1970s and 1980s. They have been republished as The Collected Short Stories in 8 volumes.

Wishing you good reading!

Review/Launch - The Leviathan Chronicles: the Last Stand at Aeprion

The Leviathan Chronicles: The Last Stand at Aeprion

By James Mascia

Genre: Sci-fi

Synopsis:

Still reeling from his wife's murder, Joel tries to escape the alien hunter and fulfill a promise he made to her. Years of searching for the fabled planet, Aeprion, has left the space freighter captain torn between giving up the search or giving himself up to Kraxem, the alien hunter.

When Kraxem and his minions attack Joel's ship again, he is forced into the nebula, where he'll have to do repairs. Once there, his thoughts revert back to the final day of Kate's life and the promises that were made. Learning to come to terms with her loss and release the guilt that he feels will be a hard battle to fight, but giving up will prove to be even more difficult and, perhaps, deadly.

Steeling his resolve to forge on, Joel vows to find the fabled living planet before guilt devours his soul.

REVIEW

James Mascia has recaptured the pulp fiction of the 1930s, the era of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. It is corny, fast-moving, incredibly funny, and, improbably possible. It is a short, marvelous romp through space, time, humor, and the imagination. Highly recommended.

Mr. Mascia sent me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

About the Author

He fights evil across the known universe and crushes them between his fingers (at least, he does this with his words). 

James Mascia is an accomplished writer with a bestselling series, High School Heroes, as well as a bestselling graphic novel, The Poe Murders. He has always been a fan of sci-fi, and is glad to be delving back into the galaxy once again.

James teaches in Maryland, where he also writes. He has a lovely wife and a tiny terror (a two-year-old) driving him mad, but making him laugh.

Check out some of his other work below:

https://www.islandofdren.com

https://www.twitter.com/masciajames

https://jmascia.deviantart.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/AuthorArtist-James-Mascia/353933315067?ref=hl

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1521602.James_Mascia

The author is giving away an ebook copy of his book to 5 lucky readers!

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review - The East India Company by John Gardner

Gardner paints the history of the East India Company with a broad brush. Too broad. He dabbles in all aspects - military, administrative, governance, commercial, personalities - but never seems to complete anything. This leaves the reader with a sense of the sweeping history of the Raj, and the personalities and interests that drove it, mostly from the British side, but you are always left without a complete picture. The personality is incomplete, the understanding of the commercial enterprise is incomplete, the military history is little more that a comment about the commander and a note on the troop quality and a listing of battles. A good try, but sadly, incomplete.

Review - The Savage Wars of Peace

In this well-referenced, clearly written survey of America's involvement in "small wars" from the Quasi-War with France in 1798 to Kosovo in 2001, Max Boot argues that America has a long history of involvement in other countries' internal affairs and that, up until Vietnam, the U. S. had a fairly decent track record.

American interventions often brought stability, security, and a large decrease in corruption while introducing health and infrastructure improvements. He also argues that economics, often touted as a primary reason for American involvement, has actually been generally of only secondary importance.

Boot lays out a clear, concise argument that America, if it leans on its historical experience, can and should be an agent of global security and state building. He cautions that if America does not listen to history, or if it opts out of its role, the consequences can be terrible - citing the Beirut bombing and the rise of Osama bin Laden as recent failures.

Although written in 2002 this book still has relevance in the tumultuous, jihadist-edged world. We still don't seem to understand the lessons of history though they are relatively easy to reference.

Recommended.

Pearl, MD REVIEW

Pearl, MD is a historical novel set in 1883 North Carolina and Missouri. Dr. Pearl Stern is one of the first female doctors in the United States. She faces bravely the prejudices of the time against professional women, women who speak their mind, and the timeless resistance to change, specifically in adopting the Pasteur method of antiseptic procedure that was new at the time in medicine.

She has a strong, quiet ally in Chief Hershel Harkins and a good friend in Jeremiah Dickson. She also has a past she is running from in her native Missouri. 

The story is full of fascinating insights into the changing culture of the post Civil War south (Pearl is ostracized because she hires and treats black people) and the medical practices and medicaines of the time. Ms. Bartlett clearly understands her history.

The story is a bit slow moving and this reviewer would have liked to have felt more warmth between Dr. Stern and Chief Harkins. However, it is well written and offers an amazing window on a tumultuous time with much change in progress that we take for granted today.

Pearl, MD is available at Amazon or most other outlets.

A copy of Pearl, MD was provided in return for an honest review.

Revelation - Book Blitz

Book Synopsis

In a land where magic was created through the spilling of blood, turmoil is looming. Grief and despair flood the land of Todor, and its creators--the omniscient Deis--consider destroying it altogether. That is, until a single spot of joy attracts their attention: the idyllic village of Aerie. Believing in the hope found there, the Deis give Todor one more chance. They place three infants within this village who are unknowingly tasked with ending Todor’s suffering and saving all creation.

As the three chosen ones grow, they discover that their beloved village is a haven of secrets, and nothing is as they believe. Can Gemynd, Soman, and Numa move beyond the secrets of Aerie in order to learn the truth about themselves and the world they thought they knew? With impending war, passionate love, and the heartbreak of separation facing them at every turn, will they do what is required to save Creation?

An imaginative fantasy debut from Jenna Newell Hiott, Revelation combines intrigue, passion, and magic to create a mythic tale like no other. The first book in the epic Todor trilogy, Revelation introduces readers to a unique fantasy realm, intelligent and layered with hidden truths, it will stay with you long after you’ve read the last page.

Author Bio:

Author, healer, all-around kook, Jenna Newell Hiott boasts of having a limitless imagination, unless it’s nap time. While many of us had an imaginary friend as children, Jenna had an entire imaginary family—complete with a second set of parents and three siblings—all of whom lived in a make-believe world of Jenna’s own creation. One could say she’s been writing fantasy fiction since she was old enough to use words. And she never outgrew it. Out of this hyperactive imagination, Jenna created the land of Todor: a world of magic, intrigue, and power plays.

Links:

http://www.facebook.com/jennanewellhiottauthor

http://www.twitter.com/jennahiott

http://www.jennanewellhiott.com

http://www.amazon.com/Jenna-Newell-Hiott/e/B00J90PD9U/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7696427.Jenna_Newell_Hiott

Defined by Others - Reveal/Launch

I thoroughly enjoyed M C V Egan's first book - Bridge of Deaths - she writes clearly and has a unique perspective. - Greg

Review - The Rhythm of the Spirit

Sushrut A Badhe has done a marvelous job in this collection of 34 poems about the spiritual and emotional side of life. The poems, while applicable to people of any religious bend, are steeped in the Hindu tradition. However, this reviewer saw the influences of Tao, Christianity, and other religions.

Badhe touches the soul with his poetry, as one would expect from the title. He delves into pain, loss, happiness, and love. These are poems to read when you are sad, and then again when you are happy, to help bring meaning in each time. Emotion and the spirit that pervades our little world are intimately intertwined and Sushrut helps tease them apart just enough for the reader to see them, experience them, and know of the continuity that binds them and us together.

Namaste.

Review - Dark Seed

A disillusioned journalist (Nick Barnes) and the grieving daughter of a murdered scientist (Morgan Elles) uncover an immoral and destructive global plot for complete control of all humanity by the largest developer of genetically engineered seed and its parent pharmaceutical conglomerate.

The couple quickly find themselves fighting for their lives. And yours.

Grab hold for a wild ride with this exciting, high concept thriller. You will never think of GMOs the same way ever again!

Recommended! 

Author Bio

Lawrence Verigin’s goal is to entertain readers while delving into socially relevant subjects that need more attention brought to them. Since 1999 Lawrence has spent a considerable amount of time and effort learning the writing craft.

In his spare time Lawrence enjoys cooking good food, rich red wine, travel, running, reading and numerous rounds of golf.

Lawrence and his wife, Diana, live in beautiful North Vancouver, Canada.

(we received a free copy in exchange for an honest review)

Can You Catch My Flow? - Review

Lidy Wilks writes fresh and multi-leveled poetry. The first poem in her small chapbook, Arrival of the Monarch, starts things off with the veiled analogy of the eponymous butterfly and the poet's own life, as well as a general analogy: fresh and multiple levels.

This short book has many to like: Incense, Follow the Leader, These Boys of Mine are my three favorites. Probably because I've lived the analogies and love her handling of the every day as something unique and exciting.

Highly recommended. Check out the trailer at https://www.facebook.com/CanYouCatchMyFlow.

Zarik by Kahleena MacCarthy & Author Interview

Book 1 of the To Meet a Highlander series is now available on Amazon and in print.
Buy Links: US - UK - CA
Visit Kahleena: Amazon Author Page - Facebook - Twitter - Blog
Want to be a part a part of Kahleena's Book Launch Team? Feel free to email her @ Kahleena.MacCarthy@gmail.com

About the book -
            Meet Zarik MacKinnon, soon to be chief of his clan. Stubborn, unrelenting and not in need of love. For years he's been told by the clan's druid that someone will come to save him. Someone for him to love. He's shrugged his shoulders and continued on in his protection of his clan. Never wanting to be chief, Zarik is surprised when Tsarina Fraser arrives and is said to be the one he must marry. The catch? She's from the future.

            Tsarina arrives in old Scotland knowing her destiny. However, she never realized her wedding could be sabotaged. Would she truly be happy in her new time? Would she marry the right Highlander? Her fate seemed to be set until her brother and their mutual friend arrive from the future too.

            Zarik may only be able to ever promise her food for her belly and protection, but Tsarina is determined to get him to love her. If she can't, will her love be enough for the both of them and the clan Zarik will on day lead?

            Tsarina, Zarik, their family and friends push on to overcome obstacles, attacks by neighboring clans, and to find their love for one another.

Author Interview:

BTE: What does your writing process look like?
KM: Honestly, it’s a mess. I really do need to get better at it. I write when it comes to me and that, sometimes, can mean I’m on the same chapter for six months. Now that I’ve released book one in the To Meet a Highlander series, I’m definitely going to be creating a better planned out writing schedule. I can’t wait to let everyone read the next story in the series.

BTE: Do you have any strange writing habits (like standing on your head or writing in the shower)? KM: I keep my cell phone next to my bed like probably most everyone. However, when I wake up at night with an idea or great line, etc – I text it to myself.

BTE: What book do you wish you could have written?
KM: The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon. Not because she now has a STARZ television series (which, no, I have not watched), but because, while I have read all but her latest release, I’d have loved to put my own spin on Jamie and Claire. I’ve always been bothered that they were apart for 20 years.

BTE: Just as your books inspire authors, what authors have inspired you to write?
KM: Being Scottish myself, I’ve always had a love for anything in the Highlander romance category. So, those authors, the ones that are successful and those that struggle, inspire me. After all, we’re all just one lucky glance away from being the next big author.

The Bridge of Deaths - Review

M C V Egan catches you in the first chapter and doesn’t let you go. You are sucked into both the historical story as well as the personal and paranormal stories that are intertwined through the book. You are wrapped up in the three main characters in both this life and their immediately previous life and enthralled in the winding trail of research that they follow together and separately to join the two together. Recommended.  For more information, below is a synopsis of the book and a short bio of Ms. Egan. (We received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.)

"M.C.V. Egan twists truth and fiction until you question your perceptions...it is a story of real love, triumph and search for self." - Beckah Boyd @ The Truthful Tarot On August 15th, 1939, an English passenger plane from British Airways Ltd. crashed in Danish waters between the towns of Nykøbing Falster and Vordingborg. There were five casualties reported and one survivor. Just two weeks before, Hitler invaded Poland. With the world at the brink of war, the manner in which this incident was investigated left much open to doubt. The jurisdiction battle between the two towns and the newly formed Danish secret police created an atmosphere of intrigue and distrust. The Bridge of Deaths is a love story and a mystery. Fictional characters travel through the world of past life regressions and information acquired from psychics as well as archives and historical sources to solve "one of those mysteries that never get solved." Based on true events and real people, The Bridge of Deaths is the culmination of 18 years of sifting through conventional and unconventional sources in Denmark, England, Mexico and the United States. The story finds a way to help the reader feel that s/he is also sifting through data and forming their own conclusions. Cross The Bridge of Deaths into 1939, and dive into cold Danish waters to uncover the secrets of the G-AESY.

Learn more about this book and the special 75th anniversary re-release at www.thebridgeofdeaths.com.

Join us as we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the crash of the G-AESY and the start of World War II with a month-long history-laden event that will entertain, educate, and enlighten you! As part of this event, a revised version of The Bridge of Deaths, this award-winning and highly-acclaimed account of the events of that fateful day in 1939, will be re-released. If you would like to be a part of the month-long anniversary event from September 1 to September 30, please go here: http://bit.ly/TBOD75Event.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

M.C.V. Egan is the pen name chosen by Maria Catalina Vergara Egan. Catalina was born in Mexico City, Mexico in 1959, the sixth of eight children, in a traditional Catholic family. From a very young age, she became obsessed with the story of her maternal grandfather, Cesar Agustin Castillo--mostly the story of how he died. She spent her childhood in Mexico. When her father became an employee of The World Bank in Washington D.C. in the early 1970s, she moved with her entire family to the United States. Catalina was already fluent in English, as she had spent one school year in the town of Pineville, Louisiana with her grandparents. There she won the English award, despite being the only one who had English as a second language in her class. In the D.C. suburbs she attended various private Catholic schools and graduated from Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Maryland in 1977. She attended Montgomery Community College, where she changed majors every semester. She also studied in Lyons, France, at the Catholic University for two years. In 1981, due to an impulsive young marriage to a Viking (the Swedish kind, not the football player kind), Catalina moved to Sweden where she resided for five years and taught at a language school for Swedish, Danish, and Finnish businesspeople. She then returned to the USA, where she has lived ever since. She is fluent in Spanish, English, French and Swedish. Maria Catalina Vergara Egan is married and has one son who, together with their five-pound Chihuahua, makes her feel like a full-time mother. Although she would not call herself an astrologer she has taken many classes and taught a few beginner classes in the subject. She celebrated her 52nd birthday on July 2nd, 2011, and gave herself self-publishing The Bridge of Deaths as a gift. Find M.C.V. Egan and The Bridge of Deaths at www.thebridgeofdeaths.com.

Book Review - Secrets of the Elders

Book Synopsis:

After their peaceful village, Riverbell, is raided by the foul monstrous skex, brothers Logan and Corbin Walker find themselves caught in a race against time, desperate to warn the capitol before the dangerous skex arrive to wreak the same havoc upon the unsuspecting people of Fal.

Never could they imagine, that this would only be the very beginning of their unforgettable journey, when Logan is suddenly exiled from the kingdom for a crime he did not commit. On the run, doggedly avoiding his own brother, sent to pursue the wanted criminal, can Logan Walker possibly hope to stay free long enough to unravel the Secrets of the Elders?

And So the Fourth Age of Acadia begins...
  

Author Bio:

David Matthew Almond has been working in the restaurant and IT industry for the last 19 years. Over the last two, he has made time to focus on his true passion, writing stories.

David grew up in the small Upstate NY city, Utica (home to such rare delicacies as Tomato Pie, Utica Greens, Pusties, and Chicken Riggies) and attended "Buff State" in the amazing city Buffalo NY, where he would eventually return to run his bakery café, meet some of the best people in the world, and fall in love with his wife Julie.

David currently lives in beautiful Monkton, Vermont and would love to hear from you...

Social media:

twitter @DavidMAlmond

http://www.facebook.com/davidmatthewalmond

http://www.davidmatthewalmond.com/under-the-almond-tree

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KSFZSU4

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00KSFZSU4

Review: 

Mr. Almond writes well and has great ideas. Unfortunately, there seems to be too much of a good thing crammed into this book. At times I thought I was reading epic fantasy, at others science fiction, still others dystopian fiction. The idea of living in a vast underground world illuminated by a vaguely defined god-crystal with forests and fantastic beasts is fascinating. However, I got lost in the sometimes tunnels and sometimes underground mountains. There also seems to be a lot of very dangerous animals and monsters, most with tentacles AND stingers; it is a wonder that anything survives! 

IMHO it would be a better story if there were fewer elements. Xenocide and the story of the lost technology OR the political intrigue at court, OR the fascinating environment and societies. But, with everything jumbled together, it was too much for me to keep straight.

The Woods - Historical Fiction by Ronald Lee Geigle

I'll defer the plot summary to the blurb on Amazon, it is well done. What I will give is my impressions. I don't know anything about logging, nor do I know much about the rough and tumble that was organized and organizing labor before World War II, nor do I have any deep feelings about total financial loss and rebirth that struck the country during and after the Great Depression. But, while reading Ron Geigle's book, I do.

Geigle captures life in a logging "show", describing the logging processes, living conditions and, especially, bringing the diverse people into sharp relief. Through his writing I understood the immense difficulties and dangers of the logging industry as well as the motivations, interests, and day to day activities of the people who did that work.

Not only the loggers but the labor organizers, the logging owners, the "money-men", and everyone else involved in the area at the time are vividly captured. Geigle's writing is crisp, clean, and well-paced. He deftly moves you from logging site, to the tiny logging town, to the seats of money and power in Seattle and Everett. He is equally adept at the boardroom scenes and the labor fights.

This book is highly recommended for anyone who likes a good story with strong, well-developed characters and a plot full of tension and emotion.  

Author Bio

Ronald Lee Geigle grew up in the Pacific Northwest.  He was born in Monroe, Washington, and attended Meadowdale Senior High School.  After graduating from the University of Washington, he headed for Washington, DC, where he has spent the past 30+ years as a speechwriter, congressional aide, and public relations consultant. He worked for Washington State Senator Warren Magnuson and US Representative Norm Dicks, and founded the public relations firm Polidais.

"You learn a lot about people over that many years," says Geigle. "And you learn a lot about politics. It is always a surprise to me, despite all these years in DC, what those two forces do to one another—and not necessarily in a good way."

Geigle makes politics a central part of his novel, The Woods, which tells a coming-of-age story set during a period of labor unrest in the Pacific Northwest during the late 1930s. As the nation emerges from the Great Depression, both haves and have-nots struggle for financial survival and, more importantly, to achieve their dreams in the face of adversity, danger, and political ambition.

Geigle won fiction writing awards from the National Press Club in Washington, DC, in 1997 and 1998 for two chapters from his novel.

Links

·        Twitter: @rongeigle

·        Goodreads author page 

·        Amazon

Review - The Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

 

This fine, short novel won the Newbery Award in 1961 and is O'Dell's most recognized work. As with most historical novels it maintains its relevance well.

The novel, like many of O'Dell's stories, is based on actual history, in this case the story of Juana Maria who was stranded on San Nicolas Island from 1835-1853. It is a story that showcases how close to the edge of mortality primitive societies live. It features sharp, painful loss as well as triumph and growth.

The main character, Karana, of necessity, assumes both the traditional roles of men and women. She builds a friendship with a woman who comes to the island with a band of Aleuts, a tribe with whom Karana's tribe had fought. She also finds companionship with the animals of the island, particularly two dogs.

Very well crafted, The Island of the Blue Dolphins is a highly recommended tale of adventure, adversity, resourcefulness and perseverance.

Review - Birth of an Assassin by Rik Stone

(Disclaimer - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)

I was apprehensive when I got the book but have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I don't read a lot of thrillers but found Birth of an Assassin fast-paced and well-plotted. The best part, to me, was the deft handling of the character development of the protagonist, Jez Kornfeld. As the teaser says below the story follows his development. I would modify that to the story IS his development. Stone does a very good job. Strongly recommended.

Book Description:

Set against the backdrop of Soviet, post-war Russia, Birth of an Assassin follows the transformation of Jez Kornfeld from wide-eyed recruit to avenging outlaw. Amidst a murky underworld of flesh-trafficking, prostitution and institutionalized corruption, the elite Jewish soldier is thrown into a world where nothing is what it seems, nobody can be trusted, and everything can be violently torn from him.

Given the order to disperse and arrest a crowd of Jewish demonstrators in Red Square, Jez breaks up the rally but discovers his sisters in their ranks. Rushed for a solution, he sneaks the girls from under the noses of secret police and hides them in downtown Moscow. But he knows they will no longer be safe in Russia. He has to find them a safe route out.

The journey begins, but he is unaware that his every move is being observed and that he has set in motion a chain of events that will plunge his life into a headlong battle to stay alive.

Author Bio:

Do children born into poverty become impoverished adults? It happens; pitfalls and roadblocks to advancement are everywhere. Rik Stone grew up poor amidst the slum-lands of fifties North East England, and left school at 15 without any academic qualifications.

He worked in the shipyards on a local river and later went into the merchant navy. Further down the line, he worked quarries in Essex in South East England.

But life was without horizons until, contrary to what his teachers had told him, he found he was capable of studying and completed a BSc degree in mathematics and computing.

Life got lucky for him when he took company pension at 50 and began writing. And now, here he is offering up his debut novel Birth of an Assassin, the first in a series.

Links :

Amazon UK. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Birth-of-an-Assassin-ebook/dp/B00DIFVC3S/

B&N. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/birth-of-an-assassin-rik-stone/1115953870?ean=9781783010998

Kobo. http://store.kobobooks.com/en-gb/books/birth-of-an-assassin/-ykZ9LomEEqWVVtGlJrG-A

Waterstones. http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/rik+stone/birth+of+an+assassin+28ebook29/9960214/

Amazon US. http://www.amazon.com/Birth-Assassin-Rik-Stone-ebook/dp/B00DIFVC3S/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1389210245&sr=8-1

Website: http://rik-stone.simdif.com

Twitter: @stone_rik