I probably read 25 or so books every year. As a writer of the Team Walker thriller series, I find myself drawn to other authors who write in this genre. I’ve been in the business long enough to appreciate many of the authors who write thrillers both for their work as well as for their support and comradery. Among my favorites from well-known authors are Brad Thor’s Edge of Honor and the book Cold Burn, written by Jeff Ayres and John Land. Both books reflect the creativity and skills of masters of the craft of writing. Great reads from people I know and respect.
Mixed into my thriller reads for last year was a unique take on the genre from first time writer, Jay S. Bell. Well, Jay is really Scott Bell who has been writing for years. His book, Welcome to Cottonmouth, tips the traditions of writing thrillers. Usually, a story will set the stage, introduce the characters, and develop a story line that tips into an action scene, that then opens the next sequence in the story. This repeats until a final action sequence that ends the book. Welcome To Cottonmouth is really three action scenes somehow tied together with enough character and storyline to make the book a fun read.
At least every quarter I reach into my library for a real classic. Last month’s book was written Ernest K. Gann, whose heyday was in the 1950s and 1960s. Ernie Gann was a genius at sea yarns and was among the first writers to take one of my favorite endeavors, aviation, and write thrillers set at 25,000 feet where a thrilling conflict was compounded by the realization that losing the battle meant a lot of innocent characters would die as well as the combatants.
Twilight for the Gods took me into the South Pacific early in the last century. Gann invited me aboard the tramp sailing ship, the Cannibal, with her rotting sails, leaking hull and mutinous crew as her captain desperately tries to salvage a career by delivering an almost worthless cargo to Mexico. This is not a story where normal becomes dangerous. Rather it is a story where everything from the setting to the characters, to the tools of the trade already have no margin for error and then things go to hell. I love the story and encourage you to find the book.
Both Jay Bell’s book and Gann’s break from the ‘formula’ that so many publishers now follow. I’m not very good at those formulas either. My latest book from the Gritt Saga, Robber Barrons, certainly is not a formula story. You know who the bad guys are, or do you? You will meet a very unusual cast of heroes, but until the end, you won’t know who saves the day. And the story will take you from the quiet ocean coves of Alaska’s inside passage to the lights of a Washington DC congressional hearing. Both can be scenes of quiet reflection or shooting galleries. I’m looking forward to your thoughts after reading Robber Barrons, a story that with a few small costume changes and modern buildings could be about the world today.