Book Store Tour – California Stop #2: MELTDOWN COMICS

The next stop on my California Book Store Tour is Meltdown Comics on Sunset Boulevard (est. 1993).

Brad Meltzer’s “Decoded” Season 1 (History Channel)

Having read and mostly enjoyed Brad Meltzer’s novels, I was intrigued when I discovered that he had his own TV show on the History Channel. Political history and the conspiracies that often surround them are popular topics for thrillers, and Meltzer’s novels often fit comfortably in this sub-genre. In Decoded, Meltzer and his team (a lawyer, an engineer, and a history professor) investigate a number of American historical mysteries and conspiracies. Here’s how the History Channel describes the show:

Every now and then, a researcher stumbles upon a historical enigma, an unproven rumour, a story with a puzzling outcome. Such encounters are an irresistible challenge for bestselling author Brad Meltzer, who unravelled many mysteries in the first season of Brad Meltzer’s Decoded.

Now he’s back to explore a whole new set of history’s most compelling and perplexing riddles. Luckily, he’s got a team of investigators to help him out with each mission: Buddy Levy, a professor and journalist who assumes there is always more than meets the eye; Christine McKinley, a mechanical engineer who only believes in what can be proved; and Scott Rolle, a trial lawyer and born sceptic. Together, they’ll sniff out every clue and leave no stone unturned as they seek to reveal the truth.

DC New 52: “Men of War” #1

A World War II Hero caught in between battling superheroes

Writers: Ivan Brandon, Jonathan Vankin

Artist: Tom Derenik, Phil Winslade

On the ground and on the front lines, a young, headstrong soldier known as Joe Rock assumes the command of Easy Company – a grizzled team of ex-military men turned contractors. Will they survive the battle-scarred landscape carved by the DCU’s Super-Villains?

This appealed to me because the main character was not a superhero with special powers. He and his regiment do, however, find themselves up against some super-powered villains. This issue has a number of extras, including two interviews with other New 52 writers (Batwing and Animal Man), and also a second story, “Navy SEALS: Human Shields, pt.1/3”.

An Interview with MIKE LAWSON

I’ve been a fan of Mike Lawson’s work ever since I stumbled across his debut, The Inside Ring, back in 2006. I’ve read all of his thrillers, and with the recent publication of House Divided, the latest in his series, I thought it would be a perfect time to get in touch with him and ask him a little more about his writing. The interview will also, hopefully, introduce him to more readers – I’ve always thought, given how good his novels are, he deserved far more attention than he appears to get in the UK.

DC New 52: “Resurrection Man #1”

When Heaven & Hell are after your Soul…

Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning

Artist: Fernando Dagnino

Long-time readers of this blog will know that I don’t have much of a history reading comic books save some X-Men when I was younger (as well as a recent attempt to get back into the medium). The main problem for me was always “Where do I start?” With the recent re-boot of 52 DC Comic titles, it seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up. So, I’ve picked up quite a few to try out (eleven, to be exact), and will post short reviews of them all over the next couple of weeks – the focus will be on story, art, and also how well they work as introductions.

“Fated” by S.G. Browne (Piatkus)

When Fate gets involved with his subjects…

Over the past few thousand years, Fabio has come to hate his job. As Fate, he’s in charge of assigning the fortunes and misfortunes that befall most of the human race – the 83 per cent who keep screwing things up. And with the steady rise in population since the first Neanderthal set himself on fire, he can’t exactly take a vacation.

Frustrated with his endless parade of drug addicts and career politicians, it doesn’t help watching Destiny guide her people to Nobel Peace Prizes. To make matters worse, he has a five-hundred-year-old feud with Death, and his best friends are Sloth and Gluttony.

And worst of all? He’s just fallen in love with a human. Sara Griffen might be on Destiny’s path, but Fabio keeps bumping into her – by accident at first, and then on purpose. Getting involved with her breaks Rule No. 1 – and about ten others – setting off some cosmic-sized repercussions that could strip him of his immortality... or lead to a fate worse than death.

Fated is a slim novel, with lots of fun and clever word play, and is frequently amusing. It’s not perfect, however. The story is a little predictable as Browne adheres to some of the romantic comedy formula. The novel casts a dark observational eye on human nature and its weaknesses, but offers signs of hope for our race towards the end. Overall, it’s quirky, fun, and quickly paced.

“The Inner Circle” by Brad Meltzer (Grand Central/Hodder & Stoughton)

A long-held secret of the American Presidency is about to be revealed…

Beecher White, a young archivist for the US government, has always been the keeper of other people’s stories, never a part of the story himself... Until now.

While Beecher is showing Clementine Kaye, his first childhood crush, around the National Archives, they accidentally uncover a priceless artefact – a two-hundred-year-old dictionary once belonging to George Washington. Suddenly Beecher and Clementine are entangled in a web of conspiracy and murder.

Beecher’s race to learn the truth behind this mysterious treasure will lead to a code that conceals a disturbing secret from the nation's founding. A secret that some believe is worth killing for.

I’ve had generally good experiences reading Meltzer’s novels – only one of them has been disappointing, so I came to The Inner Circle with high hopes that the author would once again entertain and thrill. It’s doubly interesting for me, because I’m always fascinated by anything that features the US Presidency. The Inner Circle is well conceived, but the execution was disappointingly flawed.

Book Store Tour – California Stop #1: Santa Monica Barnes & Noble

This is going to be a series of posts on interesting or quirky book stores I find while on my travels. I’ll talk about selection, anything interesting about them, or anything of note. Unfortunately, all of the bookstores in and around Westwood (where I’m staying) appear to have closed, so I’ve had to go further afield. This does mean that I’ll probably end up at more big-name branch stores rather than indies, but I’ll do my best to find some of those, too.

First up, something quite conventional: the Barnes & Noble in Santa Monica.

“Gridlock” by Sean Black (Bantam)

A stalker escalating to murder and the seedy side of LA’s entertainment industry

Adult movie actress, Raven Lane, is one of the most lusted after women in California, with millions of fans to prove it. But none seem to be more dedicated in their pursuit of her than the murderous stalker who is carving a demonic swathe across the streets of Los Angeles in an apparent bid to get her attention.

Fearing for her life, and with the LAPD seemingly unable to protect her, Raven turns to elite bodyguard, Ryan Lock for help. But with suspicion settling on Raven herself, Lock finds himself drawn into a deadly web of deceit and seduction.

This is the third novel featuring Ryan Lock – former Royal Marines investigator turned personal protection expert. As with Black’s previous two novels (Lockdown and Deadlock), Gridlock is a fast-paced thriller with a sympathetic protagonist and intriguing case to unravel. It lived up to my expectations, and Black continues to show growth and improvement in all aspects of his writing.

Introducing: MAZARKIS WILLIAMS

A little while back, Mark Lawrence (author of Prince of Thorns) told me about the upcoming debut novel by Mazarkis Williams, The Emperor’s Knife, and helped put me in touch with the author. Knowing absolutely nothing about either Mazarkis or his novel, I asked if he’d like to introduce himself and his novel on Civilian-Reader. He was kind enough to say yes, and I sent him a few questions. Everyone, meet Mazarkis Williams…