Rating: 
Summary: God, Faith, Love, and Murder - a great recipe
Review: This is one of the best books I have read in some time and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone that enjoys this genre. The main characters internal conflict - his religious faith and vow not to kill, as opposed to taking those actions needed to survive, conspire to form an engrossing story. He may be the first fictional assassin you will ever truly feel pity upon. The only negative comment I can make results from a surprise which occurs towards the end of the book. I do not want to say more about this for fear of giving something away but this did seem to cheapen the story a bit. DO NOT let this one comment keep you from reading this book. It rates a strong 9.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful action-thriller
Review: This is the first david morrell book i read. But it is a truely amazing book. Author cares about details so much such as the death of the mouse Stuart Little. He describes the training and life style of an agent in a very realistic way. He also gives us the story about Iranian leader Ayetullah to make the story linked with the reality so this is not a pure fantasy for a reader. Moreover he explains the structure of church very well-especially for a muslim like me. I wish he developed the relationship between Arlene and Drew more through the story then the book would be excellent.
Rating:
Summary: The Fraternity of the Stone
Review: This is the story of an espionage operative who leaves the profession out of guilt and becomes a monk; but, a twist of fate forces him back into the business. I have read this book three times and it gets better with each reading. In my opinion it is David Morrell's best work of fiction; and I guarantee, you will not be able to put it down except out of sheer exaustion. I recommend that you do not start reading the book until the beginning of a weekend. It is exciting, fast-paced, and well-researched. Definitely in the top 1% of its genre.
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Summary: Dark, haunting suspense
Review: Though this is one of Morrell's older books, I think it is one of his best. The way he is able to meld violence with the serene backdrop of the church is nothing short of incredible. The inner conflict of the main character is astounding. I enjoyed the intertwining of fact and fiction. It almost makes you wonder if it could have been true
Rating:
Summary: Fast; charged; emotionally compelling; long remember
Review: Well, it looks like I'm late to this on reviews so let me just list a few highlights: OVERALL FEELING: Great pacing; tense; excellent main character; ending was a bit of a letdown; great spy ideas; great action. SCORING: Superb (A), Excellent (A-), Very good (B+), Good (B) Fairly Good (B-) Above Average (C+), Mediocre (C ), Barely Passable (C-) Pretty Bad (D+), Dismal (D), Waste of Time (D-), Into the Trash (F) DIALOGUE: A- STRUCTURE: B+ CHARACTERS: B+ EMOTIONAL IMPACT: A SURPRISES: B+ SPY IDEAS/GADGETS/SKILLS: A INTRIGUE: B+ PACING: A THE LITTLE THINGS: A OVERALL STYLE: A FLOW OF WORDS: A- CHOICE OF FOCUS: A TRANSITIONS/FLASHBACKS/POV: A COMPLEXITY OF WORDS/SYMBOLISM/THEMES: B+ OVERALL GRADE: A (at the lower cusp) CONCEPT: Great idea. What makes this blend interesting is Morrel's mix of the church with the violence of espionage. Drew carries the guilt around with him and worries about his soul, but another part of him is still a killer. INTRIGUE: Keeps turning the cork screw here. For a good part of the novel, Drew isn't sure who's trying to kill him. And, even when he gets a lead, its only one segment of the part. So, he may wipe out a few enemy agents but it takes a long time before he realizes who's out to get him. CHARACTERS: There's a great deal of focus on Drew and he's an interesting character. He isn't the typical assassin type since he bears so much regret that he sequesters himself away into a monastery and then inflicts wounds on himself with a little whip. But once he gets moving, he's a killing machine. And, I think the majority of readers find this fascinating. We may not admit it but a spy is like the cowboys of old; self sufficient and working outside the rules. In a homogenous society, this is a very attractive set of traits. Drew has an interesting mix of temptation in regards to sex with his old love. THE LITTLE THINGS: Morrel did his research. Many of the means used to execute maneuvers seem to be real, as if real spies would have used them in such circumstances. This isn't a silly James Bond style story. Agents get hit by bullets and it hurts like hell. Lots of questions that Drew asks himself. Helps us understand the life of a spy and risks to be avoided (vital towards understanding the agent and making the story work). Highly recommended to spy thriller fans.
Rating:
Summary: Enthralling tale
Review: What a story! David Morrell just keeps getting better and better with each succeeding book. The inner workings of the religious community, his interaction in and our of same, the love story, the plot - all add up to a wonderful experience. The only trouble I have is that the violence is a tad gratuitous but other than that, it's a buy.
Rating:
Summary: Enthralling tale
Review: What a story! David Morrell just keeps getting better and better with each succeeding book. The inner workings of the religious community, his interaction in and our of same, the love story, the plot - all add up to a wonderful experience. The only trouble I have is that the violence is a tad gratuitous but other than that, it's a buy.
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