Circle William : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Thriller--Once you start, you can't put this one down.
Review: A real thriller--once you start reading it, you cannot put it down. As a former U.S. Naval Officer who served in the Mediterranean and the Pentagon, this book is packed with authenticity and local color. The Circle William plot makes you step back and think, especially when you consider recent world events and the proliferation of chemical weapons. It kept my attention all the way to the end. In my view, the author (Bill Harlow) has joined the ranks of Clancy et. al.

Rating:
Summary: Schmidt happens!
Review: I came across this book while researching the "competition" for my upcoming novel. Circle Williams shines like a diamond amidst the coals in the category of the military thriller. Harlow's characters are believable and realistic--especially the details about Churchill's XO; if he were a woman and in the medical field, he could very well be my husband's division officer!

The dialog is slick, clever and at times uproariously funny. It has the authenticity of conversations you might overhear between well-educated and intelligent professionals.

Of the dozens of books I've been subjecting myself to in my research, Circle William is the one exception: enjoyable and well-worth the time it took.

My only question is for Mr. Harlow: when will we see more from you? Please do say 'soon!'

Rating:
Summary: Simply amazing
Review: If you're looking for humor, action, a good plot and insider knowledge, you won't find any better than this. The author achieves this, by the way, without as much technical drivel as Clancy gives you in an effort to prove he did his research. I can only hope Capt. Harlow will write again.

Best of all, the ending is worth the time invested in getting there (rare for a first-time novelist these days).

Instead of repeating what others have already written, I'll just add this: I rarely read a particular novel more than twice. I've read this one seven or eight times.

Rating:
Summary: A great "bang" for a book.
Review: One day, in a bookstore not so far away, I was browsing for books, and came upon Circle William. I didn't recognize the author's name. I read the jacket and was intrigued. I read the first chapter and proceeded to the checkout; I was hooked. I hadn't read any good naval humor since Admiral Dan Gallery.

The author, Bill Harlow, combined fact with fiction and his very active sense of humor. Several times, I drew odd looks from my fellow railroad commuters when I laughed out loud when I was intently reading and would suddenly come upon one of Mr. Harlow's witicisms out of the blue. It was like hitting a humourous speed bump. And the great part is that the humor doesn't detract from the seriousness of the situation.

Many of the characters remind me of military and civilian characters I have known that take their responsibilities very seriously, but not themselves; they lighten up when the moment is appropriate.

I look forward to reading more of Mr. Harlow's books. (And more of the Schmidt brothers.)

Rating:
Summary: Schmidt Happens
Review: This was a surprisingly well-plotted, fast-paced and realistic story involving terrorist threats by Moammar Gadhafi. Two brothers, Bill Schmidt, a navy commander and Jim Schmidt, a presidential press secretary, become intricately involved in uncovering and preventing a potentially tragic threat to national security. The Libyian plan to use chemical weapons is accidentally discovered while secretly monitoring phone calls. The plan cannot be revealed however, without also revealing the source and method of obtaining the information.

I was absorbed by the build-up to the suspenseful and fairly plausible climax. Naturally, I would hope if a real-life event were to occur the outcome wouldn't be cut so close, but it does make for intiguing reading. I will look forward to Bill Harlow's next book and hope it will be written as well as Circle William.