Flying angels by Danielle Steele

​"Flying angels" by Danielle Steele - A historical fiction!

This book is published by Macmillan in 2021 and has 288 pages.

It’s WW II.  Americans Audrey, Lizzy, Alex, Louise and British Prudence, Emma come from very different backgrounds. They have little in common in upbringing. They are all driven. They are beautiful. They want to serve their country. They are all nurses. They fly. 

Do they meet each other? Will they be friends? Where will they serve? Will they survive the war?

Audrey becomes nurse to take care for her mother suffering from Parkinson's. Lizzy comes from a family of doctors but is denied becoming a doctor because she was a girl. Alex comes from an aristocratic family and doesn't subscribe to the idea of 'coming out' and finding a husband. Louise is only child and a black beauty brought up in the times of racism. Prudence is daughter of Lord and Lady Palmary. She isn’t snobbish. Emma is from poor neighborhood of East London. She fights the perils of poverty. 

The story happens on either side of 1940, the time of WWII. All of them enroll in army and further into the flying nurses division tasked to airlift the injured soldiers and try to save them. It’s a hard work but they do it willingly. During the war some of them also meet their love. But not everyone survives. 

Although they are exceptionally brave girls working in perilous situations, they are essentially girls next door. They too have aspirations, they have their more than fair share of losses. 

Author has narrated the story matter of factly. She doesn’t create any drama. This lack of drama and emotions make it appear more like sequence of events rather than a story. 

When one starts reading the book, one thinks that this is Audrey and Lizzy’s story. But then the other four characters enter. If author has shortened earlier part and has given more time for background of other four characters, it might have created balance. Characters are good. Readers connect with them. 

Why did I read this book? Author

What I didn't like? Two quick deaths. 

What did I like? Characters. 

Read if you have a lot of time. 

Second chance by Danielle Steel

​"Second chance" by Danielle Steele - Easy story!

This book is published by RHUK in 2005 and has 272 pages. 

Fiona Monaghan, editor of Chic magazine, was a woman admired by males and envied by females. She had never married and never wanted to. She had everything. She meets John Anderson, Head of 3rd largest Ad agency in the world. Compassionate. Not intimidated by crazy fashion world. Sparks fly. 

Will they come together? Will they marry? Will it work? What's the second chance?

Fiona has fear of rejection. Fear of having to compromising all life by marrying and having to live alone due to divorce or death.

It's a story of marriage, divorce and remarriage. Is it easy to take a plunge second time after being hurt once. With this buildup, I expected the climax to be exciting, but it's tepid. Otherwise it's an easy going story. Not much drama, not much excitement, not boring. 

The book portrays Fiona as a high flying, hot shot with crazy lifestyle who marries and her only fault is that she doesn't change much. Such an outstanding woman gives in to the temptation the second time? All her resolve, all the efforts she takes to reconstruct her life dissolve just like that. John is a very understanding, handsome hunk who marries her knowing her lifestyle. But he leaves her because of her life style. He behaves like an ass. This behaviour of both characters is irrational and incongruous their personality.

A few days ago I read another book of same author titled 'First sight'. Protagonists of both books (Timmy and Fiona) have uncanny similarities. Both are in glamour world. Both are frequent flyers. Both have crazy lifestyle. Both are humble. Both are in mid forties. Both shun commitments. Both have difficult childhood. Both yearn for true love. Looks like a 'Buy one get two' affair. 

Danielle Steele has sold more than 600 million copies of her novels. What I like most is that, she doesn't write series and sequels. She doesn't capitalize on past success. Each of her novel is a stand alone novel. Her novels are not thrillers. They deal in emotions. Her protagonist is a female. Usually they are interesting

Why did I read this book? Author. 

What I didn't like? Tepid climax. 

What did I like? Fiona's character.

Read if you have spare time and nothing else to do. 

Hidden in plain sight by Jeffrey Archer

"Hidden in plain sight" by Jeffrey Archer - English atmosphere!

This book was published by Pan in 2020 and has 304 pages. This is Book 2 of William Warwick series.

William Warwick is promoted as Detective Sargent and shifted to drug squad. His first case is to apprehend a drug lynchpin without identity, known only as Viper. Miles Faulkner, his nemesis from Book 1 is still roaming free due to suspended sentence.

It's an interesting cast. Sir Julian Warwick, QC and William's father. Old style. William's sister, a fiery Lesbian lawyer. The Hawk, William's boss. MM, the undercover police officer in drug network. Miles Faulkner, the law breaker and art embezzler. Christina, wife of Miles Faulkner. Beth, William's fiancée and later wife. William, an upright police officer who will do what is right, earning him the nickname 'choir boy'. 

It's an English setting. British English. Feels good not to read American English for a change. The story is also steeped in British bureaucracy and traditions. The story has a leisurely pace.

Court scenes are good. Action is almost missing. Prisoner escape idea and execution is very good. 

When the book ends, the story doesn't end. It's only a pause, to be continued in Book 3. Reader is perplexed for a while, at the end, till he realizes that he will have to wait for another book. 

Why did I read this book? New series by author. 

What did I like? English atmosphere and language. 

What I didn't like? Slow pace. 

Read if you plan to read the series. 

Celtic empire" by Clive and Dirk Cussler

"Celtic empire" by Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler - Predictable!

This book is published by Michael Joseph and has 464 pages. This is Book 25 of Dirk Pitt series. 

Dirk Pitt and El Giordino are testing a new version of sonars in a lake in El Salvador, Africa, when unknown assailants kill American agricultural scientists and try to kill another one by blowing a dam. Pitt saves her. Dirk Jr. And Summer Pitt (Drik Jr's twin) are in Egypt when a team of assailants tries to kill them and steal a child's mummy. There is an accident and oil spill in Detroit bay. Biorem global, a company owned by Ivana McGee, has a bio product for cleanup. 

Dirk and El Giordino are working on one front and someone tries to kill them. Dirk Jr. and Summer are working on something else and someone tries to kill them too. The stories converge in Ireland. 

This time authors have chosen Egyptian Princess Meritaten, daughter of Pharaoh Akhenaten & sister of King Tutankhamen, who moved from Egypt to Ireland with something that is needed to save humanity. Pitts at your service. 

The story is mildly interesting. It's predictable.  There is a customary rich person. This time a woman. There is an attempt to ensnare Dirk Pitt's wife Senator Lauren. There are customary under and over water adventures. 

Why tear down map when you can take a snap? Why keep your foot in boot while using it as for jam when you can remove boot and use it?

Why did I read this book? Author. 

What I didn't like? Predictability.

What did I like? Seed.

Read if you are reading the series. 

First Sight by Danielle Steele

"First Sight" by Danielle Steele -  Midlife love story!

This book is published by Corgi in 2014 and has 512 pages.

48 year old Timmie O'Neill is a very successful fashion designer and owner of a big fashion house. Despite being in fashion business, she is humble. When in Paris for a show, she has to undergo a surgery. Her doctor Jean-Charles and she strike a bond.

Why did her marriage fail? What surgery? What bond? What about her boyfriend?

Timmie was orphaned at 4, was shunted from one foster home to another and had a  troubled childhood. Her marriage also failed and her success had nothing to do with it. Despite being highly successful and a good human being she is lonely. 

She funds a charity for kids. She has no one she can call her own and is supported by Jade, her friend and personal assistant and David her friend and VP Marketing. Despite having everything, she is alone. When she falls in love, things appear very rosy. Until this point it's a decent story. But after this point it goes downhill. 

Distance creates the first hurdle. Prior commitments create second hurdle. An unexpected news creates third hurdle. It's aggravated by loneliness. Author had to resort to unreasonable things to create drama. But once the drama is created author doesn't carry it into climax. The climax is simple and without any drama. 

Danielle Steele has sold more than 600 million copies of her novels. What I like most is that, she doesn't write series and sequels. She doesn't capitalize on past success. Each of her novel is a stand alone novel. Her novels are not thrillers. They deal in emotions. Her protagonist is a female. Usually they are interesting. This one isn't that interesting. 

Why did I read this book? Author. 

What I didn't like? Melodrama.

What did I like? Anti climax. 

Read if you have spare time and nothing else to do.

Old bones by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

"Old bones" by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child - Cold, dry, slow!

This book is published by Grand Central Publishing in 2020 and has 400 pages. This is Book 1 of Nora Kelly series. 

Dr. Benton approaches famous field archeologist Dr. Nora Kelly to find and excavate the lost camp of Donner party and find the lost treasure. There is a murder, a theft, multiple grave robberies. Agent Corrie Swanson is assigned her first independent investigation. She establishes the link. The victims are all descendants of one man. A man from Donner party's lost camp. A man who carried the treasure.

The Donner Party was a group of American pioneers who migrated to California in a wagon train from the Midwest. They spent the winter of 1846–1847 in the snowy mountains of Sierra Nevada and had to resort to cannibalism. 

It's a long story. Little excitement. Limited thrill. Slow pace. Handling is not compact. Readers tend to nod off or lose interest occasionally. Like the weather, the story is cold, dry, slow. Authors have blended the Donner party fact with fiction of lost camp and its inhabitants seamlessly. 

Field archeologist Nora Kelly and freshly minted FBI agent Corrie Swanson appeared in Pendergast novels of the authors as characters. Now they get a prominent platform. Two more books in this series are already published. 

Authors probably thought that they couldn't pull off the book with Nora and Corrie, so they decided to bring in Special Agent Pendergast to find the treasure. Crutches of Pendergast weren't really needed. 

Why did I read this book? Authors. 

What did I like? Donner party fact fiction blend. 

What I didn't like? Pace. Lack of excitement. 

Give it a miss. 

Honour among thieves by Jeffrey Archer

"Honour among thieves" by Jeffrey Archer -  Too long!

This book was published by Pan Macmillan in 2010 and has 416 pages.

Saddam Hussein manages to steal American Declaration of independence by replacing it with a copy. Iraq has ordered a safe from Swedish company, that can withstand nuclear blast. Former Israeli model and now Mossad agent Hannah Kopek has killed an American agent and has penetrated Iraqi foreign ministry by posing as a secretary. Professor Scott Bradley is tasked to retrieve the declaration by using the safe. A team of Israeli agents is given to assist him for this operation titled 'Operation Desert Calm'.

Why did Hanna kill agent of a friendly country? Why does Saddam steal the declaration? What's his plan? How will the safe help? Can Prof. Scott Bradley retrieve the declaration?

The story has various characters. Prof. Scott Bradely, who teaches Constitutional Law, and is also a CIA agent. Hannah, a former model turned Mossad spy, who has loved only once and killed her lover. Now, her only aim is to kill Saddam. Dollar Bill is the forger who became one to escape mediocrity. Colonel Cratz, the Mossad spy, turns the tide. Antonio Cavalli, lawyer and a mafia boss, whose only God is money. Al Obeidi, Iraq's Deputy Ambassador to UN. Dexter Hutchins Dy director CIA. Saddam Hussein and Bill Clinton are also important characters in this story. 

It's a long story. As a result, its not crisp. A lot of time is spent until the theft. Then begins the mission. The mission is doomed. It's not very exciting either. 

Story shows Saddam's sycophants, their fear, their behaviour, their reactions looking at their leader and how an honest man is turned into a daemon. These things are captured well. 

Why would Dy. Director of CIA take a commercial flight in an emergency situation where time is of essence, instead of a chartered flight? Why would he take the road instead of chopper?

If the book was 50-80 pages shorter, it would have become crisp. 

Why did I read this book? Author. 

What I didn't like? Length. 

What did I like? Saddam's world. 

Not a must read.