The Spy Across The Table

In this exciting international thriller featuring Japanese antiques art dealer and PI Jim Brodie, a double-murder at the Kennedy Center forces Brodie into a dangerous game of espionage—putting him in the crosshairs of the Chinese, North Korean, and American governments.

Jim Brodie is an antiques dealer, Japan expert, and second-generation private investigator. When two theater friends are murdered backstage at a Kennedy Center performance in Washington, DC, he’s devastated—and determined to hunt down the killer. He’s not the only one.

After the attack, Brodie is summoned to the White House. The First Lady was the college roommate of one of the victims, and she enlists Brodie—off the books—to use his Japanese connections to track down the assassin. Homeland Security head Tom Swelley is furious that the White House is meddling and wants Brodie off the case. Why? For the same reason a master Chinese spy known only as Zhou, one of the most dangerous men alive, appears on the scene: Those murders were no random act of violence.

Brodie flies to Tokyo to attend the second of two funerals, when his friend’s daughter Anna is kidnapped during the ceremony. It is then Brodie realizes that the murders were simply bait to draw her out of hiding. Anna, it seems, is the key architect of a top-secret NSA program that gathers the personal secrets of America’s most influential leaders. Secrets so damaging that North Korea and China will stop at nothing to get them.

The Spy Across The Table (International Thriller)

By Barry Lancet

Simon & Shuster

ISBN #978-1476794914

Price $17.10 (Hardback)

448 Pages

Rating 5-Stars

“A Thrill Ride A Minute.”

Jim Brodie is in Washington DC visiting the Kennedy Center to watch his Japanese friend’s Kabuki performance when the Japanese designer and another friend are murdered. Afterwards, he is approached by the Secret Service and taken before the First Lady. The stage designer was also a college friend of hers, and she wants Brodie to investigate the murders (you would think the FBI would be called in) . No sooner does he take the case, than Homeland Security agents let by Tom Swelley begin harassing him and beats him up. The case gets more tangled in Japan when he brings the Brodie Detective Agency into the Japanese end of the case.  Korean gangsters kidnap the daughter of the Japanese designer at the funeral, and Brodie discovers she is being transferred to North Korea. He must intercept the transfer, and heads to South Korea with a Marine combat squad to stop them from entering a tunnel on the DMZ. However, the team was spotted and the girl is moved to the border with China. Now Brodie must enter China, but tangles with the Chinese spy, Zhou, and is captured and turned over to Chinese torturers. This is all great stuff in movies and fiction.

This was a nonstop thrill a minute ride, with political stumbling blocks along the way. It is a well-written yarn that kept me turning the pages. There were some things I didn’t like about it, mostly the portrayal of agents in our intelligence departments. Men like Tom Swelley would have been dismissed long before he got out of hand. Everyone has a boss, and heads roll when agents go amok. Another thing is our Ambassadors; they do not go against the President of the United States. They represent the president.  The actions of the American Ambassador to Japan was beyond imbecilic. And finally, let’s look at torture. Yes, torture does exist, and it is horrible. But I can guarantee the Chinese would have obtained what they wanted from Brodie within hours without torture, they didn’t need to use physical torture to get the information they wanted.  But Brodie goes through many days of torture. Now, what happens to a person after they have been tortured for days on end? They don’t get up and fight, or cross China in an automobile. They need physical and mental therapy for months before they can perform anything close to normal. I won’t even discuss the subject of a Chinese spy rescuing Brodie, except to say it wouldn’t happen. Still, with all these things I didn’t like with the story, this is a work of fiction, and as such, it is very entertaining, and I highly recommend it to readers.

Tom Johnson

Author of ASSIGNMENNT: NINA FONTAYNE

Kael Jai: Book One: Outcast

“Great Sci-Fi Adventure!"
"First Contact with a twist."
"Fast-Paced, High-Tech Action series. Aliens, genetic engineering,

intergalactic war, witches, futuristic ninjas, mystery, who could ask for more?"

His name is Kael Jai. An alien hiding among the humans of Earth. Outcast. Sent here for his own protection, having failed in winning the long battle with the madman called Jindom who intended to rule his entire planet. They thought he'd be safe on this backward little planet, so far from the war that raged on his home-world light years away. They were wrong. Jindom discovered Kael's location and sent a powerful war machine to Earth to kill him. But one was not enough. One was their mistake. Now Kael intends to settle the score, rid the universe of the madman called Jindom, and bring peace to his home-planet of Trinoor. 

Kael Jai (SF)
“Book One: Outcast”

By E.J. Deen

Bad Rabbitt Publication

ASIN # B00JPT35C2

Price $.99 (Kindle)

270 Pages

Rating 5-Stars

“Among the rubble you sometimes find a gem like this.”

Eva was working her flower stand in New York, minding her own business, when suddenly a monster robot appeared and a beautiful godlike man fought and destroyed the terrible thing, then this handsome warrior drags her off with him saying she had been imprinted, whatever that meant. Now what was she to do? Well, maybe by taking this perfect specimen to her friend’s apartment, she could keep him awhile. But now things really get weird. This handsome fella is an alien, and he has a priest bodyguard tagging along, and he’s also some kind of king or ruler on his world.

The first half of the book takes place on Earth, as Kael Jai and his bodyguard, Sylph, stop robots and warriors sent by the evil ruler, Jindom to find him. Then, with the help of another priest bringing needed technology, they decide to return to their home world to battle the evil ruler once and for all. As they step into the portal, Eva dives in behind them, and ends up on their world in time for a battle royal.

Lately I’ve been finding rubbish in the science fiction field, and really expected nothing more from this book, but I was really surprised. Among the rubble you sometimes find a gem like this. Well written, smooth, and entertaining. The characters pull you into the story, then the plot captivates you, and before you know it, you’re hooked and can’t let go. I love finding great entertainment like this. Highly recommended.

Tom Johnson

Author of WORLDS OF TOMORROW

Leo Margulies: Giant of The Pulps

Pulp magazines written initially for boys in the first half of the Twentieth Century dominated the industry with stories about cowboys and Indians, science fiction, and adventure. They were written by such illustrious authors as Louis L’Amour, Ray Bradbury, L. Ron Hubbard, and Isaac Asimov, with a readership of tens of millions, for 10 cents a copy. The best-known editor of this era was Leo Margulies, editor-in-chief of Standard Magazines – The Thrilling Group. During one period, he bought two million words a month. He edited more than 70 magazines and was, for a time, the highest-paid pulp magazine editor in the country. Leo Margulies: Giant of the Pulps—His Thrilling, Exciting, and Popular Journey, by his nephew, Philip Sherman, includes stories by members of his family, friends, and writers, about his generosity and encouragement to so many. Dr. Sherman’s extensive research draws largely upon correspondence records from university archives, including University of Oregon, Northern Arizona University, Boston University, and Texas A&M University, and many others, and from journals such as Writers’ Digest and Author & Journalist. He talked and wrote to writers and others who knew his uncle and of course drew upon his own family’s personal experiences with this remarkable man.

Leo Margulies: Giant of The Pulps (Non-Fiction Biography)

By Philip Sherman

Altus Press www.altuspress.com

ISBN #978- 1618272980

Price $19.95

356 Pages

Rating 5-Stars

“An Editor Who Casts A Giant Shadow.”

The story of Leo Margulies cannot be told without his wife, Cylvia Kleinman Margulies, by his side. Both were true giants in the publishing and editing world. However, this book is focused, and rightly so, and the giant of the pulps, Leo Margulies. His nephew, Philip Sherman, discusses Leo’s early life and his love for books, to his rise as managing editor of the Ned Pines’ pulp house in 1932. Remaining with the Thrilling Group, under it’s many imprints he was in charge of building that empire to one of the four biggest pulp houses of its day. Dr. Sherman covers each of the magazines under Leo’s guiding hand, as well as covering aspects of his personal life. From The Phantom Detective in 1933 to The Man From U.N.C.L.E. in 1960, and until his death at age 75, in December 1975, we learn of his rise, his losses, and his achievements. He always pushed forward, and it was his work that built Ned Pine’s pulp empire, and later his own imprints in the science fiction, detective, and western fiction magazines.

This is a remarkable book, with much data covering the publishing field from early ARGOSY to Leo’s death, and the road he traveled to reach his goal. Although not a book strictly on the pulps, it’s basically a biography of the managing editor, and how he made an empire out of the Thrilling Group. I wish we had biographies on all the pulp editors, as well as the publishers. I was a huge fan of the Thrilling line of pulp magazines, and would love to learn more about Mr. Pines, the man behind the publishing house. Pulps were around for two World Wars and the Korean Conflict, along with numerous skirmishes, yet fiction for the masses survived and entertained. Readers interested in learning more about the pulps, and especially the man considered a giant among them, should pick up this well written book about a fascinating editor. Highly recommended.

Tom Johnson

Author of THE PHANTOM DETECTIVE COMPANION

Earth Volk

An alien presence, the government’s greatest secret, directs the nations of the world into a brutal confidential war. After taking the volks, an alien mother and off-spring into captivity, it is soon uncovered that they are also from the future… as in 26 million years into the future. Follow Eddy, the child-volk, as he is raised in undisclosed confinements. From his own words, discover how they travelled across space and time. Other beings descend upon the earth in search of the volks. They understand just how important volks really are. Eddy and his mother plot a daring attempt to return to the world where they came from, but their plan goes disastrously wrong. Well into his teens, Eddy finds out his twin brother, Grizz, has survived through an independent organization. Their plans were to train him to be their ultimate weapon. There are shocking consequences to the actions wreaking havoc by these volk’s. Before they can escape earth or die trying, they must endure, what they call, our nightmare world. The advanced volk technologies and lifestyles captivate and challenge the human way of life, but the implications unsurfaced the rampant wrath of the volks.

Earth Volk (SF)

“Genation Book #1”

By Robert A. Hunt

Independent Publishing Platform

ISBN #978- 1484067666

Price $28.00

418 Pages

Rating 3-Stars

“No Solid Structure.”

Eddy and his half-brother, Grizz, are in their insectoid rocket ship entering a far away galaxy when they come upon a space station that looks abandoned. Landing, they are immediately attacked by strange aliens. Eddy is a Volk, a species similar to humans, but with some insect DNA. His half brother is part human and part Volk. Both are good martial fighters; they carry Samurai swords and Shuriken throwing stars. They are hacking away at the weird aliens, slicing body parts off right and left, but we’re told the aliens are good, and it doesn’t matter, all they have to do is put their body parts back on and they immediately attach again. His half-brother is captured, and Eddy is hard pressed when he gets a telepathic summons, and follows the voice to a planet below where he’s drawn to a window. Inside is another Volk wearing a hood and robe – here I was waiting for the figure to say something like, “Eddy, I am your father.” But the hooded figure waves the attacking alien away, proving he is someone powerful on the world, or just has magical powers. Whatever the case, the scene changes time and space, and we are now with Eddy’s mother and father on their honeymoon in their insectoid spaceship (I keep imagining a wasp with wings flapping). Eddy’s father is curious about glowing spheres that show some kind of life, but he is absorbed by one and disappears, possibly exploding and dies. It leaves Eddy’s mother alone, and suddenly there’s a move in time and space, and his mother finds her ship in 20^th Century Earth’s atmosphere. Jet aircraft is sent up to intercept her space ship, while there are flying saucers floating around also. Eddy’s mother recognizes the UFO aliens, but it’s too early in the time frame for them to recognize her species. There is an accident, and her spacecraft crashes into a lake, but she has escaped. The flying saucer aliens shoot a bean of light that burns her whole body. She finds a cabin and then helicopters land and take her to a medical facility for treatment, and scientific investigation, naturally. It appears these are American doctors. Then she lays two eggs, one child is dead, but Eddy lives. Now baby Eddy takes over narrative again while his body is still forming, telling about the medical facilities and his mother. And that’s as far as I got in this novel.

I apologize to the author. I saw this on Amazon, and the Blurb caught my interest, so I requested a review copy. There isn’t much solid structure through the first eight chapters, and the POV changes too often to grasp any kind of meaningful plot. I was still confused at the end of Chapter 8, and I couldn’t force myself to start Chapter 9, so I put the book away uncompleted. Evidently Eddy’s mother, Gastonish (renamed Gail for more confusion) will mate with a human later in the novel, giving Eddy a half-brother named Grizz. Now remember, though this female appears human, she has insect DNA and lays eggs (with an umbilical cord?). I studied biology in school, and this just doesn’t seem possible for human-insect mating and childbirth. Nature may find a way in the reptile kingdom, and I am familiar with the Platypus, but even the Bible says each to its own kind. The concept is good, so I’m giving the author 3 stars, but work is really needed on the structure and plot. I couldn’t get through the book, but others might.

Tom Johnson

Author of THESE ALIEN SKIES

Cover Reveal: Pangaea: Eden's Planet

Cover Reveal: With PANGAEA: EDEN’S PLANET coming off contract in June, I’ve been working on rewrites to the novel, plus Tom TV Powers has provided me with a new cover for the upcoming Kindle book that FADING SHADOWS will release in late June or early July. The story of Pangaea takes place in the Permian Period of our planet’s prehistoric past, 250 million years ago. Seven astronauts go through a time warp in space, and crash land back on Earth. Their mission had been to Mars, but now it has become a mission of survival. One of the main predators of the period is the Dimetrodon, which is featured on the new cover