See Glass by Ido Graf

September 13, 2020February 27, 2024Leave a comment

Sea Glass - My best fiction books 2020

The book See Glass by Ido Graf, is a fast-paced, action, political thriller which has been described as having a style like Tom Clancy. I agree with that but I would also say, Frederick Forsyth as both authors researched their novels in great detail, as does Graf. They all intertwine fact with fiction giving novels of profound insight and realism.

Sea Glass is a contemporary thriller set in various exotic locations such as North America, Europe and the Middle East.

The story begins in a small Andalusian fishing village when a redundant reporter meets a former Foreign Legionnaire by chance. The story he is told appears to be fictitious, but as the journalist begins to dig deeper …the boundaries between fact and fiction begin to blur and the danger increases.

A top story for men and women that encompasses secrets, spies, hidden Nazi gold and politicians across the northern hemisphere.

The new book See Glass by thriller, adventure, espionage story writer Ido Graf has all the twists of a Nelson DeMille bestseller novel. DeMille’s Plum Island is one of my best fiction books of all time. See Glass is one of my picks for best fiction books of 2020.

Another great fiction book writer I have read recently is Ben MacIntyre. His book The Spy and the Traitor is a riveting book and another of my top fiction books to read. It’s the sort of book that would make a great contemporary film or TV series.

Many new streaming services have appeared in recent years. Film production companies such as Metro Goldwyn Mayer and Paramount Pictures have been joined by others such as HBO, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Studios, Sky TV, Crackle and Disney+.

See Glass by Ido Graf is available now either as a paperback , large print book or as a Kindle eBook on Amazon. It is also available on Amazon or Audible as an audiobook.

The book tells of the subversion of the US democracy by a President in league with right-wing, neo-Nazi groups, the Russian President and other groups. A political thriller that will really make you think!

The Gold of Malabar by Berkely Mather

September 17, 2013August 27, 2021Leave a comment

The gold of Malabar

The Gold of Malabar was written by British author, Berkely Mather, in 1967 Berkely Mather was a Nom de Plume for thriller writer John Evan Weston-Davies, whose family emigrated to Australia shortly before World War I.

He published fifteen novels and a book of short stories whilst also writing for radio, television and for films. Mather enlisted in the Royal Horse Artillery but failing to gain a commission he next joined the Indian Army where he became a sergeant at the outbreak of World War II. Serving under Slim in the Iraq campaign he finally ended the war as an acting lieutenant-colonel. After Indian independence in 1947, he rejoined the British Army, entering the Royal Artillery and eventually retiring in 1959. The Achilles Affair Mather’s first novel, was published in 1959 and was a minor best-seller. His second novel ‘The Pass Beyond Kashmir’ written in 1960 received high praise from Ian Fleming and Erle Stanley Gardner and it did even better. It is said that Ernest Hemingway owned copies of these two novels

A desperate adventure starting with a prison escape in search of gold. A thoroughly exciting novel which traces its way across India. While banged up in a prison in Goa Mike O’Reilly speaks with a dying Dutch prisoner called Rokkjer. He gives O’Reilly a gold medal asking him to bring it to a Buddhist monk called Nu Pau in Bombay and to say, “Rokkjer said to keep faith.” Rokkjer also gives a mysterious quote of, “Pythagoras, northeast, and the word is try, try, try…” O’Reilly escapes into a dangerous world of greedy looters all looking for the secret map that will bring them to the hidden cache of gold………………

This is a classic action & adventure novel written by a skilled author who clearly knew India. Unputdownable…..if that’s a word!

The Gold of Malabar is geskryf deur die Britse skrywer, Berkely Mather, in 1967 Berkely Mather was ‘n Nom de Plume vir die riller John Evan Weston-Davies, wie se familie kort voor die Eerste Wêreldoorlog na Australië geëmigreer het.

Hy publiseer vyftien romans en ‘n boek met kortverhale, terwyl hy ook vir radio, televisie en films skryf. Mather het by die Royal Horse Artillery aangesluit, maar sonder om ‘n kommissie te kry, het hy daarna by die Indiese leër aangesluit, waar hy sersant geword het by die uitbreek van die Tweede Wêreldoorlog. Hy dien onder Slim in die Irak-veldtog en eindig uiteindelik die oorlog as waarnemende luitenant-kolonel. Na die onafhanklikheid van Indië in 1947, het hy weer by die Britse leër aangesluit, die Koninklike Artillerie binnegegaan en uiteindelik in 1959 afgetree. Die eerste roman van die Achilles Affair Mather verskyn in 1959 en was ‘n klein topverkoper. Sy tweede roman ‘The Pass Beyond Kashmir’ wat in 1960 geskryf is, het groot lof gekry van Ian Fleming en Erle Stanley Gardner en dit het nog beter gevaar. Daar word gesê dat Ernest Hemingway kopieë van hierdie twee romans besit

‘N Wanhopige avontuur wat begin met ‘n ontsnapping uit die tronk op soek na goud. ‘N Uiters opwindende roman wat in Indië spoor. Terwyl hy in ‘n gevangenis in Goa gevang is, praat Mike O’Reilly met ‘n sterwende Nederlandse gevangene genaamd Rokkjer. Hy gee O’Reilly ‘n goue medalje waarin hy hom vra om dit na ‘n Boeddhistiese monnik genaamd Nu Pau in Bombay te bring en te sê: “Rokkjer het gesê om geloof te behou.” Rokkjer gee ook ‘n geheimsinnige aanhaling van: “Pythagoras, noordoos, en die woord is probeer, probeer, probeer …” O’Reilly ontsnap in ‘n gevaarlike wêreld van gulsige plunderaars wat almal op soek is na die geheime kaart wat hulle na die verborge sal bring goudkas ………………

Dit is ‘n klassieke aksie- en avontuurroman geskryf deur ‘n bekwame skrywer wat Indië duidelik geken het. ‘N Roman wat onafwendbaar is ….. as dit ‘n woord is!

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

The Salzburg Connection by Helen MacInnes

October 22, 2012June 5, 2022Leave a comment

A great thriller novel with style

The book begins near to Salzburg, Austria, when a photographer called Richard Bryant dives into the Fintersee Lake, high in the mountains, to retrieve a large chest that had lain there for many years. Unknown to him, he is observed by others. This sets off a deadly chain of events.

Sometime later a lawyer, called William Mathison, to Bryant’s photography shop to ask about a photo book of the Austrian lakes that is said to be commissioned by Bill’s client, the publisher James Newhart. Anna, Bryant’s wife gives Bill correspondence from Eric Yates who previously claimed to be Newhart’s representative. Soon after Bill leaves, Anna’s brother Johann Kronsteiner is told, by family friend Felix Zauner, that Bryant has been killed in an accident. Bill finds that he is being followed. A desperate tale involving Austrian Intelligence, Mossad, Chinese Communists, CIA, Nazis and the KGB ensues. The secrets that lay hidden in the chest since the war were explosive.

This political thriller novel, by Helen MacInnes is one of my favourites. The start of the novel is very evocative and the suspense continues throughout the book. The story was written in 1968 and took inspiration from true life events. It had been suspected for many years that, near the end of the war, elite Nazis had trekked into the Austrian mountains and had hidden gold in the depths of many of the remote lakes. The most famous lake being Lake Toplitz which began to give up some of it’s long lost secrets in the late 1950s as divers searched its depths.

One of the best fiction thriler novels of high intrigue, assassination, spies and Neo Nazis and a very good read – particularly on a European skiing holiday on a dark night.

Photo by Nathalie Stimpfl on Unsplash

If you like this novel then try See Glass by Ido Graf which is a book with similar themes of neo-Nazis and espionage.

Le livre commence près de Salzbourg, en Autriche, lorsqu’un photographe du nom de Richard Bryant plonge dans le lac Fintersee, haut dans les montagnes, pour récupérer un gros coffre qui gisait là depuis de nombreuses années. Inconnu de lui, il est observé par les autres. Cela déclenche une chaîne mortelle d’événements.

Quelque temps plus tard, un avocat, appelé William Mathison, s’est rendu au magasin de photographie de Bryant pour poser des questions sur un livre de photos des lacs autrichiens qui aurait été commandé par le client de Bill, l’éditeur James Newhart. Anna, la femme de Bryant, donne à Bill la correspondance d’Eric Yates qui prétendait auparavant être le représentant de Newhart. Peu de temps après le départ de Bill, le frère d’Anna, Johann Kronsteiner, apprend, par un ami de la famille Felix Zauner, que Bryant a été tué dans un accident. Bill découvre qu’il est suivi. Une histoire désespérée impliquant les services secrets autrichiens, le Mossad, les communistes chinois, la CIA, les nazis et le KGB s’ensuit. Les secrets cachés dans le coffre depuis la guerre étaient explosifs.

Ce roman policier d’Helen MacInnes est l’un de mes préférés. Le début du roman est très évocateur et le suspense perdure tout au long du livre. L’histoire a été écrite en 1968 et s’est inspirée d’événements réels de la vie. On soupçonnait depuis de nombreuses années que, vers la fin de la guerre, des nazis d’élite s’étaient rendus dans les montagnes autrichiennes et avaient caché de l’or dans les profondeurs de nombreux lacs reculés. Le lac le plus célèbre est le lac Toplitz qui a commencé à dévoiler certains de ses secrets à la fin des années 1950 alors que les plongeurs fouillaient ses profondeurs.

L’un des meilleurs romans de fiction de haute intrigue, d’espions et de néo-nazis et une très bonne lecture – en particulier lors de vacances de ski européennes par une nuit noire.

Si vous aimez ce roman, essayez See Glass par Ido Graf qui est un livre avec des thèmes similaires de néo-nazis et d’espionnage.