The following review is a special for BlackFive readers provided by Elise Cooper. You can read all of our book reviews and author interviews by clicking on the Books category link in the right side bar.
Robert B. Parker’s Little White Lies by Ace Atkins is another winner. Having taken over writing the Spenser novels nothing has been lost with this smart aleck character.
Using his past experience as a journalist Atkins created an engaging story. Spenser’s long time girlfriend psychologist Susan Silverman has referred one of her clients, Connie Kelly, to him. Thinking she found the perfect man on an on-line dating site Connie eagerly wrote him a check for hundreds of thousands of dollars for a real estate investment. The problem is he vanished with all of the money.
Enter Spenser to try to make things right. He finds out that this cad, M. Brooks Welles, is actually a con man, owing plenty of money to others as well. In fact, everything about him is phony including his resume. A self-proclaimed military hotshot and former CIA, Welles had been a frequent guest on national news shows speaking with authority about politics and world events. The rest of the book has Spenser trying to track him down and get back the money of those Welles swindled.
Atkins noted, “When I worked as a journalist I covered stories of con men and was fascinated with their personalities and motivations. I made Welles a compilation of those I covered as well as Wayne Simmons. He was a Fox news analyst, claiming to be a CIA spy who also swindled a woman out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. I wanted to point out how the backgrounds of these TV talking heads are never vetted. Money is only part of the con. They also enjoy the respect and the feeling of importance. The reason many use the CIA as a profession is because the Agency will not confirm or deny employment.”
One of Parker’s best characters is Dr. Susan. In this novel she is front and center, which makes the story even more enjoyable. It is fun to have her work with Spenser, where her toughness and intelligence are highlighted. But a newer character that is also getting more airtime is Boston PD Captain Glass.
Atkins wrote Glass “to bring to the Spenser world more women characters. Also, I wanted to have someone in the police more skeptical of his involvement with them. Instead of being a friend, I wanted someone to question him more, where there will be friction between him and the police.”
The relevance of the plot should not be lost on the readers. Within an entertaining story this book has fake news, spinning lies, and how facts can be spun.
The following review is a special for BlackFive readers provided by Elise Cooper. You can read all of our book reviews and author interviews by clicking on the Books category link in the right side bar.
The Thing About Love by Julie James is a believable mystery whose strengths is the character interaction. Presenting both the male and the female differing points of view of certain events will remind readers of the classic book, Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus by John Gray. Beyond that, this novel combines a mysterious plot, some romance, and a realistic look at the undercover world of FBI Agents.
During their training rookie FBI agents Jessica Harlow and John Shepherd are constantly butting heads. Following misinterpreted motives and misunderstandings they became fierce competitors. After graduating they both go their separate ways, until six years later when they are picked to work together as partners on an undercover assignment. Being paired with a former rival comes at the worst time since Jessica is finalizing a divorce and John has just broken up with his long time girlfriend. Their assignment is to nail a Florida politician for taking bribes.
Throughout the story readers learn some very interesting facts about the life of an FBI undercover agent. The details about their job and career surprisingly have many comparisons to those serving in the military, besides the obvious, defending their country. There is a unit called the Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) that has a two-week selective process that appears to be as grilling as hell week for the SEALs. They have to scale a narrow ladder 75 feet above the ground, walking blindfolded underwater for seventy-five feet while caring a thirty-pound weight, running with a large raft to a lake, and being sleep deprived, getting no more than two hours each night.
Realizing there is a similar analogy, James “wrote how those trying out for the HRT are recruited from the military, for me, the civilian equivalent to the Special Forces. An FBI undercover agent interviewed told me how in his class there were only two females, which I put in the story. I researched the army and FBI on their websites as well as public forums. I knew that John, who was an Army Ranger, would whiz through the physical stuff and the firearm challenges. Also, I wanted to show how undercover work is hard on relationships. Jessica and John had a failed relationship because the other person could not handle the mental toll or the lifestyle. Both were gone a significant amount of time, while their main focus was on the case. Since they could not talk about it the other person feels blocked out to a whole part of their life.”
Although learning about and understanding the profession was intricate to the story, a Julie James novel will always have competitive, elegant, and witty-smart characters. This book is no different, having the characters initially appearing to be as different as night and day. Jessica is from Stanford law school. John, a former Army Ranger, is handsome and athletic with a commanding, masculine impression. The banter between the FBI training recruits enhances the story, as they give each other quips, sarcasm, and dirty looks. Their personality clash has a lot to do with the competitive nature of each. But through the course of the novel the realization takes place that there is mutual respect and their quips become talk, the sarcasm becomes laughter and joking, and the dirty looks become desire. They also begin to realize they are similar in many ways determined, committed to their work, confident, and honorable.
James commented, “I made the lead male, John, young and attractive. He tries to interact with Jessica and she overreacts. She had her attitude to create a distance, because she was aware of how something would be viewed. Regarding the banter, I do love the sarcasm. I go back to the black and white romantic comedies like the Philadelphia Story, where a man and a woman can have something happen where the guy and the gal see it in completely different ways. Pretty early on I decided to have a he said/she said chapter.”
This is a classic romantic mystery. There is plenty of humor and action with well-developed characters that are likable and relatable. The witty, snappy dialogue adds to the story and creates a wonderful chemistry between the characters. If this will be your first James book it should not be your last.
The following review is a special for BlackFive readers provided by Elise Cooper. You can read all of our book reviews and author interviews by clicking on the Books category link in the right side bar.
One Perfect Lie by Lisa Scottoline is a home run. Baseball is the springboard for the riveting mystery that includes a lot of curve balls. Not only do the characters deceive each other, but with the many twists and turns so will the readers. This suburban domestic crime thriller plays off the anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing that looms powerfully in the background.
Scottoline came up with the idea for the story, “Last year I was asked to throw out the first pitch at a Philadelphia Phillies game for ladies night. Honestly, I do not know how to pitch. I started to go the high school where my daughter graduated from to get pointers from the team. I noticed the different relationships between the moms and dads, the children, and between the team and the coach. Although this coach was enlightened, encouraging, and friendly, it got me to think what if there was a coach who was the direct opposite, manipulative and uncaring. I like writing ‘what if’ stories. BTW: The pitch I threw out was not that bad.”
The plot begins with Chris Brennan applying for a teaching and coaching job at Central Valley High School in Pennsylvania. He is hired as an AP Government teacher and baseball coach. He is looking for the right student to act as his pawn and apprentice for an unsavory evil job. On the same day that Timothy McVeigh blew up a federal building it appears Chris is planning his own bombing. He uses the Constitutional debate in the classroom to find the right teenager that can be manipulated, and then as the baseball coach makes sure he builds that bond by intentionally causing friction among the teammates.
Pennsylvania is the setting for every book of Scottoline and the spring books can be considered suburban noirs. “When I write I usually try to have a strong sense of place. Since I live on a farm, I am concerned about fracking. I touched on this in the book, since it is a real Pennsylvania problem. I also wanted to get across in this story the difficulty of raising a child in this suburban world. Each mother had a problem in their life that affected how they interacted with their sons who also had some psychological issues. Every character is in effect lying to themselves and to the outside world.”
Through Chris’s eyes readers see the interaction between the boys on and off the baseball field, and how they react to their mother’s circumstances. Susan, Raz’s mom, has guilt feelings for failing to step up and take control of the floundering family after her husband and their father dies. She is at a loss on how to parent her two teenage sons who are acting out. Mindy, Evan’s mom, stays at home and succumbs to the pressure of being a surgeon's wife by filling her days with social events and too many gin and tonics. She suspects her husband of having an affair, using social media to try to find answers. Heather, Jordan’s mom, is the most likable, because of her being very grounded. A hardworking single mom, she is counting on a baseball scholarship for Jordan so he can attend college.
The mystery comes into play as the ATF agents try to find the bomber and what are his motivations. The supervisor, known as “The Rabbi,” is a supporting character that has a big impact on the plot. He is intelligent, caring, and effectively juggles work and family.
Scottoline nicknamed the ATF character “The Rabbi,” because in the large law firm she worked for “I had a mentor who we called ‘The Rabbi.’ I always thought of him as a teacher and a voice of reason. To me a Rabbi signifies a leader. In the book the undercover agent looked up to this character. It was a loving nickname representing the wise one.”
To make the story very accurate a lot of research was done including, “interviewing for three hours the Philadelphia head of ATF, the second in command, and an actual undercover agent. I think many readers get their truth about criminal and police procedure from fiction so it is imperative I get it right. The truth is government agencies will cooperate with any writer because they want the way it really works to be out there. I hoped to show in this book how collecting information by the agencies often collides with protecting people’s privacy, which includes how evidence is obtained.”
This story was hit out of the park. The many issues of teenage relationships, technology, sexting, class distinction and the ever-present mother-son relationships makes the story even more intriguing. The two b’s: baseball and bombs combine to make the mystery riveting, action-packed, and gripping. Readers should be aware things are not as they seem on the surface.
Bumping yet again. The media coverage is dying down, but they are still getting about 100 tips a day. More are needed, and this man needs to stay famous. To him I say: This is not going away, and there are some of us who will do all we can to keep you in the public eye until you are caught. If you think you know him, note that the reward has grown a bit...
Bumping again. This is not going to go away. Someone, somewhere, will recognize your image or voice. The reward is now more than $200k, and growing. You can run, but you will just die tired. Give it up. For any who think they know him, note the reward.
Bumping, as someone, somewhere, knows who he is. He may be the person at church who recently shaved his head or dyed his hair after a comical "accident." He may be the person who assisted you at the home improvement store, or that gets his cigars/cigarettes at the same place you do. He may be the person you see getting gas each week. He may be the neighbor down the street. He's the person you would not think of in this context, so adding this to help people think a bit.
Imagine that you know something bad is about to happen to you, and that you have no effective means to prevent it. You know nothing can stop it, but you activate the video feature on your cell phone not to help you, but to help police find the person or persons who did those things to you.
14-year-old Libby German did just that in the moments before at least one male ordered her and her friend -- 13-year-old Abby Williams -- "down the hill" and ultimately to their deaths. She showed a clarity and courage that I'm not sure many adults could or would match under the same circumstances.
The least we can do is spread this far and wide, so that the killer or killers are brought to justice. Somebody, somewhere, will recognize the photo or the voice. Share it far and wide.
The following review is a special for BlackFive readers provided by Elise Cooper. You can read all of our book reviews and author interviews by clicking on the Books category link in the right side bar.
April 15th is known as tax day, but it is also an important day in baseball history if not American history. Seventy years ago this day Jackie Robinson broke the color line in Major League Baseball. In the latest book about Jackie Robinson, 42 Faith, Ed Henry recounts the struggles of someone who just wanted to play baseball. But it also shows how faith helped Robinson overcome many hardships.
Many might know the name, since Ed Henry has a hybrid role at Fox News as the chief national correspondent and a freelance anchor on various Fox programs. Within his busy schedule he decided to write this book because this is “the rest of the Jackie Robinson story. It came about ten years ago at a dinner party at the Belgium ambassador’s house. After having a bad time, I sat there thinking about the three-strike rule in baseball where you are out. I was about to leave to watch the World Series when the woman beside me shared the story of her late father-in-law. She starts telling this tale how, in 1945, a man shows up at Plymouth Church in Brooklyn Heights, who needed to see a minister right away. Reverend L. Wendell Fifield received the man, who paced, prayed and silently stewed for about 45 minutes before telling Fifield, ‘I’ve decided to sign Jackie Robinson to his first baseball contract. It’s the hardest decision of my life. I need to be in your presence, in God’s presence, to know it’s the right thing to do.’ Fifield kept his conversation with the man confidential, but he eventually told his wife. And long after her husband’s death, June Fifield wrote in her Church Bulletin a 5-page essay about her husband’s encounter with Brooklyn Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey. Being a reporter I researched this fascinating story and decided to write the book.”
Both Rickey and Robinson were to face many adversities with their craftiness and cunning, guts and grits, brains and brawn, as well as an overwhelming belief in G-d. It was almost that there was divine intervention on why the color barrier was broken. Carl Erskine, a teammate of Robinson, told Henry, “Athletic ability and determination could take Robinson only so far. Hidden is how pivotal faith turned out to be.” It helped give Robinson the confidence he needed to rise above not only the taunts and death threats he faced from outsiders, but also the insults he faced from some of his white teammates.
Furthermore, Henry believes, “Rickey had a ‘dark fire’ within him to right the wrongs of racism, which set him on a mission to bring profound change to America. Rickey was looking for someone who had the skills but his scouting report showed he was also looking for someone that had a support network, was married, and a strong sense of faith.”
Unlike politics, sports has a way for teammates to come together. There is a powerful story in the book that was recounted by another colleague of Robinson, Ralph Branca. While sitting down with five other white teammates who were from the Deep South he reminded them that all had worked in gas stations with African Americans. They responded that the blacks pumped gas, while the whites fixed cars, claiming, “We weren’t equal.” Branca retorted, “Well, you won’t be equal on the ball field either. Jackie’s better than you.”
Rickey knew this experiment had to succeed and that many on other teams would show their racial resentment through slurs and attempting to do physical harm. To emphasize how faith played such an important role, Henry told how Rickey quoted to Robinson from the Bible, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil. But whosoever shall smite thee on thee right cheek, turn to him the other also.’ He then said, “Above all you cannot fight back. That’s the only way this experiment will succeed, and others will follow in your footsteps.”
According to Henry, “Robinson instinctively got that reference from the Bible. He responded by saying, ‘Mr. Rickey, I’ve got two cheeks. I have another cheek.’ I think they both felt G-d was with them, and they connected through the Biblical references. In fact, in 1949 in a speech on Capitol Hill, Robinson himself stated, ‘I am a religious man. Therefore I cherish America where I am free to worship as I please.’”
Life Magazine’s headline said it all, “Negroes Are Americans: Jackie Robinson Proves It in Words and on the Ball Field.” Of course it did not hurt that he was leading the National League in runs and RBI’s while topping both leagues in hits, stolen bases, and batting average.
Jackie Robinson once said, “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” He and Branch Rickey through their belief in G-d were able to change America and sports forever. Today, most people are color blind to the athletes on the field and that is thanks to these two courageous Americans.
The following review is a special for BlackFive readers provided by Elise Cooper. You can read all of our book reviews and author interviews by clicking on the Books category link in the right side bar.
The Devil’s Feast by M. J. Carter plays off Anthony Bourdain’s quote, “I’ve long believed that good food, good eating, is all about risk… food has always been an adventure.”
Carter had the idea for the story because of “an illness I had for the past few years that has to do with my digestion. I could not eat so I became very interested in reading about food. I was feeling sorry for myself because of all these foods I could not eat. In the course of my research I encountered Alexis Soyer, the famous chef. I decided to write a story around him and what better way to have someone die than with poison.”
And so it is with this story that involves England’s first celebrity chef and a mysterious death, poisoned at the renowned Reform Club. The plot has Captain William Avery invited to dine at the private table of the famous chef, Alexis Soyer. After one of the guests at the table dies he is asked to investigate. As the suspects pile up, everyone involving food appears to be a person of interest from meat suppliers to waiters.
Finding parallels with today’s world, Carter told of incorporating “the idea of the celebrity chef who had tantrums when he did not get his way. I also think the past should not be a foreign country so I included the idea of people dying by being poisoned. In the 1840’s arsenic was everywhere, on cake decorations and even the dye on children’s dresses.”
Readers will find out about Soyer’s life and it becomes obvious the author spent a lot of time researching the food entries, maybe a bit too much. There is a lot of detail about the inner workings of the kitchen run by celebrity Alexis Soyer who is not only an incredible chef, but the inventor of many innovations. Having come to prominence in the 1840s, Soyer is nicknamed the “Napoleon of food,” a culinary genius who loves to self-promote, a la today’s chef, Gordon Ramsey.
This first celebrity chef fascinated the author. “He was the first to use gas ovens, thermometers, accurate clocks, and clever kitchen gadgets. Determined to improve the country’s diet and alleviate the sufferings of the poor, he devised menus for London hospitals and workhouses, reinventing the soup kitchen. For me, he was a gift since he was sometimes a ridiculous figure, manically energetic, crazily ambitious, and dreadfully pretentious. Everything I wrote about him in this book is what he did in real life, including the way he dressed in lavender-colored velvet suits. After becoming chef de cuisine at London’s Reform Club it turned into, not a political association, but a place where males went to hide from their wives, have a fancy dinner, and have conversations.”
This series has two protagonists that usually work together. However, in this novel Avery is mainly on his own, struggling to solve the case, while thinking for himself. His partner, Jeremiah Blake chafes at being considered a hired hand and refuses a new assignment from Theophilus Collinson, a very influential person. Claiming that Blake was already paid for work not performed, Collinson has the stubborn detective arrested and imprisoned for debt. This leaves Avery to solve the case of why diners are dying at the prestigious Reform Club.
If readers think of the comparison with Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, the author says not so, “I did not get my inspiration from the famous investigative duo. Patrick O’ Brian’s sea stories is what influenced me. He writes such great relationships between his characters, Aubrey and Maturin. At least consciously I never thought of Holmes and Watson.”
At the heart of this novel is Soyer whose personality dominates the other characters. Readers will be taken on a tour, able to taste the dinner dishes as they attempt to solve the murder mystery.
The following review is a special for BlackFive readers provided by Elise Cooper. You can read all of our book reviews and author interviews by clicking on the Books category link in the right side bar.
The Darkness Of Evil by Alan Jacobson brings back FBI profiler Karen Vail in a unique story. He clicks into the curiosity of many who question how does a serial killer’s family not know, and what is it like to be related to one?
The plot begins when Jasmine Marcks, the daughter of a serial killer, writes a book about her life experiences. After receiving a threatening letter from her father, she must cancel her book tour. Her testimony about some bloody duct tape and other items helped to put her father in prison with a life sentence and no chance of parole. Vail goes to visit Marks there to evaluate how much of a threat he is to Jasmine. Shortly thereafter, the murderer, Roscoe Lee Marcks, escapes from prison to seek revenge on his daughter. Vail, the local police, and the US Marshals, must all work together to find him before he achieves his target.
Jacobson noted, “I always do a lot of research, speaking with my go to experts, FBI Supervisory Special Agents and retired senior FBI profilers, Mark Safarik and Mary Ellen O’Toole. I also talked with some US Marshals about the escapes of convicts. They happen more often than not, but we only hear about the ones that succeed. When you talk to the different agencies; you find how they compete with other law enforcement organizations in terms of budget. They always complain how the FBI is viewed as the favorite child. Pretty much what was written in the book is true, about the rivalry and competition. As they begin to work together on a case there is some friction, but in the course of working it they bridge relationships and find a way to work together.”
Interestingly, in almost all of his books, people learn about facts of the different agencies. In this novel Jacobson uses realistic scenarios to make the plot believable. The escape of Roscoe will remind readers of the ex prison worker, Joyce Mitchell, who aided two killers in escaping in upstate New York. The author also shows how Vail, a tough and seasoned profiler, must re-examine the case she inherited as a rookie, putting forth a different set of eyes.
This book has a riveting story with many twists and turns. It explores a subject matter from a different angle that allows the reader to have an original storyline.
"They came to save us, and to give us dignity. Their sacrifice will remain in the minds of our children for the rest of their lives. We will teach their names to our children, and keep their names in our books of history as heroes who gave their lives for freedom." - Kurd Sheik Ahmet at the April 17th, 1994 memorial service in Zakhu, Iraq.
Today, is the 23rd anniversary of a dark day in our military history...while the inquiry results were weak, this was one incident in which many lessons were learned that later saved American and allied lives (true IFF came from this), and continued the long trek to freedom for one of the most deserving groups of human beings on this planet.
Let's start at what isn't quite the beginning but as good as any place to start this story...
In April, 1991, as part of U.N. Resolution 688, the National Command Authority commanded the US Armed Forces to conduct Operation Provide Comfort. On the 8th of April 1991, the 1st Battalion (FWD) of the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) from Bad Tolz, Germany, deployed to conduct humanitarian relief operations for over a half million Kurdish refugees. Soon the 2nd and 3rd Battalions arrived from the states.
...Operation PROVIDE COMFORT was one of the largest relief operations in history. During the critical first three weeks, the 10th Special Forces Group directed and executed the overall ground relief and security efforts. In the words of General Galvin, the CINCEUR "...10th Special Forces Group saved half a million Kurds from extinction."
The conditions in the refugee camps shocked the world. Before 10th Group arrived, an average of 450 refugees perished daily, with 70 percent being children. In two weeks time the rate was approximately 15-20 per day and of these, only 28 percent were children. 10th Group had made the difference.
The basic operation was divided into three phases. Phase one provided immediate emergency relief with food, water and shelter. The intent was to make an accurate assessment of the situation and to organize Kurdish leadership. Phase two provided basic services. The ODA and ODB detachments performed many tasks and missions: pipe water from the mountains, organize food distribution and camp sanitation, service drop zones and landing zones, and coordinate with the multinational relief organizations. Additionally, they assisted in rendering medical treatment for the refugees. Phase three prepared and moved the refugees from their mountain camps into resettlement camps in Iraq or straight back to their own homes. Waystations built by 10th SFG(A), provided food, water and fuel, and limited medical help enroute...
As the video below shows, it was really about saving the families and the children:
The mission was a tough one - to provide humanitarian aid to over one million Kurdish Refugees in northern Iraq. The mission began with airdrops (food, clothing, tents, blankets, medicine) and soon launched missions taking supplies directly to the Kurds.
A UH-60A Black Hawk (Blackhawk) helicopter flies over a small village in the Kurdish occupied security zone in northern Iraq. The helicopters and the crews from C Company 6/159th Aviation Regiment, Geibelstadt, Germany, are deployed to Diyarbakir, Turkey, in support of the operation Provide Comfort. (DoD photo by: SSGT. THEODORE J. KONIARES Date Shot: 1993-11-17).
To further stop Saddam from killing the Kurds, a northern No-Fly Zone was placed north of the 36th parallel. Any Iraqi aircraft would be shot down in the No-Fly Zone.
Photo from CIA Factbook
The No-Fly Zone was patrolled and kept "clean" by the USAF with fighters (F-15s) being supported by command and control aircraft (AWACS).
General John Shalikashvili, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had this to say about the hard work of the Provide Comfort Soldiers and Airmen:
For over 1,000 days, the pilots and crews assigned to Operation Provide Comfort flew mission after mission, totalling over 50,000 hours...
The mission continued for 3 years until the first Commander was due to reliquish command...
On April 14th, 1994, two Blackhawk helicopters were ready for take-off from Diyarbakir, Turkey. COL Jerry Thompson - one of the most respected officers and commanders in Special Forces - was changing command (or co-command as "command" of Provide Comfort was shared with Turkey). He decided to show his replacement, COL Mulhern, the lay of the land. At 0730, COL Thompson assembled 26 people that comprised important (command group) roles for the mission. He included French, British, and Turkish commanders and liaisons, and also brought along Kurdish para-military personnel and linguists.
The two Blackhawks were designated Eagle-1 and Eagle-2. Their first destination was Irbil, Iraq, but they would have to make a stop in Zakhu, Iraq (where the military part of Provide Comfort operated). There were plans to visit several other areas as well.
At 8:22AM, Eagle Flight departed Diyarbakir. They were headed East-Southeast for a "gate" into the No-Fly Zone. Per Standard Operating Procedure, the command group was split between Eagle-1 and Eagle-2 to ensure continuity of command if one helicopter went down.
At 9:21AM, Eagle Flight called the AWACS (callsign "Cougar"). They requested and were granted permission to enter the "gate" into the the No-Fly Zone.
At 9:24AM, Eagle Flight lands at Zakhu, Iraq.
At 9:35AM, two USAF F-15 fighters launched from Incirlik, Turkey. They were designated Tiger-1 and Tiger-2. Tiger-1 was the lead fighter with Tiger-2 as the wingman. Tiger Flight was headed to patrol the No-Fly Zone.
At 9:54AM, Eagle Flight calls the AWACS to report departure from Zakhu, Iraq, with a destination of Irbil, Iraq.
At 10:12AM, Eagle Flight enters mountainous terrain. It's Identification Friend or Foe system (IFF) failed.
At 10:20AM Tiger Flight passes through "gate" into No-Fly Zone.
At 10:22AM Tiger Flight picks up radar contact at forty nautical miles. No IFF reading occurs. Tiger-1 reports, "Cougar, picked up helicopter tracking northwest bound." AWACS says the area should be "clean".
At 10:25 AWACS responds that there are "hits there" in the No-Fly Zone - confirming Tiger Flight's radar contact.
Tiger Flight makes visual contact with Eagle Flight at five nautical miles.
At 10:28 Tiger-1 conducts a visual identification (VID) pass of the helicopters. "Cougar, tally 2 HINDS."
HINDS are Soviet Helicopters used by the Iraqi Armed Forces.
AWACS replied, "Copy two HINDS".
Tiger-1 then instructed Tiger-2 to make a VID pass.
Thirty seconds later Tiger-2 confirms, "Tally 2."
Tiger-1 to Tiger-2, "Arm hot."
At 10:30AM on April 14, 1994, Tiger-1 fired an AIM 120 (medium range air-to-air missle) at Eagle-2. Tiger-2 fired an AIM 9 (Sidewinder air-to-air missle) at Eagle-1.
The missles hit Eagle Flight with deadly accuracy. Tiger-1 confirmed the hits to AWACS, "Splash two HINDS."
Of the 26 team members of Eagle Flight, there were no survivors...
In memoriam:
US Military: SSG Paul Barclay (SF Commo NCO) SPC Cornelius A. Bass (Eagle-1 Door Gunner) SPC Jeffrey C. Colbert (Eagle-1 Crew Chief) SPC Mark A. Ellner (Eagle-2 Door Gunner) CW2 John W. Garrett, Jr. (Eagle-1 Pilot) CW2 Michael A. Hall (Eagle-2 Pilot Command) SFC Benjamin T. Hodge (Linguist) CPT Patrick M. McKenna (Eagle-1 Pilot Command) WO1 Erik S. Mounsey (Eagle-2 Pilot) COL Richard A. Mulhern (Incoming Co-Commander) 1LT Laurie A. Piper (USAF, Intel Officer) SGT Michael S. Robinson (Eagle-2 Crew Chief) SSG Ricky L. Robinson (SF Medic) Ms. Barbara L. Schell (State Dept. Political Advisor) COL Jerald L. Thompson (Outgoing Co-Commander)
British Military: MAJ Harry Shapland (Security/Intel Duty Officer) LTC Jonathan C. Swann (Senior UK Officer)
French Military: LTC Guy Demetz (Senior French Officer)
Turkish Army: COL Hikmet Alp (Co-Commander) LT Ceyhun Civas (Laison Officer) LT Barlas Gultepe (Liason Officer)
Kurdish Partisans: Abdulsatur Arab Ghandi Hussein Bader Mikho Ahmad Mohammed Salid Said (Linguist)
USAF Photo: U.S. Military personnel inspect the wreckage of a Black Hawk helicopter (Eagle 2) in the Northern Iraq No Fly Zone during Operation Provide Comfort, April 16, 1994.
DoD photo MSGT MICHAEL J. HAGGERTY: The remains of 26 people were flown in for transportation to the U.S. Army Mortuary Center, Frankfurt, Germany. The 26 were killed in an accidental downing of two U.S. Army UH-60A Black Hawk (Blackhawk) helicopters by U.S. AIr Force F-15C fighters in the northern Iraq "no fly zone". Standing in review was the Rhein-Main-Air Base color guard, they displayed the flags of the countries that mourn the loss of their citizens, the United States, Britain, France and Turkey.
I took this photo while visiting the Colonel (his story is an interesting one). He's near Mary Todd Lincoln's tomb on a slight rise over looking a beautiful part of Arlington...You can visit him and Barclay, Hodge and Bass at Arlington.
The following review is a special for BlackFive readers provided by Elise Cooper. You can read all of our book reviews and author interviews by clicking on the Books category link in the right side bar.
The Burial Hour by Jeffrey Deaver incorporates his usual writing style with misdirection and plot twists. The subject matter is timely and relevant, taking into account the many concerns of the Western world.
Although the plot begins in New York the main setting is in Italy, where the classics play an important role, intertwining Greek G-ds with legendary musical compositions of “The Blue Danube,” “The Nutcracker,” and “Danse Macabre.” The plot begins with the abduction of a business executive in Manhattan by someone known as “The Composer.” Left behind at the scene is a small hangman’s noose. Lincoln Rhymes, the notable Forensics investigator and his fiancé police detective Amelia Sachs get word that a similar kidnapping occurred in Naples, Italy. They decide to fly there and join forces with the Italian investigating team led by prosecutor Dante Spiro and a legal liaison in the State Department. As the dots get connected it appears all the victims are refugees. The team must battle their worst enemy, time, trying to find “The Composer” before he succeeds in killing one of the people snatched, apparently for no better reason than to record the sounds they make as they are choked to death.
Deaver noted, “The bad guy, Stefan, is obsessed with sound. I enjoy writing an eerie depth to my villains so they have substance. Stefan ponders how music speaks to someone including what history would have sounded like, the words of Judas or Abraham Lincoln. I think as a society we are not as attuned to sound as we used to be because of the overload. Robert Frost once said that ‘you can induce meaning from sound, independent of words.’ I wanted to show the emotional sides of sound in this book. Stefan is moved by the combination of notes and timing. There is something about the ¾ tempo of a waltz I find pretty engrossing, which is why I used those musical classics.”
This book has Lincoln traveling to Italy. With the new setting also comes a new direction for his profession. Since he is a formidable forensics investigator he uses his skills to get more involved with other types of crimes.
Deaver did not see as a problem having Lincoln, a quadriplegic, move around the world. “Even in New York he sits in a room while Amelia does most of the legwork. I chose Italy because it cannot escape the classics. Also, this story had to move more slowly because life in Southern Italy does move slowly. The story is tied to the Italian law enforcement system that is more leisurely and takes a holistic approach to justice. To make the plot move faster I had to extract elements of crimes.”
The Burial Hour has many turns. It is interesting to see how Deaver took his character out of his safe zone. Incorporating sound and music is a twist that readers will find interesting.
The following review is a special for BlackFive readers provided by Elise Cooper. You can read all of our book reviews and author interviews by clicking on the Books category link in the right side bar.
The Night The Lights Went Out by Karen White is a play on the song since the title continues “In Georgia.” This novel takes place in the suburbs of Atlanta. As with all her books readers get a glimpse of the Southern culture where friendship is a major theme within a mystery.
The strength of the novel is the bond that forms between Sugar Prescott and Merilee Talbot Dunlop, both with formative secrets. Sugar, a woman in her nineties, is very crusty and represents how society used to be. This is contrasted with the modern day perspective that depends on technology for communication. White is one of those authors that write such gripping characters readers become embedded with. It is fun to see the generational differences between Merilee and Sugar. Heather is another character, representing the southern suburb housewife who plays tennis, drives a SUV, and has her children in a private school, with secrets of her own. Besides these characters the blog writings are character-like with its southern words of wisdom that provide levity and frankness.
She does make fun of social media, noting, “I do make digs at Facebook and social media in my stories. I have to force myself to go on Facebook. I enjoy my fan page because I can talk about my dogs and books. Unfortunately, you cannot have a fan page without a personal page. I cannot believe the things people post; they over share. I think we need to communicate directly to people. If you have something to tell me that is short then text, but anything bigger than five words call me. What really upsets me is when I leave a voice mail and then someone calls me without listening to it, forcing me to repeat myself.”
The mystery comes into play when Dan, the husband of Heather and a friend of Merilee’s, is found lying face down in the lake. She becomes a person of interest since her past also includes other victims of drowning. The other sub-plot mystery is when a bloodstained jacket is found in a locker located in the basement of Merilee’s rented cottage.
The author noted, “All my books are about a woman’s journey, finding her place in the world, and moving beyond a setback that many times includes a mystery. The heart of my stories is following the main character to see if she gets out of some predicament. In this book they have the kind of friendship that does not come with Facebook or texting. It comes from spending time with each other and getting to know one another.”
This story has friendship, family, betrayal, revenge, loyalty, and hope. Readers will laugh with the characters, while at other times will be on the edge of their seats. White is great at combining all these elements to make a gripping story with fascinating characters.
Book Review: Robert B. Parker’s Little White Lies
