Books

9 Action-Packed Books More Entertaining Than Any Movie

9 Action-Packed Books More Entertaining Than Any Movie
Kirkus Reviews
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Originally published on Kirkus

The story of the Nazis’ international bank robberies (Chasing Gold by George M. Taber), a New York safecracker forcibly turned secret agent (King of the Cracksmen by Dennis O’Flaherty), and a harrowing prison memoir (Guantánamo Diary by Mohamedou Ould Slahi): they are all recently released books that will entertain, frighten, and keep you turning pages until late in the night. Enjoy!

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Books More Entertaining Than Any Movie
'Moriarty' by Anthony Horowitz(01 of09)
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"Readers who aren't put off by the Hollywood pacing, with action set pieces less like Conan Doyle than the Robert Downey Jr. movies, are in for a rare treat, a mystery as original as it is enthralling."A Sherlockian pastiche without Holmes and Watson? Yes indeed, and it's a tour de force quite unlike any other fruit from these densely plowed fields. Read full book review.
'King of the Cracksmen' by Dennis O'Flaherty(02 of09)
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"As Liam remarks: "That ought to ginger them up." He could be referring to readers of this rousingly violent, funny, sometimes shockingly profane opener."A New York safecracker forcibly turned secret agent takes on his corrupt bosses in this broad and brawling debut. Read full book review.
'Last Days in Shanghai' by Casey Walker(03 of09)
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"Though its observations about China's construction boom and the dismal state of American politics are as fresh as the morning news feed, Walker's novel also feels like a disquieting peek deep into the coming decades of global economic upheaval."Slimy all-American graft oozes from beneath the economic aspirations of contemporary China in this witty, illuminating thriller. Read full book review.
'There Will Be Lies' by Nick Lake(04 of09)
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"A fine exploration of the power of story itself to heal the unconscious from scars physical and emotional. (Fiction. 13-17)"Over a period of eight days, 17-year-old Shelby's life is forever changed. Read full book review.
'God'll Cut You Down: The Tangled Tale of a White Supremacist, A Black Hustler, A Murder, And How I lost a Year in Mississippi' by John Safran(05 of09)
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"Weaving a tale that is simultaneously about race, failed systems, money, sex, family and simple rage, Safran truly did lose a year in Mississippi, and getting lost with him is a joy."A murdered white supremacist sparks a remarkable investigation that is anything but straightforward. Read full book review.
'Little White Lies' by Katie Dale(06 of09)
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"Slight Briticisms make the fact-finding all the more interesting as readers keep guessing in this gripping whodunit. (Thriller. 14 & up)"Sometimes lying is the only way to get to the truth for one teen in this British thriller. Read full book review.
'Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible: The Surreal Heart of the New Russia' by Peter Pomerantsev(07 of09)
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"Not always cohesive, but the stylish rendering of the Russian culture, which both attracts and appalls the author, will keep the reader captivated."Everything you know about Russia is wrong, according to this eye-opening, mind-bending memoir of a TV producer caught between two cultures. Read full book review.
'Guantánamo Diary' by Mohamedou Ould Slahi, edited by Larry Siems(08 of09)
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"Slahi may or may not be a reliable narrator; readers are called on to suspend disbelief. By his account, of course, he is not guilty. His memoir is essential reading for anyone concerned with human rights and the rule of law."A harrowing prison memoir, the first to date by an inmate who is behind bars at the Cuban penitentiary that has become a byword for an American gulag. Read full book review.
'Chasing Gold: The Incredible Story Behind the Nazi Search for Europe's Bullion' by George M. Taber(09 of09)
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"A chilling tale vividly told."The story of the Nazis' international bank robberies. Read full book review.

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