The Queen of Bedlam by Robert McCammon

The Queen of Bedlam
by Robert McCammon
Pocket Books, 2007
978-1-4165-7157-5
eBook, 655 pages
Historical Fiction/Mystery

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It’s 1702 and Matthew Corbett has been working as a personal secretary to Magistrate Nathaniel Powers of New York. When his employer suddenly announces he is retiring and sends the young man on an arranged job interview, Matthew realizes he has allowed himself to become complacent about his future. A growing town of approximately 5,000 people, the promise represented by New York is being considered by many: businessmen, financiers, politicians and criminals. Matthew now realizes he will have to do the same. So, when he’s offered a position with the Herrald Agency, perhaps the first private investigators to set up shop in the Colonies, Matthew recognizes it as a serious opportunity for which he is well suited.

(For those of you who don’t know, Matthew Corbett was introduced in 2002 in a two-volume suspense novel called Speaks The Nightbird. Working as a scrivener-apprentice to Isaac Woodward, a magistrate in Carolina, the two men came to the village of Fount Royal to investigate the charges against Rachel Howarth, who apparently was a witch who killed her husband, a man of the cloth. No one but Matthew believed the woman innocent, and he had to single-handedly solve the murder in order to save Rachel from burning at the stake.)

Now, as Matthew Corbett embarks on his new career, he has three more mysteries to solve…

1. Discover the identity of the fiend New York’s printer of the Earwig (A 2 page rag that passes for a newspaper) has dubbed The Masker. Matthew was intent on solving this particular puzzle even before becoming a detective. But he’s given extra incentive by the widow of one of the victims, who offers him 10 shillings to track down the killer. His new employer is also interested in how Matthew will perform with respect to such a dangerous case.

2. Prove that  Eben Ausley, the headmaster of the local orphanage, has been abusing boys for many years. Matthew spent his childhood at this institution and knows the man is a monster.

3. Complete an agency job which requires that he and his new mentor, Hudson Greathouse, discover the identity of a long-time mental patient known only as The Queen Of Bedlam.

Using the tools of his time, Matthew unwittingly chases after a criminal mastermind so foul one can almost sense the detective will fail. And as we follow our hero through a cast of interesting characters (Matthew’s new mentor, Hudson Greathouse, who is what we, today, would call a mercenary; Zed, the hulking, tongueless slave who works for the city’s strange coroner; even the new Governor, who dresses in women’s clothing in deference to his cousin the Queen), McCammon also paints us a vivid picture what it must have been like to be at the birth of a new century and her greatest city.

I’ve read all four books in the Matthew Corbett series, and I have to say The Queen of Bedlam is my favourite. Robert McCammon takes three seemingly unrelated crimes and turns them into a sinister operation of epic proportions (and makes it seem easy to do). Dropped into the middle of this nightmare is the refreshing hero, Matthew Corbett, who is such a perfectly drawn character he has become a good friend to me. Now, add in meticulous and often surprising descriptions of New York city in its infancy and you have an historical novel of suspense like none other.

The reader will have great fun as McCammon masterfully weaves the many threads of his mystery, creates a fictional world with great skill and still manages to keep some of the playfulness you can find in some of his earlier works. Perhaps the reader will also be excited about the recent release of the fourth Corbett novel, Mister Slaughter.


Copyright © Clayton Clifford Bye 2010

Show No Fear by Marliss Melton

Show No Fear
by Marliss Melton
Forever, Hachette Book Group
Sep 2009
ISBN: 978-0-446-50927-5
Mass Market Paperback
292 pages
Romantic Suspense

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Lucy Donovan is somewhat of a CIA legend. It seems there’s no risk she won’t take to complete her mission. However, after being captured and tortured on her last field operation, Lucy is diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and ends up behind a desk for several months. Anxious to get back into the fray and to prove to herself and everyone she works with that PTSD is no longer an issue, Lucy is thrilled to be assigned to a UN team headed to Bogotá charged with the task of recovering two American prisoners from that country’s home-grown terrorists. If the team can’t manage the task through negotiations, she’ll rescue the men her way. Except…

Lucy, who always works alone, is saddled with a jungle-savvy Navy Seal by the name of Gus. They are to go into Bogotá undercover as a married couple who are actual UN team-members. Their job? Identify the camp where the captives are being held so that a Seal team can extract them and find out what’s going on with the suddenly silent and mysterious terrorist organization named FARC. And things get worse: it turns out that Gus is her college lover, who she dumped (after surviving a bombing) in favour of fighting terrorists. Neither of them ever resolved their feelings for each other.

As they are thrown into forced intimacy and as the pressure of the work builds, the two give in to the obvious passion they still share. Lucy is determined to show none of the fear she’s trying to deal with, and Gus is determined to show her, through their unusual partnership, that she needs to embrace life instead of putting her’s continually on the line because of survivor guilt and the need to fight her own fears.

Show No Fear is an interesting romance packaged within the framework of a convincing CIA extraction. Author Marliss Melton has done her homework and weaves a believable tale of political intrigue and terrorism set in the mountainous jungle just outside of Bogotá. Strange and unexpected situations involving the rebels (FARC), the Columbian army, and elite, American trained Venezuelan soldiers escalate the danger level of the mission to a point where both agents must fight for their lives.

This is only the 4th or 5th novel I’ve read by a woman author who weaves tales about romance in the midst of war. All of these novels have an added element of emotion, a depth, to what could just as easily have been traditional and convincing action or suspense novels. Are the stories better or worse for the added dimension? No, I would say they are simply different.

If you enjoy good suspense, lots of action, plenty of plot twists and realistic romance, then Marliss Melton’s Show No Fear is for you. I’m sure you’ll also be pleased to know there are 6 other books in this “Navy Seals” series.

Copyright © Clayton Clifford Bye 2010

The Strange and Twisted World of Dan Brown

The Lost Symbol
by Dan Brown
Doubleday, 2009
ISBN:  978-0-385-50422-5
509 pages
Hardcover
Suspense/Thriller

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When Robert Langdon is asked to stand in as a speaker at a function at the U.S. Capitol building by his old friend Peter Solomon, he just can’t say no. But when he arrives, instead of finding an eager crowd, Langdon not only discovers he’s been deceived but that he’s the recipient of a different and horrifying invitation. Immediately plunged into a world of endless Masonic secrets, the famous symbologist must separate legend from reality or lose his friend and spark a political nightmare of immense proportions.

Millions of readers and countless reviewers have already weighed in on Dan Brown’s latest offering, The Lost Symbol. With this in mind, I’m going to offer you something different.

First, let me say that after reading the horrendous Angels & Demons, I swore I would never read another book by Dan Brown. I stayed true to my word until this past weekend when a good friend asked me (as an accomplished Freemason) about the accuracy of the Masonic content in The Lost Symbol. Well… it’s obvious what the end result of that conversation was. So, here’s what I’m going to do: I’ll offer up my short opinion of The Lost Symbol (as a reviewer), then I’m going to take some time to discuss Brown’s Masonic world. My hope is you’ll enjoy it.


The Review

One cannot dispute Dan Brown’s ability to intrigue us with complex puzzles and keep us in salivating suspense until the last pages of his novels. This is his brilliance. His books are also full of all sorts of well researched oddities. Yet, as a writer, he cheats his readers in terrible ways. For example, The Lost Symbol reads like a guided tour of Washington’s historic buildings. Forget about an interesting story about interesting people. Robert Langdon is the same paper cut-out from Brown’s two previous books. He’s someone to lead us through the puzzle(s) the author has constructed for us. He doesn’t change or isn’t changed by his experiences (okay, the last word in The Lost Symbol is a minor change). In fact, the only well developed character in the entire book is the villain, Mal’akh. So, I ask you… What the hell do I care about arcane puzzles if I have to wade through a travel brochure peopled with obvious constructs? Brown could have saved me the trouble of reading 509 pages by summarizing the simplistic story on the back of a postcard.


The Meat and Potatoes…

Prior to my reading Dan Brown’s latest book, a senior Mason I know stated that 90% of the Masonic content in The Lost Symbol was accurate. However, saying this, he also made sure I understood this information was fictionalized. In other words, much of it is taken out of context and/or used in a way that fits the story but that doesn’t necessarily reflect its actual use in Freemasonry. “However, Brown does portray Masons in a positive way,” he said.

My own opinion now that I’ve read the book? The previously mentioned (Masonic) brother was quite accurate in his assessment.

For example, early in the book, Brown relates a collection of penalties a Mason will face should he reveal the Masonic secrets entrusted to him: these were included in Brown’s book as broken pieces and grouped together in a way that makes no real sense. Yes, the penalties were accurate, but they were incomplete and taken out of context. You see, Brown fails to note the easily discovered fact that the violent penalties are not practiced, that more civilized methods of punishment are used. The threat of violence is there only to make an impression on the candidate, to remind him that his word and honour are not to be taken lightly; Brown uses the threats in the same way, but never completely explains their purpose or the context in which they are used. His way is more exciting, of course.

Later in the novel, there is mentioned an oath all Masons must take to protect vulnerable family members of another Mason and to keep all his secrets—–even if they are unlawful. This is a blatant untruth. The oath Brown is referring to has the Mason swear to keep all of his brother’s lawful secrets, but to not shield other actions, especially heinous crimes like murder. That’s a huge distinction.

Brown also talks about the 33rd degree in Masonry. One should understand that Masonry is actually like the steps leading up two sides of the same pyramid (the ascension of which symbolizes enlightenment). On one side you have what is known as the York Rite, on the other is the Scottish Rite. The 33rd degree exists only in the Scottish Rite, which is primarily practiced in the United States. This degree is bestowed rather than earned, most often being given to a Mason who has made an outstanding contribution to the craft.

During his depiction of the 33rd degree, Brown states initiation includes drinking wine out of a human skull and taking a solemn oath that your primary allegiance is to the 33rd degree Masons. I can’t refute this claim because I am not a 33rd degree Mason. I do however, know that earlier degrees are careful to recommend allegiance to God, country and your family before even considering your Masonic obligations. As degrees in Freemasonry are like building blocks, one being added to another, it just doesn’t make sense that a senior degree would ask you to undermine that which has already been constructed. The skull? I’ve heard a similar reference to drinking wine from a skull in one of the final degrees in the York Rite. Given my knowledge of the craft, however, I can’t help but wonder about context. (I’ll be taking the degree in question within the next few months, so I expect my curiousity will then be satisfied.)

How about the basis for the novel The Lost Symbol? To my knowledge there is no lost symbol or word or secret pyramid pertaining to the senior degrees of either the York or the Scottish Rite. In the 3rd degree we do learn that one of the three Grand Masters involved in the building of the first temple to God in Jerusalem (Hiram Abiff, the architect or Master Builder) is slain because he wouldn’t reveal the secrets (which involve words, tokens or signs) of a Master Mason. As a result the original secrets were lost. King Solomon, also one of the Grand Masters, has temporary secrets created until the original secrets can be rediscovered. These secrets are revealed/recovered in the Royal Arch degree in the York Rite and, I assume, at a similar point in the Scottish Rite.

The Circumpunct, a dot in the centre of a circle, plays a significant role in The Lost Symbol. In this instance, Brown’s depiction of it is accurate. The symbol is introduced early in Masonry. The centre/dot of the circle is equidistant from all points on the circumference and, in my mind represents our effort to strive for perfection in our lives. Why? Because the centre is “a point from which a Mason cannot err.” Also, the centre in a lodge is found by identifying a sacred symbol which depicts God, The Great Architect of the Universe. So, the Circumpunct also represents God.

The Chamber of Reflection mentioned in The Lost Symbol is found only in the Scottish Rite and not in all lodges. It is usually a small room adjoining the lodge, in which, prior to initiation, the candidate is enclosed so that he may contemplate that which he is about to enter. It is also used in some of the advanced degrees for somewhat similar purposes.

This small room or chamber is dark, with the walls painted black. It contains the following: a simple rough wooden table on which is placed: a human skull, usually on two crossbones, a chunk of bread, a pitcher with water, a container, cup or saucer with salt and one with sulphur, a lighted candle or lantern, an hourglass, paper, ink and pen, a wooden stool or chair, a rooster painted on the wall, a sickle, the acronym V.I.T.R.I.O.L.(U.M.) and various sayings. I would have to say Brown’s depiction in this instance is fair and accurate. Such a room offers the Mason an opportunity to contemplate his life and the nature of death. One of the important lessons of Freemasonry is indeed “how to die.”

The following are some examples of the symbolism involved with The Chamber of Reflection:

THE CHAMBER can be seen as a physical depiction of a Mason’s journey from darkness into light. It can also be a considered a birth, a new beginning, even a resurrection.

THE SKULL and CROSSBONES signify decline and decay. One is to contemplate death as per instructions received in certain degrees. Death is also the Great Leveler and, in time, makes us all equal.

BREAD AND WATER are symbols of simplicity, suggesting to the future initiate how he should conduct his life. While the bread and water represent the elements necessary to life, they also remind the candidate that the physical should not be the only objective in one’s existence. The suggestion is, of course, to look toward the spiritual and the intellectual.

THE ALCHEMICAL ELEMENTS, sulphur, salt and mercury are representative of ancient man’s efforts to turn lead into gold and, in Masonry, actually become a metaphor for bringing the new Mason from darkness to light, from a rough stone into one which is polished and valuable. Sulphur symbolizes spirit, salt symbolizes wisdom and mercury refers to vigilance and faith. Mercury is known to have been represented by a Rooster drawn on a wall.

THE HOURGLASS is a reminder of mortality, that we should make good use of the time given us.

V.I.T.R.I.O.L.(U.M.) Vitriol is a substance used in ancient alchemy. Its Latin meaning suggests one must search for truth within oneself, that the truth is hidden there, and that this truth is the real solution to our problems.

I mention some of these symbols because Brown does include one aspect of York Rite Masonry in his book. It involves the York Rite’s version of The Chamber of Reflection. In The Lost Symbol,  Robert Langdon solves an initial puzzle with ease, recognizing the simple Masonic Cipher or Pigpen Cipher once used by ancient Freemasons to obscure their meeting notes and messages. However, as is often the case in real Masonry, Langdon then finds the decoded message leads to yet another puzzle.

In the 3rd degree of the York Rite, a tracing board (a pictorial collection of symbols) is available for the instruction of the brethren regarding the topic of that degree, which is contemplation of life and instruction on how to die. One must use the Masonic Cipher in order to decode a number of symbols found on this board. However, once this is done, one realizes very quickly that the resultant message is meaningless: there is yet another puzzle to solve before achieving true meaning. As the meaning of this secondary puzzle involves the secrets of the 3rd degree, I’m not at liberty to share it with you

As you can see, Dan Brown obviously spent a great deal of time researching his subject matter. While he may have revealed certain Masonic mysteries I would have left alone, he doesn’t, except for one instance I won’t mention, reveal the secrets of any of the degrees (which by the way are nothing more than signs, tokens and words by which a Mason can recognize a brother). The author also has fun by naming Langdon’s friend Solomon, after King Solomon, who plays a significant role in many of the Masonic plays that make up the various degrees.

I noticed the same kind of playfulness when Brown dealt with the science of Noetics: research into the potentials and powers of consciousness—including perceptions, beliefs, attention, intention, and intuition. Some prominent names in that field are also used as parts of the names of his characters. His basic research into this new “science” is just as sound as his Masonic research.

On an equally light note, the reader will notice that near the end of the book, Peter Solomon and Robert Langdon have a discussion about religion, based on the power of a word or symbol to fundamentally change mankind’s perception of God and of the individual. I quite enjoyed this talk of God Within, Man as a Temple, even Man as God. It works well to prepare us for the revelation of The Lost Symbol, and it is something every person should think about at some point in their religious lives. Freemasonry, by the way, definitely considers the body a temple, yet requires all members to recognize the existence of a supreme being.

There are many other examples of Masonic knowledge used correctly and incorrectly in The Lost Symbol, but I believe I can end with the following summation: Masonry is not a secret organization; it is an organization with secrets. If you wish to become part of the brotherhood and learn those secrets, ask a Mason. We don’t recruit and we rarely defend ourselves in public. Find the truth (the light) yourself, rather than relying on the suspect ramblings of a writer of fiction.


Copyright  © Clayton Clifford Bye

Guns by Phil Bowie

Guns
By Phil Bowie
Medallion Press, Inc, 2006
ISBN: 978-1-932815-59-7
357 pages
Mass Market Paperback
Suspense

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The Cowboy is a man with a past. Known to the residents of Ocracoke island as Sam Bass, this pilot-for-hire lives a quiet, simple life until his heroic part in a dangerous sea rescue gains national attention. Unfortunately, Sam’s old employer is one of the people who sees the newspaper story. A player in the shady world of light weapons trading, Louis Strake dispatches a hit team to the remote Northern Carolina island. Their orders? Put a permanent end to Strake’s association with The Cowboy.

Sam is a government witness who has gotten a little too comfortable. Too many people know his habits. And it’s only quick thinking and a lot of luck that saves his life. His beautiful girlfriend, Valerie, isn’t so lucky. She’s killed by an explosive charge the hit team places in The Cowboy’s jeep.

Forced back into the witness protection program and unable to make any contact with Valerie’s five-year-old son, The Cowboy decides to avenge Valerie’s death in the way of her Cherokee ancestors. Enlisting the help of Valerie’s grandfather, he prepares himself mentally and physically for what lies ahead. Then he goes hunting.

Guns is Phil Bowie’s commentary on the world of arms dealing. His protagonist is a morally ambivalent pilot who steps a little too far into that dark land and tries to escape by taking down the man who brought him in. When this effort fails, the feds give The Cowboy a new identity and encourage him to completely forget his old life. He’s okay with this. But once that new life is shattered, Bowie’s anti-hero coldly and methodically exacts the kind of revenge countless real-world victims only dream about.

Bowie is a skilled writer. I wouldn’t have guessed Guns was his first novel. Take away the lengthy monologues he blatantly uses to provide backstory and you’ve got a terrific book.

(This review was originally published in 2006 by the gottawritenetwork.com)


Copyright © Clayton Clifford Bye 2009

The Enemy Stalks

The Enemy Stalks
#1 of the Hawkman series
by Betty Sullivan La Pierre
SynergEbooks, 2003
ISBN: 1591092043
174 pages
Romance/Suspense

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Tom Casey, also known as “Hawkman,” has relocated to the small community of Copco Lake. Jennifer Morgan, a freelance writer, saves Casey when he is badly wounded in a gun battle with an unknown assailant. Both widowers, the pair find themselves attracted to each other. But Hawkman is actually a retired spy, living under an assumed name. When it becomes apparent that someone from his former life is out to get him, he reveals his past to Jennifer, making her realize that her quiet world is actually full of danger.

The Enemy Stalks is a combination of romance and suspense. Featuring an unknown but persistent enemy, the story centres on the struggle of two people trying to rebuild their shattered lives. It’s a fast moving tale that is also enjoyable to read. One can tell the author tries to balance the two genres to create something interesting for the reader. But I’m not convinced she succeeds.

I’m used to reading suspense authors like Robert B. Parker (the Spenser novels) and John Sanford (the Prey novels). Betty Sullivan La Pierre doesn’t bring the depth of character or atmosphere to her story that these other novelists manage. The substance just isn’t there. And the same can be said of the romance. Her depiction is sound, but, by today’s standards, her character’s love relationship is quite tame. I even found the portrayal of the villain unconvincing.

This bothers me, as La Pierre’s writing is technically sound. How shall I put this? The Enemy Stalks was an enjoyable lunch that somehow left me wanting more than I received. I understand other books in the series have been well received. Perhaps the author solved these problems in her later novels. I hope so, as I believe La Pierre has real talent.


Copyright © Clayton Clifford Bye 2009

Fog Island Flowers by Tonya R. Moore

Fog Island Flowers
by Tonya R. Moore, 2008
Science Fiction
Paperback
268 pages

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Fog Island Flowers is one of Tonya Moore’s first forays into the self-publishing world. It’s what I would call a true diamond in the rough. Full of errors an editor would have caught (improper use of paragraphs and many missed and misspelled words), this is a story I couldn’t help but read.

The first book in the Cassandra series, Fog Island Flowers introduces the girl-god Cassandra Baron. A story about her parents, the technologically derived Anel and her half-human mate Jonathan, Fog Island Flowers chronicles Jonathon Baron’s return to his ancestral home and the madness that follows. A study of how advanced alien races rise and fall as gods to the lesser beings with whom they interact, the book enthralls.

How shall I put this? I’m a fan of Tonya’s later works, especially Pandora’s Lament, yet had I not known her I would still have given Fog Island Flowers a complete read. Don’t get me wrong, I believe the author owes it to herself and her future readers to go back and have this book properly edited and rewritten (I’ve had to do this with my own first novel, Tonya). But I have to tell you, Fog Island Flowers is a marvelous story.

If you’re someone interested in new and talented authors, and you can get past some substantial flaws, give Fog Island Flowers a try.

Copyright © Clayton Clifford Bye 2009