CAPTAIN NEMO - The Fantastid Adventures of a Dark Genius

 

CAPTAIN NEMO

The Fantastic Adventures of a Dark Genius

By Kevin J. Anderson

Titan Books

462 pages

 

We loved this book written in the style of the grand adventures of old. What Kevin Anderson has done is imagine that Jules Verne’s fictional character was in fact a real person named Andre Nemo. He and Jules grew up as boys in the village of Nantes France and were bosom buddies. Each dreamed of exploring the wide world when adults and having amazing adventures. Also involved in these fantasies is a local young miss named Caroline Arronax whom both boys love deeply.

 

Right from the start the boy Verne is a timid soul unlike Nemo, a reckless youth eager to plunge into whatever lies ahead. And so, fate conspires to separate them when Nemo becomes a cabin boy aboard a British ship and leaves both Verne and Caroline behind. From that point on, Nemo’s life becomes one series of fantastical adventures after another. From surviving a pirate attack, being stranded on a mysterious island and discovering a world beneath the earth’s crust. All the while back in France, Verne is failing miserably at becoming a successful author and meekly submitting to his father’s wishes to study law.

 

As the narrative moves along, years later Nemo returns and regales both Verne and Caroline with tales of his exploits. Still restless, he soon sets off again. Meanwhile, Verne is inspired to use Nemo’s stories as the plots for his fiction. It is these books that gain him success far beyond his own imaginations. Yet he remains unable to escape his fantasy prison. Meanwhile Nemo ends up in the middle of the Crimean War riding into battle with the famous Light Brigade and later encounters nurse Florence Nightingale. 

The genius of Anderson’s book is that he purposely lays the map Andre Nemo’s life against the backdrop of Jules Verne’s popular classics. He peppers supporting characters with names any reader will instantly recognize and mixes these fictional players with historical figures. Over the years, many, many writers have given us multiple versions of Captain Nemo in books, comics, and movies. Some nearly unrecognizable from Verne’s original. Whereas in this book, Anderson has given us one of the most endearing, complex and sensitive heroes to wear that name. 

“Captain Nemo – The Fantastic Adventures of a Dark Genius” is a pure delight and writing masterpiece.

DEPARTURE DAY - Biker 11

 

DEPARTURE DAY

Biker Book 11

By Mike Baron

Wolfpack Publishing

336 pgs

 

What we’ve always appreciated about Mike Baron, whether writing prose shorts, novels or comic scripts, is that he remains topical. It’s as if Baron assimilates the culture around him. He absorbs all its high points and in the same regard all its lunacy. That gift is on display in “Departure Day,” the eleventh book in his series featuring reformed biker, Josh Pratt. 

A summary history on the protagonist as follows. He grew up without a mother and a killer for a father. He got involved with biker gangs at a young age and ended up in prison. There he was saved by a charismatic pastor who brought him to Jesus and salvation. A pardon from the governor, at the pastor’s recommendation, then led to a free ex-con becoming a private investigator/summons server. Over the next nine books, Josh found himself making atonement for his early life by helping others; some of these souls in desperate straits. The stories were fast-paced thrillers and through them, Josh suffered victories and a few brutal loses. 

With this latest, and what feels like a finale, Josh is about to get married for the first time to his movie-making dancer fiancé. A few months prior a young man named Dolan appears on his doorstep claiming to be his son. Their physical resemblance is enough to convince Josh. Dolan’s mother was one of his old flames from his sordid past who has died leaving the seventeen-year-old an orphan. The second surprise is the lad is not only intelligent, he has maturity with a great deal of character and integrity. The more Josh gets to know his son, the more he is impressed and vows to be the best father he can be, whatever that entails. He has a lot to make up for. 

It's at this point when Dolan informs him that the apartment building he and his late mother resided, has been invaded by members of the Venezuelan outlaw, Tren de Aragua. They are driving out the regular tenants and using the building to sell their drugs and turn young girls into sex-slaves. Whereas Dolan managed to escape them, he left behind several old military veterans among the tenants held hostage. He worries for their safety. Can Josh help to get them out of that place? 

It seems like a simple enough question, but Josh knows better. Which is where Baron’s book launches off the narrative platform like a space-bound Nasa rocket. How Josh Pratt, not only manages to free these men and then later an entire building complex is an incredible and brilliantly told adventure. From start to finish, “Departure Day” is like nothing this reviewer has ever read before. The settings are real, the issues examined timely and the action non-stop. This may be the last Josh Pratt yarn. If that’s the case, then we want to tell you, it ends on a rousing, all cheering high note. Do not miss this one!

NYPD RED 8 - The 11:59 Bomber

 

NYPD RED 8

The 11:59 Bomber

By Marshall Karp

Black Stone Publishing

335 pgs

Available Nov 25, 2025

 

We always had a fondness for solid police procedural thrillers. One of our favorite writers of all time was the late Ed McBain whose 87^th Precinct novels entertained us for decades. Thus, it was with some anxious expectations that we picked up this book hoping for the best. Happily, we were not disappointed in the slightest, as Karp delivers a solid, wonderfully paced tale with truly memorable characters; both good and bad. 

The two principles are detective partners Kylie McDonald and Zach Jordan. There are also two really well-defined plots. The primary concerns an obsessed bomber whose only wish is to bring the great city of New York to its knees, and he doesn’t care how many people he has to kill to achieve his goal. The secondary plot involves Kylie’s husband Spence. He had been missing for many months and upon his return attacks a popular new filmmaker claiming the fellow stole his story. Later that same night, the director is murdered and Spence is found standing over his body with a bloody knife in his hands. It seems an opening and shut case, but Kylie refuses to accept the damning facts. She convinces both Zach, and her captain, that they should investigate further. 

We are generally not fans of writers who switch from narrative viewpoints ala going from third person to first back and forth. Most of the time that ploy is crudely applied and results in our losing interest immediately. Not so with this particular book and that’s due to Karp’s intuitive sense of solid storytelling regardless of the perspective. Once caught up in the tale, we found it impossible to put it down and in the end were rewarded with a truly powerful, well-told crime drama. We think McBain would have given it thumbs up. We certainly do.