2021s
Great timing as we pull into a parking spot: Connor hit 100,000 miles. Took five years, three months.
Better late than never, I guess: my review of @bentleydonb’s latest book, The Outside Man: www.retrophisch.com/2021/05/1…
TL; DR: Buy it and enjoy.
Retrophisch Review: The Outside Man
In his debut novel, Don Bentley introduced the world to Matt Drake, a new kind of thriller hero, yet one still recognizable to fans of the genre. Without Sanction was a runaway bestseller, and I was glad to have followed the advice of so many on social media and give it a read. Drake takes the next step on his journey in the follow-up, The Outside Man.
I’ll be honest: I loved this book. In a private message exchange, I told Bentley I thought this was his Empire Strikes Back to the Star Wars of Without Sanction. The first novel sets the stage, but this one 
turns the volume all the way to 11 and takes Matt Drake, and his creator, to the next level.
After the events of the first book, this one opens with Matt being ambushed in broad daylight, on the streets of Austin, Texas, no less. There is a terrorist with a score to settle against Drake, backed up by professionals from the Middle East. Our hero manages to survive, but the ambush provides more questions than answers, and Drake is once again plunged into a world he thought he was desperate to leave, but finds his soul needs for him to truly be a part of. The villain we caught whispers of in Without Sanction is fully revealed here, and he is formidable. Worse, he knows exactly where to hurt Matt Drake the most.
One of the things I appreciate about Drake, and Bentley’s writing of him, is that he is fully human. He gets hurt, wounded, injured, and those have real-world consequences that affect how Matt continues his mission. Coupled with his vow to rescue an innocent from a sex-trafficking ring, and his snarky sense of humor, on more than one occasion one is left wondering, “Just how is Matt going to get out of trouble this time?“ As a thriller author, this is exactly what you want in your toolbox, to keep your readers on their toes and guessing what’s next.
Without Sanction was a firm entry into the thriller genre for Don Bentley, but The Outside Man vaults him into the band of my must-read authors, joining Daniel Silva, Mark Greaney, Lee (and now Andrew) Child, Nick Petrie, and Jack Carr. If you’re a fan of the genre, or just someone looking for a great read, The Outside Man is a must-buy.
5/5 fins
My Facebook feed was suddenly full of videos of Ryan Miller’s last NHL game and Oshie’s hat trick two days after losing his dad, and now it’s really, really dusty in here…
“Raise the Blood Flag and get our geeks to work.”
I like it. I also like the analogy of cyberspace to the high seas.
There is a special Mothers' Day episode of the Empowered Parent Podcast out today! empoweredparent.podbean.com/mobile/e/…
If the kidnappers knew what they were doing, I’d be gagged, blindfolded, and with some sort of hearing protection on to isolate me and keep me from learning where they’re taking me.
Uh oh. I may have said too much… twitter.com/AngryManT…
It’s an actual spring day here in north Texas!
Which means it’s sunny, not scorching hot, but the wind is blowing pollen through the air in massive amounts and nature is trying to kill me. #allergies
Spammers can be so cute. Oh, an email from my retrophisch.com email support team?
I am the retrophisch.com email support team. Well, me and the fine folks at @DreamHost.
I’m not sure who needs to hear this, but the new album by Dirty Honey is pretty great.
Straight-up rock in the vein of Aerosmith and Guns N' Roses, with heavy shades of the Black Crowes, and a little dash of Poison thrown in for fun.
It’s a shame that Local Pint has been open for more than 4 years in our little burg, and tonight was the first time @klttx and I have been. It will not be the last, and after having had the loaded tots (with beer cheese) and the BOJ (Bacon Onion Jam) burger, the regret runs deep.
It’s Saturday night, and both the @Rangers and the @DallasStars are playing. And yet we’re still unable to watch…
<looks askance at @BallySportsSW and @FrontierCorp>
Last night, finished coding project that is the final exam of my latest class. Everything worked, submitted, done.
To celebrate, picked up where I left off on Ted Lasso. I didn’t know celebrating would end with tears at the end of “Tan Lines.”
This is a subversively good show.
It’s getting late in the day, but it’s still @robkroese’s birthday! Celebrate by buying any (or all) of his books, they’re all quite great. badnovelist.com
Thirty-one years ago today. Still together. Love you, Kel. flic.kr/p/MmqarG
Not as hallowed ground as old Rosenblatt, but still cool nonetheless to see Ameritrade Park in person. Hoping @LSUbaseball is back here real soon. #GeauxTigers #Geauxmaha
I finally finished a non-school book in 2021, @robkroese’s The Legacy of the Iron Dragon. It was a great way to pass the time on the plane ride to Omaha, and it’s a great continuation of the Iron Dragon series.