Jack Kost: 08/25/25

Monday, August 25, 2025

The Breaker - series. Books 1 - 3:

The Breaker

ISBN: 9781656281517

Description:

How do you know the one you love won’t hurt you?

Or even try to kill you?
In many cases … you don’t.

How do we choose our path and purpose in life?

What makes us who we are?
When Seth Egan starts working as a private detective, he knows he’ll make enemies.
It goes with the territory.
As Seth works on a murder case and hunts down the killers, he becomes the target.
Some people have no conscience, shame, empathy, or remorse.
To get their own way, to get what they want, to take everything, they will do anything.
Even murder.
In the end, they will drag you down to hell with them.
Sometimes, our enemies are those closest to us.

Amazon link:

https://t.co/eKFZ03giKR?amp=1

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Bad Blood

ISBN: 9798682203192

Description:

No one is paying Seth Egan for his latest case.

He keeps this one unofficial.

Pro bono publico.

Off the books.

For him, this one is personal.

A matter of bad blood.

A woman with a grudge of her own leads Seth to a place where people vanish without trace.

Money is the motive.

Greed is the motivator.

Scores that can only be settled in blood.

A dark underworld of illegal gambling, prostitution, drugs, violence and murder.

Amazon link:

https://t.co/e0XiS8crAr?amp=1

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Mall Maze

ISBN: 9798729917235

Description:

Friday the 13th.

Unlucky for many.

What should have been a routine adultery case ends with Seth Egan fighting for his life.

Cut off from the world.

With no way to call for help.

Trapped in a place where the walls are coming down around him.

Seth is running out of places to hide.

As chaos reigns and the city burns … the hunters close in.

Amazon link:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09244XVYW/

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Themes:

Abuse by proxy, Adultery, C-PTSD, crime, detective, domestic abuse, enabler, flying monkey, gaslighting, hardboiled, heist, infidelity, murder, narcissism, narcissist, narcissistic abuse, neo-noir, personality disorder, psychopath, sociopath, suspense, thriller, vigilante, violence.

Books available in hardcover, paperback and Kindle.

A percentage from sales of my books is donated to Multiple Sclerosis (MS) research.

What’s On?

A Guide to Movies and TV Shows

Hardcover

ISBN-13: 9798342696098

Paperback

ISBN-13: 9798341177307

Kindle

ASIN: B0DJTZ8T58

Back cover description:

What’s On? … is the timeless question we have all asked ourselves almost every day of our lives, as we reach for the remote control and settle in front of the TV screen.

Jack Kost, a life-long movie buff and coffee addict, offers his choice of favorite movie and television masterpieces.

Providing possible answers to the question of What’s On? with over 1,900 titles, from golden oldies and timeless classics, to more recent releases, all meticulously logged and summarized.

An invaluable and collectable go-to source for discovering new favorites and revisiting old ones.

Perfect for film enthusiasts and casual viewers alike, this guide will spark conversations, bring back memories, and help you navigate the ever-evolving world of screen entertainment.

A wealth of recommendations and insights from a passionate movie buff to enrich your viewing experience, complete with personal reminiscences and nostalgic reflections, told with a world-wise critical eye, sardonic dry wit, a healthy dose of cynicism, biting observations, and a well-founded rant here and there.

Just don’t challenge or get him started on his personal favorites, like The Shining, Point Blank, Jaws, The Exorcist, The Duellists, Romeo Is Bleeding, or The Ninth Configuration. His opinions on these and other iconic titles are as intense and unyielding as the movies themselves.

All compiled by an author who not only watched the movies, but also read the books on which they were based, did his research, drank a lot of coffee in the process, and advocates for the importance and value of reading.

A glimpse into the over-caffeinated mind of a writer with a passion for great stories.

What’s On? is a celebration of the intersection between page and screen, and a reminder that great on-screen adaptations often start with a great book and a strong cup of coffee.

Kick back, grab your coffee, and enjoy the show!

As author Jack Kost says:

“Happy viewing … and do yourself a favor … read the books.”

Slipped Masks:

Slipped Masks

ISBN: 9781719330640

Description:

I can’t call you because if he hears me talking on the phone he’ll hit me again. He scares me. I know sooner or later he’s going to kill me. I’ll text you again when I can. I love you, Casey. I’ll spend the rest of our lives proving to you how much I love you. Please come. Please save me …

With only text messages to guide him, Casey Byrne is on the hunt, racing across five states to save his ex-girlfriend, Madison.

Casey loves Madison deeply and wants desperately to save her life and rekindle their relationship.

But the closer he gets to her, the more surreal his journey becomes as the dead bodies pile up in his wake.

Clinical Lycanthropy: the delusion that a human can physically transform into a wolf.

If you were insane, would you know it?

How would you see the world if you were convinced you could transform into a wolf?

The hunter … and the hunted.

Slipped Masks is a dark neo-noir thriller about how the need for love and companionship becomes twisted into obsession, possession, jealousy, violence and murder.

A horrifying portrait of Clinical Lycanthropy.

Amazon link:

https://t.co/2Gwb135V3m

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Themes:

Sociopathy, narcissistic abuse, personality disorder, Clinical Lycanthropy, crime, murder.

Book available in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle.

A percentage from sales of this book is donated to Multiple Sclerosis (MS) research.

Work in progress:

My next books are Triangulation and Stinger.

Books 4 and 5 in The Breaker series.

Set in the year 2001, the story continues from Mall Maze.

Themes:

Crime, detective, hardboiled, heist, murder, narcissism, narcissistic abuse, neo-noir, psychopath, sociopath, thriller, vigilante.

A percentage from book sales is donated to Multiple Sclerosis (MS) research.

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The Breaker is an on-going series.

I’m outlining other stand-alone thriller novels.

Several coffee table books on my photography and my wife’s artwork.

A humorous book, based on the antics of our crazy pet Ragdoll cat, entitled: It’s That F****** Cat Again!

Here’s a GIF I made of our cat, settling down for another of his daily naps:

On this day in the Star Trek universe:

Chaos on the Bridge

documentary directed and written by William Shatner,

was released in the United States on August 25, 2014.

Music by Catalin Marin.

Cast:

William Shatner, D.C. Fontana, David Gerrold, Maurice Hurley, Rick Berman, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Richard Arnold, Jeffrey M. Hayes, John Pike, Susan Sackett, John de Lancie, Denise Crosby, Patrick Stewart, Ronald D. Moore, David Livingston, Herman F. Zimmerman, Michael Okuda, Brannon Braga, Jonathan Frakes, Tracy Tormé, Melinda M. Snodgrass, Lolita Fatjo, Gates McFadden, Diana Muldaur, Leslie Moonves, Ira Steven Behr, Michael Dorn.

On this day in music history - Verismo, by Renée Fleming and Marco Armiliato (2009):

Verismo

Album by Renée Fleming and Marco Armiliato,
released August 25, 2009.

Track list:

Puccini: La Bohème / Act 1 - “Sì. Mi chiamano Mimì”; Leoncavallo: La bohème / Act 1 - Musette svaria sulla bocca viva; Leoncavallo: La bohème / Act 4 - Mimi Pinson la biondinetta; Puccini: La Bohème / Act 3 - Addio! Che vai?...Donde lieta uscì; Leoncavallo: Zazà - Edited Renzo Bianchi (1947 Version) / Act 3 - Angioletto, il tuo nome?; Puccini: Manon Lescaut - Revised by Roger Parker / Act 4 - Sola, perduta, abbandonata; Zandonai: Conchita / Act 1 - Ier dalla fabbrica a Triana; Cilea: Gloria / Act 2 - O mia cuna fiorita; Giordano: Fedora / Act 3 - Tutto tramonta; Puccini: Turandot / Act 3 - “Tu che di gel sei cinta”; Giordano: Siberia - Nel so amore; Puccini: La Rondine / Act 2 - “Bevo al tuo fresco sorriso”.

On this day in movie history - Smog (1962):

Smog

directed by Franco Rossi,

written by Franco Brusati, Pasquale Festa Campanile, Massimo Franciosa and Ugo Guerra,

based on a story by Pier Maria Pasinetti, Franco Rossi and Gian Domenico Giagni,

was released at the Venice Film Festival in Italy, on August 25, 1962.
Music by Piero Umiliani.

Cast:

Enrico Maria Salerno, Annie Girardot, Renato Salvatori, Susan Spafford, Isabella Albonico, Joan Houseman, Len Lesser, Howard Koch, Fred Catania, Max Showalter, Peter Opp, Graziella Granata, Loredana Nusciak, M. Brigham, Billie Scheibner, R.E. Brigham, Helen Pallack, Bernard Judge, Dennis Diggin, Peggy Moffitt, Suzanne Reynolds, Jerry Ray, John Phillip Law.

On this day in movie history - Madame Bovary (1949):

Madame Bovary

directed by Vincente Minnelli,

written by Robert Ardrey,

based on the novel by Gustave Flaubert,

was released in the United States on August 25, 1949.
Music by Miklós Rózsa.

Cast:

Jennifer Jones, James Mason, Van Heflin, Louis Jourdan, Alf Kjellin, Gene Lockhart, Frank Allenby, Gladys Cooper, John Abbott, Harry Morgan, George Zucco, Ellen Corby, Eduard Franz, Henri Letondal, Esther Somers, Frederic Tozere, Paul Cavanagh, Vernon Steele, Dawn Kinney.

On this day in movie history - The Dragon Murder Case (1934):

The Dragon Murder Case

directed by H. Bruce Humberstone,

written by F. Hugh Herbert, Robert N. Lee and Rian James,

based on the novel by S. S. Van Dine,

was released in the United States on August 25, 1934.
Music by Bernhard Kaun.

Cast:

Warren William, Margaret Lindsay, Lyle Talbot, Eugene Pallette, Helen Lowell, Robert McWade, Robert Barrat, Dorothy Tree, George E. Stone, Etienne Girardot, George Meeker, Robert Warwick, William B. Davidson, Arthur Aylesworth, Charles C. Wilson.

Born on this day – Martin Amis:

Martin Amis

Writer

August 25, 1949 – May 19, 2023

Born on this day – Marshall Brickman:

Marshall Brickman

Writer

Director

Producer

August 25, 1939 – November 29, 2024

Credits:

50 Films to See Before You Die (2006); A Decade Under the Influence (2003); American Masters (2011); Ann in Blue (1974); Annie Hall (1977); Candid Camera (1960); Conversations for our Daughters (2021); Film Genre (2002); For the Boys (1991); Funny (1988); Hootenanny (1963); Intersection (1994); Jersey Boys (2014); Jersey Boys Live! (2022); Julie: My Favorite Things (1975); Late Night with David Letterman (1983); Lovesick (1983); Manhattan (1979); Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993); Off Campus (1977); Out to Sea (1997); Rock Family Trees (1998); Simon (1980); Sister Mary Explains It All (2001); Sleeper (1973); Sounds from a Town I Love (2001); Super Size Me (2004); That's Adequate (1989); The 24th Annual Guild Hall Academy of the Arts Lifetime Achievement Awards (2009); The 47th Annual Writers Guild Awards (1995); The 50th Annual Academy Awards (1978); The 60th Annual Tony Awards (2006); The Carson Podcast (2014–2018); The Cemetery Club (1993); The Dick Cavett Show (1971–1978); The Johnny Carson Special (1969); The Kraft Music Hall (1967); The Manhattan Project (1986); The Merv Griffin Show (1965); The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence (1975); The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1963–1970); We Interrupt This Week (1978).

Born on this day – Frederick Forsyth:

Frederick Forsyth

Writer

Producer

Actor

August 25, 1938 – June 9, 2025

Credits:

Books:

A Tangled Web (2005); Avenger (2003); Emeka (1991); English Crime Stories of Today (1993); Great Flying Stories (1991); Icon (1996); No Comebacks (1982); Revenge of Odessa (2025); The Afghan (2006); The Art of the Matter (2001); The Biafra Story: The Making of an African Legend (1969); The Citizen (2000); The Cobra (2010); The Day of the Jackal (1971); The Deceiver (1991); The Devil's Alternative (1979); The Dogs of War (1974); The Emperor (1982); The Fist of God (1994); The Fourth Protocol (1984); The Fox (2018); The Kill List (2013); The Miracle (2000); The Negotiator (1989); The Odessa File (1972); The Outsider: My Life in Intrigue (2015); The Phantom of Manhattan (1996); The Shepherd (1975); The Veteran and Other Stories (2020); Used In Evidence (2005); Whispering Wind (2000).

Movies and television:

8 al dia (2014); A fondo (1980); A Little Piece of Sunshine (1990); Alexandria (2004); Avenger (2006); Boulevard Bio (1991–2003); Breakfast (2001–2010); Bücherjournal (2015); Code Name: Wolverine (1996); Crime in the City (1987); Cry of the Innocent (1980); DAS! (2000–2015); De película (1987); Dinner with Portillo (2003); Dispatches (2006); Frederick Forsyth Presents (1989–1990); Friday Night, Saturday Morning (1980); Good Morning Australia (2004); Good Morning Britain (2017); Great Welsh Writers (2013); HARDtalk (2003); I Have Never Forgotten You: The Life & Legacy of Simon Wiesenthal (2007); Icon (2005); III nach neun (2007); Im Dialog (2003); ITV Play of the Week (1973); Jesus Christ Airlines (2001); Just Another Secret (1989); Koschwitz (2002); Kulturjournal (2015); Kulturplatz (2006); Lads Army (2005); Larry King Live (2000); Leute (1985); Lo + plus (1996); Love Never Dies (2012); Mark Lawson Talks to... (2006); Markus Lanz (2015–2019); M-show (1972); Never Mind the Full Stops (2007); Outsiders (2024); Página 2 (2011); Pebble Mill at One (1994); Pride and Extreme Prejudice (1989); Question Time (1997–2007); Reading the Decades (2002); Reputations (1997); Sabine Christiansen (1998); Skavlan (2014); Sleuths, Sorcerers & Spies: Andrew Marr's Paperback Heroes (2016); Soldiers (1985); Sunday AM (2016); The Book Programme (1979); The Crime Thriller Club (2013); The Day of the Jackal (1973 / 2024); The Devil's Day (1994); The Dogs of War (1980); The Fourth Protocol (1987); The Merv Griffin Show (1980); The Odessa File (1974); The Shepherd (2022 / 2023); The Sunday Programme (2003); The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1971–1972); The Write Stuff (1989); This Week (2005); Titel, Thesen, Temperamente (2015–2019); Trigger Happy TV (2001 / 2002); Tubridy Tonight (2006); Two by Forsyth (1984); Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (2005 / 2014).

Born on this day – Roberto De Simone:

Roberto De Simone

Composer

Director

Writer

Actor

August 25, 1933 – April 6, 2025

Credits:

A Night Full of Rain (1978); After the Fox (1966); All Is Fake (2002); Così fan tutte (1996); De Pretore Vincenzo (1976); Des morceaux de ma femme (2000); Die Zauberflöte, Opera tedesca in due atti (1995); Don Giovanni (1999); È una domenica sera di novembre (1981); Eleonora (1999); Fontamara (1980); Gli esami non finiscono mai (1976); Great Performances (1996); I ladri (1959); I ragazzi di padre Tobia (1968–1970); Il Maestro di Cappella (1995); Il segreto di Luca (1969); (In)visibility (2009); La fucilazione di Pulcinella (1973); La ragazzola (1965); L'arte della commedia (1976); Lo frate 'nnamorato (1990); Lungo il fiume e sull'acqua (1973); Nabucco (1987); Omnibus (1977); Quanto è bello lu murire acciso (1975); Respiro (2002); Sempre più difficile (1981); Siamo fatti di memoria (2009); Sicily (1967); Signora Ava (1975); Tammurriata (1994); The Biggest Bundle of Them All (1968); The Devil in Love (1966); The Dolls / Segment: La minestra (1965); The Gold of Naples / Segment: Pizze a credito (1954); The Skin (1981); Una questione d'onore (1966); Unici (2015); Uomo e galantuomo (1975); Viaggio nei luoghi del sacro (1999); Will Our Heroes Be Able to Find Their Friend Who Has Mysteriously Disappeared in Africa? (1968).