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?

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:

Star Trek: Discovery (2020)

Star Trek: Discovery

Season 3. Episode 12.

Episode entitled: There Is a Tide.

Released December 31, 2020.

Directed by Jonathan Frakes.

Created by Bryan Fuller, Alex Kurtzman.

Written by Kenneth Lin, Sean Cochran, Anthony Maranville, Chris Silvestri, Brandon Schultz.

Based on Star Trek, created by Gene Roddenberry.

Music by Jeff Russo.

Cast: Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Mary Wiseman, David Ajala, Oded Fehr, Noah Averbach-Katz, Janet Kidder, Kenneth Mitchell, Annabelle Wallis, Jake Weber, Emily Coutts, Patrick Kwok-Choon, Oyin Oladejo, Ronnie Rowe, Brendan Beiser, Lisa Berry, Avaah Blackwell, Nicole Dickinson, Vanessa Jackson, Lamont James, Dorren Lee, Alexander Mandra, Fabio Tassone, Roy Samuelson.

On this day in music history - Cecilia & Bryn at Glyndebourne (1999):

Cecilia & Bryn at Glyndebourne

directed by Brian Large,

released in the United Kingdom on December 31, 1999.

Cast:

Cecilia Bartoli, Bryn Terfel, Myung-Whun Chung.

On this day in television history - Johnny Staccato (1959):

Johnny Staccato

Season 1. Episode 16.

Episode entitled: Collector’s Item.

Released December 31, 1959.

Directed by John Brahm.

Written by Richard Carr, Stanford Whitmore.

Music by Elmer Bernstein.

Cast:

John Cassavetes, Eduardo Ciannelli, Ann Henry, Juano Hernandez, Frank London, Rupert Crosse, Linné Ahlstrand, Paul Cristo, Shep Houghton, Murray Pollack, Frieda Rentie, Edwin Rochelle, Dennis Sallas.

On this day in movie history - The Bishop Murder Case (1929 movie & novel):

The Bishop Murder Case

directed by David Burton and Nick Grinde,

written by S.S. Van Dine and Lenore J. Coffee,

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

was released in the United States on December 31, 1929.
Music by William Axt.

Cast:

Basil Rathbone, Leila Hyams, Roland Young, Alec B. Francis, George F. Marion, Zelda Sears, Bodil Rosing, Carroll Nye, Charles Quatermaine, James Donlan, Sidney Bracey, Clarence Geldart, Delmer Daves, Nellie Bly Baker.

Recommended reading:

The Bishop Murder Case

By S.S. Van Dine.

# 4 in the Philo Vance mystery series.

Published by Scribners.

First published 1929.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0684179776

ISBN-13: 978-0684179773

Description:

Master sleuth Philo Vance is baffled by a series of grisly murders committed by the sinister “Bishop,” who uses Mother Goose rhymes for inspiration. The killings are the handiwork of genius gone awry, and the suspects are all distinguished intellectuals of the highest order: a physicist, a mathematician, an astronomer, a chess master. Set against the rich tapestry of New York City in the gilded 1920s, this is a brilliant mystery featuring the debonaire, aristocratic sleuth who was America’s first classic detective.

“So Philo Vance will be darting around again. Good!” – Rex Stout.

“A nightmarish shocker, a dazzling deductive work… Vance’s greatest triumph.” – Chris Steinbrunner.

Born on this day – Val Kilmer:

Val Kilmer

Actor

December 31, 1959 – April 1, 2025

Credits:

Book:

I'm Your Huckleberry: A Memoir (2020).

Movies and television:

100 Years of the Hollywood Western (1994); 10th & Wolf (2006); 1995 MTV Movie Awards (1995); 1st Born (2019); 2:22 (2008); 2009 American Music Awards (2009); 5 Days of War (2011); 5 Second Movies (2008); 7 Below (2012); A Century of Science Fiction (1996); A Director's Journey: The Making of 'Red Dragon' (2003); A Soldier's Revenge (2020); A West Texas Children's Story (2007); ABC Afterschool Specials (1985); Academy Event: Heat (2016); Africa Unbottled (2001); Alexander (2004); Alta Voltagem (1997); American Cowslip (2009); American Masters (2009); American Meth (2008); At First Sight (1999); Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009); Batman Forever (1995); Batman Forever Heroes: Batman (2005); Batman Forever: Deleted Scenes (2005); Behind Closed Doors (2020); Beyond Batman: The Many Faces of Gotham City (2005); Beyond the Trailer (2010); Big Brother's Efourum (2005); Billy the Kid (1989); Biography (1987–2005); Blind Horizon (2003); Blood Out (2011); Bloodworth (2010); Bounty Hunters (2004); Breakfast (2005); Breathless (2012); B'Twixt Now and Sunrise (2011); Cabeça a Prêmio (2009); Canada A.M. (2006); Champion (2005); Charlie Rose (1996–2004); Cinema mil (2005); Cinema Twain (2019); Columbus Day (2008); Comanche Moon (2008); Conan (2013); Conspiracy (2008); Danger Zone: The Making of 'Top Gun' (2004); DC Fandome (2020); Dead Girl (1996); Deep in the Heart (2012); Deja Vu (2006); Déjà Vu: Surveillance Window (2007); Delgo (2008); Double Identity (2009); Dr. X's Creatures (2003–2008); Embracing the Chaos: A Conversation with the Cast of 'the Salton Sea' (2002); Entertainment Tonight (2007–2023); Entourage (2004); Fan des années 80 (2010); Felon (2008); Fight Against Time: Oliver Stone's Alexander (2005); Film '05 (2005); George and the Dragon (2004); Ghost Ghirls (2013); GMTV (2005); Good Day L.A. (2013); Good Morning America (2020 / 2021); Gun (2010); Gylne tider (2016); Hard Cash (2002); Hardwired (2009); HBO First Look (1998–2004); Heat (1995); Heat: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Filmmaker Panel (2017); Hollywood Insider (2019–2022); How to Rob a Bank (2024); Icons Unearthed (2024); Inside the Actors Studio (2000–2005); Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019); Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2005–2006); Joe Bob's Drive-In Theater (1995); Joe the King (1999); Kenny Loggins: Danger Zone (1986); Kill Me Again (1989); Kill the Irishman (2011); Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005); Knight Rider (2008–2009); Larry King Now (2013); Last Call with Carson Daly (2003–2004); Late Night with Conan O'Brien (2003–2005); Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (2013–2014); Late Show with David Letterman (1996–2000); Le Fossoyeur de Films (2021); Life's Too Short (2013); Live & Kicking (1999); Live with Kelly and Mark (2005–2006); MacGruber (2010); Magacine (2005); Making American Cowslip (2010); 'Masked & Anonymous' Exposed (2003); Masked and Anonymous (2003); Memorial: Letters from American Soldiers (1991); Mindhunters (2004); Mindhunters: Stunt Sequence (2005); Minty Comedic Arts (2020); Mon clown (2008); Mon plus grand moment de cinéma (2005); Moscow Zero (2006); MTV EMA Berlin '09 (2009); Mundo VIP (1997–1998); NeXt (1998); Nigella (2005); No Sleep TV3 (2016); Numb3rs (2007); Oliver Stone - Hollywoods Lieblingsrebell (2006); On the Set of 'Alexander' (2004); Oneohtrix Point Never: Animals (2016); Palo Alto (2013); Paydirt (2020); Planes (2013); Played (2006); Pollock (2000); Psych (2014); Real Genius (1985); Red Planet (2000); Red Planet: Deleted Scenes (2000); Richard & Judy (2004); Riddle (2013); Riddle Me This: Why Is Batman Forever? (1995); Riptide (2021); Robot Chicken (2014); Saturday Night Live (2000–2011); Saturday Night Live: Presidential Bash 2000 (2000); Saturday Night Live: The Best of Molly Shannon (2001); Seal: Kiss from a Rose (Batman Forever Version) (1995); Sean Carnage Parking Lot (2020); Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight - Batman Unbound (2005); Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight - Reinventing a Hero (2005); Shakespeare High (2011); Shootout (2005); Showbiz Today (1995); Song to Song (2017); Spartan (2004); Special Collector's Edition (2012); Spider-Man: Edge of Time (2011); Standing Up (2013); Stateside (2004); Streets of Blood (2009); Summer Love (2006); Tavis Smiley (2013); Tenacious D: To Be the Best (2012); The 26th Satellite Awards (2022); The 41st Annual Golden Globe Awards (1984); The 51st Annual Golden Globe Awards (1994); The 56th Annual Academy Awards (1984); The 66th Annual Academy Awards (1994); The 71st Annual Academy Awards (1999); The 9th Annual IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards (1994); The Annual 1995 ShoWest Awards (1995); The Art of Zen (2016); The Bigger Picture (2005); The Birthday Cake (2021); The Choe Show (2021); The Cowboy (2016); The Daily Show (2002–2004); The Death of 'Alexander' (2005); The Doors (1991); The Doors: Break on Through (1991); The Doors: Featurette (1991); The Doors: The Road of Excess (1997); The Fourth Dimension (2012); The Fourth Dimension / Segment: The Lotus Community Workshop (2012); The Future Of (2022); The Ghost and the Darkness (1996); The Heaven and Earth Show (2004); The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996); The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2006–2008); The Love Guru (2008); The Making of 'Heat' (2005); The Making of Spider-Man: Edge of Time (2011); The Making of 'Tombstone' (2002); The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains (1987); The Man-Eaters of Tsavo (2025); The Missing (2003); The Money Programme (2004); The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1986); The Orange British Academy Film Awards (2004); The Prince of Egypt (1998); The Real McCoy (1993); The Reichen Show (2006); The Rosie O'Donnell Show (1999); The Saint (1997); The Salton Sea (2002); The Seventh Man (2003); The Showbiz Show with David Spade (2005); The Snowman (2017); The Spoils of Babylon (2014); The Steam Experiment (2009); The Super (2017); The Ten Commandments: The Musical (2006); The Thaw (2009); The Thaw: Behind the Scenes (2009); The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1994–2002); The Traveler (2010); The Tree Is Still There (2025); The Untold West (1993); The Wayne Brady Show (2003); This Morning (1995–2004); Thunderheart (1992); Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn (2014); Tombstone (1993); Top Gun (1986); Top Gun: Maverick (2022); Top Secret! (1984); Trudell (2005); True Romance (1993); Tussen de sterren (2003); Unconquered; Allan Houser and the Legacy of One Apache Family (2008); V Graham Norton (2003); Val (2021); Vivement dimanche (1999); Welcome to the Basement (2012–2013); Willow (1988); Willow: The Making of an Adventure (1988); Wings of Courage (1995); Wonderland (2003); World Premiere of Red Planet (2000); Wyatt Earp's Revenge (2012); XIII: The Conspiracy (2008); Xtravaganza (1997).

Born on this day – John Denver:

John Denver

Singer

Songwriter

Guitarist

Actor

December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997

Born on this day – Rosalind Cash:

Rosalind Cash

Actress

December 31, 1938 – October 31, 1995

Credits:

227 (1990); A Dangerous Affair (1995); A Different World (1989–1991); A House Divided: Denmark Vesey's Rebellion (1982); A Killing Affair (1977); Afros, Macks & Zodiacs (1995); Amazing Grace (1974); American Playhouse (1983–1985); Barney Miller (1978); Benson (1981); Black Hollywood (1984); Black Journal (1969); Cagney & Lacey (1987); Ceremonies in Dark Old Men (1975); China Beach (1990); Circle of Pain (1996); Cornbread, Earl and Me (1975); Day of Absence (1971); Death Drug (1978); Death Spa (1988); Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde (1976); Falcon Crest (1989); Family Ties (1989); Flashpoint (1979); Forced March (1989); Frank's Place (1988); From a Whisper to a Scream / Segment: Lovecraft's Traveling Amusements (1987); General Hospital (1994–1995); Go Tell It on the Mountain (1985); Good Times (1976); Great Performances (1971); Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones (1980); Hardcastle and McCormick (1984); Harry O (1974); Head of the Class (1990); Hickey & Boggs (1972); Highway to Heaven (1987); Hill Street Blues (1985); Insight (1982); Just an Overnight Guest (1983); Klute (1971); Knight Rider (1986); Knightwatch (1988–1989); Knots Landing (1991); Kojak (1977); L.A. Law (1987); Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993); Melinda (1972); Police Woman (1977); Riptide (1985); Roc (1992–1993); Sister, Sister (1982); Special Bulletin (1983); Starsky and Hutch (1977); Sundance: A Matter of Process (1986); Tales from the Hood (1995); Tequila and Bonetti (1992); The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984); The All-American Boy (1973); The Class of Miss MacMichael (1978); The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1993); The Golden Girls (1988); The Last Man Alive (1971); The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1974); The Merv Griffin Show (1969); The Mighty Pawns (1987); The Monkey Hu$tle (1976); The New Centurions (1972); The Omega Man (1971); The Second Coming (1992); The Sophisticated Gents (1981); The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1969); Thirtysomething (1987–1989); This Is the Life (1985); Tilmon Tempo (1972–1976); Trapper John, M.D. (1982–1984); Uptown Saturday Night (1974); Welcome to the Basement (2018); What's Happening!! (1976–1977); Wrong Is Right (1982); You Must Remember This (1992).

Born on this day – Rex Allen:

Rex Allen

Actor

Singer

Songwriter

December 31, 1920 – December 17, 1999

Born on this day – Suzy Delair:

Suzy Delair

Actress

Comedian

Vaudevillian

December 31, 1917 – March 15, 2020

Credits:

Actor studio (1986); Tabarin's Farewell (1966); Love, laugh and sing: Jacques Offenbach (1957); Antenne 2 Midi (1981); Au cinéma ce soir (1970–1971); At Théâtre ce soir (1974); Aujourd'hui Madame (1970); Botta e risposta (1950) Casanova (1934); Champs-Elysées (1989); Certified copy (1947); Daisy Jones & The Six (2023); Dédé (1934); Défense d'aimer (1942); Chickweed for small birds (1963); Emily in Paris (2020); Ferdinand le noceur (1935); Fernandel the Dressmaker (1956); Gervaise (1956); Henri-Georges Clouzot: The Enlightened Tyrant (2004); Ici Paris (1947); Is Paris Burning? (1966); Jenny Lamour (1947); The crisis is over (1934); The Lady from Maxim's (1933); La joie de vivre (1953–1970); La vie de bohème (1945); Lady Paname (1950); The Vermeil Age (1984); Money by the windows (1972); Le bal des Petits Lits blancs (1949); The last of the six (1941); Le fil à la patte (1954); The Lovers' Riding School (1965); The mythomaniac (1981); Le palmarès des chansons (1965); The Song Chart (1966); The creatures of God (1967); The San Francisco Regatta (1960); The Sisters Hortensia (1935); Gold in the Street (1934); Lost Memories (1950); Cinema Tuesday (1987); Oublie-moi, Mandolin (1976); Through the Window (1948); Poliche (1934); Take The Road (1936); Professor Cupid (1933); Rocco and His Brothers (1960); The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob (1973); The Murderer Lives at Number 21 (1942); Touch du bois (1933); Toute la chanson (1961); Thirty-six Candles (1957–1958); Three... six... new (1937); Un caprice de la Pompadour (1931); Utopia (1950); Violets imperial (1932); White Paws (1949).

Born on this day – Arletta Duncan:

Arletta Duncan

Actress

December 31, 1914 – October 28, 1985

Credits:

Damaged Goods (1937); Mile a Minute Love (1937); Hook and Ladder (1935); Menace (1934); Unknown Blonde (1934); The Gallant Fool (1933); The Fighting Champ (1932); Back Street (1932); Fast Companions (1932); Night World (1932); Frankenstein (1931).