Friday, February 20, 2026

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:


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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:


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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 music history - Poèmes, by Renée Fleming (2012):


Poèmes

Album by Renée Fleming,
released February 20, 2012.

Track list:

Messiaen: Poemes pour mi - 7. Les deux guerriers; Messiaen: Poemes pour mi - 8. Le collier; Messiaen: Poemes pour mi - 9. Prière exaucée; Dutilleux: Deux Sonnets de Jean Cassou - Il n'y avait que des troncs dechirés...; Dutilleux: Deux Sonnets de Jean Cassou - J'ai revé que je vous portais entre mes bras...; Dutilleux: Le temps l'horloge - Le temps l'horloge; Dutilleux: Le temps l'horloge - Le masque; Dutilleux: Le temps l'horloge - Le dernier poème; Dutilleux: Le temps l'horloge – Interlude; Dutilleux: Le temps l'horloge - Envirez-vous; Renée Fleming - Poèmes - Ravel, Messiaen, Dutilleux.

On this day in the Star Trek universe:

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1988 & 1993)
Star Trek: Voyager (1995)
Star Trek: Picard (2020)
The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek (2022)


Star Trek: The Next Generation
Season 1. Episode 17.
Episode entitled: Home Soil.
Released February 20, 1988.
Directed by Corey Allen.
Written by Robert Sabaroff, Karl Geurs, Ralph Sanchez, Tracy Tormé.
Created by Gene Roddenberry.
Music by Dennis McCarthy.
Cast: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Denise Crosby, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, Wil Wheaton, Walter Gotell, Elizabeth Lindsey, Gerard Prendergast, Mario Roccuzzo, Carolyne Barry, Majel Barrett, James G. Becker, Darrell Burris, Dexter Clay, Susan Duchow, Nora Leonhardt, Tim McCormack, James McElroy, Lorine Mendell, Susan Raborn.

Star Trek: The Next Generation
Season 6. Episode 16.
Episode entitled: Birthright, Part I.
Released February 20, 1993.
Directed by Winrich Kolbe.
Written by Brannon Braga, René Echevarria, Naren Shankar.
Created by Gene Roddenberry.
Music by Jay Chattaway.
Cast: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, Alexander Siddig, James Cromwell, Cristine Rose, Jennifer Gatti, Richard Herd, Lena Banks, Michael Braveheart, Debbie David, Brian Demonbreun, Steve Diamond, Inez Edwards, Kevin Grevioux, Gary Hunter, Arvo Katajisto, David B. Levinson, Lorine Mendell, Rad Milo, Robin Morselli, Mary Newport, Irving Ross, Dee Giffin Scott, Mark Allen Shepherd, John Alex Tampoya, Natalie Wood.


Star Trek: Voyager
Season 1. Episode 6.
Episode entitled: Eye of the Needle.
Released February 20, 1995.
Directed by Winrich Kolbe.
Created by Rick Berman, Michael Piller, Jeri Taylor.
Written by Bill Dial, Jeri Taylor, Hilary J. Bader, Kenneth Biller.
Based on Star Trek, created by Gene Roddenberry.
Music by Dennis McCarthy.
Cast: Kate Mulgrew, Robert Beltran, Roxann Biggs-Dawson, Jennifer Lien, Robert Duncan McNeill, Ethan Phillips, Robert Picardo, Tim Russ, Garrett Wang, Tom Virtue, Derek Anthony, Tarik Ergin, Heather Ferguson, Norman Alexander Gibbs, Stan Ivar, Coleman McClary, Jordan Monheim, Louis Ortiz, Simon Stotler.


Star Trek: Picard
Season 1. Episode 5.
Episode entitled: Stardust City Rag.
Released February 20, 2020.
Directed by Jonathan Frakes.
Created by Akiva Goldsman, Michael Chabon, Kirsten Beyer, Alex Kurtzman.
Written by Kirsten Beyer, Nick Zayas.
Based on Star Trek: The Next Generation, created by Gene Roddenberry.
Music by Jeff Russo.
Cast: Patrick Stewart, Jeri Ryan, Alison Pill, Michelle Hurd, Santiago Cabrera, Evan Evagora, Dominic Burgess, Necar Zadegan, John Ales, Mason Gooding, Landry Allbright, Kay Bess, Ayushi Chhabra, Casey Childs, Casey King, Sam Marra, Jessie Graff, Linda Kessler, Destiney Richardson.


The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek
Season 1. Episode 8.
Episode entitled: Voyage(r) to the Delta Quadrant.
Released February 20, 2022.
Directed by Brian Volk-Weiss.
Visual Effects and animation by Jeremy Samples.
Cast: Mark A. Altman, Robert Beltran, Rick Berman, André Bormanis, Brannon Braga, Roxann Dawson, Merri D. Howard, Lisa Klink, Gates McFadden, Kate Mulgrew, Larry Nemecek, Wendy Neuss, Denise Okuda, Michael Okuda, Ethan Phillips, Robert Picardo, Tim Russ, Lucie Salhany, Maria Jose Tenuto, Wesley G. Willison.

On this day in television history - Space 1999 (1977):


Space 1999

Season 2. Episode 19.
Episode entitled: The Bringers of Wonder: Part 2.
Released February 20, 1977.
Directed by Tom Clegg.
Written by Terence Feely.
Series created by Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson.
Music by Derek Wadsworth.
Cast: Martin Landau, Barbara Bain, Catherine Schell, Tony Anholt, Nick Tate, Zienia Merton, Jeffery Kissoon, Toby Robins, Stuart Damon, Jeremy Young, Drewe Henley, Patrick Westwood, Cher Cameron, Al Lampert, Billy J. Mitchell, Earl Robinson, Robert Sheedy, Nicholas Young, Albin Pahernik, Glenda Allen, Peter Brayham, Sarah Bullen, Jenny Cresswell, Joe Dunne, Roy Everson, Nick Hobbs, David Jackson, Quentin Pierre.

On this day in television history - M Squad (1959):


M Squad

Season 2. Episode 21.
Episode entitled: The Star Witness.
Released February 20, 1959.
Directed by David Lowell Rich.
Written by Leonard Kantor.
Music by Benny Carter.


Cast:

Lee Marvin, Paul Newlan, Virginia Vincent, Paul Picerni, Terry Becker, Abbey Shelton, Sidney Clute, Mary Gregory, John Perri.

On this day in movie history - The Devil Thumbs a Ride (1947 movie & novel):


The Devil Thumbs a Ride

directed and written by Felix E. Feist,
based on the novel by Robert C. Du Soe,
was released in the United States on February 20, 1947.
Music by Paul Sawtell and Roy Webb.


Cast:

Lawrence Tierney, Ted North, Nan Leslie, Betty Lawford, Andrew Tombes, Harry Shannon, Glen Vernon, Marian Carr, William Gould, Josephine Whittell, Phil Warren, Robert Malcolm, Arthur Q. Bryan, Roger Creed, Harry Depp, George Dockstader, Dick Edwards, Sarah Edwards, Dick Elliott, Carl Faulkner, Lee Frederick, Raoul Freeman, Dorothy Granger, Chuck Hamilton, William Joy, Perc Launders, Bert LeBaron, Lee Phelps, Tom Pilkington, Victor Potel, Harry Raven, John Roy, Dick Rush, Cy Slocum, Tex Swan, Minerva Urecal.

Recommended reading:


The Devil Thumbs a Ride

By Robert C. Du Soe.

First published 1938.
Published by Avon Books
ASIN: B00730V9GY

Description:

Screenwriter Du Soe's only novel, about an innocuous fellar name of Steve who gets in a car with the simple, corpulent Furgison. The pair pick up a couple of girls, and only after the bodies pile up does Furgison start to wonder who it is he's riding along with.

On this day in movie history - The Spiral Staircase (1946 movie & novel):


The Spiral Staircase

directed by Robert Siodmak,
written by Mel Dinelli,
based on the novel Some Must Watch by Ethel Lina White,
was released in the United States on February 20, 1946.
Music by Roy Webb.

Cast:

Dorothy McGuire, George Brent, Ethel Barrymore, Kent Smith, Rhonda Fleming, Gordon Oliver, Elsa Lanchester, Sara Allgood, Rhys Williams, James Bell, Erville Alderson, Ellen Corby, Myrna Dell, George Holmes, Stanley Price, Robert Siodmak, Richard Tyler, Charles Wagenheim, Larry Wheat.

Recommended reading:


Some Must Watch

By Ethel Lina White.

Filmed as The Spiral Staircase (1946), directed by Robert Siodmak.

Paperback.
Published by Hinkler Books.
First published 1933.
ISBN 13: 9781743081167
ISBN10: 1743081162
ASIN: 1743081162

Description:

Film director Robert Siodmak took Some Must Watch as the inspiration for his classic, bone-chilling thriller, The Spiral Staircase. In this novel Helen Capel takes the position of lady-help in a remote country house owned by the Warren family. She learns that a murderer is on the loose. All four of his victims were young girls, and the last of these was strangled in a lonely house just five miles away. Helen feels safe inside the house, protected, but the maniac is closer than she fears.

Born on this day – Kurt Cobain:


Kurt Cobain

Musician

Singer

Guitarist

Songwriter

February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994

Born on this day – Brion James:


Brion James


Actor

February 20, 1945 – August 7, 1999

Credits:

48 Hrs. (1982); A Breed Apart (1984); A Place Called Truth (1998); Aaahh!!! Real Monsters (1996); Amazing Stories (1985); American Playhouse (1982); American Strays (1996); Annihilator (1986); Another 48 Hrs. (1990); Armed and Dangerous (1986); Art Deco Detective (1994); Arthur's Quest (1999); Assault on Dome 4 (1996); B.J. and the Bear (1979); Back in Business (1997); Batman: The Animated Series (1992–1993); Benson (1981); Big Shamus, Little Shamus (1979); Billy Lone Bear (1996); Black Magic (1992); Black Sea 213 (2000); Blade Runner (1982); Blade Runner / Video Game (1997); Blade Runner: Deleted and Alternate Scenes (2007); Blue Sunshine (1977); Bombshell (1997); Border to Border (1998); Bound for Glory (1976); Brain Smasher... A Love Story (1993); Brown's Requiem (1998); Cabin Boy (1994); Cagney & Lacey (1983); Cherry 2000 (1987); Chico and the Man (1978); CHiPs (1979–1981); Circles in a Forest (1989); City of Angels (1976); Conquest of the Earth (1980); Corvette Summer (1978); Crimewave (1985); Cyberjack (1995); D.O.A. (1988); Dark Justice (1993); Dead Man Walking (1988); Deadly Ransom (1998); Desperado: The Outlaw Wars (1989); Diplomatic Siege (1999); Dirt Merchant (1999); Dominion (1995); Dynasty (1986); Enemy Mine (1985); Enid Is Sleeping (1990); Evil Obsession (1996); F.T.W. (1994); Farewell, My Love (2000); Flesh+Blood (1985); Flying High (1978); Foolish (1999); Frogtown II (1992); Future Shock (1994); Galactica 1980 (1980); General Hospital (1980); Get Christie Love! (1974); Goober & the Truckers' Paradise (1978); Gunsmoke (1975); Hard Times / aka Street Fighter (1975); Harry and Walter Go to New York (1976); Hear No Evil (1982); Heist (1998); Highlander (1994); Hong Kong 97 (1994); House III: The Horror Show (1989); Hunter (1988–1991); In God's Hands (1998); Indecent Behavior III (1995); Jekyll Island (1998); Joe Bob's Drive-In Theater (1995); Johnny Bago (1993); Johnny Staccato (1977); Joseph's Gift (1999); Kai Rabe gegen die Vatikankiller (1998); Kenny Rogers as The Gambler: The Adventure Continues (1983); Killing at Hell's Gate (1981); Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park (1978); Knight Rider 2010 (1994); Little House on the Prairie (1982); Lone Star (1983); Love Among Thieves (1987); M.A.N.T.I.S. (1994); Malevolence (1999); Marco Polo: The Missing Chapter (1996); Matlock (1987); Men in Black: The Series (1998); Men in White (1998); Miami Vice (1988); Millennium (1998); Miracles (1986); Mom (1990); Mork & Mindy (1978); Movie Nights (2012); Mutator (1989); Nemesis (1992); Nickelodeon (1976); Nightmare at Noon (1988); On My Honor (1988); Overkill: The Aileen Wuornos Story (1992); Palmerstown, U.S.A. (1980); Phoenix Point (2005); Precious Find (1996); Precious Victims (1993); Pterodactyl Woman from Beverly Hills (1996); Quincy, M.E. (1982); Radioland Murders (1994); Red Heat (1988); Red Scorpion (1988); Renegade (1993); Rio Diablo (1993); Roots (1977); Savage Land (1994); Scanner Cop (1994); Showdown (1993); Sidekicks (1986); Silk Stalkings (1994); Silverado (1985); Sketch Artist II: Hands That See (1995); Slaughter Inc.: The Horrors of 'The Horror Show' (2017); Sledge Hammer! (1986–1988); Snide and Prejudice (1997); Soggy Bottom, U.S.A. (1981); Southern Comfort (1981); Spawn (1997–1999); Special Collector's Edition (2010); Spitfire (1995); Steel Dawn (1987); Steel Frontier (1995); Street Asylum (1990); Striking Distance (1993); Strip 'n Run (2000); Superman (1999); Superman: The Animated Series (1996–1997); Tales from the Crypt (1991); Tango & Cash (1989); The A-Team (1983–1985); The Companion (1994); The Dark (1993); The Dukes of Hazzard (1982–1984); The F.B.I. (1974); The Fall Guy (1985); The Fifth Element (1997); The Hitchhiker (1987); The Hunter's Moon (1999); The Incredible Hulk (1978); The Invasion of Johnson County (1976); The Jazz Singer (1980); The Jeffersons (1980); The Kansas City Massacre (1975); The Killing Jar (1997); The King Is Alive (2000); The Lazarus Man (1996); The Magical World of Disney (1977); The Magnificent Seven (1998–1999); The Making of 'Steel Dawn' (1987); The Marshal (1995); The Nature of the Beast (1995); The Operator (2000); The Player (1992); The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981); The Renegades (1983); The Rockford Files (1977); The Sentinel (1998); The Setting Son (1997); The Soft Kill (1994); The Underground (1997); The Waltons (1974); The Wrong Guys (1988); The Young Riders (1990); Time Runner (1993); Treasure of Matecumbe (1976); Trouble in High Timber Country (1980); Ultimate Desires (1991); Vengeance Unlimited (1998); Walker, Texas Ranger (1997); Webster (1988); When the Whistle Blows (1980); Wholly Moses! (1980); Wishman (1992); Z-TV (1989).

Born on this day – Marj Dusay:


Marj Dusay


Actress

February 20, 1936 – January 28, 2020

Credits:

12 Bucks (1998); 18th Annual Soap Opera Digest Awards (2003); 1999 A.D. (1967); A Chronicle of Corpses (2000); A Fire in the Sky (1978); A.E.S. Hudson Street (1977); Alias Smith and Jones (1971); All My Children (1998–2002); At Ease (1983); Barnaby Jones (1973–1978); Battles: The Murder That Wouldn't Die (1980); Biography (2003); Blondie (1968); Bobby Parker and Company (1974); Bonanza (1968–1969); Booker (1990); Breezy (1973); Bret Maverick (1981–1982); Cannon (1972–1973); Capitol (1983–1987); Chase (1973); Cimarron Strip (1967); Clambake (1967); Climb an Angry Mountain (1972); Crossing Over with John Edward (2003); Dallas (1985); Daniel Boone (1969); Daughters of Privilege (1991); Days of Our Lives (1992–1993); Daytime's Greatest Weddings (2004); Dead of Night: A Darkness at Blaisedon (1969); Detective School (1979); Drug Free Kids: A Parents' Guide (1986); E/R (1984); Family Affair (1970); Friday the 13th: The Series (1990); Galactica 1980 (1980); Get Smart (1967); Grandpa Goes to Washington (1978); Guiding Light (1993–2009); Hart to Hart (1983); Hawaii Five-O (1968–1969); Hogan's Heroes (1968–1970); How William Shatner Changed the World (2005); In the Heat of the Night (1991); Inside Star Trek: The Real Story (1998); Leonard Nimoy: Star Trek Memories (1984); Love Matters (1993); Love Walked In (1997); Love, American Style / Segment: Love and the Penal Code (1971); MacArthur (1977); Made in Heaven (1987); Mancuso, FBI (1989); Mannix (1971–1974); McCloud (1970); McMillan & Wife (1972); Medical Center (1970); Mod Squad (1969–1970); Most Wanted (1976); Murder in Peyton Place (1977); Murder, She Wrote (1989–1992); Occasional Wife (1967); Pendulum (1969); Perfect Strangers (1991); Petrocelli (1975); Phyllis (1976); Pride & Loyalty (2002); Quincy, M.E. (1978); Santa Barbara (1987–1991); Siao Yu (1995); SoapTalk (2004–2005); Sons and Daughters (1991); Sorority '62 (1978); Square Pegs (1982); Stalking Laura (1993); Star Trek (1968); Star Trek: A Captain's Log (1994); Stop Susan Williams (1979); Strange Companions (1983); Sweet November (1968); Tattletales (1984); The 11th Annual Soap Opera Digest Awards (1995); The 22nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards (1995); The 26th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards (1999); The 27th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards (2000); The 28th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards (2001); The 29th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards (2002); The Bionic Woman (1976); The Bold Ones: The Lawyers (1970); The Child Stealer (1979); The Devlin Connection (1982); The F.B.I. (1970–1973); The Facts of Life (1981–1987); The Fantastic Journey (1977); The Felony Squad (1969); The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1992); The Girl Who Saved the World (1979); The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries (1977); The Immortal (1971); The Law and Harry McGraw (1987); The Manhunter (1974); The Merv Griffin Show (1984–1986); The Most Deadly Game (1970); The New WKRP in Cincinnati (1993); The Odd Couple (1971); The Paradise Connection (1979); The Queen and I (1969); The Second Hundred Years (1967); The Star Trek Encyclopedia (1999); The Streets of San Francisco (1975); The Wild Wild West (1967–1968); Thirty Dangerous Seconds (1973); Tucker's Witch (1982); Ultimate Trek: Star Trek's Greatest Moments (1999); Wheels (1978); William Shatner's Star Trek Memories (1995).