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

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

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:

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

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

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

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

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 movie history - Nouvelle Vague (2025):

Nouvelle Vague

directed by Richard Linklater,

written by Holly Gent, Laetitia Masson, Vincent Palmo Jr., Michèle Pétin,

released at the Cannes Film Festival in France on May 17, 2025.

Cast: Guillaume Marbeck, Zoey Deutch, Aubry Dullin, Adrien Rouyard, Antoine Besson, Jodie Ruth-Forest, Bruno Dreyfürst, Benjamin Clery, Matthieu Penchinat, Pauline Belle, Frank Cicurel, Blaise Pettebone, Benoît Bouthors, Paolo Luka-Noé, Jade Phan-Gia, Jonas Marmy, Côme Thieulin, Alix Bénézech, Léa Luce Busato, Tom Novembre, Laurent Mothe, Aurélien Lorgnier, Lou Chrétien-Février, Jean-Jacques Le Vessier, Jeanne Arènes, Robinson Fyot, Cosima Bevernaege, Pierre-François Garel, Grégory Dupont, Iliana Zabeth, Pauline Scoupe-Fournier, Baptiste Roussillon, Niko Ravel, Isis Fleischer, Frédéric Chateau, Jean-Baptiste Degermann, Nicolas Dozol, Pierre Glénat, Romain Valette, Gigi Velicitat.

On this day in the Star Trek universe:

Star Trek: Voyager (2000)

Star Trek: Voyager

Season 6. Episode 25.

Episode entitled: The Haunting of Deck Twelve.

Released May 17, 2000.

Directed by David Livingston.

Created by Rick Berman, Michael Piller, Jeri Taylor.

Written by Michael/Mike Sussman, Kenneth Biller, Bryan Fuller, Michael Taylor, Robert Doherty.

Based on Star Trek, created by Gene Roddenberry.

Music by Jay Chattaway.

Cast: Kate Mulgrew, Robert Beltran, Roxann Dawson, Robert Duncan McNeill, Ethan Phillips, Robert Picardo, Tim Russ, Garrett Wang, Jeri Ryan, Manu Intiraymi, Marley McClean, Zoe McLellan, Kurt Wetherill, Cody Wetherill, Majel Barrett, John Austin, Michael Bailous, Tina Kotrich, Nichole McAuley, Neil Norman, Keith Rayve, Joey Sakata, Richard Sarstedt, Pablo Soriano.

On this day in music history:

Midnight at the Lost and Found by Meat Loaf (1983)

Flowers Of Fire by Kathy Raimey (2001)

600 Years in a Moment by Fiona Joy Hawkins (2013)

Sound Currents by Tom Moore & Sherry Finzer (2019)

Casta Diva by Cecilia Bartoli (2024)

Midnight at the Lost and Found

Album by Meat Loaf,

released May 17, 1983.

Track list: Razor’s Edge; Midnight at the Lost and Found; Wolf at Your Door; Keep Driving; The Promised Land; You Can Never Be Too Sure About the Girl; Priscilla; Don’t You Look at Me Like That; If You Really Want to; Fallen Angel.

Flowers Of Fire

Album by Kathy Raimey,

released May 17, 2001.

Track list: Flowers of Fire; Reverie; Questions to the Sea; Farewell to Lee; Shimmer Float.

600 Years in a Moment

Album by Fiona Joy Hawkins,

released May 17, 2013.

Track list: 600 Years; Naked Love; The Journey; Earthbound; Gliding; Tango on Wednesday; Running on Joy; Ancient Albatross; The Lost Ballerina; Antarctica; Captured Freedom; Forgivness.

Sound Currents

Album by Tom Moore & Sherry Finzer,

released May 17, 2019.

Track list: A Sound Traveler’s Dream; Following The Current; Canyon Echoes; Star Trails; Timeless Flow; Night Tides; Midnight Mystique; This Side of Silence; Theta Waves.

Casta Diva

Album by Cecilia Bartoli,

released May 17, 2024.

Track list: “Casta Diva” (Critical Ed. Maurizio Biondi and Riccardo Minasi); Nacqui All’affanno E Al Pianto” - “Non Più Mesta; “Cari Giorni” (Romanza Der Ines); Una Parola.Chiedi All’aura; “Mira, O Norma” (Critical Ed. Maurizio Biondi and Riccardo Minasi); “Si, Fino All’ore Estreme” (Critical Ed. Maurizio Biondi and Riccardo Minasi); Prendi: L’anel Ti Dono [Edit]; No Mia Vita, Mio Tesoro; O Rendetemi la Speme; Ira Del Ciel; Vaga Luna Che Inargenti; La Danza; No. 12, Voi Che Sapete; Il Cor VI Dono; Se Mai Senti Spirarti Sul Volto; Come Nave in Mezzo All’onde; Di’ Cor Mio; Ma Quando Tornerai.

On this day in movie history - The Long Good Friday (1980 movie & books):

The Long Good Friday

directed by John Mackenzie,

written by Barrie Keeffe,

was released at the Cannes Film Market in France on May 17, 1980.
Music by Francis Monkman.

Cast:

Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren, Paul Freeman, Leo Dolan, Kevin McNally, Patti Love, P.H. Moriarty, Derek Thompson, Bryan Marshall, Ruby Head, Charles Cork, Olivier Pierre, Pierce Brosnan, Daragh O'Malley, Dave King, Karl Howman, Brian Hall, Alan Ford, Dave Ould, Paul Kember, Bill Moody, Alan Devlin, Eddie Constantine, Stephen Davies, Bruce Alexander, Nigel Humphreys, Brian Hayes, Georgie Phillips, Mary Sheen, Pauline Melville, Trevor Laird, Paul Barber, Dexter Fletcher, Billy Cornelius, Michael Ryan, Rob Walker, Nick Stringer, Gillian Taylforth, Robert Hamilton, James Ottaway, Roy Alon, Tony Rohr, Tony Clarkin, Tim Condren, George Coulouris, Maxwell Craig, Jim Dowdall, Harry Fielder, Terry Forrestal, Jill Goldston, Peter McNamara, Ralph G. Morse, Terence Plummer, Alan Talbot, Bill Weston.

Recommended reading:

The Long Good Friday

By Russell Claughton.

Based on the screenplay by Barrie Keeffe.

Paperback.

Published 1981.

Published by Magnum Books.

ASIN: B0DT3YB8MS

The Long Good Friday

screenplay by Barrie Keefe.

Filmed as The Long Good Friday (1980), directed by John Mackenzie.

Published by Methuen Publishing.

Published 2006.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0413722902

ISBN-13: 978-0413722904

Description:

The first British thriller to even approach the cracking vitality of the classic Hollywood gangster movies ...dazzlingly slick. – Daily Mail.

The best British gangster flick of all time. – Empire.

Barrie Keeffe's acclaimed screenplay for the classic film. Harold Shand has made it from Whitechapel to running his own 'corporation' and owning his own yacht and classy mistress. He has the police and the local authorities in his pocket, is planning a major London property development and forging links with the international Mafia. Everything indeed is coming up roses for Harold until the Easter weekend when enemies unknown embark on a series of lethal outrages against his organisation. As the story accelerates to a crazy vortex of violence, Harold discovers he has unwittingly crossed enemies whose connections, expertise and dedication to violence outclass his own.

On this day in television history - M Squad (1960):

M Squad

Season 3. Episode 34.
Episode entitled: Two Days for Willy.
Released May 17, 1960.
Directed by Donald McDougall.
Written by Terry Crosby and Dennis Roberts.
Music by Benny Carter.

Cast:

Lee Marvin, Paul Newlan, Alan Hale, Peggy Webber, Harry Lauter, Mark Tapscott, Bob Hoy, Stephen Talbot.

On this day in movie history - In a Lonely Place (1950 movie & novel):

In a Lonely Place

directed by Nicholas Ray,

written by Andrew P. Solt and Edmund H. North,

based on the novel by Dorothy B. Hughes,

was released in the United States on May 17, 1950.
Music by George Antheil.

Cast:

Humphrey Bogart, Gloria Grahame, Frank Lovejoy, Carl Benton Reid, Art Smith, Martha Stewart, Jeff Donnell, Robert Warwick, Morris Ankrum, William Ching, Steven Geray, Hadda Brooks, Jack Reynolds.

Recommended reading:

In a Lonely Place

By Dorothy B. Hughes.

Filmed as In a Lonely Place (1950), directed by Nicholas Ray.

Published by NYRB Classics.

First published 1947.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 1681371472

ISBN-13: 978-1681371474

Description:

Los Angeles in the late 1940s is a city of promise and prosperity, but not for former fighter pilot Dix Steele. To his mind nothing has come close to matching “that feeling of power and exhilaration and freedom that came with loneness in the sky.” He prowls the foggy city night – bus stops and stretches of darkened beaches and movie houses just emptying out – seeking solitary young women. His funds are running out and his frustrations are growing. Where is the good life he was promised? Why does he always get a raw deal? Then he hooks up with his old Air Corps buddy Brub, now working for the LAPD, who just happens to be on the trail of the strangler who’s been terrorizing the women of the city for months...

Written with controlled elegance, Dorothy B. Hughes’s tense novel is at once an early indictment of a truly toxic masculinity and a twisty page-turner with a surprisingly feminist resolution. A classic of golden age noir, In a Lonely Place also inspired Nicholas Ray’s 1950 film of the same name, starring Humphrey Bogart.