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 - Down, Out & Dangerous (1995):

Down, Out & Dangerous

directed by Noel Nosseck,

written by Carey Hayes and Chad Hayes,

was released in the United States on August 23, 1995.
Music by Mark Snow.

Cast:

Richard Thomas, Bruce Davison, Cynthia Ettinger, Steve Hytner, Christine Cavanaugh, Melinda Culea, Stuart Pankin, Jason Bernard, George DiCenzo, Sarah MacDonnell, Virginia Hawkins, Lyla Graham, Joe Nesnow, Richard Narita, David J. Partington, Michael Bard Bayer, Leonard Kelly-Young, Carole Wyand, Rusty Schwimmer, David Jean Thomas.

On this day in movie history - Dead Again (1991):

Dead Again

directed by Kenneth Branagh,

written by Scott Frank,

was released in the United States on August 23, 1991.
Music by Patrick Doyle.

Cast:

Kenneth Branagh, Andy Garcia, Emma Thompson, Lois Hall, Richard Easton, Jo Anderson, Patrick Montes, Raymond Cruz, Robin Williams, Wayne Knight, Patrick Doyle, Erik Kilpatrick, Gordana Rashovich, Derek Jacobi, Obba Babatundé, Christine Ebersole, Vasek Simek, Hanna Schygulla, Gregor Hesse, John Gould Rubin, Campbell Scott, Steven Culp, Yvette Freeman, Miriam Margolyes, Ralph G. Morse, Peter Riga, Tina Rucker, Anthony Welch.

On this day in movie history - Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB (1967):

Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB

directed by George Lucas,

written by George Lucas, Matthew Robbins,

released in the United States on August 23, 1967.

Cast: Dan Nachtsheim, Joy Carmichael, David Munson, Marvin Bennett, Ralph Stell.

Remade as THX 1138 (1970), directed by George Lucas.

On this day in movie history - The Pit and the Pendulum (1961):

The Pit and the Pendulum

directed by Roger Corman,

written by Richard Matheson,

based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe,

was released in the United States on August 23, 1961.
Music by Les Baxter.

Cast:

Vincent Price, John Kerr, Barbara Steele, Luana Anders, Antony Carbone, Patrick Westwood, Lynette Bernay, Larry Turner, Mary Menzies, Charles Victor, Randee Lynne Jensen.

On this day in movie history - The Big Sleep (1946 movie & novel):

The Big Sleep

directed by Howard Hawks,

written by William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett and Jules Furthman,

based on the novel by Raymond Chandler,

was released in the United States on August 23, 1946.
Music by Max Steiner.

Cast:

Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, John Ridgely, Martha Vickers, Sonia Darrin, Dorothy Malone, Regis Toomey, Peggy Knudsen, Charles Waldron, Charles D. Brown, Bob Steele, Elisha Cook, Jr., Louis Jean Heydt, Trevor Bardette, Tommy Rafferty, Ben Welden, Tom Fadden, Theodore von Eltz.

Recommended reading:

The Big Sleep

By Raymond Chandler.

Published by Penguin.

First published 1939.

ISBN-10: 0241970776

ISBN-13: 978-0241970775

Description:

The Big Sleep is a hardboiled crime novel by American-British writer Raymond Chandler, the first to feature the detective, Philip Marlowe.

A dying millionaire hires private eye Philip Marlowe to handle the blackmailer of one of his two troublesome daughters, and Marlowe finds himself involved with more than extortion. Kidnapping, pornography, seduction, and murder are just a few of the complications he gets caught up in.

In 1999, the book was voted 96th of Le Monde's "100 Books of the Century".

Born on this day – River Phoenix:

River Phoenix

Actor

Musician

August 23, 1970 – October 31, 1993

Credits:

Stand by Me: Deleted and Alternate Scenes (2019); Dark Blood (2012); The Thing Called Love (1993); Silent Tongue (1993); Sneakers (1992); Red Hot Chili Peppers: Breaking the Girl (1992); Dogfight (1991); My Own Private Idaho (1991); I Love You to Death (1990); Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989); Running on Empty (1988); Little Nikita (1988); A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon (1988); Ben E. King: Stand by Me (1986); The Mosquito Coast (1986); Circle of Violence: A Family Drama (1986); Stand by Me (1986); Family Ties (1985); Explorers (1985); Surviving (1985); Robert Kennedy and His Times (1985); Hotel (1984); It's Your Move (1984); ABC Afterschool Specials (1984); Celebrity (1984); Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1982–1983).

Born on this day – Nelson DeMille:

Nelson DeMille

Writer

August 23, 1943 – September 17, 2024

Credits:

Books:

A Poison That Leaves No Trace: With Mystery Jigsaw Puzzle (2002); An Acceptable Sacrifice (2012); Blood Lines (2023); Book Club (2014); By the Rivers of Babylon (1978); Cannibal (1975); Cathedral (1981); Citadel (2016); Condor in the Stacks (2015); Dead Dames Don't Sing (2016); Death Benefits (2012); Death Leaves a Bookmark (2012); Every Seven Years (2015); From the Queen (2015); From the Queen (2015); Getaway (2017); Hoodoo Harry (2017); In the Shadow of the Master (2003); It's in the Book (2014); MatchUp (2017); Mayday (1979); Mystery, Inc. (2015); Night Fall (2004); Plum Island (1997); Pronghorns of the Third Reich (2012); Radiant Angel / A Quiet End (2015); Reconciliation Day (2016); Remaindered (2014); Rendezvous (2012); Rides a Stranger (2013); Seven Years (2018); Spencerville (1994); Tales of Terror (1986); The Agent of Death / The Death Squad (1975); The Best American Mystery Stories 2004 (2004); The Book Case (2012); The Book of Ghosts (2013); The Book of the Lion (2015); The Book of Virtue (2012); The Book Thing (2012); The Caxton Private Lending Library & Book Depository (2018); The Charm School (1988); The Compendium of Srem (2014); The Cuban Affair (2017); The Dark Door (2022); The Deserter (2019); The Final Testament (2013); The Gate House (2008); The General's Daughter (1992); The Girl Who Did Say No (2020); The Gold Coast (1990); The Gospel of Sheba (2014); The Hammer of God (1974); The Haze (2016); The Hemingway Valise (2018); The Honeymoon Trap (2022); The Last Honest Horse Thief (2018); The Lion (2010); The Lion's Game (2000); The Little Men (2015); The Long Sonata of the Dead (2013); The Maze (2022); The Nature of My Inheritance (2014); The Night of the Phoenix (1975); The Panther (2012); The Plot Thickens (1997); The Pretty Little Box (2018); The Quest (1975); The Rich and the Dead (2011); The Scroll (2014); The Sequel (2014); The Smack Man (1975); The Sniper (1974); The Talbot Odyssey (1984); The Terrorists (1974); The Traitor (2022); The Travelling Companion (2016); Up Country (2002); What's in a Name? (2014); Wild Fire (2006); Word of Honor (1985).

Movies and television:

History of Air Combat: Fight for the Sky: Air War Over Germany (1997); ITW ThrillerFest Banquet Awards (2015); Life or Breath (2004); Mayday (2005); Megyn Kelly Today (2018); Silent Madness (1984); The 2nd Annual Quill Awards (2006); The Charm School (2024); The General's Daughter (1999); The General's Daughter: Behind the Secrets (1999); Word of Honor (2003).

Born on this day – Robert Mulligan:

Robert Mulligan

Director

Producer

August 23, 1925 – December 20, 2008

Credits:

Ah, Wilderness! (1959); Armstrong Circle Theatre (1955); Baby the Rain Must Fall (1965); Bloodbrothers (1978); Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1967); Cinema (1971); Clara's Heart (1988); Come September (1961); Fear Strikes Out (1957); Fearful Symmetry (1998); Goodyear Playhouse (1955–1957); Gregory Peck: His Own Man (1988); Hollywood Insider (2022); Inside Daisy Clover (1965); Kiss Me Goodbye (1982); Kraft Theatre / The Philco Television Playhouse (1954–1955); Kraft Theatre / The United States Steel Hour (1956); Love with the Proper Stranger (1963); Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady (1982); Playhouse 90 (1957–1960); Rendezvous (1958); Same Time, Next Year (1978); Studio One (1956–1957); Summer of '42 (1971); Suspense (1952–1954); The 81st Annual Academy Awards (2009); The Alcoa Hour (1955–1956); The DuPont Show of the Month (1958–1959); The Great Impostor (1960); The Making of: The Nickel Ride (2019); The Making of: The Other (2021); The Man in the Moon (1991); The Moon and Sixpence (1959); The Nickel Ride (1974); The Other (1972); The Pursuit of Happiness (1971); The Rat Race (1960); The Seven Lively Arts (1957); The Spiral Road (1962); The Stalking Moon (1968); To Kill a Mockingbird (1962); Up the Down Staircase (1967); Victor Borge: Comedy in Music (1956).