Tuesday, September 8, 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:


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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:
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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:


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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 movie history - Heretic (2024):


Heretic

directed and written by Scott Beck, Bryan Woods,
released at the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada on September 8, 2024.
Music by Chris Bacon.

Cast:

Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East, Topher Grace, Elle Young, Julie Lynn Mortensen, Haylie Hansen, Elle McKinnon, Hanna Huffman, Anesha Bailey, Miguel Castillo, Stephanie Lavigne, Wendy Gorling, Carolyn Adair, River Codack.

On this day in music history - Blue Dream – Solo Piano, by Fiona Joy Hawkins (2023):


Blue Dream – Solo Piano

Album by Fiona Joy Hawkins,
released September 8, 2023.

Track list:

From the Outside (Solo); Standing up Solo; Blue Dream (Softly); Contemplating (Softly); Sunrise at Ularu Solo; Song Phonique (Solo); The Void (Softly); Voice of Angels - Solo Piano; Prelude to a Painting (Solo); Moving On (Solo); Somewhere (Solo).

On this day in movie history - Woman of the Hour (2023):


Woman of the Hour

directed by Anna Kendrick,
written by Ian McDonald,
released at the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada on September 8, 2023.
Based on the true 1978 case of serial killer Rodney Alcala, nicknamed The Dating Game Killer.
Music by Dan Romer and Mike Tuccillo.
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Daniel Zovatto, Tony Hale, Nicolette Robinson, Pete Holmes, Autumn Best, Kathryn Gallagher, Kelley Jakle, Matt Visser, Jedidiah Goodacre, Rob Morton, Dylan Schmid, Karen Holness, Denalda Williams, Jessie Fraser, Matty Finochio, Geoff Gustafson, Max Lloyd-Jones, Andy Thompson, Nancy Kerr, James Yi, Jessica Chaffin, Matthew Kevin Anderson, Taylor Hastings, David Beairsto, Darcy Laurie, Marc Gaudet, Bonnie Hay, Michael Adamthwaite, Jacob Woike, Jason Simpson, Hannah Henney, Tighe Gill, Michael Jonsson, Vonnie Bennetto, Thomas Strumpski, John Herkenrath, Jeremy Radin, John Gillich, Roma Lucero.

On this day in movie history - I, Tonya (2017):


I, Tonya

directed by Craig Gillespie,
written by Steven Rogers,
was released at the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada on September 8, 2017.
Inspired by the true 1994 Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan story.
Music by Peter Nashel.


Cast:

Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney, Julianne Nicholson, Paul Walter Hauser, Bobby Cannavale, Bojana Novakovic, Caitlin Carver, Maizie Smith, Mckenna Grace, Suehyla El-Attar Young, Jason Davis, Mea Allen, Cory Chapman, Amy Fox, Cara Mantella, Joshua Mikel, Lynne Ashe, Steve Wedan, Brandon O'Dell, Davin Allen Grindstaff, Daniel Thomas May, Anthony Reynolds, Ricky Russert, Al Bianchi, Miles Mussenden, Annie Livingston, Jan Harrelson, Luray Cooper, Dan Triandiflou, Kelly O'Neal, Lisa Kaye Kinsler, Cecil Love, Alphie Hyorth, Sean Goulding, Bobby Browning, Little Man, Bobby Akers, John Jacob Anderson, Jeffery Arseneau, Oksana Baiul, Cassidy Balkcom, Heather Jocelyn Blair, David Bloom, Patti Brindley, James Burns, Buddy Cannon, Lucie Carroll, Jamel D. Chambers, Connie Chung, Kaleigh Brooke Clark, John Crow, Ann Curry, Fi Dieter, Laura Distin, Darrell Duane, Catherine Dyer, Robin Dyke, Duke Edson, Calen Curtis Edwards, Kayla Ellenwood, Gavrielle Anne Fontanilla, Dudley Fuqua, Renah Gallagher, Mistie Gibby, Jeff Glover, Lavona Golden, Tonya Harding, Joe Heath, Kandace Howard, Adrienne Johnson, Allyson Leigh Jordan, Ashley Kalo, Jamie King, Kevin Kobinsky, Kris Kozlowski, Joel Laird, Demetri Landell, Jason MacDonald, Tweed Michael Manning, Heather McCormick, Anthony McDowell, Dana Clark McPherson, Timothy D. Montjoy, Cassidy Morgan, Joel Nathaniel, Charlie Reyes-Torreblanca, Devonte Riley, Brady Rogers, Liz Sanford, Patti Schellhaas, Silvia Schueler, Leonel Severino, James Stacey, James Sterling, Doug Stroup, Joey Thurmond, Evan Towell, Jordyn Tracy, Evan George Vourazeris, William Walker, Christina Michelle Williams, Maria Z. Wilson, Katarina Witt, Raven Wynn, Lina Zalewski.

On this day in movie history – Downfall (2004 movie & books):


Downfall

directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel,
written by Bernd Eichinger,
released in Munich, Germany on September 8, 2004.
Based on the books: Inside Hitler’s Bunker by Joachim Fest and Until the Final Hour by Traudl Junge and Melissa Müller.
Music by Stephan Zacharias.
Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film Oscar at the 77th Academy Awards in 2005.
Won the BBC Four World Cinema competition in 2005.
Cast: Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara, Corinna Harfouch, Ulrich Matthes, Juliane Köhler, Heino Ferch, Christian Berkel, Matthias Habich, Thomas Kretschmann, Michael Mendl, André Hennicke, Ulrich Noethen, Birgit Minichmayr, Rolf Kanies, Justus von Dohnányi, Dieter Mann, Christian Redl, Götz Otto, Thomas Limpinsel, Thomas Thieme, Alexander Held, Donevan Gunia, Bettina Redlich, Heinrich Schmieder, Anna Thalbach, Dietrich Hollinderbäumer, Ulrike Krumbiegel, Karl Kranzkowski, Thorsten Krohn, Jürgen Tonkel, Devid Striesow, Fabian Busch, Christian Hoening, Aleksandr Slastin, Alina Sokar, Amelie Menges, Charlotte Stoiber, Gregory Borlein, Julia Bauer, Laura Borlein, Andrey Blagoslovenski, Dirk Borchardt, Elizaveta Boyarskaya, Michael Brandner, I. Bubenchikov, Leopold von Buttlar, Martin Butzke, Dmitriy Bykovskiy-Romashov, Sergey Evseev, Mathias Gnädinger, Bohdan Graczyk, Sergey Rublev, Norbert Heckner, Enno Hesse, Evgeniy Ilovayskiy, Julia Jentsch, Oleg Khoroshilov, Michael Kind, Elisabeth von Koch, Tara Marie Linke, Michael Lippold, Konstantin Lukashov, Stefan Mehren, Ilya Mozgovoy, Silke Nikowski, Alexei Oleinikov, Oleg Piminov, Katerina Poladjan, Oleg Popov, Silke Popp, Vasiliy Reutov, Igor Romanov, Tanja Schleiff, Christian Schmidt, August Schmölzer, Jurij Schrader, Boris Schwarzmann, Mariya Semyonova, Igor Sergeev, Valeri Slavinski, Valeriy Salomakhin, Hans H. Steinberg, Klaus-Jürgen Steinmann, Oliver Stritzel, Veit Stübner, Mikhail Tryasorukov, Vsevolod Tsurilo, Klaus B. Wolf, Elena Dreyden, Tatyana Zhuravlyova, Frank Brandes, Thomas Franke, Traudl Junge, Martin Kessler, Henning Peker, Dieter Rupp, Aleksandr Styopin.

Recommended reading:


Inside Hitler's Bunker: The Last Days of the Third Reich

By Joachim Fest.

Translated by Margot Bettauer Dembo.
Published by Picador.
Published 2002.
ISBN-10: 0312423926
ISBN-13: 978-0312423926

Description:

Fest describes in riveting detail the final weeks of the war, from the desperate battles that raged night and day in the ruins of Berlin, fought by boys and old men, to the growing paranoia that marked Hitler's mental state, to his suicide and the efforts of his loyal aides to destroy his body before the advancing Russian armies reached Berlin. Inside Hitler's Bunker combines meticulous research with spellbinding storytelling and sheds light on events that, for those who survived them, were nothing less than the end of the world.

"A riveting book." – Henry A. Kissinger.

"Fest's concise volume is clear – indeed, even elegant – in its style and keen in its observations." – The Dallas Morning-News.

"Fest brings a unique perspective to his subject, coupling objective narrative with a keen critical disdain for Hitler and his subordinates." – The Roanoke Times.

"A lifetime of reflection on the Nazi period is distilled in a short but diligently written and incisive book." – Michael Burleigh, author of The Third Reich: A New History.

Joachim Fest was born in Berlin in 1926. His previous books include The Face of the Third Reich; Hitler, his celebrated biography of Adolf Hitler; Plotting Hitler's Death; and Speer: The Final Verdict, for which he has won numerous awards. A film adaptation of Inside Hitler's Bunker, entitled Downfall, has become a European blockbuster.


Until the Final Hour: Hitler's Last Secretary

By Traudl Junge.

Edited by Melissa Müller.
Published by Orion Paperbacks.
Published 2002.
ISBN-10: 0753820552
ISBN-13: 978-0753820551

Description:

Offering a unique insider's perspective on Adolf Hitler and the final days of the Third Reich, the personal recollections of a woman who became Hitler's secretary at the age of twenty-two in 1942 sheds new light on Hitler's day-to-day life, character, and habits, while chronicling a young woman's discovery of the evil that lurked behind the pleasant façade of the man for whom she worked.

On this day in movie history - The Thing: Terror Takes Shape (1998):


The Thing: Terror Takes Shape

documentary directed and written by Michael Matessino,
released in the United States on September 8, 1998.
Music by David Arnold.
Cast: John Carpenter, David Foster, Bill Lancaster, John J. Lloyd, Dean Cundey, Rob Bottin, Kurt Russell, Richard Masur, Charles Hallahan, Peter Kuran, Susan Turner, Albert Whitlock, Todd C. Ramsay, Stan Winston, Joel Polis.

On this day in movie history - Last of the Dogmen (1995):


Last of the Dogmen

directed and written by Tab Murphy,
was released in the United States on September 8, 1995.
Music by David Arnold.


Cast:

Tom Berenger, Barbara Hershey, Kurtwood Smith, Steve Reevis, Andrew Miller, Gregory Scott Cummins, Mark Boone Junior, Helen Calahasen, Eugene Blackbear, Dawn Lavand, Sidel Standing Elk, Hunter Bodine, Graham Jarvis, Parley Baer, Sherwood Price, Molly Parker, Antony Holland, Robert Donley, Brian Stollery, Mitchell LaPlante, Jaime Watts, Wilford Brimley, Tasha Poemoceah, Gary Tsoodle.

On this day in the Star Trek universe:

Star Trek (1966)


Star Trek
Season 1. Episode 1.
Episode entitled: The Man Trap.
Released September 8, 1966.
Directed by Marc Daniels.
Written by George Clayton Johnson.
Created by Gene Roddenberry.
Music by Alexander Courage.
Cast: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Jeanne Bal, Alfred Ryder, DeForest Kelley, Grace Lee Whitney, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Bruce Watson, Michael Zaslow, Vince Howard, Francine Pyne, Budd Albright, Tom Anfinsen, John Arndt, Bob Baker, Bill Blackburn, Frank da Vinci, James Doohan, Sandra Lee Gimpel, Jeannie Malone, Eddie Paskey, Anthony Larry Paul, Walter Soo Hoo, Garrison True, Ron Veto.

On this day in movie history - The Phantom Carriage (1939 movie & novel):


The Phantom Carriage

a.k.a. The Phantom Wagon,
French title: La charrette fantôme,
directed by Julien Duvivier,
written by Julien Duvivier, Alexandre Arnoux,
based on the novel Thy Soul Shall Bear Witness by Selma Lagerlöf,
original Swedish title: Körkarlen,
released in Sweden on September 8, 1939.
Music by Jacques Ibert.
Cast: Pierre Fresnay, Marie Bell, Micheline Francey, Louis Jouvet, Jean Mercanton, Ariane Borg, Alexandre Rignault, Robert Le Vigan, Palau, René Génin, Marie-Hélène Dasté, Philippe Richard, Georges Mauloy, Joffre, Marcel Pérès, Jean Claudio, Andrée Méry, Mila Parély, Henri Nassiet, Valentine Tessier, Jean Buquet, Marcel Chabrier, Marguerite de Morlaye, Georges Douking, Michel François, Édouard Francomme, Lucy Kieffer, Mme Lherbay, Suzanne Morlot, Frédéric O'Brady, Jean Parédès, Sylvain, Génia Vaury, Eugène Yvernès.

Recommended reading:


Thy Soul Shall Bear Witness

By Selma Lagerlöf.

Translated by William Frederick Harvey.
Published by e-artnow.
First published 1912.
ISBN-10: 8027340209
ISBN-13: 9788027340200

Description:

Thy Soul Shall Bear Witness is a result of a collaboration between Selma Lagerlöf and the Swedish association. The novel was written as a means of public education about tuberculosis. It is set in a small town in Sweden at the beginning of the 20th century. Edith, a young "Slum Sister" (social worker) in the service of the Salvation Army is on her death bed dying of tuberculosis. She requests that before she dies, she would like to again see David Holm, one of her charges. It becomes apparent that the two have a special relationship.

On this day in movie history - Une vie perdue (1933):


Une vie perdue

directed by Raymond Rouleau,
written by Jacques Deval,
was released in France on September 8, 1933.
Music by Jean Wiener.

Cast:

Marcel André, Camille Corney, Ady Cresso, Maxime Fabert, André Gabriello, Jean Guilton, Yolande Laffon, Lucienne Le Marchand, Raymond Rouleau, Michel Salina, Marcel Vallée.

Born on this day – David R. Ellis:


David R. Ellis

Director

Stuntman

September 8, 1952 – January 7, 2013