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 television history - Justified (2012):

Justified

Season 3. Episode 5.

Episode entitled: Thick as Mud.

Released February 14, 2012.

Directed by Adam Arkin.

Written by Graham Yost, Jon Worley, Benjamin Cavell, Elmore Leonard, Nichelle Tramble Spellman, Ingrid Escajeda and Ryan Farley.

Based on the short story Fire in the Hole by Elmore Leonard.

Music by Steve Porcaro.

Cast:

Timothy Olyphant, Nick Searcy, Joelle Carter, Jacob Pitts, Erica Tazel, Natalie Zea, Walton Goggins, Raymond J. Barry, Clayne Crawford, Demetrius Grosse, Damon Herriman, Maggie Lawson, David Meunier, Todd Stashwick, Mykelti Williamson, Neal McDonough, Randolph Adams, Newell Alexander, Michael Scott Allen, Tasha Ames, Tate Ammons, Steve Bean, Valerie Brandy, Stephanie Cleough, Adrian Flowers, Nick Hoffa, Jesse Luken, Jeffrey Markle, Brendan McCarthy, Alison White.

On this day in music history:

Dreamboat Annie by Heart (1976)

Bébé le Strange by Heart (1980)

Sleepless Empire by Lacuna Coil (2025)

Babe’s and Ricky’s Inn (2013)

Dreamboat Annie

Album by Heart,

released February 14, 1976.

Track list: Magic Man; Dreamboat Annie (Fantasy Child); Crazy on You; Soul of the Sea; Dreamboat Annie; White Lightning and Wine; (Love Me Like Music) I'll Be Your Song; Sing Child; How Deep It Goes; Dreamboat Annie.

Bébé le Strange

Album by Heart,

Released February 14, 1980.

Track list: Bebe Le Strange; Down On Me; Silver Wheels; Break; Rockin' Heaven Down; Even It Up; Strange Night; Raised On You; Pilot; Sweet Darlin'; Jackleg Man; Break.

Sleepless Empire

Album by Lacuna Coil,

released February 14, 2025.

Track list: The Siege; Oxygen; Scarecrow; Gravity; I Wish You Were Dead; Hosting the Shadow (feat. Randy Blythe); In Nomine Patris; Sleepless Empire; Sleep Paralysis; In The Mean Time (feat. Ash Costello); Never Dawn.

Babe’s and Ricky’s Inn

Documentary directed and written by Ramin Niami.

Released in the United States on February 14, 2013.

Cast: Ray Bailey, Andrea Balestra, Shawn Barry, Bobby Bryan, Mickey Champion, Charlie Chan, Chu Chu, Grant Cihlar, George Dezz, Ken Frizzelle, Takahiro Fukuda, Eric Garcia, Lady Gigi, Laura Mae Gross, Tony Ibarra, Alvon Johnson, Deacon Jones, Dennis Jones, Richard Martin-Ross, Johnny Mastro, Tokyo Mississippi, Keb’ Mo’, Barbara Morrison, Oklahoma Ollie, Sherry Pruitt, Jeff Ross, Southside Slim, Mike Stoller, Suzanne Thomas, Peter Tork, Ferekiea White, Earl Williams, Gregg Wright.

On this day in the Star Trek universe:

Star Trek (1969)

Star Trek: Voyager (2001)

Star Trek: Discovery (2019)

Star Trek

Season 3. Episode 19.

Episode entitled: Requiem for Methuselah.

Released February 14, 1969.

Directed by Murray Golden.

Written by Jerome Bixby, Arthur H. Singer.

Created by Gene Roddenberry.

Music by Alexander Courage.

Cast: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Majel Barrett, James Daly, Louise Sorel, Bill Blackburn, John Buonomo, Roger Holloway, Naomi Newman, Sally Yarnell.

Star Trek: Voyager

Season 7. Episode 14.

Episode entitled: The Void.

Released February 14, 2001.

Directed by Michael/Mike Vejar.

Created by Rick Berman, Michael Piller, Jeri Taylor.

Written by Raf Green, James Kahn, Kenneth Biller, Michael Taylor, Robert Doherty, Phyllis Strong, Michael/Mike Sussman.

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, Robin Sachs, Paul Willson, Scott Lawrence, Jonathan Del Arco, Michael Shamus Wiles, Michael Bailous, Tarik Ergin, Louis Ortiz, Stephen Pisani, Michael Satterfield.

Star Trek: Discovery

Season 2. Episode 5.

Episode entitled: Saints of Imperfection.

Released February 14, 2019.

Directed by David Barrett.

Created by Bryan Fuller, Alex Kurtzman.

Written by Kirsten Beyer, Sean Cochran.

Based on Star Trek, created by Gene Roddenberry.

Music by Jeff Russo.

Cast: Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Mary Wiseman, Shazad Latif, Wilson Cruz, Anson Mount, Michelle Yeoh, Jayne Brook, Alan Van Sprang, Rachael Ancheril, Bahia Watson, Hannah Cheesman, Emily Coutts, Patrick Kwok-Choon, Oyin Oladejo, Ronnie Rowe, Julianne Grossman.

On this day in television history - M Squad (1958):

M Squad

Season 1. Episode 21.
Episode entitled: Lover’s Lane Killing.
Released February 14, 1958.
Directed by Robert Altman.
Written by Joel Murcott.
Music by Stanley Wilson.

Cast:

Lee Marvin, Kent Smith, Ruta Lee, John Doucette, Angela Greene, Leonard Bremen, Douglas Rader.

Born on this day – Richard M. Cohen:

Richard M. Cohen

Writer

Television producer

February 14, 1948 – December 24, 2024

Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in 1973.

Credits:

Books:

Blindsided: Lifting a Life Above Illness: A Reluctant Memoir (2004); I Want to Kill the Dog (2012); Strong At The Broken Places (2008).

Born on this day – Gregory Hines:

Gregory Hines

Actor

Dancer

Choreographer

Singer

February 14, 1946 – August 9, 2003

Born on this day – Alan Parker:

Alan Parker

Director

February 14, 1944 – July 31, 2020

Born on this day – Pluma Noisom:

Pluma Noisom

Actress

February 14, 1913 – May 22, 1981

Pluma Noisom (left) & Claudette Colbert (right).

Credits:

Dames (1934); Fashions of 1934 (1934); Footlight Parade (1933); Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935); Harold Teen (1934); Imitation of Life (1934); Maid of Salem (1937); She Married Her Boss (1935); The Gilded Lily (1935); The Godless Girl (1928); Under Two Flags (1936); Wonder Bar (1934).

Born on this day – Joan O'Brien:

Joan O'Brien

Actress

Singer

February 14, 1936 – May 5, 2025

Credits:

About Faces (1961); Adventures in Paradise (1961); Bachelor Father (1960–1961); Bat Masterson (1959–1960); Bringing Up Buddy (1961); Bronco (1960); Bus Stop (1962); Cheyenne (1961); Follow the Sun (1962); General Electric Theater (1961); Get Yourself a College Girl (1964); Handle with Care (1958); Hometown Jamboree (1949–1960); It Happened at the World's Fair (1963); It's Only Money (1962); Lock Up (1960); M Squad (1958); Man Without a Gun (1959); Markham (1959); Operation Petticoat (1959); Outlaws (1962); Perry Mason (1960–1965); Rawhide (1962); Riverboat (1959); Samar (1962); Shower of Stars (1957); Six Black Horses (1962); Spirit of the Alamo (1960); Surfside 6 (1961); That Regis Philbin Show (1965); The Alamo (1960); The Alaskans (1960); The Bob Crosby Show (1953); The Chevy Mystery Show (1960); The Comancheros (1961); The Definitive Elvis: The Hollywood Years - Part II: 1962-1969 (2002); The Deputy (1960); The Dick Van Dyke Show (1963); The Easter Seal Teleparade of Stars (1955); The Islanders (1960); The Liberace Show (1954–1959); The Lieutenant (1964); The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964); The Roaring 20's (1961); The Tall Man (1962); The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show (1960); The Virginian (1964); The Westerner (1960); Valentine's Day (1965); Wagon Train (1960); We Joined the Navy (1962); Whispering Smith (1961).

Born on this day – Lois Maxwell:

Lois Maxwell

Actress

February 14, 1927 – September 29, 2007

Credits:

The Suite Life of Hudson & James (2002); The Fourth Angel (2001); Hard to Forget (1998); Lady in the Corner (1989); Rescue Me (1988); Martha, Ruth & Edie (1988); Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1987); Eternal Evil (1985); A View to a Kill (1985); The Edison Twins (1985); Peep (1984); Octopussy (1983); For Your Eyes Only (1981); Mr. Patman (1980); Lost and Found (1979); Moonraker (1979); Witch of Westminster Crossing (1978); The Spy Who Loved Me (1977); Age of Innocence (1977); Bons baisers de Hong-Kong (1975); The Man with the Golden Gun (1974); Live and Let Die (1973); Endless Night (1972); The Persuaders! (1971); Diamonds Are Forever (1971); UFO (1970–1971); Adventures in Rainbow Country (1969–1970); The Adventurers (1970); On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969); My Partner the Ghost (1969); Department S (1969); You Only Live Twice (1967); Welcome to Japan, Mr. Bond (1967); Operation Kid Brother (1967); The Saint (1966–1967); Rome, Sweet Home (1966); Gideon C.I.D. (1966); The Baron (1966); Thunderball (1965); Stingray (1964–1965); The Ambassadors (1965); Goldfinger (1964); Ghost Squad (1964); The Avengers (1964); From Russia with Love (1963); The Haunting (1963); ITV Play of the Week (1957–1963); Come Fly with Me (1963); Zero One (1962); Dr. No (1962); Lolita (1962); The Unstoppable Man (1961); No Hiding Place (1961); One Step Beyond (1961); Danger Man (1960); Rendezvous (1960); Face of Fire (1959); Television Playwright (1958); O.S.S. (1957); Kill Me Tomorrow (1957); Time Without Pity (1957); BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1956); Rheingold Theatre (1956); High Terrace (1956); Aggie (1956); Satellite in the Sky (1956); The Petrified Forest (1956); Passport to Treason (1956); Torpedo Zone (1954); Aida (1953); Man in Hiding (1953); Orient Express (1952); Twilight Women (1952); Scotland Yard Inspector (1952); Ha da venì... don Calogero (1952); The Woman's Angle (1952); Viva il cinema! (1952); Lebbra bianca (1951); Tomorrow Is Too Late (1950); Love and Poison (1950); Kazan (1949); The Crime Doctor's Diary (1949); The Decision of Christopher Blake (1948); The Dark Past (1948); The Big Punch (1948); Corridor of Mirrors (1948); That Hagen Girl (1947); Springtime (1946); A Matter of Life and Death (1946).

Born on this day – Florence Rice:

Florence Rice

Actress

February 14, 1907 – February 23, 1974

Credits:

The Ghost and the Guest (1943); The Boss of Big Town (1942); Stand by All Networks (1942); Let's Get Tough! (1942); Tramp, Tramp, Tramp! (1942); Borrowed Hero (1941); The Blonde from Singapore (1941); Doctors Don't Tell (1941); Father Takes a Wife (1941); Mr. District Attorney (1941); Cherokee Strip (1940); The Secret Seven (1940); Phantom Raiders (1940); Girl in 313 (1940); Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940); Little Accident (1939); At the Circus (1939); Miracles for Sale (1939); The Kid from Texas (1939); Four Girls in White (1939); Stand Up and Fight (1939); Sweethearts (1938); Vacation from Love (1938); Fast Company (1938); Paradise for Three (1938); Beg, Borrow or Steal (1937); Navy Blue and Gold (1937); Double Wedding (1937); Riding on Air (1937); Married Before Breakfast (1937); Man of the People (1937); Under Cover of Night (1937); The Longest Night (1936); Sworn Enemy (1936); Women Are Trouble (1936); Blackmailer (1936); Panic on the Air (1936); Pride of the Marines (1936); Super-Speed (1935); Escape from Devil's Island (1935); Guard That Girl (1935); The Awakening of Jim Burke (1935); Death Flies East (1935); Carnival (1935); Under Pressure (1935); The Best Man Wins (1935); Fugitive Lady (1934).

Born on this day – Thelma Ritter:

Thelma Ritter

Actress

February 14, 1902 – February 5, 1969

Credits:

What's So Bad About Feeling Good? (1968); The Incident (1967); Boeing, Boeing (1965); Move Over, Darling (1963); A New Kind of Love (1963); For Love or Money (1963); How the West Was Won (1962); Wagon Train (1962); Birdman of Alcatraz (1962); The Second Time Around (1961); Frontier Circus (1961); The Misfits (1961); Startime (1960); General Electric Theater (1960); Pillow Talk (1959); A Hole in the Head (1959); Telephone Time (1957); Kraft Theatre (1957); The Proud and Profane (1956); Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1956); The 20th Century-Fox Hour (1955); Lucy Gallant (1955); Kraft Theatre (1955); Goodyear Playhouse (1955); Daddy Long Legs (1955); The Best of Broadway (1955); Lux Video Theatre (1954); Rear Window (1954); The Farmer Takes a Wife (1953); Pickup on South Street (1953); Titanic (1953); With a Song in My Heart (1952); The Model and the Marriage Broker (1951); As Young as You Feel (1951); The Mating Season (1951); All About Eve (1950); I'll Get By (1950); Perfect Strangers (1950); Father Was a Fullback (1949); City Across the River (1949); A Letter to Three Wives (1949); Call Northside 777 (1948); Miracle on 34th Street (1947).

Recommended reading - Gold Coast, by Elmore Leonard (1980):

Gold Coast

By Elmore Leonard.

Published by MarinerBks.

First published 1980.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0062206095

ISBN-13: 978-0062206091

Description:

“Lean, mean, darkly funny.” – Boston Globe.

“A zingy thriller by the master of hard-boiled suspense.” – Dallas Morning News.

Just follow the Grand Master of mystery and suspense to Florida’s Gold Coast and you’ll quickly discover that it’s so. In this classic Elmore Leonard thriller, a beautiful mafia widow stands to lose everything her late mob boss husband left her if she succumbs to her desire for an attractive Detroit ex-con – so the two conspire to outwit the thugs the dead capo assigned to make sure she stays chaste. Superior crime fiction in the vein of John D. MacDonald, Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain, and Robert Parker – chock full of the eccentric characters, black humor, and razor-sharp dialogue for which the acclaimed creator of U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (of TV’s Justified) is justifiably famous – Gold Coast is gold standard Leonard.