Review: A compelling, incredibly entertaining suspense thriller
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 11, 2013
Michael Landsberg's two-part novel, `God's Memory' reminds me of the best literary output of the legendary writer Robert Ludlum. But unlike Ludlum's prose, which is at times difficult to penetrate, Landberg's language is as razor-sharp and deadly as a samurai sword--if you can picture that. Naked of any trace of deadwood, Landsberg's writing is the proverbial meat grinder: you're left so enthralled you're flipping the pages to reach the climax as soon as possible.`God's Memory' interweaves the lives of four people, all converging toward 9/11, then re-emerge from there. Landsberg's depiction of President Charles Taylor is uncannily reminiscent of "someone" we all know, and his role in the terrorist attack--especially that of the one who holds the puppet strings that limit Taylor's actions to certain ends--is deftly crafted with sufficient verisimilitude you often forget you're reading fiction--or is it really fiction in the strictest sense? Because, at bottom, `God's Memory--the power play and power struggle, the decisions made behind closed doors, the murder and mayhem, and the sinister political interconnections that are largely unseen by the oblivious masses--is so chillingly familiar to the world we actually live in now--it is just so awesome to read on the page.`God's Memory' is so tightly woven it just takes your breath away. During the hours I was gleefully reading it, I was hounded by a sense that this book might be transformed into a great video game (I'm an avid gamer myself)--then I checked the author's bio, and I chuckled--indeed, Landsberg works in the video game industry--a kindred spirit! But this is not to say that the book is all about "cheap thrills"--it actually has that rare intellectual and emotional gravitas that will deeply satisfy the thinking reader. Frankly, I hold the Prologue (foreshadowing what would become the Rothfeld financial empire) as Landberg's touch of literary genius--the simple depiction of David Rothfeld hitting his own "Eureka!" moment serves as a powerful catapult that "propelled" me to devour the rest of the book.Landsberg is an incredibly talented writer--even now I'm shaking in my skivvies--and `God's Memory' is a majestic opus that will sweep you away. I dare you to read the free first few chapters--go ahead, try it--and I'll bet both my game consoles that you will be hooked. Fans of suspense thrillers--especially those that touch on mass conspiracy and social manipulation--will not only find this book an entertaining read, they will also love this for stimulating them to think. Landsberg is an author to watch out for--because I definitely will be waiting for his next book. I highly recommend!