Reviews

If you have taken the time to read the biography of Stephen H. Banks on his Amazon page, you don’t need to read any more of this review. The chances are you have already bought a copy of his book Chaos Theories and you’ve enjoyed it. You haven’t? Well… read on and you will find out why this book is such an incredibly enjoyable read.

When I read a book, I look for two things. I want to be captivated by strong writing and I want to be entertained. Chaos Theories manages both. I don’t know who said it first– perhaps me? But if it looks good, sounds good, and reads well then it’s a good book. I got my copy of Chaos Theories a few days ago. I professionally review books, so it was in the pile and I kept looking at it– it kept looking at me– I looked at it some more and closed the book I was currently reading (that’s pretty easy now with an ‘x’ at the top of the screen) and I opened Chaos Theories. I had read the blurb and it was already looking good. Let me ask you a question– a series of seemingly random events that by themselves are nothing more than small blips in a life, put together amounting to something huge? Is that feasible?

I think so, and so does Stephen. Take the character in his book, for instance. Jim Parish is traveling to work and minding his own business. Suddenly a car goes through a puddle and soaks his trousers. Okay, that’s an annoyance; but then he hears a scream and looks up. A body is falling from a third floor window. That’s a big event! Perhaps it’s a life changer? Jim holds out his arms and catches the falling body– the body of a girl. Three events: a puddle-happy driver who soaked the trousers of a man going to work, that man hears a scream, and catches a child… What are the odds?

I was caught up by this story in a big way. I don’t really have a lot of time, but I found myself sitting and reading this; ignoring my wife, ignoring the radio, ignoring clients, and just reading as I was drawn into the world of Jim Parish. Jim weaves his way through both big and small events. All of them seem random– just part of his life experience. I found myself grinning when Jim, not the most social of people, found himself entwined with a beautiful girl. I felt bad for him when he found himself going through a rough patch.  I identified with him. I could visualize him and he spoke to me. In many ways he is the ‘everyman.’ How many people have woken up one day and found themselves thrust into the spotlight? Given a huge break? Given the chance to make something happen? I think the chance is there for all of us and when that chance arises, we change. That, I feel, is the very nature of fate.

So why did I ask you if you had read the biography of Stephen H. Banks? Well, I think if you had taken the time, you would have realised that he, himself, has been very much a child of fate. Here is a man who was told by a school guidance counselor that he was so intelligent he could “do anything he wanted.” What did Stephen choose to do? He chose to forge his own path and didn’t go straight for the money or the fame. He chose to act, he chose to work as an electrician, he found himself in the computer industry. He built a career, he had kids… He trusted the actions of fate and found that all those little occurrences that seem like nothing are actually what build you into a person. This book is about life. Stephen has created a fascinating read that doesn’t need a gimmick or a ploy. It just needs a reader to open the first page and read. Once you start, you won’t stop. Stephen H. Banks makes sure you won’t begin to think about clicking ‘close’ until you’ve finished every last word.

Review by Nick Wale

The book is “Courier” and the author is Terry Irving. I know Terry through my interviews and I know he is capable of some slam dunk work. This book is one of those thrillers that you just can’t ignore. Remember “Airport”? Well think along the same lines… Here we go… Back to the seventies….

I had the privilege of reading Terry Irving’s latest work, Courier. This is a fast-paced, nail-biting thriller combining intrigue, suspense, a bit of romance, and mostly, edge-of-your-seat action.
Rick Putnam, the story’s protagonist, finds himself unwittingly smack dab in the midst of one of the biggest potential political scandals of the era. It’s 1972, and Rick, an emotionally wounded Vietnam vet is a motorcycle courier for a news agency in Washington, DC. Doing his job as usual, he suddenly finds himself in possession of a reel of film which exposes Nixon’s acceptance of bribes in the form of campaign contributions by the South Vietnamese in order to extend the war for their benefit. This footage is so explosive, so volatile, those who want to see it buried will stop at nothing to quash it, regardless of who is expended in the meanwhile. Naturally, Rick is the primary target.

Rick is an interesting guy– he’s a man’s man, but utterly vulnerable and tortured by visions of horror suffered in the war. To attempt to dull these memories which haunt him nightly, he rides his BMW motorcycle to its limits on a daily basis– by riding hard, fast, and a bit maniacal at times, his mind can push the memories away for a just a bit. If you’ve ever ridden a bike or even been a passenger, the action-packed descriptions of Rick’s many hair-raising, adrenaline pumping rides will take you right back to being on that seat. I am a former rider myself and I was instantly transported back to that feeling of tremendous power between my knees and feeling my hand twist the throttle just a little bit more- pushing my personal limits to balance the fear with the utter exhilaration I felt.

There’s even a sweet romance – Rick, who normally is quite emotionally closed off, finds himself captivated by a strong-willed Native American law student who is able to access those parts of him he thought he had shut forever. It shows Rick to be incredibly human and brings to light so many issues we know vets continue to suffer to this day.

Mr. Irving based the book on his own experiences as a motorcycle courier during the same time. He describes Rick as “far more daring and much better looking than I ever was”; although I have to wonder if he’s being too modest. Only personal experience could have allowed the descriptions of that type of amazing motorcycle riding. Additionally, the descriptions of the news production process during the 70s, when Mr. Irving himself was right in the middle of that business, was fascinating. He describes the process of film editing and that sense of constant urgency in the newsroom. Since most of his life after being a courier was spent in the news production environment, you can feel the reality of the scenes through his descriptions which can only be gleaned by being there. One gets a hint at what life in Washington was really like during that heady time.

I don’t want to give away any secrets– suffice it to say the twists in the story will have you gasping in surprise and chewing at your nails. I don’t normally read thrillers, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one and I know you will, too. It’s quite the ride!

Review by LoriAnn Murray

See an additional article about Courier here. Also, there are two interviews with Mr. Irving here and here.