Continue reading »]]> What did I expect from A Sufi’s Ghost? Well, I expected it to be a great read–I always have that expectation from Mark Biskeborn–and I expected it to be action-packed. I expect a lot, don’t I?

Let me start by asking you as a reader what you thought of his last book, Mojave Winds? Now, don’t tell me you didn’t read it! That one was a slam dunk! Luckily, I am here to help you correct that small error. Mojave Winds was a great read and now, A Sufi’s Ghost is an even better read. Why? Because the writer has grown? Perhaps. Gotten better? Perhaps. Mainly because this is a top-notch action writer writing what he knows best– a rollickingly good story.

So, what actually happens? Well, I ain’t telling you… Okay, I will! I WILL! Just hold your horses and don’t keep pestering me! Larry Larson, after leaving the army, decides to be a bounty hunter. This in itself is a great thing! He finds himself in the Saudi desert… He…. nah, I am not telling you any more…

Okay, well let me tell you that this is a story that takes you through the secretive world of Saudi Arabia, religion, politics and a world we cannot see as Westerners.

 Just the words bounty hunter and Saudi desert should have you digging around trying to find the Amazon account password to buy this one.Then we come to a Biskeborn essential, he throws in a beautiful partner in crime, Carmen, and you will find yourself looking for the nearest camel to have your very own Harem Holiday.

What about his writing? Well, let me just tell you this first. Mark Biskeborn has really researched this book wonderfully. He has taken the time to paint a picture of a country, a desert seldom seen by most in the western world. He has researched all the nuances that could have made this book come unstuck. In short, he has written a book that I believe in and you will, too.

Yes, I have been raving about this one a lot. What can I say as a negative? Well, his writing style tends to wander sometimes, but then again, A Sufi’s Ghost itself is about wandering the desert. I do believe Mark Biskeborn has a fascination with the desert, you know? His last book Mojave Winds was set in the Nevada desert. Hey, Mark? Next time can we have a rollicking underwater adventure instead? Until then–go read this beauty by the man who could be the next king of the action writers…

 Click here to read an interview with Mark Biskeborn and learn more about the man behind the writing.

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“Pacy writing at its finest from the pen of Mark Biskeborn….”

 

I have just finished reading Mojave Winds: Second Edition by Mark Biskeborn. What can I say? Give me a few minutes to digest this one… It’s big… I have a lot to tell you.

I wonder if this is the first book that has been written about finding love in the desert? In case you’ve missed nature documentaries or planes recently– the desert is this big hot mass– just sand and bleached skeletons for miles around. So how do two people fall in love in such a place? Well, author Mark Biskeborn made it happen– he put two lost souls together on a bus and made them connect. Let me tell you about them. Sheila is a beautiful, talented Persian dancer who works in the best joints in Vegas. She has a huge void in her being, though– she feels like a trophy for men. It’s lucky for her that she meets freshly-discharged-from-the-army Kris Klug. The two meet and fall in love, but their love is endangered by the very fact that the bus they are traveling on is hijacked by drug dealers… What do the dealers want? I’m not going to tell you… But it isn’t sand!

Hooked yet? Well, it doesn’t end there. Kris is on the way to meet his Uncle Fred. Now, Fred is a wealthy trucking boss who wants to pass down the business. Before getting on the bus, Kris is told by a shady FBI agent called Jaeger that his uncle Fred may well have been involved in drug trafficking…

Are these two things related? Is Jaeger involved? Is Uncle Fred involved? What do the dealers want? What is Sheila doing on a bus in the Mojave desert? All these questions and more are asked and answered. Let me ask you… This is 386 pages of written work. Let’s take a few off for the front and back pages. Okay.. 380 pages. I normally read pretty quickly and try to review as quickly as I can. I ACTIVELY slowed myself down on this one. I slowed myself down to enjoy it and take it in. I wanted to prolong the experience because I was enjoying the experience. I am probably the only person in the world right now who is going to book tickets to visit the Mojave Desert, bleached bones and all. Here I come!

Hooked now? Hey! Let me tell you about the writing. ‘Detailed’ is a word I would use– detailed, but not boring. The writing is never boring. The story bounces– swings– smoothly narrates it’s way along. You can almost feel the heat of the desert. You can almost taste love dripping from the pages. The dialogue is never phoney, the story-line is never out-of-this-world. This is real life in book form in so many ways. Have you ever been in love? You will feel the bond between Sheila and Kris. Is this book dark? At times. I found myself hooked for the third time this week.  I don’t think I could ever put a Mark Biskeborn book down again. He has a real talent for getting a story across to a reader and adds those little flourishes that make the words as addictive as the drugs Uncle Fred is meant to be trafficking.

So what do I think? I think you should go buy this one! I don’t mean right now– I mean like a few minutes ago. I usually try to find fault in a book but this one makes it hard. If I have to find a negative, perhaps it is a bit long? But then the plot unfolds in such a way that actually the size is perfect. Open your change purse, folks, and go buy this one.

Mojave Winds: Second Edition is available on Amazon. Also visit Mark’s Author Page.

Reviewed by Nick Wale