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The Assassins Gallery Liberation Road Last Citadel Scorched
Earth The End of War War of the Rats Souls to Keep |
Critical Praise "Along
with building suspense, Robbins’ tale includes fascinating reflections
on the complexities of who to trust and how to choose one’s allies,
all of which provides considerable insight into the cold war at its
peak. Surprises await along the way. This betrayal game should be played
by anyone with a love for blendings of history and suspense." "In
The Betrayal Game, David L. Robbins has created a tour de force
thriller that is equal parts John Le Carre and Daniel Silva. A razor-edged
game of assasins and revolutionaries set against the backdrop of Fidel's
Cuba. A riveting historical thriller crafted with a master's touch.
I defy anyone to predict the final twist." "David
Robbins writes with an assured narrative tone, never producing a jarring
sentence or a clumsy piece of dialogue. His story is laced with authenticity
and utter realism. Food for thought on every fascinating page. A born
stylist, The Betrayal Game unfolds with vivid velocity to an
explosive end with a clever surprise. Don't spoil it by reading the
last few pages first." "The action
is exciting and the pace furious...a screw-tightening story."
"This
brainy thriller is set in 1945, when a foreign black arts assassin (and
a woman, at that) makes her way into America to kill F.D.R. The novel
acts as a vessel for the author to discuss the place that assassinations
have played in history. Like an Umberto Eco historical mystery channeled
through the Jason Bourne series, the factual information is balanced
out by the fictional suspense. Robbins' hero, a history of assassinations
professor named Lammeck recruited by the Secret Service, presents an
intriguing thesis that there are 'good' assassinations and 'bad' ones;
that is, some killings alter history for the better while others create
revolution. Did Caesar's death change anything? Would killing Hitler
earlier have discouraged Stalin? What might Jack Kennedy have done about
Vietnam had he lived? Robbins' 'wild cards' have an impact on history
which cannot be ignored, even if we read about them from the relative
safety of fiction." "The
story is a dotty, coincidence-filled Modesty Blaise-style caper dressed
up in academic clothing - an excellent combination. I loved it." "…
gripping thriller…" "Robbins
has an uncanny ability to provide just the right amount of historical
detail without overwhelming the plot. This talent, coupled with superior
characterization and a masterful, direct writing style will provide
thriller lovers with one of their best reads of the year. The powerful
climax deserves the term "heart-stopping." "Robbins
again concocts an ingenious suspense thriller around the momentous events
of World War II....a novel unafraid to tackle some big ideas. A solid,
satisfying treat for the armchair historian." "...as
tense and suspenseful as anything Robbins has written, and it leaves
most best-sellers behind." "Intriguing...Judith
(is) as cold and credible a killer as has stalked the pages of recent
crime fiction." "...a
superb and compelling speculative history that asks, What if FDR had
been assassinated instead of dying of natural causes? This thriller
evokes pleasant memories of Frederick Forsyth's classic Day of the
Jackal and also hints of a Middle East crisis to come. Assassins
is a fine premise written exceedingly well. Highly recommended."
"In
his latest WWII novel, Robbins powerfully integrates the theme of racial
bigotry from Scorched Earth with the successful formula of
his previous three combat novels (The End of War, etc.)...A
fine effort from an ambitious storyteller." "Once
again, Robbins — emerging as the Homer of World War II —
recreates the mighty drama in all its deadly beauty." "Robbins
provides readers with a spot in the bumpy passenger seat of a deuce-and-a-half
(2 1/2-ton) truck as it roars through the narrow roads of France to
the front...(He) crafts complex people and reveals unexpected depths.
By the end of the book, the reader wants the story to go on, always
a good sign in fiction...It's worth a late night or two to read this
one." "This
is Robbins doing what he does better than almost anyone else: bringing
the reader right down into the mud and blood and horror of war. But
there's a deeper moral lesson at work in this story, as well."
"Robbins recreates
the battle (of Kursk) in this rousing novel. He has done extensive research
into the weapons and planes used in the battle, bringing to life the
horrors of war." "Robbins infuses the tale with
myriad characters, all of whom ring true, giving the reader reason enough
to hang his hat on what becomes of them....a well-told tale with interesting
and illuminating characters that ensnare the reader while at the same
time giving them an inside look at one of those watershed moments of
the 20th century. You can't ask more from historical fiction." "David L. Robbins' strength as a historical novelist is his ability to bring great events to a personal level. He did so with the Battle of Stalingrad in War of the Rats and the final days of World War II in Europe in The End of War. He does it again in Last Citadel. "Against
a meticulously researched historical background...Last Citadel
captures the horror and heat inside a tank in battle. And Robbins captures
the human side of people caught up in a give-no-quarter war." "Last
Citadel is a wonderful read for action junkies or World War II
buffs. It sails along the Russian steppes with a brute force."
"Robbins's latest features intriguing
characters, a compelling plot, and a riveting ending. Highly recommended." "Every now and then a book of superlative
literary value surfaces. Scorched Earth is such a book, giving
us a lesson in human frailties and strengths, reminding us of the thin
line between justice and injustice. Without a doubt, this should be
a bestseller. (Scorched Earth named best book of the month, February,
'02)" "An intensely charged tale of love,
death, and life's real mysteries. Scorched Earth is hot: an absorbing
and suspenseful read." "Grieving parents, a frightened
town, and a reluctant hero come together in a quest for that most powerful
of human drives, the search for dignity. Scorched Earth is a
deftly crafted mystery, set in a place both new and familiar, with characters
so true they make the heart ache. With this book, Robbins joins the
ranks of the great."
"Robbins is an acclomplished storyteller." "Brilliant storytelling by an author
who continues to grow and impress, and who, here, seems in complete
control of his material." "A pitch-perfect blend of fiction
and history." "Gripping...breathtaking." "Sweeping in scope, this gripping,
admirably researched historical novel resumes the account...Robbins
left off in War Of The Rats." "A first-rate tale of war...thoughtful,
gritty, and compulsively readable."
"Immensely exciting and terribly
authentic...White-knuckle tension as the two most dangerous snipers
in Europe hunt each other through the hell of Stalingrad." "A historical thriller with the
punch of a full metal jacket." "A great novel of one of the great
epic battles of all time—Stalingrad." "Breakneck-fast and laced with
real-life vignettes." "The reporting and writing are
amazing, and the sniper's duel with its layers of subtle technique and
imagined motivation is suspenseful and powerful...a very good portrait
of one of this century's most important and terrible battles, and probably
the most intense urban conflict in history."
"Robbins' ambitious first novel
is a fantastical tale about earthly and eternal love.... Robbins writes
well...and succeeds in keeping readers interested...." "The familiar theme of a reluctant
spirit gets a comic twist yet has a violent dark side in this promising
first novel. The characters are interesting...readers interested in
angels may be surprised by the plot twists." "Robbins carefully buries the message
- love is all that matters - deep within pop culture, which makes for
a good read." "Robbins writes quite well, voicing
Virgil's ennui, Bea's frustration and Ellen's resoluteness, and succeeds
in keeping readers interested." "This is a novel that will grow
on you like a hot bath...you'll soon surrender to the experience, the
warmth and the comfort, the overall sense of well-being. Readers will
emerge with the rosy glow of reassurance that all is for the best. Sentimental?
Well, yes, but so is Dickens."
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"Liberation
Road...conjures war's terror as well as its tedium. Robbins...packs
in accurate detail (troop movements, unit history, military slang) while
exploring an aspect of WWII most writers (and filmmakers) ignore: segregation
in the U.S. military. But this is just one thread of an ambitious novel
peopled with compelling characters—white, black, Jew, Gentile.
Human."
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