Mike BinderRecensioni

Friendship

Here is my review, from the Staff Recommendations pages of the BookGuide readers advisory site of the Lincoln City Libraries in Lincoln, NE: https://lincolnlibraries.org/bookguide/staff-recommendations/staff-recommendatio...

I've been duped again. Remind me to stop paying attention to blurbs written by writers I normally respect (in this case, Lee Child) praising new authors.

Keep Calm is Mike Binder's first book. Although his prose is competent enough, the plot (a failed assassination attempt of Britain's PM is blamed on an American doofus) is laughable and unrealistic, the dialogue is stilted, the romantic entanglement of a couple characters really doesn't contribute to the story line, it's too long, and the conclusion is silly.

I know Mr. Binder has an extensive (and very successful) background in film and Keep Calm may make a good outline for a screenplay, but it fails too many 'smell tests' for me. Here's hoping for improvement if he stays in the thriller writing business.

Keep Calm is Mike Binder’s debut novel, but it is important to keep in mind that this is not the first thing that Binder has written. In addition to being a film director and producer, Binder is also a scriptwriter, and that experience has greatly influenced the plotting and structure of Keep Calm. This is, in fact, a political thriller that would very easily transfer to the big screen.

Adam Tate used to be a cop, a good one. Then, in a moment of naïve stupidity, he made a decision that would ultimately send him to prison. When, upon his release, a lucrative job offer comes his way, Tate knows that he has to accept it even if he can’t figure out why the company wants him. Now he finds himself in London to attend an important business meeting at 10 Downing Street – and, as a bonus, his grandchildren are going to meet their maternal grandfather for the first time. Tate, because he barely understands his new job and has nothing to add to the conversation, guesses that he has been brought to London for reasons other than business ones. But it is not until a bomb explosion critically injures the prime minister shortly after the meeting that Tate understands exactly why he is there. In an instant, he and his British-born wife, along with their two children, are running for their lives.

Mike Binder has created quite a cast of characters here, including Georgia Turnbull, the young chancellor of the exchequer (and heir apparent to the injured prime minster) and Davina Steel, the lead investigator in the assassination attempt. These women have done well for themselves in a world their gender would have excluded them from only a few years earlier, and now they have something else in common: capturing Adam Tate will advance their careers to even higher peaks.

But all is not what it seems. If Adam Tate is not the rogue terrorist he is being presented as, who is behind the plot to blow up the prime minister in his 10 Downing Street home? Tate knows part of the truth, and he suspects even more of it. But can he keep himself and his family alive long enough for Davina Steel to figure it all out for herself?

Keep Calm is not the perfect thriller, but its weaknesses, let’s face it, are common to the genre: stereotypically evil bad guys served by robotic goons who do the killing – and enjoy it immensely; numerous last-second escapes; heroes who are repeatedly the only survivors in violent encounters with the bad guys, etc. But that is the nature of the beast. Thrillers, almost by definition, especially conspiracy thrillers, require that the reader be willing to suspend his normal sense of disbelief. Do that and you will love this one - and, you might just find it playing at a theater near you one day in the future.

I called it quits on this book at page 95. By that point, the book had irritated me sufficiently that I had no desire to go on with it. However, I did read the ending and noticed that the poor writing/editing continued to the end (unless you think the use of the word disaster or disastrous at least once in each of the ending chapters is a good thing). At least the author was consistent. The plot was preposterous from beginning to end.

My reading got off to a bad start. I was 25 pages into the book and realized that there had not been a single woman who was not beautiful, stunning or gorgeous. The twenty something prodigy put in charge of the investigation was merely cute. I guess for variety. I might not have noticed if I hadn't been hammered over the head with physical descriptions in such a short time. The author, who is also a screenwriter, is obviously already casting his movie with the actresses du jour. He also shoehorned in a lesbian flirtation, probably because once you have starlets under contract you have to give them something sexy to do. God forbid that the female characters would just do their jobs. Neither this book nor any of the characters was believable for one second. Even if you are just looking for mindless entertainment, there are so many better books to read.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

This first book by award winning director and screenwriter, Mike Bender, is a heart-pounding, suspense-filled story of British political corruption at its finest (even if not terribly realistic). This yarn is well spun; the primary character is continuously staying two-steps ahead of the pack to evade annihilation. Can he turn the tables and bring the perpetrators to justice while still protecting his family? This is fast-paced all the way to the very end.

Please note: this story is not for everyone. If you're uncomfortable reading of lesbian attraction and grizzly murder/execution scenes, this one's not for you.

I am grateful to author Mike Bender, publisher Henry Holt and Co. and LibraryThing Early Reviewers' program for having provided a free advance reader's edition of this book. Their generosity did not, however, influence this review, the words of which are mine alone.

I thought this book sounded really good. Thus the reason I wanted to read it. It has been a really long time since I have read a political/international thriller. At first I thought it was the timing of when I started this book. Sometimes when you start a book it might not be the right time and for me this can mean that I can become easily distracted when reading a book. So after about seven chapter in I took a mini break from this book. I picked it back up because I was still intrigued by the concept of the plot. Yet my feelings about this book did not change from when I first started reading. This is disheartening. I could not remember anything in the first seven chapters that I read and I could not remember anything after that as well. This book does have promise and some action and if I had kept reading I am sure the intensity levels would show that they are there but none of this matters if I can't get into the characters that help sell the story.

I really did not like this book. The writing was okay but the beginning of the story was what ruined it for me. The characters were so unlikable that I was really hoping that the author would surprise me and introduce someone totally new that I might engage with.

Mike Binder’s novel Keep Calm is a faced-paced multi-faceted story that will keep the reader engrossed from beginning to end. I enjoyed the complexity of the storyline, some areas stretched the imagination, however overall I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to those who are looking for an action packed thriller.½

Adam made a huge mistake in his past, but now seems to be making amends to his wife and children. So, when his father-in-law pulls strings for the family to come to England for business, Adam's biggest concern is that Gordon is trying to split up Adam and Kate. However, Adam begins to realize that Heaton, the company's owner has a much larger plot in mind leading to the family having to run from both the authorities and those who would have them dead.
The basic premise of the book was strong, but like some many others recently seemed a bit uneven. Parts of the novel were adrenaline fueled while other sections dragged. Descriptions seemed over the top, even caricaturistic while other parts including the relationship between Steel and Turnbull overwrought. Some editing to pare out about 50-75 pages would focus and strengthen the story.

The book started out with a surprising bombing inside No. 10 Downing Street that badly injured the Prime Minister. An American ex-cop that is not too smart, now works in an insurance company for a British multinational, becomes the fall guy for the attack. A small team of government insiders and a few law enforcement personnel try to figure out if the attack was initiated by terrorists or anti-government militia types. It took days of work just to figure out it wasn't terrorists, it wasn't militia types, it was Adam Tatum, now on the run with his wife and two kids. The cops chase him, the corporate megalomanic that set him up has his assassin team chasing him, but no one can capture him. Body bags are needed by the dozen as mostly good guys get killed, then a few bad guys, but Adam is just battered and bruised through all the encounters with those trying to do him and his family harm.

There is a lot of action, mostly well described, but there are several subplots that I consider fluff and do not advance the plot one iota. I suppose the author, a well known film writer, included the scenes to liven up a possible movie script, but they did nothing for the book. Also, I have one other bone to pick that affects the storyline. The fact in reality is that a potential terrorist attack on a head of state would bring every law enforcement agency and the military into the picture immediately. The expectation that one young "smart and savvy" police investigator would lead the case with just a couple of detectives defies logic. The book's ending though that a political coverup of what actually happened is for the greater good of England sounds like politicians in any country.

Screen writing must be great training for writing a novel, as this first novel by Mike Binder is terrific. He skillfully weaves multiple plot lines into a cohesive thriller. He has an astute sense of timing, knowing what to reveal, and when. Looking forward to his future books. Highly recommended!

Keep Calm by Mike Binder is a great book that covers the fictional bombing of 10 Downing Street and the actions of al the players involved. The conspirators, the police, and Adam Tatum, the sap in the middle of it all, are all described with great skill. I never got confused as I went back and forth with before/after the bombing and then those on the run vs. those on the hunt. Mike Binder has debuted quite well and kudos for the great title as well.

I received an ARC of this book through librarything. The author's film background is evident in this thriller's complex plot lines and certainly is an admirable debut as a book author. It is fast paced and even though some of the plot twists are a little "out there", it is an enjoyable read. The editing (or lack of) was more distracting than the usual ARC. With a good job at editing of the final release, I would give it 4 stars and recommend for thriller fans.

The way in which this author tells his story at first seemed a bit challenging getting the flow of the story, but early on made sense and led to the intersection of the three main characters and heart of the plot. Mr. Binder did well in character development with a majority of the main actors and brought to light the wide variety of human traits and the fight to maintain ethics and upstanding morals. This book, to me, is about having personal standards and being able to hold on to your morality in extreme adversity. I appreciated this Early Review book and believe it will be a best seller!

A very strong debut book by the author. A politician thriller that hooked me from the first few pages. As another reviewer mentioned there are a bunch of grammatical errors in this ARC version, but it's not something that is going to keep you from following the story. I strongly recommend the book.

An interesting political thriller set in three parts, with alternating chapters telling the story of an ex-cop with a troubled past and a carefully rebuilt marriage who goes to London for a business meeting... when all heck breaks lose. Really enjoyed the alternating chapters, especially in the last part, when the chapters focused on the three main characters. Not quite a page-turner you can't put down, but definitely a fun and good read. Certainly very strong for a debut novel.½

AGAIN with the illiterate, unedited author! This guy doesn't know the difference between "lie" and "lay," and I'm pretty sure any military person is going to have a stroke at the zillion times "Major General Sir Donald Darling" gets referred to as "the major." Not to mention "Sir Darling." And those are only three of some pretty major grammar and word-use issues.

The book's premise is far-fetched but could have been decent had Binder left out about 17 of the highly implausible plot "twists," and had he not been all-too-obviously writing the movie of the book in his head as he went along. He keeps trying to use 10-dollar words when a 5-cent word would do just fine, or even be the actual word he was searching for instead of the word he THOUGHT he was using.

I am really tired of getting ARCs that are edited not at all, or in such a half-witted way that NOT editing them would have produced at least some laughs. Don't bother reading this until and unless Henry Holt and Company hires a proofreader and an editor or two.½

Терри Вульфмайер после исчезновения мужа вынуждена одна воспитывать четырех своих упрямых дочек. А когда она еще и влюбляется в соседа Дэнни, когда-то великого игрока в бейсбол, который теперь просиживает штаны, ди-джействуя на радио, жизнь ее становится совсем уж беспокойной. Девочки оказываются в трудном положении, так как с этих пор им приходится решать не только свои проблемы, но и проблемы матери.
В ролях: Джоан Аллен, Кевин Костнер, Эрика Кристенсен