Michael Parker (2) (1941–)

So, I just finished Michael Parker's "The Devil's Trinity" and, you guys, it's like going on a roller coaster with a spy novel in one hand and a travel brochure for 'Dangerous Waters' in the other. The main dude, Harry Marsham, is this underwater oceanographer who basically wins the Worst Vacation Ever award when his yacht gets smashed in the Caribbean. This isn't your typical "Oops, hit an iceberg" scenario; it's more like "Congrats, you're now in a spy thriller!"
Harry, who I'm pretty sure show more never asked for any of this, gets tangled up in this wild plot with Hakeem Khan, a terrorist with a plan so evil it could be a plot for a Bond movie. Parker, the author, must've done his homework or been a secret agent because the details in this book are like, super specific. It's like he's been on a submarine or two and isn't just Googling "cool navy stuff."
The writing style? It's like if a documentary and a blockbuster had a book baby. It's clear, direct, and makes you feel like you're right there, trying not to get blown up or whatever. But don't expect Shakespearean monologues; it's more like, "Hold onto your butts, things are about to get real."
Character-wise, Harry is relatable because he's just as confused as we would be if we suddenly had to stop a terrorist. It's not like he has a manual for this stuff. And the villain, Hakeem, is properly scary, like he could be lurking in your latte scary.
Now, don't get me wrong. The book sometimes feels like it's following the thriller playbook a bit too closely. You know, mysterious bad guys, world in danger, blah blah. But, Parker throws in enough curveballs to keep you guessing.
Overall, "The Devil's Trinity" is a solid, entertaining read. It's like eating popcorn – not super nutritious but definitely keeps you reaching for more. If you're into books that make you miss your subway stop because you're too busy wondering if the world's going to end, this one's for you. show less

Michael Parker has written a compelling book about oil exploration on the North Slope of Alaska. Unfortunately, he also grafted into this setting a murder mystery. More unfortunate is his lack of an attentive editor.

I've been on oil rigs in Wyoming during the winter. It's cold and dangerous. Multiply that cold and danger exponentially, and it must surely be as Parker has described in North Slope. The scenes at the drilling camp, on the rig, traversing the Arctic range by bulldozer and show more dogsled are vivid and well structured. If this book had simply been about the struggles and terrors of drilling for oil in Alaska, the book would be worth four-to-five stars. His descriptions are that good. But the murder mystery is not. In a way, it's like an Agatha Christie whodunit, with a circumscribed set of suspects within a confined location - not a locked room, but a landlocked (but for a helicopter) setting. I don't find Christie's mysteries interesting, and I didn't find this mystery interesting either.

But the biggest problem with this book is the want of an editor. Coffee is always "piping hot." Words are missing as in the sentence, "McKinnon looked at him for seemed like an eternity." I'm pretty sure he's missing the word "what". The word "but" appears as "hut". I have no idea what this means: "The silhouette in the front left-hand oat moved..." Sometimes the word "river," associated with a specific river, is capitalized, and sometimes not. Words are strangely capitalized, such as "company" and "law" though without any context that would suggest capitalization would be proper. The pronoun "I" often appears as the number "1". Comparing two oilmen, Parker writes that "He didn't know which of them had been the best,.." A comparison of two should result in one being "better," not "best". Plots are too frequently described as "evil". In an unnecessary sex scene, the protagonist's lover "put both her hands around the hack of his head." Perhaps that should have been "back of his head," unless "hack" is a part of the cranial anatomy of which I'm unfamiliar.

The beauty of an e-book is that it can be edited and republished. I'd suggest Parker find the time to do that. show less

It was an exciting experience to read "The Eagle's Covenant" by Micahel Parker. The fast-paced plot captures readers from the opening page, with elements of action, deception, and conspiracy skillfully woven together against political intrigue and suspense. I was immersed in it and could not put it down since its first page.
The novel's vivid descriptions and precisely considered details are among its most vital points; they make it come to life. Parker's writing is intelligent and show more compelling, drawing the reader into the action while providing relevant pauses on morality, loyalty, and power.
It is not a regular thriller as it tells you about the perils of unbridled power and wealth and the extent to which people will go to safeguard their interests. This book is a recommendation for people who like reading relevant to real life and can relate to real scenarios. As the book engages more in real-life dramas, it engages a wide range of readers. This book is well-written fiction because it balances action, tension, and thought-provoking subjects. show less

‘What’s the meaning of this outrage?’

British author Michael Parker, who at present lives in Spain, has been actively writing and publishing books for over thirty years - NORTH SLOPE, A COVERT WAR, ROSELLI'S GOLD, HELL'S GATE, THE DEVIL'S TRINITY, SHADOW OF THE WOLF, THE BOY FROM BERLIN, and this book THE EAGLE'S COVENANT (`thrillers that touch all bases: kidnap, murder, political intrigue, double cross. In fact; all the elements needed for an exciting read'). But his fingers are not show more always on the pen or keyboard as he as been employed as a maintenance technician most of his adult life, serving sixteen years in the Royal Air Force, a Merchant Seaman, office boy, general maintenance for a chicken farm, and about seventeen years with a food manufacturer. A member and a contributing editor for the International Thriller Writers, he worked on a global project with eleven other writers and produced a novel called PASSAGE TO REDEMPTION in 2009

Parker delves into his tale with a rather startling near S&M type conversation between a South African Breggie de Kok and her consort Joseph over the use of weaponry (chilling and then humorous...), revealing some facts about Breggie that are pertinent to the story that follows. Then like an abrupt jolt we are in the hospital waiting room presence of one Manfred Schiller (Parker's description makes this worth quoting): `Immense wealth sat comfortably on the shoulders of Manfred Schiller like the well cut, expensive jacket he was wearing; wealth that had been accumulated by a high intellect, courage, shrewd investments, hard work, plotting, cheating and scrupulous planning: wealth that reached stratospheric proportions as he looked down on other billionaires from the lofty plateau of his rightful place as the world's richest man. Wealth that came from armaments, oil, communications, aerospace, commerce and banking. Schiller's wealth was the kind that beckoned Presidents and Monarchs. It was wealth where others bent the knee and touched the forelock. If a man's wealth was a measure of his power, then Manfred Schiller was the most powerful individual in the world, and that power meant that although he was now eighty five years of age, no man, King, President or commoner dared keep Herr Schiller waiting.' We learn he is waiting on his week-old grandson, the child of his deceased son Hansi. And in the midst of all of these disparate sidebars there is lurking the plot to kidnap the infant which happens as Schiller, his daughter in law, and her infant son are caught up in a high security caravan to Schiller's home - the scene of mass carnage and the resultant kidnapping of the infant. And as the author's synopsis reads, `Franz Molke--leader of the People's Party in Germany--aims to control the Schiller empire by kidnapping the infant. The kidnap fails, but the baby disappears in the process. Ex IRA terrorist and SAS soldier, Conor Lenihan fights double cross and cyber warfare in an attempt to find the infant.'

Parker's manner in driving this relentless story resembles the speed of bullets flying out of an Uzi and he paces this novel so well that leaving it for a moment feels uncomfortable - the true sign of a gifted author. In a time when so many books and films rely on fantasy and special effects to terrify audiences, it is a pleasure to encounter a writer from whose pen flows a story that simply with words on a page can shoulder the same degree of tension based not on aliens or Marvel comic book characters, but solely of the extremes of very human personalities. This is an author who will thrive with American audiences. Watch for film offers.... show less