Will iconic images recorded in the grooves of an ancient vase unite the Holy Land or rip it further apart?

THE VASE

A novel by Mark M. DeRobertis

Muhsin Muhabi is a Palestinian potter, descended from a long line of potters. His business is run from the same shop owned by his ancestors since the day his forebears moved to Nazareth. The region's conflict saw the death of his oldest son, and rogue terrorists are in the process of recruiting his youngest in their plot to assassinate the Pope and Israeli prime minister.

Professor Hiram Weiss is an art historian at Nazareth’s Bethel University. He is also a Shin Bet operative on special assignment. With the help of fellow agent, Captain Benny Mathias, he plans to destroy the gang responsible for the death of his wife and only child. He puts a bomb in the ancient vase he takes on loan from Muhsin’s Pottery Shop.

Mary Levin, the charming assistant to the director of Shin Bet, has lost a husband and most of her extended family to recurring wars and never-ending terrorism. She dedicates her life to the preservation of Israel, but to whom will she dedicate her heart? The brilliant professor from Bethel University? Or the gallant captain who now leads Kidon?

Harvey Holmes, the Sherlock of Haunted Houses, is a Hollywood TV host whose reality show just flopped. When a Lebanese restaurant owner requests his ghost-hunting services, he believes the opportunity will resurrect his career. All he has to do is exorcise the ghosts that are haunting the restaurant. It happens to be located right across the street from Muhsin’s Pottery Shop.




Monday, September 12, 2016

More on Person of Interest

I'm seven episodes into PoI now, and I think more qualified to comment on how it compares to The Blacklist. It really doesn't. The premise is good. I like Michael Emerson and Jim Caviezel as actors, but for some reason their good acting ability doesn't translate onto the episodes, meaning the acting has not impressed me. It must be the directing. It's not good. And the stories? They have potential, but they don't seem to be maximizing that potential. It could be that the stories are contained in single episodes. There's nothing wrong with that, if it's written well enough. Maybe that's the problem. The stories aren't written well enough. But like I said, I'm only seven episodes in. There are at least five seasons, so I do have a lot more episodes to watch. It could be they'll keep getting better. If they do, I could be sold on the series.

As for The Blacklist, I was sold by episode one. I mean by comparison, so far, the acting is head and shoulders above what I've seen on PoI. It could be the directing as I noted above. I understand directors do have a lot to do with how well the actors perform. And the episodes are so intriguing, so involved, so complicated, but not too complicated, and they stretch story lines over several episodes while at the same time wrap up an episode into a single show. It all works so well. Maybe the actors do have a lot to do with it. James Spader makes the show, to be sure, but I love Megan Boone. Strangely, I have read some unflattering comments regarding her acting. My take on that is the directors have been terrific at masking whatever shortcoming her acting has. Or the show just works so well, even her lack of talent is such that it can't affect the overall greatness of the show.

Buy hey, I'm not so critical of her acting. I was just relaying what I've read out there on some forums and comment sections. Some people don't like her. I like her. So whatever. I only wish the writers would once and for all reveal that Red Redington is her biological father. When that happens, I'll be happy as a lark. Strangely, I never use that phrase. I picked it up from writing my John Dunn book. There's a Captain Watson in there, a real life friend of Dunn's who used that phrase in the book. Speaking of my books, Second Chance should be released as early as tomorrow. John Dunn will be released in November, so there's still time to polish that one a little more. Stay tuned.

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