daverichey March 23rd, 2008

TITLE: Fireships & Brimstone

AUTHOR: Richard A. Minich

PUBLISHER: All Exox Publications

CONTACT:

PO Box 493
East Aurora, NY 14052

WEBSITE: All Esox Publications
COST: $37.50 + postage; Hardcover with dust jacket

The author, a deeply addicted muskie fisherman, has taken a mighty leap from his earlier how-to books on catching muskies to a fast-paced novel. The novel, the first in a series of three to be announced on a yearly basis, features a new and unusual action figure in Indian angler Joe Gaspe. The FBI uncovers a scheme to bring death and destruction to our northern frontier between the United States and Canada.

Gaspe seems the most inept and illogical person to piece together a viable network of other anglers and guides along that poorly defined International Boundary. This group of guides and others have one purpose: to keep Gaspe informed about any unusual happenings along this poorly marked and watery border.

Minich’s characters are well defined, and the Homeland Security adds a modern hook to this well-written story. Gaspe’s loose group of informants consists of cousins, old friends, hangers-on and others among the local Indians and other folks on both sides of the border. They report to Gaspe, who in turn reports to the FBI and Homeland Security.

It’s a rollicking ride of counter-terrorist actions. There are bombings, murders, attempted murders, and believe it or not, a scalping as well. I read a novel each week for recreation, and this one is an excellent first attempt. It has a few flaws, but my biggest complaint is the dust jacket illustration.

It shows a bearded Joe Gaspe with long hair, beard,, soul patch and an exploding boat. The scheme of the terrorists is to blow up the Friendship Bridge between the U.S. and Canada, and like most novels, the hero helps save the day and thwart the bad guys.

It’s got just enough muskie fishing in it to make the book a collectible one for those anglers who love to muskie fish and love to collect books about muskie fishing. I buy and sell muskie titles, and read everything muskie-related, and this book fills my two major needs – a good read and another book for my collection. Buy this first book in the Joe Gaspe series, and you’ll be notified when the next two titles come out. – Dave Richey

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Tags: , "book review", "Robert A. Minich", Brimstone, dave richey, Fireships, fishing, muskie, snoops

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daverichey February 13th, 2008

TITLE: ADVENTURES WITH JONNY, ICE FISHING!, THE COOLEST SPORT ON EARTH
AUTHOR: Michael DiLorenzo
PUBLISHER: Running Moose Publications

CONTACT:

Running Moose Publications
42400 Garfield Road
Clinton Township, MI 48038

WEBSITE: Adventures With Jonny.com
COST: $17.95
ISBN: 0-9777210-1-9

This is the second in a series of Adventures With Jonny books, and this hardcover book is a great training tool for adults and children. DiLorenzo began this series to teach parents and their children how to fish frozen water in a family setting.

“This book was designed, in part, to teach the parent so they can teach their children,” DiLorenzo said. “It offers an amusing story for children as they travel along with Jonny on his outdoor adventures. I strongly believe that we should give our children the gift of the outdoors because it gives them a gift that will last a lifetime.”

It contains a parent’s How-to ice fishing guide that allows adults how to get their kids off on the right foot as they begin ice fishing. Readers will find an explanation of the equipment needed, the easiest rigs to use, where to find fish, and how to clean and cook the fish your child catches.

The game educates children on how to identify the most common fresh water fish species. It goes beyond learning the identity of each fish. The children will also learn what each fish likes to eat, where they live, and how to catch them through the ice.

One very important piece of advice is to make certain the ice is safe, and how to recognize places where ice could be thin and unsafe. Ice safety is very important,

I’ve ice fished since I was a little kid, and catching fish through the ice is a great deal of fun. This is a great new book for newcomers – both young and old – to learn about this grand winter sport. And what’s more: children love the great illustrations.
Mike DiLorenzo’s first book Let’s Go Fishing recently produced two book awards. He was awarded a first-place gold for Best First Book and a third-place bronze in the Nonfiction Picture Book category.

Tags: "Michael DiLorenzo", adventures, education, fishing, fun, ice, jonny, kids, outdoors, sport, winter

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