William L. Stuart

author of The Gemstone Chronicles Series

conspiracy

The Black Fox: Run for Your Life by Gordon Bickerstaff – My Review!!

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The Black Fox: Run for Your Life – My Review!!

The Black Fox by Gordon Bickerstaff Cover

A while back, I read the first of Gordon Bickerstaff’s Lambeth Group Thrillers, and gave Deadly Secrets 4 Stars. When The Black Fox: Run for Your Life appeared in my recommendations, I added it to my TBR. Here is my review.

Synopsis (from the author):

Zoe Tampsin is resourceful, smart and Special Forces-trained, but she has been given an impossible mission.

She has to protect scientist, Gavin Shawlens, from assassination by the CIA, and discover the secret trapped in Gavin’s mind that the CIA want destroyed.

As the pressure to find Shawlens escalates – the CIA send Zoe’s former mentor to track her down and her fate seems sealed when he surrounds Zoe and Gavin with a ring of steel. With each hour that passes, the ring is tightened, and the window for discovering Gavin’s secret will shut.

Zoe is faced with a decision that goes against all of her survival instincts. If she is wrong – they both die. If she is right – she will discover the secret and become the next target for assassination.

Run for your life…

What I liked:

As I’ve mentioned in the past, I like thrillers. The Black Fox: Run for Your Life has all the elements for a great thriller. Lots of action, plenty of plot twists, and a large-scale conspiracy blend to make this an excellent read! Zoe is a great character, a believable operative, and her talents are fully on display in the book. Gavin plays a central role as the pair struggle to stay alive and solve the mystery of why the CIA wants him dead. No spoilers from me, so you’ll just have to read this one to find the answers!

What I didn’t like:

I had a couple of complaints about the book. First, Gavin was such a weak persona in this book compared to the first book of the series. Secondly (and admittedly this is personal bias as a former submariner), the submarine parts seemed a bit farfetched.

Overall impression:

The Black Fox: Run for Your Life entertained me from start to finish. With tons of action, good characters, lots of plot twists, and an interesting finish, I enjoyed it. If you like thrillers, try this one! 

My rating:

4.5 Stars (round to 5 Stars)

Connect with Gordon Bickerstaff:

Discover Gordon Bickerstaff and his book on his website and his Amazon Author Page. While you’re visiting, consider leaving a comment or a review. I know Gordon Bickerstaff will appreciate it!

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Rosslyn Chapel – The Mysterious Church in Scotland!!

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During our 30th anniversary trip to Scotland, Lana and I put Rosslyn Chapel as one of our “can’t miss” destinations. We visited it on the same day we visited St. Andrews and The Old Course and I’m so glad we did!

Rosslyn Chapel Picture

Rosslyn Chapel and Dan Brown’s The Davinci Code:

What is Rosslyn Chapel? On the surface, it is an small old church in the Scottish countryside that belongs to the Sinclair family. Mysterious in its own right for the multitude of odd carvings that cover the inside and outside of the church, Rosslyn Chapel gained famed and a bit of notoriety as part of Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code. Readers of the books and viewers of the movie will recall Rosslyn Chapel as the place where Sophie Neveu discovers she is the blood descendant of Jesus. Whether you subscribe to that version of things or not, Rosslyn Chapel still is a mysterious place.

The Apprentice Pillar:

What makes Rosslyn so fascinating are the carvings that cover the inside of the church. According to our guides at the site, Rosslyn Chapel was founded in 1446 and sits on land still owned by the Sinclair family. Stone masons and apprentices worked on the building and the carvings. One of the most interesting stories concerns the Apprentice Pillar near the altar of the church. As the story goes, the master mason wanted to travel abroad to see the pillar he had been commissioned to fashion at Rosslyn. His apprentice dreamed of the pillar and set to work on it while the master was away. When the master returned, he saw the finished pillar and asked who dared to do the work in his absence. When he discovered his apprentice carved the pillar, the enraged master mason stuck and killed him in the chapel. The master mason was executed for his crime.

Rosslyn Chapel Apprentice Pillar Picture

Legend says that carved heads of the apprentice and master gaze over the chapel from opposite corners of the interior. To further the master’s punishment, his carved head faces the Apprentice Pillar and has to gaze upon the pillar for eternity! If you look closely at the picture below to the left and right corners, you can see the heads.

Rosslyn Chapel Apprentice and Master Heads Picture

Unfortunately, photography isn’t permitted inside the chapel (though we didn’t know that when Lana snapped a picture of me standing near the Apprentice Pillar). Too bad, because the carvings inside are what makes Rosslyn Chapel such an enigma.

Rosslyn Chapel Beebop at the Apprentice Pillar Picture

Carvings, Decorations, and The Knights Templar:

Virtually every surface has a carving of some kind on it. From pagan symbols like The Green Man, to gargoyles, roses, musical notes, bagpipers, and so much more, the carvings spawned books devoted to interpreting what it all means. Of course, such mysterious things lead to conspiracy theories and one of the most famous connects the Knights Templar to Rosslyn Chapel. Here are just a few of the carvings:

Rosslyn Chapel Gargoyle Picture

Rosslyn Chapel Ceiling Picture

Rosslyn Chapel Carving
Rosslyn Chapel carving

Rosslyn Chapel Green Man Carving

Now to the Knights Templar. As I understand the theory, in 1307 King Phillip of France urged the Pope to declare the Templars heretics and confiscate their lands and property. Many believe Phillip owed the Templars much money and seizing their fortunes could relieve the debt. When the raid happened, the treasure ships had disappeared. Some believe that a high-ranking Templar official was a member of the St. Clair family (in English Sinclair) and had the treasure spirited away to Scotland. The Sinclairs finished Rosslyn around 1446 or almost 140 years after the raid, so the timeline doesn’t work. If the Templars hid the treasure in the Rosslyn area, where did they hide it for all those years?

Timeline issues aside, there is a vault beneath the chapel. The docent we spoke with confirmed the vault’s existence. However, she told us it is the Sinclair family burial vault and only contains the remains of Sinclair family members. Her assertions aside, others believe it is the hiding place of artifacts. Some believe the Holy Grail, The Spear of Destiny, the True Cross, and the Menorah stolen from Rome by the Visigoths (after the Romans stole it after sacking Jerusalem) rest at Rosslyn Chapel. To add to mystery and the conspiracy theory, the Sinclair family refuses to allow excavation under the chapel.

What do you think?

What do you think? Is Rosslyn Chapel simply a place where masons could come and practice and perfect their craft or is it the resting place of some of the greatest artifacts in human history? Either way, the place has an astounding number of mysterious carvings, and a history shrouded in mystery. If you get to Scotland, put this one on your list of places not-to-miss!

Connect with me: 

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Gavrinis France and its Mysterious Megalithic Passage Tomb!!

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I haven’t done a post on mysterious things or conspiracy theories in quite a while. I want to remedy that and tell you about Gavrinis, France!

Many of my readers may know about Gavrinis, but I’ll go on the assumption that it is new to everyone. Gavrinis is a small island off the coast of Brittany France. The island itself is uninhabited and is not remarkable in and of itself. However, the passage tomb that occupies a portion of the island is remarkable indeed. First, let’s look at where the island lies and how you can get to it if you want to visit.

Where is Gavrinis?

Here is the map showing Gavrinis and its proximity to Larmor-Baden. Visitors to the island travel by boat from Larmor-Baden.

Map of the Golfe of Morbihan showing the location of Gavrinis

The passage tomb on the island is home to some of the most amazing megalithic art in the world. Twenty-nine slabs make up the sides of the passage with twenty-three of the slabs highly decorated. Below are pictures of the carvings on the slabs.

Carved slabs at Gavrinis picture

More carved slabs at Gavrinis picture

Experts estimate the site was built about 3500 BC and use stopped about 3000 BC. As an archaeological find, I think they are cool and to think about the people who inhabited the area and how they lived 5000 years ago is amazing. But, since we want to explore mysterious things, what do the carvings mean?

Wikipedia tells us there are common items like axes and staffs carved into the stones. They speculate a horn-like symbol might represent cattle. However, what do the lines and whorls mean? Conspiracy theorists claim they can find evidence of advanced mathematical knowledge in the carvings. Things like the number of days in a year, the circumference of the earth, and, perhaps most importantly, the constant Pi. If true, one has to wonder where such knowledge came from and why it was depicted in the carvings? Did aliens bring the knowledge? Was this an outpost of Atlantis? Of course, we won’t know the answer to these questions, but it is fun to speculate.

Thoughts?

What do you think? Are the carvings simply decorative or are they indicative of advanced knowledge lost over time? If the latter, where do you think it originated? I’m curious to know your thoughts, so leave a comment and let me know!

Connect with me:

If you want to connect with me on social media, I’m on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and Pinterest. I’d love to get to know new friends and maybe talk about Gavrinis!

A Little Rebellion Now and Then by Scott Skipper – My Review!!

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A Little Rebellion Now and Then – My Review!!

A Little Rebellion Now and Then by Scott Skipper Cover

I saw this cover on Amazon and it intrigued me. In light of the world in which we currently live, I decided a little satire might be just the thing. I took a chance on A Little Rebellion Now and Then by Scott Skipper. Read on for my opinion!

Synopsis (from the author):

When a leftwing activist from the Nixon era morphs into a conservative writer of political incorrectness, can she ever escape the evil eye of the establishment? Political winds may shift but some things never change. If you pull on the dragon’s tail, you’d best be ready to take some heat. Kate is no stranger to a jail cell, but she thought she got past that four decade ago. Then again, in a world run amuck with knife brandishing jihadists spilling from their sharia zones, maybe a jail cell is the safest place to be.

What I liked about A Little Rebellion Now and Then:

I enjoyed the parallel stories of Kate in the 70’s and her adventures in contemporary America. The common thread between the two eras (government) and how Kate fought it from two perspectives was a unique approach. Scott Skipper captured the 70’s drug use and lingo well, and Kate’s current predicament was reminiscent of Big Brother. Overall, A Little Rebellion Now and Then was an entertaining read.

What I didn’t like about A Little Rebellion Now and Then:

The story had a few gaps that left it incomplete for me. For instance, more on how Kate morphed her political views would help provide continuity. Her children didn’t appear until near the end of the book, and they seemed almost an afterthought and didn’t add much to the tale. Issues like that took me away from the meat of the book.

Overall impression of A Little Rebellion Now and Then:

A Little Rebellion Now and Then by Scott Skipper was a good read. Though not my normal genre, the book entertained me with its satirical look at issues, while giving a raw account of the 70’s counterculture and current events. I recommend this one to anyone over 18 who enjoys a flashback to the Kent State era and the current political climate.

My rating:

4 Stars

Connect with Scott Skipper:

When you read A Little Rebellion Now and Then by Scott Skipper (and you know you want to), please consider leaving a review and visiting his Amazon Author page and his website.

Connect with me:

While you are surfing, find me on the socials and say hi! I love connecting with new friends. Find me on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and Pinterest.You can email me at bill@williamlstuart.com, too!

The Lazarus Succession by Ken Fry – My Review!!

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The Lazarus Succession – My Review!!

Lazarus Succession Cover

I love a good thriller with religious conspiracy connections. Ken Fry’s novel The Lazarus Succession fits the bill perfectly! Read on to discover my thoughts.

Synopsis (from the author):

The Lazarus Succession takes readers to the ancient scene of Christ’s greatest miracle, to medieval Spain, and back to modern-day Europe. In typical Ken Fry style, nothing is as it seems and a surprise awaits at every turn of the page.

According to legend, Annas Zevi, an artist who witnessed the raising of Lazarus, was told by Christ to paint what he saw. Over the centuries, his completed works has vanished, along with every other painting depicting Lazarus’ resurrection. They were rumoured to be sacred icons with miraculous powers.

International Art Recovery Experts, Broderick Ladro and Ulla Stuart, are hired by a disgraced High Court judge, Sir Maxwell Throgmorton, to locate a long lost medieval painting by Spanish artist Francisco Cortez. Like Zevi, his work is said to be divinely inspired.

Throgmorton’s client, a wealthy Spanish Condesa, is terminally ill and the icon is her last hope. She will pay and do whatever it takes to find the missing work of Cortez.

Unbeknown to the Condesa, Throgmorton seeks to make a vast personal fortune from the discovery of the paintings, and use it to reclaim his place in society.

Ladro and Stuart learns of Throgmorton’s deceit and attempts to thwart his plans. As they delve deeper into the mystery of the missing Cortez painting, they discover a secret that changes their lives forever.

Just as it changed the lives of everyone it touched across the centuries. 

What I liked:

This story drew me in immediately! The story started with a bang and kept up a great pace throughout. Brody and Ulla were great, Throgmorton was an excellent though odious player, and the Condesa was the perfect sympathetic character. All told, I thoroughly enjoyed The Lazarus Succession! Full of religious symbolism, action, and a mystical end, the book entertained me!

What I didn’t like:

My only complaint was Throgmorton’s end. A little more mysticism would have played better to me given the way the story ended. I would say more, but then I’d have a spoiler and I don’t do that!

Overall impression:

The Lazarus Succession was everything I wanted in a religious-themed thriller. Great characters, plenty of action, mystical happenings, and great pace made it a most enjoyable read! Well done Ken Fry!!

My rating:

5 Stars

Connect with the author:

When do you plan to read The Lazarus Succession? Soon, I hope! If you do read it, please consider leaving a review and let Ken Fry know your thoughts. I’m sure he will appreciate it. If you want to check out Ken Fry’s other books, you can find them on his Amazon Author page or his website. Visit and maybe buy a book or three!

Connect with me:

If you want to comment on my review, leave a comment on the site, email me at bill@williamlstuart.com, of find me on the socials! I’m on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and Pinterest. I welcome and appreciate shares, likes, and feedback!

Submarines in Idaho!?!?!?!?… Yep, It’s True!!

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Idaho:

When you think of Idaho, what is your first impression? For me, prototype training in Idaho Falls as a US Navy Nuclear Reactor operator is first thought. For others, skiing, hiking, and amazing vistas come to mind. Still others think of potatoes. Many conspiracy theorists believe the US moon landing was actually filmed at Craters of the Moon National Park and we never set foot on the moon. All those things make Idaho uniquely Idaho. Today I want to tell you about a  Navy facility in the Idaho wilderness. At the facility, engineers experiment with the latest in submarine hull design! Yep, submarines in Idaho!

Submarines in Idaho?

What? Submarines in Idaho? Hey, we once trained to run submarine nuclear power plants in Idaho, so why not? And, it makes sense when you think about the facility. Called the Acoustic Research Detachment (ARD) in Bayview, Idaho, the site, located on the southern end of Lake Pend Orielle, performs research, development, test and evaluation of submarine acoustic stealth technology. Cool, you might say, but why Idaho?

According to Wikipedia, the lake, located in the Northern Idaho Panhandle, and fed by the Clark Fork and Pack Rivers is 43 miles long and 1150 feet deep in places (like near the test facility). At depths below 100 feet, the water is a constant 39F. The lake has a flat muddy bottom, and coupled with little boat traffic at night, makes it a perfect acoustic test location.

Why is this important? Well, as a former submarine sailor, I appreciate the need for silence on boats (yes, submarines are boats and surface ships are ships). While surface ships can operate quietly, stealth is especially crucial for submarines. The ARD helps in the mission.

ARD has its own fleet of submarines. An article by the LA Times says the subs are up to 88 feet long (roughly 1/4 size of a real submarine). The latest model, LSV-2 (large scale vehicle), is about 120 feet.  Cutthroat (LSV-2 modeled on the Virginia class), and Kokanee  (LSV-1 modeled on the Seawolf class) comprise part of the fleet. Rumors say at least 5 others call the site home. I read another article that named the boats. In addition to the boats listed above, the Dolly Varden, Pike, Whitefish, and Steelhead round out the fleet.

Submarines Kokanee LSV-1
Kokanee LSV -1 in water

ARD:

Officially, and according to the Naval Sea Systems Command website, the purpose of ARD is as follows.

These state-of-the-art facilities support a wide variety of research and technology development programs ranging from submarine propulsor development to the calibration of full-scale acoustic transducers. Detachment personnel supporting the experiments form a highly capable and versatile workforce providing ARD customers a timely and quality outcome. They work closely with project scientists, engineers and technicians throughout the Carderock Division and other Navy and private organizations, to plan and conduct operations and experiments on the lake.

The results obtained during past experiments have been extremely valuable to the Navy, especially in the area of submarine propulsor design, sonar dome development, submarine construction cost avoidance, and the development of several critical submarine design features. Future plans include critical support of current and future Navy submarine design in the area of structural acoustics, hydroacoustics, propulsor development, target strength reduction, and related experiments using the unique capabilities of the ARD.  The Large Scale Vehicle-2 (LSV-2), a large model of the VIRGINIA Class submarine, is being used extensively in the area of propulsor research. Large scale buoyant submarine models support testing in the area of submarine structural acoustic and hydroacoustic technology.  Target strength testing is conducted using the Intermediate Scale Measurement System (ISMS), which provides a unique acoustic test capability unsurpassed by any other available facility.

Surface Ships:

The ARD also houses a model of the Zumwalt class of destroyers. Officially the Advanced Electric Ship Demonstrator (AESD), they call the ship Sea Jet. As I mentioned before, surface ships like to be quiet, too, and this facility helps make that a reality.  As every submariner knows, there are only 2 types of ships – submarines and targets. If you are a target rider, quiet can help you, too!

Submarines AESD photo
Sea Jet Scale Ship in Water

Idaho and submarines seems an odd combination, until you look at why they exist. Then it makes perfect sense. Although almost 400 miles from the ocean, ARD makes great contributions to the submarine community. The improvements enhance the safety and effectiveness of US Navy boats. For that, and on behalf of submarine sailors former, current and future, thanks ARD!!

Have you been to Idaho? Maybe visited ARD or Lake Pend Orielle? Maybe prototype like me?  Are you a former submarine sailor? Despite the brutal winters, did you enjoy Idaho? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Connect with me:

Want to connect on social media? Please feel free to contact me on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads or just email me at bill@williamlstuart.com!