Customer Reviews

Silversword (John Caine Mysteries)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I became a die-hard fan of Charles Knief last year when I read the first three John Caine books (SAND DOLLARS, EMERALD FLASH & DIAMOND HEAD) back to back. Now, with his newest novel, SILVER SWORD, Mr. Knief continues his winning streak with another skillfully written thriller that has John Caine facing his greatest fear. Acting as a bodyguard for his friend, Chawlie Choy, while on a visit to San Francisco to negotiate a truce with a rival Tong organization, Caine is seriously wounded during a shootout that leaves an innocent bystander dead. The San Francisco Police Department, as well as the local judicial system, thinks that Caine should be held responsible for the killing, even though hes innocent of any wrongdoing. Out of gratitude for saving his life, Chawlie hires the best lawyer that money can buy to represent his friend, and Caine is allowed to return temporarily to Hawaii, knowing that he may eventually be charged with first-degree murder. As he begins to recuperate from his gunshot wound and contemplate the possibility of spending several years in prison, Caine is asked by his old friend, Lieutenant Kimo Kahanamoku of the Honolulu Police Department, to help protect a young graduate student who has discovered the tomb of an ancient Hawaii king, as well as a ton of Spanish treasure. There are those whod like to get their hands on both the treasure and the remains of King Kamehameha, and are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve this goal. Needless to say, John Caine will have his hands full, especially when Chawlie warns him about a contract that has been taken out on his life by the San Francisco Chinese Tongs in retaliation for the part he played in protecting his friend during the gun battle. SILVER SWORD is almost twice as long as any of the three previous novels. Because of this, Mr. Knief is able to explore with more depth the close friendships that Caine has with both Kimo and Chawlie. Weve able to see the strong bond that joins these three men together, and the respect that begrudgingly develops between Kimo and Chawlie Choy. Of course, as Caine considers the prospect of jail and what it will mean to be locked away from the things he holds most precious, the reader grows to understand this man with more clarity, catching brief glimpses of his fears, his needs, and his desire to make the most out of life while he still has time. Though suspenseful and multi-faceted, SILVER SWORD isnt as fast-paced as the other Caine novels. There arent any big action sequences that allow our hero to strut his stuff. Due to the gunshot wound in his side, Caine is more passive here and has to let others take the lead. Still, there are moments of intense action when he must fight for his life and kill those that would harm him and his closest friends. SILVER SWORD is an excellent addition to the series and will have the reader hoping that Charles Knief continues to write about John Caine for many years to come.

Packing a knife, a gun, and a reputation for having killed eight people "in self defense," John Caine is certainly not a cerebral, Columbo-style private investigator. With a lust for action and sometimes a lust for lust, he is macho in the extreme, fiercely loyal to his friends, no matter which side of the police desk they may occupy and no matter how dangerous their friendship may be to his health. Though he is shot, stabbed, hit with martial arts sticks, sucker-punched, kicked, knocked unconscious, hospitalized for surgery, and thrown in jail for murder, just for starters, he's like an Energizer ape who just keeps going.

Escape reading at its best, this is an old-fashioned murder mystery which makes no apologies for its machismo as Caine constantly comes to the rescue of damsels and others in distress, getting beaten and nearly killed on a regular basis. The Hawaiian setting is a welcome change from the usual urban wasteland of P. I. stories, the action never falters, and the plot, while intriguing, is not so complicated that you have trouble keeping all the characters straight.

Local color is heightened by a police chief who is a descendant of famed surfer Duke Kahanamoku, by an archaeologist who has found the tomb of King Kamehameha I, on the Big Island's Kona coast, and by the goddess Pele, who brings the dormant shield volcano of Hualalai, long overdue for eruption, suddenly to life, threatening Kailua-Kona. Lovers of Hawaii will find this fun to read, as long as they don't get hung up on some proofreading problems--a few typos, misspellings, and several annoying references to Moana Kea and Moana Loa, instead of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa.

I have been waiting anxiously for this fourth episode of the exploits of P.I. John Caine. I received an advanced copy and read it in one sitting. I wasn't disappointed. This one starts out in Chinatown in San Francisco and after a gangland shooting the action moves to Honolulu, Hawaii. Caine is recovering from a gunshot wound and the plot has several twists and turns. I won't give away anymore of the plot other than to say this is a must read. A new Honolulu Police Detective described as a "rugged looking haole detective" is introduced in Chapter 39 by the name of Jim Husing. The author is a friend of mine and this is my 15 minutes of fame. I hope I am not killed off in future. Hope you are reading this Chuck.

As always, Chuck's vivid descriptions of the Hawaiian locations are right on the money. Having been to many of the locations described I felt that I was once again in Hawaii while reading page after page. Chuck has been to all of the locations described and that is why the descriptions are picture perfect. As in the three previous Caine novels, this one has lots of beautiful girls, beautiful scenery, Hawaiian legends and history, and fast paced action.

This book is a must for Caine/Knief fans. Don't delay in getting it. You won't be disappointed.

Jim Husing That rugged-looking haole detective

Finally the new John Caine book is here! I couldn't hardly wait for the new installment of the Caine legacy. Now that I read it in one sitting I'm left wondering "how long before the next book?" All I can say if your a Caine fan I don't think you'll disappointed. Pick up this book I bet you won't be able to put it down!

Charles Knief brings the reader into a world of veiled motives and violence, interspersed with John Caine's thoughtful interior diologues. This latter element sets a rousing story line apart from other action series. The repercussions of past choices are fleshed out, and placed into perspective with possible futures that remain enticing, but not secure. The sudden injections of danger disrupt our hero's attempts to stabilize his life. They are shadowed by the incessant steamrollering presence of a California legal sytam that metes out politically correct "justice." The story's characters bring a broad range of interests into development and make it almost impossible to put down this book once one starts to read it.

Another great book from Mr. Knief. Does anyone know when the paperback will arrive and when he will be publishing his next Caine book?

This book shows that Knief truly is interested in writing a good story. After the first three, I had the suspicion that the Knief was headed down "The Executioner" track and would become just another "superhero confronts the bad guys" author with shallow plots and endless action. It appears from this book that he actually wants to inject some depth and breadth into his characters. Others have dissected the plot of this story in their reviews so I won't be redundant.

If you want to see how an author grows with his character and how he changes when he wants to treat his audience with respect, read this series from the beginning. It will be time well spent. I hope that book 5 when it emerges will continue this trend.

I first became familiar with Charles Knief's work when we both appeared as authors on the same MEN OF MYSTERY program in Southern California. I began reading his John Caine adventures, and SILVERSWORD is the most impressive yet. John Caine is Travis McGee updated for our time. Caine is a former navy man, living in Hawaii. Many of the supporting characters could also have been lifted from the classic John D. series. SILVERSWORD opens with a shooting in San Francisco, and the plot moves swiftly from there. Caine is wounded in the shooting and finds himself threatened with homicide charges. The story later shifts home to Hawaii, and the I found the tale thoroughly enjoyable. SILVERSWORD is a fine work, and I recommend it highly.

This is a great mystery story, full of action, sex, and graphic violence, what more can you want. John Caine, a wonderful hero who has depth, likeability, sensibility, and charm, a modern knight righting wrongs and helping those in trouble.
Charles Knief, brings the beautiful Hawaiian islands to life in all of their brilliant color and majesty. The settings in this book and his others capture the real Hawaii that few really get to know.
OVERALL SCORE: (A+)
PLOT: (A+), CHARATERS: (A+), DIALOGUE: (B), SETTING: (A+), ACTION/COMBAT: (A-), ANTAGONISTS: (B+), ROMANCE: (A), SEX: (Adult Content), AGE LEVEL: (R)

I don't understand why publishers insist on using the name Travis McGee on their dust-jackets. "Caine is as McGee-like as they come." "Doc Ford is Travis McGee's spiritual heir." John MacDonald's Travis McGee books are the gold standard in this genre. However, there are a number of excellent authors who should be recognized for their efforts. Randy Wayne White, Robert Crais and Charles Knief are such authors. Silversword is another good book in the John Caine series. I recommend this to anyone who likes this genre. The only disappointment is the amount of time we had to wait for this book (although the author indicated it was ready much earlier than this). As a frequent Hawaii visitor, I will always laugh when a native says Mahalo.