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Book Review: The Wish List by John Locke

    Hey, everyone. I had the pleasure of reading a really different and entertaining book this week. It is by John Locke, one of the handful of people who has sold over a million ebooks. The Wish List is another in the popular series about Donovan Creed. Donovan is a paid assassin, a retired CIA guy, former mob hit man. He has confused morals and certainly has some good points as well.
 For one, he is loyal to a fault. A former friend, now deceased, has a loser brother who has gotten himself into trouble. Donovan goes to his aid. The dude's name is Buddy Pancake; yeah, Pancake. His wife Lissie is great, he is a loser. A friend tells him to go to a website and fill out a form to receive 4 wishes. He wants a date with a certain movie star, a million bucks, his boss dead and tickets to a Bruce Springsteen concert. See what I mean about being a loser? I mean really, couldn't he think of something better?
    Up to this point, the story is not so unusual. Now Mr. Locke flexes his muscle. The dreams start coming true for Buddy. Finally things are going his way. His long-suffering wife is ecstatic. He lands a big account at his job, a plane comes and flies him to an assignation with a movie star. (Wife doesn't know about that. She would not have been ecstatic.) After their time together, the starlet gives him a million dollars. A limo takes Buddy and his wife to their front row seats for Springsteen. So far, not so bad. But then...
     The guy that is guiding him through his wishes punctures Buddy's balloon. He tells him that he has to pay back, to the wish granters, 4 favors. The first favor being the surprise task of burying his boss's dead body. Yes, the very guy that Buddy had requested to die a horrible death.
     Things get more and more twisted and depraved. Frankly, some of the surprises were disturbing. I grew up hard and have been a street kid, a drifter and a loser in my own right. I have been domesticated for so long now that I have forgotten just how bad people can be. Buddy Pancake hit the jackpot for becoming acquainted with the lowest scum on the face of the earth. This book, imaginary as it is, reminded me that there are many people that one just doesn't want anything to do with. It brought back memories of bad people I've encountered in my life.
    All that being said, this is a terrific book and soooo worthy of a paltry 99 cents. It is available at Amazon, I-Books and all the usual suspects for your e-reader or I-Pad. Don't miss this different and disturbing thriller. There are some surprises at the end that will have you shaking your head, believe me. Adios, from the author's green retreat.
    I'm CE Wills.
P.S. Check back later this weekend for The Shadowgun Manifesto.

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