Chris Bunch's The Gangster Conspiracy, by Steve Perry and Dal Perry

Chris Bunch died a few years ago, so I was surprised to see a new novel in his Star Risk, Ltd. universe. Turns out that Bunch had the outline of a novel ready to go when he passed, so his friend and fellow writer Steve Perry and his son finished it for publication. I was hoping it wasn't as bad as other authors that have had books written posthumously, and luckily it wasn't. In fact, it was pretty good! The Star Risk novels are easily compared to action movies: wry humor and action sequences are more important than plot or character development and in the end everyone gets their just desserts. The Gangster Conspiracy is no exception and delivers on the promise. The ending finds the heroes wealthy and happy and going their separate ways so it is probable this will be the last entry in the chain of novels; this seems fitting as any future exploits won't have Bunch's hand in them. Regardless, the Star Risk series has been a guilty pleasure, and I've enjoyed reading them all.

First Sentence:

If you had to go broke, there were worse places to do it than the new Star Risk Ltd. offices.

The Dog From Hell, by Chris Bunch

This is the fourth chapter of the Star Risk series. None of these books will make you forget Isaac Asimov — if Asimov is Citizen Kane then Chris Bunch is Indiana Jones. I digress. Star Risk is the name of a mercenary organization in the far future. The dog from hell is a nod to Cerberus the mythological guard of Hades and the name of a competing group of mercenaries. The plot involves the clash of these two companies, a conflict which had been building through the previous three installments. You don’t have to have read the other three to enjoy this, but I think it will make it more fun. Great for an airplane, which coincidentally enough is where I read it!

First Sentence:

The castle loomed above them on the bluff, centuries-old stone, dank, brooding.