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The Storm Glass
Jim Wilson, a fiftyish ‘regular’ guy, is anything but. For a decade he has used an extraordinary antique ring, a trinket found in an antique store, to feed the kitty, as he likes to put it. Using the invisibility and ability to levitate that the ring magically allows…Wilson is, arguably, the world’s greatest sneak thief; a phantom with a sense of humor and a taste for dopers’ dollars.
On a well-deserved vacation, a cruise the length of the Mississippi on his boat, the Thief of Hearts, Jim and Iris encounter a sprightly retired admiral, Hans, and his charming wife, Millie, who are heading downstream to their home in Hannibal, Missouri.
None of them are aware of the convoluted plot to utterly destroy a local bank, a crime involving millions of dollars and cold blooded murder. None of them suspect the portly local banker of the depravity and homicide he’s capable of, aided by a hardened thief and killer just out of prison and lusting for the biggest score of his life.
No, Jim’s biggest worries are that Iris wants him to retire from the business and he fears that Hans, who is actually ex-CIA, may know more about the ring than Jim likes.
But after heart-rending tragedy befalls during the robbery, Jim and Hans mount their own investigation heedless of the threats by the inept local Sheriff and the confused FBI agent in charge of the case.
They don’t have to follow the rules and they aren’t trying to put the bad guys in jail…they’re after payback…call it justice or retribution—or the cold-blooded quest for revenge that it actually is.
They’re bringing the bad guys down and they’re not afraid to use Jim’s ring to make that happen.
On a well-deserved vacation, a cruise the length of the Mississippi on his boat, the Thief of Hearts, Jim and Iris encounter a sprightly retired admiral, Hans, and his charming wife, Millie, who are heading downstream to their home in Hannibal, Missouri.
None of them are aware of the convoluted plot to utterly destroy a local bank, a crime involving millions of dollars and cold blooded murder. None of them suspect the portly local banker of the depravity and homicide he’s capable of, aided by a hardened thief and killer just out of prison and lusting for the biggest score of his life.
No, Jim’s biggest worries are that Iris wants him to retire from the business and he fears that Hans, who is actually ex-CIA, may know more about the ring than Jim likes.
But after heart-rending tragedy befalls during the robbery, Jim and Hans mount their own investigation heedless of the threats by the inept local Sheriff and the confused FBI agent in charge of the case.
They don’t have to follow the rules and they aren’t trying to put the bad guys in jail…they’re after payback…call it justice or retribution—or the cold-blooded quest for revenge that it actually is.
They’re bringing the bad guys down and they’re not afraid to use Jim’s ring to make that happen.
293 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2011
23 people are currently reading
322 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 26, 2013
I have a few Indie writers I consider favorites. These are authors whose books I want to adorn my shelves — to proudly display and share with others. Fred Limberg is one of those authors.
He has the ability to make his characters come to life. When I read a book, I must be able to feel something for the characters. If I can’t, then the book is a bust, regardless of the plot. By the end of this book, I just wanted to keep reading — to go on another adventure with Jim, Iris, and their friends. I wanted to jump on a boat with them and travel down the Mississippi, letting the muddy water lead us to where ever while we sit around sipping drinks and enjoying good conversation.
I do hope we have not seen the last of these characters. Limberg has a way of ending his books where you are not quite sure if there will be a sequel or not. You are left satisfied, yet still wanting more. In my opinion, this book is just too wonderful to stop at one. Ferris’ Bluff was the same way and I am STILL waiting on a sequel for that one! Mr. Limberg, you need to get busy, Sir! Thank you once again for an amazing read! I am patiently waiting for more.
He has the ability to make his characters come to life. When I read a book, I must be able to feel something for the characters. If I can’t, then the book is a bust, regardless of the plot. By the end of this book, I just wanted to keep reading — to go on another adventure with Jim, Iris, and their friends. I wanted to jump on a boat with them and travel down the Mississippi, letting the muddy water lead us to where ever while we sit around sipping drinks and enjoying good conversation.
I do hope we have not seen the last of these characters. Limberg has a way of ending his books where you are not quite sure if there will be a sequel or not. You are left satisfied, yet still wanting more. In my opinion, this book is just too wonderful to stop at one. Ferris’ Bluff was the same way and I am STILL waiting on a sequel for that one! Mr. Limberg, you need to get busy, Sir! Thank you once again for an amazing read! I am patiently waiting for more.
June 16, 2012
I found The Storm Glass an enjoyable read with a very decent storyline and believable characters, each of whom start in a separate thread and are very nicely woven together into a fairly climactic scene. From there, it just gets faster and more intense.
It's got suspense, action, a goodly bit of violence and a smattering of sex. Add that to the underlying mystery of Wilson's ring and the back story of his kids and their drug problems and it makes for a very readable tale. It's also nicely lined up for a series of adventures, should the author want to go down that road, involving Wilson, the CIA and the ring.
It's got suspense, action, a goodly bit of violence and a smattering of sex. Add that to the underlying mystery of Wilson's ring and the back story of his kids and their drug problems and it makes for a very readable tale. It's also nicely lined up for a series of adventures, should the author want to go down that road, involving Wilson, the CIA and the ring.
August 15, 2017
Strned
An evil banker the man he hires to get what he wants. Great r re adding cog a allot s
An evil banker the man he hires to get what he wants. Great r re adding cog a allot s
March 28, 2020
Good read!
November 7, 2015
A couple decide to take a cruise on the Mississippi on their boat the Thief of Hearts, but all is not what it seems. Jim possesses a ring able to make him disappear and he is a thief himself (with a twist). On the river they meet the Admiral and his wife, and the Admiral has a secret that puts Jim on edge.
Meanwhile some really bad folk intend to rob the bank in Hannibal, which the bank’s owner is in on, and Ainsworth, the bank’s owner, is not on the side of angels.
When the Admiral traces what happened to Jim’s missing sons, the scene is set for everything to happen in the same time frame in Hannibal. Murder and mayhem ensues.
I thoroughly enjoyed this crime thriller, particularly enjoyed reading about conditions on the Mississippi, as well as the harbour towns en route. The Admiral’s secrets are awesome, and so are many of the twists and turns and mind games.
The only gripes I have are that frequently dialogue and action didn’t quite match, in other words, when someone spoke, another did the acting in the same paragraph. This may be a facet of how my ereader sees the formatting, and therefore I’m not pointing fingers, but it did cause a few stumbles for me. Also the title – I feel the title didn’t match the story. While Jim is gifted a storm glass, it features very little in the story.
Setting aside the title, though, this is a intriguing and clever crime story and I definitely recommend it.
Meanwhile some really bad folk intend to rob the bank in Hannibal, which the bank’s owner is in on, and Ainsworth, the bank’s owner, is not on the side of angels.
When the Admiral traces what happened to Jim’s missing sons, the scene is set for everything to happen in the same time frame in Hannibal. Murder and mayhem ensues.
I thoroughly enjoyed this crime thriller, particularly enjoyed reading about conditions on the Mississippi, as well as the harbour towns en route. The Admiral’s secrets are awesome, and so are many of the twists and turns and mind games.
The only gripes I have are that frequently dialogue and action didn’t quite match, in other words, when someone spoke, another did the acting in the same paragraph. This may be a facet of how my ereader sees the formatting, and therefore I’m not pointing fingers, but it did cause a few stumbles for me. Also the title – I feel the title didn’t match the story. While Jim is gifted a storm glass, it features very little in the story.
Setting aside the title, though, this is a intriguing and clever crime story and I definitely recommend it.
April 26, 2012
A suspense/thriller that has Jim Wilson and his lady friend headed off down the Mississippi when they are boarded at night while at anchor. It seems that Jim has a ring that he found in an antique store that has some strange properties. Giving it a twist the wearer becomes invisible and is able to levitate and fly. Using the ring, he is able to thwart the boarders and continue their journey. They meet an older couple at one of the overnight stops and becoming friends continue to travel together. The ring comes into play again when Jim stops a thief at one of the marinas where they stop. When the two boats along with a third couple stop at Hannibal, the home of the other two couples, they become involved in a bank holdup and things become even more tense as the ring comes into play yet again. Except for the ring and its powers which are a stretch, it’s a pretty good story over all. Needless to say there is a lot more going on then mentioned here.
November 23, 2016
This is an interesting anti hero who has a knack for getting into trouble and helping out those who need it. He is assisted in his adventures by an out world ring which renders him invisible, a stalwart male accomplish, his recently wed wife, a "retired" CIA operative, and one of his sons. The adventures that he gets into, at least this one, was complicated and we'll thought out by the author. The characters are well developed with plenty of interaction between them and the back stories are well put together. The action/suspense is not the all consuming blow up in your face kind, but it is present in just about every page and sometimes catches the reader by surprise.
December 4, 2012
A fun fantasy involving a magic ring that renders the wearer invisible, a cruise down the Mississippi River system in an apparently modified 42 foot Chris Craft Commander (I can find no reference to any of them having outdrives) and a retired CIA couple they meet along the way. The plot involves a bank robbery, bank fraud, murder, a son jailed for drugs, river barges, running aground and other adventures from Minnesota to Hannibal, MO. I found what I believe to be 8 errors in the book. The author may obtain those errors from me at amacd55 (at) gmail (dot) com.
September 12, 2013
Limberg excels at world and character building. As the story progresses, the lives of the characters and their personalities are slowly revealed. There is no info-dump here. Rather, you feel like you have suddenly found yourself floating above these characters, watching events unfold. As time progresses, you learn more and more about what makes them tick.
In Limberg's novels, I get to where I almost don't care about the plot (which is fun and fast-paced, by the way) because I am so involved in the characters.
In Limberg's novels, I get to where I almost don't care about the plot (which is fun and fast-paced, by the way) because I am so involved in the characters.
February 28, 2012
I enjoyed this book as it moved at a pace I like - pretty fast!
I haev to admit that early on in the book I did wonder why there was a chapter detailing the drugged antics of a fat bloke with a young very sexually active, drug taking teenager, but all thatd did become apparent and the 2 or 3 stories were twined into together by half way through and made for a plot with twists and turns the whole way through.
I haev to admit that early on in the book I did wonder why there was a chapter detailing the drugged antics of a fat bloke with a young very sexually active, drug taking teenager, but all thatd did become apparent and the 2 or 3 stories were twined into together by half way through and made for a plot with twists and turns the whole way through.
July 19, 2012
A very well researched book that was hard to put down. Take a bank president who fancies himself as a wannabe 70's porn producer (in the body of Oliver Hardy), a magic ring that allows the wearer to levitate and become invisible and first-hand accounts of Area 51 aliens and throw them all together. Well... I don't know, but somehow it just works.
June 27, 2012
I really enjoyed this well crafted thriller. The characters were well drawn and distinctive, whilst the plot accelerated just as you hope for in a thriller - a page turner. I particularly liked the geographical setting of the Mississippi River as a backdrop for the story.
September 26, 2012
Was pleasantly surprised. The beginning had me a little confused as there were so many characters but when it all came together it was hard to put down. Quite enjoyable, will be looking for more from this author.
February 2, 2013
My second Limberg - not bad at all - really 3 1/2 stars. Author introduces the main character and gives him a ring that can make him invisible. He even explains how it works in an almost rational way. Anyway, a fun romp. Now I am reading his "First Murder". So far no ghosts or rings. More later,
February 16, 2013
Very interesting use of being invisible. I also liked the way the author used ancient history (from the 1950's) to provide some sound reasoning (a bit of a stretch, but hey - it's a novel) why this all works. I thought it was pretty good.
January 18, 2017
Good book but WAY too much language.... Their favorite words were GD and F**k....
April 4, 2012
I enjoyed The Storm Glass. I did (and still do) wonder if there is a prequel...
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July 24, 2012Thought it was slow to start but a great read.
August 3, 2012
enjoyed this one very much
August 24, 2012
It was hard to get into this book, but once I did, it was an okay read. It starts slow but eventually gets kinda interesting. I found it difficult to care about the characters, though.
November 8, 2012
A well written mystery, once I got into it it was hard to put down
February 14, 2013
Totally improbable story, which the author had me believing every word of. Nicely done.
May 10, 2013
We both gave this one 5 stars
May 22, 2013
A fun read! Crime, mystery, interesting relationships and a bit of sci-fi!
September 30, 2013
Not a bad book ... worth a read if you see it at the library
May 5, 2012
I REALLY enjoyed this book. Well executed story, great characters, what more can you ask for ?
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews