Book Reviews

Memory Layne

“Memory Layne reminds me of Nicholas Sparks’ The Notebook!” – Charles Meier, Key West author and star of the Science Channel’s The Curse of The Bermuda Triangle

With his white beard and red suspenders, his salty good humor, harmonica, and bucket of tall tales, Zeke Layne is one of those memorable characters you can still occasionally find - whether it be a Chincoteague Island waterman or retired Cape Cod fisherman or charter boat skipper in the Florida Keys, or in the case of Memory Layne, Bob Adamov’s poignant word portrait, a former Miller ferry boat captain on Lake Erie. 

Zeke lives with his daughter, teenage granddaughter and golden lab in an old mobile home, built on steel pilings at the Miller Ferry Catawba dock, with a view from his deck of South Bass Island. Alzheimer’s and a worrisome heart condition haven’t stopped him from his daily routine of entertaining passengers waiting at the Catawba dock to board the ferry or caring for his Chincoteague pony. It’s not a bad life, even having to deal with two rapacious stepdaughters and their biker pals. 

But when the unthinkable happens, Zeke must summon all his fading resources in a madcap dash to a safe haven. Adamov populates his story with a cast of unforgettable characters who teach us about the power of love, and prove, as Hemingway once said, that man can be destroyed, but not defeated. Memory Layne is a thoroughly enjoyable read. - Paul Kemprecos, New York Times best-selling author.

Golden Torpedo Review

"Adventure story has many twists" - Akron Beacon Journal

"5 Stars - Adamov keeps you guessing and enthralled. His plots--total fiction but with a possible historical bent. Was it really back in 2013 that I read Sandustee-The Search for the Nazarene’s Code by Bob Adamov.. Wow--I really did enjoy that story and knew I would love to read one or more of them! Well here I am 5 years later--and I still LOVE the way this author writes. He keeps you guessing and enthralled. His plots--total fiction but with a possible historical bent.

Was FDR murdered by the Germans back in 1945 or was his death natural? This is the mystery that investigative reporter Emerson Moore is bound and determined to find out. Emerson has more then 9 lives--but he definitely uses up a couple of them in this novel. Then the terrorists decide he should die--but are they all terrorists? You will just have to read this book to find out!! "- Micki's Hope Reviews

Missing Book Review

“Runner Up” – 2015’s Great Midwest Book Festival

One of 2015’s best novels in northeast Ohio! – Akron Beacon Journal

A compelling and entertaining novel by a compelling and entertaining novelist, "Missing" clearly documents author Bob Adamov as a master of the action/adventure genre. An original and page-turner of a read from beginning to end, "Missing" is certain to prove an enduringly popular addition to community library collections. - Midwest Book Review

In his ninth book detailing the exploits of Emerson Moore, author Bob Adamov turns The Washington Post reporter into a contract killer.

“Missing” refers to the main character’s memory, lost from a head injury during a prison escape by a Detroit mob boss. When the mob boss, Jimmy “Diamonds” Diamonte, discovers this, he retrains Moore, giving him a new name, Manny Elias, and providing a backstory of his days as a hit man — while turning him into a killer.

It’s a jarring change for the character, but, otherwise, for fans of the Moore series, this book is like slipping on a pair of broken-in boat moccasins: Comfortable and familiar. The action proceeds at a breakneck pace (with short chapters to make it feel even faster), starting in Moore’s home base of Put-in-Bay and proceeding to Detroit, the Florida Keys and finally Northeast Ohio for the climax and denouement.

Adamov’s a native of Northeast Ohio and a regular around the Lake Erie shores and islands. This book — like his others — is a love letter to the places he calls home, with references to the Beer Barrel, DeRiviera Park and the Round House Bar at Put-in-Bay and the Olde Jaol Steakhouse and Tavern in Wooster, where Adamov lives now. He even drops in names like Mike “Mad Dog” Adams and Ray Fogg, both entertainers familiar to those who spend time at Put-in-Bay.

Adamov came late to writing novels, publishing his first Moore book in 2002 after he’d turned 50, but he’s making up for lost time. He plans to release another Moore book, “Golden Torpedo,” next year about the wreckage of a U-boat found along the Florida Keys and relates it to a Nazi artifact at Put-in-Bay — and possibly a World War II conspiracy. He says he’s also drumming up plotlines for an 11th and 12th Moore book. “I’ll keep on writing as long as the ideas keep welling up,” he says.  – Cleveland Magazine

Zenobia Book Review

“Honorable Mention” – 2014’s Great Midwest Book Festival

“Honorable Mention” – 2014’s Florida Book Festival

Sandustee Book Review

Sandustee Wins Honorable Mention – Great Midwest Book Festival - 11/9/13

Sandustee: The Search for the Nazarene’s Code - Akron Beacon Journal – 5/19/13

Kent State grad’s adventure has reporter traveling world.

As summer approaches, Ohioans flock to the playgrounds of the NorthCoast: Put-in-Bay, Kelleys Island, Sandusky, all places mentioned in Sandustee: The Search for the Nazarene’s Code, a globe-hopping adventure that is the seventh in Bob Adamov’s series about Emerson Moore, a Washington Post reporter with a big reputation and an even bigger expense account. Acting on a tip, Emerson travels to Germany to research the history of a manuscript called the Nazarene’s Code, allegedly powerful enough to enable the possessor to control the world. From Germany it’s off to Israel, then Turkey and Rhodes, all while flirting with the alluring antiquities specialist he’s been partnered with. Danger hides in the form of a pair of hired goons who follow Emerson everywhere from Key West to Washington, where he inspects national monuments to find clues that might have been left by Abraham Lincoln on his way out the door to Ford’s Theatre.

Emerson’s travels also include locations from previous books, the New Orleans of Promised Land and Key West of When Rainbows Walk. Every time he orders a grouper sandwich or a cocktail, he’s ducking a bullet.

Sandustee (351 pages, hardcover) costs $24.95 from Adamov’s Packard Island Publishing.

Rated 5 Stars…Highly Recommended! – Midwest Book Review – 5/12/13

Thousands of years of conspiracy run beneath history. “Sandustee” is a thriller that seeks to go deep into history and the search of Emerson Moore, an investigative reporter, to uncover what is buried beneath the world and the clues to a deeper and darker history that stretches from Christ to the world of the modern day. “Sandustee” is an enticing addition to thriller and contemporary fiction collections, recommended.

Sandustee Scores 4.50 Out of 5 – Reviewer Top Pick – Night Owl Reviews 3/28/13

This mystery novel takes all different turns, which has the US government involved in a setup that is both fascinating and intriguing. Emerson Moore, an investigative and Pulitzer Prize- winning reporter for The Washington Post, was tortured beyond anything he had experienced. His girlfriend was brought in for him to experience his torturing – would she also experienced a similar fate? After all that Emerson is going through he is not willing to give his torturers the information they want – the Nazarene Code that can be used to control nations and bring abundance of power to anyone who possess it. Tracking the code Emerson had to trace the path of a professor’s murder, which takes him to Israel and Turkey. And what’s with the mystery surrounding thirteen letters? Everywhere Moore turns he is being tracked by Russian thugs who are also interested in getting the code at all costs. Will the code be eventually found? Who will get it first, Emerson or the Russians?

Sandustee Review: Miki’s Hope Book Review Blog – 3/13/13

This is the first time I have read any of Bob Adamov’s Emerson Moore’s Put-In-Bay adventures. WOW—twists and turns galore. I really enjoyed this mystery novel and will be looking for more of them (in paperback form this time-I have found I really do not enjoy reading on my computer!).

Emerson Moore is a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter who gets embroiled in a plot to try and find the Nazarene’s Code. In his quest for clues he meets up with some very disreputable foreign personages who are alternately following him and trying to kill him. People who are giving him help die, at least most of them. Somewhere along the line the number 13 gets involved and it seems like everything he encounters has 13 letters (this kind of spooked me since I was born on the 13th!). I almost saw the ending coming—but not quite. This book will keep you on the edge of wherever you choose to read it!!

Tan Lines - Book Review

Tan Lines Named as one of 2010ʹ′s Best Novels - Akron Beacon Journal – December 2010

“He grinned back at Moore, having also spotted the Presidential plumber’s crack.” What could possibly be important about the President of the United States accidently exposing his butt cleavage? To find out, follow investigative reporter Emerson Moore as he becomes embroiled in a case of double-dealing, treason, and assassination. Emerson is friends with U.S. President Richard Benson and has joined him on beautiful Gibraltar Island in Lake Erie to bring national attention to a huge fish kill that is decimating the perch there. In the midst of photo-ops and speeches, things go seriously awry and Emerson is catapulted from dressing up as a spiffy pirate for the South Bass Island Pirate’s Week celebrations to fleeing from the Secret Service as a most wanted fugitive. And yes, things do hinge on what was glimpsed of the presidential anatomy.

The author writes in a spare, journalistic prose that keeps the action going as events unfold. His love for the people and places of the Lake Erie Islands is delightful to read. The unique setting is a perfect tableaux for the complex interactions between the powers of the federal security complex and the better wisdom of the common folk of Ohio. With three jiggers seat-of-your pants action and two shots of humor, the author shows how things can go wrong in the big machine of presidential security. It takes the people of Lake Erie and Ohio to help reporter Emerson makes things right. Down-home patriotism trumps Washington backstabbing after all. A perennial American tale well told. This reaffirmation of the interdependence of the fourth estate and the presidency is timely and important. – The US Review of Books – November 2010 www.theUSreview.com

Tan Lines is an exciting read that shouldn’t be missed!

When high ranking officials including the president go missing, a fugitive on the run may be the best chance at justice. “Tan Lines” follows investigative reporter Emerson Moore as he finds himself accused of assassinating the President who vanished before his renomination for reelection. Emerson has the entire country after him, and to do his job as a reporter and remain a free man, he has to find out what happened to the president, and lurking around Lake Erie and its unique events may be the key to his success. “Tan Lines” is an exciting read that shouldn’t be missed! – Midwest Book Review September 2010

The Other Side Of Hell - Book Review

Great Lakes and travel divers may get a kick out of The Other Side of Hell, a 306-page novel from Packard Island Publishing. Ohio author Bob Adamov wove his local turf into a fast-paced plot that takes readers to the Florida Keys and Grand Cayman Island as well. What begins as a nice winter vacation getaway for “Washington Post” reporter Emerson Moore turns into anything but relaxing as he pursues leads on everything from the fictional disappearance of Adolph Hitler’s pirate fleet to drug dealers to the Cuban missile crisis of the 1960s, with murders, love intrigue and general mayhem along the way. Incorporating real-life resorts like Cayman’s DiveTech and Sunset House lends realism to the Clive Cussler-style plot. Making it even more believable is a music compact disk that accompanies the book with 11 songs by Put-in-Bay, Ohio, singer Mike “Mad Dog” Adams, who also plays a role in the plot. -Northeast Dive Magazine August 2008

The Cayman Islands each have their own long history, and each bit of that history is filled with mystery. “The Other Side of Hell” follows Emerson Moore as he finds himself in the Cayman Islands involved with a Jamaican drug lord and linked to the Cuba Missile Crisis. A hectic and exciting tale, “The OTher Side of Hell” will keep readers glued to the pages all the way through. Also with the book is a bonus music CD from Mike “Mad Dog” Adams. Midwest Book Review July 2008

The Other Side of Hell, fifth in the Emerson Moore mystery-thriller series by Wooster novelist Bob Adamov, is a colorful crossover between adventure and tall tale, as Adamov peppers the narrative with true-life characters in his tale of stolen Nazi gold and Cayman Island diving action. Akron Beacon Journal – June 22, 2008

Promised Land - Book Review

Promised Land, was recognized with an honorable mention award and as a runner up in the action adventure category at the Next Generation Indie Book Awards in May 2008.

Promised Land, was recognized with an honorable mention award and as a runner up as the best fiction novel at the London Book Festival’s international competition on December 8, 2007. London Book Festival December 8, 2007

Promised Land, was recognized with an honorable mention award and as a runner up as the best fiction novel at the Hollywood Book Festival on July 28th at Barnsdall Art Park. Adamov participated in book signings of his four novels throughout the day and provided a reading from his award-winning novel. Based in the capital of show business, the Hollywood Book Festival aims to (1) spotlight literature worthy of further consideration by the talent-hungry pipeline of the entertainment industry, and facilitate those works into the proper hands for consideration. A panel of judges from the entertainment and publishing industry determined the winners based on the following criteria: (1) the story telling ability of the author; and (2) the potential of the work to be translated into other forms of media. Books receiving awards are being distributed to the Hollywood Book Festival’s mailing list of agents, producers, directors, content coordinators and developers for further consideration. Hollywood Book Festival July 28, 2007

Rated 5 Stars…Highly Recommended! – Midwest Book Review The latest volume in the island mystery series by Bob Adamov, Promised Land, is a haunting novel about secrets and repercussions rippling from the Vatican to New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. A gutsy Creole detective and her partner are thrust amid a web of deceit and murder, sparked by missing documents whose hidden secret just might undermine the legitimacy of the United States.

Promised Land is a rush of nail-biting excitement, sure to keep the reader’s attention glued to the last page. Also highly recommended are Adamov’s previous island mystery novels, “Rainbow’s End”, “Pierce the Veil”, and “When Rainbows Walk”. Midwest Book Review – March 2007

One of the Best Novels of 2006 - Akron Beacon Journal 

 When Rainbows Walk - Book Review

Bob Adamov continues to master the art of mystery novel writing in his latest story. In When Rainbows Walk, the plot thickens as the depths of its characters’ troubles develop. When Rainbows Walk is an intricate labyrinth of mind-pacing assertion as readers turn from page to page discovering the next twist and turn of this exhilarating work of mystery/suspense fiction. A highly recommended read for mystery lovers, When Rainbows Walk is sure to induce an endless stream of thought into the minds of its readers. Also highly recommended are Bob Adamov’s two previous “Emerson Moore” titles: Rainbow’s End and Pierce the Veil. Midwest Book Review – March 10, 2006

One of the Best Novels of 2005 …Bob Adamov scored with When Rainbows Walk, third in his Emerson Moore mystery series, demonstrating that appealing characters and intriguing locations will get ‘em every time. Akron Beacon Journal – January 2006

Rated 5 Stars! Midwest Book Review Once again the Washington Post investigative reporter Emerson Moore finds himself enmeshed in a web of intrigue. This time it’s when he travels down to Key West, Florida, to cover hurricane Charley’s devastating impact. Moore’s reporting assignment takes an unexpected and potentially lethal change as he discovers and uncovers coldblooded murder plots, double crosses, and a plot to steal $400 million in treasure under the protective cover of the hurricane. Bob Adamov is a superb craftsman of hanging-on-the-edge-ofyour- seat mystery adventures as “When Rainbow’s Walk” proves that his first novel featuring the intrepid reporter, “Rainbow’s End“, was no fluke — and will leave the reader looking eagerly forward to “Promised Land“, the fourth Emerson Moore title in this outstanding series.  Midwest Book Review – Nov 2005

This series is a must read for any diver or Clive Cussler fan! Bob introduces us to heroes, Emerson Moore and his cohort, Sam Duncan, who intrigue readers throughout their adventures from Put-in-Bay to Key West and beyond!They are quick reads and thoroughly entertaining! Visibility Divers Magazine – Oct 2005

When Rainbows Walk is a true thriller! – Pensacola News Journal, June 22, 2005 It was sheer coincidence that Adamov was able to incorporate actual hurricanes and tropical storms into the plot. The real thing only made the story more exciting. I had a hard time putting it down. Pensacola News Journal – June 22, 2005

Third Adventure Best Yet – Akron Beacon Journal, June 19, 2005 …Adamov scores with When Rainbows Walk. …Adamov uses a Prego spaghetti sauce “It’s in there!” approach to storytelling. You want sunken Spanish treasure? It’s in there. Mafioso on the run? Terrorists, drug runners, tadpole soup? In there. Akron Beacon Journal – June 19, 2005

Pierce The Veil - Book Review

Rated 5 Stars! Pierce the Veil by author Bob Adamov is the sequel to his earlier novel, Rainbow’s End. Another adventure featuring “Washington Post” investigative reporter Emerson Moore, Pierce the Veil draws its irrepressible newshound into a cat-and-mouse game of corporate intrigue. Sailing adventures, a prominent executive’s early demise, an utterly unforgiving CEO and a blonde ice queen who cannot be trusted all figure in an ever-escalating saga of power and fierce competition, heating up to a spectacular climax. Midwest Book Review October 20, 2004

“Pierce the Veil” is another suspenseful novel with corporate intrigue from the man who can tell them best!” Put-in-Bay Gazette May 2004

“Pierce the Veil was a terrific read. The characters were complex and fascinating. I enjoyed ‘Rainbow’s End’ but this work seems to lead us deeper into the emotional core of the author. The plot lines were richer, the characters more three dimensional and the pace of the book was riveting. Adamov’s use of experience and emotion make it a compelling and entertaining read. Adamov’s use of local color to weave a complex fabric for the backdrop allows readers to connect to the areas they recognize whether that is Kent, Lake Erie or New York. I look forward to the next book in the series. Also recommended: Rainbow’s End A Barnes & Noble Reviewer June 2004

“Adamov knows the ins and outs of industry intrigue…!” Akron Beacon Journal June 2004

“Pierce the Veil is a fascinating tale of corporate greed, violence, corruption and betrayal amidst a Wall Street takeover attempt of a northeastern Ohio tire company!” Sun Newspaparers – Cleveland May 2004

Pierce the Veil – “…an area of the corporate world that many don’t understand, myself included, but I couldn’t put it down!” Pensacola News-Journal May 2004

Rainbows End - Book Review

…a fast-moving, action-packed adventure. Without ruining the reader’s suspense, I can say that Rainbow’s End is an interesting story of modern day people struggling with good and evil, their lives molded by events in their youth and events one hundred and fifty years ago. July 2003 Maurice Williams – Bookideas.com

…readers of this type of genre will not be disappointed with Adamov’s fiction. For example, Adamov does an excellent job of illustrating the social climate of Put-in-Bay. From the complex relationship between tourist and islander to the geology of the Lake Erie Islands, this reader now knows more about this Great Lakes destination because of Adamov’s Rainbow’s End. Great Lakes Historical Society

Rainbow’s End – Just the Beginning for first time novelist, Bob Adamov. Sandusky Register Rainbow’s End is a thrilling novel by Bob Adamov that connects a shady raid during the American Civil War with modern-day black ops machinations and clandestine schemes. An active and attention gripping saga, Rainbow’s End is peppered with remorseless murder, sailing, danger, deadly chases, and much more. Rainbow’s End is highly recommended as an adventurous story of how greed twists human nature and the hidden depths of strength that lie beneath the surface. Midwest Book Review

Rainbow’s End named Book-of-the-Month in October 2002 by Cleveland’s Greenleaf Book Group. Greenleaf Book Group

Rainbow’s End – …Enough action to satiate James Bond fans and historical thriller aficionados – Lansing State Journal. Lansing State Journal

Rainbow’s End captures the Magic of the Islands…Action Packed…Hard to Put Down. – Putin- Bay Gazette

Rainbow’s End – …Well-paced, the plot absorbing and the characters appealing. – Akron Beacon Journal