Peak Picks & Reviews

My most interesting recent operation was quick, spontaneous, and without benefit of surgeon's tools or anesthetic. I cut a human head in two, right down the middle. Deliberately. The operation was a success because the patient died. Introduction  Billingsgate Shoal is a thrilling mystery novel by Rick Boyer, first published in 1982. This gripping tale introduces the character of Charles "Doc" Adams, an oral surgeon turned amateur detective, whose inquisitive nature leads him into a dark web of murder, conspiracy, and intrigue along the New England coast. Boyer’s blend of suspense, nautical detail, and psychological depth makes Billingsgate Shoal a standout entry in the mystery genre. The novel won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel, which highlights its strong narrative and compelling character development. This review explores the novel’s synopsis, thematic depth, and overall contribution to crime fiction. Synopsis  Billingsgate Shoal opens with Charles "Doc"...

If you are not improving, it’s not because you lack innate talent; it’s because you’re not practicing the right way. Introduction  Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool is a compelling exploration of how high-level expertise is developed, and it challenges long-standing beliefs about talent and natural ability. The book is based on decades of research conducted by Ericsson, one of the leading scholars in the field of performance psychology. Peak inquires into the science behind human potential and reveals that what we often think of as “ innate talent ” is more often the result of specific types of practice—most notably, deliberate practice. This method, the authors argue, is key to mastering complex skills in any field, whether sports, music, science, or business.  An important aspect of this book is its contrast to Malcolm Gladwell’s famous 10,000-hour rule, popularized in Outliers . Gladwell’s rule suggests that one can become an...

Pambird. Yes! She’d be marvelous as Pambird. What fun it would be to tame her, to hood her and starve her and train her and make her his pet. Introduction  Peregrine, authored by William Bayer, is a compelling thriller that combines crime, psychological depth, and a unique exploration of the relationship between predator and prey. The novel received the prestigious Edgar Award for Best Novel, a testament to its intricate plot and profound thematic resonance. Set primarily in New York, it digs into the lives of three key figures: Jay Hollander, a falconer who uses his peregrine falcon to commit murders; Pam Barrett, an ambitious TV news reporter; and NYPD detective Frank Janek, who is tasked with solving the murders. Peregrine is more than a standard crime novel—it is a dark exploration of obsession, control, and the primal instincts lurking beneath the surface of modern civilization. Synopsis  At the core of Peregrine is a chilling premise: Jay Hollander, a master falconer, tr...