Einstein's Trunk Product Review - Cedar Fort

Would you nominate this book for a Whitney Award?

Einstein's Trunk by James Haberkorn; Cedar Fort, Inc.; 2011 Spring Books & Things.

About the book:  Rulon Hurt is a straight-laced, religious, and hardworking farmer from Idaho -- and a spy. Yohaba Melekson is a wild, worldly, and impossibly intelligent physics student from Switzerland -- and Einstein's great-great granddaughter. When the two are thrown together and discover a trunk full of Albert Einstein's secret writings, they learn that opposites attract in this electric tale that pits truth against lies, faith against knowledge, heart against mind, and an epic struggle for survival against the planet's imminent destruction. 

About the author:  Click Here for Full Bio.  Excerpt from James Haberkorn's Bio - Brooklyn is my birthplace, but I have lived in California, North Carolina, Washington, Idaho, South Africa, and Switzerland. I still have a home in Boise and love both Idaho and Switzerland. No wonder my hero, Rulon Hurt, had roots in Idaho, graduated from Boise State University, and lives in Zurich – very similar to my history. What a coincidence!

I currently live and work in Zurich, Switzerland with my encouraging and ever-resourceful wife, Kim. Zurich is a cultured mixture of old and new with its steepled churches and cobble-stoned streets in the older section along the Limmat. It has a diverse blend of old and new, which I like, with medieval architecture intermixing with perhaps the world’s premier shopping boulevard, the Zurich Bahnhofstrasse, stretching a mile from the main train station down to the Zurich Lake. And, of course, there is the international banking industry with its well-earned claim to secrecy. No wonder so many thrillers, including Einstein’s Trunk, use Zurich as a backdrop.

Kay's Kritique:  Thrillers are another of my favorite genres to read, and Einstein's Trunk did not disappoint.  James Haberkorn did a wonderful job in developing his characters, both the main ones and the secondary ones.  His descriptions of places I've never been made it easy to picture in my mind.  I loved the humorous chemistry that develops between Rulon & Yohaba - it's fun and refreshing.  Rulon has a "John Wayne grit" that doesn't need foul language or immorality to establish it.  Yohaba, while "worldly" by Rulon's standards, exhibits a moral integrity and courage that's balances and compliments Rulon.  Even the "villians" exhibit a form of "moral integrity" in their own way.  I love the Einstein quotes at the beginning of each chapter -- several made me stop and think about them for a minute before I read on.  All in all a fast-pasted "DaVinci Code" type thriller that kept me engaged from the first page til the end - even leaving it open for another book.  Definitely one I would recommend adding to you reading list.  

Whitney Award:  Einstein's Trunk meets the criteria to be nominated for a Whitney Award - Want to nominate it?  Click here to nominate it for a 2011 Whitney Award .

Other Reader Reviews:

Emily from Squeaky Clean Reads:  Do you like conspiracy theories?  Stories full of action and suspense?  Are you a fan of Dan Brown, Michael Crichton, Tom Clancy or John Grisham?  Then meet James Haberkorn!  Whether it’s inside the workings of a US embassy/consulate, spy infiltration, weaponry, or foreign cities, Mr. Haberkorn knows his stuff and gives us an insiders’ look.  Rulon Hurt is working undercover but discovers something much bigger than the ‘small’ job he was given!  This begins a scramble from the Russians and Serbians, a lot of intense fights that include some seriously ingenious methods (hammers and tables??), and a race to find a trunk that belonged to Albert Einstein that will (hopefully) hold the answers on how to save the world from impending doom!

I enjoyed this book even more as I’ve been to many of the cities mentioned in the book, so I could ‘see’ it even better; AND to top it all off, I just happen to be from Idaho as well!  The talk of ranches and Idaho cowboys (hicks! Ha!) had me smiling and missing the rural lands of the West.  I loved the chapter headers with thoughts from Einstein, laughed at all the movie quotes, and squirmed (in a good way) during all the awkward ‘DTRs’ (Define The Relationships).  I loved the undercurrent of the importance of family, morals, and true love, even within a world of spies and revenge.  There are twists and turns galore, and the ending gives you enough closure that you aren’t angry at the cliffhanger!  ‘Einstein’s Trunk’ is a well written, page turning, ‘suspense thriller’ genre with a good moral theme.  Overall Rating is 4 out of 5 stars.

This mystery/thriller piqued my interest immediately and I didn't want to put it down. The plot is exciting, suspenseful, gripping and keeps the reader wondering what's going to happen next. The good guy is really "good:" an international spy who believes in no sex before marriage, and who doesn't drink, smoke, or cuss. No gratuitous sex or vulgar language. The characters are so well drawn and the locale so well described that 2 weeks later I still have visual pictures of both in my mind and am waiting for the next adventure from this talented author. I can imagine a movie being made of this.  -- Linda

I am a male school teacher who loves spy/espionage novels and this book ET is a thriller rollercoaster that doesn't disappoint. Newby novelist Jim Haberkorn obtains a real gift to create imagery in the reader's head by providing thorough detail in his writing and is a reflection of his obvious personal history (namely the Marines). The novel twists and turns between Idaho and Zurich and gives some wonderfully interesting factual insight about the workings of atom bombs, asteroids and even the importance of life! Each chapter begins with a relevant and often thought provoking quote from the man himself, Einstein, which invigorates the mind before each chapter commences.  Without giving too much away, I found this book to be both gripping and informative and was a definite page turner. So much so, that I took it with me on my honeymoon on a tropical paradise and was glued to it for two days to find out what happens in the end. Tanning combined with a great book = perfect honeymoon (oh, and of course the perfect wife). The ending was well constructed and I eagerly anticipate the sequel. -- Brad