{"id":42625,"date":"2026-09-19T07:40:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-19T11:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craigzablo.com\/?p=42625"},"modified":"2026-09-19T23:26:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-20T03:26:11","slug":"satori","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craigzablo.com\/?p=42625","title":{"rendered":"SATORI by Don Winslow \/ Z-View"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

SATORI<\/a> by Don Winslow<\/strong><\/p>\n

First sentence\u2026<\/p>\n

Nicholai Hel watched the maple leaf drop from the branch, flutter in the slight breeze, then fall gently to the ground.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Overview:\u00a0 Beware of Spoilers\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

1951.\u00a0 The Korean War rages.<\/p>\n

Nicholai Hel, perhaps the most dangerous man in the world, has spent the last three years in solitary confinement in an American prison.\u00a0 Hel is twenty-six, has a genius-level IQ, is fluent in seven languages and is a master of the martial art hoda korosu (“naked kill”).<\/p>\n

The C.I.A. offers Hel a chance at freedom.\u00a0 It’s a suicide mission.\u00a0 Hel will pose as an arms dealer, travel to Beijing and kill the Soviet Union’s commissioner to China.\u00a0 If Hel is successful, and if he survives, he will be given a full pardon and enough money to live anywhere he wants.<\/p>\n

Hel accepts.\u00a0 What the C.I.A. doesn’t know is Hel has an additional reason to accept besides a chance at freedom.\u00a0 What Hel doesn’t know is that someone in the C.I.A. doesn’t want him to succeed.<\/p>\n

+++<\/p>\n

SATORI is a prequel to SHIBUMI<\/a> by by Trevanian, a pseudonym of Rodney William Whitaker.<\/p>\n

I had never read SHIBUMI (and plan to correct that), but it didn’t affect my love of SATORI.<\/p>\n

A movie adaptation of SHIBUMI is in the works with Chad Stahelski (director of the John Wick<\/em> movies) set to produce and direct.\u00a0 Stahelski is obviously a fan of the book.\u00a0 In two of his movies (John Wick<\/em> and Bullet Train<\/em>) characters are shown reading the novel.<\/p>\n

Nicholai Hel is a great protagonist.\u00a0 I would love to see more of his adventures.<\/p>\n

Don Winslow’s SATORI gets my highest recommendation.<\/p>\n

Rating:<\/strong>
\n\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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