Category: Authors Page 3 of 109

DETAILS:
Series: Sharpe & Walker, Book 1
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Publication Date: September 1, 2023
Format: eBook
Length: 304 pg.
Read Date: September 12-13, 2023

Walker thought, police work for Sharpe was an intellectual pursuit, a mind game, analyzing the clues to get to the bad guy. It wasn’t about the chase. It was about being smarter than his quarry and everybody else.

For Walker, police work was all about the hunt, and the risk that came with it. As long as he was wearing a badge and carrying a gun, there was no way to truly mitigate the risk that came with a job in law enforcement, which was something Carly either didn’t understand or didn’t want to.

What’s Malibu Burning About?

There are essentially two stories in this novel charging full-steam ahead until they inevitably collide. The first is a heist story—with a good revenge motivation in addition to the “let’s steal gobs and gobs of money” angle. The second is about an unlikely partnership between an experienced arson investigator and a rookie investigator (but former US Marshal, so he’s not that green and has habits to unlearn). It’s not a spoiler for me to say that these stories will converge—for one, what’s the point of them not? Secondly, that’s not the way Goldberg works—there’s no way his robbers aren’t going to be chased by some cops.

The Robbers

Let’s start off, like the novel does, with Danny Cole. If you’re familiar with Goldberg’s oeuvre, think of Nick Fox—only not as outlandish, and you’re pretty much there. If you’re not that familiar, Cole is a con man/thief—he has a few specialists (hackers, hitters, etc.) that he works with to pull off his heists and con jobs.

In the beginning of the book, we see him alllllmost get away with something—and if he hadn’t been forced into a good deed,* he just might have. Instead, he’s arrested, tried, and convicted. He gets his lawyer to push for him to serve his time in one of the convict firefighters’ programs. He spends years fighting fires for the State, forming bonds with others on the front lines, and starting to begrudge the state for how they treat those convicts. Also, he gets to case a few luxury homes while serving his time.

* How much was Cole trying to do a good deed and how much was him trying to avoid being charged with a more serious crime is up for debate—and Cole’s lawyer is ready for that debate.

One of his teammates dies because of State policies and one of those luxury homeowners throwing his money and power around. When his sentence is complete, Cole sets out to get revenge on the convict firefighter system, and that homeowner—all the while enriching himself. I mean, the money’s right there, he might as well. To do so, he and his team have to pull off one of the most audacious—and destructive—heists imaginable. The fact that his plan is actually feasible frightens me more than any horror or serial killer novel ever has.

The Cops

“You’ve shot seventeen men.”

“Is that a lot?”
“I’ve never shot anybody in over twenty years in the department.”

That was hard for Walker to believe. “Not even a little?”

“Is it possible to shoot someone only a little?”

“I’m working on it,” Walker said.

Let’s turn our attention to the good guys now.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Detective Walter Sharpe is a detective in his fifties—he’s got plenty of experience and is good at his job. He’s not so great with people—particularly those he works with. He’s rarely satisfied with the easy answer, and will find reasons to think arson when no one else does (he’s also good at finding “accident” when the easy explanation points to arson). It’s not (just) that he’s a contrarian, he just cares more about evidence and understanding fire than anything else. This also applies to firefighters.

“Aren’t firefighters the experts on fire?”

“They are the experts on water.”

Pesky firefighters with all that water, washing away evidence. What are their priorities? Saving lives and buildings? In the end, Sharpe says:

Firefighters are the best friends an arsonist can have.

Against his will, Sharpe has been assigned a new partner. One with zero experience in investigating arson—he’s going to have to build him from the ground up. Former US Marshal Andrew Walker’s wife is pregnant and she’s put her foot down—his job is too dangerous, he needs to decide—her or the job. So instead of chasing down criminals (like Danny Cole), he’s now on the safer end of law enforcement—coming along after the crime is committed.

If you ever wondered what TV’s Raylan Givens would be if he prioritized Winona and Willa over Boyd Crowder, you’d get something a lot like Walker. Incidentally, Carly Walker is an entertaining character, and while I doubt the series will ever focus on her too much, I look forward to spending more time with her. The scenes between the couple feature an interaction that we don’t see a lot in Goldberg.

Anyway, Walker has a lot to learn about arson investigation, and Sharpe is just the right guy to teach him. They get along well enough, but both can see that their styles and personalities don’t necessarily mesh. The above glimpse of their first conversation illustrates some of that. But the higher-ups have spoken, so they work a couple of open and shut investigations together. Then they look around the starting point of a couple of wildfires in the area so Sharpe can show his trainee what to look for and what a natural/accidental fire looks like.

But between Walker asking beginning-investigator questions and some of Sharpe’s observations…these wildfires start to look planned. But why would someone put so many lives and so much property at stake?

So, what did I think about Malibu Burning?

Sharpe took out his phone. “Ill start with the front seat and the body, you shoot everything else. With your camera, not your gun.”

“That’s obvious.”

“Maybe to most people,” Sharpe said. “I’m not convinced it’s true for you.”

Oh, I just had so much fun with this. I realize it’s not that shocking for me to say about a Lee Goldberg book—but when he writes things like this, how am I supposed to react differently?

Danny Cole is such a great character—I don’t know if I could take a frequent diet of him and his antics, but a prequel or two to this with him? Shut up and take my money. Between the (arguable) good deeds he performs and the targets of his cons, it’s hard to see him as a real villain—yes, he seems to commit more felonies by breakfast than most people do all day, but in a Robin Hood sort of way.

Then again…when you think of what he does in this book, and the collateral damage he (seemingly) unthinkingly inflicts, it’s hard to maintain any kind of sympathy.

His targets are harder to work up any kind of sympathy or empathy for. Some are criminals, some are just…rich, entitled slimeballs. It is so satisfying to see bad things happen to them. Another target is the convict firefighting system—assuming Goldberg matched the realities of the system to what it promises the participants (and there’s no reason to think he doesn’t come close), something there needs to be addressed.

But the real star of the show is the partnership between Sharpe and Walker—they’re interesting enough characters on their own, sure—but watching them start to figure out how to work together is the best part of the book. I hope Goldberg doesn’t rush (I don’t think he will, because he’s a better writer than that, but I just want to say it)

Also, arson investigation is one of those things that long-running series dip into from time to time, but I don’t remember seeing a series try to tackle that regularly. I felt like I learned so much just from watching Sharpe work a scene and explain things to Walker. It was like watching Gideon Oliver explain something to John Lau or whatever local law enforcement officer he was dazzling. I’ll read that kind of thing any time.

So, great characters—on both sides of the law—an atypical angle for a procedural, interesting ethical questions, a mismatched partnership that will provide dividends both comedically and narratively for a good while to come, and Goldberg’s knack for making almost anything entertaining? What’s not to like about Malibu Burning? Go get it now, so you can say you got in on the ground floor.

The next book in this series is going to be a cross-over with Eve Ronin, apparently. It’s bound to happen—they all work for the same Sheriff’s Department, after all—might as well get to it early. It’s going to be great—if only to see Sharpe and Duncan together, that dynamic is going to be fun to see.

4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

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‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas by David Rosenfelt: All Through the Courthouse, Andy Carpenter Was Stirring

By HCNewton

On September 26, 2023

In A-F, Andy Carpenter, David Rosenfelt, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas

by David Rosenfelt

DETAILS:
Andy Carpenter, #28
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 10, 2023
Format: eARC
Length: 304 pg.
Read Date: September 20-21, 2023

What’s ‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas About?

On the night of the Tara Foundation’s holiday party, Andy’s friend Pete Stanton, of the homicide department, calls him to ask Andy to bring one of his volunteers outside, so the police don’t have to cause a scene. Andy does so and immediately steps into the role of the volunteer’s attorney. He doesn’t know Derek Moore very well, but he likes Derek—and Derek’s dogs (more importantly), and wants to protect him at least until they both know what’s going on.

Andy quickly learns something about Derek—as he’s arrested, it’s revealed that his real name is Robert Klaster. Up until a couple of years ago, Bobby was in a gang in South Jersey. It was growing more and more violent, up to the point that Bobby was the wheelman for a murder. He went to the cops and turned in the men he drove—after their conviction, the state witness protection program moved him to Patterson with a new name.

Bobby’s made the most of this second chance and has become an upstanding citizen and moderately successful business owner—in addition to a great dog shelter volunteer. But now one of the leaders of his old gang has been killed in Patterson, and a tip led Stanton’s men straight to Bobby—with just enough evidence for them to make an arrest. The case is strong, but not air-tight. The question in front of Andy is can he take advantage of the weaknesses while finding the real killer?

And just why would someone bother setting Bobby up now?

The Recurring Cast

Almost the whole (and continually expanding) cast of regulars is around. Edna’s traveling, but we still get a couple of jokes about her work habits. Eddie shows up, but barely gets any dialogue—and not one sports cliché!—I really enjoyed those (see also: Sam’s song-talking), but the rest are about in their typical form.

Which is important—as much as these books are about the mystery/mysteries surrounding Andy’s case, it’s Andy and the crew we come back to spend time with. Including Tara, Sebastian, and Hunter—Sebastian particularly has some good moments in this book.

I do wonder if the supporting cast is getting too large, which is why Edna and Eddie get barely more than mentions. This makes sense, and it’d be good for Rosenfelt to rotate some of these in and out from book to book. It’d be better than cutting any of these for whatever reason—and better than just a token mention.

That said, Rosenfelt gave us some more than typical reflection on members of the cast. It was good to see Andy explain the specialization of work in his firm and for Andy to bring up the ethics of what he gets Sam to do in his narration. Cory’s been good about that in the companion series, but it’s not that frequent in this series.

I’m not sure if I had a point when I started this section, it’s basically turned into “assorted thoughts on the use of the supporting characters.” So let’s see if I can summarize my take on them for this novel—I enjoyed seeing them all, and am glad we got to spend time with them. I do wonder, however, if more judicious use of some of them per book rather than all of them each time, would be a better experience for the reader.

The Holiday-ness of It

So, this is the holiday-themed release for the series this year, as the title and cover image tell you. Very little in the book tells you that, however.

We don’t even get the typical (and always enjoyable) rant about Laurie’s months-long commemoration of Christmas. He gives a compressed version, but it’s not the same. In its place, we get Andy’s extended (and not favorable) review of egg nog. There are a few references to Christmas and a couple of the following holidays—but it’s not focused on too much. Honestly, we spend more time on Ricky’s soccer-fandom* than on any Federal or religious holiday.

* That was great to read about. Poor Andy. I get the same feeling when my kids prefer other SF franchises to Star Trek.

Do I care? Nope. I’ll take any excuse to hang with Andy and the gang. But I figure since it’s part of the theme of the book I should nod in it’s direction.

So, what did I think about ‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas?

This has nothing to do with anything, but Andy references the case in Flop Dead Gorgeous at one point in the book. It’s been a long time since he’s mentioned a previous case (outside of Willie Miller’s, which gets mentioned from time to time). It’s a nice touch to keep the series building on itself.

There were a couple of other things that stood out to me about this book compared to the rest of the series: Bobby’s about as close to an unsympathetic client as Rosenfelt gives us anymore (maybe ever—this is the twenty-eighth book in the series, I don’t remember the client in every one). And it’s good that Rosenfelt gives us some characters that are hard to root for—although a reformed criminal is pretty easy to root for, come to think of it.

Secondly, Andy slips up (at least in his mind, although Laurie disagrees) and it leads to some tragic consequences. Now, no one’s out there thinking that Andy’s infallible by any means, but it’s rare that a move on his part has such an obvious negative consequence. I’m not suggesting that we need to see major mistakes from our hero in every novel—but it’s good to see that just because Andy Carpenter gets involved, not everything is going to be sunshine and roses.

That said, he’s definitely at the point where I have to wonder why the DA keeps taking Andy’s clients to trial—when will they learn? Also, Pete sounds far too convinced that Andy’s client is guilty, you’d think he, in particular, would have more faith in his friend. This is a question countless readers have asked about Hamilton Burger and Lt. Tragg, as well, and the answer is simply: we wouldn’t get to see Andy or Perry Mason do their thing otherwise.

‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas delivered just what I expected—a good time with characters I enjoy, a clever whodunit, some fun moments with fictional dogs, and a satisfying resolution. Rosenfelt delivers that and more—there’s a sweet bonus moment to the resolution that adds a little holiday glow to the book (that works equally well in mid-September as it will closer to the holiday, or at any point in the calendar year that you happen to read this in). You’d do well to pick it up, whether you’re new to the series or a die-hard fan.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.

4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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The Longmire Defense by Craig Johnson: Old Crimes and New

By HCNewton

On September 20, 2023

In Craig Johnson, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Walt Longmire

The Longmire Defense

by Craig Johnson

DETAILS:
Series: Series: Walt Longmire, #19
Publisher: Viking
Publication Date: September 5, 2023
Format:  Hardcover
Length: 351 pg.
Read Date: September 9-11, 2023

I paused as Dorothy Kisling, the owner and operator of the Busy Bee Café, sidled up to the table, pen and pad in hand. “Howdy. Whose murder?”

I sat my menu back on the table and looked out the window at the ducks treading water in Clear Creek. “An old one.”

“What, you’re running out of current ones?”

“Thank goodness.”

What’s The Longmire Defense About?

While out on a search and rescue hunt for a woman who hit snow she wasn’t ready for, Walt comes across a place his father had told him about—the place where his father saw his first dead man. That’s the kind of story that sticks with you, I’d imagine. At the time, it was ruled an accidental death, but no one ever figured out who had shot the man. Shortly after encountering the woman he was looking for, Walt’s dog finds a gun that had been tucked away for years—the kind of gun used in that accident. Assuming it wasn’t an accident (and the way the gun was left at the scene, that seems likely), Walt suspects the men who were hunting with the dead man. Except, of course, his father.

One of those men in the hunting party was Walt’s grandfather, Lloyd. Walt narrows in on him almost immediately as a suspect and charges into the investigation—not to clear him, either. It’s not long before Walt starts to uncover a motive for the killing—and it suggests something far bigger than one murder—and maybe to criminal activities that are continuing today.

Meanwhile, the woman who was stuck in the snow keeps getting into trouble. Walt does what he can to help her, but is so focused on the cold case that he maybe doesn’t do everything he could for her. It’s understandable, but it rankles me (and probably will bother Walt once he realizes it)

In the end, Walt’s past—and his family’s past—and future collide in a way that will leave him knowing much more about his family than he expected to learn.

Off His Game?

Walt’s still recovering from the injuries suffered in Hell and Back, technically, right before Hell and Back and this is really his return to work. He needs to shake a little dust off to return to form. That’s derailed as soon as he uncovers that rifle and connects the crime with his grandfather. He also has to deal with a personal issue or two, a personnel issue or two, and some other changes (including the return of an old friend to town—not all of the distractions are negative)

We’ve known for some time that the relationship between Walt and Lloyd wasn’t good—Walt clearly holds a great deal of resentment (to maybe understate it) toward his grandfather. But it’s here that we really dig into things—but I don’t think we get to the bottom of it all. Walt rarely has seemed so determined to prove something—perhaps forcing clues to lead to a conclusion.

Because of these distractions, he’s missing some things—he certainly doesn’t handle things as well as he could with a couple of personal items. The contemporary crime he’s confronted with really could’ve used more attention, and I’d like to think he’d typically give it that focus, and prevented some of the worst outcomes. But he’s so preoccupied with his grandfather and what might have happened in the past…

Walt’s human. He makes mistakes. He holds grudges. We know this—but it’s not often we see it placarded like this. Anyone tempted to hero-worship the Absaroka County Sheriff should get disabused from that by this book. It’s the way he reacts to these errors that will tempt the reader back toward the idolatry (however tarnished).

Saying Goodbye

Wow, there’s a lot of goodbyes to take in over the course of this novel. Some are said, some are implied, and others just happen. Absaroka County won’t look the same after The Longmire Defense

Okay, maybe it’s not saying goodbye in every case. I guess there are several points along the way that make this more of a “Death Card” in tarot (at least as far as I understand it)—there are a lot of phases of life that close here. Many things change. Careers, families, and so on.

Johnson isn’t letting anything like a status quo settle in with the series—and for book 19, that’s great to see. It’d be really easy for him to coast along and just keep getting the team back together for another adventure like one or two they’ve had before. Instead, Johnson moves several characters in new directions, introduces someone we may see a lot more of, and makes sure we see parts of Walt we’ve never seen before (whether or not we may like those parts).

Ummm…What?

When you read this from start to finish, everything works—you’re going to be into it and will be enjoying yourself. Once everything is over, you’re going to look back over things and think of one scene/event and it’ll be jarring. In retrospect, I absolutely don’t understand it. I wonder if one of the people involved could’ve used some therapy leading up to it—and one of them might need a little after it. I’d seriously like to ask Johnson what he was thinking when he wrote it (and why his editors let it stand).

Once you’ve read this book, and are wondering what I’m talking about, feel free to send me a message to see if I’m talking about what you’re thinking I am. (you’re probably going to be right)

So, what did I think about The Longmire Defense?

The snow dropped down to about six inches and I couldn’t help but feel good chugging along with the rays of the sun warming my back and doing one of the things I really enjoyed: putting a little effort out to help someone. I sometimes wondered how I’d ended up being a sheriff—if it had simply been the path of least resistance from being a marine investigator in Vietnam, becoming a deputy when I’d gotten back stateside, and then eventually running for the office. I like to think it was more than that, and the thing I usually settled on was being of assistance when people needed it the most.

I know it sounded corny in the modern era, but it was what I was good at, something I did well.

Yeah, maybe corny, but it makes me feel better to think that there are people out there like this.

I’ve been up and down when it comes to this series since Depth of Winter—The Longmire Defense is an up— big up. I think it’s entirely possible when I reread this (and I will) that I’ll wonder why I only gave it 4 Stars (but then I’ll remember that therapy-inducing scene and a couple of other things).

The character work was fantastic—for Walt, Henry, and Sancho in particular, along with the rest of the regulars and all the new characters, too. The murder investigation (not-really-a-spoiler to say that) was intriguing, and the lengths people went through to cover up the details of the related crimes were astonishing (until you realized what the related crimes were, anyway). The final reveals and ultimate resolution to that story were fantastic.

Early on, I sent a message to a friend who’s had to delay reading the book saying, “I know exactly when you’ll be texting me.” And it has nothing to do with anything associated with that case. Rather it’s one of the Death Card moments. That one in particular, but all of them, were just so well-written and timed that long-time readers will love them (even if they’re not crazy about what they mean long-term). New readers to the series will pick up on a lot of the weight thanks to Johnson’s writing, and won’t feel lost, either. They just won’t get it all, as you’d expect.

I thoroughly enjoyed the read—it’s one of those that you don’t want to end because you’re having so much fun, but AAAARGH! you just have to know how it all gets resolved ASAP. I hope this is a true return to form for the series*. If not, I’ll love that we got The Longmire Defense. I strongly recommend this to Longmire fans new, old, and yet to start.

* I’m going to keep reading them regardless, it’ll just be nicer for me if it goes this way.

4 Stars

Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge by Spencer Quinn: A (Relatable) Revenge Fantasy Full of Heart and Panache

By HCNewton

On September 13, 2023

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Spencer Quinn

Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge

by Spencer Quinn

DETAILS:
Publisher: Forge
Publication Date: July 25, 2023
Format: Hardcover
Length: 291 pg.
Read Date: September 4-5, 2023

“…there’s also what you might call a demotivating factor.”

“Which is?” said Mrs. Plansky. For some reason she was now finding Agent Gatling easy to understand.

“From our point of view the scammers are bad guys, end of story. But to the elite running the show over there the scammers are bad guys who also have a nice little industry going, bringing in the Yankee dollar and lots of ‘em. And to the everyday Joe they’re punching up, the kind of outlaw people have a soft spot for.”

“Like Robin Hood.”

“You got it.”

They gazed at each other. The message was in his eyes, Mrs. Plansky voiced it.

“You’re telling me to lose hope.”

“Not in so many words.”

What’s Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge About?

Mrs. Plansky is enjoying her retirement (however much it’s tainted by the semi-recent death of her husband). Her hip replacement’s healed enough that she can play tennis, and she’s practically back at the level she was before the surgery. Her kids are established in their lives, her grandchildren are doing okay (although she has some concerns about her grandson’s friends and associates). Things are as good as she could’ve wanted.

Then one day, she’s scammed by someone claiming to be her grandson who needs some money for bail. We’ve (probably) heard about versions of this scam—they don’t just get the bail money, they get enough information from her to empty her accounts.

She’s devastated. How is she going to live? How’s she going to help her father, her children, or her grandchildren? Is she going to be able to convince them that they don’t need to worry about her emotional stability or soundness of mind? And what can she do when even the FBI seems to be giving up before they’ve even started?

Well, Mrs. Plansky does what she’s always done—put her nose to the grindstone and get to work. The FBI said something about some small Romanian town, why not start there? So she sells a very nice piece of jewelry and buys a plane ticket. It may be a fool’s errand, but little ventured, little gained, right?

Norm and the Mrs.

Throughout the book, Mrs. Plansky is identified as “Mrs. Plansky.” Not “Loretta” or “Plansky” as most writers would do after establishing the protagonist’s name. This is how she thinks of herself (although she tells people to call her Loretta all the time). Now, you could come at this with some sort of feminist critique about how her personality/identity has been swallowed by her husband’s or something along those lines. And in some books that would be valid.

But I don’t think that’s the case here (Mr. Quinn, feel free to correct me on this). She just thinks of herself as Norm’s wife. And, I expect, that were he still with us, Norm would think of himself as Loretta’s husband. He’s constantly on her mind as she goes through all this. They had a strong marriage, built a business together (each displaying their own strengths), raised a couple of kids together, and enjoyed a life together (made all the more pleasant by the business taking off and giving them a very comfortable life).

The fact that after his death she still thinks of herself in this way I found particularly sweet. They may have been parted by death, but in many real and tangible ways, they’re still married. It’s a great character point and tells us so much about her without Quinn having to do so. This is not to say that Mrs. Plansky might not consider future romantic entanglements, but she’ll always be Norm’s wife in some sense.

Mrs. Plansky’s Other Opponent

She closed her eyes, resting them, in fact. Giving her eyes a little rest from time to time? That was new in her life. Her eyes had gone along for more than seven decades content to take their rest when the rest of her was resting—team players, the pair of them—but now they were making demands.

Related to that—Mrs. Plansky’s no spring chicken. She’s in great shape for someone of her years and will surprise herself by some of what she’s able to do physically (for example, on the tennis court). At the same time, she’s having to come to grips with the effects of aging—her strength and endurance isn’t what it was, her attention slips from time to time, and her recall might struggle a bit. Everything, basically, is a little more difficult than it used to be. I appreciated the way that Quinn depicted this—not that everything’s falling apart, or that with grit and determination she’s triumphing against the effects of aging, she’s simply noticing and adjusting.

There are moments here and there where this makes Mrs. Plansky (rather, a close third-person narration) slightly unreliable. But Quinn’s spent years writing from the POV of a dog who doesn’t fully understand what humans are doing, and he’s great at depicting that without casting doubt on everything going on and getting the reader to understand things that the protagonist missed.

The Tone

Overall, the book has a lighter and optimistic tone. Most of that comes from Mrs. Plansky’s character and frame of mind.

But (to go with that character), not all of it is light. There are some dark moments, some real despair and worry. For example, I knew the premise of this book months ago, back when Quinn first announced it. Yet when Mrs. Plansky’s on the phone with the scammer and is giving away too much information, I was reading with one hand over my eyes. Similarly, as she comes to grips with just how bad things are for her—and takes in Agent Gatling’s message about how little hope she has to recover the funds…you can’t help but feel for her.

But when she comes up with a plan and begins to execute it—and enjoys doing so. It’s impossible not to catch that optimism and lightness.

So, what did I think about Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge?

This is a very different flavor than I’ve seen from Quinn before—yes, it shares some elements from his other work (The Right Side and the Chet and Bernie books in particular), but overall, it feels like a new and welcome direction. I mean, it’s welcome here as long as he comes back to Chet and Bernie. There’s a depth, a perspective, and a different kind of character than I’m used to. And a total dearth of animal companions, which is just strange.

I loved most of the characters (even the bad guys). And even (in the case of her children, for example—a sure sign that Mr. and Mrs. Plansky weren’t great at everything) when I didn’t like the characters, I appreciated the way Quinn wrote them. The one exception is her father, who lives in a nearby assisted living facility. I’m not sure that we needed Mrs. Plansky’s father as a character—I think he was supposed to be both comic relief and just one more source of financial pressure for her. I don’t think the comedy worked all that well—and Quinn could’ve given us another source for the pressure.

One quick aside, I’m just curious—between this book and Osman’s Thursday Murder Club books, I’m wondering if there’s a surfeit of charming Eastern European men with a “flexible” understanding of the law running around. Can anyone confirm that?

An implausible, but great story. A revenge fantasy that many people will have had, taken on by a relatable character that you can’t help but root for. There’s plenty of heart to go around, and it’ll just leave you feeling good (as long as you don’t put it down while she’s being ripped off).

If you’ve tried Quinn before and he hasn’t clicked with you, try this one. If you haven’t tried him before, try this one. If you’re not sure you want to read a dog-less book from him, try it. If there’s anyone I haven’t covered in this paragraph—try it.

4 1/2 Stars

When Archie Met Lily

By HCNewton

On September 12, 2023

In Books, Calendar Items, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin, News/Misc., Rex Stout

According to Some Buried Caesar, 85 years ago today, Archie Goodwin—one of my top 5 All-Time Favorite Characters—met the only woman who could keep his attention for more than a few months, Lily Rowan. Lily shows up several times in the Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin series and threatens to steal every scene she appears in (and frequently succeeds). Check out this post from Today in Mystery Fiction for the details—one of my favorite scenes, from one of my favorite books in possibly my favorite series—(I think I have 3 or 4 copies of it), so I had to say something.

Besides, it’s not like I have a long list of dates associated with fictional events to commemorate (but I really should work on one).

How they met 85 years ago, when Archie’s only in his mid-30s, is beyond me. But Math was never my strong suit, I’m sure it makes sense, surely Charlie Epps could explain it to me.

Regardless, it’s a great scene—the first of many between the two. Lily will go on to have great scenes with Mr. Wolfe, as well–one of the more memorable happens at a crucial point in In the Best Families where she does something that no one else does in the Wolfe/Archie books.

Hansel and Gretel by Neil Gaiman, Lorenzo Mattotti (Illustrator): Bill McNeal Gave Us the Word “Adequacivity” for Books Like This

By HCNewton

On September 7, 2023

In Fiction, Neil Gaiman, YA/MG/Children's Books

Hansel and Gretel

by Neil Gaiman, Lorenzo Mattotti (Illustrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Toon Books
Publication Date: October 28, 2014
Format: Hardcover
Length: 56 pgs.
Read Date: August 12, 2023

What’s Hansel and Gretel About?

This is the story of Hansel and Gretel almost straight from the Brothers Grimm—given a quick shine by Gaiman. There’s nothing particularly Gaiman-esque about the writing or the approach to the story. It’s a pretty decent and straightforward approach to the story.

The Art

In the spirit of “If you can’t say anything nice….”, I’m tempted to leave a few lines of blank space here and move on. I don’t get it. Really. I just don’t understand what Mattotti was going for here. The pictures are spread over two pages, and most of those pages are black. There are bits of white to help you get an image or the shadow of an image, but again—it’s just black. The kind of black that would’ve threatened to bankrupt printers just a couple of decades ago.

Maybe a quarter to a third of each two-page spread was interesting—but the rest. Ugh.

Call me a Philistine here…but I just don’t see why someone would bother.

I’ve looked at Mattotti’s website, and I like a lot of what I saw there…but this was a swing and a miss.

So, what did I think about Hansel and Gretel?

So, the text was okay. The art was disappointing. Overall, I give this a “meh.” If this were a person’s first exposure to the story—it’d work well. And honestly, if that’s what someone uses it for—I’d probably rate this higher.

But for someone wanting a little bit of that Gaiman magic applied to this familiar tale? It just doesn’t deliver.

2 1/2 Stars

Some Disorganized Thoughts on the Excellence that is Light Bringer by Pierce Brown

By HCNewton

On August 29, 2023

In Fiction, Pierce Brown, Red Rising, Science Fiction

Light Bringer

by Pierce Brown

DETAILS:
Series: Red Rising, #6
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Publication Date: July 25, 2023
Format: Hardcover
Length: 672
Read Date: August 14-24, 2023

This Post

Yeah, this isn’t going to be my typical kind of post. I know deep in my bones, the way you know about a good melon, that if I tried my typical approach I’d probably finish this in December. And since I don’t have that kind of patience—and this book was due back at my library on August 19. I’m in deep sh…aving cream already.

So, I’m just going to mention a few things I think are worth saying—and hopefully think of a conclusion to wrap it all up (but no promises).

bullet I need to start with the fact that I went into this with a wrong assumption—I misunderstood something I saw Brown say on Twitter some months ago and thought that this was the finale of the series. I started wondering pretty soon how that was going to be the case, but it took me far too long to admit that I misunderstood him and shouldn’t expect any kind of bow to be put on things by the end of Light Bringer. Once I gave that up, most of my lingering questions about pacing and character went away.

bullet Lyria. If Brown had done nothing else impressive with the post-Morning Star books, what he’s done in creating and growing this character would justify the time reading them. I just cannot get over her. At this point, I enjoy her more than Darrow, Virginia, or the rest. Kavax and Sevro are the only characters that compete with her for my affection. Also, Brown did an excellent job of faking the reader out when it came to her character arc after the last book.

bullet Darrow grows more in these pages than he has since…maybe The Institute. Or probably with Lorn. And a lot of that has to do with the right book being given to him at the right time in his life. (maybe my libro-fixation makes me focus on that part, but, I’m right). I want to see this change in action more—but what Brown does here gives me a lot of hope for our hero. Assuming The Reaper is our hero by the end.

bullet I really, really, really, really want to know how long Brown has been plotting out the major events of this novel—has he been building up to them since Iron Gold or before? Or were they things that came into focus when he started planning Light Bringer? It won’t change what I think of them (devastating, brilliant, etc.)—it’ll just help me understand how he works.

bullet The bonds between so many of these characters are fantastic. Particularly between the classmates turned colleagues turned friends turned enemies turned uneasy allies turned brothers. (or relationships that follow similar paths) How these people can be bound up so tightly with each other after all they’ve gone through is something else. So many times I start off thinking, “There’s no way that Darrow/Lysander/Victra/Whoever is going to trust them is there?” And then they do—and I buy it every single time, just the way that Darrow/Lysander/Victra/Whoever does. And I’m caught as off-guard as they are in the significant percentage of times they end up getting betrayed.

bullet I cannot believe how often these people make me laugh—genuinely laugh. In the midst of all of the death, destruction, revenge, societal upheaval, and uncertainty—there’s a core humanity at work in them all.

bullet After all these thousands of pages (especially when I count re-reads and audiobook listens)…how can Brown completely surprise me the way he does? I can’t even count how many double-crosses that become triple-crosses then go awry and end up becoming alliances that are quadruple-crossed in this book alone. (And that’s not a spoiler, if you’ve read the series, you know that’s going to happen—and I likely left off at least 5 backstabbings).

bullet Speaking of stabbing…Brown’s action scenes—particularly when it comes to small groups of people fighting—one on one, two on two, one on five, etc.—are just great. He’s never been shabby at this, but it felt like he topped himself here. (as he has in each successive book).

bullet Sevro, Sevro, Sevro…I felt so bad for him through so much of this book. Even before he inadvertently found out what happened to his family in Dark Age. But you never want to count the Goblin out, right?

bullet Although, the fox Sophocles just might have done a better job of breaking my heart. Not that it’s a competition.

bullet There’s a fantastic potential spin-off series introduced around the mid-way point. I hope Brown doesn’t give it to us (although I’ll read it if he does), I think I’d prefer my imaginary version of it.

bullet The bond that I referred to earlier is seen in loyalty, forgiveness (and the ability to work together when that forgiveness hasn’t been granted), and best of all, a humor based on shared experiences and attitudes. The humor in this book is almost never situational (too grim for that), or physical (outside maybe of Sophocles)—it comes from old friends being rude to one another, making a joke in reference to something that happened a decade or more ago, etc. And it works—you can’t help but chuckle alongside these men—even when they’re likely saying goodbye for the last time, they can make you laugh. Well done, Mr. Brown.

Let’s See If I Can Wrap This Up

I really think I could just keep going flipping back and forth through the pages of the book and coming up with more and more bullet points to ramble about. But who wants to read that? (especially now that I see that I’ve repeated myself)

I really wish I spent time in discussion groups, fan sites, etc. for this series, so I’d have known that this wasn’t the ending before I started. That preconceived notion really skewed things for a while. Oh well. Like I said before, once I started thinking of this as penultimate—everything clicked.

I do think it’s time for Brown to tie this up—as much as I love this series, readers can only take so many Master Plans that go awry when they meet other Master Plans only to uncover someone else’s Deeper Master Plan working against both.

But it’s been—and will be—quite the ride. These characters are so full of honor, and nobility (of various types), that even when they’re “on the wrong side” it’s hard to think poorly of them until they’ve turned into hypocrites or something. Brown gives us a great picture of so many people working for the common good—if only they could agree with what that is. Chess masters vying against one another to help their picture of the best for society to come about. Sadly, their moves aren’t made with game pieces, but with thousands or millions of lives at a time.

I’m, of course, ignoring the few giant vacuums of decency with a hunger for power and destruction that are also running through the pages.

In Dark Age (and I’m going to be vague just in case someone hasn’t read it yet)—there’s a scene when someone holds down a dying foe, cuts out two giant strips from their back to reveal their ribcage and organs—and pour salt on the wounds. There are a couple of scenes in this book that felt like that. (except for the fact that I was in my recliner sipping on something cool while reading). And with at least one of those scenes the person I was having my heart torn up about was a character I either was bored by or didn’t bother to form an opinion of until this book. But over the course of the novel, Brown’s able to get every one of these modified humans to become a person practically as real as any flesh and blood creature you run into.

It took me less than 50 pages into Red Rising to be awed by Brown and thousands of pages later, he’s still doing it to me.

Go read this series.

5 Stars

Opening Lines: The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter

By HCNewton

On August 15, 2023

In Blog Series, Currently Reading, Dennis Lehane, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, News/Misc., Opening Lines, Quotations

Head & Shoulders used to tell us that, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” That’s true for wearing dark shirts, and it’s especially true for books. Sometimes the characters will hook the reader, sometimes the premise, sometimes it’s just knowing the author—but nothing beats a great opening for getting a reader to commit. This is one of the better openings I’ve heard recently. Would it make you commit?

Here’s the thing about waking up with no memory in the middle of the night, in the middle of the street, in the middle of Paris: at least you’re waking up in Paris. Or so the woman thought as she lay on the cold ground, staring up through a thick layer of falling snow at the Eiffel Tower’s twinkling lights.

She didn’t know about the bruise that was growing on her temple.

She didn’t see the drops of blood that trailed along the frosty white ground.

And she absolutely, positively didn’t remember why she was lying in the street like someone who had tried to make a snow angel and fell asleep midswoop.

I should finish my angel, she thought.

I should get up.

I should go home.

But she didn’t actually know where home was, she realized. So why not take a nap right there? It seemed like an excellent plan. After all, the snow was fluffy and soft, and the world was quiet and still; and sleep was such a wonderful thing. Really, the best thing. She didn’t know her own name, but she was certain that sleep had to be her favorite hobby ever, so why not close her eyes and drift off for a little while? Really, no one would blame her.

from The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter
The Blonde Identity Cover

Opening Lines Logo

Even More Quick Questions With…Matthew Hanover

By HCNewton

On August 9, 2023

In A Few Quick Questions With..., Matthew Hanover

Matthew Hanover’s newest book, Not Prepared, really wowed me and I’m so excited to share this Q&A about it today. Hanover’s no stranger to people who’ve read this site for any amount of time. I’ve blogged about all of his books and this is the fourth Q&A he’s participated in about his writing—plus a Q&A about Self-Publishing.

Here’s the latest with him—and the latest in my campaign to earn him some new readers.

In the past, your protagonists have been in roughly similar places in their lives/careers/emotional development. With Not Prepared, you’ve moved to an older, more mature character well-established in his career. Is this because of where you are in life? You just needed a change of pace, or something else?
After three books with 20-somethings as protagonists, I was more than ready to explore a story with a character at a different stage of life, closer to where I am. It may reflect my age or my growth as a writer, or just the fact that Neil had to be the age he is to make the story work. I started working on Not Prepared before I’d even finished Not Awkward because I’d come up with the idea and stuff just started pouring out.

Are you sticking with men at this stage of life or are you going to bounce around some more? (or have you even thought that far ahead?)
Writing for younger characters is increasingly difficult for me, but I won’t say I won’t ever write about 20-somethings again.

For Not Prepared, the story really dictated what the characters had to be. Chloe’s age came first because she had to have a certain level of maturity and resourcefulness, but also be right for coming-of-age story elements that would make their living situation ripe for comedy. Once Chloe’s age was established, that really helped establish what age Neil had to be. He couldn’t be in his twenties because he had to be a father figure, not someone who could have been her brother.

That makes a whole lot of sense—I focused on Neil because he’s the protagonist, but yeah, you need to start with Chloe and do the math from there for everything to work.
Exactly. Neil may be the protagonist, but Chloe is very much the main character of the story. She’s the one who drives the story forward. Neil’s romance with Jenna is incredibly important, obviously, but the most important relationship is between Neil and Chloe.

Speaking of careers for your protagonists (and/or other characters in the books), do you spend a lot of time thinking about those and what they say about your characters?
Sometimes, a character’s profession is based on what is most helpful for the story. In Not Famous, Nick was a self-employed web designer because his schedule needed to be flexible to make the story work. In Not Dressed, which is half a workplace comedy, I really had to find a profession that people think is really awesome, but isn’t so great in reality, so Jake became an architect. In Not Awkward, Scott’s profession was less important because was unemployed for the main action of the story because it enabled him to participate in the main arc.

What kind of research—if any—do you do to depict them? Let’s use Neil’s wedding photography biz as a case study, but feel free to use anyone else, too.
The most research I did was for Not Dressed because so much of the story took place at Jake’s place of work. I had to get insight from people who are or were in the field to get some of the technical details right. For Not Prepared I had to research a lot of professions to figure out what would be best for Neil, and a wedding photographer worked out great because it meant he could be home a lot during the week with Chloe, because of the awkwardness of their living together is really what drives the story. It took a lot of research to understand how these photographers work, what they charge, how they can make a living for a job that is generally occurring on weekends, how they keep money flowing in, what they do when they’re not actually shooting a wedding, etc.

Do you remember any professions that you considered for him and decided against?
I came up with the wedding photographer idea quite early, and once I thought of it, I knew that was the answer and stopped considering other ideas. Perhaps what I liked most about it, is how ironic the job is for him because he’s a guy who’s essentially resigned himself to being single, yet he’s constantly documenting weddings.

Neil and Jenna both have pretty serious anxiety issues, I think it’s safe to say. At what point did you decide that their anxieties were going to be a significant part of this book, or did that just come up as you write? What kind of thought/research did you have to put into them to make sure you depicted them right and/or they were good for the story? Did you start (with either of them) having a different kind of anxiety and have to backtrack and rework?
Neil’s hypochondria was perhaps one of the first ideas I had for the story. One of the things about writing an older character is that they are not only in different places professionally, but also have different attitudes about their own well-being. As you get older, you start getting screened for various diseases, and you’re more tired and prone to aches and pains. Giving Neil health anxiety was just the perfect way to exaggerate that.

As for Jenna, at some point, it made sense to me that what would make her and Neil a great couple is that they both have neuroses that have made them unlucky in love before, but allowed each of them to see beyond those issues and make their relationship work. Figuring out the right anxiety for Jenna took a lot of research. I wanted her to exude all the qualities of a strong, confident, professional woman, but to have a phobia that was not only real but something that most people would consider completely irrational.

My mother has a strong (very strong) preference along the lines of Jenna’s, so that’s the way I was raised (although my father tried his best to negate that influence). So I’ve got to say I get where she’s coming from, my feelings aren’t as strong as hers, but I sympathize with her. I can see where a full-blown anxiety like Jenna’s would be a real hindrance to a new relationship (friendship/romantic) with some people.
For sure. It was a fun thing to research because I really had to get an understanding of the phobia and research how people who have it get around it. It really made her character so much more interesting.

You’ve never shied away from some serious things in the pasts of your characters, but Chloe’s backstory and the events that brought her to Neil’s door are a few degrees “darker” (for lack of a better term) than you typically go. Was this a deliberate thing for you, “I need/want to start going deeper/darker,” or was it just what was needed for Chloe?
Chloe’s backstory was something I struggled with, and changed a few times during the writing process. Believe it or not, it was actually darker than the final version, but it never felt right for a comedy. I really wanted to focus on the struggles of her imposing on Neil’s bachelor life while dealing with the awkward challenges of growing up. To me that allowed for a lot of funny moments that were also realistic.

Dark-but-not-too-dark is a great way to think about it. Because, yeah, if you’d taken a step or two in either direction it would’ve been inappropriate for a comedy, or too light for it to seem real.
Exactly. And it worked out well. At first, it appears that Chloe is quite resilient and seems generally unaffected by the abandonment, but as time passes, it’s clear that it has had an impact on her. Had she endured more than mere neglect and abandonment, I doubt she’d have been as socially functional or emotionally stable to make the story work.

Let’s step away from Not Prepared for a bit before I end up asking you to break things down chapter by chapter (and don’t think that’s not a danger). Have you been reading anything lately that’s got you excited? Or do you have anything on your radar you can’t wait to get to?
I find it very difficult to read when I’m writing because I don’t like to feel too influenced by other work. So, I have a rather large pile of books to read that I gotta get cracking on. That said, Brian David Floyd has just finished the first draft of his next novel, and I’m looking forward to that. There’s more coming from Ian Shane and Wesley Parker that I plan to get into when they’re out as well.

My upcoming list looks similar—I’m waiting for an ARC for that Shane book to arrive soon—and cannot wait for that new Parker (it hurt me to decline a beta copy due to time). I’m off to look into Brian David Floyd as soon as I schedule this post…

But that brings up another question—when you’re writing, how do you spend your non-writing/not-work downtime? How does Matthew Hanover relax?
Well, right now I’m trying to enjoy the summer the best way I can. But, my best downtime is just chilling out at night binging my favorite shows from my youth.

When we talked about your previous book, you said that you’d written a bit of book 5—is that what you’re working on now, or have you changed to something else? Can you say anything about it and your timeline for releasing it?
I actually have two more books in various stages of development right now. One is the next book in the Wallflowers series, and another more experimental novel that will be set in the universe, but not part of the series. I’m not sure which will get finished or published first at this point.

That could easily lead to another batch of questions…but I’ll save those for later. 🙂
Thanks for taking the time to answer these—and for Not Prepared—I loved it, and hope others find it soon.

A Few Quick Questions

Real Tigers by Mick Herron: Things Hit Close to Home for the Slow Horses

By HCNewton

On August 3, 2023

In Fiction, Mick Herron, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Slough House

Real Tigers

by Mick Herron

DETAILS:
Series: Slough House, #3
Publisher: Soho Crime
Publication Date: January 19, 2016
Format: Hardcover
Length: 343 pg.
Read Date: May 21-June 2, 2023

Real Tigers‘ Flap Copy

I don’t like what I’ve come up with to describe the book, so I’m just going to use the flap copy:

London: Slough House is the MI5 branch where disgraced operatives are reassigned after they’ve messed up too badly to be trusted with real intelligence work. The “Slow Horses,” as the failed spies of Slough House are called, are doomed to spend the rest of their careers pushing paper, but they all want back in on the action.

When one of their own is kidnapped and held for ransom, the agents of Slough House must defeat the odds, overturning all expectations of their competence, to breach the top-notch security of MI5’s intelligence headquarters, Regent’s Park, and steal valuable intel in exchange for their comrade’s safety. The kidnapping is only the tip of the iceberg, however—the agents uncover a larger web of intrigue that involves not only a group of private mercenaries but the highest authorities in the Secret Service. After years spent as the lowest on the totem pole, the Slow Horses suddenly find themselves caught in the midst of a conspiracy that threatens not only the future of Slough House, but of MI5 itself.

The Introduction

I absolutely love the way that Herron introduces Slough House and its denizens in each book. It reminds me of the way that Rex Stout’s Archie gives the rundown of Wolfe’s Brownstone and the routine in each book. But Herron’s unique approach to each introduction has really clicked with me and I look forward to this part of the books.

I can see just opening up one of these at random from time to time, reading the description of Slough House, and moving on with just a quick refreshing hit of Herron’s magic.

Roddy Ho

Roddy Ho is a great hacker—that’s clear. He’s probably almost as good as he thinks he is. The level of delusion he has about his desirability to women outdoes even Crais’ John Chen (and that’s saying something)—it’s a fun character trait, even if it is hard to believe that someone can be that clueless about themselves.*

* 5 minutes on social media reminded me of the power of self-delusion. Never mind.

That said…it’s easy between books to remember how fun it is to see him getting verbally smacked around by Lamb or River pressuring him to work, and how good he is at the technical stuff, etc.—but to forget just what wholly unpleasant person he is. I mentioned John Chen before, Chen is helpless and harmless (while being a misogynistic creep). Roddy doesn’t have that veneer of hapless charm that Chen carries—and is a bigger misogynistic creep. I just want to wash my hands after a scene focused on him if it shows him thinking or talking about women. He probably belongs in prison and would’ve ended up there if not for being employed by MI5.

Team Building?

I will say, for a bunch of misanthropic individualists, when it comes to one of their own, the Slow Horses are really good at teamwork. They spend so much time on their own, regretting their own mistakes that landed them in Slough House, dreaming and scheming their way back to Regent’s Park, etc. that they all have a serious bit of tunnel vision. They’re all focused on themselves to the exclusion of pretty much everyone else—but they’re becoming closer to a true team—particularly when one of them is in some sort of jeopardy.

It’s nice to see—and generally funny, because they’re so bad at teamwork. But the bits that they get right—either on the job or off—are heartwarming to see.

As heartwarming as this series gets, anyway.

So, what did I think about Real Tigers?

The way that this book deals with the Dead Lions-aftermath is the best part for me. Obviously, most of that has to do with Lousia, but it’s there for everyone to one degree or another. Yes, these books can be read as stand-alones, but there’s an impact to be felt from the previous novels. The MI5 and political machinations behind all the actions—the twists, double-twists, and triple-twists. I know that’s part-and-parcel for this series, so I’m not complaining about that. It felt off…overdone maybe? The Slow Horses doing their thing was entertaining enough. But the package as a whole felt like a letdown.

Still, I loved reading this book. Herron can put together a sentence like no one else. I can’t imagine there’s something I wouldn’t want to read him describe. Even when I didn’t really connect with the story, I couldn’t stop reading—that’s all down to Herron’s skill and the fantastic characters he fills his books with. I’m not just talking about the Horses, even the characters that you’re going to see for 1-2 chapters feel like they’ve got a depth to them that could sustain a novel.

4 Stars

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