Wow, Nick Kolakowski is back for a fourth go ’round with my questions. I’m a major fan, and really enjoy these. I hope you do, too. Be sure to check out my take on his upcoming novel, Rattlesnake Rodeo earlier today.
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| When New York City went into lockdown, I threw myself into writing and editing. It became my coping mechanism, to such a degree that I had to step away a bit a few months later. First I poured my energy into “Lockdown,” a charity anthology of horror and crime stories that I co-edited for Polis Books; proceeds went to support BINC, which is helping booksellers through this weird time. With that completed, I finished work on “Absolute Unit,” a horror novella coming out next year from Crystal Lake Publishing; I’d started writing it last year, well before the pandemic, but it has some uncomfortable echoes with what’s happening now—mass infection is a big theme. By that point, I was pretty fritzed out, so I started trying to balance out the schedule; less writing, more actually getting outside. |
| It felt good! With contemporary crime fiction, you don’t have quite the same pressure of world-building as you do with sci-fi and dystopian fiction. That being said, I did struggle with the plot of “Rattlesnake” a bit—for the longest time, I had the first two-thirds written, but couldn’t figure out a way to end it that really came together. |
| The Wilburys were the inspiration for the name. And there was a lot of temptation to unleash him in a particularly messy/funny/creative way. What held me back was, of all things, Hannibal Lecter.
Specifically, when I was writing “Rattlesnake,” I was also watching both Hannibal Lector movies, and what I noticed was that Hannibal was a more effective character the less he was shown doing. He’s an incredibly powerful character in “Silence of the Lambs,” but aside from talking, he doesn’t do terribly much beyond his brief escape at the end; his power comes from his reputation. In the sequel, by contrast, he’s doing lots of things, and that drains the mystique from the character; he becomes something of a hammy joke. So that curbed my impulses to do something grand with Monkey Man. Sometimes I think I resisted that impulse a little too much, though. Someone who dresses like that is no doubt capable of some freaky shit. |
| Nope! In so many thrillers, there’s this cliché of a civilian character (whether the wife, daughter, husband, etc.) who falls apart completely under stress, and I wanted to steer away from that as hard as I could. Janine’s ability to deal with the situation, I felt, also gave some additional nuance to Jake and Frankie—they’re so tough that they can’t grasp that someone like Janine, who doesn’t have any criminal or combat experience, might be totally adaptable to a hard situation; it’s a huge blind spot that reveals something about their egos. |
| I’m not sure there’s a risk in it. This summer, I read S.A. Cosby’s “Blacktop Wasteland” and David Heska Wanbli Weiden’s “Winter Counts,” both excellent thrillers/mysteries that take place in areas not well-trod by most crime fiction (rural Virginia and a Native American reservation, respectively). Both of those books have tons of esoteric detail about those locations, and it adds a lot of nice texture to the narrative. I look at “Rattlesnake” (and “Boise Longpig Hunting Club”) the same way—a substantial portion of the audience is never going to go to Nyssa or any of those towns along the Snake River; they’re never going to swing by Fanci Freez, which has some of the nation’s finest milkshakes; but hopefully all the detail gives them a sense of place. |
| “Absolute Unit,” a horror novella told from the perspective of a sentient parasite living inside the body of a corrupt health inspector, is the next one (mid-2021)! Then after that, there’s another novella, “Payback is Forever,” that should come out from Shotgun Honey in late 2021. The latter is my attempt at a classic Chandler-style thriller, although there’s a contemporary twist to it that the audience will hopefully never see coming. |
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Rattlesnake Rodeoby Nick Kolakowski eARC, 162 pg. Read: September 8, 2020 |
In 2018, I read my first book by Nick Kolokowski, Boise Longpig Hunting Club, which is pretty much everything you think it is from the title. In the two years and change since then, I’ve read five other books by Kolokowski—well, six now. That alone should be an indication of what I think about his stuff.
What’s Rattlesnake Rodeo About?
This is the sequel to Boise Longpig Hunting Club, taking up minutes after it. Spoilerly talk about BLHC—bounty hunter, Jake; his sister, Frankie (a gun smuggler); and ex-wife/fiancé, Janine (who has nothing to do with criminals); are kidnapped by a group of super-wealthy people, and set loose in an Idaho forest while they’re being hunted. Jake and Frankie are a lot more resourceful than anyone expected—and Janine has depth that no one expected—and they end up killing all the hunters.
We rejoin them in this book headed back to Boise. They have a number of emotions and thoughts running through their minds at this time—as they should—the most prominent of them is: how are we going to get away with this? There’s no way that they didn’t leave all sorts of DNA, fingerprints and other sorts of evidence behind that’ll make forensic techs happy. And there will be scores of techs, investigators, agents and what have you at the crime scene—very rich, very important people died up there and someone is going to have to pay for that. Oh, and Frankie wants fries. You work up an appetite fighting for your life.
Karen
They quickly learn about one person who not only has links to the Longpig Hunters, evidence about Jake and Frankie’s involvement, and a reputation to make people quake in their boots. Like Prince, Madonna, or Hawk (to bring it back to crime fiction), she’s known by one name: Karen.
Quick aside: I wonder if in early drafts, she was called something like Margo or Helen, but given, well, all of 2020, Kolakowski decided to go back and change it. Or did he have enough foresight months ago to go with that?
Back to the book: Karen offers them a deal, they do one incredibly horrible task for her, or she ruins the lives and reputations of Jake, Frankie, and Janine. They have no choice…they have to find an Option C.
Gunfights, treachery, and (obviously) rattlesnakes ensue.
Frankie and Her Troops
In almost every novel I’d normally read, Frankie and her employees would be the targets of the protagonist, not their ally. But I’ve gotta say, for a bunch of gun-running criminals, benefiting from the miseries of others (and being a means to innocents being killed at the hands of their customers), they’re a lot of fun. There’s a fun sense of camaraderie and some good banter among them. They’re a pretty effective squad, too. Kolakowski could write a pretty entertaining series featuring these guys. And not just because they’re led by a man who always wears a rubber gorilla mask.
Which is fitting, considering how cool their boss is. Spenser has Hawk, Kenzie and Gennaro have Bubba, Elvis Cole has Joe Pike, Walt Longmire has Henry Standing Bear, Joe Pickett has Nate Romanowski, Sunny Randall has Spike, and Jake has Frankie. The “not-bound by the same laws and ethics that the series protagonist is” so that the protagonist can keep his/her nose clean and still get the job done. They’ll cut the corners, they’ll take and make the shots that no one else will, they’ll be the ones to use lethal force when their friend just can’t bring themselves to do it—and they won’t feel guilt (at least not enough to interfere with their ability to get things done).
Frankie is, as far as I know, the only female lethal sidekick, in crime fiction. Through grit, determination, skill, and panache—Frankie is what ultimately keeps her brother and sister-in-law breathing. It’s just fun to see a female in this role, particularly one that fits. I could never see Sunny Randall go toe-to-toe with some of the dudes she needs to without Spike (or Jesse, or Richie, or Richie’s family)—but I can see Frankie (like Lori Anderson or Charlie Fox) do it without blinking.
The Setting
I’ve talked a little about this in the other book, but it’s fun for me to see the region I’ve lived my whole life in depicted so well in these pages. I enjoy anyone finding a way to bring a crime novel to life outside of Boston, NYC, New Jersey, Chicago, Miami or LA—Elmore Leonard, Jason Miller, Craig Johnson, C. J. Box, Darynda Jones, and G. M. Ford have/continue to do a good job of that, but there needs to be more*. Kolakowski brings my corner of the world into that fold (Jayne Faith did it in Urban Fantasy, and Wesley Chu set a Tao book near where the climax of this novel took place). It’s nice not having to use my imagination much when picturing a scene, at the same time—if I’d never been anywhere near this place, Kolakowski depicts it well enough that someone from Michigan, Mississippi, or New Mexico would have no problem seeing what he’s going for.
* I don’t pretend that’s an exhaustive list, still feel free to add others I should get to know.
So, what did I think about Rattlesnake Rodeo?
You could feel the dread coming off of Jake and Frankie as they thought about the police and (probably) feds coming for them after surviving the last novel, you could feel their hatred (for Karen) and revulsion for their task for her, and you could sense the chaos, smell the smoke, and taste the air from the big scenes at the end of the novel. There are significant portions of this novel you experience as much as you read. You’ve gotta love that.
There was one death that totally caught me unprepared and left me stunned. The violence felt a little more grounded than the genre demands, but Kolakowski knows when to loosen the reins and let things go a little over the top. Which is just fun.
At the same time, there’s a great sense of enjoyment to this novel—to the characters, what they do, and how they go about it. It’s the kind of action novel that gets your fists pumping as much as anything else.
Just the fact that the novel starts with the trio worried about all the evidence they left behind made this a winner—how many characters in novels worry about that sort of thing? Add in the characters—from the oddity of Monkey Man, to the implausibly competent Frankie, to the quiet strength of Janine, to the terror that is Karen—and the great balance of tones, and you’ll see why Kolakowski is my favorite US indie Crime Novelist.
I strongly recommend Rattlesnake Rodeo, whether or not you read BLHC first, it’s a fun ride.
Disclaimer: I received this eARC from the author in exchange for this post and my honest opinion, I appreciate the opportunity.
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Silent Biteby David Rosenfelt eARC, 304 pg. Read: September 16-18, 2020 |
Wow. Andy Carpenter #22. That’s hard to believe. It doesn’t seem that long ago that I started reading these (I think back in the single digits). But all-in-all, it’s been a fun ride. How’s this one stack up?
What’s Silent Bite About?
When Andy and his family return from a holiday cruise (a novella describing that in more detail than we got here would quickly become a fan favorite, no doubt), he’s got a bunch of messages from Willie Miller. A friend, and former cellmate, of Willie’s has been arrested for murder. Both Willie and his friend, Tony Birch, want Andy to take the case and clear him. Andy wants nothing to do with a problematic looking case*, but Willie’s a friend—and Andy’s son, Ricky, has pointed out that Willie does stuff for Andy all the time. Also, Tony has a dog that’s miserable without him around.
* or any case, really.
The murder victim is one of the witnesses against Birch for the manslaughter charge that put him in prison with Willie years ago. At the trial, Tony threatened to kill him (and a few others) for turning on him, after years in a gang together. But upon his release from prison, years before this new murder, Tony had turned his life around—he owned and operated a fairly successful auto repair garage, and had no interest in criminal activity again. So why seek vengeance now?
And why be as utterly stupid with the murder weapon as the prosecution wants people to believe?
But then another witness against Tony in the original case turns up dead, and things start looking really bad for him. So it’s up to Andy and his team to save the day.
Zoey, the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
I really don’t have much to say about Zoey, Tony’s dog, but I’ve never heard of her breed before—and I don’t feel too bad about that Andy hadn’t seen one before. If your day could use a little lift, take a minute or two to scroll through some pictures online. Cute dogs.*
* That’s a tautology, I realize.
The New Associate
In most of his cases, Andy Carpenter utilizes an associate to do the ugly detailed work, filing motions, looking up pertinent case law, and so on, while Andy goes around visiting people, investigating, getting saved from certain peril by Marcus Clerk, and being snarky and clever in court. He started with Kevin Randall, who owned a laundromat and gave legal advice to those who couldn’t afford it. He eventually moved on and Hike Lynch moved in—largely, I think because Hike is a more entertaining character than Kevin. Well, Hike isn’t around for this one and he suggests Eddie Dowd step in.
Eddie used to play for the Giants, but a knee injury ended that career, so he went to law school. He speaks almost entirely in sports phrases (spike the ball, put me in, pitch in, and so on). It’s fairly ridiculous, but when done right, it’s pretty funny. He’s a nice change from the Eeyore-like character that Hike had been. I’m not sure if he’ll be back, or if Hike will return—I’ll be glad to see him if he is, even if it seems like the joke about his figures of speech will get old. I have faith in Rosenfelt. I’d have thought that Hike’s extreme pessimism or Kevin’s hypochondria would.
So, what did I think about Silent Bite?
I thought the identity of the killer was pretty obvious, but Rosenfelt’s execution of the reveal and of keeping Andy from seeing the solution all along sold me. I can’t be more descriptive of that because I don’t want to tip anything. It was a great conclusion to a really solid legal thriller, that comes with all the canine affection, snappy dialogue, some clever courtroom action, and a solid plot. Pretty much what the doctor ordered.
Once we got The K Team this year, with Muzzled as well, I didn’t figure we’d have a Holiday Andy Carpenter book. Then when I saw this was coming, I worried it wouldn’t live up to the other Holiday books in this series. I kept being wrong about this book—we got it and it wasn’t a let-down. Rosenfelt managed to give us three strong novels in 2020 (hey, look, 2020 didn’t wind up in a disaster on one front!)—that right there, folks, is a sign of a professional.
Whether you’re new to the world of this would-be retired criminal defense lawyer and are in the mood for a witty and sharp legal thriller, or if you’re familiar with Andy and his associates—this will entertain you. You’d do well to give this a shot.
Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.
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, opinions are my own.
After teasing fans for years with kickstarting a project, Anton Strout is coming to Kickstarter next week with Claw & Order, “a collection of stories that tie into the worlds of my Simon Canderous and Spellmason Chronicles book series.”
Am a big fan of both series–and I cannot wait. Click here (or on the graphic above) to be taken to the pre-launce page so you get notified when it goes live. Day one backers get an exclusive Dept of Extraordinary Affairs badge pin—and the feeling of satisfaction that comes from supporting a heckuva writer.
If you don’t know who Strout is, or what his series are about. Head on over to https://www.theonceandfuturepodcast.com to check out his podcast, The Once and Future Podcast, or either series—The Simon Canderous Novels or The Spellmason Chronicles. You’ll be glad you did.
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Murder by Other Meansby John Scalzi, Zachary Quinto (Narrator) Unabridged Audiobook, 3 hrs., 33 min. Read: September 18-19, 2020 |
A Sequel to The Dispatcher?
I think the last thing on my mind as I finished The Dispatcher was that there’d be a sequel. It seemed fairly stand-alone (but, I guess, I can see that the door was open). But now that I’ve heard this? It seems only natural that there’d be a follow-up to The Dispatcher and the door is open for more.
What’s Murder by Other Means About?
So, in this world 99.9% of the time, if you’re murdered, you come back to life in your home/somewhere you feel safe. If you die of natural causes, in an accident, from suicide—you stay dead. But if someone intends you harm and you die, you’re most likely safe. This started a few years before this book is set, and no one knows why.
But that doesn’t stop people from taking advantage of it. There’s a new industry, our protagonist/narrator is part of it, Dispatching. Licensed killers who shoot people when death is all but certain to give them another chance at life. In the time since The Dispatcher, it seems that some new and creative uses for them have become common. Most of them straddle the line between legal/illegal or moral/immoral.
Tony Valdez starts this book hurting for money, and takes one of those not technically illegal jobs. Soon after, people around him—loosely connected, but not really friends or colleagues—start dying from unnatural causes. Not murders, obviously, because they stay dead. But as the bodies start to accumulate, the police have to look at the one common denominator—Tony. Tony starts investigating himself—if only because he figures it’s going to be long before he’s one of the dead that doesn’t come back.
How was the Narration?
Quinto makes Tony come to life, and is able to humanize this licensed executioner enough that you don’t think of him as a killer for hire, you think of him a beleaguered private contractor on hard times. Quinto’s great at the rest of the job, too—I’d absolutely listen to more audiobooks he narrates.
So, what did I think about Murder by Other Means?
I was less than enthusiastic about The Dispatcher back in 2016—which I didn’t remember until I just glanced at my post. I’m not over the moon about this, but I enjoyed it, and hope there’s more to come (I’m not sure I want to wait four more years, however). If there is? I’m jumping on it eagerly.
It was clever, it is honest about the human condition and the ways we find to hurt and destroy (and comes up with a few that are custom-made for this no-murder reality), yet remains a very human, very real thriller. It’s a good way to spend a couple of hours.
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Next to Last Standby Craig Johnson Hardcover, 320 pg. Read: September 23-25, 2020 |
I placed my hands on my hips and stared at the recently departed. It was true that he wasn’t a man I particularly liked, but fate had brought him in contact with me and now he was dead wand that made me partially responsible….
“Earth to Walt.” I turned and looked at her as she smiled. “So, you’re getting pissed, huh?” She stood beside me, toeing a tuft of grass. “There’s always a point where you start taking it personally. I like that part because that’s when shit starts happening, and I like it when shit starts happening.” She turned her face toward me, listening as I clenched my fists, like a cinch being tightened ion a saddle. “So, is shit about to start happening?”
“I believe so.”
What’s Next to Last Stand About?
An elderly resident at the Veterans’ Home of Wyoming (“The Sailor’s & Soldier’s Home of Wyoming”) dies of an apparent heart attack—which saddens, Walt, he liked Charley Lee Stillwater (and Cady loved the man). But what gets him coming back is the fact that among his possessions is a shoebox full of hundred dollar bills. Ten thousand of them, in fact. Where does a man like Charley Lee come up with that? And is there a clue among the surprising amount of books about art, art history, and General Custer in his room?
And the presence of a million dollars does cast a little doubt on the heart attack if only to be thorough. That’s a great motive to kill someone—or at least the beginning of one. Things develop from there as they tend to when Walt gets curious. He ends up involving art experts from all over the state (and even the world)—experts who may be more interesting than the art they’re discussing.
I want to spend more time at The Sailor’s & Soldier’s Home—I liked both the staff and the residents we spent time with. The souped-up motorized wheelchairs were great, and the people in them were even better. I just hope we don’t need another semi-suspicious death to get Walt back there.
The Custer material really serves as an excuse for Henry Standing Bear to sound off about Custer and the battle of Little Big Horn. I’d love to hear a few history lectures from Henry, the little bits we got here were enough to make me want more. Walt, Vic, and Henry (with an assist from Lucian) also give their (almost universally negative) opinions about all the movies made about the man and event. The Custer, Little Big Horn, and cinematic material alone is worth the effort to read this book.*
* Of course, with Johnson’s style, there’s not a lot of effort involved, so that may come across as faint praise.
Next to Last Stand in relation to the Rest of the Series
There’s a new staff member for the Absaroka Sheriff Department, and at least one member of the current staff is preparing to leave (how many is yet to be determined). Johnson either has big plans, or he’s writing himself into a corner where he’ll have to make some. I’m pretty curious about it either way.
But the bigger tie to the rest of the story is where this stands in relation to Depth of Winter. I enjoyed The Western Star, and thought the conclusion was a doozy. This led into Depth of Winter, which was good, but…wasn’t a Walt Longmire book. Land of Wolves focused on Walt’s recovery and was closer to what I expect in a Longmire book. Walt’s not back at 100%, physically or mentally. But he’s closer to it than he was in Land of Wolves, close enough that the book gets closer and closer to a typical Longmire read the further we get. Something about this case sparked whatever it was in Walt that he’d allowed to grow dormant since the last chapter of The Western Star.
It’s never really spelled out—it’s just obvious to those of us who’ve spent 16 books (plus the short stories) with the Sheriff. I’m not looking for the series to stagnate. I appreciate that every book in the series has a different feel than the others, and I don’t want that to change. I want Walt, Vic, Sancho, and the rest to develop. But there’s something about every non-Depth of Winter novel that remains quintessentially the same—I was more than a little worried that Johnson had left that behind in favor of the guy who took on a small army in Mexico. I’m glad to see I was probably worried about nothing.
The Return of an Old Friend
Lonnie Littlebird—Chief of the Cheyenne Nation and Tribal Elder—is back! It’s been too, too long since his smiling presence has graced this series. Um hmm, yes, it is so.
I’ve got nothing more to say about him, but as always, I perked up when I saw him. I just enjoy him (and am looking forward to hearing George Guidall’s narration of the audiobook, I like his Lonnie Littlebird).
Well, I guess I know what the Next Book is About?
There’s this subplot involving Henry Standing Bear, Tribal Police Chief Lolo Long (from As the Crow Flies, Dry Bones, and maybe a short story), Lolo’s niece, and Walt that looked like it was going to be a major part of this novel. And then it just…went away. I’m not talking about being unresolved, it was simply dropped with 150 pages to go.
Now that I stop and think for a minute, there was another subplot that didn’t get adequate resolution…maybe it’s setting the stage for something else, too?
I think Johnson’s too good to just drop stuff without a good reason (ditto for the editorial staff at Viking). I just can’t see the reasoning from here.
So, what did I think about Next to Last Stand?
“You do realize that being so conversant with wounds that you can estimate the amount of stitches needed to retain vital organs is not normal, right?”
I laughed. “What’s normal in this line of work anyway?”
“Good question.”
Abandoned storylines aside, I liked this so much. The world and characters we know and love have almost been absent—or at least not fully present—since 2016’s An Obvious Fact. But they’re all here, and it felt so good to be back. But even without that sense of relief, this was a fun book—had we got this book without the Mexico trip trilogy (for lack of a better name), I’d have enjoyed it as much. Clever mystery, great characters—both the guilty, the victims, and everyone else—with a conclusion that’s as entertaining as it is satisfying. I was in hog heaven.
Would this work as a jumping-on point to the series, or even to read as a stand-alone? Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Johnson’s strong on that point, you can jump on at almost any point and feel at home. You technically could read this as a stand-alone, but it’d be like eating just one Lays Potato Chip, I bet you cant. I’m already counting down the days until Walt Longmire #17, and there are too many of them.
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, opinions are my own.
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Kitty’s Mix-Tapeby Carrie Vaughn eARC, 288 pg. Read: September 12-14, 2020 |
What’s Kitty’s Mix-Tape?
That’s an easy question: this is the second collection of short stories (previously published) set in the world of Kitty Norville, the werewolf turned talk radio star. We get a lot of stories featuring Kitty and/or her friends and allies (and one foe), and we get some stories that just happen to take place in the same reality even if they really don’t have any cross-over with the series.
There’s an introduction by Emma Bull that by itself would make a great review of this book (and maybe the series). Really, writing anything else after reading Bull seems superfluous.
Kitty & the Gang
I’m going to have a hard time keeping myself from talking too much about the stories featuring Kitty and her friends—Kitty and Ben going to her 10-year high school reunion was the perfect way to start off this book. Quick, fun, and a great way back into this world.
“It’s Still the Same Old Story,” could’ve fit into The Immortal Conquistador that I talked about a few months back—except it didn’t fit into the story arc of that one. But for those who wonder what Rick was up to in the early part of the twentieth century, this will give you a good idea. This is possibly my favorite thing focusing on Rick to date.
On the eve of their wedding in Kitty and the Dead Man’s Hand Ben disappears off on his own for a while, Vaughn finally lets us know what he was up to at the time. I’d forgotten all about that until I read this story, but I remember wondering then (as I was supposed to) what he’d been up to—it’s nice to have that answered.
There was a dynamite story about Detective Jessi Harden of Denver PD investigating a murder with a supernatural angle that doesn’t involve any of the series regulars. This would be the basis of a great follow-up series if Vaughn was in the mood for something. Hardin tackling “woo woo” crimes (I think that’s what the New Orleans PD calls them in the Yellowrock books) would be compelling as all get out.
One more that I want to mention is called “Kitty Learns the Ropes.” In this story, Kitty meets a professional athlete who happens to be a werewolf. Does that give him an unfair advantage? Should he disclose his situation to the world? Can’t this guy who never asked to be supernatural just live is life?
I’m going on too long, so I’ll summarize a few other standouts: there’s a fun little story with Odysseus Grant, and some cute bits with Kitty and her pack dealing with the Super Blood Moon and the like, and a showdown with some Federal Agents.
Other Stories
There are some stories that aren’t about Kitty or her friends, too, but just take place in her universe. There are two that take place in Regency England, “The Island of Beasts” and “The Beaux Wilde.” I enjoyed them both, and it is interesting to see Vaughn try to put her werewolves in that world. I would eagerly read more stories or a novel about the characters in “The Beaux Wilde.”
There’s also a sequel to a story from her previous short story collection, Kitty’s Greatest Hits about a child of a selkie who grows up to be a Navy SEAL (what else could such a son be)? I liked that one, too, but it seemed to be missing a little something from the end. But I’m pretty sure it was supposed to feel that way.
The tale about Nazis attempting to use werewolves in the war didn’t do much for me—but I think that’s mostly a me thing. It was a good story, just not the sort of thing I think I’d seek out.
The Songs
Vaughn includes a list of songs that embody the various stories for her, which she did for the novels, too. I think if you consider this list as a track list for a mixtape, you’d end up with something that Rob Fleming (in any incarnation) would look upon with scorn. If you take them as pieces to go with the stories, it’s a lot of fun, and adds a nice little dimension to them.
I will admit that I didn’t listen to them as I read—I think it would work though. They’re also a good tool to use to ruminate on the stories a bit.
So, what did I think about Kitty’s Mix-Tape?
There wasn’t a dud in the bunch, which is rare for a short story compilation—sure, I liked the ones about Kitty and her friends best, because that’s what I came to the collection for. But I liked them all.
The back cover promises that this is “the final installment” of the series, but Vaugn talks about staying tuned because it’s great to have a pre-existing world to write stories in. If the blurb is right, I’m glad I got a little more time in this world, but I’m hoping that staying tuned will pay off.
This may not be a great introduction to the werewolf DJ named Kitty, but it might work as one just fine, it’s certainly a good tour of the world. But it’s definitely the kind of thing that Kitty’s readers should come for. It’s one of the best collections I’ve read this year—and maybe for a good chunk of last year, too. Give it a whirl.
Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Tachyon Publications via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.
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, opinions are my own.
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A Killing Frostby Seanan McGuire Hardcover, 302 pg. Read: September 9-11, 2020 |
…I was about to do something monumentally stupid for the sake of potentially saving Simon.
Simon Torquill. The man I’d once considered to be be my greatest enemy The man I was now willingly risking everything I had for the opportunity to save. Faerie isn’t fair and the world doesn’t make sense.
“You sound scared.” [Danny said]
“I am.”
“If this is somethin’ that scares you…”
What’s A Killing Frost About?
Simon Torquill. Is there any name that promises as much upheaval to Toby Daye’s life as much as his? I’m getting ahead of myself, though. Actually, I could just answer my first question with his name and move on to the next section of this post…
Anyway, Toby takes a break from working with May to find a wedding dress that she a. likes and b. doesn’t mind getting covered in blood—because who are we kidding here, if Toby’s wearing it, it’s going to be covered in blood before the end of the day. She and Tybalt are out on a date, having a perfectly enjoyable time when they’re interrupted by Patrick and Dianda Lorden. The Lordens are worried that Toby’s lack of diplomatic training has opened her up to a problem.
See, if she doesn’t invite Simon Torquill to her wedding—thanks to some silly Faerie custom—she’s liable to create an opportunity for Simon or someone claiming to act on his behalf to attack her in a pretty grievous way. Of course, to invite him, she’s going to have to find him—and after The Brightest Fell, we all know that’s not going to be easy.
So, May, Quentin, Toby and Spike(!) head out to do the nigh-impossible, find Simon and get him to the wedding.
Wither art Thou, Tybalt?
Thanks to a warning from Karen, for everyone to survive, Tybalt can’t accompany Toby on this little quest. This is just about the most Tybalt-free book I can think of (second only to The Brightest Fell). When he’s around, it’s important that he is and he makes a big impact.
It’s strange to have him gone so much, but I think it worked pretty well as a change of pace and heightened the reader’s appreciation for him when he was around.
At one point, [name withheld] describes the relationship between Tybalt and Toby,
It’s clear to anyone with eyes how much he loves you, and I’ve held your blood on my tongue. Your love for him flavors everything you are.
In any other series, that might be disgusting/strange. But in this context? That’s one of the sweetest sentences I can think of.
There’s Just So Much I Can’t Talk About
Because I keep a pretty strict no-spoiler policy to these posts, there’s just so much that I can’t talk about that I really want to. Even if I spoiled things, I couldn’t talk about them too much because we’re going to need a book or five to figure out how things work out. McGuire’s one of the best at planting seeds and then seemingly ignoring them for several books just to have them spring up and bear fruit when you least expect it.
One of those forgotten seeds bears series-altering fruit here while she’s planting seeds relating to Walther and Cassie—but more importantly to Stacy. There’s a shattering scene with Luna and Sylvester. There’s something afoot with Rayseline, too. August does something surprising. Amandine’s furious by the end of the novel (that can’t be good). And we learn something blood-curdling about Eira Rosynhwyr that might make an enraged Amandine seem trivial.
And then there’s…yeah, you know what? I just can’t even hint at the rest. Go read it and we can talk.
So, what did I think about A Killing Frost?
This is not a book designed to welcome new readers to the series. I’m sure there’s enough to draw in someone who’s said to themselves, “I keep hearing about this series, I wonder what it’s about?” But really, it’s not a great entry point. If you’re one of those readers, drop a comment and I’ll try to give you a better entry point.
But for readers of this series? They’re going to be in hog-heaven. Take out all of the spoiler stuff I alluded to/avoided above, and you’ve got yourself a great Toby adventure, full of thrills, twists, grievous wounds, nasty curses, and heroism of all sorts.
Include the stuff I didn’t talk about? You’ve got a jaw-dropping novel full of so many heart-warming and heart-wrenching moments that it’d be hard to enumerate them. This isn’t McGuire’s best novel in the series, but it’s great. And fans will be discussing, dissecting and reveling in it for years.
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, opinions are my own.
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Robert B. Parker’s Fool’s Paradiseby Mike Lupica eARC, 352 pg. Read: September 2-3, 2020 |
What’s Fool’s Paradise About?
Suitcase Simpson calls Jesse to the scene of a murder, an unidentified man has been found shot at the lakeshore. Jesse recognizes the man—they’d been at the same AA meeting the previous night. It’s not Jesse’s regular meeting, and he didn’t think this man was a regular, either. But at least they had a first name to go off of.
Suit is able to find out at least a little about what the man did after the meeting. He’d taken a taxi from the neighboring town into Paradise. He even had an address—the mansion of a rich and influential family who’d been in Paradise for ages. They’re quick to claim they didn’t know the man, or that he’d been at the house in the hours before he was shot. No member of PPD believes this, but there’s little they can do until they learn a bit more about the victim.
Jesse admits this isn’t entirely rational—but doesn’t back off from it—the fact that he and the victim came to the same meeting, both needing the help that can be found there, created a link for between the two of them. Jesse felt like he owed this man justice more than he would another victim (not that Jesse’s ever been known to not try to find justice for anyone, it’s just personal this time). I loved this little touch—it felt very true to the character and his circumstances, but something that a lot of authors wouldn’t do.
Not long after this, someone takes a shot at Jesse while he’s in his home. Soon, other members of the PPD are attacked off-duty. As always, Jesse, Molly, and Suit acknowledge that coincidences exist, but they have a hard time believing in them. So while they try to identify the murder victim and figure out what he’s going in Paradise (and that part of Paradise in particular), they also need to figure out why someone would be attacking the PPD. And are the two cases related?
A Nice Little Bonus
There’s a lot of Molly in this book. She gets whole chapters without Jesse in them, and a lot of space on her own in chapters with him. We get a little bit of an off-the-job look at Molly, as well as seeing her work part of the investigation. Yes, Jesse’s the central character and should be the focus—but any time that Lupica (or whoever) can flesh out Molly, Suitcase, or any of the others is time well spent (I like the new deputy, too—he was a nice touch). But Molly’s been a favorite since Night Passage introduced this world, and she’s rarely been used as well as the character should’ve been. It’s so nice to see that.
Lupica’s Take on Jesse Stone
I was worried about Lupica being given the reins of this series. I was such a fan of what Colman had done, saving the series from the Michael Brandman debacle—and even from some of the uneven quality that Parker had given toward the end.
But Lupica did exactly what he needed to do—and exactly what I’d hoped (and didn’t expect). He embraced the developments that Coleman introduced and built on them. He could’ve ignored them, or written around them, but he kept Jesse going to AA, he worked on the new relationship with Cole, and Paradise and the Paradise Police Department the same way Coleman had, treating that bit of the series with as much respect and influence as the first nine novels.
Stylistically, Lupica’s closer to Parker than Coleman—which makes sense, it’s the more natural way for him to write (and will likely win back some of Coleman’s detractors). It works for the series, it works for the author—all in all, it’s a good move.
I freely admit that I was skeptical and pessimistic about anyone but Coleman at the post-Parker helm of Jesse Stone and am glad to be proven wrong.
Something I was Pleasantly Surprised By
While I have thought in the past that the best use of Sunny Randall was when Parker used her in the Jesse Stone novels, I wasn’t thrilled to see her in these pages—I thought that Stone, at least, had grown past this relationship. It’s not what it was back in the 3-4 books that Parker wrote with them as a couple, but reflects where they both are now.
I’ve got to say, I liked her here. I liked her in Paradise more than I liked her in the two books that Lupica has written about Sunny. If he keeps this up, I won’t complain.
Lupica’s War on my Sanity
Sure, that’s hyperbolic. But it felt like he was doing this to just bug me.
The mansion that the taxi pulled up to that fateful night is owned by the Cain family, Whit and Lilly Cain. Whit suffered a stroke a few months back, so his wife, Lilly, is who Jesse primarily interacts with. She’s brash, confident, loud, and flirtatious.
Now, I’ve watched the Veronica Mars series more times than I should have. Season One more than the rest. Every time I read “Lilly Cain,” I couldn’t think about anything other than “Lily Kane,” Veronica’s brash, confident, loud, and flirtatious friend.
I know it’s a coincidence, that neither name is all that rare. But it didn’t feel that way.
So, what did I think about Fool’s Paradise?
I liked this so much more than I expected to. I went into this hoping I wouldn’t hate it, and it didn’t take long at all for me to realize I was enjoying it. The prose crackled and moved quickly. There was enough of Jesse’s quiet humor to keep me grinning. The relationships and banter between the characters was spot on. The cases were compelling, interestingly framed, and well-executed. Lupica tied his novel into the overall history of the series well (referencing over half of the books, I think) and established that he’s the right man for the job. I strongly recommend this—either for new readers or established fans. Robert B. Parker’s Fool’s Paradise is a satisfying read that’ll get you eager to see what comes next.
Disclaimer: I received this eARC from PENGUIN GROUP Putnam via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.
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, opinions are my own.
Well, that’s a wrap on the 2020 20 Books of Summer. You may accuse me of playing fast and loose with the challenge (and you’d be right!), but this seems like a casual enough thing that I really don’t care (and I can’t imagine anyone else does, either). As I mentioned last month, I did a lousy job of taking into account new releases, review copies, and life when I made the original list. I made a valient effort, but I just couldn’t post about all these books by September 1 (I did read all of them by the end of August, I note only semi-defensively), but in that last week, it hit me, June 1-August 31 isn’t really “Summer.” It works as a rough designation, but June solstice to the September equinox is a better definition. I’m not that pedantic though (well, about seasons). But here in the States, “Summer” also is defined as the period from Memorial Day through Labor Day, which was just the time I needed to get everything posted.
So I’m calling this a win. I liked the focus this gave me for the last couple of months, and I know I read some things I’ve been meaning to read for months because they were on this list and I couldn’t make (yet another) excuse to put it off. I think next year I’ll do a better job of taking into account New Releases when I make my list (how Peace Talks wasn’t the first book I put down I’ll never know) to make life easier for me–I also think I’ll put down more of the books I own, but keep delaying on. I really like freeing up space on my (literal) TBR shelf.
I had a lot of fun doing this and looking at others working their way through the challenge. Congrats to the winners.
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