Category: G-L

Series G-F

4.5 out of 5 really. Not sure why I’m holding that .5 out, but let’s say it wasn’t perfect — just so, so close.

On the one hand, this was a typical Jack Reacher novel* — Reacher sees a wrong that needs righting, a question that needs answered, someone who needs a little help, a little vengence that needs meting out, and he takes care of business, period. On the other hand — this was more intense, had more twists and turns, with higher (personal) stakes than your typical Reacher novel.

So, I guess it was a typical Reacher novel — just turned up to 11.

It’s really hard to say much about this Gone Tomorrow without spoiling the whole thing. But I’m going to try a bit: From the outset, it’s hard to tell who Reacher is working for until a little over halfway through the book (I think–didn’t take notes); everyone (everyone) lies to him about all sorts of things — but there’s enough truth mixed into the lies that I didn’t just spoil anything there; the violence (at least on Reacher’s part) is a bit more concentrated than usual, but once it starts…whoa, Nelly.

The biggest difference in this one is the looming specter of various counter-terrorism agencies and entities, functioning in the full protection and powers given by the Patriot Act and so on. Reacher and other characters in this book aren’t reticent to voice their complaints with these powers and the curtailment on citizen rights, honestly, to an extent that surprised me. While Reacher’s not directly in opposition to these agencies (he never would be that), his purposes and theirs do not directly align. Which gives an extra layer of danger for him — if Reacher’s not careful, he can disappear like he’s never existed before.

Basically the only other thing I can say without spoiling the crap out of this is simply: With Gone Tomorrow, Child, once again, shows that he and Reacher are the best around.

——-

* And a typical Jack Reacher novel is a great read, so don’t take this characterization as a complaint.

Dusted Off: Split Image by Robert B. Parker

By HCNewton

On February 25, 2010

In Fiction, Jesse Stone, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Robert B. Parker

I have just spent 2 hours in the presence of some good friends, and am covered in the glow of a good time (even if TLomL will bemoan the fact that I knocked off a hardcover in a single 2-hr setting, sorry dear).

I was apprehensive and ambivalent about picking up one of the last books that Parker finished before his death, but that vanished by the end of a chapter or two–and given the wafer-thin nature of his chapters, that means it didn’t take long at all. And other than the occasional transient thought, it really didn’t come up as I read. But now I’m done, and all I can think about his how this was the end of the road. And that’s really too bad.

Many people will say they can tell in Rex Stout’s final novel that Stout pretty much wrote a conclusion to his series–not an airtight conclusion, he could’ve easily continued, but it served well as a conclusion to his long-running series. The same could be said for Split Image, although Night and Day could’ve functioned that way as well (but not as neatly, and the book wasn’t nearly as good, so I’m glad it didn’t have to). There is a real sense of Parker saying goodbye to the characters — although a lot of that is likely projection and isogesis on my part.

For awhile there, as the quality of Parker’s other series/works vacillated, the Jesse Stone novels could be counted on for a certain level of quality–but lately, they’ve been just up and down as the rest. Thankfully, thankfully, Split Image comes out on the up side. Sure, there’s the now typical wandering around in the middle portion, but there’s enough various plot elements at play that it doesn’t detract as much.

A typical Parker novel will have 2 plotlines, one having to do with a case and another having to do with some personal conflict with the protagonist–and with Jesse Stone novels, that’s typically Jesse dealing with his ex-wife and excessive drinking. But a few years back, Parker merged his female PI series into the Stone books, and this is the pinnacle of that merge giving us 4 basic plots–the crime Jesse’s dealing with, the case Sunny’s working, Jesse dealing with Jen and alcohol, and Sunny dealing with her relationship with her ex. That’s enough balls in the air at one time that even if the novel’s basically at a standstill, you don’t notice.

And thankfully, each plotline actually works pretty well. Jesse’s investigating a double murder involving some gangsters, Sunny’s dealing with a girl who may have been kidnapped/brainwashed by a possible cult (shades of an old Spenser case as is typical of a Sunny story), Jesse’s gaining insight (with the help of Sunny/his therapist) into what he expects from a relationship with a woman and how Jen just wouldn’t fit that, and Sunny’s gaining insight (with the help of Jesse/her shrink) into her relationship needs with men.

Throw in appearances from Spenser regulars, enough name-dropping to tie Jesse’s gangsters into the larger Parker-verse, the lines any Parker novel has to have (‘We’d be fools not to,’ ‘Enough with the love talk,’ etc.), the glorification of having pet dogs (yet another Parker philosophy that’s dead-on), and an actual satisfying conclusion to the investigations and you have yourself a great Parker novel.

Not the book to start reading Stone with (that’s Night Passage), but for people who know the characters it’s a darn satisfying read.

I should admit I was pretty embarrassed at how long it took me to get the title. In my defense, tho’ I really didn’t think about it until I saw it out of the corner of my eye printed on top of p. 195 and had an “Well Duhhhh” moment.

Dusted Off: Summer Reading: Angels Flight by Michael Connelly

By HCNewton

On July 11, 2006

In Authors, Fiction, Harry Bosch, Michael Connelly, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Okay, Midway to Denver–hoped I could make it. Had a bunch of time in the airport before my flight, but I tried to do sermon prep and fuss with papers, so I don’t finish it too early into the trip. Was really looking forward to this one. I wasn’t disappointed at all.

In retrospect, I’m not certain this is the best of the Harry Bosch series–but as I read it, I was convinced it was–maybe not the best written, but most effective of the batch to this point. This particular L.A. murder is committed and investigated with the OJ trial and Rodney King case in the back of everyone’s mind. The city was portrayed as a tinderbox waiting to burst into flames again–black officers and detectives were used as a PR tool, white/black and in between showed their prejudices, and every character in the book waited for the other shoe to fall–it wasn’t a case of if there’d be another riot, just when.

There’s a few other aspects I’d like to touch on–and have got 3 or 4 paragraphs waiting to go, but I can’t write them without spoilers. This is one to read, folks.

Since I mentioned it below he dealt well with bringing back another character from the previous Bosch novel. An FBI agent that Harry’d clashed with is brought back to work the case with him–Harry now sees him as an ally (and vice versa) and the two quickly work together, allowing Harry to do exactly what needs to be done. Good to see him not fight with every single law enforcement type outside of his circle. Hope that’s a trend that continues.

Oh, and the references to the book/movie Blood Work were probably the funniest things I’ve read from Connelly (not a lot to compare it to–dude’s no Parker/early Crais)…a touch heavy handed the 2nd time, but well done.

Dusted Off: Summer Reading: Trunk Music by Michael Connelly

By HCNewton

On July 6, 2006

In Authors, Fiction, Harry Bosch, Michael Connelly, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

I’m not exactly sure how this happened, but Michael Connelly has become my go-to guy for airplane reading. I’m guessing the way he writes keeps me distracted from what’s going on around me (y’know the whole hurtling through the air at hundreds of miles an hour and way too many feet off the ground). I picked up the next two Harry Bosch novels on my list to read to and from GA. I took care of most of Trunk Music by the time we hit Denver–and was able to finish the rest along the way to Chicago.

This was a really good read. Harry’s well, Harry. Tough, smart, cynical. His partner, Jerry Edgar, is back and more competent than before. Kizmin Rider is the new teammate–I like her a lot. The new lieutenant, Grace Billets adds a different dynamic to the series–I was tired of the antagonism between Harry and Lt. Pounds.

Of course, Internal Affairs gets in the middle of this–Harry’s in hot water with them again. When isn’t he? I get that this is a sure-fire way to add drama, but puh-leez, can we please get through a novel without these jokers getting involved?

Given recent discussion over at spensneak about Parker’s penchant for bringing characters back time and time again, I thought that one of the strong points of this book was the way that one particular character was brought back into Harry’s life. The same person, in a very different set of circumstances, and very clearly changed due to their previous encounter. Handled very well.

The action keeps hopping back and forth between LA and Vegas, with our intrepid detective in the center of it. Rider and Edgar do their share of the work, too. Probably see more good police work out of them than I remember from anyone else Harry worked with up to this point. Hope to see more examples of other good cops in the future.

The twists and turns are delivered well. After you read a few books by Connelly and you know he’s going to be pulling fast ones on you, changing the what you’re sure is the inevitable conclusion several times–but even knowing that, you can’t help but be thrown by them the way he does it. The action scenes play out well, vividly described, but not overburdening in detail.

Ending was quite satisfactory–a very subtle move for ol’ Harry. Good to see him do it.

This is the kind of book that Dan brown needs to study before he inflicts another dose of Langdon upon us all.

Dusted Off: The Few, the Proud, the Re-Readable

By HCNewton

On March 31, 2004

In Aaron Elkins, Authors, Douglas Adams, Elvis Cole/Joe Pike, Fiction, Gideon Oliver, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Robert Crais, Science Fiction, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

There are a few select authors that I can say that I’ve read everything they’ve written (or at least published). As of last week, Robert Crais just joined the likes of Douglas Adams, Christopher Buckley, Aaron Elkins, and a few others I can’t think of at the moment.

Robert Crais started off writing cool, Robert B. Parker-ish detective novels. Lots of action, lots of wise cracks, deadly & enigmatic sidekick, etc. Unlike Parker, over time Crais didn’t get lighter on the action and drama–‘tho the wise cracks did become scarce (but in a fitting way due to the subject matter). The plots became more intricate, the characters better… I’m a little worried that the last two Elvis Cole novels have been a bit too serious, a bit too intense–I can’t help but think of Dennis Lehane‘s Kenzie and Gennaro series (which isn’t bad, just not where the series was originally headed, I thought). That doesn’t mean that I don’t have every intention of running down to a bookstore the instant the next book, The Forgotten Man comes out in August (*cough*birthdaygiftidea*cough*).

His two stand-alone novels, Demoltion Angel and Hostage (which I’ve talked about here before), both blew me away, particularly the former. Good to see that he’s not a one-trick pony–even if that one trick is particularly great.

And so far, he stands up to a re-reading. What more could anyone ask for?

Category: G-L

Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child

Dusted Off: Split Image by Robert B. Parker

Dusted Off: Summer Reading: Angels Flight by Michael Connelly

Dusted Off: Summer Reading: Trunk Music by Michael Connelly

Dusted Off: The Few, the Proud, the Re-Readable