Category: Fiction Page 137 of 348

What Abigail Did That Summer

by Ben Aaronovitch
Series: The Rivers of London, #5.7 (or so, I’m not sure how it’ll get numbered)

eARC, 232 pg.
Subterranean Press, 2021

Read: March 1, 2021

There are a few, uh, provisos, a, a couple of quid pro quos.

I almost feel like I need to go back and do a lot of re-reading before writing much about this book. I’d have thought that Abigail’s involvement with the Folly and Peter wasn’t this developed until later in the series.

Also, I know there’s a connection between Abigail and the talking foxes, but I don’t remember exactly when it comes about and how much of this book is Aaronovich filling in the backstory that he just breezes past in one of the novels.

I didn’t feel at a loss for context while reading the book, but I tell you what, I’m feeling it as I try to talk about the novella. So, I guess I’m saying, be nice and forgive any lapses in what’s to come:

What’s What Abigail Did That Summer About?

This novella is set during the events of Foxglove Summer and Peter’s not in London. But never fear, Abigail does talk to Nightingale a couple of times.

Abigail has a strange interaction with someone she used to know and sees someone else acting slightly strangely. She starts, not really investigating, but taking a close look around at everything. Then when the police start asking questions of kids in the park, showing pictures of those same people, she knows something’s up.

Not that she tells the police that, because they’re not going to believe her. She’s told that these children (and others) have gone missing, but then reappear at home, with fuzzy memories of the last couple of days. If Abigail, she thinks, with the help of some of the local talking foxes, can figure out what’s going on, she can point Nightingale in the right direction—which might help convince him that she’s ready for training.

But mostly, Abigail’s curious about what’s happening and has to figure it out.

Postmartin’s Contribution

Abigail’s first-person account is littered with footnotes by the Folly’s archivist, Harold Postmartin. Largely, these footnotes are to explain some of the more slang-y terms Abigail uses (although sometimes it’s a more technical note). He seems to go to great lengths to make sure that American readers can get what she’s saying. I halfway wonder if in UK editions those notes have differences.

I think I could’ve worked out the terms I wasn’t already familiar with, but the footnotes were entertaining enough that it doesn’t matter if I could’ve. This was a better way to deal with it.

So, what did I think about What Abigail Did That Summer?

This is absolutely a Folly-story, one that belongs in this series, but there’s no way that Peter Grant was the right character to use for this story, Aaronovich needed to use someone like Abigail to tell this, conveniently enough, there she was. She has a different way of thinking than Peter—and while there’s humor to her narration, it’s not the same as Peter’s (even if it’s occasionally similar). Seeing things from her perspective, it’s a great way to see how she’s similar to her cousin, while very much being her own person.

Frequently, with novellas, I walk away wondering why couldn’t we get a full novel out of it? This isn’t one of those times—the story is as long as it needs to be—it’s complex and satisfying. Also, we get a lot of development out of Abigail and get a better degree of understanding of her than we’ve had before.

That said, there are just so many things I want to know more about, but just making this novel-length wouldn’t take care of it. For example, we learn right off the bat that there’s something…different…about Simon’s mom—and Aaronovich teases us with a couple of more things. I want more of this. I want to know just what it is that Abigail’s doing for her. I want more adventures with Abigail and the foxes.

I’ve always wanted to see more Abigail in the novels—this underscores that for me.

In short, this was a fun story—a strange one at times, but fun—that makes me more curious about a character I already enjoyed, but now I want more of her—both on her own (like this) or in the main novels. I had a similar reaction to the novella The October Man, too. Although that probably is my reaction to anything in this universe (at least so far)—”I enjoyed that, can I have more like it?”

This would be an interesting jumping-on point for the whole series—I’m not sure I’d recommend it, but it might be enough to convince you to dive into the rest.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Subterranean Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.

3.5 Stars

REPOST: The October Man by Ben Aaronovitch: Meeting Peter Grant’s German Counterpart

By HCNewton

On March 2, 2021

In A-B, Ben Aaronovitch, Fiction, Rivers of London (Peter Grant), Urban Fantasy

The last of the “I’m too tired to post about What Abigail Did That Summer” inspired reposts. I’m revisiting this one because it’s another Subterranean Press Rivers of London book that could inspire an entire non-Peter Grant-focused series.

The October Man

by Ben Aaronovitch
Series: The Rivers of London, #7.5

Hardcover, 208 pg.
Subterranean Press, 2019
Read: June 19 – 21, 2019

So about the time that the one German Magic Practitioner hears that Nightengale has taken on an apprentice in Peter Grant, she decides that it’s time for Germany to do the same — keeping the playing field level, and all — she finds that apprentice in a second generation police officer, Tobias Winter. We meet Tobias a few years into things when he’s called away from leave time to investigate something that may be supernaturally related.

He recognizes vestigia right away — although I think the manner of death would be a pretty big tip off, no matter what. A mysterious fungal rot that covers him in precisely the way that fungus doesn’t cover people. I can’t do justice to how creepy it sounds when Tobias narrates it for us — you’ll have to read it.

Tobias is teamed up with Vanessa Sommer, a local police officer who knows the area, knows a bit about the particular fungus, and is super-curious about magic. Naturally, there’s an encounter with a River or two, and an interesting take on regional history — because this is a Rivers of London novel, what else are you going to get?

It’s a quick read with great story and the kind of people that Aaronovich fills his books with — these just happen to speak German and look at things in a different way from Peter and those he usually runs with — Tobias isn’t as funny as Peter, but he’s amusing to read and handles things in ways that Peter doesn’t. Still, at the end of the day, Peter’d be happy getting the same result (and probably would be jealous how little property damage that Tobias inflicts before wrapping up the investigation).

We’ve been given glimpses of what Nightengale and his fellows got involved in during WWII, but here we get more details — from the German point of view. It’s always been clear that happened wasn’t pretty — but I didn’t realize just how devastating it was until now. It’s also interesting to see just how significant it was for Nightengale to make Peter an apprentice. He essentially kicked off an international magical arms race (of sorts). Don’t get me wrong, the main point of this book is to be introduced to new characters, to see how magic is dealt with somewhere that isn’t London — but man, what we learn about things in London is fascinating.

I don’t know how this qualifies as a novella — even a “long novella,” as I’ve seen it marketed. I have several novels within reach of me right now that are smaller than this. It’s a semantic thing, but book nerds are supposed to be into words — so I don’t get it. Two hundred eight pages does not mean novella to me. If someone can explain it (or point to where Aaronovitch or Subterrerean Press explained it already), I’d appreciate it. Just to scratch that intellectual itch.

Aside from what to call this book, I enjoyed it. Tobias is an good character, he’s no Peter Grant, but he’s not supposed to be (in either Aaronovitch’s mind or the German practitioners’). I’d like he and Peter or he and the Nightengale to brush up against each other — or to have extended contact (like FBI Agent Reynolds and the Folly have had). If Aaronovitch decides on writing another novella/novel/adventure with him, I’d jump on it. But I’m not going to be waiting expectantly — if he doesn’t want to write another (or sales don’t justify it), I can be satisfied with just this much that we’ve been given here.

This’d be a great jumping on point for someone who wants to get a feel for the Rivers of London and Aaronovitch’s style. It’s also a great way for devoted fans of that series to dabble in something new, get a fresh perspective and realize that Peter Grant’s world is smaller than he realizes — while enjoying a creative and fun story.

—–

3 Stars

Tales from the Folly by Ben Aaronovitch: Entertaining Quick Dips into the Rivers of London

By HCNewton

On March 2, 2021

In Ben Aaronovitch, Fiction, Rivers of London (Peter Grant), Urban Fantasy

I’m reposting this one because I thought of it during What Abigail Did That Summer because Abigail gets to shine a little bit in this collection—and because it was short Rivers of London stories, just like the (fairly long) novella).

Tales from the Folly: A Rivers of London Short Story Collection

by Ben Aaronovitch
Series: The Rivers of London

Kindle Edition, 139 pg.
JABberwocky Literary Agency, Inc., 2020

Read: August 1-3, 2020

If asked, I’d have thought I posted about this book weeks ago, so imagine my surprise this past weekend when I saw this title still on my “To Be Written” list when I was checking for something else. Better late than never…

What are the Tales from the Folly?

The subtitle pretty much gives it away, really. These are shorter works set in the Rivers of London series. The Folly is the unofficial name for the recognized British magical organization, following in the first formal study of magic made by Sir Isaac Newton (no known relation, but that doesn’t stop me from claiming him as an uncle), it’s currently formally organized as the Special Assessment Unit of the Metropolitan Police. The Folly is also the nickname for their headquarters. Either use works for this collection.

There are seven short stores (or one novella and six short stories) told from Peter Grant’s perspective—just like the series. Then there are four stories from the point of view of other characters in the series and three “moments” (Aaronovitch’s term for “something that is more of a mood than a story, something that will last a page or two and conjure an atmosphere).

Peter Grant Stories

Obviously, this is Peter’s series (at least so far…), so he gets the bulk of the space. Most of these take place around the time of the first few books in the series, but at different stages of Peter’s development. I enjoyed them all and most of them are good enough to justify the purchase price on their own.

I can’t put my finger on why, exactly, but the first story “The Home Crowd Advantage” is my favorite. It’s about a French practitioner who got up to no good during the 1948 London Games who revisits the scene of the crime in 2012 when rookie apprentice Peter Grant is the only one around to deal with him.

The last entry in this section is the novella, A Rare Book of Cunning Device that I talked about when it was released as an Audible Original in 2017. It’s rare for me to go from hearing a work to reading it, so it was interesting that way. I enjoyed it just as much this time around, but I think Holdbrook-Smith’s voice is a better one for this series than whatever is echoing around in my skull.

Everyone Else

The fact that Aaronovitch is able to tell stories outside of Peter’s perspective shows the strength of the series in my book, he’s built the world and the characters out enough that they can carry the weight of a narrative for at least a little bit.

We get a story from the perspective of one of the Rivers, one from Abigail’s perspective that will warm the cockles of your heart (and maybe make you a little sad for a bit), a nice one featuring Vanessa Sommer from Germany (making me hope we get back to Germany for another novel soon), the answer about what happened to the River Lugg after Foxglove Summer. Then there are the moments, one featuring Nightengale, one with Reynolds and one with Sommer’s pal Tobias Winter years before The October Man

So, what did I think about Tales from the Folly?

That’s easy, I thought it was great. I’d buy volume 2 tomorrow, and volume 3 next month. If Aaronovitch wrote that quickly, anyway. They’re like the comic series in a way—a nice way to spend some time in this universe without having to put in the time of a novel.

The collection covered the gamut of emotions and types of story typical of the series with Aaronovitch’s evident charm and skill. It’s a must for every Rivers of London fan.

4 Stars

REPOST: Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch

By HCNewton

On March 2, 2021

In Authors, Ben Aaronovitch, Fiction, Rivers of London (Peter Grant), Urban Fantasy

So the plan was, read What Abigail Did That Summer by Ben Aaronovitch on Monday and post about it Tuesday. What happened was: read What Abigail Did That Summer Monday, do some parenting things and have no energy left for anything else. Whoops. So, I’m going to repost a couple of Rivers of London books I thought of while reading the upcoming novella and we’ll try again tomorrow. This novel explains why Peter wasn’t around to give Abigail a hand (not that she’d have asked for it).

Foxglove Summer

by Ben Aaronovitch
Series: The Rivers of London, #5

Mass Market Paperback, 323 pg.
Daw Books, 2015
Read: January 9 – 10, 2014

“Hail the conquering hero,” said Beverly and held up her bottle to clink.
“Sic transit Gloria mundi,” I said, because it was the first thing that came into my head — we clinked and drank. It could have been worse. I could have said, “Valar Morghulis” instead.

It’s always a pleasure to spend some time in the pages of a Peter Grant/The Rivers of London novel, but Foxglove Summer is probably the most pleasurable entry in the series since Midnight Riot (The Rivers of London for non-US types). I’m not sure I can put my finger on why that’s the case, but that’s not something I’m going to worry about. Unlike Peter’s mother, who

never saw a gift horse that she wouldn’t take down to the vet to have its mouth X-rayed — if only so she could establish its resale value.

Two young girls have vanished in a small village slightly north of London, and Peter’s sent to make sure that the (supposedly) no longer active wizard in the area had nothing to do with it. Having done so, he decides to stick around and see if he can help with some of the routine/mundane work needed.

Naturally — well, I should say, Supernaturally, it’s not long before The Powers That Be ask him to see if there’s an angle to the case that’s more up his alley than theirs. Peter finds some undeniable evidence of magic at work and things get going from there.

Nothing against London — but loved this breath of fresh air in this novel. For example, Peter’s dealing with different superior officers to not want to deal with magic/supernatural — these don’t have the antagonism that usually shows up in London, they just don’t want anything to do with it. The town is full of interesting types — including traveling fair ride owners, tavern keepers, farmers, and vacationing journalists.

As always with this series, the sheer amount of British Police acronyms and assumed knowledge of structure and procedures are a hurdle many US readers won’t want to try (I’ve been told this by a few who I’ve tried to get to read these books) — it’s a little effort, and easily worth it to overcome.

My major — only? — gripe is that Peter’s not making a lot of progress with his magic, he seems to be pretty much where he was three novels back. Yes, he’s more confident, yes, he’s able to apply his knowledge of magic with some good old-fashioned police ingenuity — but his abilities and skills are still rookie-level. Without Beverly as magic back-up, he’d be in trouble. The two of them — plus one local cop out of his depth, but committed to work — are able to handle things.

Yeah, it was nice not to focus on Lesley and the Faceless One (which isn’t to say their shadows don’t loom over a good chunk of the book), but it’s clear that they’ll be back in a really big way soon. Which I’m looking forward to, as nice as it was to have this mental palate cleanser here. Foxglove Summer was great mix of police procedural, Urban Fantasy and Folklore — both traditional and contemporary (the area’s obsession with UFOs is great) — with Aaronovitch’s deft humor, pop culture references and tight plotting. We’ve got ourselves a winner here.

—–

4 Stars

He Drank, and Saw the Spider (Audiobook) by Alex Bledsoe, Stefan Rudnicki: LaCrosse’s Break from His Vacation Changes History

By HCNewton

On March 1, 2021

In Alex Bledsoe, Audiobook, Eddie LaCrosse, Fantasy, Fiction, Reread Project

Like with the previous Eddie LaCrosse audiobook, The Wake of the Bloody Angel, I can’t think of much more to say than I did in 2014 when I read the book. But, this is the last one in the series, and I can’t just let this pass unremarked. So I shuffled it a bit, cleaned a couple of things up, and added bit here and there. That’s not cheating too much, is it?

He Drank, and Saw the Spider

by Alex Bledsoe, Stefan Rudnicki (Narrator)
Series: Eddie LaCrosse, #5

Unabridged Audiobook, 9 hrs., 6 min.
Blackstone Audio, 2014

Read: February 16-19, 2021

Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

I felt that little knot in my belly that meant a mystery was taking its irrevocable hold. Usually this was a good thing, because usually I got paid for it. But here and now I was on vacation, and the last thing I wanted to do was spend it unraveling the truth of the strange prince, his rotund protector, and the girl I’d once saved from a bear. But damn it, I knew that’s exactly what I was going to do.

What’s He Drank, and Saw the Spider About?

After a couple of adventures that aren’t quite typical in their nature, Eddie La Crosse gets back to basics with a fairly straightforward case. Well, that’s not exactly true—it’s just that the last was more grand-adventure-y, less LaCrosse-as-sword-jokey, and the one before that took on this epic nature by the end. This is Eddie doing what he does best. But still, there’s magic and monsters, and all the other trappings that keep this from being something that Sue Grafton or Dennis Lehane would’ve written.

Sixteen years ago, Eddie promised a dying man on the run that he’d take care of the baby that the other man was running to protect. He found a seemingly-trustworthy family willing to take the infant in, and went on his merry way, and actually forgot all about the incidents surrounding that. Years later, Eddie and his girlfriend, Liz, are on vacation in that area and suddenly it all comes back to him and he decides to try and track down the (now) young woman and see how she’s doing.

Naturally, things start to go poorly about there. He does find her—pretty easily, too—it is a small community, with an economy largely-based on sheep-herding and farming, so it’s not really a bustling metropolis where no one knows anyone else. But there’s a whole lot of interesting things happening around the young woman—royalty in disguise, a meddling sorceress, an untrustworthy mercenary-type, an over-protective mother, a dose of sibling rivalry, and some sort of articulate and super-strong inhuman creature with a healthy interest in the girl.

Even though he was just supposed to check on her and not interfere with her life—he had no intention of even introducing himself to her. Eddie can’t help himself, and before you know it, he’s neck-deep in intrigue and danger.

Biggest Magic Yet

When you think about Fantasy novels (or maybe I should just say “I”, who knows what you think) you think about magic all over the place. But if it’s really that ubiquitous, that takes away some of the special-ness of magic. In LaCrosse’s world, almost no one believes in magic. Eddie sure wouldn’t if magic, deities, and supernatural creatures hadn’t rubbed their existence in his face on repeated occasions.

That’s certainly the case here—most of the people that Eddie is around in this novel (and by most, I mean an overwhelming majority) refuse to admit that what they are seeing—some of them on multiple occasions—has anything to do with magic. I think this is a great choice—it’s another hurdle for Eddie and Liz to get over, it adds some real tension when you’d be tempted to think we’re done with tension, and it keeps the magic mysterious.

Rudnicki’s Narration

I think this is probably Rudnicki’s best work in the series. he nails every character—particularly the character of Billy Cudgel (the aforementioned untrustworthy mercenary-type). He captures the humor, the drunkenness, the misery, the madness, and everything else. I thought the choices he makes in the narration (he and/or the director) and tone were spot-on. He’s definitely a narrator I’m going to seek out in the future.

So, what did I think about He Drank, and Saw the Spider?

On the whole, this is a fun, brisk novel—a lot of humor, some good action, nice banter, and interaction between the characters (especially Eddie and Liz). Yet, even as the answers to the questions surrounding the girl’s mysterious origins become obvious, and some of the characters get to the point where they seemed irredeemable, Bledsoe (as he can every so well) keeps you completely drawn in and even tugs the heartstrings a bit as the truth is revealed to the characters. Just really, really well done.

There’s a lot of nice little touches along the way. For example, towards the end of the book, Eddie and those he’s traveling with encounter a preteen who joins their little band for a while. She’s pretty new to swearing and tries to get in as much practice as she can while with them. At first, I thought she was an odd (but entertaining) and pointless distraction. It didn’t take too long to see she was a perfect tension-breaker, just what that part of the novel needed to keep from being too tense and so much more serious than what had come before.

Eddie’s narration has never been better—humor-tinged and hard-boiled, a medieval Philip Marlowe or Elvis Cole. I liked all of these characters, and really wanted to spend more time with each of them—I don’t know how Bledsoe could’ve pulled that off without getting the whole thing too slow and ponderous (which would’ve sucked the fun out of 60-70% of these characters). This is really such a well-done and fully realized series.

Either Bledsoe or his publishers decided that was enough, and it doesn’t look like we’re going to get any more adventures from our favorite sword-jockey, but man, I’m glad we got what we did.

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, opinions are my own.

COVER REVEAL: Dead in the Water (Stonebridge #2) by Chris McDonald

By HCNewton

On March 1, 2021

In Book Tour, Chris McDonald/Frost, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, The Stonebridge Mysteries

Welcome to The Irresponsible Reader’s part in the Cover Reveal for Chris McDonald’s Dead in the Water! If it doesn’t grab your attention, you should get your eyes checked. But before we get to the cover down below, but before the picture, I’ve got a few words to share about the book.

Book Blurb

The Stonebridge Regatta is looming. The town’s annual face-off against neighbouring Meadowfield is usually a weekend filled with sunshine, laughter and camaraderie.

This year is different.

A week before the race, the body of Stonebridge team captain Matthew Henderson is found dead in the water. The police file his passing as a tragic accident however, his grieving widow disagrees and suspects foul play is involved. She enlists the help of Adam and Colin, the town’s amateur (self-proclaimed) private detectives to unearth the truth.

Did Matthew simply slip and fall into the water, or is there more to his death below the surface?

Date of publication: March 27, 2021

About the Author

Originally hailing from the north coast of Northern Ireland and now residing in South Manchester, Chris McDonald has always been a reader. At primary school, The Hardy Boys inspired his love of adventure before his reading world was opened up by Chuck Palahniuk and the gritty world of crime. A Wash of Black is his first attempt at writing a book. He came up with the initial idea whilst feeding his baby in the middle of the night, which may not be the best thing to admit, considering the content. He is a fan of 5-a-side football, heavy metal and dogs. Whispers in the Dark is the second installment in the DI Erika Piper series, and Chris is currently working on his latest series, The Stonebridge Mysteries, published by Red Dog Press in 2021.

And now…

The Cover

Dead in the Water
The cover designers at Red Dog have done it again.

Again, this book comes out on March 27th, but you can pre-order this now at: Red Dog Press or Amazon (but you should absolutely order from Red Dog directly, the Bezos retirement fund is big enough, help out the publisher).

My thanks to Red Dog Press for the invitation to participate in this reveal and the materials they provided.

The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding: BOOK XVI., vii. – x.

By HCNewton

On February 26, 2021

In Fiction, Fridays with The Foundling, General Fiction/Literature

Fridays with the Foundling
So Squire Western drags Blifil with him to go visit Sophia, who does not want to see him and excuses herself immediately. Mrs. Western chalks this up to them showing up unexpectedly and chases them off—schedule a visit (maybe even this afternoon) and she’ll see him, her aunt will see to that. It takes some work, but she gets them to leave—Western only because he insists this afternoon will work, but Blifil thinks something else is afoot.

And he’s right, Lady Bellaston (for whatever twisted reason she has) has come to visit Western and has convinced her that Lord Fellamar is a better match than Blifil, who really only has money to recommend him. Fellmar has a title, money, and class. Sure, he almost raped Sophia, but…I’m not sure Mrs. Western knows that (or would believe Sophia). That stupid proposal that Tom used to scare off Bellaston comes back to haunt him—she gives it to Mrs. Western to show Sophia.

Meanwhile, Fellmar has recruited a naval friend of his to find Tom, trump up some charges (he’s not a gentleman or anyone with a source of income, he’s a vagrant, so that’ll work) to put him on a sailing vessel.

Meanwhile, Tom has kept that appointment with Mrs. Fitzgerald. She’s still upset with Mrs. Western and wants to get back at her by helping Tom win Sophia. The next day, he returns for more discussion of the topic. As he leaves, he bumps into Mr. Fitzgerald—who after a minute, recognizes Tom and challenges him. Tom knows almost nothing about fencing, but knows enough, apparently, to stick him with the pointy end.

Naturally, about that time the group who was coming to grab Tom for Fellmar sees this and takes him off to the magistrate. Murder’ll do better than vagrancy, after all. While Tom’s locked up, the next day, Partridge comes with the news—Fitzgerald died from his wounds. He also brings a note from Sophia, she’s seen the proposal, and he should never contact her again.

Of the present situation of Mr Jones’s mind, and of the pangs with which he was now tormented, we cannot give the reader a better idea than by saying, his misery was such that even Thwackum would almost have pitied him. But, bad as it is, we shall at present leave him in it, as his good genius (if he really had any) seems to have done. And here we put an end to the sixteenth book of our history.

That’s a pretty eventful four chapters right there. There’ve been entire Books of this novel that haven’t had as many events as the last four chapters of this one. Fellmar and Bellaston prove that they’re the worst. Blifil has probably been spurred to new levels of knavery, and I’m kind of looking forward to Fellmar and facing off with him (and man, I hope that happens)

It was a little confusing because Feilding spent a lot of time going back in time when he switched the characters he focused on—but it wasn’t that bad. I feel like I should have more to say, but I really don’t—I just want to see what happens next!

The Friday 56 for 2/26/21: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

By HCNewton

On February 26, 2021

In Currently Reading, News/Misc., Quotations, The Friday 56, The Thursday Murder Club

This is a weekly bloghop hosted by Freda’s Voice

RULES:
The Friday 56 Grab a book, any book.
Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your ereader. If you have to improvise, that is okay.
Find a snippet, short and sweet.
Post it

from page 56 of:
The Thursday Murder Club

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

DCI Chris Hudson has been given a file on Tony Curran so thick it makes a pleasing thud if you drop it on a desk. Which is what he has just done.

Chris takes a swig of Diet Coke. He sometimes worries he is addicted to it. He had once read a headline about Diet Coke that was so worrying he had chosen not to read the article.

He opens the file. Most of Tony Curran’s dealings with Kent Police were from before Chris’s time in Fairhaven. Charges for assault in his twenties, minor drug convictions, dangerous driving, dangerous dog, possession of an illegal weapon. A tax disc misdemeanor. Public urination.

Then comes the real story.

Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline: A Very 80s Sequel (IOW, Wholly Unnecessary and Completely Inevitable)

By HCNewton

On February 26, 2021

In Science Fiction

Ready Player Two

by Ernest Cline
Series: Ready Player One, #2

Hardcover, 336 pg.
Ballantine Books, 2020

Read: January 4-8, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

Like Marty McFly, I woke up at exactly 10:26 a.m., to the song “Back in Time” by Huey Lewis and the News.

This was courtesy of my vintage flip-clock radio—a Panasonic RC-6015, the model Marty owns in the film. Id had it modified to play the same song at the same time Marty hears it, after he finally makes it back to the future.

I threw back the silk sheets of my king-size bed and lowered my feet to the preheated marble floor. The house computer saw that I was awake and automatically drew back the bedroom’s wraparound window shades, revealing a stunning 180-degree view of my sprawling woodland estate, and of the jagged Columbus skyline on the horizon.

I still couldn’t quite believe it. Waking up in this room, to this sight, every day. Not long ago, just opening my eyes here had been enough to put a grin on my face and a spring in my step.

But today, it wasn’t helping. Today I was just alone, in an empty house, in a world teetering on the brink of collapse.

What’s Ready Player Two About?

While still basking in the immediate afterglow of his victory, sudden power, and fame, Wade Watts discovers a secret innovation that OASIS founder James Halliday had tucked away for the winner of his contest.

Some see this new tech as a giant leap forward and a way to lay the groundwork for saving humanity from the worsening climate crisis, food shortages, and so on. Others see it as a tool to distract people and divert resources from better solutions to the problems that plague the world.

Releasing this tech had an unintended consequence—a new riddle from Halliday. No one was sure what the prize would be, but after his last riddle, who could pass it up? This one didn’t focus on the life and interests of James Halliday, or even Og (Halliday’s former partner and Wade’s new friend), but on Kira Morrow—the other member of GSS’s founders. Og’s wife and the great unrequited love of Halliday’s life.

Years go by, no one makes a lot of progress on that riddle—Wade’s group grows apart, teens grow into adults and friendships take on different meanings (well, there’s one splintering, but the rest are from growth). And then one day, something happens to force Art3mis, Shoto, Aech, and Parzival to regroup and get serious about solving this riddle, or they—and millions of others—would die.

A Very 80s Sequel

The general approach to 80s movie sequels seems to be, “the same as the original, but just different enough to justify the new movie.” And that’s really what we got here. Instead of Halliday’s Easter Eggs, we get the Seven Shards to find. Instead of Joust, we get Ninja Princess; instead of Rush, we get Prince; instead of Steven Spielberg, we get John Hughes; and so on.

Now, I liked the basic game design in the first book and it worked almost as well here. Some of the elements were great—like where the group had to go back to the pre-K level education planet and work through some of those games (and got to ride The Great Space Coaster!). I loved the John Hughes material (even stuff from movies I haven’t seen/obsessed over—which are the minority). But others didn’t work as well for me—the Sega Ninja/Ninja Princess bit seemed a bit too much like the Joust section—and even throwing in the twist to make it hard for Wade, it wasn’t that interesting. And don’t get me started on the interminable Prince* chapter—it felt like it was 110 of the 336 pages in this book.

* And no, it’s not just because I’m not a Prince fan—I probably like more of his songs than Rush’s. Which isn’t saying a whole lot.

Thematically this was the way to approach this book—it’s as 80s as you can get. It plays to Cline’s strengths, too. But, I wanted something newer, fresher in this book, and it just wasn’t there.

LØhengrin

Along the way, Wade makes a new friend, LØhengrin. She’s a young gunter, working hard on this second riddle, a popular YouTuber, and an unabashed fan of Wade’s (her avatar’s name is a clear tribute to his Parzival). Without her, Wade wouldn’t have made the progress he did before the threat—and it’s unlikely he’d have completed it.

The arc concerning LØhengrin and her crew is probably the best thing about this novel, actually. Which is only the secondary reason I have for mentioning her.

My primary reason is the voice-over that opens each episode of her YouTube show:

“Some people define themselves by railing against all of the things they hate, while explaining why everyone else should hate it too. But not me. I prefer to lead with my love—to define myself through joyous yawps of admiration, instead of cynical declarations of disdain. “

I just love the way that’s put. I should be more like that.

So, what did I think about Ready Player Two?

It was better than the Ready Player One movie. I should start there.

Unless you’ve been reading this blog since 2014, you won’t have seen me fanboy over Ready Player One (and even that was listening to the audiobook for my third time through the book). I get many of the criticisms and complaints readers have had over the book—and I share none of them. For me, it was a pure joy from beginning to end. I loved it. Which suggests that I’d be the ideal reader for this one, right? Wellllll…sort of.

Even if it doesn’t sound like it, this book was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed the whole thing. I’ve liked these characters and this world for a decade now, and getting to spend some more time with them was a blast.

But…it was too much of a re-hash. As a certain Canadian Band sang, “It’s all been done before.” The higher stakes didn’t feel that real—the motivation seemed hollow, you didn’t read this worried that millions were going to be killed, it’s not that kind of book, so it didn’t seem as urgent. Wade’s narration at the beginning of Ready Player One tells us from the get-go that he’s writing about how he won—so there’s no worry that he’ll fail there, either. Somehow, though, I felt more suspense through all of that book than this.

I thought Cline did a better job of some of the emotional/psychological material in this book—Wade’s (and Samantha’s) motivations and reactions to events and people are dealt with a greater subtlety and authenticity than Cline showed in his first novel—and Wade’s emotional maturity–eventual as it may be–is really portrayed well (we’re never really shown where his friends needed it).

Actually, that point could probably be generalized to the book as a whole—the writing is probably better, it’s a higher quality prose. But, I still think the book is lesser.

Completists are going to want to pick this up—and they should, as long as they go in with low expectations. But on the whole, you’d be better off reading the previous one again (or for the first time)

3.5 Stars

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The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman: Well, I Know What I Want My Retirement to Look Like

By HCNewton

On February 24, 2021

In Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, The Thursday Murder Club

The Thursday Murder Club

by Richard Osman
Series: Thursday Murder Club, #1

Hardcover, 351 pg.
Pamela Dorman Books, 2020

Read: February 22-23, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

“So, we were all witnesses to a murder,” says Elizabeth. “Which, needless to say, is wonderful.”

What’s The Thursday Murder Club About?

Britain’s first seventh “Luxury Retirement Village,” Coopers Chase is built on the remains of a Roman Catholic convent. On Thursdays, the Jigsaw Room is booked for “Japanese Opera: A Discussion,” during the two-hour slot between Art History and Conversational French. This isn’t actually what happens then, but it’s a great way to dissuade people from dropping in.

What actually happens is that a group of four residents get together to look over cold cases and see if they can make any progress with them. One of the group’s founders was a detective in the Kent Police, and it’s her cases they started going through. When necessary, or when the opportunity presented itself, they’d bring in various experts to consult. Shortly before the book opens, they’d had a change in membership, the former detective’s health had put her in the hospital ward, and when they’d asked a retired nurse for some input, she’d been curious enough to attend the meetings.

At that point, the roster consisted of a socialist activist of some renown, a retired therapist, and a well…we’re never told precisely what Elizabeth did, but The Official Secrets Act and a lot of foreign travel was involved.

Then one of the owners of Coopers Chase, the man who did the actual building, is murdered. Suddenly, they’re not that worried about cold cases, when they have a current case to help the police with (whether the police want/need their help isn’t a consideration).

How the Story is Told

Primarily, the book is told from a variety of third-person perspectives—focusing on most of the Club, a police constable, a Detective Chief Inspector, and others involved in Coopers Chase. It’s a great way to tell this story, you get to know all the characters, see everything going on, and get a real feel for this world. But what makes this better—what helps the reader get into this world, is the retired nurse, Joyce. As she gets into the Club as a whole, and especially as she becomes friends with Elizabeth (in less charitable moments, you might say she’s becoming Elizabeth’s sidekick—and I’m not certain Joyce would mind that), she starts keeping an electronic diary, and Osmund will insert an entry between chapters as a way of breaking up the text and helping the reader to focus on certain elements of the third-person narration.

Through this diary we see her joy in finding something to do, in making friends, in pursuing a romance, in skirting trouble with the police. It’s not really clear how involved Joyce was in the overall Coopers Chase community until this case, but this gives her a spark and opens new worlds and possibilities for her, and it’s heart-warming (at least) to read the progression of this. I will say, in bed with limited light, the typeface that is used for her diary entries (at least in the American Hardcover) wasn’t that easy for me to read—but it was absolutely worth the effort.

Initially, that’s all I wanted to talk about, but I realized the other way to interpret “how” could use some discussion. Osman writes with warmth, gentle humor, heart, and charm. Joyce’s diaries are delightful and the this-person narration is close to that, too. This is a book of dark things—murder, secrets, depravity, scandal, declining health, dementia, grief, loneliness, and death are everywhere. But there’s also community, friendship, and hope—and those latter three so characterize the book that the darkness seems surmountable and something you can be carried through because of the warmth and community. It’s hard to pull that off while being honest about the human condition—but Osman pulls it off with aplomb.

A Pond’s Worth of Red Herrings

I don’t remember the last time I read a mystery novel so full of red herrings—in terms of clues or viable suspects. I loved that—sure, some were easy to spot as being a red herring. But more than once I had to admit to myself that Osman had fooled me.

I love a smart mystery, one that makes me think, one that tricks me (without cheating too much), one that surprises me—and that’s exactly what we get here.

So Many Confessions

Part Two of the novel is called, “Everyone Here Has a Story to Tell,” and man, is that descriptive. There are, by the time all is said and done, several criminals in this book—and some people who aren’t criminals, yet carry a terrible weight of guilt (both deserved and not). And we get all of their stories—sometimes through the narration, but largely from their own dialogue. Secrets are laid bare—primarily for the Club and the reader, but some for a larger audience. Not all of them help anyone get closer to the killer (killers?)—but they all help tell the story.

Some confess because they’ve been waiting for the opportunity (as well as dreading it), some because they’ve been forced into it, some because it just doesn’t matter anymore. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter why they do it, only that they do.

So, what did I think about The Thursday Murder Club?

It is this kind of thing that keeps me reading Crime Fiction—as much as I might read police procedurals and PI (or PI adjacent) novels by the handful, you give me a clever assortment of characters doing interesting things and getting results from a combination of work and smarts and I’m in hog heaven.

A moment ago, I mentioned the title of Part Two. Part One is called, “Meet New People and Try New Things.” For Joyce and Donna (the Police Constable), that’s plainly what this book holds—Donna’s first homicide case and something that puts a spring in Joyce’s step and a twinkle in her eye. But it’s actually true for just about all the characters, and who doesn’t like the idea of a group of septuagenarians (give or take a couple of years) having new experiences to try?

On the off-chance my mother reads this in the next couple of days, I’m going to spoil her birthday and tell her that this is going to be waiting for her on her e-reader. I mention this publicly to illustrate how much I like this book—while I still had over one hundred pages to go, I was already planning on getting it for her (unless the ending was a mess).

A smart mystery, told well, with characters that are just as smart and well-told. I can’t think of a thing about this novel I didn’t like—it was touching, amusing, honest about the circumstances that these characters found themselves in, but life-affirming, too. There’s a lot of profundity mixed in with the amusement—and a clever mystery, to boot! This is not one to pass up.

5 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, opinions are my own.