Tag: 3 1/2 Stars Page 34 of 41

Pub Day Repost: Good Behavior by Blake Crouch

By

On November 15, 2016

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

Good BehaviorGood Behavior: Letty Dobesh Chronicles

by Blake Crouch
Series: Letty Dobesh Chronicles, #1-3eARC, 288 pg.
Thomas & Mercer, 2016
Read: October 25, 2016

She’d been out of prison now almost ten months, had been clean for half a year, but she hardly felt free.

She was thirty-six years old and she had just worked herself into a sweat cleaning a toilet in a diner.

Bad as prison had been, the walls that had kept her in her cell and in the yard had never screamed hopelessness as loud as the barred window in this tiny bathroom.

Letty Dobesh is an ex-con (repeatedly), a (sometimes) recovering addict, a thief, and (biologically) a mom — she wants to reunite with her son, she wants to be a mother — but she doesn’t know how. She does know how to make a mess of her life, ruin her health, get high and steal anything she wants to.

The three novellas collected here give us glimpses in to some of her professional highs — and we see bits of her lows, too.

Her life seemed to be defined by moments like these.

Moments of pure self-hatred.

And this was just one more in a long, long line.

These are fast reads — you get sucked in to Letty’s world, her way of looking at things and you root for her to get away whatever she’s trying to get away with. There’s a story about her trying to save a life, another with her first attempt at becoming an art thief, and then a story about her getting in over her head by working with some criminals who are far more willing to use brawn and guns than Letty’s ever been. Each of these feel different — Letty’s the same, but the settings and the way that Crouch tells the stories vary enough to keep things very fresh.

The other characters that fill these pages (or those that flit across a line or two) are interesting enough to fulfill whatever narrative duty they have to, but these are all about Letty. If you like reading about her, you’ll like this book. If you aren’t interested by her at all after 10 pages or so, you’d better skip the rest.

It wasn’t the first or the second or even the third time she’d had a firearm pointed at her. But she never got used to that gaping black hole. Couldn’t take her eyes off of it. If [spoiler] chose to pull the trigger in this moment, it was the last thing she’d ever see.

This book is being released to coincide with the debut of TNT Network’s series based on these novellas, starring Michelle Dockery, in her attempt to avoid being typecast. I tried not to, but I kept seeing Dockery saying some of these lines. It was easier to avoid thinking of her in the first novella; but in the second it was almost impossible not to — especially when not-Lady-Mary is talking with Johnny. I must say, my mental-Dockery did a great job — those lines are perfect for her (it’s a shame, really, the second novella is the only one not being mined for season 1 of the show). There are supplemental materials included with these novellas discussing the novellas and how elements of them will be used in the show. Those were interesting enough, but I really couldn’t care that much.

I don’t care how the TV show does (easier to say before I watch a second of it), but I’ll gladly read more novellas/novels about Letty. Actually, maybe novella length is best for her kind of story, something about the compressed timeline works well for the high-stakes energy that these are filled with.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley in exchange for this post — thanks to both for this.
N.B.: As this was an ARC, any quotations above may be changed in the published work — I will endeavor to verify them as soon as possible.

—–

3.5 Stars

Reservations by Richard Paolinelli

By

On November 11, 2016

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

Reservations Reservations

by Richard Paolinelli
Series: Jack Del Rio, #1

Kindle Edition, 252 pg.
W & B Publishers Inc, 2016

Read: October 31, 2016


So, the President of the Navajo Nation, Ben Yazzie, isn’t ending the year/beginning the second year in office the way he wanted: three members of the tribal council have died under what can only be charitably called suspicious circumstances. He’s pretty convinced that he’s next on the list, so he calls in the cavalry (forgive the reference) via an old friend in the FBI. The old friend assigns a hot-shot young agent with a knack for saving heads of state, Jack Del Rio.

Del Rio is paired up with a reservation police officer, Lucy Chee. The two of them click almost immediately on a professional level and progress through the tangled political, personal and historical web that surrounds these murders. I enjoyed their teamwork, their banter and friendship. I liked almost every character — even the ones we only met for a scene. I could’ve used a little more time with Yazzie, honestly — although I’m not sure there was room for it. Chee and Del Rio, of course, I liked the best — they were very well-developed and interesting.

I had a few problems with the book — Paolinelli could trust his readers a bit more, his character’s jokes would land better if he didn’t go out of his way to make sure we knew they were jokes. The prose could be a leaner, just a touch, but he doesn’t need to use quite as many words as he does (see the joke observation). I think his pacing could be better — he spends too much time establishing the mystery and Del Rio independently at the beginning of the novel — 1 chapter there, 1 chapter here — it takes no time to figure out that Del Rio’s going to be called in to investigate things (even without reading the book’s blurb), and then I just got impatient with the intervening material until he actually hops on a plane. I’m sure Paolinelli had his reasons for it, I just don’t think it worked as well as he may have wished.

Between just listening to Hearne’s Tricked and being knee-deep in the latest season of Longmire, I was primed for this story about the Diné and reservation politics — and Paolinelli nailed it. At least it seems like he did to someone who’s contact with both is from a a decent share of fiction over the years, so pick the size of your salt grain to take with that. But the mix of Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, US cultures was well-balanced and fun.

Great final confrontation between our heroes and the villain — I can’t tell you all the reasons I liked it without ruining it, but for people who like thrillers/detective novels, I can assure you that there’s more than enough reasons to like it.

The second Del Rio novel, Betrayals is out now, and I look forward to getting it. But we’re talking about Reservations now, and I give this a solid recommendation for fans of the genre or non-fans wanting something different.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinions — and I really appreciate it.

—–

3.5 Stars

Good Behavior by Blake Crouch

By

On October 27, 2016

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

Good BehaviorGood Behavior: Letty Dobesh Chronicles

by Blake Crouch
Series: Letty Dobesh Chronicles, #1-3

eARC, 288 pg.
Thomas & Mercer, 2016

Read: October 25, 2016

She’d been out of prison now almost ten months, had been clean for half a year, but she hardly felt free.

She was thirty-six years old and she had just worked herself into a sweat cleaning a toilet in a diner.

Bad as prison had been, the walls that had kept her in her cell and in the yard had never screamed hopelessness as loud as the barred window in this tiny bathroom.

Letty Dobesh is an ex-con (repeatedly), a (sometimes) recovering addict, a thief, and (biologically) a mom — she wants to reunite with her son, she wants to be a mother — but she doesn’t know how. She does know how to make a mess of her life, ruin her health, get high and steal anything she wants to.

The three novellas collected here give us glimpses in to some of her professional highs — and we see bits of her lows, too.

Her life seemed to be defined by moments like these.

Moments of pure self-hatred.

And this was just one more in a long, long line.

These are fast reads — you get sucked in to Letty’s world, her way of looking at things and you root for her to get away whatever she’s trying to get away with. There’s a story about her trying to save a life, another with her first attempt at becoming an art thief, and then a story about her getting in over her head by working with some criminals who are far more willing to use brawn and guns than Letty’s ever been. Each of these feel different — Letty’s the same, but the settings and the way that Crouch tells the stories vary enough to keep things very fresh.

The other characters that fill these pages (or those that flit across a line or two) are interesting enough to fulfill whatever narrative duty they have to, but these are all about Letty. If you like reading about her, you’ll like this book. If you aren’t interested by her at all after 10 pages or so, you’d better skip the rest.

It wasn’t the first or the second or even the third time she’d had a firearm pointed at her. But she never got used to that gaping black hole. Couldn’t take her eyes off of it. If [spoiler] chose to pull the trigger in this moment, it was the last thing she’d ever see.

This book is being released to coincide with the debut of TNT Network’s series based on these novellas, starring Michelle Dockery, in her attempt to avoid being typecast. I tried not to, but I kept seeing Dockery saying some of these lines. It was easier to avoid thinking of her in the first novella; but in the second it was almost impossible not to — especially when not-Lady-Mary is talking with Johnny. I must say, my mental-Dockery did a great job — those lines are perfect for her (it’s a shame, really, the second novella is the only one not being mined for season 1 of the show). There are supplemental materials included with these novellas discussing the novellas and how elements of them will be used in the show. Those were interesting enough, but I really couldn’t care that much.

I don’t care how the TV show does (easier to say before I watch a second of it), but I’ll gladly read more novellas/novels about Letty. Actually, maybe novella length is best for her kind of story, something about the compressed timeline works well for the high-stakes energy that these are filled with.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley in exchange for this post — thanks to both for this.
N.B.: As this was an ARC, any quotations above may be changed in the published work — I will endeavor to verify them as soon as possible.

—–

3.5 Stars

Calvin by Martine Leavitt

By

On October 25, 2016

In Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, YA/MG/Children's Books

CalvinCalvin: A Novel

by Martine Leavitt

Hardcover, 181 pg.
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), 2015

Read: August 1 – 2, 2016

I realized the doctor was leaving the room, and I was talking out loud to nobody. And that’s why they want to put people on medication.

Calvin is a high school senior on the verge of graduation and a bright future. If only he had the ability to focus. He reaches a breaking point and has a schizophrenic episode, resulting in his hospitalization. His family and doctors seem supportive and caring, and at least one classmate stops by to visit, too, his life-long friend Susie.

Me: . . .You’re you’re part of it.

Susie: Part of what?

Me: Part of what’s happening to me. Didn’t you ever think about, you know, that you’re named Susie, and you’re friends with a
guy named Calvin?

Susie: I always thought my parents didn’t put much imagination into my name–

Me: I was born on the same day that Bill Watterson published his very last comic strip?

Susie: You’ve mentioned that.

Me: My gramps gave me a stuffed tiger called Hobbes I’m hyperactive and pathologically imaginative? And then, even more amazing, a girl lives two doors down and her name is Susie! Maybe once you create an idea and millions of people are loving that idea, when you get brilliance and love all mixed up like that, it makes something that has to go somewhere. It impacts reality, like a meteorite hitting Earth. Bang! I think the universe just couldn’t let Calvin go.

Okay, that’s not necessarily the conclusion that most people would arrive at given the evidence (Suzie, for example, doesn’t buy it) — but there’s something to his logic.

Calvin decides that if Watterson’s creation is what led to his problems, Watterson can fix him. To prove his devotion, he sets out on a pilgrimage that could be fatal, and Susie tags along to try to keep him safe. Hobbes tags along to . . . well, do Hobbes-like things.

This is a story about friendship, young love, the hazards of high school for the psychologically fragile, and about how a psychological diagnosis doesn’t have to determine your life and future. Leavitt writes with a lean, crisp prose that keeps things moving — even while treading emotionally rich territory.

A frequently very funny book, but I felt guilty laughing at this poor, sick kid. It was largely predictable, but satisfying nonetheless. I liked Calvin, Susie and their relationship. A sweet and imaginative tribute to Watterson and his creation.

—–

3.5 Stars

Before the Fall (Audiobook) by Noah Hawley, Robert Petkoff

By

On October 21, 2016

In Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Before the Fall Before the Fall

by Noah Hawley, Robert Petkoff (Narrator)

Unabridged Audiobook, 12 hrs, 59 min.
Hachette Audio, 2016
Read: August 25 – 30, 2016


A small, but luxurious, private plane goes down between Martha’s Vineyard and New York — two passengers survive, a painter (a guest of one of the other passengers) and a 4-year old boy. The boy is the son of two of the passengers — a man who runs a FOXNews doppleganger and his wife. The painter is a recovering addict named Scott Burroughs who’s on the verge of his big break. Thanks to a childhood obsession with swimming, Scott is able to swim he and the boy to safety — catapulting them both into a level of celebrity that nobody wants.

The investigation into the plane crash begins even before Scott makes it to shore — and looks into the background of everyone on the plane to find the responsible party. As the investigation — and the narration — gets into their pasts, it’s easy to believe that many of the people on board are responsible for the tragedy (either as perpetrator or target).

The other primary storyline follows the lives of Scott and the boy in the days following the crash. Their lives are forever changed — and intertwined. This was the heart of the book — by far the best part of it, while there was no suspense, no danger, just picking up the pieces of their life while under intense and unwanted media scrutiny.

The commentary this novel makes about the role of the Twenty-Four News Cycle in commenting on, shaping, and twisting whatever story it chooses to focus on needs to be heard. On the one hand, it’s nothing that many haven’t said before, but the way Hawley says it should help his message to resonate with people.

I read Hawley’s first novel, A Conspiracy of Tall Men, when it was first released and it blew me away — and I lost track of him after that until his show, The Unusuals premiered (still annoyed with ABC for canceling that too soon). This book has convinced me that I need to go back and read the books I missed — this isn’t as good as his debut, but it’s easier to believe. Hawley has a great way of getting into his character’s heads — and bringing the reader with him. These are all clearly drawn individuals with intricate and distinct backstories and voices, throw in an equally intricate plot that kept me gripped (even after I stopped really caring about “how did it happen” — I’m not sure that makes sense).

Petkoff’s narration is pretty good — he’s able to keep the story moving and deliver convincing characters (although I’m not crazy about his kid-voice, thankfully, he didn’t have to use it often). Petkoff’s a name that I’ll keep an eye out for.

A novel with two (main) stories — one that’s really good, and another that’s ultimately disappointing, while gripping up until that point. Hawley delivered here, and I look forward to reading more of his work (almost as much as I look forward to another season of his TV work). I recommend this — either in text or audio — it won’t be the best thing you read, but it’ll reward the time.

—–

3.5 Stars

I Was a Bitch by Emily Ruben

By

On October 12, 2016

In Fiction, General Fiction/Literature

I Was a BitchI Was a Bitch

by Emily Ruben

Kindle Edition, 401 pg.
Inkitt, 2016

Read: October 3 – 4, 2016


There’s a moment in teen comedies where the ugly duckling (who’s become the beautiful swan, backstabbed/betrayed/turned on/disappointed their life-long friends and become a real jerk) is forced to realize that what they’ve become and what they’ve done — from The DUFF to Can’t Buy Me Love and all points between (and probably points earlier), this is a standard and pivotal plot point. Can this be done in a tired and clichéd way? Yup, and regularly is. Can this be done in a creative and worthwhile way? Yup. But it’s hard to pull off.

And then Emily Ruben comes along and does this in a creative and worthwhile way — and makes it look like a walk in the park. Don’t get me wrong — making something look that easy takes a lot of work, I know this. But Ruben makes it look effortless. And one of the many creative things she does with this is who she has tell her protagonist that she’s become a bitch — herself.

Lacey comes out of a coma that’s lasted months and doesn’t remember the last couple of years. She starts using context clues, Facebook, utter strangers appearing in her hospital room, text messages, etc. to start piecing those two years together. What she learns about herself does not please her. She’s in shape — beyond that, she’s in great shape and dresses to flaunt it. Her “friends” are equally hot, as shallow as you’d expect and just nasty to others. Her boyfriend might as well be wearing a Kobra Kai uniform. She’s hidden some aspects of her personality — her sense of humor, kindness, clumsiness, intelligence, bookishness — and replaced them with, well, not much.

But there’s this Finn guy — who no one seems to know, but he sure seems to know her. Possibly more attractive than her boyfriend, definitely nicer than anyone she’s not related to. Just who is he, and what is he to her?

Lacey continues to investigate these questions (and more) while she recovers, goes through physical therapy, and returns to high school. And once she gets some answers — and some of her memories — about who she had become in the last two years, she has to make some decisions about who she’s going to be from now on.

We don’t get a full explanation of why Lacey took the steps she did to become who she became — but we get enough (and I think Lacey feels the same way). I like the fact that we are left with a few “i” not dotted and a handful of “t”s not crossed. Ruben had to resist a good deal of temptation to keep things vague at points — kudos to her.

I have a growing impatience for books who maintain dramatic tension through characters not having the guts to be honest with each other, to ask a question, to make a confession (not to a crime, but to something that’ll be uncomfortable) — but that’s just me. My notes are full of me complaining about Lacey ducking opportunities to have these conversations. By having her character take this road, Ruben doesn’t do anything that 97%+ of writers in all media wouldn’t do — sure, it’d be nice if she swam against the stream, but I can’t fault her too much for this.

Outside of those books where the parents/a parent/guardian/older family member turn out to be the villain, I can think of few worse parents than Lacey’s. I get that after a few months, they can’t afford to spend all day at the hospital — they have to work to pay the bills. But there are plenty of hours in the day for them to get over there after work — they regularly spend days without visiting her. And big brother comes back from traveling the world to be with her during her recovery — and he’s barely a presence. Sure, this gives time for her to deal the memory thing and the romantic problems, but it’s just done in a way that infuriates parents — there’s no way that any parent worth their salt isn’t around more. (it doesn’t get much better once she gets out of the hospital, either).

I loved Lacey’s voice, her interior monologue — who she really was. Her use of the phrase “Neville Longbottomed” to describe her physical changes is one of the best things I’ve read lately. I had a lot of fun reading this book and expect I won’t be alone.

As a forty-something father of four — I’m so not the target audience for this, possibly the furthest from it. But I gotta say, this was an enjoyable and entertaining read.

Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book by Inkitt in exchange for my honest opinions.

—–

3.5 Stars

Venators: Through the Arch by Devri Walls

By

On October 11, 2016

In Fantasy, Fiction, Venators, YA/MG/Children's Books

Venators: Through the ArchVenators: Through the Arch

by Devri Walls
Series: Venators, #1

Kindle Edition, 300 pg.
Superstorm Productions, 2016
Read: October 7 – 10, 2016

So this is a strange double-portal fantasy — six years ago Tate and some other creatures come into our world and run into Grey Malteer and some others, and disappear soon afterwards. Tate (and some others) comes back to check up on Grey and let him know about his destiny. In the meantime, Grey’s discovered he has some strange supernatural abilities — and has been teaching himself to use them in secret — he’s also been doing some research into the supernatural in the open, which is not such a great idea for a socially awkward teen — he might as well attach a “Kick Me” sign to his back himself.

About the same time, Rune’s twin, Ryker starts acting a little strange (and definitely takes advantage of the metaphorical “Kick Me” sign). Rune starts to feel differently about her brother and the supernatural, but there’s nothing she can put her finger on — so she bows to parental pressure and devotes herself to three things: academics, sports, and keeping Ryker from self-destruction. She excels at all three.

Six years later, the three are in college and Tate returns to bring Rune and Grey back to his world. A world where they are Venators (hunters) — keeping the vampires, werewolves, goblins, elves, fae, dragons, etc. in line. Eon is home to pretty much every mythological creature you can think of — and a few that Walls has invented on her own. The Venators are a line of human hunters supernaturally immune to the various abilities and magics of them all, whose duty it is to keep order in the land.

For various and sundry (largely undisclosed) reasons, most of the Venators are dead and gone — only these two remain. Tate and some of his allies, under the watchful (and not entirely corrupt) eye of the Council will train them to fulfill their destiny and restore the Venators to their rightful place.

Throw in a distrustful populace, a mysterious and powerful enemy, and a couple of super-powered impetuous and idealistic youths and you’ve got yourself a heckuva story.

Walls writes with a confidence and flair that helps the reader trust that she’ll be able to make sense of a fairly jumbled beginning (not bad, but could’ve been easier to navigate). Once we get into Eon, she balances plot, character work and worldbuilding to create a foundation for a promising series. I wondered a couple of times if the characters could’ve been developed a little more fully, but the work as a whole was strong enough that I was willing to roll with it and assume she’ll give us fuller characters next go around.

A quick-moving introduction to an interesting new reality. Give this one a shot — Walls will entertain you.

—–

3.5 Stars

Ascent by M. T. Miller

By

On September 21, 2016

In Fantasy, Fiction, M. T. Miller

AscentAscent: Second Book of the Nameless Chronicle

by M. T. Miller
Series: The Nameless Chronicle, #2

Kindle Edition, 316 pg.
2016

Read: September 3, 2016


Can you read this without having read Risen? Yeah, but it’d be better if you didn’t (and Risen is short enough that you might was well). I’m not sure how much time has passed since the last page of the first book, but we find Nameless pretty much how we left him — wandering along, on the verge of . . . whatever exactly would happen to him if he didn’t get more energy. Like before, almost as soon as he gets to town, he falls victim to a gang of sorts and is mugged. Of course, his first order of business (after recuperating from the beating) is revenge, which will give him the energy he needs to move around the Pyramid to search for the explanations he needs to understand his abilities, his nature and identity.

What’s the Pyramid, you ask? It’s a city in a giant 4-tiered structure (each tier housing a different caste). Nameless adopts a name, makes a little money on the lowest level — full of crime, poverty and menial labor — and buys himself access to the next level. Where he finds a new — and legal — way to use his fighting abilities to make money. Things go haywire from there.

There’s a lot more going on in this book than there was in its predecessor, Risen — if for no other reason than it’s almost 3 times as long. It’s still the same kind of book — full of violence, some pretty good fight scenes, and a post-apocalyptic culture that’s foreign, yet all-too familiar. There are many more characters, relating to Nameless in a variety of ways — friendship, camaraderie, betrayal, exploitation, to name a few.

The way things went in Book One, I assumed that we were going to learn Nameless’ origins, etc. over the course of a handful of books. Nope — we get almost every question we had about where he came from answered — and almost all of them are just dumped on us. There was no slow and steady learning here, just BAM! here are your answers. And it worked — much better than a slow reveal, a giant dropping of information (which I usually am opposed to) took care of everything (while still leaving me with almost as many questions as Nameless had).

I shouldn’t neglect to say that just because Nameless has almost all of his questions answered here, that he knows what to do with this information. I’m guessing part (or all of that) will be revealed in Book Three.

I don’t normally do this, but I while writing this I went back to my post about Risen and chuckled because what I said there as a lot like the next point on my outline: “My one complaint is length — just about everything is too short. The story is too short, most of the scenes are, too. But I’m pretty sure that’s just my wanting more for myself — to give us longer scenes would ruin the pacing, would mess with the way Miller’s constructing the series. And really, when you get down to it “I wanted more!” is more of a compliment than a complaint — but I’m calling it one nonetheless.” His scenes aren’t too short this time, but everything else I said there is still true. A lot of the action (especially the violence) is given to us in summary form — we see the “important” fights, the ones that shape the story, but the rest is given in something like a re-cap mode (ditto with the flirting, with his conversations with others, and so on). So clearly, this is the kind of thing that’s 1. Miller’s style and/or 2. The style of this series. Either are perfectly acceptable. And honestly? If he’d given us more of the fights, more about Nameless’ days in the new society he’d encountered, etc. I’d likely be complaining that he’s reveling in the violence, bogging down the story with the details. So what do I know?

Ascent is a book that kept you guessing and leaves you in a very different world than you thought you were in at the beginning — with a status quo that is so far from what it initially was that it’ll leave you reeling. Taut, well-paced, with some pretty good hand-to-hand combat scenes — and it won’t let you go until the very end. Miller’s really got something going here.

Disclaimer — I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion. I appreciate that, Mr. Miller — and thanks for being so cool about me forgetting the date.

—–

3.5 Stars

The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan

By

On September 16, 2016

In Fantasy, Fiction, Rick Riordan, YA/MG/Children's Books

The Hidden OracleThe Hidden Oracle

by Rick Riordan
Series: Trials of Apollo, #1

Hardcover, 361 pg.
Disney-Hyperion, 2016

Read: August 31, 2016


Only 361 pages? Riordan is taking it easy on his readers. And maybe himself.

Anyway, following the events of The Heroes of Olympus, Zeus is a little displeased with Apollo and demonstrates this by turning him into a human teen (read: YA/MG novel star) and casting him to earth. He appears to be fully human — not even a demigod like Percy and the rest. Speaking of Percy, as soon as Apollo figures out what happened to him and where he is, he makes a beeline for Percy’s apartment to get help. Smart move. Percy gets him to Camp Halfblood and disappears back to NYC to do homework.

Once there, Apollo begins trying to figure out what quest he’ll have to do to return his status to quo. Along the way, he’ll make some friends, get a better perspective on himself and his offspring (yeah, that’s not weird), and maybe go through some of that personal growth. Note that I said, “some” personal growth and “better” perspective — that’s not saying much, basically Apollo comes across as a teenaged-Gilderoy Lockheart with a conscience. Instead of the large number of missions that we’ve become accustomed to in these books, there’s really just one (plus the series-arc mission) — such a nice change.

A lot of people from the Percy Jackson and The Heroes series are name-dropped and discussed, not to mention the few that we see — there’s even a nod to the Magnus Chase series — thankfully, my favorite is one of those who shows up in the flesh. There’s also a good amount of in-jokes to please the long-time fans. But readers new to this universe shouldn’t be put off by any of this — it’s absolutely approachable, maybe even moreso than anything since The Lightning Thief.

This is told in the typical breezy style that characterized non-adult mystery Riordan novels, but given the different protagonist, feels a little fresher. A little briefer, a little change of pace — still full of that Riordan magic. The Hidden Oracle is a sold first-entry in yet another adventure in this world. Give it a shot.

—–

3.5 Stars

The Corruption of Chastity by Frank Westworth

By

On September 14, 2016

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

The Corruption of ChastityThe Corruption of Chastity

by Frank Westworth
Series: Killing Sisters, #2

ePub, 352 pg.
The Book Guild, 2015

Read: August 3 – 5, 2016


I’ve put off writing this one for far too long, mostly because I’m torn and I’m not sure what to say.

First, this is the second in a series and I spent a little too long at the beginning trying to get my bearings. I got there with a little work, but the new reader has to wade through a lot to suss out the events of Book One. This is not necessarily a bad thing — just a warning for others new to the series.

This book has some pretty high highs, and a really low low.

The big high is in the suspense/espionage-like material. Chastity (and her sisters) are top-notch assassins — although, it could be argued that Chastity has done this sort of thing a few too many times, and she’s the worse for it. She’s gotten herself in a tight-spot, and Stoner the burned British agent (or whatever he technically is), is hired to get her out of it. Doing so yanks him out of his retirement (living the life of a musician on a cruise-ship) and plunges him into a chase through Europe to find out who has Chastity in their sights and to stop them.

Most of the characters are doozies, strong voices, strong perspectives, troubling violent tendencies (well, troubling to most people — but just what’s needed for their situations). Not just Chastity and Stoner — but the wide variety of spooks, criminals, military types and blues musicians we run into along the way.

There’s enough twists and turns to keep the reader (and Stoner) guessing and on their toes. I wasn’t crazy about one of the subplots but most of that probably comes from me not knowing the players before.

There’s a torture scene that is truly disturbing (and I didn’t buy the foundation for it), incidentally. The violence outside of that as pretty graphic, but (mostly) nothing too much for those who’d read this genre anyway. That’s neither a high or a low, just an observation I think I should make.

The low? It’s the sex. There’s a whole lot of it — probably too much. Not just that, but it’s described in too much detail. Give these people some privacy, will you? Even that is excusable — but man — it’s just poorly written. “Poorly,” might be pulling my punch — it’s just bad. These sex scenes are the kind of thing that makes Tom Wolfe’s “Bad Sex in Fiction” award-winning (and nominated) books look erotic.

Outside of the bedroom, Westworth can write — he knows how to keep things moving, how to zig when the reader’s expecting a zag (or how to execute a zag so well, that you don’t care it’s what you expected). When we get the character moments, the action/suspense stuff — even the talk about music — this book is so good, it’s right up there with Finder, Child, and Sharp. And that ending? I really want to see what Stoner does next. I just hope he keeps it in his pants (ditto for everyone else).

Disclaimer: I received this from the author in exchange for my honest take on his book — I wish my thoughts were a bit more coherent, and were timelier, but I really appreciated the book.

—–

3.5 Stars

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