Tag: 3 1/2 Stars Page 43 of 44

Dusted Off: The Girl in the Steel Corset

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On February 24, 2014

In Fiction, Steampunk, YA/MG/Children's Books

The Girl in the Steel Corset (Steampunk Chronicles, #1)The Girl in the Steel Corset

by Kady Cross
Hardcover, 473 pg.
Harlequin Teen, 2011
Read: June 26-27, 2012

When I started this, I kept thinking, “this is the steampunk version of Twilight.” A good, fun read, but nothing to get too excited about. But as I read on, I started thinking that less and less. Maybe because it was getting better, maybe because I just got into the story fully. Doesn’t matter.

Midly predictable plot, but entertainingly told. The characters are engaging and frustrating (in a way that serves to underline how much you like them). The steam-tech is fun and well thought out. The whole super-power thing? Very well executed. Super Powers and Steampunk? That’s some peanut butter you can get in my chocolate, anytime.

Fun, fun, read–with a good jump start to the sequel.

—–

3.5 Stars

Mandarin Plaid by S. J. Rozan

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On February 13, 2014

In Authors, Fiction, Lydia Chin & Bill Smith, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, S. J. Rozan

Mandarin Plaid (Lydia Chin & Bill Smith #3)Mandarin Plaid

by S.J. Rozan
Series: Lydia Chin & Bill Smith, #3

Mass Market Paperback, 275 pg.
St. Martin’s Paperbacks, 1997
Read: Feb. 10, 2014

As much as I enjoyed Concourse, Mandarin Plaid reminded me of the problems I had with it — namely, it didn’t have enough Lydia Chin. We’re back to Lydia as narrator, and her carrying a lot more of the investigative and sleuthing burden. Which leads to a more interesting and satisfying read.

Once again, it’s one of Lydia’s brothers that brings her the client — and then tries to get her off the case — which starts off pretty simply, Lydia making a money drop to retrieve some stolen property. Lydia’s Chinatown connections prove invaluable to her sussing things out when the ransom drop doesn’t go according to plan.

Not that her partner, Bill Smith doesn’t bring connections to the table — he has a long history with the NYPD in general, and the NYPD detective they cross paths with. Whereas Lydia’s connections provide assistance and (mostly) useful information; Smith’s bring them grief and harassment from the NYPD.

Things move along at a good clip, Lydia’s voice is just as strong and self-assured. The case itself was pretty interesting and tricky enough to satisfy the whodunit reader. Rozan faked me out a couple of times, and in the end, when I was wrong, I could take it, because she laid the groundwork for what was really going on.

I think I’m in this series for the long-haul.

—–

3.5 Stars

Dusted Off: Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham

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On January 6, 2014

In Fiction, General Fiction/Literature

Someday, Someday, MaybeSomeday, Someday, Maybe

by Lauren Graham
Hardcover, 344 pg.
Ballantine Books, 2013

Lauren Graham’s as entertaining a writer as she is an actress. Which makes her too talented for any one person to be. Her protagonist, Franny, is a struggling actress trying to get her break in New York in the mid-90s. And it’s nearly impossible to not see Graham as Franny — it’s beyond impossible to not hear Graham in the narration (frequently) and in the dialogue (always).

That’s not a complaint, it’s an observation.

This is fun, heart-warming, and laugh-inducing. A breezy read that’s well worth the time.

Heck, the last paragraph said by Franny’s agent about being faster, funnier and louder is alone worth reading the book.

—–

3.5 Stars

Dusted Off: Thief’s Covenant by Ari Marmell

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On December 2, 2013

In Fiction

Thief's Covenant (Widdershins Adventures, #1)Thief’s Covenant

by Ari Marmell
Series: Widdershins Adventures, #1

Hardcover, 273 pg.
Pyr, 2012

Marmell’s first foray into YA is exactly what it should be–his kind of story, without the adult-y material, which he managed to do without feeling like he watered anything down. There’s some light moments–and some flat-out clever writing–but on a dime, Marmell can turn things dark and gruesome

Adrienne/Widdershins/insert-alias-here is a heckuva character — tough, but vulnerable; wise, yet naive; reckless, yet skilled–a good YA character. She’s good at what she does–maybe even great–but not perfect, which I really appreciated.

A good, solid fantasy in a package that’s smaller than a doorstop. I’ll be back for more.

—–

3.5 Stars

S is for Silence by Sue Grafton

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On November 12, 2013

In Authors, Fiction, Kinsey Millhone, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Sue Grafton

S is for Silence
S is for Silence

by Sue Grafton
Series: Kinsey Millhone, #19

Hardcover, 374 pg.
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2005

Grafton’s clearly stretching her craft in these last few books, which is commendable — and, on the whole, pretty successful. Like in Q is for Quarry, Kinsey’s working a cold case, this time she’s not even sure if it’s a missing person or a murder that she’s been hired for.

There’s an interesting pattern to these chapters — one or two in Kinsey’s present, and then a chapter from the Point of View of one of the people that knew the subject of her investigation a couple of decades before. Not only is this a stylistic leap for Grafton, it’s pretty interesting for her to be giving the reader that much more insight into the characters. But overall, I wasn’t crazy about seeing how every one’s a liar, before or after they talk to Kinsey. I’d rather watch Kinsey discover the lie, or see that they’re lying, rather than we readers knowing that and Kinsey being lost.

As we move along, we are given a more complex look at our victim than Grafton’s usually able to provide. We get to know her better and better each time we’re given a look at the past. We see how various people saw her through their perspectives and end up caring a lot more about her when we learn what happened to her than we normally would.

I’m not convinced that the case itself was that interesting, but the way that Grafton told it was very interesting and raised the level of the book. Making this satisfying in a way that Kinsey stories usually aren’t.

Grafton essentially ignores the ongoing family and romance stories she’s been pursuing lately — a nice break, but hopefully she returns to them soon — as much growth as the books have displayed lately, it’d be nice if Kinsey could catch up.

Grafton took a chance this time, and it paid off. Hope she keeps stretching herself as eh move on towards Z.

—–

3.5 Stars

Must Kill TV by Ken Levine

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On November 6, 2013

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

Must Kill TV
Must Kill TV

by Ken Levine
Kindle, 144 pg.
Amazon Digital Services, Inc., 2013

If anyone knows the ins and outs of TV production and networks, it’s Ken Levine. And a quick look at his blog shows that if anyone can talk about the subject with panache, understanding, and levity, it’s definitely Ken Levine.

Charles Muncie is a network president in trouble — he really only has one hit show (and the way he got that show is both utterly ridiculous and probably closer to reality than it should be), and if he doesn’t hang on to it — he won’t last though the next commercial break. So, Muncie becomes a lap dog to the star — a comedian that America thinks is a great guy, but is actually a complete tool. Muncie finds himself doing all sorts of things for the star — filling sandbags before dawn, and arranging a murder. Things go from bad to worse, and even worse from there.

The characters are more types than people — which is pretty much par for the course for a satire, particularly one as one as broad as this. Although, Muncie seems a bit too moral for a typical Hollywood executive, so maybe there’s more characterization than I want to give Levine credit for.

The book is full of nods, allusions and references to movies and television shows and personalities — both real and fictional (a David Caruso sitcom?). This is Levine’s meat and potatoes. This is what takes the book from a pretty straight-forward (yet hapless) murder for hire plot and turns it into something worth reading. Muncie’s internal monologue is the best part of this — he free associates his way from dealing with his real problems, to memories of his childhood (and the TV he watched), to potential new shows, and observations on Hollywood and all points in between. As his life spirals further and further out of control, these associations become longer, stranger and funnier.

A fun, quick, read with just enough excitement to keep the plot moving and enough laughs that you wish it wouldn’t end.

—
Note: I was provided a copy of this book by the author in exchange for a review.

—–

3.5 Stars

Ever After by Kim Harrison

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On November 1, 2013

In F-J, Fiction, Kim Harrison, The Hollows (Rachel Morgan), Urban Fantasy

Ever After
Ever After

by Kim Harrison
Series: The Hollows, #11
Mass Market Paperback, 528 pg.
Harper Voyager, 2013

So here we are at Hollows #11 — or as I prefer to think of them, The Adventures of Jenks and his Tenants. It’s the best in quite a while, if you ask me.* I’ve had a hard time maintaining a real interest in these lately, and have only persisted because I’ve read so many of them and I’m curious about how Harrison brings the series to a close. The nominal main character, Rachel, did make a radical developmental leap two books back — and while that served as the core of #10, I think it paid off here.

Thankfully.

Since the events at the end of #9, Rachel’s been more proactive, less wishy-washy about her personal life, and generally more interesting than she’d been. This is definitely the best use of her I can remember.

Ivy is still criminally misused and underused. I can’t believe that Harrison still cares about her at all — keeping her “off screen” so much, and then having her do practically nothing meaningful once she shows. Yes, I can see where the groundwork is being laid for a major Ivy storyline, but at this point, I have no confidence that we’ll see it — and if we do? I can’t see it working too well.

Jenks, on the other hand, played an important role throughout — his presence effected the story, he mattered. Not just because I like him better than anyone else in this universe, but the way Harrison uses him is so far superior to any other character, I like him more and more each passing novel. The stuff with his kids, and Belle, while not that important, in the grand scheme of things, grounds the novel and the characters.

Trent continues to grow on me — I was ready for the series to dump him ages ago, but now I really enjoy him. I still think that it’d have made sense, and been a healthier/wiser choice for Ivy and Rachel to have nothing more to do with him after maybe the third book, but that’s clearly not what Harrison wanted, and it’s paying off. Best use of him yet — the way he treats, and wanted to treat Rachel throughout this is so much better than he’s done before — character growth is always good. I wish Rachel got a bit more of it to match him.

Couple of quick character moments before I move on — Bis is such a great addition to the series, and this time we get to meet more gargoyles. I wouldn’t mind a few short stories featuring them (nothing against Anton Strout’s gargoyle series, I should add). I even liked Newt and Al for maybe the first time ever — but I really can’t get into the details there.

The seeds for the plot were planted from the beginning of the series, and were watered consistently — so the payoff here was well-earned, and dealt with correctly. The choices that Quen, Trent and Rachel are forced to make, the actions they take aren’t easy and felt like things people would choose to do, not merely decisions made for the sake of moving the story along (something I don’t think Harrison has consistently done). It’s really the best since, maybe book #4 in that regard.

The last chapter served as a really good epilogue, as well as setting the stage for the future — along with providing a lot of fodder for the various ‘shippers out there (most of this book does that, really). If Harrison’s doing what I think she’s doing here, I will be pleased.

In the end, a pleasant addition to this series, one that exceeded my expectations — can’t ask for much more than that.

* Apparently, I said the same thing after #10, but I don’t remember thinking that.

—–

3.5 Stars

Whack A Mole by Chris Grabenstein

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On October 30, 2013

In Authors, Chris Grabenstein, F-J, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Whack A Mole
Whack A Mole

by Chris Grabenstein
Hardcover, 320 pg.
Carroll & Graf, 2007

How does Sea Haven, NJ continue to have summer tourism? For three years straight, the peaceful, quaint tourist town has been shaken by murders — some pretty ghastly. Sure, they’ve got a police chief and a mayor dedicated to keeping the havoc and mayhem under wraps. That’s part of it. And perhaps people looking to spend a week or two along the beach in Jersey aren’t the most discriminating of people (suddenly, I’m thinking of a MTV series).

Another factor, of course, has to be how the Sea Haven police deal with these murderers. In particular, rookie officer Danny Boyle and his partner John Ceepak. Ceepak’s practically a modern-day paladin — honor-bound, noble, with a deep sense of justice, law and order, infinitely patient with his partner — who spends almost every off-duty hour trying to learn all he can about forensic and investigation methods. If not for Ceepak, Boyle’d probably be on track for a life of partying, waiting tables, and trying to stay entertained. But now he’s on-track to become a better-than-average cop.

This time out, Ceepak and Danny are on the track of a serial killer who was pretty busy in the late 1970s and 1980s, but took a decade or two off — but now he’s back on his holy crusade to rid the world — or at least Sea Haven — from promiscuous young women. Of course, last time he was active, Ceepak wasn’t anywhere near Sea Haven (or a police force), things are going to go differently for the killer this time.

Grabenstein’s style is what makes these work — the mysteries, the situations, the characters, the setting — they’d probably be okay. But Grabenstein makes them sparkle. These are occasionally laugh-out-loud funny, but mostly these stories are just told with a dazzling wit, Danny’s voice is naive and worldy-wise at the same time — his devotion to his partner, along with his inapplicability of really understanding him, make me think of the Archie Goodwin/Nero Wolfe pairing. Ceepak’s too good to be true, but Danny’s incredibly believable, and as long as he believes in Ceepak, the reader does, too.

Good, solid entry in this series that I hope keeps going for a long time.

—–

3.5 Stars

Where There’s a Will by Aaron Elkins

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On October 26, 2013

In Aaron Elkins, Fiction, Gideon Oliver, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Where There's a Will
Where There’s a Will

by Aaron Elkins
Hardcover, 288 pg.
Berkley Hardcover, 2005

Spending time with an Aaron Elkins book is like spending time with old friends. Without meaning to I’d taken a few years off from reading the Oliver books, and then picked one up a couple of years ago and it was just like picking up a friend from high school like no time had passed. I had the same experience with this one it was a pleasant reunion with my old buddies Gideon, Julie and John.

A minor quibble to get out of the way before I get into this: I’m sorry, you really can’t be naming a main character Hedwig in 2005. What I see when I read that name isn’t the oddly large vegetarian, spiritual therapist (or whatever she calls herself); I see a white owl, delivering mail for a bespectacled wizard with a distinctive scar.

As usual, Gideon Oliver, the forensic anthropologist, is on a vacation with his old friend John Lau, the FBI agent and runs into a set of bones that needs to be examined. John and Julie, Gideon’s wife, are quick to joke about this tendency. This time, they’re on a ranch that John worked at in college and the plane that one of the ranch’s owners had disappeared in ten years previously is discovered. Gideon’s volunteered to help identify the remains in the plane — and things go sideways from there.

Gideon only has a foot and a mandible to work with this time (and later, some photographs of another body), so he doesn’t get to strut his stuff as much as he frequently does. Still, the amount of information he’s able to pull from this sample is astounding. Even if these books were dull, I’d pick them up frequently just to read these parts. But Elkins is fun to read — he has a breezy, comfortable style — which his main characters share. They have fun doing what they do, and it’s infectious, before long you can’t help having fun with them.

As enjoying as Elkins is to read, its easy to forget how dark he can go when it’s called for — usually when Gideon (and sometimes John) have been poking around in an old, old case and someone gets nervous about it and starts picking off incriminating people. I’m not saying he reaches a James Patterson-esque level of the description of a murder, it’s definitely briefer than him, but compared to the rest of the book, it’s dark.

I’d guessed at part of the big reveal at the end of the novel early on, but Gideon talked me out of it — quite convincingly (and honestly — Elkins doesn’t cheat like a lot of mystery writers do). I get frustrated at myself when that happens, but I’m consistently entertained by it, too. So that’s a plus in my book.

A good read, it’s a series you can really jump into at any point, with very clever mysteries — give it a shot. Hopefully I keep my resolution this time and get back together with my brainy pal Gideon real soon.

—–

3.5 Stars

Review: China Trade

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On October 22, 2013

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

China Trade
China Trade

by S.J. Rozan
Series: Lydia Chin & Bill Smith, #1

Mass Market Paperback, 275 pg.
St. Martin’s Paperbacks, 1995 by

For everyone who’s wondered what Kinsey Milhone would be like if she were a young American Born Chinese woman living with her non-English speaking mother while resisting her family’s efforts to get her to stop being a P.I., this is the book for you (and sure, who among us hasn’t played with that thought experiment?).

I don’t necessarily thing that’s what Rozan was trying for — and Lydia Chin’s not so Milhone-eque that she’s not her own character, but that’s the thought that kept running through my mind. And I do mean that as a compliment.

This was a great first book for a series — a fascinating world, some really good characters that I could see myself enjoying spending time with, and room for the characters to grow and explore this world — and that’s really the thing I want in a first book in series. Rozan adds a pretty interesting case, with just enough twists, turns, and danger to keep the reader glued to the page. She faked me out once (but in an honest way), but on the whole it was easy to stay with the pair as they untangled this web, though Lydia’s final deduction surprised me (shouldn’t have, but that’s my fault).

An entertaining start to a series I look forward to reading more of.

—–

3.5 Stars

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