Tag: 3 1/2 Stars Page 8 of 41

The Soul’s Conflict and Victory Over Itself by Faith by Richard Sibbes: Sibbes Gets a Lot out of Psalm 42:11

DETAILS:
Publisher: Monergism Books
Publication Date: July 1, 2022
Format: Paperback
Length: 230 pg.
Read Date: September 4-18, 2022

What’s The Soul’s Conflict… About?

This is a treatise on:

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted
within me? hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him, who is
the health of my countenance, and my God.—PSALM 42:11.

Sibbes has two types of believers in mind for this—those who are at peace with the world, who enjoy comfort, and those who are constantly troubled. He seeks to disquiet the former and help the latter to find peace.

He spends a chapter giving an overview of the psalm before diving into the discussion. Following it, the book is pretty cleanly divided into two parts—The Soul’s Conflict and The Soul’s Victory Over Itself. It was pretty easy, despite the lack of a Table of Contents saying “Part II,” to tell when Sibbes switched to the Victory side.

Both of these sections are typical of the Puritan era—squeezing every last drop of water out of the rock that was the topic. There is some exegesis, and a little interpretation of the passage, but it can feel like Sibbes was given an assignment for a listicle—here are 12 reasons your soul can be cast down.

So, what did I think about The Soul’s Conflict…?

Faith is an understanding grace; it knows whom it trusts, and for what, and upon what grounds it trusts. Reason of itself cannot find what we should believe, yet when God hath discovered the same, faith tells us there is great reason to believe it. Faith useth reason, though not as a ground, yet as a sanctified instrument to find out God’s grounds, that it may rely upon them. He believes best, that knows best why he should believe. Confidence, and love, and other affections of the soul, though they have no reason grafted in them, yet thus far they are reasonable, as that they are in a wise man raised up, guided, and laid down with reason; or else men were neither to be blamed nor praised for ordering their affections aright; whereas not only civil virtue, but grace itself is especially conversant in ruling the affections by sanctified reason.

I got to the point, I admit, that I had a hard time getting through the first part of the book, and wondered how long it was going to go on. I know that Sibbes actually could’ve—should’ve—gone on longer to be truly exhaustive about the ways we deceive ourselves, find ways to rebel, and so on. I acknowledge I might be one of the ones he targeted as “too comfortable,” who really needed to study and meditate on those parts before going on to the encouraging section.

Or maybe I’m a victim of 21st Century abbreviated attention-span. Or both. But it did go on so long that it felt like he was just stretching things to make word count (I know that’s not true—he didn’t have one). I had a similar reaction in the last couple of chapters of the Victory section, but it took a little longer for that to happen.

I know I’m coming across as negative here, I don’t mean to be. I liked this, just not as much as I expected to. I go into a Sibbes book expecting a 5 Star experience. If I don’t get it, I probably complain too much. Both sides were insightful and helpful—I think I profited more from the last section, a lot of it was great, and some of the better material I’ve read from Sibbes. I certainly think I’d have a different reaction at another time—and I am going to return to this in a couple of years. Both to understand it better and to see how I react.

In the meantime, for a great example of Puritan spirituality, of a spiritual doctor diagnosing and treating his patients (read: readers), you can’t do better than Sibbes (even if he gets tedious). It’s truly rewarding.

3.5 Stars

The Days of Tao by Wesley Chu: A Fast and Fun Post-Script to the Trilogy

By HCNewton

On September 21, 2022

In Science Fiction, Wesley Chu

The Days of Tao

by Wesley Chu

DETAILS:
Series: Tao Trilogy, #3.5
Publisher: Hunter & River, Inc
Publication Date: April 30, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition
Length: 104 pg.
Read Date: September 10, 2022

You can do this, Cameron. You have intelligence, competence, and experience on your side.

“You’re right. I can handle this job on my own. I got this,” he huffed as he tried to make himself believe those words.

I was referring to me.

What’s The Days of Tao About?

Cameron Poe is about to graduate from college—he would’ve graduated already if he hadn’t picked up a D in Art History, of all things. To make up for that before he can start training to be a full-fledged Prophus operative, he’s taking a summer class in Greece with a couple of his friends. It’s a relaxing time in a fascinating part of the world with an interesting group of students—and a chance for one last college romance before he has to focus.

But then a Prophus agent needs immediate extraction because he has vital information to share, his life is in danger, and the Genjix are about to take their aggression to the next level throughout the world. And Cameron’s the closest thing that the Prophus have to an operative in the country.

Cameron can’t abandon his friends, though—and they won’t abandon their classmates—so he ends up dragging along most of the group on his rescue mission (why make things easy for himself?)

What did I think about The Days of Tao?

I bought this shortly after its publication, and have no idea why I didn’t read it until now (and don’t get me started on The Fall of Io). If it accomplished nothing else, it got me thinking about the series and remembering how much fun it was.

I don’t remember what I thought of them while reading them (and I’m not going to look), but I remember the Tao novels being a little longer than they needed to—that’s not a criticism, but I think they could have been tightened up a bit. Not this—the advantage of the novella—there’s not an ounce of fat to this, not one wasted word. That’s not to say that it’s all plot or anything— Beyond the action and the extraction, there are some good character moments, some necessary development of Cameron, and a couple of laughs—but this novella never slows or drags for a moment. Once the agent says he needs extraction (and, even before that), we’re off to the races and you’d better be buckled up.

Looking at this book’s place in the series, it serves to put the action and the characters (including Io) in place for The Rise of Io. Was this a necessary bridge between the Tao and Io books? Not really no. That’s one thing about these Subterranean Press books—they’re a nice bonus to completists, but people who don’t want to/are too slow to shell out the money for the nice hardcovers (and don’t want to go ebook or audiobook) don’t miss anything they need. But man, it was a nice way to spend an hour or so with some old friends. I really enjoyed this and would commend it (even at this late date) to fans of Tao and the Tan family.

3.5 Stars

Pub Day Post: Wealth Management by Edward Zuckerman: Not Your Garden-Variety Thriller

By HCNewton

On September 20, 2022

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

Wealth Management

by Edward Zuckerman

DETAILS:
Publisher: Arcade Crimewise
Publication Date: September 20, 2022
Format: eARC
Length: 288 pg.
Read Date: September 14-16, 2022

What’s Wealth Management About?

Not that long ago, Catherine, Rafe, and Majid had attended Harvard Business School together—they were competitors, friends, and (at least briefly) more than friends. After graduation, they’d each gone their separate ways, but life has brought them all back together in Geneva, Switzerland.

Catherine is working for a large and important bank, Majid and his partner run a fairly new hedge fund management firm, and Rafe…well, there’s what he tells people and what’s really going on with him. The personal entanglements have started/resumed before we see the reunion of the trio, and they become more entangled after the book begins. As do the professional dealings—and here’s where it gets messy.

It turns out that one of Catherine’s more significant clients seems to be involved in some money laundering (and is dragging her along with him)—and possibly some worse crimes. Majid’s firm is in serious cash problems, that might have been saved by one client—but he and his partner are concerned about this client and how he knows just the right stocks to sell short. And Rafe just might be able to save both of them from these, shall we say, complications.

There’s at least one murder, a terrorist act or two, some CIA agents, a persistent (and possibly honest) Nigerian police detective, and other assorted criminal and conspiracies afoot as well—and once Majid and Catherine become aware of them (and/or stop lying to themselves about how complicit they may be), it looks like Rafe’s help isn’t only attractive—but their sole lifeline.

Can Rafe help his friends/lover/frenemies? Can they uncover—and maybe stop—a terrorist plot?

The Financial Side

Like I said last week when talking about Nineteenth Century Monetary Crime—I’m not particularly interested in, or seemingly that capable—of rolling up my sleeves to get into the nitty-gritty of the World of Finance. I get the broad concepts—and can even appreciate the broad outlines of a discussion of short-selling (and things along those lines).

I was a little apprehensive about that idea before I started the book. Would this get into the weeds with that kind of thing? I remember learning too much about nuclear submarines or the inner-workings of an aircraft carrier deck’s operations back in the 80s and 90s when all I wanted was some action. Would the infodumps/background information slow things down too much?

Yeah, I was also a little worried about not being able to follow the focus of the action—no one likes their novels making them feel dumb. Or even if I could understand it, would it really be interesting enough to hold my attention?

Thankfully, it didn’t get too far into the weeds. I could understand the financial actions—and it wasn’t dull at all. Actually, I think this is the kind of thing that’d be good to see more of. Just how do terrorist groups—or even criminal organizations (outside of theft or selling drugs/guns/whatever)—fund themselves? It’s not like you can reuse explosive materials or bullets, and they don’t grow on trees—the money has to come from somewhere, and it sure isn’t from bake sales. The idea that certain targets/plots are motivated as a way to generate income for a terrorist group is a great way to cost a guy some sleep (and hope that “the good guys” are able to stop them).

And if cryptocurrencies reared their head at all, it was so briefly* that it didn’t leave a lasting impression—right now, you have to be grateful for that.

* Also, a quick word search didn’t turn up the term.

I’m Not Entirely Sold On This…

There’s a Love Triangle here among our protagonists—it’s not a significant part of the story, but it’s not insignificant either. Well, “Love” might only apply for 1-1.5 of the sides, but “Friends-With-Benefits Triangle” doesn’t have a great ring to it, and “Sex Triangle” seems to suggest all sorts of things that Zuckerman didn’t have in mind.

If this is a product of a “you have to have sex in a thriller to sell” kind of a thing, I guess it fulfilled its cynical function—and didn’t put off prudes like me.

If it’s to round out these characters and make them more than young professional types out to make all the money they can—or to ground them in reality and/or make them more interesting? I guess it succeeded (maybe not in the interesting part, but its possible).

If it’s to add layers of additional and conflicting motivations to the characters—giving them reasons to trust, distrust, and be unwilling to work with each other? It’s not bad—but I think it could’ve been played up a bit more—or at least more thoroughly. We get some of this, but I think it could’ve been explored a bit better.

It’s likely all three of these things—and probably more—and as such, it largely succeeds. But my gut tells me that it could’ve been done a bit better without turning the book into something all about the Triangle.

So, what did I think about Wealth Management?

Okay, I called this a Financial Thriller (as does the publisher)—but never fear, there’s the requisite gunplay, hand-to-hand violence (and threat thereof)—and actual terrorist activity. The thrills aren’t all in deft trades and market chicanery. The money material is the focus and does provide most of the thrills—and it’s what distinguishes this book from the rest of the market. In the end, we get a tight and intricate novel full of intrigue.

At one point, I counted a dozen competing/conflicting motives/goals/actions at work among the named characters—plus a handful of people we don’t meet. Zuckerman keeps the action jumping from character to character quickly, advancing each plot line a little at a time so they can come together in a nicely dramatic fashion.

Some of the characters aren’t that developed—but there’s enough to hang on to. With most of them, it’s easy to see that in another 50-100 pages or so, you could see them being described as such. But with a cast as big as this one in under 300 pages? You’re going to get some that are undercooked, there’s just no way to do that. Like with most thrillers—if it comes down to a choice between plot vs. character, plot wins—especially when it’s paced the way this is. It’s not a bug, it’s a feature (not my favorite feature, but it is one).

My initial reaction when I was emailed about this book was, “‘MBAs,” ‘Banking’, and ‘Thriller’ are not terms I’d expect to be together”—and they’re still not. But when done right—done the way that Zuckerman did it in these pages—I’m glad to say that I was wrong.

This is a very effective thriller, a little something different in the diet—and generally a good time. Yes, I think that another hundred pages could’ve been added to better develop characters, the whatever-triangle, and to flesh out a few other aspects of the book—but I think that might have sacrificed pace and tension, and you don’t want a ponderous thriller. So, I think Zuckerman made the right choices there. A quick glance at IMDB shows you, that he knows his way around a tight plot—also any author who is able to induce a moment of acrophobia deserves kudos.* I’m glad to recommend Wealth Management and encourage you to check it out.

* Sure, in real life or on film (or via a Go Pro video), I’m on a hair trigger for that kind of thing, but to do it without visual stimuli is a trick.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from the author via Wiley Saichek and Saichek Publicity in exchange for this post—while I appreciate that, the opinions expressed are wholly mine.

3.5 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, the opinions expressed are my own.

Robert B. Parker’s Fallout by Mike Lupica: Two Murders Rock Paradise

By HCNewton

On September 15, 2022

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

When I started to write this, I thought it’d be a 5 +/- paragraph post, but apparently I can’t shut up about books in a Parker series (and I did try).

Fallout

by Mike Lupica

DETAILS:
Series: Jesse Stone, #21
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: September 5, 2022
Format: Hardcover
Length: 353 pg.
Read Date: September 7-8, 2022

“I guess drinking was his way of dealing with it tonight.”

“That was always my first option,” Jesse said. “And second. And third. But no matter how many times I tried, it never seemed to work.”

There was a pause at her end.

“He didn’t get into any fights, did he?”

“Just with himself,” Jesse said. “Spoiler alert? He lost.”

What’s Fallout About?

There are two murders for the Paradise Police Department to focus on in this book—and both have a lot of personal resonance.

The first is the suspicious death of Suit’s nephew. He was a senior in High School and a hot college baseball prospect—naturally, a great athlete—and had been getting better because of Jesse’s mentoring. Suit thought of Jack as a son more than a nephew and he’s devastated by this. It’s unclear if he died after a drunken fight at a party, or if he’d been driven by inner demons to end his own life. No one wants to believe the latter—but they can’t rule it out. A very not-subtle cone of silence around the team is being enforced—as that was pretty much all of Jack’s life, that means the investigation isn’t getting very far.

Some time ago, a former Paradise Police Chief moved back to town and befriended Jesse. The two regularly had dinner together, and one of the first things we see is a meal between Jessee and Charlie Farrell. The woman that Charlie’s been seeing was recently swindled out of a few thousand dollars and now it looks like scammers have targeted Charlie. He’s been retired for decades, but still has the instincts and reflexes to try to track them down himself rather than turn things over to Jesse’s crew. He must’ve been on the right track because he was killed. This shakes (an already shaken) Jesse, who sets his sights on this case so much that he turns Jack’s death primarily over to Molly. He was Chief before any of the officers we know joined the force (as far as I can tell), but it’s still about “one of their own.”

Jesse’s Battle with Alcohol

I’m not crazy about Lupica’s way of dealing with Jesse’s alcoholism compared to Coleman’s—but it’s better than Parker or Brandman did. But I really liked Jesse’s ruminations about people being able to stop drinking while the bottle still had something left, or when the option to order another glass was available. Actually, all of the material about his drinking in this book was good—better than he’s given us so far. Hopefully, the trend continues.

Miscellaneous Bullet Points

I don’t have time/inclination to expand these beyond brief paragraphs—but I felt compelled to mention a few things.

bullet Okay, the over-use/over-reliance on Crow, basically making him Jesse’s Hawk, bugs me. It also doesn’t do that any favors for the character of Crow or Jesse—and really doesn’t help Molly’s character in any conceivable way (although Lupica may have a long game there). Parker (inadvertently?) tamed Hawk by using him too much—and was well on the way to doing that with Bobby Horse and Chollo, too. And now Lupica’s doing that with Crow. Use him less (far less) and he retains his mystery, his edge, and his ability to do the things that Jesse won’t do.

bullet This isn’t evaluative, per se, I guess I’d file it as a general musing—it felt to me like this book was (for lack of a better term) swear-ier than I’m used to. Parker and the other authors in the Spenser-verse have never been reluctant to use a four-letter word when the situation called for it, by any means. It seemed like a noticeable uptick in those words. I’m not saying that Lupica’s turned into Kevin Smith or anything, it just gave everything a slightly different feel. I wonder if that’ll continue, if it was just a blip, or if I’m imagining things.

bullet It really feels like Lupica is trying to write off Jesse’s son, Cole. Had Coleman continued with the series, I’m curious about how he’d have handled the character. I’ve had so many questions about his introduction in the first place, and now it feels like Lupica’s trying to pull a Chuck Cunningham with him—sending him to law school in London and taking him out of Jesse’s life. He actually thinks, “The kid sounded happy. Leave him alone.”

bullet So Molly came clean with her husband about her fling with Crow several years ago. Now her marriage is all but over. No one has given us enough time with Molly’s husband over the previous 20 books for us to get that invested in the marriage—so putting it on the rocks doesn’t do much for the character either. I really don’t care either way, except that it feels like Molly’s character is drifting and becoming a different person. But that happens to all of us, so I can’t complain on principle, just…

bullet Yeah, Parker created his three series in a way to allow the characters to intersect—but other than the Jesse/Sunny love story, and the Sunny/Susan therapy relationship, the primary characters didn’t intermingle too much. I’m not sure if the current approach of bringing them all together so much is the right way to deal with them. I’m not sure it’s not, either.

bullet Building from that—if you’re going to bring these worlds together so much, and if you’re going to introduce and kill off a police chief that coincidentally(??) shares the last name of a frequently used supporting character who is also a cop? Someone had better say something. If only so that readers stop thinking about it. In a Spenser-verse book, if someone talks about “Farrell,” I reflexively think, “Lee.” I can’t imagine I’m alone there—I just don’t get that character name choice. I bumped on it every time it was mentioned (and, as the central death in one of the two major storylines, it came up a lot).

So, what did I think about Fallout?

This was entertaining and occasionally clever. I don’t know that I felt the emotional impact of either murder—I felt for Suit, but I’m not sure I cared too much about it. Maybe if we’d been able to focus on what Suit was going through while he was doing the investigation—keep it a Jesse and Suit thing with some backup from Molly. In the end, it became primarily a Molly and Jesse thing with Suit in the background.

I don’t know if Lupica’s capable of delivering a great Jesse Stone novel, instead, I think we’re going to get a streak of pretty good—and consistently so—novels (well, he’s probably capable, but I don’t get the impression that it’s his goal). That’s good enough for me, I might want something more, but consistently good and entertaining will sustain my interest.

I’m not sure if this is the place to jump onto the series—but it’s not necessarily a bad place. It’s the 21st in the series, but you don’t need the knowledge that comes from the previous twenty. It might help, but not that much, you’ll not miss much at all.

A good time will be had by those who take a dip into these waters.

3.5 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, the opinions expressed are my own.

Fatal Forgery by Susan Grossey: A New Type of Crime Calls for a New Type of Investigator

By HCNewton

On September 13, 2022

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

I’ve got a Q&A with the author coming up in a little bit, be sure to check back later for that.

Fatal Forgery

by Susan Grossey

DETAILS:
Series: Sam Plank Mysteries, #1
Publication Date: December 17, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition
Length: 282 pg.
Read Date: September 3-5, 2022

But the theft of that which represents money—of pieces of paper that can be exchanged for money—well, there we have something new. Mr Fauntleroy is not accused of going into his bank’s vaults and taking money belonging to others, but of changing pieces of paper to make it look as though their money belonged to him. We police officers will have to learn new skills to catch such people.

What’s Fatal Forgery About?

It’s 1824, and Henry Fauntleroy is one of the leading bankers of London—it’s a smaller bank, but it has a stellar reputation. Fauntleroy is the son of one of the founders, and while he’s an utter and complete cad in his personal life, he earned both his position and reputation—it wasn’t handed to him.

But then evidence comes to light that he’s been forging documents and moving large sums of money around in some sort of complicated scheme. He’s determined to plead guilty and avoid a trial. While the winds of reform are blowing, this type of offense is a capital crime. Fauntleroy knows this and is still ready to plead guilty and accept the sentence.

At least one magistrate involved wants to make sure that the investigation is handled properly and there isn’t a rush to judgment/punishment. Sam Plank is a constable that works for him and has the same concerns–he is the one who arrested Fauntleroy and becomes somewhat invested in the investigation and his welfare (beyond what’s called for in his duties). Plank is convinced that everyone is missing something vital in this case, but he’s struggling to see what it is.

Will he be able to put the pieces together in time to save Fauntleroy’s life?

Financial Crimes

I get the impression that the monetary system was in a time of transition at the time the book was set, and the kind of crime at the center of this book was a new thing that the legal system wasn’t quite prepared for. Much like we might be today with cryptocurrencies and we’re still trying to figure out how to effectively police identify theft-type crimes. I’ve lost track of the number of books that I’ve read this year that include a discourse on cryptocurrencies (and I have a book to start this week that will likely feature a few of them), so it was nice to walk into a book about financial crimes that was sure not to include one—but behind all this is the equivalent, which is thankfully much easier to understand.

Now, I’m not a complete dunderhead when it comes to finance and economics, but (in both real life and fiction) things don’t have to get too detailed before my mind checks out. I was a little daunted about trying to understand 1820s banking in the first place—much less any kind of scheme involving defrauding it. But Grossey’s depiction of it was easy to follow—she wrote it in such a way that you don’t have to come in knowing the nuts and bolts* of the machinery to follow Fauntleroy’s crimes

* Nor will you walk out knowing them—it easily could’ve become a Tom Clancy-deep dive into Nineteenth Century monetary systems.

Martha Plank

I think that Sam’s wife, Martha, is going to turn out to be one of those supporting characters that turns out to be one of the MVPs of the series. At first glance, she seems to be simply a nice, supporting wife, who understands her husband’s moods better than he does—and understands that she’ll take a backseat to his job (at least from time to time). But at one point, she takes the reins for a bit and gets more information out of a witness than Sam would’ve been able to—and with far less fuss and bother.

I’m not saying she’ll become the asset that Marybeth Pickett is to Joe’s investigations, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it turns into something in the same vein.

So, what did I think about Fatal Forgery?

While Plank was clearly drawn to the case, trying to understand what made Fauntleroy ticked, and was disturbed by some of his non-financial crime activity, there isn’t the same kind of emotional investment that characterizes so much of Police Procedural/Detective Fiction today. Part of that has to do with the era, I’m sure—Plank caring the way that Renée Ballard or Malcolm Fox does about a case would be unseemly. Still, he spends personal time on the case—even using a date with his wife as a pretense to go track down someone associated with Fauntleroy–and will later go to great lengths to wrap things up.

I liked that feel to the character, and think it serves to help establish the setting. But that might say more about my preconceptions about the time—and how it’s been depicted in the fiction I’ve read.

I wondered if the setting—and the type of crime—would end up being a hurdle to reading and/or enjoying the book. But neither proved to be the case, I was pleased to see how easy it was to get into the book. And the pages just melted away when I got past the first chapter or so, which felt more like a speed bump than a learning curve. In the end, the setting and subject made this a very pleasant change of pace.

Fatal Forgery isn’t the kind of thing that would catch my eye when I browse, and ultimately, not it’s exactly my cup of tea–but I’m shooting to read at least one more in the series because I enjoyed this and am curious about what else can be done with the character (and I can see that easily turning into me reading all of them). I do know one reader who will likely burn through the whole series as soon as I give her the first one—if you’re like her and a Regency-era police procedural with a minimal amount of violence piques your interest at all (even if it makes you mildly curious)—give this a try.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for this post and my honest opinion.

3.5 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, the opinions expressed are my own.

Soul Taken by Patricia Briggs: Mercy May Find Herself Up Against a Horror Movie Character

By HCNewton

On September 12, 2022

In Mercy Thompson, Patricia Briggs, Urban Fantasy

Soul Taken

by Patricia Briggs

DETAILS:
Series: Mercy Thompson, #13
Publisher: Ace
Publication Date: August 22, 2022
Format: Hardcover
Length: 388 pg.
Read Date: August 29-30, 2022

“The thing that we thought might end up with Adam dead looks like it will work out okay,” I told her dryly as her feet hit the ground again. “We have another situation to replace it that might end up with Adam dead. Or me dead. Or maybe the whole pack. But at least we solved one deadly situation before we picked up another one.”

“Business as usual,” said Tad.

What’s Soul Taken About?

Wulfe continues to act strangely—for him, that is—as he was last time. Then he goes missing. And Marsilia tasks Mercy with finding him, or she and the Pack will face the consequences (not life and death consequences, either—something worse).

But it’s not just Wulfe who’s missing—there are others, too. The paths seem to lead to a Fae artifact believed to have been destroyed and a local Urban Legend/subject of a new Horror movie.

Sure, this isn’t as strange as the miniature zombie goats, but it’s close. And slightly less cute.

Sherwood Post

“I’ll call Samuel and bug him.”

“Why not ask Sherwood?” Adam said.

“Did he sound like someone who was going to spill the beans to you?” I queried. “He talks more, but he doesn’t say more. He hasn’t changed that much.” I found that reassuring.

After a lot of speculation, we finally get to know Sherwood Post’s actual identity. And, um. Wow. As she clearly intended, the answer Briggs gave us only leads to more questions.

Several more questions.

For example: was this identity her plan when she first introduced the character? (likely, but I can see a scenario where it wasn’t) Given how this changes what we know about the world, when did she decide to shake things up to this extent? Lastly, when do we start seeing the ripple effects from this revelation? Okay, maybe one more: how many other things has she been lying to us about? (okay, that last one is a joke. Pretty much)

Unintended Consequences

Mercy (and therefore, we) are aware of a decent segment of the supernatural/paranatural population of the Tri-Cities area (although I think I remember her being surprised by some early on in the series)—she knows all the werewolves, many of the Fae, the goblins, vampires, etc.

But we learn along the way in this book that because of Mercy’s declaration a few books back that the area is under the Pack’s protection many “lower powered” supernatural beings have moved into the area for that protection. Mercy and the Pack were unaware of this until they met some in the midst of their investigation. Briggs didn’t spend much time on the idea, but it laid the groundwork for potentially several future storylines.

Even aside from that, I thought it was a great idea—and really seems likely to have happened given Mercy’s action.

So, what did I think about Soul Taken?

I’m never going to complain about getting to spend time with Mercy and the crowd. But I felt let down with this novel. The premise was promising, maybe even more than that; I thought the threats brought by Marsilia and how that played out were intriguing; I was glad to see who the Big Bad behind it all was; and the future ramifications for the seethe are promising. But the stuff in between the premise and the defeat of the Big Bad? Eh. Even the big fight scene wasn’t that good—nor am I that invested in the means by which they were defeated (dancing around a spoiler there).

Really the things that interested me the most about the book were the ongoing arcs and development—the stuff about Sherwood, the lesser powers, some internal Pack matters, and Zee (there was a lot of great material with Zee here). When the subplots and the things the novel isn’t about are what grab me, there’s a problem with the book. The solution was too rushed, it was all too easy, really. If Briggs had taken another hundred pages or so to really dig into the premise and the hunt for the Big Bad, maybe that would’ve worked (but that’d make the book super-sized by her standards).

I just wanted more, I guess. It was fun enough to justify the time and I’ll be back for more—but I expect more from Briggs. I do think long-time fans will enjoy Soul Taken—and despite what it might sound like, I did—but it will leave you wanting.

3.5 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, the opinions expressed are my own.

Travel by Bullet (Audiobook) by John Scalzi, Zachary Quinto: The Dispatcher is Back Again

By HCNewton

On September 8, 2022

In John Scalzi, Urban Fantasy

(and clearly, I can’t think of anything to put in the headline)

Travel by Bullet

John Scalzi, Zachary Quinto (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: The Dispatcher, #3
Publisher: Audible
Publication Date: September 1, 2022
Format: Audible Original
Length: 3 hrs., 44 min.
Read Date: September 2, 2022

What’s Travel by Bullet About?

A recent pandemic* has resulted in all Dispatchers being strongarmed into working long and hard shifts in hospitals. Their work isn’t that effective in light of the disease, but that doesn’t change the requirement. In the middle of a shift, Tony Valdez is called to the ER.

* It was never named, but you’re probably not wrong to assume it’s one you recognize.

A friend (or a reasonable facsimile thereof) and colleague, who spends a lot more time on the morally ambiguous side of the vocation, is in the ER after throwing himself out of a moving vehicle and getting hit by a car. Clearly, things aren’t going well for him. He looks to Tony for help, and well…things go bad from there.

The duo finds themselves mixed up with a handful of the city’s richest and most powerful, who are busy trying to get the best of each other while staying off the radars of both the Chicago Police and the FBI.

As much as Tony might try to fool the reader/the police/himself, he’s no stranger to the morally ambiguous—sure, he tries not to stray as far as his friend does, but still. Making this book, like the others in the series, another bit of Urban Fantasy Noir.

The Urban Fantasy-ness

I’ve always thought there was a vaguely SF feel to this series like it’s set a couple of decades in the future or something. In retrospect, I don’t know why. It was just an impression I picked up. This one struck me as incredibly contemporary and made me feel pretty silly for thinking that about the others.

When I wasn’t kicking myself for getting the chronology wrong, I spent a little time admiring the simplicity of Scalzi’s approach to Urban Fantasy and how it makes The Dispatcher stories really stand out. In most UF, you get something like magic, or a lycanthrope, or a vampire—and then before you know it, you’ve got all of those. But here, this world is just one tweak away from our world—no wizards, no Fae, no were-anythings—just that murder almost always doesn’t work (see earlier posts about this series for details if you want them, I don’t want to reinvent the wheel here).

The number of changes that this one butterfly wing flap makes in this world—health care, law enforcement, and crime (and who knows what else…)—is pretty monumental. You don’t need the Fae or a Council of Mages or anything to radically reshape the world. Yet it still is very recognizably our world.

Zachary Quinto

Quinto really needs to do more audiobook narration—I’m not sure how he got attached to this series, but it’s such a good thing that he did. He’s really able to embody Valdez and bring the stories to life. I really enjoyed this performance, and look forward to more.

So, what did I think about Travel by Bullet?

This was a blast—this world has always felt realized, but I felt more “at home” in it this time than I remember. I enjoyed this ride more than I remember enjoying the last one (not that I had any real problems with it). I don’t know if those two sentences are all that related, and if so, which came first—I also don’t think it matters.

This is a tight thriller—no wasted moments, but nothing’s rushed, either. Just settle in and enjoy the ride.

I feel like I should have more to say, but I don’t. All I can think to add at this point is that I want more of these, and hope that Audible and Scalzi provide them. Providing more soon would be a great bonus.

Down the River Unto the Sea by Walter Mosley: The Re-Birth of a Detective

By HCNewton

On August 29, 2022

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

Down the River Unto the Sea

by Walter Mosley

DETAILS:
Series: King Oliver, #1
Publisher: Mulholland Books
Publication Date: February 19, 2018
Format: Hardcover
Length: 322 pg.
Read Date: August 26, 2022

I like detective novels. The dick is either smarter, braver, or just luckier than his nemeses. He, or even she, works pretty much alone, sticking out his jaw whenever there’s a blow coming. If he gets arrested that’s okay. If some pretty young thing needs sex, it’s probably not the right time for him, or her, just then.

The literary PI usually takes on one case at a time and he stays on the trail until it is solved, whether or not justice is done.

Sometimes I liked to pretend that I was a detective out of a book.

What’s Down the River Unto the Sea About?

Ten years ago, for reasons he’s still unsure about, King Oliver was framed for a crime that ruined his career as an NYPD Detective, destroyed his marriage, and put him in jail for months.

Today, he’s keeping a PI agency afloat with his teenage daughter as an admin assistant. He’s really never recovered psychologically (aside from some scarring, he seems okay physically) from his incarceration and the accusation. His daughter and the work are what keep him going.

When he receives a letter from his accuser, offering to help him clear his name—everything changes. He has a glimmer of hope, a renewed sense of purpose—and a new client. This client works for a defense attorney—he’d been representing a convicted cop killer and had vowed to free him. Suddenly, the attorney has changed his mind and is going to tank the case. The convict is a journalist/activist who claims to have been acting in self-defense, and this associate believes him. She wants Oliver to discover what changed the attorney’s mind—but more importantly, she wants help clearing the journalist.

Oliver agrees to look at the files but makes no further promises. He’s quickly intrigued by some of what he reads and It’s not long before he starts working the case as well as working to clear his name. The letter has changed everything for him.

Melquarth Frost

Before he was framed, Oliver arrested Mel Frost, and earned his respect from the way Oliver treated him during the arrest and trial. After Frost’s release, he came to thank Oliver and the two have struck up a strange near-friendship over chess games and the occasional meal.

Oliver realizes he’s not going to be able to handle everything in these investigations—particularly when things get dicey, so he hires Mel to help him.

Mel fills the Hawk/Joe Pike/Bubba Rogowski/Nate Romanowski role—he’s dangerous, he’s skilled, and really has no moral compunctions about anything. He is aware of it, and knows he should follow a different path—and attempts, but will resort to his former ways in a heartbeat.

I’m Such a Sucker

Shortly after that opening quotation, Oliver cites Tecumseh Fox. Fox was the protagonist of a short-lived series by Rex Stout, alongside Nero Wolfe. Elizabeth Breck gets big bonus points from me for her frequent citations of Wolfe, but a Tecumseh Fox reference is a heckuva deep cut. If I hadn’t already decided that I really liked Oliver, this would’ve pushed me over the edge. Not only am I a sucker for Stout, but referring to a 3-book series that ended in 1941 really underscores Oliver’s description as being someone who reads a lot.

So, what did I think about Down the River Unto the Sea?

I was born to be an investigator. For me it was like putting together a three-dimensional, naturalistic puzzle that in the end would be an exact representation of the real world.

I really enjoyed this book—most of the plot seemed pretty predictable, but I never minded for a second because of the execution. Also, there were a couple of twists that caught me flat-footed. I don’t mind if everything plays out as you’d pretty much expect as long as the writer delivers a good story and characters (I know if I get on the freeway headed west, I’ll end up on the Pacific Coast. I just want a smooth drive with maybe a couple of interesting sights and snacks along the way)—and there are few as good at that as Walter Mosely.

This wasn’t really an origin story, this was more of a renaissance, a reawakening. Now that King Oliver is back—he’s invested in life, his career, and people again—further books in the series are going to have a different feel, a different focus, and I can’t wait to see where Mosely takes this character.

3.5 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, the opinions expressed are my own.

Divine and Conquer by J.C. Jackson: You Can’t Go Home Again

By HCNewton

On August 15, 2022

In Fiction, Terra Chronicles, Urban Fantasy

Divine and Conquer

by J.C. Jackson

DETAILS:
Series: Terra Chronicles, #6
Publisher: Shadow Phoenix Publishing
Publication Date: June 21, 2021    
Format: Paperback
Length: 239 pgs.
Read Date: August 8, 2022

What’s Divine and Conquer About?

We know that Silver’s Order has been trying to get him back to HQ for some time, and for reasons he’s not been terribly clear about (as I recall, anyway), he’s been reluctant to listen. So they force the issue by arranging a wedding between him and another Paladin. If he’s going to break it off, he has to be there in the flesh.

But he’s going to need more than a “I don’t want to,” so he enlists Ketayl in an undercover effort—they enter into a courtship relationship and he can say that he can’t get married because he already has an intended. Ketayl has some misgivings, but goes along with it—primarily to help Silver, but she’ll also get a chance to look through the Order’s library and maybe find some info on necromancy that’ll help.

Things start going wrong from the instant they arrive—the Order isn’t crazy about Ketayl’s presence (many of them aren’t crazy about her existence, and a big prejudice against elves is on full display). Things between the Order and Silver start off contentious and get worse. And then Ketayl finds a whole new batch of trouble—TIO kind of trouble. Things go from bad to worse from there.

Marzena and Amanda

There are a whole passel of new characters in this novel—one of the benefits of traveling to a new area and encountering a whole Order. But there are really two characters that we really get to focus on.

Amanda is the young paladin that has been selected as Silver’s bride-to-be. She’s driven and smart. She’s not much when it comes to combat—and really not much of a candidate for the order, you get the idea that there’s something not that impressive about her. But she’s good at doing what she’s told, and will do whatever she can to accomplish it—including going through Ketayl.

The other Paladin we really get to know is their Weapons Master, Marzena. She was a fantastic character—the way she quickly embraced Ketayl and resumed the old friendship with Silver in a heartbeat was great. We aren’t used to people outside the TIO knowing Silver so seeing that he has at least one great friend in the world from years ago helps solidify his character. But beyond that, Marzena is exactly what the book needed for the plot, a bit of fun, and perspective on all the events surrounding Ketayl and Silver. She’s definitely the MVP of Divine and Conquer, and I hope we see her again soon.

Ketayl’s Super Power

Sure, we’ve known that Ketayl’s a Mage with more power and potential than she realizes. But that’s really not what makes her such an effective leader and agent—we’ve seen this since the beginning, but it’s been emphasized in the last two books in particular.

Ketayl has this ability to take a rival, critic or outright enemy and turn them into an ally, if not a friend. Divine and Conquer surrounds her with plenty of antagonists—she doesn’t turn them all around, by any means. She doesn’t even try. But there’s one person she does turn around, without really intending to.

I really appreciate this ability of hers, and am glad Jackson is letting it shine—sure, she’s not the only character in the genre with the ability, but she goes about it in a different way than others do. She reminds me of Kitty Norville more than anyone else in that. Anyone that reminds me of Kitty is a winner.

The Order of the Paladins of the Holy Son

So here’s the problem I had with The Order—and therefore the book. It’s a religious Order, sure. But there’s no religion to it. There’s a hierarchy, there are adherents, underlings, traditions—even a couple of group prejudices. But that’s it—it’s the shell of a religion with nothing at the core.

And if it was the case that the Order had drifted from their former orthodoxy and become an apostatized or agnostic group, that’d be one thing—people’d be talking about that. Silver’s friend is one of the few that holds on to the old ways—but we’re talking about training, loyalty, traditions, not beliefs.

Instead, for whatever reason, Jackson didn’t allude to their departure from the faith while hanging onto the form, she didn’t even point to a time when the Order stood for something. I get the impression (and I can’t point to specifics to support this, but I still walk away with the impression) that Jackson has some ideas about what the Order used to believe (maybe still believes)—but I’ve got no idea what it is.

A religious order without a dogma is hard to get invested in—you can’t fault them, you can’t hope they reform for the characters you like to be okay—it’s just a soulless bureaucracy making things difficult for those characters. And hey, that’s a daunting organization to take on, sure.

But boy howdy, do they want Silver back in the fold and are pulling out quite a few stops to achieve that. Also, I’m not sure I get why that is, I mean, I like the guy, but their interest seems a bit extreme. But I can roll with it for the sake of the story.

So, what did I think about Divine and Conquer?

This is the book I’ve been waiting for—possibly for too long, but whatever—we needed the development and background for Silver and some overdue conversations were had. Plus, Ketayl’s achievements with the Arcana Consortium were great to see (at some point, she’s going to start accepting what everyone’s saying about her magic abilities, right?)

I’m not sure I could buy how long the negotiations around Silver’s marriage took—the sheer number and length of meetings seemed out of proportion. Maybe Jackson could’ve given us some other things for them to have been discussing. But they gave us what the novel needed—a way to get him off-screen so Ketayl could get to know Marzena and Amanda better, interact with others of the Order, and generally get into trouble.

This is one of my favorites in the series—because of the character arcs and development. Plot-wise, I think it stumbled a bit, but by the time I get my hands on Book 7, I won’t remember that, I’ll remember the character stuff.

I’m enjoying this series still and am looking forward to the next one. Apparently it’ll be in June 2023, which gives you all plenty of time to read the series.

3.5 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, the opinions expressed are my own.

Dead Against Her by Melinda Leigh: Bree’s Personal and Professional Lives are in Jeopardy

By HCNewton

On August 2, 2022

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

Dead Against Her

by Melinda Leigh

DETAILS:
Series: Bree Taggert, #5
Publisher: Montlake
Publication Date: May 16, 2022
Format: Paperback
Length: 292 pg.
Read Date: July 28-29, 2022

“The Back of the Book”

(from the author’s website)

Called to an isolated farm to check on an elderly widow, Sheriff Bree Taggert finds a brutal double homicide. One of the victims is Eugene Oscar, the bitter and corrupt former deputy she recently fired.

Working with criminal investigator Matt Flynn, Bree discovers that she isn’t the only one who had a troubling history with Eugene. But someone doesn’t want Bree digging up the past. She becomes the target of a stranger’s sick and devious campaign calculated to destroy her reputation, career, family, and new relationship with Matt. To make matters worse, she’s the prime suspect in Eugene’s murder.

When her chief deputy goes missing while investigating the case, Bree refuses to back down. She won’t let him become the next victim. His life and her future depend on finding a killer nursing a vengeful rage.

I Admit to Some Apprehension

I used this heading last time, and it fits here, too. Maybe “a lot of” would have been better than “some.”

Police protagonists becoming the prime suspect almost never works for me—any protagonist/close associate of the protagonist as the prime suspect, really, but it works less when it’s a cop for me. The stakes are so low there—you know they’re going to be proven innocent the instant you read that in the description, and a lot of the drama associated with their being suspected is going to feel contrived. The fact that it’s her former deputy (and I’m so glad to be done with him!) made it even harder for me to swallow.

When you add to that the “campaign calculated to destroy reputation, career,” yada yada, I’m really disinclined to dive in. You’re not going to find a supervillain waging a campaign against a local sheriff in that part of the world. But that’s all due to whoever wrote the promotional material, because “sick and devious campaign” sounds better than “bitter jackwagon out to smear her reputation” (which is what was really going on, nothing as organized as a campaign suggests).

But, I’m a completionist, I was curious, and Leigh’s earned a little trust (if nothing else from the way she dealt with the last thing I was apprehensive about), so I read this. And I’m so glad I did: the “campaign” was what I described—making it more believable, more insidious, more relevant, and with actual stakes—and if you’re going to make your protagonist someone suspect, both the author and character need to deal with it the way Leigh and Bree do.

Mostly, I need to stop reading the jacket-copy of these books.

Chief Deputy Todd Harvey

I’ve felt this way since book 2 and have stated it when I read 3 and 4—Leigh wasn’t giving Chief Deputy Todd Harvey enough to do. Now, here in book 5, she’s given him two—count ’em, two—storylines. I grant you, the more important one (in terms of this novel) isn’t really what you want to see happen to a character you like—but the execution was great (and it helped with one of the storylines I was nervous about above).

And the one that was less important for this novel is going to stick around for at least a little while, and gives the foundation for more to come—and it shows that Leigh’s thinking of doing things with Todd in the books to come.

Phew.

So, what did I think about Dead Against Her?

This was probably the best of the series so far—it tied up a couple of longer-term stories, pushed some others along in ways that were necessary, and gave us some really good character moments overall.

The case at the center of this was handled really well, too—I liked the way it came together and faked the reader out in just the right way. The mix of local politics, local media, and police work felt genuine and like something that could/would actually happen.

Dead Against Her was an entertaining and satisfying read and made sure that I’m sticking around with this series for a while to come. You should jump on board, I have a feeling it’s going to be around for a bit.

3.5 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, the opinions expressed are my own.