Tag: 4 Stars Page 80 of 88

The Black Box by Michael Connelly

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On November 15, 2013

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

The Black Box
The Black Box

by Michael Connelly
Series: Harry Bosch, #18

Paperback, 480 pg.
Grand Central Publishing, 2013

There are few mystery series as satisfying as the Harry Bosch novels (those who’ve read the last couple of “Saturday Miscellany” posts have probably noticed my geeking out about the Bosch pilot for Amazon). Whenever a new paperback comes out, I grab it as soon as I can, and post a “Go Away, I’m Reading” sign*. I can’t get enough of this guy.

A while back, Connelly moved Harry to the Open-Unsolved Unit, which was a very smart move that’s paid off in variety of cases and gives an extra edge to Harry’s cases — he’s always been obsessive about giving resolution to the victim’s families and loved ones, but now it’s also about justice delayed, about being able to start getting past years — decades even — of pain.

Harry’s got a personal connection to the cold case he’s focusing on this time — during the riots that broke out after the Rodney King verdict, Harry and his partner were called out on a series of homicides. One in particular was a white woman in an alley, shot execution-style. Before being forced to go to the next victim, they were only able to spend about half an hour looking over the crime scene and finding practically no evidence that wasn’t contaminated. As with many other homicides over those few days, this one remained unsolved. But for the 20th anniversary of the riots, all these cases are being looked at again, in hopes of garnering some good PR for the LAPD.

Naturally, the only case that Harry (or pretty much anyone else) finds the most traction on involves a white woman — and Harry starts being pressured by his lieutenant and some even higher to hold off on the investigation for a few months. Naturally, Harry doesn’t take well to that and does what he can to solve this case once and for all. There’s a lot of luck involved in Harry uncovering what he needs here — but that’s the beauty of routine and thorough investigative work — you end up creating your own luck.

Meanwhile, Harry has to deal with a politically-motivated Professional Standards Bureau (Internal Affairs) investigation into a perfectly legitimate activity. The good news for Harry is that the investigator assigned to the case is as driven and thorough as he is. The bad news is that means she’ll be a persistent interference in his life until she uncovers the truth — and that’s the last thing Harry can tolerate.

Of course, there’s a good storyline featuring Harry’s daughter, Maddie. He’s still new to the “Dad” scene, and makes more mistakes with her than he can tolerate — it’s tough enough being a father to a teenage girl, but when the girl is dropped on you because her mother was murdered and you have to be a parent for the first time? You’ve already got 2 strikes on you. As almost superhuman as he is as a cop, as a father? Harry’s very human. It’s good to see.

And if he’s human as a father, as a romantic interest? You have to feel sorry for Hannah Stone, his current main squeeze. Harry’s practically inept. Still, it’s a good storyline, and I’m glad to see that Harry hasn’t blow it (yet) with Hannah.

If you’ve never read Connelly before — the guy can make a trip to a food truck to grab some tacos into a thriller. So he has no problem making a 20 year-old unsolved murder into an edge-of-your-seat experience. You don’t need to have read the previous 15 books in this series to appreciate this one — jump in, the water’s more than fine.

—–

*Not literally, but my kids can attest that my expression conveys that message effectively.

—–

4 Stars

Dusted Off: The Riddle of the Wren by Charles de Lint

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On November 11, 2013

In Fiction

The Riddle of the WrenThe Riddle of the Wren

by Charles de Lint

This was not the best fantasy I’ve read lately, and I know (well, strongly believe) I’m going to read at least one this year that will dwarf its quality by a magnitude I can’t calculate. BUT…

there pretty much has to be a but here, right?

BUT…this character, this world (better, these worlds), the supporting characters…there’s something about them all that just works. More than works, charms you and wins you over.

de Lint does a great job of introducing the incremental changes happening to Minda as she journeys to and through worlds she didn’t know did or could exist until she’s thrown into them. Not only the changes that are happening to her that she’s unaware of, but the ones she sees–and decides to make in herself–as she travels. It’s absolutely believable, utterly winning.

—–

4 Stars

Dusted Off: Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

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On October 28, 2013

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

Beauty QueensBeauty Queens

by Libba Bray
Hardcover, 396 pg.
Scholastic Press, 2011

This book is just fun. Are the characters over the top? Yup. Is it too preachy at times? Oh yeah. Does Bray hit the same target over and over and over again? Yup. But usually those targets have it coming.

There are plenty of flaws in this book, but Bray’s style, tone and message(s) work so well that you ignore them easily and forgive them all even more easily. A great, fun read–even for a guy like me who is nowhere near the target audience.

—–

4 Stars

Dusted Off: The Janus Affair by Pip Ballantine, Tee Morris

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On October 21, 2013

In Fiction, Steampunk

The Janus Affair (Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences #2)The Janus Affair

by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris
Series: Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, #2

Mass Market Paperback, 432 pg.
Harper Voyager, 2012

This was just fun. Rollicking steampunk adventure told with just a touch of whimsy (well, maybe more than a touch when it comes to chapter titles).

This time out, our intrepid secret agents investigate the inexplicable disappearances of several leading British suffragists. Pasts come back to haunt, secrets are exposed, romances are kindled, clockwork doohickeys do all sorts of strange and wonderful things–all you can want.

I really enjoyed this first installment of this series, and this first sequel is a lot more fun–I’d be more than happy if these came out more frequently.

—–

4 Stars

Dusted Off: Phoenix Rising by Pip Ballantine, Tee Morris

By

On October 21, 2013

In Fiction, Steampunk

Phoenix Rising (Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences #1)Phoenix Rising

by Pip Ballantine, Tee Morris
Series: Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, #1

Mass Market Paperback, 402 pg.
Harper Voyage, 2011

I’ve been curious about Steampunk fiction, but wasn’t sure where to start amongst all the choices out there–so I just dove in and grabbed one. If Phoenix Rising is any indicator of what the sub-genre offers, I’ll be coming back to it again and again.

Most of the ingredients of this book–the characters, the secret organizations, the conspiracies on top of conspiracies, the chemistry between the protagonists–would make for a decent read if set in contemporary England. But throw them into an alternate history of Victorian England, with advanced technology and it’s a sure winner.

I can’t think of anything really to say that doesn’t get into spoiler territory, so I’ll cut this short–as a great spy thriller with a twist, Phoenix Rising is a good, pulpy read and great introduction to what will likely be a great series.

—–

4 Stars

Dusted Off: Masques by Patricia Briggs

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On October 7, 2013

In Authors, Fiction, Patricia Briggs

Masques (Sianim, #1)Masques

by Patricia Briggs
Mass Market Paperback, 294 pg.
Ace, 2010

I didn’t know what to expect out of this. Between the fact that this is a different genre than I’m familiar with Briggs writing in, and the way she lowered expectations in the forward about this when it was reissued, I came into it not expecting a lot.

I should’ve known better. Not unlike her protagonist, Patricia Briggs knows how to tell a story. This was not the best fantasy I’ve read recently, but it was a very enjoyable tale.

Briggs’ strength has to be her characters, and even here in her first novel, she nailed ’em. They were people you cared about, or could easily see yourself caring about, if you got to spend some more time with ’em.

—–

4 Stars

Criminal Enterprise by Owen Laukkanen

By

On October 4, 2013

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

I feel like I’ve been giving out too many 4-stars lately, and originally rated this 3-stars, but after writing this, I knew it didn’t deserve that. This is such a good read, maybe something closer to a 5, honestly. I feel strange saying this, but hopefully, I’ve got some more mediocre reads in my near future

—–

Criminal EnterpriseCriminal Enterprise

by Owen Laukkanen
Hardcover, 406 pg.
Putnam Adult, 2013
Series: Stevens & Windermere, #2

As much as I enjoyed The Professionals, I was unsure I wanted to read a follow-up. How tortured would the contrivances needed to bring these two investigators back together be? I was figuring pretty tortured. Would we be in for another group of criminals allllmost smart enough to get away with it all?

Laukkanen pulled it off, though — by taking pretty much everything about The Professionals and turning it on its head — the criminals aren’t nearly as professional (no pun intended); Stevens and Windermere are kept apart — professionally and personally — for most of the book; the action is all in the St. Paul area, so we see the agents in their home environment, not jet setting all over the country. What’s the same? Criminal Activity is just as gripping, just as tense, moves at the same breakneck speed.

Carla Windermere is languishing at the FBI office, an outsider even two years after the headline-making case she and Stevens cracked together. Whether its due to her race, gender, or personality is hard to say, but she’s not one of the team — and she likes it as much as she hates it. She misses the excitement, the challenge of the higher-profile case.

BCA Agent Kirk Stevens has thrown himself into his family and his work following his heroics from The Professionals. He’s very involved with his daughter and marriage. He’s still doing important work for the state — like cold case murder investigations, providing closure to families still wondering what’s happened to loved ones. He’s nice and safe, just what his wife wants, but it’s driving him crazy. He wants the excitement he got a taste of recently, he wants the sense of fulfillment that he got from stopping an active criminal.

Carter Tomlin, a formerly prosperous accountant is laid off and his debts are mounting — he’s too proud, too self-reliant to look for help, won’t bring himself to sell off possessions, or ask his wife to take a full time job. He’s essentially Minnesota’s answer to Walter White — his pride won’t let him do what he needs to do, so in a moment of panicked inspiration he holds up a bank. Not only does he get some easy money to hold off the debt collectors, he comes alive in a way he hadn’t realized he could before. So he commits more and more robberies, the rush building each time.

When the paths of these three discontented people collide, havoc ensues.

If Laukkanen’s third book in this series is half as good, I don’t care how he gets Stevens and Windermere together or what felons they are trying to take down — doesn’t matter, I’m all in.

—–

4 Stars

Stonecast by Anton Strout

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On October 3, 2013

In Anton Strout, Fiction, Urban Fantasy

StonecastStonecast

by Anton Strout
Mass Market Paperback, 304 pg.
Ace, 2013

Stonecast was not as fun as it’s predecessor, Alchemystic, but it’s designed to be a that way (still fun, and occasionally funny, however). Lexi’s still trying to figure out how to deal with this new reality she’s found herself in — magic exists, she’s a Spellmason (at least an entry-level and self-taught one) — but now the stakes are higher — her brother and a centuries-old dictator are gunning for her, and have taken her guardian gargoyle captive. She knows that she only has a little while before they’re going to come back to finish what they started last time, and she needs to figure out as much as she can before that so she can defend herself. So where Alchemystic had a feel similar to the hero-discovering-his/her-power montage from recent super-hero movies, Stonecast‘s feel is closer to that of an A-Team or MacGuyver episode where they’ve only got a little time to throw together some way to take down the bad guys.

Spellmasonry isn’t the only supernatural game in town, as we all (including the characters) assumed last time out, and Lexi and her friends get introduced to some of that expanded universe — they meet an alchemist, the representative of an expansive group that studies the supernatural, and see the results of other magic user’s work. Along those lines, Strout also gives us a cameo that points to a whole lot more supernatural activity in their world.

Both of these characters are working off their own agendas, which don’t necessarily line up with Lexi’s, and neither she nor the reader are really ever sure what their angle is. Which leads to something like a two-front war she has to wage — I guess it’s more of a single-front war with a strong possibility that at least another front will open up at any moment. Which is good for dramatic tension, good for the reader, but bad for Lexie.

Stanis, on the other hand, has his hands full — his father (the aforementioned dictator) is trying to bend the gargoyle to his will, and is using methods that the Geneva Conventions would frown on. He’s also dealing with the severing of the bond between himself and the Belarus family, after all this time that’s a difficult transition. By the end of Stonecast, he’ll have even bigger problems to deal with.

The biggest problem with this book is space — it’s just not long enough. We need to see more of the effort that Lexi’s putting into preparation for the return of Kejetan; we need to see more effort that Lexi and her alchemist sensei are putting forth to build up her abilities — and the relationship between the two of them felt too rushed throughout. And thanks to the alchemist, we don’t get nearly enough time with Rory and Marshall this time out — yes, Lexi explains shutting them out for their own protection, so it holds up narratively, but Shaggy without Fred and Daphne just isn’t as fun. I did like Marshall’s development towards the end of this book, but Rory might as well not have been mentioned. We just needed more detail, to see more of the struggles in general.

Still, on the whole, I really enjoy this world, and enjoyed the book — and what’s set up for Spellmason Chronicles #3 has me really looking forward to reading it.

—–

4 Stars

Dusted Off: Alchemystic by Anton Strout

By

On October 3, 2013

In Anton Strout, Fiction, Urban Fantasy

Alchemystic (The Spellmason Chronicles, #1)Alchemystic

by Anton Strout
Mass Market Paperback, 290 pg.
Ace, 2012

Yay! Been waiting for this one for too long. Sure, I’d prefer a new Simon Canderous novel, but this makes up for it.

This isn’t a conventional UF–your three human heroes are definitely not run-of-the-mill, which is nice; they’re all likeable, which is nicer. You want to spend time with them, you want them to come out on top, you want the giant, nigh-humorless and nigh-invulnerable, living statue to come to their rescue. Which works out for everyone, because that’s what the statue wants, too.

Stanis, the statue–gargoyle–in question here is a pretty nice character, too. Can’t get into all of it without entering spoiler territory, but for a superhero that gets, but doesn’t totally get, these odd humans, he’s pretty fun.

That’s a good description for the whole book–pretty fun. Not as intense, or dark and brooding, as a lot of UF. But a nice, fun, character-driven read. Good ending that’s not quite a cliff-hanger, but whets the appetite for volume 2.

—–

4 Stars

Helen and Troy’s Epic Road Quest by A. Lee Martinez

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On September 27, 2013

In A. Lee Martinez, Authors, Fiction, K-O, Science Fiction

Helen and Troy's Epic Road Quest
Helen and Troy’s Epic Road Quest by A. Lee Martinez

Helen, a teenage minotaur and Troy, an impossibly above average guy are toiling away at a fast food restaurant until a god decrees they must go on a quest for him — retrieving several magic items, vanquishing various monsters, and generally staying alive.

Nigel, an accountant with a wife he’s scared of, turns to a motorcycle gang filled with other white-collar types looking to fill their humdrum lives with danger and excitement (oh, and all but one of them are oddly unassertive and non-homicidal orcs). Their god assigns them to put an end to Helen and Troy’s quest — by killing them.

Before the climactic battle between the questers and the orcs, Helen and Troy are deputized by a seemingly useless yet ubiquitous government agency that oversees quests. Then they meet an oracle working out of a food truck, some fates, pick up a three-legged dog, visit a nature preserve that’s a dragon sanctuary, and meet all sorts of interesting people and monsters — all while taking a fun road-trip in a classic car.

This is the whackiest, goofiest Martinez novel I’ve read — until the last 40 pages or so, where it gets deadly serious while retaining a sense of the absurd. But while doing so, it has some interesting things to say about things like destiny and fate and body image and stopping outside one’s comfort zone. There’s a touch of romance, a sense of wonder, and a whole lot of fun to be had.

Like every Martinez character, whether a rebellious daughter, a curious child, a would-be orc, a cyclops, or a meddlesome minotaur mother there’s a core of humanity, of decency, to be found. In a day when even Superman is turned into a grim figure, it’s very refreshing to see that.

Yes, it’s an adult book — but it’s one I’d have no problem handing off to my 11 year-old daughter to enjoy (probably her younger brother, too, I just don’t think he’d stick with it). Come to think of it, I will.

—–

4 Stars

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