Mini Reviews

A quick look at what I've been reading lately, with an excerpt from the publisher's synopsis (in black) and my thoughts (in purple).

The Sunflower by Richard Paul Evans 

In the wake of personal tragedy, Christine and Paul meet on a humanitarian mission in Peru. They must confront their deepest fears and learn to trust and love again.

Above average love story.  Particularly enjoyed the detail of life in the Peruvian jungle.  

Sharp Objects by Jillian Flynn

Camille’s assignment from the newspaper where she works takes her reluctantly back to her hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls.  As Camille works to uncover the truth about these violent crimes, she finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. 

Every bit as disturbing and unsettling as Gone Girl.  Won't quite mess you up for life, but it will sure stick with you.

An Angel for Christmas by Heather Graham 

Christmas has never brought out the best in the MacDougal family.  In the midst of a sibling shouting match, a stranger appears. He could be a criminal, a madman, or something far more unexpected. The MacDougals take a leap of faith, but when another stranger arrives, they don't know which of them to believe. One of these men can't be trusted. And one is about to bring Christmas into their hearts.

Not as fast-paced as it could be, but I love the slightly un-resolved ending.  A twist on the typical feel-good Christmas story. 

Live by Night by Dennis Lahane  

The '20s are roaring, liquor is flowing, bullets are flying, and one man sets out to make his mark on the world.  Joe Coughlin has graduated from a childhood of petty theft to a career in the pay of the city's most fearsome mobsters.  Joe's climb up the ladder of organized crime takes him from Jazz Age Boston to Tampa's Latin Quarter to the streets of Cuba. 

Not up to what I expect from Lehane.  Ho-hum plot moves agonizingly slow at times.  2 stars for story, bonus star because he's usually one of my favorite authors.

Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich

Stephanie, Ranger, Morelli, Lula and all the cast of crazies . . . yada yada yada.  Decent story, no progress.

Silent Night by Deanna Rayborne 

Lady Julia and Brisbane hope for a quiet, intimate Christmas together.  Amongst the celebrations, a mystery stirs. There are missing jewels, new faces at the Abbey, and a prowling ghost that brings back unwelcome memories. 

Novella that I really didn't care for but I'm blaming myself.  The story was more about the characters, with whom you need to be familiar, than the mystery.  Poor choice of places to jump into a series.

The Boddy in the Snowbank by Jenna Bennett  

A short story based around the classic game of Clue.  Published on
Smashwords.

It had complete sentences and paragraphs and stuff.

The Golden Spiders by Rex Stout

Why has the brilliant sleuth, Nero Wolfe, taken a case for $4.30?  And  why were his last two clients murdered? Archie Goodwin goes undercover as a mortician to find out. And Wolfe ponders the cryptic clues: a gray Cadillac, a mysterious woman, a pair of earrings -- shaped like spiders and dipped in gold.

Classic.  Best sleuth ever written. 

Poseidon's Arrow by Clive Cussler

An attack submarine capable of incredible underwater speeds. Nothing else in any other nation’s naval arsenal even comes close. One problem: A key element of the prototype is missing—and the man who developed it is dead.  It is up to NUMA director Dirk Pitt and his team to go on a desperate international chase to find the truth, from Washington to Mexico, Idaho to Panama. What they discover at the end of it is a much, much greater threat than even they imagined.

Dave and I read this together.  He ranked it a 3 on the scale of all Cussler's books.  I've only read one other, so couldn't really judge.  Plot was good, quick pace, unique story.  But I couldn't get past the narrative changing perspective mid-paragraph.  One sentence calls the hero, Dirk Pitt, by name (as in "Dirk ran up the gangplank." - only, you know, better than that) The next sentence of the same paragraph refers to "he" ("He grabbed the binoculars.") But "he" isn't Dirk - it's a totally different guy on a totally different ship.  Very disconcerting - not to mention confusing.  So it gets 2 stars from me.

The Doorbell Rang by Rex Stout

Not liking a Nero Wolf mystery is absolute "flummery"!  Nero Wolf and Archie Goodwin are two of my favorite sleuths.  Wolf is an eccentric genius - he weighs in at "a sixth of a ton" (which figures out to 333.3 lb. for the math-challenged), spends hours every day in his greenhouse tending to his prize orchids, rarely leaves his house, is a lover of beer and gourmet food, and a champion of deductive reasoning.  Archie is Wolf's 20-something cohort - part detective, part ladies' man, part bodyguard.  Archie does all the leg work, gathers the information and reports back to Wolf, who solves the crime.  It's a unique set-up that sets Rex Stout's amazing series apart from the average who-dun-it.

In this particular episode, #41 in the series, Wolf is hired by a wealthy society widow, Rachel Bruner, who writes him a check for a whopping hundred grand. The oversize genius and his able assistant soon find out why the prize is so generous as they lock horns with the FBI. And these highly trained G-men have a way with threats , tails, and bugs that could give even sedentary sleuth Nero Wolfe a run for his money. (synopsis from Kansas Audiobooks site).

As always, the joy of a Rex Stout novel is in the characters more than the actual mystery.  Archie Goodwin narrates his own escapades through1940's New York as he gathers and reports the evidence, deals with Wolf's quirks, and sets up Wolf's master plan to trap the bad guys.  Stout is a master at pulling the reader inside this strange relationship and getting you to fall in love with his characters.  The series can only be described as classic.  Highly recommended for all mystery fans.

Now, two side points:  I listened to the audio version of this book narrated by Michael Prichard.  His voice and reading style are perfectly suited for the genre and for Archie Goodwin's character.  A+

Also, in 2001 and 2002, A&E produced a tv series based on the Nero Wolf books starring Timothy Hutton and Maury Chaykin.  It ranks on my list of top five things ever on television.  It's no longer running, but you can get the episodes on DVD.  Well worth the money.