While I enjoyed this installment of the Travis McGee series, it wasn't nearly as good as other titles in the series. That doesn't mean it was bad, it While I enjoyed this installment of the Travis McGee series, it wasn't nearly as good as other titles in the series. That doesn't mean it was bad, it just seemed different.
Travis and Meyer are fishing at night under a bridge when a woman comes toppling down attached toi a cement brick. Travis rescues her and soon they discover she is into something really bad and has committed a number of criminal acts. Despite her beauty, and efforts to seduce Travis, he finds it difficult to respond to her-- seeing her for the selfish creature she is-- But she asks his help in retrieving some money she has hidden in her apartment, but before they can get it she is murdered.
Travis doesn't really feel vengeful regarding her death. What motivates him is the fate of the victims of the bad stuff she was involved in. He feels compelled to find a way to stop it and contrives a plan to trap the criminals so that they will be hoisted by their own petard. The plan is clever and by far the best part of the novel.
While Travis is dealing with two different women involved, he is detached and literally turned off by their attitude. An interesting philosophy discussion between Meyer and Travis explains how they could be so involved in their misdeeds without pangs of conscience. This dialogue explains the "I vs. the Not I" compartmentalization that some criminal minds use to think of themselves as important, but their victims as not important. The women that Travis deals with are terribly detached from their part in this crimes, which leads Travis to a period of depression.
While reading this section about Travis' moody response to the resolution of the action, I was thinking that MacDonald has managed throughout the series to paint Travis as a borderline manic depressive.
This one was shorter than most of the McGee novels, and like McGee, I was so disgusted with the women that I was almost depressed. McGee found a solution, however, and so did I... I finished the book and will move on to my next reading choice.
I like the fact that these novels have an emotional depth to them. McGee and Meyer are both unlike any characters I can think of and that creates a thinking man's thriller. ...more
Thus far, I have found NO Western writer who comes closer to the REAL west than Brett Cogburn. This guy takes his time to get the setting, the dialoguThus far, I have found NO Western writer who comes closer to the REAL west than Brett Cogburn. This guy takes his time to get the setting, the dialogue, the people, the equestrianship, and the weapons 100% correct. Into that very carefully crafted setting he inserts a plot designed to keep the story moving at a fast pace. The plotting is both interesting and realistic, keeping true to the period.
First, I have to praise the author's understanding that everybody in the old west did not carry a revolver designed by Mr. Colt or a rifle bearing the Winchester emblem. The author introduces weapons that drive this reader to the internet to check his research, which is always spot on.
The only complaint I have about this particular installment is the title. The title implies that the story revolves around Morgan Clyde, the Hero from "Smoke Wagon." While a major component of the story revolves around Morgan's "duel" out in the wilderness with the man called the "Traveller" that was introduced in the first book, the story is so much DEEPER and BETTER than that. This is more than a story about Morgan Clyde-- it is a story about the building of a railroad (THE MK&T) and the people working at the railhead or seeking to exploit the workers there. This is much more than the settling of a long-standing feud story-- it is about the building of the west.
Cogburn is an expert when it comes to writing western novels. They are far and away much better and deeper than the usual western formulaic novels. He manages to portray the continued bitterness stemming from the Civil War, the competition of those involved in vice, and even teaches a lesson about building the railroad. There is a great scene where Clyde meets a railroad man who speaks of the difference between those who are actually involved in building the railroad and those who are using the railroad as a cash machine to sell stock, etc. Cogburn demonstates both types of these people. He also demonstrates those who want to use their size and reputation to intimidate others and the efforts others go to avoid trouble.
This is a GREAT novel. If you like westerns at all, Brett Cogburn is your man.
Nobody does a better job at creating zany characters, zany situations, and hilarious resolutions than the master, P.G. Wodehouse.
The Girl in Blue is Nobody does a better job at creating zany characters, zany situations, and hilarious resolutions than the master, P.G. Wodehouse.
The Girl in Blue is a miniature portrait which an upscale lawyer has finally acquired. However, his houseguests include an American lawyer seeking to keep his shoplifting sister out of jail by taking her on a journey to England. When the American lawyer warns the owner of the portrait, his warnings are taken as a joke, but in the middle of the night he hides the portrait in the owner's desk. His message, at the owner's office, gets garbled and much of the rest of this wacky story is built around the efforts to find the portrait, assumed to have been stolen by the American's sister.
There are other misunderstandings along the way, far too many to mention, but one side story is the efforts of an unorthodox butler to get even with a local constable- which he finally does in a very humorous and zany manner.
If I use the word zany a lot, it is because this novel is a lot like a Marx Brothers farce. Lots going on, some wonderful dialogue that generate snickers from me...
Wodehouse is a master, and this particular novel was the change in pace from all the action and mystery stuff I've been reading. It falls short of greatness, but it tickled my fancy. ...more
This is a decent western novel, but stops short of being really great. The novel builds several plotlines based on nothing more than conincidence. On This is a decent western novel, but stops short of being really great. The novel builds several plotlines based on nothing more than conincidence. On one level this is a revenge novel and on another it is about a range war. The author manages to coincidentally merge the two plotlines together.
The major flaw in this novel is the coincidences. A minor, but annoying flaw, is the description on the back of the paperback gives the wrong name for the villain. Another flaw was the continued use of the phrase "have a tussle" for sexual congress between soiled doves and the men they serve.
I've enjoyed previous titles by West, but this one was a bit of a chore to get through. The final blow came on the last page, leaving to the imagination of the reader the hero's plans regarding his romantic future. Perhaps I'll discover that the author wrote a sequel that resolves some of this, but for now, I haven't a clue. ...more
After about 100 pages I set this one aside-- not for me... just rambles on and on with the author reveling in creating odd characters that make no senAfter about 100 pages I set this one aside-- not for me... just rambles on and on with the author reveling in creating odd characters that make no sense whatsoever... Just not my style... I'm almost ashamed because I know it is a classic. ...more
Awful stuff... some good ideas, but so poorly executed and organized as to be Awful.... Only made it about 100 pages before tossing it in the trash-- Awful stuff... some good ideas, but so poorly executed and organized as to be Awful.... Only made it about 100 pages before tossing it in the trash-- a fate it truly deserved....more
Chris Klick is an interesting hero and the author provides both an intriguing mystery (fooling me a number of times along the way, which I like) and aChris Klick is an interesting hero and the author provides both an intriguing mystery (fooling me a number of times along the way, which I like) and an interesting background. Klick is a sometimes songwriter turned unofficial private eye cut somewhat in the pattern of MacDonald's Travis McGee. His major occupation is finding musicians who are long-owed royalties and helping them obtain those royalties for a percentage. This is often sad as he finds a down and out musician.
However, in this situation, he is approached by a woman who is looking for her dog, and incidently her missing husband. Klick doesn't really want to take the job, but he is immediately smitten by this woman and soon finds himself puzzling over his absence. He soon suspects that a body thought to be the missing husband is actually a local rancher and that the switch is not an accident.
The dog? It comes crawling home with a butt filled with buckshot.
And the mystery-- it is most assuredly not what it seems to be, but the actual mystery is hinted at for the perceptive reader-- I like the way that this writer plays fairly with the reader.
However, the heartsick emotions expressed within, while making the novel deeply emotional, at times got in the way. The author uses the heartsick emotions of Klick to continue to compel him to pick away at the mystery-- but at times he is so besoughted with infatuation that the story is marred.
I liked the resolution of the mystery, but not the final pages of the novel. It certainly left me almost angry, when I suppose I should have felt sorrow. ...more
This one gets a one-star bump for its nostalgic value. After reading the atrociously bad "New Doc Savage" thrillers books one and two, I was hungry foThis one gets a one-star bump for its nostalgic value. After reading the atrociously bad "New Doc Savage" thrillers books one and two, I was hungry for the real Doc Savage.
Doc Savage is not the bloodthirsty killer his grandson imagines him to be. However, he is also not the hero I remember. He has some clever moments and a few feats of strength. But, as I recall from my youth the majority of the work was done by his team, who at times are the most ridiculous group of men ever gathered.
This one was fun, but again, only because of the nostalgia factor. It is not exceptionally well written and the mystery isn't well-developed. But for a pulp novel, it was satisfying and scratched the itch I was feeling. ...more
I could not find the correct image for the copy of this book I read. The description is also slightly inaccurate, because the name of the town in the I could not find the correct image for the copy of this book I read. The description is also slightly inaccurate, because the name of the town in the book was Cactus, Texas, not Hades.
With that said... With minor flaws, this is a competently written western novel. I'm not certain that this novel belongs in the "Gunfighter" series. The story involves a number of ordinary men who join a posse. There is not a single hero. The Sheriff leads the posse, but his former deputy, who reluctantly joins the posse tends to take the lead. The posse is a ragtag group, including two elderly men, and they don't realize that they've taken to chasing a group of men who are part of a much larger outlaw gang. Eventually, they will become the hunted instead of the hunters and there will be a huge race back to their hometown.
The minor flaws are things like wrapping up the action far too quickly, trying to throw in an Indian encounter that just seems out of place with the rest of the book, etc.
Still, it was an enjoyable book and not bad. ...more
I struggled my way through "Murder Island" in hope that the book would improve. My strong negative opinion is two-fold:
1) Apparently, neither author eI struggled my way through "Murder Island" in hope that the book would improve. My strong negative opinion is two-fold:
1) Apparently, neither author ever read a Doc Savage novel in their lives
2) The editors felt that having the name James Patterson, a best-selling author, on the cover of the book would mean that they wouldn't have to do any real editing.
Now, granted, this is a new Doc Savage, the grandson of the original, transformed into the man of Bronze by Kira, a trained assasin. Therefore, we can expect this new Doc Savage to think and function differently than the original. At the end of book # 1, we see that the new Doc has been transformed from a bookish, cowardly, wimp into the strong, courageous and noble Doc Savage. When we get to book # 2 he's still strong, but his courage seems to have run off into the brush with the cowardly lion. Gone is his noble courage, though he struggles to regain it.
When I speak of failing to have read Doc Savage.. there are multiple references to the original Doc's bloodthirsty attitude... Wait a minute... Doc invented mercy bullets so he wouldn't have to kill his enemies. Doc preferred to capture his enemies and take them to a mountain stronghold where he would lobotomize them (okay, by today's standards pretty unethical, but preferential to killing them, right?)
When I speak of editing I mean stupid proofreading mistakes like leaving out the word "it" and typing "nearly" when "nearby" is clearly meant. Further, the editors didn't seem to have any desire for the chapter breaks to make any type of sense. It is almost as if the two authors were playing a game.. one would write the first half of a chapter, the other would finish it. However, the editors would break that chapter into two segments, sometimes more.
The novel suffers from the worst case of multi-author-personality disorder possible. Changing scenes and points of view in a matter that is distracting to the reader than the dog in the movie "Up" who kept thinking he saw or heard a squirrel.
I really thought we would see Doc grow into a heroic figure-- but the truth is that this novel is not really about Doc. He becomes a pivotal but peripheral character, a sidekick to Kira, his love interest and mentor. She's the real hero, doing more fighting than Doc, thinking more clealy than Doc, and often resolving the problems before Doc.
This series is junk. Made me want to read some of the old Doc Savage stuff. Fortunately, I've got some. I know that stuff is pulply and old fashioned, but it will easily be better than this load of crap pretending to be a new, improved, and modernized Doc Savage. ...more
Blue Heaven is a somewhat complicated novel. It masquerades as a simple novel following a popular formula: Children in Trouble seek help. Then it is lBlue Heaven is a somewhat complicated novel. It masquerades as a simple novel following a popular formula: Children in Trouble seek help. Then it is layered with rich characters who are dealing with their own set of problems. The rancher who assists the children is dealing with a likely bank foreclosure, pressure from his ex-wife to sell his ranch, and concern for his grown son with mental and drug issues. The small-town detective who suspects some of the ex-cops (LAPD) were involved in a robbery before retiring to this rural community is dealing with retirement AND this unsolved case. The children's mother is forced to face some of her life choices. Meanwhile, the LAPD retirees are busy trying to cover up their crime and this also means killing the children who witnessed them committing a murder. The banker is trying to figure out a way to help the rancher, but also is facing some banking irregularities.
There's an underlying theme of how communities tend to get "swallowed up" by larger communities until they lose their own identities. This was a most interesting issue and was dealt with in a way that didn't disrupt the narrative.
Box teases the mysterious part of the novel out piece by piece. The reader thinks he knows the whole story, but more mystery comes out piece by piece.
The hero is no detective. He's just an old rancher trying to survive and dealing with the issues in an old fashioned manner.
This is the first of Box's material I've read outside of the Joe Pickett novels. I don't think that there is a better writer when it comes to describing terrain, ranch life, and weather. The action scenes are not long, this is not an action novel though action is necessary in order to bring about the climax of the story.
When an almost broke rancher saves a child and a horse from a burning barn the video goes viral, attracting the attention of a lobbyist who thinks proWhen an almost broke rancher saves a child and a horse from a burning barn the video goes viral, attracting the attention of a lobbyist who thinks promoting him as a candidate for the Texas assembly is a crackerjack idea. Soon, our bewildered hero is serving as a freshman representative in the Texas legislature.
At this point, the novel takes on a little bit of a "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" vibe. While this is meant, at times, to be a parody of Texas government, instead it offers a bit of a message about the future of Texas if the legislature doesn't change its divisive tone. While this message is welcome to me, as I think differing political opinions are being offered in a manner that is much too mean-spirited. We can (and should) disagree about many topics, but we need to learn to disagree in a civil manner, and that is the main message of the novel.
I hated the novel's conclusion, however. It left several unresolved issues and one BIG ONE! C'mon, Mr. Wright... that was really an unfair and unexpected endings. Not sad or happy, but essentially unresolved. ...more
While I thoroughly enjoyed the action content of this thriller, there were elements that to me, were just ridiculous.
Think Die Hard meets the A-Team While I thoroughly enjoyed the action content of this thriller, there were elements that to me, were just ridiculous.
Think Die Hard meets the A-Team meets Face Off (The John Travolta/Nicholas cage movie) and Doc Savage novels and you will see how absurdity rules.
Die Hard, because the marines are locked inside a multilevel secret military facility taken over by bad guys. While our hero is not alone, there are times when he is climbing, swinging, ducking and dodging more than John McClain in the classic action film franchise. There are a lot of Die Hard type improbable escapes. Don't get me wrong-- these are fun, cheap thrills, but very little could I take seriously.
A-Team because of the frequent shootouts where elite troops keep shooting around the feet of their targets. People on both sides get wounded and killed, much unlike the A-Team where bullets outrageously strike up puffs and clods of dirt. Silly because apparently our hero can fly anything from helicopters, to old bi-planes, and space shuttles.
Face Off because all of the Science Fiction elements, though SOME of the described technology may actually exist. There was a description of a special attack space shuttle. There is a biological threat being built and a vaccine. There is specialized equipment and the plot (not going to spoil it) involves a surgical procedure and an executed criminal who is amazingly revived. Oh, and not lets forget the elite soldiers who are physically augmented for speed and reflexes.
Doc Savage, because of the animals in the lab, A huge bear family gets out during the story and there is a room with big komodo dragons. The Science Fiction elements also remind me of a Doc Savage novel.
Is this a bad book? I can't say that it is- because I enjoyed it. The author manages to group all of those silly elements with some serious elements and then mix up an amazing milkshake of all out action. Somehow, between the absurdity and action it was just plain fun. ...more
This is a new character for Connelly, and though I enjoyed meeting a new character AND a new setting that character is far from my favorite.
My ratingThis is a new character for Connelly, and though I enjoyed meeting a new character AND a new setting that character is far from my favorite.
My rating for this one got bumped up an extra notch simply because of Connelly's ability to describe the setting (Catalina Island) and to provide interesting history notes about it. I was unaware of Wrigley's connection to it and its use as a spring training camp for the Chicago cubs.
The mystery in this one was pretty good. Connelly does a good job portraying the dogged detective in his novels and Stillwell is no exception. As usual, Connelly's heroes hardly feel compelled to follow rules and regulations and at times this becomes annoying. He is a good hero because of his stubborness. Connelly portrays Catalina as a dumnping ground for Sheriff deputies who have either gotten themselves crosswise with the political structure or screwed up in some other way. Stillwell's dedicaton to solving the murder of a young woman at times is confusing-- does he wish to do this because he wants to prove his worth and value, a sense of duty, or because of his sympathy for the dead woman? It is difficult to discern exactly what his real motivation is.
A good novel, introducing a new hero and a different setting. ...more