We just finished Turow’s latest, his thirteenth legal thriller – and though we usually wait or day or two to react to a book, especially one by a favoWe just finished Turow’s latest, his thirteenth legal thriller – and though we usually wait or day or two to react to a book, especially one by a favorite author – this time we knew by even half-way through or so that this is not only one of our rarely given five-star adventures in reading, but surely in maybe the top 10 or 15 books (of over 2000!) we’ve ever read. It has everything from sustained suspense; a thrilling jury trial in the later half; family interactions that won’t quit; and even after all that, a twist at the very end we never saw coming. Add in some relatively low-key, even somewhat profound, commentary about racial relations, late-life interpersonal relationships, love affairs, and drug addictions and to us you have the mark of a seminal contribution to his readership. Or as today’s kids would say – awesome!
So definitely a great book – maybe one with which that our now 75-year-old author (never one of the most prolific) might be content to end his distinguished legal and writing careers. If so, it would to us seem the epitome of going out on top!...more
We’ve already admitted our exceptional admiration and enjoyment of Baldacci’s first two Amos Decker stories, with “Fix” being the third (of four so faWe’ve already admitted our exceptional admiration and enjoyment of Baldacci’s first two Amos Decker stories, with “Fix” being the third (of four so far) of what we sincerely hope will be a long-running set. The clever plot features a murder/suicide right in front of Decker, right in front of FBI HQ (the Hoover building) to boot. Thereafter we’re treated to scenarios filled with speculation and derring-do about a spy ring, blackmail, some inexplicably wealthy people, more deaths, and a serious terrorist scheme – a plot all of intricate, compelling, and suspenseful, with enough red herring theories to turn the Red Sea red!
We now find ourselves more than willing to escalate Baldacci to our “A” list of authors, as we without reservation accord this novel a coveted rare five star rating. The interaction of CIA operative (Ms.) Harper Brown with Decker’s FBI team and his friend Melvin Mars (from book 2, the “Last Mile”), not to mention Amos’ growing relationship of sorts with former reporter (Ms.) Alex Jamison, add interest to what comprises the best thriller we’ve read all year. Wow! ...more
Our favorite Clancy story -- and one of our top ten favorite novels of all time. In addition to his normal thrills and chills, and suspenseful terrifiOur favorite Clancy story -- and one of our top ten favorite novels of all time. In addition to his normal thrills and chills, and suspenseful terrific plot, the story features far more character work with his leading man and his family than usual, making it his most compelling work in our eyes....more
Her Best Yet -- Humorous, Suspenseful, Satisfying...
Yet another of the (Ms.) Bennie Rosato law firm associates is our leading lady in Scottoline's la Her Best Yet -- Humorous, Suspenseful, Satisfying...
Yet another of the (Ms.) Bennie Rosato law firm associates is our leading lady in Scottoline's latest and greatest -- namely Judy Carrier, Mary DeNunzio's best friend (Mary herself on "sick leave" recovering from bullet wounds suffered in Rough Justice...). The premise here is that Tony Lucia ("Pigeon Tony", from his expertise with homing pigeon racing), on trial for murdering a life-long rival, Angelo Coluzzi, admits to the "killing" but not to the "murder". Will the jury buy that fine line -- that somehow this death was justifiable given that Coluzzi killed Pigeon Tony's wife decades ago in Fascist Italy, and killed his son and daughter-in-law in a fake auto accident here in America, where the two families immigrated to none other than Scottoline's regular stomping ground, South Philly.
In the process of unfolding that story line, we get some obviously well researched description of Italy in the Mussolini era, rich with imagery and character development (eventually respun for the jury's benefit as well...). We get glimpses of life in the Italian "sector" of South Philly, using Judy's stream of consciousness to make it fun as opposed to stereotypical, with Pigeon Tony's handsome grandson thrown in to (finally!) give Judy a little welcome sex life, only adding to the character development and good time had by all. Lastly, Bennie herself adds a little to the courtroom machinations, to liven up a case that looks winnable until Pigeon Tony insists he wants to "talk to the judge" (testify).
That's why we liked this book a lot -- it's a really good mix of writing ingredients, from a compelling story that you want to come out a certain way, to really good characterizations of people easy to like, with plenty of suspense and humor thrown in to really entertain throughout. We were also pleased that some of the lapses into very implausible action (lawyers tailing criminal's cars, or fighting against their own clients) that characterized some of the earlier works in this series were finally absent from the book at hand. Lastly, we keep hearing (we guess from the publisher's blurbs) that Lisa's books are being used for classroom debate, and we suspect this one will as well, if the legal "mores" angle interests you.
So -- sounds like a little something for everybody all wrapped up in one "5-star" addition to the genre. Watch out, John ! ...more
One of best books of the year, Lucas & Rinker's back !!
Clara Rinker shares almost all the great qualities of many leading ladies we're fond of except One of best books of the year, Lucas & Rinker's back !!
Clara Rinker shares almost all the great qualities of many leading ladies we're fond of except one: she's the villain! Rinker is back (from "Certain Prey") and this time is out for total revenge for the single bullet that killed her lover, her unborn baby, and laid her up for a month or two. It doesn't take her long to return from Mexico to St. Louis where she systematically and cleverly, amidst a huge FBI team watching her every movement, proceeds to knock off her human targets.
Enter our hero of this 13th Prey series offering, Lucas Davenport, a deputy police chief, independently wealthy and working here with the FBI since he almost killed Rinker in his hometown Minneapolis in the earlier book. Cleverly hooking up with some retired ex-cops, Lucas takes to the streets and beats the horde of FBI-types with clues and ideas at every turn. Does he get Rinker this time??
We're surprised at the mixed reaction of the audience to this one. We've read the whole series (plus the three Kidd books by Sandford), and we think not only is this one of the best, but indeed one of the best books we've read in the last year. The story is good, the pace is better, and Sandford can actually write a 10-or-15-page chapter unlike some newer authors that can barely muster up three pages without changing sets. Most of all, we care a lot about Lucas (and his fiancée) and truthfully found ourselves growing fonder of Rinker herself with every passing scene. If only she weren't a murderer, she'd be quite a catch (no pun intended). Best of all, Sandford maintains suspense without shoving our face into a million sub-plots and detailed blood and guts; and when we can barely wait to race to the finish, that's a compelling read! Get it and enjoy! ...more
Fantastic read, great premise, gripping emotional story...
This is the 15th novel in the Nora Roberts (writing as J.D. Robb) suspense/mystery/crime th Fantastic read, great premise, gripping emotional story...
This is the 15th novel in the Nora Roberts (writing as J.D. Robb) suspense/mystery/crime thriller series about NYC Homicide Lieutenant Eve Dallas. Supporting our leading lady is a cast of characters we have come to enjoy, including her billionaire husband Roarke; her aide (Ms.) Peabody; a young policeman named Trueheart (honest!); and electronic/computer cop specialists McNab and Feeney. A contemporary premise, that a PC virus could cause a human brain virus, starts things off in a hurry with Trueheart killing a civilian who seemingly has gone berserk and murdered one of his neighbors while raving and ranting about how his head hurts. Eve Dallas takes this call, and soon other deaths in like fashion occur, including one in which a fellow cop is killed from working on an infected PC. Autopsies reveal significant brain swelling from unknown causes. A screen message "Absolute Purity has Been Achieved" leads to the supposition that a vigilante group is behind the killings, as at first their targets are dope dealers and pedophiles, etc. The story follows police efforts to identify and catch the criminals -- but along the way we get doses of differing philosophy about the group and its cause; emotional scenes surrounding the death of the policeman and McNab's disability; glimpses into the politics of modern police departments, and as much suspense as we can handle til the real culprits surface after several mis-directions near the end.
As always, the scene is set ahead in time 50 years, so that video cellphones, personal air vehicles and a few other sci-fi touches enliven the stories without dominating the basic police procedurals. Still, Robb's writing seems at the top her form in this story; we wept several times during various sad and gripping scenes surrounding the deaths and funerals involved with the innocent. We feel this one of the most exceptional stories we have read in several months and have decided to put in on our ten-best in our lifetime list. That says an awful lot for someone who reads a couple of thousand books each decade.
Get it; read it; weep, smile, and enjoy immensely !!
His very best, wonderful inventive plot with ultimate twist!
We've nearly given up on Steve Martini several times. While we enjoyed his first novel, " His very best, wonderful inventive plot with ultimate twist!
We've nearly given up on Steve Martini several times. While we enjoyed his first novel, "Simeon Chamber", most of the others of his books we have read, including a couple others from the Defense Attorney Paul Madriani series, have been so incredibly dry during sluggish middle sections that we really should have quit them right there. However, this his fourth novel, and third Madriani, gets it completely right: good writing, one of the most clever plots we've ever encountered, sustained suspense and pace, and a story so engrossing we'll admit to staying up til three in the morning to get to the end!
We don't want to reveal too much plot, but in short, Madriani is defending his sister-in-law Laurel on the charge of murdering her ex-husband's trophy wife. A custody battle for her two kids is an apparent motive, and the evidence all seems to look bad, including secrets Laurel won't even reveal to her defense team. Suspense builds as we join the courtroom audience for an entertaining fight with a female prosecutor with a chip on her shoulder, not to mention the main cop (Lama) who is a Madriani enemy. Things don't get sorted out until quite late in the book, yet we're on edge til nearly the very last page as twists and turns in the story line have us hustling through the pages at breakneck speed. A most unusual ending is our final reward!
This book is as good as Scott Turow or John Grisham at their best. While we're still not totally Madriani fan club enthusiasts, this is surely one of the best books we've read in a long time -- and thus very highly recommended!
One of his best books, lovable characters, great plot...
We have read every Dick Francis novel, some forty (!) in all. We marvel at the author's abilitOne of his best books, lovable characters, great plot...
We have read every Dick Francis novel, some forty (!) in all. We marvel at the author's ability to endear the lead characters to the reader within just a few pages. While our hero is always a man, it is always a man men would like to be like, and women would like to find! Tim Ekaterin is no exception -- while he works in an investment bank, making daily decisions on big business loans, he is all of humble, courteous and pleasant, sensitive, caring, personable and smart. No wonder he is successful, even if his family founded the institution in question.
One of Tim's loans is to syndicate a champion racehorse getting ready to perform at stud. From this development we learn not only a good deal about investment banking but the inside of the horse breeding business, especially from a financial viewpoint. When the offspring start to show birth defects, irregularly, our hero is suspicious enough to practically start living at the stables to unravel what is going on. When the horse owner's daughter, with whom Tim has developed an affectionate plutonic relationship, is murdered, the mystery gets really serious. Are the TV celebrity horse "healer" and herbal remedy specialist and his "cooperative" veterinarian bad guys or victims? Can Tim's pharmacist "girlfriend" help trace some important clues? Will the horse farm and Tim's reputation survive?
An interesting sub-plot, one presented in poignant prose, concerns Tim's boss Gordon, who is slowly losing the war with Parkinson's disease, and Gordon's wife Judith. While it's not clear how it got started, Tim and Judith find themselves in love, but are too honorable to ever act on their feelings. Toward the end of the book, when Gordon's health is in serious jeopardy, will Tim and Judith get the chance to unite?
Francis is known for relatively non-violent mysteries, with pleasant leading characters, and enough suspense to entertain, even if at a level less than the thrills and chills of writers like Patterson or Sandford. Nonetheless, we love his characters, and never fail to enjoy his stories. "Banker" is indeed one of our favorite books of all time. ---------- We recently decided as a way to "downsize" our hardback collection to re-read some of our favorites of all time, starting with this one. Second time around (admittedly a long-time after the first time) it was just as compelling, although now much later in life ourselves, we were a little disappointed at the ending that left us wondering where the "love affair" would go -- although we certainly can use our imagination!...more
It's already "shot" to our ten LIFETIME BEST list !
We've read all eight of the Jack Reacher books and absolutely love this singular character. And in It's already "shot" to our ten LIFETIME BEST list !
We've read all eight of the Jack Reacher books and absolutely love this singular character. And in "One Shot" we found one of the best books we've ever read -- how's that for high praise! First, Reacher is perhaps the best new leading man of this decade: as smart as Nero Wolfe; as honest and personable as a Dick Francis hero; and as physically fit and resourceful as Arnold Schwarzenegger, with the type of will that enables him to break a bad guy's neck without a second of indecision. Second, Child has created a plot with such gripping suspense, we stayed up till 3 a.m. to finish this -- we can't even remember the last time we were up much past midnight! And the supporting cast, including two women, were so appealing, with characters crafted so well, we'd almost like to see more of them as well.
The story gets off to a hot start when a sniper mows down (with six rifle shots) five random people innocently leaving their place of work. The guy seems to have expertly planned his attack, yet leaves behind such a wealth of forensic evidence that even a CSI rookie could have followed the trail and snagged the killer, as did the local Indiana small city cops just hours later that night. The arrested man, James Barr, who turns out to be a Gulf War Army sniper, says almost nothing, but finally denies his guilt and asks for Jack Reacher. Reacher hears about the deed on national TV and sets out for the town before he knew he had been tangentially involved. Meanwhile Barr gets almost killed in prison overnight and is in a coma in the hospital. When Reacher shows up and sees the case from the police side, he is also convinced it's open and shut -- and we're left wondering where this is all going. Answer -- into one great story that tracks down the truth from the tiniest of inconsistencies, with little more than caring people to keep the search going strong. When Reacher gets hit on by some bad guys after a setup from a cute townie girl, and then the girl gets brutally offed, he's in the game for good now; and as usual, enraged enough morally to relentlessly chase -- mostly on foot (he doesn't own a car or anything else for that matter!) -- the villains. Finally, it may be that a crooked cop or DA (the defense lawyer's father of all people) may be part of the problem, only adding to the tension! Cap this off with a fabulous ending that leaves everybody happy and satisfied, especially we readers, and what more can we ask for in a novel!
We rarely effuse to this extent about a "mere" thriller, but Lee Child has written a truly great book -- one that grabs our hearts and minds, keeps us involved as the pages fly by, and rams home several hours of first class entertainment. For fiction fans, THE MUST READ OF THE YEAR !!
Maybe the best book (of some 200 !!) we've read this year!
"The Veteran" turns out to be a compilation of five novellas: 78-, 70-, 34-, 36-, and 140-p Maybe the best book (of some 200 !!) we've read this year!
"The Veteran" turns out to be a compilation of five novellas: 78-, 70-, 34-, 36-, and 140-pages in length, to be exact. They have several things in common -- gripping story telling, enough flesh and detail to get involved in and hooked by, and a strong twist at the end to surprise and delight. Whether it's vigilante justice, the scammee scamming the scammer, or a delightfully evocative tale about native America, Forsyth may be at his very best as he spins these five yarns spanning gullible tourists to drug smuggling. As voracious readers, it's rare we turn the pages with such delight and entertainment. This one goes on our top shelf, the one with little company ! Get it -- read it -- enjoy! ...more
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