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There
were only a few really good books I did in the last few
months. I can't really blame it on my tendency to try new
authors. Two of the worst books I did were back to back
(and both on audio) which made it a VERY long September. |
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The
biggest disappointment was Lee Child's
Running Blind
(the title in UK is The Visitor) I really loved his first three
books, but this one...How do I put this gracefully … is, without a
doubt, not my favorite. The story itself wasn't bad (by that I mean the
crime to solve and its solution), but almost every other aspect of the
book was out of character or off the mark. I hesitate to get
into too much detail for the sake of spoilers, but
Reacher is coerced by the FBI to help them on a case. It
is not unlike Reacher to be coerced, but it is unlike him
to submit to it. He didn't want to do it, but he didn't
want to quit and the FBI wasn't taking his input
seriously and treated him with hostility. So why'd they
want him in the first place? Why did he stick around?
There were two good things. The price of the book was
less than $19 and it's always nice to visit Reacher. Maybe it was just
me, others didn't seem to have the problems I did with it. It is a must
read, though, because it has
some significant changes for the series.
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The other
looser was The Doomsday Kiss by Robert Davis. It's
about a serum that was supposed to cure aids but is
actually lethal. It comes in two forms one which
transmits itself via contact and the other which is
airborne. Again, the basis story is good and the solution
is fine as well, but God, getting their was horrible. The
"suspense" wasn't really suspense but teases;
questions are ask and no answers are given then the scene
changes. Countless descriptive passages were handled with
stock cliché's; "...he took the reins in his
hands..." for he took control of the situation. |
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Even Tom
Boddett wasn't a relief. Willowaw! is about a
couple of kids (10 and 11 ish in age) who are left alone
while the father goes off on a business trip. They handle
some remarkably mature chores and do some equally
remarkably dumb things. But it was nice to visit Alaska
again, so I don't hold it too much against him. |
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On the up
side, Stephen King's
Hearts of Atlantis was a refreshing
return to the likes of The Body, Shawshank
and Dolores
Clairborne. It was more human interest than
"horror" or "weird tales". But what
weirdness there was, were tie-ins to his Dark Tower
Series, which I always find fun. For the more
"horror/ghost" story stuff, there was Blood
and Smoke (available only on audio). These stories
all related to smoking or smoking quitting. |
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I did my
first Clive Cussler with Atlantis Found. This
adventurer was hot on the trail of some Nazi-Remnants
that had a unique plan to take over the world. The
premise was really intriguing. The remains of an
advanced, ancient culture is discovered. They were
apparently killed off in a pre-ice age comet impact. They
leave a warning of the return of a
civilization-shattering comet. |
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I also,
finally, got to read my first John Sandford (Rules of
Prey). This introduces Lucas Davenport, a detective who uses the
media to expose a serial kill that doesn't follow the "rules of prey".
And Janet Evanovich's High Five was pleasantly
amusing, as always. Funny from the very first line:
When I was a little girl I used
to dress Barbie up with underpants.
Stephanie is trying to find her
Uncle Fred (things being a bit dull around the FTA office) and she also
picks up a little extra work from Ranger.
I also did Kenneth Fearing's The
Big Clock, from 1947. This story is the basis of the
Kevin Cosner film, "No Way Out". It was also a
film back in the late '40's, but I've never seen that
one. This book was not as intricate as the Cosner film.
The style was interesting in that it told the story from
different points of view from the various characters in
the story. A similar technique was used in Vera Caspary's
Laura. |
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Another
nice read was The Little Sister by Raymond
Chandler. It is the kind of story that makes me wonder
why I bother reading new people. A woman offers Marlow $20 to find her
brother. That leads him into blackmail, dope and starlets.
But then I pick up
Barbara Seranella's No
Human Involved and say, "This is why I read new
people." A nice treat. "Munch" Mancini
(short for "Munchkin") is a victim of life and
is fighting back. She gets caught up in evil doings and
has to fend for herself until the police can catch up.
All this, of course, while she fights off a drug
addiction, quits prostitution and gets a job as an auto
mechanic while going through withdrawals. Not a bad first
showing. |
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Another
nice surprise was John Gilstrap's Nathan's Run. John now has his
third book out, but this is his first. A real thriller,
mostly from the eyes of a young kid who has escaped from
a juvenile detention center and attempts are made on his
life. With the "bad guys" and the police after
him, he has no where to go. But he is able to turn public
opinion in his favor by calling into a talk radio show to
air his side. |
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