Well now, I think I might be reaching the end of my patience (or rather, current patience,) with "novels filled to the brim with unlikable people whomWell now, I think I might be reaching the end of my patience (or rather, current patience,) with "novels filled to the brim with unlikable people whom I want to see die horribly".
Before starting this novel, and admittedly not reading any blurb or review, I kinda hoped I'd see something like: "Oh! Let's PoV this from local tourist trade workers encountering and subsequently killing them!"
As I read the novel, I wanted to see this get the full Stephen King treatment, where we read from the PoV OF the bad summer people and watch them all pop off later in glorious ways.
As I finished the novel, I just wished anything glorious had happened. Unfortunately, at the end, it's a pretty average setup. Rich assholes in their summer homes behaving badly. Most of it was just banal. Later on, when chaos reigns, the chaos is still rather mild.
Spicy-level 1.5 out of 10. Too mild for my palate. Alas....more
I gave this a fair shot, but it just came across as thoroughly average cozy murder mystery. I suppose I could have gotten into rooting for the murdereI gave this a fair shot, but it just came across as thoroughly average cozy murder mystery. I suppose I could have gotten into rooting for the murderers of these unlikable people, but the actual murdering took a long time to get to and then we were given too many explanations why we should have liked the victims and I just wasn't feeling it.
It was OKAY. Unfortunately, I feel like I've read a million just like it. I'm a bit sad. But alas, at least it wasn't actually BAD.
Maugham is quite the writer. I think he ought to be as well known as Christie, as celebrated as Faulkner, but here's the real reason why:
It's his lighMaugham is quite the writer. I think he ought to be as well known as Christie, as celebrated as Faulkner, but here's the real reason why:
It's his light tone, his unexpected flashes of depth, his popular vein, but most importantly, the hidden blades go to right for our backs.
This one is a classic "you can't run from yourself or the things you've done" kind of novel. Getting trapped with sleazy individuals on a remote island can always be rather fun, but Maugham really does avoid the clichés well.
I TOTALLY recommend this for some summertime beach reading. It's very entertaining. Just be sure to re-familiarize yourself on Bridge.
There are a few things you really, really, really oughtn't forget. :)
This latest fantasy novella in the Singing Hills Cycle got a nice mystery turn goThere are a few things you really, really, really oughtn't forget. :)
This latest fantasy novella in the Singing Hills Cycle got a nice mystery turn going on, silmultaneously turning quite gothic and Silkpunk -- and then teakettles and -- other things -- rear up to exact a nice bit of fun.
This really hit the spot. I won't say it is the most fantastic Noir I've ever read, or even the best SF Noir, but I had a great time, anyway.
The hookThis really hit the spot. I won't say it is the most fantastic Noir I've ever read, or even the best SF Noir, but I had a great time, anyway.
The hook: I kinda thought it was going to be Titanium as in the metal. I was RATHER amused to find out it is more about TITANS. :) Or rather, about the special immortality treatments that make its users progressively larger and larger people every time they use it. The rich, of course.
So mix it all up with a murder mystery, with sex and violence, and it has all the earmarks of the most familiar and the joys of the unusual.
Honestly, if this sparks a whole future explosion of a genre of FORENSIC ACCOUNTANTS, then I could not be happier.
I see this kind of thing much too raHonestly, if this sparks a whole future explosion of a genre of FORENSIC ACCOUNTANTS, then I could not be happier.
I see this kind of thing much too rarely. It’s usually very niche and hardly ever in the realm of FICTION, but tracking down a good DD is especially delicious, especially when it touches to righteously on the very real graft, cons, and purely evil-spirited world of our own nasty high finance.
This is a case of reality — as explained through fiction — and done so well, so deftly, so smartly, that it should be required reading for ANYONE interested in the world of big money cons.
Cory Doctorow is spitting some awesome words here. This isn’t the first novel I’ve read that follows Martin Hench, forensic accountant, but it is the earliest one in the narrative timeline.
Let’s just put it this way: I am FASCINATED. Endlessly so. I could read this forever. Please, please, let me have more!...more
Huh? Light thriller? Well, there is a bit of humor in it and the assassin chap is rather shaping up to be a nice guyAll told, a fun, light, thriller.
Huh? Light thriller? Well, there is a bit of humor in it and the assassin chap is rather shaping up to be a nice guy. I mean, as nice as you can be, transforming yourself from Baba Yaga into a reformed assassin. (Hey, wait, haven't see seen this before, John?)
Either way, this novel scratches that itch. Almost a year sober, now, and enter in assassination attempts. I enjoyed Mark and all his interactions. It's not quite as bloodthirsty as some, and he stuck to his guns, so to speak, but I really appreciated his stubborn streak.
Well now! This was a delightful set of secret service short stories by the inestimable Somerset Maugham.
Being who I am, I find it hard to judge ANY kiWell now! This was a delightful set of secret service short stories by the inestimable Somerset Maugham.
Being who I am, I find it hard to judge ANY kind of spycraft story except through the lens of Bond, but I'm happy to say it's not only on par, it's much older and doubly fascinating for that reason.
There's murder, intrigue, lots of trains, and even a story taking place on the eve of the Russian Revolution.
But there's something about this that I got a much bigger kick out of: it's almost like all these stories weren't really about spycraft at all. Almost all of them were fascinating character studies that were oddly reminiscent of Hemingway in their clear brevity and sharp anti-moralistic scenes. It's all up to us to make up our minds. It was really quite delightful.
A point I should make, however: Maugham WAS an agent for England in RL. Ashenden, the agent in the stories, was also a writer. I know we should never associate a writer's product, their characters, with the author, but COME ON....
This was all well before Flemming, too. The similarities are almost so hardcore that Flemming stole the whole shtick from Maugham. Delightful, no? ...more
Murder, writers, continuing several deep character setups -- all this should have been in my wheelhouse. I should have loved the novel with or withoutMurder, writers, continuing several deep character setups -- all this should have been in my wheelhouse. I should have loved the novel with or without the extra knowledge that it is Rowling's work.
But I'm simply not feeling the charm. I got through the first book, thinking it was competent enough, and decided to go for the second, assuming it might sink in better. Unfortunately, it didn't. It's one of those "It's me, not you" situations, I guess.
I simply didn't buy-in to the characters, got bored, couldn't even concentrate on the mystery, and wound up eyeing the page count way too often for my mental health. I wish I could have said something better about it....more
So, I finally got around to reading RG aka JKR and I'm kinda surprised it took me quite this long to do it.
I simply thought I wouldn't quite appreciatSo, I finally got around to reading RG aka JKR and I'm kinda surprised it took me quite this long to do it.
I simply thought I wouldn't quite appreciate a mystery from a great fantasy writer, especially since there is no supernatural or such oddities in the text.
That isn't to say I don't know the mystery field, however, and I figured it was well past time to see if there's any fuss here.
So, first impressions: It's pretty formula, but it's well-done formula. We've got all the Noir going on that you could wish for, with a heavy reliance on slow-burn character building. I like that. It's solid and never made me lose interest.
And while that IS a good thing, it honestly never goes beyond that. I like Strike and I like Robin even more. But a dark-past PI with some problems isn't anything new. And neither is a seriously competent bombshell working for said PI. It has the strength of comfort going for it.
So, while I couldn't find anything seriously outstanding about the plot -- hell, even the plot seems to be rather cliche -- it was also satisfying the way an infrequent fast food burger is satisfying. You get that craving for that specific feel, the payoff that says all your initial assumptions about the entire genre is always right, every time, because they ARE standardized and will be the same no matter what city you travel to...
Yeah. Not bad, even solid all the way down, but also not original.
Even so, it's early days and it's not like I dislike it, so onward I go! ...more
Honestly, I was both excited to read (because of that amazing opener) and trepidatious because I heard that this book takes a dive later on.
Well, I stHonestly, I was both excited to read (because of that amazing opener) and trepidatious because I heard that this book takes a dive later on.
Well, I still loved that banger of an opening and was thoroughly charmed by this tale of a Scottish family, featuring this young twat that both shows that he has heart and that he doesn't deserve any in return, and it's all pretty fascinating. I loved the writing.
Fast forward a bit and he becomes a right git, but that's okay because conflicts drive tales and what's not to love about a mess of a man?
Fast forward a bit more and I finally get to the point where people snicker -- but you know what? I don't care that it turned into a mystery. It just felt like a bit of spice to what otherwise seems to be a long novel about death.
It is the Crow Road, after all, and we all follow it eventually.
I think I loved every moment of coming to terms with death in this novel, sudden or otherwise, the best. There was a good deal of depth and all of the characters were pretty fascinating. I wouldn't say they were much in the way of being good people, but it did make for a good novel.
This is only my second book of Iain Bank's regular fiction, and I will say that it feels so different from his SF. Here's to managing my expectations!
If it wasn't for the fact that this was historical fiction, illustrating the dirty underbelly of Isreal, mostly in the '80s, I would have just said thIf it wasn't for the fact that this was historical fiction, illustrating the dirty underbelly of Isreal, mostly in the '80s, I would have just said that this was a lurid crime book full of dirty cops, drug dealers, murders, and prostitutes.
I WOULD have said that it was sensational and dark and a bit overblown in just how ugly all this shit was, between summary justice being had on a whim, the amazing amounts of drugs, participation in civil wars, wholesale murder -- but no. It is a story of a nation being built by assholes who do what they think needs doing. The hardliners had to come from somewhere, after all.
As a side-note, I was kinda worried about reading this alongside some truly deplorable current-events, but I shouldn't have worried. Lavie Tidhar writes a pretty damning tale without any modern reference material. ...more
I thought this seemed pretty interesting at Netgalley primarily because I saw "AI" and just slammed my fist down on my keyboard. I'm pretty easily amuI thought this seemed pretty interesting at Netgalley primarily because I saw "AI" and just slammed my fist down on my keyboard. I'm pretty easily amused.
From the blurb, I expected a modern techno-thriller and I really wasn't disappointed. It has all the same earmarks of all the other techno-thrillers, a combination of military/police procedural marching up to AI-designing corporations and a murder mystery that may or may not be AI related, etc., etc. and I can't really complain. It is exactly what I thought it would be and it does its job.
That being said, I was fairly happy to see that it went the whole City of Golden Shadow route at one point while still sticking to its techno-thriller core.
I won't say it's mightily original, but I thought it was fairly amusing and it did what it set out to do.
A cool, rather richly imagined magical noir with all of the cultural setbacks (and throwbacks) intact. I liked how we got dirty with angels, semi-fallA cool, rather richly imagined magical noir with all of the cultural setbacks (and throwbacks) intact. I liked how we got dirty with angels, semi-fallen angels, and demons while dealing with being lesbian in the pinstripe days.
All in all, it's a great mystery, hunting down a magical baddie that makes a lot more sense (and importance) with each new reveal.
Most importantly, though, it's a smooth, even charming read that tugs on the heartstrings as much as the noir entertains....more
What an utterly delightful, murderous book. Truly charming. After all, it's couched on true morality, or rather, considered morality, aided by higher What an utterly delightful, murderous book. Truly charming. After all, it's couched on true morality, or rather, considered morality, aided by higher education and intelligent design.
I love the writing. It really is charming and reserved and deliciously murderous. I may not have been laughing out loud, but I found myself grinning quite a bit. Bosses, true jerks, rapists, life-destroyers, and deplorables all get their just deserts thanks to these intrepid scholars.
Plot wise, I loved all the complicated setups and preparation for each murder. I thoroughly enjoyed all the characters and their motivations. Very self-aware, wonderfully period-set, and genuinely kind. You know, if you're part of the school. No one else might not get a taste of kindness... but some do. :)...more
Interesting mystery. The writing itself is very smooth and engaging, but what I got most out of it was the depth and breadth of characterizations.
The Interesting mystery. The writing itself is very smooth and engaging, but what I got most out of it was the depth and breadth of characterizations.
The setup is simple. We have the crash of a plane and two survivors, a little kid and a strangely cerebral artist.
Everything else is loads and loads of context, interactions, even eventually the reveal to the crash, but in the meantime, people behaving like people makes this a rather interesting novel. A good number of commentaries on our modern life, too, in relation to ethics or just doing the right thing.
This mystery is very, very mild tea. Comforting, sure, and meant to give us a very fantastical look at pure comfort. From up and inheriting a tiny stoThis mystery is very, very mild tea. Comforting, sure, and meant to give us a very fantastical look at pure comfort. From up and inheriting a tiny store and a whole cottage IN CALIFORNIA out of nowhere -- explained later), to reconnecting with old friends who really care, or finding a hot young thing who is instantly devoted to you, it has an amazing amount of tropes built right in and only a very few actual conflict points. Is it meant to wrap you up in a cozy little blanket and even give you a sweet dog (inherited as well) for your trouble? Of course it is. That's what it is designed for.
It's romance fantasy/mystery with a paranormal twist but it's really, really mild tea.
I'm not saying it doesn't do its job. It very much does.
Unfortunately for me, the plot was fairly weak and the cliches had me rolling my eyes an awful lot and I kept saying words like "poppycock" and "oh, that's such bs" as I was reading. I do that fairly regularly, but if the enjoyment factor is still high enough, it doesn't bother me. It did, in fact, bother me a bit here.
I'm sure others will get a lot more enjoyment out of this fluff. Unfortunately, I DO like my tea with a little kick....more
This one is a weird, funny, wild ride. I didn't know what to expect, but I easily fell into this easy-going psychopathic murderer-mercenary ethos.
WhaThis one is a weird, funny, wild ride. I didn't know what to expect, but I easily fell into this easy-going psychopathic murderer-mercenary ethos.
What really surprised me was the total surprise family reunion quirky SF dystopia played off as nothing-burger because he's JUST THAT LAID BACK. Very funny. Delicious.
It's what I'd expect if the Dude Abides had a spiritual baby with Tank Girl and was stuffed in an awkward, "Hi, dad, I'm your daughter" comedy.
And I loved ALL the characters. I totally recommend this weird road-trip SF....more
I wanted to enjoy this. I got the impression when I first started reading it that I was reading a Chambers-style SF that happened to be a Cozy mysteryI wanted to enjoy this. I got the impression when I first started reading it that I was reading a Chambers-style SF that happened to be a Cozy mystery. That would have been fine, honestly.
It didn't wow me during the first parts but I was enjoying it enough, wondering just how crazy she really was or how it would circle back to the soon-to-be-murders. If I squint hard enough, I could see a Marple-esqe dotty, seemingly sloppy mystery that would straighten itself out by the end.
Instead, I was a bit nonplussed by all the other PoVs. I wasn't lost by them, mind you, but it did, eventually, kill my interest.
Best parts? Characterizations. So-so? The plot. The not so much? The mystery.
All in all, I thought it was OKAY. I thought it was kinda messy but not outright bad....more
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