Fast introduction to Dirk Pitt, Special Projects Director of the National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA)- with the best part being, Pitt’s improm...moreFast introduction to Dirk Pitt, Special Projects Director of the National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA)- with the best part being, Pitt’s impromptu- practically naked- meeting with the assembled Brass of the military. I’ve read coupla Cussler’s Dirk Pitt novels before this one and I gotta tell ya, if I had read this one first I might have been a little more enthusiastic with carrying on with the series.
A bit dated- (See reference to Mark Spitz rather than Michael Phelps, author stating that “Piracy on the high seas went out with the manufacturing of cutlasses”- (uh guess what Cussler? They’re baaaack!)- and add to it the Generals in the story being afraid our technology would fall into the Russian and or Chinese hands… wait a minute, scratch that, we’re still afraid of that one.)
Still. It was an interesting read in a James Bond sooo suave kinda way. I think what I like best about Pacific Vortex, besides the introduction of Pitt, was it’s vague nod to Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues under the sea.
Involving himself, purely by accident, in discovering the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of a prototype nuclear vessel lost during World War 2, Dirk Pitt also finds himself researching another even more mysterious unknown- The Pacific Ocean’s version of the Bermuda Triangle. Riding into the heart of the Pacific Vortex, as it’s become known, Pitt and the Military team assembled, find the missing ships and a mystery straight out of Verneverse. A strange mist arises and men board their ship with the intent to kill. Barely escaping with his life, Dirk Pitt makes it home only to wake up to a crying admiral’s daughter and the realization that the men who had killed his companions were right at his door.
Now it’s back to the ocean and to the Hawaiian version of Atlantis to solve the mystery of the missing ships- a place that now has become not as mythical as purported to be. This book is written by a man, for men. I don’t get a lot of Dirk Pitt- particularly why he would profess his need and want of a woman at the end of the story, to a woman he barely knew?? (whaaa?) But he intrigues me- as all men do. So. I read on.
Typical me, I read The Delilah Complex, the second in this series, first. Fortunately, other than a little more background on Dr. Morgan Snow's (the h...moreTypical me, I read The Delilah Complex, the second in this series, first. Fortunately, other than a little more background on Dr. Morgan Snow's (the heroine) relationship with Det. Noah Jordain (the hero), there really wasn’t a need to read them in order. And, as I found out, I enjoyed the second more.
Both are well written- 1st person from Morgan’s POV. Both have engaging side characters and a plot reminiscent of the tv show Law and Order SVU, (I love that show!). However, TDC's central theme I found edgier and, well, titillating, making it a better read, imo.
In The Halo Effect, Morgan, a sex therapist/occasional forensic psychologist ala BD Wong’s character in SVU, finds herself in the middle of a ritualistic-serial-killer-who-targets-prostitutes investigation, when one of her clients disappears. Her client, the infamous yet discreet Madam, Cleo Thane, had just started to let Morgan into her confidence when she disappeared, and Morgan suspects the tell-all book Cleo was about to publish contains the key to the disappearance. Fortunately Cleo gave her a copy of the manuscript, and though ethical reasons keep her from giving the copy to the police, Morgan uses it to conduct her own investigation. Things get more complicated for Morgan when she begins to realize that Cleo's disappearance very well could be connected to the serial killer that the police are desperate to stop.
The details from the tell-all are interesting reading, however not as erotic as one would suspect from a high class "Madam" like Cleo. But then I suppose, that is the point. Ultimately, men who procure prostitutes at that level, are looking for the thrill of a kink that’s slightly off- something that their significant others wouldn’t understand or even consider performing - more than the depth of depravity.
Still, one of Cleo’s regulars is guilty and though the author gave us plenty of specific details to figure it out early on, the fact that she made the otherwise sharp-witted Morgan obtuse enough to overlook the killer, irritated me. I realize it was for dramatic effect, after all, you can’t reveal the killer too early in a suspense thriller or the book would be over before it began, but C’mon- Morgan overlooking what was obviously before her just didn’t make sense. Huge drawback, in my opinion.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m really enjoying this series. I’m fascinated by the psychological implications of people’s sexual peccadilloes, and Rose does an excellent job of allowing Morgan to sort it out for us. I’ll be picking up the third as soon as possible.
In the end, I’m giving this one 3 out 5- For making the heroine imperceptive when it really wasn't necessary.(less)
Storm Front is first in the poplar Harry Dresden series and an introduction to Harry and his assortment of co-horts, magical and non. Harry’s a wizard...moreStorm Front is first in the poplar Harry Dresden series and an introduction to Harry and his assortment of co-horts, magical and non. Harry’s a wizard by trade and from the looks of it- one powerful wizard. He’s also a private detective of sorts- he puts his shingle out for anyone who needs a hired hand in the magical realm and though his business is an unpredictable way of making a living, it works for him.
At almost the exact same time his next client walks in the door, he’s called to assist the local police in solving a murder. (A hired consultant, he helps them from time to time when his particular talents seem warranted.) On this case, a couple is gruesomely murdered- and from the looks of it, by some pretty powerful black magic. It doesn’t take Harry long to encounter a mysterious figure called the Shadowman who is serious about stopping Harry from investigating further. Solving this one is gonna take him into the territory of evil magic, mobsters and demons- but solve it he must, because he’s shot to the top of the likely suspects list and that will mean certain death because aside from non-magical laws, he’s on probation from using that sort of magic from his kind as well!
I’ve heard such good things about this series, I was anxious to start it- however I found myself less then enthused as the story drug on. Don’t get me wrong, I get the appeal of self-depreciating Harry- Wizard and Hard Boiled Detective- but I felt like I was just following him around as a silent ghost. :/ I'm thinking, the first person narrative didnt help much in this one, because there was too much inner dialogue and not enough with the other characters. But then he is sorta of a lonely sort.
Perhaps its because there was much backstory that happened off page, well before this story. I didn’t get to walk with him as he was put under the Doom of Damocles (the magical probation referred to before) or establish his friendships and that sorta left me feeling less than engaged. Me? I like to feel what the characters feel, taste them. Never happened much here… until the very end when he battled his own nature against the lure of power.
I also liked the mystery and how the plot- well, it just fit, like a good puzzle. Nothing wrong with that. But again- I need more character development to keep my interest, so much of the middle of the book was just “meh” .
In the end, I liked Storm Front, it simply suffered from freshmanitis too much to be really good.
A friend mentioned that the series doesn’t really pick up till later- so I’m skippin on to the fourth book for my next venture into Harry’s world I think. ::shrug:: or not. We’ll see. (less)
Hard to grade this one- where as most of it was totally amazing, there is the beginning and the end that pulls it down for me because really, the best...moreHard to grade this one- where as most of it was totally amazing, there is the beginning and the end that pulls it down for me because really, the best part of the story is when the protags were chasing down a killer- which only happens in the middle of the story, oddly enough. (The beginning and ending is almost another story all together!)
Bestselling The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo begins with investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist being hung out to dry for a piece he wrote that went horribly wrong. Through much of the beginning and to a lesser extent, the ending when Blomkvist gets his revenge for the happenings in the beginning, my eyes began to cross at the seemingly pointless blahdy blah blah of Larrson explaining how Blomkvist got into his current predicament.
But really it was Blomkvist's desire to hide away from his circumstances that made him accept a job offer from eccentric former captain of industry, Henrik Vanger- a frail old man haunted by the disappearance of a long gone relative- that brings us to the exciting part. So I guess I can make the bridge as to why it began the way it did.
Meanwhile we get to meet Lisbeth Salander, a brilliant but socially awkward researcher for a private investigator, who just happens to be assigned the task of investigating Blomkvist for the Vanger family. She’s secretive, sullen, punked out, and- of course- tatooed , but she does a helluva job. However, she finds herself distracted from her assignment when her guardianship is changed and taken over by a loathsome individual. (An individual on whom she exacts some spectacular revenge! At this point in the novel, I literally sat up, bug-eyed then dug in and didn’t look up till my eyelids refused to stay open late into the night!)
Indeed it was this insight into her character the ignites the novel and doesn’t let up until the ending, especially when she eventually joins Blomkvist covertly re-investigating the mystery surrounding Vanger's beloved niece's death under the guise of writing his familys’ checkered history.
Murder, intrigue, sex and violence- what more can you ask for in a mystery-thriller? It’s no surprise this little beauty been hitting the must read/bestseller lists for forever now. (Btw, this part of the story totally reminded me of a Criminal Minds episode, one of my favorite shows!)
Through his body of work, Larsson brutally exposes obvious purveying attitudes of violence toward women and antisemitism... attitudes being swept under the carpet of Swedish society. I love how he boldly empowers Lisabeth in a way few women would have the intelligence and courage to pull off, yet wraps her in a vulnerability that many woman can relate to. The second protag, Blomkvist, is a man-ho to be sure, but something about his innate nobility makes him extremely likeable too.
If it wasn’t for the slooooooow beginning I would have totally given this a 5 star. But I more than really liked it- so lets split the difference with 4.5 out of 5! :) (less)
This book gets rave reviews internationally. Unfortunately, I feel more lukewarm about it.
Don't get me wrong, it has a lot going for it.
It's a murder...moreThis book gets rave reviews internationally. Unfortunately, I feel more lukewarm about it.
Don't get me wrong, it has a lot going for it.
It's a murder mystery, with insight on the beginnings of philosophy and also on religion during the Middle Ages. As stated in other reviews, Eco gives detailed historic accounts of catholicism specifically centering on different monastic orders, among many other things and, bizarrely, on whether or not Christ laughed. I was scratching my head on that one ... until I got to the end.
Clever, Eco, very clever.
The problem? Wading through the details, to GET to the end.
The story is narrated by a now old Adso of Elk. He recounts his time as a novice monk while accompaning William of Baskerville to an Abby where strange things are a going on!
William, the elder Monk, uses logic to solve a murder mystery, as well as reveal the secrets of the huge library at the Abby where the murders took place. And he does so in a manner that smacks of Baskerville alum, Sherlock Holmes. From the beginning, William displays great powers of deductive reasoning, especially thru syllogisms. He becomes the sane voice in a world ruled by insane greed and old ideas. (The other monks aren't nice on the subject of women. And thus William becomes a hero in my eyes with his defense of the fairer sex- from the BIBLE no less!)
The library and it's books are central to the Abby, and thereby are central to the story. Believe me, there are many secrets to be revealed. Sex- homosexual and straight- all over the supposedly celebate Abby, hidden passageways, strange deaths- which all point to the oddly laid out library and those who control it.
Yes, there is a compelling mystery in it, but, as I said, the book takes too long to solve it. Too much information dumping, however interesting it is at times, slows the story down. Also the untranslated latin phrases, somtimes entire paragraphs, becomes frustrating as well. (Although it made me appreciate Harry Potter and all the little latin terms Rowling uses to cast her characters' spells!)
The eventual resolution- the revealing of the actual murderer, rocks, I'll give it that, even if the motive was strained, at best. Too bad we have to wade through so much obsecure information to get there.
::shrug::
OH, the big discussion between factions of monks on whether or not "Christ was poor" fascinated me. Not the overlong blathering of the monks, but the one line that summed it all up by the wise William:
The debate about Christ (and thereby the Church) being poor is not about the having of property,
"but about keeping or renouncing the right to legislate on earthly matters."
In other words- it's all about POWER.
Ah the more things change, the more things stay the same. (less)
I’ve read several Agatha Christie’s in my lifetime, but admittedly not as many as my Cousin A. Between old Agatha and the Midsomer Murder Mystery TV s...moreI’ve read several Agatha Christie’s in my lifetime, but admittedly not as many as my Cousin A. Between old Agatha and the Midsomer Murder Mystery TV series, she’s pretty much got the English Murder Mystery genre covered. SO, when she handed me Agatha Christie’s Crooked House and told me it’s the best one she’s read yet by her, I was intrigued.
Well, she was right. A non- Hercule Poirot/Miss Marple, the book moved along, however, same as usual, until the ending. I never saw it coming. And that’s saying a lot because I usually got these things pegged early on.
From the Book Blurb: In a sprawling mansion in affluent Swinly Dean, Aristide Leonides lies dead from barbiturate poisoning. An accident? Not likely. In fact, suspicion has already fallen on his luscious widow, a cunning, much-younger beauty rumored to have been engaged in an illicit affair. But criminologist Charles Hayward, who’s in love with the dead man’s granddaughter Sophia, has his suspicions about the whole unsavory Leonides clan. Can he solve the puzzle without implicating Sophia? Christie considered this novel, one of her best.
Don’t want to give anything away so we’ll leave it at that. If you like murder mysteries this one is one not to be missed!!
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