Chris Birdy's Blog, page 10

THE GIRL WITH THE LONG GREEN HEART BY LAWRENCE BLOCK

The Girl with the Long Green Heart is an interesting and entertaining story of the long con and double crosses. The details are a bit dated but the book was still very enjoyable. Even if it's not his best, Lawrence Block always comes through.

FAIR PLAY BY GUNNAR A. LAWRENCE

This is one of those books that is so realistic it's scary. Somebody screwed up between an arrest and a trial so the perp went free. Detective Paul Friedman learned this bitter lesson with his former partner Glenn Kelley, who made a mistake during an arrest. That mistake led to freedom for a child molester and murderer, Jasper Davis. Everyone was outraged when Jasper Davis walked free. But then Officer Glenn Kelley, who was blamed for his error was abducted, maybe; and Jasper Davis' attorney who was instrumental in having him freed finds himself at the mercy of a lunatic who calls himself Justice. Will Justice prevail? Fair Play is the first book in the series by Gunnar Angel Lawrence. Detective Paul Friedman is the main character in this and the following book. Having read this book and The Perfect Day, I can attest that both are well-written, easy to read and thoroughly captivating. I will buy future books from Mr. Lawrence knowing I'm guaranteed a good read.

The Colonels by W.E.B. Griffin

As usual W.E.B. Griffin gives a detailed account of a slice of military life. In this book it's obviously the lives of a group of men prior to the Bay of Pigs and pre-total involvement in Vietnam. Sometimes I believe the details are tiresome but, then again, this is the tenth book I've read of his so he must be doing something right.

THE INVENTION OF WINGS

Sue Monk Kidd deserves five stars for her captivating tale of two women, one white and one black, who lived in the south before the Civil War. Sarah Grimke was the original owner of Hetty "Handful" Grimke. It's difficult to flesh out a fictional character based on one who actually lived and this was evident in the portrayal of Sarah Grimke. Sarah spent too many years of her life living a rather dull life whereas Handful was an interesting, dynamic character who lived with the goal of freedom and never lost sight of that goal.

The Burglar who Counted the Spoons

It was a pleasure to welcome Bernie Rhodenbarr back. Unlike the rest of us, he didn't age but enjoys life as a burglar while running a bookstore. His bookstore can barely survive and he's facing competition in the burglary business too. As always, I was entertained by Lawrence Block's writing with another Nero Wolfe-type ending.

CRITICAL MASS BY SARA PARETSKY

As usual, a well-written V.I. Warshawski novel. The Chicago PI is a true modern-day warrior. My only concern was that there were two stories running simultaneously, one in the past, one in the present. The connection between the two was so dated that it was difficult to accept the immediate danger that revelations from the tragic past posed.

THE PERFECT DAY

★★★★★ This fast-paced, action thriller was easy to read and difficult to put down. From headless murder victims to a terrorist plot, Detective Paul Friedman has his work cut out for me. Even the Magic Kingdom isn't safe. The tale was so engrossing and well-written that I read half of it in one sitting when I merely wanted to read a chapter to get a feel for the work. Kudos to Gunnar Angel Lawrence! He's becoming the new master of suspense.

The Bat (An Existential Fable) John R. Dizon

The Bat is one of the most exciting stories I’ve read. Former veterans SEALS with several deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan are bound together in New York by a psychiatrist who is charged with helping them overcome the emotional wounds they carry. But is Dr. Coulter really helping them? No one is who he seems to be. Drugs rule the city. Gangs are going to war in Central Park, organized crime is plotting and scheming while Sodoku uses the poor like guinea pigs with DMX controlling their minds. The city needs a super hero. The frogman appears and wipes out handfuls of gang members at a time, but he’s vilified as a murderer. As the body count increases, the real superhero appears. He is the Bat. Who is he? Can he prevail over this bedlum? Will good overcome evil?
These are the questions raised in this non-stop thriller by John Reinhard Dizon. The action is continuous with plenty of shocks and surprises along the way. Anyone looking for a real page-turner should grab this book. You won’t stop till it over.

Cemetery Tours by: Jacqueline E. Smith

Michael has a secret. He sees ghosts and tries to ignore them. This is fine until Kate and her brother move in next door. Only Michael knows that they are being haunted by an angry ghost. When Luke the ghost hunter shows up, the non-stop action begins. This well-written story will keep you looking for ghosts for a long time.

THE GODS OF GUILT BY MICHAEL CONNELLY

Being a Michael Connelly fan, I'm prejudiced; but if I'd never read one of his books, I'd still think this book was great. Following the thought process of a criminal attorney was entertaining and informative. Weaving in references to the movie based on a previous Lincoln Lawyer novel was a nice touch. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone interested in courtroom thrillers and others who just like a good book.