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Matthew Butler Adventures #1
Butler Did It!
When Katherine Annenberg, a beautiful South African photographer scuba diving in the Seychelles, saves a drowning man, she discovers that someone is trying to kill both of them. A chance rescue by Matthew Butler and his sidekick Tommy Cooper, suddenly thrusts them, along with the zany crew of their converted LST, the Pelican, into conflict with a murderous band of gunrunners attempting to foment a revolution by the theft of an ancient treasure. Using everything from Leonardo’s Parachute to an orange juice cannon, unlikely hero Matthew Butler and his crew battle the mysterious death merchant, Alexander Levasseur, in the hope of recovering the treasure and preventing a civil war.
198 pages, Nook
First published February 28, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
December 9, 2012
Synopsis
I thought I’d start with the synopsis so those of you who skim don’t have to go too far into this to get the idea. (Hopefully that encourages you to go farther…hint….hint…(cough)….
This is a good read, fun, exciting, full of humor. It has some typical Indie-pub issues but overcomes them with spontaneity, humor and more showing (experiencing) than telling (narrating). The characters are the strongest point. These guys made me laugh out loud while I was reading and while I was listening in the car. Trust me, if the Kindle automated read to me voice can pull the joke off, then this book is darned funny. There are sexy characters, and some racy situations, but no real sex. There is plenty of violence, but generally suitable for Television and there is Romance, or maybe puppy love, but we’ll see how that sorts itself out in the next book.
Bottom line, it’s recommendable, it’s very readable, it’s fun, there is violence but easily palatable, there are sexy characters and romance, but not so much sex, the characters are fun, the humor is worth the read, and it’s exciting and fun.
For the particulars, look below.
Characters
Matthew Butler – at first I wasn't so sure about him, and I’m still not. Without his supporting cast to play off of, I think he may be…if not “too quirky” … too quirky in the wrong directions. Overall he’s likable enough to enjoy and have fun with. He has a good sense of humor but he sometimes seemed like a cardboard cutout against the even more colorful and fun cast and crew of the Pelican. Book read, jury out, he’s a good hero type -- the quirky over-achieving paladin with a fairly liberal core. I know the idea probably was for him to be “quirky” and maybe a bit “eccentric” but, I think making him a bit more like the “ every man” who struck it rich might have helped his believably. He didn't have a ground. I’d have liked him to have been grounded in the ultra-rich elite, or in the blue-collar adventurer group a little more solidly, or even in both (yes, it’s possible) but he seemed to lack identity. (Identity comes from family and is shaped in our youth.)
Katharine – The Damsel in Distress…she even joked about being the Damsel in distress at one point… it does help to live the life you have doesn't it? I liked Katharine a lot better than Matthew. She seemed more believable, better designed and, though I love strong heroines, and this may surprise some of you, I don’t actually mind Damsels in Distress as long as they don’t become fluff and fold bambi… cringing at the harsh word and fainting at a cruel comment, the quintessential victim.
Katharine, fortunately, was none of those. Sure the good ol’ DiD (Damsel in…you get the idea) does tend to be a target and a victim, but Katharine was also intelligent (most of the time… more on that later), capable, self-sufficient and trainable. I can see a book 4 or 5, maybe 8 or 9, where she’s every bit the action hero as others. Face it, not all women come out of the womb ready to decapitate zombies and stake vampires from birth. Some have to learn and train their way into it (just like most men have to). She was not a shallow character, rather we had shallow information on her. Background does not equal depth, but neither do details. How she reacts to others, friends and foes alike adds depth (and other things). We could have learned more about her if she had not been so artificially protected by the authors (more on that later).
I liked the joke about “I’m the Damsel in Distress.” It worked well among the tropish and stereotypical crew types it did anyway(which I’m really okay with for a story like this)…. And we could have seen the bikini in a beach scene or two… I mean, it was prominently mentioned in her introduction and, Hell!, isn't she is the hot babe on the cover? Not fair teasing us old very manly if grumpy curmudgeons like that! At least some sex on the beach maybe?
but I digress...
Tommy (The Side Kick), Wesley Crusher from Star Trek NG meets “Q” from James Bond with a dash of Peter Sellers- Inspector Clouseau (SP) (Pink Panther). Tom was the comic relief, the Al Diorgino to Matthew’s Dirk Pitt and the Sundance Kid to Matthews Butch Cassidy. He reminded me of the tall zany Welshman from Notting Hill (the movie). Tommy was a lot of fun… self-absorbed and able to make every mistake in the book with such style and grace it’s remarkable. Every book needs a Tommy. I’d have liked to get inside his soul a bit more than we were. By that I mean, more than just what’s in his head, thoughts, but what is he feeling as things go down.
E.B. The Smokin’ Hot Ships Engineer-- I’m not going to say much E.B. other than, we really needed to see more of her. If we are going to have the beautiful and sweet Katharine as the DiD, then I would have liked to see a bit more of E.B. She was the strong female character that, if not cancels out (because all things are never equal) at least show more of a range of roles for women within the framework of the story. The book was not anti-girl, it was just kind of pro-testosterone. A strong showing from E.B. (who had her moments) and more “air time” would have been nice since she was the SWOC of the bunch (Strong Woman On Campus).
*for the record, I don’t mean physically strong. I meant competent, capable and intelligent, with a real job and a leadership role who did not fold in the face of a crisis… and “HOT!” (we did see more of her in a “one piece than we did Katharine in her itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny-yellow-polka-dot-bikini…I’m jus’ sayin’… Read the profile DOS Here… Dirty Ole Sailor here, remember?)*
but I digress again...
Chan – the Tai Chi instructor- Chan was a force of nature, used sparingly, but, perhaps my least favorite character. I liked him in teacher role, and I liked the idea of the regular Tai-Chi lessons but not so much in the super-action-spy-support-character role… I think he’d have been a better “guru” than the combat monster he turned out to be and, where I understood his ruthlessness as necessary, I didn’t really like it. It didn't seem very “Zen” to me. Now if he had a daughter, then we’d have E.B. in the Star Trek Spok chair, Katharine in the DiD seat and Chan’s Daughter in the “Kick butt and take name’s later” role. That might be better than Charlie’s Angels.
General - Given all of the emphasis on the Lecherousness of the bad guys (which goes well if you’re going to have a DiD in the story) it might have worked to have one of the hero types that go toe to toe with the famed Ice Princesses without bringing in Chan for that role. Maybe the next story, Chan could be more “Dahli Lama” teacher of Tai Chi and less “Zen Warrior?” Daughter Chan with a butt-load of Daddy’s teaching (the Prodigal Daughter maybe)…(Maybe even an Old Girlfiend of Matthew’s) coming to the Pelican to join Papa-san and Momi-san after a failed adventure or maybe even after a successful one might add some spice to Matthew (he’d have a complicated past now) and Katharine (who’d need to learn to be confident and trust Matthew, because she’d need help kicking Chan-Daughter-Chin’s butt in a chick fight, there has to be more ways to a man’s heart than being able to drop kick a bowling ball through a truck window….jus’ sayin’…. (an idea that there are other ways to go, not so much a good idea.)
Villains – maybe the most Tropish of the lot, but also the most forgivable for being tropish. This is Action Adventure, not Epic Dramatic Historical Fiction. Action Adventure is full of Tropic predictable villains and there’s nothing wrong with that. These guys were more incompetent than most, but other than that, they worked well as villains. I didn’t mind the general “thugs” being so incompetent when compared to the good guys (Tommy, Matthew, Kobi and Katharine). I thought they should have had more success (even as they failed to catch them) than they did, and surely the “Ice Princesses” should have kicked somebody’s ass so we know that they are actually competent instead of just looking that way. Lots of description that lead us to believe the blond Scandinavian beauties could kick butt, but, I don’t recall them succeeding at any time except as a decoy.
Plot
Not much to say one way or the other about the plot. It was a typical action adventure type plot, a lot like what we saw in the movie “Fools Gold” or like you might get in any other action adventure. There were times when it seemed a little “canned” and “Tropish” to me but it worked. I think it worked more through timing and execution but it gets a passing grade from me, what ever the reason. The story was fun…how could the plot not work and the story still be so fun?
*To me, a Trope is a nifty name for something that tends to appear in the same, or very similar form in multiple stories by different authors. One might say it’s “cliché” though cliché’ tends to be more of a negative term than “trope” to me. Just because something is kind of “Stock – issue” doesn't make it wrong or bad, though it isn't really original either but then, what is these days?*
I think it exceeded expectations in letting us experience action and chaos, it came very close but didn't quite meet the “building tension” needs for the story to go to the next level. (more on that later.)
World Building
Standard world Building for action adventure in the modern era, there was no super-science like in a James Rollins novel, No magic and paranormal activity like in a Larry Corriea book, only a little bit of historical mystery (like in Rollins, McDermott and Cussler). There was some science in the stretching machine (enter Tommy) that “pushed limits a bit,” but, no super-leaps that needed me to press the “okay, I believe” button to get through. That’s far less common these days than one might think, without going to a military espionage genre and therefore a “plus” for this book. I like a good, wild scientifically out there yarn, and, this managed to capture that while at the same time
I liked the setting (Kenya and the Seychelles) and I Love, LOVE, LOVEed the Pelican and all the nifty toys. I loved Captain “Z” and the crew, I even liked “Movie night” (Though maybe not as much as other things). Generally I think the book should have been longer so that there would be more room for more details about people, gizmos etc, to go with their history and back-story. Still, this is a “plus” for me overall.
Well that’s basically it.
It sounds more bad than good but do not forget that I liked this book and I recommend this book to people who like reading. Though I think it has a couple of “Indie-Pub blues” issues I also think it can hang with books of this genre that go through the publishing mill and the super-polishing edits and proof-reads. It’s worth recommending and reading. I look forward to the next book.
I thought I’d start with the synopsis so those of you who skim don’t have to go too far into this to get the idea. (Hopefully that encourages you to go farther…hint….hint…(cough)….
This is a good read, fun, exciting, full of humor. It has some typical Indie-pub issues but overcomes them with spontaneity, humor and more showing (experiencing) than telling (narrating). The characters are the strongest point. These guys made me laugh out loud while I was reading and while I was listening in the car. Trust me, if the Kindle automated read to me voice can pull the joke off, then this book is darned funny. There are sexy characters, and some racy situations, but no real sex. There is plenty of violence, but generally suitable for Television and there is Romance, or maybe puppy love, but we’ll see how that sorts itself out in the next book.
Bottom line, it’s recommendable, it’s very readable, it’s fun, there is violence but easily palatable, there are sexy characters and romance, but not so much sex, the characters are fun, the humor is worth the read, and it’s exciting and fun.
For the particulars, look below.
Characters
Matthew Butler – at first I wasn't so sure about him, and I’m still not. Without his supporting cast to play off of, I think he may be…if not “too quirky” … too quirky in the wrong directions. Overall he’s likable enough to enjoy and have fun with. He has a good sense of humor but he sometimes seemed like a cardboard cutout against the even more colorful and fun cast and crew of the Pelican. Book read, jury out, he’s a good hero type -- the quirky over-achieving paladin with a fairly liberal core. I know the idea probably was for him to be “quirky” and maybe a bit “eccentric” but, I think making him a bit more like the “ every man” who struck it rich might have helped his believably. He didn't have a ground. I’d have liked him to have been grounded in the ultra-rich elite, or in the blue-collar adventurer group a little more solidly, or even in both (yes, it’s possible) but he seemed to lack identity. (Identity comes from family and is shaped in our youth.)
Katharine – The Damsel in Distress…she even joked about being the Damsel in distress at one point… it does help to live the life you have doesn't it? I liked Katharine a lot better than Matthew. She seemed more believable, better designed and, though I love strong heroines, and this may surprise some of you, I don’t actually mind Damsels in Distress as long as they don’t become fluff and fold bambi… cringing at the harsh word and fainting at a cruel comment, the quintessential victim.
Katharine, fortunately, was none of those. Sure the good ol’ DiD (Damsel in…you get the idea) does tend to be a target and a victim, but Katharine was also intelligent (most of the time… more on that later), capable, self-sufficient and trainable. I can see a book 4 or 5, maybe 8 or 9, where she’s every bit the action hero as others. Face it, not all women come out of the womb ready to decapitate zombies and stake vampires from birth. Some have to learn and train their way into it (just like most men have to). She was not a shallow character, rather we had shallow information on her. Background does not equal depth, but neither do details. How she reacts to others, friends and foes alike adds depth (and other things). We could have learned more about her if she had not been so artificially protected by the authors (more on that later).
I liked the joke about “I’m the Damsel in Distress.” It worked well among the tropish and stereotypical crew types it did anyway(which I’m really okay with for a story like this)…. And we could have seen the bikini in a beach scene or two… I mean, it was prominently mentioned in her introduction and, Hell!, isn't she is the hot babe on the cover? Not fair teasing us old very manly if grumpy curmudgeons like that! At least some sex on the beach maybe?
but I digress...
Tommy (The Side Kick), Wesley Crusher from Star Trek NG meets “Q” from James Bond with a dash of Peter Sellers- Inspector Clouseau (SP) (Pink Panther). Tom was the comic relief, the Al Diorgino to Matthew’s Dirk Pitt and the Sundance Kid to Matthews Butch Cassidy. He reminded me of the tall zany Welshman from Notting Hill (the movie). Tommy was a lot of fun… self-absorbed and able to make every mistake in the book with such style and grace it’s remarkable. Every book needs a Tommy. I’d have liked to get inside his soul a bit more than we were. By that I mean, more than just what’s in his head, thoughts, but what is he feeling as things go down.
E.B. The Smokin’ Hot Ships Engineer-- I’m not going to say much E.B. other than, we really needed to see more of her. If we are going to have the beautiful and sweet Katharine as the DiD, then I would have liked to see a bit more of E.B. She was the strong female character that, if not cancels out (because all things are never equal) at least show more of a range of roles for women within the framework of the story. The book was not anti-girl, it was just kind of pro-testosterone. A strong showing from E.B. (who had her moments) and more “air time” would have been nice since she was the SWOC of the bunch (Strong Woman On Campus).
*for the record, I don’t mean physically strong. I meant competent, capable and intelligent, with a real job and a leadership role who did not fold in the face of a crisis… and “HOT!” (we did see more of her in a “one piece than we did Katharine in her itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny-yellow-polka-dot-bikini…I’m jus’ sayin’… Read the profile DOS Here… Dirty Ole Sailor here, remember?)*
but I digress again...
Chan – the Tai Chi instructor- Chan was a force of nature, used sparingly, but, perhaps my least favorite character. I liked him in teacher role, and I liked the idea of the regular Tai-Chi lessons but not so much in the super-action-spy-support-character role… I think he’d have been a better “guru” than the combat monster he turned out to be and, where I understood his ruthlessness as necessary, I didn’t really like it. It didn't seem very “Zen” to me. Now if he had a daughter, then we’d have E.B. in the Star Trek Spok chair, Katharine in the DiD seat and Chan’s Daughter in the “Kick butt and take name’s later” role. That might be better than Charlie’s Angels.
General - Given all of the emphasis on the Lecherousness of the bad guys (which goes well if you’re going to have a DiD in the story) it might have worked to have one of the hero types that go toe to toe with the famed Ice Princesses without bringing in Chan for that role. Maybe the next story, Chan could be more “Dahli Lama” teacher of Tai Chi and less “Zen Warrior?” Daughter Chan with a butt-load of Daddy’s teaching (the Prodigal Daughter maybe)…(Maybe even an Old Girlfiend of Matthew’s) coming to the Pelican to join Papa-san and Momi-san after a failed adventure or maybe even after a successful one might add some spice to Matthew (he’d have a complicated past now) and Katharine (who’d need to learn to be confident and trust Matthew, because she’d need help kicking Chan-Daughter-Chin’s butt in a chick fight, there has to be more ways to a man’s heart than being able to drop kick a bowling ball through a truck window….jus’ sayin’…. (an idea that there are other ways to go, not so much a good idea.)
Villains – maybe the most Tropish of the lot, but also the most forgivable for being tropish. This is Action Adventure, not Epic Dramatic Historical Fiction. Action Adventure is full of Tropic predictable villains and there’s nothing wrong with that. These guys were more incompetent than most, but other than that, they worked well as villains. I didn’t mind the general “thugs” being so incompetent when compared to the good guys (Tommy, Matthew, Kobi and Katharine). I thought they should have had more success (even as they failed to catch them) than they did, and surely the “Ice Princesses” should have kicked somebody’s ass so we know that they are actually competent instead of just looking that way. Lots of description that lead us to believe the blond Scandinavian beauties could kick butt, but, I don’t recall them succeeding at any time except as a decoy.
Plot
Not much to say one way or the other about the plot. It was a typical action adventure type plot, a lot like what we saw in the movie “Fools Gold” or like you might get in any other action adventure. There were times when it seemed a little “canned” and “Tropish” to me but it worked. I think it worked more through timing and execution but it gets a passing grade from me, what ever the reason. The story was fun…how could the plot not work and the story still be so fun?
*To me, a Trope is a nifty name for something that tends to appear in the same, or very similar form in multiple stories by different authors. One might say it’s “cliché” though cliché’ tends to be more of a negative term than “trope” to me. Just because something is kind of “Stock – issue” doesn't make it wrong or bad, though it isn't really original either but then, what is these days?*
I think it exceeded expectations in letting us experience action and chaos, it came very close but didn't quite meet the “building tension” needs for the story to go to the next level. (more on that later.)
World Building
Standard world Building for action adventure in the modern era, there was no super-science like in a James Rollins novel, No magic and paranormal activity like in a Larry Corriea book, only a little bit of historical mystery (like in Rollins, McDermott and Cussler). There was some science in the stretching machine (enter Tommy) that “pushed limits a bit,” but, no super-leaps that needed me to press the “okay, I believe” button to get through. That’s far less common these days than one might think, without going to a military espionage genre and therefore a “plus” for this book. I like a good, wild scientifically out there yarn, and, this managed to capture that while at the same time
I liked the setting (Kenya and the Seychelles) and I Love, LOVE, LOVEed the Pelican and all the nifty toys. I loved Captain “Z” and the crew, I even liked “Movie night” (Though maybe not as much as other things). Generally I think the book should have been longer so that there would be more room for more details about people, gizmos etc, to go with their history and back-story. Still, this is a “plus” for me overall.
Well that’s basically it.
It sounds more bad than good but do not forget that I liked this book and I recommend this book to people who like reading. Though I think it has a couple of “Indie-Pub blues” issues I also think it can hang with books of this genre that go through the publishing mill and the super-polishing edits and proof-reads. It’s worth recommending and reading. I look forward to the next book.
November 20, 2015
A fun, action-packed read.
August 11, 2020
Adventure and mayhem off and onshore
Anyone who enjoys mariner and military gadgets will enjoy this adventure set in and around Seychelles. Just do not expect believably.
It is a adventure with evil men, mercenaries, arms dealing, marital arts and lots and lots of exciting explosions from military equipment ingeniously adapted. That part of just too much fun.
Despite the violence, this book is not serious. In fact the interactions of the characters is engaging and at times very humorous. I can see this as a low budget movie of they could take all the gadgets.
I am sad the author's did not include more detail of the Seychelles. We got a taste while Katherine was under water, but there really needed to be more . Sadly, there is not enough detail about the Seychelles to include this in my World Challenge.
Anyone who enjoys mariner and military gadgets will enjoy this adventure set in and around Seychelles. Just do not expect believably.
It is a adventure with evil men, mercenaries, arms dealing, marital arts and lots and lots of exciting explosions from military equipment ingeniously adapted. That part of just too much fun.
Despite the violence, this book is not serious. In fact the interactions of the characters is engaging and at times very humorous. I can see this as a low budget movie of they could take all the gadgets.
I am sad the author's did not include more detail of the Seychelles. We got a taste while Katherine was under water, but there really needed to be more . Sadly, there is not enough detail about the Seychelles to include this in my World Challenge.
November 4, 2021
A bit on the childish side
It felt like someone threw this book together in 30 minutes. Is it Katherine or Katharine? How does a book get published when the inconsistent spelling of one of the main characters’ names isn’t caught by the authors or the publisher?
The storyline is silly. Really, what a waste of time!
It felt like someone threw this book together in 30 minutes. Is it Katherine or Katharine? How does a book get published when the inconsistent spelling of one of the main characters’ names isn’t caught by the authors or the publisher?
The storyline is silly. Really, what a waste of time!
July 26, 2016
On the one hand, there was not enough descriptive narrative to really get into this land and seascape so I cruised along on the surface and didn't really dig deep. On the other hand, the dynamics between Butler and Tommy and the other characters were very visual, and I could easily see this book as a movie that would be both fun and entertaining. I am of two minds about whether to read another, but am leaning toward a "yes".
October 30, 2016
Would give it 2 1/2 if there was one, but I can't give it a 3. Too odd, not professionally written, and sometimes moved at good pace, sometimes slow, sometimes really jerky. I got thru it because it was just interesting enough to keep me wondering how it would turn out, but I still can't figure out where it belongs. Mystery? Military? 007? Funky romance? Intrigue. I wouldn't read it again, but I can't say I'd tell no one to read it. It just didn't work for me.
February 12, 2012
This was a great read. Sally begins her book with some good insights into her characters. We are able to see what led up to their lives colliding. There is plenty of action and suspense, but the violence is not described in graffic detail. There is some swearing but not excessive. I can't wait for the next installment!
November 13, 2012
This book gave a new meaning to the butler did it. After saving a drowning man life Katherine, discover that someone is trying to kill them.
Rescuing Matthew Butler and his side kick put her life on the line.
This is an action packed, with murder, gunrunners and ancient treasure.
A nice time had by all and a good read.
Rescuing Matthew Butler and his side kick put her life on the line.
This is an action packed, with murder, gunrunners and ancient treasure.
A nice time had by all and a good read.
March 1, 2012
While photographing deep-sea creatures, Katherine becomes involved with pirates after rescuing a man escaping from the pirates. Butler and his shipmates help thwart main sales to Kenya and help rescue historic valuables.
January 29, 2014
The authors write "this is an adventure, it's not literature". For a book that features a fight on the high seas using beanbags, orange juice cans, loud disco music and laser lights to dissuade the attackers - that is a true statement.
March 4, 2014
Fun
This was a fun read. The "romance" side of it could have been developed a little more or left out as it didn't add much to the story. The action was fun and entertaining. All in all a fun read.
This was a fun read. The "romance" side of it could have been developed a little more or left out as it didn't add much to the story. The action was fun and entertaining. All in all a fun read.
January 17, 2016
Desperately needs chapters and an understanding of basic capitalization rules. Read if you need a book set in Seychelles. Otherwise, expect a James Bond/Dirk Pitt wannabe without the benefit of editorial help.
May 20, 2016
1st off, the cover through me off, I expected more of love story like book. But once I started reading it...I couldn't stop. It kept my attention, made want to keep reading. I LOVED IT ! It made me want to go out and by the next book right away...and I plan on doing it. Kudos to the authors
February 1, 2012
Interestingly, intriguing and hilarious. It keeps you wanting to find out more while leaving you light hearted and laughing.
May 1, 2012
A lot of action, fighting, etc...I think this would be a better movie than book.
October 5, 2012
Was fun.
dont expect a classic though
dont expect a classic though
October 20, 2012
A silly tale of boys with fancy tech toys who come to the rescue of a helpless and often stupid woman.
May 23, 2013
a bit silly, easy going and funny .....it doesn't have to be always bloody, or ? I liked it and enjoyed it .....looking forward to the next BUTLER !
September 19, 2014
It was a reasonably good book if you want a relaxing, not too serious book. I'll likely read the second in the series to see how that turns out.
January 9, 2015
A semi entertaining book. Sort of an attempt to rip of Clive Cussler and his adventure his various adventure series'
March 10, 2013
This was actually a fun read . . . think early Patterson.
April 15, 2013
very fast easy, Clive Cussler like read. Enjoyed it.
August 23, 2014
Not a bad read. A Clive Cussler wannabe.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews