I adored the first book in this series and was so excited for a chance to read this sequel. Health issues made me sit on it for a bit and it was tortuI adored the first book in this series and was so excited for a chance to read this sequel. Health issues made me sit on it for a bit and it was torture to not get to it, wondering what happened to Os at the end of the first book. This one picks up from that cliffhanger ending and grabs you from the start by setting up a clever mystery which drives the subsequent action.
One the whole, I think this second installment in the Spectral Investigator series is better than the first. (That says something, because I gave 5-stars to that one as well.) With the establishing of relationships, introducing main characters and concepts, and the basic world building out of the way in the first book, Beckett is free to lead us through a couple hundred pages of fun, fast-paced action. We have here a novel filled with demons, monsters, witches, interpersonal drama, and trans-dimensional conflict laced with the witty repartee and moved by lovable and now-familiar characters.
This book develops the ensemble cast of characters more than the first does, and to good effect. The heart and soul of this novel, however, is still the protagonist Pru Osgood. She is clever, vulnerable, defiant, and messed up in all the right, relatable, and endearing ways. This is made all the better by the fact that I still can’t think of another queer paranormal investigator series in any media.
I’m a big fan of Cooper S Beckett. I think he’s one of the most enjoyable writers out there that you probably don’t know about. Do yourself a favor- read Osgood Riddance and this both. Then sign up for email list and get the short, Osgood Con as well. You’ll be hooked. ...more
Elizabeth Peters’ Crocodile on the Sandbank is the first in her series of Amelia Peabody books, now spanning an impressive 20 novels. Ms. Peabody is aElizabeth Peters’ Crocodile on the Sandbank is the first in her series of Amelia Peabody books, now spanning an impressive 20 novels. Ms. Peabody is an independently wealthy spinster, the daughter of an Egyptologist. She travels to Egypt after picking up a down on her luck “traveling companion”, something required for Victorian women on the go, in Rome. Her companion’s personal history - she is a “ruined woman” - sets the stage for an adventure in Egypt, involving the lost city of Akhenaten, the team of archeologists working there, a mysteries mummy that seems to have re-animated, and a family fortune.
I pretty sure right now that I will not be going on with this series. It book didn’t really speak to me. I found something annoying about Amelia Peabody. She is written to be defiant and independent, but she often just came off as arrogant and foolish in ways I found annoying. So, while I wish her well on her further Egyptian journeys, I am not sure I personally want her company for another 19 books.
I am giving this food a 4 star rating based, not on my personal experience of the book. I thought it often dragged and had something of a dry and stilted style. However, this had more to do with the Ms. Peters’ recreation of Victorian journalling. It was the intended effect and she did it well. I am giving the novel a high rating because it is clear to me that it is very well written. The characters are well conceived, the plot is well thought out, the historical research is first rate, the prose are clear. There is nothing wrong with the book, just my own ability to appreciate it. ...more
This is my second book by Simone St. James. It certainly will not be my last. She writes beautifully, crafts characters with depth, and composes distu This is my second book by Simone St. James. It certainly will not be my last. She writes beautifully, crafts characters with depth, and composes disturbing stories. So, I think I'm hooked.
The one criticism I have for The Haunting of Maddy Clare is that I liked Ms. St James' book Lost Girls a little better. Not for any objective reason. It just spoke to me on a personal level somewhat more. That's it. That's all I've got.
Now for the good stuff: The story is told by Sarah Piper, a young lady who gets hired by Alistair Gellis to help him with some ghost hunting. Gellis was asked to help rid a property of the angry ghost of a young maid named Maddy Clare. Maddy refuses to have anything to do with men and so Mr. Gellis needs a woman to help interact - if possible - with Maddy Clare's ghost. From that simple beginning we get taken on a journey of betrayal, abuse, small town cover ups, and so much more.
Just like with "Lost Girls", St. James writes ghosts exceptionally well. I read a ton of haunted house tales. It seems it is hard to write a compelling ghost. Most are somewhat bland and two-dimensional. Maddy Clare on the other hand is equal measures malevolent, heartbreaking, fascinating, and frightening. She is a full person, with all the complexities that entails. At the end of the book, I was left wanting for more of her. (Again, same reaction I had to the ghost in Lost Girls.)
This book is also one part romance. For some that will be an added plus. For some, a detraction. As a middle aged dude with no affinity for romance novels, it did not bother me at all and - the way St. James wrote it - it added a lot to the understanding of the protagonist and Mr. Gellis' assistant, Matthew. Again, not many writers can pull of using a sex scene for character reveals and development.
Another great read by St. James. I'm left looking forward to my next one. ...more
My first (and so far only other) Mira Grant novel was “Into the Drowning Deep”. I adored it. With the reputation of FEED, the fact that it is the foun My first (and so far only other) Mira Grant novel was “Into the Drowning Deep”. I adored it. With the reputation of FEED, the fact that it is the fountainhead of so many other publications, and having had such a good experience with Drowning Deep, I was super jazzed for this one.
My two favorite parts of this book were the protagonist brother and sister, and Grant’s world building. George (Georgia) and Shaun are a brother-sister team of reporters. It is hard not to fall in love with them. They are a great model for young adult sibling affection. I wish I was as close to my own siblings. Their quick and clever repartee with one another is was very enjoyable.
The world building done by Grant is also fun. She fills in the main brush strokes by saying all the classic zombie movies were basically correct. She then spends time on the parts which differed. The main part is that they don’t live in a “last man on earth” sort of setting. The human population has been decimated, to be sure, but there are still a lot of us around. There are towns and cities. Electricity is up and running. The US has elections. Even Apple still exists. I like the nuances and implications of this change which Grant brings out in her world. Many of them are very clever, but to give you the best would reveal spoilers.
In the end, I did not like this one as much as “Into the Drowning Deep”. It is possible I hyped FEED up to myself too much. It is possible that I am just not as much a Zombie Apocalypse person as I “something evil is down there” Lovecraftian sort of person. Either way, it is on me, and the stars reflect how good this book is, not how much I liked it. ...more
The Richard Bachman books by Stephen King are noted for their bleak nihilism. While Mr. King claims Pet Sematay is the darkest he's gone, I think mostThe Richard Bachman books by Stephen King are noted for their bleak nihilism. While Mr. King claims Pet Sematay is the darkest he's gone, I think most of the Bachman books are harder to get through. They are bleaker visions of the world we live in, almost always devoid of anything supernatural, and never offer a word of redemption - not for the protagonist, the villains, or anyone.
The Running Man is no exception. We enter a bleak distopian world where people starve while they are entertained by the suffering of others. Ben Richards' daughter is sick and he needs money for her healthcare. So, he chooses to sell himself to a show called the Running Man. The world King creates is probably more pertinent now than at the time of the writing. We seem closer to realizing King's nightmare than ever before. It is chilling to read.
In classic Bachman style, no one in this novel does well. The world is cold and brutal and no one is watching out for us to make it better or even take the edge off. Bachman books are great for the unflinching drive and the refusal to turn back from the worst implications of the story and where it is heading. (King, when writing under his own name, too often gives in to that impulse which wants to pull back just a little from the darkest places a tale can go.)
If nihilism and despair are your bag - or just what you're hankering for in the moment, Running Man is time well spent. ...more
This is a first rate reinterpretation of the classic Weird Fiction trope of the Yellow King into the early 20th century rural South. With cosmic beingThis is a first rate reinterpretation of the classic Weird Fiction trope of the Yellow King into the early 20th century rural South. With cosmic beings trying to break into our world and use us as fodder for their own means, the bones of this story are tried and true for the fan of Lovecraftian tales. What makes this book great is the flesh and skin draped on the skeleton.
This book is an example of why the Lovecraftian novel, as a sub genre of horror/fantasy/sci-fi only gets better with time. This novel shows a deep appreciations for early 20th century race dynamics, Southern culture, Blues music, and class issues which would not have been on the radar of previous generations. It allows for classic cosmic horror to be twisted and explored in different ways and trough different lenses than those allowed by early Weird Fiction authors.
If you like these sort of tales - and of course I hope you do - this book’s for you. It won’t disappoint. ...more
Andrew “The Weirdling”
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