Barry's August reads

[BarryP]

The Siege: Stephen White
A disgraced cop finds himself in position to stop, or at least influence a terrorist plot. He is smart. The terrorists are brilliant. (A-)

Red Rising: Pierce Brown
Hunger games meets Lord of the Flies, only on Mars. (B+)

Support and Defend: “Tom Clancy” (Mark Greaney)
I was not surprised that this read so much like the recent Clancy books, since Greaney had mostly been writing this series anyway.This tale stays true to the formula and uses the same set of good guys that Clancy brought into being. (B)

The Hunt Club: John Lescroat
Less a legal thriller and more a murder mystery, Lescroat again leaves his major characters behind (though they do make cameos) and features a PI whose girlfriend is missing, and maybe kidnapped by the murderer the police are looking for. (B)

Soft Target: Stephen Hunter
A terrorist attack on the Mall of America and a liberal police chief looking for a way to get along without violence. Good thing there were snipers around. (B)

The Hearing: John Lescroat
A Dismas Hardy legal thriller, and like most, starts out slow and builds as the case goes to trial. Also like most, it starts out hopeless, with a client who looks guilty as sin and is not all that likable to begin with. But conspiracy lurks in the background, if only it can be discovered in time….(B)

The Cold Spot: Tom Piccirilli
A wheelman goes straight for love, then goes bent again when his love is killed. Holds some promise, but the writing needs improvement. (B-)

This Far, No Further: John Wessel
Not a terrible book, but it did not grab me as some do. An ex-PI, license pulled, continues to make his livelihood, slim though it is, by investigation. (B-)

Don’t Go: Lisa Scottoline
A Dr loses his arm in Afghanistan, loses his wife, has his daughter taken away and then suffers emotional problems and drug addiction as he tried to solve the mystery of his wife. He was an idiot. The book was depressing. The ending was happy, I hardly cared at that point. (B-)

Top Secret: WEB Griffin
The story advances, but again, as WEB’s son takes over the series it loses both charm and quality. There were places where the quality of writing got to the level of annoying. (B-)

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
The name suggested a military book, but it was more a futuristic “beware the data miners” kind of thing. Never really grabbed me. (B-)

[Merrilee in AZ]

Good month Barry.

[Melodie]

Good month! I liked RED RISING when I read it a few months ago.

[Ann]

Lots of interesting looking books this month for you, Barry!
I was curious about Whiskey Tango Foxtrot and you have likely filled that curiosity with your review that it didn't grab you; and you have saved me from the Lisa Scottoline, I don't need depressing even if it has a happy ending.
I need to get back to Red Rising. I started the audio on a walk one day and didn't get caught up in it right away so shelved it for later, other due dates pressing - good to know that another couple of reviews point me back in that direction. I think Christina really liked it too.

[[deleted user]]

I think Christina really liked it too.

Yep, really liked RED RISING! One of my "highly recommend" books.

I've been putting off DON'T GO for some time. Meh. I may pass. Haven't heard good things.

Must check out THE SIEGE!

Great month!

[Carol/Bonadie]

I was sure I'd read This Far, No Further -- who could forget a title like that -- but I read the GR plot summary and NOTHING rang a bell, so maybe not. I did see that Sandi gave it one star. Uh-oh.

Good month full of espionage, legal, and PI tales.

[Sandi]

Carol/Bonadie wrote: "I was sure I'd read This Far, No Further -- who could forget a title like that -- but I read the GR plot summary and NOTHING rang a bell, so maybe not. I did see that Sandi gave it one star. Uh-oh..."

I read it back in 1998 and it was one of those books that just did not live up to the hype. The one star rating is probably a bit harsh because it was not terribly written but I remember that I did not care for the ending and felt I had wasted my time for little payoff.

[Brakedrum]

Had a good month, Barry.