Another catch up session
I must get more organised and post these opinion pieces up a great deal quicker. Trouble is the 'to be read' pile keeps getting bigger and I keep picking up another tome rather than update the blog. Here is this weeks catch up session.
Two Nights by Kathy Reichs
Kindle Edition, 336 pages, Published July 11th 2017 by Simon & Schuster
Kathy Reichs has forged a successful writing career using one primary character Dr. Temperance Brennan and there is nothing wrong with that at all. However what does send a shiver up the publishing world's spine is when after some 18 plus books along comes a new character in a stand alone book. It is a bold move by Reichs as she could have continued to pump out Brennan novels until the cows came home and none of her fans would have minded. So the question is does Reich's new novel has what it takes?
In Two Nights we meet Sunday Night (yes that is her name) a former police and military officer who has become a semi recluse after a shooting incident. Living a quiet life is what Night might want but she is soon dragged into solving a crime, where a young girl has gone missing after the chaos of a bomb explosion. A year has past and no one knows if the young girl is alive or dead and the family wants answers.
Reich drags you in, holds you there and keeps the story moving at a frenetic pace. You are taken on a high octane ride that keeps the pages ticking over as you rush to discover the ending. The investigation is all about following the clues, trying to get one step ahead of the baddies and hoping that nothing disastrous happens.
Sunday Night is a wonderfully created character both physically and mentally flawed. I have no doubt there will be a bunch of female actors lining up to play this role. Night is carrying some serious baggage and it makes her appealing. She may be tough as nails on the outside, able to beat down bad guys with some well times punches but that is all facade for a vulnerable character. With all this bravado, Night is still able to admit when she needs help and reluctantly take advice from those around her. Also Night has working relationships with her male counterparts and is certainly no damsel in distress. Night’s main companion is Gus and his arrival into the story ratchets up the action. They have a deep and complex relationship that really adds into the development of the story.
This is a thrill a minute, highly engaging and a great reading escape into a complex world. Reichs will find a new legion of reading fans and current fans will not be disappointed. It is a big risk to break out of a successful routine and Reichs has certainly succeeded.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the opportunity to read an advance copy. I have already pre-ordered a copy for my Mum as I know she will love this book.
Blue Monday (Frieda Klein #1) by Nicci French
Kindle Edition, 331 pages, Published (first published 2011)
The first in series of the Frieda Klein books starts with Blue Monday. We meet Frieda, come to understand her world, meet the people in her life, the kind of work she does and there is the disappearance of a 5 year old boy.
You can tell from the outset that the authors are constructing a series as the main character is more important than the mystery that is happening. I mean there is so much of Frieda's life that seems to be crammed in here so that we get to understand her. Then there are the other characters who are brought into the story who have almost no bearing on the mystery from Reuben, Josef, Chloe and Sandy. While they help us understand Frieda they do not really contribute to driving the story forward.
Klein and her relationship with Detective Chief Inspector Karlsson that is meant to be the core of the novel. I am not sure that I really got where it was going. At times it was hostile, other times conciliatory and other times it was confused. I am sure it will be developed in future novels, but there was nothing there between them. I am not talking sexual tension, at the end I could not tell you why they would consider working together again.
The ending. Well, it was disappointing to say the least. It just did not work on so many levels unless there is a follow on in future novels.
It was a good read for a series starter and holds a lot of promise. Klein will develop and you get to go on that journey with her and I suspect that will be the appeal of future novels.
Merivel: A Man of His Time (Restoration #2) by Rose Tremain
Paperback, 384 pages Published July 14th 2014 by W. W. Norton Company (first published 2012)
I have been reading this book on and off for some time and finally come to the decision over halfway through no more. The reason, not the story, that was enjoyable, not the characters as they were realised, no it was the typeface! All throughout odd words are with a Capital.
As I read the Words kept appearing to have the strange Format and it was driving me Mad. Why? I kept Losing the flow of reading as these words Would appear. There might have been a good Reason but For me I get thinking why? I was no longer reading a story but kept Looking at the words.
Yes, I have done the same thing above and I do not know why but I just could not keep on reading. It was frustrating. Which is sad as I really was enjoying her style of writing and was engaged with the characters. I have Tremain's The Colour and I will be reading that.
Surrender the Pink by Carrie Fisher
Hardcover, 288 pages Published September 15th 1990 by Simon & Schuster
Dinah writes soap operas for a living, has the worse selection in men and wants to go back to the biggest disaster of all her ex-husband, Rudy. Dinah also has this ability to blur the lines between her life and the soap operas she writes.
The story line comes across as thin but the writing is sharp, poignant and funny. There are some crackers of lines splattered through out. Dinah as a character is impulsive, erratic, introspective and talented. When she rabbits on, and the rapid fire speech whizzes across the page. Fisher is a master of dialogue and each character has their own distinct voice.
It was really nice just to meet and take a journey with some interesting characters.
Kindle Edition, 336 pages, Published July 11th 2017 by Simon & Schuster
Kathy Reichs has forged a successful writing career using one primary character Dr. Temperance Brennan and there is nothing wrong with that at all. However what does send a shiver up the publishing world's spine is when after some 18 plus books along comes a new character in a stand alone book. It is a bold move by Reichs as she could have continued to pump out Brennan novels until the cows came home and none of her fans would have minded. So the question is does Reich's new novel has what it takes?
In Two Nights we meet Sunday Night (yes that is her name) a former police and military officer who has become a semi recluse after a shooting incident. Living a quiet life is what Night might want but she is soon dragged into solving a crime, where a young girl has gone missing after the chaos of a bomb explosion. A year has past and no one knows if the young girl is alive or dead and the family wants answers.
Reich drags you in, holds you there and keeps the story moving at a frenetic pace. You are taken on a high octane ride that keeps the pages ticking over as you rush to discover the ending. The investigation is all about following the clues, trying to get one step ahead of the baddies and hoping that nothing disastrous happens.
Sunday Night is a wonderfully created character both physically and mentally flawed. I have no doubt there will be a bunch of female actors lining up to play this role. Night is carrying some serious baggage and it makes her appealing. She may be tough as nails on the outside, able to beat down bad guys with some well times punches but that is all facade for a vulnerable character. With all this bravado, Night is still able to admit when she needs help and reluctantly take advice from those around her. Also Night has working relationships with her male counterparts and is certainly no damsel in distress. Night’s main companion is Gus and his arrival into the story ratchets up the action. They have a deep and complex relationship that really adds into the development of the story.
This is a thrill a minute, highly engaging and a great reading escape into a complex world. Reichs will find a new legion of reading fans and current fans will not be disappointed. It is a big risk to break out of a successful routine and Reichs has certainly succeeded.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the opportunity to read an advance copy. I have already pre-ordered a copy for my Mum as I know she will love this book.
Blue Monday (Frieda Klein #1) by Nicci French
Kindle Edition, 331 pages, Published (first published 2011)
The first in series of the Frieda Klein books starts with Blue Monday. We meet Frieda, come to understand her world, meet the people in her life, the kind of work she does and there is the disappearance of a 5 year old boy.
You can tell from the outset that the authors are constructing a series as the main character is more important than the mystery that is happening. I mean there is so much of Frieda's life that seems to be crammed in here so that we get to understand her. Then there are the other characters who are brought into the story who have almost no bearing on the mystery from Reuben, Josef, Chloe and Sandy. While they help us understand Frieda they do not really contribute to driving the story forward.
Klein and her relationship with Detective Chief Inspector Karlsson that is meant to be the core of the novel. I am not sure that I really got where it was going. At times it was hostile, other times conciliatory and other times it was confused. I am sure it will be developed in future novels, but there was nothing there between them. I am not talking sexual tension, at the end I could not tell you why they would consider working together again.
The ending. Well, it was disappointing to say the least. It just did not work on so many levels unless there is a follow on in future novels.
It was a good read for a series starter and holds a lot of promise. Klein will develop and you get to go on that journey with her and I suspect that will be the appeal of future novels.
Merivel: A Man of His Time (Restoration #2) by Rose Tremain
Paperback, 384 pages Published July 14th 2014 by W. W. Norton Company (first published 2012)
I have been reading this book on and off for some time and finally come to the decision over halfway through no more. The reason, not the story, that was enjoyable, not the characters as they were realised, no it was the typeface! All throughout odd words are with a Capital.
As I read the Words kept appearing to have the strange Format and it was driving me Mad. Why? I kept Losing the flow of reading as these words Would appear. There might have been a good Reason but For me I get thinking why? I was no longer reading a story but kept Looking at the words.
Yes, I have done the same thing above and I do not know why but I just could not keep on reading. It was frustrating. Which is sad as I really was enjoying her style of writing and was engaged with the characters. I have Tremain's The Colour and I will be reading that.
Hardcover, 288 pages Published September 15th 1990 by Simon & Schuster
Dinah writes soap operas for a living, has the worse selection in men and wants to go back to the biggest disaster of all her ex-husband, Rudy. Dinah also has this ability to blur the lines between her life and the soap operas she writes.
The story line comes across as thin but the writing is sharp, poignant and funny. There are some crackers of lines splattered through out. Dinah as a character is impulsive, erratic, introspective and talented. When she rabbits on, and the rapid fire speech whizzes across the page. Fisher is a master of dialogue and each character has their own distinct voice.
It was really nice just to meet and take a journey with some interesting characters.
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