Derek Lawrie
Really quite surprising, a touching western that isn't full of cliches and is quite brilliantly written.
Enjoyable fantasy stuff, not at the same level as George R.R. Martin, but then not much is. Slightly downgraded for the fact that the whole novel is just buildup for the following books in the trilogy, but it does make me want to read the others as well, which can only be a good thing.
The closest that he came to writing another family saga ala The Crow Road, but it isn't quite as good. The whole thing jumping back and forth through the lead characters life and the reults of his actions works really well, but the ;payoff in the final chapter feels a bit rushed and was reasonably obvious throughout the book anyway. I was actually hoping it would push the envelope a little further than it actually did. Still really enjoyed it, for books like this alone Banks will be sorely missed, let alone of the other stuff, especially the SF.
Absolutely loved it, as much as Fight Club or Survivor and perhaps a little more so than Choke (which is still excellent). I want to give it almost five stars, it isn't perfect, as I feel it's better than only four!
Quite enjoyed this one for the setting in the middle of a South Dakota blizzard.
There is a slight giveaway in the middle of the book that sort of tells you a major plot point, but it doesn't really spoil anything and it always makes me feel quite smug to see that I had guessed the ending (or part of it).
not his greatest, but still pretty funny, the governor and chemo both needed more time in it though.
Not as well wrapped up as the first one, but still quite enjoyable, although the final chapter does read a bit like one of those “stay tuned for scenes from our next episode” bits at the end of US tv shows.
Hoping for something more from this, I like the alternate history stuff, especially WWII based ones, bit disappointed.
Nothing groundbreaking (hence three stars) but still very enjoyable, and contrary to what several others are saying in reviews here, it's not that convoluted.
A different Reacher novel this one, more of a murder mystery, which if I'd picked up on earlier I might have guessed the ending sooner than I did, I still guessed it about two thirds through but I would think most people would get it at that point.
Some of the twists were a little predictable, but I still immensely enjoyed this Coben. Would of liked to seen more from his Russian ‘uncle' but it wasn't to be, perhaps he will feature in his own story sometime? Loren Muse has been in a few now, so can she have her own series or at least a headline act.
First book by Mcdermid that I've and I quite enjoyed it, not too difficult a read unlike a lot of other crime novelists whose first in a series is often a bit labored.
I did guess what was going on quite early on, mainly due to how the killers 'diary' entries were presented, but I never know whether that's the authors intention or not? Are they deliberately letting me feel a little smug?
Much better than the previous Jack Reacher book, in fact this was for me one of the best of all of them that I've read (so far). My only grumble is the dubious and somewhat cliched view of Norfolk when they drive up from London. STarts off of ok and geographically corrct but they bomb it up to, and past, Thetford without mentioning the horrendous single lane nightmare (currently anyway, it is being changed) that is the Elveden estate, or the fact that you have to stop at a roundabout every half mile around Thetford, then claiming that the road narrowed out to single track! It's faster than most of the M11 at that point! Oh and this isn't the Fens, you might have guessed I live in the area, yes it's quite flat but's NOT as flat as parts of Lincolnshire the way Child makes it out to be. Oh and getting a good sized double room with a bath at the “only pub for miles” for £40!!! Be serious. I know it's fiction, but Child is an Englishman, he surely knows he is writing cliche ridden nonsense, it does make me wonder about his descriptions of the US are they as bad? I have no clue having never been there. Rant over, it is actually a really good book :)
Not sure if I should have enjoyed this or not, but I did. I'm sure everyone sees a little of themselves in Bob Hares checklists. The David Shayler chapter was a surprise and all the better for it, I knew nothing about him after the MI5 stuff.
I quite enjoyed this, but I can see it wouldn't be for everyone.
If you are at all geeky then the sideplot of the network building from trash into some socialist utopian ideal of how everyone should get the internet fix will entertain. The main plot about the only seemingly normal(ish) member of a family who've left home is well, quite odd. His father is a mountain and his mother is a washing machine. One of his brothers is a psychic, one is an island and three others are like Russian dolls fitting inside each other. The last one is a psychopath who has already been killed once.
Writing that down it seems even more weird than it actually is but there go.
Good stuff, although obviously not aimed at someone my age (or sex probably) I still enjoyed it, just felt I should read it before I see the film.
Enjoyable but it was never going to live up to the first book and does feel like a rehash of that novel. It has made me listen to a lot of Prince in the last day though.
not nearly as bad as a lot of people would have you believe, it's not like the originals are the best thing ever either (I did enjoy them, just think their quality may a bit overstated).
I do agree that Salander is not the main character and not in it enough, but then was she ever in the earlier books?
Seems quite a lot longer than the other Chandler I've read, but it's worth it, absolutely brilliant with a final chapter that is well worth it. Now to go and watch the Altman film with Elliot Gould as the updated (to the 70s anyway) Marlowe.
As has been pointed out elsewhere the character development leaves a little to be desired, but loved the plot and the hard science of it just ramps up as the books goes on.
Not as dire as some of the reviews would have you believe, but it's still nowhere near Cobens best