Mark Martinez
I saw the movie based on this book at the local drive-in theater when it first came out in 1973. Many viewings later I realized there was a book and it only took me 44 years to find a copy. My reaction? Wow, some seriously racist characters who would be right at home in Trump's brave new ‘Merica of 2017! The screenplay took liberties with the original story to make Charley Varrick a much more appealing protagonist. I won't spoil what happens to him in the book, but I will say that there is a bowling ball involved.
The latest entry in the Nate Heller historical mystery series is based on a 1953 kidnapping and murder. Heller is hired to assist in recovering a young boy who has been kidnapped. A $600,000 ransom is delivered but the kidnappers don't return the boy. Following a hunch, Heller uses his underworld contacts to find and expose the kidnappers, facilitating their capture and conviction for a terrible crime. But only half the ransom was found. Five years later, Heller is drawn back into the case by Jimmy Hoffa, Robert Kennedy, and the boy's father who wants to know the truth.
Collins is an expert in weaving a fictional tale from historical events and personalities. Even though I wasn't familiar with the actual event, I was absorbed in Heller's investigation, the incompetent kidnappers, the accommodating mobsters and bent cops, and a grieving family. If you're a fan of private eye novels, this is a book for you.
I received an ARC of The Big Bundle by Max Allan Collins from the publisher.
A very enjoyable series. The manga art style suits the story of Ezra, his Jedi master Kanan, and their pals on the Ghost.
The narrative is well-written and flows smoothly, with all the basic Western tropes, but poor old Doc Spectros is just too honorable to do what's necessary when he has the villain in his talons. You heard right. Talons. There is more to Spectros than meets the eye.
Ben Winter's end-of-the-world police procedural is fascinating on two levels. Recently promoted Detective Hank Palace is a thoughtful and dogged police officer in spite of the “unbearable immanence” of an asteroid on a collision course with the Earth. In spite of everything falling apart around him, he worries about the victim, his sister, and his colleagues, but gets the job done. Meanwhile, I couldn't help thinking how I would deal with this scenario the entire time I was reading the novel. There aren't too many books that entertain and make you think. This is one of them. Highly recommended.
Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson continue their tale of the Butlerian Jihad in this second enormous installment of a trilogy. They continue to plant the seeds which will grow into the world of Frank Herbert's Dune. Some of the characters have become a little repetitive, but overall, it makes for interesting reading if you've read the Dune novels.
Published in hardcover by Tor.
Beautiful intelligence analyst discovers a fake meteorite, falls off a glacier only to be rescued by a US Navy sub, worries about bloodthirsty hammerhead sharks, and might topple a presidency, meanwhile finding a new love as a special ops Delta team tries to kill her.
The second novel by Dan Brown is a much better effort than Digital Fortress. The plot runs along at breakneck pace, as it does in all of his novels, and the characters don't do too many stupid things. Pick up this book if you need to kill a few hours.
The mass-market paperback edition of this book is published by Pocket Books.
Life has gotten hairy for Atticus and Oberon and it looks like things aren't going to get any easier for the Iron Druid as his story continues. A very enjoyable series. I got the opportunity to meet Kevin Hearne this weekend at Alamosa Books, in Albuquerque, NM. He's an amusing fellow and I'm looking forward to reading [b:Tricked 12700306 Tricked (Iron Druid Chronicles, #4) Kevin Hearne http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1324455119s/12700306.jpg 16669362].
Lenk, Kataria and the rest of their companions are in a fine mess. Although I get a bit confused by all the extra voices speaking, I'm enjoying this story arc. Looking forward to Book 3.
Carl Hiaasen has written another South Florida novel of oddballs, outcasts, and warped behavior. Chaz throws his wife Joey overboard on their second honeymoon cruise. Joey survives, thanks to a bale of Jamaica's finest, and gets even. A fun read, as usual.
Published in hardcover by Alfred A. Knopf.
Samuel T. Cogley defends a Klingon accused of killing the Federation administrator of a mining colony. Lt. Areel Shaw is the prosecutor, eager for a rematch with Cogley. Both originally appeared in TOS episode “Court Martial”. This is a well-paced and entertaining courtroom mystery, as well as a tribute to Earl Stanley Gardner's Perry Mason, down to the book's design and red-dyed edges. Sam Cogley is familiar enough after more than 35 years of reruns that I can easily see him in a series of mystery novels. The authors also effectively use TOS and Enterprise tube history to paint the background.
I got the impression that authors Bob Ingersoll and Tony Isabella, both veterans of Star Trek comics and novels, have something more in mind for Lt. Areel Shaw in a future story.
Published in paperback by Pocket Books.
There is a seed of something interesting here. This is an early example of a now common science fiction trope–a lost generational space ship, its inhabitants unaware of their original purpose, with science taking on religious trappings. Ultimately, the story didn't work for me because the characters in this novella are either too one-dimensional or unlikeable.
I finally finished the last volume of the Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson. Taken as a whole, the complete trilogy is an amazing tale. I have no clue if the history illuminated by Stephenson is true and I don't really care. It was fun reading his books.
Published in hardcover by HarperCollins.
Volume two of the Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson is another mesmerizing tale, and there is no confusion about that statement. Eliza's dealmaking and Jack's round-the-world odyssey are remarkable. Read it. Volume three goes on sale late Sep 2004.
Published in hardcover by William Morrow.
Volume One of the Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson is a mind-boggling novel. I don't know how to categorize it. Maybe an historical novel of science and politics. Whatever. This tale of 17th century Europe features appealing characters caught in historical events, illuminating them from a fascinating and humorous insider perspective. In spite of the fact that the book is enormous, it is mesmerizing. The second volume is out. I'll be reading it.
Published in hardcover by William Morrow.
Tony Hillerman returns to the bookshelf with this tale based on a 1956 plane crash in the Grand Canyon. While Jim Chee is suffering a little anxiety over his forthcoming marriage to Bernie Manuelito, Joe Leaphorn is called in for a consultation. Leaphorn digs up old memories and, with Chee, an old case. As always, Hillerman's characters are as welcome as old friends.
Published in hardcover by Harper Collins.