Post by Calamas on Aug 12, 2015 16:18:41 GMT -5
Recently Finished:
Devil Red by Joe R Lansdale
The eighth novel featuring working class misadventurers Hap Collins and Leonard Pine. The East Texas duo, who are simultaneously hapless and dangerous, this time get in over their heads with their eyes open, agreeing to do some investigating for an old friend whose opened a P.I. business. Weirdness and violence ensues, a Lansdale trademark. The title refers to a professional assassin, and as soon as that revelation dropped, I knew we would soon be seeing Vanilla Ride, the assassin we’d met in the previous book. She was a fascinating character; no way Lansdale could resist exploring her more. I’d have been disappointed otherwise. Lansdale seldom disappoints.
The Lions Of Lucerne by Brad Thor
The second time this year I got caught in a long wait without a book--it can only happens when I’m using someone else’s car--so I needed to buy a standalone or the first in a series. I chose the latter. I have mixed feeling on this effort. It contained multiple transgressions of the single thing I hate most: the seasoned professional whose does incredibly stupid things. The worst example has the narrative explain how the hero studies the faces of any public place he enters, and the scene closes with someone he has reason to be suspicious of leaving the room unnoticed with his sabotage accomplish. But, when I put those things aside, it was a page-turner and raced to the end. I’ll the next one eventually, hoping the faults were that of a first-time novelist.
The Odessa File by Frederick Forsyth
An early work from the father of the modern espionage thriller, and it, too, contains a protagonist doing something stupid. And it’s okay. Peter Miller is a reporter, not a trained undercover agent. Through the convergence of bad luck, laziness, entitlement and not truly believing all the precautions taught to him were necessary, he blows his cover almost immediately. The story never really hinged on this anyway. It’s about how the diary of a Holocaust survivor who killed himself leads to the investigation The ODESSA, a real-life Nazi organization that used stolen wealth to further their twisted philosophies. To varying degrees Forsyth always used fiction to expose reality. He is always entertaining while doing so.
You Herd Me! by Colin Cowherd
One of my few non-fiction reads. Over the thirty-five years or so that I’ve been reading for myself (as opposed to required by schooling) I’ve only stepped outside of fiction because I was a fan of their work, either at the time (Linda Ellerbee, Phil Gordon) or lifelong (Waylon Jennings, Craig Ferguson [so far]). It remains to be seen where Cowherd will fall. I do know his current controversy was unintentional, a combination of a “Gotcha! Society” and a poor choice of words. But he did say it. Apparently, according to today’s news, he will survive it. The book is an expanded and more detail look at topics he’s already covered on the radio; nothing new but worth my time.
Hit Me by Lawrence Block
I find myself more interest in the marketing of this book than its contents. Essentially it is a collection of novellas disguised as a novel. At no point is it called a novel, and it does keep the original title of each entry, but each significant scene break is labeled as a new chapters, hence the last section is Chapter 51. I can’t claim to have been misled because A) I would have bought it anyway, and B) I flipped through the book before making the purchase. Some of the stories had moments of meandering but I enjoyed them anyway. As usual.
Flood by Andrew Vachss
The first entry in the respected and often controversial series. And my introduction to it. Written, as I understand it, as the author’s attempt to bring things like child abuse to light by stealth when he could get no one to listen otherwise. The novel failed to do this as well, at least initially. Publishers loved everything about the book except where it dove too realistically into the disturbing and morally corrupt side of life. Sadly, today we know Vachss was right, that things like this existed--and still exist. At least he no longer fights the fight alone. And in the meantime, he produced superior novel (and presumably series) as well. We are the better for it.
Killing Orders by Sara Paretsky
A slow start with V.I. Warshawski getting rope into the case by estranged family members needing help. Once another facet of the investigation emerges elsewhere, and a friend is killed pursuing financial matters a layman can’t on her own, things start moving. Vic meets a nice range of characters and takes some losses along the way. Not Edgar material but interesting enough. It’s all I ask.
In Progress:
Scandal at High Chimneys by John Dickson Carr
Infernal by F Paul Wilson
Devil Red by Joe R Lansdale
The eighth novel featuring working class misadventurers Hap Collins and Leonard Pine. The East Texas duo, who are simultaneously hapless and dangerous, this time get in over their heads with their eyes open, agreeing to do some investigating for an old friend whose opened a P.I. business. Weirdness and violence ensues, a Lansdale trademark. The title refers to a professional assassin, and as soon as that revelation dropped, I knew we would soon be seeing Vanilla Ride, the assassin we’d met in the previous book. She was a fascinating character; no way Lansdale could resist exploring her more. I’d have been disappointed otherwise. Lansdale seldom disappoints.
The Lions Of Lucerne by Brad Thor
The second time this year I got caught in a long wait without a book--it can only happens when I’m using someone else’s car--so I needed to buy a standalone or the first in a series. I chose the latter. I have mixed feeling on this effort. It contained multiple transgressions of the single thing I hate most: the seasoned professional whose does incredibly stupid things. The worst example has the narrative explain how the hero studies the faces of any public place he enters, and the scene closes with someone he has reason to be suspicious of leaving the room unnoticed with his sabotage accomplish. But, when I put those things aside, it was a page-turner and raced to the end. I’ll the next one eventually, hoping the faults were that of a first-time novelist.
The Odessa File by Frederick Forsyth
An early work from the father of the modern espionage thriller, and it, too, contains a protagonist doing something stupid. And it’s okay. Peter Miller is a reporter, not a trained undercover agent. Through the convergence of bad luck, laziness, entitlement and not truly believing all the precautions taught to him were necessary, he blows his cover almost immediately. The story never really hinged on this anyway. It’s about how the diary of a Holocaust survivor who killed himself leads to the investigation The ODESSA, a real-life Nazi organization that used stolen wealth to further their twisted philosophies. To varying degrees Forsyth always used fiction to expose reality. He is always entertaining while doing so.
You Herd Me! by Colin Cowherd
One of my few non-fiction reads. Over the thirty-five years or so that I’ve been reading for myself (as opposed to required by schooling) I’ve only stepped outside of fiction because I was a fan of their work, either at the time (Linda Ellerbee, Phil Gordon) or lifelong (Waylon Jennings, Craig Ferguson [so far]). It remains to be seen where Cowherd will fall. I do know his current controversy was unintentional, a combination of a “Gotcha! Society” and a poor choice of words. But he did say it. Apparently, according to today’s news, he will survive it. The book is an expanded and more detail look at topics he’s already covered on the radio; nothing new but worth my time.
Hit Me by Lawrence Block
I find myself more interest in the marketing of this book than its contents. Essentially it is a collection of novellas disguised as a novel. At no point is it called a novel, and it does keep the original title of each entry, but each significant scene break is labeled as a new chapters, hence the last section is Chapter 51. I can’t claim to have been misled because A) I would have bought it anyway, and B) I flipped through the book before making the purchase. Some of the stories had moments of meandering but I enjoyed them anyway. As usual.
Flood by Andrew Vachss
The first entry in the respected and often controversial series. And my introduction to it. Written, as I understand it, as the author’s attempt to bring things like child abuse to light by stealth when he could get no one to listen otherwise. The novel failed to do this as well, at least initially. Publishers loved everything about the book except where it dove too realistically into the disturbing and morally corrupt side of life. Sadly, today we know Vachss was right, that things like this existed--and still exist. At least he no longer fights the fight alone. And in the meantime, he produced superior novel (and presumably series) as well. We are the better for it.
Killing Orders by Sara Paretsky
A slow start with V.I. Warshawski getting rope into the case by estranged family members needing help. Once another facet of the investigation emerges elsewhere, and a friend is killed pursuing financial matters a layman can’t on her own, things start moving. Vic meets a nice range of characters and takes some losses along the way. Not Edgar material but interesting enough. It’s all I ask.
In Progress:
Scandal at High Chimneys by John Dickson Carr
Infernal by F Paul Wilson