Tag: book-reviews

Book Review: Someone Shot The Wrong Lawyer

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Hot Property is the latest novel by Mike Lupica, which continues the Spenser series originally created by the late Robert B. Parker.

Spenser is hunkered down during a Boston snowstorm when he receives news that his friend, Rita Fiore, has been shot. Rita is a relentless flirt and one of Boston’s toughest attorneys. Her wound is not fatal, but Spenser is determined to find the assailant and bring him out of the shadows. Spenser learns of a pretty intense relationship with a politician that was ended abruptly when he inexplicably drowned. Rita believed her beau to be unimpeachable, but Spenser has some reason to be skeptical when a dodgy land deal seems to be at the heart of the matter. Unfortunately, another shooting happens, and this one is fatal. Someone is tying up some loose ends, and Spenser is very aware that Rita is likely still in danger.

It seems like almost everyone in Spenser’s circle has been shot throughout the series, including the private himself. The plot is actually pretty imaginative. Lupica does throw in some surprising twists. Some of the wisecracks seem a little recycled, but I often felt like that when reading Parker’s novels.

Lupica manages to emulate Parker’s style well enough to keep me engaged. It’s a standard caper for this series, but I wonder if Rita will make some changes in her rather reckless lifestyle in subsequent novels.

This is a pretty good contribution to the series, and Parker would likely approve this one. Lupica was a solid choice to continue the series, and I look forward to getting my hands on the next one.

Until then, my own literary indulgence continues with kind of a modern classic. I decided to read the beginning of what would become a major cinematic franchise by a highly regarded writer who is no longer with us. I am going to explore the wonder of Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park.

Book Review: A Killer Named Keller

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Hit Man is a rather slow-paced but interesting novel by Lawrence Block which introduces his professional killer known as Keller.

Keller is a cool, efficient professional killer who seems to be going through something of a mid-life crisis. A young woman who is initially hired take care of his dogs as he travels to various locales for his rather unusual and lethal occupation. He seems to find himself on a path that almost leads him to a more normal life, however he has to contend with an employer and benefactor who seems to be making reckless decisions that leads to Keller making a tragic mistake during one of his contract jobs.

The novel is well-written, but it seems a little disjointed at times. I looked into the origins of this character and learned that this book was a re-working of several short stories that was combined into one volume. Apparently, Keller was first published in the pages of Playboy several years ago. That helped me make more sense of what I was reading.

I did find this novel pretty good even if the idea humanizing a hitman is a somewhat overdone story idea.

Block has been in the game for some time, and his status of a highly regarded crime writer is well-earned. Even if the structure of this story struck me as a little unusual, I did enjoy the ride once I learned how Keller was first debuted.

Block does put in quite a bit of exposition, which understandable since Keller is not exactly a chatty sort. The prose is still pretty tight and flows quite easily. The actual murders are depicted quite crisply and can be easily missed at times.

Anyway, this novel is worth a look by any aficionado of crime fiction. Lawrence Block has quite a gallery of memorable protagonists, and it was a treat to be introduced to Keller in all of his deadliness.

Well, the great Robert B. Parker may be gone, but Boston PI Spenser is still on the streets with the help of Mike Lupica which brings up my next read. A close friend of Spenser’s is shot, and that’s just not going to fly with Boston’s venerable private eye in Hot Property.

Book Review: For Love Of Bonnie

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Quinn is a suspense novel written by long-time author Iris Johansen and is the second in a trilogy featuring Eve Duncan’s search for her long-missing daughter.

Joe Quinn has been stabbed critically and is in the hospital with an uncertain chance of survival. He is Eve’s long-time boyfriend who has been roped into the search for Bonnie which has lasted for years. Eve works as some kind of forensic sculptor while Joe is a former Nave SEAL and current federal investigator. The current suspect is Bonnie’s father, John Gallo, who also has some dangerous skills and a possible mental condition. There seems to be a conspiracy afoot as well preventing the truth from coming to full light.

The story reveals how Quinn and Eve first meant, which precipitated a long crusade against a variety of killers and psychopaths.

This turned out to be a bit more gruesome than I expected which I don’t necessarily mind, except the story does involve children victimized in the worst ways.

Johansen is a competent enough writer, which is not surprising because she has been around forever. I had some trouble with staying interested, probably due to me just reading this one at random, jumping right in the middle of a long running series.

A friend of Eve’s named Catherine Ling has caught up to John Gallo, initiating a weird mutual stalking scenario in a forest that lasts for a couple of weeks.

Johansen’s roots as a romance writer are still prevalent here. The banter and sexual tension between Catherine and Gallo don’t really come off as very plausible.

Quinn himself is kind of interesting, but only because he’s a little too perfect as a sensitive yet ruthless manhunter.

Johansen also adds some supernatural flavor to the story with the main characters having visions of Bonnie.

There’s a chance I will return to this trilogy and see how things turn out, but I doubt I will make it a priority. I am definitely not the target audience for this author or this book. Fortunately, Johansen isn’t so bad where I am forced to wonder how she has stayed in business for so long.

This one is another case where the book was not outright terrible, but it’s not all that riveting either.

I believe it’s time to return to more familiar literary territory in which game warden Joe Pickett can find that even the most experienced at survival can find themselves with Nowhere to Run by C.J. Box.

Book Review: A Fatal Treatment

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The Clinic is a reasonably engaging thriller by Cate Quinn about a luxury rehab center that is at the center of a puzzling death of a famous singer. The singer’s sister, Meg, goes into the isolated clinic to see how her sister could have died in what should have been one of the safest clinics in the world. The novel is structured as a first-person narrative that is split between two characters’ perspectives.

Meg works at a casino as an undercover card player who is there to expose cheaters and other illegal activities. She also has a drug addiction that actually does need treatment, but she wants to enter the rehab facility to find out what happened to her sister. She has a friend who is an ex-cop who can help her get in, but he is trying to get her to actually take advantage of the treatment options. Meg gets to know the other patients who are mainly celebrities and becomes convinced that her sister was killed by one of them. She starts to get written warnings that are seemingly signed by her sister. Meg’s search for her sister’s killer is of course hampered by her own addiction, but it also seems that her cover is not quite as secure as she hoped.

Cara is the manager of the facility and starts to suspect that there is something more sinister going on than just good-hearted doctors wanting to help the rich and famous fight their various addictions and compulsions. Her own search for the truth concerning the history of the owner, Dr. Lutz, leads her down her own dangerous path that could also lead to life cut abruptly short.

This particular structure of storytelling seems to be getting more trendy among today’s female thriller novelists. It’s not that hard to follow once the reader gets used to shifting perspectives like that.

The plot is kind of standard, although Med admittedly has an interesting job. I am a bit of a sucker for the isolated manors being the scene of some deadly shenanigans. It does usually work, and Quinn does make good use of it here as well.

Some of the twists are a bit outlandish, but that’s a common complaint from me when reading these types of thrillers. Quinn apparently has struggled with addiction herself which does give this tale some authenticity.

It’s a reasonably entertaining and interesting ride, but there weren’t too many characters I liked. Quinn does like to show off a bit when it comes to her familiarity with clinical jargon. I recognized some of the terms and theories regarding addiction and trauma due to previous profession.

Anyway, Quinn is fine as a writer, but there wasn’t much that really stood out. It just felt like a standard thriller in a remote facility with shifty characters. I will likely try another of her novels, but I doubt it will be anytime soon.

The endless literary exploration will continue with a novel by Iris Johansen entitled Quinn,

Book Review: Strike In Parliament

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Lethal White is the rather lengthy, convoluted fourth novel featuring Cormoran Strike by Robert Galbraith, who is really J.K. Rowling. It is still quite good, but some of the more personal dynamics between Strike and his partner, Robin Ellacott, tends to grab my interest more than the actual murder mystery.

It has been a year since Robin has entered what appears to be a troubled marriage. She has been elevated to partner in Strike’s detective agency. Strike has been gaining some notoriety due his involvement in some high-profile murders occurring in London. He is also the illegitimate son of a popular rock star. He also lost a leg when he served king and country in the military. Needless to say, he is a guy with a colorful past.

Well, this caper starts off with a very troubled young man bursting into Strike’s office and claiming to have witnessed a strangulation when he was a child. When he and Robin start to take a look at this claim, a minister in Parliament shows up and hires the agency to assist in a blackmail situation which sends Robin undercover, much to the frustration of her new husband.

Anyway, a connection between the aforementioned strange visit and this minister’s problem becomes apparent. Once again, Strike and Robin have to risk their lives as they also navigate the complications in their friendship.

Galbraith is unquestionably a talented, interesting writer on the whole, but this novel felt a little more dense than necessary at times. Strike and Robin’s banter certainly helps one navigate this unwieldy plot.

Robin’s situation with her husband feels a bit cliche at times, but it was still interesting. There is an obvious “will they or won’t they” vibe going on between Strike and Robin, which is a little trite but still engaging.

As I work my way through the series, I doubt Lethal White will rank as a favorite, but it’s still worth the time. Galbraith still manages to be compelling enough to keep me returning to the series.

As usual, I will get the next installment a few books down the road. For now, it is time to revisit the living room of 221B Baker Street as Nicholas Meyer unveils the story of Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram From Hell.

Book Review: Tracking A Killer Is No Easy Business

~ Peter Kanelis ~ 2 Comments

White Butterfly by Walter Mosley is the third installment in the Easy Rawlins mystery series and is okay. Rawlins is becoming a little too dysfunctional for me to gin up much sympathy for him.

Mosley is still a talented writer, and the book wasn’t a total waste of time.

Rawlins is now married with a new baby and doing well as a property owner. He has not been involved in any major investigations in a few years. The police come to him to ask him to head into the ghettos of Los Angeles to look for a killer of several women. Initially, it was black women who were in somewhat less wholesome occupations targeted by this psychopath. When a young white woman is found, the police get more interested and seek Easy’s unique ability to assist. As extra motivation, they have his best friend, Mouse, in their crosshairs. Mouse is a dangerous psychopath, but even he has some standards. Easy Rawlins risks his marriage and his life once again as a reluctant assistant to the police as he crosses into territory where only he could gather the clues to identify one of L.A.’s dark souls..

This one has a plot that is a little stale. Easy does go through a bit of an emotional wringer, but he brings a lot of his personal troubles on himself. The friendship between him and Mouse is kind of interesting, although the idea of the somewhat psychopathic sidekick is also kind of an overdone trope in detective fiction.

The story takes place in 1956, not long after Easy’s service in the Second World War.

Mosley is a fine writer on the whole, and my dissatisfaction with this novel isn’t going to be keep me away from his works for long. Ezekial Rawlins is still a pretty compelling character for me to not to give up on the series. Mosley also has other series which I am likely to explore as well in the near future.

Anyway, White Butterfly isn’t terrible, but it could have used a bit more originality in the climax. Walter Mosley is still a writer worthy of having some space reserved on any mystery fans’ bookshelves.

It is time for the literary journey to take a rare detour into some classic science fiction. I, Robot by the revered Isaac Asimov is next to be lifted from the still growing stack of novels still to be read.

Book Review: A Mother Like No Other

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Pieces of Her is a thriller by Karin Slaughter that is pretty good but kind of felt longer than necessary.

Andrea and her mother, Laura, are having some lunch at a diner in a shopping mall when a mass shooter breaks up the repast with an intent to kill. When her daughter is threatened, Laura moves with unusual efficiency for a middle-aged speech therapist and dispatches the killer with surprising brutality. Laura’s seemingly heroic actions make the news, which brings some troubles from a buried past of which her daughter has no knowledge. A pretty harrowing attempt is made on Laura’s life, and Andy kind of returns the favor by saving her life. Andy is on a search to discover the history that her mother has kept secret. Andy finds that murder and fanaticism have followed her mother for some time. She also learns of a family she never knew she had and may wish she had not found out.

Slaughter makes liberal use of flashbacks to fill in the strange and tragic history of Laura Oliver when she had another name. Slaughter has been in the writing game for a while, and she is an interesting writer. I can see why she has her fans, but this novel sort of dragged for me.

The basic plot is pretty good, and Slaughter does toss in some pretty clever reveals. Slaughter does sometimes let the story get a little bogged down with exposition.

I found the revelation of Laura’s true identity to be somewhat creative. I will try to avoid spoilers, but some of the standard tropes did not appear. Laura is not a retired spy or something like that.

Slaughter did a decent job of keeping me guessing as to how certain people were significant.

It’s another novel that provided some solid entertainment without it being uniquely memorable. It is more than likely that this will not be my last foray into the works of Karin Slaughter

More literary mystery and mayhem is forthcoming with Walter Mosley’s White Butterfly.

Book Review: The Cold Business Of Murder

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Death on the Island is a decent murder mystery written by Eliza Reid, who turns out to be the former First Lady of Iceland. It’s a shameless homage to the great Agatha Christie, but she still reigns supreme as the Queen of Crime.

There is a remote island off the shores of Iceland in which an important meeting among the nation’s leaders and an ambassador are gathering. A high-price dinner is on the menu, with a little poison added as a surprise. An ambassador’s wife finds that she has an instinct for detection as she begins to probe the murder of her husband’s assistant. When another strange death occurs, Jane Shearer has to wonder how many others are in the crosshairs of a ruthless, clever killer.

Reid throws in many of the tropes of a classic murder mystery. You have the isolated setting, the group of eclectic characters, a sudden death while a storm rages outside. The lead character is not a professional sleuth but is apparently a little sharper than everyone else. The fact that this takes place in Iceland is kind of cool, but the Nordic mystery has been quite popular for some time now.

It’s not a bad novel. There are some interesting twists. It is notable that Reid’s husband was at one time president of Iceland for a fair amount of time so that gives the author some pretty impressive credentials. She throws in some of the local flavor quite effectively. I must confess I find her background to be more intriguing than the actual book.

It’s an enjoyable enough read, but there isn’t much here I would call all that original. Reid did do a good enough of a job where she may stay on my radar enough to entice me into her next novel.

I am sticking with the suspense genre and reading another author for the first time, although this one has been on scene for some time. Next up, I will crack open Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter.

Doctor Who Audio Review: Even The Short Trips Can Be Hazardous

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Doctor Who: Short Trip Rarities is a collection of audio short stories featuring the Eighth Doctor, as played by Paul McGann. McGann isn’t really in these since they are narrated by a pair of compelling performers. These stories were previously released only to Big Finish Productions subscribers. Hugh Ross narrates the first one while Stephen Critchlow relates the remaining three.

Late Night Shopping by Matt Fitton has the Doctor and Lucie Miller help a shop worker fend off some peculiar alien tomatoes or something like that. It’s a strange yet amusing tale. There’s not much very notable here, but at least it wasn’t terrible.

The Caves of Erith by Alice Cavender has the Doctor and Lucie spending Christmas at a remote village. There are some strange bats living nearby, and the innkeeper has a secret of his own.

This story was a little better. Steven Critchlow is a talented enough narrator. He has shown up in much of Big Finish’s works.

Tuesday by Tony Jones has the Doctor reunited with an old friend in the shape of Harry Sullivan, however Sullivan has no recollection of his previous encounters with the Time Lord. Also, this is no ordinary Tuesday. It is supposed to be Christmas, but that doesn’t appear to exist either.

I am not one who needs to have old companions revisited all the time, but I sort of liked this meeting. Harry is older and maybe a little wiser but still familiar. Jones did a good job imagining Harry at a different stage in life than what was seen onscreen.

Finally, Paul Starkey’s An Ocean of Sawdust brings this set to a close. The TARDIS brings the Time Lord to a young boy’s bedroom where a wooden eel acts as the flooring, and the boy won’t get off his bed, which he treats as a life raft. The Doctor may be trapped in someone’s imagination and is not sure how to return to reality.

A rather imaginatively surreal story is presented here that is a little hard to conjure in one’s mind.

This is a reasonably entertaining release, but there is nothing that really stands out here.

Film Review: The Strangest of Invitations

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Invitation to a Murder is a pretty obvious homage to Agatha Christie plots and is directed by Stephen Shimek. Brian O’Donnell wrote the screenplay while story credit goes to Gerard Miller.

Mischa Barton is in the lead role of Miranda Green, a florist who is a major Agatha Christie fan, and also has her own talent for observation and deduction. Other cast members include Chris Browning, Seamus Deaver, Bianca A. Santos, and Grace Lynn Kung.

Miranda gets a sudden and peculiar invitation to a remote mansion on some island. On the way there, Miranda meets five other guests. Their host known as Lord Findley is apparently delayed due to poor weather. It seems that no one is too sure as to why they are there and how they should know Findley. The butler is not going to be the culprit since he is murdered. Miranda and the other guests are trapped together with the knowledge that one of them is likely a killer, and they are also apparently connected to each other in the most unexpected of ways.

Okay, so this genre of film is a favorite of mine, and it’s not terribly done. It’s also not that great. It leans too heavily on the cliches and tropes at times. Barton is okay, but her character is not that memorable or interesting. Miranda supposedly has a formidable memory and a gift for deduction, but it does not come off as anything unique when it comes to her other fictional detective counterparts.

The other cast members were fine. I thought Chris Browning as a somewhat cynical American journalist was kind of interesting too, but his performance was not that much help to the film as a whole.

This is another film that turns out to be disappointingly average but not terrible. Some revelations that are revealed are somewhat creative. The motive behind the murder was actually not that mundane either.

Anyway, the movie isn’t a total dud, but neither is it a grand slam.