This book did not have enough word in it. And I was really hoping Mr. Tarrabotti would run into Amelia and Emerson while he was in Egypt. Perhaps next This book did not have enough word in it. And I was really hoping Mr. Tarrabotti would run into Amelia and Emerson while he was in Egypt. Perhaps next time....more
Okay, everyone afraid of getting spoiled gone? Here we go.
I liked this book. It was both weird and disturbing, which aSpoilers
Spoilers
Spoilers
Spoilers
Okay, everyone afraid of getting spoiled gone? Here we go.
I liked this book. It was both weird and disturbing, which are not things I generally look for in books, necessarily, but it's summer, so why not. I barely remember Manfred from the Harper Connelly books, but I remember (kinda) thinking he was interesting, so I was glad to see him pop back up.
Midnight, Texas, is intriguing, far more than the town I live in which is the same approximate size but without the retail establishments. The cameos from Ms. Harris' other series were fun, and hopefully Sam will turn up somewhere in the series.
I loved the talking cat, and now wish we could get a book of short stories from his perspective. I assumed from the time the cat was introduced that we had another Bob situation from the Sookie books, but he seems to just be a cat that talks. That is to say, he's not a person who was accidentally bewitched into a cat, I guess.
Never saw the reveal coming, and it was by far the weirdest part of the book.
I felt like this book didn't end so much as it just stopped, but hopefully this is because the book is the first in a planned trilogy. The bad guys are really bad guys, and I doubt they will be fobbed off easily, so I fully expect them to return.
In all, two thumbs up and I look forward to the next one....more
I have no idea why I waited so long to read this book. I also have no good idea of how to review it, so I'm just going to quote it. Spoilers ahead. BuI have no idea why I waited so long to read this book. I also have no good idea of how to review it, so I'm just going to quote it. Spoilers ahead. But two thumbs way up, just the same.
"Well, anyway,” Jenkins said. “You’re right about one thing. It’s messed up that the most rational explanation for what does go on in this ship is that a television show intrudes on our reality and warps it. But that’s not the worst thing about it.”
“Jesus Christ,” Finn said. “If that’s not the worst thing, what is?”
“That as far as I can tell,” Jenkins said, “it’s not actually a very good show."
How can life as a fictional character get worse than that? I mean, other than having a poorly written review that's about to get posted on Facebook and Twitter?
I'm not really sure what to say here. I loved the first book in this series, but this one didn't so much do it for me.
Beware, spoilers ahead.
No, reallI'm not really sure what to say here. I loved the first book in this series, but this one didn't so much do it for me.
Beware, spoilers ahead.
No, really.
I mean, turn back, because I will hear no complaining about this later, especially when you've been warned.
Okay.
So, my problem with this book is that I've read all (I think) of the Amelia Peabody books, and I could not stop waiting for Emerson to show up and pound the hell out of Lowe. I had really no sympathy for Lowe Magnusson at all. Here's a guy from a wealthy family who goes on archaeological digs with an unnamed and basically unexplored uncle. I can understand he wants to make his own name for himself, but he's elected to do it by forging antiquities? Really?
And his partner in crime is his childhood best friend whose wife he bonked while they were on the outs. So the best friend's child could be his? Really?
And then to top it all off, a museum curator falls for him (arguably), finds out ALL of this, and doesn't move to another town? A lot of this seems like the lead-in to the plot of Ocean's 11, where you find out what George Clooney was stealing that made Julia Roberts have to leave town.
I kinda liked Hadley Bacall, the curator, and was more or less sympathetic to her problems with her career and her father. I don't see her falling for Lowe Magnusson on any real level, and certainly whatever infatuation she had would have disappeared with the application of a little common sense.
This book is probably really great if you haven't read a lot of other novels about Egyptologists.
Otherwise, I think you'll find yourself longing for Emerson....more
This wasn't the book I had hoped it would be. More later.
Okay, so here's the thing: while the book was well-written, I didn't actually enjoy it. When This wasn't the book I had hoped it would be. More later.
Okay, so here's the thing: while the book was well-written, I didn't actually enjoy it. When I read the cover blurb that boiled down to "Ian Fleming goes to Los Alamos!" I was stupid excited. Los Alamos is one of my favorite places on the planet, and I had hoped for a book where the quintessential spy interacted with fictionalized versions of the real life people who were there.
And that's not really what the book is about.
The book is about Ian Fleming hunting down, as it turns out, someone who's killing intelligence officers who worked in or around Los Alamos during WWII. And Los Alamos makes an appearance for maybe 18 pages, and the only person we see there is an MP whose job is to be less than helpful.
A great deal of the rest of the book is taken up with details about Jamaica, the British government there, problems of life in the tropics, and an astonishing amount of time traveling. It's not particularly exciting travel either, and more than once I recognized that this whole situation could have been avoided if long-distance phone calls were easier and less expensive to make. Who knew Vonage could have made life simpler for MI5? (Really tedious travel is what I'm getting at here. You know, because you're smart, that it's a hell of a long way from Dallas to Santa Fe. And we get to drive it all. With a man who did not understand that sort of distance on an intellectual level.)
A bunch of characters showed up who would have been better off being explored some more or left out of the narrative completely. There were some situations that could have borne more in-depth examination or not been mentioned at all. And there was a kid who seems to have served as a really, really irritating red herring, although I'm not completely sure that's how he was intended to be viewed.
For those keeping score at home, I was equally disappointed with the 'Doctor Who visits Los Alamos' book that I read last year, and for many of the same reasons.
Far from the worst Ian Fleming novel I've read, I wouldn't give this one my whole-hearted recommendation either. Do with it what you will....more
I need to think about what I want to say a little longer, but as a warning to Kindle readers: The last about 20% of this book is the preview for the neI need to think about what I want to say a little longer, but as a warning to Kindle readers: The last about 20% of this book is the preview for the next book....more
An interesting novel. I feel it could have used a second run-through by a copy editor for some startling redundancies (the one that sticks out for me An interesting novel. I feel it could have used a second run-through by a copy editor for some startling redundancies (the one that sticks out for me is "Fleming saw a group of people with whom he was acquainted with". Looks like the author started with one thought and finished with a better one.) In addition, the text was bizarrely descriptive with fashion and ages for minor characters, but left out some details in action scenes that would have given said scenes better flow. I understand the author has either written or researched a great deal of WWII history, so there are a couple of weird instances where the history is obviously showing through the novel. It's like a spy novel collided with a history text book. Still, the book is interesting and I recommend it. I'm off to read the next one. ...more
I don't even care that the events were made up. I could only read about 9 more of these novels.
Full disclosure: I watched allI kinda loved this book.
I don't even care that the events were made up. I could only read about 9 more of these novels.
Full disclosure: I watched all of "Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond" on BBC America and loved that too, even though it was a largely fictitious look at Ian Fleming's life. If you're so inclined, it might help to imagine the characters as follows:
Ian Fleming: Dominic Cooper JRR Tolkien: James Broadbent Billie for Lillian: Joely Fisher (reprising her role from 'Shining Through') The Dwarves: Themselves, if the mythology of the book can be trusted. Prof. Schroeder: Christopher Lloyd from his 'Back to the Future' days.
I thought it was hilarious that Fleming spent most of the book doing James Bond things and hooking up with the girl plot device, and Tolkien spent most of the novel on a quest with a weird piece of cursed jewelry and a bunch of dwarves. Several famous Nazis (infamous Nazis? Jerks? My vocabulary is limited because there could be children in the audience.) make an appearance and don't get what's coming to them. Totally saw part the plot twist coming, but some of it was still a surprise. There was a definite supernatural element, which is unusual in a spy/action novel. There was also a little gratuitous gore directed at truly harmless civilians, and it was occasionally difficult to tell who was whom and in league with who else. Characters would drop out for multiple chapters and then literally parachute back in. Churchill never showed up, but that doesn't mean he wasn't watching.
I kinda hope this is true, although all the evidence points to "not true" and "not plausible". Two thumbs way up. I hope we get another book about Fleming's further adventures....more
I can't even remember if someone recommended this, or if I saw it on twitter. I pre-ordered it so far back I had forgotten about it.
Good 1920s story, I can't even remember if someone recommended this, or if I saw it on twitter. I pre-ordered it so far back I had forgotten about it.
Good 1920s story, no characters I wanted to slap. But the book was entirely too short, and I'm ready to read the next one. I didn't read the preview, but I hope it's about the archaeologist brother. I'm imagining Amelia Peabody meets Indiana Jones.
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