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A weak imitation of Tony Hillerman’s novels.

Revisado: 05-19-23

I read all of Tony Hillerman’s works which were wonderful books. Using the same characters is not enough to keep my interest. This writer seems more interested in demonstrating her knowledge of navajo and reservation life than in giving the reader a good story. Tony H. Wrote great stories with interesting plots and unique characters. They happen to be Navajo (mostly) and set on the reservation. I learned a lot -but learned incidentally. I wanted to like this book but, sadly,couldn’t get past chapter 2. The reader didn’t help. One of the Navajos sounded like a new york gangster. Changing voice does not require the reader to invent weird accents. I recommend a hard pass. I’d rather revisit the originals.

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Ellery Queen doesn’t stand up to reputation

Revisado: 02-12-23

Author’s style and vocabulary aggravatingly dated. Never use one adjective when you can find 3 more. Ellery explains his thought process multiple times ad nauseum. Might have been a pretty good read if an editor had gotten rid of all the adjectives and adverbs and found a believable hiding place for the murder weapon - and actually given us a motive. I finished only through sheer determination to fully assess the writing. I’ve read a few other Ellery Queen works which were shorter and, though not better, were improved by brevity. Read for the experience but don’t expect much.

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Wimpy heroinne

Revisado: 01-30-22

Our female lead was unrealistically fragile. she gets weak-kneed and scared at the drop of a hat. This is the greatest generation that a few years later bravely withstood the blitz. Women were never that fragile. The plot rambles on with the mystery of a vanished mother, long lost father and priceless ruby. The chicago jazz singer is given a southern accent. No one seems especially bright. Ultimately i really didnt care. Gave up when i got half way and realized I was never going to care.

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Character portrayal was off

Revisado: 01-30-22

I’ve read over 30 perry mason books and have some understanding of these characters. I could not listen past 2nd chapter. Mason sounded like a combination of lionel barrymore and cary grant doing a 1930s radio drama. Enough said.

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Enticing premise spoiled by repetition

Revisado: 04-21-20

WWI England and a generation of young men lost to war. Orphan "heroine" returns home for grandfather's funeral, the lone survivor of her family and learns that her beloved grandfather had secrets, perhaps dark and evil ones. Great premise. However, our heroine is a bit of a twit unable to take control of things. My personal distastes for repetitive narrative is a hallmark of this novel. If this were a written book I'd have resorted to skimming for content. The character thinks it, then it happens, then she thinks it again, Did I mention she is a twit? Perhaps things will improve but I don't think I can hang in long enough to find out. Too bad, I'd really like to know more about the character who never actually appears in the book. (The narrator got 2 stars due to my feeling that she could have made the characters a bit more likable through her interpretation. )

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