Charlie K

Rhys Bowen delivers another home run

Revisado: 02-16-23

I have enjoyed every Rhys Bowen books I have read and this one, as others, is a joy. A story that captures the range of emotions that ring true for me - that I could relate to personally, perhaps from personal experience & those related to me by my large family that survived WWII Occupied France in different ways. But they did survive. Five Jewish siblings (with a 20-year age span from eldest to youngest), spouses, children - even my grandmother - due to improbable circumstances. The daughter of the youngest (who came to the US after the war), I married just after my 21st birthday. What in fiction may seem far-fetched or contrived twists of fate to some readers were very plausible to me.

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Dark, Well-written, superb narration

Revisado: 01-08-23

Dark fantasy. Well-written. I did not experience the audio problems others have reported so perhaps they have been fixed.

Emily Woo Zeller is one of the best na{rrators and her performance here is wonderful.

For those who want to hear her in a more light-hearted fantasy, I recommend Rachel Aaron's Heartstrikers trilogy.

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A well-written cozy

Revisado: 12-26-22

Literate and pleasant. It won't keto you on the edge of your seat or twist your brain with unexpected plot twistd but despite its length, it maintains your interest.

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Pleasant urban fantasy with suburb narration

Revisado: 07-04-16

Story is fun to follow and has excellent dialogue. Narrator Vikas Adam has enormous range of male and female voices and dialects. Entertaining and well-written.

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Simplistic, boring romance novel

Revisado: 07-10-15

I purchased this book as a daily special thinking it was a mystery. It's not. It's s pulpy romance novel.

I did not enjoy the book. if you are a fan of this genre perhaps this book will be for you. It was not for me.

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Quirky and Compelling

Revisado: 02-08-15

As with many relationships, getting to know Claire DeWitt was not easy.

I purchased this book in July and made three attempts to listen to it. Each time I gave up in irritation. Seven months later, I've finally connected with the book. I finished it today and immediately purchased the next volume in the series. Clearly my feelings have changed.

Claire DeWiit and the City of the Dead is a well-written, interesting and very quirky book. Be warned -- if you don't like foul language and dislike drug use, you will find the book offensive. The heroine is not a clean living character through she is deeply moral and even heroic.

I don't really agree with those who classify this book as noir or even as a mystery. While there are stylistic elements that suggest it, this is not hard-boiled stuff. The goal is not to figure out a puzzle. It's closer, in my mind to Harry Dresden but with far less emphasis on the supernatural. Just a bit of something beyond the rational is always present at Claire DeWitt's core.

Claire does not choose to be a detective. She has been fated to become one. And detectives like Claire DeWitt are very different kind from police officers. For Claire the search for truth is mystical, a philosophy and a calling that requires her to jack into a plane of reality that's different from everyday experience. Bits of truth will come to you in dreams, when you are high, when you meet others whose journeys intersect yours. And knowing how few people value truth will make you cynical. You won't be well-liked either.

As a detective, you are compelled to search for truth but you will pay a price (again, much like Harry Dresden does). Being a detective DeWitt style is not a happy choice and I very much doubt that she will live a long and healthy life. Surely not a conventional one.

The book is set in post Katrina New Orleans. It's a city I love and I really enjoyed her take on the city which I also visited after the hurricane. The story effectively alternates with a back story that reveals who Claire is and how she came to her calling. It's good writing and the narration by Carol Monda is superb.

If you are a concrete-thinking person who is looking for a good mystery novel, you will probably not enjoy this book. If you enjoy fantasy and sarcasm and are willing to play along with the author and suspend disbelief, you may (as I did) find the book a really enjoyable experience.

It took me seven months to get into the first book and seven minutes to purchase the second volume. And I'm now 12 chapters into the second book and enjoying it a lot.

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Violent, nasty, unrealistic and weak.

Revisado: 01-31-15

Obviously some people loved it. I didn't. Paper thin characters. Plot is weak. Men are unrelentingly racist, sexist and mean. No matter how much violence the women are unaffected. Book is a downer. I'd give it a pass.

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Great fun. Great performance.

Revisado: 01-04-15

Light-hearted but with depth this is the best Neil Gaiman I've read to date. The story is good natured - the characters likeable. Based on West African myths but set in London, Florida, and a fictional Caribbean island called St. Andrews.

Lenny Henry is superb, shifting among British and island accents.

Rarely do I give a book give stars but this one merits it.

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Good writing and a dark, intricate plot

Revisado: 11-12-13

Any additional comments?

It's been a while since I've read a VI Warshawski book and I enjoyed this one a lot.

Recently, I've been disappointed at the quality of writing that I've encountered in a number of mystery novels. Not here. Sara Paretsky is an excellent writer.

The plot in this book relates to World War II and the Holocaust. It's not always the easiest material to listen to but it's clear that Paretsky has done her research well. The intricate plot weaves the current mystery with a back story that feels realistic and detailed.

It's also clear that the author has concerns and a position about current issues. She weaves them in but does not bludgeon the reader with them. As a result, I found the references to current issues like privacy and government surveillance added to the sense of depth.

I have one long-standing gripe with Ms. Paretsky that I had forgotten but which re-emerged when I "read" this book. Many of her characters are hard-edged and interactions are often nasty. Perhaps that is the way of the world but it's a bit of a downer. I am always amazed by VI's ability to maintain her cool in the face of verbal assault.

With all that, Critical Mass is a good and engaging listen. I found myself engaged and wanting to keep listening. The ending is satisfying and the author ties up a lot of lose threads -- another grip I have about many books that seem to end far too abruptly.

I give this book 4.5 stars. It's well worth a listen.

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Interesting Concept but Tedious

Revisado: 02-25-13

When I first started listening to this book I was very hopeful. It has an interesting conceit - a world which contains a force that responds to human thoughts and shapes the physical environment accordingly. I found the protagonist, a warrior-priest with a mission, a refreshing change from the usual.

Alas, I got bogged down in the book and found getting to the end difficult. The development of the plot and the characters did not fulfill the original promise. Instead, the story became tedious and repetitive. Motivations were not clear. By the end I didn't care anymore.

Too bad, because it had a great concept.

That being said, others seem to like the book so read the reviews carefully. Perhaps it will be your cuppa tea. Sadly, it was not mine.

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