Wayne

I love quantum physics but...

Revisado: 04-29-23

I would love hanging out with the author more than reading their books. I was basically rapt by the explanations between volumes (even though I've heard it all before). Great stuff and good analogies!

The stories center around a group of people, the most prominent three are scientists, discovering how to interact with a 4th dimension of space-time. The topic has been visited before and our author weaves a good "quantum tale" into the book. None of us have the tools to actually understand quantum"ness" but all of us can understand the implications of it (especially when explained...) and all of that is fine (with the book).

My problem with the book is the people. The people are virtually devoid of humor, with the exception of one colorful co-worker. There are social situations both on the small and large scale but I think Mr. Phillips focuses more on how "our heroes" interact with quantum space than how they interact the things we've all grown up with... people.

Would have enjoyed it more if it were a people versus people story intertwined with quantum sci-fi added for filler than people versus quantum space with people added for filler.

Haven't finished completed the third part of the trilogy but it is free at the moment so there's little risk to take a stab.

The book, "The Double Helix" is a good account of science (in this case events which... debatable by some... actually happened). It also has much social drama. Whether "The Double Helix" is fact or fiction notwithstanding it is a good formula.

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Universal Appeal

Revisado: 02-02-23

Good couples book or solo for either sex. I always keep an eye out for authors that write for "boys and girls" and Miss Ackerman has that talent.

Plot wraps around real events of the early forties and sixties. Despite "mostly disavowing" connections to real characters, those of us who grew up in the sixties will certainly recognize an uncanny (at least in name, style and ethnicity) parallel between one character in the book and a popular folk singer from back in the day.

Slight spoiler follows:

Some authors have the ability to throw humor into a dramatic plot but this isn't in Miss Ackerman's repertoire apparently. There certainly were many light times but can't remember chuckling to myself (and I'm easy to laugh). That said, I couldn't wait to laud the book but decided to see if our budding author sought approval from the ancient Greek critics (who seemed to only like tragedies). She did not. There are tragic events to be sure but we don't have to fall in love with our protagonists only to watch them needlessly killed in the closing chapters.

The story does have its "Rocky" moments. Remember Rocky running up the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum and throwing his hands up in conquest? Miss Ackerman is all over it.

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Already a Michael Connelly fan but READ THIS BOOK

Revisado: 11-11-22

Done most of the Bosch series and, IIRC, there was some overlap of Renee Ballard (our new tenacious detective) and Bosch.

Like Bosch, Ballard isn't the most popular detective around, especially to the brass. But, like Bosch, nobody can deny she's good, very good, at what she does. She also has Bosch's trait of skirting procedure.

From my male point of view, Mr. Connelly does an excellent job of projecting a female cop. I really like the fact she's not a 100 pounds of "kick three 200 pound males around at the same time" type of hero. She works within her limitations and she's the better for it.

The story is great and had me metering myself to make it last more than a day. I was never bored with the dialogue nor story line at any point.

If there is a negative to our new character, she's a bit edgy, but she lives in a world where you have to be tough to survive.

Thank you Mr. Connelly!

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A fan of PT but...

Revisado: 07-05-22

Although the topic here is known early, it's a bit of a warning.

Am actually a fan of Mr. Deutermann and really hate to write a negative review but feel it's necessary.

As a former member of a mine rescue team, explosive gases were something we had to know. The premise for the major planned event is weak and contrived as the reactive agent burns easily but explodes poorly (due to problems of mixing it with air). There was a major world event where much more than this ignited where two-thirds of the people on top of the explosion lived even though they fell from a height. Contained in a building it would certainly cause major damage but certainly not level it to the concrete floor (as it did to a building midway through the book). [Watch Myth Busters "Blue Ice" methane explosion and all the things they did to make it explode and still not nearly as in this book.]

Our main protagonist (there are two) is supposedly the world's best at dealing with the worst and the nastiest people alive.
He piddles around for days with a back woods grandpa and grandson even being bested by them once.

This reminds me of "Reacher" series partly because it's read by Dick Hill who also does "Reacher" (may be the lone "non-Dick Hill fan" alive) but mostly because both Mr. Child and Mr. Deutermann could do well to get a high school science student to advise them. The Reacher series and this book have a good thing in common. They have characters that are interesting and speak well. That was enough for me to get through the book.

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Not going to win awards but I was entertained

Revisado: 12-13-20

There are a lot of technical detail holes in this. Cars without mechanical steering equipment being "controlled" by someone else and a holographic gunsight (translucent image) on a handgun are impossible on the former and implausible on the latter. Beyond that, fiction writers are always granted some degree of latitude, Mr. Papantonio needs a few degrees more.

Mr. Lawlor isn't my favorite narrator but he's not "hard to listen to".

When all is said and done, audio books either fall in the "enjoy to get back to the story" or "moan when you restart the narration" categories. This one was the former. I mostly enjoyed the book.

If a breach of accuracy is a real problem then you need something else and why would you ever shop in fiction?

A subject of which I am totally ignorant is legal procedure but often do legal thrillers (probably because of Perry Mason eons back). To my ignorant ears the legal maneuvering sounded legit.

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Listen to this Book!!!

Revisado: 11-15-20

Wow! Mr. Connelly is already a favorite. With three cops in the family, I really appreciate his real life detective advisors. It's very seldom that anything in his books seems a stretch of legal or law enforcement practices. I've never done a Bosch or Haller book that I didn't enjoy but every once in a while Mr. Connelly spins up a dandy and this is a one.

Mr. Giles performance is, as usual, spot on and adds to the drama.

Nice work to all involved in this production. For a few days, no matter what I was doing, I couldn't wait to get back to the story.

Maybe Hollywo... er Amazon or Netflix will take notice and make a production of it.

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esto le resultó útil a 8 personas

One of the best of Bosch

Revisado: 09-03-20

Haven't done a Bosch title that I didn't enjoy but Mr. Connelly really hit the mark with "The Night Fire".

As in all Bosch stories I appreciate the attention to police realism. Having three cops in the family, the NCI fake forensics are the butt of family jokes (like the tire tread database, lol they're lucky to have the criminals in a DB let alone "tires"). This stuff is as real as police drama gets. Sure he stretches the rules here and more than any cop I know but all the cops (all detectives BTW) have to lean on players to get answers. As one tells me, "We don't take bribes and we don't plant evidence".

What really impressed me here was the three separate well spun (major) stories. All got my interest and, whether or not they have anything to do with each other is irrelevant, they're all good by themselves and focus on the other players in Connelly's Bosch repertoire.

Nice job Mr. Connelly, Mr. Welliver and Ms. Lakin, you did good.

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Not a fan of the genres but....

Revisado: 07-27-20

It's a good book and I may do another. One thing is for sure, for a novice writer and reader this is a slam dunk.

Don't like dystopian society stores nor post apocalyptic settings and am so-so about magic based stories. Despite two strikes and a foul ball before I open the cover, this book still hit a triple. Only read it because someone who didn't like the book was fair enough to highlight good points in the book that are important to me.

The character development is rock solid and I soon became interested in our hero. That, IMO, is a must to "keep me".

The narration was heralded by many reviewers and I'd like to add to that. Mr. Arnold certainly has a talent for story-telling.

In the end was it worth the purchase? I thought it was and would do it again in hindsight. I buy these hoping to get a story told well and in an interesting way. For that, Mr. Arnold gets an A+.

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A marriage of Bosch, Davenport and Cheers

Revisado: 07-04-20

Harry Bosch is a solid cop leaving no page unturned in his investigations, Lucas Davenport is the slightly rogue cop tough guy who may bend a rule to get things done. Marry those personalities with Cheers-like character humor and you have a good idea of the what this series and DCI Logan bring to the page (or dialogue perhaps).

When the story began, Mr. King adopted such a harsh Irish accent it sounded near Gaelic to me and I groaned but suspected I'd become accustomed to it. Either I did or he lightened up. After two books I consider him among the elite of readers. Never questioned who is talking and the inflections are so spot on, one wonders if he rehearsed each paragraph first; what a gift.

Mr. Kirk is also a talent and I will likely do something I seldom (perhaps never) do and binge the series.

Have three cops (two detectives) in the family and I often hear how fake the CSI forensics are (nearly all of CSI forensics are fake except the DNA; i.e. there's no such thing as a "National Tire Tread Database".. except on CSI). To my knowledge, there's none of that here.

DCI Logan is tough, smart and likable but hides a soft heart. He also relegates unlike many series where 200-300 hours of police work is done by the hero each week, His team do most of the police work and they provide much of the intelligence necessary to solve these crimes.

The plots (so far) have been interesting with some twists. They do not have the complexity of perhaps a Holmes' Moriarty but they are believable plots by "real" people. Mr. Kirk's style is to leave you guessing who of the introduced character(s) is the culprit.

Few Author-Reader combinations work so well. Few, authors can write interesting stories with interesting people and keep a light tone on a series subject as well as Mr. Kirk. Few readers can add to a story's impact so well as Mr. King.

Their efforts have been rewarded by at least one new fan.... I'm sure they're ecstatic...

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Really like the team thing!

Revisado: 01-03-20

Already sold on Mr. Connelly's stories and have done many. Certainly have listened to most of the original Bosch novels.

This is my first Ballard and Bosch novel and really liked the pairing. Believe there has been a push to free Bosch a bit from the handcuffs of "by the book" police work and this pairing opens possibilities.

Have three cops in the family and we're a close family so I hear many "cop stories". The way these people behave is "like cops really do it". Mr. Connelly has commented that he has LAPD advisors and it shows.

Both readers are excellent and well suited for these rolls.

Great book! Enjoyed it front to back!

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