Marvel 1602 by Neal Gaiman

Didn't do much for me

Marvel 1602 just didn't do much for me, which is surprising since I'm a casual comics fan but a serious reader of history. I figured (correctly) that there'd be no problem taking superheroes into a different time period. But I also figured (incorrectly) that the story would be more interesting and have more of a focus.

Lack of focus is really the problem I have with the series. Is it a spy novel in which the familiar superheroes are involved in a complicated web of deceit and danger? Yes and no. Is there more than that and the entire world (actually every universe) is threatened with destruction and everyone must bring their unique talents to save the day?

Yes. It degenerates into that. Degenerates? Yes. Degenerates. Every character is brought into the fray and the storyline is muddied by bringing everyone in for a token cameo and the whole story becomes an over-the-top "jump the shark" type of plot usually reserved for aging and decrepit series that can't seem to drum up interest unless the stakes are the salvation of the universe itself. Puh-leaze! Gimme a break.

While beautifully drawn, I lost interest as even more characters were brought into the storyline. There was precious little character development after the first 3 parts of this 8 part volume. Plus, what's up with the dinosaurs? Why are dinosaurs wandering around?

I rate this collection 2 stars out of 5 and it can be found on Amazon.com here: Marvel 1602 by Neal Gaiman. 

Reviewed on December 22, 2008.

Quantum (Nolan Kilkenny #2) (abridged audiobook) by Tom Grace

So-so effort

Published in 2000 by Hachette Audio.

Duration: approximately 3 hours
Read by Jerry O'Connell
Abridged

For once this was an abridgment to an audiobook in which I didn't feel like something important was left out.

Unfortunately, the plot and the characters in Quantum were only so-so. Jerry O'Connell read the story - and at first I thought that would be a big plus since I've liked most of the stuff that he has done. However, this time I was not impressed. Not his best work.

Nolan Kilkenny, who should be known as 'the one man army' based on his unstoppable one man's (a former Navy SEAL) performances against several teams of battle-tested, better-armed former Russian Special Forces throughout the book, is a tiresome character. Many of the supporting characters were much more interesting and I would have preferred it if some of them would have had a greater role throughout the book.

If you are a fan of Tom Clancy and want something that is similar (but not as well done) to hold you over until the next Clancy book, this may fit the bill.

This audiobook can be purchased on Amazon here:  Quantum

I rate this audiobook 3 stars out of 5.

Reviewed on May 23, 2006

Out of Season: An Undersheriff Bill Gastner Mystery (#7) by Steven F. Havill

Well depicted characters make this one a winner!

Published in 1999.

The mystery is not all that mysterious. No international criminal ring threatens. National Security and the fate of the free world do not depend on what happens in Posadas County, New Mexico and its tired and ready to retire Undersheriff Bill Gastner. That, of course, is the charm and strength of Out of Season.

Posadas County, New Mexico's small sheriff's department suffers the loss of its well-intentioned but inexperienced Sheriff in a plane accident - except it looks like it was not an accident after all - the pilot was shot before he crashed. Undersheriff Gastner looks into the private investigation that the Sheriff was looking into and finds that his inexperienced boss may have had good instincts after all.

First, let me praise what Havill does best in this book - character development. Gastner is a tired old horse who is ready to go out to pasture but when duty calls the value of his years of experience (more than anything else) move Federal, state and local authorities towards finding out who has killed Sheriff Martin Holmann. He is a restraining hand on the young pups, a prod to the confused, and a sounding board to the others.

This is my first Havill book. You do not have to start the series at the beginning and I give this one 5 stars out of 5.

This book can be found on Amazon.com here: Out of Season: An Undersheriff Bill Gastner Mystery

Reviewed on May 23, 2006.

Peter and the Starcatchers, Book One by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

As an adult fan of both Barry and Pearson I couldn't resist picking this one up...

Published in 2004 by Hyperion Books for Children.

Dave Barry has long been a favorite of mine and Ridley Pearson is on my list of writers to look for as well so when I saw that they had taken on the Peter Pan storyline and created a prequel,  I knew that I just had to read it.

Happily, I was not disappointed. Peter and the Starcatchers is fun, escapist fiction at its best. The book works on multiple levels - adults will understand several double entendres while kids will love the quick pace and high adventure.

The plot revolves around a group of people called Starcatchers, people who collect starstuff, glowing magical stuff that falls from the sky and makes the people that use it superhuman. Michelangelo, Attila the Hun and Zeus are all historical figures that have found and used starstuff. The Starcatchers try to capture it to keep it out of the hands of evil people.

I am more than happy to recommend this one to readers of all ages. Well done Barry and Pearson.

This is the first of the Starcatchers Series.

I rate this book 5 stars out of 5 and it can be found on Amazon.com here: Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson.

Reviewed on May 17, 2006.

A Crooked Man by Christopher Lehmann-Haupt

Great potential but fails to deliver

Originally published in 1995.

A Crooked Man features U.S. Senator Nick Schlafer who has proposed to decriminalize drugs across the United States. Soon afterwards he is caught up in a confusing maelstrom of drug power players who may or may not want the bill to be passed, including the Drug Czar and mafia-types.

Schlafer's difficulties are complicated by a messy family background, including a daughter whom police believe slit her wrists while high on drugs. Family politics and national politics become intertwined and the book really starts to lose its focus. Schlafer is confused about who to trust and family secrets are exposed that shake him to his foundations. However, so many different things are going on that Lehmann-Haupt does a poor job of keeping all of the strands moving forward in a credible and meaningful way.

While a breeze to read, I was not terribly impressed.

I rate this book 3 stars out of 5 and it can be found on Amazon.com here: A Crooked Man by Christopher Lehmann-Haupt.

Reviewed on May 11, 2006.

Thereby Hangs A Tail (A Chet and Bernie Mystery #2) by Spencer Quinn

The Second in a Nifty Series

Published in 2010.

I read the first book in the Chet and Bernie series as part of the Amazon Vine program, meaning I was given a pre-publication copy of the book for free. I thought the series had a good hook to it (Chet is a dog, his owner Bernie Little is a private detective - the only detective in the Little Detective Agency. The story is told entirely from the point of view of Chet) but I doubted it would have staying power. I am pleased to say that I was mistaken - not only does this series have legs, but each of the two follow up stories are better than the original.

Chet is a completely trained police dog who will only say that he washed "out on the very last day, a long story, but it's not secret that a cat was involved!" Bernie and Chet are now partners in the best sense of the word - Chet often is well on his way to solving the mystery before Bernie has anything figured out due to his superior sense of smell and hearing, but it is so hard for a dog to explain things to humans (and sometimes Chet does not even know he has solved it because it is so hard for dogs to concentrate and use those higher level thinking skills).

Spencer Quinn and his dog

In Thereby Hangs a Tail, Chet and Bernie are hired to protect a prize-winning tiny dog as she competes in a dog show. But, Chet's enthusiasm and impulsiveness when it comes to dog treats causes the prissy owner to fire Chet and Bernie, only to be kidnapped hours later. Her husband hires the Little Detective Agency to find both the owner and the dog and that's when things start to get real complicated....

This is a truly fun series. I hope that Spencer Quinn keeps up the high quality and the great insights into dog behavior and psychology as he continues to tell Chet and Bernie's stories.

Click on the 'Spencer Quinn' or 'Chet and Bernie' tags below to see my reviews on books 1 and 3 in the series.

I rate this book 5 stars out of 5 and it can be found on Amazon.com here: Thereby Hangs A Tail (A Chet and Bernie Mystery #2) by Spencer Quinn.

Reviewed June 20, 2011.

H Is for Homicide (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries) by Sue Grafton

From an occasional reader of the Kinsey Millhone series

Originally published in 1991.

 I am only an occasional reader of this series as you can probably tell since I am reading H Is for Homicide more than 15 years after it was first published. I have no idea what letter Sue Grafton has worked her way to by this point but I am more interested in catching up after reading this installment.

Sue Grafton

Lots of fast-paced action keeps Kinsey thinking on her feet throughout the book. Ostensibly, she is undercover to expose a car insurance fraud ring (they cause low speed accidents and fake serious hard-to-prove injuries such as 'back pain') but mostly she's trying not to get killed as things spiral out of control as she goes undercover with some very tough people.

Good job. I give this one 5 stars out of 5.

This book can be found on Amazon.com here: H is for Homicide by Sue Grafton.

Reviewed on May 7, 2006.