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| 1631940155
| 9781631940156
| B00Q3JQMHM
| 3.77
| 2,357
| Jan 01, 1957
| Nov 15, 2014
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really liked it
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Nineteenth in the Inspector Roderick Alleyn detective vintage mystery series and revolving around a group of five Morris dancers in a village in Kent.
Nineteenth in the Inspector Roderick Alleyn detective vintage mystery series and revolving around a group of five Morris dancers in a village in Kent. It was originally published in 1957. Death of a Fool is also titled Off With His Head. My Take The main premise in Death of a Fool is the Morris dancing, and Marsh explains its different dances and the theme behind each. Marsh also makes use of dialect, which gives color to the Andersons. Lucky for us Marsh uses third person global subjective point-of-view allowing us an inside look on the thoughts and feelings of a number of characters. It's amazing that people have stayed in place for so many centuries. Look at Otterly and his family for years back being doctors and playing the fiddle. I really don't get why everyone says the ambitious Ernie is loony just because he has epilepsy. Okay, well, he is rather loony and gets quite emotional. But is it possible that he became loony because that's how people interpreted his epilepsy? The Andersons are true to their time period— misogynistic and so anti-Roman Catholic that they preferred to banish Bessie than accept her falling in love — and marrying! — an RC. I do like that Camilla sticks up for her parents and herself, pointing out that it was the Andersens who were too snooty. It's rather scary that Marsh wrote this in the mid-1950s and this attitude was still in existence. Wait, why am I surprised? This attitude about religion was prevalent in my own family in the 1960s! They're rather unfeeling as well, threatening to kill Ernie's dog. That Guiser is a cold, unfeeling man. Dame Alice is nutty with a bad memory and a firm belief in class separation. Dulcie is not all there either, and it could be due to inbreeding or that kick in the head from a horse twenty years ago. Thinking she's flirting with Alleyn, you can definitely tell she's off. Otterly thinks the Morris dance theme is the same as that of King Lear. Mrs Bünz thinks all's fair in taking notes on the Morris dancers, even if she does have to spy on them. She does make the point that the Mardian dancers are the richest example in England. Everything in Death of a Fool revolves around the Morris dancers with additional conflicts including the Andersons' anger at their Bessie, unsure about their granddaughter/niece Camilla, Camilla's own questions about marrying Ralph, and the argument between the Old Guiser and his sons who want to add on a garage and petrol pumps to the smithy. Lol, I had to laugh at the rector noting that the funds raised from this pagan dance were going to the belfry roof. I really don't understand Camilla's reluctance to marry Ralph. And she makes me nuts with her back-and-forth. Another weird bit is Otterly's reaction to the McNaughton Rules. I should have thought he'd be pro the Rules?? Ya gotta love Trixie, Thompson is certainly interested, lol. Per usual, Alleyn begins to explain his thoughts on how the crime happened, but then Marsh leaps to finish his explanation without giving us his thoughts. On the other end of the policeman's duty is Sergeant Obby charged with watching over the Andersen brothers who keep trying to get Obby to leave them alone. Another interesting bit of police-fear is Mrs Bünz with the fears she brought along from Nazi Germany. Aww, there's a sweet bit of back history relating a bit about Camilla's father and how he met Bess Andersen. Death of a Fool is primarily character-driven with some fantastical action and those historical notes about Morris dancing. The pace was reasonable with bits of humor and honesty. The ending was a shocker. All that dancing around the obvious suspects . . . That's our Alleyn, impressing people everywhere. And running into local coppers who don't follow the "rules". You'll laugh at those dinners Dame Alice puts on . . . at least the wine is superb. The Story At the winter solstice, South Mardian's swordsmen weave their blades in an ancient ritual dance. But for one of them, the excitement proves too heady, and his decapitation turns the fertility rite into a pageant of death. Now Inspector Roderick Alleyn must penetrate not only the mysteries of folklore, but the secrets and sins of an eccentric group who include a surly blacksmith, a domineering dowager, and a not-so-simple village idiot. The Characters Chief Detective-Inspector Roderick Alleyn is in CID at Scotland Yard. His team includes Inspector Fox, a.k.a. Brer Fox; Sergeants Bailey and Thompson, fingerprints and photography, respectively; and, Curtis is the police surgeon. The local superintendent is Yeo Carey stationed in Yowford. His men include Sergeant Bob Obby, PC Carey, and Sergeant Yardley. Anna Bünz is a German immigrant, who is fascinated by British folklore, especially of Morris dancers / Hobby Horses, and she's vice-president of the Friends of British Folklore, Guild of Ancient Customs, The Hobby Horses. Mardian Castle is . . . . . . mostly a ruin with the renovated bit lived in by Dame Alice Mardian, a.k.a. Aunt Akky, and her great-niece, Dulcie. The thirty-year-old Ralph Stayne, a lawyer in Biddlefast with Messrs Stayne and Stayne, is Dame Alice's great-great nephew and the local parson's son. Sam Stayne is the local rector who had fallen in love with Dulcie's older sister — despised by Dame Alice because he isn't interested in riding to hounds. JNO McGlashan is the aging gardener. The elderly parlormaid gossips with Trixie. Ambrose Hilary Mardian wrote a journal in 1798. William Anderson, a.k.a. Old Guiser, at the Copse Smithy/Forge, is the blacksmith. He's also a tyrant, a snob, and a hypocrite. His sons include Daniel, the oldest; Chris has a mechanic's ticket and had been a commando in the war; Andy and Nat, the twins, are farmers; and, the loony, epileptic Ernest who treasures his dog, Keeper. They're all Chapel. Bill is Daniel's son. Or he could be Andrew's youngest. Marsh isn't sure. The Green Man is a local pub in South Mardian where the easy-going Trixie Plowman serves. Her father, Tom Plowman, owns the pub. A fellow guest is the eighteen-year-old Camilla Campion, a drama student in love with Ralph. She's also the Old Guiser's granddaughter, estranged due to her mother's, Bessie's, marriage to a, gasp, Roman Catholic and a baronet, Sir Camillo Campion, who's an authority on Italian primitives. Wing Commander Simon Begg, a.k.a. Simmy-Dick, was a bomber pilot and hero in the war, and now he runs a service station in Yowford. He asked for Ernie as his batman, a corporal, during the war. Begg's father used to run the grocer's in the village, Beggs for Everything. Dr Henry Otterly delivered Camilla's mama. Mary Yeoville is in labor. The Mardian Mawris Dance of the Five Sons A male-only group, they perform at the Winter Solstice party, a.k.a. Sword Wednesday. The Old Guiser, "The Disguised One", is the Fool/Old Man. Ralph is the Betty, a hermaphrodite. Ernie is the Whiffler. Begg is Crack, the Old 'Oss, the Hobby Horse. He "inherited the role from another Begg who was killed in the raids. Otterly has played fiddle for thirty years. The organist is the village postman. Loony, Lord Rekkage, now deceased, founded the Build of Ancient Customs. Old Moley Moon is a poacher. Three hundred years ago, Betsey Andersen was burned for a witch — and that's the first capital crime in the area. The McNaughton Rules are about a person who is insane at the time of the crime being not guilty with a discretionary sentence. Old Yeo Anderson at Copse Forge had been a morris dancer in 1798. The Cover and Title The cover is primarily lime green. It's a darker lime that gradates to lime in the lower center of the upper half. The title is a deep lime green gradating up to white. The stretched out banner is a pale green with the author's name in its usual art deco font and filled in with solid black, black lines, and a glow of white around the whole. In the bottom half, the usual one-sided scalloped rays spread out in an angle from the bottom to the sides. The scallops are in white with the ground between each of the four lines gradating from the deep lime green to bright lime. The bottom center graphic has a gradated background of deep red to a dull red. The engraved silver hilt of a sword is prominent with the blade sliding off at the bottom. I'm guessing they chose this highly decorated hilt because it's not as "sexy" as the wooden handle of the slasher. There's a banner that arches across the bottom with the series info in a deep lime green. The title is accurate, if metaphorical, hmmm . . . maybe not . . . of the Death of a Fool. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 08, 2022
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Oct 08, 2022
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Oct 08, 2022
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Kindle Edition
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| B01LLXCH00
| 3.84
| 6,483
| Jun 13, 2017
| Jun 13, 2017
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really liked it
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Eleven short stories in a MatchUp of fiction and thriller writers — a man and a woman pairing — revolving around a blend of the main characters in eac
Eleven short stories in a MatchUp of fiction and thriller writers — a man and a woman pairing — revolving around a blend of the main characters in each pair of authors’ series. The Series ”Honor &…” (Lee Coburn is a character from Lethal and Joe Pickett) “Footloose” (Tony Hill & Carol Jordan and Roy Grace) “Faking a Murderer” (Temperance Brennan and Jack Reacher) “Past Prologue” (Jamie Fraser from Outlander and Cotton Malone) “Rambo on Their Minds” (Liz Sansborough and Rambo) “Short Story” (Jeffrey Tolliver from Grant County and Joe Pritchard from Lincoln Perry) “Dig Here” (Harper Connelly and Ty Hauck) “Deserves to be Dead” (Regan Pescoli from To Die and Virgil Flowers) “Midnight Flame” (Lucan Thorne from Midnight Breed and Lilliane from Desire Exchange) “Getaway” (Bennie Rosato from Rosato and Associates and John Corey) “Taking the Veil” (Ali Reynolds and Bravo Shaw) The Stories Sandra Brown and C.J. Box teamed up to write “Honor &…” in which park ranger, Joe Pickett, comes up against Lee Coburn in a case of mistaken identity and an undercover op with both men seeing the negative of the other…and that ending is a doozie with Coburn having to adjust his thinking. I’ve added these two to my TBR pile. Val McDermid and Peter James teamed up to write “Footloose”, a gruesome collaboration between characters to solve a horrible crime in this British thriller. I’ve not read either of these authors, so it was confusing as to which were whose “primary characters”. And who the primary characters were! Kathy Reichs and Lee Child teamed up to write “Faking a Murderer”, and whew…this was a pip, as a very quiet Reacher uses that deducing mind of his to clear Temperance Brennan of suspicion. It’s a nice blend of the two characters, although the situation made me think of Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta. Naturally, Reacher’s charms entice Tempe where his women usually end up *grin*. Diana Gabaldon and Steve Berry teamed up to write “Past Prologue” which blends a bookseller at an auction who ends up in the past and is rescued and sent back by Jamie. Fascinating enough that I must add Berry’s Cotton Mather to my TBR. Gayle Lynds and David Morrell teamed up to write “Rambo on Their Minds” a clever incorporation of the Rambo character into this kidnapping scheme. And the bad guys do indeed have Rambo on Their Minds, which gives Liz some ideas. This was funny in a morbid way, and I definitely want to read more about Liz. Karin Slaughter and Michael Koryta teamed up to write “Short Story” which jumps back in time to when Jeffrey Tolliver first became a detective. Boy, has this guy got women on his mind! And Joe Pritchard has just acquired a new partner: Lincoln Perry. Tolliver ends up in the middle if only because of the scam that was run on him while Pritchard and Perry are looking to take down a drug dealer. It’s an interesting blend of the two characters and another funny one that makes you shake your head at Tolliver’s idiocy and the Helen PD’s ineptitude. Charlaine Harris and Andrew Gross teamed up to write “Dig Here”, a tale of archeology and credit set in Alexandria, Egypt. It’s an intriguing push-pull between those who don’t believe in what Harper can do and Harper’s attitude, and there’s the usual disbelief that gets dispelled. I always enjoy that aspect of a story, and yet there was a rushed sense about this story. As if the two authors didn’t put a lot into meshing their characters and the story. Sad, because I really like the Harper Connelly series. And I know I want to read more about Ty Hauck. Lisa Jackson and John Sandford teamed up to write “Deserves to be Dead” which finds Virgil sucked into an investigation with a suspicious Detective Regan Pescoli. Lara Adrian and Christopher Rice teamed up to write “Midnight Flame” involving a vampire warrior from Boston and an immortal “superheroine” from New Orleans who reveals how she became what she is and her lack of trust in herself even as Lucan is grateful for his new mate. It was okay, and I doubt I’ll be adding these to my TBR. Lisa Scottoline and Nelson DeMille teamed up to write “Getaway” which is what John Corey hoped for now that he’s on “leave” and Bennie Rosato didn’t want. It’s a fun encounter with the snarky Corey and the suspicious Bennie. J.A. Jance and Eric Van Lustbader teamed up to write “Taking the Veil”, an odd short story with two militant religious groups battling for artifacts and getting some outside help from a sister and a cybersecurity company. I wasn’t impressed. The Cover and Title The cover has a bright red background with a back-to-back silhouette of a woman and a man, both holding guns. The title is in a large white font with the author pairings in a much smaller yellow font below it and the editor’s name in a bigger white at the bottom. The title is all about the male/female author pairings, the MatchUp of bestselling thriller writers to see how their primary characters mesh in a short story. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 26, 2017
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Jul 27, 2017
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May 26, 2017
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Kindle Edition
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| B00287KD8W
| 3.73
| 903
| Apr 14, 1995
| unknown
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really liked it
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review coming
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1
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not set
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Sep 05, 2016
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Sep 10, 2016
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Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||||
| 0553804502
| 9780553804508
| 0553804502
| 4.00
| 2,989
| May 29, 2007
| May 29, 2007
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it was amazing
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Fifth in the Bryant & May detective mystery series and revolving around two over-retirement-age detectives who are quite unorthodox and based in Londo
Fifth in the Bryant & May detective mystery series and revolving around two over-retirement-age detectives who are quite unorthodox and based in London with each story in the series a case in Arthur's biography. I'll be curious to read how Fowler intends to end Bryant and May. As a series, I mean. My Take Time marches on in this locked room mystery filled to the brim with red herrings. Nor is that autopsy room the only locked room, as Fowler locks us out with his craftily scattered "clues" about Madeline and Bellocq whose own situation screams out the need for parents to be licensed. Fowler builds up the tension and then flips a clue out to distract you again and again only to return to the build-up. One that will knock you on your backside. It's an unexpected switch-up that will leave you gobsmacked with its mad mix-up of deception and denial that ends in such horrible destruction and senseless losses. Still, you can't help but love Arthur for his whimsical self-centeredness and snarky attitude that slaps away at officialdom and bureaucracy. I gotta admit I'd love to taste some of those candies he carts around, if only because of their names. Pink sugar shrimps? Milk Bottles? I adore April as well, and I'm so glad that April is enjoying her work. She certainly saves the day at the end, lol. It's a fascinating blend of today and yesterday, as Bryant reminisces on their journey to Devon about a past we have only read as a dry history. Listening to Bryant brings that past to life, creating a reality one can empathize with, of his childhood before the war, of superstitions. Then again, there's that arcane fascination of his with woo-woo anything. Fowler likes to rant on about society and its ills as well. Not that I disagree with him. At. All. It simply strikes me as strange to "listen" to a couple of detectives discuss the social environment with such intellectual depth. Fowler, er, I mean, May, is certainly accurate about the Internet, lol. I didn't buy Johann falling in love with Madeline, but then maybe that's why his interactions with her felt so disjointed. It certainly was a scary chase for Madeline and Ryan, and an unhealthy obsessive one by Johann, leading to a scene in which Sherlock Holmes' deductive style comes to the fore. Oh, mama, *she says laughing*, that visit with the princess was so fraught. While Fowler is describing all the "necessary details" for the royal visit, I was cringing inside, as this is simply not how the PUC operates *more laughter*. It is amazing, however, what loyalty and a can-do attitude can accomplish…ROFLMAO. We'll never be able to set the world upright and end all of its inequalities, but each of us can make a small difference until they add up to something more."The Story Poor May. Land is closing up shop while Banbury switches out the computer systems for the office. It's the perfect opportunity for Bryant to snag May's help for the coven at the International Spiritualists' Convention in Plymouth. A "vacation" that backfires when a member of the PCU is murdered behind a locked door, and Kasavian has scheduled the princess to tour the station…while Bryant and May are trapped with a murderer on a snowed-in roadway. It'll be up to the junior members of the PCU to figure it out and save the day. The Characters Partners (and Senior Detectives) Arthur Bryant (with his fascination for historical tidbits, the occult, practical jokes, and ghastly experiments — he mostly means well) and John May (of the fashionable suits and easy way with the ladies) refuse to retire. The plump Antiguan, Alma Sorrowbridge, is Bryant's former landlady who moved in with him to his not-yet-converted false-teeth factory home. Monica Greenwood is the artist with whom John has been having an affair. "Mr. Bryant is so old that most of his lifetime subscriptions have run out."The Peculiar Crimes Unit (PCU) is… …a highly unorthodox specialist police division that has come into disrepute and is based in Mornington Crescent. Detective Sergeant Janice Longbright emulates screen stars of the 1950s and adores doing undercover work. Oswald Finch is the aged unit pathologist at the Bayham Street Morgue who finally intends to retire to his place in Hastings. Dan Banbury is the crime scene manager and IT guy while Giles Kershaw is technically their forensic scientist and social sciences liaison. The rest of the unit includes Detective Constables Meera Mangeshkar (she's ambitious and hard; Jezminder is her sister having problems with an ex-boyfriend, Jake) and the spatially challenged Colin Bimsely and the agoraphobic April May, John's granddaughter, who is the office manager. Raymond Land is the "acting" unit chief — and has been for the past few decades; Leanne is his long-suffering wife who was caught, ahem. Crippen is the office cat. The bitter Sergeant Renfield has a moral blindness when it comes to his own men. Leslie Faraday is the Home Office liaison with PCU. Oskar Kasavian is the new supervisor of Internal Security. "It was his absence of humanity others found so perturbing, as if Countess Bathory and Vlad the Impaler had mated to create the perfect bureaucratic hatchet man."Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice of Connaught, a.k.a., Princess Poison, a.k.a., Baroness Katarina-Marachmaine von Treppitz, has a terrible reputation, and this second cousin once removed is the weapon Kasavian intends to use against PCU. Rosemary Armstrong is the princess' angry and unfulfilled social secretary. The thirty-year-old Madeline Gilby works as a grocery store clerk and fears her abusive husband, Jack. Ryan is their son. Andrea is her half-sister. Kate Summerton is a fraud who runs a women's shelter, scamming middle-aged women. Roger is her husband. Jessica is one of the attendees. France Johann Bellocq is a survivor. He has to have been to have survived his mother! Unfortunately, he took his mother's words too much to heart and lives a larcenous life. His grandfather, Marcel, is dying. La Société Du Diable is a cybersite. Mme Funes is the proprietor of L'Auberge des Anges. Momo is the chef at La Vieille Ville. On the snow-covered road… …Danny is the van driver. Jez Morris is a staff nurse at Exeter General Hospital. Louis is a delivery driver for a department store. Maggie Armitage, an old, old friend of Bryant's, is the Grand Order Grade IV White Witch of the Coven of St. James the Elder. Maureen will be the designated driver. Wendy is the organist — she speaks Piskie. Dame Maud Hackshaw is a true force for positive energy. Stanley Olthwaite is the junior warlock who impressed at the snack 'n' spells party. Eleanor Newman was a camerawoman at Pinewood Studios before she retired. She's also a hard-to-impress witness, lol. The Camley Road Canoe Club kicked Owen "Dizzee" Mills out. Pravin works at the club. Lilith Starr is the daughter of self-help guru Felicity Bronwin who needs quite a bit of help herself. We won't bother mentioning her cypher of a husband. Samuel/Samael had been Lilith's other half. Dr. Harold Masters is an academic with the Insomnia Squad. Edward Winthrop is a lawyer who was killed in a police station in 2004. Pascal Favier was his attacker. Johann Bellocq owns a villa in Eze-sur-Mer. The Temple is… …an exclusive salon with its own scam and is owned by Monsieur Alphonse, a.k.a., Darren Spender, a former Chelsea footballer. Sonya is one of his beauticians. Dr R. Martino is one of their trained physicians. Miss Grutzmacher and Juan-Luis do inductions at Circe, the health club side of things. The Cover and Title The cover is red with a ragged white "corridor" of a banner crossing its center line, providing a background for the red of the title and the gold of the author's name. The collage of images against that red background includes elements from the story, from the bridge arching across the top to the blended London skyline at the bottom. The title should really be plural for the four crossroads, the corridors that Stanley and Maggie "see" via the spirit writing, the White Corridor through which evil can pass. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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May 30, 2016
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Jun 01, 2016
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Hardcover
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| 0312655479
| 9780312655471
| 0312655479
| 4.48
| 88,739
| Aug 27, 2013
| Sep 01, 2013
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it was amazing
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Ninth in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache mystery series set in Montreal and revolving around the inspector, his family, and his coworkers. My Take It Ninth in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache mystery series set in Montreal and revolving around the inspector, his family, and his coworkers. My Take It's a story within a story about family. There are families bound by blood while others are bound by a common goal or a similar outlook. It's a binding that isn't always positive, as Penny points out in Matthew 10:36 with its warning that "a man's enemies will be the members of his household". The series-long conflict that has been messing up Gamache's life gains power and then there's the case of the murdered woman. The only one left and the immensity of the betrayals that were heaped upon the woman and her family are overwhelming. And Penny spins us along — she made me nuts! — trailing tidbits and red herrings, including Ruth and her insecure fantasies! Now that I'm going back and reading my notes to write this review, I shiver as I better understand Audrey's actions. The hopes she has pinned on so shaky a foundation. And my heart breaks. I thought the start of How the Light Gets In was the fanciful imaginings of a paranoid woman. How wrong I was. You'll understand when you get close to the end, and it will make your heart grow cold. Make you wonder how anyone can be so cold themselves. Thank god for Gabri and his sense of humor, even if it isn't enough to hold back your fears: "I used to be as pure as the driven snow," Gabri confided in Constance. "Then I drifted." What truly hurts is watching Isabelle drift, seeing her begin to wonder when she'll turn on her mentor as well. Part of the drama Penny brings to this story is how incredibly respected Gamache is in law enforcement departments throughout Canada. Adored, respected, idolized everywhere but in Québec. A drama specific to How the Light Gets In is Penny's teasing, hinting at how famous Constance is, but never telling us why. I must confess I was totally gobsmacked and very underwhelmed when we did finally learn why. Why her status would create such an aura of awe is beyond me. I really want to go live in Three Pines. These people are amazing. They are so supportive, even if the village does average more murders than the norm. I have no respect for Jean-Guy. He's never had the patience or intuitiveness of Gamache, and no, it's not fair for me to judge him on that. What I do judge him on is how he can so badly misinterpret, strangle the events of that warehouse — and you'll learn a lot more about that ambush at the warehouse in this story. Then the betrayal at the end. God. Then there's Francoeur. My. God. The gall of the man. He orders death without a thought. Words fail me. The truth of him, his actions are so far beyond the pale that… I can't. I just can't. In some ways I can appreciate how his people get the gangs to turn on each other. It's disgusting but efficient. But to tarnish innocents in the process! No. There's that trope again. The let's-not-tell-anyone-what-I-know one. I hate that. The story gets worse as you read of Francoeur destroying Gamache's department. The people drafted in. The lack of respect they have for Gamache. But it's worth it. You must read this. Just bear with it. Read. Read until you reach the end. For it is an end. Always trust your instincts…and do what is right. Francoeur isn't the only bad entity. There's also the Canadian government back in 1937. The lies that were told. The betrayals that occurred over and over, destroying a young family. "…Henri already knew all he'd ever need. He knew he was loved. And he knew how to love." Be sure to take your blood pressure medication before reading. The Story A story that begins and ends with death in so many guises. It begins with a homicide department on the edge of annihilation, one that Gamache is eager to escape when a call comes in from a friend in Three Pines about a missing woman. It continues as Gamache struggles to find the proof of the lies that are destroying the Sûreté. The Characters Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is the head of Homicide for the Sûreté du Québec, and it's a dead-end job for him. His past actions have ensured the hatred of those at the top. His wife, Reine-Marie, is in Paris for Christmas with their son and his family. Daniel and Roslyn have two children: Florence and Zora. A family whom Francoeur is threatening. Henri is Gamache's rescued German shepherd. Annie Gamache is his recently divorced daughter who has been in love with Beauvoir forever. They were living together until she threw him out. And no, not for the reasons you'll think. La Sûreté du Québec Homicide Inspector Isabelle Lacoste is one of the very few of Gamache's chosen to still be in the department. She's married with a family that includes a daughter, Mélanie. Most of the other detectives are defects, spies, and plants dumped on Gamache to destroy his department. Superintendent Thérèse Brunel had been trained by Gamache and has surpassed him in rank. Her husband (who also loves puzzles and justice), Dr. Jérôme Brunel, has retired from being head of emergency services. Dr. Fleury is Gamache's cocky and arrogant therapist. I still can't tell if he's in on it all. Agent Yvette Nichol is the sneering, anti-social agent who may be working for Francoeur, but is a whiz on computers. Montreal PD Chief Inspector Marc Brault is the head of Homicide. Gamache's enemies Chief Superintendent Sylvain Francoeur is Gamache's boss and has had it in for him since Gamache brought the evil within the Sûreté to light. After the sabotage in The Beautiful Mystery , 8, Inspector Jean Guy Beauvoir, Gamache's friend, Annie's lover, has transferred out from Homicide and into Francoeur's department. Inspector Martin Tessier is Francoeur's second-in-command and with Serious Crimes. Charpentier is with Cyber Crimes?? Chief Inspector Lambert is the head of Cyber Crimes. Pierre Arnot was chief superintendent of the Sûreté before Gamache took him down. The villagers at Three Pines Ruth Zardo is an award-winning poet of Canada and meaner than a snake. But she does have room in her heart for Rosa, the orphan duck. Myrna Landers is a former psychologist and now owns the New and Used Bookstore. Gabri Dubeau and Olivier Brulé run the bistro and the B&B. Sarah is the bakery while Monsieur Béliveau owns the general store. Clara Morrow is an artist who has finally "arrived", famous for her portraits, although it meant she booted her beloved husband, Peter, out. Emilie Longpré's home is still vacant. Gilles and Odile are, respectively, a fabulous handcrafted furniture maker and a really bad poet. Gilles also puts up satellite dishes. Billy Williams plows the streets. Aimée Patterson and Etienne are some of the hockey players Ruth coaches. Constance Pineault, a.k.a., Constance Ouellet, is an old friend, an old patient of Myrna's who may have finally found a haven. She is, was, one of the Ouellet quints taken over by the state back during the Depression. The first sister to die was Virginie. Her sisters Hélène, Josephine, and Marguerite have also died. MA is a mystery. André Pineault is an uncle. Annette Michaud and her husband are neighbors to Constance. Isidore Ouellet and Marie-Harriette Pineault were Constance's parents. Dr. Bernard was a snotty, lazy publicity hound. I'd like to smack him around the block a few times. Father Antoine is the parish priest these days. Audrey Villeneuve worked for the Ministry of Transport. Gaétan Villeneuve was her husband and Megan and Christianne are their daughters. Celeste is their neighbor. Lili Dufour works with Reine-Marie at the Bibliothèque nationale. Georges Renard is the Premier of Québec. Les Services Aqueduct is a bankrupt company that morphed into other things. A Pierre Arnot worked there once. The Oratoire Saint-Joseph housed Brother André who healed anyone who could make it up those stairs. The Champlain Bridge is the busiest in Canada. The SHU is the Special Handling Unit at the maximum security penitentiary. Captain Monette is the new head guard. Adam Cohen is another new man. The Cover and Title The cover is beautiful as always. An open area in the wintry forest, the sun rising up in the distance, its warm yellow and orange light brightening the deep lilac woods, sending the deeper purple shadows of trees radiating outward, and promising a ray of hope for the future day. The title has got to be a joke for Gamache and How the Light Gets In to brighten his day. ...more |
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1
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not set
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Feb 06, 2015
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Feb 06, 2015
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Hardcover
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| 4.07
| 20,613
| Apr 01, 2000
| 2009
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really liked it
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Eleventh in the Lucas Davenport thriller series and revolving around a cop who will do what he must to get the right bad guy. This is set in Minnesota
Eleventh in the Lucas Davenport thriller series and revolving around a cop who will do what he must to get the right bad guy. This is set in Minnesota. My Take It's plain old police work on this, but Sandford spiffs it up with all the oddities: the drugs, the relationships between all the partiers, Lucas' relationships with new and old girlfriends, and all the manipulating they had to do to keep the press off their backs. Sandford certainly pulled me in easy with this beginning, and it turned out to be an interesting contrast between what I expected and what it was. Nor did I expect that double murder right off the bat. I certainly did not expect all the red herrings! I could'a swore… Okay, it sounds wrong to say it gets funnier, but it is funny when we find out who that grungy guy was at the party, lol. Then the mayor's reaction to Silly's threat, *more laughter*. More laughter with Lucas and Del's reaction to Lapstrake's comment on why Shaw won't fight. Spoken with all the assurance of a young puppy, lol. Then there are all the "camouflaged" bushes, lol. Oh, lordy, then there's Franklin teaching Jael the intricacies of man cooking. Only a guy…
Crazy. Del says drugs were swimming around at the party, and yet most of the guests had no idea? How gullible do they think the cops are? Jael's thoughts about heroin are amazingly stupid. It's kind of like saying you can be a little bit pregnant, but not expecting a child at the end of nine months. Sad bit in here about Lucas' old company, Davenport Solutions. Hard to believe that a mere five years can push you that far out of orbit. And he's back pounding the streets, tossing ideas around for a new game. Lol, I wish it were that easy. Just imagine it and voila, lol. Actually, now that I come to think of it, Lucas never did do any of the programming. He always hired it out, so what is it that Sandford has Lucas going on about? I do like Amnon's attitude toward drugs — it was his time with Mapplethorpe that did it. Too bad he doesn't have that same approach to his sister. That one kinda squicks me out. I do appreciate his forthright honesty, though. Amnon does have his head on straight. I can't get excited about Tom's passions, but I can appreciate his love for his sister. How sick he was about what his parents were doing. As for Tom himself, well, many people are conflicted as to whether he's a saint or crazy. I can definitely understand why the cops jump to the conclusion they do. "Poor" Catrin. Her life is so perfect. How awful. What I don't get is why doesn't she pursue what she wants while she's married? Why does it have to be a separate thing? Does she seriously believe if she leaves her husband that she won't have to deal with her kids at Christmas or Thanksgiving? The poor thing is so conflicted, and while Lucas sounds like he is too, he's really not. He understands what she's going through. It's curious about that cellphone quirk Sandford has put in. I've not heard of this peculiarity about Lucas before. It does make for an interesting side bit that writers might want to take peek at. Of course I do love the whole "Porsche and zipping down the freeway" thing…*eyebrow waggle & a grin*… Geez, that ending. Nothing like putting the hook in to make me eager to pick up Chosen Prey ! The Story It's another high-profile murder, and Lucas is needed for his expertise in handling the press…and the party girls. The Characters Deputy Chief Lucas Davenport of the Minneapolis PD has an unorthodox style of detecting. He's running the two-man Strategic Studies and Planning Group for the cops. He has a little girl whom he didn't see in this installment. Sister Mary Joseph, a.k.a., Elle Kruger, is an old friend of his from elementary school days. These days she's a psychology professor at St. Anne's College. Dr. Weather Karkinnen is the lady Lucas wanted to marry. Bone is a banker he met in Secret Prey , 9, with whom he became friends. Minneapolis PD Rose Marie Roux is the police chief. Frank Lester is handling the murder investigation while Lucas and his people come in from the side. Marcy Sherrill is with Homicide but Lucas wants her in his Studies group. Tom Black is Marcy's gay partner. Swanson, Allport, Thompson, Hanson, Sloan is the best interrogator, Franklin, Manny Lanscolm, Loring is a street cop, and Hendrix is a born-again Christian. Del Capslock is an undercover cop; Cheryl is his wife. Along with Lane (he'll be working Alie'e's genealogy), Del is part of Lucas' Studies Group. Dorothy Shaw is babysitting Rowena. Lapstrake from Intelligence is heading up the 12-man emergency response team. Lieutenant Jim Jones is from Narcotics; Jimmy Smith and Alex Hutton are also cops from dope. Randall Towson is the county attorney; Tim Long is an assistant county attorney. Dick Milton is the department's media specialist. Angela Harris is the departmental contract shrink. Harold McNeil works in Identification. St. Paul PD Officers Pat Stone and Nancy Winter had the watch. Dave Thompson. FBI, Washington D.C. Special Agent Louis Mallard can extract a lot more from a computer than Lucas can. Seems Malone is fox-trotting with a potential #5. The Olsons and Burnt River Alie'e Maison, a.k.a., Sharon Olson, the hot new model, is the poster girl for what can go wrong when fame hits you. Her boyfriend, Jax, is a human remora; he just likes the pretty girls. His real name is Jim Shue. Lynn and Lil Olson are her parents, pushing her into pageants, encouraging her antics, eager for the money and fame it brings. Tom is her evangelical Christian preacher brother. Ellen and Bud Benton and Mr. and Mrs. Packard are the Olsons' best friends from their hometown of Burnt River. Lester Moore is the editor of their local newspaper. Louis "the Reverend" Friar provides lawn service and is famous for having nailed Alie'e. Martin Scott drives for the Coca Cola company; his boss is Rand Waters. There's at least one person Ray McDonald will never go hunting with again. Pella is going to England and was relying on Lansing. Amnon Plain is a photographer celebrated for his "decadent, sexually charged fashion art" whose studio is in St. Paul's Lowertown. James "Jimmy" Graf is an assistant. Sandy Smith is a friend. Clark Buchanan is the welder on the shoot. Dieter Kopp is the couture representative. Archer Daniels Midland owns the the barge. Joyce Woo is another tenant in Plain's building who has an odd game she plays with Neil. Jael Corbeau is Amnon's sister, in name only. She'd once been a model; now, she's a professional potter. Don is a friend of hers. Sallance "Silly" Hanson is a socialite. Catherine Kinsely is an heiress. Rowena Cooper, Martha Carter, and John Dukeljin are guests. Brown's Hotel is… …expensive and caters to high-profile clients. Sandy Lansing is a hostess at Brown's Hotel. Arthur Lansing was Sandy's father and had no clue. Derrick Deal is the hotel assistant manager — and an old friend of Lucas'. Jean seems to be the hotel hooker while India is the receptionist. Philip is the hotel manager. Catrin is an old, old girlfriend of Lucas' from twenty-five years ago — the one he let get away. She doesn't paint anymore, instead she does photography. She has two kids: James and Maria. Her husband, Jack, is a family practice doctor. Lanny Morton was a mutual friend back in the day; he's on his fourth wife. Bill Washington is another. Herb and Verna Clay are friends of Lucas; he's also the owner of the Lund Lucas is bringing in for the winter. Sigh, that Verna…she smells good. Howard Bennett is a curator at the Walker Art Center. Drs. Gunderson and Hirschfeld are operating on Marcy. Marx is the executive ticked off about his parking space. Melody and Ralph are hostages. Boo McDonald is a paraplegic who monitors police scanners. The Spittle is a rock 'n roll online newsletter. Trick Bentoin was supposed to be dead. Rashid Al-Balah will certainly be happy to know he's alive. Laziard is Al-Balah's lawyer. George Shaw is a dope dealer about to be sacrificed to the PR gods. Mary Lou Carter is his scary sister-in-law. Just ask Dick Hardesty. Carl Knox is looking at exactly what Louis Arnot is looking for. Roy is the thief. Curtis Logan is an artist; James Bee is a certified financial advisor with RIO Accounting. He's also a major asshole. Just ask his wife, Connie. Larry Outer is a vulnerable dealer. Ralph (who has the beaver problem) is Bee's lawyer. Terrance Bloom is also on the party list. Pat Kelly runs high-end poker games. Richard Rodriguez operates a lotta apartment buildings. Bill Spooner is an assistant vice president in the bank's commercial loans department; Alice is his wife. Reed is the bank president. Mrs. Ellen Feldman will be assigned to handle Rodriguez's accounts. The Miami attorney is Haynes. Kirk Smalley is with Coffey Realty. Herb Scott has a blind phone. Ginger House is with Channel Three. Ellen Goodrich is with Channel Six. And what is with our society that a little air time makes everything all right?? The Cover and Title The cover is the purple of night with what appears to be a red laser line of sight targeting the white-blonde-haired woman in the stone-arched window, Alie'e. It's more metaphor than true depiction as the "truth" will be stranger than this bit of "fiction", and whoever is aiming that rifle is way off. I think the title is about Lucas, with all his, um, lady problems, he's Easy Prey, lol. ...more |
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Dec 30, 2014
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Jan 01, 2015
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| 0698138201
| 9780698138209
| B00F9EZBUQ
| 3.97
| 1,648
| Apr 01, 2014
| Apr 01, 2014
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it was amazing
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Third in the Mindspace Investigations dystopian-like science fiction detective series set in Atlanta and revolving around Adam, a telepath who is also
Third in the Mindspace Investigations dystopian-like science fiction detective series set in Atlanta and revolving around Adam, a telepath who is also a recovering addict. My Take Wow. I do like the sound of the victim's house. I want a door like his! Marked is so full of twists and turns…one minute it looks as if Kara is setting Adam up, and considering what's at stake, I am so not liking her for what she's putting Adam through. Considering his background and past experiences with Enforcement, she's being a real bitch. Then that meeting in her office. The one she demanded Adam move heaven and earth to get to, and it's an ambush. Still it turns and twists again with some unexpected results. The Guild is even worse. This bloody Guild demands everything from you but won't support you when what they do to you tears you apart. They don't do much to inspire me with all their consorting with bad guys, the cover-ups, the instantaneous jumps to destroy people, the extortion and blackmail they practice. Then there's Guild First. They certainly sound like a threat. They certainly don't encourage me with all the illegal weapons manufacture they have going on. Of course we find out later the the normals' government is busy doing the same thing, so I guess it's all fair enough…everyone cheating on everyone else. Wright certainly finds that one out! It's fascinating to see how Adam's exposure to norms in those interrog-, er, those interview rooms has taught him so much. It is a shame, however, that he hasn't learned much about timing or diplomacy. At last! It's taken 'til the third story before we finally find out Adam's last name. Whoaaaa, Swartz is changing his mind about the whole keep a plant alive and then you can have a relationship thing! That heart attack must'a been good for him. So to speak. It's that which leads Adam to jump in with both feet. Yep, he finally asks Cherabino out on a date! That's just one of the revelations in Marked. Good ones and bad ones. One in particular is a bit of a heartbreaker for Adam, but maybe he's still healing. We'll have to hope. Oh, another twist. That Green. What an ass. Ahh, and another bit of information that explains the tightened security on privacy violations. Don't these people have any concept of compassion? Of tolerance? Looking at them, how they act toward the people around them, how they treat them, I DO NOT want this type in government. Our own politicians are bad enough! This is interesting. Adam figures out why Cherabino has such a high close rate: she'll listen to anyone and never turn down a second opinion. It's been an odd journey with these cops, including Cherabino. They act much as you'd expect conservative men to act. They don't like Adam, but they mostly band together to help him out when he needs it. They may see him as a weak felon who can't be trusted, but he's their weak felon who can't be trusted, lol. I do like that ending. It may not have ended the way I wanted it to end, but this one is so very much more real. And leaves me panting for the next in the series, Vacant . The Story Uncle Meyers is said to have committed suicide, but it doesn't feel right. Now Enforcement and the Guild are working hard to cover it up. Kara is insisting that Adam investigate, that he go up against the powers-that-be, the powers that have the power of life and death over him and upset their apple cart. It's a power struggle in the Guild and Adam's caught up in the middle of it. The Characters Adam Ward is a Level Eight telepath who is also addicted to Satin, part of a medical experiment by his superiors that got out of hand. Once it did, they washed their hands of him; now he's an ex-felon not trusted to handle his own money. He currently works for the police as an interviewer and a sort of forensics expert, reading anything of the killer's or the victim's mind left at crime scenes. He's also in love with Cherabino. Swartz is his NA sponsor, who is still recovering from his heart attack; Selah is his wife. Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino is his current "partner" — she makes good use of his abilities and keeps an eye on him. Jacob is her nephew and a telepath/teleporter that Adam has helped get private instruction to avoid the Guild finding him. Nicole is his mother and Cherabino's sister. Detective Michael is her police partner. The DeKalb County PD Let's just get this out of the way: nobody in the police station likes Adam. Sergeant Bransen is in charge of assigning who the provisionals will work with, and he'll do what he can to make a stink and take Adam on as a provisional employee. Officer Briggs is the cop first on scene. Jamal is with Forensics. Lieutenant Marlene Paulsen is Adam's boss with the PD, and she's struggling with budget cuts. Clark is the most senior of the interviewers. Captain Justin Harris used to be married to Jamie and still has his Guild pass. Andrew is one of the police forensic accountants with an appreciation for the important things in a cubicle life, lol. Bob is one of the few, the VERY few people with a legal implant that allows him to interface with computers and access the Internet. Frances is a file clerk. Rachel Muñez is a department accountant handling Adam's money. Detective Freeman. State Bureau Piccanonni is Georgia Bureau of Investigation. FBI Special Agent Louis Jarred. Special Agent George Ruffins is with Tech Control Organization, and he dislikes Adam. The Telepath's Guild… …saved the world from the Tech Wars, and they took advantage of the world's gratitude. Kara Chenoa is Adam's ex-fiancée; she's also the one who turned him in ten years ago. She's now an attachée for the Guild to the city. Uncle Del Meyers is a Councilman and the Employment chair. Cindy Ballon is Meyers' ex-wife; she'd met someone on the job in D.C. John Spirale was Del's assistant; he's committed suicide. Hawk Chenoa is one of the family patriarchs and unofficially one of the most powerful men at the Guild. The Chenoas have been around since the Guild Founding and follows the founder's ethics, Cooper's, very seriously. Gustolf is one of Kara's cousins and into extreme sports. He follows orders from the Erickson-Meyers clan before he'll follow Hawk's orders. Seems Kara has now become a major player. Chris Tubbs is Kara's boss. Ruth Turner is a second-class guard attached to Headquarters. Ruthgar is a necrokinetic (determines cause of death and specializes in dead tissue or near-death patients); Sandra is his assistant, a micro. Johanna Wendell is a low-level Four telepath who was studying for her precognition recurrents. Jamie Skelton is a Level Ten telepath and one of Adam's friends. Marta and Rohan (he can "see" around corners) are a couple of the students she's mentoring. Telepath security Enforcement has absolute legal authority over all telepaths: judge, jury, and executioner. All telepaths are taught that Enforcement wanted only the truth and were fair. Tobias Nelson is the executive chair of Enforcement and uttered a threat to Uncle Meyers. Latisha Jones is a mind scanner. Edgar Stone had been Adam's Watcher, now he's the man sent to investigate Meyer's death. He reports to Tobias who reports to Rex. The Guild Council There are twelve members of the Guild North American Ruling Council. Thaddeus Rex is executive chair of the Council and leads the Guild First faction *groan*. Mrs. Martinez is his secretary who fell ill and Johanna filled in. Hmmm. Moby and Davidson are the teleporter guards. Charlie Walker had been a fellow student and is now on the Council. Chin is the Research chair. Joe Green is Guild First with no ethics. Julio Diaz is head of the council. Kim Lee is in charge of Finance. Cardinal Laboratories Noah Wright is a victim who used to work on technology applications for Cardinal Laboratories; he was also an informant for Ruffins. He was facing a lawsuit for "improper use of sensitive information". One that's been in limbo. Susan Cornell was his supervisor with some social issues. Nicole Sagara was the only one of a number of employees who hated Wright. She had reason, but damn, she is excessive with it still! They're working on the Galen Project, bioenhanced super soldiers. Garrett Fiske is a criminal mastermind whom Cherabino has been investigating for years, and he always manages to skip. Sibley is a strangler for hire Adam had put in jail a few weeks ago. Mantel, Rodriguez, and Peterson (he's the about-to-be former head of security) work for Fiske. Martin Cooper, one of the founding members, believed in honesty and integrity. Gabriela Gee was the original firestarter. Guild First claims that it fights to protect Guild interests and projects. Koshna Accords are a treaty between normals and telepaths. A mindspace machine is banned by the Accords. The North Rim was a disaster of mental stability. Free Data Campaigners believe in sharing all information. The Cover and Title The cover is almost an LSD trip as Adam stands amid a swirl of mindspace outside the Guild headquarters looking up at all that glass in its blues and greens. But not as lurid as the lime green of the title and author's name, lol. The title is Adam, for he's Marked. ...more |
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Dec 28, 2014
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Dec 28, 2014
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Kindle Edition
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| 4.36
| 38,923
| Sep 01, 2000
| Mar 03, 2007
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it was amazing
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Eleventh in the In Death police procedural in a futuristic romantic suspense series revolving around Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her gorgeous husband, R
Eleventh in the In Death police procedural in a futuristic romantic suspense series revolving around Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her gorgeous husband, Roarke, in the New York City of spring 2059. My Take A story set in the future with plenty of suspense and romance surrounded by detectives and police procedure. Oh, and don't forget all the forensics. It still cracks me up when Eve complains to Roarke about his owning everything. I must confess it does seem odd for a billionaire to concern himself with owning small places like bars, restaurants, and specialty shops. Ooh, Captain Roth is a tough nut, and she goes up against the so-stubborn Eve Dallas. Yep, it's Dallas who wins this, as usual, lol. Yeah, yeah, it's not the only one she wins, lol. It's all about revenge with some hefty back story filling in for both Eve and Roarke. Because it's Ricker, there is plenty of violence, action, chases, and more. Ricker's involvement also raises up some thorny, combative issues for Roarke and Dallas. Phew, that's an interesting set of interactions. Robb does balance all this action with her characters, strong and vulnerable whom you can't help but respect. Eve is all about justice and her black-and-white stance on it is being mellowed out by Roarke's very definite gray views. Except when it comes to finding his wife in the arms of another man . . . hoo boy. That's one for the books. As for Summerset, that's a fascinating relationship what with all the snark the two of them trade, and each story has the two of them mellowing, very very slightly, *more laughter*. That Mavis! Ya gotta love her, especially when she analyzes Roarke, that "sexual banquet" who's also smart and mysterious. Mavis definitely has some good advice on how to get back on his good side, lol. All of this comes through via Robb's use of third person global subjective point-of-view so we receive perspectives from a variety of characters, although Eve and Roarke have the primary perspectives. Sexually, Robb does a good job of keeping their lovemaking obvious yet not. She carefully uses words that give the impressions but she doesn't get into details. And there is a lot of sex . . . it keeps the two of them well tuned-up. I cracked up, again, with Mira's reaction to Eve's worry about her and Roarke's reaction to his battle with Webster. Especially when Mira wants to know if Roarke has a special diet or certain vitamins, ROFL. Poor Eve, lol. Yeah, that battle. It provides a catalyst for Eve and Roarke to think over their reactions, what instigated those reactions, and stress over the resolutions. A can't miss story . . . The Story Cops, who are on the take, are being murdered, and Eve is in the middle of it all. With IAB crawling up on her case, playing an underhanded hardball. Those thirty pieces of silver . . . The Characters Lieutenant Eve Dallas is in charge of Homicide at Cop Central in New York City. Roarke, former very successful thief, is her gorgeous billionaire husband, who owns everything. Summerset is Roarke's majordomo, in charge of the "Dallas Palace". Galahad is their pudge of a cat. Dallas' friends include: Nadine Furst, the on-air reporter for Channel 75. The colorful Mavis Freestone, former grifter and now famous singer, cohabs with Leonardo, a fashion designer, in Eve's old apartment. NYPSD Tibble is its chief of police, the man ultimately in charge. Cop Central is where Dallas is based and Commander Jack Whitney commands. Dallas' people include Detectives David "Horndog" Baxter, Carmichael, and Officer Delia Peabody, who is Dallas' aide. Captain Ryan Feeney is in charge of the Electronic Detectives Division (EDD) and had been Eve's mentor and is still a father figure. Detective Ian McNab is one of his, and Ian is over the moon about the disinterested Peabody. Dr Charlotte Mira is the department's chief profiler. Dick Berenski is the chief lab tech and always open to bribery. The 128, Illegals, is where Captain Roth reigns. Sergeant Art Clooney is one of hers and also acts as their grief counselor. The bigoted Lieutenant Alan Mills is partnered with "that Mex" Detective Julianna Martinez. There's also the oinking Detective Jeremy K. Vernon. Lieutenant Don Webster (who has the hots for Dallas *eyebrow waggle*) is with Internal Affairs (IAB). The slippery Captain Boyd Bayliss is in charge at IAB and has his own way of doing things. La Donna Kirk is Webster's sister going to medical school. Sergeant Matt Myers was targeted by Bayliss. Mrs Bayliss is the one with the money. Officer Thad Clooney was working his way up when he was targeted. Mrs Clooney is heartbroken. The Hamptons Sheriff's Department Sheriff Reese is accommodating. Purgatory is . . . . . . a Roarke-owned stripper bar. Rue MacLean, a former stripper, is the manager. Detective Taj Kohli has a side job there as a bartender. Nester Vine is part of security. Nancie Gaynor, Dottie, Charmaine, the trans Wilhimena, and Mitzi (a close friend of Rue's) are some of the strippers. Nancie left that cluck, Joey, back in Iowa, and he's now engaged to Barbie Thomas back home in Utumwa. Patsy Kohli is Taj's much-loved wife. Chad is their young son and Jilly is their daughter. Carla is Patsy's sister. Some of Taj's cop friends include Detectives Gaven and Pierce, Officer Goodman, and Clooney. Roarke Enterprises Caro is Roarke's very efficient admin. Loreen is a first, if ineffective, line of defense. Max Ricker is a big time bad guy who hates Roarke. He has a son, Alex. Max's mother had been Ellen Mary Morandi. Marta is one of Ricker's droids. She won't survive the book. His slime lawyers include Canarde. Ricker's henchmen include Lewis and Jake Evans. Elmore Riggs is a hired assailant hired by Clarence Haggerty whose team included Yawly, Ines, and Murdock. James Stein is a witness. Lucius Breck is a substance abuse counselor. The Cover and Title The cover is DARK with its midnight sky and the lights along the bridge that narrow in perspective. It's a lot of orange police tape at the front with lit-up police cars parked every which way. All the text is white, starting with the author's name at the top, then the testimonial at the top of the police tape with the title immediately below, just above the bottom. The title is exactly that, thirty pieces of silver that are a Judgment in Death. ...more |
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May 10, 2010
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Sep 12, 2010
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Kindle Edition
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| 4.32
| 35,488
| Jan 01, 2000
| Mar 03, 2007
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it was amazing
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Tenth in the police procedural In Death futuristic romantic suspense series and revolving around homicide detective Lieutenant Eve Dallas, who's marri
Tenth in the police procedural In Death futuristic romantic suspense series and revolving around homicide detective Lieutenant Eve Dallas, who's married to the luscious Roarke in the winter of 2059 in New York City. In 2001, Witness in Death was nominated for the Romance Writers of America Romantic Suspense. In 2000, it won the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Futuristic Romance and the Romance Readers Anonymous Award for Best Alternative Realities or Time Travel Romance. My Take It's such a treat to read of this by-the-book cop who married a "former" criminal. Eve does get a lot of firsts with Roarke, and in this tale, a live theatre performance is one of them. Their relationship is so cute. Eve can't figure out why Roarke loves her, and he is desperate to give her everything, including comfort, security, and trust. It seems that Ian also needs something from Roarke. Advice. On how to woo Peabody, lol. More crack-ups with Roarke quickly telling Eve he's never slept with Areena. Speaking of, ahem, sex, there's a recurring byplay between Peabody and Eve with Peabody constantly referencing intimacies she shares with McNab. I love how it freaks Dallas out, lol. That Eve. She's fierce about her territory and doesn't hesitate to order Roarke off. He, on the other hand, slams plenty of reasons why he will stay. And he continually insinuates himself into her investigations. I gotta admit the boy is darn handy. Feeney thinks the same way, *more laughter*. Of course, Eve's territoriality conflicts with her Marriage Rules, the ones she's struggling to learn. And in Witness in Death, Eve assesses "her participation in the whole love and marriage deal". Oops. The effort she makes to reverse this is especially funny when she reminds herself that planning a dinner can't be as hard as leading tactical teams, tracking psychopaths, or outwitting the deranged. Oh, ROFLMAO, when Eve learns about Authorization One! I hate to say it, but I suspect I'd go hog wild! Draco is a highly acclaimed actor . . . and equally acclaimed bastard. As for the back history on these actors, wow . . . just . . . wow. The drama behind the scenes is just as crazy in their now as our now. It's interesting that there is such a colorful mix of people — Robb has a range of descriptions from mixed-race to dark and features an equality throughout with no pejoratives about any group of people. Well, okay, except for crooks, chemi-heads, dealers, etc. Poor Ian. He's so frustrated with Peabody and having to compete with the classy Charles. We know this through Robb's use of third person global subjective point-of-view, which allows us to view events through the perspectives of a variety of characters. It's fascinating to watch Dallas assess people, herself. LOLOL, Dallas has issues with technology. Fortunately, the computer she requisitioned — two years ago — has just been installed. AND she plans to take her old computer home . . . and hunt down that hammer. It's full of action that's character-driven . . . and oh wow, what characters! It's full of surprises and laughs, drama and tension. The Story The opening night of the revival of Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution at New York’s New Globe Theater turns from stage scene to crime scene when the leading man is stabbed to death right on center stage. Now Eve Dallas has a high-profile celebrity homicide on her hands. Not only is she lead detective, she’s also a witness — and when the press discovers that her husband owns the theater, there’s more than enough media spotlight. The only way out is to move fast. Question everyone and everything…and in the meantime, try to tell the difference between the truth — and really good acting . . . The Characters The troubled Lieutenant Eve Dallas is in charge of Homicide at Cop Central. Roarke is her gorgeous, extremely wealthy husband who enjoys classic black-and-white movies. Galahad is their sneaky cat. Summerset is a father figure to Roarke and the majordomo, aide-de-camp, in his castle-like home. Dallas' friends The bouncy, colorful Mavis Freestone is Eve's best friend, a former grifter, and now a singer. Leonardo, an acclaimed fashion designer, is Mavis' significant other. Trina, a beauty stylist and friend of Mavis', terrifies Eve. Nadine Furst is the top on-air reporter for Channel 75. Charles Monroe, a Licensed Companion, is dating Peabody. Jamie Lingstrom is an e-prodigy who does some work for Roarke ( Ceremony in Death , 5). The NYPSD Officer Delia Peabody has been Dallas' aide for almost a year. Other homicide detectives include David "Horndog" Baxter. Commander Jack Whitney is in charge at Cop Central and is Dallas' boss. Captain Ryan Feeney, Dallas' mentor and father figure, is in charge of the Electronic Detective Division (EDD) where the colorful Detective Ian McNab also works — and he's interested in Peabody. Dr Charlotte Mira is the department profiler. The snazzy Dr Li Morris is the chief medical examiner who also plays a mean saxophone. Rochinsky is one of his assistants, who'll know better next time. Young Herbert Finestein has potential. The twenty-two-year-old Officer Troy Trueheart is part of the team at Grand Central Station. Pauline Trueheart is his mother. Lombowsky is one of the sweepers. Tomjohn Lewis is from Maintenance. Allyanne Preen is Detective Harrison's case. Hanson works Vice. Bianci is the mayor of New York. Captain Stuart is in charge of the New York City Transit Authority at Grand Central Station. The play is . . . . . . Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution is opening at the newly restored New Globe Theater owned by, natch, Roarke. Leonard Vole is played by Richard Draco. The extremely poor Michael Proctor is Draco's stand-in. Christine Vole is played by Areena Mansfield. Tricia Beets is Areena's dresser. Sir Wilfred, the lawyer, is played by the secretive and award-winning Kenneth Stiles. Walter is Stiles' droid. Diane is played by Carly Landsdowne, a very lucky young woman in her parents. The nagging nurse, Miss Plimsoll, is played by the (formerly) very bored Eliza Rothchild. Pete is the property master. Linus Quinn has been the top stagehand for the past ten years. Young Ralph Biden is part of the cleaning crew. Marcina is a top screen producer. Maylou Jorgensen is a freaked-out bookie. Squeakie is her dog. The Blue Squirrel is a dive where Mavis used to sing and where Dallas still holds meets. Wild Rabbit is an illegal drug. Anja Carvell, an actress years ago whom Stiles had loved, had a horrible encounter with Draco. One of Roarke's big projects, the Olympus Resort, has been a year in the works. The Cover and Title The cover is DARK. The background is black with a night-lit central graphic of the bright lights of New York and a yellow police barricade warning people to not cross. At the very top is the author's name in an embossed silver with an info blurb in white immediately below it. A testimonial, in white, is set between the legs of the barricade with the barely visible title in an embossed burgundy title with some coral highlighting below it. The title refers to Eve, for she is a Witness in Death. ...more |
Notes are private!
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Sep 10, 2022
May 04, 2010
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Sep 12, 2010
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