What started out as a quirky, fun, slightly implausible but agreeable series turned ridiculous and utterRead as an audio book. This was nearly a DNF.
What started out as a quirky, fun, slightly implausible but agreeable series turned ridiculous and utterly implausible. And I say this as someone who reads science fiction and fantasy. This was a train wreck in painfully slow motion, and I skipped an hour and a half of narration to confirm the "who done it" and see how the awkward romance progresses.
While the first two books made for good commute reads, I kept bouncing back to my podcasts with this one. I can see one or two situations with Idabell, Gertie and Fortune getting out of control, but it was every. single. one. in this installment. And every "mis-fortune" could have been mitigated by Fortune taking the lead and going solo, using those stealthy CIA skills.
Sadly a slapstick comedy of errors became a painful read and I really don't know if I have it in me to listen to the next one. Which is a shame because the narrator does an outstanding performance.
Read as an audiobook. Perfect cozy mystery for a commute, vacation, plane ride or end of the day turn the brain off read. Easy to put down and pick baRead as an audiobook. Perfect cozy mystery for a commute, vacation, plane ride or end of the day turn the brain off read. Easy to put down and pick back up. ...more
Had difficulty with the audio quality. Between the narrator's low voice and my cars stereo system (add in pavement vibration, wRead as an audio book.
Had difficulty with the audio quality. Between the narrator's low voice and my cars stereo system (add in pavement vibration, wind noise, and traffic), was sometimes difficult to hear the more bass tones so I missed points. Story is still wonderful, I got the gist of what was going on, might have to switch to reading these instead of listening. ...more
Coming back to update my review. I started the le Carre series after having watched the Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy movie. WhicRead as an audio book.
Coming back to update my review. I started the le Carre series after having watched the Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy movie. Which I ADORE. And re-watch about once a year. So I was intrigued enough to pick up the books on audio.
And it's been a bit of a struggle. The recordings have not been the best quality, it can be hard to understand when there is a break in topic or characters, and, usually I don't have a problem with this, the narrators British accent is sometimes hard to understand (might be a recording issue).
This is one book where I think the movie was so. much. better. And it could be because I have seen the movie numerous times. The pacing of the book was agonizingly slow, I found the plot to be overly convoluted, I had a difficult time remember who was whom, and I struggled to finish.
But I did. I was able to pick out the threads and moments from the book that comprised the movie - brilliant work by the screenwriters (if those are the right people?). How the wandering plot threads came together at the end was quite brilliantly done. It was just painful getting there.
While I do enjoy the "thinking" spy genre, I'm uncertain if I will continue the series at this moment. If I do, it won't be on audio. Recommended with reservations. ...more
While I enjoyed the narration, I did have some troubles following who was who and some of the transitions. It was as if the reaRead as an audio book.
While I enjoyed the narration, I did have some troubles following who was who and some of the transitions. It was as if the reader skipped the pauses that would indicate a change in POV.
Dovetailing on the audio quality, I either zoned out or missed a key point on the *why* of the overall plot. I *thought* the impetus was going to be to find out why an agent was killed, the importance of a set of photos, and where those photos went. The whole premise ended up being something completely different which left me vaguely bemused for a goodly portion of the book.
I think I may have enjoyed this more if I had read it rather than listened to it, and I may yet go back and re-read.
Recommended as it's book four in the Le Carre George Smiley series.
While the narrator does a lovely performance, I admit he has a voice that I could zone out on during my commute and I would havRead as an audio book.
While the narrator does a lovely performance, I admit he has a voice that I could zone out on during my commute and I would have to re-wind the audio book to catch what I missed. In addition, there were segments in the book where characters dialog would go on for quite a bit and there were not enough "tags" to indicate who was who, which made following the plot a bit confounding.
Also acknowledging this was written in very different times socially and social conventions have significantly changed in the intervening years. It is an interesting look at the past, something I've also seen in numerous scifi classics.
Overall, despite the quirks above, I quite enjoy these spy thrillers representative of a different time in history, with vastly different political issues and characters. I also like that the books are relatively short - the audio books take me a week or less to "read" and keep me (mostly) engaged on my daily commute.
Recommended if you like a thinking-type spy novel written nearly 40 years ago.
There are enough reviews summarizing the book that I'm going to skip the rehashing part.
This second installment is not a spy sRead as an audio book.
There are enough reviews summarizing the book that I'm going to skip the rehashing part.
This second installment is not a spy story, it's a classic mystery. I'm not entirely sure that George Smiley solved the mystery so much as he poked around enough that the antagonist finally cracked. I think it also needs to be said, this was Mr. le Carré's second book and here, in the 2020's, it is easy to look back and say this wasn't a polished book, it lacked this or that, etc. It was the authors second book written 60 years ago>/i>. It has the feel of a new author getting their literary feet under them.
I rather think it is going to be interesting to watch Mr. le Carré's writing prowess develop as the series unfold, to watch as outside events shaped the coming plot lines, to see little snippets of the past from the present. The best part, I don't have to wait for coming installments!
But back to the book. I mostly enjoyed this. I had some trouble with the narration in that I wasn't always sure of which character was speaking and where the sentence breaks were. Was this a function of poor reading? I have no way of knowing - but I was frequently a bit confused as to who was talking to whom. I would just zone out for a bit until the story got back on track and I was on more solid ground character-wise.
It is a twisty-turny mystery, with obvious red-herrings, obfuscation, and not so subtle social commentary. I quite enjoy these older mysteries because they tend to be on the shorter side - the paperback came in at 160 pages and the audio book was about five hours? It was short. A nice "snack" that I can enjoy on my daily commute but doesn't take a month to read.
Recommended if you enjoy older, British, thinking type mysteries. ...more
I am writing this on the assumption you've read most of the previous books in both series. This was kinda straight up/classic JohRead as an audio book.
I am writing this on the assumption you've read most of the previous books in both series. This was kinda straight up/classic John Sandford with an interesting melding of Davenport and Flowers. I greatly enjoyed this one - there's one "Aw...jeez..." moment, just enough dramatic tension to keep the plot interesting but not overly anxiety producing, and it bounces fairly equally between Davenport and Flowers.
Sanford must have hit a nerve with some folks in his previous Lucas book, because there was a fair amount of ethical discussion or explanation occurring between our sub-characters regarding what Lucas did. Not so much was Lucas right or wrong, but how Lucas handled the situation and how said sub-character would handle any future situation should they find themselves in one. Perhaps that's why this book took Davenport away from the scene of the crime (so to speak) and put Virgil in the line of fire. Pure speculation on my part.
Bottom line, I enjoyed this latest installment. Not a lot of time spent in the antagonist's heads, all my favorite characters make an appearance and the characters I don't care for didn't. In some regards, character development was minimal in this one and I was completely okay with that. The story just churns along quite nicely on it's own.
Lastly, Richard Farrone is an excellent narrator and I'm thrilled that he's been the narrator for all 31 Davenport books. What would have made this an outstanding narration, is if they had used the narrator for the Virgil books too. That would have just been the cat's meow.
Recommended if you've been reading the Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flower's series. ...more
Another solid installment in the BJ Vinson Series. There hasn't been a book yet that I've bounced off of. This one had less history nuggets than previAnother solid installment in the BJ Vinson Series. There hasn't been a book yet that I've bounced off of. This one had less history nuggets than previous books, but I suspect that was because the protagonists stayed in one location. If Mr. Travis continues to write about BJ and Paul, I'll keep reading them. ...more
This installment took me months to get through. Yes, months. I think the Husband and I started this last Fall on a road trip, thRead as an audio book.
This installment took me months to get through. Yes, months. I think the Husband and I started this last Fall on a road trip, then I continued reading after. Well, tried too. I fully admit, even knowing that everything will end well because, hello sequels, the initial plot made me so apprehensive I had to set the book aside. Yes, I know Bernie would be okay, yes I know Chet would be okay, but I just couldn't listen to it.
I had to skip a bit in the recording to get beyond the dramatic tension.
After that I could settle in and enjoy classic Chet and Bernie. Chet the Jet! Best part of the story - Chet making his way home and meeting a puppy with ears that don't match, and then Chet and Iggy. Honestly, laugh out loud!
Overall mystery was better than most cozy mysteries, with some deftly woven convolutions and plot twists. I am still not a fan of our hero and heroine confronting the murderers without strong back-up, that that delves into a whole 'nother quirk about cozies and the antagonism between the hero(ine) and law enforcement.
Despite taking forever to finish, I intend to read the next one.
This is the first book I've read/listened to by le Carre. I've watched the 2010's version of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy numerous Read as an audio book.
This is the first book I've read/listened to by le Carre. I've watched the 2010's version of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy numerous times and enjoy it immensely. I love the complexity, the subtleties, the cerebral-ness of the plot. The whole British spy bit is fascinating to me. I don't know why it took me so long to go pick up one of his books.
Agent Running in the Field had the same complexity, subtlety, and thinking aspect that I enjoyed from the TTSP movie. What this story lacked for myself was any surprising turn of events within the overall plot. And having only read this singular book by le Carre, maybe that's how his books are structured? I found this to be a story where I could observe the set up, watch the plot unfold, and then sit back and enjoy how everything is resolved. This is a thinking book, not an action book.
The author doesn't hold back on his viewpoint on the current political climate in the US, UK and Europe. Current meaning Brexit and the Trump presidency.
I could ramble on about the main character approaching retirement after working abroad for years and how that affected his family relationship, but you can read it instead. I could discuss the internal workings of British Intelligence, but again, you can read about it instead. And badminton - I think this the first time I have ever read a book or watched a movie where badminton was the sport of choice. Badminton! Go read about it!
When all was said and read, I enjoyed this and will look into reading - or listening to on audio book - more of le Carre's works. Recommended if you like British spy novels. ...more
The book blurb (and multitude of reviews) summarize the plot more than adequetly so I won't rehash.
"Read" as an audio book.
I'll start with the narratiThe book blurb (and multitude of reviews) summarize the plot more than adequetly so I won't rehash.
"Read" as an audio book.
I'll start with the narration as performed by Michael Kramer. If you've listened to some of Brandon Sanderson's books or the Wheel of Time books by Robert Jordan, you've heard Mr. Kramer. I quite enjoyed the sound of his voice, he adroitly managed different intonations for both the male and female characters, and had a good cadence which all made for an engaging reading experience.
I had stumbled across this book on Audible and was intrigued as I've bounced around the Portland and Dundee area and have relations living in Corvalis. I'm also well aware of Portland's (western Oregon, really) homeless concern so thought this could be an interesting book.
And it was, with some caveats. I'll start with - this is a first book and the book itself could have used a couple more rounds with an editor or proofreader. Two examples come to mind, calling a Glock 19 a revolver (it's not) and Anna putting a finger to her lips when her hands were tied behind her back. Glaring mistakes that could have been easily avoided.
I also found the lamentations about the homeless issue as relates to kids and Oregonian liberalism to be a bit heavy handed. I have talked to Oregonian's and while yes, homelessness is a concern (problem), it's not "just" kids, and many 20 year olds are doing it intentionally. It's a complex, complicated, and polarizing issue.
For a cozy mystery, I thought the murder mystery was overly complex and - I'm going to say it - unrealistic. Yes, yes, that's almost the definition of "cozy mystery". I think if the author had stuck to two main murders and hadn't expanded beyond that, this would have been a stronger book.
My quibbles aside (and the grumbles from the Husband), it was still an entertaining listen. I enjoyed Cal, Anna, Picasso and Nando. I worried about Cal's dog. I loved the food descriptions (the book should have come with a menu at the end). And the setting didn't disappoint and loved tracking the characters around Portland and Dundee. My only regret is this is the only installment available on audio/Audible.
If you've read the Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben, then you've been introduced to Win. This...this is Win's book. Myron isRead as an audio book.
If you've read the Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben, then you've been introduced to Win. This...this is Win's book. Myron is mentioned a lot, but he's not present nor does he make an appearance, so it may be helpful to read the Bolitar series. If you haven't, you'll get the jist that Myron is Win's dearest friend. As I mentioned, this is Win's story. By all rights, Win should be a despicable character - filthy rich, entitled, elitist, despicable (um...murder,anyone?), questionable methods, but yet, yet...we revel in his money, applaud his morals, and admire his devotion and dedication to those he has picked as "friend".
Why is that?
This first installment (of what I hope will be at least several books), bounces between the past and the present. Rare paintings were stolen, an uncle murdered, a cousin kidnapped, and a group known as the Jane Street Six committed an act of vandalism that lead to the deaths of several people and an FBI agent was shot in the line of duty. In the present, one of the paintings resurfaces and when the FBI contacts Win to help, this kicks of a chain of events that unravels everything. This was, simply, classic Harlen. It was the perfect commute "read" where I could sit back and let the plot unfold and just enjoy the story.
But that's not to say I didn't have any quibbles. There is - repeated - mention of a "Hut of Horrors". The overuse of the "nickname" to this circumstance became a bit...much. There was an instance of someone getting shot in the shoulder. My impression was this was a through-and through (I don't remember mention that this was just a "graze" - it may have been?). From a medical standpoint, one does not get shot in the shoulder (assuming the through-and-through) and pick up with life as normal five days later. So...I'm hoping it was a graze and I misunderstood, but, even then, stitches, itching, clothing is going to irritated it, and you can't change a bandage on your back by yourself. So, some minor quibbles.
Still, I'm thrilled that Win has been spun off from the Bolitar series and I look forward to seeing where this goes. Recommended. ...more
I will open with the same comment I noted from previous reviews, this is not a romance novel. This is foremost a mystery with a supporting, establisheI will open with the same comment I noted from previous reviews, this is not a romance novel. This is foremost a mystery with a supporting, established gay relationship. I greatly enjoy a book that explores the nuances of a mature couple and I appreciate this aspect when I can find it. With this latest book, I do recommend reading the series in order – it will help explain the relationships and over-arching plot lines.
As noted in the blurb, the Nick Hoffman series are cozy mysteries set on the fictional State University of Michigan campus. Nick and his partner, Stephan, are employed by the same department and Nick is under no illusion he is only there because the Department wanted Stephan as their resident author. Nick is also up for tenure and has been warned, in no uncertain terms, “don’t make any waves”. It is a fractious, argumentative, contentious department and Nick continues to wonder if he wants to stay.
Within the parameters of two murders, this installment explores the foundation of relationships and how one person can so easily sow seeds of discontent. Nick watches as a murder tears apart one family, and, despite outward appearances, questions if *he* wants to continue to stay in Stephan’s shadow. For a cozy mystery, I thought this delved into the darker psyche of people’s motivations and behaviors, which was different and interesting.
I quite enjoyed this book - The wonderful thing about cozy mysteries is they aren’t perfect. I know going in that there are an unrealistic number of murders in one location, nobody likes the detective, and the protagonist will figure it out. I keep coming back to the Nick Hoffman series because I’m invested in Nick and his relationship with Stephan, I want to know what Nick is going to do about his position at SUM, and I adore the subtle humor that weaves its way through the books. I’m looking forward to the next installment.
Please note, this is not a romance novel. This is foremost a mystery with a supporting, established gay relationship. For myself, I quite enjoy this dPlease note, this is not a romance novel. This is foremost a mystery with a supporting, established gay relationship. For myself, I quite enjoy this dichotomy - so many m/m romance books cover the dating or beginning stages of a romance, not so many delve into the nuances of a mature couple and I appreciate this aspect. While this could be read as a stand-alone, reading the series in order will help explain the relationships established in book one.
This is an enjoyable cozy mystery. Nick, directed to organize an Edith Wharton conference for the university under a subtle threat of no tenure if he refuses, reaches out to two rival Wharton groups. While antagonism is expected, the murder of a well-known – but not well liked – celebrity author comes as a shock to everyone. Events surrounding the conference spiral out of control, the local detective is not pleased to see Nick involved in yet another mystery, and Nick is left wondering if he could find employment elsewhere after this debacle.
This was also a rather convoluted mystery with a substantial cast of characters – the celebrity author and her French wife, the well-known author and her publisher, the president of the college and her husband (also Nick’s new office mate), the department head, Nick’s coworker and budding friend, Nick’s coworker and co-conference organizer, the two rival Edith Wharton presidents, a former student of Nick’s, and Nick and Stephan. The author didn’t need much in the way of ‘red herrings’ – he had so many people moving around it was a whole school of herring causing misdirection.
This was also an unusual mystery in that the first half of the book is about establishing the conference and the murder/mystery didn’t happen until nearly halfway through. Anyone having attended, or help run, a conference will fully empathize with the trials and tribulations Nick is going through. The fear of not having anyone show up, the concerns about the celebrity dramas, the conference space not working as planned, a job is on the line… this was all incredibly well conveyed and nearly overshadowed the primary purpose of the story.
NOTE: This book was provided by ReQueered Tales for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ...more
Loading...
