Showing posts with label california. Show all posts
Showing posts with label california. Show all posts

Lost Light Review

Lost Light
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Lost Light ReviewFrom his first incredible book, "The Black Echo," LAPD Detective Harry Bosch has had one mission and one mission only as he sees it-to speak for the dead. To bring justice to those who have killed and some measure of comfort, no matter how small to the victims left behind as survivors. When he retired, he took his watch and his files and thought his mission was over.
Instead, while he does not have the authority of the badge any more, he realizes as time passes that the mission remains. In particular, a case from a four year old unsolved murder begins to work its way into his mind. Angella Benton, an employee of Eidon Productions, was found dead in the vestibule of her apartment building. Bosch was assigned the case and was working it days later on a movie set when the set was robbed of two million dollars during a brazen daylight robbery shootout. Bosch would wound one robber, none of whom were ever caught, and the money was never found. After the robbery and the resulting high profile glare of the media, the Benton case was pulled from Bosch and folded into the robbery investigation and given to two detectives from Robbery Homicide. Days later, while eating lunch, one of the detectives was killed and the other permanently paralyzed in a robbery at a neighborhood bar.
That was a death knell for the case as cops are a superstitious lot and there are always new cases that demand immediate attention. But Bosch without a badge is just as aggressive as he was when he carried the shield. He may be retired, but he still goes at it the only way he knows how and soon seems to have antagonized his former bosses as well as other parties. Before long, old friends are annoyed, a federal terrorism task force is involved and unhappy, as well as numerous other shadowy figures. Once again, violence comes home in more ways than one, but no matter what, Bosch won't stop.
As in the other novels of this enjoyable series, Connelly looks deep into the dark abyss that lurks within everyone where life is cheap and greed in the moment wins out over human decency. At the same time, by using an unexpected plot twist, one of several at the end, Harry is redeemed and temporarily at least, finds the peace and solace he has sought for in novel after novel.
While this book reads like it might be the final one in the Harry Bosch series, which has had one heck of a run, I hope not. If it is, Michael Connelly has fittingly ended the series by exploring and further developing his signature character. He has done so in new and unexpected ways while adding plenty of action, an intriguing core mystery as well as additional secondary storylines, and a fine plot. This is a top notch read and proof of why he is simply one of the best crime writers in the business today.Lost Light Overview

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The Last Detective Review

The Last Detective
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The Last Detective ReviewCrais is a favorite of mine because he takes chances and seems to grow with his characters. For four years, fans have been waiting for a new Elvis Cole book -- and this tense, fast paced story will not disappoint many!
Be prepared for the darker tone we saw in L.A. Requiem; there is little for Elvis to wisecrack about; no one has brought him a case to strategically solve, instead he's vilified as the party responsible for the kidnap of Ben Chenier. Crais gives us strong dialogue and emotion, change ups in the story's point of view, some blind alleys and some down right insightful detective work.
Layers of Elvis' past evolve, and, for the first time, we see Joe Pike as vulnerable and unsure. Crais adds Carol Starkey, tough cop from "Demolition Angel" as the Juvenile cop assigned to the case. Starkey and Elvis are a potent mix.
True responsibility for the kidnapping is somewhat easy to guess, but Crais makes up for it by insuring that the story ends in a way that much of life does...everybody loses, but some lose more than most.
If there is a better writer in this genre today than Crais, please let me know who he/she is! Crais' work is outstanding...
Highly recommended, but more so if you've read previous novels in the Cole series. You can't invest as much in Elvis and Joe as characterized here, unless you've glimpsed the past.The Last Detective Overview

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Talk Talk Review

Talk Talk
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Talk Talk ReviewWith TALK TALK, his eleventh novel, T.C. Boyle has constructed another literate, thoughtful page-turner. The protagonist is Dana Halter, an independent, feisty, attractive woman in her early 30s. She teaches school, enjoys an occasional evening out at loud nightclubs, and has a younger boyfriend named Bridger Martin who adores her. In short, she's a normal, responsible young woman who also happens to be profoundly deaf. The problem is that apparently there's another Dana Halter out there, as she discovers when she's arrested after running a stop sign. This other Dana Halter passes bad checks in multiple states with her driver's license number, her social security number. And this Dana Halter has skipped bail twice. So despite Bridger's best efforts, Dana spends a humiliating, uncomfortable weekend in the San Roque county jail.
"Dana Halter" is only one of the identities that the antagonist Peck Wilson has collected in the years since he was released from prison in New York State. As the book opens, Peck lives as Dr. Dana Halter in a Marin County waterfront condo furnished with nothing but the best for his kitchen (he's a very gourmet sociopath) and his bed (a Russian beauty named Natalia.) He is an old hand at identity theft and manages them carefully, wringing them almost dry before moving on and covering his tracks.
When the real Dana is finally released from jail, she finds that the authorities aren't overly concerned with prosecuting this so-called victimless crime. It's up to her and Bridger to retrieve her impounded car and field phone calls from irate creditors. But Bridger acquires the thief's cell phone number from one such creditor and makes contact. Peck, wanting to cut his losses, informs the wary Natalia that his name is not Dana after all, and trades in her BMW Z4 on a wine-colored Mercedes S500 for their escape from town. Thus begins a cat-and-mouse, Jetta vs. Mercedes chase across the continent that culminates in a final showdown of sorts at a train station in Peck's hometown of Peterskill, New York.
The plot packs a wallop matched by Boyle's inventive language and multi-faceted, believable characters. Dana's "handicap" has made her tough and stubborn; we see the tremendous effort it takes to make herself understood, and how frustrated she gets when she can't. Bridger has learned to sign and she reads lips, but under the fatigue and uncertainty they face, sometimes communication between them breaks down. The thief, Peck, wears his sense of entitlement as naturally and easily as his Italian suits, and in the long stretches of narrative from his point of view, we are equally fascinated and repulsed by his absolute disregard for anyone but himself. Natalia, who he thinks he loves, is really just another fine possession, more complicated than a car perhaps, but manageable by charming lies or threatening fury.
T.C. Boyle is in fine fettle here. He can linger on a character's momentary interior state for a page and a half without boring us, because he can also cover a few days effectively in a single paragraph. Boyle's cleverness makes us smile. "At the impound yard --- CASH OR CREDIT ONLY NO CHECKS --- they waited in line for twenty minutes while the people in front of them put on a demonstration of the limits and varieties of hominid rage." And his incisive similes keep us firmly in a character's head. Here is Peck in an ecstatic mood: "Then it was back down what had to be one of the most scenic highways in the world, the road sliced right out of the side of the mountain like a long abdominal suture holding the two pieces together, and the view had never seemed so exotic to him, sailboats on the river like clean white napkins on a big blue tablecloth, the light portioning out the sky in pillars of fire."
TALK TALK succeeds because it ponders the mysteries of identity and communication while seducing the reader with that most primal of motives: revenge. Will Dana have it, and if she does, what will it cost her? Or will the wily Peck slip under the radar once again?
--- Reviewed by Eileen Zimmerman Nicol
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The Closers Review

The Closers
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The Closers ReviewIn Connelly's previous novel, The Narrows, Harry Bosch was seriously considering coming out of "retirement" and returning to service with the LAPD, despite several misgivings, one of which was the entrenched corruption throughout the force. However a new police chief is on board with a mission to clean house. Harry's old enemy, Deputy Chief Irving, a self-serving political player, wants Harry to fail and will do anything to achieve this end. Bosch has been assigned to the Open-Unsolved Unit, (cold cases) teamed up with his old partner, Kiz Rider, a no nonsense police woman in a predominately male domain, embark on an unsolved seventeen year old murder of a young girl, shot through the chest and taken out of her bedroom and dumped in a field. Harry attacks this unsolved murder with calculated zeal, leading to possible corruption in the force, pushing the case to it limits to find the perpetrator. The Closers begins at breakneck speed and doesn't let up until the last page is turned.
Reading The Closers was like meeting an old friend after a year of absence. Harry Bosch is one of the great characters in crime fiction, a man with an incredible sense of justice and an over bearing conscience, that pulls him into trouble from time to time. His relationship with Kiz Rider, as his partner, is a perfect match, as they know each other well, can read each other's thoughts before a word is spoken. Kiz never rides on Harry's coattails, but contributes to the motion, adding her own special skills to the investigation. Harry is older but he's a little smarter, and careful to stay within the bounds of the law. Kiz keeps Harry in line and is there to prevent him from slipping into his old, unorthodox habits.
As a piece of crime fiction, The Closers is by no means a character study, it is entirely plot driven, following Harry Bosch at work to every twist and turn of the case. Connelly knows how to write a crime novel and does not leave anything to the imagination. I have come to believe that the crime genre is an art form all its own, and Connelly has become one of its masters.
This is the real thing. Modern detective fiction doesn't get any better, and in the hands of Connelly, one can be sure the ride will be thoroughly entertaining; and The Closers delivers on all counts - a five star effort.

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The Watchman: A Joe Pike Novel Review

The Watchman: A Joe Pike Novel
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The Watchman: A Joe Pike Novel ReviewIn Joe Pike, "the world's greatest detective's" enigmatic and stoically violent sidekick of the "Elvis Cole" novels, the talented Robert Crais has created one of most intriguing characters in contemporary popular fiction. But with the wisecracking Cole still mostly sidelined from injuries suffered in "The Forgotten Man", Pike takes center stage in this well plotted, fast moving crime drama.
With his red-arrowed deltoids "going forward, never back", Pike, to repay an old debt, reluctantly takes on the task of protecting Larkin Barkley, a spoiled LA society brat drawn with shades of Paris Hilton, right down to the rat-dog-in-the-purse detail. Returning home from late night revelry, Barkley t-bones a Mercedes full of the wrong people, and in a convoluted twist, ends up as a witness under protection. But when it becomes clear that the folks who'd prefer that Barkley not testify are deadly serious, Joe Pike gets the job of keeping the pouting debutant safe and sound.
As always, Crais' prose is witty and fast moving. Joe Pike, who is about as chatty as Mount Rushmore, is cleverly contrasted against Larkin's tantrums. And Elvis Cole, while taking care not to swing the spotlight too far away from Pike's solo debut, throws around enough of his patented one-liners to keep his hardcore base smiling. But if the bond that builds gradually between Joe and Barkley stretches the bounds of credibility just a bit, this is, after all, fiction, and besides, Crais does a masterful job of building the sexual tension and creating - perish the thought - the hint of a soft side to Pike's impenetrable persona.
While perhaps lacking the edge and grit of today's "garage writers of grime" - guys like Charlie Huston, Duane Swierczynski, Charlie Stella, or Victor Gischler - Crais' polished pages capture LA's sleaze and majesty, designed for appeal to broad audiences. All in all, a slick and well-rendered effort from one of today's best writers of mainstream fiction - top entertainment that is well worth the time and the 15-buck hardcover.The Watchman: A Joe Pike Novel Overview

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City of Bones Review

City of Bones
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City of Bones ReviewI have heard lots of good comments about the Harry Bosch novels and I was not disappointed with this seventh book of the series. Bosch is a hard boiled homocide detective in the Hollywood division of the LAPD who gets a call that a dog has discovered a human bone. The investigation uncovers a 20 year old murder of a 12 year-old boy who was the victim of child abuse. As the case proceeds, Bosch meets and becomes involved with a rookie cop named Julia Brasher, who has an idealistic view of police work.
Some information leaks and false clues initially sidetrack the investigation but slowly the victim is identified and his short and tortured life revealed. Connelly draws his characters with fine strokes and his development of the details of the police procedures which are key to solving cases was really fascinating to me. Understanding the murder book, how warrants were drawn up and served, and details behind the forensic investigation added to my enjoyment of the story.
False directions provide intrigue but I was a little disappointed with the unsatisfying way the murderer was revealed and dealt with.
All in all though, a fast paced (I read it in one 24 hour period), and very enjoyable read.City of Bones Overview

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Waiting for the Apocalypse: A Memoir of Faith and Family Review

Waiting for the Apocalypse: A Memoir of Faith and Family
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Waiting for the Apocalypse: A Memoir of Faith and Family ReviewNot being a fan of any sort of religion, I'm curious, fascinated and a bit envious of people who believe deeply in their faith. Reading about Veronica Chater's pious mom and dad, and their travels between California and Portugal with 6 children in the 1970's to find the proper Catholic Utopia, is like watching fuzzy homemade movies of that era; and then trying to put the puzzle pieces together for days after, knowing there is a piece missing. Perhaps that piece is sanity. But you will enjoy the emotionally bumpy ride and come to find compassion for the characters you have absolutely nothing in common with. For example, the mother who prays in traffic with a load of kids in the backseat of the car, "Hail Mary, full of grace-Tracey, take that thing out of Jennifer's mouth before she chokes-who are in heaven hallowed be-Ronnie, that's enough pushing, keep your hands to yourself-kingdom come thy will be done on earth . . . Nick get off the floor!" Or, the dad, who quits the highway patrol, sells everything and has a backyard work shed called "the Womb" where he keeps track of Communists advancing across the globe.
I'm about half way through the book and I can't put it down. Chater is a talent not to be missed. She's a beautiful storyteller that keeps you coming back wanting more. This is the perfect book for a book club.Waiting for the Apocalypse: A Memoir of Faith and Family Overview

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Love and War in California: A Novel Review

Love and War in California: A Novel
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Love and War in California: A Novel ReviewPerhaps the best thing about Oakley Hall's latest novel Love & War in California is how clearly he brings to the page the passage from sheltered youth to experience. The action begins just after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Payton Daltrey is surrounded by college friends, ready to fall in love, and trying to figure out his place in the world, like most people his age. His family has fallen apart, leaving him on his own, working hard at two jobs, losing time for his fraternity, and entranced by a beautiful fellow student, Bonny.
The war that is growing with every week and month, takes his friends and his brother, leaving him to help a friend's pregnant girlfriend, and being in charge of another friend's "working girl." Payton tries to keep hold of all the strings attached to all of his friends as they embark on paths that will inevitably take them away from him. College is that interlude when we are choosing the direction of our lives, or at least direction we can start pursuing.
In 1942 California, the world war pulls Payton, like most of his generation, right out of the straight path of his life. He fights, survives, loses friends and fellow soldiers, and his blissful youth. He gains the maturity he probably would have had in time, though that time might have drawn itself out longer. He goes on to the write novels as he dreamed of doing. Late in life, he is honored for that writing, and finds that life's surprises are unending and always unexpected.
Hall brings to this novel the ability to capture both a 20-year-old's innocence in the brief period between Pearl Harbor and going off to war, and the experiences that same young man will have as he lives through the Battle of the Bulge and the liberation of a concentration camp. He shows great compassion for Payton's youth and idealism, never condescending to it, just faithfully rendering life-size and beautiful.
Armchair Interviews says: If you're looking for strong writing and a tale that is rooted in a time and universal at once, then try Love & War in California by Oakley Hall.Love and War in California: A Novel Overview

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Crime Novels: American Noir of the 1950s: The Killer Inside Me / The Talented Mr. Ripley / Pick-up / Down There / The Real Cool Killers (Library of America) (Vol 2) Review

Crime Novels: American Noir of the 1950s: The Killer Inside Me / The Talented Mr. Ripley / Pick-up / Down There / The Real Cool Killers (Library of America) (Vol 2)
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Crime Novels: American Noir of the 1950s: The Killer Inside Me / The Talented Mr. Ripley / Pick-up / Down There / The Real Cool Killers (Library of America) (Vol 2) ReviewThis book is the second volume in the Library of America set on American crime noir. I enjoyed the first volume so much that I decided to read the second one during Christmas break. Once again, the LOA has done a nice job of collecting a fine series of stories. These stories were written during the 1950's and 1960's. The book is nice to look at too; it's covered in red cloth with a cloth bookmark.
The first story is from the demented mind of Jim Thompson. This story, called The Killer Inside Me, is much better than The Grifters, a book by Thompson that I read some time ago. The Grifters seemed to be pretty one-dimensional with respect to its characters. This story is the exact opposite. A deputy sheriff in a Texas city has a terrible secret. He plays dumb on the outside, but inside he is a cunning sociopath. A long simmering resentment leads to a terrible revenge. Bodies quickly stack up as a result. This seems to be the story that Thompson is best known for and it's no surprise why. This is a dark, twisted tale with a grim ending.
Patricia Highsmith wrote a whole series of stories concerning Tom Ripley. The one included here is The Talented Mr. Ripley, probably better known due to the recent film with Matt Damon. This tale isn't as noir as I would have liked, but it still has enough twists and turns to keep anybody in suspense. Ripley is a low class conniver who ingratiates himself into a wealthy family who wants him to go to Italy and bring back their son. Ripley sees the potential for bucks and meets up with the kid and his lady friend. Of course, things take a turn for the worse and the bodies start stacking up. This story was probably my least favorite out of the entire collection.
The next story, Pick-Up, by Charles Willeford, is a depressing tale about two alcoholics who go bump in the night. The story follows the adventures of this alcoholic couple as they attempt suicide, check themselves into a mental hospital, and drink themselves into a stupor. After the female half of the couple dies in another suicide pact, the story switches to a prison tale. The end is somewhat of a twist, but really doesn't impact the story that much, in my opinion. Again, not really noir as noir can be, but still a fine story that can stand by itself.
Down There, by David Goodis, is a wild ride of a tale. Full of suspense and death, this is a great story that deserves to be included here. A family of ne'er-do-wells drags their talented piano-playing brother into their personal problems. The background information on Eddie, the piano player, is phenomenal. The tragedy that has struck him once is bound to repeat itself again. This story has great bit characters that really liven up the background.
The final story, by Chester Himes, is The Real Cool Killers. This is noir on acid: pornographic violence, massive doses of grim reality, and characters you're glad to see get killed. The story is set in Harlem and involves two tough cops named Grave Digger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson. Someone kills a white guy in Harlem and the cops try and track them down. This story contains one of the funniest descriptions of a person falling off a balcony that I've ever read (and I've read a few, disturbingly enough). The writing has enough similes and metaphors to give Raymond Chandler an apoplectic fit. A cool story that certainly deserves a place in this book.
If you like noir, read these two LOA novels. They are long (together they're almost 2000 pages) but it is definitely worth the effort. These kinds of stories are just a great way to while away some free time and relieve stress.Crime Novels: American Noir of the 1950s: The Killer Inside Me / The Talented Mr. Ripley / Pick-up / Down There / The Real Cool Killers (Library of America) (Vol 2) Overview

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The Big Sleep; Farewell, My Lovely; The High Window (Everyman's Library) Review

The Big Sleep; Farewell, My Lovely; The High Window (Everyman's Library)
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The Big Sleep; Farewell, My Lovely; The High Window (Everyman's Library) ReviewNot whether to get it -- for you must -- but which edition to get it in -- that is the question. And the Everyman's edition is the edition you want. It has three novels to Modern Library's two, and its paper is thicker than that of the Library of America edition. The font is a tad smaller than that in the Vintage Crime paperback editions, but still pleasantly readable. And the hardcover binding is a sturdy, beautiful and very strokable red cloth.
As for the novels themselves, well, suffice to say, they are classics: addictive, page-turning, vivid, funny, haunting. The characters are original and believable. All rendered in tight prose and witty, convincing dialogues.
Enjoy.The Big Sleep; Farewell, My Lovely; The High Window (Everyman's Library) Overview

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Three Complete Novels: "G" Is for Gumshoe, "H" Is for Homicide, and "I" Is for Innocent Review

Three Complete Novels: G Is for Gumshoe, H Is for Homicide, and I Is for Innocent
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Three Complete Novels: "G" Is for Gumshoe, "H" Is for Homicide, and "I" Is for Innocent ReviewI've been buying the Kinsey Milhone series as they have been published as 3-in-one hardbacks since last year when I finally discovered these fun little mystery books. I now wish I had discovered them years ago. These Kinsey Milhone mysteries,and Sue Graftons writing style have matured as the series progresses.
These books are easy reads - not terribly deep but they don't pretend to be anything but that either. I also recomend Janet Evonovich's Stephanie Plum series for readers who are fans of Grafton heroine Kinsey Milhone. Although Evanovich's heroine "Stephanie plum" is somewhat more of a "character" and the situations are far more unbelievable (intentionally so), the books are just as much fun.Three Complete Novels: "G" Is for Gumshoe, "H" Is for Homicide, and "I" Is for Innocent Overview

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Raymond Chandler: Later Novels and Other Writings: The Lady in the Lake / The Little Sister / The Long Goodbye / Playback /Double Indemnity / Selected Essays and Letters (Library of America) Review

Raymond Chandler: Later Novels and Other Writings: The Lady in the Lake / The Little Sister / The Long Goodbye / Playback /Double Indemnity / Selected Essays and Letters (Library of America)
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Raymond Chandler: Later Novels and Other Writings: The Lady in the Lake / The Little Sister / The Long Goodbye / Playback /Double Indemnity / Selected Essays and Letters (Library of America) ReviewContained in this volume are the last four (of seven) Marlowe novels, the Double Indemnity script co-written with Billy Wilder (including lines that were cut), his famous essay on "The Simple Art of Murder", one on "Writers in Hollywood", another titled "Twelve Notes on the Mystery Story", and finally "Notes (very brief, please) on English and American Style". Couple these with thoroughly entertaining and sometimes revealing letters to friends and fans, and you can't miss.
In one of these letters he even discusses fellow hardboiled writer Ross Macdonald's (here called John, as he hadn't changed his name yet) The Moving Target, which cribbed some ideas from The Big Sleep and Dashiell Hammett's The Thin Man.
The novels themselves? Classic Chandler - enough said. If you'd like to know why you should expect the best in hardboiled detective fiction, well, read 'em all, or at least one. (If you're planning on that course of action, try the first in the series, The Big Sleep, included in a similar volume called Stories and Early Novels: Pulp Stories/The Big Sleep/Farewell, My Lovely/The High Window.)
Bottom line, this is required reading for anyone who won't read just anything but at the same time doesn't limit themself to Anna Karenina.Raymond Chandler: Later Novels and Other Writings: The Lady in the Lake / The Little Sister / The Long Goodbye / Playback /Double Indemnity / Selected Essays and Letters (Library of America) Overview

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The Harry Bosch Novels Volume 2: The Last Coyote, Trunk Music, Angels Flight Review

The Harry Bosch Novels Volume 2: The Last Coyote, Trunk Music, Angels Flight
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The Harry Bosch Novels Volume 2: The Last Coyote, Trunk Music, Angels Flight ReviewFormer newspaper reporter Michael Connelly has been writing intriguing and suspenseful novels for his Harry Bosch protagonist for over a decade now. The first six of these novels have been collected into two hardcover omnibus volumes.
The first volume is certainly required reading if you want to understand the complete background and motivations of this brooding LAPD detective who won't tolerate injustice or any human vice that feeds it either directly (corruption, politics) or indirectly (bureaucracy, laziness, incompetence). They're interesting reads for sure, especially "The Concrete Blonde". However, those earlier stories expose Connelly as a new novelist unsure of what type of character Bosch is destined to be.
This second volume is the work of a much more seasoned and confident author writing about a multi-dimensional and human character. Without giving away any spoilers, I'll say that these three books develop Bosch well beyond just a grim crime-solving automaton who moves from case to case in a very detached manner. He goes after crimes that have personal significance and he undertakes situations outside his role as a police detective. The result is that by the time you turn the last page, you'll be hooked on the Bosch character, not just the stories of the crimes he's solved. That's the hallmark of a great fiction series.
Plus, these three stories are varied and intriguing in their own separate ways. The universe of characters that surround Bosch rotate in and out in ways that are highly interesting without being incredible. "Trunk Music" stretches this point a bit with a story that throws in every angle imaginable and almost loses its way. However, "Angels Flight" rebounds superbly and gets my vote for the finest book of either volume.
These volumes are must-haves for anyone interested in getting acquainted with one of the best mystery writers working today. At a price less than the cost of three paperbacks, you get a well-bound and attractive hardcover book, making this package a wonderful value as well.The Harry Bosch Novels Volume 2: The Last Coyote, Trunk Music, Angels Flight Overview

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