Eric Van Lustbader
Book 5 in the Jason Bourne series
Having seen the Bourne movies, I figure I would start this series after the films. Treadstone is dead and Bourne is basically free of Central Intelligence. But when his only really friend Martin Lindros ends up missing, he goes out to find him. His contacts at CI try to support him, or wrangle him, and the NSA and DOD basically want him dead. Lots of back home political intrigue intertwined with the spy thriller action of finding out what happened to Lindros. And Bourne brings in his contacts in Russian FSB and drug/weapons selling cartels to help him out. It seems like a few individuals rise to the top as "trustworthy", but in his life, Bourne can never be sure.
3 stars (out of 4)
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
The Black Ice
Michael Connelly
Book 2 in the Harry Bosch Series
Black Ice, referring to that invisible layer of ice that is deposited on roads in freezing rain. Bosch catches the case of a police officer suicide. But something doesn't sit right and when he starts poking, the trail leads him (solo, of course) to Mexico and the drug trade. Nothing is ever quite what it seems at first glance, and it is always surprisingly dangerous.
3 stars (out of 4)
Book 2 in the Harry Bosch Series
Black Ice, referring to that invisible layer of ice that is deposited on roads in freezing rain. Bosch catches the case of a police officer suicide. But something doesn't sit right and when he starts poking, the trail leads him (solo, of course) to Mexico and the drug trade. Nothing is ever quite what it seems at first glance, and it is always surprisingly dangerous.
3 stars (out of 4)
Monday, July 23, 2018
A Darker Shade of Magic
V.E. Schwab
Shades of Magic Trilogy
A really quite interesting world set in several Londons. That is, a London exists in 4 different worlds, with 4 different levels of access to magic. In the past, doors were open between the worlds and people could travel between them. But then bad things happened in Black London, and the doors were sealed. Now only the Antari can make doors, and there are only two Antari left. Kell (who belongs to the royalty in Red London where magic is ubiquitous and good) and Holland (who belongs to the royalty in White London where all magic is used to acquire power). Kell meets up with small time thief Lila in Grey London (where magic no longer exists) and the two of them become embroiled in a magical thriller to save all London from the evil of Black. A nice world that Schwab has created and probably Lila is my favorite character, so hoping she becomes the prime protagonist in book 2
3 stars (out of 4)
Shades of Magic Trilogy
A really quite interesting world set in several Londons. That is, a London exists in 4 different worlds, with 4 different levels of access to magic. In the past, doors were open between the worlds and people could travel between them. But then bad things happened in Black London, and the doors were sealed. Now only the Antari can make doors, and there are only two Antari left. Kell (who belongs to the royalty in Red London where magic is ubiquitous and good) and Holland (who belongs to the royalty in White London where all magic is used to acquire power). Kell meets up with small time thief Lila in Grey London (where magic no longer exists) and the two of them become embroiled in a magical thriller to save all London from the evil of Black. A nice world that Schwab has created and probably Lila is my favorite character, so hoping she becomes the prime protagonist in book 2
3 stars (out of 4)
Saturday, July 21, 2018
The Last Coyote
Michael Connelly
Book 4 in the Harry Bosch Series
Following all the Dollmaker mess, Bosch is suspended until he gets signed off by his department shrink. And while sorting all of his personal life out, he is led to reopen the 30 year old cold-case that is his mother's murder. There is LA political intrigue, and Bosch is dealing with the red-tagging of his house due to the recent 1994 Northridge earthquake. So while doing his job, he is digging into his own psyche and trying to figure out whether he is actually a "lonely, isolated coyote", or if there is anyone he can trust.
3 stars (out of 4)
Book 4 in the Harry Bosch Series
Following all the Dollmaker mess, Bosch is suspended until he gets signed off by his department shrink. And while sorting all of his personal life out, he is led to reopen the 30 year old cold-case that is his mother's murder. There is LA political intrigue, and Bosch is dealing with the red-tagging of his house due to the recent 1994 Northridge earthquake. So while doing his job, he is digging into his own psyche and trying to figure out whether he is actually a "lonely, isolated coyote", or if there is anyone he can trust.
3 stars (out of 4)
Thursday, July 19, 2018
The Concrete Blonde
Michael Connelly
Book 3 in the Harry Bosch Series
The character of Bosch is deeply rooted in his mothers death and his solving of the case of the Dollmaker, a serial killer who made up his victims with their own makeup. The fact that solving this case resulted in Bosch killing the Dollmaker while confronting him at home means that of course, there will be a lawsuit. This book allows Connelly to simultaneously offer a crime to solve, while also telling the history of the the Dollmaker case to provide deep background on Harry. Turns out, in the middle of this trial, another Dollmaker victim is found and is clearly a victim two full years after Bosch killed the suspect. So... Bosch must sit through a trial and solve a case at the same time. Somehow all the ancillary characters (other detectives, lawyers, reporters, etc.) are caricatures, perhaps by contrast, allowing the main characters to appear more full without much effort. I am not sure, but something to watch as I work through the series.
3 stars (out of 4)
Book 3 in the Harry Bosch Series
The character of Bosch is deeply rooted in his mothers death and his solving of the case of the Dollmaker, a serial killer who made up his victims with their own makeup. The fact that solving this case resulted in Bosch killing the Dollmaker while confronting him at home means that of course, there will be a lawsuit. This book allows Connelly to simultaneously offer a crime to solve, while also telling the history of the the Dollmaker case to provide deep background on Harry. Turns out, in the middle of this trial, another Dollmaker victim is found and is clearly a victim two full years after Bosch killed the suspect. So... Bosch must sit through a trial and solve a case at the same time. Somehow all the ancillary characters (other detectives, lawyers, reporters, etc.) are caricatures, perhaps by contrast, allowing the main characters to appear more full without much effort. I am not sure, but something to watch as I work through the series.
3 stars (out of 4)
Monday, July 16, 2018
The Dark Echo
Michael Connelly
Book 1 in the Harry Bosch Series
Detective Harry Bosch is an LA cop created by Connelly in the early 90's, shortly after the LA riots. He is an old school, 40 something, stereotypical cowboy cop working the homicide table in the Hollywood division. I loved the Bosch TV series put out by Amazon starring Titus Welliver and figured I would give the books a try. While the series takes liberties with the characters details, the books and series definitely portray LA as central to the storytelling and I look forward to seeing how that evolves over a couple of decades. In this introductory novel, Bosch is working a case where he ID's the victim as a guy he new in Vietnam. This leads to a complex unwinding of an old bank robbery, some smuggling, and the psychological complexities of Bosch working through his own history in Vietnam and recent notoriety having worked an LAPD serial killer case. My mental images while reading are definitely colored by the TV portrayal, but I would characterize that as an enhancement of my enjoyment. This is a classic police procedural, murder mystery setup that delivers exactly what a beach reader is looking for (and likely continues to deliver based on the 20 or so books still to come in the series).
3 stars (out of 4)
Book 1 in the Harry Bosch Series
Detective Harry Bosch is an LA cop created by Connelly in the early 90's, shortly after the LA riots. He is an old school, 40 something, stereotypical cowboy cop working the homicide table in the Hollywood division. I loved the Bosch TV series put out by Amazon starring Titus Welliver and figured I would give the books a try. While the series takes liberties with the characters details, the books and series definitely portray LA as central to the storytelling and I look forward to seeing how that evolves over a couple of decades. In this introductory novel, Bosch is working a case where he ID's the victim as a guy he new in Vietnam. This leads to a complex unwinding of an old bank robbery, some smuggling, and the psychological complexities of Bosch working through his own history in Vietnam and recent notoriety having worked an LAPD serial killer case. My mental images while reading are definitely colored by the TV portrayal, but I would characterize that as an enhancement of my enjoyment. This is a classic police procedural, murder mystery setup that delivers exactly what a beach reader is looking for (and likely continues to deliver based on the 20 or so books still to come in the series).
3 stars (out of 4)
Monday, July 2, 2018
Everfair
Nisi Shawl
A self described steam-punk alternate history, and it is exactly that. The history involved is that of the colonization of the Belgian Congo in the 1900's. The alternate part of the history consists of Shawl envisioning Belgian King Leopold selling most of the land of the Congo to a collection of nationalists (local tribal leaders, African-American slave repatriationists, and missionaries) who work with various levels of cooperation to create an African nation. Of course, each of these groups has its own idea of what said African nation should consist of and how it should be governed. Throw in the fact that the scientists of this nation are global leaders in automation technology (developing and perfecting dirigible transportation, steam/nuclear powered bicycles, and knife throwing guns) and we get the steam-punk flavor. This is in some ways a fascinating vision and imaginative story telling. But somehow it also left me yearning for more, ultimately being too mired in the reality of colonization, race, and nation building. While providing insights about these realities along the way, I feel like a truly good alternate history will at least hint at an alternate future that is more optimistic. Here, Shawl simply provides a history that leads to a present that is different, but in many ways just as deficient in hope.
3 stars (out of 4)
A self described steam-punk alternate history, and it is exactly that. The history involved is that of the colonization of the Belgian Congo in the 1900's. The alternate part of the history consists of Shawl envisioning Belgian King Leopold selling most of the land of the Congo to a collection of nationalists (local tribal leaders, African-American slave repatriationists, and missionaries) who work with various levels of cooperation to create an African nation. Of course, each of these groups has its own idea of what said African nation should consist of and how it should be governed. Throw in the fact that the scientists of this nation are global leaders in automation technology (developing and perfecting dirigible transportation, steam/nuclear powered bicycles, and knife throwing guns) and we get the steam-punk flavor. This is in some ways a fascinating vision and imaginative story telling. But somehow it also left me yearning for more, ultimately being too mired in the reality of colonization, race, and nation building. While providing insights about these realities along the way, I feel like a truly good alternate history will at least hint at an alternate future that is more optimistic. Here, Shawl simply provides a history that leads to a present that is different, but in many ways just as deficient in hope.
3 stars (out of 4)
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