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Stan Turner #8
Act Normal
In this 8th episode of the Stan Turner Mystery series Dallas attorney Stan Turner struggles to keep his practice going in the wake of the tragic loss of his son and his rapidly disintegrating marriage. Stan, who has been recruited by the CIA for its ultra top secret Tarizon Repopulation project, gets his first assignment to defend a woman accused of murdering her children and alien husband. The alien husband, however, is not from Mexico but Tarizon, a planet in another solar system. Stan must not only prove his client innocent but also make sure nobody finds out that the government is allowing aliens to live and propagate on Earth. While Stan is busy with his CIA project, Paula is asked to defend the accused in the arson-murder of a prominent scientist and his family. While a bitter feud between neighbors over a barking dog and a chain link fence appears to be the motive for the crime, Paula discovers several others who have benefited from Chester Brown's death. In the midst of the two murder cases Stan is lured into a dangerous relationship with an alien woman assigned to him as a legal assistant. He soon learns that the women of Tarizon are even more mysterious and dangerous than those on Earth.
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First published September 1, 2007
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About the author
William Manchee
39 books192 followersWilliam Manchee is an attorney by trade and practices consumer law in Texas with his son Jim. Originally from southern California, he now lives in Plano, Texas. He is the author of 25 novels including the Stan Turner Mysteries, Rich Coleman Novels, and the Tarizon Saga.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
December 5, 2013
Quick! Someone call the homophone police! The responsible party for editing this book needs to be read his rights and sent back to school until he understands that the spell-check feature on a computer is not the only tool needed when proofing text. I was almost able to overlook the mistakes in punctuation due to the overwhelming number of the other. The errors are numerous enough to seriously detract from an otherwise decent story. But I did not espy a single misspelled word, by the gods!
The author's naming scheme was a mite confusing. There was D.A. Gary Wakefield, and a prosecutor named Gary Shepard. We had a bank officer called Ben Adams, while one of the principal characters was Ben Stover. To muck things up even further, there was yet another character with the running name of Carlton Stovers. Aaargh!
This was a first-reads giveaway. I entered because the synopsis sounded intriguing. The planet Tarizon is dying, the females there are almost always sterile due to the toxicity of the air. To prevent the race from disappearing, Tarizon males have come here to marry Earth women and have children. Eventually, the alien fathers will take their children and return to Tarizon, leaving behind the birth mothers who have no knowledge that they have been used as nothing more than breeding stock. They just know that their family has disappeared.
It turned out that this was more of a legal thriller than anything else, and while the two cases were interesting, I would have liked for there to have been more alien activity.
The author's naming scheme was a mite confusing. There was D.A. Gary Wakefield, and a prosecutor named Gary Shepard. We had a bank officer called Ben Adams, while one of the principal characters was Ben Stover. To muck things up even further, there was yet another character with the running name of Carlton Stovers. Aaargh!
This was a first-reads giveaway. I entered because the synopsis sounded intriguing. The planet Tarizon is dying, the females there are almost always sterile due to the toxicity of the air. To prevent the race from disappearing, Tarizon males have come here to marry Earth women and have children. Eventually, the alien fathers will take their children and return to Tarizon, leaving behind the birth mothers who have no knowledge that they have been used as nothing more than breeding stock. They just know that their family has disappeared.
It turned out that this was more of a legal thriller than anything else, and while the two cases were interesting, I would have liked for there to have been more alien activity.
February 10, 2013
I was delighted to receive this book from Goodreads Giveaways. It mixes a science-fiction alien story with a Stieg Larsson type mystery thriller about two Attorney's (Stan Turner/Paula) working separate murder cases. It is a very creative and interesting story and kept my attention like The girl with the Dragon Tatoo series.
August 7, 2013
I received a copy of this book from the firstreads giveaway. I thought it looked interesting--mystery and aliens seemed a promising combination.
Unfortunately it didn't turn out to be what I expected. The cases and court proceedings were fine, but otherwise...It just didn't live up to what I expect from a good book.
The style and editing issues with the book were too big to overlook. I think it was a poor decision to have used the first person when writing multiple viewpoint characters--while Stan and Paula did alternate chapters, they were written so identically that, even being careful and rechecking which perspective the previous chapter was, I did end up getting confused occasionally and finished chapters thinking it had been from the opposite person's perspective. Additionally, Bart gets his own perspective in the middle of one of Paula's chapters with absolutely no indication the reader is now in his head. There were rampant grammar issues that should not have made their way into the finished copy, and sometimes even the wrong people mentioned at key places, such as claiming a wife was cheating on her husband when the evidence was supposed to be that the husband was cheating on his wife.
The other things I just couldn't get past with this book were the stereotyping and the misogyny. Now, I don't get the feeling it was the author's intention to go out of his way to do these things, but I absolutely expect more from a book written in '07. The Japanese woman should have been speaking English as well as any of the other characters. The reasons for many of the characters' actions were explained away through gendered stereotypes. I could not be sympathetic toward Stan because nothing was his fault--even though many things were his fault. Also, the aliens had huge, huge problems. They came to Earth to breed women, but the alien women--who were infertile on their own planet--could get pregnant on Earth. I think I was supposed to think that there was some arrangement with the government wherein the aliens could come to Earth in exchange for sharing technology and therefore I should just accept that they do this. I could not figure out why they weren't given their own place to use their Earth-induced fertility. And while this is my first Stan Turner book and there may be some other explanation I missed in another book, the real problem I have is that the author chose to put these things in here. Things didn't have to be so much this way, and since it was pretty clear no statement was actually being made (this was written more for entertainment), I just can't find any reason why it's acceptable to fill the story with so much misogyny.
Unfortunately, I don't recommend this book. I think the idea behind it had potential, but what I read did not live up to that.
Unfortunately it didn't turn out to be what I expected. The cases and court proceedings were fine, but otherwise...It just didn't live up to what I expect from a good book.
The style and editing issues with the book were too big to overlook. I think it was a poor decision to have used the first person when writing multiple viewpoint characters--while Stan and Paula did alternate chapters, they were written so identically that, even being careful and rechecking which perspective the previous chapter was, I did end up getting confused occasionally and finished chapters thinking it had been from the opposite person's perspective. Additionally, Bart gets his own perspective in the middle of one of Paula's chapters with absolutely no indication the reader is now in his head. There were rampant grammar issues that should not have made their way into the finished copy, and sometimes even the wrong people mentioned at key places, such as claiming a wife was cheating on her husband when the evidence was supposed to be that the husband was cheating on his wife.
The other things I just couldn't get past with this book were the stereotyping and the misogyny. Now, I don't get the feeling it was the author's intention to go out of his way to do these things, but I absolutely expect more from a book written in '07. The Japanese woman should have been speaking English as well as any of the other characters. The reasons for many of the characters' actions were explained away through gendered stereotypes. I could not be sympathetic toward Stan because nothing was his fault--even though many things were his fault. Also, the aliens had huge, huge problems. They came to Earth to breed women, but the alien women--who were infertile on their own planet--could get pregnant on Earth. I think I was supposed to think that there was some arrangement with the government wherein the aliens could come to Earth in exchange for sharing technology and therefore I should just accept that they do this. I could not figure out why they weren't given their own place to use their Earth-induced fertility. And while this is my first Stan Turner book and there may be some other explanation I missed in another book, the real problem I have is that the author chose to put these things in here. Things didn't have to be so much this way, and since it was pretty clear no statement was actually being made (this was written more for entertainment), I just can't find any reason why it's acceptable to fill the story with so much misogyny.
Unfortunately, I don't recommend this book. I think the idea behind it had potential, but what I read did not live up to that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2013
I received this book through Goodreads First Reads giveaway. I appreciate Goodreads and the author for letting me read this book for free. Thanks!
This is a hard review to write because I liked the book in many ways but it is deeply flawed in so many others. Here's what I liked. The plot did keep me very interested. The sections of the book that were pure legal thriller were very good and intriguing. I did want to know what happened next and how the trials were going to turn out. The characters pulled me in and I did feel like I knew them even though this is the eighth book in a series but the first one I had read. I enjoyed the time I spent reading this and I wish it had been a pure legal thriller.
Here's what I didn't like. It wasn't a pure legal thriller. Every time the aliens came up, I had to roll my eyes. The whole alien aspect to this was just so unnecessary and cheesy. It threw me out of the mood of the book every time.
What was worse than the alien plot line was the editing! Quotation marks were quite often in the wrong place which made reading dialogue a bit challenging in a few places. Characters were called by the wrong names several times. Ben was called Dan, Ruth was called Barbara. The wrong words were used such as own for down. And practically every meal was eaten at IHOP. Small continuity errors abounded. I think a good editor could have cleaned up all this and the author would have had a pretty good book on his hands. As it is, I just couldn't give it a higher rating than 2 stars.
This is a hard review to write because I liked the book in many ways but it is deeply flawed in so many others. Here's what I liked. The plot did keep me very interested. The sections of the book that were pure legal thriller were very good and intriguing. I did want to know what happened next and how the trials were going to turn out. The characters pulled me in and I did feel like I knew them even though this is the eighth book in a series but the first one I had read. I enjoyed the time I spent reading this and I wish it had been a pure legal thriller.
Here's what I didn't like. It wasn't a pure legal thriller. Every time the aliens came up, I had to roll my eyes. The whole alien aspect to this was just so unnecessary and cheesy. It threw me out of the mood of the book every time.
What was worse than the alien plot line was the editing! Quotation marks were quite often in the wrong place which made reading dialogue a bit challenging in a few places. Characters were called by the wrong names several times. Ben was called Dan, Ruth was called Barbara. The wrong words were used such as own for down. And practically every meal was eaten at IHOP. Small continuity errors abounded. I think a good editor could have cleaned up all this and the author would have had a pretty good book on his hands. As it is, I just couldn't give it a higher rating than 2 stars.
January 14, 2011
i enjoyed the book to the max mr manchee used the
same town and as first that that kevin might ended up in here but the book is about the cia and the alien that want the earth so they send there women to get married and then have kids the story keep you on your toes family are all most destroyed and brought back together and the lawyer were wicked i give the book top rate and love them
same town and as first that that kevin might ended up in here but the book is about the cia and the alien that want the earth so they send there women to get married and then have kids the story keep you on your toes family are all most destroyed and brought back together and the lawyer were wicked i give the book top rate and love them
June 21, 2011
Another fantastic, action packed Stan Turner adventure! There are so many different edge of your seat stories taking place in this novel. It is amazing how far this author has come since the very first Stan Turner story I read. Kudos Mr Manchee! Looking forward to HEARING, "Tarizon: The Liberator Volume 1
March 2, 2013
5.0 out of 5 stars for "Act Normal," by William Manchee
Anyone who loves a great battle between lawyers will love this story. "Act Normal" is a book of twists and turns yet it is a relaxing read. I recommend it!
Stan is recruited by the CIA for its ultra top secret Tarizon Re-population project. His first assignment is to defend a woman accused of murdering her children and alien husband. The alien husband, however, is not from Mexico but Tarizon, a planet in another solar system. Stan must not only prove his client innocent but also make sure nobody finds out the government is allowing aliens to live and propagate on Earth. While Stan is busy with his CIA project, Paula is asked to defend the accused in the arson-murder of a prominent scientist and his family. While a bitter feud between neighbors over a barking dog and a chain link fence appears to be the motive for the crime, Paula discovers several others who have benefited from Chester Brown's death. In the midst of the two murder investigations Stan is lured into a dangerous relationship with an alien woman assigned to keep an eye on him. He soon learns the women of Tarizon are much more dangerous than those on Earth.
Anyone who loves a great battle between lawyers will love this story. "Act Normal" is a book of twists and turns yet it is a relaxing read. I recommend it!
Stan is recruited by the CIA for its ultra top secret Tarizon Re-population project. His first assignment is to defend a woman accused of murdering her children and alien husband. The alien husband, however, is not from Mexico but Tarizon, a planet in another solar system. Stan must not only prove his client innocent but also make sure nobody finds out the government is allowing aliens to live and propagate on Earth. While Stan is busy with his CIA project, Paula is asked to defend the accused in the arson-murder of a prominent scientist and his family. While a bitter feud between neighbors over a barking dog and a chain link fence appears to be the motive for the crime, Paula discovers several others who have benefited from Chester Brown's death. In the midst of the two murder investigations Stan is lured into a dangerous relationship with an alien woman assigned to keep an eye on him. He soon learns the women of Tarizon are much more dangerous than those on Earth.
April 9, 2013
I received Act Normal by William Manchee from Goodreads, free, for a review. While the plot was interesting, with a sci-fi twist, it was in desperate need of some good editing.
The story is about two lawyers, Stan Turner and Paula Waters, and two murder cases, with an embezzlement case thrown in for good measure. As this is book eight in the Stan Turner Mystery series, there are obviously some allusion to past story lines; however, this didn't deter from the plot in Act Normal.
An interesting twist are the human-looking aliens from Tarizon. Their repopulation program has made Stan a pawn in their game. Although a major "bad guy" for Stan (they've kidnapped his son), they are also the reason Stan and Paula have the defenses they do.
This could have easily been a four- or five-star rating. However, there were so many editing issues that, at times, the story didn't flow and there were glaring contradiction problems.
The story is about two lawyers, Stan Turner and Paula Waters, and two murder cases, with an embezzlement case thrown in for good measure. As this is book eight in the Stan Turner Mystery series, there are obviously some allusion to past story lines; however, this didn't deter from the plot in Act Normal.
An interesting twist are the human-looking aliens from Tarizon. Their repopulation program has made Stan a pawn in their game. Although a major "bad guy" for Stan (they've kidnapped his son), they are also the reason Stan and Paula have the defenses they do.
This could have easily been a four- or five-star rating. However, there were so many editing issues that, at times, the story didn't flow and there were glaring contradiction problems.
February 17, 2013
~Good Reads Winner~
This was hard to review due to not having read any of the previous Stan Turner Mysteries. So, perhaps that is why I was unable to connect very deeply with any of the characters and the story. I did read the entire book, and over all it was enjoyable and decently written. I just felt as though I was reading a surface report as opposed to being drawn into the story. I love SciFi and would have enjoyed learning more of that aspect of the book. Again, this may be due to not being familiar with the previous books. Only a couple of typos and a bit confusing trying to figure out who was speaking in each chapter, but it wasn't too hard. I think I would like to read the earlier books and then re-read this one.
This was hard to review due to not having read any of the previous Stan Turner Mysteries. So, perhaps that is why I was unable to connect very deeply with any of the characters and the story. I did read the entire book, and over all it was enjoyable and decently written. I just felt as though I was reading a surface report as opposed to being drawn into the story. I love SciFi and would have enjoyed learning more of that aspect of the book. Again, this may be due to not being familiar with the previous books. Only a couple of typos and a bit confusing trying to figure out who was speaking in each chapter, but it wasn't too hard. I think I would like to read the earlier books and then re-read this one.
March 6, 2013
What a surprise this book was. I knew it would be a suspense novel, but the alien thing kind of threw me for a loop. It was a little confusing with each chapter alternating being narrative by Stan and Paula. I got the hang of it, but if I put the book down for a time I would have to remember whose turn it was. I rarely put the book down, though. Wonderful story. I won't give anything away, but I can't wait to read more! I won this on goodreads - thanks!
August 15, 2019
Act Normal by William Manchee
This story starts out with Stan and he's approached again from the CIA agents about a case that involves a woman from the other planet in the other solar system.
He knows about his son and that he's not dead and has seen pictures of him as he first arrives on the planet.
Alternating chapters follow Paula and her case as they acquire a new office secretary. Little do they all but Stan know where she really came from and she's only here to get pregnant and then head back...
Like that the chapter headings also include the lawyers name so we know if it's Paula or Stans case.
Rebekka is still grieving for her son as her parents help with the 3 children remaining... Stan wishes he could show her.. but they'd come for her then..
Things happen that are erased from ones memory and it's nice to know he's able to share one secret...
Like personal things like Paula's boyfriend who was to be the DA on the case but since Stan took over there's a conflict of interest now and Mark is fired...
Rebekka is still grieving for her son as her parents help with the 3 children remaining... Stan wishes he could show her.. but they'd come for her then..
Like hearing of how hidden the base is located and the things the agent is able to share...
Love hearing of the travel and how the case is solved-so unique with questions... Can't wait to read more of this series. Each book can be read as a stand alone.
Just cuz the case is over with doesn't mean the story ends, so much more happens after...
Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
This story starts out with Stan and he's approached again from the CIA agents about a case that involves a woman from the other planet in the other solar system.
He knows about his son and that he's not dead and has seen pictures of him as he first arrives on the planet.
Alternating chapters follow Paula and her case as they acquire a new office secretary. Little do they all but Stan know where she really came from and she's only here to get pregnant and then head back...
Like that the chapter headings also include the lawyers name so we know if it's Paula or Stans case.
Rebekka is still grieving for her son as her parents help with the 3 children remaining... Stan wishes he could show her.. but they'd come for her then..
Things happen that are erased from ones memory and it's nice to know he's able to share one secret...
Like personal things like Paula's boyfriend who was to be the DA on the case but since Stan took over there's a conflict of interest now and Mark is fired...
Rebekka is still grieving for her son as her parents help with the 3 children remaining... Stan wishes he could show her.. but they'd come for her then..
Like hearing of how hidden the base is located and the things the agent is able to share...
Love hearing of the travel and how the case is solved-so unique with questions... Can't wait to read more of this series. Each book can be read as a stand alone.
Just cuz the case is over with doesn't mean the story ends, so much more happens after...
Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
January 23, 2017
A book received through Goodreads Giveaways.
Mixed feeling about this novel which appears to be the 8th novel in a series of books involving lawyer Stan Turner. Perhaps because this is the first novel of the series of novels that I have read, I likely have missed quite a lot of what has transpired o this point in time. This is particularly true with the sections of the book that deal with the alien subplot. The inclusion of aliens within the context of more legal procedural subplots seems out of place to me. Then again, I did not particularly like the movie Cowboys and Aliens either. On the other hand the aspects of the novel dealing with the legal profession were thoroughly enjoyable.
Mixed feeling about this novel which appears to be the 8th novel in a series of books involving lawyer Stan Turner. Perhaps because this is the first novel of the series of novels that I have read, I likely have missed quite a lot of what has transpired o this point in time. This is particularly true with the sections of the book that deal with the alien subplot. The inclusion of aliens within the context of more legal procedural subplots seems out of place to me. Then again, I did not particularly like the movie Cowboys and Aliens either. On the other hand the aspects of the novel dealing with the legal profession were thoroughly enjoyable.
October 31, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyed this William Manchee novel. When I was younger I enjoyed John Grisham and this reminded me of the excitement of a criminal trial and what the attorney's going through although their certainly weren't any aliens in those. This added an exciting action element to the story. Still not sure how I feel about the Tehra situation but perhaps another book in the series will settle that for me.
July 9, 2024
This was a continuation of the previous book. It is a Sci-fi, Mystery, Lawyer book. It all mixes together and comes together fairly well. This is is more Sci-fi than the last. The story is okay but is too repetitive of the previous book. As much imagination as is used to write this, I felt the offshore banking thing was almost exactly the same. I received a free copy of this book from William Manchee through Voracious Readers Only.
March 15, 2023
Interesting series
October 6, 2024
I liked this book, ending leaves it open for sequel, enjoy the lawyer stories. kept me interested.
November 17, 2017
Act Normal by William Manchee is a unique read. It mixes a science-fiction alien story with a John Grisham type mystery thriller about 2 attorney's working separate murder cases. The US Government has agreed to work with the Tarizon aliens in exchange for new technology. Since the aliens are also human, they are using Earth to repopulate their planet since massive volcanic eruptions caused huge loses of life on their planet Tarizon. Stan Turner is an attorney at the Turner & Waters Law Firm in Texas. He is being used by the CIA and the aliens from Tarizon to help hide the aliens existence on Earth. They have abducted Stan's son and are using that as leverage in order to retain his services. His first assignment is to defend a Earth woman that is accused of killing her alien husband and children. He has to do this while also keeping the alien occupation a secret, even to his law partner Paula Waters. Paula on the other hand has her own murder case to defend.
I liked the story idea that Manchee has here, I just think it could have been constructed better. The first chapter is told in first person by Stanley Turner, an attorney for Turner & Waters Law Firm. The second chapter is told in first person by Paula Waters, also an attorney for Turner & Waters law firm. This rotation continues throughout the book and is confusing at first but you get used to it. Since you are getting first person point of view from both law partners every other chapter, there is some repetition in the story line which draws the book out a little. Also, I noticed there were some inconsistencies through the book. One of them being that early in the book Stan ask one of the aliens how long it took to travel to Earth and the answer was 9 months, later in the book he ask another alien how long it took to get there and the answer was 1 year. Also, the character names were really similar, which I found odd. Stan is one of the attorneys and Mr. Stanley is the defendant Paula is defending. Paula also works with Paul who does research for her. Ben is one of Stan's clients who has to fire an employee for embezzling money to the Cayman Islands. When Stan goes to the bank in the Cayman Islands, the bankers name is Ben. So, I thought it was odd that with limited characters the names were not more creative.
It is a very creative and interesting story and kept my attention once I got used to the alternating narrators. In compliance with FTC guidelines, I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
I liked the story idea that Manchee has here, I just think it could have been constructed better. The first chapter is told in first person by Stanley Turner, an attorney for Turner & Waters Law Firm. The second chapter is told in first person by Paula Waters, also an attorney for Turner & Waters law firm. This rotation continues throughout the book and is confusing at first but you get used to it. Since you are getting first person point of view from both law partners every other chapter, there is some repetition in the story line which draws the book out a little. Also, I noticed there were some inconsistencies through the book. One of them being that early in the book Stan ask one of the aliens how long it took to travel to Earth and the answer was 9 months, later in the book he ask another alien how long it took to get there and the answer was 1 year. Also, the character names were really similar, which I found odd. Stan is one of the attorneys and Mr. Stanley is the defendant Paula is defending. Paula also works with Paul who does research for her. Ben is one of Stan's clients who has to fire an employee for embezzling money to the Cayman Islands. When Stan goes to the bank in the Cayman Islands, the bankers name is Ben. So, I thought it was odd that with limited characters the names were not more creative.
It is a very creative and interesting story and kept my attention once I got used to the alternating narrators. In compliance with FTC guidelines, I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
July 3, 2013
It took me a little while to put my thoughts together so I could write a fair and honest review. I must first say that I was given this book in a give away for a review and want to say thank you to both the author and Goodreads for this opportunity. I would like to first say that I enjoyed the combination of legal thriller and science fiction mix that the author had going. I enjoyed the idea of an alien race being involved with the government through alien abductions, etc. It was very refreshing and I was not bored at all. The story was a fast read for me and I think it ended well.
On the other hand I had some similar issues that other readers had as well. There were an awful lot of grammatical errors and typos that could have been easily corrected by an editor. It was confusing when several of the characters had similar names. I kind of got lost on that. I also did not like the fact that there was an occasional political slur toward "right winged groups". One sentence referred to a character that had embezzled money as a "right-wing fanatic that hated Mexicans and Jews". I found this to be offensive since I am a libertarian and of Jewish heritage and other family members are right wingers and also of Jewish heritage. I can't stand when authors make generalizations about groups of people that are biased. I would say this if the author was referring to "crazy liberals", etc. I strongly recommend to authors to please not dump your politics into your story. The comment was totally not needed in the story and I was enjoying it up until then. This was a legal thriller/ science fiction novel. Last time I checked it was not about politics, but embezzlement and murder. You do more damage when you force your politics down your readers throats if they do not pertain to the story.
On the other hand I had some similar issues that other readers had as well. There were an awful lot of grammatical errors and typos that could have been easily corrected by an editor. It was confusing when several of the characters had similar names. I kind of got lost on that. I also did not like the fact that there was an occasional political slur toward "right winged groups". One sentence referred to a character that had embezzled money as a "right-wing fanatic that hated Mexicans and Jews". I found this to be offensive since I am a libertarian and of Jewish heritage and other family members are right wingers and also of Jewish heritage. I can't stand when authors make generalizations about groups of people that are biased. I would say this if the author was referring to "crazy liberals", etc. I strongly recommend to authors to please not dump your politics into your story. The comment was totally not needed in the story and I was enjoying it up until then. This was a legal thriller/ science fiction novel. Last time I checked it was not about politics, but embezzlement and murder. You do more damage when you force your politics down your readers throats if they do not pertain to the story.
May 6, 2013
*I received the book as a Goodreads Giveaway book.*
The primary reason for only three stars is the terrible, terrible editing. I have never read a book with so many errors. If I hadn't committed to read and review it, I would have set it aside for that reason alone. There were missing words, mistakes of various types, and totally misused words. My favorite was "mach jurors" instead of "mock jurors"...and this was written by an attorney? I counted six such mistakes on just one page. I wouldn't have turned in something with that many errors when I was in the 7th grade. I found it appalling in a published book.
I glanced through other reviews before writing mine and was glad to read another reviewer say she did not recall the description including anything about aliens. I could have sworn the description saying something about "the abudction of his son Peter", but don't recall its saying that he was abducted by aliens. Maybe we just got it mixed up with another book description or did it get changed? I don't normally read science fiction and would not have intentionally registered for a sci-fi book. But having said that, the amount of science fiction was minimal.
I enjoyed the legal thriller part of the book and the characters. I think Manchee would do better to stick to that genre...just my opinion and preference. It was an easy casual read.
The narrator changed each chapter and it would throw me. If you're going to change narrators, indicate that in the chapter heading or something, so it's not so the reader doesn't have to get oriented every chapter.
If you can ignore bad editing and like sci-fi mixed with legal thriller, you will enjoy this book. Not everyone is picky about the same things.
The primary reason for only three stars is the terrible, terrible editing. I have never read a book with so many errors. If I hadn't committed to read and review it, I would have set it aside for that reason alone. There were missing words, mistakes of various types, and totally misused words. My favorite was "mach jurors" instead of "mock jurors"...and this was written by an attorney? I counted six such mistakes on just one page. I wouldn't have turned in something with that many errors when I was in the 7th grade. I found it appalling in a published book.
I glanced through other reviews before writing mine and was glad to read another reviewer say she did not recall the description including anything about aliens. I could have sworn the description saying something about "the abudction of his son Peter", but don't recall its saying that he was abducted by aliens. Maybe we just got it mixed up with another book description or did it get changed? I don't normally read science fiction and would not have intentionally registered for a sci-fi book. But having said that, the amount of science fiction was minimal.
I enjoyed the legal thriller part of the book and the characters. I think Manchee would do better to stick to that genre...just my opinion and preference. It was an easy casual read.
The narrator changed each chapter and it would throw me. If you're going to change narrators, indicate that in the chapter heading or something, so it's not so the reader doesn't have to get oriented every chapter.
If you can ignore bad editing and like sci-fi mixed with legal thriller, you will enjoy this book. Not everyone is picky about the same things.
February 8, 2013
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads in exchange for a review.
I thought this book sounded interesting because of the legal side of it. I don't usually go for science fiction but I thought they might balance each other out. The idea behind the story was interesting however I couldn't get into the story. I tried to struggle through it for about 120 pages. It took me actually a couple of chapters to even realize that the chapters were alternating viewpoints between main characters Stan and Paula. With unclear chapter titles a lot of times I found myself waiting for the telltale pronoun to be uttered so I'd know who's viewpoint I was getting. I struggled with the idea that Stan would willingly comply with the aliens who had abducted his son before the book began. I get that its the stance that a parent would do anything for their child. However, Stan going so far as pushing the lines of justice for the aliens and lying to everyone in his life -saying his son was dead was just almost even more tragic to me. And I didn't really find Paula's character or her chapters (once I got the transition down) any more interesting. I haven't read any other books in this series before and I pretty sure that I won't be reading them now.
2/7/13 I have since gone back and read this novel completely and still have to say my opinion still didn't change very much about the characters and the story. The only thing that changed is I was better at telling the characters apart by their chapters. Maybe it's a sign that science fiction isn't for me.
I thought this book sounded interesting because of the legal side of it. I don't usually go for science fiction but I thought they might balance each other out. The idea behind the story was interesting however I couldn't get into the story. I tried to struggle through it for about 120 pages. It took me actually a couple of chapters to even realize that the chapters were alternating viewpoints between main characters Stan and Paula. With unclear chapter titles a lot of times I found myself waiting for the telltale pronoun to be uttered so I'd know who's viewpoint I was getting. I struggled with the idea that Stan would willingly comply with the aliens who had abducted his son before the book began. I get that its the stance that a parent would do anything for their child. However, Stan going so far as pushing the lines of justice for the aliens and lying to everyone in his life -saying his son was dead was just almost even more tragic to me. And I didn't really find Paula's character or her chapters (once I got the transition down) any more interesting. I haven't read any other books in this series before and I pretty sure that I won't be reading them now.
2/7/13 I have since gone back and read this novel completely and still have to say my opinion still didn't change very much about the characters and the story. The only thing that changed is I was better at telling the characters apart by their chapters. Maybe it's a sign that science fiction isn't for me.
July 9, 2013
Another exciting addition to the Stan Turner Mystery series by William Manchee. While dealing with his son's abduction, Stan receives a case of a woman who is accused of murdering her husband. Paula receives a case of a man accused of arson and murdering his neighbor. Between these two big cases, Stan also takes on a case of a friend who found his accountant embezzling money. On top of everything, Stan gains a new intern, but this intern is quite the temptation when his wife and his relationship is extremely strained.
This book was different from the other two books I read in this series. The other two books were very practical and believable. This book took a turn towards the science fiction side. This book had a great plot and it was hard to put the book down because I was always wondering how things would turn out for Stan. I was hesitant when starting this book because I really enjoyed the two other books I read in this series, and I wasn't sure how the whole science fiction/aliens theme would mix with the practicality of the other two books. I found that it actually didn't interfere much with my enjoyment of this book. I still was equally engaged in this as the other two that I read. I love how Stan is still willing to jump in and help search for clues and evidence on what happened. He is willing to travel and help out friends even when things seem pretty grim for them. It was easy to be sucked into this book.
I received a copy of this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
This book was different from the other two books I read in this series. The other two books were very practical and believable. This book took a turn towards the science fiction side. This book had a great plot and it was hard to put the book down because I was always wondering how things would turn out for Stan. I was hesitant when starting this book because I really enjoyed the two other books I read in this series, and I wasn't sure how the whole science fiction/aliens theme would mix with the practicality of the other two books. I found that it actually didn't interfere much with my enjoyment of this book. I still was equally engaged in this as the other two that I read. I love how Stan is still willing to jump in and help search for clues and evidence on what happened. He is willing to travel and help out friends even when things seem pretty grim for them. It was easy to be sucked into this book.
I received a copy of this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
January 4, 2013
***Received this book from Goodreads First Reads.
Act Normal is part legal thriller part science fiction. It was a little hard for me to get into it at first, but then the story pulled me in. I did enjoy the legal cases that were taking place. The book is part of the Tarizon Saga. It is the only book of the saga that I had read, so I missed some of the background. The author did fill the reader in on the key points so I did not really feel that I had missed too many important facts. I was given enough information to be able to follow the storyline and the back story of the characters. The book also could stand as a single book on it's own. I do wish that the point of view chapters were labeled by who the chapter was about. This was a little confusing. The reader needs to do a little detective work to figure out who the "I" is in each chapter. Chapter 22 really confused me. First I thought it was a chapter as told by Paula but then Paula's name was mentioned in conversation with the narrator, causing me to think it was possibly a Bart or maybe a Stan chapter. By the end of the chapter all three of their names had been used either in conversation or in thought so I was left scratching my head. Overall, I did enjoy the book. I think anyone who enjoys both genres (legal drama/thriller and Science Fiction) will enjoy this book.
Act Normal is part legal thriller part science fiction. It was a little hard for me to get into it at first, but then the story pulled me in. I did enjoy the legal cases that were taking place. The book is part of the Tarizon Saga. It is the only book of the saga that I had read, so I missed some of the background. The author did fill the reader in on the key points so I did not really feel that I had missed too many important facts. I was given enough information to be able to follow the storyline and the back story of the characters. The book also could stand as a single book on it's own. I do wish that the point of view chapters were labeled by who the chapter was about. This was a little confusing. The reader needs to do a little detective work to figure out who the "I" is in each chapter. Chapter 22 really confused me. First I thought it was a chapter as told by Paula but then Paula's name was mentioned in conversation with the narrator, causing me to think it was possibly a Bart or maybe a Stan chapter. By the end of the chapter all three of their names had been used either in conversation or in thought so I was left scratching my head. Overall, I did enjoy the book. I think anyone who enjoys both genres (legal drama/thriller and Science Fiction) will enjoy this book.
September 13, 2013
I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Act Normal through Goodreads, and I am very glad that I did. I had read another book in this series and enjoyed it which is why I was excited to have another chance to read and review a Stan Turner mystery. I have to admit that this book really threw me with chapter one because I can honestly say I didn't expect to read a mystery that contained aliens. However Manchee does a great job at capturing the reader's interest and never letting go and building a world where aliens can live amongst us. The nice part about this book is that the main focus is still on Stan and his partner Paula and has at its center two mysteries to keep the reader guessing. Both Stan and Paula get to develop as characters as Stan tries to rebuild his life and marriage after the "death" of his son, and Paula needs to take control of a case without Stan that makes her have to work with her husband and rebuild their marriage. Manchee does a great job at giving the reader two characters to root for that do make mistakes but pick themselves up and move forward. The book's two main mysteries are well done, and I even enjoyed the addition of the aliens story which I hadn't expected. Overall this was a fun enjoyable read if you enjoy a little out of this world action with your mystery.
November 22, 2013
I won this book through GoodReads first read program.
This is book #8 of the Stan Turner mystery series. It is also the 2nd book in the Stan Turner series in which Manchee combines Turner with the Tarizon world. The Tarizon people have come to earth in order to repopulate their world. Pregnancies can't happen on Tarizon due to environmental issues. As a result Tarizon males come to earth, live on earth and impregnate earth women. They eventually take the children back to Tarizon. How do they explain the missing children? That is where Stan comes into play. His son Peter, who is presumed dead, is really being held hostage in Tarizon to insure Stan's cooperation. Stan is representing a lady who is accused of killing her husband and children where in reality the husband and kids have gone back to Tarizon.
Throw in Paula Waters representing a man accused of killing his neighbor over a barking dog and a chain link fence. Stan is also representing a couple who have had much of their companies money embezzled by a shifting bookkeeper.
None of these cases are tied together. I enjoy his stories more when there is a tie between the cases Turner is working on. Stan's libido gets in the way again also as he beds down a Tarizon helper who is trying to get pregnant. Stan, Stan, Stan.....
This is book #8 of the Stan Turner mystery series. It is also the 2nd book in the Stan Turner series in which Manchee combines Turner with the Tarizon world. The Tarizon people have come to earth in order to repopulate their world. Pregnancies can't happen on Tarizon due to environmental issues. As a result Tarizon males come to earth, live on earth and impregnate earth women. They eventually take the children back to Tarizon. How do they explain the missing children? That is where Stan comes into play. His son Peter, who is presumed dead, is really being held hostage in Tarizon to insure Stan's cooperation. Stan is representing a lady who is accused of killing her husband and children where in reality the husband and kids have gone back to Tarizon.
Throw in Paula Waters representing a man accused of killing his neighbor over a barking dog and a chain link fence. Stan is also representing a couple who have had much of their companies money embezzled by a shifting bookkeeper.
None of these cases are tied together. I enjoy his stories more when there is a tie between the cases Turner is working on. Stan's libido gets in the way again also as he beds down a Tarizon helper who is trying to get pregnant. Stan, Stan, Stan.....
December 2, 2015
I won Act Normal by William Manchee from Goodreads.
I have always enjoyed William Manchee's Stan Turner Mysteries, and, even with the surprising developments in Act Normal, I remain a fan. The Stan Turner mysteries are solid protagonist-driven mysteries. Stan Turner is a lawyer who personally investigates his own cases. The surprising development in Act Normal for me is the crossover from mystery to science fiction as Stan is required to represent a woman accused of killing her family who had, in fact, left Earth for another planet.
At first, I felt disappointed. Even though I enjoy sci-fi, I was expecting a true mystery. Yet, the alien plot line is well written and plausible. I haven't read any of the previous novels that introduced the aliens from Tarizon and I was equally surprised by the changes in the protagonist. Turner is not quite the straight-arrow lawyer I remember; yet there are signs that the honorable man is still struggling to do the right thing despite the incredible circumstances.
Readers will have to keep reading the Stan Turner Mysteries to learn what will happen next.
I have always enjoyed William Manchee's Stan Turner Mysteries, and, even with the surprising developments in Act Normal, I remain a fan. The Stan Turner mysteries are solid protagonist-driven mysteries. Stan Turner is a lawyer who personally investigates his own cases. The surprising development in Act Normal for me is the crossover from mystery to science fiction as Stan is required to represent a woman accused of killing her family who had, in fact, left Earth for another planet.
At first, I felt disappointed. Even though I enjoy sci-fi, I was expecting a true mystery. Yet, the alien plot line is well written and plausible. I haven't read any of the previous novels that introduced the aliens from Tarizon and I was equally surprised by the changes in the protagonist. Turner is not quite the straight-arrow lawyer I remember; yet there are signs that the honorable man is still struggling to do the right thing despite the incredible circumstances.
Readers will have to keep reading the Stan Turner Mysteries to learn what will happen next.
September 20, 2013
Act Normal is a complex book full of twists and turns. Stan is a lawyer who is recruited by the CIA, for its ultra secret Re- Population project. His first assignment is to defend a women accused of killing her Alien husband and children, The husband is a real Alien from another planet in the solar system Tarizan. Stan has to prove his client innocent of the murder's while making sure nobody finds out that the government is allowing Aliens to procreate on Earth. While Stan is busy defending his client Paula is asked to defend the accused in an arson- murder of a promiment scientist and his family. It seems a bitter feud over a barking dog and a chain link fence appears to be the motive, Paula discovers some other people who have benefitted from Chester Brown's death. In the midst of the two murder investigations Stan is lured into a relationship with the Alien women who is assigned to watch him. He soon finds out the women of Tarizon are much more dangerous than the women on Earth.
A fantastic read look forward to reading more books by this author.
A fantastic read look forward to reading more books by this author.
September 5, 2013
I was fortunate to have won this book from the Goodreads Free Book First read Giveaway contest and I really liked this story. I thought the plot was engaging and was rather surprised how the mix between legal life and alien plots was good.
I must admit though that my first reaction to aliens was a complete rolling of my eyes but I gave the book a chance and was glad I did. The story kept building and I kept reading on and on because I wanted to know what would happen next. I liked how the story developed between Stan and his "helper" too.
However, as many others have written, the editing of this book was the worst I have ever seen. Completely crazy that this book passed any kind of quality check. The constant grammatical errors was a distraction for me and became quite frustrating, but overall the story was pretty good and I will definitely read the next chapter of this series!
I must admit though that my first reaction to aliens was a complete rolling of my eyes but I gave the book a chance and was glad I did. The story kept building and I kept reading on and on because I wanted to know what would happen next. I liked how the story developed between Stan and his "helper" too.
However, as many others have written, the editing of this book was the worst I have ever seen. Completely crazy that this book passed any kind of quality check. The constant grammatical errors was a distraction for me and became quite frustrating, but overall the story was pretty good and I will definitely read the next chapter of this series!
April 10, 2013
William Manchee is a great writer, this was my second Stan Turner mystery and every bit as good as the first one I read. A big thank you to Good Reads who made reading his possible.
Stan Turner, a attorney manages to get himself embroiled in more twists and turns. This time his son Peter has been abducted by aliens from Tarizon, and he has to work with them to hope to retrieve his son. No one knows that Peter has been abducted except the Cia agent, hence the government. His wife, friends and coworkers all think that Peter is dead. He must win a almost unwindable case to save his son, and is sent a Tarizon woman to be his intern. From the first page to the last it was a great read! Will Stan sleep with the intern? Will he save his son? I defnitly reccomend this book if you are looking for a page turning read.
Stan Turner, a attorney manages to get himself embroiled in more twists and turns. This time his son Peter has been abducted by aliens from Tarizon, and he has to work with them to hope to retrieve his son. No one knows that Peter has been abducted except the Cia agent, hence the government. His wife, friends and coworkers all think that Peter is dead. He must win a almost unwindable case to save his son, and is sent a Tarizon woman to be his intern. From the first page to the last it was a great read! Will Stan sleep with the intern? Will he save his son? I defnitly reccomend this book if you are looking for a page turning read.
January 15, 2014
I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway. When I entered this giveaway, I didn't see the description included an alien plot twist. When I received the book, I hesitated to read it because I hate aliens and anything to do with them. However, once I started to read this book, I realized the alien involvement was minimal compared to my thoughts and I understood why the description mentioned it at the end. The story itself is interesting and moves pretty fast. It is a good mystery. However, I agree with a lot of the other reviews in that the grammatical errors are a bit distracting (but not overwhelming). I also agree that it is hard to tell who is narrating between chapters. Sometimes it's Stan and in others it's his partner, Paula, sometimes I don't find out until the middle of the chapter. It can get confusing, but again, it doesn't take away from the interesting story.
July 21, 2013
I received this free of charge as participant of first reads program via Goodreads. Thank you Goodreads and William Manchee.
I was intrigued by the mix of legal thriller and Sci Fi genres. It was a book I read with ease and found my interest was held all the way through.
The story was told through the eyes of the two law partners - the chapters being told alternately which was intially confusing but it became clear after a couple of chapters. So chapter one was Stan starting the story, chapter two was told by Paula, chapter three back to Stan and so on.
I enjoyed the story, but was disappointed with some elementary errors. Some I suspect were simple typing errors, some more annoying as characters apparently changed names.
I gave it three stars because it was essentially an interesting story,engaging but the errors detracted from the experience.
I was intrigued by the mix of legal thriller and Sci Fi genres. It was a book I read with ease and found my interest was held all the way through.
The story was told through the eyes of the two law partners - the chapters being told alternately which was intially confusing but it became clear after a couple of chapters. So chapter one was Stan starting the story, chapter two was told by Paula, chapter three back to Stan and so on.
I enjoyed the story, but was disappointed with some elementary errors. Some I suspect were simple typing errors, some more annoying as characters apparently changed names.
I gave it three stars because it was essentially an interesting story,engaging but the errors detracted from the experience.
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