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The Last P.I. #1
Dover Beach
In an America broken by a "limited" nuclear war, no one has use for would-be private eye Wally Sands. No one except for Dr. Charles Winfield, an eccentric scientist who believes he was cloned from a prominent biochemist as part of a top-secret project undertaken before the war.
Sands sets out to find Winfield's mysterious progenitor, but finds himself on the trail of a killer instead.
Now, in far-away, fabled England, Sands must uncover the facts about the case that has brought him to his promised land, and at the same time confront the unsettling truth about his world, his life, and his loyalties.
Sands sets out to find Winfield's mysterious progenitor, but finds himself on the trail of a killer instead.
Now, in far-away, fabled England, Sands must uncover the facts about the case that has brought him to his promised land, and at the same time confront the unsettling truth about his world, his life, and his loyalties.
265 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 1987
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274 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
July 23, 2016
I usually enjoy mysteries, yet I could not get into this one. I felt the plot development could have been stronger -- revelations involving several characters came when I no longer remembered who the characters were. This is largely because it was not a page-turner -- it took me two weeks to read. However, it did hold my attention in places, and the author clearly did his research on Boston, where most of the novel is set, unlike other writers I've read. The science fiction premise was also interesting, although a firmer grasp on the background would have helped set the stage. Not a bad book, not a memorable one, either.
March 16, 2017
What an original story! A novel twist on the P.I. trope with elements of post-apocalypse ro spice up the pages. As is true for most mysteries, the plot thickens bit by bit until it has no choice but to explode. This one was like the finale in a fireworks show. Once the reveals started popping, we got more and more and more until the whole plot was illuminated with surprising reveals.
A great and original mystery/detective story.
"I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery in exchange for my honest review."
A great and original mystery/detective story.
"I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery in exchange for my honest review."
January 25, 2014
There were enough surprises to keep you interested but the plot was logical enough to keep you thinking you could figure things out. The characters were complex and the descriptions of post-apocolypse Boston compelling. Also, raised some interesting questions about what happens when science goes too far.
February 11, 2013
A nice clean read with enough action and mystery to move it along. I enjoyed reading this book and hope the author keeps them coming.
February 1, 2014
set in an America bombed pretty much back to the Stone Age by a nuclear war, Dover Beach is both sci fi and PI, a great mystery tale.
March 8, 2014
A very disappointing book. The author wrote very choppy dialogue and all the characters seemed based on a chiches with almost no depth.
April 19, 2014
this book was a real disappointment to me
August 20, 2017
This was a bore for me.
November 7, 2018
"Controversial New Cloning Technique Defended."
Massachusetts author Richard Bowker has published eleven novels in the genres of science fiction, mysteries and thrillers. He also is a humanist and a pianist and one of the more clever bloggers on his own webpage, offering insights into the arts as well as to the political clime. Richard describes DOVER BEACH as a private-eye novel set after a limited nuclear war, in which the would-be private eye tracks down a killer while learning something about himself and his world. It is the initials volume of The Last P.I. Series – THE DISTANCE BEACONS and WHERE ALL THE LADDERS START. Wally Sands is the private eye of all three books.
Each book in this series is a stand-alone novel, but knowing the sequence of the entire series pulls the reader into beginning the journey. Therefore, the overall synopsis is shared: DOVER BEACH - In an America broken by a "limited" nuclear war, no one has use for would-be private eye Wally Sands. No one except for Dr. Charles Winfield, an eccentric scientist who believes he was cloned from a prominent biochemist as part of a top-secret project undertaken before the war. Sands sets out to find Winfield's mysterious progenitor, but finds himself on the trail of a killer instead. Now, in far-away, fabled England, Sands must uncover the facts about the case that has brought him to his promised land, and at the same time confront the unsettling truth about his world, his life, and his loyalties. A story of love and betrayal, life and death, the future and the past. A story that will make you laugh, make you cry—and make you think. THE DISTANCE BEACONS - Walter Sands, the private eye of Dover Beach, returns in this memorable sequel. The president of the United States has arrived in Boston. Her job: convince New England to become part of the new government formed in the aftermath of nuclear war. Walter's job: protect America's President from The Second American Revolution, a shadowy group intent on foiling her plan. Then the president is kidnapped and Walter moves from private eye to prime suspect. But Water refuses to give up hope. With the help of his friends, he must save her to save himself. And, perhaps, he can save America, too. WHERE ALL THE LADDERS START - In crippled, post-nuclear Boston, private investigator Walter Sands is neck-deep in the mysterious--and possibly miraculous--disappearance of Flynn Dobler, the charismatic leader of the Church of the New Beginning. Meanwhile, the governor of New England orders Walter to follow the head of a Federal delegation charged with negotiating a vital treaty, a man who the governor suspects is fomenting a revolution. Before long, both cases collide, and Walter's life hangs in the balance.
Now with the spectrum intact we can dig into the first book and enjoy the sparkle of Richard’s remarkable prose as he opens this journey – ‘It was one of those gray December days that freeze the soul as well as the body. The stack of unread books grew smaller; the fire in the wood stove was dying; I was thinking (not for the first time) that I was in the wrong line of work. Then I looked out my window and noticed the stranger standing in the slush below. I quickly looked away. Didn't want to scare him off. I imagined him staring at the sign in the window and wondering whether to come up; it wasn't a very good sign, after all. I put the book down and waited. I heard the downstairs door creak open, then slam shut. I heard slow footsteps on the stairs; it was dark out there. The footsteps stopped outside my frosted-glass door. There was a pause, then a loud rapping. I took out my .38 caliber Smith and Wesson automatic and aimed it at the door. You can't be too careful nowadays. "It's open," I called out pleasantly. The stranger stepped inside. He stared at the gun. I stared at him. Tough to make out very much in the semidarkness, except that he was well dressed—absurdly well dressed. "Mr. Sands?" he inquired nervously. The accent was Southern; he managed to make two syllables out of my name. "That's right." "The private investigator?" "That's right." "I may have a case for you." I motioned to a seat across the desk from me, and I put the gun away. The man sat down. I lit the oil lamp on my desk, and we took a good look at each other. Straight black hair, eyes the color of my stove. Sloping jaw, good skin—tanned. He was about my age, but I had a feeling the similarity ended there. The hands he was rubbing together were well manicured; the overcoat he wore looked new. "Now, what can I do for you, Mister..." "Winfield. Doctor Charles Winfield." "Ah."
The quality of writing matches the uniquely timely and poignant story. Look around and see how keenly Richard has discerned possibilities and has woven them into humanist science fiction as fine as any writer today. Highly Recommended.
Massachusetts author Richard Bowker has published eleven novels in the genres of science fiction, mysteries and thrillers. He also is a humanist and a pianist and one of the more clever bloggers on his own webpage, offering insights into the arts as well as to the political clime. Richard describes DOVER BEACH as a private-eye novel set after a limited nuclear war, in which the would-be private eye tracks down a killer while learning something about himself and his world. It is the initials volume of The Last P.I. Series – THE DISTANCE BEACONS and WHERE ALL THE LADDERS START. Wally Sands is the private eye of all three books.
Each book in this series is a stand-alone novel, but knowing the sequence of the entire series pulls the reader into beginning the journey. Therefore, the overall synopsis is shared: DOVER BEACH - In an America broken by a "limited" nuclear war, no one has use for would-be private eye Wally Sands. No one except for Dr. Charles Winfield, an eccentric scientist who believes he was cloned from a prominent biochemist as part of a top-secret project undertaken before the war. Sands sets out to find Winfield's mysterious progenitor, but finds himself on the trail of a killer instead. Now, in far-away, fabled England, Sands must uncover the facts about the case that has brought him to his promised land, and at the same time confront the unsettling truth about his world, his life, and his loyalties. A story of love and betrayal, life and death, the future and the past. A story that will make you laugh, make you cry—and make you think. THE DISTANCE BEACONS - Walter Sands, the private eye of Dover Beach, returns in this memorable sequel. The president of the United States has arrived in Boston. Her job: convince New England to become part of the new government formed in the aftermath of nuclear war. Walter's job: protect America's President from The Second American Revolution, a shadowy group intent on foiling her plan. Then the president is kidnapped and Walter moves from private eye to prime suspect. But Water refuses to give up hope. With the help of his friends, he must save her to save himself. And, perhaps, he can save America, too. WHERE ALL THE LADDERS START - In crippled, post-nuclear Boston, private investigator Walter Sands is neck-deep in the mysterious--and possibly miraculous--disappearance of Flynn Dobler, the charismatic leader of the Church of the New Beginning. Meanwhile, the governor of New England orders Walter to follow the head of a Federal delegation charged with negotiating a vital treaty, a man who the governor suspects is fomenting a revolution. Before long, both cases collide, and Walter's life hangs in the balance.
Now with the spectrum intact we can dig into the first book and enjoy the sparkle of Richard’s remarkable prose as he opens this journey – ‘It was one of those gray December days that freeze the soul as well as the body. The stack of unread books grew smaller; the fire in the wood stove was dying; I was thinking (not for the first time) that I was in the wrong line of work. Then I looked out my window and noticed the stranger standing in the slush below. I quickly looked away. Didn't want to scare him off. I imagined him staring at the sign in the window and wondering whether to come up; it wasn't a very good sign, after all. I put the book down and waited. I heard the downstairs door creak open, then slam shut. I heard slow footsteps on the stairs; it was dark out there. The footsteps stopped outside my frosted-glass door. There was a pause, then a loud rapping. I took out my .38 caliber Smith and Wesson automatic and aimed it at the door. You can't be too careful nowadays. "It's open," I called out pleasantly. The stranger stepped inside. He stared at the gun. I stared at him. Tough to make out very much in the semidarkness, except that he was well dressed—absurdly well dressed. "Mr. Sands?" he inquired nervously. The accent was Southern; he managed to make two syllables out of my name. "That's right." "The private investigator?" "That's right." "I may have a case for you." I motioned to a seat across the desk from me, and I put the gun away. The man sat down. I lit the oil lamp on my desk, and we took a good look at each other. Straight black hair, eyes the color of my stove. Sloping jaw, good skin—tanned. He was about my age, but I had a feeling the similarity ended there. The hands he was rubbing together were well manicured; the overcoat he wore looked new. "Now, what can I do for you, Mister..." "Winfield. Doctor Charles Winfield." "Ah."
The quality of writing matches the uniquely timely and poignant story. Look around and see how keenly Richard has discerned possibilities and has woven them into humanist science fiction as fine as any writer today. Highly Recommended.
March 18, 2017
There was a definite tone of dark hopelessness as I got deeper into the story. I could see how the characters were struggling in this dystopian world. I was very curious about Walter's first case as a private eye and how he was going to go about trying to solve the mystery with his limited resources. I was very intrigued by the world they were living in and how it would effect any investigating that he had to do. Things moved along steadily, with Walter putting together some clues here and there until they were finally picking up on Cornwall's supposed trail. When their search took them to England, it was interesting to see the differences between America and England at this time. When the trail appeared to run cold, I was curious about what would happen next. Walter's persistence finally appeared to pay off and I was rejuvinated and eager to see what they would find. Then things began to move along steadily toward the conclusion. As Walter continued to put two and two together, I was eager for him to solve the mystery. When the truth finally came out, it was multi-layered and more than what I had been expecting. The way that Walter was able to solve the mystery from a handful of clues was fascinating. Even once his work was officially done, I was still eager to know what Walter would do next. He was really at a bit of a crossroads and I was so invested in his story that I was eager to know his plans for the future. The fact that he knew there were still loose ends to tie up back in America really intrigued me. I enjoyed this book and will look into reading more from Bowker in the future.
November 15, 2018
It was interesting and kind of a different kind of PI story
This is kind of an interesting mix of PI novel mixed with post-apocalyptic disaster. The story follows Wally Sands who is a survivor of the war and aftermath. As things slowly come back to life Wally decides to take his special talents and use them as a PI to help people reunite with loved ones after the war. No one really is interested in his services, at first but soon he finds himself traveling across the sea to find his first missing person only to be led on a crazy adventure. The story is pretty fast paced and easy to follow. It kind of has some predictable places but all books do. I enjoyed the character personalities as the story builds. Overall I enjoyed reading this book even though it’s not my normal reading style. The author has an interesting writing style that makes me want to pick up the rest of the series!
This is kind of an interesting mix of PI novel mixed with post-apocalyptic disaster. The story follows Wally Sands who is a survivor of the war and aftermath. As things slowly come back to life Wally decides to take his special talents and use them as a PI to help people reunite with loved ones after the war. No one really is interested in his services, at first but soon he finds himself traveling across the sea to find his first missing person only to be led on a crazy adventure. The story is pretty fast paced and easy to follow. It kind of has some predictable places but all books do. I enjoyed the character personalities as the story builds. Overall I enjoyed reading this book even though it’s not my normal reading style. The author has an interesting writing style that makes me want to pick up the rest of the series!
May 23, 2017
An interesting combination of a post-apocalypse novel and a murder mystery. I enjoyed the world-building, and the characters are interesting and complex. Wally Sands is an engaging character with a believable amount of youthful innocence, taking his cues as a private investigator from film noir classics and mystery novels. While I did realize who was doing what a little ahead of Wally, this was a really good read, and I look forward to reading more in the series.
November 12, 2018
A good PI story with a twist
Dover Beach is the story of a PI searching the mysterious birth of a doctor; the doctor thinks he’s cloned! It is definitely an interesting twist to a story. I’m not usually one for paranormal elements in novels but this is more of an investigative story than a paranormal one. I definitely thought the investigative side was well thought out and kept me guessing along with it. It was well written with very well fleshed out characters.
Dover Beach is the story of a PI searching the mysterious birth of a doctor; the doctor thinks he’s cloned! It is definitely an interesting twist to a story. I’m not usually one for paranormal elements in novels but this is more of an investigative story than a paranormal one. I definitely thought the investigative side was well thought out and kept me guessing along with it. It was well written with very well fleshed out characters.
May 16, 2020
An interesting blend of film noir and blade runner that fizzled flat
Enjoyed the writer's style and characters but the plot was delivered like hash served in a cafeteria, splat on a chipped plate. Disappointing delivery
Enjoyed the writer's style and characters but the plot was delivered like hash served in a cafeteria, splat on a chipped plate. Disappointing delivery
May 3, 2017
Great combination of dystopian/sci-fi/mystery story with a hint of old-fashioned detective film noir. Good book, very compelling. Looking forward to the next one in the series.
September 15, 2018
Really fun read. A great detective and post limited nuclear war story. Set in Boston and England.
August 18, 2021
Corny but interesting look at a possible future of the world, especially given these times of Covid.
Read
October 23, 2025After a nuclear war, Dr. Charles Winfield believes he has been cloned and private eye Wally Sands sets out to solve the case
February 8, 2022
***
Update. I read the book again, after I don't know how many years. I still find the book entertaining and because it's been so long I didn't remember much of the end of the mystery.
I have to add 1nmore complaint. I know want McDonald's. There is a lot of mentioning of McDonald's in the England part of the trip.
I actually finished this a couple weeks ago, but I haven't been able to get on to update everything.
The book was very good. The mystery was better than "No Stone Left Unturned"(the second book I read this year) and it made me want to read the serise.
The bulk of the action takes place in Boston after world war 3 which ended with almost everyone setting of nukes. From what I gathered the north east in America got the worst hit and the south got little or no damage, but did suffer the ill effects of the spread of nuclear bombs going off- sickness, lack of food, no electronics. England is in tact because of apparently timing- the bombs didn't go off there.
In Boston we meet a small group of people who have come through the worst and have become family. The Main: Walter Sands, has fallen in love with P.I novels and says "what the hell, someone's going to need a P.I for something or other." We follow his adventures on his first case ever. The case is interesting and and keeps your attention and is broken up as Walter remineses about how he met his friends.
I do have a few issues with the book. 1. Is a nerdy one. England would have had more effects from bombs going off other than the fact that travel is limited and too expencive for most people at the time of the book. Their technology would still be in tact, but their food and health would also be effected more than they say in the book. 2. The part in England drags for about 10 pages in the middle. Some of the info is needed, but it could have been streamlined into half the pages. 3. Lastly is just a little pet peeve of mine. The book only mentions Dover Beach once as a list of places Walter wants to see, but never goes there, or mentions it again. It could have been alluded to a little better by the author and it would have tied the name in nicely.
Update. I read the book again, after I don't know how many years. I still find the book entertaining and because it's been so long I didn't remember much of the end of the mystery.
I have to add 1nmore complaint. I know want McDonald's. There is a lot of mentioning of McDonald's in the England part of the trip.
I actually finished this a couple weeks ago, but I haven't been able to get on to update everything.
The book was very good. The mystery was better than "No Stone Left Unturned"(the second book I read this year) and it made me want to read the serise.
The bulk of the action takes place in Boston after world war 3 which ended with almost everyone setting of nukes. From what I gathered the north east in America got the worst hit and the south got little or no damage, but did suffer the ill effects of the spread of nuclear bombs going off- sickness, lack of food, no electronics. England is in tact because of apparently timing- the bombs didn't go off there.
In Boston we meet a small group of people who have come through the worst and have become family. The Main: Walter Sands, has fallen in love with P.I novels and says "what the hell, someone's going to need a P.I for something or other." We follow his adventures on his first case ever. The case is interesting and and keeps your attention and is broken up as Walter remineses about how he met his friends.
I do have a few issues with the book. 1. Is a nerdy one. England would have had more effects from bombs going off other than the fact that travel is limited and too expencive for most people at the time of the book. Their technology would still be in tact, but their food and health would also be effected more than they say in the book. 2. The part in England drags for about 10 pages in the middle. Some of the info is needed, but it could have been streamlined into half the pages. 3. Lastly is just a little pet peeve of mine. The book only mentions Dover Beach once as a list of places Walter wants to see, but never goes there, or mentions it again. It could have been alluded to a little better by the author and it would have tied the name in nicely.
May 17, 2014
A "limited" nuclear war has reduced the United States to a post-apocalyptic backwater nation. Society is still sorting itself out with both good and bad affect. In the midst of this Wally Sands is trying to be a private investigator. At the moment it doesn't seem like the world needs one. Until a wealthy scientist walks through his door looking for help in tracking down a mysterious father. The scientist believes that he is the result of sophisticated experiments before the war and is looking for answers. Sands accepts the case (his first) and ends up in England trying to figure out what really happened all those years ago. What he finds are more questions and some surprising answers.
When I started this book I wasn't much impressed. There's a very serious attempt at creating a hard-boiled detective vibe for the book that just felt artificial at first. Once that ground work is established Bowker catches his stride much better and the story settled down for me. It's an interesting blend of science fiction and detective story that manages the balance pretty well overall. There are some secondary characters that get short shrift here, which struck me as unfortunate.
The e-book version that I read is a 2012 edition but the original novel is from 1987 (when it received a nomination for the Philip K. Dick award). It's interesting that "Dover Beach" seems to have just sat there for all these years but now there is a second volume promised.
The novel just seems incomplete somehow. The part that's here is pretty good but not good enough to make me go out of my way looking for volume #2 (which doesn't appear to exist yet, almost two years later).
If you enjoy science fiction there is some stuff to like here. If you like detective fiction there is something to like here. In the end I wanted to a little more to like.
For more reviews and independent media commentary check out my blog The View From the Phlipside
When I started this book I wasn't much impressed. There's a very serious attempt at creating a hard-boiled detective vibe for the book that just felt artificial at first. Once that ground work is established Bowker catches his stride much better and the story settled down for me. It's an interesting blend of science fiction and detective story that manages the balance pretty well overall. There are some secondary characters that get short shrift here, which struck me as unfortunate.
The e-book version that I read is a 2012 edition but the original novel is from 1987 (when it received a nomination for the Philip K. Dick award). It's interesting that "Dover Beach" seems to have just sat there for all these years but now there is a second volume promised.
The novel just seems incomplete somehow. The part that's here is pretty good but not good enough to make me go out of my way looking for volume #2 (which doesn't appear to exist yet, almost two years later).
If you enjoy science fiction there is some stuff to like here. If you like detective fiction there is something to like here. In the end I wanted to a little more to like.
For more reviews and independent media commentary check out my blog The View From the Phlipside
August 20, 2016
A compelling concept and well planned story, and I was impressed with the way things played out, especially at the end, when loose ends I hadn't even noticed were loose were being tied up.
The style, though, was a little strange for me. The somewhat grim tone reminded me of Emma Bull's Bone Dance (for the post-apocalyptic content) and also of Ken MacLeod's The Night Sessions (for the blending of SF and investigative genres).
The protagonist's choppy, resigned observations are the clichéd first person dialogue straight out of a classic detective story. I suppose this was the intention, and it was executed well enough, but for me this made things seem a bit hackneyed.
The protagonist's self deprecating pronouncements made it seem like the reader was supposed to take this whole private eye thing with a grain of salt - almost a parody of the genre - but then the subject matter and the characters' reactions were really too serious to do that.
In summary, not bad: an interesting story, well plotted, but in a style that was slightly off-putting for me.
The style, though, was a little strange for me. The somewhat grim tone reminded me of Emma Bull's Bone Dance (for the post-apocalyptic content) and also of Ken MacLeod's The Night Sessions (for the blending of SF and investigative genres).
The protagonist's choppy, resigned observations are the clichéd first person dialogue straight out of a classic detective story. I suppose this was the intention, and it was executed well enough, but for me this made things seem a bit hackneyed.
The protagonist's self deprecating pronouncements made it seem like the reader was supposed to take this whole private eye thing with a grain of salt - almost a parody of the genre - but then the subject matter and the characters' reactions were really too serious to do that.
In summary, not bad: an interesting story, well plotted, but in a style that was slightly off-putting for me.
February 27, 2021
I enjoyed this, but probably not enough that I'll decide to read the next book, especially since it's a series of only two books.
The story-line is a bit over-complicated, and I'm not certain the science always holds together. Watching protagonist Wally Sands bumble through to a solution, and getting to know some of the other characters he encounters, are what made the book worth reading.
The story-line is a bit over-complicated, and I'm not certain the science always holds together. Watching protagonist Wally Sands bumble through to a solution, and getting to know some of the other characters he encounters, are what made the book worth reading.
October 11, 2016
Sci-fi and Mystery combined!
I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery in exchange for my honest opinion. Walter Sands, P.I. was born a month after the fall of bombs in Maine. He ends up in a broken and shattered Boston, where some people are trying to make things better. But with the book burnings of the public libraries, plus the destruction of MIT and Cambridge, it's hard to do. Walter decides to open a detective agency and his first case walks in claiming he is a clone looking for his father, a scientist at MIT before the war. We follow Walter as he wanders around Boston trying to verify that this scientist is still alive. Eventually, we end up in England where, Walter really starts putting the pieces together. I really liked this story. It combined 2 of my favorite genres: Science Fiction and Mystery! For those who are fans of either genre, give this book a try. It's so different from other sci-fi and mystery stories. I will be reading the next book in the series!
March 26, 2014
This was a freebie but a good one. A guy in a bleak post-holocaust Boston decides to become a PI because he has read a ton of Hammett, Chandler, Parker and the like. He gets a case from a guy who thinks he is a clone of a missing scientist and wants to find the original. Our detective does not initially seem very good at detecting, but with a little help from his friends he gets on the trail that leads to England.
All the ingredients of a good private eye story are present: murder, buried secrets, femmes fatales. It turns out that the Sandman is actually pretty good at the detecting business. He solves the case which has quite a few layers to it. Unlike his literary models he does not get to shoot anyone, and he is shorter on the wisecracks, but then again he is just starting.
All the ingredients of a good private eye story are present: murder, buried secrets, femmes fatales. It turns out that the Sandman is actually pretty good at the detecting business. He solves the case which has quite a few layers to it. Unlike his literary models he does not get to shoot anyone, and he is shorter on the wisecracks, but then again he is just starting.
Read
April 20, 2016The book is written in the style of a pulp noir, but it is hard to define it as a detective novel. Dover Beach is better defined as a dystopian thriller about cloning that centres around a main character who is obsessed by the romance of being a private eye, but with limited talents as an investigator.
When the novel gets to the business end of the plot there are a lot of deductions from PI Wally Sands, but the reader is given no clue about the detecting process in what amounts to a whole pantheon of deus ex machina. Bowker likes his twists in the tale, but focuses more on announcing the twist than in actually telling the tale.
Full review mmmporium.com/doverbeach
When the novel gets to the business end of the plot there are a lot of deductions from PI Wally Sands, but the reader is given no clue about the detecting process in what amounts to a whole pantheon of deus ex machina. Bowker likes his twists in the tale, but focuses more on announcing the twist than in actually telling the tale.
Full review mmmporium.com/doverbeach
June 14, 2014
Okay, I'm hooked. I got this as a Free Friday Nook download from Barnes & Noble and it's a lendable. As I was reading something else, I loaned it to my husband, who enjoyed it. I wasn't certain at first as it's pretty grim as it takes place post-nuclear war in the US, but books that are placed in New England and England do get my attention. This book has both. By the time I finished it, I decided I wanted to see what the next book was like, so I started the teaser that Nook books sometimes include at the end of the book you're reading. Yep, I want to read the 2nd in the series. I'll have to check to see if my husband bought that one, before I buy it.
September 29, 2016
Wally Sands is a P. I. in a world that has changed. Against all odds he is hired by a man to find what he believes is his clone. The search takes them to England and a project that was shut down years ago. Will Wally find who he is seeking? Will he stay in England or return to the US? What a wonderful story! It is fast paced and has enough mystery to keep you guessing. You will empathize with the characters and as you read the book you feel their emotions and frustrations. This book will have you reading long into the night to find out how it ends. I received a copy of this book from eBook Discoveryin exchange for an honest review.
February 14, 2014
I can't think of anything I didn't like about this book, so I gave it 5 stars. Ok maybe that the author never told us what the "war" that ravaged America was about or exactly what happened, but since that wasn't a true key to the story, I guess I can over look it.
It was written in first person, Walter, is a "Private Investigator" or hopes to be and it's sort of Sam Spade-ish while making a bit of fun of himself. He gets a case and tries to solve it. I liked the writing style and that there was no bad language and no graphic sex, just a good story, with good characters.
It was written in first person, Walter, is a "Private Investigator" or hopes to be and it's sort of Sam Spade-ish while making a bit of fun of himself. He gets a case and tries to solve it. I liked the writing style and that there was no bad language and no graphic sex, just a good story, with good characters.
February 11, 2014
This was classified somewhere as science fiction. THere has been a nuclear war, and people are short of food, etc. Walter decides to become a private eye, and is hired by a man to locate his father, a scientist, wo was responsible for cloning any number of people. It is decided that the two of them need to fly to Britain to see if they can locate the professor--which they do, but then things seem to fall apart.
November 24, 2015
The first half is sluggish and clumsy. The second half is still a bit clumsy, but it ties most of the story up well and in the last 60 pages or so I was actually reluctant to put it down- that's when the actual sleuthing happens, where more of the action is.
Not that great, but a solid 3 based on how well the book ends up being after a 2-star beginning.
Not that great, but a solid 3 based on how well the book ends up being after a 2-star beginning.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews