Clean Slate (Jim Knighthorse Book 4)
I have read all of this book series, and when I saw this one come out, I knew I had to download it to be read later. I really liked this character in the first three books. However, either my tastes have changed in the stories, or else this character has become more crass over the years and now is barely recognizable to me. Also, this book has strong religious/metaphysical leanings to it; and at times the protagonist acts like a seven year old with a naughty mind and mouth. As such, I would not recommend it to my Xtian friends. It's much too crass and vulgar to be a true religious mystery. (It also had negative racial and sexual orientation humor in it...not appreciated by this reader at all.) I skipped over all the religious sections. In the end, it did not add to the story as far as I could tell, and took away from the main plot of the story. Very disappointing.
As it is, the book started off in a fashion that I almost stopped reading it on page two. I mean...doing "dips," and going on and on about it more important that finding out a new client's issue...and really what does this have to do with the story? The whole reason I enjoyed this series in the past was the kind, compassionate, yet tough, realistic protagonist. At least, that's the way I remembered the series (it has been several years since I read the last three books.)
However, I kept reading. I was a short enough read that I knew I could get it read in one night, or at least most of it. And I was slightly curious as to this new personality change in the character.
This series has always been pretty straightforward to me, but it felt like it leaned on the paranormal angle a little too heavy this time (the author does write paranormal series, I just never looked at this series in this way.) And it meanders aways from the main plot a little too much. Yeah, I'm sure it's just me, but the protagonist seems to have gotten a lot more snotty from earlier books. Because of this, I know that this will be the last one I read in this series. It made me feel like the author is just going through the motions of writing and to that end, it does not make reading it fun anymore. Interestingly, if I disregarded all these extra scenes in the story, the bare bones plot is very good. Unfortunately, there isn't enough of that, and rests more on the inconsequential scenes.
At least the chapters were short, and it read fast. The dialog was excellent; rapid-fire and enjoyable to read.
In the end, the story is a low three star. Not a two; I liked it, I just didn't LIKE it.