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Burn Notice #1
The Fix
Covert spy Michael Westen has found himself in forced seclusion in Miami-and a little paranoid. Watched by the FBI, cut off from intelligence contacts, and with his assets frozen, Weston is on ice with a warning: stay there or get "disappeared." Driven to find out who burned him and why, he's biding his time helping people with nowhere else to turn. People like socialite Cricket O'Connor whose own husband has vanished, along with her fortune...
274 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 5, 2008
71 people are currently reading
711 people want to read
About the author
Tod Goldberg
34 books566 followersTod Goldberg is the New York Times bestselling author of sixteen books of fiction, notably the acclaimed Gangsterland quartet: Gangsterland, a finalist for the Hammett Prize; Gangster Nation; The Low Desert, a Southwest Book of the Year; and Gangsters Don’t Die, an Amazon Best Book of 2023 as well as a Southwest Book of the Year. Other works include The House of Secrets, which he co-authored with Brad Meltzer, and Living Dead Girl, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His short fiction and essays have been anthologized widely, including in Best American Mystery & Suspense and Best American Essays, and appear regularly in the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and Alta. Tod Goldberg is a Professor of Creative Writing at the University of California, Riverside, where founded and directs the Low Residency MFA program in Creative Writing & Writing for the Performing Arts. His next novel, Only Way Out, will be released this fall from Thomas & Mercer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
August 14, 2017
Burn Notice: The Fix by Tod Goldberg is based on the 7 year USA Network Series created by Max Nix. I was slightly apprehensive about the novel, but I needn't have been. Goldberg stays true to the characters I love - Michael Weston, Fiona Glenanne ("Michael, can I shoot her?") Sam Axe, Madeline and Nate Weston.
When you're a spy who has been burned, you don't have any home other than the one you're dumped in. You have no money, no assets - all are frozen. You have no support either, unless you count you're ex-girlfriend who wants to shoot everyone (including you, sometimes.) Fi has some other assets too. She's beautiful, she knows her guns, and she knows how to blow things up. Sam Axe, your best friend, is former Military and your watcher - the FBI tends to monitor burned spies. This is Michael Weston's world. And you've not met his mother or brother yet.
So what do you do? You try to find the people who burned you. But you also need to to eat, sleep in a soft bed preferably under a waterproof roof. That takes money. What can you do when you have no trade other than spy-craft? You help people that need help. Help, that the authorities are a bit hamstrung in by little things like laws and the 4th Amendment, and Rules. A former spy can bypass all of those niceties. And Micheal does when he helps a friend of Sam's girlfriend.
Cricket O'Connor's husband has disappeared. So has her fortune. And Michael has another storm brewing. A former KGB spy is in Miami, threatening him, Fiona, and his mother and Nate. Can you you say, 2 huge mistakes?
Tod Goldberg writes well, and the pace and suspense will keep you turning the pages. His narration is lean, detailed when needed, and throws dashes of humor into all of the turmoil. He got me on an unexpected twist. I will definitely read the other novels in this series.
When you're a spy who has been burned, you don't have any home other than the one you're dumped in. You have no money, no assets - all are frozen. You have no support either, unless you count you're ex-girlfriend who wants to shoot everyone (including you, sometimes.) Fi has some other assets too. She's beautiful, she knows her guns, and she knows how to blow things up. Sam Axe, your best friend, is former Military and your watcher - the FBI tends to monitor burned spies. This is Michael Weston's world. And you've not met his mother or brother yet.
So what do you do? You try to find the people who burned you. But you also need to to eat, sleep in a soft bed preferably under a waterproof roof. That takes money. What can you do when you have no trade other than spy-craft? You help people that need help. Help, that the authorities are a bit hamstrung in by little things like laws and the 4th Amendment, and Rules. A former spy can bypass all of those niceties. And Micheal does when he helps a friend of Sam's girlfriend.
Cricket O'Connor's husband has disappeared. So has her fortune. And Michael has another storm brewing. A former KGB spy is in Miami, threatening him, Fiona, and his mother and Nate. Can you you say, 2 huge mistakes?
Tod Goldberg writes well, and the pace and suspense will keep you turning the pages. His narration is lean, detailed when needed, and throws dashes of humor into all of the turmoil. He got me on an unexpected twist. I will definitely read the other novels in this series.
July 18, 2012
Burn Notice is one of my favorite shows as it almost always keeps me engaged. The varying levels of humor compliments it quite nicely, and let's be honest, watching Michael Westen's ingenuity, though not always realistic, is entertaining. Burn Notice: The Fix is an attempt at taking a great show and expanding it into book form, with mixed results.
The plot is a bit muddled; somehow the primary and secondary plots were loosely tied together, but the book fails to establish the connection clearly and judging by other reviews I have read, I am not alone. Michael's voice overs, though fitting well with that of the show, can sometimes be over done or too verbose. Sometimes the reader is treated to Michael describing something he is doing as opposed to reading about him doing it. Michael, Fiona, Sam, Madeline, even Nate all sound like themselves, for the most part. However, would Fiona really tell Madeline that satellite photos were taken by aliens, even jokingly? And the frequent strong swearing? Very out of place and unfitting to Michael, Sam, heck, the entire series. A bright spot is that the show's humor is captured quite nicely, but this is frequently overshadowed.
Though short and mostly easy to read, I had a difficult time enjoying this book as I do the show. The show does a great job building the main story arc with each episode, leaving little to no room for a novel to squeeze in and fill in the blanks. With that being the case, I can now expect each novel to be similar to The Fix, which is a bit of a downer. However, I intend on giving Tod Goldberg another shot, even if I felt disappointed with The Fix.
The plot is a bit muddled; somehow the primary and secondary plots were loosely tied together, but the book fails to establish the connection clearly and judging by other reviews I have read, I am not alone. Michael's voice overs, though fitting well with that of the show, can sometimes be over done or too verbose. Sometimes the reader is treated to Michael describing something he is doing as opposed to reading about him doing it. Michael, Fiona, Sam, Madeline, even Nate all sound like themselves, for the most part. However, would Fiona really tell Madeline that satellite photos were taken by aliens, even jokingly? And the frequent strong swearing? Very out of place and unfitting to Michael, Sam, heck, the entire series. A bright spot is that the show's humor is captured quite nicely, but this is frequently overshadowed.
Though short and mostly easy to read, I had a difficult time enjoying this book as I do the show. The show does a great job building the main story arc with each episode, leaving little to no room for a novel to squeeze in and fill in the blanks. With that being the case, I can now expect each novel to be similar to The Fix, which is a bit of a downer. However, I intend on giving Tod Goldberg another shot, even if I felt disappointed with The Fix.
July 16, 2023
An episode of Burn Notice, only about six times as long
February 9, 2011
I enjoy all of Tod Goldberg's Burn Notice books, but that's probably because I love the TV show. If you're a fan of the show, definitely check out the books. They read like an episode, and the thing that sets these companion books apart is the writing style. Goldberg has everyone's voice nailed down so well it's hard to believe he's not a writer for the show. Every time a character speaks, you can hear the actor speaking in your head. The plot is sometimes a little muddled - as they are on the show - but still highly enjoyable and fun to read. There's nothing too deep about these books; they're just a fun time from a fun show, and it's clear Goldberg enjoys what he does as well. All his spy voice-overs are spot on - every time you read "when you're a spy", you know Michael's drawl and tips are coming your way.
January 4, 2009
Tod did this one up well. From the voice overs by Michael to the descriptions of the characters, this book has the feel of Burn Notice down.
No spoilers I'll share, but this book has it's fair bit of show tie-in.
The mother, the brother, the relationship, and the angst of the burned spy. There are guns, explosions, and sexiness. I really enjoyed the play on Michael's relationships with the women in his life.
I felt like I could even hear Sam's voice in this book.
I look forward to more work by Tod Goldberg.
No spoilers I'll share, but this book has it's fair bit of show tie-in.
The mother, the brother, the relationship, and the angst of the burned spy. There are guns, explosions, and sexiness. I really enjoyed the play on Michael's relationships with the women in his life.
I felt like I could even hear Sam's voice in this book.
I look forward to more work by Tod Goldberg.
January 3, 2020
a good amount of funny narration & dialogue and I followed the plot just as well as I followed any episode of burn notice, which was generally not well. but that's on me. I liked the show for the explosions and this book needed more. 3.5 stars mostly because Michael Westen does not think in run-on sentences and Fiona absolutely does not need anyone telling her what teargas does to bare skin. also found Michael uncharacteristically snobby and a tad reckless. but as I don't have internet or the dvds I've already checked out the next book.
December 13, 2010
If you're a fan of Burn Notice the TV show on USA Network, then you'll love this tie-in novel. The plot, the scene cuts, the dialogue...it's all written in the style of the show. Book!Micheal especially jumps off the page; I could hear Jeffrey Donovan's voice snarking almost every line. An enjoyable read!
September 1, 2011
This is the first of the Burn Notice novels and, from what I've read, also the best. It fits the tone and style of the show to a tee. Good plot, too, which sometimes can't really be said for the later books in the series.
November 11, 2023
My name is Michael Westen. I used to be a spy. Until...
(voice on phone): We got a burn notice on you. You're blacklisted.
Burned spy Michael Westen takes on side job to help a woman who's been conned out of her fortune by a man pretending to be ex-special forces, and to take down an ex-KGB operative who is maybe-but-probably-not involved in the plot to have him burned.
This is basically like a bonus episode of the show in novel form, but slightly more confusing and disjointed (there were a couple of points where it was a little hard to follow the characters). My best guess based on context clues in the text, and when it was published, is this story takes place sometime in late season 1 (based on Sam still dating Veronica, and another side character they mention having been killed).
Will you read Michael Westen's explanatory monologues in in Jeffery Donavon's voice and hear Bruce Campbell in your head when Sam Axe is annoyed with Fiona? Absolutely.
Is it as good as watching the show? Not really, but it sure is longer! And feels a bit... trashier? In the show we don't learn many details about Michael's past sexual history, and his main relationship is Fiona, but we've got an extra (seemingly random) ex-lover thrown in to this story. It's not that salacious really, but it feels a tad out of character.
There is also a lot more backstory about Michael and Nate's childhood relationship (with each other and with their abusive father), which was kind of nice to get.
I'd really only recommend this if you are a super fan of the show. If you haven't watch the series it just isn't going to hit the same.
(voice on phone): We got a burn notice on you. You're blacklisted.
Burned spy Michael Westen takes on side job to help a woman who's been conned out of her fortune by a man pretending to be ex-special forces, and to take down an ex-KGB operative who is maybe-but-probably-not involved in the plot to have him burned.
This is basically like a bonus episode of the show in novel form, but slightly more confusing and disjointed (there were a couple of points where it was a little hard to follow the characters). My best guess based on context clues in the text, and when it was published, is this story takes place sometime in late season 1 (based on Sam still dating Veronica, and another side character they mention having been killed).
Will you read Michael Westen's explanatory monologues in in Jeffery Donavon's voice and hear Bruce Campbell in your head when Sam Axe is annoyed with Fiona? Absolutely.
Is it as good as watching the show? Not really, but it sure is longer! And feels a bit... trashier? In the show we don't learn many details about Michael's past sexual history, and his main relationship is Fiona, but we've got an extra (seemingly random) ex-lover thrown in to this story. It's not that salacious really, but it feels a tad out of character.
There is also a lot more backstory about Michael and Nate's childhood relationship (with each other and with their abusive father), which was kind of nice to get.
I'd really only recommend this if you are a super fan of the show. If you haven't watch the series it just isn't going to hit the same.
September 25, 2024
Although it's technically written well, the mystery well-paced, and the storyline that's not half-bad, it reads like a fanfic of Burn Notice rather than an actual adventure from the show.
Granted, I know Michael Westen has always been snarky, but he almost comes across as snobby and mean-spirited, especially towards Sam Axe, which feels very out-of-character. Having just rewatched the whole series, and knowing how the characters grow throughout, this feels like it should have taken place DURING season one, not after. It would make Michael's attitude fit better with canon.
Also, it can be a bit wordy. I know Goldberg was copying the style of the show's voiceover, but it could be very verbose. It needed something more to break it up for the reader. And the decision to make it solely first-person perspective I feel only added to that issue.
So, not great, but it's not necessarily bad either. Even though I'm not sure I'd recommend it for a diehard fan, if someone wanted a quick, summer spy novel to read, I'd mention this to them. I am willing to give the next one in the series a go, still.
Granted, I know Michael Westen has always been snarky, but he almost comes across as snobby and mean-spirited, especially towards Sam Axe, which feels very out-of-character. Having just rewatched the whole series, and knowing how the characters grow throughout, this feels like it should have taken place DURING season one, not after. It would make Michael's attitude fit better with canon.
Also, it can be a bit wordy. I know Goldberg was copying the style of the show's voiceover, but it could be very verbose. It needed something more to break it up for the reader. And the decision to make it solely first-person perspective I feel only added to that issue.
So, not great, but it's not necessarily bad either. Even though I'm not sure I'd recommend it for a diehard fan, if someone wanted a quick, summer spy novel to read, I'd mention this to them. I am willing to give the next one in the series a go, still.
June 18, 2025
Quick review here. We'll go into detail on the Words About Books podcast 6/15/25. A blog will be out on blog.wordsaboutbooks.ninja sometime this month.
I enjoyed the book. It felt like an episode of the show, which I think is the point. The downside is the book has an A plot and a B plot but they're both kind of the same plot and it is a bit confusing. There's a guy pretending to be another guy and it seems pretty clear that they're different people but you have to realize that's how Michael sees them and that he is correct in his assertion. Second the B plot is wrapped into the A plot and doesn't really further the story, it just concludes at the same time as everything else does. I will probably struggle to recap the plot becuase I'm still not 100% sure how every piece ties together? Anywhere he's the WAB Rubric
Content and Ideas 3/5 = It's not an original idea, it's just more of the show. That's not a bad thing and I suspect that's the target demographic for this book. If you liked the show and want more of the show, here it is but in book form.
Organization: 2.5/5 = I have to give it a lower score because I'm struggling to figure out how Sam knew to go to the private security firm. The gang is hunting "Dixon Woods" but there's also a guy who is pretending to be Dixon and it's hard to determine which one is Dixon and which one is his doppleganger who was using Dixon's name until the end and I'm still not entirely sure. I'm also not sure who put Natayla on Michael's case but that's supposed to be a mystery. Only I don't know their motives because that's a bad way to recruit someone.
Word Choice 3/5 = It feels like Burn Notice to me.
Personal Preference 4/5 = I have to dock it points for being difficult to parse but otherwise I found it enjoyable. A fun little read.
Recommendation Strength 4/5 = I would preface it to say anyone who likes the show could get into this. Anyone who didn't, wouldn't like it.
60/100 points which is roughly 3 stars
I enjoyed the book. It felt like an episode of the show, which I think is the point. The downside is the book has an A plot and a B plot but they're both kind of the same plot and it is a bit confusing. There's a guy pretending to be another guy and it seems pretty clear that they're different people but you have to realize that's how Michael sees them and that he is correct in his assertion. Second the B plot is wrapped into the A plot and doesn't really further the story, it just concludes at the same time as everything else does. I will probably struggle to recap the plot becuase I'm still not 100% sure how every piece ties together? Anywhere he's the WAB Rubric
Content and Ideas 3/5 = It's not an original idea, it's just more of the show. That's not a bad thing and I suspect that's the target demographic for this book. If you liked the show and want more of the show, here it is but in book form.
Organization: 2.5/5 = I have to give it a lower score because I'm struggling to figure out how Sam knew to go to the private security firm. The gang is hunting "Dixon Woods" but there's also a guy who is pretending to be Dixon and it's hard to determine which one is Dixon and which one is his doppleganger who was using Dixon's name until the end and I'm still not entirely sure. I'm also not sure who put Natayla on Michael's case but that's supposed to be a mystery. Only I don't know their motives because that's a bad way to recruit someone.
Word Choice 3/5 = It feels like Burn Notice to me.
Personal Preference 4/5 = I have to dock it points for being difficult to parse but otherwise I found it enjoyable. A fun little read.
Recommendation Strength 4/5 = I would preface it to say anyone who likes the show could get into this. Anyone who didn't, wouldn't like it.
60/100 points which is roughly 3 stars
July 13, 2025
It's not a great work of literature, but it is a really excellent adaptation of the series to book form, which is exactly what I wanted. That's why I gave it 5 stars.The author does a great job capturing the voices of the established characters, especially our core trio. The plot may have been a bit too twisty in trying to tie the "adventure of the week" into the meta-plot. But that also seemed to be a recurring element of the show, so maybe it's a feature and not a bug. I enjoyed it immensely and look forward to reading the next one.
May 18, 2020
Fun Read for Burn Notice Fans
We have the full seven-season DVD collection of "Burn Notice", and like many others during this pandemic season choose to binge on Michael, Fiona, Sam, Madeleine, Nate and Berry. I read this story during season 5, so I miss Jesse, but will assume he makes his appearance in one of the four later books.
We have the full seven-season DVD collection of "Burn Notice", and like many others during this pandemic season choose to binge on Michael, Fiona, Sam, Madeleine, Nate and Berry. I read this story during season 5, so I miss Jesse, but will assume he makes his appearance in one of the four later books.
January 13, 2023
3.5 stars
As a diehard Michael and Fiona shipper, I can honestly say some moments in this book made me audibly *squee*
However, there were moments where the editing (or lack thereof) really took me out of the story and I had to take a few moments to get myself back in.
As a diehard Michael and Fiona shipper, I can honestly say some moments in this book made me audibly *squee*
However, there were moments where the editing (or lack thereof) really took me out of the story and I had to take a few moments to get myself back in.
July 24, 2023
If you liked the show, you will probably like the book. Plot stands true to the tv show episodes complete with a happy ending. The gang is all here including insights into Michael's thoughts. Will likely read more books in the series, but not likely to reread this book again.
February 19, 2024
If this had been a multi-episode arc of the show it would have been fine. But it didn't hold together as a book, and some of the writing was painful (not talking typos although it did have them). Fun fluffy spy novels shouldn't have page-long run-on sentences.
June 11, 2025
Delighted that Burn Notice novels exist. Some jarring moments that felt out of character, and I'm still confused about what made one of the people taken down a baddy, but great to have some new Burn Notice content in my life.
October 17, 2017
Burn Notice
Long time fan of the show while it was on, very comparable. Good read, can't wait to read the rest of the series.
Long time fan of the show while it was on, very comparable. Good read, can't wait to read the rest of the series.
June 29, 2023
This should've been an episode of the series.
July 31, 2023
Always a fun read
These Burn Notice books always satisfy. Tod Goldberg does the dialog so well, that I can easily imagine Michael Westen and Sam Axe saying them. Love it.
These Burn Notice books always satisfy. Tod Goldberg does the dialog so well, that I can easily imagine Michael Westen and Sam Axe saying them. Love it.
January 21, 2024
It was just like watching an episode!! The show was a guilty pleasure, and the book brought me right back there. I also liked some of the banter between Sam, Michael, and Fi.
November 22, 2025
I have had this book on my virtual shelf for quite a while, and I can't believe I have waited so long to read it. I loved it, with lots of snark.
December 25, 2025
Excellent book, was just like one of the TV episodes.
December 18, 2022
Parody or dark humor; it's hard to classify this tale of big grift and intrigue. Some LOL moments, some suspense and lots of fun.
February 2, 2024
I was PROFOUNDLY disappointed in Tod Goldberg's adaptation of the TV series "Burn Notice". The overall story had some merits and was written from the perspective of Michael Westen, as the TV show narrates. BUT...BUT...Goldberg felt that he HAD to make the series more "Adult" with a load of F-Bombs and other gutter language that NEVER would have been on the series. I'm surprised Matt Nix was "ok" with Goldberg's writing...I guess this kinda of thing doesn't matter to Nix either. Tod's brother Lee was more sensible in his adaptation of Monk. I was given the 5 book series of Burn Notice as a gift, but I'm in NO hurry to read the next book, figuring I'll be disappointed again. It was also confusing that Goldberg did not pick up from the conclusion of the series, in that Nate and Madeline were deceased. This is what Lee did with Monk. I hope the Psych series is more rewarding then what I got from the book version of Burn Notice...PHEWWW!!!!
November 25, 2013
Burn Notice is a television show I discovered about a year ago, and although my taste usually runs toward Masterpiece Theater or science documentaries on PBS, I found myself looking for all the reruns of it that I could find. It ran 6 (?) seasons and ended in October.
Some people enjoy B movies because they are fun and non-pretentious, or enjoy "guilty secret" viewing, like soaps or talk shows. This one is mine. I like it for the ensemble acting, action sequences (something gets blown up in every episode), wry humor, and most of all, the justice. The bad guys (drug dealers, kidnappers, dirty spies, despots in hiding) all get taken down in the end. Also, the main characters seem to have fun making the episodes. I am completely entertained while watching. The authors create clever plots, incorporate up-to-date technology, lesser-known CIA history, irony, and humor. (Must admit the last season got a tad heavy and dark, but was redeemed by the last episode's inside "jokes.")
So the book: As usual, Michael Westen (a former spy) is talked into helping someone out of a tough situation which is supposed to be an easy fix but winds up to be a major effort that ties into bigger crimes. Sam's girlfriend's friend Cricket has suddenly lost her new husband and all her wealth at the same time. Fiona and Michael work with Sam to discover who that husband really was, and manage to face down a former KGB spy Natalya who --well, it's complicated. It all concludes in a satisfying crackdown at a Miami Beach hotel, which will need extensive rebuilding. Wounded orphans and veterans will continue receiving help from Cricket's recovered millions, Sam's Cadillac is restored to it's former beauty, and Michael and Fiona continue their highly charged, on-again, off-again relationship.
I recommend this for readers who like Burn Notice on TV.
Some people enjoy B movies because they are fun and non-pretentious, or enjoy "guilty secret" viewing, like soaps or talk shows. This one is mine. I like it for the ensemble acting, action sequences (something gets blown up in every episode), wry humor, and most of all, the justice. The bad guys (drug dealers, kidnappers, dirty spies, despots in hiding) all get taken down in the end. Also, the main characters seem to have fun making the episodes. I am completely entertained while watching. The authors create clever plots, incorporate up-to-date technology, lesser-known CIA history, irony, and humor. (Must admit the last season got a tad heavy and dark, but was redeemed by the last episode's inside "jokes.")
So the book: As usual, Michael Westen (a former spy) is talked into helping someone out of a tough situation which is supposed to be an easy fix but winds up to be a major effort that ties into bigger crimes. Sam's girlfriend's friend Cricket has suddenly lost her new husband and all her wealth at the same time. Fiona and Michael work with Sam to discover who that husband really was, and manage to face down a former KGB spy Natalya who --well, it's complicated. It all concludes in a satisfying crackdown at a Miami Beach hotel, which will need extensive rebuilding. Wounded orphans and veterans will continue receiving help from Cricket's recovered millions, Sam's Cadillac is restored to it's former beauty, and Michael and Fiona continue their highly charged, on-again, off-again relationship.
I recommend this for readers who like Burn Notice on TV.
October 15, 2012
Burn Notice is one of my favorite shows. I liked the idea of a book to go along with the shows, leaving enough information out so that you could read it within a season without having too many things relying on what episode you watched first. The style of writing was similar to the show voice over, sarcastically witty and very knowledgeable.
But once you got down to the real action of the book, my liking for it took a sharp downturn. It was difficult to understand what exactly was happening as the author was trying to make things have the twists and turns of an episode but it wasn't exactly explained well. You were left wondering who was betraying who and why, and who was even real or alive. Instead of just blatantly saying so, the author left the readers to infer and suspect, which is great if they are able to infer the right angle. I'd be several chapters into the book thinking one way and be confused to find out something different. Not the good different as in a good plot twist, but simply because it was too vague and confusing in the first place.
And then everything was connected. In the episodes, sure all the things that related to his burn notice was interlinked... but his side projects were just that: side projects. Both aren't molded together in some way. The two projects that just happened to start a day apart doesn't coincidently be all the same problem to be solved the same way. The solving was a bit of a let down as well, truth be told.
It started out as a great book which I was really excited about. It turned out being difficult to finish. Great for someone who just wants something to read, but to a diehard fan it was a bit of a disappointment.
But once you got down to the real action of the book, my liking for it took a sharp downturn. It was difficult to understand what exactly was happening as the author was trying to make things have the twists and turns of an episode but it wasn't exactly explained well. You were left wondering who was betraying who and why, and who was even real or alive. Instead of just blatantly saying so, the author left the readers to infer and suspect, which is great if they are able to infer the right angle. I'd be several chapters into the book thinking one way and be confused to find out something different. Not the good different as in a good plot twist, but simply because it was too vague and confusing in the first place.
And then everything was connected. In the episodes, sure all the things that related to his burn notice was interlinked... but his side projects were just that: side projects. Both aren't molded together in some way. The two projects that just happened to start a day apart doesn't coincidently be all the same problem to be solved the same way. The solving was a bit of a let down as well, truth be told.
It started out as a great book which I was really excited about. It turned out being difficult to finish. Great for someone who just wants something to read, but to a diehard fan it was a bit of a disappointment.
April 8, 2009
Tod Goldberg does a great job of capturing Michael’s voice and, since the voice-overs on the show give us a sense of experiencing things through Michael’s POV anyway, having the story here told that way worked well. Another reason his ability to capture Michael was so important. Fans of the show wouldn’t have made it past the first chapter if he’d had it wrong.
Tod also managed to do what the writers are doing so well this season, weave the burn notice story in and around the victim of the week story. Michael gets himself into a pretty tight spot in the book but his solution both ridiculous and believable at the same time. That doesn’t sound like a compliment but, trust me, it is. The story works not only because you can picture each thing as it’s happening but also because you want to see it. I suspect what makes books feature TV show characters a success is when you put it down and wish you had it on DVD so you could watch it all play out on screen.
This is just an excerpt of my full review at my TV blog, RTVW Online.
Tod also managed to do what the writers are doing so well this season, weave the burn notice story in and around the victim of the week story. Michael gets himself into a pretty tight spot in the book but his solution both ridiculous and believable at the same time. That doesn’t sound like a compliment but, trust me, it is. The story works not only because you can picture each thing as it’s happening but also because you want to see it. I suspect what makes books feature TV show characters a success is when you put it down and wish you had it on DVD so you could watch it all play out on screen.
This is just an excerpt of my full review at my TV blog, RTVW Online.
December 27, 2014
This is an original novel based on the recent popular spy drama series, Burn Notice (which aired in the summers of 2007 and 2008 on the USA network and returns in January 2009 with more new episodes). Goldberg manages to take an extremely stylized TV series and capture much of that feel on the printed page. This novel makes extensive use of main character Michael Westen's "on-screen" narration -- a tribute to such 1980s series as Magnum, P.I., where the hero keeps up a running monologue to us in the audience. Burn Notice has a wicked sense of dark humor, and Goldberg captures that essence pretty well, too. The main characters -- Michael, Sam and Fiona, are all extremely well defined, although some of the supporting characters is this novel come off as slightly two-dimensional. Never-the-less, Goldberg's wry humor, incredibly fast pacing, and complex caper-related plot make The Fix a very worthy tie-in novel for fans of the series. I would also recommend it to fans of Florida-set thrillers, such as those written by Carl Hiaasen, Elmore Leonard and Tim Dorsey. Originally reviewed for my local library's website: http://www.lincolnlibraries.org/depts...
June 2, 2009
The Fix was an enjoyable read for anyone who is a fan of the tv series. The author did a great job capturing the ton of the show complete with all the fun spy facts we learn via Westen's clever inner monologue. The dialogue between the main characters were spot on and the story flowed just like an episode.
I'd recommend the book to anyone who enjoys the show. Fans of the espionage genre who have never seen the show may get lost in the character relationship subtext but Tod does a good job of providing enough background for the uninitiated to follow along.
On a technical side note this is the first ebook I've ever read and I must say I rather enjoyed it. It was a Kindle book that I read via the Kindle iphone application. Having a book on me at all times enabled me to read at any opportunity be it at lunch, while I'm waiting somewhere or while I'm laying in bed before going to sleep. I thought it would hurt my eyes but in reality I think the LCD screen of the iphone made it easier to read than a poorly lit book.
I'd recommend the book to anyone who enjoys the show. Fans of the espionage genre who have never seen the show may get lost in the character relationship subtext but Tod does a good job of providing enough background for the uninitiated to follow along.
On a technical side note this is the first ebook I've ever read and I must say I rather enjoyed it. It was a Kindle book that I read via the Kindle iphone application. Having a book on me at all times enabled me to read at any opportunity be it at lunch, while I'm waiting somewhere or while I'm laying in bed before going to sleep. I thought it would hurt my eyes but in reality I think the LCD screen of the iphone made it easier to read than a poorly lit book.
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