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Sky Blues
Dark murder arises out of a torrid love affair in the dangerous world of sky-diving. Exotic animal vet Destiny Donne is introduced to the sport by Tom Jenks and quickly becomes enmeshed in his world of danger, adrenaline and sex.
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First published February 22, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 1, 2023
Vicki Hendricks writes noir masterpieces that are unlike anything else in the genre. Hendricks invokes the classic motif of the femme fatale with bewitching charms who makes men weak-kneed and helpless to resist even in the face of all logic. Of course, when Hendricks tells suchstories, the main character who is bedazzled into a world of sin is a woman with insatiable sexual appetites that cloud her reason and independence.
Like in her book Iguana Love, this story of obsession and helpless attraction takes place in hot, steamy Florida, although where the sport involved in Iguana Love is scuba diving, here it's skydiving and lion keeping.
The magic of this story is that it's told in a slow subtle spellbound way. It's not a wham-bam shoot-em-up action story, but it has a relentless pace and it's filled with hints of something off and something wicked even as much of the beginning focused on Destiny's loneliness and succumbing to Tom's charms. Maybe it is partly steamy Harlequin, but that's really just a buildup for Destiny's moral and emotional descent. Thematically, this is noir and it's really the poetry of noir, conveying emotionally what it needs to.
Like in her book Iguana Love, this story of obsession and helpless attraction takes place in hot, steamy Florida, although where the sport involved in Iguana Love is scuba diving, here it's skydiving and lion keeping.
The magic of this story is that it's told in a slow subtle spellbound way. It's not a wham-bam shoot-em-up action story, but it has a relentless pace and it's filled with hints of something off and something wicked even as much of the beginning focused on Destiny's loneliness and succumbing to Tom's charms. Maybe it is partly steamy Harlequin, but that's really just a buildup for Destiny's moral and emotional descent. Thematically, this is noir and it's really the poetry of noir, conveying emotionally what it needs to.
August 28, 2013
To do list prior to reading this book:
1) Purchase and read a book on skydiving paying particular attention to terms used including but not limited to type of parachutes, cords used, number of parachutes used in skydiving and computers used. You can save money by finding a comprehensive book which includes lingo terms used in skydiving, preferably for the south Florida area, the setting of this book and its local customs such as the celebratory event held after 100 skydives.
2) Purchase a book, doesn't have to be a detailed book, but a book on large animal vet terms including terms on medications, including injections such as tranquilizers. Skip through reading African animals, primarily.
3) To save time, write down a list of adjectives which would describe the color blue, yellow, and white; i.e. dazzling blue, deep blue, bright blue you get the idea. (Had this been on my Kindle, sorry folks, I could have told readers exactly how many times the words blue and eyes were used. Just guessing, eyes (hers but mostly Tom's) probably 149 times and blue about 169 times (for sky and eyes.) By knowing the adjectives, you can save time by skipping over them thereby saving yourself time so that you can finish it faster to pick up a good book.
This was my third Vicki Hendricks book and the first one, Miami Purity was great. Clear characters, great storyline and surprises throughout.
Iguana Love, well, it was more complicated like love affairs between men and women who are missing a few grey cells (I think they were) but it was good. At least it made me think a lot trying to understand all the allegories. And, which is pretty important to me, anyhow, there was a storyline, kindof. They got five and four stars respectively.
So, silly me, I expected this book to be fairly good with a fairly good plot, well written descriptive characters and a book that would give me a jolt from time to time like the other two.
That was the reason I continued when it's pace just never went anywhere; not up into those dazzling blue skies or Tomcat's mesmerizing blue eyes; or down when vet Destiny landed into the brown dirt or grass as green as a chameleon sitting on a green leaf. (How trite is that? Like the book I was reading, that's how trite.)
Like many authors, just because they've 'hit the mark' once, twice or more, doesn't mean they do every time thereafter.
The book was only 230 pages and I could have finished it in one day but every time I looked at it, I groaned. Do I have to finish this? Each time the answer was yes but I sure put it off and finally just said to myself, to hell with it, I'm biting the bullet and finishing it now; which I did, FINALLY.
Sorry, Vicki Hendricks, as much as I hate to say it, this may be my last one. We'll see.
The ending? Surprise ending is what I read from briefly glancing through other reviews which was one reason I continued.
My opinion of the ending? Thank god it's over. Read with caution.
1) Purchase and read a book on skydiving paying particular attention to terms used including but not limited to type of parachutes, cords used, number of parachutes used in skydiving and computers used. You can save money by finding a comprehensive book which includes lingo terms used in skydiving, preferably for the south Florida area, the setting of this book and its local customs such as the celebratory event held after 100 skydives.
2) Purchase a book, doesn't have to be a detailed book, but a book on large animal vet terms including terms on medications, including injections such as tranquilizers. Skip through reading African animals, primarily.
3) To save time, write down a list of adjectives which would describe the color blue, yellow, and white; i.e. dazzling blue, deep blue, bright blue you get the idea. (Had this been on my Kindle, sorry folks, I could have told readers exactly how many times the words blue and eyes were used. Just guessing, eyes (hers but mostly Tom's) probably 149 times and blue about 169 times (for sky and eyes.) By knowing the adjectives, you can save time by skipping over them thereby saving yourself time so that you can finish it faster to pick up a good book.
This was my third Vicki Hendricks book and the first one, Miami Purity was great. Clear characters, great storyline and surprises throughout.
Iguana Love, well, it was more complicated like love affairs between men and women who are missing a few grey cells (I think they were) but it was good. At least it made me think a lot trying to understand all the allegories. And, which is pretty important to me, anyhow, there was a storyline, kindof. They got five and four stars respectively.
So, silly me, I expected this book to be fairly good with a fairly good plot, well written descriptive characters and a book that would give me a jolt from time to time like the other two.
That was the reason I continued when it's pace just never went anywhere; not up into those dazzling blue skies or Tomcat's mesmerizing blue eyes; or down when vet Destiny landed into the brown dirt or grass as green as a chameleon sitting on a green leaf. (How trite is that? Like the book I was reading, that's how trite.)
Like many authors, just because they've 'hit the mark' once, twice or more, doesn't mean they do every time thereafter.
The book was only 230 pages and I could have finished it in one day but every time I looked at it, I groaned. Do I have to finish this? Each time the answer was yes but I sure put it off and finally just said to myself, to hell with it, I'm biting the bullet and finishing it now; which I did, FINALLY.
Sorry, Vicki Hendricks, as much as I hate to say it, this may be my last one. We'll see.
The ending? Surprise ending is what I read from briefly glancing through other reviews which was one reason I continued.
My opinion of the ending? Thank god it's over. Read with caution.
March 16, 2017
I like Vicki Hendricks, I've read most of her novels, but this is by far the worst of them. The protagonist is absurdly stupid in the face of her lover Tom's machinations and the plot is tired and cliched. Puke.
March 12, 2008
One of my favorites - Vicki Hendricks. I've read this one multiple times. I think she really captures the suffocating, trapped feeling of a bad realtionship - maybe the self-doubt of her main characters, their loss of self? - like no one else I've ever read. I'm so jealous of her writing style, it isn't even funny...
Most people either love her or hate her. I don't know anyone who feels lukewarm on this writer.
Most people either love her or hate her. I don't know anyone who feels lukewarm on this writer.
June 19, 2008
Vicki Hendricks is the uncrowned queen of a sub-genre I am going to call "trailer-trash noir." Her books explore the underbelly of Florida, with twists, turns, and unconventional plot structures. While this one was not my favorite of hers (I think I liked INVOLUNTARY MADNESS best), it's still well worth a read.
December 17, 2009
This book makes me want to learn to skydive!!! Great story,leaves you hanging...till the bitter end.
May 12, 2010
This was really good. I really liked it. It had to much detail to the sex scenes well, in my opinion it did but other then that it was good. The ending was surprising to me.
July 14, 2012
This book does not leave out one single clichee about skydiving, and the storytelling is among the most unbelievable and un-intriguing I ever read.
October 12, 2013
Literally read this in a few hours. I was expecting a bit more....
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews