What do you think?
Rate this book
Atlantica Universe: John Chambers #1
Her Mother’s Pendant
ATLANTICA—the forgotten isle, the glittering gem in the cesspool of humanity's future. Anything you do inside your own home is allowed.
Those with obscene wealth find it a haven, while every major country of in the world craves the secrets they believe are buried in the mist.
Where mystery happens, John Chambers can exist: ex-soldier, gritty realist, detective.
It's whispered that John “Dick” Chambers is the man you go to when you need someone who can't be bought.
Do ethics matter if one can steal the answers from his cold, dead fingers?
John has accepted a job to find a pendant for a woman, a pendant that might uncover clues about Atlantica's past…if he doesn't die finding it.
Do those who desire Atlantica's secrets really care?
Those with obscene wealth find it a haven, while every major country of in the world craves the secrets they believe are buried in the mist.
Where mystery happens, John Chambers can exist: ex-soldier, gritty realist, detective.
It's whispered that John “Dick” Chambers is the man you go to when you need someone who can't be bought.
Do ethics matter if one can steal the answers from his cold, dead fingers?
John has accepted a job to find a pendant for a woman, a pendant that might uncover clues about Atlantica's past…if he doesn't die finding it.
Do those who desire Atlantica's secrets really care?
277 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 26, 2020
280 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 23, 2021
This is the first ever book from Michael Anderle, that I have read at least, that doesn’t involve urban fantasy or science fiction. It is the first book in a series so I guess the fantasy or science fiction stuff could still come though. Sure, this island that was just discovered floating around and with the rather suggesting name Atlantica borders on fantasy but that is it so far.
Instead, with this book Michael Anderle seems to have ventured into a new, for him at least, genre. This is pretty much a good old fashioned detective and mystery novel a’ la Mike Hammer. Sure, the Atlantica with its somewhat weird legal rules gives it a bit of a different twist.
I like the character John Chambers quite a lot. A smoking and hard drinking private investigator that kicks ass and is pretty good at investigating as well. What is there not to like. His client, female and sexy of course, is not bad either. Of course he frequents shady bars, takes part in poker games with his friends, or at least his acquaintances, not sure how much friends they are actually. You know, everything a hard boiled private investigator should do.
The story is a nice little retrieve stolen property story. Of course the property in question is a bit shrouded in mystery and, in true Michael Anderle fashion Chambers have to slug himself through a whole bunch of bad guys. It felt almost weird to read a Michael Anderle book where all the action was, well, “ordinary”. No magic, no fireballs or whispering medallions. Anderle writes “ordinary” action just as well as his fantasy and science fiction action.
Bottom line, I found this a very enjoyable book. I’m looking forward to read the next one in the series. The one question I am really wondering about is whether this series will stay “mundane” or, at some point, fantasy or science fiction will creep in. Why was everyone so interested in this seemingly ordinary object that Chambers was tasked to recover for instance?
Instead, with this book Michael Anderle seems to have ventured into a new, for him at least, genre. This is pretty much a good old fashioned detective and mystery novel a’ la Mike Hammer. Sure, the Atlantica with its somewhat weird legal rules gives it a bit of a different twist.
I like the character John Chambers quite a lot. A smoking and hard drinking private investigator that kicks ass and is pretty good at investigating as well. What is there not to like. His client, female and sexy of course, is not bad either. Of course he frequents shady bars, takes part in poker games with his friends, or at least his acquaintances, not sure how much friends they are actually. You know, everything a hard boiled private investigator should do.
The story is a nice little retrieve stolen property story. Of course the property in question is a bit shrouded in mystery and, in true Michael Anderle fashion Chambers have to slug himself through a whole bunch of bad guys. It felt almost weird to read a Michael Anderle book where all the action was, well, “ordinary”. No magic, no fireballs or whispering medallions. Anderle writes “ordinary” action just as well as his fantasy and science fiction action.
Bottom line, I found this a very enjoyable book. I’m looking forward to read the next one in the series. The one question I am really wondering about is whether this series will stay “mundane” or, at some point, fantasy or science fiction will creep in. Why was everyone so interested in this seemingly ordinary object that Chambers was tasked to recover for instance?
November 27, 2021
Michael Anderle is a fine writer who never lost my interest, even though I was haunted by reminders of a film noir movie with Bruce Willis in black and white and screaming yellow. The plot seemed to borrow from more than one source, but the writing made it interesting, even so. John Chambers is a private eye in Atlantica who prefers to be called Dick. He minds his own business, mostly, until he is hired to find someone else's precious. He gets hired to find a client's pendant, the only thing the woman has left from her mother, and someone stole it. So John Chambers goes to work. There are many stones he needs to turn before the final location, and that location is where he finds the pendant. He finds a lot of other things there too, but his quest is successful. If you love gritty underworld settings for your mysteries, this book is for you.
July 1, 2021
I've read about 10 or 12 books by Michael Anderle, about The Kurtherian Gambit, but this one was not very good at all. First of all it was only 277 pages long and in such a short book Dick lit 37 cigarettes and he drank constantly, even with his coffee in the morning. And then he'd have sex with someone who doesn't smoke? Yeah, that's just disgusting. If he had a cigarette once in a while that would be different but he smoked to damn much.
He spent the whole book trying to find a pendent for his client but you never found out why. I think it was just to have all that killing, smoking and drinking.
All sex was fade-to0-black and the F-bomb was used 44 times.
As for the narration: Kevin T. Collins is a good narrator but his talent was wasted on this book.
He spent the whole book trying to find a pendent for his client but you never found out why. I think it was just to have all that killing, smoking and drinking.
All sex was fade-to0-black and the F-bomb was used 44 times.
As for the narration: Kevin T. Collins is a good narrator but his talent was wasted on this book.
January 27, 2021
A detective story
Set in the future, on a mythical island, a hard drinking, cigarette smoking, steel-jawed detective tries to find justice in a semi-lawless society. If you like detective stories, this book is for you. Not my favorite, but I read it all the way through. A good read.
Set in the future, on a mythical island, a hard drinking, cigarette smoking, steel-jawed detective tries to find justice in a semi-lawless society. If you like detective stories, this book is for you. Not my favorite, but I read it all the way through. A good read.
July 16, 2021
So far there has not been a book with Michael Anderle's name on it that has been any less than 5 star material, and this book was no exception. I enjoyed the main character's personality and all the characters helping him out. The plot is easily followed and the story line is full of twists and turns needed for a great story. I highly recommend this book.
October 21, 2021
Since Terra Kris was so much fun...
I figured more of Atlantica was on the menu, and John "Dick" Chambers fulfills that promise.
This whole universe brings the Film Noir vibe to life, with a strong Philip Marlowe thread through everything.
Oh, I'm going to enjoy this series. So much.
I figured more of Atlantica was on the menu, and John "Dick" Chambers fulfills that promise.
This whole universe brings the Film Noir vibe to life, with a strong Philip Marlowe thread through everything.
Oh, I'm going to enjoy this series. So much.
November 10, 2021
A true detective.
Mysteries and plenty of action. John (Dick) Chambers is not one of those heros(?) that comes through every encounter unscathed. He gives as good as he gets and makes use of an extensive network of contacts he had developed to get the job done.
Mysteries and plenty of action. John (Dick) Chambers is not one of those heros(?) that comes through every encounter unscathed. He gives as good as he gets and makes use of an extensive network of contacts he had developed to get the job done.
February 15, 2021
Quite a disappointment for me as I always enjoyed Anderle's work. Could have used some more editing
June 16, 2021
Nope
Not for me. Maybe I gave up too soon but I didn't like the direction it was going. Also didn't like the main character.
Not for me. Maybe I gave up too soon but I didn't like the direction it was going. Also didn't like the main character.
June 17, 2021
I didn't like it, so I stopped reading about five chapters in. The fight scenes were mechanical and not germane to the story. I tried!
October 22, 2021
Gritty Noir tale
Liked everything but the nicotine and the volume of whiskey. Story and characters interesting and multi faceted. Three more words required.
Liked everything but the nicotine and the volume of whiskey. Story and characters interesting and multi faceted. Three more words required.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews