On the Line

Lydia Chin & Bill Smith #10

by S.J. Rozan

P.I. Bill Smith is sent on a high stakes chase when an electronically modified voice on his cell phone informs him that Lydia Chin, his occasional partner, has been kidnapped. Now if Bill wants to keep Lydia alive, he'll have to play an elaborate game of the kidnapper's devising. The first move sends him to an abandoned building where Bill finds the corpse of a small Chinese woman dressed like Lydia and the building being rapidly surrounded by police. Now Bill is on the run from the cops and in the worst trouble of his very troubled life. With the help of Lydia's hacker cousin Linus, and Linus's cohort Trella, Bill has to not only stay one step ahead of the cops, he has to uncover the secret behind the kidnapper's identity and the reason he's come after Bill, if he's to reach Lydia before it's too late.

Genres: Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Fiction, Detective, Thriller, Audiobook

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 15, 2010

About the author

SJ Rozan, a native New Yorker, is the author of the Bill Smith and Lydia Chin detective series as well as several stand-alone novels. She has won the the Edgar, Nero, Macavity, Shamus and Anthony awards for Best Novel and the Edgar award for Best Short Story. She is a former Mystery Writers of America National Board member, a current Sisters in Crime National Board member, and President of the Private Eye Writers of America. In January 2003 she was an invited speaker at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. In February 2005 she will be Guest of Honor at the Left Coast Crime convention in El Paso, Texas. A former architect in a practice that focussed on police stations, firehouses, and zoos, SJ Rozan was born and raised in the Bronx. She currently lives in Greenwich Village, New York. (from the author's website)"
S.J. Rozan has a B.A. from Oberlin College and M.Arch from SUNY/Buffalo

Reviews

[Lukasz Pruski · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Focus! Christ, Smith, focus"

What an extreme disappointment! This is my tenth novel by S.J. Rozan, the author of remarkably good Winter and Night and Stone Quarry , an author whom until now I would have trusted not to be able to produce bad novels. Even the weaker installments in the series, for instance, Mandarin Plaid, were at a decent level. Alas On the Line (2010) is a completely different story. Juvenile, utterly implausible, and brimming with clichés worthy of the greatest Masters of Formulaic Thrillers.

Bill Smith is practicing Brahms piano sonata when his phone rings: Lydia Chin manages to say a few words but then the kidnapper interrupts. An electronically altered voice tells Mr. Smith that he has 12 hours to find Lydia. Otherwise she dies. The kidnapper, once wronged by Smith, is now exacting his revenge. Our hero is invited to a game: he will be offered a series of clues and if he does not solve even one of the puzzles, Lydia will be killed. Yeah, as lame as that. If you are new to the series: Lydia is Bill's detection business partner, and also his unrequited (as far as we know) love. Please read better books by S.J. Rozan than this one. This mess is not worth your time.

Mr. Smith enlists the help of Linus, Lydia's "kid cousin", a teenager computer whiz, and his girlfriend, Trella, who is "barely old to drink". Linus and Trella are accompanied by a canine superhero named Woof. So Smith, Linus, Trella, and Woof are the crew to battle the Super Evil Villain in the series of puzzles. Later in the story they are joined by a "piece-of-work pimp and his boys." I am not sure even Mr. Patterson would stoop so low with the plot.

And now combine the canine-enhanced juvenile crew with murders of Chinese prostitutes, the murders being parts in the puzzles set by the Super-Evil Villain. Combine the human drama of torture and death with the (maybe unintended) humor inherent in the composition of the good guys' team. The combination is putrid.

The clues left by the ArchVillain are usually booby-trapped. When the dramaturgy of the story requires explosion, BAM! There it is. Obviously Mr. Smith knows what the booby traps are. So lame! The puzzles are based on loose associations related to popular culture. Of course, Smith and the crew are instantaneously able to decrypt all the references. It reminds me of the most atrocious cliché of the last 50 years of thrillers. Suppose a computer geek needs to get into a passworded computer system: the genius sits at the keyboard, thinks for seven seconds, makes a guess, and the guess is right!

I would like to say: FOCUS!, S.J. ROZAN, FOCUS!!!

One and a half stars.

[LJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

First Sentence: Crashing dark cords smothered the cell phone’s impertinent chirp, but the ringtone was “Ride of the Valkyries,” so it penetrated, and I stopped.

PI Lydia Chin has been kidnapped. Her sometimes partner and friend who wishes he were more, has 12 hours before the kidnapper will kill Lydia. Bill is lead on a desperate chase through New York City following obscure clues and being chased by the police who set it up to appear Bill murdered a Chinese prostitute. He is also slowed down by the Chinese criminal who believes the same thing. Fortunately, Bill does have the help of Lydia’s techno-whiz cousin, Linus, his girlfriend Trella, and Lydia’s best friend, Detective Mary Kee.

Let me start by declaring myself to normally being a huge fan of S.J. Rozan. However, I shall admit, this book let me down.

Those of us who follow the series knew it was Bill’s turn to take the lead and there were some interesting supporting characters, particularly Linus and Trella. One of the most delightful characters of the series was completely missing from the story except in reference. However, my biggest issue with the book overall had to do with characters. There was no character development. Once again, an author based the book on the assumption that readers had read previous books in the series, which I feel is such a mistake. The entire premise of the story is built on Bill’s search for Lydia yet there is little explanation, beyond the fact they are occasional partners, giving a new reader an understanding of the real depth of the relationships. This is true of all the relationships; what background is given is glancing at best.

The story is fully plot driven. It starts off high energy and, with a 12-hour clock running, never takes a break. It is exciting and suspenseful but almost too much so. The technological information is fascinating but did seem a bit too easy. The very clever use of Twitter and Facebook demonstrates just how powerful and ubiquitous they have become and how hard it can be for those not technology-focused to be left behind the curve. However, the ease and speed at which much of the information Bill and his team were able to obtain did stretch credulity quite a bit.

Having read all of Ms. Rozan’s books, I know how good her writing can be. I can understand an author wanting to try something new, but this almost had an action comic feel about it. If you’re looking for a non-stop, beat-the-clock, distracting airplane book to leave behind at the end of the trip, this would satisfy that need. For me, I shall hope Ms. Rozan returns to the quality of some of her previous books for her next one.

ON THE LINE (PI-Bill Smith/Lydia Chin-NYC-Cont) – Okay
Rozan, S.J. – 10th in series
Minotaur Books, ©2010, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9780312544492

[Kathryn McCary · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lydia Chin/Bill Smith mysteries have always been a joy. First person narratives from, in alternate books, young hip American Born Chinese Lydia and middle-aged battered Southern-roots White Guy Bill, unlikely sometime partners as licensed detectives, the books have always been engaging and engrossing. Very different points of view and voices, but always strong plots, three-dimensional characters, and excellent writing. Bill is an intellectual redneck (I always think of Harry Kemelman's phrase "a truck driver with a college education"), a sensitive roughhewn guy; the narration of his books has always had a slightly elegiac quality, a somewhat more reflective tone and pace than Lydia's energetic (but nonetheless introspective) narratives.

Not this one. This one is an express train. Lydia's out of circulation and able to communicate in only the most cryptic manner, Bill's trying to find her while dodging the police and Chinese mobsters, there's a puzzler guy. . .and Bill keeps accreting unwanted partners, like some demented game of The Farmer in the Dell. Fast paced, no time for measured reflection, and an utter giggle--but, as one expects of Rozan, underpinned by responsibly principled behavior even when things get most frantic. I don't know that I have ever LOL'd while reading an S.J. Rozan before, but I have to admit I absolutely screeched over the following exchange between Lydia's cousin and the Mob guy [in that order]: "'You're on Twitter. . . .Whoa. Not sure I want to meet your followers.' 'No. Just Facebook. But I'll post it. Friend me and give me your cell number.'"

I mean. . .Dude!

[Rachel Groves · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh. A bit disappointing after I enjoyed a previous book in the series.

Whilst I like the characters and enjoy the easy to read style what I found lacking was the plot/story and thus no suspense was built and thrills were lacking. Bill's partner is kidnapped by a lunatic who makes him play a game to get her back safely. The lunatic has to figure out clues the lunatic sends in order to find the next location and get his partner back safely. Except the clues are clumsy and well, dreadful in places. Such a key opportunity to craft a fine book but sadly lacking. You look at a book like The Bone Collector who does this so well - by comparison this is very poor. For instance one set of clues contains some lengths of straw and something green. Straw = broom = witch plus the green is Greenwich. Ugh.

It's all a bit Scooby Doo. Silly and obscure clue solving really makes the story falter and stutter. Bill collects characters along the way, his partners tech-wizard nephew and his kickass would-be girlfriend, a cousin of hers, a pimp and his heavies. All of which add to the Scooby Doo feel in places. The nephew, Linus, sounds like Shaggy with his constant "hey dudes" attitude. His would-be girlfriend smart and sassy. There's even a big dog as part of the gang.

Oh dear.

Three stars is perhaps a little generous given the nature of the review but I did enjoy the characters and Bill's slow meltdown kept my interest even if the level of sophistication let it down badly. Even so 2 stars would seem too harsh. I picked it up for an easy non taxing read and that's what I got. Shame it wasn't quite up to scratch as it could have been a cracker.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd read all of the previous ones in the series, but it'd been such a long time that I barely recalled anything about them except: Bill plays the piano, and he's in love with Lydia, but she puts him off on the romantic front, because of her (racist) mother. So, this one was sort of a "clean slate" for me.

First of all, I'm glad I listened to it, both because I'm a fan of the narrator, as well as that there's a lot of yelling so ALL CAPS LIKE THIS! would've gotten old very fast. Linus's constant use of "Dude!"* is probably more noticeable, for those who might be annoyed by that. Though Dufris does a terrific job with the secondary characters, Bill himself didn't sound like I'd imagined, but that's expectations for you.

As for the plot, yes it did seem like a Daddy and the Superkids adventure (with Lydia's friend Mary playing bad-cop-Mom). The villain grew so annoying by around the 3/4 mark that I wanted a piece of him, too, like everyone else. Did I have to suspend disbelief that the events could have gone down as they did? Pretty much, yeah. Is it a deal-breaker? Not really. So much happens that I had trouble believing it's all in a single day - felt like at least a week!

So, would I recommend it? Well ... I had to force myself to turn off my mp3 player to go to bed, so it had some suspense value. While I wouldn't want a steady diet of these antics, I'm glad Rozan tried something different. I do hope she brings back Linus, Trella and Woof though!

* I had thought women were "dudettes", but Trella is Linus's "DUDESSE!"

[Sandi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite a letdown after the previous book in the series,The Shanghai Moon, which was so good. Too much action (much of which seemed strained to me), repetitive dialogue that did not seem to really add much except to the word count (I hope to never come across the words Dude or lunatic again anytime soon), and an entirely over the top bad guy made this a bit of a slog for me.

[Robert Muller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really one of the best of this series. This is a Bill Smith book and shows him at his worst, and his worst goes on for way too long. Refreshingly for the mystery genre lately, she does get a lot of the social network and computer stuff right, but that's a small island in a sea of troubles for the plot, and even the scene setting is nowhere near as good as previous books. The plot is more of a comic-book plot, maybe Batman and Robin fighting the Joker, with similar events and denouements.

[Hobart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
Okay, it's Bill Smith's turn as the POV character -- and that's a good thing, because this would be a very short book if it wasn't. A figure from Bill's past is back, looking for revenge. The electronically altered voice on the phone belongs to someone that was sent to prison, in part due to Bill's work, and now he's out and is ready for Bill to pay what he's due. He's demanding that Bill play this game he's devised in order to keep his hostage alive for the next 12 hours (or so).

The hostage, of course, is Lydia Chin. This is what makes this book different from all the other books where the hero is racing against the clock to play the twisted game of the psychopath in order to save the hostage. The hostage isn't someone created just to be in peril, this is someone we've become attached to over the last 9 books (half the time being in her brain, I should add) -- and Bill's got a lot more history with and affection for her than any of us readers do. Again, this is stuff we know, not something manufactured for the purposes of this plot. So the stakes are higher for Bill than most heroes in this plot, and we believe it, too.

Without Lydia to work with, Bill has to get help from others -- there's just no way that he can do this on his own. Enter Lydia's friend Mary, the NYPD detective; and her cousin Linus, the hacker/computer guru. Even with these two replacing Lydia, Bill spends a lot of the time seemingly over-matched. Now that I think about it, he's so distracted by worry that a lot of the thinking is left to others, Bill mostly reacts to things in anger and fear. All believably, I should add.

The kidnapper/tormentor isn't some psychopathic genius, some criminal mastermind -- he's a smart, committed criminal who has spent a lot of time planning. This means that the reader can see why he'd go off the bend like he does, why Bill can defeat him -- and yet spend so many pages clueless. He is clever, I shouldn't downplay that -- the game he's set up, the clues (and what he does with them) show that this is no slouch that Bill's up against. Thankfully, neither are Bill's allies -- for 2010, one of the solutions involves a ingenious use of social media (actually, it'd be a pretty sly use in 2017, too).

The conversations between Lydia and Bill are what I'm always saying are the highlight of these books -- in this book, their chats are brief proof of life kind of things. This means that every word, every nuance counts -- and it's primarily in what these two don't have to say to communicate that is the winning element.

I enjoyed this one so much -- even if Bill wasn't as sharp as he should've been, even if Lydia is practically a non-factor throughout (but when she gets involved, it counts). Rozan knows these two, their world, so well that this story seems effortless (which it just couldn't be).

It seems effortless for her, I should say, the reader is left hanging on every development, every twist, every detail, just hoping that Bill can save the day. One of Rozan's best.

[Kaje Harper · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book just doesn't quite measure up to the rest of the series. The interactions of the two main characters create a lot of the best moments of the series, and in this book Lydia is kidnapped and Bill must find her. It gives them little chance to communicate and adds a crunchy edge of grim to Bill Smith's tone. It's a pity because his irreverent humor is one of his best features and it's not much in evidence here. A couple of secondary characters with promise do appear, and hopefully the next book will allow all of them to interact freely again. So buy the rest of the series, but get this one from the library.

[Kendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say, I was disappointed with the latest Bill Smith/Lydia Chin book. The first chapter, in particular, seemed like something a frantic teenager would write. This installment finds Bill unwillingly caught up in a game -- complete with farfetched, loosely connected clues that I didn't buy at all -- with a revenge-seeking psychopath who is holding Lydia hostage. Despite wishing that Rozan had done a better job with this one, I still found myself enjoying it. I rolled my eyes a lot, but I still enjoyed it.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read anything by S.J. Rozan in a while -- and this was one of these books that felt like an extended chase scene with a deadline. Enjoyable, but I did really miss the witty repartee that's a hallmark of having both Bill and Lydia (the two PIs interact) because Lydia was kidnapped in this story, and Bill had to save her. It's still decent but not the strongest of Rozan's novels. Also, I was annoyed at how the young Chinese cousin who's a hacker kept using the phrase "dig" (as in you dig)...didn't that go out with the 1970s, or is someone bringing it back?

[Brenda Clough · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thrilling! Do not pick this up before bedtime, unless you can sleep late the next morning.
But not quite as enjoyable as the other books in the series. I find it difficult to believe that any villain would set up such an elaborate series of clues and contests -- the same problem I have with the Batman movie, in which we are expected to believe that the Joker, avowed anarchist and loner, somehow has the funds and skills to set up elaborate bomb traps all over town. You have to allow the conceit otherwise the entire work doesn't go -- but I don't have to like it.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

The "maniac with a game" subplot is one of my least favorites ever -- so impractical! Really! -- and this book had another problem on top of that: Not Enough Lydia (NEL). NEL made Bill's hysteria even harder to bear, and all the male swaggering and posturing became pretty repetitive after awhile as there was NEL to balance it out. The book was saved by a) the minor characters being completely awesome; and b) that I listened to it as an audiobook and the man reading it did an amazing job. Otherwise I think I would not have finished it.

[Peggy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a big fan of S. J. Rozan but this book misses the mark. Lydia Chin and Bill Smith are private detectives with a loose partnership. In this installment Lydia has been kidnapped by a crazy man who has a major beef with Bill. The crazy guy has constructed complicated clues for a deadly scavenger hunt and taunts Bill to find Lydia before time runs out. I did not enjoy the implausible situations or the horrible language (I understand that this is how lowlifes talk, but Bill sinks to the bait). A second victim twist near the end of the book could not save the plot.

[Frederic · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've enjoyed all of the previous Bill Smith/Lydia Chin novels but this one is so ridiculously implausible,with a villain straight out of mediocre TV crime shows,that I couldn't suspend disbelief for even a page...and the new(Young and "Hip") supporting characters don't add anything to the series...I certainly won't give up on Rozan but I hope that the next(Lydia-centric?) installment is a return to form...

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was the single disappointment in a thrilling series. The wonderful balance between Bill and Lydia is gone until the last ten pages. The frenzy of Bill's anger at Lydia's kidnapping was draining. Lydia narrates the next book...I'm looking forward to Ghost Hero.

[Tara Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast paced but not the best of this series. As Lydia Chin has been kidnapped by nature of the plot her character is in the background for most of the narrative. This was ameliorated by the character of Trella and the return of Linus from previous novels. The problem with this book, I think, is that it read a bit like the novel equivalent of Die Hard. It lacked a certain depth and favoured action over plot development.

[Katherine Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

This did not come off as the other books in the series. It read as a thriller, with poorly developed characters (for the most part) especially in terms of the key villain of the piece. It felt cartoonish to me and disappointing. I did like Linus (Lydia's nephew) and his girlfriend Trella--their exploits were interesting, and I admired Bill and how hard he worked at the solution, but otherwise. sigh.

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I gave this one my best shot but I didn't enjoy it and gave up halfway through. A good idea for a plot but poorly executed and lacking suspense with some really irritating characters and speech mannerisms - "dude" and far too much unnecessary swearing. I won't be seeking the others in the series!

[Homerun2 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I quite like Bill and Lydia, I just didn't like this one. Bill's normally pleasing character was half hysterical from page one. I ended up not finishing and just skipped through to the end. I thought the next book in the series after this one was great.

[Una Tiers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Extremely vulgar and disappointing. Repetitive dialogue, excessive violence and the absence of the key character, Lydia, take this from a series to something like a comic book. I was a Rozan fan before I read this book.

[Joanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually love this series, but I don't love the premise here that Lydia's been kidnapped - makes her too helpless -- and the profanity is too much for me.

[Lynn Kearney · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 An awful lot of ground got covered in a day, but it's quite a riveting race against time thriller and I enjoyed it.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

On the Line (Lydia Chin & Bill Smith #10)
by S.J. Rozan
audiobook
from library


listened to first 6 of 8 cd's

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book from the first sentence. It drew me in and held my interest throughout another of my infamous sleepless nights. This entire series has been a pleasure to read, and I commend it wholeheartedly.

To those who have never looked at the series, Bill Smith is in love with Chinese-American Lydia Chin. He’s an ex-cop turned private detective. She works for him as an investigator early on. It’s a May-December association. She’s significantly younger than he is, and the more you read the series, the more you realize that they my indeed be in love with one another.

As the book opens, Smith gets a call from a robotic voice. The caller insists that he has Chin, and Smith has 1 hours to find her based on clues he will provide to Smith. Now, you’re fully involved in this with that clock in your head ticking, relentlessly ticking.

While solving his first clue, Smith stumbles onto the body of a young Chinese hooker who, at first glance, looks like Lydia. It’s not her, but the game master has rigged the game such that the cops learn of the dead woman, and Smith is automatically their favorite suspect for a murderer.

Smith uses Lydia’s cousin and his girlfriend to help solve the clues, and a NYPD cop, who is also related to Lydia, becomes a reluctant helper.

This is a 4.9-star book, but because some of the scenes felt a bit contrived, it didn’t make that last tenth of a star. This is a five-star series, however, and I’m already looking forward to the next installment.

[Viccy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bill Smith gets a phone call telling him Lydia Chin has been kidnapped. As Bill follows the clues across the City, a swath of dead Chinese hookers follow and their pimp lines Bill up in his sights. Bill figures out the kidnapper is a man Bill helped convict ten years ago. Bill teams up with the pimp and his crew to rescue Lydia as the clues unfold. Well-done read.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lydia is missing and a crazy man is leaving Bill clues to find her--with a timeline. Missing the time limit means Lydia dies. Who is this crazy??? Who can help him? Lydia's cousin and his friend who are adept and skilled at using social media help Bill to solve the clues, but only Bill's knowledge of his "game master" can bring the game to an end. Great pacing! Intriguing characters.

[Libby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audible narration was excellent. I have only read one other book by this author. The plot of this was so implausible and the complicated clues kept getting more and more ridiculous as the author tried to outdo himself.

The bad guy, Kevin, was so out of control and narcissistic that I can’t imagine that he could have pulled off one crime, much less the 15-20 that are listed here.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was amazing. Edge of my seat the whole way through. It was great how the "team" formed and worked together. I didn't realize it was a series when I stated reading it, but I'm going to read them all. Absolutely thrilling!

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good, fast-moving installment in the series. Lydia Chin is kidnapped, so it is mainly Bill Smith featured with help from Linus, Trella, Mary and Woof, canine superhero. I'm really enjoying this series.