THE DROP (Crime-Bob Saginowski-Boston-Contemp) – Standalone – Dennis Lehane Three days after Christmas, a lonely bartender looking for a reason to live rescues an abused puppy from a trash can and meets a damaged woman looking for something to believe in. As their relationship grows, they cross paths with the Chechen mafia; a man grown dangerous with age and thwarted hopes; two hapless stick-up artists; a very curious cop; and the original owner of the puppy, who wants his dog back.
Cindy – Good - I liked the main character (Bob), but I worried the whole time he's not going to make it out alive (nor his little puppy). That's the interesting thing of the book; you want these discarded and dysfunctional characters to prevail but without that, I'd rather not have read the book. Everyone else is sketchy, sleazy or downright evil.
Don - VG; Mystery, Boston, a Bar, Chechen Mafia, the double-cross, lonely people---written by Dennis Lehane; Noir done well Ginny – VG+ - First, I like anything that's Italian Mafia-related. Smacking people upside the head, foul language, self-deception, whacking people off like flies, deceit, treachery...you get it. But when it's foreign mobsters I brace myself. A shady bar+ shady Marv + shady protagonist, Bob + shady locals in a shady neighborhood + the shady owners of the bar = a GEM of a book. I could visualize Bob who seemed lonely and loveless. His sad life leaped off the pages especially when he rescued Rocco. Yet, in spite of rescuing the dog, the whole environment of the bar raised red flags for me regarding the seeming innocence of Bob--the guy who kept his head down and his mouth shut. There were so many unexpected revelations of secrets that kept me turning the pages. Overall, I found the plotting, dialogue, sense of place, believable characters which held my interest. I'll read more books by Lehane. And I still like Bob. Helen – Poor - This book was the nail in the coffin for the noir side of mystery for me. I got about 25% of the way into the book before I skipped to the end. There was nothing in this book to hold my attention. The writing felt blunt and choppy, the characters were flat and uninteresting, the plot felt like a 40s gumshoe comic, and I felt like I needed a shower because the tone was so gritty and dark. The end wasn't any better. There was no real mystery to what was going on; the people responsible for the events are revealed pretty quickly. I think there was a reveal of a betrayal somewhere between where I stopped reading and the end, but I wasn't surprised by it. The end was not at all satisfying: the story just sort of stopped. If noir is your thing, give this a try. It doesn't work for me. 1/5. Jeannie – Ex – Because Lehane is so popular, she's always worried the next book won't be as good. This was. It pulled her along so effortlessly. It got her out of her reading funk. Katie – G+ - The story was simple, but I thought it was well-executed, and I liked the prose style. I also enjoyed the progression of Bob's character, and how you think at first he's a bit of a wimp, then slowly learn more of his back story. I wouldn't run to read a whole bunch more of these, but enjoyed this one as a brief treat. Linda M. – VG – She saw the film when it first came out, but had forgotten about it. The book evoked the same emotions as did the movie. LJ – Ex – Lehane is a writer whose phrases make me stop and consider, perhaps even reread; not for clarity, but out of consideration for what was said. Lehane's world is a harsh one filled with violence and cruelty, and his writing draws you in to this world. Even so, it's not unrelenting. There are elements of self-realization and bright spots, and there are characters to whom you feel attracted. He is dark and not for everyone, but many of us who do read him can't help but feel slightly in awe. Marilyn – G+ - She's a fan. She liked the book okay, but was disappointed as it lacked the depth of his normal novels. Nancy – DNF - Didn’t even want to finish the first few pages. What a slog and Boring!
AVERAGE GROUP RATING: G+
MURDER IN OLD BOMBAY (HistMys-Cpt. Jim Agnihotri-Bombay, India-1892) – 1st book – Nev March In 1892, Bombay is the center of British India. Nearby, Captain Jim Agnihotri lies in Poona military hospital recovering from a skirmish on the wild northern frontier, with little to do but re-read the tales of his idol, Sherlock Holmes, and browse the daily papers. The case that catches Captain Jim's attention is being called the crime of the century: Two women fell from the busy university’s clock tower in broad daylight. Moved by Adi, the widower of one of the victims — his certainty that his wife and sister did not commit suicide — Captain Jim approaches the Parsee family and is hired to investigate what happened that terrible afternoon. But in a land of divided loyalties, asking questions is dangerous. Captain Jim's investigation disturbs the shadows that seem to follow the Framji family and triggers an ominous chain of events. And when lively Lady Diana Framji joins the hunt for her sisters’ attackers, Captain Jim’s heart isn’t safe, either. Based on a true story, and set against the vibrant backdrop of colonial India.
Christine – Good - Liked the setting much more than the story. Cindy – Good - This story was all over the place. Bit of a saga really. Kind of like watching a Bollywood film. There's a couple of fight scenes. There's forbidden love. There are bad guys. There's mom making good food to show her love. There's the long road to acceptance as the family finally (in the eleventh hour) gives their blessing because Jim is a "good man". And a murder mystery is solved.
Don – DNF Gabriel – Good - Characters are pretty well-done. Jim Agnihotri is a very likable protagonist. While he's in Bombay, the investigation goes kind of slowly. When he goes on his journey, it feels a bit like a different book. And there's a stronger sense of place. The interaction between Jim and Diana is sometimes moving and suspenseful. Ginny - DNF I could not get into it. Katie – DNF – Very plodding. She struggles with historical fiction as the characters often have modern sensibilities in an historical setting Marcy S. – Good - It kept me interested enough to keep reading. Enjoyed reading about the orphans he was picking up but not sure it was necessary to this story. Good refresher on Indian history. However, it was long-winded, could have been written more concisely. Many times the wording made you feel as though a climax was coming up, you were nearing the end of the story, but at 20%, 25%? Diane seemed like a modern girl for the 21st century, but for the 19th century? So many different things going on -- was it a romance, was it an adventure, was it a mystery? Things that don't make sense bother me. Why was Akbar allowed to be free after the slave ship bust? Why did Diane go to the tower at the end of the book? Why didn't Adi grab the gun and shoot Akbar up on the tower? And on and on? Marilyn – G+ - Liked it. The relationship with the family was interesting, and she liked the main character. She liked that it was set in a place she didn't know, and during a war which had been unknown to her.
AVERAGE GROUP RATING: Good
THE DEVIL AND THE DARK WATER (HisMys-Samuel Pipps-Seagoing-1934) – Standalone – Stuart Turton It's 1634 and Samuel Pipps, the world's greatest detective, is being transported to Amsterdam to be executed for a crime he may, or may not, have committed. Travelling with him is his loyal bodyguard, Arent Hayes, who is determined to prove his friend innocent. But no sooner are they out to sea than devilry begins to blight the voyage. A twice-dead leper stalks the decks. Strange symbols appear on the sails. Livestock is slaughtered. Anyone could be to blame. Even a demon. And then three passengers are marked for death, including Samuel. With Pipps imprisoned, only Arent can solve a mystery that connects every passenger. A mystery that stretches back into their past and now threatens to sink the ship, killing everybody on board.
Don – DNF Gabriel – Good - Absorbing, strong atmosphere. Characters are interesting and fairly good. Usually I'd be certain there was a rational explanation, but since Turton is so genre-bending… Ending was satisfying and a bit unsatisfying at the same time. (Can't say more w/o spoilers.) Ginny - DNR - A reading the 7-1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle I resolved never to read another book by Turton. Helen - VG - This book is immediately apparent as a Watson and Holmes-type story, but Watson (Arent) is more like Rex Stout's Archie Goodwin, only better educated (although Goodwin is still pretty smart). And Holmes (Sammy) is locked in the hold of a ship for most of the story, so doesn't do a lot to solve the mystery. And there's a sort of Maisie Dobbs (Sara) who not only has a ton of medical knowledge that seems way beyond the 17th century but is also pretty good at solving mysteries. So it rapidly turns from something expected to something unexpected. The characters in this book are interesting. There was a note in the back of the book that stated that Turton is well aware that there are some historical inaccuracies in the novel. Aside from some attitudes that are more 20th or 21st century than 17th century, the events in the book work really well. For me, the main mystery was whether the events surrounding the mystery were supernatural or not. Everything was going along so well, and then we got to the ending. I was SO disappointed at the ending. The ending knocked the book down to 4/5. Everything else is great, but I wish the ending had been different. Even so, this was more a matter of me wanting a different ending rather than the ending being bad or badly written. I'm going to keep an eye out for more books from Turton.
Three days after Christmas, a lonely bartender looking for a reason to live rescues an abused puppy from a trash can and meets a damaged woman looking for something to believe in. As their relationship grows, they cross paths with the Chechen mafia; a man grown dangerous with age and thwarted hopes; two hapless stick-up artists; a very curious cop; and the original owner of the puppy, who wants his dog back.
Cindy – Good - I liked the main character (Bob), but I worried the whole time he's not going to make it out alive (nor his little puppy). That's the interesting thing of the book; you want these discarded and dysfunctional characters to prevail but without that, I'd rather not have read the book. Everyone else is sketchy, sleazy or downright evil.
Don - VG; Mystery, Boston, a Bar, Chechen Mafia, the double-cross, lonely people---written by Dennis Lehane; Noir done well
Ginny – VG+ - First, I like anything that's Italian Mafia-related. Smacking people upside the head, foul language, self-deception, whacking people off like flies, deceit, treachery...you get it. But when it's foreign mobsters I brace myself. A shady bar+ shady Marv + shady protagonist, Bob + shady locals in a shady neighborhood + the shady owners of the bar = a GEM of a book. I could visualize Bob who seemed lonely and loveless. His sad life leaped off the pages especially when he rescued Rocco. Yet, in spite of rescuing the dog, the whole environment of the bar raised red flags for me regarding the seeming innocence of Bob--the guy who kept his head down and his mouth shut. There were so many unexpected revelations of secrets that kept me turning the pages. Overall, I found the plotting, dialogue, sense of place, believable characters which held my interest. I'll read more books by Lehane. And I still like Bob.
Helen – Poor - This book was the nail in the coffin for the noir side of mystery for me. I got about 25% of the way into the book before I skipped to the end. There was nothing in this book to hold my attention. The writing felt blunt and choppy, the characters were flat and uninteresting, the plot felt like a 40s gumshoe comic, and I felt like I needed a shower because the tone was so gritty and dark. The end wasn't any better. There was no real mystery to what was going on; the people responsible for the events are revealed pretty quickly. I think there was a reveal of a betrayal somewhere between where I stopped reading and the end, but I wasn't surprised by it. The end was not at all satisfying: the story just sort of stopped. If noir is your thing, give this a try. It doesn't work for me. 1/5.
Jeannie – Ex – Because Lehane is so popular, she's always worried the next book won't be as good. This was. It pulled her along so effortlessly. It got her out of her reading funk.
Katie – G+ - The story was simple, but I thought it was well-executed, and I liked the prose style. I also enjoyed the progression of Bob's character, and how you think at first he's a bit of a wimp, then slowly learn more of his back story. I wouldn't run to read a whole bunch more of these, but enjoyed this one as a brief treat.
Linda M. – VG – She saw the film when it first came out, but had forgotten about it. The book evoked the same emotions as did the movie.
LJ – Ex – Lehane is a writer whose phrases make me stop and consider, perhaps even reread; not for clarity, but out of consideration for what was said. Lehane's world is a harsh one filled with violence and cruelty, and his writing draws you in to this world. Even so, it's not unrelenting. There are elements of self-realization and bright spots, and there are characters to whom you feel attracted. He is dark and not for everyone, but many of us who do read him can't help but feel slightly in awe.
Marilyn – G+ - She's a fan. She liked the book okay, but was disappointed as it lacked the depth of his normal novels.
Nancy – DNF - Didn’t even want to finish the first few pages. What a slog and Boring!
AVERAGE GROUP RATING: G+
MURDER IN OLD BOMBAY (HistMys-Cpt. Jim Agnihotri-Bombay, India-1892) – 1st book – Nev March
In 1892, Bombay is the center of British India. Nearby, Captain Jim Agnihotri lies in Poona military hospital recovering from a skirmish on the wild northern frontier, with little to do but re-read the tales of his idol, Sherlock Holmes, and browse the daily papers. The case that catches Captain Jim's attention is being called the crime of the century: Two women fell from the busy university’s clock tower in broad daylight. Moved by Adi, the widower of one of the victims — his certainty that his wife and sister did not commit suicide — Captain Jim approaches the Parsee family and is hired to investigate what happened that terrible afternoon. But in a land of divided loyalties, asking questions is dangerous. Captain Jim's investigation disturbs the shadows that seem to follow the Framji family and triggers an ominous chain of events. And when lively Lady Diana Framji joins the hunt for her sisters’ attackers, Captain Jim’s heart isn’t safe, either. Based on a true story, and set against the vibrant backdrop of colonial India.
Christine – Good - Liked the setting much more than the story.
Cindy – Good - This story was all over the place. Bit of a saga really. Kind of like watching a Bollywood film. There's a couple of fight scenes. There's forbidden love. There are bad guys. There's mom making good food to show her love. There's the long road to acceptance as the family finally (in the eleventh hour) gives their blessing because Jim is a "good man". And a murder mystery is solved.
Don – DNF
Gabriel – Good - Characters are pretty well-done. Jim Agnihotri is a very likable protagonist.
While he's in Bombay, the investigation goes kind of slowly. When he goes on his journey, it feels a bit like a different book. And there's a stronger sense of place.
The interaction between Jim and Diana is sometimes moving and suspenseful.
Ginny - DNF I could not get into it.
Katie – DNF – Very plodding. She struggles with historical fiction as the characters often have modern sensibilities in an historical setting
Marcy S. – Good - It kept me interested enough to keep reading. Enjoyed reading about the orphans he was picking up but not sure it was necessary to this story. Good refresher on Indian history. However, it was long-winded, could have been written more concisely. Many times the wording made you feel as though a climax was coming up, you were nearing the end of the story, but at 20%, 25%? Diane seemed like a modern girl for the 21st century, but for the 19th century? So many different things going on -- was it a romance, was it an adventure, was it a mystery? Things that don't make sense bother me. Why was Akbar allowed to be free after the slave ship bust? Why did Diane go to the tower at the end of the book? Why didn't Adi grab the gun and shoot Akbar up on the tower? And on and on?
Marilyn – G+ - Liked it. The relationship with the family was interesting, and she liked the main character. She liked that it was set in a place she didn't know, and during a war which had been unknown to her.
AVERAGE GROUP RATING: Good
THE DEVIL AND THE DARK WATER (HisMys-Samuel Pipps-Seagoing-1934) – Standalone – Stuart Turton
It's 1634 and Samuel Pipps, the world's greatest detective, is being transported to Amsterdam to be executed for a crime he may, or may not, have committed. Travelling with him is his loyal bodyguard, Arent Hayes, who is determined to prove his friend innocent. But no sooner are they out to sea than devilry begins to blight the voyage. A twice-dead leper stalks the decks. Strange symbols appear on the sails. Livestock is slaughtered. Anyone could be to blame. Even a demon. And then three passengers are marked for death, including Samuel. With Pipps imprisoned, only Arent can solve a mystery that connects every passenger. A mystery that stretches back into their past and now threatens to sink the ship, killing everybody on board.
Don – DNF
Gabriel – Good - Absorbing, strong atmosphere. Characters are interesting and fairly good. Usually I'd be certain there was a rational explanation, but since Turton is so genre-bending… Ending was satisfying and a bit unsatisfying at the same time. (Can't say more w/o spoilers.)
Ginny - DNR - A reading the 7-1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle I resolved never to read another book by Turton.
Helen - VG - This book is immediately apparent as a Watson and Holmes-type story, but Watson (Arent) is more like Rex Stout's Archie Goodwin, only better educated (although Goodwin is still pretty smart). And Holmes (Sammy) is locked in the hold of a ship for most of the story, so doesn't do a lot to solve the mystery. And there's a sort of Maisie Dobbs (Sara) who not only has a ton of medical knowledge that seems way beyond the 17th century but is also pretty good at solving mysteries. So it rapidly turns from something expected to something unexpected. The characters in this book are interesting. There was a note in the back of the book that stated that Turton is well aware that there are some historical inaccuracies in the novel. Aside from some attitudes that are more 20th or 21st century than 17th century, the events in the book work really well. For me, the main mystery was whether the events surrounding the mystery were supernatural or not. Everything was going along so well, and then we got to the ending. I was SO disappointed at the ending. The ending knocked the book down to 4/5. Everything else is great, but I wish the ending had been different. Even so, this was more a matter of me wanting a different ending rather than the ending being bad or badly written. I'm going to keep an eye out for more books from Turton.
AVERAGE GROUP RATING: Okay