KIDNAP (Susp-Merrow&Clarke-England-Contemp)- 2nd in series – Jane A. Adams The man climbs a ladder, slides a gloved finger through the slightly open window and enters the room. He wraps 14-month-old Joshua Banks in his blanket and takes him from his cot. In his place he leaves a printed note. At 2 a.m. Joshua’s mother gets up to go to the toilet and sees her son is gone. She calls the phone number. It’s for another family whose child was also taken. Detectives Toby Clarke and Petra Merrow are in a race against time to get Joshua back. Because if they don’t find him soon, he won’t be the last child to go missing.
Gabriel – Okay - Nothing good or bad about it. Though it got better near the end, when Lauren does something very dramatic. The book doesn't make me want to read more by Jane Adams, but I'm not sorry I read it. Joni – Good – It was a good story that kept her involved. However, she probably wouldn't read another by this author as she found it extremely forgettable. Nancy – G+ - I really enjoyed this book and read it quickly in about a week’s time. The characters were engaging, clearly written and believable. The book’s details about the investigation, murders and the life of Petra consistently interested me, made sense and effectively moved the story forward. I particularly liked the psychological focus on Petra’s life undercover and how she eked back out to her life as a police office. The character of Sheila was also a creative writing tool well used by the author. Obviously, to me, it had to be Superintendent Deans who enabled Sheila to infiltrate the force. Finally, though, the book’s ending was done well, particularly because some of its details were left open and up to the reader to figure out.
Group Rating Average: Good
FULL DARK HOUSE (PolProc-Bryant/May-London-Contemp) - 1st of series – Christopher Fowler A present-day bombing rips through London and claims the life of eighty-year-old detective Arthur Bryant. For his partner John May, it means the end of a partnership that lasted over half-a-century and an eerie echo back to the Blitz of World War II when they first met. Desperately searching for clues to the killer's identity, May finds his old friend's notes of their very first case and becomes convinced that the past has returned...with a killing vengeance. It begins when a dancer in a risque new production of Orpheus in Hell is found without her feet. Suddenly, the young detectives are plunged in a bizarre gothic mystery that will push them to their limits—and beyond.
Gabriel --- Didn't read it, because I'm tired of the series. It was interesting a lot, but Arthur Bryant is an obnoxious, abrasive jerk. His solutions tend to be hard to believe, and they only find out because Bryant has a lateral-thinking epiphany. The PCU's methods don't inspire confidence in me, and their methods are both wacky and bleak. Ginny – VG+ - I found the story endearing, quirky, suspenseful, and edgy with the elderly detectives Bryant and May whom I can almost see and hear them. They were characters she'd like to know. The author’s ability to take the story back in time fifty years ago which helped me to see how very different these two men were and yet how they formed a strong lifelong friendship. There were enough twists, unforgettable characters, and the mystery itself to hold my attention. Helen – VG – Really enjoyed the characters and the dialogue was fun. The book was more about the characters than the mystery. This was a fun read, and the mystery was well-balanced between the seriousness of what was going on and humor from the characters. I loved seeing how Bryant and May got their start, and they're a great detective pair. The characters in general were fun and the plot moved at a good pace to keep me reading. There were a few twists to the mystery that were interesting and made it hard to figure out what happened. Overall, this is a great start to the series, and I give the book a Very Good. Joni – VG+ - Loved it. Found it hilarious and loved the humor. Loved the references to Greek mythology. The characters seemed really whole. LJ – G+ - What an interesting use of contrasts. Fowler brings to life 1940s London during the Blitz offset by the Millennium Eye; the chaos of the streets during the Blitz and the insularity of a theatre; traditional police procedure versus use of a medium; a difficult, quirky detective offset by a personable classic investigator. I felt the plot was overly complex and the story slow at times, but I was held in the story by the strong writing, humor, and the relationship between the two protagonists. Ron – DNF – He usually likes quirky characters, but he found this frustrating and he didn't like Bryant. (LJR – there was more, but my injured hand gave out. Sorry.)
Group Rating Average: G+
WATER TOUCHING STONE (PolProc-Shan Tao Yun-Tibet-Contemporary) – 2nd in series – Eliot Pattison Shan Tao Yun is cloistered in a remote Tibetan sanctuary when he receives shattering news. A teacher revered by the oppressed has been found slain and, one by one, her orphaned students have followed her to her grave, victims of a killer harboring unfathomable motives. Abandoning his mountain hermitage, Shan Tao Yun, a former Beijing police inspector who has been exiled to Tibet, embarks on a search for justice. Shadowed by bizarre tales of an unleashed 'demon,' Shan braces himself for even darker imaginings as he stalks a killer and fights to restore spiritual balance to the ancient and tenuous splendor of Tibet.
Gabriel – VG+ - Shan Tao Yun may be the humblest detective in all crime fiction. Pattison really brings out the richness of all the different cultures. The plot is gripping. I care about the characters, and even the villains--I don't like them, but I want to know what happens to them. I was confused sometimes about whether they were in Xinjiang or Tibet. A list of characters would have been helpful. Ginny – VG - There is a mystical quality I find pervasive in novel set in Tibet or China which is the reason I read books about these countries. The setting of a secret Tibetan monastery where Shan studies Tibetan Buddhism spirituality drew me in quickly. The characters really intrigued her. He's an interesting protagonist who's enigma wrapped in a mystery. As the author's peels back a little more about Shan's past I remain fascinated. But, the plot was very convoluted and I was lost. Unlike The Skull Mantra, I prefer a much-limited area for Shan to work his investigations. The writing style is dynamic with vivid descriptions of places desolate and lifeless which were interspersed with moments of sheer beauty, i.e., the ice cavern. The book did seem too vast and too long, but the characters really held her. The writing is superb. Linda F – VG – This was a re-read for her. It is one of the best books she has ever read. She really liked the protagonist as, although he was Chinese, he was very special in his being sympathetic to the Tibetans. The cultural and religious aspects are central to the story. She met the author and learned he can't get another book published in this series as it would offend the Chinese. Pattison is now focusing on the French/Indian Wars. Ron – Ex – He had read the book before and liked it even better this time. The character is unique and extremely empathetic. Ron really likes that the author brings in the impact of the Chinese leadership on other cultures in China, and that he brought so many different things into focus.
The man climbs a ladder, slides a gloved finger through the slightly open window and enters the room. He wraps 14-month-old Joshua Banks in his blanket and takes him from his cot. In his place he leaves a printed note. At 2 a.m. Joshua’s mother gets up to go to the toilet and sees her son is gone. She calls the phone number. It’s for another family whose child was also taken. Detectives Toby Clarke and Petra Merrow are in a race against time to get Joshua back. Because if they don’t find him soon, he won’t be the last child to go missing.
Gabriel – Okay - Nothing good or bad about it. Though it got better near the end, when Lauren does something very dramatic. The book doesn't make me want to read more by Jane Adams, but I'm not sorry I read it.
Joni – Good – It was a good story that kept her involved. However, she probably wouldn't read another by this author as she found it extremely forgettable.
Nancy – G+ - I really enjoyed this book and read it quickly in about a week’s time. The characters were engaging, clearly written and believable. The book’s details about the investigation, murders and the life of Petra consistently interested me, made sense and effectively moved the story forward. I particularly liked the psychological focus on Petra’s life undercover and how she eked back out to her life as a police office. The character of Sheila was also a creative writing tool well used by the author. Obviously, to me, it had to be Superintendent Deans who enabled Sheila to infiltrate the force. Finally, though, the book’s ending was done well, particularly because some of its details were left open and up to the reader to figure out.
Group Rating Average: Good
FULL DARK HOUSE (PolProc-Bryant/May-London-Contemp) - 1st of series – Christopher Fowler
A present-day bombing rips through London and claims the life of eighty-year-old detective Arthur Bryant. For his partner John May, it means the end of a partnership that lasted over half-a-century and an eerie echo back to the Blitz of World War II when they first met. Desperately searching for clues to the killer's identity, May finds his old friend's notes of their very first case and becomes convinced that the past has returned...with a killing vengeance. It begins when a dancer in a risque new production of Orpheus in Hell is found without her feet. Suddenly, the young detectives are plunged in a bizarre gothic mystery that will push them to their limits—and beyond.
Gabriel --- Didn't read it, because I'm tired of the series. It was interesting a lot, but Arthur Bryant is an obnoxious, abrasive jerk. His solutions tend to be hard to believe, and they only find out because Bryant has a lateral-thinking epiphany. The PCU's methods don't inspire confidence in me, and their methods are both wacky and bleak.
Ginny – VG+ - I found the story endearing, quirky, suspenseful, and edgy with the elderly detectives Bryant and May whom I can almost see and hear them. They were characters she'd like to know. The author’s ability to take the story back in time fifty years ago which helped me to see how very different these two men were and yet how they formed a strong lifelong friendship. There were enough twists, unforgettable characters, and the mystery itself to hold my attention.
Helen – VG – Really enjoyed the characters and the dialogue was fun. The book was more about the characters than the mystery. This was a fun read, and the mystery was well-balanced between the seriousness of what was going on and humor from the characters. I loved seeing how Bryant and May got their start, and they're a great detective pair. The characters in general were fun and the plot moved at a good pace to keep me reading. There were a few twists to the mystery that were interesting and made it hard to figure out what happened. Overall, this is a great start to the series, and I give the book a Very Good.
Joni – VG+ - Loved it. Found it hilarious and loved the humor. Loved the references to Greek mythology. The characters seemed really whole.
LJ – G+ - What an interesting use of contrasts. Fowler brings to life 1940s London during the Blitz offset by the Millennium Eye; the chaos of the streets during the Blitz and the insularity of a theatre; traditional police procedure versus use of a medium; a difficult, quirky detective offset by a personable classic investigator. I felt the plot was overly complex and the story slow at times, but I was held in the story by the strong writing, humor, and the relationship between the two protagonists.
Ron – DNF – He usually likes quirky characters, but he found this frustrating and he didn't like Bryant. (LJR – there was more, but my injured hand gave out. Sorry.)
Group Rating Average: G+
WATER TOUCHING STONE (PolProc-Shan Tao Yun-Tibet-Contemporary) – 2nd in series – Eliot Pattison
Shan Tao Yun is cloistered in a remote Tibetan sanctuary when he receives shattering news. A teacher revered by the oppressed has been found slain and, one by one, her orphaned students have followed her to her grave, victims of a killer harboring unfathomable motives. Abandoning his mountain hermitage, Shan Tao Yun, a former Beijing police inspector who has been exiled to Tibet, embarks on a search for justice. Shadowed by bizarre tales of an unleashed 'demon,' Shan braces himself for even darker imaginings as he stalks a killer and fights to restore spiritual balance to the ancient and tenuous splendor of Tibet.
Gabriel – VG+ - Shan Tao Yun may be the humblest detective in all crime fiction. Pattison really brings out the richness of all the different cultures. The plot is gripping. I care about the characters, and even the villains--I don't like them, but I want to know what happens to them. I was confused sometimes about whether they were in Xinjiang or Tibet. A list of characters would have been helpful.
Ginny – VG - There is a mystical quality I find pervasive in novel set in Tibet or China which is the reason I read books about these countries.
The setting of a secret Tibetan monastery where Shan studies Tibetan Buddhism spirituality drew me in quickly. The characters really intrigued her. He's an interesting protagonist who's enigma wrapped in a mystery. As the author's peels back a little more about Shan's past I remain fascinated. But, the plot was very convoluted and I was lost. Unlike The Skull Mantra, I prefer a much-limited area for Shan to work his investigations. The writing style is dynamic with vivid descriptions of places desolate and lifeless which were interspersed with moments of sheer beauty, i.e., the ice cavern. The book did seem too vast and too long, but the characters really held her. The writing is superb.
Linda F – VG – This was a re-read for her. It is one of the best books she has ever read. She really liked the protagonist as, although he was Chinese, he was very special in his being sympathetic to the Tibetans. The cultural and religious aspects are central to the story. She met the author and learned he can't get another book published in this series as it would offend the Chinese. Pattison is now focusing on the French/Indian Wars.
Ron – Ex – He had read the book before and liked it even better this time. The character is unique and extremely empathetic. Ron really likes that the author brings in the impact of the Chinese leadership on other cultures in China, and that he brought so many different things into focus.
Group Rating Average: VG