THE LEMON MAN (HumMys-Patrick Cullen-Ireland-Contemp) – 1st book – Keith Bruton The Lemon Man is Patrick Callen, a bicycle-riding hitman with mild O.C.D. in Dublin, Ireland whose carefully ordered life is totally upended when he becomes the accidental caretaker of a baby boy. Now he’s got to balance his daily to-do list of errands and murders-for-hire with his unexpected domesticity, which impacts him and his work in ways he never expected…and that could get him killed.
Charlotte – Okay – She had mixed feelings about it. You really have to suspend belief. It really did feel like a first book, so she might give the author another chance. Christine – NR – She hated it. Didn't like the story or the characters. Just didn't believe it. Corona – Okay - I didn't like the writing style of this book. I found it childish, it sounded like a diary. There was a strong effort to avoid this fellow appearing a cold killer. And I didn't like the unanswered question of how they returned the baby and how they justified returning it to such a neglectful situation. - I wouldn't read another book by this author, however, I did enjoy the Irish accent when I listened to the audio. Don – Good – Thought it was a phase-of-life book for a hitman who was trying to decide where he was going with his life. Liked the brother. Gabriel – Good - Between Okay and Good, so I'm rounding up to Good. A novel premise, fairly interesting characters, engaging narrative voice. The protagonist is likable, but he's so nice that his personality and his job as a hitman didn't completely seem like the same person. Ginny – Good - Pretty cool book filled with contradictions and levity. A hired hitman caring for a baby he found couldn't be a stranger mix. He’s a ruthless killer, has a prostitute girlfriend an both have become surrogate parents for the child. All the characters were colorful. The book was an easy read and enjoyable. Linda M – DNF - I just didn't like the writing, didn't like the protagonist, didn't believe the decisions he made. There were a lot of weirdly specific descriptions. Nancy – Good - Although the book began slowly, it quickly picked up the pace and became a fun read. While the character of a hit man who steals a baby and then races around Dublin killing people is obviously unbelievable, I was entertained enough to enter into a willing suspension of disbelief about almost all of the book’s storylines. All except for Bruton’s expecting the reader not to wonder why the police and the baby’s mother weren’t frantically looking for him. In fact, the mother is barely mentioned and there was only one short scene when the police seemed to care at all. And then of course, how did Patrick manage to magically locate the mother to return the baby to her? Overall though, I enjoyed all of the books characters, both law-abiding and law-breaking, particularly the beautiful but dense Olivia, Patrick’s fellow hit men and The Bronze Man. I loved that this boss was a cigar smoking woman. Finally, Mr. Nocturnal as a character was pretty entertaining for a maniac. Patrick – G+ - This was a fun read. I enjoyed the way the author used a to-do list to organize the actions of the protagonist. It wasn’t a mystery per se, but it certainly was noir, which I found I enjoyed for the most part. A bit gritty, it had some similar elements as “The Old Woman with the Knife”. Ron - VG—A quick read that is well written, with good dialogue, a quirky and interesting protagonist, and colorful secondary characters.
GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Good
THE COLLECTIVE (Susp-Camille Gardener-New York-Contemp) – Standalone – Alison Gaylin Camille Gardener is a grieving—and angry—mother who, five years after her daughter’s death, is still obsessed with the privileged young man she believes to be responsible. When her rash actions draw the attention of a secret group of women—the collective— Camille is drawn into a dark web where these mothers share their wildly different stories of loss as well as their desire for justice in a world where privilege denies accountability. As Camille struggles to comprehend whether this is a role-playing exercise or a terrifying reality, she must decide if these women are truly avenging angels or monsters. Becoming more deeply enmeshed in the group, Camille learns truths about the collective—and about herself—that she may not be able to survive.
Corona – DNR – Couldn't stand any of the characters. Ginny – Okay - When the author introduced Niobe, I flashed to Hamlet’s words regarding his mother’s tears as Niobe’s and then understood the cleverness of the murder group on the dark web. Regarding Camille, wanting revenge against her daughter’s killer is understandable but participating with others in a kill followed by raising questions regarding ethics was stupid. I didn’t care for the book. Vigilantism is not my thing. Linda M – Fair - If you love vigilante justice, gleeful vengeance, and deep, dark conspiracies, this book is for you. I couldn't connect with the narrator. I was interested to see how it ended, but I didn't enjoy the journey. Marcy S – Ex - A book about revenge, a group of angry, hateful women. Not what I wanted to be reading during Christmas time. I dreaded starting. Christmas night I read one of the set of Christmas mysteries I read each December but was having problems sleeping so finally went ahead and started the Collective. I finished it the next day! It pulled me in and didn't let go. So well done! Patrick - VG+ - I was unable to put this one down. The premise was so unique and interesting, and the twist at the end was truly surprising. I loved how the author was able to incorporate the thrill of the conspiracy with the heartfelt anguish of a grieving mother, giving humanity to what could have been a plot-driven novel. Ron – DNF
GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Good
THE SKULL MANTRA (PolProc-Insp. Shan Tao Yun-Tibet-Contemp) – 1st in series – Eliot Pattison When a headless corpse turns up on a Tibetan mountainside, inspector Shan Tao Yun is released from prison to investigate the crime, and he quickly uncovers a conspiracy involving American mining interests, corrupt Party officials, and Tibetan sorcerers.
Charlotte – Ex – She was so intrigued by this book, she skimmed very little of it. She found the book fascinating and really l liked it. Gabriel – VG - Many parts are really well-done, and the rest is quite good. Extremely strong sense of place--makes Tibet come alive. Shan is practically a saint, but Pattison gets away with it because no-one says how good Shan is--all showing and no telling. I read it once before a long time ago, but this time I was blown away. Ginny – Ex- This book was a gripping thriller filled with a strong sense of the Tibetan people and the Himalayan mountains. Right off, the circumstances of the murder were gripping. The Tibetan monks and their spiritual life as well as the Tibet itself provided such intrigue in the most puzzling of murders. I am eager to read the sequel titled In Water Touching Stone. Linda F – VG+ - She read it some time ago and does feel his 2nd book was somewhat better. She really did like the central character. Ron – Ex —Intriguing mystery with a memorable and acute-minded protagonist and well-drawn side characters. It provides in-depth immersion into a geographic area little known in the West and the people who live there. While a work of fiction, it vividly describes the attempted destruction of a whole culture and its religious traditions that is essential for us to know about, as well as the indomitable spirit of victims.
The Lemon Man is Patrick Callen, a bicycle-riding hitman with mild O.C.D. in Dublin, Ireland whose carefully ordered life is totally upended when he becomes the accidental caretaker of a baby boy. Now he’s got to balance his daily to-do list of errands and murders-for-hire with his unexpected domesticity, which impacts him and his work in ways he never expected…and that could get him killed.
Charlotte – Okay – She had mixed feelings about it. You really have to suspend belief. It really did feel like a first book, so she might give the author another chance.
Christine – NR – She hated it. Didn't like the story or the characters. Just didn't believe it.
Corona – Okay - I didn't like the writing style of this book. I found it childish, it sounded like a diary. There was a strong effort to avoid this fellow appearing a cold killer. And I didn't like the unanswered question of how they returned the baby and how they justified returning it to such a neglectful situation. - I wouldn't read another book by this author, however, I did enjoy the Irish accent when I listened to the audio.
Don – Good – Thought it was a phase-of-life book for a hitman who was trying to decide where he was going with his life. Liked the brother.
Gabriel – Good - Between Okay and Good, so I'm rounding up to Good. A novel premise, fairly interesting characters, engaging narrative voice. The protagonist is likable, but he's so nice that his personality and his job as a hitman didn't completely seem like the same person.
Ginny – Good - Pretty cool book filled with contradictions and levity. A hired hitman caring for a baby he found couldn't be a stranger mix. He’s a ruthless killer, has a prostitute girlfriend an both have become surrogate parents for the child. All the characters were colorful. The book was an easy read and enjoyable.
Linda M – DNF - I just didn't like the writing, didn't like the protagonist, didn't believe the decisions he made. There were a lot of weirdly specific descriptions.
Nancy – Good - Although the book began slowly, it quickly picked up the pace and became a fun read. While the character of a hit man who steals a baby and then races around Dublin killing people is obviously unbelievable, I was entertained enough to enter into a willing suspension of disbelief about almost all of the book’s storylines. All except for Bruton’s expecting the reader not to wonder why the police and the baby’s mother weren’t frantically looking for him. In fact, the mother is barely mentioned and there was only one short scene when the police seemed to care at all. And then of course, how did Patrick manage to magically locate the mother to return the baby to her? Overall though, I enjoyed all of the books characters, both law-abiding and law-breaking, particularly the beautiful but dense Olivia, Patrick’s fellow hit men and The Bronze Man. I loved that this boss was a cigar smoking woman. Finally, Mr. Nocturnal as a character was pretty entertaining for a maniac.
Patrick – G+ - This was a fun read. I enjoyed the way the author used a to-do list to organize the actions of the protagonist. It wasn’t a mystery per se, but it certainly was noir, which I found I enjoyed for the most part. A bit gritty, it had some similar elements as “The Old Woman with the Knife”.
Ron - VG—A quick read that is well written, with good dialogue, a quirky and interesting protagonist, and colorful secondary characters.
GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Good
THE COLLECTIVE (Susp-Camille Gardener-New York-Contemp) – Standalone – Alison Gaylin
Camille Gardener is a grieving—and angry—mother who, five years after her daughter’s death, is still obsessed with the privileged young man she believes to be responsible. When her rash actions draw the attention of a secret group of women—the collective— Camille is drawn into a dark web where these mothers share their wildly different stories of loss as well as their desire for justice in a world where privilege denies accountability. As Camille struggles to comprehend whether this is a role-playing exercise or a terrifying reality, she must decide if these women are truly avenging angels or monsters. Becoming more deeply enmeshed in the group, Camille learns truths about the collective—and about herself—that she may not be able to survive.
Corona – DNR – Couldn't stand any of the characters.
Ginny – Okay - When the author introduced Niobe, I flashed to Hamlet’s words regarding his mother’s tears as Niobe’s and then understood the cleverness of the murder group on the dark web. Regarding Camille, wanting revenge against her daughter’s killer is understandable but participating with others in a kill followed by raising questions regarding ethics was stupid. I didn’t care for the book. Vigilantism is not my thing.
Linda M – Fair - If you love vigilante justice, gleeful vengeance, and deep, dark conspiracies, this book is for you. I couldn't connect with the narrator. I was interested to see how it ended, but I didn't enjoy the journey.
Marcy S – Ex - A book about revenge, a group of angry, hateful women. Not what I wanted to be reading during Christmas time. I dreaded starting. Christmas night I read one of the set of Christmas mysteries I read each December but was having problems sleeping so finally went ahead and started the Collective. I finished it the next day! It pulled me in and didn't let go. So well done!
Patrick - VG+ - I was unable to put this one down. The premise was so unique and interesting, and the twist at the end was truly surprising. I loved how the author was able to incorporate the thrill of the conspiracy with the heartfelt anguish of a grieving mother, giving humanity to what could have been a plot-driven novel.
Ron – DNF
GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Good
THE SKULL MANTRA (PolProc-Insp. Shan Tao Yun-Tibet-Contemp) – 1st in series – Eliot Pattison
When a headless corpse turns up on a Tibetan mountainside, inspector Shan Tao Yun is released from prison to investigate the crime, and he quickly uncovers a conspiracy involving American mining interests, corrupt Party officials, and Tibetan sorcerers.
Charlotte – Ex – She was so intrigued by this book, she skimmed very little of it. She found the book fascinating and really l liked it.
Gabriel – VG - Many parts are really well-done, and the rest is quite good. Extremely strong sense of place--makes Tibet come alive. Shan is practically a saint, but Pattison gets away with it because no-one says how good Shan is--all showing and no telling. I read it once before a long time ago, but this time I was blown away.
Ginny – Ex- This book was a gripping thriller filled with a strong sense of the Tibetan people and the Himalayan mountains. Right off, the circumstances of the murder were gripping. The Tibetan monks and their spiritual life as well as the Tibet itself provided such intrigue in the most puzzling of murders. I am eager to read the sequel titled In Water Touching Stone.
Linda F – VG+ - She read it some time ago and does feel his 2nd book was somewhat better. She really did like the central character.
Ron – Ex —Intriguing mystery with a memorable and acute-minded protagonist and well-drawn side characters. It provides in-depth immersion into a geographic area little known in the West and the people who live there. While a work of fiction, it vividly describes the attempted destruction of a whole culture and its religious traditions that is essential for us to know about, as well as the indomitable spirit of victims.
GROUP RATING AVERAGE: VG+