Books for April 3rd, 2012 are: THE DEVIL (PI-Jack Taylor, Ireland-Contemp) – 12th in series – Ken Bruen America—the land of opportunity, a place where economic prosperity beckons: but not for PI Jack Taylor, who’s just been refused entry. Disappointed and bitter, he thinks that an encounter with an overly friendly stranger in an airport bar is the least of his problems. Except that this stranger seems to know much more than he should about Jack. Jack thinks no more of their meeting and resumes his old life in Galway. But when he’s called to investigate a student murder—connected to an elusive Mr. K—he remembers the man from the airport. Is the stranger really who he says he is? With the help of the Jameson, Jack struggles to make sense of it all. After several more murders and too many coincidental encounters, Jack believes he may have met his nemesis. But why has he been chosen? And could he really have taken on the devil himself?
Linda F – Not rated - Read “The Magdalene Martyrs” and detested it. The book focused on Jack’s problems rather than the case. Linda S - Not rated - Read “The Killing of the Tinkers” and rated it VG. She liked Bruen’s style a lot. She had forgotten the details of his first book, “The Guards” which does bring up the point that the books should be read in order. Loved his style, loved the characters and the fact that Jack has no self pity; he realizes that his problems are all of his own making. The writing is intelligent with wry humor. Bruen captures a sense of Ireland without detailed descriptions. His writing is spare, but effective. LJ – VG+ – From the first page, I remember how much I love Bruen’s voice. You hear and see Ireland in every word, even including a bit of the Gallic. He writes such good dialogue; the brutality in the story is offset by wry humor. The writing is impeccable and spare; not a superfluous word. The story is brutal and profane; not always pleasant to read. It’s the first time he has introduced an aspect of the metaphysical, which I liked, and a very ambiguous ending, for which I didn’t care as much. With all the past books, I always felt a hope of possible redemption for Jack. In this book? Possibly not—but then again, possibly. All I know is that I shall always read Bruen’s next Jack Taylor book.
Group Average Rating - Good
THE HOLY THIEF (Pol Proc-Cpt. Alexei Korolev-Moscow-1936) – 1st in series – William Ryan Moscow, 1936, and Stalin's Great Terror is beginning. In a deconsecrated church, a young woman is found dead, her mutilated body displayed on the altar for all to see. Captain Alexei Korolev, finally beginning to enjoy the benefits of his success with the Criminal Investigation Division of the Moscow Militia, is asked to investigate. But when he discovers that the victim is an American citizen, the NKVD--the most feared organization in Russia--becomes involved. Soon, Korolev's every step is under close scrutiny and one false move will mean exile to The Zone, where enemies of the Soviet State, both real and imagined, meet their fate in the frozen camps of the far north. Committed to uncovering the truth behind the gruesome murder, Korolev enters the realm of the Thieves, rulers of Moscow's underworld. As more bodies are discovered and pressure from above builds, Korolev begins to question who he can trust and who, in a Russia where fear, uncertainty and hunger prevail, are the real criminals. Soon, Korolev will find not only his moral and political ideals threatened, but also his life.
Evanda - G+ - She really liked the intrigue of Communism during that time and felt the author realistically depicted the harshness and griminess of life during that period. Linda S - Good (so far) - She's about 1/2 way through it and admits skimming thru the gruesome murders. She does like the character. The perspective of Stalinist Russia is very interesting. She finds she is reading it more for the historical prospective then and mystery. Marcy G - Good - While I really enjoyed the setting in Stalinist Russia with all the paranoia, despair and hardships very well described, I thought the actual mystery just so-so. The main character was very 3 dimensional and I would think this is a very good start for a series.
Group Rating Average - G+
THE ANATOMY OF GHOSTS (Susp-John Holdsworth-England-1786) – Standalone – Andrew Taylor 1786, Jerusalem College Cambridge. The ghost of Sylvia Whichcote is rumoured to be haunting Jerusalem since disturbed fellow-commoner, Frank Oldershaw, claims to have seen the dead woman prowling the grounds. Desperate to salvage her son's reputation, Lady Anne Oldershaw employs John Holdsworth, author of The Anatomy of Ghosts - a stinging account of why ghosts are mere delusion - to investigate. But his arrival in Cambridge disrupts an uneasy status quo as he glimpses a world of privilege and abuse, where the sinister Holy Ghost Club governs life at Jerusalem more effectively than the Master, Dr Carbury, ever could. And when Holdsworth finds himself haunted - not only by the ghost of his dead wife, Maria, but also Elinor, the very-much-alive Master's wife - his fate is sealed. He must find Sylvia's murderer or the hauntings will continue. And not one of them will leave the claustrophobic confines of Jerusalem unchanged.
Evanda - Good - At first, she was annoyed that the setting was in Cambridge, England. However, she instead found herself totally immersed in the story.
THE DEVIL (PI-Jack Taylor, Ireland-Contemp) – 12th in series – Ken Bruen
America—the land of opportunity, a place where economic prosperity beckons: but not for PI Jack Taylor, who’s just been refused entry. Disappointed and bitter, he thinks that an encounter with an overly friendly stranger in an airport bar is the least of his problems. Except that this stranger seems to know much more than he should about Jack. Jack thinks no more of their meeting and resumes his old life in Galway. But when he’s called to investigate a student murder—connected to an elusive Mr. K—he remembers the man from the airport. Is the stranger really who he says he is? With the help of the Jameson, Jack struggles to make sense of it all. After several more murders and too many coincidental encounters, Jack believes he may have met his nemesis. But why has he been chosen? And could he really have taken on the devil himself?
Linda F – Not rated - Read “The Magdalene Martyrs” and detested it. The book focused on Jack’s problems rather than the case.
Linda S - Not rated - Read “The Killing of the Tinkers” and rated it VG. She liked Bruen’s style a lot. She had forgotten the details of his first book, “The Guards” which does bring up the point that the books should be read in order. Loved his style, loved the characters and the fact that Jack has no self pity; he realizes that his problems are all of his own making. The writing is intelligent with wry humor. Bruen captures a sense of Ireland without detailed descriptions. His writing is spare, but effective.
LJ – VG+ – From the first page, I remember how much I love Bruen’s voice. You hear and see Ireland in every word, even including a bit of the Gallic. He writes such good dialogue; the brutality in the story is offset by wry humor. The writing is impeccable and spare; not a superfluous word. The story is brutal and profane; not always pleasant to read. It’s the first time he has introduced an aspect of the metaphysical, which I liked, and a very ambiguous ending, for which I didn’t care as much. With all the past books, I always felt a hope of possible redemption for Jack. In this book? Possibly not—but then again, possibly. All I know is that I shall always read Bruen’s next Jack Taylor book.
Group Average Rating - Good
THE HOLY THIEF (Pol Proc-Cpt. Alexei Korolev-Moscow-1936) – 1st in series – William Ryan
Moscow, 1936, and Stalin's Great Terror is beginning. In a deconsecrated church, a young woman is found dead, her mutilated body displayed on the altar for all to see. Captain Alexei Korolev, finally beginning to enjoy the benefits of his success with the Criminal Investigation Division of the Moscow Militia, is asked to investigate. But when he discovers that the victim is an American citizen, the NKVD--the most feared organization in Russia--becomes involved. Soon, Korolev's every step is under close scrutiny and one false move will mean exile to The Zone, where enemies of the Soviet State, both real and imagined, meet their fate in the frozen camps of the far north. Committed to uncovering the truth behind the gruesome murder, Korolev enters the realm of the Thieves, rulers of Moscow's underworld. As more bodies are discovered and pressure from above builds, Korolev begins to question who he can trust and who, in a Russia where fear, uncertainty and hunger prevail, are the real criminals. Soon, Korolev will find not only his moral and political ideals threatened, but also his life.
Evanda - G+ - She really liked the intrigue of Communism during that time and felt the author realistically depicted the harshness and griminess of life during that period.
Linda S - Good (so far) - She's about 1/2 way through it and admits skimming thru the gruesome murders. She does like the character. The perspective of Stalinist Russia is very interesting. She finds she is reading it more for the historical prospective then and mystery.
Marcy G - Good - While I really enjoyed the setting in Stalinist Russia with all the paranoia, despair and hardships very well described, I thought the actual mystery just so-so. The main character was very 3 dimensional and I would think this is a very good start for a series.
Group Rating Average - G+
THE ANATOMY OF GHOSTS (Susp-John Holdsworth-England-1786) – Standalone – Andrew Taylor
1786, Jerusalem College Cambridge. The ghost of Sylvia Whichcote is rumoured to be haunting Jerusalem since disturbed fellow-commoner, Frank Oldershaw, claims to have seen the dead woman prowling the grounds. Desperate to salvage her son's reputation, Lady Anne Oldershaw employs John Holdsworth, author of The Anatomy of Ghosts - a stinging account of why ghosts are mere delusion - to investigate. But his arrival in Cambridge disrupts an uneasy status quo as he glimpses a world of privilege and abuse, where the sinister Holy Ghost Club governs life at Jerusalem more effectively than the Master, Dr Carbury, ever could. And when Holdsworth finds himself haunted - not only by the ghost of his dead wife, Maria, but also Elinor, the very-much-alive Master's wife - his fate is sealed. He must find Sylvia's murderer or the hauntings will continue. And not one of them will leave the claustrophobic confines of Jerusalem unchanged.
Evanda - Good - At first, she was annoyed that the setting was in Cambridge, England. However, she instead found herself totally immersed in the story.
Group Rating Average: Good