I have to say that I thought the author was trying to put James forward as some kind of romantic hero Ok, Beaton. I see what you're doing now.
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I have to say that I thought the author was trying to put James forward as some kind of romantic hero this entire time, and it was kind of pissing me off. But. At the end of this, I get what she's trying to say. He's an asshole. He's narcissistic, cold, and only wants Agatha because she's so full of life that she makes his life more interesting. There's no effort made to woo her, wow her, or make her feel special. He's that guy who shows up on your doorstep at 9 pm because he's got nothing better to do on a Tuesday night. And all of her friends can see it. Which is what makes the ending of this book tolerable.
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As for the mystery? Well, this time around Agatha has taken a vacation to the town of Fryfam, maybe finds fairies in her backyard, runs across a few dead bodies, and solves the case with the help of Charles Fraith. Speaking of... I'm really starting to enjoy Charles! I wasn't sure how I felt about him at first because he's your classic wastrel. But he's at least an honest booty call who genuinely likes Agatha and doesn't want to change her into something she's not.
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I'm pretty excited for the next book, to be honest. I think it's going to be a complete trainwreck and I can't wait to see how everything resolves itself! Recommended for fans....more
The Lord Peter Wimsey series almost feels like Dorothy Sayers channeled Agatha Christie and stole one of P.G. Wodehouse's characters. <--that's a compThe Lord Peter Wimsey series almost feels like Dorothy Sayers channeled Agatha Christie and stole one of P.G. Wodehouse's characters. <--that's a compliment. I'm not trying to say Sayers plagiarized anything, for the love of god!
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The aforementioned "unpleasantness" starts when an elderly gentleman at Lord Peter's club is found dead in his favorite chair - surely of natural causes! But things get sticky when it is discovered that it is necessary to determine when exactly he died, as that means the difference between who inherits his sister's fortune.
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I could try to explain it, but I'd just botch the job.
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Peter tries to juggle the responsibility of being a good friend against the responsibility of finding out the truth, and ends up in what looks to be quite a pickle. Of course, this is a cozy mystery not some dark pulp fiction novel, so you know he'll sort it all out eventually.
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Also, and I say this because I thought the first book was a tad dry, every book in the this series seems to be better than the last.
Recommended for fans of the old cozy mysteries....more
For a comic about a serial killer operating in Nazi-occupied Paris, this was shockingly dull. It's a true story, and maybe Phillips didn't want to sensFor a comic about a serial killer operating in Nazi-occupied Paris, this was shockingly dull. It's a true story, and maybe Phillips didn't want to sensationalize it, but it could have used several more issues to flesh out what happened.
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I mean, since it was a true story, you already know the guy got caught, but even so, there should have been some feeling of suspense to the story while I was reading. Worse, it seemed to flip around from Nazi characters to French police to victims without much finesse. I don't even know why some of the characters (especially the Nazis) were even in this. I get it, in that Germany had taken France, but the conversations of Nazi officers at a party really had little to no impact on what was happening with the serial killer storyline.
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The ending courtroom scene wasn't even all that good. It may have even been word-for-word what happened, but it was just badly told. Same thing with his execution. I think that could have been great, but it fell flat. You know what this reminded me of? One of those books geared toward 12 year olds who are just learning about history that's trying to make it seem interesting without going into too much detail.
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The art didn't do this thing any favors, either. There was nothing here visually that didn't make me just wish I could close my eyes and hope it would look different when I opened them again.
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It's an interesting true crime story about a serial killer who pretended to work with the resistance and used people's desperation and panic as a way to feed his sick desire to kill. But at the end of the day, I'd like someone else to take a crack at telling this one....more
The New Orleans jazz scene in the 1950s is the backdrop for A Silent Hell.
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This wasn't my favorite Blacksad story, but it was still good. BlacksaThe New Orleans jazz scene in the 1950s is the backdrop for A Silent Hell.
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This wasn't my favorite Blacksad story, but it was still good. Blacksad and Weekly end up looking into the mystery of a missing musician who is hooked on drugs. At the same time, they uncover a secret(s?) about their dying client, a failed musician turned major record producer.
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If you aren't reading Blacksad, you should be. Recommended....more
After his stint in New Orleans, Blacksad takes on an easy job in order to go home. All he has to do is drive a rich guy's car to Texas. But if everythinAfter his stint in New Orleans, Blacksad takes on an easy job in order to go home. All he has to do is drive a rich guy's car to Texas. But if everything went smoothly for him, we wouldn't have a story, would we?
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Amarillo is full of characters that don't fit into a neat character box. Are they good? Are they bad? Are they brave? Are they weak? Yes to all of it. The story is wild, and its characters are far more complex than what you normally see.
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In classic hardboiled noir style, no good deed goes unpunished and while trying to keep two writers from getting the well-deserved shit kicked out of them by a group of bikers, John ends up with his car being stolen by the very same assholes he was trying to save.
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Everything goes off the rails in a big way, and then to the literal circus, as John tries to track down the men and get the Texan's car back. Due to some random bad luck, the two FBI agents from a previous issue are also in hot pursuit, trying to pin a murder on him.
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This was quite the ride. Highly Recommended....more
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is one of Christie's more well-known books, and I think if you're already a fan of the book, you'll enjoy this.
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I'vThe Murder of Roger Ackroyd is one of Christie's more well-known books, and I think if you're already a fan of the book, you'll enjoy this.
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I've already reviewed the book itself, so this is just for the BBC full-cast production. The voice actors bring this story to life in a well-done radio play that includes sound effects and music. Everything remains faithful to the original, but it's all condensed, so you don't really get the buildup to the big reveal that you normally would. In other words, this isn't a substitute for the book, but more like a companion piece for those who have already read it.
Blacksad and Weekly once again get involved with dangerous people while trying to find out the truth behind the rich and powerful in New York City.
[imBlacksad and Weekly once again get involved with dangerous people while trying to find out the truth behind the rich and powerful in New York City.
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They All Fall Down is a pretty classic hardboiled dick story. It's filled with dirty politicians and teamsters who are all vying to leave their mark and hold onto the power they have, no matter who they have to hurt. There's nothing new here, it's just exceptionally well done. And as anyone who loves the genre will tell you, it's not as easy as it looks to keep these stories fresh and interesting.
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That cliffhanger ending! To be honest, I didn't fully understand it until I read one of the older stories a few days later. Even so, having to wait to find out (view spoiler)[Weekly's fate (hide spoiler)]is going to kill me!
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One of the best comics going right now. Especially if you like noir detective stories. Highly Recommended....more
A young Sherlockish genius solves the crimes in LA that fall through the cracks.
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Isaiah Quintabe makes a name for himself helping people in his A young Sherlockish genius solves the crimes in LA that fall through the cracks.
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Isaiah Quintabe makes a name for himself helping people in his neighborhood, and the subsequent word of mouth leads to a high-profile rapper calling him in to figure out who is trying to kill him. And while the crime itself is interesting, it's really Isaiah himself you end up wanting to know more about. He's an orphan who was being raised by his doting older brother until a terrible hit-and-run took his life. Still in high school, and unwilling to enter foster care, Isaiah managed to stay under the radar and out of the system. But how he did it haunts him.
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A lot of time has passed and a now-grown Isaiah is on a mission to do some good and pay back a debt he believes he owes to society in general and one person in particular. Mainly, he does what he does because he's a genuinely good person at heart. Fortunately, he has the street smarts that let him read the room to avoid getting conned and a genius-level intellect that allows him to piece things together with unnerving accuracy.
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His one-time roommate and current frenemy, Dodson, is the perfect sidekick for the straight-laced Isaiah. He's oily but loveable. Straddling the line like only a semi-criminal entrepreneur can, and somehow you still like him. A shady-as-hell Watson, if you will. There's a lot to unpack in that relationship. Now that they're both older, Dodson brings a big money case to Isaiah (for a small cut of the fee, of course) and decides that he's going to stick around and help him solve it.
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I was entertained from start to finish. Zero complaints. Sullivan Jones did an amazing job as the narrator of the audiobook. Highly Recommended....more
Wow. Ok, so I kind of waffled between being bored with all of the tedious police shit and just simply disliking Renee because she was kind of an assholWow. Ok, so I kind of waffled between being bored with all of the tedious police shit and just simply disliking Renee because she was kind of an asshole.
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I thought there was something spunky about her in the last book, but in this one, she just came off as judgy and a stickler for "rules". Bosch, who I also don't particularly like at this point, seemed more sympathetic. And that's never a good thing when you like a side character more than a main character. And even worse than that, you don't even really like that side character all that much.
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Basically, I just don't think I like Connelly's version of cops. I mean, I've never been crazy about cop stories in general, but I was hoping that Connelly would make them somehow seem more sympathetic to me, not like a bunch of robot psychos. Broken, weird, and even mean characters can be amazing, but Renee simply isn't interesting in this story. She sort of marinates in her own righteous juices, doing what she wants regardless of what is legal, but looking down on anyone else who does the same. She reminds me a lot of Mickey Haller's wife in the Lincoln Lawyer series, and it makes me wonder if Connelly just doesn't know how to write strong female characters that aren't absolutely off-putting.
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By the end of this, I was just done with her, and the last few pages just solidified it for me. (view spoiler)[So spoilery things happen and they find the serial killer. Renee leaves the scene at Bosch's urging to protect her badge, because she did some illegal stuff to find out whether or not she was on the right track. She was. And now Bosch plans to gets a confession from the guy using even more illegal means. He does. BUT. Bosch is pissed because this serial killer who is responsible for torturing, raping, and killing whoknowshowmany women that he grabbed off the streets (most of whom won't even be reported as missing persons) is sitting in a warehouse all tied up and waiting to be arrested with his flimsy tape-recorded "evidence" that any attorney could get thrown out. And so he calls one of the missing girl's fathers - a guy who has "connections" and isn't afraid to fuck this guy up and put him in an acid bath afterward. He calls that guy and lets him know who he caught. THEN. Then he grows some kind of a weird conscience and calls the police, telling them to hurry up and snag this guy. Which only denies the father his daughter's vengeance. Let me say right now that if a serial killer gets me someday, I am 100% on board with vengeance in my name, ok? Do it. Then Renee gets all mad when she finds out what Bosch almost let happen to the bad guy. What? (hide spoiler)] I don't think I like Renee anymore. And due to how bored I was for a lot of this, I just don't think I'm going to grab the next book anytime soon....more
It's the story of Batman's grandma and grandpa. Sam Bradly is an old man in a hospital room, presumably on his deathbed, who retells the part he playedIt's the story of Batman's grandma and grandpa. Sam Bradly is an old man in a hospital room, presumably on his deathbed, who retells the part he played in an ugly time in Gotham's history to the Dark Knight.
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Alright. So, there's some Batman(ish) stuff in here, but it's mostly just a hardboiled detective story. And I really liked it for that. "Slam" Bradley is an ex-cop who runs a detective agency in Gotham. One fine day, a fast-talking dame walks into his office and hires him to personally deliver a letter to Richard Wayne and his wife, Constance.
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Everything goes completely sideways as Sam discovers that he's been thrust into a kidnapping plot ala the Lindbergh's baby. It seems little Helena Wayne was snatched from her crib sometime earlier, and now he's the guy on the doorstep holding the ransom note. It's not a good look.
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As Slam unravels the mystery of the missing baby, he's also unraveling the seedy underbelly of police corruption and racism in Gotham. And here's where the story takes a lot of interesting twists and turns that go outside the usual Batman tale.
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The story itself was excellent. And because of that, I really wish it hadn't had to be connected to Batman in any way. The only part of this that didn't completely suck me in was Slam and Batman's interaction. There was honestly no point in Sam telling this tale to Bruce in a this is where you come from kind of way. It didn't have much to do with him or his mission, other than as a history lesson. But that's a mild complaint and it didn't affect my overall enjoyment.
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Apparently, Slam is a really obscure character from back in the day that King retconned. I had zero knowledge of this until I started reading some of my friends' reviews after I'd finished the comic. He's popped up now and again in different comics over the years but I didn't recognize him at all. Kinda neat. If you enjoy hardboiled detective comics, I think you'd dig this. Recommended....more
3.5 stars...inching close to 4? I wasn't even really sure I was going to finish this at first. Cop stories aren't my jam. I stopped and started a few tim3.5 stars...inching close to 4? I wasn't even really sure I was going to finish this at first. Cop stories aren't my jam. I stopped and started a few times, to be honest. But by the time we got to the halfway mark, I was all in. And when it was over, I put the next book in the series on hold.
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The skinny gist is that Renee Ballard was bumped down to the Late Show (night shift) because she reported her superior for sexual harassment, and then her partner (the only witness) refused to back her up. Still dedicated to the cause, she's found a case that she desperately wants to close - a transgender prostitute who was nearly beaten to death after what looks to be days of torture. Her new partner, whose wife is dying, wants nothing to do with any of it as he only cares about being home during the day to take care of his spouse. Fair. You certainly don't hate the guy.
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Ok. So it starts off kind of slow but then the characters and the plot begin building into something a bit more special. I ended up liking this and I'm hoping it turns into my new go-to series....more
This was my first experience with Blacksad and I immediately wanted more. This was fantastic. The art was Excellent hard boiled detective noir.
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This was my first experience with Blacksad and I immediately wanted more. This was fantastic. The art was amazing, especially the facial expressions. They just knock your socks off. I didn't think anthropomorphic characters would be so human but this was so well done. I can't imagine the stories any other way now. <--all the praise this series gets? So well-deserved.
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Ok, so this has several stories in it. All of them are great. The racist polar bear story had some bite to it, though. I did. not. see the ending coming. (view spoiler)[He unknowingly married his daughter! THAT WAS HIS DAUGHTER! AHHHHH! (hide spoiler)]
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Ok, I didn't realize Blacksad was a black character until the polar bear issue. In retrospect...yeah, he's a black cat. But in all fairness, a black cat named Jonn Blacksad is a bit on the nose.
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I feel like I'm not doing this comic justice in this review, but I don't know what else to say. Highly Recommended....more
Mickey gets arrested for murder. And COVID is coming...
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I thought the addition of the oncoming pandemic was an interesting backdrop. Not only isMickey gets arrested for murder. And COVID is coming...
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I thought the addition of the oncoming pandemic was an interesting backdrop. Not only is the clock ticking for the trial, but the reader is aware that the clock is ticking for the inevitable shutdown. And Connelly laces the legal thriller with just enough phrases like, did you hear about that virus that hit China?, to keep you biting your nails (after you wash your goddamn hands!) throughout the whole book.
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Ok, so remember that client of Mickey's that always had some horrible scam going? Donate to the burial fund of such-n-such school shooting! Or. Click here to send money to the survivors of such-n-such natural disaster! Yeah, that guy is the one found stuffed into the truck of Haller's Lincoln during a "routine" stop. He's kinda ripe, as he's apparently been sort of marinating in the trunk for a few days.
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Mickey's family & friends circle the wagons in his defense. Lorna, Cisco, & Jennifer are of course ready to go. But his half-brother Bosch steps up to help investigate, and his ex-wife Maggie takes a break from the prosecution table to help him head up his defense, as well. An old girlfriend (that you didn't realize was an ex until the book started) comes back into town to show her support. And (along with Bosch) his cyber-pimp client help put up $$ to spring him from the pokey. It's a love fest.
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Naturally, all the prosecutors think he's guilty as hell. Even though this looks like a COMPLETE setup to anyone with eyeballs. I have to say, by the end of the book you basically just yelling OH, COME ON! at the justice system. So yeah. It's a little OTT. And yet. I liked this one.
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Side Note: The author lets his political bias show through in this one. And fair. It's his book, and I don't necessarily disagree with him. But it's pretty apparent by the end of the book that Connelly isn't a Trumper, so if you think that might hamper your enjoyment of the story this is fair warning.
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The ending is sweet and I'm looking forward to seeing what the future brings for the Lincoln Lawyer. Recommended for fans of legal thrillers....more
A dead hooker's cyber-pimp is charged with murder. Should be another fat payday for Mickey Haller.
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Lots to like with this one. First, the last booA dead hooker's cyber-pimp is charged with murder. Should be another fat payday for Mickey Haller.
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Lots to like with this one. First, the last book left you thinking that Harry was going to really flip things over in his life and run for District Attorney. I closed the book thinking that we might see a different kind of Lincoln Lawyer in the next book. Once again, Connelly surprised me. This book opens with the reader learning that not only did he lose the race, his reputation was smeared and his wife and daughter left LA because of it. In a shocking turn of events, his ex-wife is mad at him. Again. Spoiler Alert: I do not like Mickey's ex-wife.
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Second, remember ol' Glory Days? That hooker that Mickey had a soft spot for a few books back? Yeah, that's who this client supposedly killed. Ouch. But he takes the case anyway because Mickey thinks the guy didn't do it AND he wants to make sure the right person goes to jail for this shit.
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Third, we get to know his half-brother Bosch a bit more in this one, as he plays a prominent role in this book.
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I'm trying not to give spoilers, so I'll just say this was good stuff. Maybe my favorite book in the series so far?
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And can I just say that the books are so much better than the Netflix show? Because they are. Mickey is just too nice in the show. Who wants to watch a show about a nice lawyer? Recommended....more
Harry gets into defending foreclosures during the housing crisis to make a buck. So how does he end up with another high-profile murder case? When his Harry gets into defending foreclosures during the housing crisis to make a buck. So how does he end up with another high-profile murder case? When his biggest pain in the ass client gets arrested for killing the bank executive in charge of her foreclosure, her first call is to him. Who better to defend the underdog than the Lincoln Lawyer?
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Harry takes her on thinking there might be a payday with the movie rights for this thing one day. Little does he know that he's already got some competition from a sleazy small-time producer who has seemingly wormed his way into his client's pants, potentially screwing with Harry's only hope at a payout.
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Nothing is ever quite what it seems, and there are a lot of twists & turns as Harry and his team work hard to find someone else who might have had a reason to want this guy dead. Unfortunately, they have to discredit a witness that put her near the scene of the crime and deal with how terrible it looks that the bank put that pesky restraining order on her...
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Because as it turns out, Harry might just believe this single mom wasn't the one who bashed the banker over the head. Is that a good thing? Read it and find out. Recommended for fans of the Lincoln Lawyer....more
Reckless books are a nice palate cleanser. And if you like your crime stories hardboiled, I think you'd have a difficult time finding something better Reckless books are a nice palate cleanser. And if you like your crime stories hardboiled, I think you'd have a difficult time finding something better than Brubaker & Philips to scratch your itch.
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This story takes place at the same time as the last volume, The Ghost in You, which focused on what Anna did while Ethan was mysteriously out of town. And now we know what he was doing.
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A friend asks for Ethan's help finding his daughter-in-law, a young woman with past drug problems who disappeared after almost being killed in San Franscisco's 1989 earthquake. He assumes she's probably gone off on a bender, but it turns out that things aren't quite what they seem, and this case makes quite an impression on him. Which is all I can say without getting spoilery.
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If you're already a fan, I think you'll like it. According to Brubaker, this will be the last Reckless book for a while, but I think that's probably for the best. I'm not saying it's not good, but there are only so many ways you can tell the same tough guy with a heart sees bad stuff and gets street justice story. I'd love to see this team come back rejuvenated and with some new ideas. Recommended for anyone who enjoys crime comics....more
I can't seem to get enough of this series. The minute I finished, I downloaded the next book. And while these aren't perfection, I'm finding they areI can't seem to get enough of this series. The minute I finished, I downloaded the next book. And while these aren't perfection, I'm finding they are highly addictive.
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This time around Mickey is on the other side as a special prosecutor in a case where the DA needs it to look like there has been no misconduct by his office. Why? Because decades later, DNA evidence has revealed that a convicted child killer wasn't responsible for the semen on her dress. However, it wasn't a sex crime and the State feels like they still have the right guy. And they need someone outside their office to head up a new trial against him. Enter Mickey Haller.
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This was a really good installment in the Lincoln Lawyer series. I love the way Connelly kept me off-balance with the guilt or innocence of the defendant. And coupled with Mickey being on the wrong side of the fence this time, I was constantly excited to see where the plot was heading. Plus, bringing Bosch in as a full-on character that we got to see through the eyes of, really got me hyped up to read his books.
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The only real complaint (if you want to call it that) was the somewhat anti-climactic ending. And don't get me wrong, there was a whole lot of crazy that went down when it came to the defendant and his defense team. BUT. The actual ending to the story almost felt like it was a "to be continued" thing. And I'm not sure if that will be continued in a Bosch book or if I'm reading something into the ending that just wasn't even there.
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Even with that, I think this is my favorite in the series so far. Recommended....more
I wasn't expecting that we'd start this story with Mickey Haller on bad terms with his ex-wife and daughter. In the opening chapter, we find out that I wasn't expecting that we'd start this story with Mickey Haller on bad terms with his ex-wife and daughter. In the opening chapter, we find out that he got addicted to prescription pain pills after being shot in the first book. So...yeah. That happened.
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Ok, this was a whole thing that added another layer to the story and took me by surprise. I liked it. The last book seemed to end on a somewhat high note because (view spoiler)[Mickey not only survived his serial killer/rapist client but also managed to get justice without losing his license. Sure, he had been injured, was angry at his ex-wife for lying to him, and all didn't quite turn out as rosy as one might hope for the client in prison who had been wrongly convicted of the original crime. (hide spoiler)] But. It seemed as though the next book should open on a high note, as well.
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Alright. So everything is on pins and needles with his family, but he's completed rehab and doing well. In fact, he's just about ready to start dipping his toes in the water of his law practice again when he gets called before a judge who informs him that one of his frenemies has died and left his clients to him. And one of those clients is a big-time movie producer who is accused of the double homicide of his wife and her lover. Oooooh. The smell of money is just wafting off of this case. Unfortunately, it's not all rainbows and unicorns. While he does manage to hook the producer, he can't seem to get him to take the murder charge seriously.
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Not to mention he's now concerned that whoever killed his predecessor might be after him. Or so says this cop Harry Bocsh...
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Things are never quite what they seem for our Lincoln Lawyer and that's a big part of what makes the books work. But I think the main reason I enjoy this series so much is that the characters Connelly introduces us to grow and change throughout the story.
I thought this was great. The art and the coloring are simply fantastic and just fit the story so well. I'd honestly love to have this on my shelf. BeaI thought this was great. The art and the coloring are simply fantastic and just fit the story so well. I'd honestly love to have this on my shelf. Beautiful stuff.
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A tough guy who leans toward the criminal side of life, but still has enough integrity to make the reader root for him, smokes and drinks his way through a hard-boiled crime comic. Add in a smokin hot gangster's moll with a past, and you have the recipe for noir at its best.
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Come for the art and stay for the story. Highly Recommended....more
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