Books
October 26th, 2014 – Book ‘Stars for the Toff’ by John Creasey
by Rob Smith, Jr. on Oct.26, 2014, under Books
Stars for the Toff by John Creasey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Another of the Toff series by John Creasey that will keep the reader guessing. There is a lot that happens involving all of the characters in the novel that keeps the reader trying to keep up with the mystery at hand, which also is written as being suspect throughout. There being very few options as to who might have done what, Creasy does an excellent job leaving the reader guessing and second guessing. I think this book would be far more fun trying to figure out who did it, than a reader just reading the book for fun.
Most all of the characters are well defined, with exceptions, such as Toff himself. The writing is very good, but I felt seemed a bit truncated in places. There are so many different incidents that occurs that are pretty much hit and run with little further regard. The ending also is wrapped a bit quick.
Bottom line: I recommend this book.
October 22nd, 2014 – Book: ‘Grave Descend’ by Michael Crichton.
by Rob Smith, Jr. on Oct.23, 2014, under Books
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
‘Grave Descend’ is a pat and tidy story that’s very easy to read. The characters are well defined and the setting is simply explained. As a short the story is there are even a couple twisted in.
If you are looking for and easy, breezy story to while the time away, this is for you.
Bottom line: I recommend this book.
OCtober 20th, 2014 – Book: ‘Forty Guns West’ by William Johnstone
by Rob Smith, Jr. on Oct.20, 2014, under Books
Forty Guns West by William W. Johnstone
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
This is the third book in the Preacher series I’ve read and was mighty disappointed. Unlike the last Preacher book I read, the characters are extremely well defined. Not just defined in one place, but defined all throughout the book. That is what also makes this book odd. It’s Preacher who seems to be having an identity crisis.
In this book Preacher seems inwardly conflicted as to what actions to take and how he should take them. The book starts with him leaving his family after a visit. Something happens that has him chased by a large group of men. Along the way he discards what caused the chase to begin with. Then things start getting very strange. Preacher keeps saying he’s had it with those chasing him and will kill them off. Then he doesn’t. Then he says he’ll kill them again and then doesn’t again. This goes on and on.
The men chasing are written as buffoons. That is, until they divert their attention to something other than Preacher and are suddenly brilliant strategists and are successful in their missions. Twice. Then they go back to being buffoons.
What I think is really going on here is that the writers(s) were asked to expand the book in length and padded the hell out of it. Which is really too bad. Otherwise, the book has such greater characterizations and narrative descriptions. The obvious needless addition of so many pages takes away from it all as I just wanted to get to the end.
This book should have been one hundred pages shorter. Though I write this of practically every other contemporary book I read, I believe this is the first Johnstone Clan book I’ve thought should be so edited.
Bottom line: I don’t recommend this book.
OCtober 17th, 2014 – Book: ‘Absaroka Ambush’ by William Johnstone.
by Rob Smith, Jr. on Oct.17, 2014, under Books
Absaroka Ambush / Courage of the Mountain Man by William W. Johnstone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I liked this book a lot. The sprawling trip across a new America is full of adventure. Well written and pretty much well thought out.
Most of the characters are well developed and very interesting. Wish there was more to learn of two main female characters. Hope they somehow pop up again.
Two drawbacks is very undeveloped bad guys(s) character. Another bad guy with the typical Johnstone bad guy qualities. Another drawback is dropping a set of characters that travel throughout the book. A few hundred pages of that characters and then are entirely dropped. Though there is a reason for this, it would have been nice to let the reader know a bit more of the final fate of the characters.
Bottom line: I recommend this book.
October 11th, 2014 – Book: ‘Blood of the Mouintain Man’ by William Johnstone
by Rob Smith, Jr. on Oct.11, 2014, under Books
Blood of the Mountain Man by William W. Johnstone
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Smoke Jensen is out to say a town again. This time the story is tied to Smoke’s niece. The bad guys are essentially the same. As are the good guys. The story and action are almost entirely the same. Much of the writing is the same. A good bulk of conversations have been heard in many other Johnstone Clan volumes. Even characters are repeated.
Otherwise, the writing is great. Greater still if a Johnstone book is new to the reader.
Bottom lines:
1) If you’ve read Smoke series: I don’t recommend the book.
2) If you haven’t read the Smoke series: I do recommend the book.
October 8th, 2014 – Book: The Case of the Stuttering Bishop’ by Erle Stanley Gardner
by Rob Smith, Jr. on Oct.08, 2014, under Books
The Case of the Stuttering Bishop by Erle Stanley Gardner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A very concocted mystery that, if followed carefully, can be a great surprise in the end. I think this would be best to read in one sitting. What didn’t help me is the amount of everything else happening around me from travel to performing. I forgot a couple bits of the book and got a bit lost as the book wound up.
I just had the exact same trouble with the Colin Dexter novel i read before this, ‘The Riddle of the Third Mile’. Both have a series of characters that have similar names, various motivations, disappearing characters, etc. Both are similar in many ways, except, I feel, Dexter rather cheated in the end by a massive kill off of characters that didn’t make much sense. This Perry Mason mystery ends with a rather complicated conclusion due to Gardner not being a killing machine towards the final bow.
Bottom line: I recommend this book.
October 2nd, 2014 – Book: ‘Riddle of the Third Mile’ by Colin Dexter.
by Rob Smith, Jr. on Oct.02, 2014, under Books
The Riddle of the Third Mile by Colin Dexter
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I really like Dexter’s writing style and the characters he creates. This selection of the adventures of Inspector Morse provides more background of Morse’s origins and, for me , that’s the best part of the book.
The rest is a convoluted mess. Body parts, various people who are part of the college and not part of the college and are the body parts and aren’t the body parts and I just wanted to part with the whole thing.
Seems to me Dexter stretched hard to get this book to work. There were many other ways to get to solving the main mystery of who a body is. Yet, Morse and all go gallivanting off into all kinds of directions that really make little sense. A prelude to the main story is to help the reader follow some of the mechanization of the crime. But, it seems to me, that Dexter then went about trying to fit a story to the prelude. Along the way trying to make very confusing who did what and why. There should always be confusion to a reader and it’s what I love with the previous novels I’ve read. In this case, I think Dexter was being a bit too cute in his switchbacks in the story. Keeping the reader guessing is imperative, but so is clarity in the end.
In the end, I still didn’t understand the motives of all the characters in their actions. It was tricky writing to wrap up so many loose ends. All too convenient. I just don’t think the conclusions are plausible.
Bottom line: I don’t recommend this book.
September 28th, 2014 – Book: ‘The Dead of Jericho’ by Colin Dexter.
by Rob Smith, Jr. on Sep.29, 2014, under Books
The Dead of Jericho by Colin Dexter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the third in the Inspector Morse series I’ve read and continue to like the series more and more. It was just a couple of months ago that I happened to come across most of the Morse series at a used book store and took a gamble and picked them up. I’m so glad I did.
This one has the many layers that the other books do of what seems like a simple story. As Inspector Morse gets on the trail, and soon to be many trails, to solve the mystery he finds deadends, misdirections and so much more that makes this book so much fun. Really like how Morse and all make mistakes.
It’s all also so well written. Author Colin Dexter lays out the story that leaves the reader hanging on from chapter to chapter. At times, it seemed the book was wrapping up and I was disappointed. The deadends and the like are far better than explosions and mass gun fire found in so many other books.
Bottom line: I recommend this book.
September 21st, 2014 – Book: ‘Preacher’ by William W. Johnstone.
by Rob Smith, Jr. on Sep.21, 2014, under Books
Preacher by William W. Johnstone
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I’d love to know who of the Johnstone clan of writers wrote this entry in the Preacher series. It’s head and shoulders above other Johnstone clan novels including those supposedly by Johnstone himself. This is one of the best I’ve read of all the Johnstone books.
This book reveals the making of the character ‘Preacher’ of the Mountain Man series. It begins in 1913 and covers the lives of the early American pioneers, the war of 1812, riverboat life, early towns, frontier life, etc, etc. It is very well written and seems to be very historically accurate.
Seems this 8th book of the series is the one to start with for the new Johnstone reader.
Bottom line: i recommend this book.
September 17th 2014 – Book: ‘Don’t Make A&P Mad’ by J.E. Davis
by Rob Smith, Jr. on Sep.17, 2014, under Books
Don’t make A&P mad by J. E Davis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is almost an entirely excellent book. The story of how the grocery store chain, Winn-Dixie, came along is so very well laid out in great detail. Author and founder J.E. Davis is either an incredible writer, too, or one person did not get credit in the bonk for ghost writing.
That is one of the complaints. Way to many names are listed through out the book. The volume also suffers from J.E. Davis loving finances. Pages and pages of stock information and more financials. All of which should have been part of an appendix.
Otherwise a perfect blueprint of constructing a successful business is well written and explained. So many great stories are also included.
One of the best parts is the last few pages where J.E.’s philosophy is presented. Lots of motivational ideas to live by!
Bottom line: IF you can find this very rare book – Read it!
August 27th, 2014 – Book: ‘Last Seen Wearing’ by Colin Dexter.
by Rob Smith, Jr. on Aug.27, 2014, under Books
Last Seen Wearing by Colin Dexter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
‘Last Seen Wearing’ by Colin Dexter is a very good book of Inspector Morse that unravels the efforts it can actually take to get to the conclusion of a mystery. For that matter, the trouble to get to answers in life. False and hopeful conclusions. Deadends. Confusion. One of the most realistic in plotting of a fictional mystery I’ve read.
This book is not for those looking for a straightforward mystery with w twist or two. It will greatly frustrate those. It could be said Dexter went too far with the many bad leads to then present it to the readers out there. With that thought, I trimmed the star level. A writer should have that more in consideration when constructing a tale.
The real fun here is following Morse as he tries to figure it all out. Dexter does a tremendous job of building the character.
A note about other comments about the book I read on Goodreads and the televised version: The original book is from the 1970s without the typical censorship you find in today’s books about how people really are and think. The real contrast to time periods comes in the teleplay of the tv episode in which characters are spun into stereotypes of mean, powerful developers, sexual confusion and the like. The sensationalism of the episode is disturbing. I guess Dexter accepted it all.
Bottom line: I recommend the book – not the televised version.
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