Mystery Crime Books

Too much forced tension, problems with voice, weak writing in parts, and a character you can't empathize with, much less like, made this book a disappointment for me. As I mentioned in another review, particularly in this genre of romantic suspense, when you know how the story is going to end before you read it, well-developed characters and plot are even more important than usual. Something has to keep you interested until the very last page. The book begins on an intriguing note (a smart, beautiful lawyer confronts three men from her mother's past and announces she knows one of them killed her, and she's going to find out which one it is). It's deja vu all over again when she returns to the place of her birth/where her mother died and the two men involved with the mother become involved with the daughter. The townspeople dislike and resent the daughter as much as they did the mother. Someone's hiding a secret, but who, and why? Unfortunately, halfway through the book I started losing interest in the who and the why, and just wanted it to be over. There were just too many problems with this book. First, the love triangle between Alex, Reede, and Junior. (And was I the only one who kept thinking of Junior Minton as Junior Mint? Did the author intentionally give this character such a goofy name?) Both men are nearly 20 years older than Alex, and them both lusting over her sort of creeped me out a little. I don't have a problem with age differences, but in this book it bothered me. As for Alex, her character says and does enough contradictory things that I found her character unbelievable, unlikable. We get the impression over and over again how smart she is, hotshot young attorney blah blah blah, but she does and says a lot of pretty dumb things. In one paragraph, she tells Reede she thinks he's the murderer, then a few paragraphs later, she's crying or whining because he's mean to her or doesn't seem to share her feelings of lust. Gee, you think? Accusing a man of murder does tend to cool his ardor. Men are weird that way. This scene repeats often enough in the book, and is so annoying, that I found myself wanting to reach for a bottle of White-Out and erase forever those annoying scenes. One minute she's being friendly, the next she's accusing the person she's talking to of murder. Then she's puzzled when the accused refuses to show warm, fuzzy feelings. WTF? She accuses Reede of every vile act short of sex with small animals, then turns around and begs him to spend the night and/or hold her because she doesn't want to be alone. Again, WTF? Then, after the requisite female-character-is-harmed-and-alpha-male-comes-to-her-rescue scene, when Reede offers her a painkiller, she accuses him of bending the law by having strong medications at hand. (Of course, it doesn't stop her from accepting the proffered drugs.) For the third time, WTF? This scenario repeats itself so often in the second half of the book, and was so irritating, it was headache-inducing. The author could have found a better way to create tension between the two main characters. This was amateurish writing at best. I'm surprised this was a Sandra Brown book. It falls well short of her writing abilities.

Somehow, for some reason, Brown has combined a lame specimen of the mystery genre with an explicit, bodice-ripper romance. It doesn't work. The plot and events are improbable, the characters are mostly shallow and stupid. It promotes a sappy and destructive concept of love and romance. I'm glad I was alone in the car while listening to the CD, since the sweaty scenes are not something you'd want your kids or mom to hear. Also, the actor reading the story was not very good. He sometimes mumbles unintelligibly and seems to mispeak on occasion. He does not do female voices well. They come across as a mocking caricature.

This is one of the worst book I've read by this author, and I read most of them. Good thing I didn't spent my money to buy the book or I'd be kicking myself now.

While the plot, namely, Alex's investigation into her mother's murder 25 years ago, could have developed into a great suspence story, it fall short of getting anywhere on every turn. The heroine's strategy (or lack of) to her so-called "investigation" is so bad it's laughable; every time she found out something that she would have known if she had only done her homework (like to look up marriage records at the court house, interview acquaintances of people involved), she made one of these "why wasn't I told" scene that only magnify her own stuipidity. Her interview technique is even worst and the way she kept throwing accusations into everyone's face made me feel she deserved every bit of insults she got and then some. And why she was so fixated on the murderer being a man, and specifically one of the three main male characters, from the very beginning is a big question mark - even after being verbally attached by two female characters who hated her mother, and realizing one of them had lied about her whereabouts the time of the murder, she totally ignored the possibilities and went on going after the guys. How she made it through law school is a mystery to me.

The "romance" between Alex and Reede didn't come out of nowhere - it came right out from between their legs. All the so called attractions are described in terms of primal lust: smell, heat, hair, skin, lips....etc. neither had anything nice to say to or about each other but they are always so turned on by the other, despite the age difference, or personal conflict...etc. Literally once in a billion chance kind of love - unbelievable. Both Reede and Junior used other women to relieve their frustrations (i.e. with Alex, of course) - especially Junior, who said his ex-wife who is still in love with him is better than a whore because she's free, is simply despicable. I suspect the author really doesn't want the readers to like any of these characters.

If you read enough suspense fiction (or watch TV drama) to know a little about basic investigative techniques, you may feel your intelligence is being insulted when you read this book - but you may get a good laugh out of it if you don't take it so seriously.

This was an exciting, action-packed story that held me captivated until the mystery was resolved in the end. I have a strong appreciation for the descriptive style of writing Sandra Brown used in this story, which added greatly to my enjoyment of the book! Well-done!

Reede, Junior, and Celina were always known around town as the three musketeers. As far back as anyone could remember, they were joined at the hip until Celina's untimely death. This murder was never solved, and 25 years later Alex Gaither has made it her mission to bring her mother's murderer to justice. She has been groomed for her current job as assistant district attorney her entire life being raised by her grandmother with the constant propaganda about how pure and good Celina was. After initial research, Alex has determined that there are only three people that could have committed the murder - Reede, Junior, or Junior's father Angus. She travels back to the small Texas town she was born in, and announces to the three of them that the guilty party is going down.

Reede is the local Sheriff, and thus responsible for helping Alex as she reopens the investigation into her mother's death. He reluctantly helps her, and gives her an ominous warning about how some things are better left in the past. As they work more closely together, Alex and Reede fight off the attraction they feel toward each other. She finds herself in a similar situation as her mother with both men becoming an important part of her life. When more of the townspeople become vocal about the life Celina lived, Alex starts to understand Reade's warning when unpleasant tidbits of her mother's life are revealed. Reede takes it upon himself to protect Alex when attempts are made on her life. Apparently someone does not want the killer exposed.

I liked the story, but did have some ewwww moments when Reede and Junior made references about how they could have, and at some point wanted to be her father. Being involved with men her mother was involved with was uncomfortable reading at times during the story. Thank goodness Reede never slept with Celina because for me that would have been a deal breaker.

This was my first Lowell. Pretty basic storyline, but the strength was found in the subject of pearls. That was interesting and different. The thing that had me grinding my teeth was the incessant use of the word 'ruthless'. Enough already. If I'm not going to be told precisely WHY and HOW the man is 'ruthless' then just shut up about it already. There were all of these mysterious hints about his ruthlessness but no specific detail. Just ruthless overuse of the word ruthless. The heroine can't understand his gentleness with an infant because he's so RUTHLESS!! She is confused by a tender caress because he is so RUTHLESS!!The overuse of a single word like that can kill a book for me. I hope my review doesn't seem too ruthless.

I have enjoyed the two other stories that I have read about the Donovan clan, and have always wanted to read more about Archer. He was always a compelling figure in the other two novels. I was not let down even though I had my worries about Hannah. However, you really could not blame her about how she felt about getting into a commited relationship with Archer. He did share some of those same qualities as her abusive husband, Len. It just took awhile for her to see that he also possessed some really great qualities that would make him a wonderful husband and father. However, it made for an interesting romance. God, Archer is truly a complex man as well as an awesome lover. All of their love scenes are truly hot.
To make Hannah believeable, in that she had a strict missionary upbringing and was kind to quick to take on Archer as a lover, is to remember that Hannah was truly a rebellious spirit. She actually ran away from the missionary life. Also, she did not share a real marriage or bed with her husband for at least seven years. She was starved for a human touch. Also, Archer is a dynamic not to mention handsome and compelling figure of a man. It would be hard for any real female to not be drawn to him.
I really enjoyed this story; the mystery involving the death of her husband along with a complicated romance made it an awesome read.

Sexy and mysterious, Archer is the eldest of the Donovan siblings and the most interesting. I found this to be my favorite of Donovan series because of the characters, the details regarding the pearl industry and of course, the attraction and sex appeal of between Hannah and Archer.

I recommend all the other Donovan stories but definitely, this should be read last....

I had a great time with this book. Not only is it well written, but the characters are so enjoyable. I love this series, and I love Elizabeth Lowell. If you want a great book that will entertain you and make you laugh, this is for you, but I warn you don't start it late at night, because you aren't going to want to put it down. The main characters are funny and human. They have their good and their bad points, and you get to know them through out the book. You see their relationship change and grow. The supporting characters are an important part of the story, and EL doesn't forget about them. Basically, any of the books in this series are terrific, so pick up any of them, but if you can, go in order :)

I have read several of Elizabeth Lowell's and books and have enjoyed all of them. But this book is favorite,why because of Archer Donovan ans Hannah NcCrary. Archer had loved her for the past 10yrs, but his half-brother Len had married her. Now Len is dead and his famous Black Tahaitian Pearl necklace called Trinity is missing,now Hannah and Archer are on a wild adventure to find Len's murderer and the necklace. Very exciting and enjoyable and highly recommended. Read the four books in the series. I want her to write another book about this family...................PLEASE.......

"In Their Footsteps". Two decades have past since her parents died and her family drowned in scandal. Now Beryl Tavistock needs to know the truth as she suspects they were murdered. She has left England for Paris seeking answers that she hopes leads to true closure. There she meets former CIA agent Richard Wolf, whom she is attracted to but does not trust. As she gets closer to learning what happened twenty years ago, someone keeps a close tab on her progress; if she gets too close she will join her parents.

"Thief of Hearts". As a favor to a pleading close friend Veronica Caircross, weary but faithful old chump Jordon Tavistock comes to her rescue; he breaks into a country manor to repossesses some damaging love letters. To his shock, he is not the first thief to break and enter as he finds himself facing Diana Lamb. They team up with her helping him find where the correspondence he seeks is and he assists her with her search for rare antiquities.

This book is a reprint of two solid enjoyable mysteries tied together by the Tavistock siblings, but not quite at the quality level of the medical thrillers that Tess Gerritsen wrote afterward. Still both are filled with suspense, action, and romance that grip the reader from the moment that their parents are killed in Paris' Pig Alley two decades ago until both Jordon and Beryl find adventure and love.

Harriet Klausner

Spenser gets a note from love-of-his-life Susan, saying she's in trouble and Hawk's in jail. Seems her new lover, Russell, is possessive and part of a powerful family, and when she'd asked Hawk for help, Russell had him framed for murder.

So Spenser has to break Hawk out of jail, and rescue Susan... although Susan's not quite sure she wants to be rescued. And there are the corrupt cops and the FBI and CIA to deal with as well.

The action/mystery part of the book is exciting and just plain fun. I always love seeing Spenser and Hawk in action, and this is no exception. Just the scene of Spenser breaking Hawk out of jail was worth buying the whole book.

The personal/emotional part, though, is dark and both painful and joyous. Spenser loves Susan, and she loves him, but she also loves Russell. Something about their relationships, the way they're written, touches a chord deep inside (I know that sounds uncharacteristically fanciful, but it's the best I could come up with to describe it). Parker has a genius for conveying his characters' deeper feelings without resorting to flowery language--the essence of "show, don't tell."

I was a bit dissatisfied at first with Russell--it was understandable that Susan would pick someone very different from Spenser, but there didn't seem to be anything about him that would make Susan choose him. Then it clicked: it's in Spenser's POV. Duh. He's not going to see the same things in Russell that Susan does, nor does he want to. It's enough for him to know that Susan loves him. And when I realized that, I was awed all over again.

An entertaining enough outing for Spenser and Hawk, with the added bonus of Susan showing some flaws. She even seems to eat a whole meal at one point! The villian is extra-evil this time, and his wife is fat--therefore super-evil. One major flaw is a preposterous plot twist that has Spenser and Hawk hired by the all-knowing villian: what, he's too busy corrupting the planet to check references? Of course Susan goes back to perfection by the end, but a reader can hope that her penchant for Oedipal married men will crop up again in the future...

In this episode of the Spenser series, Spenser receives a cryptic note from Susan; she needs him to come to California. Hawk is in jail and she is afraid she might be in trouble. This is all the coaxing Spenser needs to drop everything and head to California, where he immediately sets out to break as many laws in as creative ways as possible ("It's not easy to mumble to yourself if you don't feel moved to mumble. I didn't know what to mumble and finally began to mumble the starting lineup for the impossible-dream Red Sox team of '67"). Along the way he gets hooked up with governmental agencies with whom, for a change, he has a goal in common - get rid of Jerry Costigan, the father of Russell Costigan, the other man in Susan's life. Then things get complicated . . .

A transitory chapter in Spenser's life - he and Susan begin to work out their differences, which is great. He and Hawk bond and Susan and Rachel Wallace (who makes a return appearance in this book) begin to catch a glimpse of the mystery that is Spenser and Hawk's friendship. Throw in some illegal immigrants basically being used as slave labor whose revolt Spenser and Hawk use to get to Susan, secret bases hidden in mines in Idaho and some typical Spenser kicking butt, and you have a great Spenser novel.

For those who are reading them randomly - please stop. Read them in order. Believe me, it makes all the difference in the world!

I read the hard cover version of this book and loved it so much. The best ever of all in the Spenser series in my opinion. I bought the audio version (read by, Michael Prichard),thinking it would be great fun to listen to it. I was very disappointed. The book was read, but with no character, (no emotion). I would love to listen to this one again, if read by Joe Mantegna

A CATSKILL EAGLE is the twelfth Spenser novel, and it's the first one with a really silly plot. The absurdity of the story makes this book difficult to thoroughly enjoy.

In this novel, Susan Silverman hooks up with a new boyfriend whose father just happens to be a evil arms dealer (and a white supremacist and anti-semitic to boot). Spenser and Hawk try to rescue her and somehow hook up with the CIA (!) who enlist them to covertly kill the arms dealer. The conclusion of this book involves Spenser breaking into the arms dealer's fortress and going through a secret tunnel to kill him.

Anyway, the whole plot of A CATSKILL EAGLE is absurd, and it's only Parker's snappy writing that makes this novel worthwhile. This is one of my least favorite Spenser novels, and I would definitely not recommend it to a newcomer to Parker's work. My advice would be to read PROMISED LAND, LOOKING FOR RACHEL WALLACE or EARLY AUTUMN first. Those novels have much more realistic, compelling plots that show Parker at his best.

First Sentence: `Signora Giusti!' protested Lorenzini, holding the receiver away from his ear and throwing open his free hand in despair.

An elderly woman is known for calling the carabiniere station to complain. This time Marshall Salva Guarnaccia agrees to go in person. She heard an argument in the next door apartment, then silence. After talking with her for awhile, and learning she has keys to the apartment in question, he agrees to investigate, only to find a young man at the point of death, whose dying whisper is "It wasn't her."

Nabb doesn't provide as strong a sense of place as some writers; her style reminds me more of someone so familiar with a place, they forget its significance.

Where she does excel is with her characters and observations of people--the elderly woman afraid of dying alone, the blind man who can "see" through his other senses, the other policemen who work with the Marshall--these are all brought vividly to life.

Marshall Guarnaccia is a wonderful character. He is a Sicilian stationed in Florence living without his wife and sons, as they are caring for his incapacitated mother. Because of that, he lives at the station barracks. He is dedicated, empathetic and caring, with subtle humor.

Although this is only the second book in the series, as well as the second I've read, I've learned a bit more about the character with each book, and it makes me want to continue to learn more still.

My criticisms are that there was an incidence of foreshadowing, which was irritating and unnecessary, and the conclusion was definitely unusual and a bit odd.

I only recently discovered Nabb's Guarnaccia series, am loving it and delighted to know I've many more books in the series ahead of me.

In an apartment next door to his own flat in Piazza Santo Spirito, Florentine carabinieri Marshal Salvatore Guarnaccia finds his jeweler neighbor dying in what looks like a suicide due to his slashed hands. However, Salvatore listening to the Dutchman's last words and becomes confused when he whispers "It wasn't her". Besides wondering who is her, Salvatore knows there is not slightest evidence of foul play; not even a bruise on the dead goldsmith except for what seems like self induced cuts. Yet his gut tells him a homicide occurred.

The Florence Marshal learns that the autopsy revealed the deceased died from a barbiturate overdose, which along with the slashed hands supports the suicide belief. As his superiors tell him to drop the case, Salvatore refuses although so far he has found no proof to hint at murder except the words of a nonagenarian with no credibility and a blind person.

The second of the Marshal Guarnaccia Italian police procedural (see Death of an Englishman) is a terrific tale as the obstinate Marshal refuses to quit a case that seems to be going nowhere. Readers will feel they accompany the sleuth as he seeks clues in hot touristy Florence. A few twists enhance a fine investigative tale in which it appears the protagonist has no reason to suspect murder except the growl of his stomach insisting a homicide happened next door.

Harriet Klausner

This book started as a page turner and then quickly became a chore. It is as the author is going through the correct motions only without much skill. Picking a horrific subject is no substitute for good writing or story.

The theme of the book is dark enough, darker than many and has shock value but isn't handled skillfully. Then you need suspension of disbelief to follow the plot as the investigator's breakthroughs are often very far fetched, evil men bodering on sadomasochism break after a 5 minute beating, a very resourceful informant (like the shoe box guy in Police Squad) brings in vital information without proper explanation and when a very evil man and only lead is confronted he chases them of by asking for their buisness card? - this is right after the main character has shown he is not above applying physical pressure. On the whole the plot is watery thin and serves in the later part as a thin line between poor action scenes. It would be a poor film, but it is a worse book.

While this goes on you are pounded with boring testosterone and stereotypical images, the main character Behr is the sterotyped tall, big ex-football player ex-cop turned detective. This may do something for some readers but it does nothing for me, I do not require a big guy fighting for justice to provide any satisfaction. Then you almost get to know how every character minor or major in the book does his work out, whether he runs hills with rock salt in a pack, a grieving mum does her yoga or a young female officer with about a 2 page lifetime in the book keeps in shape. Food of course gets mentioned here and there, this is often used in stories and tv and must be for a good reason, but here it only serves to make the book longer and is about as interesting as reading the weekly menu of a work cafeteria.

All in all you are left with the feeling that you are watching a B quality cop soap or reading a gas station pulp novel. It is possible to read it through but there certainly are better books out there and this book hardly justifies the hardcover package.

Yet another embittered cop/ex-cop with a dark history I thought as I began to read this tale of a missing boy and the steps his parents take to try to find him: yet another embittered police lieutenant/captain/chief trying to make life as difficult as possible for the `f**k ups' he has to try to lead. Gradually, though, as I progressed I began to realize that the characterization and sharp prose lifted this effort above the average and almost into the rarefied atmosphere currently occupied by crime writers, such as Michael Connelly, who specialize in detective/police procedurals. This is a crowded market but there is always room for writers who are able to invest enough of the `x-factor' into producing not only a genuine page-turner but also a story that draws the reader in so that they, not only need to find out what happens next, but really begin to care about the fate of the characters therein. A stark contrast in these respects is the relatively recent effort, Mr Clarinet, by Nick Stone, a brilliant exercise in how to use almost every entry in the `Crime Writer's book of Clichés' to predictable effect.

Levien isn't quite there yet; for instance, the ending is somewhat flat. However, if he continues in the same direction I suspect that it won't be too long before he is nudging Michael Connelly et. al. out of the way to make a little room for himself!

I guess like myself, many UK readers will since this tale involves a child kidnapping and the events a year later inevitably make comparisons in their mind with the widely publicised McCann case, especially in its depiction of the major impact of events on the parents. This is no bad thing in helping understand why this book although fiction is such a powerful tale and reads so true.

The book which is the debut of an ex-cop private investigator Frank Behr, with his own demons from the loss of his own young child and subsequently his job and marriage, reads with great impact from the first page. Written by a successful film screen writer it reads at times like a film script. especially in the many taut meetings the investigator goes through in trying to pick up the long cold trail of the missing boy. The story is mainly set in mid west USA and unfolds at deepening levels of evil and with such spot on handling of the procedures involved in the gum shoeing needed by private investigators, it is clear the writer has done his homework well (the end credits are to three such private investigators including the writer's brother or father). All is conveyed with an economy of style and characters that ring so true, it really did make the book unputdownable.

If this overall standard can be maintained in future stories then David Levien and Behr are going to be worth watching out for!

A gritty and suspenseful story, City of the Sun is not one for the squeamish. Eleven year old Jamie disappears while on his early morning newspaper delivery round, the police seem unable or even unwilling to do very much, so Jamie's' father Paul eventually hires a PI, Frank Behr. Paul manages to persuade the unwilling Behr to take him along on is investigations and stakeouts. An initially uneasy relationship develops into one of mutual respect as they try to unravel the case.

A gripping story, all the more so as very early it hints at unspeakable possible destinies for young Jamie. Well written, Levien takes the time to give life to all his characters, a devise which while lending a sense of reality to the story also at times inevitably gets in the way of the otherwise fast paced momentum. Such is one's involvement with the plot that one is tempted to skim quickly over such passages to get back to the main event. Of the characters Paul and Behr quickly engage the reader, and Jamie although we meet him only briefly immediately appeals as a decent young lad.

City of the Sun is a moving and involving story, all the more so because of its sense of reality, both in the telling and in the fact that such terrible things do happen in this world in which we live. One thing is certain, whatever the outcome might prove to be, the reader will be unable to put the book down until he learns of Jamie's fate.

I must agree with those who pointed out how "by-the-numbers" certain aspects of this book appear to anyone who has read more mature authors within the same genre. Still, with an unusual but well crafted premise, interesting characters, and an investigation that, once set in motion, overcomes one obstacle after another, this was a four star book all the way to the last few chapters.

Perhaps it was the screenwriter background in Levien that precipitated the unnecessarily adventurous and violent action scene at the end of the story. However, what was meant as a climactic finish comes across as not only contrived, but also beyond the limit of the most elastic of credibilities. What's worse, once the reader's "I-believe" button ceases to work, he cannot fail to realize how illogical and out of character the behavior of both the investigator and his employer have been in previous scenes as well as the final one.

Undoubtably, Frank Behr has promise, but he's still work in progress. I hope his next outing will provide the reader with auxiliary characters that are a little deeper than cardboard cutouts and a less violent but more logical climax.

The first book of a series.

The author talks about what is science fiction and what isn't - adventure stories aren't, according to him, but stories with psionics can be, so he is a bit generalising and wobbly as far as that goes - although it is an impossible type task.

Further "I think Dr. Willis McNelly at the California State University at Fullerton put it best when he said that the true protagonist of an sf story or novel is an idea and not a person. If it is good sf the idea is new, it is stimulating, and, probably most important of all, it sets off a chain-reaction of ramification-ideas in the mind of the reader; it so-to-speak unlocks the reader's mind so that that mind, like the author's, begins to create. Thus sf is creative and inspires creativity, which mainstream fiction by-and-large does not do. We who read sf (I am speaking as a reader now, not a writer) read it because we love to experience this chain-reaction of ideas being set off in our minds by something we read, something with a new idea in it; hence the very best science fiction ultimately winds up being a collaboration between author and reader, in which both create -- and enjoy doing it: joy is the essential and final ingredient of science fiction, the joy of discovery of newness."

Roger Zelazny writes an introduction, including part of a letter that Dick sent him at one stage.

Definitely good stuff, consistent quality on display here, which, for a complete stories selection is impressive, coming out at 3.44.

Complete Stories Of Philip K. Dick 1 : STABILITY - Philip K. Dick
Complete Stories Of Philip K. Dick 1 : ROOG - Philip K. Dick
Complete Stories Of Philip K. Dick 1 : THE LITTLE MOVEMENT - Philip K. Dick
Complete Stories Of Philip K. Dick 1 : BEYOND LIES THE WUB - Philip K. Dick
Complete Stories Of Philip K. Dick 1 : THE GUN - Philip K. Dick
Complete Stories Of Philip K. Dick 1 : THE SKULL - Philip K. Dick
Complete Stories Of Philip K. Dick 1 : THE DEFENDERS - Philip K. Dick
Complete Stories Of Philip K. Dick 1 : MR. SPACESHIP - Philip K. Dick
Complete Stories Of Philip K. Dick 1 : PIPER IN THE WOODS - Philip K. Dick
Complete Stories Of Philip K. Dick 1 : THE INFINITES - Philip K. Dick
Complete Stories Of Philip K. Dick 1 : THE PRESERVING MACHINE - Philip K. Dick
Complete Stories Of Philip K. Dick 1 : EXPENDABLE - Philip K. Dick
Complete Stories Of Philip K. Dick 1 : THE VARIABLE MAN - Philip K. Dick
Complete Stories Of Philip K. Dick 1 : THE INDEFATIGABLE FROG - Philip K. Dick
Complete Stories Of Philip K. Dick 1 : THE CRYSTAL CRYPT - Philip K. Dick
Complete Stories Of Philip K. Dick 1 : THE SHORT HAPPY LIFE OF THE BROWN OXFORD - Philip K. Dick
Complete Stories Of Philip K. Dick 1 : The Builder - Philip K. Dick
Complete Stories Of Philip K. Dick 1 : MEDDLER - Philip K. Dick
Complete Stories Of Philip K. Dick 1 : Paycheck - Philip K. Dick
Complete Stories Of Philip K. Dick 1 : The Great C - Philip K. Dick
Complete Stories Of Philip K. Dick 1 : OUT IN THE GARDEN - Philip K. Dick
Complete Stories Of Philip K. Dick 1 : THE KING OF THE ELVES - Philip K. Dick
Complete Stories Of Philip K. Dick 1 : COLONY - Philip K. Dick
Complete Stories Of Philip K. Dick 1 : PRIZE SHIP - Philip K. Dick
Complete Stories Of Philip K. Dick 1 : NANNY - Philip K. Dick

Out of ideas this time.

3.5 out of 5


Barking Guardians are annoying.

3.5 out of 5


Toy soldier orders.

3.5 out of 5


You might be what you eat.

4 out of 5


Not enough space veggies.

3.5 out of 5


Dead man kill mission - me?

4 out of 5


Robots reckon war is illogical human stupid stuff.

3.5 out of 5


Needs brains to avoid space mines.

3.5 out of 5


I'm a recent crop, boss.

3.5 out of 5


"Tiny prospecting ships led a hazardous life, threading their way through the rubble-strewn periphery of the system, avoiding meteor swarms, clouds of hull-eating bacteria, space pirates, peanut-size empires on remote artificial planetoids --"

No-one said anything about being turned into mutant freaks though.

3.5 out of 5

This first volume of THE COMPLETE STORIES OF PHILIPK. DICK is probably more important as an historical artifact than as literature. I found it fascinating. These stories were written in the 1950s during the time of The Korean War, The Cold War, McCarthy and Stalinism. There had been unconfirmed sightings of flying saucers and EarthMen's' own creation of nuclear weapons heightened the paranoia. Of course there are lots of quaint and now-laughable elements in these stories, like people smoking cigarettes two hundred years from now and a woman being embarrassed about having to strip naked in order to make sure no alien life forms were attached to her. Many of the ideas in these stories have since been usurped by TV science fiction shows, so most of the ideas are not all that novel today. But there were several stories that I found surprising and provocative. My favorite was "The Great C," in which a supercomputer rules the earth after a nuclear holocaust and demands a yearly human sacrifice. A close second was "Colony," in which explorers on a pleasant asteroid are menaced by a life form that can assume the forms of mundane objects before devouring the earthlings. The later stories in the book are more concerned with the rise of consumerism and the "keeping up with the Joneses" mentality that took over America after World War II. These stories are very amusing. Within this particular genre, there's a lot of variety in the point of view. Most often it's paranoid, but at other times it's amused. I liked these stories and look forward to eventually reading the entire collection.

In May of 1987 Underwood-Miller published a five volume set titled "The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick", with the first volume being subtitled "Beyond Lies the Wub". In April of 1990 the Carroll Group began republishing the series and changed the subtitle to "The Shot Happy Life of The Brown Oxford". This was the only change made to the first volume, as they kept the Forword by Steven Owen Godersky and the Introduction by Roger Zelazny. They also kept the same 25 stories in the same order as the previous edition, something which would not be true for the later volumes.

This is a splendid collection of Philip K. Dick's early short fiction, presented in the order in which they were believed to have been written, which is not the same as the order in which they were published. The original collection was ranked 3rd on the Locus poll for collections in 1988. There are too many stories here to go through them all in detail, but there are several ones of note:

The first story is titled "Stability", and was written in 1947 or earlier. It was never published prior to the first edition of this collection. As with a number of stories in this collection it involves time travel, and in this case the disrupting effect it has on a stable society.

"Roog" was the first story that he sold, although it was not published until after several others. It involves differences in perception, in particular between man and his best friend. There are some interesting comments from Philip K. Dick about this story in the notes section at the back of the book.

"Beyond Lies the Wub" was his first story to actually be published. It is a clever story about man's preconception of the forms which life takes, and perhaps a little about man's violent nature. There is a humorous twist at the end as well.

Also included are the two Doc Labyrinth stories, "The Preserving Machine" and "The Short Happy Life of the brown Oxford". Both stories deal with creating life, the former is about preserving man's great musical works as life forms and the latter with animating non-living items. Both of these stories are light and humorous.

The story which is likely to be familiar to many people new to Philip K. Dick, is "Paycheck", for which there was a movie of the same name which came out in 2003. In this story a man finds that he agreed to have his memory wiped out after completing a work assignment, and that apparently he agreed to give up his paycheck in lieu of some seemingly inconsequential items.

As I mentioned above, several of the stories have to do with time travel, and in particular Dick makes use of a machine that he calls a time scoop, which can reach backward or forward in time to pick up things. If you like stories based on time travel, then you will undoubtedly enjoy Dick's twist on the idea. If you don't like those kinds of stories, there are still many stories here which deal with space travel, future societies, etc., which you are likely to enjoy.

The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford collects some of Dick's earliest writing, including much of his output from 1952-1955. Even writers who don't appreciate his prose style would have to admire his fecundity: some of these stories were written within days of each other, yet each has something unique about it.

Fans of Dick will see early brushstrokes that were later transformed into masterpieces. There are a few post-apocalyptic stories here; this is a genre that Dick would revisit throughout the 1950s, as mounting hysteria, foreign and domestic, seemed to make war inevitable. There are also scheming insects (and even a murderous bath towel), vengeful teddy bears, sentient shoes, and world-weary computers. One of Dick's best qualities is that he can make the reader feel empathy for just about anyone-a dog barking for what seems to his owners like no reason, a teary-eyed Martian swine, or a hyper-evolved hamster. So reading this collection might, for some, be a bit of a workout. Unlike a novel, where the reader sees through the eyes of one or maybe two characters for 200+ pages, here you're walking in someone-or something-else's shoes every few pages. At times, it's almost intoxicating.

On to the stories: I'll just mention a few of my favorites, though they've all got positive qualities.

Stability, which is the first story Dick wrote, would be of interest just because of its priority, but it's worth a read strictly on its own merits. Dick creates a world where innovation is frozen, a la Rand's Anthem, inviting the reader to root for a young man with an invention. But, there is a very unexpected twist...

Roog, the first story Dick saw published, is a dog's eye view of the world that deserves a second read after reading Dick's note on the story in the appendix.

Beyond Lies the Wub is an incredible piece of short fiction that really makes you think. I read the story three times, and each time took something different away. Not to give anything away, but you'll definitely think twice before you eat your next steak.

The Infinites is a story that everyone who hated the infamous Star Trek: Voyager episode "Threshold" should read. Not to give anything away, but "Threshold" is one of several Trek stories based upon the erroneous idea that evolution is a teleological process, with an endpoint already mapped out in our genes. Here, Dick takes this idea, turns it on its head, and does something with it.

Variable Man combines a few Dickian favorites: omniscient computers, a constant war terror, and a wily, inarticulate everyman protagonist. Some elements of the plot are visible miles off, but the ending isn't.

Paycheck is a longish story with a typical Dickian hero and several elements that would later make it into We Can Remember It For You Wholesale, which was in turn the basis for Paul Verhoeven's excellent Total Recall. I think that it deserves a movie treatment of its own.

Colony takes paranoia to an absurdly high level. As Dick says in his note, it's one thing to think that your boss is plotting against you, and quite another to think that your boss's phone is plotting against you.

Nanny is a biting indictment of planned obsolescence. It was a true story in 1952, and an even truer one now.

All told, this is a great introduction to the writing of one of the acknowledged masters, and certainly belongs in the library of every PKD fan.

The problem with slapping the "genius" label on a writer is that people tend to overlook that writer's flaws. All the glowing reviews make this collection sound better then it really is. PKD certainly was a genius, but he wasn't perfect. His best stories are absolutely amazing, but it took him time to get there and he wrote several clunkers along the way.

This book collects 25 of PKD's short stories from the early 1950s. Like most of his early work it's inconsistent. To those who are familiar with his writing, the brilliance that would later come is sometimes apparent. However, the young PKD was still growing as a writer and hadn't quite found his voice yet. The best stories in this collection are great reads. Unfortunately, there are several stories here that are just filler and are significant only because PKD wrote them. If you are not familiar with PKD's work some of these stories will be a great introduction. But most of them are far from perfect.

Here are a few high and low points:

Roog:
This is a fun little story. The men who come to collect your garbage are not what they seem, and only your dog knows why.

The Gun:
This is one of those filler stories, cause it has not point to it. I guess PKD needed a quick buck.

Beyond Lies the Wub:
More filler.

The Skull:
Some of these stories could have been made into episodes of the Twilight Zone, like this one. An interesting take on the story of Christ. The premise is not very original by today's standards, but still a good story.

The Preserving Machine:
Probably the worst story in the collection.

Expendable:
One of the best stories in the collection is also the shortest; only 5 pages. It is also one of the funniest. Next time you see an ant, beware.

The Variable Man:
Another really good story. A man from the past comes into the future when the earth is at war with an alien empire. PKD in full control here.

The Indefatigable Frog:
PKD's comical side is pretty unique and fun.

The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford:
The title story is kinda cute, but nothing special.

Meddler:
Another of the "Twilight Zone" type stories. Many writers have speculated about the end of the world. But only PKD would think that the end would be caused by butterflies.

Paycheck:
The recent John Woo film is based on this story. A fascinating premise is marred by poor execution. All the later PKD trademarks are here: evil all controling government, paranoia, and normal people trapped by circumstances beyond their control. Had PKD written this story 10 years later it would probably come out much better.

Colony:
More paranoia, but this time PKD uses it to comic effect. The colonists try to evacuate while naked. One of the best in the collection.

Prize Ship:
Time travel stories usually have a twist; so does this one. I laughed when I finished it.

Nanny:
A not so subtle take on the cold war arms race. Interesting, but could have been edited down some more.

A non-fiction novel mixing history with the characters that, I take it, Ellroy is practiced at evoking. Publisher's Weekly piously calls the history "revisionist," reassuring us that nothing really happened that we need to worry about. In this environment, Ellroy's is about the best history we're liable to get.

James Ellroy burns all the bridges in this book. He spares no one from Castro to the Kennedy-s, from the FBI to the CIA, from Cuban immigrants to blue blood American aristrocrats. The story features two men: Kemper Boyd and Ward Little. While Kemper tries to climb above his class via crooked CIA plays leading up to the Cuban Revolution, Ward learns how to be a real man by figuring a way into the Chicago mob and beyond. They are on a collision course with history and each other.

Ellroy's prose is akin to machine gun fire and the pace is relentless. This is an American masterpiece about a time and certain places that were forever changed by men like Kemper Boyd and Ward Little. It leaves you wondering what was fact and what is fiction.

History has always been written by the victors - and they have the tendency to iron-out all its bloody details and hide all their dirty secrets. This a TRUE CLASSIC: imagine a history book that reads like a tabloid. Every story up close and personal, complete with every gory detail described. IN CINEMASCOPE & TECHNICOLOR.

The dirty making of the Kennedy fortune. Hoover as a hypochondriac cross-dressing extortionist. Everybody wiretapping everybody. The Camelot President clocked at 6 minutes. The Mob rigs the election for said President; invades Cuba with clansmen and Castro's exiles in blood-lust frenzy; gets burned - and then gets even the only way it knows how. And in the middle of it all, two FBI agents trapped in a downwards spiral of serving multiple masters.

JAMES ELLROY does not pretend to write the dark side: he has barely escaped it himself and knows all its intoxicating scents and shadows. Read for the plausible details of history's margins. Enjoy the staccato prose of natural wit, verbatim FBI communication files and 50's Tabloid lingo.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Let's get one thing straight. This book is bigger than your house. Taller, wider, deeper and more powerful than anything you have beheld up to now, it takes the myth that was once 'nice' John F Kennedy, fleeces it, rips the guts out of it and blasts the remains into the gutter from where it started.



This is a 600 page novel with a world-famous ending, the assassination of JFK. So you think, why should I read it? Well, it will change your knowledge (or what you had been taught) about one of the most significant periods in American History, and it will tell you things you definitely didn't know about a whole string of household names : Jack Kennedy, kid brother Robert, their seriously bad-news father 'Irish Joe' Kennedy, J.Edgar Hoover, Howard Hughes, Jimmy Hoffa, Fidel Castro, Richard Nixon, Lyndon B Johnson, Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Ava Gardner and a colourful list of 'made-guy' underworld gangsters such as Santo Trafficante, Carlos Marcello, Johnny Rosselli and Sam Giancana. One of the low-life gangsters featured is a certain Jack Ruby, and I think we all know what he is best known for. In fact this novel is so daringly matter-of-fact about the lives (and loves) of most of the above-named that it makes me wonder how it ever came to be published at all. And it's no over-statement to suggest that you could write a book about this book.



It is, at the end of the day, a novel, which is to say a work of fiction, but I for one wanted to believe that every element of it was true because it helped me to understand so much more than I had been 'educated' to believe in the newspapers and other media down the years. But essentially American Tabloid surrounds the inter-twining lives of three men : hit-man Pete Bondurant, and two federal agents Kemper Boyd and his once protégé Ward Littell. Boyd devotes his career and in turn his life to the Kennedy cause and is nearly ruined when they ultimately turn against him. Littell dedicates his life, and takes life-threatening risks in doing so, to help expose the corruption behind the Kennedy family and the Jimmy Hoffa union rackets - and again gets trodden on by those he thinks he is working for. These two men end up in very different positions and with inverted political attitudes as a result. Meanwhile Bondurant flits between hits for Hughes, Hoffa, the FBI and the CIA and at times rightly regards himself as a CIA agent. Drugs abound, indeed heroin seems to be the leading if not traditional currency for the CIA in its financing of plans to invade Cuba and oust the new leader Fidel Castro.



The time period covered is 22nd November 1958 to the same date in 1963 - the two-year run-up to the 1960 US Election and the 1000-day tenure of JFK as President until his assassination in Dallas. But if like me you've always wanted to know who shot him, why he was shot, and many other questions surrounding his brief presidency, then American Tabloid must surely be the most eye-opening source of information even if it must presumably have its inaccuracies. The writing style may not be to everyone's taste (although I quickly became accustomed to it), but if you're only half interested in What Really Happened to JFK (and the Bay of Pigs disaster), you really must read American Tabloid. It truly is a revelation.



And if you love this, the great news is that you can then read The Cold Six Thousand, which is as instant a sequel as you could ask for, as it begins on the day of the John F Kennedy assassination and leads up to the killing of baby brother Bobby. Be in no doubt - James Ellroy stands tall among all peers and is, in my considered view, one of the very best writers alive today.

"They were rogue cops and shakedown artists. They were wiretappers and soldiers of fortune and f****t lounge entertainers. Had one second of their lives deviated off course, American History would not exist as we know it. It's time to demythologize an era and build a new myth from the gutter to the stars. It's time to embrace bad men and the price they paid to secretly define their time. Here's to them.

--from the introduction

James Ellroy has never been afraid to explore the sordid. His heroes (anti heroes?) are amoral creeps (usually cops) who'd betray their own mothers in the pursuit of quick cash. There are three such men in American Tabloid, Ellroy's fictional take on the Kennedy assassination--Kemper Boyd (who serves the Kennedy brothers, the FBI and the CIA simultaneously), Ward Littell (a disillusioned G-man turned Mob lawyer), and Pete Bondurant (a Howard Hughes bag man who becomes a linchpin in the ill fated Bay of Pigs operation). Three men, blinded by greed, patriotism, ambition and hate. Three men that history knows nothing about, but whose actions ultimately lead to the brutal murder of John F. Kennedy.

At the request of J. Edgar Hoover, Kemper Boyd ingratiates himself with the Kennedy brothers, first serving on the McClellan committee, then in the Kennedy administration. While serving in this capacity, Boyd finds time to align himself with the CIA, the Mafia, drug runners and anti-Castro refugees. Boyd lives in a world where no one is pure, deceit is commonplace and strange bedfellows are the rule. At first, he easily negotiates the complexities of this world. Eventually, however, things fall apart, and an American president dies as a result.

This book will shock, horrify, entertain and amuse. It's truly a tour de force in crime fiction. Ellroy's writing is hypnotic--the best analogy I can come up with is to compare it to improvised jazz. Especially amusing is his use of alliteration when he drops into the style of Hush-Hush magazine, a gossip rag supported by Howard Hughes. Lines like "Cancerous Castro communistically calcifies Cuba while heroic hermanos hunger for homeland" proliferate.

Read American Tabloid and see why many consider James Ellroy to be the premiere crime novelist of his generation.

Its a wonderful world that Tony Hillerman has created in his novels about the Navajo Tribal Police. He has populated this world with such fascinating characters: Lt. Joe Leaphorn, the wise elder detective who must find the missing part that puts all his pieces into harmony; Sgt. Jim Chee, the younger, brash detective who has trouble aligning his Navajo heritage with his police work; the local merchant, who is the gossip center of the reservation; the just-out-of-the-academy female officer who hasn't quite decided if police work is for her; and the others who speak to us and educate the reader in the sage ways of the Navajo world. I loved it!

Good story but not one of my favorite Leaphorn/Chee books. Seems like it took less time to read this one.

This book is a great read with all the plot elements that one could want: Cerebral sleuthing; action and adventure; convoluted plot that keeps you hanging on to the last second; fun characaters; and more.

The story starts with a murder of two people. Hosteen Tso is sick and knows it, so he calls on the services of a Listening Woman to diagnose his ills and get him back on the path to beauty. While she is visiting him, he is murdered and so is a young indian woman who is helping out.

A few months later, Lt. Joe Leaphorn of the Navajo Police decided to look into this murder again as an excuse to stay away from having to guard a bunch of boy scouts. As he starts on his research, he is almost run over by a Navajo with gold rimmed glasses who then destroys his expensive car and starts walking through the desolate area with this big, vicious dog.

While this is going on and Leaphorn is bothered by the incongruity of someone trying to kill a policeman rather than get a speeding ticket, he also notices that a search for a missing helicopter from months before also points to the area where Hosteen Tso was killed and where the gold rimmed guy was walking towards. Now, what are the chances that all three things are related? Add in a request from some high government mucky-muck to monitor his daughter's whereabouts; a seemingly wayward catholic priest; bank robberies; and boyscouts and you have all the elements of the story. Add to that the Navajo way as described by Hillerman; descriptons of Navajo country and customers; shake well; and there you have it - a great story from Hillerman!

One of the most fun things for me in this book was to see how Leaphorn's mind is working. There are clearly some wrong things going on in this story. What are they and how they are connected and how they get resolved is the beauty of this book.

When the story starts to pull together all the disparate parts, there is an element of daredeviltry and action which is not present in all of Hillerman's books. In this one it works rather well although one asks whether this policeman is really capable of doing the physical feats that are described with such little impact on his performance.

But you got to put things like that aside: This is a fun story that is quick to read; believable; and a great way to spend some enjoyable hours. So, pick up a copy and read it today.

The inside jacket of this book, copyright 1978, says: Tony Hillerman is past president of the Mystery Writers of America and has received their Edgar and Grand Master Awards. Among his other honors are the Center for the American Indian's Ambassador Award, the Silver Spur Award for best novel set in the west, and the Navajo Tribe's Special Friend Award."

Others have described the plot of this book, so I'll skip that. Reading this book is like going on an adventurous vacation. Expect beautiful scenery, Native American culture and mystery. I gave it four stars because it's perfect - there isn't one change that could be made to improve it.

I love a good mystery and Tony Hillerman does not disappoint. His descriptions of the landscape make you feel like you are there. I highly recommend this book.

I've read the first couple of 100 Bullets, and never really got into them - maybe it's the writing that's so predictably obtuse and intentionally vague, or maybe it's the fact that it reads like something that a 12-year-old thinks would sound really cool. Dunno.

Either way, I thought I'd pick up one of these later issues, to see whether things have gotten any better since then. In a word, no. This collection exemplifies everything I said above, and has nothing of the "standalone episodes" that characterize the early series (thus making it impossible for newcomers to even get *one* layer of enjoyment out of this tripe). Maybe I'm just feeling grumpy today, but Azzarello really lost it for me.

Brian Azzarello, 100 Bullets: Once Upon a Crime (Vertigo, 2007)

There are times over the course of its run when 100 Bullets has been the best comic series going. Once upon a Crime is not one of those times, but a new book in the series, no matter how far it slips off the rails, is still going to be better than a good deal of what you read in the same month.

This is a setup volume, where we spend time getting ready for the big final bangup while learning backstory on some characters. Nothing much happens in this volume-- there's one big plot-related bang, and that's it-- but Azzarello and Risso are so involved with these characters, and are so good at getting into their heads and doing their voices, that even little vignettes about minor characters or stand-ins are well worth your time. ****

Evil men come to evil ends. Thus, the saga continues of Agent Graves and his Minutemen, former allies, enemies and their twined interactions in a very dark, twisted and morally confusing world where nothing is as it appears to be and everyone is out for revenge.

Highly recommended!

An awesome new chapter to 100 Bullets. Things are really starting to heat up as plans are but into motion, alliances change, and you find out the one things that disgusts Lono. Basically, if you've been reading 100 Bullets, you know you are getting this book. If you haven't read 100 Bullets, why the hell aren't you? Pick up the first 2 books and start reading from there and catch up. Do not even think about not starting at volume 1, there is no way you'll be able to follow what is going on. I honestly suggest read the first 2 volumes before deciding how you feel about 100 Bullets because the first book is just an introduction book that doesn't even begin to touch on the greatness that is 100 Bullets.