A Reading Update

 

Former 1st Lady Michelle Obama - Necklace says Vote! What a powerful speech!

 It's not so hot today, still mid - high 20's though. It's supposed to get much cooler over the next few days and even a chance of rain. It sure was stuffy in the bedroom last night. Neither Jo nor I slept all that well. 

Jo and I enjoyed the DNC convention last night, especially the speech by Michelle Obama. Wow! It was some powerful and uplifting. It definitely got under old donnie's skin today. I guess the truth hurts.

Now... Books. I have finished two books in the past couple of days. I'll provide my reviews for both and also the synopses of the two books I'm starting in their place.

Just Finished

1. Downtime Shift by Robert Holding.

"Downtime Shift is the first novel by Robert  Holding. This story reminded me of a TV series I had previously enjoyed; Travelers starring Eric McCormack. Evelyn Marcin is a Shifty, sent to the Downtime Shift (the present) for some purpose, to affect the time lines. The Eye, an AI, controls the future / Point Time (Evelyn's present). A team is sent years after Evelyn's trip to get rid of her (or for some other purpose). Two survive, Stan, an easy - going big bear is one and the other is a psycho, Krasken. 

Stan and Evelyn are in Seattle, getting comfortable with each other, planning their next move and avoiding Krasken. The story will move around the western states as the two hit the road and end up with friends who watch the portals between Point Time and Down Time. Evelyn must make a vital decision to protect both the future and the past.

The story takes time to get into, to come to better understand Evelyn and Stan and who they actually are. But as you move into the plot, it gets more interesting and different. You will see the conflicting viewpoints in Point Time and find out more about about The Eye and the different peoples in Point Time. It's not a perfect story, but I enjoyed it as I grew more familiar with and got further into the story. Looking forward to seeing what else Holding comes up with. (3.5 stars)"

2. The Concrete Blonde by Michael Connelly (Harry Bosch #3).

"The Concrete Blonde is the 3rd Harry Bosch mystery by Michael Connelly. I know it's 'just' a mystery but it was a perfect story; great characters, excellent plot(s) and a twisting,  fascinating mystery with great side lines as well.

Harry is on trial for a shooting in an old case, the Dollmaker. The Dollmaker was a serial killer who preyed on LA prostitutes, posing their bodies with make-up, hence the Dollmaker moniker. Harry worked the night shift on the case and went out to check out a late lead from a woman who had escaped from a man she thought was the Dollmaker. Rather than call in back-up, Harry went on his own and in the initial investigation, he ended up shooting the suspect.

He is now being prosecuted by the victim's family for his actions and the trial is just starting. The lawyer representing the family is a tough defense attorney, Honey Chandler. As the trial begins, Harry is called out by his old partner, Det Edgar, to the scene of a new crime. They are lead there by a note purporting to be from the Dollmaker and the body of a woman is found buried in concrete; hence The Concrete Blonde. There are many similarities to the Dollmaker's previous victims (some differences as well) and since the body was buried after the Dollmaker's death, it throws the initial evidence into suspicion.

Harry is still confident about his initial analysis of the Dollmaker and feels his shooting was valid. So that is the basic case. The cops now open a new investigation. Someone seems to be leaking to Honey Chandler and she has an advantage in the legal battle. As well, Harry is in the midst of a new relationship; dealing with this as well as the court case and the new investigation.

All in all, it's a rich, engaging story. Harry is a fascinating character. He has issues from his past that he's trying to deal with. His relationship with Sylvia is a work in progress and he wants it to succeed. The trial is interesting and the ongoing investigation is also well presented. The story is so well-written and it flows from situation to situation. Who is leaking info? There are various suspects for the new case, labelled the Follower. All in all it was just such an excellent, intriguing, rich story. Quite perfect. (5 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. Feed by M.T. Anderson.

"Identity crises, consumerism, and star-crossed teenage love in a futuristic society where people connect to the Internet via feeds implanted in their brains.

For Titus and his friends, it started out like any ordinary trip to the moon - a chance to party during spring break and play with some stupid low-grav at the Ricochet Lounge. But that was before the crazy hacker caused all their feeds to malfunction, sending them to the hospital to lie around with nothing inside their heads for days. And it was before Titus met Violet, a beautiful, brainy teenage girl who has decided to fight the feed and its omnipresent ability to categorize human thoughts and desires."

2. The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny (Inspector Gamache #5).

"In the heart of the forest, two men sit at midnight, haunted by fear of discovery. In a few hours' time, one of them will be dead, his secrets following him to the grave... When C. I. Gamache is called to investigate a murder in a picturesque Three Pines, he finds a village in chaos. A man has been found, bludgeoned to death, and there is no sign of a weapon, a motive or even the dead man's name. Gamache and his colleagues, Inspector Beauvoir and Agent Isabelle Lacoste, start to dig under the skin of this peaceful haven for clues. They slowly uncover a trail of stolen treasure, mysterious codes and a shameful history that begins to shed light on the victim's identity - and point to a terrifying killer..."

So there you go. I'll get back to my look at my favorite authors in one of my next posts. Tomorrow will my Midweek Medley post, then probably the next one after that. Take care. If you're American, make sure you vote early.