Cyndi J. (cyndij) reviewed Desert Remains (Gus Parker and Alex Mills, Bk 1) on + 1032 more book reviews
I like finding new mysteries set in AZ and snagged this one when I saw it. I liked it quite a lot, didn't find it hard to believe in Gus's psychic abilities, although I did find it unlikely that he seems pretty well accepted by the police department. But otherwise, mostly interesting characters with some backstory, good sense of place, good pacing. My biggest gripe with the characters was Bridget - she's so unlikable, and her issues are so huge I wondered why that was in there. There's already a major subplot going on with Mills' son, we didn't really need Bridget. I did guess the villain early on, just a guess but turned out right. I will pick up the second in the series.
Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
After reading Steven Cooper's Desert Remains, I know I want more. Cooper's lyrical descriptions bring the desert around Phoenix to life, and he's got two main characters who deserve many more cases to solve. The sensitive and touching beginning shows us just what sort of a police officer Alex Mills is, and we go on to learn about his solid marriage and the trouble his teenage son gets into-- trouble that could have wide-ranging consequences both for himself and his father. The single Gus Parker provides us with a bit of comic relief here and there, and his psychic gifts are handled well-- especially since those gifts are not his full-time job. Both men are likable, hard-working, and dedicated, and their circles of family and friends make for a strong secondary cast.
I did find that the book wobbles once or twice. For some reason, a brief description of someone's behavior clued me into the killer's identity very early on, and I thought the lovelorn stalker subplot could have been left out entirely. I believe this subplot made the pace of the book uneven, and some editing to tighten everything up was needed as well.
But the story, the characters, and the setting are all there, and I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series. Bring it on!
I did find that the book wobbles once or twice. For some reason, a brief description of someone's behavior clued me into the killer's identity very early on, and I thought the lovelorn stalker subplot could have been left out entirely. I believe this subplot made the pace of the book uneven, and some editing to tighten everything up was needed as well.
But the story, the characters, and the setting are all there, and I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series. Bring it on!
Donna C. (g-ma) reviewed Desert Remains (Gus Parker and Alex Mills, Bk 1) on + 3160 more book reviews
I think this will make a good series but Cooper needs to rethink some things, 1. this was about 50-60 pages too long and at times it was just dragging and on the boring side, 2. the use of the 'f' word was so unnecessary it was just annoying especially when inserted in places that just ruined the 'scene' for me 3. story needs to ramp up before the halfway mark, the story had not moved much at all by that point and I considered quitting but stuck it out
I'll try another one and hope he writes a better, tighter story
I'll try another one and hope he writes a better, tighter story
