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Review Date: 7/24/2009
Helpful Score: 1
Cute romantic comedy. The leads do fall in love rather quickly, but a nice, fun read with likeable, fun characters, fast-paced with a good bit of activity. Quite enjoyable.
Review Date: 6/5/2012
A thought-provoking exploration of the interplay of science and religion with politics thrown in to really complicate matters. Very interesting.
The Book of the Dead (Special Agent Pendergast Bk 7) (Audio CD) (Unabridged)
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Book Type: Audio CD
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Author:
Book Type: Audio CD
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Review Date: 8/31/2009
Enjoyable, suspenseful fast-paced roll to the finish of the Diogenes trilogy (after Brimstone and Dance of Death)! Just when everything looks its bleakest for Pendergast and friends at the beginning of the book, the story moves on with a daring and impossible prison break, career-ending risks taken, a wonderfully devious and inventive criminal mastermind, Constance's secret past explained, and old romances rekindled with several "oh no, he didn't" moments and lots of twists and turns! Really delightful!
Review Date: 8/7/2008
This is my favorite book of all time! I find myself going back and reading it again every few years - and loving it every time! A boy's coming of age in the South in a small town in the 60's/civil rights era tale with so much more! - ghosts, monsters (some human, some not), a murder mystery, mysticism and voodoo, a Nazi war criminal, the value and love of friends and family, meanness and corruption, change vs. progress, real courage - with quite a bit of wisdom thrown in between. Wonderfully and beautifully written - truly McCammon's masterpiece.
Review Date: 8/5/2009
Wow! Very intriguing premise! I really enjoy the Agent Pendergast series (this is the fifth in the series) and when you add Vicent D'Agosta into the mix, it's even better. The reading presentation by Rene Aubergonois is terrific. This is the first of the series I have done on audio and was not expecting to like it as well as the print versions but I thought it was actually enhanced by the audio presentation, though I do miss the print option of turning back to earlier pages to review previous clues. Does end in a cliffhanger so you will definitely want to go ahead and order the sequel Dance of Death before you finish Brimstone to find out what happens next! Also, since this is the first book of a trilogy arc, you may want to have the final book of the arc, Book of the Dead, on hand, too.
Review Date: 8/30/2012
This one was not a favorite and seemed really long and slow-moving. If you are a big baseball fan, you may like it more.
Review Date: 11/26/2013
Helpful Score: 2
Characters are very well-developed and the book makes a solid point but it moves at an excessively slow pace with very little action. I really had to want to work to get through it.
Review Date: 8/11/2010
Helpful Score: 1
Omigosh - what a terrific book! Harlan Coben is certainly one of my favorite authors and he puts his considerable writing talents on full display in "Caught" - the best book I have read in quite some time. The characters are well developed (though with their own personal flaws and baggage), the multiple plotlines riveting, the issues thought-provoking. More than just a well-told story, the book explores a number of themes you will find yourself pondering well after the reading is completed - the parent-child dynamic, our manipulation of and by the media (particularly television "news" and the internet), a man's role in the family as a parent and provider, the workings of our justice system, forgiveness, how an innocent and random event can send unintended and horrible shockwaves throughout many lives. As a parent, certain parts of the book were difficult to read but the sarcasm and wit of the various characters keeps the work from becoming maudlin or preachy and makes for quite an enjoyable experience. You're in for a treat with this one!
Review Date: 3/28/2010
As in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Berendt immerses himself into a small slice of life in a city that is just as much a character as any person in the book. Arriving in Venice days after a fire destroyed the world-famous local opera house, Berendt introduces you to many of the local inhabitants, taking you into their stories and giving you a flavorful taste of Venetian life. Although the destruction and rebuilding of the opera house are the central theme throughout the book, there is no central plot, but rather a weaving together of various stories of people he encounters. Informative and gossipy, the stories grab your attention and leave you wanting to visit Venice - or maybe not. I usually avoid books read by the author but, in this case, the author narration is a plus. Really enjoyed the book and recommend.
Review Date: 6/21/2012
This is the second book in the Helen trilogy (first is Fever Dream, 3rd is Two Graves). The overall story arc is fairly complex so you may want to get all three books at the same time. I listened to this second book about 18 months later than the first and found it difficult to remember sufficient details from Fever Dream to fully enjoy this entry as much as I would have if I had read them closer together. I fearthe same will happen with the third book. This was a fast-paced book mainly focused on the always-fascinating Pendergast as he continues to try to avoid being killed while investigating his wife's death. Interesting book wonderfully read by Rene Auberjonois - these are truly even better on audio.
Review Date: 8/27/2008
Helpful Score: 3
Not what I expected from Stephen King but truly excellent. This is not horror, but a mystery/detective story of a local unsolved case as told by two old newspapermen to their young intern. It is fascinating to see how little scraps of clues are pursued and woven in to complete a part of the larger puzzle. King is showing part of the inner workings of that masterful mind of his that helped make his works so successful. The reader of this audio book with his Maine accent further enhances the overall enjoyment of the book as well.
Crisis (Jack Stapleton & Laurie Montgomery, Bk 6) (Audio CD) (Unabridged)
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Book Type: Audio CD
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Author:
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Review Date: 12/3/2009
This is an interesting and detailed story of a malpractice suit against a seemingly conscientious and concerned doctor. The narrative further delves into the current state of medical practice wherein a doctor must often weigh the profitability of his practice against spending adequate time to allow sufficient diagnosis and treatment of patients and the resulting rise of concierge medicine. Additional personal issues of the characters are further explored and there is more action than expected. The plotting of the story seems to evolve slowly and is rich with detail then concludes with a very sudden twist. I believe I would have preferred the abridged version but overall enjoyed the book.
Review Date: 4/1/2010
Another terrific entry in the Alex Cross series as his wife's murder is explored and, by the end, solved. The villain in the book is a vicious, brutal psychopath but you sometimes finding yourself almost liking him with his inner witty dialogue. Engrossing and satisfying.
Review Date: 7/16/2015
Helpful Score: 1
The other reviewers have covered my thoughts well for this book but I'll add some personal thoughts. I enjoyed this book. There are times that Mrs. Rowling shows off her expansive vocabulary a bit much and there are a lot of the "f" words throughout but it was a fun read and I didn't see all facets of the conclusion coming. I would enjoy reading more books with these characters.
Review Date: 8/14/2009
As with generally all 2nd/"bridge" entries of a trilogy, Dance of Death is weak as a stand-alone but key to the trilogy. It begins answering the questions initiated in Brimstone - and raises a lot more - at a fast pace to set up the action in the subsequent Book of the Dead. Agent Pendergast's estranged and presumed-dead brother and nemesis Diogenes is a mesmerizing super-intelligent, brutal mastermind of a villian with a twisted hatred and vendetta against his brother. As disclosed in Brimstone, Diogenes has recently been sending cryptic reminders to his brother that he plans to commit the perfect crime and the date is quickly approaching. To reveal more beyond that would spoil many of the surprises the authors have in store for the reader. As expected with Preston and Child, there are quite a few twists and turns and, since this is a bridge book, a number of issues and situations are left unresolved at the end, setting up the final book of the trilogy. Some favorite characters from previous Pendergast books - Vincent D'Agosta, Constance, Laura Haywood, Margo Green, Nora Kelley, Bill Smithback - again play important roles in this entry, and likely the subsequent one. You may want to have Book of the Dead on hand before you finish this one because you'll be anxious to find out what happens next.
Review Date: 5/13/2011
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoyed this audiobook. No, this is not a Lucas Davenport Prey book and yes, the narrator's voice does take some getting used to, but the story is fun and engaging. Really enjoyed the Jake Winter character and look forward to expected future books featuring him.
Review Date: 10/25/2012
Helpful Score: 1
This book from the author of Gorky Park was not what I expected. I almost stopped listening to it early in the first CD because of that but decided to hang in a bit longer - by midway of the 2nd CD I was hooked! It was really a great book with an interesting and very different perspective. Riveting and engrossing with unexpected twists and turns - definitely recommend.
Review Date: 9/23/2009
Helpful Score: 2
Cute book. The narration for the audio book is terrific. As the book opens, Freddie Ware believes she has it all and is living the perfect life, but then the "unfortunate incident" occurs and her perfect life begins to come apart at the seams. As the book progresses, misfortunes continue to heap upon Freddie, but she gains new insights, new and valuable relationships, and a better understanding of what a "perfect life" may actually entail. At the beginning of the book, I really didn't like the protagonist Freddie, and the book was moving rather slowly, so I nearly stopped, but if you can hang in until about the middle of the book, the action does pick up and Freddie does begin to acquire and exhibit some redeeming qualities. Hailing from the deep South, I "know" a lot of the characters in this book and many of them ring quite true, as do the "rules". The ending is a bit weak but not unsatisfying.
Review Date: 12/6/2012
Helpful Score: 1
All five tales are good but , in my opinion, the last one demonstrates that Stephen King remains the master!
Review Date: 8/27/2010
This story is a little different from the usual murder mystery. A good bit of fun, engrossing, and well-told, it has some characters (one in particular - Bob) that will stick with you for a while - and you won't mind. Very enjoyable.
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