Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.27 AVERAGE
3.27 AVERAGE
Preston & Child have started a new series with this novel, featuring Gideon Crew. It's impossible not to compare this new character to their well-established Pendergast. Crew, even with a dark backstory and a current bum rap, is somewhat like a bounding puppy next to the complex, tortured and intellectual Pendergast. I liked Crew and I liked the story (Chinese scientist has developed a "secret weapon" that will change the world as we know it/Crew must beat the bad guys to the plans), but this is much more like the briskly paced and pure action novels of people like Matthew Reilly and James Rollins (minus the let's-throw-in-the-kitchen-sink-hey-is-that-a-maneating-squid? joie de vivre of those guys). Also, if you like the Pendergast novels because of the creepy, almost supernatural feel to them, that is totally absent here.
So, bottom line, I liked this but it's a bit pedestrian next to their previous works. Also, I had a big problem with the authors' choice about Crew's life burden (don't want to spoil anything here) - how are they going to deal with that in subsequent books? I found that addition stupid and needless. And the epilogue/set-up for the next book was heavy-handed and silly. But I love a fun, mindless man smut action novel and this certainly filled that need.
So, bottom line, I liked this but it's a bit pedestrian next to their previous works. Also, I had a big problem with the authors' choice about Crew's life burden (don't want to spoil anything here) - how are they going to deal with that in subsequent books? I found that addition stupid and needless. And the epilogue/set-up for the next book was heavy-handed and silly. But I love a fun, mindless man smut action novel and this certainly filled that need.
From the authors that brought us Agent Pendergast - the beginning of a new series featuring Gideon Crew. It was fairly good page turner. Not terribly complicated of surprising, but I did enjoy reading it.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not one of the better works from these two. A little too unbelievable, and that's saying a lot coming from the same authors of the Pendergast novels (which, don't get me wrong, I love). with a villain (who isn't actually The Villain it turns out), simply monologuing at his henchman as exposition, let alone monologuing at the hero (although that happens, too). And the way the hero gets in and out of some situations as the story progresses just goes along too easily. Too easily for me to care.
I wanted to like these because of the return of Eli Glinn and his company as well as the recent publication of Beyond The Ice Limit, but I can't. I'll stick with Pendergast and Wyman Ford.
I wanted to like these because of the return of Eli Glinn and his company as well as the recent publication of Beyond The Ice Limit, but I can't. I'll stick with Pendergast and Wyman Ford.
The idea that someone would devote their life to avenging their father's frame-up and murder isn't new, although Gideon Crew does go about it in an interesting way. To then be hired as an independent contractor by an independent contractor to some government agency to retrieve information from a Chinese defector... not so usual (although that particular career isn't unique in the annals of fiction).
What would have made Gideon's quest to obtain the new technology really interesting would have been more of the computer sleuthing, less of the violence. His brief adventure into the world of Falun Gong was too brief, and I never quite felt what the author presents as real feeling for Orchid. It was amusing that his semi-minder, Garza, mentions several times how much of an amateur Gideon is.
The fact that his unpredictability comes from only having a year left is a nice twist, although I wonder how long the authors are going to go with that. What I mean is, this is a series - how many jobs can one person do in a year?
ARC provided by publisher.
What would have made Gideon's quest to obtain the new technology really interesting would have been more of the computer sleuthing, less of the violence. His brief adventure into the world of Falun Gong was too brief, and I never quite felt what the author presents as real feeling for Orchid. It was amusing that his semi-minder, Garza, mentions several times how much of an amateur Gideon is.
The fact that his unpredictability comes from only having a year left is a nice twist, although I wonder how long the authors are going to go with that. What I mean is, this is a series - how many jobs can one person do in a year?
ARC provided by publisher.
It was . . . okay. I'm a big fan of Preston/Child (especially the Pendergast books), so I was really looking forward to this one. Part of the problem was that I read it on my Kindle, which tells you how much you have left. As the book was ending, I was at 38%. I was confused, as it felt like it was ending, but it seemed like there would be a lot more. (It turns out, they decided to reward e-readers with an additional novel by another author)
That being said, it still felt a bit short, with far less substance than their usual collaborations. Gideon Crew hardly compares to Pendergast (but who could?) though he's not an unlikable guy. The book moved pretty fast and had an element of suspense that I think Preston & Child were trying to convey. For me, it just fell far short of their usual work.
Read this book if you're a completist, but if you've never read Preston & Child, don't start with this one!
That being said, it still felt a bit short, with far less substance than their usual collaborations. Gideon Crew hardly compares to Pendergast (but who could?) though he's not an unlikable guy. The book moved pretty fast and had an element of suspense that I think Preston & Child were trying to convey. For me, it just fell far short of their usual work.
Read this book if you're a completist, but if you've never read Preston & Child, don't start with this one!
way too many twists and turns, nothing is straightforward.
As a big Preston and Child fan, I was excited to read this book but ended up disappointed. It took me nearly 100 pages to get into the story, though once I did, I didn't want to stop. Still, not up to par with their usual style.
Ridiculously over-the-top and cheesy. Made it only a few chapters.