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attytheresa's review against another edition
4.0
I very nearly gave this 5 stars. Junior Bender, a professional burglar, finds himself in a sticky mess after a contract theft, leaving him beholden to a bunch of folks, including a leading crime boss trying to go legit. To square himself, and get paid the $20,000 he desperately needs to pay child support, he agrees to work for the crime boss and make sure that former-child-star-now-druggie Thistle remains safe and alive and makes the porn flic that will make enough millions to assure crime boss can finish legitimizing the biz. You see, things keep happening on the shoot and the target seems to be Thistle, and they are increasingly threatening...
This was a totally entertaining, engaging romp full of sympathetic characters and the down and dirty side of Hollywood. Almost everyone is a crook and you just like them, except for the really bad ones. Junior himself is so relatable - a man who loves both his daughter and his ex, but whose profession is a problem to keeping the family together. He's smart, a bit slick, kind of cool, and definitely has a Robin Hood complex.
This had enough twists and turns to keep you guessing, paced well and wirtten well enough that when you have figured some piece of it out, you really don't mind that it is 'revealed' many chapters later.
I will definitely be reading more in this series.
This was a totally entertaining, engaging romp full of sympathetic characters and the down and dirty side of Hollywood. Almost everyone is a crook and you just like them, except for the really bad ones. Junior himself is so relatable - a man who loves both his daughter and his ex, but whose profession is a problem to keeping the family together. He's smart, a bit slick, kind of cool, and definitely has a Robin Hood complex.
This had enough twists and turns to keep you guessing, paced well and wirtten well enough that when you have figured some piece of it out, you really don't mind that it is 'revealed' many chapters later.
I will definitely be reading more in this series.
blood_rose_books's review against another edition
3.0
In the first novel of his Junior. Bender series, Timothy Hallinan takes a burglary with an exemplary career and turns him into one of the good guys a PI:
Junior Bender is Los Angeles burglar since he was 14 years old and breaking into houses has been a very lucrative past time for him. But now after 22 years of a "spotless" record he is set up on a job that he barely survives. Now that Junior has the main objective of a burglar don't get caught he is forced to work for mobster Trey Annunziato in order to keep his skin.Trey has an interested project for Junior protecting an once famous child actor Thistle and discovering who is trying to put the porn production shoot out of business. Although this is not Junior's usual gig he goes have some investigative type skills that are more towards the other side of the law. As Junior sets out he discovers that protecting Thistle from herself is going to be a challenge in itself, but coming out this job alive seems to be less and less likely.
Even though the beginning of the book was very entertaining, with the botched burglary and dogs trying to eat Junior it still took me awhile to become invested in the story and characters, but I'm glad that I stuck around with this book. It not only became very entertaining to read, but I really enjoyed the sarcastic tone that the book is told in by Junior. I will say that much like the TV show that is talked about in the book, the book really starts to shine when Thistle enters the picture. Thistle makes this book very entertaining, with her antics and child like behaviour that makes you think of a starlet or two who were child stars. I kept trying to decide which starlet that Hillinan used as his inspiration for Thistle.
Junior is an interesting character, he doesn't like to think of himself as a good guy as he is a master thief, but some of his actions definitely show him as the good guy. The way in which he "mothers" Thistle shows how much really really cares about people. He knows the difference between right and wrong in this situation and he does everything he can to prevent Thistle from hurting herself with drugs, but also help her stand up tot he press who hound her. Having Junior as the only voice in this book was the right choice by Hallinan, it made me like Junior so much more as he is very witty and he likes to play the dangerous side of things, for what he thinks is "right".
I liked that this book showed that Hollywood lifestyle can turn out to be so glamorous, and that things can go downhill really fast. I do not think that Hallinan lacks inspiration from the real world and I guess that really is the sad reality of Hollywood and I'm glad that Hallinan does not sugar coat it in his book. The book does show what drug addiction can do even to those who have the money to support that habit and what an addict will do to get the fix for that habit. He also shows the ruthlessness of the press and how they push people to their limits just to get a story or a picture.
Witty and satire are the best ways to describe this book and if you are looking for something in that tone this book is for you. While there are some slower parts within this book, I think that Hallinan is able to keep the reader really entertained with his cast of characters and it is his character development that will keep me coming back f or more.
Enjoy!!!
If You Like This,
Check These Out Too:
Junior Bender is Los Angeles burglar since he was 14 years old and breaking into houses has been a very lucrative past time for him. But now after 22 years of a "spotless" record he is set up on a job that he barely survives. Now that Junior has the main objective of a burglar don't get caught he is forced to work for mobster Trey Annunziato in order to keep his skin.Trey has an interested project for Junior protecting an once famous child actor Thistle and discovering who is trying to put the porn production shoot out of business. Although this is not Junior's usual gig he goes have some investigative type skills that are more towards the other side of the law. As Junior sets out he discovers that protecting Thistle from herself is going to be a challenge in itself, but coming out this job alive seems to be less and less likely.
Even though the beginning of the book was very entertaining, with the botched burglary and dogs trying to eat Junior it still took me awhile to become invested in the story and characters, but I'm glad that I stuck around with this book. It not only became very entertaining to read, but I really enjoyed the sarcastic tone that the book is told in by Junior. I will say that much like the TV show that is talked about in the book, the book really starts to shine when Thistle enters the picture. Thistle makes this book very entertaining, with her antics and child like behaviour that makes you think of a starlet or two who were child stars. I kept trying to decide which starlet that Hillinan used as his inspiration for Thistle.
Junior is an interesting character, he doesn't like to think of himself as a good guy as he is a master thief, but some of his actions definitely show him as the good guy. The way in which he "mothers" Thistle shows how much really really cares about people. He knows the difference between right and wrong in this situation and he does everything he can to prevent Thistle from hurting herself with drugs, but also help her stand up tot he press who hound her. Having Junior as the only voice in this book was the right choice by Hallinan, it made me like Junior so much more as he is very witty and he likes to play the dangerous side of things, for what he thinks is "right".
I liked that this book showed that Hollywood lifestyle can turn out to be so glamorous, and that things can go downhill really fast. I do not think that Hallinan lacks inspiration from the real world and I guess that really is the sad reality of Hollywood and I'm glad that Hallinan does not sugar coat it in his book. The book does show what drug addiction can do even to those who have the money to support that habit and what an addict will do to get the fix for that habit. He also shows the ruthlessness of the press and how they push people to their limits just to get a story or a picture.
Witty and satire are the best ways to describe this book and if you are looking for something in that tone this book is for you. While there are some slower parts within this book, I think that Hallinan is able to keep the reader really entertained with his cast of characters and it is his character development that will keep me coming back f or more.
Enjoy!!!
If You Like This,
Check These Out Too:
michelleful's review against another edition
4.0
Fun mystery/thriller (more thriller, really) starring Junior Bender, a book-lover who works as a thief so he can spend two days a month working and the rest reading. I picked this up because I really enjoy the whole detective-who-is-really-a-criminal trope. It has a great protagonist voice, tight plotting (except for one dying clue that I felt was kinda out-of-place), and a nice mix of humour. Will be looking for the next book!
mindybookbear's review against another edition
5.0
I greatly enjoyed this book. The action, the story, the humor was everything I needed and loved.
tealmango's review against another edition
4.0
Read the full review here: http://newberyandbeyond.com/still-life/
This book was surprisingly interesting; it has a great voice and great characters. Junior is easy to like–he’s funny, sweet, and laid back for a burglar. So when he finds himself being blackmailed by a powerful mob boss, torn between wanting to protect himself and his family and hoping to help a strung-out former child actress escape the exploitative porn movie that she’s been forced into, you have to feel for him.
The mystery itself is pretty great. It’s not so much a whodunit as an adventure/thriller with a lot of comedy thrown in. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
This book was surprisingly interesting; it has a great voice and great characters. Junior is easy to like–he’s funny, sweet, and laid back for a burglar. So when he finds himself being blackmailed by a powerful mob boss, torn between wanting to protect himself and his family and hoping to help a strung-out former child actress escape the exploitative porn movie that she’s been forced into, you have to feel for him.
The mystery itself is pretty great. It’s not so much a whodunit as an adventure/thriller with a lot of comedy thrown in. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
jlmb's review against another edition
3.0
A solid mystery. Nothing memorable or amazing but entertaining nonetheless. I imagine I'll read the next in the series at some point, but I'm not rushing out to get it tomorrow.