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winglady's review against another edition
5.0
Witty and surprising, this story inspires me to read more from this series. I loved the main character and his dog sidekick. The mystery was highly satisfying, and the little surprise at the end was a delight.
cook_memorial_public_library's review against another edition
4.0
A 2017 staff favorite recommended by Jane.
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Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sgirl%20with%20kaleidoscope%20eyes%20handler__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=gold
meezcarrie's review against another edition
3.0
When The Girl With Kaleidoscope Eyes started out, I had high hopes. Written with a witty snark, Stewart Hoag’s first person narrative reads like an old private detective novel. I enjoyed the trip back to 1992 where fax machines groaned and email was just barely on the radar. And Lulu. I can’t neglect to mention the quirky basset hound with a big personality and a tendency to steal any scene she’s in.
But at some point, it just lost my attention. I can’t even really pinpoint why, but I think a lot had to do with the fact that I lost respect for Hoagy and never found it again. Just beginning to get a feel for him, starting to like him, and then his flaws overwhelmed the good I saw in him. Other than Lulu, he was the only character I even remotely liked, and when I suddenly didn’t like him anymore I found it difficult to stay invested in the story.
Bottom Line: All in all, this is a novel which will appeal to fans of the previous books in the series, as well as fans of the private detective genre in general. Lulu is one of the coolest dogs in fiction, and she is paws down my favorite character. The ending, while I already suspected it, is cleverly written and I do want to know how things turn out for Hoagy and Merilee. While most of the novel skates along the edge of ‘gritty’, the ‘whodunit’ scene includes a revelation that is abundantly disturbing on many levels. Will I read more in this series? Probably not… but if Lulu were suddenly to get her own series, I’m there!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower
But at some point, it just lost my attention. I can’t even really pinpoint why, but I think a lot had to do with the fact that I lost respect for Hoagy and never found it again. Just beginning to get a feel for him, starting to like him, and then his flaws overwhelmed the good I saw in him. Other than Lulu, he was the only character I even remotely liked, and when I suddenly didn’t like him anymore I found it difficult to stay invested in the story.
Bottom Line: All in all, this is a novel which will appeal to fans of the previous books in the series, as well as fans of the private detective genre in general. Lulu is one of the coolest dogs in fiction, and she is paws down my favorite character. The ending, while I already suspected it, is cleverly written and I do want to know how things turn out for Hoagy and Merilee. While most of the novel skates along the edge of ‘gritty’, the ‘whodunit’ scene includes a revelation that is abundantly disturbing on many levels. Will I read more in this series? Probably not… but if Lulu were suddenly to get her own series, I’m there!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower
hollyg35's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
beckylej's review against another edition
4.0
Stewart Hoag has made a name for himself as a writer (with his one acclaimed novel) and highly sought after ghostwriter (with three #1 bestsellers). His recent prospects haven't quite been up his alley (a Barney memoir, no thanks!), but now his agent has something big: years ago, critically acclaimed writer Richard Aintree disappeared. The widower left behind two orphaned daughters, one of whom Hoagy himself has a connection to. The other daughter, a Martha Stewart-esque brand in her own right, has been experiencing a bit of a downturn in her career and so, when a letter supposedly from her long lost dad arrives requesting that she, his old agent, and Hoagy get involved in a project together, curiosity and money win out.
Hoagy and his canine companion, Lulu, travel to LA to stay with Monette Aintree as they wait for daddy dearest to reveal himself, and the story he wants told. Then Hoagy's long lost love - Monette's estranged sister, Reggie, shows up with a letter of her own. Not that Hoagy minds, the more the merrier plus it seems the perfect excuse for a party in Monette's eyes. Until said fête turns into a fiasco with Monette herself claiming responsibility for murder. But something smells, and it isn't just Lulu's breath. Now Hoagy has to put his investigative skills to use to find out what's really going on.
The Girl With the Kaleidoscope Eyes marks a two decades in the making return to the Stewart Hoag series, apparently. The series debuted in 1988 with The Man Who Died Laughing and, until now, ended in 1997 with The Man Who Loved Women Too Much. And I wasn't familiar with any of them. At all. So I was a little worried. But apparently this is one of Harlan Coben's favorite series, which was enough for me to want to give it a shot.
And it worked fine. Consider it a series reboot - a starting place for newbies but a return to a long beloved series for fans as well.
And rather than bring the character and series forward to today, it's set in the 90s!
Hoagy (as he likes to be called) has a penchant for licorice ice cream and a knack for celebrity secrets. The latter, combined with his writing chops, makes him perfect as a celebrity ghostwriter (you know, the person who really pens those celebrity memoirs even though they don't get credit). But apparently he also has a knack for getting involved in murder investigations.
I enjoyed Handler's lighter tone and humorous style. Plus, these are mysteries about books! And I am a sucker for books about the industry. Though to be honest, there's not a whole lot of writing that goes on in this one - mostly they're hanging out waiting for Richard Raintree (or the person pretending to be him) to be revealed. But there's plenty of other things going on - Monette's in the middle of a nasty separation that, thanks to her celebrity status, is playing out very publicly. And Hoagy does consider that the sudden appearance of her "father" could be a publicity stunt. But he's threatened the very day he arrives in town, and apparently isn't one to back down from a fight. So hoax or no, he's in it to the end.
The Girl With Kaleidoscope Eyes is fun and light. If you enjoy amateur sleuths, books about books, canine buddy reads, and/or celebrity gossip scandals, I'd absolutely recommend giving this one a try!
There aren't really many references to Hoagy's past adventures, which again means that it's easy to slip into this ninth in the series even without any former knowledge of its predecessors. But if you do want to start from the beginning, the series has been kept in print via ebook! Here's the full list:
The Man Who Died Laughing
The Man Who Lived By Night
The Man Who Would be F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Woman Who Fell From Grace
The Boy Who Never Grew Up
The Man Who Cancelled Himself
The Girl Who Ran Off With Daddy
The Man Who Loved Women to Death
The Girl With Kaleidoscope Eyes
Hoagy and his canine companion, Lulu, travel to LA to stay with Monette Aintree as they wait for daddy dearest to reveal himself, and the story he wants told. Then Hoagy's long lost love - Monette's estranged sister, Reggie, shows up with a letter of her own. Not that Hoagy minds, the more the merrier plus it seems the perfect excuse for a party in Monette's eyes. Until said fête turns into a fiasco with Monette herself claiming responsibility for murder. But something smells, and it isn't just Lulu's breath. Now Hoagy has to put his investigative skills to use to find out what's really going on.
The Girl With the Kaleidoscope Eyes marks a two decades in the making return to the Stewart Hoag series, apparently. The series debuted in 1988 with The Man Who Died Laughing and, until now, ended in 1997 with The Man Who Loved Women Too Much. And I wasn't familiar with any of them. At all. So I was a little worried. But apparently this is one of Harlan Coben's favorite series, which was enough for me to want to give it a shot.
And it worked fine. Consider it a series reboot - a starting place for newbies but a return to a long beloved series for fans as well.
And rather than bring the character and series forward to today, it's set in the 90s!
Hoagy (as he likes to be called) has a penchant for licorice ice cream and a knack for celebrity secrets. The latter, combined with his writing chops, makes him perfect as a celebrity ghostwriter (you know, the person who really pens those celebrity memoirs even though they don't get credit). But apparently he also has a knack for getting involved in murder investigations.
I enjoyed Handler's lighter tone and humorous style. Plus, these are mysteries about books! And I am a sucker for books about the industry. Though to be honest, there's not a whole lot of writing that goes on in this one - mostly they're hanging out waiting for Richard Raintree (or the person pretending to be him) to be revealed. But there's plenty of other things going on - Monette's in the middle of a nasty separation that, thanks to her celebrity status, is playing out very publicly. And Hoagy does consider that the sudden appearance of her "father" could be a publicity stunt. But he's threatened the very day he arrives in town, and apparently isn't one to back down from a fight. So hoax or no, he's in it to the end.
The Girl With Kaleidoscope Eyes is fun and light. If you enjoy amateur sleuths, books about books, canine buddy reads, and/or celebrity gossip scandals, I'd absolutely recommend giving this one a try!
There aren't really many references to Hoagy's past adventures, which again means that it's easy to slip into this ninth in the series even without any former knowledge of its predecessors. But if you do want to start from the beginning, the series has been kept in print via ebook! Here's the full list:
The Man Who Died Laughing
The Man Who Lived By Night
The Man Who Would be F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Woman Who Fell From Grace
The Boy Who Never Grew Up
The Man Who Cancelled Himself
The Girl Who Ran Off With Daddy
The Man Who Loved Women to Death
The Girl With Kaleidoscope Eyes
eeb123's review against another edition
3.0
This is a quick, enjoyable read--definitely of its genre. Capital "L" Literature, this is not, but if you're in the mood to read the exploits of a moderately hard-boiled (or rather, soft-boiled) detective (of the accidental, non-official detective variety--the main character is a writer who just gets caught up in these things, as one does), then this book is for you.
I've never read any of the other books in this series, and that wasn't an issue for this book (though fans of the series will probably enjoy the returning characters and occasional references to previous adventures). The first chapter was actually filled with more explication than I needed, but once past that, the characters and plot turned out to be engaging enough that I'll probably go back and read some of the earlier books.
(Thank you, William Morrow and GoodReads for the ARC.(
I've never read any of the other books in this series, and that wasn't an issue for this book (though fans of the series will probably enjoy the returning characters and occasional references to previous adventures). The first chapter was actually filled with more explication than I needed, but once past that, the characters and plot turned out to be engaging enough that I'll probably go back and read some of the earlier books.
(Thank you, William Morrow and GoodReads for the ARC.(
cidennis's review against another edition
5.0
Handler deftly picks up where he left off Hoagy and Lulu: way back in the 1990s, that primitive era when people talked to each other instead of staring into their phones, and didn't own wristwatches that tell you you're not getting enough exercise. What a pleasure to read a classic, well-constructed mystery without those distractions. The scene descriptions are real, the characters vivid, and the snappy dialogue moves things along with lots of laughs. Great, unexpected twists at the end. I've read all the Berger & Mitry series, now to dive into the back catalog of Stewart Hoag books.
arnicas's review against another edition
4.0
A great vacation read with a lot of Hollywood hijinks as a cosy-ish mystery. The ending is really terrific.
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