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timna_wyckoff's review against another edition
2.0
I think I only enjoyed this because I've been with the series for SO LONG. I thought it felt really forced.
marlynb's review against another edition
4.0
It's hard to believe that City of Whispers is Marcia Mullers 29th Sharon McCone novel. It seems like just yesterday I was reading the wonderfully entitled Edwin of the Iron Shoes, the first in the series, published in 1977.
Generally considered to be the first modern female private investigator, Sharon has (unlike some other long-running series characters) grown and changed with time. She has a successful marriage, a successful business, and an ever-growing family. Having learned that she was adopted as an infant, Sharon found her birth parents, both of whom are Native Americans.
In City of Whispers, Sharon receives an email from her half-brother Darcy from an internet cafe in San Francisco. Informed by her mother that Darcy, who has continuing drug and mental issues, has never been in SF before, Sharon mounts a search with the help of her nephew, tech-wizard Mick. The pursuit of Darcy becomes much more complicated than Sharon expects, involving some of the city's wealthiest families.
At the beginning of the series, the story was told in the first person, from Sharon's point of view. Here, Muller includes some chapters written from Mick's and Darcy's viewpoint (though not in the first person) allowing the reader to view the same incidents through several pairs of eyes, as well as to experience things that Sharon does not.
Of course, opinions are divided as to whether or not Sharon's gorwth has been positive or negative. Some readers complain that too much of the action now takes place inside Sharon's head, that too much of the action is external, that it's wonderful to see Sharon happy in a stable relationship, that her husband is a cloying character. She might as well be a real person.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing me an e-book to review.
Generally considered to be the first modern female private investigator, Sharon has (unlike some other long-running series characters) grown and changed with time. She has a successful marriage, a successful business, and an ever-growing family. Having learned that she was adopted as an infant, Sharon found her birth parents, both of whom are Native Americans.
In City of Whispers, Sharon receives an email from her half-brother Darcy from an internet cafe in San Francisco. Informed by her mother that Darcy, who has continuing drug and mental issues, has never been in SF before, Sharon mounts a search with the help of her nephew, tech-wizard Mick. The pursuit of Darcy becomes much more complicated than Sharon expects, involving some of the city's wealthiest families.
At the beginning of the series, the story was told in the first person, from Sharon's point of view. Here, Muller includes some chapters written from Mick's and Darcy's viewpoint (though not in the first person) allowing the reader to view the same incidents through several pairs of eyes, as well as to experience things that Sharon does not.
Of course, opinions are divided as to whether or not Sharon's gorwth has been positive or negative. Some readers complain that too much of the action now takes place inside Sharon's head, that too much of the action is external, that it's wonderful to see Sharon happy in a stable relationship, that her husband is a cloying character. She might as well be a real person.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing me an e-book to review.
judyward's review against another edition
3.0
While I have enjoyed Marcia Muller's Sharon McCone series in the past, this is not one of the strongest volumes in that series. Had I not already familiar with the back story of the leading characters that slowly built over the life of this series, I would have found the relationships confusing. I really rate this book at two and a half stars, but we don't have that option. Sharon receives an email from her emotionally disturbed half-brother and that email draws her into unraveling a cold case with the usual twists and turns. As it turns out, San Francisco, itself, is the most vivid character in the book and it was a joy to see the city so lovingly portrayed.
detrasystem's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
cj_mo_2222's review against another edition
4.0
It has been one year since San Francisco Private Investigator Sharon McCone was hospitalized in a near coma, and she is slowly getting her stamina back and learning to live with the after effects. Sharon receives a cryptic E-mail from her troubled half-brother Darcy Blackhawk asking for help, but Sharon doesn’t know how to reach him. While searching for Darcy, Sharon finds a dead body at a location her brother has been seen, but there is no sign of Darcy. It’s murder and this case seems to be connected to an unresolved murder of a young heiress, but what Sharon really wants to know is do either of these cases have anything to do with Darcy and where is he?
“City of Whispers” is the latest installment in the long-running Sharon McCone series. Sometimes an ongoing series like this one can get stale, but this book shows there are still interesting tales left to tell about Sharon’s adventures. The story is told from alternating points of view: Sharon, Sharon’s nephew Mick Savage, and Darcy. This keeps the story moving, builds suspense, and keeps the reader interested in what is going to happen next. I was intrigued about what was really going on with Darcy and the two murder cases.
Sharon’s point of view of the investigation makes up the backbone of the book. Sharon is the main character, so it is always interesting to see the case through her eyes. Sharon is a complex character. She is independent, but is learning to deal with her new health-related limitations. She can be prickly, but is a caring person and continues with her search for Darcy, who she doesn’t necessarily like, but keeps looking because he’s family and it’s the right thing to do.
Having a number of the chapters told form Mick’s point of view works well. Mick is impulsive, smart, and likeable and adds some needed fun into the series. He and Sharon have a bit of a role-reversal in this book with Sharon doing some of the computer research and Mick investigating in the field. They seem to gain a new appreciation of what the other one contributes to the agency, and the reader gets to see them in new situations.
The few chapters told by Darcy are helpful in the overall story since the reader gets to experience what he is thinking and feeling. However, because Darcy is so disoriented, either from drugs or mental illness, his chapters are confusing and sad. While these chapters play an important part in the book, they are often challenging to understand, and a bit frustrating.
Many of the important supporting characters from prior books are included, but aren’t present throughout the entire book. Sharon’s friend, former assistant, and now sister-in-law Rae is a favorite character of mine due to her intelligence and outspoken manner. She shows her usual spunk, but makes too brief of an appearance in the book. Rae’s housekeeper Mrs. Wellcome makes some very insightful and helpful observations about some of the people involved in the investigation. Her curiosity, along with her eavesdropping skills, would make her an interesting addition to future investigations. Fan’s of Sharon’s husband Hy Ripinsky may be disappointed to see he isn’t involved a lot at the beginning of the story, but will be glad to see he plays an important role toward the end.
There are a few political comments in the book, and some come across better than others. Opinions in reference to 9-11 flow smoothly and fit in with the subject being discussed. Others, such as criticism of a specific TV network, seem random and don’t add to the story.
In spite of this, I enjoyed this installment and look forward to upcoming books in this series. I have followed the series for several years, but new readers would also be able to enjoy the book. However much of Sharon‘s back story and details about the many wonderful supporting characters aren‘t included in this book and require reading some of the earlier books in the series. If you aren’t familiar with Marcia Muller, but enjoy Sara Paretsky or Sue Grafton, then you will want to add “City of Whispers” to your reading list.
This book was provided to me by NetGalley, courtesy of Grand Central Publishing, in exchange for an honest review.
“City of Whispers” is the latest installment in the long-running Sharon McCone series. Sometimes an ongoing series like this one can get stale, but this book shows there are still interesting tales left to tell about Sharon’s adventures. The story is told from alternating points of view: Sharon, Sharon’s nephew Mick Savage, and Darcy. This keeps the story moving, builds suspense, and keeps the reader interested in what is going to happen next. I was intrigued about what was really going on with Darcy and the two murder cases.
Sharon’s point of view of the investigation makes up the backbone of the book. Sharon is the main character, so it is always interesting to see the case through her eyes. Sharon is a complex character. She is independent, but is learning to deal with her new health-related limitations. She can be prickly, but is a caring person and continues with her search for Darcy, who she doesn’t necessarily like, but keeps looking because he’s family and it’s the right thing to do.
Having a number of the chapters told form Mick’s point of view works well. Mick is impulsive, smart, and likeable and adds some needed fun into the series. He and Sharon have a bit of a role-reversal in this book with Sharon doing some of the computer research and Mick investigating in the field. They seem to gain a new appreciation of what the other one contributes to the agency, and the reader gets to see them in new situations.
The few chapters told by Darcy are helpful in the overall story since the reader gets to experience what he is thinking and feeling. However, because Darcy is so disoriented, either from drugs or mental illness, his chapters are confusing and sad. While these chapters play an important part in the book, they are often challenging to understand, and a bit frustrating.
Many of the important supporting characters from prior books are included, but aren’t present throughout the entire book. Sharon’s friend, former assistant, and now sister-in-law Rae is a favorite character of mine due to her intelligence and outspoken manner. She shows her usual spunk, but makes too brief of an appearance in the book. Rae’s housekeeper Mrs. Wellcome makes some very insightful and helpful observations about some of the people involved in the investigation. Her curiosity, along with her eavesdropping skills, would make her an interesting addition to future investigations. Fan’s of Sharon’s husband Hy Ripinsky may be disappointed to see he isn’t involved a lot at the beginning of the story, but will be glad to see he plays an important role toward the end.
There are a few political comments in the book, and some come across better than others. Opinions in reference to 9-11 flow smoothly and fit in with the subject being discussed. Others, such as criticism of a specific TV network, seem random and don’t add to the story.
In spite of this, I enjoyed this installment and look forward to upcoming books in this series. I have followed the series for several years, but new readers would also be able to enjoy the book. However much of Sharon‘s back story and details about the many wonderful supporting characters aren‘t included in this book and require reading some of the earlier books in the series. If you aren’t familiar with Marcia Muller, but enjoy Sara Paretsky or Sue Grafton, then you will want to add “City of Whispers” to your reading list.
This book was provided to me by NetGalley, courtesy of Grand Central Publishing, in exchange for an honest review.
nonna7's review against another edition
3.0
The latest in Marcia Muller's Sharon McCone series has Sharon mostly recovered from the "locked in syndrome" she experienced after being shot. However, she still gets tired and irritable when she can't do everything she did in the past. In this book she has been asked by her birth mother, Saskia, to find her missing half brother. Darcy has had a troubled life because of his addiction to drugs. He is in San Francisco now and has contacted Sharon asking for help. However, he has disappeared again. Sharon promises her mother that she will do everything she can and puts her investigative agency to work looking for Darcy. It soon becomes a complicated case that involves the death of a wealthy young heiress two years before. These books are fast reads. They are not particularly literary, but they are exciting and a fun diversion. Enjoy!
nocto's review against another edition
2.0
Time was I would have picked up a new McCone novel the second it hit the doormat & not put it down until I was done. It's taken me the best part of two months to get through this, more putting down than picking up. The story isn't that bad. It's written in short chapters, switching viewpoint between McCone & her nephew Mick Savage (mostly, there are others represented too). I just found it too choppy to hold my attention. Sorry Sharon!
happy_hiker's review against another edition
2.0
I was very disappointed with this book, and a little sad because I was hoping it wouldn't signal a downward spiral for this long-running series. This was a very slim book – physically and story-wise. I didn’t care about Darcy; no one in the book did either (even Sharon) so it was hard to get into the little action there was. And although I really liked the alternating points of view in “Locked In”, I felt it did not work in this book and it made the book seem like a “dial-in” effort. Before reading this I read a (non goodreads) review that called this book “exciting.” I must disagree.
Since reading this book, I read #30 of the series. I liked that book much better than this one.
Since reading this book, I read #30 of the series. I liked that book much better than this one.
amalyndb's review against another edition
4.0
content warnings: kidnapping, drug use, forcible drugging, mental illness, sexual abuse, abuse of power
Sharon gets an email from her half-brother Darcy, that he is in San Francisco and is in trouble. She begins to search for him, following scattered sightings of him through the city. The impetus for his disappearance is stranger than can be imagined.
Again, perspectives other than Sharon's are included, making for an interesting read.
Sharon gets an email from her half-brother Darcy, that he is in San Francisco and is in trouble. She begins to search for him, following scattered sightings of him through the city. The impetus for his disappearance is stranger than can be imagined.
Again, perspectives other than Sharon's are included, making for an interesting read.