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balthazarlawson's reviews
1189 reviews
The Honey Guide by Richard Crompton
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Mollel is a Massai and is a policeman working in Nairobi, not that he is very welcome. It's more of a case of tolerated because of his notoriety following the bombing of the US embassy. He's honest and believes in justice but in a police force where they are very short on these commodities, he's not popular.
When a Massai woman is found dead in a drain in a central Nairobi park Mollel is assigned the task of investigating for no other reason then someone had to do it and it got him out of everyone's hair. The problem for everyone is that it's just before Christmas, not that that is a big think in Kenya, and there is an election to be held just two days later. Violence is anticipated, expected and planned for. Against this background the investigation is being held. It's not a high tech investigation which seem to be rare in Kenya.
This is a disjointed sort of read. There seems to be a lot of assumptions made without backing logic all to create red herrings. Unfortunately it takes away from a good read.
Then there is the elephant in the room. The weird, strange and absurd way in which dialogue is formatted. It's so distracting and I just don't understand why it was done this way.
Overall it wasn't an enjoyable read.
When a Massai woman is found dead in a drain in a central Nairobi park Mollel is assigned the task of investigating for no other reason then someone had to do it and it got him out of everyone's hair. The problem for everyone is that it's just before Christmas, not that that is a big think in Kenya, and there is an election to be held just two days later. Violence is anticipated, expected and planned for. Against this background the investigation is being held. It's not a high tech investigation which seem to be rare in Kenya.
This is a disjointed sort of read. There seems to be a lot of assumptions made without backing logic all to create red herrings. Unfortunately it takes away from a good read.
Then there is the elephant in the room. The weird, strange and absurd way in which dialogue is formatted. It's so distracting and I just don't understand why it was done this way.
Overall it wasn't an enjoyable read.
The Other Side of Silence by Philip Kerr
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book is mostly set in 1956 with a couple of jump backs to Germany in 1938 and 1945. Both occasions are where Bernie is recalling previous encounters with a man who has turned up to stay at the French Riviera hotel where he is working as a concierge. This story is mostly about blackmail and espionage involving the Soviets and the British. Bernie is caught up in the middle of it all without really knowing why. He is being manipulated by everyone it seems. But, somehow along the way he solves and unrelated murder.
This Bernie is a more contemplative and reflective Bernie. It's a slow read and takes a while for anything to happen. But that is usually the problem I find with espionage novels. I don't really like them and that part of this book I found boring and a bit far fetched as there is no definitive answer to anything.
This does continue the story of Bernie Gunther, ex-homicide detective, current fugitive. But if this was the first book in the series I had read it would probably be the last. The worst book in the series by far.
This Bernie is a more contemplative and reflective Bernie. It's a slow read and takes a while for anything to happen. But that is usually the problem I find with espionage novels. I don't really like them and that part of this book I found boring and a bit far fetched as there is no definitive answer to anything.
This does continue the story of Bernie Gunther, ex-homicide detective, current fugitive. But if this was the first book in the series I had read it would probably be the last. The worst book in the series by far.
Bridge Burning and Other Hobbies by Kitty Flanagan
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
4.0
This is not an autobiography but a collection of antidotes of Kitty Flannigan's life. I found it funny, but what else would you expect from a comedian. This is the first time I've every listened to an audio book and being read by the author made it more funny as she knew the right tone to use to bring her words to life. It was quick and a nice way to pass a few hours.
Alternate Purpose by Christopher Coates
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This is a story of time travel in a strange attempt to avoid a pandemic, a man-made pandemic. It starts in 2005 when the future comes back to visit a new born baby. Then we follow this baby as he grows for a couple of decades and then he disappears. As with a lot of time travel stories there is a bit of jumping about.
Overall it's mildly entertaining. It always raises the paradox of "if you chance the past do you cease to exist?" The characters are likeable enough and it's an easy story to follow. It does make one think about things like man made pathogens and why we even tinker in the field. However, in light of the recent changes in AI technologies I don't think the future envisioned in this book is the one we are heading toward.
Overall it's mildly entertaining. It always raises the paradox of "if you chance the past do you cease to exist?" The characters are likeable enough and it's an easy story to follow. It does make one think about things like man made pathogens and why we even tinker in the field. However, in light of the recent changes in AI technologies I don't think the future envisioned in this book is the one we are heading toward.
A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder by Shamini Flint
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Is this a case of "Inspector Singh Investigates" or "Inspector Singh sits around waiting for the killer to show himself"?
Inspector Singh is a Singaporean detective sent to Malaysia to ensure the rights of a Singapore citizen are protected and she is not falsely charged. He doesn't believe Chelsea guilty of murdering her husband does what he can to find the real killer. Nothing is clear but she is released when her brother-in-law confesses. She doesn't believe he did it and convinces Singh to find the truth, even though he should return to Singapore. All the time she is fighting for custody of her kids who may be taken away as her husband converted to a Moslem prior to his death.
As an investigation nothing much happens and this is a huge let down with the book. In the end the police don't discover the killer, who is revealed by circumstances, not got detective work. So much of this book is about things other than the investigation, namely the court cases Chelsea has to deal with and the turmoil in her family. This is what dragged this out and took away all the enjoyment of this book.
I didn't like it. The title talks about an investigation but the reality was more a soap opera drama.
Inspector Singh is a Singaporean detective sent to Malaysia to ensure the rights of a Singapore citizen are protected and she is not falsely charged. He doesn't believe Chelsea guilty of murdering her husband does what he can to find the real killer. Nothing is clear but she is released when her brother-in-law confesses. She doesn't believe he did it and convinces Singh to find the truth, even though he should return to Singapore. All the time she is fighting for custody of her kids who may be taken away as her husband converted to a Moslem prior to his death.
As an investigation nothing much happens and this is a huge let down with the book. In the end the police don't discover the killer, who is revealed by circumstances, not got detective work. So much of this book is about things other than the investigation, namely the court cases Chelsea has to deal with and the turmoil in her family. This is what dragged this out and took away all the enjoyment of this book.
I didn't like it. The title talks about an investigation but the reality was more a soap opera drama.
Smaller and Smaller Circles by F.H. Batacan
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
There is a serial killer about, but according to many there are no serial killers in the Philippines. But two priests, trained in psychology and forensic anthropology think otherwise and try to convince the NBI that there is an active killer targeting young teenage boys. They face a lot of resistance to their ideas but the director of the NBI has faith in them. They help with, but mostly lead the investigation.
This is a confronting story of child sex attacks and lives lost. It's easy to read but there are times that the narrative glitches a bit and you have to read a few lines again. The main characters are interesting but I wonder how they can possibly cope with all that they seem to have to do. But then also be able to drop that to investigate murder. An unusual setting for me but a mind broadening one.
Despite the type of crimes committed I enjoyed this.
This is a confronting story of child sex attacks and lives lost. It's easy to read but there are times that the narrative glitches a bit and you have to read a few lines again. The main characters are interesting but I wonder how they can possibly cope with all that they seem to have to do. But then also be able to drop that to investigate murder. An unusual setting for me but a mind broadening one.
Despite the type of crimes committed I enjoyed this.
Don't Send Flowers by Martín Solares
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The city of La Eternidad, Mexico, is being torn apart by competing gangs who want control. At varies times the police chief has helped one side or the other as he is just as corrupt as the criminals. This level of corruption lead Carlos Trevino quitting and moving away as he wanted to live.
Years later he is hired to find the missing daughter of a local business man. He very reluctantly accepts the job but it means he must face his past.
Then, halfway through the book, Carlos disappears and we follow the police chief. We do learn more about Carlos but the second half of the book is mostly about the police chief. It's almost like there are two stories here. This shift of focus changes the story completely. However, by this time I didn't really care what happened any of them.
I didn't like these characters. It's an eye opening story about the dark side of life in Mexico but the story was too disjointed for me to enjoy. The ending of all the story lines was wrapped up very quickly and not very satisfying. It was a challenge to read this not because of the subject, but because of the writing style.
Years later he is hired to find the missing daughter of a local business man. He very reluctantly accepts the job but it means he must face his past.
Then, halfway through the book, Carlos disappears and we follow the police chief. We do learn more about Carlos but the second half of the book is mostly about the police chief. It's almost like there are two stories here. This shift of focus changes the story completely. However, by this time I didn't really care what happened any of them.
I didn't like these characters. It's an eye opening story about the dark side of life in Mexico but the story was too disjointed for me to enjoy. The ending of all the story lines was wrapped up very quickly and not very satisfying. It was a challenge to read this not because of the subject, but because of the writing style.
A Cold Death in Amsterdam by Anja de Jager
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Detective Lotte Meerman is under a lot of stress and most of it is of her own making. She works cold cases in Amsterdam and is transitioning from a resent case that brought her national attention to one that involves her father, who she hasn't spoken to in years. She doesn't play by the rules and rarely considers others and put's a lot of people off side. The new case only came about because she walked in on an armed robbery at a service station and shot the offender. When she realises her father may not be as honest as she thought she doesn't tell anyone that he is her father as they have different surnames. But she still feels she must protect him.
This was an enjoyable read and flowed along nicely, though at times he got a bit muddled and lacked a nice clear logic. This is the first book I've read that has been based in the Netherlands, and by a Dutch author, but it won't be the last. There is something about walking through the snow by the canals and almost freezing to death in Amsterdam.
I will read more of this series in the hope that Lotte gets her act together.
This was an enjoyable read and flowed along nicely, though at times he got a bit muddled and lacked a nice clear logic. This is the first book I've read that has been based in the Netherlands, and by a Dutch author, but it won't be the last. There is something about walking through the snow by the canals and almost freezing to death in Amsterdam.
I will read more of this series in the hope that Lotte gets her act together.
Kickback by Garry Disher
challenging
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is story of crooks. None of them are nice and they are all likely to thump you if you look twice at them. Even the cops are not nice, when they make their brief appearance. The main character is Wyatt and he's not a nice person.
Set in the early 90's in Melbourne, before the time of the internet and mobiles. It's an enjoyable read but I have no vested interest in any of them surviving. They are horrible people and why we have a horrible world.
Set in the early 90's in Melbourne, before the time of the internet and mobiles. It's an enjoyable read but I have no vested interest in any of them surviving. They are horrible people and why we have a horrible world.
Red as Blood by Lilja Sigurðardóttir
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
There is an over arching story line to this series. Arora is looking for her missing sister, believed to have been killer by her boyfriend and her body buried in a lava field somewhere. Except for the start of this book there is very little written along this story line.
The main story line in this book is a kidnapping. Arora becomes involved when the accountant of victim's husband asks her to babysit him. He doesn't want the police involved, as per instructions. But she convinces him to talk to Daniel, the police inspector handling her missing sister's case. From there on, she pretty much takes a back seat to events, and the story is a crime mystery as the police investigate the kidnapping. There are a few other side line events but they almost seem to be add-ons to keep Arora in the story.
As part of a series, it's not that great an episode, but as a stand alone story it's good. I enjoyed it from that point of view. I liked the setting, but didn't really like the ending at all. It was such a set up for the next book in the series.
The main story line in this book is a kidnapping. Arora becomes involved when the accountant of victim's husband asks her to babysit him. He doesn't want the police involved, as per instructions. But she convinces him to talk to Daniel, the police inspector handling her missing sister's case. From there on, she pretty much takes a back seat to events, and the story is a crime mystery as the police investigate the kidnapping. There are a few other side line events but they almost seem to be add-ons to keep Arora in the story.
As part of a series, it's not that great an episode, but as a stand alone story it's good. I enjoyed it from that point of view. I liked the setting, but didn't really like the ending at all. It was such a set up for the next book in the series.