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markhodderauthor's reviews
351 reviews
Killer's Choice by Ed McBain
4.0
I found the previous novel in the series disappointing. It seemed that the author strained to be clever with dialogue to the point where the sense of authenticity was lost. Thankfully, that problem is corrected here. In KILLER’S CHOICE, the dialogue is wonderfully clever but feels natural. It never gets in the way of the story, and this story is an excellent one, which barrels along at a terrific pace. My addiction to this series just deepened.
Ne Jouez Pas Avec Les Filles by Jean Bruce
2.0
This OSS 117 novel doesn’t feature Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath (though he receives a couple of mentions). Instead it follows a case undertaken by his New York detective agency. The tale is therefore a crime thriller rather than an espionage novel, and is fairly standard stuff, involving murders, beatings, and the usual ravishing sexpots. The absence of the man himself makes this my least enjoyed of the series so far. Bring back OSS 117!
The Time It Never Rained by Elmer Kelton
5.0
A wonderful, slow-paced western set in the 1950s, when the old ways are a fading memory yet continue to inform the attitudes of tough, set-in-their-ways characters. Racial prejudice (between Anglos and Mexicans) features strongly throughout but is handled sensitively and with insight. Action is low key, this is all about the people and how they cope with a gradual but relentless crisis, and it works really well, feeling absolutely authentic and being thoroughly absorbing. In fact, this is as immersive as James A. Michener’s CENTENNIAL, my all-time favourite western, and I loved it almost as much. Brilliantly written, it is a novel that I didn’t want to end.
First Blood by David Morrell
5.0
RAMBO!!! And THIS is how to write an action novel. The conflict is set out in the first paragraph and, from that point on, the pressure ramps up without a pause. Subtle touches of pathos provide just the right amount of depth amid the gunshots, explosions, and VERY high body count, but essentially this is the story of two men spiralling out of control, brilliantly portraying their groping justifications for insane acts of violence. Superb!
The Room by Hubert Selby Jr.
5.0
Intense. Also, it was impressive, very dark, frequently transgressive, horrific but thoughtful. One that sticks with you. In fact, the night after I read it, I suffered an anxiety nightmare that definitely had its roots in the novel. Very few books have ever affected me like that. Recommended for those who want their triggers pressed.
Earth Fire by Jerry Ahern
3.0
My interest in the series diminished with the previous instalment, but here Ahern ups his game and sends us into new, unexplored territory. His writing is repetitive and, frankly, pretty shite, but he gets away with it by not allowing the reader time to stop and think about how idiotic it all is. I’m ok with bad technique so long as I’m having fun, and The Survivalist books are definitely fun. This one is a prolonged battle scene but it ends with the Earth catching fire (not a spoiler—see the title!), and that changes the game completely for the rest of the series. Now I’m really looking forward to the next volume!
Ripley's Game by Patricia Highsmith
4.0
After the disappointing second novel (RIPLEY UNDER GROUND), which erred in the direction of a French farce, the series returns to form with this account of Ripley’s deadly tussle with the Mafia. Highsmith was marvellously adept at creating protagonists who function well in society while in fact being amoral and murderous sociopaths. I like how, when violence erupts, her characters slip into a daze, hardly in control of themselves. It demonstrates an acute understanding of the “fight or flight” impulse, where animal instincts kick in and the subject becomes capable of almost any atrocity. The author’s male characters dominate—they are alluring yet repulsive, charismatic yet patently suffering personality disorder — but I am also increasingly fascinated by her portrayal of women, though I’m not yet certain what it is about them that piques my curiosity. A cold, self-serving response to crises, perhaps? I need to read more Highsmith!
This Perfect Day by Ira Levin
4.0
Levin is always excellent. Like LOGAN’S RUN, this story concerns a utopian society that turns out to be anything but. A theme for the 60s and 70s. From the 80s onward, we got grungy dystopias, but when I was a kid future societies were overcrowded but antiseptically clean and computer controlled. Levin gives a great and thoroughly enjoyable example here. Amusingly, practically the first thing the protagonists do once free of computer control is... smoke!
The Dead Mountaineer's Inn by Arkady Strugatsky, Boris Strugatsky
Did not finish book. Stopped at 63%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 63%.
Imagine Agatha Christie took a double handful of drugs before settling down to write a murder mystery. Imagine she occasionally thought a touch of SF might add flavour to the brew. Or perhaps she should make it a ghost story? Imagine she occasionally drifted into a drug-addled daze and when she came out of it couldn’t recall the plot but carried on writing it anyway. That, basically, is what you have here. Apparently it is “delightful and humorous.” Those parts escaped me. “Engaging?” Nope. The only part that I thoroughly enjoyed was giving up on it.