The third Nora Kelly/Corrie Swanson adventure – and they are starting to accumulate quite a cast of other regulars as well! This is quickly becoming aThe third Nora Kelly/Corrie Swanson adventure – and they are starting to accumulate quite a cast of other regulars as well! This is quickly becoming another “must-read-as-the-books-are-released” series from Preston & Child.
I give this one 4.5 stars and it might be my favorite one in the series so far. Part of the reason for that is that, while the other two are good, I think it usually takes a few books for a series to get settled in. The story is very intriguing and mysterious. The plot is action packed. There is the always appreciated tongue in cheek humor.
If you like Preston & Child but haven’t started this series yet . . . you should. If you liked the first two Nora and Corrie books and are wondering if you should continue . . . you should!
Below is my summary of the book that I shared in a biddy read chat. Only click if you have read the book already or you don’t care about spoilers:
This book was a major victim of my 2021 Book Slump ☹
I finished reading it back in October and it is now January 2022 and I am finally writing my revieThis book was a major victim of my 2021 Book Slump ☹
I finished reading it back in October and it is now January 2022 and I am finally writing my review. Usually these Preston & Child buddy reads are right at the top of my list and I make sure I get to the library months in advance so that I am first in line for a copy. In this case, both the buddy read and release date caught me by surprise and I ended up way down the wait list. Because of that, I was way behind on the buddy read during a year I was struggling to find interest in even opening a book at all. I know that there is much greater suffering in the world, but this situation was unusual and uncomfortable to me.
So . . . my difficulty in getting into this book and the delay in writing the review does not reflect my enjoyment of this book! While it had some unconventional twists and turns for Preston & Child when telling the Pendergast story, it was still very suspenseful, action-packed, and thought-provoking. One of the best enhancers for this book was that it is set in Savannah, Georgia, and I happened to take a trip there right in the middle of reading this. Going to some locations on the same day I was reading about them in the book was really cool.
If you love P&C and Pendergast . . . keep going with the series and try Bloodless. If you have never read P&C/Pendergast before . . . so back and start with Relic. I think there is too much in this book related to the backstory to read this one as a stand alone. ...more
Preston & Child are back with another Pendergast-adjacent adventure featuring Corrie Swanson and Nora Kelly. If you enjoy these authors and the characPreston & Child are back with another Pendergast-adjacent adventure featuring Corrie Swanson and Nora Kelly. If you enjoy these authors and the characters from their main series, you really cannot go wrong here. It is worth reading Old Bones first as that is when these two characters first get together for an adventure, so it sets this one up nicely.
One thing I really liked about this book was that it takes the reader to the United States Southwest and therefore has the same feel as their previous work, Thunderhead. And, since it features one of the characters from that book, you do run across a little reminiscing along the way. If you were a fan of Thunderhead, I am pretty sure you will enjoy this one as well. Also, the main storyline and mystery were unique and have had me doing a lot of side internet research into the non-fiction elements they based some of it on. Being inspired to Google is usually a good sign!
You might think it sounds like I am setting this one up for 5 stars but then you will see I only gave it 4. Why is that? Well, 4 still means that I liked it quite a lot, however, this one did lay on the cheese and coincidence pretty thick. They even go so far as to point out that some of the events are a Deux Ex Machina, so they are not trying to hide the coincidences. This is especially clear with the (view spoiler)[climax/epilogue when Pendergast shows up. I know we all love him, but he showed up at the end of Old Bones, too, so this just felt like forced/repetitive fan service. I mean, I was pretty excited that he showed up, but I rolled my eyes a little bit, too (hide spoiler)]
In conclusion, if you love Preston & Child, read this, but be sure to bring some nachos for all of that cheese dip! ...more
I really wish I like this one more than I did. I have heard about it for years and have seen it on many must read lists. I kept waiting for it to clicI really wish I like this one more than I did. I have heard about it for years and have seen it on many must read lists. I kept waiting for it to click with me, but it never did.
It is not a bad book and my rating only reflects my experience with it. It is well written and the different stories in it are all interesting, but my mind kept wandering. I feel like there was not enough to keep me focused. As I can tell from other reviews, this is not an issue for many other people. But, when I got to the end and it hadn't clicked, I knew it was not going only must read list.
I think one of the biggest issues for me was keeping the characters and timelines straight in the midst of frequent story jumps. I think there were some stories/characters that started their telling early in the book and then didn't come back until late in the book. Because of this I had trouble putting two and two together.
I say it is worth trying because you will likely not have the same experience I did. But, if you do, don't say I didn't warn you!...more
My official last book of 2020 – I still had a few pages left in 2021, but most of it was read in 2020. As the main theme of the book is don’t give up My official last book of 2020 – I still had a few pages left in 2021, but most of it was read in 2020. As the main theme of the book is don’t give up hope in a beat-up world, it seems an appropriate way to end 2020 and begin 2021.
5+ Stars
The word “epic” does not even begin to describe Swan Song. While it took me many months to finish it, it is not because it was not good or hard to stay interested in. It was just that there was so much in the book that I had to savor the journey. Now that it is over, I am a little sad and a little hungover . . . but so glad I read this fantastic book!
Many compare Swan Song to King’s The Stand. It is very easy to see where the comparisons come from – the ultimate battle between good and evil in post-apocalyptic America. In The Stand, it is a plague. In Swan Song, it is nuclear war. I think that because of the nuclear holocaust in Swan Song, it is the dirtier and rawer of the two. But I think it is worth getting past the comparisons and appreciating them both as great tales on their own.
Plot and character development are both very rich in Swan Song. Everything and everyone change so much between page 1 and page 919. I will say that there is a stretch in the middle where the plot and character development does seem to slow down quite a bit to focus on some specific plot points, but this is not a complaint, just an observation. Overall, McCammon does an amazing job on every page.
I mention that this book took me several months (about half a year) to read. This does not mean that it will be a slow read for you. I can easily see someone getting really into this book and gobbling it up in less than a week. I am interested in hearing how others who read this approached the book: Devoured quickly or slowly absorbed?
If you have an interesting in post-apocalyptic stories, this might be one of the gold-standards so you should definitely check it out. Don’t be too daunted by the size – it is all there for a reason (no filler) and it is an incredible journey every step of the way. Highly recommend! ...more
Strange things are “afoot” in Florida again! You would say that the happenings in these Preston & Child books are too crazy for real life, but when I Strange things are “afoot” in Florida again! You would say that the happenings in these Preston & Child books are too crazy for real life, but when I see articles like this one coming out of Florida just this week, nothing surprises me:
Jars filled with tongues, other human remains dating back to 1960s found in Florida home
Preston & Child continue their adventures with “Florida Man” and this book is definitely weird and action packed. From the get-go, the mystery was disturbing and seemingly unexplainable. Pendergast is back in his usual form with odd approaches to evidence collection and complete disregard of rules and regulations in order to get things done. Of course, he uses a sweet Southern approach instead of brute force, but he has some of the usual gang along to help with that. This final climatic scene is as cringe-worthy as it is action packed. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!
But (sorry there is a but!), there are a couple of things that were not my favorite. Not bad, but enough to bring this down into the 4-point range. First, some of the action was a bit Hollywood. In some of the Pendergast books I have loved this. In others I did not. Here it felt a bit cheesy, so it detracted some from my enjoyment. Second, there was an odd side mystery that felt a bit rushed and out of place. I won’t say more in order to avoid spoilers, but unless it ends up playing into future books, it just seemed out of place.
Despite the previous paragraph, it is a great book for those who are ready for more of this series. Would you enjoy it if you have never read any before? Well, in my opinion, there is too much here referencing previous books that I would have been frustrated, but it may not bother you. If you decide to read it and you have not read the rest of the series, just be prepared to not know what is being discussed from time to time and/or who people are. ...more
A new direction in the Pendergast-verse (Pender-verse? PU . . . Nah, can't be Pee-eew!) I am happy to report that the spinoff is a success! Houston, wA new direction in the Pendergast-verse (Pender-verse? PU . . . Nah, can't be Pee-eew!) I am happy to report that the spinoff is a success! Houston, we have no problems! This book is not whack! Skeptics need not apply! This is the REAL DEAL!
I was riveted. The whole story is great and I did not want to put it down. I was reading this at work during my lunch break and when I went to my post-lunch meetings everyone got an earful about how annoyed I was that I had to stop reading to go to their lousy meeting. I mentioned in a recent review that I was in a bit of a reading slump. Thanks to Old Bones - SLUMPAGE NO MORE!
For those of you not initiated into P&C's world of Pendergast (and I do feel oh so sorry for you! Seriously, how do you live with yourself!?) you may be asking if you can read this without reading other Pendergast novels. You can, but I really, really, REALLY feel like you would be missing out on a lot of cool backstory. So, I suggest the other books first, but if the only way I can get you to read some P&C is to read this one alone, I guess I am okay with that . . .
So, in summary:
- I loved this! All the stars! - Why haven't you read Pendergast? - If you have read Pendergast, you should read this! It's the bee's knees!...more
"Google 'Florida man' followed by your birthday and post the title of an article that comes up"
Some eRecently I saw this come across my Facebook feed:
"Google 'Florida man' followed by your birthday and post the title of an article that comes up"
Some examples of results:
- Florida Man Faked Robbery To Get Out Of Work (March 27th) - Jury finds Florida man guilty of dismembering father, but not murder (June 21st) - Pot keeps washing up on the shores of Florida: Deputies said a man tried to steal some (September 13th) - Freak show owner may get no penalty (my birthday - November 30th)
Feel free to comment on my review with your results!
Point is - weird stuff is always going on in Florida, and this time Preston and Child are getting in on the action. The mystery in this book definitely would fit in well with these bizarre headlines. However, things are often weird for Pendergast, so this is nothing new.
I was quite impressed with this edition of the Pendergast saga. Dare I use the cliched phrase that it feels like it gets back to the roots of the series? Yes, I dare! If you gave up on Pendergast around the middle of the "Color title" books, I don't blame you. But I mean it when I say it is worth getting back into it with Verses for the Dead.
Ah, finally a Pendergast that feels a little bit more old school. Maybe not quite as intricate and mysterious and Relic and Cabinet of Curiosities, buAh, finally a Pendergast that feels a little bit more old school. Maybe not quite as intricate and mysterious and Relic and Cabinet of Curiosities, but still has the feel of one of the earlier books. Being back in the streets of New York probably helps. It hasn’t been since Cemetery Dance that I have enjoyed a Pendergast quite this much.
There were a couple of plot points that did feel a bit silly and out of place. One of them I thought was building up to be a pretty big deal and kind of fizzled out. So, in the department of fleshing out multiple storylines, this one was not quite as good as some of the others.
I guess if you really, really wanted to, you could read this one without reading the others, but you would be missing so much of the backstory. My recommendation is still to go get a copy of Relic, start at the beginning, and enjoy the ride.
Hmmmm . . . I keep trying to write more, and I just keep typing spoilers! I guess I am going to have to wrap this review up or I am going to give everything away!
Okay, so one spoilerish thing about the Epilogue. Do not read this unless you have read the book already or don’t care about spoilers (view spoiler)[ I was so glad that Constance was not in this book. Then, they have to go and add a final scene where Pendergast goes and gets her. *sigh* I guess that means we are back to Constance in the next one (hide spoiler)]
I have said it before, and I will say it again, if you are not reading Pendergast, what are you doing??? (I guess that is “asked” not “said”, but you know what I mean!) ...more
Honestly, and with no shame, I knew that my opinion of this book would be tainted by close to three decades worth of the greatest action movie ever - Honestly, and with no shame, I knew that my opinion of this book would be tainted by close to three decades worth of the greatest action movie ever - Die Hard! Usually the book is better than the movie, but this movie is better (as expected) so . . . that's just how it is!
Moving on . . .
As an action book, this was decent. It takes place in the late 70s and in some ways it had aged well and in some ways it hasn't. With our modern technology, some people may have a hard time enjoying the CB communication that drives this book. Also, he spends a lot of time lamenting about some of the terrorists being females. I don't think that would be taken as much into consideration anymore - and it isn't really necessary for it to be. If they are terrorists, they are terrorists and male and female shouldn't really matter (it's interesting that they made all the terrorists male in the movie - were they still worried about this kind of controversy in the 80s?)
The writing seemed a bit choppy to me and the general progress of the storyline a bit disjointed. Perhaps this was done to reflect the urgency and chaos of the situation, but it just ended up occasionally throwing my focus for a loop.
Book to movie: a surprising amount of key events and dialogue made it from the book into the movie. Sadly, there was no yippie-kai-yay . . .
Summary - check it out if you are a die hard Die Hard fan (yup, that just came to me - you're welcome). If you are looking for an awesome action book, chances are you may leave this one only slightly satisfied.
Interestingly, I just realized I finished this on the one year anniversary of Alan Rickman's passing - Hans Gruber is much better than Tony Gruber any day!
I was not a huge fan of the book right before this one in the series – Crimson Shore. While Obsidian Chamber was a great deal better, I feel like wherI was not a huge fan of the book right before this one in the series – Crimson Shore. While Obsidian Chamber was a great deal better, I feel like where it ended left something to be desired. In fact, up until the end I was going with 5 stars all the way, but one major resolution is bringing it to 4.5 – and I am debating about whether to round down to 4 because I want my version of the ending so badly!!! See spoiler in next paragraph for details if you do not mind the key resolution being ruined for you.
I was reading this in a Buddy Read (shout out to Ginger and Terry), and so far the consensus seems to be (view spoiler)[we really wish Diogenes had blown himself up in the explosion at the end. It would have been much more poetic and would have brought a nice final ending to his storyline compared to what actually happened (hide spoiler)]
But, if I ignore the ending (I know, what’s the point then, but just bear with me . . .), I thought this was a really great book and it got back to a style of writing and storytelling I have not seen in a few books. There were lots of interesting storylines taking place all over the world. There was action, mystery, peril, etc. Also, a huge cast of characters – some that we haven’t seen in a few books. It just felt more meaty and full as a story than I have seen from Preston and Child lately. I hope that trend continues in the next book.
I will sum it up that this was a 95% satisfying book with one big speck of sand in my eye during the resolution. I am going to err on the side of 5 stars because I love P&C books so much. Also, I want to make sure that it is obvious to others when they check out my reviews of this series that I liked it better than the last one. But, I think I will need to start rewriting some of the stories as fan fiction!
Another thought that one of my Buddy Readers and I had about the ending (view spoiler)[Constance can stay in the Himalayas! Let’s get back to some of the other characters – we have had quite enough of her for a while! (hide spoiler)] ...more
This book took me about half a year to finish. I started it in the middle of a book slump caused by anxiety early on in the COVID-19 pan2.5 to 3 Stars
This book took me about half a year to finish. I started it in the middle of a book slump caused by anxiety early on in the COVID-19 pandemic. In hindsight, maybe this wasn't the best book content-wise to get over pandemic caused anxiety!
A few thoughts . . .
Why did this take me so long to read?: I started this as part of a buddy read. I believe my fellow readers finished it months ago. I tried to get myself to read at least a chapter a day, but something about the book made it feel like a chore that I had to do (and no one was gonna pay me an allowance for finishing this chore!). I thought the story was interesting, creative, and somewhat predictive of the current state of affairs with the COVID-19 pandemic. But, I was rarely excited to get back to it or riveted while reading it.
Repetition: Before I started reading this book I saw that one of the biggest complaints several people had was that the writing tended to be repetitive. I thought,"how bad could the repetition really be?" Answer: pretty bad! This book could still have had all the exposition, build up, character building, suspense, etc. but been half as long. There were times that a point would be driven home ad nauseum several times in the same chapter. I wanted to yell at the book,"GET ON WITH IT!"
Side note on repetition - cliffhangers I am pretty sure the cliffhanger that ended each chapter for at least the first half of the book was exactly the same. I wanted so bad for the story to reveal it and move on - or, at least stop bringing it up and come up with some new cliffhangers. If I had a dime for every time I said,"Ugh . . . not again!" I would have at least $3.80!
Would I recommend this? In many circles this is considered a sci-fi classic and a must read. For speculative sci-fi content, it is pretty good and worth it. But, as an enjoyable and pleasant reading experience, I cannot give my endorsement....more
1969 was the end of an era, and the beginning of another. Post-WWII America up against Vietnam America as society rolls over from clean cut, white pic1969 was the end of an era, and the beginning of another. Post-WWII America up against Vietnam America as society rolls over from clean cut, white picket fences to long hair and free love. While every decade ends differently than it began, the 60s might be even more so than others when it comes to society, pop culture, and government. While 1969 stands out in my mind as one of the most important years of our time, it wasn’t until I read Helter Skelter that I realized how much happened at the end of that summer:
• Woodstock – August 15th-17th • Neil Armstrong is the first man to walk on the Moon – July 20th • Ted Kennedy and Chappaquiddick – July 18th • Beatles crossing Abbey Road photo taken – August 8th • Tate-LaBianca (Manson Family) Murders – August 8th-9th
While humanity had proven its ability to produce madness, one of the most insane and well publicized is the Manson Family and their reign of terror in Southern California in the late 1960s and the legacy that still haunts us today. While I was somewhat familiar with Manson and the crimes committed by his followers, It was not until I read Helter Skelter that I realized all the facts. Believe me, if you think what you know already is horrifying, just wait until you get the whole story.
Bugliosi is one of the most famous attorneys and true crime authors of our time. The fact that he was the prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial gave him a first hand view of the proceedings. Because of this, Helter Skelter is probably the most well researched and presented true crime stories I have ever read. It even sounds like Manson was more impressed with Bugliosi than his own defense attorneys!
Now, a caveat here – if you like your true crime to be more of a retelling and less of a deep dive into the details or if you prefer a lighter/abridged story (something that might fit into an hour long show on the Investigation Discovery Channel), then this may not be the book for you. While the crimes are discussed, the majority of the book is the trial, the evidence, and interviews with the witnesses. Truly, this is not a book for the casual True Crime fan; this is only for the hardcore. I have seen some abridged copies of this book out there, perhaps they are best suited if you are not ready to commit to something this intense.
If you are ready for music, madness, and murder and want ALL the details – you must check this book out!
Very entertaining to read - based on the subject matter and quality of the writing/story I can see why this is considered one of the top novels of allVery entertaining to read - based on the subject matter and quality of the writing/story I can see why this is considered one of the top novels of all time.
Also, I think this is a good story for people to read today even though it was written during the Cold War. The subject matter is still very pertinent and it could help many realize that not properly responding to our fears could lead to our destruction....more
This book was a bit of a misnomer for me. I thought the beginning was unique, intense, dripping with dark humor, and full of cliffMaybe only 3.5 stars
This book was a bit of a misnomer for me. I thought the beginning was unique, intense, dripping with dark humor, and full of cliffhangers. At that point, each chapter added more and more to the speed of the story as the velocity increased and Billy's life quickly careened off course.
Then, about halfway through, the breaks were thrown on. Gone were the cliffhangers. The shorter, more intense chapters became interspersed with longer, more introspective chapters as Billy came closer to determining the identity of the killer. And, while I don't have issue with longer, deeper chapters helping uncover parts of the plot, they just seemed to distract from the idea of "velocity"
Finally, when the book was over, I couldn't really tell it was over. I was just waiting for a little bit more to happen. One more "SURPRISE!"
But, despite my concerns with the book, I did enjoy it and would recommend it to other Koontz fans....more
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