Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Don't Blink, by James Patterson

This was a great mystery novel.   Fast paced, interesting.   Not too deep, didn't require effort to read it -- more like an action adventure movie.

Shut Eye, by Shlomi Harif

This is a Kindle -only short story.    In spite of a shaky start -- Harif opted to jump right into the story without any set up (presumably to keep it short) -- and a few editing glitches, this was very enjoyable. 

By the third screen it pulled me in; I was eager to see where the plot would take us, and started to be interested in the main character.

I can't tell if this short story is a chapter from a full-sized novel or stand-alone. I hope it is part of a novel, because there is lots to fill in around the plot that would be very interesting to learn about.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Deception, by Eleanor Cooney & Daniel Altieri

This long, twisted mystery is set in 7th century China.   Magistrate Dee is the detective and Madame Wu and her mother are the evil doers, Wu becoming Empress of China.   A form of Buddhism with deep ties to magic and superstition is at the end silenced by the practical Confucianism of Dee.


I schlepped this 640 page (hard cover version) book on several flights before finishing it, and it never lost my interest.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

The Rembrandt Affair, by Daniel Silva

This 10th in Mr Silva's spy series featuring the hero Gabriel Allon is quite welcome as a dramatic improvement in writing over his prior, disappointing, novel.    Although the lecturing was occasionally tedious, the plot, action and character development were solid, and this was an interesting book.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Millennium Rising, by Jane Jensen


This was a very engaging novel; it kept my interest across two flights.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

The Watchmen, by Brian Freemantle


Only because this book was in my hands already on the airplane, my next book in my carryon bag, already stowed above me, and that I didn't want to remove my seat belt in turbulence, that I read beyond the first couple of pages.    Those pages were not well written nor well edited.    I am glad that I kept with it:  either the writing improved or my tolerance did.   It kept me occupied for much of the flight and I cheerfully left it behind for the next traveler.   I wouldn't recommend it.