Book Review-Manhattan-is-My-Beat

Manhattan is My Beat

by

Jeffery Deaver

 Manhattan is My Beat is the first of the Rune trilogy.  Rune is a five foot two, twenty year old seems to be able to solve many crimes the police cannot.  This inevitably has her running foul of employers and authorities alike.  Does she mind?   Not the slightest.

 In this novel, the first of the trilogy series, Rune works in a video store where she befriends an elderly customer who happened to have a role in the movie Manhattan is My Beat and which he rents regularly

The Manhattan is My Beat movie is allegedly based on a 1940s, real life bank robbery in which one million dollars was stolen and never recovered.

Rune believes she knows where the money is hidden and sets out to recover it which leads to inevitable problems.

Manhattan is My Beat is the first of the rune trilogy, however, there is no necessity to read Manhattan is My Beat first.  Rune is the lead character in all three novels with a few other characters playing supporting roles.  In other words each book can be read as a standalone novel.  I have enjoyed Jeffery Deaver’s entire Rune trilogy which was written in the late eighties early nineties. 

 Lack of mobile/cell phones and pay phones being the only means of communication with others combined with video tape stores, all date these books.   Overlook lack of modern technology and you have a good well-paced read.

The end caught me off guard this time also.

 Probably a three and a half star read

I think

Manhattan is My Beat

 

is a

 read.

Goodreads readers have rated

Manhattan is My Beat

 an average of 3.41 stars from

1,886 ratings and 123 reviews

 

Manhattan is My Beat

can be purchased on-line at

Fishpond, Booktopia, and Amazon

 

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Book Review-Naked-Heat-A-Bloody-Storm

 

Naked Heat

&

A Bloody Storm

by

Richard Castle

 

Naked Heat

Read: April 10, 2011

Fans of the TV series Castle may enjoy Naked Heat.  It closely follows the TV series with the exception of the characters’ names which are all fictitious anyway.  Writing a review about a work of fiction written by a fictitious author is weird; but it is worth a read.

While I may have declared Naked Heat worth a read, three years later I was not as generous with the next Richard Castle offering, A Bloody Storm.

A Bloody Storm

February 21, 2014

A feather weight story.  Fast-paced and a bit corny.

I rated both

Naked Heat & A Bloody Storm

                  

as

reads.

Goodreads readers have rated

Naked Heat

an average of 3.75 stars from 19,560 ratings and 1,809 reviews

The same reading group rated

A Bloody Storm

an average of 3.75 stars from 3,654 ratings and 226 reviews

Naked Heat and A Bloody Storm

can be purchased on-line at

Fishpond, Booktopia and Amazon

 

Book Review-The-Visitor

The Visitor

by

Lee Child

 

It has been a long time (January 2017) since I read The visitor that I cannot remember why I rate as low as I did.  I obviously enjoyed it based on my brief Goodreads review, and equally as obvious is the  fact that 77% of Goodreads reviewers rated The Visitor as a 4 or 5 star book.

My review  was written well before this page was thought of, so it is rather brief.

Another enjoyable ‘whodunnit’ from Lee Child and I must confess to not picking the villain  However, I some had ideas.

Saying anymore would spoil the story.

The Jack Reacher series of books are a good easy reads. And, for me, not long-winded as some other authors tend to be.

I am one of thee 18% of Goodreads reviewers who rated

The Visitor

 

as a

read.

Goodreads readers have rated

The Visitor

an average of 4.08 stars from 57,527 ratings and 2,445 reviews

The Visitor

can be purchased on-line at

Fishpond, Booktopia and Amazon

 

Book Review-Hard-News

Hard News

by

Jeffery Deaver

 

 

Hard News is another story of a young reporter pushing her capabilities and experience.  I say another because I have read two books this year by a different author in which a young female reporter was the lead character and Jeffery Deaver has created story which I believe to be the best of the three ‘female reporter’ books read this year.

Working in television as a camera operator out on the beat, young Rune finds a letter on her desk from death row.   After convincing herself that the prisoner is innocent she finds herself creating a story of his innocence for the Network Current Events program.

Through in a baby left on her doorstep and you have a fairly improbable scenario which nevertheless provides for an entertaining read.  For me the odd part was the baby’s development over what appeared, or seemed to be only a few months at best.  She went from nappies, or diapers to feeding herself, walking and talking.

However, it is basically good guys vs bad guys…and I did not pick the end or see any of the bad guys close to Rune.

For that reason and the fact that it was an enjoyable read, I gave Hard News a four star rating.

A final mention the Hard News is book three of the Rune Trilogy.  As yet I have not searched for books one and two.  However, I can tell you that they appear to have little, or no, impact on reading Hard News as a stand alone read.

 

I think

Hard News

 

is a

read.

Goodreads readers have rated

Hard News

an average of 3.45 stars from 998 ratings and 55 reviews

Hard News

can be purchased on-line at

Fishpond, Booktopia and Amazon

 

Book Review-No-Mans-Land

No Man’s Land

(John Puller #4)

by

David Baldacci

 

No Man’s Land is the fourth in the John Puller series by David Baldacci.  John and Robert Puller’s mother disappeared without trace thirty years prior.  The boys’ three star general father is now suffering from advanced stages of dementia.  The Puller family receive a letter from a former acquaintance accusing the retired General Puller of murdering his wife all those thirty years ago.

It is up to the Puller brothers, accompanied by a female colleague to solve this mystery.  And solve it they do.

Entwined in this plot is a super strong criminal created by a clandestine research program, which operated all those years ago and is still operating.  An espionage ring selling government secrets to commercial enterprises also adds some intrigue to the plot.

Everyone who knew Jackie Puller when she was alive has nothing but praise for her.  So why did she disappear.  Was it marital problems or an extramarital affair?

I should also add that No Man’s Land was narrated by Kyf Brewer with Orlagh Cassidy providing the female character voices.  Both narrators provided excellent character voices for this book, which as I have repeatedly written, makes or breaks an audiobook.

I don’t think I have read a David Baldacci book that I have not enjoyed so my review may be biased.

However my four star rating is still below the Goodreads average from over 18,000 ratings.

 

I think

No Man’s Land

 

is a

read.

Goodreads readers have rated

No Man’s Land

an average of 4.19 stars from 18,668 ratings and 1,243 reviews

No Man’s Land

can be purchased on-line at

Fishpond, Booktopia and Amazon

 

Book Review-Wet-Graves

Wet Graves

by

Peter Corris

 

Wet Graves is another in the Cliff Hardy series by Peter Corris.  Set in an around Sydney, Wet Graves follows the adventures, or obstacles that private eye Cliff Hardy encounters while solving cases for clients.

Wet Graves is a light read about Cliff Hardy who does not appear to be a rich private detective but does make ends meet.  Like many of this genre Cliff is a retired policeman who still has some contacts on the police force which help him occasionally.

I enjoy novels set in Australia, possibly because many of the areas and locations I have visited, during my life, or am at least familiar with.

Finally, I have to pay tribute to Peter Hosking who narrated the audio version to which I listened.  Peter has a gravelly voice which seems a perfect fit for Cliff’s character.  His variations also work well for Cliff’s mates as well.

I have only given Wet Graves a three star rating simply because it is not the first Peter Coriss – Cliff Hardy book I have read, but the first I have reviewed here.

 Not a heavy read but enjoyable.

I think

Wet Graves

 

is a

read.

Goodreads readers have rated

Wet Graves

an average of 3.77 stars from 74 ratings and 8 reviews

Wet Graves

can be purchased on-line at

Fishpond, Booktopia and Amazon

 

Book Review-One-Shot

One Shot

by

Lee Child

 

 I heard recently that there had been one hundred and seventy-three mass shootings in America in the first six months of 2017.  Not sure if I was dreaming or watching a television show.  However, guess what One Shot is all about?  Certainly not, as the title implies, about a single shot.

According to https://www.massshootingtracker.org/data there has been 218 mass shootings in America until June 30, 2017.  Not all, I must point out, have been fatal.

One Shot is a fairly typical Jack Reacher/Lee Child novel and plot.  However, it was not until I moved it to my Lee Child bookshelf on my iPad that I realised why it seemed so familiar.  There was another copy already there!  However, for a second read I thoroughly enjoyed the story for a second time. Apparently a lone sniper decides to wipe out a few of his hometown citizens and is quickly captured by the police.  The suspect calls for Jack Reacher and that is when questions begin to be asked.  And the more questions asked the more need to be asked…and answered.

One Shot is a fast paced story with the urge to turn the next page always keeping me awake at night.

Definitely a must for Lee Child/Jack Reacher fans and definitely a four star read.

I think

One Shot

 

is a

read.

Goodreads readers have rated

One Shot

an average of 4.2 stars from 70,619 ratings and 2,602 reviews

One Shot

can be purchased on-line at

Fishpond, Booktopia and Amazon