This is an excellent book. It was fun to see how Rhyme first meets his future partner, Amelia Sachs. She’s a bit of a disaster as a NYPD Patrol Officer — but Rhyme sees potential.
The killer is well written, as always with Deaver.
And there are plenty of twists and turns to the plot.
It was adapted for Hollywood in 1999, starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie.
NBC had a TV adaptation, as well, that I haven’t seen. It looks even better than the film though it got low ratings. They’ve changed the book to be more entertaining. But only lasted 1 season.
I’m not a fan of reality TV — but this show is good.
10 amateur climbers competing for a cash prize of $100,000 and $100,000 prAna sponsorship.
Less hype, more reality than similar shows. Plenty of respect. Not much faux outrage. No phoney drama.
No psychological warfare or sabotage.
The elimination round each episode is entertaining.
If you can only watch 1 episode, watch the last ➙ #10.
It’s upbeat and positive. I recommend it even for those who have no interest in rock climbing.
This show is presented for the non-climber. I learned a lot.
In fact, as I hiker my tendency is to dismiss climbers — especially mountain climbers — as egomaniac masochists. They get far more media attention than hikers.
Jason Mamoais 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) — 250 pounds. Not really the right build. But the man loves climbing anyway. He makes celebrity appearances. And this show is Jason’s baby.
Host Chris Sharma is legend in the sport. And they brought in another legend, Meagan Martin, to assist him. Meagan’s famous for American Ninja Warrior, Pole Vault, and Climbing.
Cat Runner, one of the competitors, is small. Light is good. But short doesn’t help in climbing. Cat identifies as transgender, one reason he’s a climber — an activity where gender doesn’t matter.
I was cheering for him before finding out he was trans. I was cheering for Cat because he was shortest in a sport where it helps to have long limbs. Reach.
Cat’s from Kentucky, one of the many U.S. states where ReTrumplican politicians are proposing anti-LGBTQ and/or anti-trans legislation in an effort to prove they are more horrible human beings than their next GOP primary challenger. Intolerant A-holes all.
Recruited to help the FBI and the Immigration and Naturalization Service perform the nearly impossible, Lincoln Rhyme and his partner, Amelia Sachs, manage to track down a cargo ship headed for New York City carrying two dozen illegal Chinese immigrants, as well as the notorious human smuggler and killer known as “the Ghost.”
But when the Ghost’s capture goes disastrously wrong, Lincoln and Amelia find themselves in a race against time: to stop the Ghost before he can track down and murder the two surviving families who have escaped from the ship and vanished deep into the labyrinthine world of New York City’s Chinese community.
Grisham is such a good story teller, that I was convinced to stay with the plot. I was cheering for Theo.
His good friend, April, disappears from her bedroom in the middle of the night.
No one, not even Theo Boone – who knows April better than anyone – has answers.
As fear ripples through his small hometown and the police hit dead ends, it’s up to Theo to use his legal knowledge and investigative skills to chase down the truth and save April.
Theo’s home town anxiously awaits the new trial of infamous murder suspect Pete Duffy.
There’s been a robbery and Theo is the accused. His reputation is on the line, and with the evidence building against him — and dangerous threats looming —Theo will do whatever it takes to prove his innocence–even if it means breaking a few rules.
Small town Strattenburg is divided over a hot political and environmental issue — whether or not to build a $200 million freeway bypass while schools, police, fire, and all other town budgets are being cut.
Theo finds himself right in the thick of it … strongly opposed to the plans.
But when he uncovers corruption beneath the surface, no one—not even Theo—is prepared for the risks—and potential harm—at stake.
Torn between his conscience and the law, Theo will do whatever it takes to stand up for what is right.
The end of this book is the best single scene in the series so far.
The Final Twist (2021) is the 3rd book in the Colter Shaw series.
Just hours after the harrowing events of The Never Game and The Goodbye Man, Colter Shaw finds himself in San Francisco, where he has taken on the mission his father began years ago: finding a missing courier bag containing evidence that will bring down a corporate espionage firm responsible for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of deaths.
Well researched. Well written. Interesting premise.
Some fun Deaver plot twists.
But ultimately I was not all impressed with this book.
I wish Deaver was a better story teller.
I wish his characters were more real. I might care about them more.
As usual with Deaver, there are plenty of surprising twists and turns.
And a terrific bad guy.
Solitude Creek is the fourth in the Kathryn Dance series …
Dance, an agent with the California Bureau of Investigation, finds herself suspended from duty when an interrogation goes bad in a horrific way.
She’s busted down to the Civil Division of CBI and given the boring assignment of checking permits after a stampede in a local roadhouse results in several deaths and a number of injuries.
Dance soon learns, however, that the panic was intentional—a classic case of someone yelling fire in a crowded venue—and unofficially begins to investigate. …
I liked season 1 more than most. And I had mixed feelings about season 1.
Billy Crudup as Cory Ellison is excellent. My favourite character. And there’s a lot more Cory Ellison in season 2. You are rooting for him.
But this show is mostly annoying rich, entitled people complaining about how miserable they are. Whiners.
Season 2 has even more moaning. Again, too much drama. Not enough action. Guardian called it the messiest show on TV.
But Steve Carell as Mitch Kessler is quite believable in season 2. You almost start to like him in the mansion on Lake Como.
Guilty pleasure ~ Reese Witherspoon as Bradley Jackson. Reese really can do no wrong for me. Even with the over-the-top writing of this show. I just like her.
On the other hand, I really appreciated season 2 being realistically depicted over the start of pandemic early 2020. It was a blast from the past to see those first news stories again.
The timeline works up to the point where Tom Hanks gets Covid.
Recall season 1 was about the #MeToo movement.
There are some good moments in season 2. Bradley’s interview with Maggie Brener was awesome.
It’s almost worth watching.
But with all the Apple money, all the talent, I expected better.
Rick McCharles 