Reviews said the first third of the book was confusing — but finally started to make sense towards the end.
True. But — for me — this stand alone book was a big letdown after Osman’s excellent Thursday Murder Club series.
It’s somewhat amusing. Slightly entertaining as an absurd cozy mystery.
BUT I never did start to care much about any of the characters.
AmyWheeler is a private security officer for Maximum Impact Solutions, a private security company, currently protecting Rosie D’Antonio, “the world’s bestselling novelist, ‘if you don’t count Lee Child’”.
Her husband, Adam Wheeler—Steve’s son—works in finance and also spends most of his time traveling; they view their relationship as a long-term bet and don’t mind not seeing much of each other for now.
Amy’s father-in-law, SteveWheeler, is a widower and retired police officer who loves to stay at home. Talks to Amy by phone every day.
The plot’s confusing. Somebody seems to want to kill Amy. She’s under suspicion in the deaths of others who have been killed in 3 separate incidents, each murder occurring when Amy was nearby.
Amy’s suave boss, Jeff, seems to have disappeared. His former partner and best friend, Henk, might be responsible.
The foibles and eccentricities of the characters are interesting. But ultimately I can’t recommend this book.
31st in the John Sandford Prey Series featuring Lucas Davenport.
Ocean Prey (2021) is interesting in that the author brought in his other book series character — Virgil Flowers — to investigate the murder of three members of the Coast Guard in Florida.
Personally, I like Virgil much better than Lucas Davenport.
I found the book too slow. But it was interesting to see how the murdering drug smugglers operated in moving their dope from South America into the USA.
The novel reached number one an Amazon’s Most sold list April 24, 2021
Virgil’s love interest Rae is the most interesting character of all.
Click PLAY or learn about Sandford on YouTube. He didn’t publish his first book until age-47.
Grisham and Jim McCloskey tell 10 gripping and galling tales of the wrongly convicted.
One of the worst cops wrongfully putting people in jail was Norfolk, Virginia Police Detective Robert Glenn Ford. In February 2011, Mr. Ford was sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison for other crimes. Ford served his sentence and been released — though some are calling for further investigation into his past extorting confessions from innocent people.
Acceptance about who you are. And being tolerant of others to be who they want to be.
I was quite charmed by the warm welcome Harper got dropping into a random Oklahoma biker bar. (You can still smoke in Oklahoma bars?)
Face to face, people are most often welcoming and open minded. Even rednecks in country bars.
Since 2020, right wing politicians have been attacking the rights of transgender people — simply as a way to motivate their most deplorable voters. Very few of those haters have ever once had an encounter with a trans person.
Considered and attempted suicide rate of transgender people in the United States
from 2000 to 2022, with a forecast from 2023 to 2030
Right wing politicians and influencers like Musk and J. K. Rowling are partially responsible for those suicides.
I admire Will Ferrell trying to bring trans folks some hope with this movie.
I’d to do the same if any of my friends announced they were transitioning.
It’s a complicated process. And different for every single person.
I should say the sequel is not as good. It should have been much shorter.
John Connolly has the skill to write multiple story lines from multiple characters — and still keep the story easy to follow.
Respect.
Some might compare his books to Stephen King. Set in Maine. Often a supernatural element.
But John Connolly is more murder mystery. King more horror.
Connolly is more literary. King a pure story teller with simpler dialogue.
John Connolly is a BIG FAN of King. And might well have been influenced.
… A Book of Bones draws to a close the most recent mini-arc within the Parker series, one that involves a shadowy lawyer named Quayle, his murderous accomplice Mors, and their efforts to reassemble – and awaken – a book known as the Fractured Atlas, which might be able to plunge the Earth into a nightmare world populated by entities only known as the “Not-Gods”.
As ever with Connolly, it hardly matters whether these events are truly happening or only a matter of zealotry within the minds of those committing horrific acts; either way, people are dying, and tensions are rising. …
… a relentless crime thriller in which women are being killed at ancient sites of worship and being staged to look like hate crimes to inflame anti-Muslim hysteria.
Meanwhile, Parker and his comrades are trying to understand what role the Atlas plays in all of this, track down Quayle, and deal with the re-emergence of a religious sect which nearly cost them their lives once.
In other words, there’s a lot going on here, but Connolly weaves all of his threads seamlessly, building the pace and tension constantly until a finale which teeters on what might be the literal apocalypse with genuine suspense and dread. …
Rick McCharles 