Hour Game by David Baldacci
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Book Reviews of Hour Game
Book Review: So many people, so little time
Summary: 3 Stars
The early Baldacci novels, "Faith," "The Simple Truth," and others were actually riveting. You couldn't put them down. Now naturally, there is bound to be a drop-off to some extent in a writer's creativity because it's just hard in any profession to keep up that intensity. Even the fabled father of Spenser dropped off the radar for a couple of years. The excellent novelists like Crais and Lehane and Connelly have relied on other characters in other venues to refuel the creativity fires ("The Hostage," "Mystic River," The Lincoln Lawyer").
Maybe it's time for Mr. Baldacci to consider that. This is not a very good novel. It promises to be so. Maxwell and King, on their second career (King really on his third) play nicely together. They are different personalities and target eachother over topics like food and neatness. They bristle; we chuckle. But it seems to get lost.
I have to echo the sentiments of others as to why this novel is confusing. There are so many people, so many issues including the above mentioned foibles as well as sex, alcoholism, philandering, grisly murders and an army of people, that you need a scorecard like they sell at ballgames.
Additionally, there is a style of commentary that the protaganists engage in that made me curious. At one point Maxwell, who seems to have her stuff together but is a little imnpulsive, faces off with a female character. We're not quite sure why Michelle is irritated because Mr. Baldacci hasn't told us. We're not sure why Sean King should be a protector of sorts. It's just a meeting. Does Michelle have plans for Sean? Because she hasn't led us in that direction. Is it just rudeness that offends her? Because Michelle can be pretty rude herself. So this is what happens. I'm paraphrasing.
'Sean put his hand on Michelle's forearm as though to restrain her. She looked at him and smiled knowingly.'
Who talks like this? No one I know. We restrain children, not adults. Seems like a surefire way to get in trouble with your partner. And then there's the 'why?'
So poor job Mr. Baldacci. Let's get back on track. This was generally disappointing. 3 stars. Nearly 2. Larry Scantlebury
Book Review: So-so
Summary: 3 Stars
This is the tale of a serial killer who goes about his work with thought and style but when he's not quite as free to murder who, where and when he originally planned to, the sense of intrigue fades away and it takes much of the interest in the story with it. It's a rather stereotypical scenario involving an extremely wealthy family full of jealousies, tragedies and divided loyalties and enough potential suspects in the shapes of kingpins and widows, sons and daughters, in-laws and various hangers-on to satisfy those who enjoy working out who did it before the inevitable revelation. It's even possible that the butler did it, if you want a taste of the corniness, but for me the only thing I wanted to happen was to reach the end of the story, all 100+ chapters of it and probably 50 too many.
The goodies, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, are a pair of former government agents now working together as male/female partners in a small P.I. firm in a small Virginia town. They have appeared together previously in SPLIT SECOND, but one of the biggest flaws in the novel reviewed here is that they make a pretty uninteresting couple, certainly neither of them possesses the charisma or personality to carry a series and probably not even a stand-alone.
It's all a bit ho-hum in the end, a by-the-numbers murder mystery which might have been compelling 20 years ago but with so much crime fiction available today it doesn't really stack up against the best of the competition. It's OK but it's nothing special and doesn't break any new ground or old barriers. Something to pass the time on a long-haul flight perhaps, but not a contemporary crime classic by any stretch of the imagination - particularly if the genre of crime fiction is your favourite and you read a lot of it regularly.
Book Review: My first Baldacci
Summary: 3 Stars
As the clever title suggests, this is the first Baldacci book that I have read. As a sometime purveyor of whodunit lit, I have a decent catalog of works to compare this with and I'd put this in about the middle of the pack. It has moderately developed characters, an interesting if shifting story (the reader- or at list this reader- has the feeling that Baldacci decided to take the book in a different direction about half-way through, and an adequate ending.
Set in Virginia, it allows for use of the region to dip into a bit of Civil War history as well as for the use of a little of the conflict seen when a conservative and rural southern state becomes a modern and soulless regionless state. Well, perhaps it doesn't explore this all that much, but a touch of it is there.
Like any modern serial killer story, it has a good bit of psychoanalysis going on, nothing that gives the reader anything beyond superficial titillation, however.
There is also a pseudo ending, then another, then sort of another, which I found needlessly complex, and much of the book's action takes place in ending 2 and most of the explanation in ending 3.
I'm going to give DB another try since this was a passable book, and based on many of the other reviews here it sounds as though he can do a lot better. And I disagree a bit with the main Amazon review, while I found a lot of the secondary characters pretty well developed I did not find the protagonists to be all that fleshed out.
In sum, if like me you are a DB neophyte, you probably want to look at starting somewhere else. Not that this was bad, but it sounds like he has better stuff out there to pick from.
Book Review: good ideas; poor execution
Summary: 3 Stars
I listened to this book on CD, so some of my impatience with the book may have stemmed from this.
As the story summarizes, we have a group of people going after a copycat serial killer. Each killing has aspects from some former serial killer.
We have, at the same time, a mystery about the theft of stuff from the local muckety-muck dysfunctional family. The case seems open and shut except it's almost certain the assumed culprit is innocent of this crime.
The main characters, with the exception of Sean King (who is practically a superhero), I found to be two-dimensional and frustrating. Michelle Maxwell is supposed to be a 9 year vet of the special service, and yet she can't seem to think. All she is is hired muscle, apparently. Pretty muscle, but muscle nonetheless.
The crimes are all gruesome. The ending is so protracted I felt fast forwarding.
The complexity of the plot and subplots were great. I don't think I've read better in a thriller. But the characters just bored me. I had no investment with any of them.
(*)>
Book Review: A bit bouncier than most, but enjoyable. In plain English...
Summary: 3 Stars
You have read a lot of the other reviews, so I will make my point. What I mean by that is there is a great pair of detectives. They don't always work together. Even attempts at them doing something outside of work with each other go in vain. The trust factor is stated by the author as there, but these two are so deep in years of trusting no one, they tend be solo. Not really distrusting each other, but solo works for them.
I personally loved the influx of characters and minor story-lines that are tossed in. It kept you guessing who was doing what to whom. Everyone was intertwined and he sis a fine job of not only meshing, but making it believable. From the loose women, to the drugs, to the rich kids attitudes and differences. Add in a bunch of locals where everyone knows each other and one hell of a mix.
Overall a good read. Pay attention while you go, no need to take notes. Just be aware of the minor inferences and this is a good book.
Not a twice reading for me, but one to shelf as a notch in the bookcase.