Author: oddmoonmediareviews

Written by Jill Paton Walsh

SUMMARY:

Published by Minotaur Books in 2010, this 338-page murder mystery hardcover depicts Dorothy L. Sayers’ happily-married Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane — now middle-aged parents in post-war 1951 London.  With help from his long-time manservant, Mervyn Bunter, Wimsey recalls for Harriet (now Lady Wimsey) the tale of how he first recovered the missing Attenbury Emerald thirty years ago for wealthy family friends. 

The matter comes full circle when the current head of the financially-downsized Attenbury Family calls upon Wimsey once more.  Homicide and the possible existence of multiple emeralds leads the Wimseys and Bunter to finally decipher the Attenbury Emerald’s ominous Persian inscription.

REVIEW:

Though articulately written, the first one hundred thirty pages or so (especially a tedious series of flashbacks) proves a tough slog.  It’s so exceedingly dull that even the most patient fans may be tempted to surrender.  Still, author Jill Paton Walsh’s mystery finally hits its stride when the plodding storyline takes a welcome break by incorporating the Wimseys’ personal sub-plot.  At last, a middle-aged Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane come to life, as Paton Walsh explores a tragedy burdening the British detective couple with an unexpected inheritance.  Upon returning to her less-than-dazzling emerald caper, Paton Walsh plausibly resolves the matter (which includes a few gruesome Blitz flashbacks).  To her credit, a few minor threads are left open to conjecture, as even Wimsey isn’t a perfect sleuth.

The Attenbury Emeralds tries hard to pass as a well-intentioned revival, but, unfortunately, it’s a lukewarm imitation of Dorothy L. Sayers’ Golden Age sleuths.        

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

There’s a helpful four-page list of characters (in order of appearance) indicating who’s who.  The author also includes a single page of acknowledgements.  

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:             4 Stars

Written by Janet Evanovich & Phoef Sutton

SUMMARY:

First published in hardcover in 2016, this 307-page Bantam Books paperback edition was released the following year.  Kicking off a new mystery series, 28-year old attorney/banker Riley Moon has been freshly hired at the Washington D.C. branch of a prestigious firm,  Blane-Grunwald.  Her first assignment is reluctantly babysitting one of her employer’s wealthiest clients: the eccentric and hunky Emerson Knight. 

Determined to personally inspect his gold stash in the bank’s New York City underground vaults, Knight senses a mass financial conspiracy is in play.  Riley’s subsequent efforts to dump her bizarre client fail, especially with a relentless assassin squad now in hot pursuit.  Forced to place her faith in an unpredictable Knight’s cross-country quest, Riley finds it’s up to them to save an unsuspecting world from imminent chaos.         

REVIEW:

Co-authors Evanovich & Sutton conjure up an intriguing comedy-thriller premise, but they foolishly telegraph the criminal mastermind’s identity far too soon.  Still, various nods to pop culture are nice touches, including Riley Moon’s childhood aspiration to be ‘Batgirl.’  Riley, as a co-lead, occasionally exhibits potential to be interesting, aside from why she finds a self-involved crackpot like Emerson Knight strangely appealing.   Playing the ‘straight man’ sidekick, Riley’s character is easily this book’s best asset.  A dubious second-place is the torture-happy henchman, Rollo, as failing to kill him becomes a recurring gag.  The remaining cast mostly represents an assortment of annoying caricatures. 

As for Curious Minds’ biggest disappointment, look no further than its Buddhist-like Bruce Wayne wanna-be: Emerson Knight.  It’s quickly spelled out why this billionaire amateur sleuth is far too ridiculous to be the genre’s newest sensation.  Much like a conceited comedian bombing out in front of a live audience, Knight’s contrived antics and meditative babble repeatedly backfire on readers.  Too often, his super-wealth and far-too-convenient connections grind what little momentum the storyline has to a halt, especially when an infusion of reality is needed. 

Considering Evanovich’s prior experience alone, she can write much better action-comedy romps than this tripe.  As a vague homage to Goldfinger, Curious Minds is okay at times only because of Riley Moon’s skepticism.  Its outlandish plot twists, however, are sabotaged through a series of unforced storytelling errors haphazardly inflicted on readers.  Ultimately, silly execution dominates Curious Minds.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

Previewing the sequel, there is a fourteen-page first chapter of Dangerous Minds.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:             3½ Stars

Written by John Gardner

SUMMARY:

Originally published in 1986, this 301-page Pegasus Books paperback reprint was released in 2012.  At MI-6, M grimly cautions James Bond to watch his back during a month-long vacation.  Leisurely traveling across Western Europe, Bond intends to pick up his ailing housekeeper, May, from an Austrian recuperative clinic.  Yet, a series of corpses ominously plague Bond’s journey. 

His chilling dilemma is confirmed, as he learns that SPECTRE’s terminally ill leader, Tamil Rahani, has ordered a 10-million Swiss franc bounty for Bond’s severed head … literally, on a silver platter.  Known as ‘The Head Hunt,’ seemingly every underworld lowlife, international terrorist, and freelance assassin in the world is pursuing Agent 007.  Even worse is that SPECTRE abducts May and Miss Moneypenny as added incentive to force Bond’s surrender.

Sensing that he can’t trust anyone, Bond relies on his vast experience, along with the help of new female allies: British-Italian heiress Sukie Tempesta, and her sharp-shooting bodyguard, Nannie Norrich.  Facing multiple double-crosses as the body count continues rising, Bond must rescue his beloved friends and evade assassination long enough to settle some old scores.  Ultimately, a shadowy figure intends to dispatch the lethal competition and personally deliver Bond to SPECTRE’s private guillotine.  All bets are off in a fiery showdown on Shark Island off Key West.        

REVIEW:

Make no mistake: John Gardner’s expertise with penning suspenseful Bond novels is confirmed by the riveting Nobody Lives Forever.  Unlike the film franchise, this no-nonsense Agent 007 delivers thrills without the high-octane stunt visuals. 

Gardner, of course, requires readers to swallow contrived plot-driven elements.  For instance, there is a sequence late in the game where a cheerful Sukie (a mere rookie with guns) doesn’t flinch at participating in a bloody shootout at sea.  This twist doesn’t jive with her established persona, especially as her other seafaring skills are conveniently revealed.  The same applies to Bond’s inexplicable failure to dump the far-too-cooperative Sukie and Nannie as passengers, despite repeatedly acknowledging he knows better.  The late revelation of one culprit’s grotesque exploits isn’t necessarily plausible, either, but Gardner fairly drops a few hints.  At least, an intriguing twist re: SPECTRE’s nefarious efforts to save itself a few bucks during ‘The Head Hunt’ proves darkly ironic. 

Though slickly written, please beware that Gardner depicts sequences of grisly violence and/or homicide, including the ‘execution chamber’ finale.  If readers can handle these lurid scenes, then Nobody Lives Forever is a taut reading experience. 

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                           6½ Stars

Written by J.A. Jance

SUMMARY:

First published as a 2001 hardcover, this 388-page Avon Books paperback edition was released in 2002.  Narrated through his point-of-view, homicide detective Jonas Piedmont “J.P.” Beaumont is newly retired from the Seattle Police Department.  Haunted by his past, Beaumont hasn’t decided on his next career move yet.  Yet, he is cajoled into chaperoning his grandmother’s scenic honeymoon. 

Aboard The Starfire Breeze for a posh Alaskan cruise, Beaumont inadvertently becomes involved in an undercover FBI investigation of a homicidal cult.  Despite efforts to discreetly walk away, murder’s calling card forces Beaumont to rejoin a dangerous shipboard game where a cold-blooded killer could be anyone.

REVIEW:

Deftly blending all the elements of a first-class murder-mystery, J.A. Jance nails her Birds of Prey.  At the outset, Jance’s style vividly conveying details of a luxury cruise liner, the Alaskan locales, and Seattle points-of-reference is high-caliber for the genre.  With resorting to caricatures, her storytelling impressively brings to life the various characters, especially a world-weary Beaumont himself.  Without any drags, Beaumont’s cynical wit and astute deductions also keep readers fairly attuned to the plausibly shifting plot twists.  Occasional profanities, well-placed humor, and some adult-oriented sequences (i.e. a rural Alaskan strip joint) help keep the storyline down-to-earth without being trashy. 

Birds of Prey makes for a refreshing one-and-done (or maybe two-and-done) read.  Even if it isn’t a long-term keeper, this Alaskan murder cruise is a gem to find at the library or pass on to others.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

A fourteen-page preview of Jance’s next Sheriff Joanna Brady mystery: Paradise Lost is included.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                             8 Stars