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balthazarlawson's reviews
1162 reviews
Silent Predator by Tony Park
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Tom Furey is a London police officer who works as a personal protection officer. He is called in at short notice to take over the protection of a deputy minister who is about to take a trip to South Africa. During the trip the minister and his assistant are kidnapped, something that Tom is suppose to prevent. Everything has gone wrong during what should have been a straight forward trip. Sannie van Rensburg is his opposite in the South Africa police who is protecting the Defence minister and they set off, against orders, to track down the kidnappers.
This is the premise of the story but there is much more as believed truths are not so true when looked at closer.
The characters of this book make it a good read, Tom a dedicated officer who knows his career now hangs in the balance and Sannie a mother as much as she is a police officer. She knows what she is doing is wrong and she should be following orders, but also knows that sitting around doing nothing is just as wrong. They have to make a hard choice but do what they think is right.
This is a complex story that switches between England and South Africa with side trips to Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia and Malawi. It's all connected. But there are also some dark aspects to this story, ones that very real in this world of ours.
Enjoyable, but long.
This is the premise of the story but there is much more as believed truths are not so true when looked at closer.
The characters of this book make it a good read, Tom a dedicated officer who knows his career now hangs in the balance and Sannie a mother as much as she is a police officer. She knows what she is doing is wrong and she should be following orders, but also knows that sitting around doing nothing is just as wrong. They have to make a hard choice but do what they think is right.
This is a complex story that switches between England and South Africa with side trips to Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia and Malawi. It's all connected. But there are also some dark aspects to this story, ones that very real in this world of ours.
Enjoyable, but long.
The Shadow Project by Scott Mariani
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I've read many books in the Ben Hope series but have always been left with a few unanswered questions regarding his sister, who was kidnapped in Africa on a holiday. This book answers those question and how they were reunited.
Following a training incident at his place in France, Ben takes over a security job in the hope of not being sued for millions. But the job doesn't go well as it was poorly organized from the beginning. However, the job gives him a clue to his missing sister and one he embraces and runs with.
This brings him into conflict with a shadow group that is pursuing the aims of a Nazi general, who went missing at the end of the war, that was working on a secret project
I really enjoyed this and is a must if one enjoys the Ben Hope series.
Following a training incident at his place in France, Ben takes over a security job in the hope of not being sued for millions. But the job doesn't go well as it was poorly organized from the beginning. However, the job gives him a clue to his missing sister and one he embraces and runs with.
This brings him into conflict with a shadow group that is pursuing the aims of a Nazi general, who went missing at the end of the war, that was working on a secret project
I really enjoyed this and is a must if one enjoys the Ben Hope series.
Dilemma by Jon Cleary
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Homicide detective, Scobie Malone, is called in to help with a murder, but when the main suspect disappears the case goes onto the back burners. It sits there until the suspect is spotted four years later and apprehended. Of course the suspect says he is innocent, which Scobie doesn't believe. That is until a witness comes forward and makes a comment that changes everything for him and puts in a difficult situation.
Scobie is also involved in another case, a kidnap murder, which has nothing to do with the first case and at times feels like it is just padding. If the case never existed the story would still be better.
I feel there is a breakdown in the logic when blame is transferred from one to another, in both cases, as it comes down to an unexplained feeling. That is where this story is a bit of a let down. The ending is also a bit of let down but sometimes you can't always get what you want.
Scobie is also involved in another case, a kidnap murder, which has nothing to do with the first case and at times feels like it is just padding. If the case never existed the story would still be better.
I feel there is a breakdown in the logic when blame is transferred from one to another, in both cases, as it comes down to an unexplained feeling. That is where this story is a bit of a let down. The ending is also a bit of let down but sometimes you can't always get what you want.
A Study in Stone by Michael Campling
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Dan Corrigan is burnt out and decides to take a break from London and moves into his sister's cottage in a small village in Devon. He gets to know his neighbour, Alan, and on a trip to Exeter, in search of real coffee, they come upon a cryptic message on a slab of stone in a cafe that claims to be more than it is. This sets them on the path to decrypt the message and find it's meaning. But there are those that don't want the truth revealed.
This is a novella that introduces the main characters of the series and is a good introduction. You get to learn about their personality and their motivations. I really enjoyed this, though, one or two things about the main character did annoyed me. His intense reactions is clearly why he is hiding out in a small village.
This is a novella that introduces the main characters of the series and is a good introduction. You get to learn about their personality and their motivations. I really enjoyed this, though, one or two things about the main character did annoyed me. His intense reactions is clearly why he is hiding out in a small village.
Eversion by Alastair Reynolds
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I didn't like this book.
The sheer nature of the story made it repetitive and repetitive it was. Trying to understand what was actually happening and why was difficult. It just went on and on and on heading to a goal. When that goal was reached I found it hugely disappointed to find out what the story was really about. It's difficult to express my huge disappointment.
I really hated this.
The sheer nature of the story made it repetitive and repetitive it was. Trying to understand what was actually happening and why was difficult. It just went on and on and on heading to a goal. When that goal was reached I found it hugely disappointed to find out what the story was really about. It's difficult to express my huge disappointment.
I really hated this.
After the Flood by Dave Warner
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Inspector Dan Clement is a detective based in Broome in Western Australia and is contemplating life and wondering if he should return to Perth to be closer to his daughter. He longs for an interesting case to grab his attention, something he soon regrets.
A body is found on an isolated road, over 200kms from Broome, and it's the start of an investigation that is not easy. The first problem is trying to identify the body, because without that he really has no where to take the case.
This is an enjoyable, fast paced read but there are times it seems to wonder into deep thought about life. Of course there is a climatic ending, one which feels a bit rushed.
I do have another issue with the continuity of some things, mainlywhere does Lauren Bagot work. It changes between Hardcastle Minerals and Monarch Minerals.
A body is found on an isolated road, over 200kms from Broome, and it's the start of an investigation that is not easy. The first problem is trying to identify the body, because without that he really has no where to take the case.
This is an enjoyable, fast paced read but there are times it seems to wonder into deep thought about life. Of course there is a climatic ending, one which feels a bit rushed.
I do have another issue with the continuity of some things, mainly