I would recommend this novel, but be forewarned...
343416
I would recommend this novel, but be forewarned: it's not the typical Travis McGee adventure.

I looked at the other reviews. A mixed bag. Some thought this McGee novel was one of MacDonald's best. Other's thought it was one of his lesser undertakings. As I read the novel, from start to finish, I think I came to understand the reasons for this polarity.

My opinion? After having read this story twice, I would say that One Fearful Yellow Eye might be both: one his best stories, but also one of his weakest McGee stories. But please know that my final opinion rests on the side with those reviewers who liked this McGee novel. I liked the change in pace.

This is the eighth volume in the Travis McGee series. Up until this volume, the locations have been southerly and predictable. The tone of the first seven volumes has been quite Florida'ish, the Busted Flush somehow playing a role in the events, the Florida characters mingling in the events as well, etc. etc. Seven volumes which firmly established McGee, his Florida/Bahamas/Bermuda lifestyle, his philosophies, his Florida friends and neighbors, and his methods of earning retirement income. And then here comes the eighth novel in the series and the location and tone is completely different.

This story takes place in Chicago in the winter, the antitheist to McGee's balmy home territory. But that's not the problem. The problem is that McGee hates Chicago and throughout the novel throws in various soliloquies and many snippets which reveal his distaste for the Windy City. The reader can't help but wonder if MacDonald was expressing his own opinions, which would then border on author intrusion, something that many readers prefer to not notice. In addition, if the reader feels aligned to Travis McGee, which might be the expected outcome after reading seven of his stories, then the reader is also predisposed to dislike what McGee dislikes.

As a side note, I think MacDonald made an authorial mistake in disparaging the city of Chicago. MacDonald may have, in fact, totally disliked Chicago personally, but that's not reason enough to make McGee dislike it as well. Why tell a whole story in a place that constantly gets negative comments from the storyteller. It seems so counterproductive to me. I actually think the reviewers would've responded more favorably to the story had McGee not been so critical of the city in which it took place. Especially since MacDonald had worked so hard to make readers love McGee's Florida existence, which tells me MacDonald knew the strengths and advantages of having the location presented positively and appeal to the reader. If I ever write a novel, I will make sure that I don't present the main location of the story in a negative light.

Back to the story. It's a mystery, more so than any previous McGee novels. A pretty good whodunit. One of the reviewers said s/he figured out the "who" right away, which made the rest of the story anticlimactic. I'm not sure I would agree that it was so easy to figure out. There are clearly 4-5 good suspects, plus one or two remote suspects. Any amateur Sherlock Holmes who reads mysteries usually tries to figure things out and makes a guess. When there are only four possible suspects, every guesser has a 25% chance of being right. But even along those lines, I have to register a complaint. It's not kosher to introduce an important impact character late in the narrative, and this is what happens in this story. So while the reader is trying to put together the clues right along with McGee, a huge clue is left out until the very end. It sort of spoils the fun for an amateur sleuth.

But in the end, if you are a fan of Travis McGee, then I think this volume is worth reading. Maybe even a must read because it breaks the mold of the previous volumes and gives new insights into McGee's character that otherwise would never be revealed in the sunny regions of Florida and the Caribbean. It's different, and I enjoyed the difference.
1225372
I count myself as a historical fiction aficionado. I have probably read 10 or so thus far, and several Philippa Gregory novels. Bought this one on my new Kindle. What I noticed - the bulk of this novel is speculation, largely focused on the "thoughts" of Elizabeth Rivers. There are of course reports of actual historical events, but less so than I would have liked. There was a time or two I found myself thinking "oh come on". Suspension of disbelief. The speculation about the two darling princes, and their outcome and disappearance from the tower are well done I think. Given subsequent events with Perkin Warbeck, etc. her theory is plausible, and even likely. I have visited the tower several times and every time I think about "if only these walls can talk" - what we would really know now. The outcome of those two boys are at the top of the list of what I'd want to know. I enjoyed the book, but I could put it down. I wanted to read it, but it wasn't a page turner for me. Sometimes it was a little hard to follow, partially because I wasn't really "into" it, and of course that it doesn't help that every third person in this novel is named Richard.
263770
Beware of what you wish for... Journalist John Easley is determined to find out what is happening in the remote Aleutian Islands, communities he had visited as a reporter only just before they were occupied by the Japanese in the early days of World War II. (Possibly the least-known tale of that war...) So, he dons a Canadian uniform that once belonged to his late brother and smuggles himself aboard an aircraft -- only to be shot down and forced to struggle in an exceptionally hostile environment for his very survival.

His wife, Helen, on the surface, at least, doesn't need to worry about physical survival. Emotional survival is another matter, however, as she battles to discover what has happened to John. Even if they manage to find their way back to each other in person, will they ever be able to do so in such a way that they form the tight-knit couple they were in prewar days?

In that respect, at least, this is a conventional war story, analyzing how war can transform even our closest relationships, as the person who departs for war undergoes ordeals that can simply transcend belief, while the individual left behind also experiences change, but of a kind that may not be fully understood. After all, how much of a challenge to her life and world is Helen's departure to join a USO troupe? Payton does a decent job of showing us, although it's clearly the immense physical and psychological challenges of mere bodily survival on Attu that attracts his interest more, and where his ability as a writer really show through.

For me, that left the story slightly uneven, with the segments devoted to Helen so different in nature that it felt sometimes as if I were reading two parallel narratives. Of course, that's true in one way, but I felt they could have overlapped in more ways.) The unexpected element was the degree to which the landscape itself became a character, and Payton's ability to capture that in lyrical prose. For John, struggling to survive, Attu's terrain may be a tremendous obstacle, but it's also a place of wonder.

I liked and appreciated this novel, even if I didn't love it as much as other readers seem to have done. That said, I'll be keeping my eyes open for more novels by Brian Payton. Recommended -- but brace yourself for an intense reading experience.
3355168
Mr Evans tells a great romance adventure, and that't why I like his work, but just one word of warning: pay close attention to who does what to whom. The narrative hops and skips back and forth between the principal characters in, respectively, Montana and Africa, or New York and Bosnia, with careless abandon. It's a great story, but a complicated one.
35848
Really enjoyed this novel. It's a fast-paced read that also gives you a lot to think about: is the democratization of technologies and instant access to information actually "democratizing" our world or further driving wedges between the different classes of society? Aren't we just surrendering all sense of "privacy" as we entrust more and more technological devices with all sorts of private information.
But Cumulous goes further than the typical "imagine if all this information/power fell in the wrong hands", it paints a picture of a probable, not-so-far future that you can easily enter in as a reader, as it really mimics much of the ways society is currently structured.
What's even more important, is that this novel keeps "humanity" at its core and sends a real hope message across, even as it depicts an unenviable future.
The only flaw (for me) in this novel is that I was never really able to "buy" the character of the villain, both in its motivations, its rise to the power, and its downfall, despite the several chapters written from his point of view. But that's just a minor drawback and Cumulus was definitely one of my most pleasant surprises of 2016.
3435966
This complex, disturbing novel is concerned with life in Hong Kong before, during, and after the events of World War II.  (But you knew that.)  It is seen mainly through British eyes, though the author is a Korean/Hong Kong/American woman.  The characters are clearly drawn, more than in most novels, and that is paradoxically true in part because most of the characters have ambiguities and conflicting, confusing, and/or unknowable aspects -- as real people do.
The intertwining of the characters' lives with each other and the events of history is also brilliant.  Still, there are some points that are just too confusing; I think the author intended for the reader to understand some things which I unfortunately did NOT understand. . . and I think I'm no fool.  I did enjoy the twists and revelations at many points in the tale, however, including one which I scoped out before it was revealed -- the amount of HINT given was perfect, as in a good detective novel.
I just am not sure I can recommend this book to my book club.  Dwelling on the pain of WWII so closely is something we've done to death (well, not quite, but).
I think this book could make a good movie.  Maybe it wouldn't be PC to make a movie that makes the British, the Japanese, and the Chinese all look bad??
2622459
Because of my interest in the topic (the "world" of Anthropogenic Global Warming), I devoured the novel in two sittings. However, as a stand alone story outside of the real-world implications, the novel is good (not great).

As a "green leaning" citizen who has studied AGW in depth, created my own climate models (an Engineering Scientist), and so forth -- I found "State of Fear" scientifically credible (with a fantasy twist here and there to make a story). I think Crichton's fantasy AGW conspiracy captures the real-life conspiracy's ideology, concerns, psychologically-based public relations techniques, public denigration of critics, and lack of fully-credible scientific evidence.

A good read -- if one wants to get a feel for the politics of AGW while being entertained by a fantasy story.
2982690
I'm loving this great novel, but along with that and not trying to sound too picky: I have found two "errors" or please someone tell me if I'm wrong... First is at the begining (first 4-5 chapters) after it's stated and clear that the cat is lost, like 30 pages later Okada narrates about the cat as if it would be with him... (Might be a matter of translation of course...) and the second is: the story is situated in 1984 and when Murakami writes about Okada and Kumiko using a computer chat... well, chat and internet developed properly until the end of the eighties-early nineties, right? I'd wish to be wrong, otherwise is PERFECT! So perfect that these 2 issues jumped out to me... but, however read it, you will not regret, a future classic indeed.
4734734
This novel is about a fascinating part of history, and the excerpt is an exciting beginning to the story. I think that the coming-of-age story of Domingo, who seems to be the main character, is going to work as an interesting parallel to the coming-of-age story, so to speak, of the Sephardic Jews in exile. I particularly liked the fact that Domingo seems not to know exactly to what extent his family has retained their Jewish beliefs and practices; his lack of knowledge and understanding also echoes the situation of the people he represents.

I think, though, that in this early part of the novel, we need to remain in Domingo's head. If Da Costa turns out to be an important character in the novel, then we should find out his thoughts later, perhaps in a more extended version but hearing them now is distracting. Similarly, I would be more interested in knowing the effect on Domingo of the possibility that his words were the last his brother heard, rather than getting a tiny peek into Philippe's head. Is Domingo afraid his brother hadn't heard? Does he hope and even believe that he had?

Closer to the end of the chapter, things seem a bit rushed. Surely the parents would have had a longer discussion about whether or not to emigrate. Perhaps some of the facts told to us on the last page could be part of the dialogue between the parents as they argue the pros and cons.

The author has done a very good job of keeping us in the 17th century. Only a few words and phrases (mixed message, pastoral...) jar us back into the present. Generally, though, I catch what I assume the author wants me to--the sense of characters caught between two lives, and two worlds. I'd be interested in reading the rest of this novel.
1716553
I enjoyed this well-paced novel. The author kept me guessing about the husband's fidelity. I was kind of disappointed with the ending--just didn't ring true to me, but, for a quick read, this was a fine book.
1949076
I really did enjoy this novel.  I do happen to agree with the other reviewers that there are several places that the book comes up short (the romance and some of the road names come to mind.) however, the book is fast paced and interesting.  Having lived in the area and also having lived thru several earthquakes (in other parts of the country) I found myself drawn into the story several times.  Especially when they are underground with earthquakes activity around.  Sure it plays on several of my primal fears; however I found myself REALLY believing in the danger to the characters of the novel.  The science is accurate, the characters are more than adequate, and I find that I must really recomend this novel if you are looking for an evenings escapist enjoyment.  Read it, and enjoy it.  It does have its flaws, but very few novels don't.  I think you  will enjoy it and get caught up in the situations that the author puts you in.
1452329
I should confess straight up that I am a big fan of Edward Rutherfurd and consider him a worthy successor to my favourite author James A Michener.  For me, a hefty novel with generations of interesting characters is my idea of heaven, and his masterpiece "Sarum" is a wonderful example of a great, great novel.

Now  the latest offering "New York" - is a very well written and researched novel, and this in itself makes it a worthwhile read.  However, I have to admit that I found it vaguely disappointing.

The city of New York has a fascinating history and has been at the forefront of much of the world's history, both good and bad.  What I have found disappointing is that the storyline seems to only touch lightly on some of the more high profile events in its history, placing them in the context of the families that have been developed to populate the story.

Now this is a tried and true narrative technique, and it would be far more effective if the families were more interesting.  But alas, somehow the story moves either too slowly, making the reader think surely something big will happen soon, or in such great leaps that we miss a lot of what makes the characters truly engaging, and limiting the sense of dynasty that makes these types of novels so engaging.

Having said that, it is still a very good read.  The research undertaken is excellent and the characters are for the most part interesting and engaging (though I still believe that the characters that we don't get to know as well had the potential to be far more interesting!).  Plus its about New York - one of the greatest cities on earth!

I can recommend it, it is entertaining and well written.  It is NOT the great novel I hoped it would be, but perhaps I am just a victim of my own high expectations!
2200891
I did enjoy this novel, yet was slightly disappointed in the author taking a few more "liberties" than I thought necessary.
982560
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. There weren't any unnecessary delays in delivering pertinent information to the reader. I did not give it 5 stars because the heroine narrowly escaped death just too often leaving me thinking, "Not one of those again." Also, the layout of the text can be better. I read the Kindle edition, so I don't know what the printed text looks like. The problem is that one would be reading a piece of test and then in the very next paragraph the scene changes. I would have liked some topographical indication that the scene is changing. However, that did not stop me from purchasing the rest of the series.
1718848
This was an engrossing novel and I appreciated its relevancy to current events, but the author goes a bit overboard to espouse his personal philosophy concerning actions by our government leaders.
4342520
If the storys premise is even half correct, the U.S. is doomed -- because our nations intelligence system is not just infiltrated by Chinese intelligence agents, it is infested wih them at the highest levels.

The tale opens with the kidnapping of a contract intelligent analyst who works indirectly for the CIA.  Hes the protagonist of the novel and reasonably believable as a character.

The fundamental premise of the novel  which is delivered as four episodes -- is both logical and clever: China wants to not just steal U.S. military secrets, but use those stolen secrets to create what amounts to a fool-proof invasion/occupation plan.

A good hook and a frightening scenario.

But then the improbabilities began to pile up. They keep the action level high,but they eventually overran my willing suspension of disbelief. Enough so that Im not likely to move on to novel No. 2. (Which presumably will lead to Novel No. 3, and then Novel No. 4.)

If you are a proponent of serial novels that are driven in part by coincidences, this might be a great prospect. But if you like tightly written, self-contained stories, this is probably a pass.

I started out thinking that this novel would rate five stars. By the end of book No. 1, I was thinking three  partly for inconsistencies, and partly because the story is going to be (or at least seems) interminable. But while I cant go five stars, three is perhaps too low, so Novel No. 1 ends up with four stars. The concept is imaginative and anyone who can create a coherent novel  much less a series of them  deserves praise.
443027
Admittedly, the novel "Patriots..." was a "worst case scenario" as the author freely admits.  However, it is PACKED with detailed information that I not only found hugely helpful, but makes me aware of how woefully underprepared we are for an earthquake, etc.  Being in the New Madrid fault area, it is a given that it is a matter of time before that quake hits the midwest.

As a novel, it is mildly entertaining and might even make a decent movie (if a H-wood producer would ever consider a movie that illustrates the importance of prayer and faithfulness to God).  The "group" was the main character, as it was very difficult for me to distinguish between characters, even to the end.  I did get bogged down in the details that I knew nothing about (radio com frequencies, etc.), but that also makes it an excellent resource, and I hope to never have to say, "I wish I would have..."

Highly recommended read, nevertheless.  If you are of the mindset, "The gov't will take care of things," then this is a total waste of time.  But if the "Schumer hits the fan," then that opinion will be irrelevant.