Interesting plot; a well-told, engaging drama
584232
This is a book with lots of interesting elements:  hard-working inhabitants in a rugged setting, untamed wildlife, government regulation versus frontier freedom, and sharp characters in a well-developed plot.
Author Nicholas Evans has done an outstanding job of putting both his heart and mind into a story of how nature can get in the way of man's endeavors ... and vice versa.  He demonstrates his ability to keep several sub-plots (involving romance, suspense, struggle) going at once, and to connect them in the reader's mind without impeding the flow of the story.  His characterizations are quite strong, and I found myself figuring out very quickly who was to be liked, and who wasn't.  Even the animals had personalities.  Though I'm not in the top tier of nature enthusiasts, I thoroughly enjoyed reading and learning about the environment of wolves, the toil of ranchers and trappers, and how simple--and hard--life can be in beautiful Montana (I've visited; it's gorgeous).
Overall, I found "The Loop" (named after a trap for catching wolves) to be very well-paced (no slow chapters) and captivating.  The evolving story line really kept me turning the pages, and even though the ending unwound just a little too fast for my taste, I'd recommend this book to anyone desiring a solid, satisfying novel.
91715
An insurance salesman is seduced by a femme fatale into helping murder her husband for the policy pay-off, and plots the "perfect" crime. However, little is as it seems, and things become almost Machiavellian as wheels within wheels are revealed over the course of the crime...

Although this book starts off slow, it quickly builds up speed and tension once things truly get under way re: the murder and (especially) the aftermath. Once I got "into" it, I couldn't put it down.

On the bright side, it's a neat little story (and apparently **loosely** inspired by real events!). The plot is tightly crafted, with new angles continuously  introduced to keep the reader guessing, and is a fast-read.

On the down-beat, there are a few potential plot holes that were left open over the course of the story, though the plot goes on enough weird angles that it's debatable whether they would ever come up. Arguably, this is a story you're supposed to 'turn your mind off' with and let the investigators do the thinking, so maybe that's forgivable.  My major complaint would be the ending: without giving too much away, it just wasn't satisfying or realistic. Again, others would quite likely be more forgiving.

Worth checking out.
187855
A fun read; full of intriging characters; provoking subplots and a twist for the resolution of the crimes. However, I occasionally felt that some of the subplots were invented in order to provide additional copy---i.e. the two men which rented rooms at the leading lady's home. Though they were interesting and added a "gay" interest--I wasn't sure why they were there. The office assistant was a very well developed character.  She had a personality that was irritating and lovable!  The main plot was great and the major characters of the story were convincing!
3431707
Must admit to having tuned in late to this new crime venture by Barbara Nadel, known for the excellent Turkish Inspector Ikmen series, and having missed the first book A Private Business, featuring PI's Lee Arnold and Mumtaz Hakim, will seek to make amends with a review of this, the second in the series.

Gravitating around the East End of London in the run-up to the Olympics, I think what struck me most about the book was how issue-based the story was, with a wide-reaching commentary on the social and cultural problems facing normal people scratching out a life in the metropolis. Nadel interweaves these issues, not only into the central murder plot, but also within the lives and back stories of all the main protagonists, notably in her Muslim PI Mumtaz Hakim, a single parent suffocating under the weight of debts left by her late husband, and with the mental scars left by the abuse that she and her step- daughter received at his hands. This story is replicated to some degree in her interaction with Nasreen, a wife not wholly trusting of her own husband, and who strikes up a tentative friendship with street dwelling ex-soldier John, who is later murdered. Nadel deftly illustrates the stresses of these women's previous and current relationships with secretive and violent men, hemmed in by the constraints of their religious obligations in marriage. We also gain an insight into the abuse of other women, as Nadel highlights such issues as sex trafficking and the difficulties for women trying to raise their families under the constraints of slum landlords and moneylenders. These are debts that can sometimes only be repaid by the cruellest and most demeaning acts possible, and Nadel provides an effective counterpoint throughout against the backdrop of the hope and regeneration bound up in the staging of the Olympics- a renewal that provides little succour in reality for those that lived in its shadow.

Although for my taste I found the plot a little pedestrian, I did read this book at a pace, as the previously mentioned socio-cultural aspects of the book were more than enough to keep my interest, and I did like the little nuggets of interesting facts and observations that Nadel drip-fed throughout. I also took to the central characters of Lee Arnold, the ex-police officer and Mumtaz Hakim, and the respectful parameters of behaviour that defines their relationship both on a personal and professional level. I enjoyed the touches of humour on Arnold's part especially in relation to Nadel's portrayal of the nastier characters of the piece and Arnold's interaction with them, and how her `baddies' were truly despicable and seemingly untouchable from the forces of law and order, personified by feisty DI Vi Collins, who also enjoys a unique relationship with Arnold. Indeed, the natural wit and characterisation of the book along with the more thought-provoking addressing of social and cultural problems, more than made up for any weaknesses that I perceived personally in the plotting.

On the strength of this book, I will most certainly be seeking out A Private Business, to catch up on the beginnings of the partnership of Arnold and Hakim, and would certainly recommend An Act of Kindness for those who like their crime with a little more social conscience, uncovering the reality behind London's shiny facade.
4916182
I'm surprised at how many negative reviews this novel has gotten.  It took me a while to get into it -- Saul and Patsy's relationship, the familiar anxious Jew/sunny Gentile dynamic there, didn't strike me as terribly promising -- but as the plot thickened with the appearance of Saul's disturbed student, Gordy Himmelman, and the interweaving of interesting family subplots, I began to find it un-putdownable.  Baxter's style is so intelligent and flowing as to seem a bit facile -- this might be off-putting to some.  But as the content gets darker, the sparkle and fluidity of the style is a welcome counterpoint.  (That sense of counterpoint, darkness to light, seems to me to be the central theme of the novel. )  Aside from its long-ish beginning, this is a very tightly contructed story and generally a fun read.
4308316
interesting plot, a fun but different kind of read
2075200
A very good story, exceptionally well presented.  It follows several primary characters, each pretty well developed and having pivotal roles in the drama.  In some ways this isn't quite the page-turner as are some of John Hart's other works, but there seem to be more characters and intrig, with an equal dose of drama.  John Hart fans will be pleased, those who haven't experienced Hart should try it out.
1188066
The Right Side of Time tells the story of Kalila Grey, a recent recruit of the Agency of Adjustments, a secretive organization that uses time travel to right past wrongs and nip future problems in the bud.

Reading the book's description, I had expected a much longer novel. While many works dealing with time travel spill a lot of ink (often too much) on the inherent complexity and potential ramifications of interference with the past, these concerns are largely glossed over here. The protagonist, Kalila Grey, is a genuinely likable and intriguing character, though the story might have benefited from a deeper exploration of her motivations and background, not to mention her training as a member of the agency.

The above observations should in no way suggest that the Right Side of Time is anything other than a well-written and engaging read. It has all of the elements that make for a compelling story -- a winning protagonist, a shadowy organization, a healthy dose moral ambiguity -- I just wish they'd been given more room to breathe.

That said, if there ever is a sequel, I'll certainly be picking it up.
3382940
Larkspur is a novella which serves as an introduction to a larger, forthcoming story. It is a tale formal in diction and tactical with its word choices so as to provoke a strikingly rich vignette of the upcoming longer work, yet aware enough to avoid the sweeping platitudes which typically plague court dramas. Im going to avoid referencing the plot, simply because this piece is short enough that any mention could perhaps ruin a significant portion of it. With that said, Id like to outline what I thought worked well and hopefully share with the author some aspects that can be improved upon and considered in the longer novel to be.

Even from the first paragraph, I got the sense that V. M. Jaskiernia was very scientific in their word choice. This is a good thing. Without going into too much detail, the setting  a baroque-style court  was carefully crafted in such a way that the words chosen by Jaskiernia seemed to breathe the environment rather than flatly tell the reader where and what things were. The Jaskiernia is able to strike a balance using prose that was neither too superfluous nor purple. At the same time, they do not hold themselves back by using writing that is plain and safe. In this way, Jaskiernias style becomes instantly recognizable for what it is and the story is pushed forward with this impetus of recognizability.

All of this is propped up by Jaskiernias ability to show us what is happening by providing just enough contextual clues to get by without being dragged through the grind of expositions that might otherwise be expected to accompany us as we are enmeshed in an onion of a setting. Even in this short work, we are kept guessing for some time, before the layers are peeled back and we get a glimpse of meaning but not so long as to be frustrating. Most effectively, this story does hint at much larger plot points and settings with deeper political undercurrents and machinations without burdening the base-level plot at hand.

With that being said, there are a few minor things Id like to address. As I mentioned above, Jaskiernia walks a tightrope by using a satisfyingly precise vocabulary. Again, this is not a bad thing. However, there are a few instances where the wording struck a bit of an imbalance, indicated by a distinct lack of clarity which necessitated in a few re-reads before the meaning became clear. Again, Im not going to provide specific examples because they might ruin a plot point or two but because a few of these confusions happened at plot points, I think this is something for the author to really consider. It would not do for the reader to be scratching their head at a major inflection point in the story. That being said, there were only a small number of passages that tripped me up and much less than can typically be expected of a relatively new author undertaking a story using these stylistic word choices and elements.

V. M. Jaskiernia has given us a glimpse of a complex world rife with hints of intriguing politics and interesting characters. It will be a pleasure to read the continuation of the story in upcoming works.
4401275
This book's plot's already been reviewed, so I'll just add that it's fun without being fluffy--the characters are well-developed and the plot's full of interesting twists. The "contests" between the prospective brides are great, as is their growing friendship. I have a couple of plot complaints, including one pre-wedding tryst that goes too far, and the fact that one major conflict toward the end is basically swept under the rug, but there's a lot of good stuff here. I'm keeping it.
1052158
A deftly plotted domestic drama with convincingly drawn characters. A romance of sorts that centers around the lives of a group of classical musicians, the Driscoll siblings in particular, as they make their way from music school and on through the challenges and triumphs of adult life. Kirazian works thematically like a twentieth century Modernist to create what is essentially a love letter to a life in the arts. Though a few of the plot points seem a little over the top (perhaps its the romance effect or the primacy of theme), this novel is well worth reading. Not quite 5 stars for me, but Id give it 4 and a half if I could.
4969829
Those are some of the questions that confront Omar Youssef, a teacher in his mid-50s as he struggles daily to convince his students at a UN school in Palestine's West Bank that the cult of violence is as dangerous -- if not more so -- than the injustice of the Israeli occupation. Youssef must also deal with torn loyalties in this gritty, gripping mystery, when he realizes that saving a friend or pursuing justice may can't involve the Israeli authorities. Indeed, for a novel set in the West Bank and addressing squarely some of that region's most intractable political problems, the Israelis are noticeably absent from the drama. Instead, the plot of this book revolves around the tensions within the Palestinian community, which Rees does a superb job of delineating.

When a young man -- a rebel and 'martyr' -- is gunned down outside his home, all assume that he was betrayed, and that the culprit is a Palestinian Christian, a former student and close friend of Omar's. Omar can't bring himself to believe it, and the plot unfolds from there. Rees is obviously very familiar with life in the Arab West Bank, and does a tremendous job of portraying it from the nuances -- the mannerisms, the phrases -- to the bigger themes, such as the importance of tribe and relationships (the fact that fathers, on the birth of their eldest son, become known as Abu (name of son) as an honorific becomes an important turning point in the narrative). He  doesn't shy away from violence or even tragedy, all of which are too much part of the real backdrop in which his fictional characters exist -- indeed, tough as it was to read parts of this book, I still realized that ducking these issues, softening the events and the plot, would have been a dishonest choice by this acute storyteller. Rather, he makes the plight of many Palestinians -- the silent majority, perhaps? -- more acute by his fascinating portrayal of Omar Yussef. Even as the teacher deplores what his students are learning outside the classroom ("there was such violence even in his girls that it shocked him. No matter how he tried to liberate the minds of Dehaisha's children, there were always many others working still more diligently to enslave them"), stubbornly tries to remain a voice of reason.

It's rare to find a mystery novel that transcends its genre and that doesn't avoid the ugly realities of life or somehow 'pretty them up'. There are disturbing moments in this book, but they aren't there for effect, as in some slasher novel, but because that is the reality of the world in which Rees has set his characters. In a way, it's like reading the newspaper or magazine articles -- but really getting inside the lives of the people in the region, and coming to grips with their limited options and understanding some of their conflicts and decisions. We too often see the rest of the world in black and white; here's a book that emphasizes the shades of grey. Even Omar Yussef is no textbook hero -- he's an alcoholic who's been on the wagon for years, but whose hands still shake, to the scorn of the self-righteous and devout Muslims around him.

Recommended very highly to anyone who likes a gritty mystery full of detail and compelling characters; those who appreciate that life has no easy answers. (Not for anyone who is a cozy mystery addict, however...)

I promptly went out and downloaded onto my Kindle the next three books in the series, as well as an earlier non-fiction book by Rees that I hadn't run across before, but that explores some of the same themes that I saw pop up in this novel.
4131571
This is a well done period drama based upon a novel by Elizabeth Gaskell, who was sort of a 19th century Jane Austen.  This story centers around a girl whose father is a doctor.  Her father having been widowed when she was young, she's accustomed to being a Daddy's girl without interference.  However, he decides to remarry and the wife he chooses is a crafty woman who quickly sabotages everything that the girl holds dear.  She's left without recourse to defend herself from the woman's wily ways.  However, thankfully, we do have Lady Harriet who intercedes on the girl's behalf and after some difficulties, all ends well.  This story has elements of both Cinderella and a 19th century "mean girls".  Somehow, it wasn't as stirring as "Cranford" or some of the other series that are based upon Elizabeth Gaskell's writings. In fact, I even found it to be quite weighty at times.  However, it is a well done drama.  And there are so many elements in it that any woman can relate to.
3474029
I really enjoyed this novel.  I found it to be very entertaining and engaging.  I also found the story fascinating.  Some pieces of the story seem a bit forced, but overall the story is generally told in a straightforward fashion without constantly stooping to the usual stereotypes.  The anecdotes about British class distinctions, and snobbery, were interesting, as well as the interplay not just of the characters themselves but of their circumstances - political, familial, and generational.
A minor criticism is that sometimes the author overreaches in attempting to describe an event or scene by using words that are arcane, obscure, out or place, or otherwise just interrupt the flow of the story.  In one scene in particular, that is eerily reminiscent of something straight out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie, the author, if I recall correctly as I did not flag the page, seemed to misuse the word catafalque; and even if he did not misuse the word his use of it diminished the description of the scene as there are far better words to use.
1541374
This drama takes some time to develop and for the most part is more about the characters and dialogue than the plot. It is an interesting glimpse into river life in the Arkansas region. While I'd bet aspects of how river life is portrayed are pure "Hollywood" there is still a distinct culture that is very different than city dwellers or suburbanites. I found this to be an intriguing dimension to the movie that kept my interest.

Overall I wouldn't say it was great (in terms of acting or plot), but the film is unique and worth a watch if you're just browsing for an evening movie.
1640104
After her death, a woman and her three souls revisit her life from adolescence through marriage in order to determine what keeps her tied to the world. She's an ambitious young woman from a wealthy Chinese family and comes of age at the cusp of the Chinese Communist Revolution--so her story engages everything from the role of women in the 1920s and 30s to the era's shifting political and social landscape, occasionally with a heavy hand but more frequently with grace. The retrospective PoV allows the protagonist to analyze her memories and notice things she missed at the time--effective as foreshadowing, and even better as a tool to develop the supporting cast. The end of the book is less subtle; its compressed timeline makes it feel like an extended epilogue. The speculative element that allows all this to occur is distinctly secondary-- it's effective, but uninterrogated. That means this book isn't to my usual tastes as a speculative fiction reader, but to my surprise I enjoyed it, given a quibble or two. It's a local story within a broad setting, and Chang's ability to wrangle that, to make the history accessible while grounding the narrative in intimacies and details, makes for a compelling and delicate novel.
3990869
I enjoyed this story, not least because it develops the theme of abuse of power, that occurs too often in real life. The author has a sophisticated and clear-eyed appreciation of political realities and institutionalised evil, unlike many others. Ongoing suspense and a heroine easy to root for made me overlook the occasional mistake, though I would suggest getting another proofreading done.