BOOK REVIEW: The Silkworm (Cormoran Strike #2), by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)

It pains me to write anything negative about J.K. Rowling because I have such affection for the Harry Potter series, but I did not like this book at all. I read it all the way through--I couldn't imagine abandoning a J.K. Rowling book, even if it was one written under her pseudonym--but it never got more enjoyable for me. In fact, I found it more irritating and unbelievable as I went on. Mostly I just found the whole thing to be a giant case of, "Who cares?".

First there's the main character, the unlikely named Cormoran Strike. I couldn't get a read on him at all. He's described as big and lumbering, someone who sleeps in his office and looks quite rough, but then he's described as neat and particular thanks to his military training. He doesn't seem neat and particular. In fact he seems rather slovenly.

The same goes for his memory. Several characters comment on Cormoran's steel trap memory, his ability to remember anything and everything, yet his secretary has to remind him numerous times about their plans to meet for drinks. He keeps forgetting the date and time they're supposed to be meeting. Does he have selective memory? Is he teasing her? He's a completely humourless character (everyone in the series is) so I can't imagine it's that. If it's so out of character for him to forget something, you'd think his assistant would have at least commented on that.

So is Strike a complex character, a man of contrasts? Or just an unbelievable one who isn't very well written? If it were anyone other than J.K. Rowling writing this book, I'd say it was the latter. But I find it so hard not to give her the benefit of the doubt because I love her other writing so much. I don't think I'll ever be truly objective when it comes to her. So far that has resulted in me plodding threw three increasingly unsatisfying adult novels.

The most troubling point of the book, however, isn't just Cormoran Strike's character but his motivation. I never understood what on earth compelled him to take on the case of the missing writer in the first place, after being hired by the man's sullen and boring wife. He knows she's unlikely to be able to pay him, and I can't imagine he found her enticing or even likeable. (I kept picturing her as this character from American Horror Story, not because that's what she looks like but because she's so dull.) Why does he care what happened to her husband? Of course it turns out that her husband is dead (or else this would have been a much shorter book) but Strike doesn't know that when he takes the case.

And the case itself is ridiculous. Writer Owen Quine is murdered because his dreadful new--but unpublished--fantasy novel is a grotesque parody of the behaviour of people in the publishing industry? What?? Rowling--sorry, Galbraith--keeps insisting we should care about this but the whole thing doesn't amount to enough tension to go slack-lining, let alone keep up the interest of mystery reader.

BOOK DETAILS:
The Silkworm
by Robert Galbraith
Series: A Cormoran Strike Novel (Book 2)
Published by Mulholland Books
Publication Date: June 19, 2014
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Source: my local library

BOOK REVIEW: I finally read an Ann Cleeves book and it was pretty great

I love a British mystery. There are many British mystery series that I love to read, and plenty TV adaptations that I love to watch, but few that I love in equal measure. Either the show does no justice to the books, or else it's so good that I hate to admit I like it better than the original stories. But the ITV adaptation of Ann Cleeves' Vera Stanhope mysteries hits just the right balance, and I love them both.

Reading Silent Voices was like watching an episode of Vera, except all of my extra questions about the characters were explained (I know, this sounds obvious, but I'm not sure how else to say it). The tone was the same in the book as it is in the show, so if you've seen the show and hate it, you might not like the books at all.

This entry in the series is a story of a social worker and single mom whom Vera finds dead--a victim of strangulation--in the steam room of her gym. I love the moment when Vera realizes she'll have to call it in, meaning that everyone at work will know she's joined a health club. Realizing she has no choice, she at least takes the time to change back into her street clothes before her team arrives. No need to be seen in her swim suit, even if there is a crime scene!

The pace is somewhat slow, but I didn't find it dragged on. The pace made sense for the setting. Everyone is lying and everyone is at least a little bit depressed about something, so they don't make for very helpful witnesses. DI Stanhope, herself a little depressed and secretive, knows how to get things out of people eventually. These are, after all, her people. The bleakness of the setting is a big part of the charm.

Only Ann Cleeves could make a character as grumpy and frumpy as Vera Stanhope seem like the most capable, formidable, and oddly likeable detective ever. If I had a crime that needed solving, I'd want Vera to solve it. Unless of course I was the criminal, in which case I'd probably break down eventually, confessing everything to her over a cup of spiked tea and a good cry. She'd give me a biscuit, call me pet, and then cart me off to jail in handcuffs. She's made of stern stuff, our Vera.


BOOK DETAILS:
Silent Voices (A DI Vera Stanhope Mystery)
by Ann Cleeves
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: May 7, 2013
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Source: local library



RELATED POSTS:

Death of a Policeman

A Very British Murder

Hercule Poirot and the Greenshore Folly

BOOK REVIEW: The Devil's Workshop, by Alex Grecian (A Novel of Scotland Yard's Murder Squad)

Ouch. This was a painful read. I alternated back and forth between reading the book and listening to the audiobook, so it was doubly painful. Sigh. I'll try to start with the good points.

1. First, I loved the first book in this series, The Yard. At least I think I did. After reading and hating The Black Country and The Devil's Workshop, I'm starting to question if I ever loved the first book as much as I thought I did. Maybe I only liked it because it reminded me of the far superior Inspector Ben Ross and Lizzie Martin series by Ann Granger (THAT'S A HELL OF A SERIES, BTW). Anyway, at this point I'm ready to give up on Alex Grecian altogether. As a writer he is clearly more interested in a gothic thriller style than a classic Victorian detective novel. It's just not my cup of tea.


2. Secondly, I should point out that the narration by John Curless is quite good. He doesn't overdo the voices or the accents, though sometimes it might be a wee bit hard to tell one character from another. Sure, it's excruciatingly melodramatic most of the time, but that's hardly Curless' fault. I'm convinced he read the book exactly as it was meant to be read. It's not his fault it was so poorly written.

I think that's the end of my good points. I found the book, as I said, excruciating. Here are just a few things that annoyed me:

1. Alex Grecian turned Jack the Ripper into some ridiculous caricature of a "devilish" baddy that is slightly less menacing than Sideshow Bob and twice as cartoonish. Plus all of his passages are italicized, which is a lot less fun to read than Alex Grecian seems to think it is.

2. Inspector Day's perpetually pregnant wife Claire is, as it turns out, a total idiot. She finally goes into labour (hasn't she been pregnant FOR THE ENTIRE SERIES?) and reacts by writing horrible poetry and simpering like a child. I mean I know childbirth is hard (TWENTY-EIGHT HOURS OF LABOUR, PEOPLE!) and lord knows I'm probably the least brave person on the planet when it comes to physical discomfort, but even I wanted to scream at her to buck up a bit. Honestly. I'm amazed this woman has the brain cells to operate anything as complicated as a button.

3. The entire premise of the book MAKES NO SENSE. A group of vigilantes have been busting prisoners out of jail so they can...what? Punish them MORE? But it's not like convicted murderers in Victorian England were sitting around on death row for decades before execution. These prisoners were definitely going to be executed, and quickly. So what then? Do they mean to torture them? I guess so, but again, Victorian English prisons WERE NO PICNIC. They were already being 'tortured' in a lot of ways, and the treatment they received at the hands of this secret group of vigilantes didn't seem any worse than descriptions I've read of actual prison conditions at the time. So are we supposed to believe that the torture was worse, but Alex Grecian just chose not to describe it? It's not like he's shy, because he certainly gets mighty descriptive about grotesque violence later in the book. My guess is he just didn't think it through all the way. So irritating.

In the end, I think my favourite thing about this book is that it reminded me of another series which I do love, the Inspector Ben Ross and Lizzie Martin series by Ann Granger (seriously, it's sooo good), and it prompted me to check to see if there's a new one coming out. And there is! Hooray! So I have that to look forward to at least.

BOOK DETAILS:
The Devil's Workshop
by Alex Grecian
Audiobook read by John Curless
Series: Scotland Yard's Murder Squad (Book 3)
Publisher: Putnam
Audiobook published by Penguin Audio
Publication Date: May 20, 2014
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Source: I borrowed both the book and the audiobook from my local library

DVD REVIEW: The Ellery Queen Mysteries

The Ellery Queen Mysteries is a TV show about a regular forty-something single guy in New York who writes mystery novels and lives alone with his also single father, a police inspector who brings his son along literally every time there's a murder to solve the crime for him. That's normal right? Nothing strange about any of that at all.

I've been curious about The Ellery Queen Mysteries ever since I read creator Peter S. Fischer's book Me and Murder, She Wrote (which is SUCH a great book btw). In it, he talks about several series he created or worked on, including Murder, She Wrote, Columbo, and a few you probably don't remember (like The Law and Harry McGraw or Blacke's Magic). There's a special place in his heart, though, for The Ellery Queen Mysteries, which Fischer recalls fondly throughout the book while expressing continued confusion as to why the show wasn't more popular. After watching the series on DVD, I think I know why.

It's not that the show is terrible--it has a lot of great elements which make it fun and watchable--but it definitely has some problems. The premise--that writer Ellery Queen solves murder cases better than his police inspector father can--might be straight from the books, but the TV series makes it seem like his father is the world's absolute worst detective. It's not that he's portrayed as bumbling (quite the opposite--David Wayne is very gruff and direct) so much as that he has no idea what he's doing. Whenever there's a murder he literally panics until someone goes to get his son. His son the writer, not the police officer. It stretches the very limits of belief.

I'm also not a fan of the fourth-wall-breaking moments when Jim Hutton as Ellery Queen speaks directly to the camera saying, "I've figured it out. Have you?" That almost never works out as well as TV and movie creators want it to. Suddenly I feel like I'm watching a children's detective show with the host saying, "Hey kids, did you figure it out?"

The series was only based on the Ellery Queen stories in the most basic ways (only one or two episodes even credit Queen, the rest being original scripts using the same characters) so you're not likely to find your favourite books or short stories depicted. It does stay true to the "fair play mystery" aspect of Ellery Queen stories, in that all the clues you need to solve the mystery at home are given and shown. Of course, they rather hit you over the head with that point. And the answer to almost every single one is that the murderer left before the victim was really dead, giving the victim a few seconds to leave a "dying clue," some cryptic indication of who the killer is (no one ever uses those last seconds to call for help or try to stop their own bleeding).

Still, there's something inviting about the show. It takes place in the 1940's but was made in the 1970's, which means that it feels very 70's. What was it about the 1970's that compelled people to make period dramas in which everybody wore polyester and shiny blue eyeshadow? And the odd relationship between father and son is sort of like a detective duo version of Sanford and Son. Plus there's the added mystery of how 5'7 David Wayne managed to have a son as tall as 6'5 Jim Hutton. How tall was the mom supposed to have been??

But the chess-themed opening sequence and instrumental music draws you in. Get it? Because his name is Queen, like a chess queen? And he solves difficult puzzles, sort of like playing chess. Yeah, the show doesn't go much for subtlety. But I'm glad I watched them. I could almost hear Peter S. Fischer in the background saying, "I love this show! Why isn't anyone watching it?"

DVD Details:
The Ellery Queen Mysteries--Complete Series
Starring Jim Hutton, David Wayne, John Hillerman
Series Creators: Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson, William Link
Based on characters created by Ellery Queen
DVD Release Date: September 28, 2010 (Entertainment One)
Original TV air date: March 23, 1975
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Source: I borrowed it from my local library

BOOK REVIEW: The Mangle Street Murders (The Gower St. Detective: Book 1), by M.R.C. Kasasian

Research always shows in writing. If an author skimps on their research before writing a novel, it can ruin the impact of the whole book. While this may not be true for every book, it is always true for historical novels. Always. After reading some truly stellar historical mysteries set in Victorian England (plus several great non-fiction books about the time period and its real life crimes), as well as some truly awful ones, I approach every historical mystery with some healthy skepticism. Will this be as good as Ann Granger's Inspector Ross series? Or Alex Grecian's first book? Or will it be a mess, like Mrs. Poe? Or Alex Grecian's second book? I'm ever hopeful, but I've been disappointed so many times.

In the case of The Mangle Street Murders, I'm undecided. On the one hand, I'm not sure I completely trust the author's research, but on the other hand I'm not sure if it's factually incorrect or just poorly written. It sometimes seems that the whole book is written with modern values in mind, just "aged back" with old-timey words like "pianoforte."

One character says she didn't want the indignity of "going into service" so she earns extra money by teaching pianoforte and French language instruction, as well as "taking in children when their parents are unable to care for them." I'm not sure I'm buying it. In 1882, would the middle class have been sufficiently established to allow for people to need pianoforte and French lessons for their children, but without them just hiring a governess or nanny? I'm skeptical. I think the working classes may indeed have left their children in the care of neighbours while the mothers went to factory jobs, but I don't think they'd be concerned about paying extra for French lessons. And I think pianoforte lessons would have only been for the wealthy, and those people had staff for those sorts of things.

Maybe I'm wrong, but it's just one example in the book that made me think, "Are you SURE about that?" Like I said, I didn't trust the author.

Also, the "personal detective" character of Sidney Grice was, as other reviewers have noted, not easy to like. I also kept seeing his name as "Sidney Grace" which reminded me of "Sophia Grace," that British child who sings Nicki Minaj songs in a tutu. Remember her? It's who I was picturing the whole time I was reading this book. (Oh lord, that girl has a movie. YouTube has a lot to answer for.)

I guess if I had liked the book more, these little things wouldn't have bothered me. But I just wasn't that into it, which is why I had time to wonder about the details and get lost in tangents.

In the end, I thought it was only okay. I think the expression I'm looking for is "damning with faint praise."

BOOK DETAILS:
The Mangle Street Murders
Author: M.R.C. Kasasian
Series: The Gower St. Detective (Book 1)
Publisher: Pegasus/Open Road
Publication Date: February 6, 2014
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Source: NetGalley

TV REVIEW: I just started watching 'Vera' and I'm noticing a pattern...

I started watching the British detective show 'Vera,' based on the Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope novels by Ann Cleeves. I'd been avoiding it, but if there's a British detective show on TV sooner or later I'm going to watch it. It's not bad, but I'm noticing some trends. Here are some things you can rely on in every episode:

• The cold open will involve a murder, even though it will often look a little like an accident or a suicide.

• Brenda Blethyn (as Vera) will use her "almost crying vibrato" voice, which is probably the most annoying sound on the planet (I'm exaggerating, but I still haven't forgiven her for that Law & Order: SVU episode where she played Linnie Malcolm, the woman with the world's most irritating whine).

• There will be a second murder. Count on it.

• After a series of red herrings, the "real" answer will be something hidden deep in the victim's past, and will invariably involve someone they were supposed to trust. This makes it pointless to try to guess the ending too early.

• Some small detail will cause Vera or her crew to have an "aha" moment, which will result in a mad dash to confront the killer "before it's too late."

• I will lose track of what they're talking about--and cease to care--somewhere around the 1-hour mark, but will keep watching because it's a lovely, cozy atmosphere. Still, at an hour and half without commercials, each episode is loooooong.

I haven't read any of Ann Cleeves' novels, but after watching 'Vera' and the other show based on her stories, 'Shetland' (which is even better!), maybe I should. She seems like she's kind of the grittier M.C. Beaton. She even has one series with a Scottish male police officer in the Highlands (or Sheltand islands) and one with a middle aged female detective in England. Sound familiar?

BOOK REVIEW: The Killing Hour, by Paul Cleave

The Killing Hour
Author: Paul Cleave
Publisher: Atria
Publication Date: April 23, 2013
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Source: Edelweiss and NetGalley



Yay! Paul Cleave! I was so pleasantly surprised (okay, thrilled) to stumble upon Paul Cleave's previous novel, The Cleaner, so I was very excited about this one. And then...

I admit this book spent a long time on my ebook reader before I got around to finishing it. I was so excited to read more from Paul Cleave, so what happened? 

BOOK REVIEW: The Cuckoo's Calling, by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)

The Cuckoo's Calling
Author: Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)
Publisher: Mulholland Books
Publication Date:
Source: my local library
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I forgot to write a review for this when I read it months ago. Basically my feelings can best be summed up with this chart:

BOOK REVIEW: The Case of the Missing Servant, by Tarquin Hall

The Case of the Missing Servant:
From the Files of Vish Puri, Most Private Investigator 
Series: Vish Puri, India's Most Private Investigator
Author: Tarquin Hall
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
Publication Date: June 16, 2009
Source: local library
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I can't believe I forgot to review this sooner, since it's probably my favourite book in the Vish Puri series. I read them out of order, so even though this is the first one in the series, I read it third. They're easily read in any order, though. The first one I read was The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken and I fell in love with everything about it. But even I was surprised with how much I enjoyed The Case of the Missing Servant. It's both a well written book and a jolly good mystery. Plus, it was good to finally get more insight into some of the characters' back stories, particularly the origins of their nicknames (Facecream, Handbrake, etc.). If you've never read a Vish Puri novel, this one is a great start.

BOOK REVIEW: Death of Yesterday, by M.C. Beaton

Death of Yesterday: A Hamish Macbeth Mystery, by M.C. Beaton

Published by Grand Central on March 26, 2013

Review first appeared on Cozy Little Book Journal on April 18, 2013

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I have been a huge fan of M.C. Beaton--particularly the Hamish Macbeth series--for so long that I get very excited every time I see a new book in the series. So excited, in fact, that I seem to forget all of the problems the books have had over the years, especially recently. 

BOOK REVIEW: Sherlock Holmes and the Needle's Eye, by Len Bailey

Sherlock Holmes and the Needle's Eye:

The World's Greatest Detective Tackles the Bible's Ultimate Mysteries 

Author: Len Bailey 

Foreword by: Warren W. Wiersbe

Publisher: Thomas Nelson 

Publication Date: May 7, 2013 

View on Amazon.com 

View on Amazon.ca 

I really, really enjoyed this book! Since it's a book about Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson travelling through time to solve Biblical mysteries--complete with Bible study questions and notes on scripture--it's sort of fan fiction on multiple levels. Because of that, I feel I should disclose my own bias--i.e. where on the fan-fiction fan spectrum I fall. 

First of all, I LOVE mysteries, particularly Sherlock Holmes. Actually, I have a particular fondness for modern day mysteries set in Victorian London and written in the style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (so, fan fiction, essentially). That alone was enough to make me want to read this book. But I'm not Christian (despite my frequent reviews on Booksneeze), so I may not exactly be the target audience for this book. BUT here's a little secret: I actually love reading religious books, albeit in a non-religious way. I even have a degree in Religious Studies. So I've done my fair share of Bible reading, even though it was in a classroom more than a church.

Okay, now that I've alienated the atheists and the Christians alike, here's my review:

BOOK REVIEW: The Great Cake Mystery, by Alexander McCall Smith

The Great Cake Mystery: 
Precious Ramotswe's Very First Case 
Series: A Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Book for Young Readers
Author: Alexander McCall Smith
Illustrator: Iain McIntosh
Publisher: Anchor
Publication Date: April 3, 2012
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Originally published in the UK by Polygon on February 1, 2012, with the title "Precious and the Monkeys"
Source: local library (digital)
Author's website
Illustrator's website

Magda and I read this in one sitting. It's absolutely delightful! It's based on the character from The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, except it's her as a little girl, solving her first case. She's logical and adorable! My daughter and I were thoroughly charmed.

BOOK REVIEW: The Chinese Orange Mystery, by Ellery Queen

The Chinese Orange Mystery, by Ellery Queen

(Published by MysteriousPress/Open Road on February 5, 2013)

Review first appeared on Cozy Little Book Journal on March 27, 2013

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Let me just start by saying that I've long been conflicted about ebooks. I do own an ebook reader and I love that it allows me to read some books sooner than I would otherwise (like with advanced digital copies) but when it comes down to it, I'll always prefer a print copy of any book. I can't think of a single exception. However, I do have to admit that there is a very big advantage to ebooks that I hadn't considered before. Specifically, when classic books that I may have forgotten about are put out by ebook publishers like Open Road Integrated Media, it gives me an excuse to rediscover them all over again.

Enter Ellery Queen.

BOOK REVIEW: The Summer of Dead Toys, by Antonio Hill

The Summer of Dead Toys
Series: Inspector Salgado

Author: Antonio Hill

Publisher: Random House

Publication Date: June 18, 2013

Source: NetGalley and Edelweiss

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Every time I tried to read The Summer of Dead Toys--which was a lot of times, I had the advanced copy for, like, ever--I had the exact same thought, "Is this the book that's supposed to be so good? Do I have the right book?" And then I'd go and read some of the advanced buzz and reviews and see that everyone seems to love this book. Like crazy love it. So I'd think, "I must just be reading it wrong." And I'd keep reading. Another hundred pages in I'd think, "Surely not EVERYONE loves this book, right? I can't be the only one who is finding it boring as hell, right? Am I?" And I'd look at online reviews and find out that yup, I was. So I again figured I was reading it wrong. By the time I had slogged through two thirds of the book I realized that nothing was going to make me like it but it was too late to stop at that point. So I finished...eventually.

BOOK REVIEW: Death of a Policeman, by M.C. Beaton

Death of a Policeman
A Hamish Macbeth Mystery
Author: M.C. Beaton
Publisher: Grand Central
Publication Date: February 25, 2014
Source: NetGalley
View on Amazon

Review first appeared on Cozy Little Book Journal on February 4, 2014

M.C. Beaton is back! After far too many disappointing entries into what I had started calling my "formerly favourite series," I can honestly say that M.C. Beaton has penned the best Hamish Macbeth mystery in years. I had no expectation that I would like this--I've been sorely disappointed by the last several books--but I can't help myself. I just have to read every new Hamish Macbeth as soon as it comes out. I keep hoping that the next one will be as good as the earlier ones that made me fall in love with the series in the first place (like Death of a Prankster or Death of a Poisoned Pen). And, I'm happy to say, this one finally was!

BOOK REVIEW: Hercule Poirot and the Greenshore Folly, by Agatha Christie

Hercule Poirot and the Greenshore Folly (A Novella), by Agatha Christie
Publisher: Witness Impulse/HarperCollins
Publication Date: November 12, 2013
Source: Edelweiss
Review first appeared on Cozy Little Book Journal on February 8, 2014

I'm so glad I finally got around to reading this "previously unpublished" Agatha Christie novella if for no other reason than that it cleared up a question that had been nagging at me: what was Christie's obsession with follies? I didn't even know what an architectural folly was before I started reading Agatha Christie but she has three separate stories about them: Dead Man's Folly, "Greenshaw's Folly" and The Greenshore Folly. Why is she so fond of them? Finally I have an answer.

A folly, by the way, is an ornamental building, usually found in the large garden of a rich person, and is by definition a building that serves no purpose other than decorative but is designed to look like it does have a person. The most common follies are things like miniature replicas of ancient Greek temples or even fake ruins. They're very silly but at least they're aptly named.

An example of a folly: The Temple of Modern Philosophy in the Jean-Jacques Rousseau Park in France. This building was left unfinished on purpose, symbolizing that knowledge would never be complete and that philosophy will progress (and also to be pretentious).
from Wikipedia

As it turns out, Agatha Christie probably did not mean to write three separate stories about follies. It all started with this one, The Greenshore Folly, which she wrote as a gift to her local church. Specifically, she promised to donate the sales rights of one of her short stories to the church so they could install stained glass windows (which was apparently Christie's idea in the first place). Unfortunately after she had written it, she discovered that her publisher wouldn't publish it in its current state. It was too long to be a short story, too short to be a novel or even a proper novella, and not right for serialization. How embarrassing. What folly.

BOOK REVIEW: The Case of the Love Commandos, by Tarquin Hall

The Case of the Love Commandos

From the Files of Vish Puri, India's Most Private Investigator

A Vish Puri Novel

Author: Tarquin Hall

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Publication Date: October 8, 2013

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Source: Edelweiss, Net Galley

Yay! You know that joy you feel when, after discovering a new mystery author and thinking perhaps you have a new favourite series, you then read a second book by that author and realize that yes, you were right to love them? By contrast, there's nothing worse than being disappointed in the second book you read by an author after loving their first. Thankfully, Tarquin Hall did not disappoint.