Kitty

Listened to the audio book read by Cumming. The book is well written but got tedious at some point because - the serious subject matter notwithstanding - the point had been made early on. Skipped the last 20%.

Entertaining, but the conclusion is utterly unbelievable.

I like McDermids stories, but I am not too happy with some of the psychobabble or the gorey crimes, like in this one. So I am substracting half a point.

I keep reading Slaughters books, because they are OK. But the crimes are often pretty groce and the entire story far fetched. There are way better writers.

To be honest: DNF. Some thrillers by Ken Follet are a little distasteful, imo. This is one of them.

Very entertaining.

Well told story, ending is long winded.

DNF. Book is like a parody of Jack Reacher. Weird story. 1950s sexism I can tolerate, if it has a function. Don’t see that here.

I really wonder if B. wrote this book himself, as it is so lightweight and schematic.

Started out great. The ending a little disappointing: like an old fashioned comedy, all the puzzle pieces get laid out in the right order as a conclusion. The promise of romance comes to nothing.

Not really special or beautiful, but just very well done and a bunch of really nice characters.

Mostly a great writing style, combined with fake philosophy - at page 100 of almost 1000 I am not sure if I want to read on. It is partly very witty, partly uninteresting (weirdly artistic à la Paris 1920-friends in cafe having weird discussions, with illogical bonmots etc). Also illogical emotional decisions (after having escaped a car accident and a nasty mob Lin decides that yes, NOW he is sure, he has to emotionally dive into this place.)

Uh, hello?

So yeah, I am getting annoyed.

PS DNF

Not done yet, but as usual Dan Brown tells a thrilling story, easy to follow, sometimes fun - but with holes. Weak spots in his plot spoil the suspension of disbelief. For example: how Sexton’s assistant gets back in line after having witnessed Sextons betrayal and knowing about the financing of his campaign. And how can she enter a fully secured NASA-building? Etc etc.

The oceanic eruption at the end is too spectacular, almost silly.

Good plot twist near the end, though.

3 for credibility, 4,5 for telling a thrilling story.

Good plot. Somewhat too long, or rather, nothing much changes in the case for too many pages.

Like with the first book in this series, I find the plot a little contrived. Overly complicated. And like the first book, it’s a little too long.

Terribly well written, dazzlingly good actually, but plotwise it’s boring. And I want to read good stories, not just great sentences. So I ditched The Nix at around 50%.

Fantastic author, but could not stomach the subject matter. DNF.

Good story, intelligent, plot a little contrived.

Bought it in 1986. Read it in 2025. Rather outdated by now.

5 stars for this series, actually.

Although well written, the plot is very thin and the fictional police work is shoddy. At 4/5 I could not bare the clichées any longer. Did not finish.

If, at 30% into a book, I am still not feeling any interest in its characters, I usually put it down. Which I did here. Too convoluted a plot. Takes too long to take off.

Interesting plot, very unexpected personal developments for the protagonist, never seen this idea developed.

Mediocre.

This book was a little too much - plotwise. Other than that, thrilling as ever.

I never realised Pratt was describing his own wife’s illness, (very realistically), nor that this was to be the last Joe Dillard novel. Nor that he died in 2018 and that the 11th book in the series will be written by his son.

Doomscrolling in literature. What happens after everything’s gone? A fascinating story. Bleak, yet full of love. A father trying to protect his son. Simple dialogue, words repeated over and over again. It’s all right. Yes. Yes. Of course you can. Etc. But lovely too.