Tag Archives: book review

McNally’s Secret by Lawrence Sanders (1992) – BR00221 (R2023) – 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪

The PolyBlog
May 7 2023

Plot or Premise

The book is the first in the Archy McNally series. Archy is the one-man investigations unit in his father’s law firm, handling discreet investigations for Palm Beach’s wealthy locals. One of their clients has been robbed, but she doesn’t want everyone to know. She just wants her stamps back.

What I Liked

Archy is a great character, and I love his interactions with the various members of high society or their associated entourages. Many people COULD have stolen the stamps, we see a red herring or two plus lots of little sub-stories to confuse the narrative. Most of the sub-characters are decent, if not extensively developed. And we get to meet his on-again / off-again paramour, Consuela in addition to the client’s self-absorbed children and a gay family friend.

What I Didn’t Like

There’s a red herring early on, yet nobody seems to follow up on it hardly. They should at least be ruling it out. Or talking to the people to see if they have any insights, but nada. Secondly, there’s an odd love triangle in the middle with very little to argue for the supposed outcome they all agree is the reality. And third, a giant “surprise” at the end is just simply odd. It should challenge Archy’s sense of morality, but he blithely brushes it off. It’s consistent with some of his behaviour, but it would have been nice to see him wrestle with it.

The Bottom Line

Great intro, love Archy

Weather and Space by Helen Young and Chris Oxlade (2010) – BR00219 (2022) – 🐸🐸⚪⚪⚪

The PolyBlog
November 12 2022

Plot or Premise

Part of an Interactive Explorer series, this book is aimed at kids, and includes flaps, pull tabs, wheels and acetates. The book is divided into two, with Section 1 aimed at the weather. It covers weather extremes, changing climate, floods, droughts, winds, big storms, thunder and hail, and extreme snow.

What I Liked

I was mainly reviewing the text to see what they shared about space in Section 2 for younger grades. Overall, it covers the night sky, star maps, suns and stars, the life of a star, constellations, galaxies, planets, the moon, smaller bodies, and exploring space. All are good topics for those new to space.

What I Didn’t Like

The added features seem out of place in the book — the text is written for middle-school level or a bit below who would find the features childish, while the “features” are more suited to early grades who wouldn’t understand the text. For the space section, the order makes no sense. We start off with big areas, come into the sun, back out to stars and DSOs, back down to the solar system moon, and back out to small bodies.

The Bottom Line

Poor design and odd choice of organization for the space section

The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert B. Parker (1973) – BR00199 (2021) – 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪

The PolyBlog
July 13 2021

Plot or Premise

Spenser is hired to find a rare book stolen from a university and the first witness he talks to ends up standing over a dead body within a day, but claims she didn’t do it.

What I Liked

This is the first book in the long-running Spenser series, and it is one of my favorite series of all time. Quirk and Belson are introduced, as well as some general hoodlums, and it is classic Spenser. Keep plugging along, doing what he wants to do or thinks is right, even after the book-napping is resolved.

What I Didn’t Like

Without Silverman or Hawk, it almost feels like Spenser’s on vacation on his own, not quite a full Spenser story. As such, it runs a bit more linearly than some of his other books.

The Bottom Line

Welcome to Boston’s finest

A String of Beads by Thomas Perry (2015) – BR00198 (2021) – 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪

The PolyBlog
July 11 2021

Plot or Premise

Jane is asked by the elders of her tribe to find an innocent man charged with murder and to help him until things are cleared up.

What I Liked

The introduction of the elders was a great development, and showed that Jane’s work has not gone unnoticed by the clans. They not only are aware of it, they approve and ask her to put her skills to use with another member, a childhood friend of Jane’s.

What I Didn’t Like

The secondary characters didn’t work that well for me…a woman whose story reads like a bad rape fantasy, a cop who happens to be an expert tracker and who happens to follow her despite having no idea who she is or any evidence he sees her, and some crooks who are okay, but not compelling.

The Bottom Line

Average story raised up by the initial clients.

Poison Flower by Thomas Perry (2012) – BR00197 (2021) – 🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪

The PolyBlog
June 27 2021

Plot or Premise

Jane breaks an innocent man out of jail but the real criminals grab her and torture her to talk. She doesn’t, of course, which sets off a long series of other events.

What I Liked

The crooks figure out that Jane is a pro, and that others must know who she is, so a lot of other hunters from previous books show up again. She ends up managing almost three fugitives at the same time — the original, a stray she picks up along the way, and herself.

What I Didn’t Like

The storyline is a bit hard to follow, as well as the original crime itself, the reason for everything getting started, and the logic behind how the medical supply stuff was all supposed to work. Equally, some parts seem almost like a dumb Sylvester Stallone or Bruce Willis movie where the good guy gets tortured, and a short while later, is ready to rock and roll again.

The Bottom Line

Over the top for violence.