MSWallack's reviews from LibraryThing

Portrait of a Spy [Gabriel Allon #11] by Daniel Silva

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:53:48 -0500

MSWallack's review: "While I eagerly look forward to each new Gabriel Allon book, I do worry that Silva has gotten into a bit of a rut. It seems that several of the last few books have been very, very similar, and not in a good way. Portrait of a Spy just never took off for me. The story seemed predictable, too many of the characters came and went without any real purpose, the detailed planning that makes the operations enjoyable to read about seemed largely glossed over, and a central component of the operation just wasn't explained well enough (as in, why go through this very complicated sequence of tasks in the first place). Finally, toward the end, certain actions seemed to be somewhat out of character for Allon. Nevertheless, I am still eagerly looking forward to the next Silva book featuring Gabriel Allon. I do want to echo what some other reviewers have said: The repeated and uncessary (and in my opinion, incorrect bashing of President Obama detracted from the story. I don't mind if Silva's politics are different from mine; I don't mind if he wants to let me know that (hey, I read Thor and Flynn, too). And if he wants a character to be critical of a real world figure, that's fine. But in this book it was overdone and often seemed both mean-spirited and, as I've said, unnecessary for the story."
Harper (2011), Edition: 1ST, Hardcover, 464 pages

The Detachment [John Rain #7; Ben Treven #3] by Barry Eisler

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 11:07:52 -0400

MSWallack's review: "I really, really like Barry Eisler, especially his John Rain books. So I was thrilled to finally have a new Rain book (after a few years off for the Ben Treven novels). And while I enjoyed The Detachment, I didn't love it. I think that my criticism can be broken down into two principal issues. First, there wasn't enough of Rain getting to do the kinds of things that make him such an enjoyable character. Sure the neuroses were there in full force. But after the first third of the book, he didn't really have the chance to focus on the super-detailed planning that has made his exploits so memorable. Tie this in to the fact that Eisler had to juggle four characters (and, it should be noted, he did a masterful job of this, remembering and making it easy for the reader to recognize each character as unique, in terms of thoughts, motivations, mannerisms, speech patterns, etc.). The problem, however, is that because each of these characters had to get some "screen time", it meant that none of them were given the opportunity to shine that perhaps was required. This was especially true for Rain. It must also be said that Treven, who comes off as quite a stud in the two books focusing on him, seems very much a novice when compared to Rain, Dox, and Larison. I'm not sure if this was intentional on Eisler's part or not. One thing worth pointing out: Eisler's politics are decidedly not in line with most other authors writing in this genre, and that is a refreshing change of pace. Moreover, while he articulates a political worldview, and even puts a part of that at the center of the storyline, he doesn't feel compelled to hit the reader over the head with his politics, and certainly not over and over and over as some authors have become known to do (I'm talking to you Messrs. Flynn and Thor). Anyway, take my criticisms with the following caveat: Even a sub-standard Eisler book is far, far better, than most of the other books presently being written in this genre. As I'm sure I've said in the past, if you haven't read Eisler, do yourself a favor and remedy that omission."
Thomas & Mercer (2011), Paperback, 324 pages

The Affair [Jack Reacher #16] by Lee Child

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:02:47 -0400

MSWallack's review: "This on not one of my favorite Reacher books. I liked the fact that it was first person (I generally seem to prefer the first person Reacher books) and it gave Reacher plenty of opportunities to "be Reacher" (i.e., beat the living daylights out of one or more antagonists). And I liked seeing the evolution of Reacher's character into the wanderer that we've read about over the last fifteen books (well, fourteen if you exclude the one novel set back when he was still in the Army). I guess that the problem I had was that The Affair was, in many ways, more of a standard murder mystery. The "who" was essentially given away early in the story. There were also very few characters to inhabit the story around Reacher; most of his interactions were with characters who were never really fleshed out as people. And Reacher was never in any real danger in the story. He was just trying to investigate and clean up a mess, but he wasn't fighting for his own life. Oh, well. I'm still a Lee Child and Reacher fan."
Delacorte Press (2011), Edition: First Edition, Hardcover, 416 pages

Paris Is A Bitch [John Rain #6.5] by Barry Eisler

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:02:36 -0400

MSWallack's review: "A short story featuring John Rain (who has been missing for several years while Eisler has written books about his new character Ben Treven) and his sometimes girlfriend Delilah. The story actually works on two levels: On one hand, we get a peek into Rain's neurosis as he tries to deal both with "retirement" and his relationship to Delilah and her continued involvement in the trade (and her form of involvement, in particular). Rain has always been a fascinating character and watching his own understanding of self evolve has been an enjoyable component of the stories. The dialogue between the two is fun and Eisler conjures the scene so well that it is easy to visualize these two people sitting in the restaurant chatting over their meal. The story also contains the elements of the thriller and the associated violence that readers of the Rain novels have come to expect and love. And let's just say that there is a proverbial punch that Rain doesn't pull. Note to self: Do not make John Rain angry, especially after he has a fight with his girlfriend."
Barry Eisler (2011), Kindle Edition

The Lost Coast [Ben Treven #2.5] by Barry Eisler

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:02:21 -0400

MSWallack's review: "This story is not for everyone. First, I would consider that reading Eisler's previous book Inside Out to be essential as that book introduced Larison. And knowing who Larison is and knowing about his ... um ... well ... knowing about how he is different than most other characters present in similar genre fiction is absolutely critical to this story. And make no mistake: The ending of this short story is disturbing. It fits the character, which is not to say that I condone what happens, but some (many?) readers will be angry and offended. But then I think that was part of what Eisler set out to do. I think the point is to make readers think about the issue that confronts Larison and others like him. The difference is that unlike most, Larison has the ability to respond."
Barry Eisler (2011), Edition: 2, Kindle Edition

Second Son [Jack Reacher #0] by Lee Child

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:02:10 -0400

MSWallack's review: "This short story takes place in the early '70s when Reacher is a 13-year-old boy. But he is still Reacher. On one hand this is fun. On the other hand, Reacher never quite seems to be a 13-year-old boy; he's more of an adult in a slightly smaller body who lives with his parents. But the story was fun enough. "
Delacorte Press (2011), Kindle Edition, 40 pages

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:00:27 -0400

MSWallack's review: "This book was recommended to me as a good introduction to Holocaust literature for pre-teens. My daughter has, from time to time, asked about The Diary of Anne Frank and Jewish educators have suggested that she might still be a bit young for that book (she's 11, just starting 6th grade). I decided to read Number the Stars first to judge its suitability for her. My conclusion: The book was both suitable and very good (though very, very brief). Lowry manages to introduce some of the issues of the Holocaust and resistance without any of the horror that is often associated with Holocaust literature, but at the same time she doesn't sugarcoat or lessen the meaning. By telling the story from the point of view of a 10-year old Gentile, she is able to capture and express much of the unfamiliarity that any modern child most likely has about the Holocaust. This book is so much better than The Boy in the Striped Pajamas because Lowry keeps the focus and sympathy where it belongs; she doesn't transfer the readers emotions to the Nazis. I gave the book to my daughter and she read it very quickly. She told me that she enjoyed it."
Sandpiper (2011), Edition: Reissue, Paperback, 156 pages

A Dance with Dragons [A Song of Ice and Fire #5] by George R.R. Martin

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 11:06:14 -0400

MSWallack's review: "Martin continues his outstanding series and continues to add new characters and storylines. And, characteristically, some of those storylines don't go where expected and some characters ... die. The complexity of the story continues to grow. The biggest question becomes how Martin plans to bring the story to resolution over the next two (or is that now three?) books. This will be a challenge as there are so many characters and storylines. My two criticisms of this volume are relatively minor. The portion of the story that focused on one particular character (sorry, no spoilers here) seemed to be dragged out without much happening other than Martin needing to move time along to allow other events to catch up. And a few characters were absent (or nearly absent) from this volume and I would have liked to have seen at least a bit of their story. Please, please, please, don't make us wait 6 years for the sixth book!"
Bantam (2011), Hardcover, 1040 pages

Carte Blanche [James Bond {new} #1] by Jeffery Deaver

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 10:56:39 -0400

MSWallack's review: "And yet another difficult book to review. As any of my followers know, I'm a huge James Bond fan. So, I tend to really like James Bond books but I also expect a lot from James Bond books. With Carte Blanche, Deaver has "rebooted" the Bond series (much as Daniel Craig's Casino Royale did). While one or two elements seemed a bit off, all-in-all, I liked the way Deaver moved Bond into the post-9/11 (and 4/11) 21st Century, in particular the way new technology was both utilized and relied upon. It's hard to think of Ian Fleming's James Bond using an iPhone, but to Deaver's Bond, that device is just part of the standard operating kit. As a story, Carte Blanche brought some fresh ideas to the Bond canon, including an interesting villain that had some of the traditional quirkyness of a Fleming villain, but without going off into the ridiculous. The motivations of another important character were also left murky until the conclusion in a way that offered the reader a bit of surprise. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of the violent and morose elements of Bond's character, but his living in the high life was on wonderful display. Hopefully, Deaver will return to Bond before too long."
Simon & Schuster (2011), Edition: First Edition, Hardcover, 432 pages

A Feast for Crows [A Song of Ice and Fire #4] by George R.R. Martin

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:03:02 -0400

MSWallack's review: "This is one of those books that is a bit difficult to review. It is a terrific book, though it isn't as good as the other books in the series. But any standards, it's terrific, but by the standards Martin has set with the first three books in the series, it doesn't quite make it. Of course, the explanation for that is simple: This is really half of a much, much larger volume and three of the most interesting characters are completely (or almost completely) absent. Thus, we see lots of new viewpoints and new plot elements, but we lose some of the familiar. I can't imagine how people managed their impatience from the publication of this volume in 2005 until puplication of the 5th book in July 2011. I think I would have gone crazy. "
Bantam (2007), Paperback, 784 pages

Storm of Swords [A Song of Ice and Fire #3] by George R R Martin

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:02:40 -0400

MSWallack's review: "It's hard to believe that Martin has been able to keep up the quality of these enormously long and complicated books, but he has. The depth of character development is simply stunning, especially in a genre not always known for characters. And the world that Martin has built is, as I've said before, staggering in its detail. Reading this book while watching the HBO series Game of Thrones (based on the first book in the series) was a lot of fun, especially as I found that the show did a fabulous job of capturing the look of so many of the characters. Most impressively, I suppose, is Martin's ability to continue to surprise me, even as I'm waiting and anticipating the surprises. I'd heard references to a particular scene in this book, but knew little more than the setting at which the scene would take place. Nevertheless, when I finally reached that scene (and boy, I can't wait to see that on HBO), I was still stunned. It's hard to describe just how amazing these books are. I'm sure that many people will refuse to read them because they are "fantasy"; well, those people are doing themselves a disservice. "
Voyager (2000), Paperback, 688 pages

Dead or Alive [Jack Ryan #13] by Tom Clancy

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:07:46 -0500

MSWallack's review: "In the span of years since Clancy's last novel, I'd almost forgotten how much I enjoyed his book. Dead or Alive was certainly not the best novel Clancy has ever written, but it did remind me of why I enjoy his books. For one thing, his characters are interesting. Some of them are a bit one-dimensional (they serve their purpose), but others have a bit more going on than we might expect. The plot is also quite detailed, but without adding complexity for the sake of doing so. I also like Clancy's penchant for giving me a bit of detail and background on characters who aren't really central to the story. He could drop a lot of that and shorten the story, but by giving the reader more information about peripheral characters, Clancy humanizes them and keeps the reader guessing as to which characters are or are not central to the plot. Also, perhaps borrowing a bit from classic Russian literature, numerous side plots come and go during the book, some with no resolution at all, some clearly designed to be picked up in a later story. While this may detract from the core story Clancy is telling, once again it keeps the reader guessing and helps to ground the actions of the main characters into a broader world. Finally, and this is the part that I really forgot: Clancy is a master at pacing. The early segments of the book are slow, almost plodding (though with some action thrown in). But as the story develops and moves toward its climax, the pacing and the events become ever faster. The details laid out over the preceding pages become meaningful and Clancy need not be distracted with details because he's already provided them. I will admit, though, that the ending seemed a bit contrived; too much out of the end of a thriller movie. But I still enjoyed the book. One more point worth making: In recent years, I've criticized authors like Vince Flynn and Brad Thor for preaching their political views in their books. Clancy (or at least many of his characters) clearly resides on the right of the political spectrum. And Clancy occassionally criticizes those with a different political view. But he doesn't demonize them in the way that Flynn and Thor do; in fact, at one point in Dead or Alive Jack Ryan notes that he respects a political opponent for having a principled view of an issue, even if Ryan disagrees with that view. Clancy may make some characters bad, but they're not bad simply because of their different stance on political issues. So, in the end, where I may disagree with some of what Clancy and his characters believe, I don't feel like I've been attacked or insulted or that Clancy would view me as any less a patriot because of my political views."
Putnam Adult (2010), Edition: First Edition, Hardcover, 848 pages

The Hadrian Memorandum [Nicholas Marten #3] by Allan Folsom

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 10:49:05 -0500

MSWallack's review: "I just couldn't get into this book. I'm not sure that I can put my finger on the problem, but it just didn't grab and hold my attention. I guess that a primary criticism that I have for the book is that the McGuffin (a batch of photos) just never seemed that important and certainly not important in an irreplaceable sort of way. Second, the complexities of the story often felt as if they were complex contrivances serving no real purpose other than to add complexity. Oh, well."
Forge Books (2009), Edition: First Edition, Hardcover, 448 pages

The Athena Project [Athena Project #1] by Brad Thor

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 11:16:53 -0500

MSWallack's review: "I liked the Athena women when Thor introduced them in Foreign Influence and it was clear then that they were destined for a spin-off. I may like this series, but Thor needs to do much more to make each woman individual. Taking a few paragraphs at the beginning of the book (literally) to describe each woman and try to explain how she differs from the others simply didn't individualize them enough for me. That said, I did like that they weren't quite as indestructible as Scot Harvath. It will be interesting to see where this series goes."
Atria Books (2010), Hardcover, 336 pages

American Assassin [Mitch Rapp #11] by Vince Flynn

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 11:17:29 -0500

MSWallack's review: "Better than Flynn's last effort. I liked the chance to Mitch Rapp in the beginning of his career, though frankly I wish that Flynn had started the book with Kennedy's approach to Rapp rather than with Rapp already committed to becoming an operative. I also found the entire Russian-Syrian-Palestinian-Hezbollah plot both tedious and, at times, overly confusing. Too much time was spent with those characters at the expense of time spent with Rapp and the other good guys."
Atria (2010), Edition: First Edition, Hardcover, 448 pages

Worth Dying For [Jack Reacher #15] by Lee Child

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 11:37:10 -0400

MSWallack's review: "This was just about the perfect Jack Reacher book. Unlike some of the less successful recent entries in the series, in this book we get lots of chances for Reacher to be ... well ... Reacher. If you haven't read the books, that won't make any sense. If you've read the books, I think you'll know exactly what I mean. He manages to dispatch quite a few adversaries in the way that readers love. This is also one of those Reacher novels confined to a particular place and that place becomes quite a character in the book. When Child manages to create these sorts of living environs for his stories, it adds an extra level of detail and interest. Finally, I particularly liked the way that Child handled some of the secondary characters, including never giving names to two of them. Somehow, that just felt "right" for Reacher's world. An excellent addition to the Reacher canon."
Delacorte Press (2010), Edition: First Edition, Hardcover, 400 pages

The Cobra [Cal Dexter #2] by Frederick Forsyth

Sun, 03 Oct 2010 21:55:45 -0400

MSWallack's review: "I always enjoy Frederick Forsyth's books and when I read one I find myself asking why he isn't one of the authors for whom I rush to the store to buy a new book. However, The Cobra did not live up to Forsyth's usual standard. Unfortunately, the book read less like a novel and more like a journalistic history piece chronicling certain events. The characters were mere pieces on a chessboard to be shuffled; they were never people and certainly not people about whom the reader cared. I learned quite a bit about the cocaine business (Forsythe is known for impressive research and, as always, he makes the reader believe that Forsythe knows of what he writes), but there needed to be more story to back up the reams of information. In some ways, I felt as if Forsyth was trying to recapture the detail and complexity that made Icon so good, but that book had terrific characters who faced dangers and challenges. The Cobra was simply not up to Forsyth's standards, but I guess that even the masters are entitled to a "swing and miss" now and then."
Putnam Adult (2010), Edition: 1st Printing, Hardcover, 384 pages

Free Agent [Paul Dark #1] by Jeremy Duns

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 14:52:27 -0400

MSWallack's review: "Duns' debut novel scores well by just about any measure. First, the protagonist, Paul Dark, is very original. I thoroughly enjoyed watching him squirm and try to come to grips with his own sense of morals and/or lack thereof. Often, just as I thought I really had a feel for who Dark is, he'd do or say something to surprise me. Second, as anyone who knows me or who reads my reviews knows, I've read a lot of espionage thrillers over the years, but I don't think that I've ever read one that focused on the Nigerian civil war, a subject about which I knew very little. Thus, Duns' narrative and the ties to history kept me on my toes. I also thought that Duns' did a magnificnet job of capturing the time period. Several times, I thought I'd found an anachronistic error (e.g., a reference to the Concorde) that I promptly looked up and, to my surprise, each time Duns was correct. I don't know if his portrayal of life among diplomats and the press in 1969 Lagos is accurate, but it felt as if Duns knew what he was talking about. Finally, I can't help but remark on Duns' writing style and storytelling technique. This is a "serious" espionage novel, more in line with Le Carre than Fleming. But the best comparison that I can find, both for style and technique, is to Adam Hall's Quiller novels. And again, as anyone who knows me or reads my reviews can attest, that is high praise, indeed. Dark is not Quiller and Duns is not Hall, but if you enjoy Quiller than do yourself a favor and give Dark a try."
Viking Adult (2009), Hardcover, 352 pages

The Skorpion Directive [Micah Dalton #4] by David Stone

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 11:18:25 -0400

MSWallack's review: "A good story with a perhaps too-convoluted plot. Stone's creation, Micah Dalton, is one of my favorite current thriller characters (and supporting character Mandy Pownall is a real treat). The first part of the novel was particularly good, in particular Dalton's efforts to determine who was following him in Vienna. The explanations of how a proper tail is executed and Dalton's efforts to spot the tail were terrific. As the story moved out of Central Europe it became a bit less engaging. Toward the end, I felt as if Stone had gotten a bit bored and relied upon a few coincidences to move the plot along. Nevertheless, the villains' plan was, although overly complex, still somewhat interesting and the ultimate target was not easily foreseeable. As always, the best thing about a Micah Dalton novel is the characters. Stone writes very interesting, very unique, very engaging, quirky characters that make the books well worth the time."
Putnam Adult (2010), Hardcover, 384 pages

The Rembrandt Affair [Gabriel Allon #10] by Daniel Silva

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:09:25 -0400

MSWallack's review: "This is a somewhat difficult book to review. I enjoyed the book very much and the story, in particular the elements related to the Holocaust, were both moving and important. In addition, I have become such a fan of Gabriel Allon; he is one of my favorite current characters. Picking up a and reading a new Allon book is a bit like putting on a comfy old shirt; things just feel right. With that said, this wasn't the strongest book in the Allon canon probably because too much of the story felt a bit familiar. Add to that the near silence of one important character (she was in plenty of scenes, but had little to say) left me wanting more. Nevertheless, any Allon book is worth reading and this review and my rating really must be considered in light of the quality of the overall series, not an indictment of the book itself."
Putnam Adult (2010), Hardcover, 496 pages