Dead Wake by Erik Larson

by Carol5 Comments
Dead Wake is not a book I would usually pick up. I don't tend to read much non-fiction and I actively avoid war books, but I've enjoyed Larson's books in the past and his "narrative non-fiction" style works for me. He tells the story with a personal touch, not just a recitation of facts. This one is pretty fascinating, the boat itself, the people on board, and all the events in the outer world that conspired against them. I listened to this one on audio and Brick did a good job. He kept me interested, made it exciting and tension-filled. There were a lot of people, but it's non-fiction, so there wasn't really any dialogue to worry about. The individuals were heard through their journals and letter, which doesn't require any distinction voices. There are a lot of people involved in the story of the Lusitania, from the captain, crew and passengers, government officials on both sides of the Atlantic,  to the...
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The Shell Game by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

by Carol2 Comments
Short stories are always tough to talk about - I want people to know why I did/didn't enjoy it, but I don't want to give away too much. It's even tougher when it's a prequel to a series that I've read all the rest of, like this one. The Shell Game details Nick Fox and Kate O'Hare's first meeting. Nick's a con-man/thief and Kate's FBI. HE's charming, she's dedicated. They're both intelligent and good-looking, although I'm not sure you get a feel for how attracted they are to each other in this mini-episode. Nick gets to show off his cleverness, Kate gets to show off her ability to see through him, but I missed their interactions with each other that are so much of the fun in the series. Scott Brick does a good job as always as the narrator. His tone of voice fits the story, not melodramatic, but not straight either. Does that make sense. He knows the type of story...
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Pros & Cons by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

by Carol4 Comments
I picked up this short prequel to the Fox and O'Hare series just because I wanted something to listen to. It's a quick early meeting between Kate and Nick. Nick has an audacious plan, and Kate right behind him. It's a good introduction to the two if you haven't met them before. If you read the series, as I have, it's still fun. It's a similar formula to the books but Kate is still quite clearly on the opposite side as Fox. Or maybe it's Fox who's clearly on the opposite side. You get a feel for her determinedness and intelligence. You get to see his style and imagination. And of course you get to see a bit of the attraction between them. It's a good short read. Scott Brick is the narrator and as always he makes it a light-hearted adventure. The characters are over the top and he somehow straddles the line between telling the story with a straight...
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The Job by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

by Carol2 Comments
I think I mentioned yesterday that I enjoy a little predictability and The Job fits with that. Sometimes I don't want character growth, I don't want change. This is one of those series. It's funny and, if you've read the prior installments, you know the broad outline of how it's going to go. Nick and Kate are the same as they were in #1. He's a bad guy, but working for the good guys at the moment. He's brilliant and sneaky, has a great sense of humor and is just rather sexy. Kate is no-nonsense, tough as nails and could kill you with a straw. And together they are perfect. The are, of course, attracted to each other and the flirtation is a great addition to the story, but I hate to admit that I'm glad they're still in the flirting stage. I don't know that I want to see them have a "real" relationship. I like them as they...
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