Bad Monkey

Hilarious. Don’t read Carl Hiaasen’s novel, Bad Monkey, too quickly, or you might miss something really funny. Hiaasen packs every page of this novel with funny characters and situations, both grisly and slapstick. Protagonist Andrew Yancy has done things to get himself thrown off the Miami Police Force, and now finds himself moved from being a detective for the Monroe County Sheriff’s office to a health inspector of restaurants. There’s greed, corruption, fraud and malfeasance throughout the novel, each of which provides fodder for Hiaasen’s fine writing. I laughed throughout the novel and finished reading it with great satisfaction at the entertainment it provided. Rating: Five-star (I love it) Click here to purchase Bad Monkey from amazon.com.

Little Green

Rebirth. Whether you’ve read all the Easy Rawlins novels from Walter Mosley, or if Little Green is your introduction, chances are you’ll enjoy reading this book. Los Angeles private detective Easy Rawlins came close to death in a car accident, and as the novel opens he is slowing returning to life. Mosley develops this complex character with precision, and describes the setting, culture and issues of the world in 1967 with an attention to detail that transports readers to that time and place. Racial tension, hippies, drugs and violence provide a backdrop for what is a story of rebirth. Sit back, relax, and let Easy Rawlins entertain you with his kindness, integrity and perseverance. Rating: Five-star (I love it) Click here to purchase Little Green from amazon.com.

Joyland

Medium. Fans of Stephen King novels who expect a supersized tome from this prolific and popular writer might think that Joyland is more appetizer than entrée. They would be wrong. While it comes in at fewer than 300 pages, this is a complete and satisfying novel that provides enjoyable entertainment and reading pleasure. Protagonist Devon Jones spends a summer college break working at an amusement park while he grieves losing his girlfriend’s affection. King develops Jones with great skill and draws readers into a crime novel plot that tells a great story. A boy suffering from muscular dystrophy serves as a medium for a spirit stuck on a ride in the amusement park. King sells so many books because he tells great stories, and this paperback crime novel is no exception. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Joyland from amazon.com.

The House At Belle Fontaine

Masterful. The ten unique short stories in the collection from Lily Tuck titled after one, The House At Belle Fontaine, showcase this skilled writer’s mastery of the skill of writing short fiction. I felt that each sentence was assembled with care and precision, making its contribution in a critical way to the complete story. This efficient structure can be frustrating to those readers who crave for more, but I found that I ended each of these stories with a feeling of deep satisfaction at the writing skill displayed. Any reader who appreciates literary fiction, especially in the short form, should consider reading this fine collection. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The House At Belle Fontaine from amazon.com.

The House of Rumour

Puzzled. Readers who like puzzles and have the patience to endure a convoluted prose structure are those who might enjoy Jake Arnott’s The House of Rumour. I was entertained by the ways in which Arnott drew in plot lines involving writers Ian Fleming, L. Ron Hubbard, Philip K. Dick and Robert Heinlein. Arnott crosses decades and adds a Rudolf Hess suicide to the mix for good measure. Arnott uses the character Larry Zagorski, a pulp fiction writer, as the glue to try to pull all this together. Secrets abound, narrators change frequently, and I found the best way to proceed was to give myself up to wherever Arnott was taking me. Read an excerpt to see if this book is one you might enjoy reading. Rating: Three-star (It’s OK) Click here to purchase The House of Rumour from amazon.com.

The Golden Egg

Cruelty. Fans of Donna Leon’s mystery series set in Venice featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti will savor the latest, The Golden Egg. First-time readers can start here and meet a well-developed and endearing protagonist as well as a finely told story of human compassion and cruelty. I felt right at home at the beginning of the novel at the Brunetti’s dinner table as Paola, Guido and their children engage in a word game. Words and their absence provide a woven motif for this story, which I enjoyed from beginning to end. Readers who like Venice, mysteries, and the complexity of human nature are those most likely to enjoy reading this novel. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Golden Egg from amazon.com.

Inferno

Population. Dan Brown’s novel Inferno will be less controversial than his earlier ones, and I felt that the fun he had in writing it came across in his prose. He opens the novel with a great device: the loss of memory by protagonist Robert Langdon, whose eidetic memory has been a useful talent in previous novels. Having Langdon deal with this made for pleasurable reading. The issue in this novel involves population control, and the tidbits and factoids that Brown peppers throughout the novel can be both annoying and interesting at the same time. Dante’s work and Florence provide a context for Brown’s exploration of the issue, and the formidable adversaries Langdon encounters make for entertaining tension. I try to read Brown’s novels quickly because the weak prose can wear me down. His creativity and plot are satisfying enough. Rating: Three-star (It’s OK) Click here to purchase Inferno from amazon.com.