Books I have read with short reviews. Probably useful to no one, but I like to keep track of what I have read and found interesting.
Review:
This isn't really my kind of book (a murder mystery), so consider that. The character development was interesting and the mechanism of a protagonist who had memory problems was novel. The story, however, didn't grab me and as the book progressed, I found that there was only one character I actually found tolerably interesting. Most of the characters are simply horrible. The descriptions were rich and there were sections that could have done with more editing for length, but overall, this was an OK read. I have to admit that the ending surprised me...the last plot twist caught me off guard, though I wondered what was going to happen as it seemed the book had wrapped up early. I'm not sure I can say that I enjoyed it.
Words for which I sought help:
cop yourself on -- An Irish expression meaning to get some common sense
poitín -- A traditional Irish distilled beverage, basically Irish moonshine
Review:
Chicago cop goes to Ireland to get away from it all and doesn't. This book is rich in character and story. The main character does not change, but the term of the book is short. He is also not a stereotype. The secondary characters are a mix of stereotype and interesting dimension. This is part mystery, part adventure. It is clever in its own way and takes a look at how unlikely people might be close and likely people not be. It is worth the time it takes to read. It is not uplifting, but few Irish tales are. I have no interest in revisiting the characters--this book does not bring you close to them.
