"Puddles Weblog edited by Thomas Hollyday

Saturday, October 24th

Void Moon review

Void Moon
Michael Connelly
Hachette Audio
hachetteaudio.com
04402222818, 38.99.

Reviewed by Thomas Hollyday 10/23/09. (My ratings: 5 star-I’d buy it, 4 star –I’d borrow it, 3 star-liked it, 2 star-didn’t like it, 1 star, didn’t finish it)

The woman Cassie Black had one goal in prison. Now on parole she goes back to the scene of her former crime to set the record straight. Along the way she is sabotaged by those in whom she once had trust.

The first reason I really like this book-yes-enough to buy it- is that Connelly portrays here a woman’s feelings and strengths so well. She might not be lovable but she’s true. Sure, he follows all the genre rules, baiting us with questions about all the characters we meet, but it is his portrayal of Cassie that is so excellent.

Then, of course, I respect the research that was done. Many times a reader will want to learn from a book, not just about crime, but all about technology or, in this case, casino gambling. Connelly did his homework as can be seen from his acknowledgements.

As far as Ganser’s narration, the artist has stated he enjoys reading tough female protagonists. He proves his mettle here. I give this novel 5 stars.

Thomas Hollyday Book Reviews are published at PuddlesWeblog.com and distributed to review media. In his own right, Tom publishes romance mysteries with a Chesapeake locale, inks cartoon illustrations, and writes maritime as well as architectural research. See solarsippers.com. If you are a writer of fiction e-books or audios and want one of his free reviews, send along for consideration a free non-returnable copy in PDF or write for snail mail for CD to tomah@solarsippers.com.

dhh on 10.24.09 @ 12:38 PM EST [link] [Add your comments]

Monday, October 19th

boo review john lescroart

John Lescroart, Guilty, audio book. ISBN 04402222818, Island Books, August 10, 1998.

A Thomas Hollyday book review, published 10/18/09 in Solar Sipper Sense at solarsippers.com and in Puddles Weblog.com.

From the start you wonder about the main character Mark. He’s too good and the way he is read by the audio artist, he comes off as a pretty nice guy. Short for suspect him. Then you immediately see him rigging the situation because of his love for a woman. Pretty contrived and I spent the rest of the book wondering how he would get caught. Of course
Abe Glitsky is very interesting as a character who chases him as a cop. H8is story overwhelms that of the bad guy. The rest of the book seems very unlikely to have happened this way, too much that begs the question of how stupid are the onlookers.

Lescroart is better at legal stories, courtroom dramas with some meat. This one is too predictable for his talent.

My overall rating is 2 of 5 stars.

Thomas Hollyday Book Reviews specialize in ebook and audio book reviews for Solar Sipper Sense and PuddlesWeblog. If you are a writer of these genres and want a free review, send along complimentary copy in PDF or CD for possible review consideration to tomah@solarsippers.com.

dhh on 10.19.09 @ 06:27 PM EST [link] [Add your comments]

Monday, October 12th

book review Sandra Brown Smash Cut

Sandra Brown, Smash Cut, audio book.
A Thomas Hollyday book review.
When I got my copy of this new audio book I was immdieately not impressed with the writeup on the back of the package. Too contrived, I thought, as I looked over the list of characters all carefully set up for me and the summary outline. I was being treated as if I were a purchaser of the script for a movie company, not a reader. It turned out I was right.
Sandra gave me characters who were full of controversy so I’d keep turning the page, but unfortunately none of them were lovable in the least. As a romance as well as thriller reader, I couldn’t like any of them. The plot was heavier than the regular Sandra book, and came out pretty much as expected. The reader was good but not compelling. I never could figure why I had to dislike the character who liked movies. I like movies too for a hobby. The treatment of the dog character would not pass muster with my friends at PETA. All in all, not one of her best.
Overall rating, 2 of 5 stars.
Thomas Hollyday Book Reviews specialize in ebook and audio book reviews for PuddlesWeblog.com. If you are a writer of these genres and want a free review, send along complimentary copy in PDF or CD for possible review consideration to tomah@solarsippers.com.

dhh on 10.12.09 @ 10:50 AM EST [link] [Add your comments]

Saturday, October 10th

animals and water

POWERBOAT RACER by Thomas Hollyday
Solar Sipper Publishing, Div. Happy Bird Corporation, PO Box 86, Weston, MA 02481, in cooperation with Lighting Source Division of Ingram Books, contact Virginia Helsmoortel, Marketing, tomah@solarsippers.com 781 235 0531,
324 pages, $12.95, ISBN 974128740, website of author at solarsippers.com. Available in Adobe at ebooksabouteverything.com, echapterone,com, powells.com, booksonboard.com.diesel-ebooks.com,and fictionwise.com.

A disgraced foreign correspondent, Harry Jacobsen, starts a new life as editor of a small Chesapeake weekly. He quickly finds himself reporting what becomes the biggest story of his newspaper life after children find an old race boat sunk in a marsh and uncover a crime of absolute evil.

It’s a hot August morning one week before the Homer Kirby Memorial Powerboat Races at River Sunday on the Chesapeake and the streets are filled with excited drivers, boats, crowds and television network camera teams getting ready to participate in this important national championship. The boat belonged to a black man, the powerboat racer Walker John Douglas. Douglas used the racer to disappear thirty years ago after he was accused of killing two white women and setting the town on fire causing millions of dollars of destruction. A police search is organized to find his remains in the wilderness. This resurrects deep seated hatreds of lawman brutality and many loud arguments about the guilt or innocence of Douglas. The racial unrest of thirty years ago is reborn. Despite the excitement of the upcoming powerboat race, the town threatens to explode with street violence. Harry and his assistant Annie Till strive to find the true facts of what happened thirty years ago. Yet, at every step, they face danger and threats to their lives as they try to uncover clues to long hidden crimes. Then the day before the long awaited powerboat races are due to start their first race heats, a totally unexpected event jars the town even more and brings hundreds of protesters into the streets angrily clamoring for justice. Harry and Annie find love and respect for each other as they are pushed to the limits of their newsman abilities to close in on the truth. They must succeed or the mob will resort to even more deadly violence, resulting in another great town fire, and with all the visitors to the town, sure to be even more deadly and destructive than the one thirty years before.
Thomas Hollyday’s previous books include Magnolia Gods and Slave Graves, “ A book worth reading for its vivid imagery and value system; it is hard to think that all of it is mere fiction, and it makes you want to actually visit the intriguing site.” BookWire Review. Video reviews and readings from his books are available on YouTube. He is also a successful manufacturer of wildlife products which has added to his public platform especially in the environmental community. His background as well as reprints of reviews of his work both fiction, non-fiction and illustration can be seen at solarsippers.com

dhh on 10.10.09 @ 10:43 AM EST [link]