Sam

Lacks Verisimilitude

Reviewed: 09-11-24

The first part of the book is engaging. It reminded me of Lessons in Chemistry (LIC), that is, genius, introverted nerds teaching the reader about science, which is interlaced with some sort of mystery. As the protagonist is methodically prodding along, I mistakenly believed that we were moving towards a well-crafted, logical and charming conclusion. About two-thirds of the way through and unlike LIC, the author goes completely off of the rails, and in the reviewer's, view created this overall so-called "lack of verisimilitude. I hung in until the end, though at this point I didn't care anymore. Midstream, the genre went from English cozy to slasher. I enjoy Miss Marple and Jack Reacher books, but not at the same time.

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It’s Another Nora Woo-Woo Book

Reviewed: 12-20-23

This one is another Nora woo-woo book. That is, “dubiously or outlandishly mystical, supernatural, or unscientific.” My use of “woo-woo” is from the MW Dictionary, and not pejorative in intent. I do not mean to belittle a particular reader’s taste. I have about 650 books in my library, and a good number of them deal with science and history, particularly World War II. There are many more woo-woo readers than say, WWII fans, e.g., J. K. Rowling has sold over 600 million woo-woo books.

In the first installment of the Lost Bride Trilogy, at the end, the reader is left with a cliff-hanger. That is, the heroin is in a precarious situation, but one must wait for Book 2 for the outcome. This made me feel cheated and frustrated. I had hung in for 14 hours sans resolution. Also, when I tried to return the book, I found out that if one uses cash at a reduced price, rather than an Audible Credit, refunds are not permitted. This, so far as I could see, was not disclosed during the purchase process. At all events, I’m out $14.17 and 14 hours, neither of which, I will ever get back.

I really love Nora’s writing. Her descriptions, dialogue, and characterizations are excellent, and she really tells a good story, usually with smart and strong female protagonists. I have listened to more than 160 of her books including the 57 books in the JD Robb series. However, when Book 2 of the trilogy is released, I’ll probably give it a pass. Finally, in general, if there are indicators that a book might be a stinker, I will use an Audible Credit. Call it lemon insurance.

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The Fortuitous Inheritance

Reviewed: 05-20-23

Early on in the forward we learn that Eric Hammel died of Parkinson’s disease in 2020. In a series of serendipitous events, Thomas McKelvy Cleaver inherited the baton. The metaphorical baton was five gigabytes of Eric Hammel’s research and drafts that dated back to the 1960s. Tom Cleaver, who is an excellent WWII historian and writer in his own right, has produced the consummate book on the Cactus Air Force. It is equivalent to what Shattered Sword did for the Battle of Midway. Adam Henderson’s narration is spot on, and his pronunciation of the myriad Japanese words, seem correct and effortless.

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I was uncomfortable.

Reviewed: 04-18-23

Some of the chapters were so well written and descriptive. It made me uncomfortable to listen to them. But of course, it was impossible to stop.

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No Context - Just Content

Reviewed: 03-17-23

The book is a cobbled together anthology of disjointed anecdotes. In short, it is a lot of content sans context. Context is the interrelated conditions in which something exists or occur, in short, it tells a story. This is something the book fails to do. I'm a WWII buff and could understand and give context the various anecdotes. However, a typical reader would be lost and uninterested.

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1 person found this helpful

I gave the third sequel a pass.

Reviewed: 12-11-22

The first book of the trilogy was barely okay. The plot is convoluted, lacked verisimilitude, the dialogue a bit stilted, and the characterizations not typical NR. In short, it is not your typical NR book, which begs the ghost question. Book two only got worse. I used a $10 promotional certificate, in part, to buy books one and two--I resist spending credits on 6-8-hour books--but bailed on the last one. If I finish a book, I don't return it, and in this instance, I had to eat enough of the oyster to have an opinion. As usual, Susan Erickson delivered a stellar performance, which brought the overall rating up to three stars, rounded.

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It is woo–woo Nora

Reviewed: 04-23-22

I purchased the book on the run with my phone and did not read the overview. Dear Nora, I love your writing, and have most of your books, which is a considerable amount if you include all of the in-death series. I'm a closet male reader, but I love your characterizations, and you can really spin an engaging yarn. I like good sci-fi like your JD Robb series. I just add 100 years to all your dates. But I do not do witches, fairies, warlocks, spirts, ghosts, etc. Though, from time-to-time, I give you a bit of poetic license for displaced spirits trying to get to the other side. Generally, the story is too good to bailout. I'm afraid I bailed on this book and returned it. Finally, please avoid using "enormity" in the sense of enormous. I am trying to save the word to be used as its first meaning. We don't have many words the describe the enormity of Hitler's actions.

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Dan has gone off the Rails

Reviewed: 02-11-22

Prior books, while farfetched, had a scintilla of verisimilitude, and for the first time in many books, I began to dislike the professor, Moreover, Dan Brown, who I identified as a secularist, seems to be proselytizing, not unlike a born-again Christian.

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It is Sc-fi, but post-Apocalyptic Sc-fi

Reviewed: 12-01-21

I ate enough or the oyster to for an opinion, but barely. It is well written, and the reader is great. It is just not a genre I enjoy.

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Maybe a Bit too Much Irish History

Reviewed: 10-05-21

I think it would have been a better book sans the history lesson. I've enjoyed the entire series and read some of the books two or three times. The juxtaposition of two eras, the format of all the books, is irresistible.

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