whimsicalish's review against another edition
1.0
I solely picked up this book because of the setting. I'm familiar with the places Sean Doolittle writes. It was fun to read something that's home.
Unfortunately, the story and characters didn't hold the same fascination. The main character and the woman he helps felt flat and boring. The POV changed rapidly and it was difficult to figure out who was shown. The antagonists were also poorly done; they were a walking cliche. I wanted to skim through their chapters.
The way Doolittle writes women, even in passing, is off-putting. Constantly remind us that women have breasts. Either the woman is old, and unattractive (but hey, has tits) or a sexy, little thing (also has tits). It's not just one male character that thinks this! It's EVERY male character's POV. Yes, women have boobs. Please stop writing women as sexual objects. I would have thought a middle school boy wrote those lines. Do better.
Unfortunately, the story and characters didn't hold the same fascination. The main character and the woman he helps felt flat and boring. The POV changed rapidly and it was difficult to figure out who was shown. The antagonists were also poorly done; they were a walking cliche. I wanted to skim through their chapters.
The way Doolittle writes women, even in passing, is off-putting. Constantly remind us that women have breasts. Either the woman is old, and unattractive (but hey, has tits) or a sexy, little thing (also has tits). It's not just one male character that thinks this! It's EVERY male character's POV. Yes, women have boobs. Please stop writing women as sexual objects. I would have thought a middle school boy wrote those lines. Do better.
zzzrevel's review against another edition
3.0
This one isn't too bad. A little reminiscent of
Anthony Bruno, or Ken Bruen, maybe even a
smattering of Elmore Leonard but just not with
the same whip smart talent for dialogue.
It's entertaining for the robust cast of characters
and how one event gets them all involved in it
somehow. Not that there is alot of depth to
any of the people, but overall it makes for a good story.
Anthony Bruno, or Ken Bruen, maybe even a
smattering of Elmore Leonard but just not with
the same whip smart talent for dialogue.
It's entertaining for the robust cast of characters
and how one event gets them all involved in it
somehow. Not that there is alot of depth to
any of the people, but overall it makes for a good story.
mikekaz's review against another edition
4.0
Doolittle has written another awesome novel that is full of rich characters and complicated events out of simple situations. He is really good at capturing the chaos that can arise out of a small start.
In this case Officer Matthew Worth is finishing up a divorce and working probationary duty at a local supermarket. Worth's flirtations with Gwen, the checkout clerk at the supermarket, complicate his life when she turns to him for help with her dead boyfriend. Like a lie that must be defended with another lie, Worth's decisions on how to help lead him into first bad and then worse situations. When things finally come to a boil, Worth finally makes some good but painful decisions.
Doolittle has brought us a suspenseful novel about decisions and consequences as portrayed by someone who knows better but who forgets to act better. That was one of the things that I both liked and disliked. Worth made decisions that were questionable, to say the least, and which made me wonder. But then Worth would even admit to himself that he didn't know why he did things which made him more human in my eyes. Who among us has not made some decision that we look back at and wonder why we were so stupid? I just hope that for all of us that it did not involve a dead body. In case I was not obvious enough, highly recommended.
In this case Officer Matthew Worth is finishing up a divorce and working probationary duty at a local supermarket. Worth's flirtations with Gwen, the checkout clerk at the supermarket, complicate his life when she turns to him for help with her dead boyfriend. Like a lie that must be defended with another lie, Worth's decisions on how to help lead him into first bad and then worse situations. When things finally come to a boil, Worth finally makes some good but painful decisions.
Doolittle has brought us a suspenseful novel about decisions and consequences as portrayed by someone who knows better but who forgets to act better. That was one of the things that I both liked and disliked. Worth made decisions that were questionable, to say the least, and which made me wonder. But then Worth would even admit to himself that he didn't know why he did things which made him more human in my eyes. Who among us has not made some decision that we look back at and wonder why we were so stupid? I just hope that for all of us that it did not involve a dead body. In case I was not obvious enough, highly recommended.
mcf's review against another edition
4.0
If I was an actual journalist, I'd probably say something like "a little gem," but since I'm not I'll just say that it's good.
Doolittle has an unusual ability to create an uncontrived dark tone infused with a bit of humor, and his plotting is unrelenting. [b:The Cleanup|108175|Shakespeare Bats Cleanup|Ron Koertge|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171579273s/108175.jpg|104247] resembles nothing more than a classic 50s noir in which a regular guy makes one bad decision and finds his life absolutely collapsing around him, and it hurtles toward its conclusion without Doolittle losing control or allowing himself to get lazy. It's an impressive piece of work.
Doolittle has an unusual ability to create an uncontrived dark tone infused with a bit of humor, and his plotting is unrelenting. [b:The Cleanup|108175|Shakespeare Bats Cleanup|Ron Koertge|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171579273s/108175.jpg|104247] resembles nothing more than a classic 50s noir in which a regular guy makes one bad decision and finds his life absolutely collapsing around him, and it hurtles toward its conclusion without Doolittle losing control or allowing himself to get lazy. It's an impressive piece of work.
rbriese7's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
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