Mr. Flood's Last Resort by Jess Kidd. Maud Drennan is a caretaker given the task of helping Cathal Flood, a cantankerous old hoarder, get his life in order so he can stay in his home. But if you think Cathal's hoarding habits are strange, Maud has frequent conversations with various Saints and appears to be getting messages from...ghosts or the house itself? I liked: Kidd's beautiful prose and her imagination; Maud Drennan, Renata, and Cathal Flood are all great characters; the dialogue; the Saints.
Not so much: I think Kidd tends to veer off course; the plot is a bit convoluted and slows down at points.
Kidd has such a gift for creating characters and settings, but the characters are much better done than the plot in this one. The book showcases her facility with language and characterization, but the storyline needs tightening up.
NetGalley/Atria Books
Literary Fiction? Mystery? May 1, 2018. Print length: 352 pages.
The Crooked Staircase (Jane Hawk #3) is action-filled suspense from beginning to end. Jane continues her battle against the conspiracy that plans to "adjust" individuals to eliminate free will and dispose of those who may cause the cabal trouble.Jane Hawk is one of those kick-ass protagonists that fights the good fight against the evil Techno Arcadians. You can't help but cheer her on.
I like: that Jane Hawk is such a clever and relentless protagonist; that Koontz makes secondary characters interesting and well-rounded.
Wasn't crazy about: losing characters I like; the weirdness of the crooked staircase toward the end.
Fast-paced and difficult to put down. You will be up late with this one.
Read in January; review scheduled for February 22.
NetGalley/Random House
Thriller/Suspense. May 8, 2018. Print length: 512 pages.
I'm looking forward to this Koontz read. I love him. I discovered him when I read Whispers years ago.
ReplyDeletexx, Carol
I missed the first in this series, but the second and third one are definite thrillers!
DeleteJane Hawk sounds like an awesome character, and I do like the way Koontz writes. I'll have to see if I can find the first book in this series. :)
ReplyDeleteSome of the stuff is bizarre, but underlying that there are things that are undeniably scary given the way technology continues to develop. Jane Hawk is a formidable force. :)
DeleteI really want to read the first one because I love antique and so does my father-in-law but I think he's slowly ending up in this type of situation! yikes. Granted I shouldn't say anything as my craft room would make anyone think I'm a hoarder. haha...
ReplyDeleteWe don't talk about craft rooms or the accumulation of crafty items or UFO's (unfinished objects)!
DeleteThe first book sounds interesting. I haven't read a Dean Koontz book for a long time. I still miss his older books.
ReplyDeleteThe Jane Hawk series is a lot like a graphic novel--lots of hair-raising situations, unequivocally evil villains, and heart pounding suspense. :P
DeleteIt's too bad Mr. Floods Last Resort veer off coarse so much because it sounded like such a great book. And I love the cover!
ReplyDeleteI love Kidd's writing; her prose is delightful, but the plot was often awkward and slow. It is almost like her imagination runs away with her and she can't help herself because she is so immersed in the story! :)
DeleteMr Flood's Last Resort sounds like it could have been a wonderful read if it had worked.
ReplyDeleteIt just misses--Maud, Cathal, and Renata are great characters and beautifully drawn!
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