The Tombs

                                                           

TITLE:             The Tombs

AUTHOR:         Clive Cussler / Thomas Perry
PUBLISHER:    Putnam
DATE:               2012

From the inside cover:
The Fargos are intrigued when an archaeologist friend requests their help excavating a top-secret historical site.  What they find sets them on a hunt for a prize greater than they could ever imagine.  The clues point to the hidden tomb of Attila the Hun, the High King, who was reportedly buried with a vast fortune of gold and jewels and plunder. . . a bounty that has never been found.  As they follow the trail through Hungary, Italy, France, Russia, and Kazakhstan - a trail that they discover leads them not to one tomb, but five- the Fargos will find themselves pitted against a thieving group of amateur treasure hunters, a cunning Russian businessman, and a ruthless Hungarian who claims direct descent from Attila himself . . . and who will stop at nothing to claim the tombs' riches as his own.

My Review:
The Fargo novels started several years ago and I have to say I've enjoyed their adventures.  In true Cussler fashion, The Tombs, takes readers all around the globe, hopping from one location to the next, trouble usually not far behind.  This is a very good story, rich in detail and, like the other Fargo novels, pretty believable.  One drawback I found was the writing style.  The previous Fargo novels were co-written by Grant Blackwood.  This one, however, was co-written with Thomas Perry who has a much different writing style than Blackwood.  I found the prose to be a little choppy for my liking, with too many short sentences (5 words or less) that break up the flow while you are reading.  All in all it is a good read that will keep you hooked until the next Fargo adventure is released.

The Girl Who Played with Fire

                   

TITLE:             The Girl Who Played with Fire

AUTHOR:         Stieg Larsson
PUBLISHER:    Vintage Crime/Black Lizard
DATE:               2009/Sweden 2010/US

SYNOPSIS:

     In book two in the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander are at it again.  While Salander is hopping around the Caribbean enjoying her new found money and freedom, Blomkvist is hard at work at the magazine, Millennium, this time getting ready to expose an extensive sex trafficking ring.  Suddenly, two people connected with the sex ring article are brutally murdered and all of the evidence points directly to Salander.
     Salander's rare genius keeps her presence hidden from the police while she investigates the murders herself.  Blomkvist, certain of Salander's innocence, is drawn into the investigation while searching for Salander himself.

MY REVIEW:

     Stieg Larsson does not fail in book two of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series.  Sometimes series loose their thrill once the newness wears off.  Larsson keeps up the suspense in The Girl Who Played with Fire, including rich characters, evil antagonists, and plenty of twists and turns throughout.  The end leaves you hanging and, if you don't already have it, you will be running out to the store to purchase book three.  The first one hundred pages or so are a little slow but you need to hang in there.  As a matter of fact, consider it a break you didn't know you needed as the pace of the book hits a frenetic pace once the murders are discovered.  You will have a hard time putting the book down through the next five hundred pages, so make sure you don't start reading until Friday night, giving yourself the entire weekend to finish.  On a scale of 1-10 this is a solid 9.  More action in the first one hundred pages would have been nice, but I'm not sure how Larsson would have pulled this off.

First post, reviews to come

Howdy all,

This is the first post on my new book review blog.  I plan on reviewing everything I read in hopes it will:

     Inspire someone to read something they would not normally read.  Reading reviews has certainly opened my eyes to many different authors and genres.

     Reaffirm what someone has already heard about a particular book.  Again, I have used reviews to affirm other reviews I've read.  Taking the first review you read for gospel is like listening to just one movie critic.

     In some cases, and I really hate to say this, I may come across a book I feel just robbed me of whatever time I gave to reading it.  I won't name names but I came across some grey shaded book that, well, let's just say it wasn't literary in the least but it did do its job.

Please do not get offended if I go off on a rant once and a while.  (I tend to do it less often as I get older, but people tell me it does still happen)  The first book I will be reviewing is The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson.  Look for it some time this weekend.

Thanks for listening and hope you find this helpful.  If you have any suggesting please comment on any post on this blog.  I will respond.

-Paul