Cassia has looked forward to being Matched for as long as she can remember - and that it's scheduled for her seventeenth birthday makes it even more special! She's picked the perfect dress for her Match's first vision of her, and though it will be returned after the Match Banquet she'll get to keep a sliver of the fabric.
Cassia's Match is even more special than she anticipated - in an amazingly rare happenstance, Cassia is Matched with someone she already knows, rather than a boy anywhere in the country. Xander's not only someone she knows, he's her best friend, and Cassia knows she truly fortunate. That is until she puts her microcard into the home port the next day, to look at Xander's picture in private. Instead of his face she sees another, and it's also a boy she knows - Ky, who lives down the street. And just like that, everything in Cassia's life begins to change.
Condle has created a well-crafted world that is reminiscent of a number of dystopian novels set in a totalitarian future (like This Perfect Day, Collin's Mockingjay trilogy and Westerfeld's Uglies triology, with elements of Logan's Run) while still being unique, engaging and entertaining. We learn about a way of life wholly unlike ours, as Cassia passes through what is utterly familiar to her, in a seamless example of show don't tell.
The flicker of Ky on her port viewer is a mistake, an Official tells Cassia, but Society does not make mistakes. She's not to talk of this error to anyone, and that alone triggers a shift in Cassia's outlook. And her increased awareness of Ky goes hand in hand with an increased awareness of problems in a Society that she's been trained to believe is perfect. As Cassie sees her world with new eyes, the reader uncovers layers of reduction, repression, manipulation, secrecy, injustice and cover-up.
Matched is a brilliant example of how perception and society shape reality, how restricting art (to the One Hundred Poems, for example) limits thought, how language frames ideology and the capacity for innovation, and how removing the ability to write has multiple repercussions. This is the kind of book I was hoping The Maze Runner would be - rich, textured, layered, grounded, unique, with a completed narrative arc that holds promise of a sequel. Just perfect. - Alex
Showing posts with label satisfying. Show all posts
Showing posts with label satisfying. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 29
Thursday, November 19
Neil Gaiman: The Graveyard Book
A sleepless toddler escapes from his family home and thus survives the murder of his entire family. He is tracked to a nearby cemetery by the murderer but saved from the rest of his family’s fate by its ghostly inhabitants. They agree to raise the boy to adulthood in the relative safety of the graveyard.
And so begins a series of outlandish adventures, unusual friendships and exceptional bravery.
Inevitably he must face and defeat the assassin who still wants him dead in order to go out into the world and live amongst the living.
Strongly reminiscent of the books of my childhood, both in presentation and theme, I found this book utterly charming. Though dark at times, it never degenerates into gore. The natures of the creatures in the graveyard are implied but never spoken of, a subtlety that is threaded throughout the story. Scary, funny and serious by turns this books teaches lessons about love, loss and the importance of listening to your elders in an exceptionally entertaining manner.
I would have loved this book as a child, I certainly enjoyed it as an adult.-Lynn
And so begins a series of outlandish adventures, unusual friendships and exceptional bravery.
Inevitably he must face and defeat the assassin who still wants him dead in order to go out into the world and live amongst the living.
Strongly reminiscent of the books of my childhood, both in presentation and theme, I found this book utterly charming. Though dark at times, it never degenerates into gore. The natures of the creatures in the graveyard are implied but never spoken of, a subtlety that is threaded throughout the story. Scary, funny and serious by turns this books teaches lessons about love, loss and the importance of listening to your elders in an exceptionally entertaining manner.
I would have loved this book as a child, I certainly enjoyed it as an adult.-Lynn
Sunday, July 19
Breathing Room - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Despite a chaotic childhood with alcoholic parents, Dr Isabel Favor never has to worry about moving on short notice brecause of unpaid rent, looking blowsy and dishevelled like her mother, or going hungry. Every aspect of her life is ordered and controlled, from her career as a best-selling help book author to her immaculate and neutrally-toned apartment, from her trim and neat appearance to her scheduled and appropriate relationship with her fiance. It's all built on the theory she created, the Four Cornerstones of a Favorable Life: healthy relationships, professional pride, financial responsibility and spiritual dedication.
And in one brief day Isabel's life falls apart - her accountant has embezelled the money she owed the tax department and her fiance leaves her for another woman. To add insult to injury Michael tells her she has sexual hangups, and his new love is older, fatter, rumpled and pregnant! Owing the IRS over a million dollars, her career a laughing stock and her new book selling only in triple figures, Isabel has to sell everything she owns with the exception of a suitcase full of clothes and a gold bangle engraved with 'breathe' to remind herself to stay centred. The offer from a friend to take over the short-term lease of a Tuscan farmhouse seems perfect, and Isabel gives herself some time to take stock and start over. But her neat schedule of events doesn't come off, and Isabel learns that real life is messier and less controlled than she believes.
I've read all of Phillips's novels and this stand alone is one of my favourites. She writes great novels, and this is no exception - the hero and heroine are rounded and layered, the plot hurdles are believable and integrate with the characters' personalities, the sub-plots are dynamic and involving, and the secondary characters are well crafted.
In Breathing Room the hero is Italian-born, American-raised film star Lorenzo "Ren" Gage, best known as the world's premiere murderer - his only role as romantic hero spectacularly flopped. Lorenzo and Isabel hook up in Fiorenze, where their chemistry and her determination to prove her ex wrong override their ability to communicate - he pretends to be an Italian called Dante, she a Frenchwoman named Annette. When they next meet it's as absentee landlord and tenant, and the chemistry resurfaces.
There are several separate sub-plots; one is a mystery involving the whole village, and the other involves Ren's mercurial first wife Tracy and her polar-opposite husband Harry Briggs. The latter is substantial and has a host of related sub-plots about their five children (one unborn) that interconnect with the issues Ren has about children and about his latest film. There's a particularly great scene where Ren coaches runaway daughter Steffie on the key aspects to avoiding being grounded, and an ongoing thread about toilet training. In particular the disharmony, and Isabel-led therapy, of Tracy and Harry provides a strong counter-point to the evolving relationship between Isabel and Ren, and the importance of honest communication between couples. - Alex
And in one brief day Isabel's life falls apart - her accountant has embezelled the money she owed the tax department and her fiance leaves her for another woman. To add insult to injury Michael tells her she has sexual hangups, and his new love is older, fatter, rumpled and pregnant! Owing the IRS over a million dollars, her career a laughing stock and her new book selling only in triple figures, Isabel has to sell everything she owns with the exception of a suitcase full of clothes and a gold bangle engraved with 'breathe' to remind herself to stay centred. The offer from a friend to take over the short-term lease of a Tuscan farmhouse seems perfect, and Isabel gives herself some time to take stock and start over. But her neat schedule of events doesn't come off, and Isabel learns that real life is messier and less controlled than she believes.
I've read all of Phillips's novels and this stand alone is one of my favourites. She writes great novels, and this is no exception - the hero and heroine are rounded and layered, the plot hurdles are believable and integrate with the characters' personalities, the sub-plots are dynamic and involving, and the secondary characters are well crafted.
In Breathing Room the hero is Italian-born, American-raised film star Lorenzo "Ren" Gage, best known as the world's premiere murderer - his only role as romantic hero spectacularly flopped. Lorenzo and Isabel hook up in Fiorenze, where their chemistry and her determination to prove her ex wrong override their ability to communicate - he pretends to be an Italian called Dante, she a Frenchwoman named Annette. When they next meet it's as absentee landlord and tenant, and the chemistry resurfaces.
There are several separate sub-plots; one is a mystery involving the whole village, and the other involves Ren's mercurial first wife Tracy and her polar-opposite husband Harry Briggs. The latter is substantial and has a host of related sub-plots about their five children (one unborn) that interconnect with the issues Ren has about children and about his latest film. There's a particularly great scene where Ren coaches runaway daughter Steffie on the key aspects to avoiding being grounded, and an ongoing thread about toilet training. In particular the disharmony, and Isabel-led therapy, of Tracy and Harry provides a strong counter-point to the evolving relationship between Isabel and Ren, and the importance of honest communication between couples. - Alex
Friday, July 17
Watership Down - Richard Adams
Were it not for his odd brother Fiver, Hazel would have been someone of importance in the warren. Always unusual, Fiver became convinced that a disaster was about to fall upon their community, and though he couldn't explain exactly what was going to happen, his certainty was strong enough to persuade Hazel that he should approach the community's leader. Unsurprisingly, Threarah was unconvinced that he should evacuate the entire populace on nothing more than a feeling, and that from a nobody like Fiver, and he had the brothers evicted, though not before a few other members joined them, a band of rabbits in search of a new home.
Watership Down is a classic epic novel that combines adventure, heroic fantasy, intrigue, nature and anthropomorphised animals. Unlike less successful imitators (like the woeful One for Sorrow, Two for Joy), though rendered more human than real rabbits in terms of culture, intellect, communication and planning, Adams' rabbits exhibit rabbity behaviour, have a cohesive and unique language (Lapine), and when they do behave in human-like or non-rabbit ways there's a good and sinister reason.
Released in 1972, and an inspiration for first-time authors (the manuscript was rejected by thirteen publishers before finding a home and being on continuous print since its' initial release), Watership Down was turned into an animated film in 1978 and an animated BBC television series for three seasons from 1999.
Watership Down is large both in size and scale, but eminently readable. It can be read in a multiplicity of ways - as a monomyth in the tradition of Joseph Campbell; as an heroic quest like those of ancient Greek and Roman legends; as a religious (or anti-religious) allegory; as a pro-nature/anti-expansionist appeal; and as a gendered portrayal. I'm sure there are other academic viewpoints I've overlooked.
Most often, though, Watership Down is read as the children's book it creator intended. Originally created as a story to distract young daughters on a long car trip, it's ideal for a chapter-a-night bedtime book both for older readers and younger children being read to. There are stories within stories, including the rich mythology of El-ahrairah, the trickiest rabbit who ever lived, and his aide Rabscuttle, and the Black Rabbit of Inlé, the Lapine version of the Angel of Death. There are heroes and villains, cooperation and treachery, character development, birth war and death, triumph and defeat, shades of grey and strong morality, and beautiful descriptive passages that reflect a deep love of and appreciation for the British countryside.
As an Australian it's a little difficult to let go of the rabbit as an introduced scourge and appreciate it as part of a natural environment, but Adams' writing is so bewitching this happens almost instantly. He combines description, from both omniscient and Lapine perspectives, with convincing dialogue and a strongly plotted pace. Each chapter opens with a quote - some from his inspiration, RM Lockley's The Private Life of the Rabbit, and others from a variety of literary sources, including one of my favourite poetry fragments from Sidney Keye's Four Postures of Death.
If you haven't read Watership Down, do. If you have but it's been a while, read it again. And bear in mind the joke, popular shortly after the film's release: you've read the book, you've seen the film, now eat the cast! - Alex
Watership Down is a classic epic novel that combines adventure, heroic fantasy, intrigue, nature and anthropomorphised animals. Unlike less successful imitators (like the woeful One for Sorrow, Two for Joy), though rendered more human than real rabbits in terms of culture, intellect, communication and planning, Adams' rabbits exhibit rabbity behaviour, have a cohesive and unique language (Lapine), and when they do behave in human-like or non-rabbit ways there's a good and sinister reason.
Released in 1972, and an inspiration for first-time authors (the manuscript was rejected by thirteen publishers before finding a home and being on continuous print since its' initial release), Watership Down was turned into an animated film in 1978 and an animated BBC television series for three seasons from 1999.
Watership Down is large both in size and scale, but eminently readable. It can be read in a multiplicity of ways - as a monomyth in the tradition of Joseph Campbell; as an heroic quest like those of ancient Greek and Roman legends; as a religious (or anti-religious) allegory; as a pro-nature/anti-expansionist appeal; and as a gendered portrayal. I'm sure there are other academic viewpoints I've overlooked.
Most often, though, Watership Down is read as the children's book it creator intended. Originally created as a story to distract young daughters on a long car trip, it's ideal for a chapter-a-night bedtime book both for older readers and younger children being read to. There are stories within stories, including the rich mythology of El-ahrairah, the trickiest rabbit who ever lived, and his aide Rabscuttle, and the Black Rabbit of Inlé, the Lapine version of the Angel of Death. There are heroes and villains, cooperation and treachery, character development, birth war and death, triumph and defeat, shades of grey and strong morality, and beautiful descriptive passages that reflect a deep love of and appreciation for the British countryside.
As an Australian it's a little difficult to let go of the rabbit as an introduced scourge and appreciate it as part of a natural environment, but Adams' writing is so bewitching this happens almost instantly. He combines description, from both omniscient and Lapine perspectives, with convincing dialogue and a strongly plotted pace. Each chapter opens with a quote - some from his inspiration, RM Lockley's The Private Life of the Rabbit, and others from a variety of literary sources, including one of my favourite poetry fragments from Sidney Keye's Four Postures of Death.
If you haven't read Watership Down, do. If you have but it's been a while, read it again. And bear in mind the joke, popular shortly after the film's release: you've read the book, you've seen the film, now eat the cast! - Alex
Wednesday, June 17
Bones of Betrayal – Jefferson Bass
Bill Brockton, head of the world famous Bone Farm, is participating in a terrorism safety drill when he’s called to a death in nearby Oak Ridge, the birth place of nuclear weaponry. A body lies in a motel pool, covered with a foot of green ice. Leonard Novak is frozen solid but it’s when the nuclear scientist’s body begins to defrost that things really take off.
I generally prefer encountering plot twists without too much warning, so though this occurs really early in the novel I don’t want to disclose much more of the plot. I can say that the novel compelling involves both contemporary issues and events from the build up to the end of the Second World War.
Bill is a really satisfying character – a little goofy, intelligent, self-aware and funny, I suspect he incorporates many traits that the authors possess. He (and therefore they) seamlessly incorporates details about forensic anthropology into the narrative, informing and maintaining interest while advancing the fairly intricate plot. The other characters are nuanced and rounded, particularly Bill’s grad assistant Miranda and potential love interest Isabella Morgan, an Oak Ridge librarian who bar a staggering resemblance to Bill’s murdered lover. I really like how her involvement allows Bill’s grief to progress, and how realistically this loss is portrayed.
Perhaps the most interesting character portrayal is the way details of Novak’s life are posthumously revealed, emerging like a negative in a developing bath. The stand out character, though, is Novak’s ex-wife, Beatrice. Now ninety, the former Oak Ridge employee is quirky, interesting, an unreliable but charming narrator who, either directly or through information she imparts, is the source of most of the plot twists. In many ways I hope to be like her at that age – selectively senile, lively, determined, winsome and intelligent to the end.
Bones of Betrayal is the fourth fictional collaboration of forensic anthropologist Bill Bass and journalist/writer Jon Jefferson. There’s no sign of complacency or writing for the sake or either deadline or profit – the writing is crisp and compelling, the plot original and absorbing, and the characters shine. The next Bill Brockton novel will be on my Must Read list. - Alex
The Bill Brockton series:
Carved in Bone
Flesh and Bone
The Devil’s Bones
Bones of Betrayal
The Bone Yard
The Bone Thief
I generally prefer encountering plot twists without too much warning, so though this occurs really early in the novel I don’t want to disclose much more of the plot. I can say that the novel compelling involves both contemporary issues and events from the build up to the end of the Second World War.
Bill is a really satisfying character – a little goofy, intelligent, self-aware and funny, I suspect he incorporates many traits that the authors possess. He (and therefore they) seamlessly incorporates details about forensic anthropology into the narrative, informing and maintaining interest while advancing the fairly intricate plot. The other characters are nuanced and rounded, particularly Bill’s grad assistant Miranda and potential love interest Isabella Morgan, an Oak Ridge librarian who bar a staggering resemblance to Bill’s murdered lover. I really like how her involvement allows Bill’s grief to progress, and how realistically this loss is portrayed.
Perhaps the most interesting character portrayal is the way details of Novak’s life are posthumously revealed, emerging like a negative in a developing bath. The stand out character, though, is Novak’s ex-wife, Beatrice. Now ninety, the former Oak Ridge employee is quirky, interesting, an unreliable but charming narrator who, either directly or through information she imparts, is the source of most of the plot twists. In many ways I hope to be like her at that age – selectively senile, lively, determined, winsome and intelligent to the end.
Bones of Betrayal is the fourth fictional collaboration of forensic anthropologist Bill Bass and journalist/writer Jon Jefferson. There’s no sign of complacency or writing for the sake or either deadline or profit – the writing is crisp and compelling, the plot original and absorbing, and the characters shine. The next Bill Brockton novel will be on my Must Read list. - Alex
The Bill Brockton series:
Carved in Bone
Flesh and Bone
The Devil’s Bones
Bones of Betrayal
The Bone Yard
The Bone Thief
Wednesday, June 10
Runner - Thomas Perry
Jane Whitefield gave away helping people escape their pursuers when she married her New York surgeon husband, and she embraced her new life of fund-raising and support gladly. The habits of a lifetime are a little harder to lose, though, and despite herself Jane notices suspicious behaviour from the kitchen staff at a charity night hosted by Carey’s hospital. Before she can investigate a bomb explodes, creating confusion and chaos. In the midst of the aftermath a desperate, pregnant young girl seeking assistance approaches Jane. Despite her promise Jane is compelled to help her, in a world where forging a new identity is harder than ever, and with a foe who is not only determined to track down his quarry but who has the resources to back it up.
Jane is one of my all-time favourite characters and it’s a delight to have return from retirement. As with the rest of the series, Perry combines a fast-paced plot with strong characterisation and convincing detail. Jane’s character is rooted in her Native American culture - the lore and traditions of both her tribe and those of other Native American cultures are threaded through the plot.
Christine, the runner, is flawed but determined, and I became sufficiently involved with her story that I actually spoke aloud (“no, no!”) when she did something stupid but plot-necessary. The behaviour that triggered my outburst was understandable and I liked that she took action instead of waiting passively for rescue.
I also liked that, despite the potential cost to Jane’s marriage and family life, Perry finishes Runner with the possibility of another Jane Whitefield novel. Bring it on! – Alex
Click here for a review of the first Jane Whitefield novel, Vanishing Act
Jane is one of my all-time favourite characters and it’s a delight to have return from retirement. As with the rest of the series, Perry combines a fast-paced plot with strong characterisation and convincing detail. Jane’s character is rooted in her Native American culture - the lore and traditions of both her tribe and those of other Native American cultures are threaded through the plot.
Christine, the runner, is flawed but determined, and I became sufficiently involved with her story that I actually spoke aloud (“no, no!”) when she did something stupid but plot-necessary. The behaviour that triggered my outburst was understandable and I liked that she took action instead of waiting passively for rescue.
I also liked that, despite the potential cost to Jane’s marriage and family life, Perry finishes Runner with the possibility of another Jane Whitefield novel. Bring it on! – Alex
Click here for a review of the first Jane Whitefield novel, Vanishing Act
Wednesday, February 4
Quite Ugly One Morning - Christopher Brookmyre
Jack Parlabane has fled the US and is laying low in his native Scotland. When he wakes, hung over, the smell of fresh vomit is familiar, but he has no memory of creating the source of the smell. A gust of wind locks him out while he investigates and, clad only in a pair of boxers and a grubby t-shirt, Jack decides to get back in through his downstairs neighbour's place. That's when he discovers the source of the odour - his neighbour's dead, his throat cut, two severed fingers stuck up his nose, a tide of vomit washing the floor, and a giant turd on - of all places - the mantelpiece. Which is when a WPC finds him.
I don't want to go too much deeper into the plot, because unravelling its tangled tendrils is part of the enjoyment - through the course of the novel we discover why Jack ran from the US, why he's unhappy to find he's living opposite a cop shop, and why his first thought on being locked out is not to get a locksmith or ask one of the helpful polis to help him but to break and enter. That all runs alongside not only a great mystery that involves the behind-the-scenes machinations of Britain's tortured NHS, but also some great characterisation and dialogue.
With a health care background myself, I particularly liked the scene where Sarah Slaughter, an anaesthetist and the victim's ex-wife, deals with a particularly painful orthopaedic surgeon:
There's more, but I'd end up quoting most of the book.
This is Brookmyre's debut novel, and he does a brilliant job of conveying place and sensibility. His work's been criticised for its language and "stomach-turning olfactory and vomitory detail" (reviews are posted on Brookmyre's home site), but I found myself fascinated rather than repelled, albeit glad the book doesn't come with a scratch'n'sniff option. I have already read and reviewed a number of Brookmyre's books, but this is my first in the five (to date) Parlabane novels and it's only through rare discipline (I will make inroads in my own books) that I've not already borrowed the rest of the series from the library. In fact, it's only because they didn't have this first in stock that I haven't already read them. Great fun, absorbing and funny, Brookmyre's a winner. - Alex
I don't want to go too much deeper into the plot, because unravelling its tangled tendrils is part of the enjoyment - through the course of the novel we discover why Jack ran from the US, why he's unhappy to find he's living opposite a cop shop, and why his first thought on being locked out is not to get a locksmith or ask one of the helpful polis to help him but to break and enter. That all runs alongside not only a great mystery that involves the behind-the-scenes machinations of Britain's tortured NHS, but also some great characterisation and dialogue.
With a health care background myself, I particularly liked the scene where Sarah Slaughter, an anaesthetist and the victim's ex-wife, deals with a particularly painful orthopaedic surgeon:
Surgeons chronically misunderstood the role of the anaesthetist. They thought that he, or she, was there in an auxiliary, subservient capacity, to gas the patient and keep the awkward bugger quiet and still why they worked their little miracles. The anaesthetist saw his/her role instead as keeping the patient (a) alive and (b) comfortable while the surgeon did his/her best to ensure otherwise.
There's more, but I'd end up quoting most of the book.
This is Brookmyre's debut novel, and he does a brilliant job of conveying place and sensibility. His work's been criticised for its language and "stomach-turning olfactory and vomitory detail" (reviews are posted on Brookmyre's home site), but I found myself fascinated rather than repelled, albeit glad the book doesn't come with a scratch'n'sniff option. I have already read and reviewed a number of Brookmyre's books, but this is my first in the five (to date) Parlabane novels and it's only through rare discipline (I will make inroads in my own books) that I've not already borrowed the rest of the series from the library. In fact, it's only because they didn't have this first in stock that I haven't already read them. Great fun, absorbing and funny, Brookmyre's a winner. - Alex
Friday, January 9
Force of Nature - Suzanne Brockmann
Ex-cop Enrique (Ric) Alvarado has set up a PI firm in Sarasota, Florida. The younger sister of his best friend from high school, Annie Dugan, is working for or with him (they haven't quite established which yet), and the assistance she provides is balanced by the distraction his attraction to her provides. It helps, to some extent, that she's a lesbian, and therefore firmly off limits.
Annie's still recovering from the death of one of her oldest friends from cancer. She took a long time off work to care for Pam, and couldn't readjust to life in Boston. Working for that irritating, sexist, womanising best friend of her brother is a good start while she works out what she wants to do next. But it's distracting - despite his philandery she's long been attracted to him.
FBI agent Jules Cassidy may be gay but that hasn't stood in the way of his success - tenacious, dedicated and hard-working, he's rapidly making his way up the ladder. The only thing missing from his life is a partner. Marine Ben Webster's interested in filling that position, but Jules doesn't return the depth of feeling Ben's latest email indicates he feels for Jules. Besides, after his disastrous, and all-too-brief, pairing with up-and-coming movie star Robin Chadwick, he's not interested in dating someone who's still closeted.
Robin's latest movie's creating a buzz - assisted by his ex-SEAL brother-in-law Cosmo, Robin got in some real Navy training, and did all his own stunts. Agents who wouldn't return his calls are now coming to him, and he has a three picture deal in the wind. Okay, maybe he has trouble getting hot FBI agent Jules out of him mind even though it's been a couple of years, but he can't come out at this point in his career, and maybe he needs a drink or two to make it through, but he's not an alcoholic like his mom.
In Force of Nature Brockmann combines two strong romances (one with new characters Ric and Annie, one following up on a plot developed in Hot Target, which hasn't been reviewed here) with an action novel to create one of her trademark juicy novels that I had a lot of trouble putting down.
The writing's crisp and vivid, the characterisation's strong and layered, the dialogue in natural and individualised (so none of the characters is easily confused with another), and the issues around homosexuality are tackled head on - career risk, closeting, exposure, homophobia and prejudice are all addressed within the novel without turning it into an ideological flag.
Though rewarding in its own right, and with enough detail to make every aspect clear to follow, I recommend reading Brockmann's SEAL team 16/TroubleShooters series in order, as the resolution of long lived story arcs and familiarity with the supporting cast makes each new production more satisfying than coming to it cold. Having read every one from Unsung Hero to this, I found myself both replete and interested in the next book - like a perfect meal! - Alex
Annie's still recovering from the death of one of her oldest friends from cancer. She took a long time off work to care for Pam, and couldn't readjust to life in Boston. Working for that irritating, sexist, womanising best friend of her brother is a good start while she works out what she wants to do next. But it's distracting - despite his philandery she's long been attracted to him.
FBI agent Jules Cassidy may be gay but that hasn't stood in the way of his success - tenacious, dedicated and hard-working, he's rapidly making his way up the ladder. The only thing missing from his life is a partner. Marine Ben Webster's interested in filling that position, but Jules doesn't return the depth of feeling Ben's latest email indicates he feels for Jules. Besides, after his disastrous, and all-too-brief, pairing with up-and-coming movie star Robin Chadwick, he's not interested in dating someone who's still closeted.
Robin's latest movie's creating a buzz - assisted by his ex-SEAL brother-in-law Cosmo, Robin got in some real Navy training, and did all his own stunts. Agents who wouldn't return his calls are now coming to him, and he has a three picture deal in the wind. Okay, maybe he has trouble getting hot FBI agent Jules out of him mind even though it's been a couple of years, but he can't come out at this point in his career, and maybe he needs a drink or two to make it through, but he's not an alcoholic like his mom.
In Force of Nature Brockmann combines two strong romances (one with new characters Ric and Annie, one following up on a plot developed in Hot Target, which hasn't been reviewed here) with an action novel to create one of her trademark juicy novels that I had a lot of trouble putting down.
The writing's crisp and vivid, the characterisation's strong and layered, the dialogue in natural and individualised (so none of the characters is easily confused with another), and the issues around homosexuality are tackled head on - career risk, closeting, exposure, homophobia and prejudice are all addressed within the novel without turning it into an ideological flag.
Though rewarding in its own right, and with enough detail to make every aspect clear to follow, I recommend reading Brockmann's SEAL team 16/TroubleShooters series in order, as the resolution of long lived story arcs and familiarity with the supporting cast makes each new production more satisfying than coming to it cold. Having read every one from Unsung Hero to this, I found myself both replete and interested in the next book - like a perfect meal! - Alex
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