Author Rating: B+
Every Demon Has His Day (read 10/26/11) Recommended
This was a random pick from the library shelf that turned out to be terrific! This well-written, humorous, fast-paced story about a woman who discovers she’s a prophet who has to save the world by preventing Satan from fathering the anti-Christ after her husband is killed by a demon and everyone thinks she killed him. Reminiscent of Christopher Moore.
The only reason I gave Lockwood a B+ instead of an A was the lame final chapter.
Can’t Teach An Old Demon New Tricks (read 11/9/11) Recommended
This is a sequel to Every Demon Has His Day and again Lockwood does a good job although, as before, she doesn’t know when to put down the pen. The maudlin sappiness of the last chapter is unfortunately. My only other complaint is Lockwood dumbing-down Frank, a pug in the first book and a novice angel in this one.
Author Rating: D
Isle of Dogs (read 10/20/11) AVOID
Wow, does Patricia Cornwell have something really big she’s using to blackmail someone at Putnam to get them to publish her books? One reviewer at Amazon wonders whether “we have a case of an imperious, arrogant author who has cheesed off her publishers enough that they’re letting her readers see what she’s really like?”
This novel is supposed to have been a change for Cornwell from serial killer/suspense to what the San Francisco Examiner describes as “the world of black humor.” They were a little too generous in suggesting that she “nearly conquers it,” but Carl Hiaasen doesn’t need to move over because Cornwell won’t be keeping him company. Cornwell writes at about the level of a fifth-grader and wouldn’t recognize humor if it ran her over.
Let me give you an example:
“I thought we were doing our best to play down this pirate business,” the governor seemed to remember. [“Seemed to remember”? WTF?] “Didn’t I order Superintendent Hammer not to release any statements to the press about anything without our approving it first?” [Could dialogue be any more awkward?]
“You certainly did. And so far, we’re managing to keep the sensational details out of the media.”
“You don’t suppose Trooper Truth [give me a fucking break] intends to keep blabbing about our pirate problem on the Internet, do you?”
“Yes, sir, “Trader replied as if he knew this for a fact. “We can rest assured his website is going to open a can of worms, because by all appearances, it’s an inside job and I fear your administration could be blamed if things really get ugly.”
“You might be right. I get blamed for most things,” the governor confessed as his stomach rumbled and his intestines lurched into activity like worms suddenly exposed to daylight. He wished Trader had not mentioned a can of worms.
Cornwell received money for writing that crap. There truly is no justice.
Governor Crimm picked up his nineteenth-century magnifying glass, which was English and made of ivory. Peering through the lens, he made out enough of the essay’s contents to get interested and slightly offended.
Really, Putnam?
The only mystery here is how this crap got published.
Author Rating: C
Boo Who (read 10/1/11) Meh
It’s not the most terrible book in the world, and if you are trapped on an airplane with nothing else to read you wouldn’t necessarily be trying to open the emergency exit to escape, but with so many better reads available I threw this book aside.
This is apparently the second in a series. If this is what WaterBrook Press considers worthy of publication, I’d hate to see what they reject.
Author Rating: Unknown
I’ve seen the movie Catch-22 but I’ve never read the book. After reading this review, I’ve put it on my short list.
All Fiction All The Time 