Fear of the Dark by Walter Mosley

This one didn't sit right with me for most of the way. Paris Minton's self-deprecating prattle bothered me to the point that I was missing out on some positive parts of the story and the writing. The whole thing about him being such a fraidy cat just didn't jibe with all the ballsy things he was doing. I had a hard time getting past that. A mirror image of the same thing was happening with Fearless Jones -- he was being talked up as the man you don't mess with yet that wasn't coming across too well. All talk and no walk. Not Fearless himself, but Paris's build up of him. I actually found myself more interested in the back story of Fearless' World War II assassination missions.

Perhaps these things wouldn't have been a problem if I hadn't started with the third book in the series? Of course, that in itself wouldn't say much about this books ability to stand on its own.

Yet, by the end of the book I was open to some more Fearless and Paris. So maybe I'll give them another spin sometime.

The Hunt Club by John Lescroart

I don't know about this one. Fairly good story, but thin in many areas. The main character is Wyatt Hunt a former military inspector and former child protective services field agent turned PI. Definitely not of the traditional gumshoe mold -- he's a bit too self aware with some scars from the past left by growing up in the foster care system and later losing his fiance. I really wanted to like this guy, but I don't think Lescroart developed his character well enough or allowed for a rich enough story line for him to grow on me. He did a far better job with the other characters in the book like Hunt's friends Amy Wu and Devin Juhle. But maybe Hunt grew on my just enough, because I do think that I'd give a "Hunt" novel another chance. Just to see whether Lescroart can redeem him.

Recent Reads

One of the things I want to log here is what I've been reading. After a long pause, I recently started reading fiction again. I usually have to be careful with my fiction reading as I tend to become a little compulsive with it. Ummm... To be honest, I guess "compulsive" is a bit sugar-coated. More accurate might be: addictive. Anyway, now I try and keep it to times when the family is sleeping or not around.

So I'll be posting what I read, but first I thought I'd list what I've read recently:

• Master and Commander (Aubrey Maturin Series), Patrick O'Brien
• Post Captain (Aubrey Maturin Series), Patrick O'Brien
• The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing, Melissa Banks
• Blue Shoe, Anne Lamott
• The Emperor of Ocean Park, Stephen L. Carter
• By Order of the President,W.E.B. Griffin
• The Hostage, W.E.B. Griffin
• Pirate: A Thriller (Hawke (Pocket Star Paperback)), Ted Bell
• Lord Hornblower (Hornblower Saga), C.S. Forester
• The Gunsmith 174: Gunquick (Gunsmith, The), J.R. Roberts
• Pop Goes the Weasel, James Patterson
• Bisbee '17: A Novel, Robert Houston
• A Shred of Honour (Markham of the Marines (Paperback)), Tom Connery
• Honour Redeemed, Tom Connery
• Honour Be Damned (Markham of the Marines (Paperback)), Tom Connery
• The Dogs of Babel: A Novel, Carolyn Parkhurst
• Eventide, Kent Haruf
• Islands, Anne Rivers Siddons
• The Narrows: A Novel, Michael Connelly
• The Tin Collectors: A Novel (A Shane Scully Novel), Steven Cannell
• Vertical Coffin: A Shane Scully Novel, Steven Cannell
• Last Man Standing, David Baldacci
• The Camel Club, David Baldacci
• Absolute Power, David Baldacci
• Dark Star: A Novel, Alan Furst