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Book Chain, weeks 41 & 42
Dec. 24th, 2025 06:32 pm#40: Read a book with the same coloured cover as the previous book.
First attempt: The Pearl Harbor Murders by Max Allan Collins. One of a set of murder mysteries with the hook [famous author] solves murder mystery during [historical event with large body count]; most of the others feature mystery writers, but this one stars Edgar Rice Burroughs, presumably on the basis that he was, obligingly, actually there at the time. The more I got into it, the less keen I was on the premise, and I didn't find the narrative style or any of the characters particularly engaging. Also, it turned out to be an uncover-the-fifth-columnists plot, and I've had enough of those lately already.
Second attempt: Long Way Home by Eva Dolan. Another murder mystery -- not the kind where the murderer is caught and normal order is restored, but the kind where the murder is a symptom of a broken world and ends up not being the worst thing uncovered by the investigation. Grim, but at least I didn't get the feeling the author was taking the situation too lightly.
Not the kind of thing I'd normally read for fun, but it was on display at the library and the cover fit the prompt so I decided to give it a go. I don't regret spending the time on it, but I'm not tempted by the sequels. (There are apparently five sequels and counting, which surprised me a bit, as the detective protagonists didn't feel to me like the type to headline a series. Knowing that this was book one of The DI Zigic and DS Ferreira Series did give me a bit of amusement when I got to the part where DI Zigic gets shot in the line of duty and the author spends a couple of chapters trying to pretend he might actually be dead.)
That concludes the Book Chain reading challenge. I'm looking forward to seeing if there's going to be another one next year.
First attempt: The Pearl Harbor Murders by Max Allan Collins. One of a set of murder mysteries with the hook [famous author] solves murder mystery during [historical event with large body count]; most of the others feature mystery writers, but this one stars Edgar Rice Burroughs, presumably on the basis that he was, obligingly, actually there at the time. The more I got into it, the less keen I was on the premise, and I didn't find the narrative style or any of the characters particularly engaging. Also, it turned out to be an uncover-the-fifth-columnists plot, and I've had enough of those lately already.
Second attempt: Long Way Home by Eva Dolan. Another murder mystery -- not the kind where the murderer is caught and normal order is restored, but the kind where the murder is a symptom of a broken world and ends up not being the worst thing uncovered by the investigation. Grim, but at least I didn't get the feeling the author was taking the situation too lightly.
Not the kind of thing I'd normally read for fun, but it was on display at the library and the cover fit the prompt so I decided to give it a go. I don't regret spending the time on it, but I'm not tempted by the sequels. (There are apparently five sequels and counting, which surprised me a bit, as the detective protagonists didn't feel to me like the type to headline a series. Knowing that this was book one of The DI Zigic and DS Ferreira Series did give me a bit of amusement when I got to the part where DI Zigic gets shot in the line of duty and the author spends a couple of chapters trying to pretend he might actually be dead.)
That concludes the Book Chain reading challenge. I'm looking forward to seeing if there's going to be another one next year.
