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Friday, March 7, 2014

Lee Child, Gene Kerrigan, Cormac McCarthy and More

I've been busy traveling and have managed to read quite a bit while doing so, despite the lack of blog posts! Here are a few highlights, with more to follow soon.

I finished reading Lee Child's Never Go Back, A Jack Reacher Novel.  It was a typical Lee Child go-go-go plot salted with Reacher's droll humor and observations.  I enjoyed the book, but somehow it felt a little thin. Perhaps I am growing a bit weary of the formula for this particular series. Nonetheless, if you are a fan of Jack Reacher, this is a must read.


Moving from the familiar Jack Reacher to a new police procedural, I read The Rage by Gene Kerrigan. Set in Dublin during the depth of Ireland's post-Celtic Tiger economic depression, the novel features Detective Sergeant Bob Tidey.

Tidey, investigating the murder of a Dublin banker, is sorting through the snarl of economic tricks and corrupt practices that developed during the boom years and led to economic chaos. Tidey and the police have to determine, given all that is going on, who wanted to murder this particular banker? And does anyone really want to know why? Meanwhile, on the other side of the tracks, a violent young criminal named Vincent Naylor is plotting a big score with his crew. Will Naylor's rampage be successful?

Featuring nuns, ruffians of all sorts, office politics, and the daily grind, The Rage is interesting reading.


Finally, while in Mexico I read read two books by Cormac McCarthy, All the Pretty Horses and No Country for Old Men. Why haven't I read these two excellent books before? Too many books and too little time, I guess. In any event, sometimes there is an excellent synergy between the book you are reading and the place you are reading it.  I found Mexico is the perfect place to read and enjoy these two works, and particularly All the Pretty Horses as much of the plot takes place there.  But if you haven't read them yet, don't wait for a holiday to check out these must-read classics. Both are gripping works and a pleasure to read.



More winter travel reading reports coming soon!