Rating: Summary: Good Plot And Procedure, Characters So-So Review: This was the fifth Crais book I'd read. It's a departure from his Elvis Cole series. Overall, pretty good. The police procedural aspects are reasonably well done - he has a commendable disclaimer at the front indicating that this book won't tell you how to build or defuse a bomb. I'd just read three of Paul Bishop's Fey Croaker series, and the contrast between the female protagonists was not in this books' favor. OTOH, this book has a large number of characters, which makes it harder to develop as deep a sense of a protagonist's personality. So, an interesting change from the Elvis series, and a better than average read - recommended.
Rating: Summary: Demolition Angel Review: Three years ago Carol Starkey, a top-notch bomb squad technician came back from the dead. Her partner and lover died. Since then she has been burying her survivor's guilt with alcohol and Tagamet. While assigned to LAPD's Criminal Conspiracy section, Carols lands a case in which a seemingly easy bomb to diffuse kills another technician. She soon finds herself investigating a series of bombings in which the bombs were deliberately designed to kill the technicians. Robert Crais has written a fast pace novel with twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages until you are done. He has successfully created a complex multi-dimensional wounded character in Carol Starkey while at the same time immersing you in the authentic world of bomb making and the dangerous world of the bomb technicians. This is the first book I have read by Robert Crais and I now have a new author to add to my To Be Found (TBF) and To Be Read (TBR) piles. I highly recommend this book. Review by: Lillian Porter
Rating: Summary: great police drama; a real page-turner Review: 'Demolition Angel' is a real treat. The author delves into the world of bomb disposal experts and the scary individuals who develop such bombs for kicks ("bombers without a cause"). As with his better known "L.A. Requiem", Robert Crais writes in a tight yet fast-reading style which simply makes the pages fly by.In our story we have a police heroine who leads the charge in finding a serial bomber ('Mr Red'). The story has *plausible* twists and turns, with an unexpected and thrilling ending. And the author has seemingly done a fine job researching this bizarre world of bombers and bomb disposal experts; I found it educational. However 'Demolition Angel' isn't perfect. Robert Crais is a great storyteller, but he isn't a great writer. His characterizations are somewhat shallow, and he expends no effort in giving the reader the *feeling* of the setting. It is as if he wrote the book in haste. But these are mere quibbles. Bottom line: terrific (and frightening) story. Job well done.
|