Rating: 
Summary: A mixbag,...
Review: This is my first Dale Brown book. I must say I like his imagination in intergrating the high-tech gadgets (including the BERP material) into this story. I like the action and the ups and downs that the main characters go through. My main critisism would be that there is too much emphasis on tough and macho talk between the brothers and the cop community in general. I feel that as a result of this "talk" the story itself has become a bit unrealistic.
Rating:
Summary: split personality
Review: This is one half of a terrific novel. The first half, a gritty no-punches-held crime drama, is dynamite as it introduces the characters and sets up the inevitable conflict, even if the science is a bit shaky in spots. Unfortunately, somewhere about the halfway point, it starts to head south, and it turns into a hybrid sci-fi/James Bond thriller totally at odds with what came before; some reviewers on this page have likened it to a comic book, and I have to admit I agree. A scientist's puppy-dog infatuation with his female boss does not help matters any, either. Still, it's a nice thrill ride if you can suspend your disbelief.
NOTE: It seems those who love Brown's other books hate this one, and vice versa.
Rating: 
Summary: Splash and Style... but Substance? Eh...
Review: This review is in regard to the 5-CD set, skillfully read by Victor Garber. Mr. Garber's solo vocal dexterity is smooth and unswerving, giving each character enough distinction that the listener can easily recognize their speech patterns.The Tin Man is a fast-paced story crafted to pull its audience in quickly then hold them in a vice grip. The tone is earnest, but there isn't much substance (ie: cohesive, compelling plot) behind the scene descriptions. The main character, Patrick McLanahan, is surprisingly shallow in this story. There is great potential for depth with his secret military background, but that is barely brushed over. His experiences as Sacramento's vigilante hero also harbor great possibilities for character examination, but they are unfortunately reduced to a sort of mad-marauder punch-em-up scenes. A little more cloak and dagger use of his technology would have been intriguing (and in character). It becomes clear by the end of the tale, the author was stretching for descriptions of super-suit inflicted pain: "It felt like his hand had been sandwiched between the bumpers of two crashing cars..." Also, there was a little more profanity than I personally prefer, and in many cases, it was unnecessary. Overall, the story has a rather formulaic feel, but Victor Garber's fine performance makes it nonetheless entertaining.
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