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Void Moon

Void Moon

List Price: $7.99
Your Price: $7.19
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: I'm afraid this was a misfire
Review: There seems to be an unwritten rule that a writer, no matter how skilled he is, has to stumble once in a while. A reader unfamiliar with his work might really enjoy this, because it is far better written than the average crime thriller. However, those who have read his previous books will probably be disappointed.

The basic plot is quite familiar. The criminal, a lady burglar in this case, finds herself with a briefcase holding two and a half million dollars belonging to the mob, and realizes she's in serious trouble. This story has, of course, been told lots of times by different authors. Michael Connelly puts his own spin on the plot, but Cassie just isn't that sympathetic a character and I couldn't really care that much whether she survived the story or not.

To Connelly's credit, the story is fast paced and just as his other books go into meticulous detail of criminal investigations, this one gives just as detailed a description of the original theft and of the villianous P I's tracking her down. Also, there are the typical Connelly twists. So it's not a bad book. It should be more enjoyable for those who haven't read his previous books, because it is superior to many thrillers.

So if you haven't encountered this writer, this isn't that bad a first one to read. Those who have read his previous books will encounter references to a couple of characters from one of the Harry Bosch stories. It's a fast read because you won't be tempted to look back at previous pages to see if you missed something or to confirm a suspicion you may have as to what's coming next. And a minor Michael Connelly book is better than many authors' major books.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good, standard Connelly work
Review: I, like some of the previous reviewers, am a big fan of the Harry Bosch books. I have also read Michael Connelly's non Bosch books. While I have not liked any of them as much as "Harry", they have all been enjoyable reads. "Void Moon" is no different. I was quickly engrossed in the storyline and the book never bogged down. I think that Connelly keeps the "Harry Bosch" character fresh by doing other works. In my opinion Michael Connelly is the best crime/mystery author writing now and you won't be disappointed with "Void Moon".

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good, but not Connelly's best
Review: Unlike Connelly's other works, which focus on murder mysteries, this book is a heist novel. This sub-category of the mystery genre focuses on a clever theft which often goes awry and the ensuing complications. As such, it invites comparison to the great heist novels by Richard Stark (Donald Westlake) with Parker, and it holds up well in this fashion.

There are distinct differences from the Parker books, starting with the main character. Cassie Black is much more "human," a woman with a past that haunts her and motivates her to continue her life of crime. This in turn makes the story much more emotionally engaging than the coolly fun Parker stories.

Unlike Connelly's other books, however, there are weaknesses in this story. Cassie is an interesting but not very sympathetic character, and there are twists at the end that are either unnecessary or out of left field. These are, overall, minor gripes, however, and do not really take away from the good quality of the book.

For many other authors, this might be a five-star book, but for Connelly - a consistent five-star writer - this book merits less as it is below his usual work. That is not to say this isn't a good book, but it's not as great as his other works. Even weak Connelly beats many other authors at their strongest.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: cacophony to synchronicity
Review: Connelly's book is nicely bracketed by the use of two
words : cocaphony of the opening sentance to synchonicity
of the finale. They describe well the style -- apparently
discordant events are brought into harmony by the end,
clues and events explained and tied together, the threads
combined into a coherent tree.

Good stuff.

I recently reviewed "Easy Prey" in which I lamented the lack
of key elements of good crime fiction there. This book is the
opposite -- it has it all. The two most important are
"mystery" and "suspense", the former the challenge to explain
unexplained past events, the latter the challenge to predict
future ones. Both of these elements are present in spades.
They keep the pages turning, often with the wonderful
"Aha! I should have predicted that!" moments which make
good works in the genre so rewarding.

I strongly recommend this book. The only perhaps weakness
is character development is a bit shallow -- it isn't Connelly's
strong point, and here he's tackled the challenge of going from
his speciality of male law enforcement figures by presenting
a female law-breaking protagonist. But he pulls it off
competently, allowing the other elements of the book to show
their strength.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Grat Story!
Review: I have read many of Connely's books about Detective Bosch, this
book was NOT about Bosch, and yet I think it's one of the best
books I've read in a long time. If you liked Runnaway Jury (Grisham) or The Winner (Baldaci) you love this one!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Disappointing
Review: A very average book from a great author. This was the only Connelly book I have ever been disappointed with. A simple story which moves forward chronologically with the mandatory plot twist at the end. The book was either written for him, written rather quickly. or written to fulfill a book contract requirement. Try any one of the other Connelly books and enjoy.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Moonstruck
Review: Michael Connelly is a gifted author, and I enjoy his Harry Borsch novels. Void Moon is a nonseries book about a female ex-con named Cassie Black. I enjoyed Mr. Connelly's story involving her struggles and her choices. I also feel the novel captured the essence of Las Vegas. Void Moon is an excellent book.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: light stuff, but fast reading
Review: This looked like some decent beach reading material so I took it with me on my Hawaiian vacation. Read about half on the plane and finished the rest a few days into my trip. In short, worthy beach reading. The protagonist is Cassie Black, a "hot prowl" thief, recently out of a 5-year jail stretch. She needs money and takes another job, ripping off a money man staying at a Las Vegas casino. Soon she has a psychopath tracking her down and killing people along the way. Not a whole lot of character development going on, but the story moves fast and holds your interest until the end. Fun book, very light reading, but I'd still like something a bit more substantial next time. (Even for a beach read). (23 APRIL 2001)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Very Good Book(SPOLIER)
Review: I really like this book. It was very interesting and entertaining. It gave great detail about different security precautions in Las Vegas hotels and explained alot of different surveillence devices that was really informative.
The second thing i really liked was the characters. My favorite was Jack Karch. A psychopathic Las Vegas fixer. They also call him Jack of Spades. Through the book he performs these little magic tricks that are a little corny but he makes up for it by being a very cool porkpie hat wearing, slick suit wearing tough guy. An the look Connelly descrbed for him made him seem even cooler. hair balck as a limousine and eyes the color of a grey sidewalk.
The character Cassie Black was good too, but not as interesting as Karch. (HERES THE SPOILER) If Karch hadn't been killed, I think Connelly should have made novels based on HIM. A Jack Karch Novel. Sounds good.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Spellbinding thriller
Review: This is the type of thriller that will keep you interested as its intricate plot renders great twists and turns as the events unfold. There is no need to discuss the plot or to give anything away. Thrillers are rarely great literature, but they serve a function of their own, diversion and relaxation. Most are marked by improbabilities to which the authors must resort to tie their plots together. This one is far better than most. It is well-written. Its story has a logic of its own that does not rely on jarring improbabilities, although it is not entirely free of them either. Its settings, Los Angeles and the casino world of Las Vegas are fairly realistic and often interesting, as are its characters. Void Moon is certainly one of the better works in the thriller genre. It should be picked up by a movie studio.


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