A Wild and Lonely Place

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Summary: And The Saga Continues...
Review: "A Wild And Lonely Place" is the sixteenth installment in the on-going adventures of private investigator Sharon McCone. Like many series, the books revolve as much around the personal life of the main character as they do about the immediate plot line. Here, we find Ms. McCone moving further away from the All Souls Legal Co-op and building up a separate coterie of friends. Hank and Anne-Marie play a small role, but All Souls is otherwise almost irrelevant, superceded by newer faces Hy Ripinsky (her current boyfriend and probably her most serious relationship to date), nephew Mick, Adah Joslyn, and Gage Renshaw. Fans of the series derive as much entertainment from this as from the story.

The antagonist in this case is someone called the "Diplo-bomber". This person has set off bombs at several different consulates around the U.S., and there is a million dollar reward on the table. In addition, the bomber seems to have a special interest in the San Francisco consulate of Azad, an oil-rich Arab emirate. The plot has its share of twists and turns, taking McCone to the Caribbean and back before everything gets sorted out. It's not the most unfathomable mystery ever, but it's good enough to hold your interest.

One unfortunate aspect of this story is the device used at the start. Muller lifts a tense moment from near the end of the book and uses it to start the story off. It IS a tense moment, and it is clearly intended to grab the interest of the reader and get things off to a fast start. Unfortunately, however, it gives away a lot about the direction the story will take. It gives away too much, in my opinion. The first two-thirds of the story would have been more engaging if I hadn't already been shown where things were going.

I've read all of the preceding books in this series, so it's fair to say that I enjoy them, generally. This one is neither the best nor the worst of them. If you're a fan, it will satisfy your desire for more. Otherwise, it's a so-so mystery. There are some tense moments, but it's not as puzzling as it might have been. The identity of the bomber was clear to me before I got to the end and it will be to many others, as well. Still, there's enough action to keep the pages turning right to the end. This is a good casual read, but will likely disappoint hard-core mystery lovers.

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Summary: Wonderful mystery and adventure
Review: Here, Muller brings together all the best aspects of Sharon McCone: the meticulous investigator, the tough but prudent woman of action, the compassionate human being who identifies closely with a lonely young girl. This is a plot with more turns than a roller coaster and you just don't want the ride to stop.

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Summary: Not up to the usual high standards of the McCone series
Review: I have read all the Sharon McCone mysteries in the order they were written and am a big Marcia Muller fan. "A Wild and Lonely Place" was the most disappointing book in the series so far. Most of the suspects/new characters were dull, I figured out the mystery WAY too readily, and the writing was surprisingly cliched.

I hope that this book does not mark a downward spiral for Muller. But.. if it does, she's had a great run. (15 books in the series prior to this one.) If you don't know her work, start with the first McCone mystery, "Edwin of the Iron Shoes" and go forward from there. Don't let this one turn you off.

Rating:
Summary: Not up to the usual high standards of the McCone series
Review: I have read all the Sharon McCone mysteries in the order they were written and am a big Marcia Muller fan. "A Wild and Lonely Place" was the most disappointing book in the series so far. Most of the suspects/new characters were dull, I figured out the mystery WAY too readily, and the writing was surprisingly cliched.

I hope that this book does not mark a downward spiral for Muller. But.. if it does, she's had a great run. (15 books in the series prior to this one.) If you don't know her work, start with the first McCone mystery, "Edwin of the Iron Shoes" and go forward from there. Don't let this one turn you off.

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Summary: Superior McCone
Review: I thought this book was one of the best in the Sharon McCone series (I've read them all, but not in order of publication). It introduces a number of continuing characters. There are certainly parallels with later mysteries/female detectives (such as Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone). IMHO, Muller writes a good story but she might develop her characters a bit better--as compared with some other mystery writers (e.g. Lawrence Block's Matt Scudder or perhaps even Milhone).

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Summary: Quick read, but doesn't live up to its potential
Review: Muller's cookie-cutter plot line and characters attempt to reach Spenser or Mallone ("A" is for Alibi, etc.) levels, but fall just short.  Her characters seem to have been created directly from a "how-to" book on detective fiction, with not quite enough depth to true make them three dimensional.  That said, the book is a nice, quick read.  The perfect beach or airline book that will entertain but not challenge or entrance the reader.  Muller has a lot of potential, but "A Wild and Lonely Place" only hints at her skills, rather than displaying them fully.

Rating:
Summary: Not up to the usual high standards of the McCone series
Review: Private Investigator Sharon McCone continues to evolve as this series progresses. The reader is privy to many more of McCone's inner thoughts than in the earlier books, and we come to know what makes her tick. In this installment, Sharon is asked to pursue the so-called Diplobomber, who targets embassies of oil-rich nations. The bomber has toyed with officials, giving a warning before he strikes, but still eluding their efforts to capture him. During the course of her investigation, Sharon learns of the daily life inside the Azadi consulate which is dysfunctional, to say the least. She continues her very open relationship with Hy Ripinsky, becomes very attached to a little girl who is a part of the investigation, and takes some impromptu flying lessons. The action is often tense, and the conclusion is slowly but surely arrived at by McCone. This is one of the best books of this series.

Rating:
Summary: Action-packed Sharon McCone book
Review: Private Investigator Sharon McCone continues to evolve as this series progresses. The reader is privy to many more of McCone's inner thoughts than in the earlier books, and we come to know what makes her tick. In this installment, Sharon is asked to pursue the so-called Diplobomber, who targets embassies of oil-rich nations. The bomber has toyed with officials, giving a warning before he strikes, but still eluding their efforts to capture him. During the course of her investigation, Sharon learns of the daily life inside the Azadi consulate which is dysfunctional, to say the least. She continues her very open relationship with Hy Ripinsky, becomes very attached to a little girl who is a part of the investigation, and takes some impromptu flying lessons. The action is often tense, and the conclusion is slowly but surely arrived at by McCone. This is one of the best books of this series.

Rating:
Summary: One of her Best!!!!
Review: This book was one of the best Marcia Muller books I have read to date. It takes a newer set of characters and basically combines them with the All Souls gang. The Sharon McCone series has been getting better and better with every book. Marcia Muller's writing has come so far since "Edwin of the Iron Shoes" I have read many mystery series and this is one of the best. I am looking forward to reading the rest of her books!

Rating:
Summary: One of her Best!!!!
Review: This book was one of the best Marcia Muller books I have read to date. It takes a newer set of characters and basically combines them with the All Souls gang. The Sharon McCone series has been getting better and better with every book. Marcia Muller's writing has come so far since "Edwin of the Iron Shoes" I have read many mystery series and this is one of the best. I am looking forward to reading the rest of her books!