Mackerel By Moonlight

Rating:
Summary: Good book
Review: I enjoyed this breezy, humorous book. It's not great (as some of the reviewers apparently require), but it certainly is good. Weld displayed a witty, sly sense of humor and told a good story.

Rating:
Summary: Good book
Review: I enjoyed this breezy, humorous book. It's not great (as some of the reviewers apparently require), but it certainly is good. Weld displayed a witty, sly sense of humor and told a good story.

Rating:
Summary: Fishy
Review: I found this book in the bargain bin at a super market. I figured that I'd be hard pressed to not get my money's worth on a 50-cent investment. Yet, sure enough, I put down "MACKEREL BY MOONLIGHT" after about 40 pages. I like politics and I like mysteries, so this book, by the interesting former governor of Massachusetts, seemed like a safe bet. Instead, Weld packs within those 40 pages every politically useful (for Weld) character trait he can apply to his lead character, including wholesome affiliations with people of just about every identifiable demographic group in, well, in Massachusetts. Maybe there's a story here beneath the propaganda, but I didn't wait around to find out. You shouldn't either.

I gave this 2 stars instead of 1 because in fairness I didn't finish the book and I guess it could possibly get better.

Rating:
Summary: Fishy
Review: I found this book in the bargain bin at a super market. I figured that I'd be hard pressed to not get my money's worth on a 50-cent investment. Yet, sure enough, I put down "MACKEREL BY MOONLIGHT" after about 40 pages. I like politics and I like mysteries, so this book, by the interesting former governor of Massachusetts, seemed like a safe bet. Instead, Weld packs within those 40 pages every politically useful (for Weld) character trait he can apply to his lead character, including wholesome affiliations with people of just about every identifiable demographic group in, well, in Massachusetts. Maybe there's a story here beneath the propaganda, but I didn't wait around to find out. You shouldn't either.

I gave this 2 stars instead of 1 because in fairness I didn't finish the book and I guess it could possibly get better.

Rating:
Summary: well written but poor characters and mushy plot
Review: It is indeed unfortunate that Gov. Weld has already quit his day job. I doubt that his future lies in writing novels.

There was never much doubt about who the murderer was, just as there was little doubt about the outcome of the political races.

While I have visited Boston several times, I don't feel qualified to comment on the political stereotypes in the novel past the point of saying that if true, Boston is still in the 19th century. If the novel is accurate about politics in Massachusetts, I cannot see how Gov. Weld was ever elected.

Rating:
Summary: passable first novel
Review: Terrence Mullaly is the antihero of ex-Governor William Weld's surprisingly cynical political thriller. When Mullaly hotfoots it out of Brooklyn and his assistant DA's job, he settles in Boston working big buck criminal defense cases. Much to his surprise, he is recruited to run against the incumbent DA and actually wins. Suddenly, a seat in the Senate and life with the blue bloods seem to be within reach, but then his crooked past catches up with him.

Weld is trying awfully hard to be funny here and the effort shows. Hopefully in future efforts he'll relax a little and ease up on the snappy banter and wisecracks. As is, he's produced a passable first novel that you can finish on a three hour plane ride, no sweat. But don't expect much of it to stick. It's sort of Primary Colors by way of Mickey Spillane.

GRADE: C

Rating:
Summary: passable first novel
Review: Terrence Mullaly is the antihero of ex-Governor William Weld's surprisingly cynical political thriller. When Mullaly hotfoots it out of Brooklyn and his assistant DA's job, he settles in Boston working big buck criminal defense cases. Much to his surprise, he is recruited to run against the incumbent DA and actually wins. Suddenly, a seat in the Senate and life with the blue bloods seem to be within reach, but then his crooked past catches up with him.

Weld is trying awfully hard to be funny here and the effort shows. Hopefully in future efforts he'll relax a little and ease up on the snappy banter and wisecracks. As is, he's produced a passable first novel that you can finish on a three hour plane ride, no sweat. But don't expect much of it to stick. It's sort of Primary Colors by way of Mickey Spillane.

GRADE: C