Quantum Leap : Heat Wave

Rating:
Summary: Not the best - but far from the worst
Review: As one of the final books in the Quantum Leap series, this novel shows that the series is finally starting to show its age. As a product from the eighties, no story could be more contrived than heat wave. The familiar tale of a black man accused of a murder that he didn't commit is as common to Quantum Leap as its major characters. While Sam often fought racial inequality in many episodes of the series, it never managed to feel as forced as it does here. Perhaps its because without the actual actors playing the roles, the polar opposites of Sam and Al aren't "real" enough to be believable. In earlier novels in the series, the stories were aided by a fully realized understanding of the characters and an added depth that was often missing from the show. Here, it seems that the author has merely rewatched a few episodes of the series and has given little thought to expanding the world. That, coupled with a story that feels done on many a murder she wrote episode, drags this book down to the bottom of the barrel. For die hard fans of the series only.

Rating:
Summary: Did not buy the characters
Review: I was disappointed by this book.

I've read most of this series and this one seemed off to me. The plot was not what bothered me. It was the characters that bothered me. What stood out to me from the beginning was the portrayal of Sam. In the show and in every book, he's always thrust into a life that he's never experienced (that's kind of the point), but when he's thrown into the role of a police officer and father, the writing seems to show that he's familiar with the roles. He jumps right into a fatherly role with the daughter and knows what to do as a police officer. I didn't buy this at all. Also, the conflict with the daughter, father and mother is pointless. Where the mother and daughter aren't getting along never goes anywhere; it's like it's there for decoration.

Then, Al's character seemed kind of wimpy. The writing made it seem like he was afraid of every little thing. The example I'm thinking of is when he's in the house with Sam looking for clues and he's itching to leave. It seemed like that followed throughout the book.

Well, this was the worst of the series so far. The others were more true to the characters than this one.

Rating:
Summary: Did not buy the characters
Review: I was disappointed by this book.

I've read most of this series and this one seemed off to me. The plot was not what bothered me. It was the characters that bothered me. What stood out to me from the beginning was the portrayal of Sam. In the show and in every book, he's always thrust into a life that he's never experienced (that's kind of the point), but when he's thrown into the role of a police officer and father, the writing seems to show that he's familiar with the roles. He jumps right into a fatherly role with the daughter and knows what to do as a police officer. I didn't buy this at all. Also, the conflict with the daughter, father and mother is pointless. Where the mother and daughter aren't getting along never goes anywhere; it's like it's there for decoration.

Then, Al's character seemed kind of wimpy. The writing made it seem like he was afraid of every little thing. The example I'm thinking of is when he's in the house with Sam looking for clues and he's itching to leave. It seemed like that followed throughout the book.

Well, this was the worst of the series so far. The others were more true to the characters than this one.

Rating:
Summary: Well Done!
Review: The previous review was a little harsh. This is not shakespeare. It's Quantum Leap. I found the book utterly enjoyable and found myself totally engrossed both in the story and the characters. Everyone always says they knew whodunnit after the finished reading the book. I came out here specifically to look for other books by this author. I am disappointed that I did not find any. I hope she decides to write more stories. The previous reviewer also talked about typos. This book was edited better than most paperbacks I read. C'mon, it's a paperback. Get past the few typos and just enjoy the book!

If you liked the Quantum Leap television series, read this book. You won't be disapointed!

Rating:
Summary: Well Done!
Review: The previous review was a little harsh. This is not shakespeare. It's Quantum Leap. I found the book utterly enjoyable and found myself totally engrossed both in the story and the characters. Everyone always says they knew whodunnit after the finished reading the book. I came out here specifically to look for other books by this author. I am disappointed that I did not find any. I hope she decides to write more stories. The previous reviewer also talked about typos. This book was edited better than most paperbacks I read. C'mon, it's a paperback. Get past the few typos and just enjoy the book!

If you liked the Quantum Leap television series, read this book. You won't be disapointed!

Rating:
Summary: Unfortunate
Review: The strengths of the television series Quantum Leap, upon which this book was based, were interesting plots, well-developed characters, a consistent milieu and the expressed conviction that Good will triumph over Evil. While "Heat Wave" certainly espouses the latter, it falls short in the other categories.

The plot, a small-town murder mystery, can work quite well, but in this case the clues were too obvious, the elimination of suspects too pat, and the investigation too police-like and not enough Sam-like... which brings me to the point of characterization. Although Al's wardrobe adds color to any situation, our familiar team is transformed from three dimensions to two through the use of hyperbolic caricatures of their personality traits... and the walk-ons, the men and women of the small town setting for this novel, lack the depth needed to support their own contradictions. Arguably the most detracting aspect of this novel, however, were the anachronisms and flat-out typos, which indicated a lack of editorial oversight and research.

In short, Heat Wave left me cold.