Mystery Reads: When Dark Secrets Get Darker by Thomas N. Pointer, JR

"Death by the best of intentions"

When Dark Secrets Get Darker

by Thomas N. Pointer, JR

Free Giveaway Book from Goodreads

Available for the Nook @BN.com  and for the Kindle @Amazon.com

Sometimes in a murder mystery you can't guess exactly what is going on because you can't focus on the main story. That is true with "When Dark Secrets Get Darker". It is a hard read mainly because of the chosen content by Pointer. He delves into the world of sex, drugs, and other depravities of life.  My issue is primarily that this isn't a world that I would normally want to find myself walking in. It is important to know about this content before going into this book, so you don't feel obligated to read it if you are uncomfortable with the subject matter.

Pointer talks way too much about sexual escapades and attributes way too much sex to the male characters. His character of Detective Anthony Malone is the strongest example of this. He is a sexist character that showcases what is wrong with this book. I understand that males think about this topic a lot, but a book does not need to focus on this aspect to be enjoyable.  Pointer characterizes his men way too heavily here in this fashion and as a result it makes it a lesser read than what it could have been. This is the main reason for the reduction in my rating of the the book. Speaking of characterization, Pointer does his main character no favors by making him appear to be a "bad ass". He runs up on characters with his guns blazing, but as a result he comes off as a boy that doesn't know how to play in the sandbox with others. Benjamin Bishop comes across as someone that can only use force to obtain answers to his questions in an investigation, which weakens him as a likable character. That is one of the biggest flaws; there are no likable characters in the entire book.

He should have focused instead on the mystery aspect of his book. His mystery is the redeeming quality of what he has written. He could have kept the sexual aspect to the mystery because here it adds, but again in the matter of characters the sexual aspects take away greatly; weakening every single character. The mystery is interesting because you are sure what is going on until you find out you are wrong. He does a nice about face on what is going on with the killing of a seedy man. 

If Pointer writes another novel I would want him to add characters that have a humorous nature to them and also a less-sexualized personality. Try to round out the characters a little bit more. Make them enjoyable and try to add elements to the female personalities. Make the women appear to be more than just welfare moms, strippers, and just all around bad people. You need to have at least one redeeming female character to make a book enjoyable, especially when you create numerous ones that are rude and crude. There needs to be balance and Pointer has no balance with his characters.

While I may sound highly negative in my review I have to remind the reader that this is a first novel. He is able to do a lot more than other authors in their first novels. He creates a gripping mystery, which takes talent to create just the right layers. His ability to create a mystery shows that in future books he will have honed his craft. His mysteries will only get better and better. Reading this first book will show you how he will get to that place of excellence. He shows promise, but he has to take advice on improving his character set. If he does this he will be one of the masters of the genre.

Until next time... Stay Optimistic!!!

Mystery Read: Whiskey Sour by J.A. Konroth

"Death... on the rocks"

Whiskey Sour: A Jack Daniels Mystery

by J.A. Konrath

Published by Hyperion

available for purchase from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Half Price Books

"Whiskey Sour" is the first novel in the Jack Daniels Mystery series. Konrath creates an engaging novel  that takes you on a roller-coaster. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels has given her entire life over to her job and as a result she has worked her way up to a Lieutenant in her local precinct.  It has caused her to sacrifice most of her relationships, including romantic ones. The girl is a mess. Then enters the "The Gingerbread Man", who has an unhealthy appetite for Jack. Will she survive his wicked games? Only one way to find out... Read the book.

Konrath is able to foreshadow the aspects of the mystery without revealing to the reader that they are the pieces that they should be looking for, which is only something a true mystery genius would be capable of doing. When you reach the end of the novel you slap your forehead and go, "Duh, all the pieces fit together. He told us everything that we needed to know." We just don't realize he gave us all the components for understanding why "The Gingerbread Man" is killing the women he chooses. This makes it an exciting read. 

One complaint about Konrath is that he sometimes tries to be too technical in his writing. He wants to explain out things for the reader, but he fails to recognize that in most instances the reader isn't looking for this. Most mystery readers are not looking for high-brow explanations, so trying to explain procedures is lost on the intended audience. Most mystery enthusiasts are simply seeking a thrill, which this book does do. Konrath is very graphic about what the killer does to his victims and you will squirm in places, but it just adds to the fun of the book overall. This makes up for his over-explanations. 

The other interesting component of this book is the chapter that you would think that it would end with isn't the ending. I thought as Jack read the Ed McBain novel would have been a rather clever ending to the first book, but Konrath pulls us for a loop. He sets up nicely for a continuing series of books, which I had forgotten that most mystery writers want to do with a title character, especially one as awesome as Jack Daniels. 

I want to reiterated before closing that there is some rather graphic content contained within this book. Most mystery lovers will be able to handle these scenes, since they will be used to them. The typical reader may find themselves uncomfortable with these descriptions though, so go into this book knowing that there may be content that is upsetting. Do not go into it thinking that it is a fluffy little piece of literature that you will walk away from feeling happy about, instead go into it expecting your pulse to race and your heart to reach critical mass. If you go in with this you will LOVE Whiskey Sour.

Until next time... Stay Optimistic!!!

Mystery Books: Dance Hall of the Dead by Tony Hillerman

Dance Hall of the Dead

by Tony Hillerman

available for purchase from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Half Price Books

"Learning about culture has never been so deadly..."

This is the second book I have read in the "Joe Leaphorn" book series. The first being The Blessing Way. Neither book was all that exciting for me to read (they were group reads on a facebook group I partake in). I do have to say that Hillerman develops though from his first book. He grasps how to make a plot a little more interesting on the mystery angle, but it takes away from the thing that was enjoyable from the first book. In the first book his description of the various areas is richer than what is contained within this volume.

Hillerman's ability to write the mystery aspect of a book felt a bit stilted in "The Blessing Way". He gave you all the pieces of the puzzle far too early and as a result you were left wondering why you were even reading the book, but the same cannot be said for Dance Hall of the Dead. You are left questioning up until almost the final ten pages who killed the victim and why. There have been plenty of hints along the way so you have an idea of who it may have been, but you can't be fully sure until it is revealed. (Just so you know I pretty much had guessed it by the end of the book, but it was more of an OH MY GOODNESS I was right moment instead of knowing in the first chapter) This added a nice layer that wasn't available in that first book. 

The gripe about this book is that Hillerman painted a very vivid picture of the area in The Blessing Way.He can't seem to recapture that description and beauty that was present there here. It may simply be because he is learning how to write an engaging mystery book, but he hasn't found the proper balance between his individualistic style and the genre he is in. I recognize that an author can progress as they find who they are as an author and what charms they bring to the table of a genre. I hope that in subsequent novels that he is able to pull that out of himself because it just isn't apparent here. 

Is the book worth reading? If you want to know more about Native American culture than it is. If you want an engaging mystery novel I would state find another one that might be a little more modern in nature and also more engaging. This will be educational though for those interested in understanding a vastly different culture other than your own. This is one of the truly redeeming qualities of the book series thus far. You will walk away from it knowing something you didn't know. That is always something worthwhile in reading. 

Until next time... Stay Optimistic!!!

Blog content update...

I, the review of the site, have a busy life just like every other person. This is why I have decided to make new content available on the following days: Monday, Wednesday and Friday. This is when new reviews will be posted of books that have been read. This keeps the site going with new content, since postings can be scheduled in advance and allows for me to still have a life when school starts next month. This is a win-win situation for everyone.

Also I have decided that each of the days will have a predominate theme. What this means is that each update will serve a particular purpose or fill a particular genre that I am interested in. These themes will be as followed:

Monday- Random read:  These will be an eclectic mix of books that do not fit into any one particular genre that I am reviewing on the other two days. As I am a reader that tends to be a little all over the map this permits me to review those books that may simply not fit anywhere else.

Wednesday- Mystery Reads: Within the last year I have discovered one of my favorite passions is reading a good mystery book and trying to discover just whodunit. This is why this feels like a natural extension of what I currently read and a nice addition to the site.

Friday- Series Book Reads: I tend to read a lot of series books. I will be reviewing a particular series until it is finished and then I will move onto another. This doesn't mean that the Monday or Wednesday reviews may not be part of a different series. I am sticking with the "Fear Street Seniors" series to begin with and will decide on the next series upon its completion.

At some point there will also be additional content added for Tuesday and Thursday as well but it will be focused on some other aspect of writing outside of book reviews. If a reader has a suggestion feel free to e-mail me at optimisticreader@gmail.com. You may also contact me via twitter @ Optimistic_Read or on facebook where I am also Optimistic Reader.