Review: The Thieves of Darkness by Richard Doetsch

The Thieves of Darkness by Richard Doetsch -- Guest review by Pam of 40-Something First Timer

The Thieves of Darkness by Richard Doestch – which the title page tells me is “a thriller” – certainly starts out as a thrill ride. The first 30 pages are non-stop action, with car chases, shoot outs, daring prison escapes, villains and heroes. The end of the book is also a thrill a minute, with treasure hunts, more shoot outs, betrayals and daring escapes. However, the middle of the book is only sort of thrilling.

Each character is fleshed out – almost too much. We get to read about their entire life before this book, even characters that have apparently appeared in other books by this same author. Although fleshed out, the characters are still caricatures. The good guys are all good and the bad guys are all bad, except that all but two of the main characters are criminals. The good guys became thieves for noble reasons, while the bad guys became thieves for selfish reasons. It was a little too cut and dried for my taste. The so-called noble reasons were still pretty selfish if you dig just a little deeper.

The relationships are all a little too perfect, whether they are friendly or not.  And dialogue between characters seems contrived. The love scene feels forced and trite, leaving me rolling my eyes. Characters fight over things that real people would talk out – not just walk out.

Descriptions of places, buildings, cities and people are so drawn out they actually take away from the flow of the story. While it was interesting to read about what a harem really was, I don’t think taking several pages to describe it added to the story. It is only mentioned again as characters pass back through the area described.

The twists and turns throughout the book became tiring for me. Just when I thought the good guys were in the clear, the bad guys would suddenly show up. Just when I thought the bad guys might get away with their evil plans, the good guys would somehow show up. Both sides always seemed to be just one step ahead of their adversary. I began anticipating that. In the end, it seemed like the winners were just the luckier people. Because of that, in the end, the twist didn’t surprise me all that much.

I wanted to like this book, but I really didn’t. It took me much longer to read this book – which is just 469 pages – than it normally takes me to finish a novel. I found myself bored through much of the middle of the book. The places are beautiful and intriguing, but, too much time is spent describing them. The characters, with the exception of Paul Busch, are unlikeable. I also thought the story took way too long to come to its neatly wrapped conclusion.

There are other reviewers on the Internet who have very positive things to say about The Thieves of Darkness. On the other hand, Publishers Weekly says, “A shop-worn plot and stock characters mar Doetsch’s overlong third thriller to feature retired art thief Michael St. Pierre ... Clunky writing doesn't help.”

I have to agree with Publishers Weekly.

Clicking on the book cover will provide more information on the book. It is NOT an affiliate link; I earn nothing by you clicking on it.

Double review: Halfway to Each Other & The Stuff That Never Happened

In the past few months I've read two books on long-term marriages. Long-term marriages on the rocks, to be specific. As a partner in a long-term marriage, one that's admittedly seen its share of rocks, I was intrigued by the two books that came my way, each with a different look at marriages on the verge of dissolution.

First let me make clear that my marriage is fine; it's definitly not on the verge of dissolution. There are just so many hunka-hunka-burning-love, life-is-rosy-and-blissful books about the excitement of budding romance out there (and I'm not even talking about romance novels!) that it's refreshing to see characters who look like me and live lives similar to mine.

The first book is Halfway to Each Other by Susan Pohlman. It's the true story of a couple who are days away from visiting the divorce lawyer when they decide to give their 18-year marriage one more shot -- by leaving Los Angeles with their teen daughter and pre-teen son to live one year in Italy.

The book is published by Guideposts so I assumed it would be filled with Bible verses and platitudes that might make me gag a bit. I'm a Christian, no doubt about it, but I don't like being bonked over the head with syrupy sweet messages about how grand life is as one of the forgiven. Luckily, Pohlman didn't do anything like that. In fact, I found it quite refreshing the way she shared moments of her marriage that were surprisingly similar to my own, uncomfortable moments such as realizing an innocent remark led to slammed doors and stonewalling. And wondering how the cuss it devolved so quickly. Moments that have nothing to do with being a Christian but everything to do with being real and human and disillusioned with the state of one's primary relationship.

If you've been married very long at all, you've likely experienced the stuff of which Pohlman writes.

The stuff you've likely not experienced, things of which Polhman also writes, are the breathtaking moments that helped heal her marriage and strengthened her relationship with her kids, many courtesy of the people, customs and landscape the ex-pats found in Italy.

I found the balance of the reality of a long-term marriage -- and the honest revelation of the thoughts, feelings and fears of a middle-aged woman -- countered by the novelty of a new environment fascinating, refreshing and uplifting. In a non-saccharine way.

To say that things worked out for the Pohlman's in the end gives nothing away as the subtitle of the book is "How a year in Italy brought our family home." Even knowing the ending, Halfway to Each Other is an excellent read for anyone in a long-term marriage -- one on the rocks or not -- as it points out that sometimes all you may need to freshen things up a bit is a new perspective. 

Fortunately a new perspective doesn't require a trip to Italy -- although wouldn't that be nice!

The second book I read on a similar topic is the novel The Stuff That Never Happened by Maddie Dawson. It, too, takes an unflinching look at a long-term marriage and all the nit-picking that threatens even a seemingly stable 26-year relationship as it heads into the empty-nest phase. (Sound familiar?)

What's not so familiar -- at least not to my marriage -- is that Annabelle McKay, the narrator of the book has a secret: A longing for the man she fell in love with during the first few years of her marriage. That man wasn't her husband, but one with whom she'd had an affair long, long ago.

In the midst of what has become an unfulfilling life, Annabelle reflects on her life-changing affair and the way things might have been. If only ... .

A realistic portrayal of what it's like to be the mother of young adults while struggling with coming to terms with how one's life turned out keeps The Stuff That Never Happened from reading like a romance novel. There's not much romantic about the things Annabelle, her husband or her lover did in the past -- or in the present -- and it was waiting for a realistic resolution of what the future might hold that kept me reading Annabelle's story.

It's not a deep read, but it was an interesting read, for I'd venture to say that each one of us has entertained a few "if only" moments at one time or another, even in the happiest of marriages. I enjoyed reading how Annabelle's "if only" worked out for her.

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Review: My Name Is Not Isabella by Jennifer Fosberry

When my girls were little, one of my favorite "girl-power" books I liked to read to them -- and that they enjoyed having read to them -- was The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch. It was an empowering tale of a princess and the superficial prince Ronald who snubbed her when she looked rather unprincess-like after saving his butt from the dragon. So she showed him ... and went off on her own to find happily ever after without him.

I often relied on books -- picture books and otherwise -- to help me get the message across to my daughters that they could be strong, independent women who knew how to grab life's big brass ring -- and that they didn't need a man to help them reach it.

Which is why it's too bad My Name Is Not Isabella by Jennifer Fosberry wasn't around when my girls were young. It's exactly the type of book I would have loved sharing with them. Eventually (hopefully) I'll have granddaughters with whom I can share the empowering tale of Isabella and her journey as she pretends to be some of the most heroic women of our times: Sally Ride, Annie Oakley, Rosa Parks and more -- including Isabella's very own mother. Ultimately Isabella realizes she possesses the best of all the women and that she has the power to be just as great as they were.

The story and illustrations show Isabella trying on the traits of each of the admirable women, while a "Women who changed the world" feature at the back of the book gives an in-depth profile of each.

My Name Is Not Isabella encourages little girls to dream big -- and to follow in the footsteps of the great women before them.

This is one review book I'll definitely be holding on to until those little granddaughters of mine show up. Then it'll be one of our favorites to read, I'm sure, as we dream together of the great things each can become.

For more information, click on the book cover above (which is NOT an affiliate link; it links to the publisher). Or watch this short video showing the progression of the charming illustrations in My Name Is Not Isabella.

Review: Mess by Keri Smith

I recently received a book by Keri Smith to review. Then I spilled coffee on it. And soaked it with water. And made a mess of it while having lunch with a friend. And smudged it, crumpled it and cut it up with scissors.

Well, I haven't really done those things. Yet. But I'm going to. Because that's what Smith wants readers to do, exactly what she encourages readers to do with her unique offering unlike any book I've ever read ... or messed.

The book is called Mess: The Manual of Accidents and Mistakes, and Smith wants readers to do their very best to make the biggest and most creative mess ever of its pages.

Don't believe me? Get a load of this (click the "Get creative (and messy)" link below):

Looks like fun, right!?

It's not all fun and games, though. No siree. When it comes to messing with her book, Smith provides three rules readers (messers?) must follow:

1. Do not try to make something beautiful.

2. Do not think too much. (There is no "wrong.")

3. Continue under all circumstances.

I'm pretty good at following rules. And I'm pretty darn good at making messes of things, too, so this book is right up my alley.

Let the messiness begin!

Clicking on the book cover will provide more information on the book. It is NOT an affiliate link; I earn nothing by you clicking, so go for it!