Selasa, 15 November 2011

This is the most fun I've had in the last several months!

Fun Games Charlie Hardie ebook

Fun Games Charlie Hardie ebook

Unbelievably entertaining; I can't wait for Charlie's next adventure.

Nothing is as it seems in this relentless thriller. First we meet the young and beautiful actress Lane, whose career is on the upswing after a slump. the slump, as it's slowly revealed, was caused by bad deeds Lane covered up and with which she cannot live. And as it turns out, other powerful entities can't let her live as long as there is a chance Lane will seek absolution. Believing Lane is on the verge of confession, killers come for her but Lane lives through the first attempt on her life by seeking shelter in the unoccupied home of a friend.

Charlie left quasi police work behind because he feels responsible for the deaths of his best friend and that friend's family. Now, he is a house sitter, arriving at a certain unoccupied house only to be surprised by - you guessed it - Lane, who tries to kill him, thinking he is her assassin. Charlie reluctantly comes to believe that people truly are trying to kill them, if only because he comes to in a body bag on the living room floor next to another body.

Charlie and Lane join forces, and what a force they make; Charlie has unusual gifts he puts to good use and Lane finds the absolution she seeks. My husband can hardly wait to read this book since I could NOT put it down and because I laughed so much. I love this author and read everything he writes -- pick this up and you'll find yourself doing the same thing.

Get your Fun Games Charlie Hardie ebook Now!

4 komentar:

  1. Unbelievably entertaining; I can't wait for Charlie's next adventure.

    Nothing is as it seems in this relentless thriller. First we meet the young and beautiful actress Lane, whose career is on the upswing after a slump. the slump, as it's slowly revealed, was caused by bad deeds Lane covered up and with which she cannot live. And as it turns out, other powerful entities can't let her live as long as there is a chance Lane will seek absolution. Believing Lane is on the verge of confession, killers come for her but Lane lives through the first attempt on her life by seeking shelter in the unoccupied home of a friend.

    Charlie left quasi police work behind because he feels responsible for the deaths of his best friend and that friend's family. Now, he is a house sitter, arriving at a certain unoccupied house only to be surprised by - you guessed it - Lane, who tries to kill him, thinking he is her assassin. Charlie reluctantly comes to believe that people truly are trying to kill them, if only because he comes to in a body bag on the living room floor next to another body.

    Charlie and Lane join forces, and what a force they make; Charlie has unusual gifts he puts to good use and Lane finds the absolution she seeks. My husband can hardly wait to read this book since I could NOT put it down and because I laughed so much. I love this author and read everything he writes -- pick this up and you'll find yourself doing the same thing.

    BalasHapus
  2. I really enjoyed this book. I thought the plot was very original, and I especially like the way the author writes. He does not waste words. His character, Charlie Hardie, is sad and funny at the same time and is a very likeable person. I also enjoy the frequent breaks within each chapter that allows the reader stop reading, if needed, and then be able to pick up where they left off; and the author is not overly wordy in description of the events that he's depicting.

    Thank you Mr. Swierczynski for your thrilling and enjoyable book. You are just one of a very few novelists i truly enjoy. I can't wait for your next Charlie Hardie book.

    BalasHapus
  3. If you can get past the unlikely contrivances that set up the story, you'll be sucked into a character-driven thrill ride that will have you preordering the sequel as soon as you turn the last page.

    FUN AND GAMES balances the quirky story with characters that seem real--paging Lindsay Lohan for the role of Lane--and sympathetic. The mystery about what sent Charlie fleeing from Philadelphia interests us but so does the question of who wants Lane dead and why.

    A lot of the fun of the story--at least for people who actually live in Los Angeles--is the sense of authenticity. The plot plays out like a mash-up of John Ridley's EVERYBODY SMOKES IN HELL and Elmore Leonard's GET SHORTY. The characters have history and context and their lives are complicated. Sometimes this is tragic--as with Charlie--and sometimes it's hilarious, with the suburban dad who calls himself FACTBOY having to seclude himself in public bathrooms to stay in contact with his client--while his vacationing wife and children get antsy.

    The client is an intriguing character herself. We know absolutely nothing about her but it's fascinating to watch her unravel as she has to invent more and more narratives to cover the scenarios that unfold when her plan goes FUBAR. We're not the only one horrified by her total lack of compassion--even second in command can't believe she's so cold-blooded.

    Both Lane and Charlie are terrifically damaged people. The writer gives us their internal dialogue so that we are invested in their survival. It's funny that most of Lane's survival skills were learned while making various cheap action movies.

    Charlie is almost ridiculously resilient but at the end, he's still standing. We don't know exactly what's going to happen to him when he wakes up from the sedative the EMT administers at the end, but since we know that there are two more books in the series, we can only assume he survives and thrives in some way.

    Lane and Charlie have a good run of it, and the writer makes their survival pretty plausible just as he makes the bad guys' ability to track them seem pretty likely. It's a little too fortunate that Charlie has the skillset he does (and his backstory is actually kind of murky--the writer should have just made him an ex-cop instead of some sort of consultant whose role was violent but nebulous).

    Charlie is a good man who lives with a terrible burden of guilt. He and Lane are a lot alike and he realizes it. When she confesses her own guilt (as she has to her secret boyfriend), he doesn't offer absolution but he can offer understanding.

    The book contains some good action and the finale in the Hunter house is a particularly strong setpiece. The novel is steeped in noir tropes (and great quotes from movies ranging from COBRA to KISS KISS BANG BANG) and the twists of the plot do not disappoint.

    BalasHapus
  4. Gotta admit that "Expiration Date" took me a long time to get through - though the payoff was great - but I charged through Fun and Games like there was no tomorrow. This is Swierczynski at his best. Relentless action. Non-stop adrenaline rush. And characters you care about, even if they are mostly despicable. I made the mistake of thinking the next book in the series was already available when I finished this one. Imagine how bummed I am to find out now that I have to wait until October! No doubt it'll be worth it though. Do yourself a favor. Grab this book, set aside a night or two, buckle your seatbelt, and enjoy the ride.

    BalasHapus