Inspector Hobbes and the Blood

INSPECTOR HOBBES AND THE BLOOD
Wilkie Martin
2013 Witcherly Book Company

reviewed by Carol

Recommended for fans of pulp, puns, supernatural detectives

★    ★    ★    1/2 

Don’t you have those days when your brain just needs a break? I’ve been swamped this summer by the seriously un-fun Understanding Pathophysiology. After reading four or five chapters a week, there’s times when my brain craves a bit of shut-off, but my body isn’t ready to sleep.  That’s what television is for, right? And sports? But honestly, I’d rather read about silly people and needless danger than watch it, and that’s where Martin’s Unhuman series with Inspector Hobbes fits in. Well, Inspector Hobbes isn’t senseless so much as Andy Caplet is, the diffident reporter assigned to follow Hobbes. Think Sherlock Holmes with slightly more bestial tendencies and Lou Costello as Watson. Think modern English town with supernatural beings just trying to live their lives without harassment, whether its chomping on old bones or standing in a field thinking trollish thoughts. Think–dare I say it–puns. 

Andy Caplet is a struggling reporter unexpectedly assigned to follow Inspector Hobbes, one of the fearsome successes of the local police force. The assignment is surprising as Andy’s most notable story to date was his unsuccessful attempt to do a piece on a show-winning hamster, resulting in nasty bite and an unflattering bit of press. Hobbes is focused an unlikely series of events relating to Mr. Roman, whose house was burgled, a violin stolen, and Mr. Roman subsequently found dead, apparently a suicide. When Andy follows Hobbes to the cemetery where Mr. Roman was found, he discovers a newly-opened grave and is almost victim to a ghoulish cover-up. It is the beginning of Andy’s introduction to the unhumans around him, and he decides to stick with Hobbes in hopes of an award-winning story. Perhaps even a book! 

The basic premise of Inspector Hobbes is done well. The unfortunate Andy contrasts nicely to the enigmatic, powerful and intelligent Hobbes. Plotting moves quickly from event to event, establishing interesting characters along the way. Particularly entertaining was Mrs. Goodfellow, Hobbes’ live-in cook, housekeeper and friend, with her dental obsession and her tendency to tread quietly. I appreciated the the way Martin hints to the reader and Andy that something about certain characters may not be quite human, a much more enjoyable type of character development than the long-winded info-dump. Hobbes, of course, is the biggest mystery of all–what is he, exactly? And does it matter? 

“In truth, and in his own way, he’d looked after me. He was an enigma. He was a monster. He was a policeman. He was someone I out to be writing about.“

Andy, being more of the anti-hero type, frequently leaps to the wrong conclusion, misleading himself and the reader. Although bumbling, he isn’t quite incompetent, and is sincere, so I found him more tolerable than in the second book, Inspector Hobbes and the Curse.


One of the few problems I had with the writing was what appears to me as a tendency to run-on sentences and excessive commas. It could just be my personal fondness for semi-colons and colons showing, but I did find it initially distracting. I think as the action picks up, the commas diminish–or else my mental filter blotted them out. An early example:

“As I landed and turned around, the magazine fluttering to the carpet like a dying pigeon, the blood pounding through my skull, my shin bruised from a sharp encounter with the table, the old lady, standing by the sofa, gave me a gummy smile. Though I coulgh have sworn she did not have a single tooth left in her head, I thought a positive response was appropriate.“

As a side note, although I love paper books, this might be one to read on e-reader. Martin has a tendency to sprinkle a number of English idioms–and by English, I mean country-cultural specific words. And, speaking of abuse of the English language, there’s a story about Hobbes’ stuffed grizzly bear: 

“The bus knocked him into a music shop, where his muzzle became entangled in an antique stringed instrument that suffocated him. And so my sad tale ends, with a bear-faced lyre.“


It was fun and entertaining–and didn’t mention molecular biology once. A perfect beach read, if you should be so lucky as to have time at the beach.



Thanks to Julia at The Witcherly Book Company for providing me a copy to review.

cross posted at  http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2014/08/06/inspector-hobbes-and-the-blood-by-wilkie-martin/

With or Without You

Brian Farrey
Simon Pulse
Reviewed by Nancy
4 out of 5 stars

Summary

Eighteen year-old Evan and his best friend, Davis, get beaten up for being loners. For being gay. For just being themselves. But as rough as things often seem, at least Evan can take comfort in his sweet, sexy boyfriend Erik--whom he’s kept secret from everyone for almost a year.

Then Evan and Davis are recruited to join the Chasers, a fringe crowd that promises them protection and status. Davis is swept up in the excitement, but Evan is caught between his loyalty to Davis and his love for Erik. Evan’s lied to keep his two worlds separate. Now his lies are about to implode…and destroy the very relationships he’s been trying to protect.


My Review


Evan and Davis have been friends since childhood. Now on the cusp of graduation, they are planning to leave behind homophobic bullies and attend college in Chicago, but life has a way of changing well-intentioned plans. Evan is an artist who copies others’ work while he’s finding his own style. He meets a sweet guy who’s just perfect in every way, and while this annoys me, I figure he deserves something good out of life since his sister Shan is his parents’ favorite and his friend Davis is busy with the “Chasers”. I know teens often have trouble communicating, don’t always know who to trust, and want to take care of problems themselves, but I’m still not sure why Evan feels a need to keep his new boyfriend, Erik, a secret from his family and his childhood friend. He is also very reluctant to share his life with Erik, which ends up causing problems for both young men.

Back to the “Chasers”. They meet at the Rainbow Youth Center, a legitimate hangout for LGBT teens. Run by the charismatic Sable, and a magnet for boys with low self-esteem, this group promises power, respect, and change. While Sable’s words boost the boys’ confidence, and he gradually gains their trust, it is already too late for some.

Teens do stupid things and are naturally rebellious. Back in my day they listen to music too loud, stay out past curfew, drive too fast, have unsafe sex, tell lies, smoke cigarettes, and experiment with drugs. Today, they do all that, plus text and drive. I believe most kids think about the consequences of their actions but often decide taking risks is worth it, particularly if it means acceptance by their peers.

Bugchasing? Seriously? I thought this was an urban legend. How far will these kids go to gain acceptance? How can they think that contracting HIV is a “gift”? How was Sable allowed to start such a group without intense scrutiny by the Rainbow Youth Center staff? This last question nagged at me right until the very end.

I loved and hated this book. I liked how very serious issues were explored, but felt the messages were too heavy-handed. While I found Evan and Davis to be well-developed, the secondary characters were not. The book was well-paced and gripping, even though I found some of the horrifying situations toward the end a little unbelievable. I loved Evan’s paintings on glass and how each pane illuminated some aspect of his life. I loved the growth of his character, but wanted more for Davis.

Recommended with some reservations for older teens.

Ask the Bloggers - Steven White

Today's guest is Steven White of Rainy Day Reading List.

What made you want to be a book blogger?
Well, I actually just got involved with Goodreads, found out about Netgalley and ARCs, and wanted to read some books early. It sprung from that desire!

What have been your best book blogging experiences?
My absolute best moment as a book blogger was when I was contacted by a publisher to review the latest book from one of my favorite series. They gave me a free hardcover copy to keep after it was published and also let me do a giveaway... but the best part was that she set up an interview with the authors for me. It was such a thrill! Big thanks to Dan and shelfinflicted for letting me take over his column that week for the review, Q&A, and giveaway!

What has been your worst book blogging experience?
Oh, the worst is when you get a book that you just don't want to finish, but there's that obligation to do so... and it sits there on your nightstand or e-reader and taunts you with its awful self. "You HAVE to read me. HAVE TO." Ugh, hate that feeling!

How many books do you own?
Not sure if I could count. I have at least two hundred physical books, and WAY more Kindle books. (And that physical book count is following two purges for moving!!!!)

Who is your favorite author?
I always hate this question because I have so many! James Rollins probably takes the #1 spot, but he's closely followed by the duo Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, Steve Berry, Jim Butcher, JK Rowling, and, my absolute oldest obsession, Agatha Christie.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Yet another hard question, but if I had to pick just one... I guess I'd say the one I recommend to people the most: The Cabinet of Curiosities by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Great all-around mystery, thriller. Good characters, nice twists, awesome setup.

What are your thoughts on ebooks?
I avoided them like the plague for years... then I got a Kindle and started reading more than ever before. So, I guess they changed my reading life!

What are your thoughts on self-publishing?
I think it's an awesome way for aspiring writers to get their stories out and heard, but I think there are some issues with the actual execution too. No editor or minimal editing means more errors. There are probably three times as many duds as gems, as the normal publishing route usually weeds out the duds as much as possible. And, it also has made the self-published average (or below average) have an upped ego and caused some serious review/comment craziness in the reading world. Thankfully they aren't all like that... for example, Nenia Campbell, GoodReads reviewer and self-published author. Good stories, great attitude, and no drama! In fact, she ALWAYS stands up for reviewers.

Any literary aspirations?
I'd love to be a writer, but my high-stress job kills my creativity. One day I'll buckle down and get some self-discipline and get the random stories bouncing around in my noggin' onto paper. One day. We'll see!

Currently, though, my literary aspirations are to READ AS MUCH AS I CAN!!!

What's your favorite joke of all time?
What does a nosey pepper do? Gets jalapeno business!

Ask the Bloggers - Charlene from Horror After Dark

Today's guest is Charlene from Horror After Dark.

What made you want to be a book blogger?
There was no one moment, really. I was asked to participate at Horror After Dark and soon realized that I liked sharing my opinion and thoughts on books, so I started my own blog.

What have been your best book blogging experiences? 
Meeting new people and being turned on to books I might otherwise have never discovered.

What has been your worst book blogging experience? 
People, other bloggers sometimes, posting snide comments on my posts. I mean really, if you don't like something I post, don't look at my blog. I'm bitchy like that.

How many books do you own?
In paper, probably only 100-200. I have about 1500 e-books.

Who is your favorite author? 
My very favorite authors are Stephen King and Robert McCammon. If I had to choose between them, I would go with King, only because he is a little bit more prolific.

What is your favorite book of all time?
My favorite book sort of rotates around between 5 books or so, depending on the day. Today it is Boy's Life by Robert McCammon. This is a book that's so magical I recommend it to everyone. Tomorrow, my favorite could be Lonesome Dove. Or The Stand. Or Ghost Story by Peter Straub.

What are your thoughts on ebooks?
I'm torn about them. One one hand, they are a godsend for people that have issues with their hands, fingers or eyes. No more lugging around huge tomes or struggling to read small fonts. On the other hand, I hate purchasing something that isn't actually mine. E-books purchased from Amazon are not yours. You are purchasing a license to read the book, not the book itself. On some basic level that bothers me. It also bothers me a little bit that I can't hold e-books, smell them or turn their pages, but the convenience of them has trumped all those things.

What are your thoughts on self-publishing? 
My thoughts are mixed. At times, I'm all for it. I have discovered a couple of great authors through their self-published books. A few of them have since been signed to publishers, and I get so excited for them. At other times, I get extremely aggravated and insulted when I read a self published book that exhibits incorrect grammar, editing problems, misspelled words, etc... I feel that if the author has no pride in their work they have no business asking readers to dish out their hard earned dough.

Any literary aspirations? 
No. :)

What's your favorite joke of all time?
I hope not to offend anyone, but I do have a fondness for blonde jokes. If those offend you, do not read on!
Three blondes walk into a building. You would think at least one of them would have seen it.

Easy Rawlins Is Back From the Dead

Reviewed by James L. Thane
Four out of five stars

At the end of his last outing, 2007's Blonde Faith, Easy Rawlins went flying off a cliff in his car, presumably plunging to his death on the rocks below. Happily, that proved not to be the case. After everyone else had given up hope, Easy's best friend, Raymond, "Mouse" Alexander, comes struggling back up to the highway, bearing Easy's broken body on his shoulders. Easy remains in a semi-coma for some time, and when he finally awakens, he's really not sure whether he's dead or alive.

As one might imagine, after being so badly injured and after being in bed for so long, Easy is weak as a kitten and still in a lot of pain. Nonetheless, Mouse persuades Easy to rise from his sickbed, against the advice of everyone else, and go searching for a missing boy, Evander Noon, whom Mouse refers to as "Little Green." The relationship between Mouse and Little Green is more than a little mysterious, but Easy agrees to take on the job.

Given that he can hardly walk more than a few steps at a time, it would appear that Easy has his work cut out for him. Fortunately, a witchy woman named Mama Jo fixes him up with several vials of a "medicine" she calls Gator's Blood. One shot in the morning will restore Easy's strength for an entire day and so he's good to go.

Little Green was last seen headed for the Sunset Strip and so that's where Easy begins his investigation. It's 1967, the dawn of a new age in America. Hippies are everywhere; free love and the smell of good dope are in the air, and Easy isn't sure what to make of it all. Of course it's also shortly after the infamous Watts Riots and Easy is still well aware of his tenuous place as a black man in a white society, where many, including a lot of cops, are not yet ready to recognize him as an equal citizen.

Inevitably, the disappearance of Little Green will turn into a much larger and more sinister affair. The case itself is only marginally interesting, but as is always the case in these books, the real pleasure lies in watching Easy navigate his way through the larger world around him. Mosley writes brilliantly and, through his protagonist, has a great deal to say about the culture and society of the Sixties. It's great to have Easy and his surrounding cast finally back again.

Securing A Piece Of Nature

The National Parks: America's Best Idea by Dayton Duncan
Reviewed by Jason Koivu
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The glories of nature versus the all mighty dollar, this is the story of America. This is story of The National Parks: America's Best Idea.

Having just read a book by John Muir, the savior of Yosemite, and having an ingrained love of nature, I was naturally driven towards The National Parks. I've always wanted to see them for myself, but lately I've developed a desire to know their history. I was thrilled to find this book in audio format at my local library.

This book exists in conjunction with Ken Burns' 2009 documentary. In fact Burns narrates the bulk of this audiobook. While not possessing the most commanding of voices, Burns is nonetheless effective. He makes documentaries on subjects that have great meaning to him and in turn he conveys his love to his viewers, and in this case, his readers.

That the U.S. was the first nation to preserve land as national parks is a point of pride. It's heartening to hear of humans doing the right thing for the good of our planet. It's disheartening to hear of the many humans willing to pave over all of nature in order to make a fast buck in the moment without regard to others or the future. The battle, who waged it and how it was won or lost gives the reader a greater appreciation for the struggle.

Each park has an Interesting story. The book starts off with Yosemite and John Muir, the Scotsman who was so instrumental in kicking off the preservation moment in America.

It then moves on to Yellowstone...



Denali...



Acadia...



The Everglades...



Zion...



The Grand Canyon...




The Grand Canyon did not immediately become a National Park at first opportunity. Arizonans didn't want it. Some of them wanted to profit from the Canyon via mining, grazing, and putting up their own houses and hotels on the rim to leech off the rise in tourism as roads and rail plowed their way right up to the edge of the precipice.

That is the story of so many of our national parks. Today we sometimes take them for granted, forgetting that their existence was at one recent time very much so in the balance. The National Parks is an excellent reminder of the struggle for preservation and a great way to verbally experience the parks vicariously.

Trees! Glorious Trees!

My First Summer in the Sierra by John Muir
Reviewed by Jason Koivu
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Why would I read this? For one, it takes place in my hood. Two, it's by John Muir, the famous Scottish/American naturalist and founder of the Sierra Club, which saved national treasures like Yosemite and the Sequoia National Park.

Without Muir this might no longer exist as it does to this day...




If it weren't for Muir these living trees, some of which have been here longer than the pyramids, may have been cut down...





To look at a map of the United States, one would get the impression that moving west a traveler would encounter the Rocky Mountains and then nothing but lowlands stretching out to the Pacific. But no, there are more mountains to be passed once you hit California and they are no joke. Just ask the Donner Party. Muir's task was to enter this rugged country to oversee a herd of sheep sent into the mountains to forage during the blistering Summers suffered upon the San Joaquin Valley floor. My First Summer in the Sierra is his recounting of this life-altering experience.

One thing is obvious almost from the beginning. John Muir was a good writer. His elegant use of language was apt for the grandeur of his subject. And the sheer joy he felt in being there is so evident in his effusive language.

The second thing that became apparent about Muir is that he was smart. His writing portraits a clear head and a clearly intelligent mind. One gets the impression that he would've excelled at whatever vocation he chose.

The Nobly-Bearded John Muir


He was a man of science who believed in God and believed he was best communed with through nature. No need to cut down the trees to make cathedrals when the cathedrals are already built and have been standing for hundreds, even thousands of years.

My First Summer in the Sierra will likely invest within you a strong desire to see all he is describing. I felt as if I could've gone on and on reading his accounts forever. However, it's probably for the best that this is short. It's mostly just straight up description - like watching a well-shot nature documentary - very beautiful description indeed, but pretty much plotless. The only tension is in whether or not the sheep will survive and a few encounters with friend and foe. Just the same, readers should be thankful there's any tension at all, this isn't a novel after all.

This is an ode to the glories this world has been providing its inhabitants long before we arrived. And long may it last.

In the Woods by Tana French

IN THE WOODS
 Tana French
 Viking Adult 2007


Reviewed by carol
 ★ ★ ★ ★



I started this series out of chronological order, which only increased my appreciation for French. By some odd chance, I happened upon a new copy of her second book, The Likeness, in the library just waiting to be checked out, while In the Woods had a wait list of at least 100 people. I followed with Faithful Place, immersed myself in Ireland of forty years ago and promptly forgot to get on the waiting list for Woods.

For a first book, Woods is impressive, not only because French takes risks with her narrative. It’s a psychological mystery, an exploration of friendship and a slow disintegration of personality. I loved it, even as I dreaded the direction of the story. In brief, Rob Ryan is a detective on Dublin’s Murder Squad. One day, the squad gets its first woman detective, Cassie Maddox. The two have an instant attraction and immediately begin a deep friendship. They happen to catch a case in which a 12 year-old girl is found murdered at an archeological dig, right where a highway exchange is supposed to be built (shades of Arthur Dent that I half-heartedly tried to ignore). Perhaps completely coincidentally, it is in the same small suburb that Ryan’s two childhood friends disappeared when they were twelve. Ryan himself has no memory of the incident, and very few memories of the times after, but the case brings bits flashing back.

What a challenge! Ryan tells us from the start: “What I am telling you, before you begin my story, is this–two things: I crave truth. And I lie.” Is our narrator unreliable? Or not? The outright acknowledgement that he might not be kept me guessing. At first, I loved his narrative voice. Descriptions of himself and his two twelve-year-old friends, ‘Jamie,’ and Peter, reminded me indelibly of Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes and the gold-edged memories of summer days and best friends. Ryan captures some of that lost intimacy with Cassie, and it seems almost the first time since then that he has re-connected with another person. His voice had me chuckling with humor and sighing at his cynicism (see my numerous updates while I was getting my car’s oil changed). Then oh-so-slowly the voice changed, subtly, distractedly. I won’t say too much more except that it was extremely well done (view spoiler)

I love French’s writing; the vivid descriptions, the integration of memories into narrative and her character development of her primary characters. Perhaps it fell apart a little at the end, and the red herrings weren’t developed enough to be seriously considered. It felt a little more hurried after the slow pace of the beginning, but these are minor quibbles.

The finish was stunning, if my ‘stunning,’ you mean a slap to the face right after someone answers your questions. Although I never deliberately avoid spoilers, for some reason I had not read any reviews before starting Woods that discussed various issues with the ending. Somewhat discombobulated, I went looking around for insight into French’s process, and why she choose to do what she did. Interesting interview: http://www.dreamindemon.com/2009/01/0…

Yep, definitely kept me thinking after I closed the pages. But also while I read them. Highly recommended.

I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It

Adam Selzer
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Reviewed by Nancy
4 out of 5 stars

Summary

Algonquin “Ali” Rhodes, the high school newspaper’s music critic, meets an intriguing singer, Doug, while reviewing a gig. He’s a weird-looking guy—goth, but he seems sincere about it, like maybe he was into it back before it was cool. She introduces herself after the set, asking if he lives in Cornersville, and he replies, in his slow, quiet murmur, “Well, I don’t really live there, exactly. . . .”

When Ali and Doug start dating, Ali is falling so hard she doesn’t notice a few odd signs: he never changes clothes, his head is a funny shape, and he says practically nothing out loud. Finally Marie, the school paper’s fashion editor, points out the obvious: Doug isn’t just a really sincere goth. He’s a zombie. Horrified that her feelings could have allowed her to overlook such a flaw, Ali breaks up with Doug, but learns that zombies are awfully hard to get rid of—at the same time she learns that vampires, a group as tightly-knit as the mafia, don’t think much of music critics who make fun of vampires in reviews. . . .

My Review

I remember coming across this book on Thomas' shelf and briefly thought about picking it up at the library. The title, cover, and Thomas’ lukewarm review made me decide to give it a pass. Now that I’ve discovered OverDrive and am in the mood for zombie stories, I decided to give this book a chance and borrowed the e-version. Though I still had my doubts after looking at the cheesy cover, I pressed on. I finished the story in one day and was surprised by how funny, sweet and smart it was.

Alley, along with the group at her lunch table, is on the staff of the school paper. She is living in the “post-human” era, in a world where vampires, werewolves, and zombies live amongst humans. Like other oppressed minorities, their struggle for basic rights and acceptance is a constant uphill battle. In this world, dating the undead is cool, but Alley stubbornly clings to her independence and harshly ridicules the idiotic behavior of her classmates.

“Sadie is my oldest friend. She kind of falls for the whole vampire thing, but at least she’s realistic. She likes dead guys, just like every other girl in school, but Marie loves them. She isn’t even interested in dating living guys. She’s like, necrosexual.”

When Alley is asked to review a local band’s performance, she’s intrigued by Doug, a part-time member of the band, whom she later learns is a zombie.

Alley learns that liking the same musicians is not enough to sustain a relationship. She must deal with resistance from school officials and other “post-humans”, and her own changing views about life and love.

At times, Alley’s voice seems a little too mature for her age, at other times she is as fickle as teenagers are, but I have to admire her independence and strength of character.

There are a lot of strong messages in this story about acceptance, relationships, and maintaining one’s identity.

I’m surprised I enjoyed this as much as I did.

A Place More Real Than Home

The Lotus Eaters
by Tatjana Soli
Published by St. Martin's Press

Reviewed by Amanda
4 Out of 5 Stars

Initially set against the fall of Saigon and then flashing back to the early 1960's, Tatjana Soli's The Lotus Eaters evokes the hypnotic horrors of war set against a lush, culturally rich landscape that lured many photojournalists during the Vietnam War. Falling victim to the intoxicating mix of adrenaline, fear, curiosity, and self-righteousness, they--just as the lotus eaters of Homer's The Odyssey--forsake their homelands as war becomes their passion and their comfort.

The novel focuses on Helen Adams, a naive, uninitiated field photographer whose desire to connect with the military life of her father and her brother leads her to Saigon. A born tomboy, Helen has always resented being shut out of the masculine pursuits she longed to be a part of and quickly finds her experience in Vietnam is to be no exception. As a woman in war, she's viewed as a curiosity, a sexual object, a harbinger of bad luck, an inconvenience. However, her tenacity and her willingness to stoically endure the soldiers' hardships begins to earn her a grudging respect. It also helps that she's willing to understand and experience Vietnam in a way other Americans aren't--to look beyond the headlines and the government shading of events; to know its people and its culture: "That was the experience in Vietnam: things in plain view, their meaning visible only to the initiated" (7).

Soli's characterization of Helen is presented as a woman who is constantly evolving, growing as she tests herself in the ultimate masculine sphere and as she confronts her own hypocrisies in pursuing one iconic image that will capture all the horror, all the waste, and all the courage of war. Helen knows the power of photographs to change the hearts and minds that really matter, those of the Americans back home, and, as such, "Pictures could not be accessories to the story--evidence--they had to contain the story within the frame; the best picture contained a whole war within one frame" (118). At the same time, she knows her craving for such a photograph is that of an addict's and will never be sated; as soon as she has a photograph that seems to define everything she wants to communicate, she knows she'll take increasingly dangerous risks as she tries to top previous successes.

The novel also presents the stories of two men who will help define Helen's life in Vietnam: Sam Darrow, a veteran war photographer whose only home is in conflict, and his aide, Linh, a photographer and translator who has belonged to and been damaged by both Vietnamese armies. Through these two men, Helen learns the toll war takes on those tasked with documenting its reality. While not equal to the burden of the young men in battle, the weight of being the one behind the lens, bearing witness to atrocity after atrocity, comes with its own spiritual price.

As lovely as the cover is, it's also deceiving. It's clearly marketed to a female historical fiction audience, so I feared it would be a torrid love story set against a Vietnam that was as authentic as a 1940's sound stage, with maybe a water buffalo roaming through for a dash of "authenticity." While there is a realistic romantic element involved, the real love story is between the photographers and the war. Soli has done her research and the Vietnam in her novel is fully realized: its beauty, its filth, its people, its cities, and its jungles. Her war scenes are harrowing, brutal and realistic, and seeing them through the eyes of a female photojournalist is a uniquely satisfying point of view for a war novel.