Thomas Perry (1)Critiques

Thomas Perry's Jane Whitefield series has another winner with this installment. In this book, the eight Seneca Clan mothers ask Jane to assist Jimmy Sanders, an old friend, on the run after being accused of murder. Jane agrees to help but soon realizes the situation is more complex than initially thought. Jimmy is not only being framed for a murder he didn't commit, but the Mafia is also hunting him. Jane's resourcefulness and courage are impressive as she helps to hide Jimmy, his mother, and another woman while uncovering the truth about their enemies. I appreciate the author's detailed yet straightforward writing style and thoroughly enjoyed the storyline. Jane Whitefield is a compelling character who always has a few tricks up her sleeve.

The plot of Forty Thieves is a lesson in chaos, with all the players trying to kill everyone else. I guess that old saying, "There's no honor among thieves," is true. Sid and Ronnie Able are ex-LAPD and are now working as private investigators. When they accept a new job to investigate the year-old murder of a scientist named James Ballantine, they suddenly find themselves the target of assassins. As the Ables try to stay one step ahead of being eliminated, the killers hunting them—Ed and Nicole Hoyt—find themselves targeted by more crooks. I like Thomas Perry's straightforward, no-nonsense style of writing. I found it suspenseful and entertaining.

I quite liked the first book im the series but i found this boring and disjointed and wildly sexist (which I am generally cool with in books, especially those written in the 20th century, but this was serially and outlandishly offensive). I dnf'ed at 37%. There is this scene where a judge meets Jane (who is a prisoner at this moment and who was recently beaten up and the results of that battery are visible on her face) and notes that she looks like a model, all angular and cool but that he prefers softer plainer women like his late wife and like the guard who has escorted Jane from the jail to his chambers. This is supposed to make us like the judge, I think. Ew! This is a judge, trying to get the information he needs to decide the fate of an 8-year-old boy and he is thinking about the fuckability of the officer present in her official capacity and the prisoner before him. No. There is plenty more toxic sludge where that came from, and also general right-wing crap. There is a reference to someone who gets a life sentence for murder but will only serve 5 or 6 years because of the broken system. It is that kind of completely wrong "criminals are roaming the streets" conspiracy theory crap that led us to our current prison industrial complex. In most states, one cannot come up for parole for a life sentence until they have served at least 25 years (not counting compassionate release when someone is dying.)

The only way I was finishing this was as a hate read, and I don't have time for those.

I was in the mood for a crime thriller a couple of weeks ago but the one I chose, Gangsterland, came up short for me. Though this is not a genre I read a ton of, it is one I like and when I am in the mood not much else will do so I decided to try again. Several books by Thomas Perry had been recommended by various friends in the past and this seemed like a good opportunity to check him out. I don't think anyone recommended this particular book, but I chose it because it was first in a series with a female lead. It was a great choice. This was lots of fun. Jane Whitfield (our leading lady) is a badass. She is a Native American woman who uses her extraordinary mental and physical prowess and her loose network of people who fly under the radar, tribe members, immigrants, low-wage workers, to help disappear people who are running for their safety. This is intended to be for the good, abused women, conscientious objectors, people escaping the mob etc. I cannot talk about the person in search of a new identity in this book without spoiling pretty much everything, but it is fun and surprising.

Aspects of this are dated (it was published in 1995) and not just the references to floppy discs and the mad search for landlines but also prevailing attitudes about many things. It is noticeable, but it in no way ruins the story any more than it does when one is reading Agatha Christie. I will definitely be returning to the series, and I suspect there will be more thrillers and mysteries coming up in my feed since it whetted my appetite for more.½

Harry Duncan is an ex-cop turned PI. Duncan receives a call from the US Attorney asking him to look into recent reports sudden criminal activity being committed in small towns along the Ash River in Indiana. It just happens the the attorney is Harry's ex-wife. Harry is to investigate and report back if there is enough going on to warrant a full scale investigation. This is an exciting thriller I found hard to put down.

The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Hitman*
Review of the Mariner Books Kindle eBook edition (June 4, 2009) of the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt hardcover original (May 12, 2008).

He had heard somebody say once that as long as a man’s hopes outnumbered his regrets, he was still alive. But by that measure, he had been dead for years.
...
There was a skill to being an outlaw. The only people who knew and respected it were the people who had it and the people who made a living chasing them down, but a man who did things right lasted a little longer.

I've read (but not reviewed) every single book by Thomas Perry since I became a fan with The Butcher's Boy (1982). Most of his books follow the formula of a hunter character vs. a hunted character. The detailing of the steps taken by each in the pursuit and the run is what makes for the suspense and tension in each story. The formula is switched up by varying which character is the hero or the villain. My favourites have been those with his most regular series character Jane Whitefield, who is a one-woman witness protection agency, hiding deserving people and giving them new lives, when the authorities are powerless or perhaps not to be trusted.

I was somewhat surprised then when Fidelity from 2008 came up as a Kindle Deal of the Day on February 12, 2024 and I had no particular memory of having read it. I figured it must not have been very memorable for some reason and perhaps would have even earned an Unsatisfactory Ending Alert™ back in the day. So a re-read seemed in order.

So, yes, this isn't quite top drawer Perry. It meanders quite a bit, although the theme of the title does get some interesting slants to it. Housewife Emily Kramer is shocked by learning that her private detective husband Phil Kramer has been murdered for no apparent reason. She then learns that he had emptied all of their bank accounts before his death. While searching for the motive behind the murder she discovers that he may not have been the faithful husband whom she had married. Then it becomes apparent that the killer also has her in his sights.

Hitman Jerry Hobart has taken on the job of the Kramers for an initially unidentified rich man. Hobart doesn't know the reason for the bounty, but begins to suspect that if he can discover it for himself it may mean a much bigger payday in the end. He is wearying of his life on the road and yearns to reconcile with the lost love of his youth. He hopes that enough of a financial stake will help him towards that goal.

The ending is satisfactory but it comes about in such a bizarre way that you still aren't quite content with the result. A three-star rating seems the best compromise here.

Footnote
* Yes, I stole the idea for my lede from Alan Sillitoe's The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner (1959).

Thriller

Fair thriller about Jane Whitefield, who guides fugitives from the law or criminals.

I love stories of aged spies that are trying to live through their pension without being molested by former employers. And then they start getting targeted just for being alive which spells doom for whomever is targeting them.

Won't go into details [because I dont want to spoil anything] but if you like A J Quinell works or adventures of Matt Helm this one is not to be missed.

Highly recommended.

Excellent. The book opens with a woman fighting off 3 attackers outside a courtroom, then takes us into the court hearing of a young boy who had witnessed his parents' murders. The story grabs us, even tho we don't know what's going on. And it seems there is more than one person needing help: is there a connection?
Jane Whitefield specializes in 'hiding' people: helping them escape from others who would hunt them down with nefarious intent. We might assume it has something to do with her Seneca heritage, but that is never explicitly stated. It might have more to do with her intense awareness of what is happening around her, and her quick mind. She says she doesn't judge others, is college-educated and can fit in with the elite as easily as with the rejects of society.
There is an early interesting scene with an elderly widower, but then he has no role in the rest of the book. I can only assume he's going to show up in a future novel. I'm looking forward to it.
This book reminds me strongly of another heroine justice-maker. Perhaps Jane Yellowrock, in Faith Hunter's series, but I'm thinking more of another shapeshifter in the southwest...finally tracked her down: Nettie Lonesome, in Wake of Vultures by Lila Bowen.½

This was just ok for me. Some aspects of the narrative were somewhat choppy. And not a very well developed main character as far as history and motivations. Unsatisfactory conclusion as well. I had read 'The Old Man' in preparation for the recent mini series on TV but also gave that one just 3 stars.
Thomas Perry just not my cup of tea I guess.

rabck from booklady331; a well traveled book! Jane is a native american guide who can help you disappear. She's of the Wolf Clan, Seneca tribe, which gives her access to places and people not normally available. But in "helping", John Felker, she finds that he wants her to disappear...permanently. Can she outsmart him?

I really enjoy Thomas Perry's works, other than his Jane Whitefield entries. This is the second one starring Jane that I read and... it's not even as enjoyable as the first one. There isn't much of a plot, more like a series of "catch, torture, escape" segments. She is so awesome at the end, one has to ask how she was so useless at the start in order to even kick off this story.

Ahh, well, maybe it's a male author trying to write a strong female lead where the failure is occurring - Jane doesn't feel "right". Very cardboard perhaps. She is involved in a lot of dangerous events, but doesn't connect to any of them, isn't scared, isn't mad, isn't worried, just... stoic.

Maybe she's supposed to be sociopathic?

I will pass on any other Jane Whitefield stories, but will read the rest of Perry's stuff.½

Not one of his best, but an entertaining read

Poison Flower is the seventh book in this series, but the first one I stumbled on. I loved it. Jane is one of the most unique characters I have ever met. She's straightforward, strong, moral, yet fearless. She's your savior or worst nightmare, depending on your life choices. The book explodes into action from the first page and doesn't quit. I will definitely continue reading this series.

The small town of Weldonville is awarded a large prison as a source of employment for its residents. One evening, twelve prisoners stage an uprising which included murdering all the prison staff, attacking the town raping wives, and murdering family members and any town leaders they could find. For two years the town waited for federal authorities to catch the men and bring them to justice without success.

Leah Hawkins, a local police officer, goes on the hunt for the killers with the intention of murdering them. The focus of the novel is her quest to do just that. Her methods of finding them when the FBI could not is intriguing and full of daring action by a strong female character.

Don't you hate it when a new book in a favorite series disappoints you? That's how I felt with the latest Jane Whitefield. While I love Jane's kick-butt style, this one seemed to be a re-hash of earlier stories, from the exposition about fake documents and the visit to her master forger to the realization that the bad guys were after Jane rather than the runner. It wasn't a bad book, it just felt like deja vu all over again.

Thanks to Mysterious Press for access to a digital ARC.

This was a difficult book for me. The plot forced me to accept things that were difficult leaps. I enjoyed, Elle, the main character, an enterprising burglar who gets caught up in a messy multiple murder. However, I wasn't ready to go with her on some of her travels as she unraveled the solution to the murders. Perry always writes books with solid dialog and well-defined characters. The story here just didn't capture me the way his books have in the past.

Buena, no tanto como las primeras pero sigue manteniendo la trama. El protagonista es descubierto en su refugio y se entera que la mafia a puesto precio a su cabeza, y debe actuar para salir de ese problema, y lo hace como él sabe. Vuelve a EEUU y comienza a cazar mafiososo

I rarely give out a one star rating, but this book really deserved it. This was my first Clive Cussler novel, and I'm willing to give him another shot seeing as how this book was co-written by someone else. This book suffered from generic characters that I didn't connect with, nor empathize with....

Thank you to Penzler Publishers, Mysterious Press and NetGalley for their ARC.

Not sure where to go on this one given that the mystery/case itself was intriguing and the main characters were fun to follow. However, the plot felt jumbled at times and seemed to be going in too many directions at once. Solid crime novel overall, just need to suspend belief with many of the developments throughout that keep the story going. 3.5 stars

Similar to J. A. Vance

Like a Disney movie except for the real shots fired and real deaths

Sure. Some parts interesting. Unbelievable. Pure vengeance

Like a Disney movie except for the real shots fired and real deaths