Robert M. Eversz

I like the whole idea of someone nice, regular and innocent getting caught up in something big and reading about their coping. And i liked how the setting - Hollywood and its people contrasting with the valley.

But I had my difficulties with this book. First of all I don't like books that start with a disclaimer that says: "I have never written anything down before, but here I go now." It's an unoriginal way to explain the first person viewpoint and not really necessary.

Secondly the heroine made it increasingly difficult for me to sympathise with /identify with /relate to her. I get how she changes and adapts to the new surroundings. I don't get how she has to repeatedly fall for the same kind of selfish guy who will betray her without a second's hesitation. I also didn't like the (drunk) sex scenes, they made me cringe a little.

And thirdly I thought there were some unoriginal and obvious plot moves, like when the author conveniently brings up her messed up family in the end, in order to explain the devil in her. People threaten you, kill your friends and then go after you and you have to defend yourself, so you take a gun in your hands. Must be your violent daddy. Couldn't have anything to with the fact that your life was threatened.

I give it a rating of 5 out of 10 because the idea was good, the setting was interesting but the writing and plot and character development could be better.… (mehr)

Fifth (and final) book in the Nina Zero noir mystery series set in LA, in which Nina is finally able to confront some of the demons from her past—her abusive father, complacent mother, and reasons for her toughness and survival through her time in the California prison system. It all begins when a woman Nina photographed for some pictures for her first artistic gallery showing is killed in a snuff film and a copy of the tape is sent to Nina at Scandal Times. (This seems to be the month for snuff films for some reason!) Was it an accident or was Christine’s death deliberate? Nina must then also deal with her teenaged niece Cassie, who knew Christine, as they attempt to navigate the path of grief, both of them tough and hardened beyond their years. This book was hard to read, knowing it was the last one, but I did like how Eversz chose to end the series. That’s all I’m going to say. Very well done—well, I hesitate to say enjoyable, because it’s hard to read through pages filled with so much pain, but Nina is a toughie and her pragmatism and realism is something I admire greatly. The book is definitely well-crafted and Nina has to be one of my favorite mystery characters ever. Although I know that Eversz had planned a beginning and an end to this series—something I admire him for, disappointing though it may be as a fan—I do hope we will be hearing more from him in the future.… (mehr)