Jonathan Stone (1) (1956–)

Like a few other reviewers, I wasn't sure about this when I first started it. It had a few strikes against it, like a shit-ton of internal dialogue, and virtually all the action happened off-stage.

But there was also something compelling about it, and it took me a while to figure it out. The first thing is, the author was careful to use dialogue, thoughts, expressions, and clues that all have more than one meaning. The other was the obvious nod to Joseph Heller's brilliant Catch-22 novel. Not in storyline or satire, but in situation after situation that the protagonist, Joe Heller, kept bumping up against.

I was also very concerned it was going to be another one of those "figure out your own ending" endings. It was not.

Enjoyed the hell out of this one.… (mehr)

For once, I feel completely gobsmacked. I really don't know what to make of this story. It is about a guy named Chas. "He taps a computer keyboard. He can get the goods on anyone, and it’s all to make sure superstar Las Vegas mind reader Wallace the Amazing stays amazing." Wallace goes on stage to tell a member of the audience who they are, where they went to lunch on a certain day, you get the drift. The audience goes "WOW! How can he do that?" I thought this was going to be a crazy ride book. It is little more than a little novella. It was nothing like I expected or hoped it would be. I love excitement.

A couple kidnaps Chas, and they turn on the tv for tonight's thrill: Wallace's show. But how can there be a show without Chas's investigations and feedback? That, my friends, is the conundrum. It was a very good book. Then Chas started wigging out, and stopped making sense for a while. I did not get MY ending, but you may very well. The good news is that it takes place in Las Vegas.

Thank you to Jonathan Stone, Thomas and Mercer, and NetGalley for giving me a free e-ARC of the book to read and give my honest review.… (mehr)