The Sandburg Connection (The Sam Blackman Series) Review

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The Sandburg Connection (The Sam Blackman Series) ReviewFirst Line: The beep caught me in mid-bite.
Sam Blackman and his partner, Nakayla Robertson, have been hired by an insurance company to follow Professor Janice Wainwright, who's suing a surgeon for malpractice. The insurance company wants to catch Wainwright doing things she's not supposed to be able to do so her case can be thrown out of court. So far, the things that Sam has learned about Wainwright aren't very complimentary, and he believes that this case will be pretty open-and-shut, especially when Wainwright drives to Connemara (Carl Sandburg's home in Flat Rock, North Carolina) and begins climbing a tough hiking trail to the top of a mountain.
Sam, who lost a leg while serving in Iraq, isn't properly equipped to follow her, but he does, only to hear her fall and find her bleeding and semi-conscious. "It's the Sandburg verses" were her last words. An autopsy is performed which proves that the surgeon bungled the operation, and Sam is left with questions that need answers. Why did Wainwright climb that mountain when she was in so much pain? Was someone else there? What are the Sandburg verses? When Wainwright's farmhouse is broken into and Sandburg books stolen, Sam becomes convinced that someone is searching for information that's worth killing for.
Sometimes I'm ashamed of myself. Why is it that, when I find out someone is being investigated for some sort of insurance fraud, I automatically assume that person is guilty? With my distrust of large corporations, you'd think that the opposite would be true. Personal shortcomings aside, I liked seeing how the perception of Wainwright's character evolved through the opening chapters of the book.
When Sam learns that Wainwright has a teenaged daughter, he goes to meet the girl, and she is an emotional, mixed-up mess-- as anyone her age would be when faced with the death of a parent. The girl tugs on the heartstrings in more than one way. Yes, she is the catalyst for doing what's right and for doing what's best for her, but she also introduces a welcome note of humor in the form of a pregnant goat. How Sam reacts to the goat is very funny indeed.
Thanks to Mark de Castrique, I now know that Asheville, North Carolina, is a literary hotbed. Sam Blackman has solved mysteries involving Tom Wolfe and F. Scott Fitzgerald; now it's Carl Sandburg's turn. As long as he writes 'em, I'm going to read 'em. The famous literary figure is the hook that draws me in, and the team of Sam and Nakayla keeps me taking the bait. The two have an easy, witty chemistry that makes the pages turn all too quickly, and the Asheville area is scenic and rich in history. What a combination! I may even read up on Asheville in order to try to guess what their future investigations may be!The Sandburg Connection (The Sam Blackman Series) Overview

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Vigilante (Shane Scully Novels) Review

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Vigilante (Shane Scully Novels) ReviewI was so shocked when I heard that Stephen J Cannell had died. I felt like I had lost a member of my own family. I happened to be trolling the new release section on Amazon, and saw this book, Vigilante, was being released in December. I was thrilled! I immediately put in my advance order, and couldn't wait to read the final book in the Shane Scully series. In fact, when it arrived, I hesitated on reading it right away, as I wanted it to last a long time.
So, when I finally started reading Vigilante, I was a bit confused. It wasn't that long ago that I had read The Prostitute's Ball. Did I remember the characters ever behaving this way? Was this really the Shane Scully and his beautiful wife, Alexa, head of the homicide detective division, that I had grown to love and admire? What happened to them making love at least 2-3 times per book, and their meaningful collaborations? Where is their beloved son Chooch, who was barely a footnote in this entire book?
When did Shane start feeling like everyone had more than him? Why didn't he pet his cat more?! Since when was Shane concerned about his career when he was always like a stinger missile locked on a target?
I felt the plot for Vigilante could have been exciting, and a great finale of a great series, by an extraordinary writer. Instead, I felt a bit ripped off; like someone else either wrote this book, or finished this from an outline or draft. This has happened with several authors; Dick Francis, who handed over his empire to his son, Felix, and the Ludlum series, the Robert B Parker series, etc. and all of these books had an additional author name on them, the exception being the Parker series.
I lost count of the number of times Shane said "I think we're being set up". Well, I feel like I was set up. I feel that if someone else assisted in writing this book, the fans should know this, and then, consider it when deciding to purchase the book.
One of the things I always admired about Cannell's books were the exciting twists and turns, and the obscure references that a police "insider" would know. This book was predictable, mildly exciting, and for me, a sad let down. I feel just awful giving this book a 3. The only other book he wrote that I didn't like was a stand alone book called At First Sight.
If Vigilante was truly written 100% by Mr. Cannell before he passed away, I would love to know this. It is quite possible that if he did write this, he probably wasn't feeling that well, and I would then look at this book in an entirely different light.
If you have never read one of Stephen Cannell's books, I would highly recommend going back to the beginning and reading the Scully series in order...it's great to read how the characters evolved over the years, and most of the stories were fantastic. His other stand alone novels were great too.
Mr. Cannell, Rest in Peace...and thank you for all the wonderful adventures you gave me through your television shows and your novels. You were one of the all time greats, and will be sorely missed.
Vigilante (Shane Scully Novels) Overview

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