Briarpatch

Rating:
Summary: Unknown Treasure
Review: A fellow book lover tipped me off to the great books authored by Mr. Ross Thomas last summer. Since then, I have read nine of his books and Briarpatch is one of the best. Read this book. Read his McCorkle & Padillo series. Read his Wu and Durant series. None will disappoint. How this author has remained off my radar screen is a mystery to me.

Rating:
Summary: Edgar Award Winning Mystery
Review: Ross Thomas is a vastly underappreciated writer who sucessfully blends fast-paced dialog, humor and suspense with unique characters and totally original plot twists. If you're unfamiliar with Thomas, this book is the perfect introduction. If you're already a fan and haven't read this one, you've been missing out. The plot doesn't exactly defy description, but a short synopsis hardly does it justice. Like most of Thomas's novels, Briarpatch tells the tale of murder, politics and corruption. Ben Dill, the likeable-loner hero, comes back to his hometown searching for his sister's killer. The town itself becomes an integral character in the story, and if you are able to guess the identity of the locale, you've solved the OTHER mystery of the book. If you're not already a Thomas fan, you will be after this highly entertaining book.

Rating:
Summary: WAS THERE REALLY NOTHING ELSE TO GIVE THE EDGAR TO?
Review: Ross Thomas isn't exactly one of my favourite authors, but I liked some of his other books, so I didn't miss the occasion to read his Edgar-winning novel (his second, because he had won twenty years ago for "The Cold War Swap") and I have been very disappointed. It's as well written than usual, with brilliant metaphors and dialogue, but the plot seemed to me some confused. The characters speak almost only by epigraphs, and one never know what the story is about. I don't have in mind the other Edgar nominees for this year, but I'm sure there was many novels more deserving than this.