Quote:
Originally Posted by cromag
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And now ... I'm not really sure what I'm going to read next.  |
Some back issues of Analog and Asimov's and some indie books. Then I found Crazy, VA (Lil and Boris #1) by Shannon Hill in my TBR pile.
This was a heart-breaker. It had an excellent storyline, well-realized characters, and a believable (but off-beat) setting. The writing was very good, etc, etc. The
problem was Boris (the cat). Now, I know that cats hold a special place in the cozy mystery genre -- I've read, and
liked quite a few of them -- but this cat just wasn't a believable cat.
Supposedly a feral cat, Boris is fed by the sheriff once before becoming permanently attached. This feral cat almost immediately understands -- and obeys --- multiple verbal commands and is unfazed by nearby gunfire. At one point the narrator describes the cat as being very much like a trained German shepherd. And my response was that, in that case, Boris should have been a German Shepherd.
I already had the second book in the series, Gone Crazy (Lil & Boris #2), so I read it. Once again, I loved everything about the story except the cat.
Anyway, if the later volumes ever become available at a steep discount (or free) I'd pick them up, but I'd need substantial incentive.
I've already started my next read: The Unquiet Bones (Hugh De Singleton’s Chronicles Book 1), by Mel Starr. Set in 14th century England, the protagonist is a young surgeon who sets up as a surgeon and bailiff at the village of Bampton.
The author is a retired history teacher. If he's made any mistakes in the setting, etc, I haven't found them ... yet. It's well written and I'm enjoying it so far.