Customer Reviews

Buzz Cut

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Broody loner Thorn (Travis McGee with attitude) is inveigled into taking a cruise when best pal Sugarman takes an almost fatal jolt of electricity while heading up security for the Fiesta Cruise Lines. Thorn on a cruise is about as likely as Jay Leno entering a monastery.

"Buzz Cut" is loaded with fascinating, but highly unlikely characters. Monica, angry runaway daughter of cruise line owner, Morton Hanson, is full of angst and bitterness. Why? Because she is stunningly beautiful and has been raised in luxurious plenty. Yes, really. She is trying to make an identity for herself as a maid in a seedy motel. The monster creating all the trouble is Butler Jack, a brilliant, truly scary guy with a love of etymology (the origin of words). He doesn't just expire people; he treats them to an hour-long lecture on interesting words. He is bent on ruining the Fiesta Cruise Line and its owners. He commandeers the ship and its communication and navigational systems, terrorizing the more than 2000 passengers.

This is a fine, lively read, and I think Mr. Hall had a good time writing it. It is over the top in a wry and humorous way. The characters are interesting and sharply defined. Mr. Hall develops them beautifully, but does seem to lose interest and then neglect them. Thorn does not play a major role in the book. It is a well-done ensemble piece. The author has a fascination with unlikely technology, but it's all in good fun.

Die-hard Thorn fans might object to the lightening of the mood, and the lack of philosophizing, but they can rest easy. Thorn is barely tempted by the crass commercialism and is properly grumpy at his enforced socialization. A fast, highly enjoyable read.

Okay, so its extremely unlikely that a single family could contrive to be so dysfunctional and high-profile to make this plot a reality, but thats not quite the point of this book. James W Hall has again come up with some high-caliber entertainment that keeps us turning pages to discover the next little plot twist.

Sugarman and Thorn are now middle aged boyhood friends whove never quite escaped the insulation provided by the Florida Keys. Sugarmans the laid back private detective and Thorns the fly-tying hero whos even more laid back lifestyle affords him a greater perspective on their weeks cruise with the family from hell.

Full of keen detail about the cruise ship and its workings, Buzz Cut is an entertaining and thrilling romp through the waters of the southeast coast. The dialogue is healthy and sharp and the characters, for the most part, far enough away from stereotypes to be interesting. This is not a classic and Hall himself has done much better, but it is definitely a worthwhile read.

James W. Hall has created a unique character in his protagonist Thorn, the "hero" of a number of books. Not quite a detective, Thorn nevertheless has a talent for landing in the thick of trouble, often while attempting to help out his friends. This was the basic conceit in Hall's previously Thorn title, _Gone Wild_, and he uses it again in his latest novel, _Buzz Cut_. This time, Thorn is motivated to help out his best friend, Sugarman, whose been hired as the head of security for a cruise ship line and has stumbled onto the track of a sociopathic misfit bent on defrauding the company, in order to send money to a growing collection of starving children in Third World countries. While the book is just as fast-paced and full of twists and turns as any in this continually-growing series (Hall's next book, _Red Sky at Night_, continues Thorn's adventures), _Buzz Cut_ isn't as strong a book as previous titles, wherein Hall was able to incorporate legitimate ecological and environmental concerns (_Mean High Tide_ and _Gone Wild_). Here, his satirical eye alights on such easy targets as the Donald Trump-like owner of the cruiseline and his talk-show host wife. An entertaining novel, but not Hall at his best. And is it just me or is the plot of this book virtually identical to that of the movie _Speed 2_?

I've liked most of James Hall's other books but found this one a disappointment. I realize reading any novel requires a certain suspension of disbelief but this one was just too much. For one thing, the protagonist could have easily been overtaken much earlier in the novel. I found myself thinking "come on!" as he's allowed to continue on with his scheme. I also found many of the characters poorly drawn and totally inconsistent in their actions.

I've read two other James Hall books, Mean High Tide and Hard Aground. If you can get past his often over-the-top and always moronic PC blabber, they are generally entertaining reads. That is not rue of Buzz Cut though. The plot is completely ridiculous, and the actions that the characters in this story don't take are just plain stupid. I was very disappointed.

I have one more of Hall's books to read, but if it is anything like Buzz Cut, I think I will just put it down and find another author to read.

If you like James Hall you will enjoy this one. Great characters,interesting plot ,quick read. Do it.

I have read almost everything Hall has written. I am a huge fan. Compare him alot to Elmore Leonard. Having said that this plot ending was a little bit garbled. Probably one of my least favorites so far

Wow! The villain in this story is superb. You start out respecting him the way you respect any lethal creature, and as it goes on you get frightened by this zealot on a crusade. Sort of the way you get spooked by that bug you just crushed that keeps on coming, except this one will kill you if your not watchful. Plus the technology stays fairly common place Butler Jack just leverages it for his evil purposes. Great read...

This is the first book I have read by Jim Hall and I was so entertained that I plan to pick up as many of his earlier works as I can. The villian in the book has laid out a terrific master plan. Thorn and Sugarman who track and try to thwart Butler Jack work terrifically in tandem. The action plays out in a fast-paced manner and keps the reader interested until the very end. Butler Jack's use of the history of words was a terrific addition to the story. Jim Hall is one masterful wordsmith. I rate this book a 5 and highly recommend it to thriller fans.

There is a sinister note left untouched in this thriller from James Hall. Who is the hapless Bobby Dorfman, left hanging in front of the TV camera on the cruise ship? There is more to this character than the casual reader can surmise from his early demise (Bobby's). Will a new novel tell us why he met such an unfortunate end? I can hardly wait. (By the way; who was Joseph McCabe, one of the unheralded victims of that awful lady in Mean High Tide?