Customer Reviews

Good King Sauerkraut

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've never thought Barbara Paul is as well-known as she should be. I enjoy her characterizations, her clear and readable style, and her wit. I have some problems with this book, though. King Sarcowicz, stuck with the demeaning nickname Sauerkraut for reasons that don't make much sense, is a klutzy, insensitive, work-obsessed genius. At some level, he's aware of his own failings--he doesn't mean to be a jerk, he just has little empathy for others. I really wanted to pull for the guy. Through sheer clumsiness, he accidently kills two team members and then compounds this by digging himself deeper and deeper into trouble.

So far so good, but as the story wends to its end, I became less and less satisfied. Did King learn anything from his ordeal? Nothing positive. Was justice served by the ending? Didn't feel that way to me. If Paul wasn't going to give us a traditional good guys win/bad guys are punished story, then something more was needed--humor, perhaps, to poke fun at the stereotypes she flouted.

My Eyelids are Growing Heavy is a wonderful example of Paul at her best. This story I rank as OK.

Barbara Paul is one of the great "unknowns" in the mystery field. Although her amazing, witty, funny, suspenseful, brilliantly crafted (enough adjectives?) novels have been keeping fans enthralled for years, she has never been accorded the due that is her... er... uh... due! GKS is as good a place as any to start. It really doesn't matter, in a way, because wherever you start, you're going to want, nay NEED, to read 'em all! As for titles, good as this is, wait 'til you meet "Liars, and Tyrants, and People Who Turn Blue"!