Customer Reviews

Snake Eyes (CSI)

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

 

 

After a shoot-out between rival motorcycle gangs leaves one of the leaders and a young woman dead, the gangs square off and it looks like a bloodbath is imminent. Catherine Willows, Gil Grissom, Nick Stokes, and Sara Sidle ride into town to clear up the confusion and put the world back to rights. In the meantime, back in Vegas, Warrick and Greg get totally swamped with murders on a night that just won't end. Greg gets into his first stand-off over pistols, works his first bank robbery, and sees the king of the jungle dead up close. The novel is partially based on real-life events that took place outside of Vegas, but the authors have taken liberties with the story.

SNAKE EYES is the eighth CSI tie-in novel that Max Allan Collins and his behind-the-scenes writing partner Matthew V. Clemens have done. They've also done two of the CSI MIAMI novels and one of the television show, BONES. Collins is a multi-talented author and a grandmaster of mysteries who was recently inducted into a Lifetime Achievement Award at the latest BoucherCon. Matthew V. Clemens has been Collins' writing partner on some projects for the last few years. Their new short story collaboration anthology, MY LOLITA COMPLEX, will be out in November.

SNAKE EYES "feels" just like a television episode of the series. The characters are all their in their glory. The book is set in the fifth season (before Stokes was kidnapped in the Quentin Tarantino episodes) and introduces Warrick's impending marriage to his wife, though she's kept off-stage. Grissom is done especially well, relating to the local lawman, Lopez (as jaded as any of John Wayne's cowboy characters) and standing tall among the bikers. Their references to Western movies is well done and foreshadows some of the action.

The book is a thoroughly enjoyable read to a fan of the television series, but it's also a great little mystery to while away a lazy afternoon or a rainy day. Collins and Clemens have really hit their stride in the series and hopefully they'll continue for some time to come.

2 Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs and a gambling casino near
Las Vegas.... a fight breaks out, someone gets shot
Sounds like something we have heard about once before.
Yes, the story line is close to the "real" fight between
the Hells Angles and the Mongols, that happened in a casino
in Vegas some years ago. And that in itself makes this an
interesting read, I won't tell what happens, but just say, there
is more cussing and attitudes in this story than usual. Enjoy
the book...

Not bad for a quick read if you're a fan of the original CSI show but it was lacking the fun, adventure and wide range of character exploration that makes the show so much fun.

I've bought a few of the CSI books and this seems to be a common problem with all of them.

I equate "tie-in" books like this with fan fiction. Someone takes the characters and situations that someone else created and decides to tell some stories you haven't yet seen, adding their own take on the characters (while keeping to the established canon) and possibly some original characters, too. In the hands of a talented writer who has the freedom to fully explore this opportunity, such stories should be win-win for everyone involved.

Yes, the mysteries are a big part of the draw but with a hundred mystery/crime shows a week on TV there has to be something more that keeps us tuned in. I was hoping for the best of what makes CSI special enough to have amused and intrigued me for over a decade along with some new and entertaining stories and most of all some fresh insights into the characters and what they do. If we didn't love these guys we wouldn't keep tuning in week after week.

I suspect that the writers of these books have been instructed to play it much safer than the writers of the weekly show are given license to explore. Tarantino expanded on the characters - particularly Nick Stokes, and his relationship with his biological and chosen families. You won't gain that sort of character insights in these books - at least not any of the ones I've read.

The handful of CSI tie in books that I've bought and read have all played it very safe. Too safe. You won't learn anything new here. Nothing too exciting will happen. Nothing much will be revealed. There will not be any deep insights. (Most of them skew to the Grissom character btw, so obviously I haven't read any of the new books - assuming there are any.)Of the 5 or so I've read, there was little revealed that I'd really even call interesting.

There is nothing wrong with this - or any of the other CSI tie-in books. Every one that I have read has been well written and told a clear and decent story. But I have yet to read one that captured the excitement or the joy of what makes the show special for me.

I am an avid self-proclaimed CSI Las Vegas fan. This book followed the characters well and was consistant with the story line.

Another great CSI read, good for an evening's entertainment.

While Catherine, Grissom, Sara, and Nick are called away to Boot Hill to deal with the aftereffects of a shoot out in a casino, Warrick, Greg, and Captain Brass must deal with a seemingly never-ending series of violent crimes back in Vegas.

Highly recommended for fans of the television show!

I have read all the books in this series and love them all. This book was no exception. The only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars is there was a little more cursing in this book, which I felt was unneccessary. I will read the next book when it comes out. I look forward to it.