Customer Reviews

Sweet Dreams, Irene (Irene Kelly Mysteries)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Usually 2nd books by an author aren't quite as good as the 1st. I was happy to finish Sweet Dreams Irene just as happy as I was when I finished Goodnight Irene. Jan Burke has a way of giving her characters such interesting lives. Irene is a person most readers want to be. Her life is interesting and Frank makes her complete. The plot with the election,covens, and murders is as fun to read as most people would want. I'm sorry I waited so long to hear about Irene and I plan on reading more!

This is the second "Irene Kelly" from Jan Burke, who eventually went on to win an Edgar award for "Bones". Kelly began life in "Goodnight, Irene" as a reporter in the city of "Las Piernas" ("The Legs") on the coast south of Los Angeles. Kelly is the most assault prone reporter in the world leaving out Colombia and Chechniya. We have a newscaster in Chicago named Russ Ewing who has become the guy that accused killers call up to turn themselves in to so the police don't kill them. He has had something like 50 or 70 accused killers turn themselves in to him and hasn't been wounded once, yet Irene sustains more injuries than James Garner did in "The Rockford Files". Go figure.

Anyway, I wrote an Amazon review of "Goodnight, Irene" in which I identified many "beginners' faults" of detective writing. The good news is that "Sweet Dreams" corrects many of these faults and is thus a significant improvement over her first volume. I will take credit for this myself when I figure out how she read my review in 1993.

To begin with, the plot, which involves real or imagined Satanist activity at election time, is a lot more original and better designed than in her first work. Irene has stopped riding around in the cop car with her beau Frank all the time, which was an improbable feature of "Goodnight." She does more actual detection here than there. She tosses the blood around with less slapdash abandon in this book, although there's still room for improvement. For example, when a bloody human heart turns up, it doesn't get the attention that it really should, you know? The police test it to confirm that it's really human blood, but there doesn't seem to be much interest in WHOSE heart it is, etc., particularly considering that they should be able to make the same guess that the reader does.

One carry-over from the first book is that Irene is still prone to falling into stupid traps, as Frank points out:

"Why the hell did you go out to that field that night?"

"I've asked myself that question many times."

"I just don't understand it. You're smart. But I swear to God, Irene, sometimes you do something so..."

"Stupid," I finished quietly.

Well, *sigh* knowing you have a problem is the first step. Also, I have to say that the action flags a bit about three quarters of the way through, and after that there is some Penguin's Folly stuff. I just now invented that term. "Penguin's Folly" is from the 1960's Batman TV series, which was on for two half-hour segments per week. At the end of the Tuesday night segment, the Penguin (or whoever) would tie Batman and Robin to a death machine, and then RUN OFF AND LEAVE THEM UNATTENDED. Every time. And then at the beginning of the Thursday night segment, Batman and Robin would get out of it. Hence the term, "Penguin's Folly."

I also have to say that Kelly is not nearly so well-described or deep a character as she could be; she doesn't seem to have much in the way of higher interests, other than reporting, Frank's body, and staying alive. This has something to do with the breakneck style that Burke is using in these early volumes (she may change later), where you have not much chance to catch your breath, and the text is full of elaborate "detective story style" metaphors the way a box of Ghirardelli's chocolates is full of grams of fat.

So there's still room for improvement in this volume, but the learning curve from "Goodnight, Irene" to this one is encouraging, and in fact her third volume, "Dear Irene", is better yet.

The annoying thing here is after being introduced to most of the cast in GOODNIGHT IRENE, several of their personalities seem to have completely changed as of this book (taking place several months later). Irene, still back at the newspaper, is covering the local election for District Attorney, and thanks to her involvement with homicide cop Frank, banned from crime stories. The son of one of the DA candidates comes to her, explaining that he is going to be accused by the other candidate of being a Satanist, by way of a photo of a group of Satan worshipers, and wants to tell his side of the story. Frank's elderly next door neighbor is murdered, the killer(s) leave satanic symbols at the scene. Irene suspects the symbols are meant to throw people off, although for a reporter she does very little research on Satanism and Wicca (what the group in the "satanic photo" claim to be) other than going to the local pagan shop and asking a couple questions of the owner. (ok maybe I am being biased here because I know a lot about Wicca, and some of the people who gravitate toward it). As in the first book Irene suffers from a total lack of foresight to call Frank or any of the other cops involved and share information, and this gets her into greater trouble. I am constantly frustrated by writers who use this "give the reader everything but don't let the different characters share with each other" method, and I just spend half the book screaming "just call someone and tell them what you know and the murderer will be easy to spot". I plan to continue reading the series, although I am currently not sure if this is because I hope it will get better, or because I am punishing myself.

This one is miles ahead of "Goodnight Irene," though I liked that one as well. It's just that the author has matured somewhat and so has the style. At any rate, "Sweet Dreams" is another in the "Irene" series and well worth the time and money you invest in it. Highly recommended--it's a fun read.

Also recommended: Bark of the Dogwood by McCrae and The Da Vinci Code by Brown

While I was able to figure out who the killer is fairly early on, I still enjoyed this book fully. I couldn't put it down, I still wanted to know how it was going to play out. One thing I do want to say is that it's really important to read this series from the beginning, even though the cases are different in each book, you will be able to understand the character's better if you start at the beginning. The book covers things that happens in the first one, so I suggest that you read it.

These are the first two books featuring Irene Kelly an intrepid newspaper reporter, in the series written by Jan

Burke. Set in fictional Las Piernas, CA the stories are very well written, and very readable.

These two books, and the whole series have a good tempo and the stories mov along at a good pace. These are

mysteries that will appeal to a wide audience, the characters are engaging and the plots are intriguing. These

are thoroughly enjoyable books.

Burke's Irene Kelly stories are superb. I suggest you read them all. You'll enjoy the ride.

This was my second Irene Kelly novel and it was even better than the first! It had a unique story with plenty of twists. After Irene had been taken and then rescued, the emotions she felt were so descriptive that I felt for her. I can only imagine what an experience like that would do to a person. I believe this book accurately portrayed those feelings. Also, I just love the romance between Irene and Frank! It's a nice touch to this series. I'm going to continue reading this series. It's great!

Once again Irene Kelly, veteran reporter for the News Express, in the fictional Southern California town of Las Piernas, investigates some serious crime. One of Irene's flaws, unfortunately, is stubbornness which borders on the extreme. As intelligent as she is, she frequently acts on impulse and winds up doing what she has been specifically told not to do, often with life-threatening results. Frank Harriman, a homicide detective with La Piernas Police Department, is Irene's boyfriend and emotional support system.

Jacob Henderson, teenaged son of a district attorney candidate, comes to Irene claiming his father's opponent intends to use smear tactics and claim he is involved in a Satanic cult. A photograph was taken of the boy at a coven gathering, but he was there to convince a young girl, his friend Gethsemane (Sammy), to leave with him. Irene talks to the troubled girl, who substantiates Jacob's story. She tells the reporter that the cult is Wiccan, not Satanist. There are disturbing signs of cult activity in town, most of which seem to have a connection to a local runway shelter, which is sponsored by Frank's neighbor and dear friend, 80 year-old Althea Fremont. That same evening, Halloween, Mrs. Fremont is murdered and Satanic ritual symbols are left on her door. Irene begins to suspect there is more to this coven than meets the eye. Then Sammy disappears and a human heart is left on Irene's doorstep. Danger to Irene escalates when there are no indications she will back-off the case. This is a darker, edgier novel then the previous one, with some grim, brutal torture scenes. To come out of this alive, Irene will have to face-down the devil.

"Sweet Dreams, Irene" is non-stop drama, thrills and chills. However, the narrative is not as taut as I expected it to be, having read two of the author's other books. The primary focus here is on Irene's relationship with Frank - which I actually enjoy. They are both fascinating, well developed characters and the chemistry between them is electric. As usual, Ms. Burke surrounds Irene with a number of interesting and memorable friends and family members, characters who add to the depth and richness of the novel. Our heroine does less investigating than usual here, and, more or less, stumbles into trouble and onto clues rather than initiating the action. This is novel #2 in the series, and the author is just beginning to develop the background storyline and characters. Her writing becomes much tighter, and her plots more well defined, in future books. But this one is well worth the read - so don't miss it.

JANA

This is the second volume in the Irene Kelly/Frank Harrison series .Set as previously in California the book involves newspaperwoman Irene Kelly in shady politics and smear campaigns .She is approached by the 16 year old son of a DA candidate a personable young man who is being wrongly accused of involvement in a Satanic cult .He was present at a meeting of such a group but was seeking to persuade a friend to leave the meeting .The friend in question is Sally a homeless girl who has taken refuge from an unsatisactory home life by running away and is currently living in a shelter for street kids .This is run by Irene's neighbour the kindly Mrs Fremont who is brutally slain in a mannner suggesting Satanic involvemnet .
Soon after Sally is also killed and the reasons are linked to her diary which contains revelations .Before the case is resolved Irene is kidnapped and beaten by two thugs Devon and Raney -and some will find these scenes rather strong meat .
The captivity scenes are quite harrowing and tend to distoirt the novel somewhat .

Its a decent enough book but somewhat clumsily structured -the identity of the killer is revealed with about a quarter of the book remaining while the revelation of the man behind all the violence comes as no great suprise
There is rather too much time given to the familial troubles of Irene's lover the cop Frank Harrison ,in particular his mother's resisitance to the relationship but a lively sea bound climax brings thinks to a satisfactory ending

It marks no real advance on its predecessor but those who enjoyed that book will enjoy this volume too.