Customer Reviews

The Widow's Revenge (Charlie Moon Mysteries)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Once again Mr. Doss "stands on the sidelines" and reports this story rather than telling it in a way that allows the reader to "live" it. I find this a distracting way of writing as it makes the reader too aware of the author. Much of the time, I felt Mr. Doss' observations and comments were more an attempt to be cute or clever, rather than legitimately entertaining his readers with a narrative that emphasized the story and brought it to life. Mr Doss is capable of turning out wonderful mysteries that have his readers on the edge of their seats and biting their nails. This is not one of them.

I was so excited to get this book, then had a hard time finishing it. The author's writing style seemed to change with this title and it was distracting to the story...which may have been a good thing. I didn't care for the gratuitous murders or cannibalism, I didn't think it helped the plot at all. It all made me wonder if Doss really wrote this. Hopefully there will be another, better one coming next.

A new James Doss novel is always eagerly anticipated. I was counting the days until this one arrived in the mail. Most series authors have a book that doesn't hold up somewhere in the series. This one has gone a long while holding on to 4-5 stars. After a long and fun run, this one didn't come up to speed. A lot more gruesome and horrific in detail than most, this book will not be re-read. The characters didn't develop, nothing new happened in any of their relationships and overall the story was flat. Cannibalism and cruel murders were inserted to keep the story moving. Vigilante justice won the day and all is again well on the Columbine. I will go back to eager anticipation that a story again comes to the Columbine and one worth reading arrives in my mailbox in 2011.

I was wary that Doss was ready to retire after "Snake Dreams", but in "Widow's Revenge", Charlie Moon once again strapped on his trusty side arm and stepped up and did the job that needed to be done. There was a passage in this book involving our hero, a mountain lion, and a banjo that was so classic Charlie Moon that it almost brought a tear to my eye. I'll leave everyone with a warning...Doss still has a bag full of tricks, and he dropped many into this book. It was a pleasure to read!

Why has James Doss abandoned what was a great writing style for this insipid, cutesy style that is so very annoying? I loved his earlier works, but am now completely fed up with this silly story telling style that he has used for at least the last 3 novels. I guess his books are selling well, but I now find them totally annoying, and I used to look so forward to the next installment. With Hillermann gone, and Doss driving me insane such that I can't stomach his stuff anymore, I've no one to lean on for great detective novels set amongst the backdrop of Native Americans.

This is a great read, can't miss mystery. Doss builds on each book of this series. Charlie Moon is my alltime favorite character in the written word!!!!

Loyola Montoya was the lucky one. Doss killed her off early in The Widow's Revenge. She didn't have to endure this entire hackneyed story. Oh, it started out promisingly enough. Daisy has an encounter with the pitukupf. Charlie Moon returns as the central character. But, it doesn't take long for Doss to reheat his old ideas to fill the remainder of the book. Sara continues to pine for Charlie who rightfully pays no attention to the child. Aunt Daisy has her "visions" when it's convenient to move the story along or to find something that would otherwise go undetected by a matukach. Charlie drinks a mug of coffee with honey - about every other page. Scott Parris is so stressed he has recurring nightmares in a mini-series format, a plot device that is loopy as it is pointless. There are also lots of characters opening their mouths and then snapping them shut without saying anything. Doss complements his tale of mayhem and cannibalism by trotting out some of the all-time great trite expressions. When was the last to your heard someone call a TV the "boob tube?" 1965? Or refer to a movie theatre as a "picture show?" Mercifully, the book reaches it slapdash conclusion on page 290 with the last four pages reading like an essay exam answer scribbled just before time runs out. Doss is so far away from when his books were good that even Stephen Hawking wouldn't be able theorize where he is in the universe.

I look forward to a new Charlie Moon/Aunt Daisy book every year and this one was no exception. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!

While this mystery rolls along as easily as Doss's others, the disgusting and gruesome details of the bad guys is totally at odds with the light-hearted style. Really, cannibalism and roasting people alive doesn't belong in much of anything but hardcore murder thrillers, and Doss's books aren't that.

I've liked every other of James Doss' Charlie Moon mysteries.

This one stinks.

There's what could be an interesting plot and story in there somewhere, but it reads like Doss was drunk when he wrote it...............drunk or psychotic.

I have no clue about what Doss was trying to do with the "writing style" in this book but it flat doesn't work, and both he and his editors ought to be ashamed of themselves.

I just couldn't finish it.