A Wild and Lonely Place [Import] [Paperback]

Marcia Muller (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: New York, Mysterious Press; Advance copy edition (1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0704344548
• ISBN-13: 978-0704344549
• Shipping Weight: 10.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,699,838 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

MARCIA MULLER has written many novels and short stories. Her novel "Wolf in the Shadows" won the Anthony Boucher Award. The recipient of the Private Eye Writers of America's Lifetime Achievement Award and the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Award - their highest accolade - she lives in northern California with her husband, mystery writer Bill Pronzini.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars And The Saga Continues..., September 19, 2001

By 

AntiochAndy "antiochandy" (Antioch, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Wild and Lonely Place (Sharon McCone Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

"A Wild And Lonely Place" is the sixteenth installment in the on-going adventures of private investigator Sharon McCone. Like many series, the books revolve as much around the personal life of the main character as they do about the immediate plot line. Here, we find Ms. McCone moving further away from the All Souls Legal Co-op and building up a separate coterie of friends. Hank and Anne-Marie play a small role, but All Souls is otherwise almost irrelevant, superceded by newer faces Hy Ripinsky (her current boyfriend and probably her most serious relationship to date), nephew Mick, Adah Joslyn, and Gage Renshaw. Fans of the series derive as much entertainment from this as from the story.

The antagonist in this case is someone called the "Diplo-bomber". This person has set off bombs at several different consulates around the U.S., and there is a million dollar reward on the table. In addition, the bomber seems to have a special interest in the San Francisco consulate of Azad, an oil-rich Arab emirate. The plot has its share of twists and turns, taking McCone to the Caribbean and back before everything gets sorted out. It's not the most unfathomable mystery ever, but it's good enough to hold your interest.

One unfortunate aspect of this story is the device used at the start. Muller lifts a tense moment from near the end of the book and uses it to start the story off. It IS a tense moment, and it is clearly intended to grab the interest of the reader and get things off to a fast start. Unfortunately, however, it gives away a lot about the direction the story will take. It gives away too much, in my opinion. The first two-thirds of the story would have been more engaging if I hadn't already been shown where things were going.

I've read all of the preceding books in this series, so it's fair to say that I enjoy them, generally. This one is neither the best nor the worst of them. If you're a fan, it will satisfy your desire for more. Otherwise, it's a so-so mystery. There are some tense moments, but it's not as puzzling as it might have been. The identity of the bomber was clear to me before I got to the end and it will be to many others, as well. Still, there's enough action to keep the pages turning right to the end. This is a good casual read, but will likely disappoint hard-core mystery lovers.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Quick read, but doesn't live up to its potential, November 22, 1997

By 

Windy "smirick" - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Wild and Lonely Place (Sharon McCone Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Muller's cookie-cutter plot line and characters attempt to reach Spenser or Mallone ("A" is for Alibi, etc.) levels, but fall just short.  Her characters seem to have been created directly from a "how-to" book on detective fiction, with not quite enough depth to true make them three dimensional.  That said, the book is a nice, quick read.  The perfect beach or airline book that will entertain but not challenge or entrance the reader.  Muller has a lot of potential, but "A Wild and Lonely Place" only hints at her skills, rather than displaying them fully.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not up to the usual high standards of the McCone series, May 23, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: A Wild and Lonely Place (Sharon McCone Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

I have read all the Sharon McCone mysteries in the order they were written and am a big Marcia Muller fan. "A Wild and Lonely Place" was the most disappointing book in the series so far. Most of the suspects/new characters were dull, I figured out the mystery WAY too readily, and the writing was surprisingly cliched.

I hope that this book does not mark a downward spiral for Muller. But.. if it does, she's had a great run. (15 books in the series prior to this one.) If you don't know her work, start with the first McCone mystery, "Edwin of the Iron Shoes" and go forward from there. Don't let this one turn you off.