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Title: The Snake Tattoo by Linda Barnes ISBN: 0-312-99355-2 Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur Pub. Date: 03 February, 2004 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.33 (3 reviews)
Rating: 1
Summary: Cliche-packing PI cracks smart!
Comment: The Snake Tattoo runs only 220 pages or so in hardcover, but it seemed like 520, given the number of PI/police procedural cliches packed into this formulaic little number. See! I'm doing it too--Linda Barnes has clearly infected me with her paint-by-numbers attempt . . . I just can't stop it! Turn the cliche machine off, now!
This book is full of calculatedly 'quirky' characters right from central casting, but with a little side trip to marketing to give them 'edge': the sexy but emotionally volatile girl PI. The outwardly tough but soft-hearted cop. The politically correct cast of supporting characters who exhibit all the right attributes of 'diversity' except any remotely interesting characterization.
The plot is predictable and overwrought.
Finally, Barnes insists on using her protagonist to spout off what are obviously her own ideological biases: just a hint, Linda -- intelligent readers find this boring and insulting.
Don't waste your time on this one.
Rating: 5
Summary: Carlotta Needs a Bathtub
Comment: In this gritty, quick, and amusing sequel to "A Trouble of Fools," no-nonsense PI Carlotta Carlyle has her hands full every way she turns. Her dear friend Mooney is all over the Boston tabloids, accused of being a cop on the take. Her beloved Little Sister, a spunky hispanic child named Paolina, is stuck in Colombia with no way home. A missing persons case involving a teenaged rich girl is beginning to smell like big trouble at Boston's preppiest high school. And to top it off, Carlotta's bathroom is being remodeled in deep brown and day-glo orange by The Twins, shady brothers who divide their time between the job and Carlotta's roommate Roz.
All in all, Carlotta wants a long, hot, uninterrupted bath. But the only person she can think of who has the bathtub of her dreams is Sam Gianelli, her currently off-again passionate lover who also happens to be the son of Boston's Godfather.
The plot is fast and furious, and the mysteries are satisfying in this 1990 outing. Carlotta's real concern for Mooney, a stalwart and dedicated cop who's been framed, is shared by the reader. And her palpable disdain for the rich-kids' tony prep school is equally shared. But this doesn't mask the real essence of the book: Will Carlotta's bathroom ever be finished?
A fun read. Highly recommended.
Rating: 4
Summary: Carlotta Carlyle goes prep and porn
Comment: In this, the second installment of the Carlotta Carlyle series, Barnes successfully combines the New England prep school scene with the pornographic combat zone of Boston. It's not an easy thing to do, but it works quite well here.
I enjoyed this book more than the first book. Carlotta is growing as a character and was easier to warm up to. I also got a kick out of Barnes' take on the prep school scene -- having visited more than a few in my days as an admission director for a liberal arts college.
The book is a little out of balance -- she's also on a case to get her buddy, Mooney, of the hook and his case takes a back seat to the preppie case. I'm also got a bit tired of the "humorous" interludes involving the remodeling of Carlotta's bathroom.
Bottom-line: An enjoyable read for Carlyle fans but not worth lots of effort if you can't find a copy easily.
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Title: A Trouble of Fools by Linda Barnes ISBN: 0786889535 Publisher: Hyperion Pub. Date: 06 October, 1999 List Price(USD): $4.50 |
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Title: Flashpoint by Linda Barnes ISBN: 0786889489 Publisher: Warner Books Pub. Date: 01 March, 2001 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Coyote by Linda Barnes ISBN: 0440210895 Publisher: Dell Pub. Date: 01 September, 1991 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: Hardware : A Carlotta Carlyle Mystery by Linda Barnes ISBN: 0440212235 Publisher: Dell Pub. Date: 05 February, 1996 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: Snapshot by Linda Barnes ISBN: 0440212200 Publisher: Dell Pub. Date: 01 February, 1994 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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