Technology, Books and Other Neat Stuff

...the 2004 list of visited countries and places...

USA: San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Jose, Boston, Las Vegas
Canada: Toronto
Spain: Barcelona
Holland: Amsterdam, Enschede
Portugal: Lisbon
New Zealand: North and South Islands
Sweden: Stockholm
Scotland: Edinburgh
Italy: Lake Como
Cyprus
Jersey

...and the aircraft

Boeing 737, 757, 767, 777, 747-400
Airbus A319, A320, A330, A340

Glen Cook's ongoing series of hard-boiled PI fantasies continues in Cold Copper Tears.

Like its predecessors, this Garrett story is a light, quick read. The usual beautiful woman at the door leads our hero into a maze of murder and conspiracy (with a touch of magic). This time it's a cult trying to resurrect a dead god that's causing problems - and it's getting close to fulfilling its aims. As always we know that Garrett will prevail, with plenty of bruises (and get laid once or twice along the way as compensation).

Cook has a knack for a compelling story, using snappy dialogue to drag the reader into his world. Garrett may be an unreliable narrator, but he is a likeable rogue - and it's easy to forgive Cook for translating the idioms of Nero Wolfe, Mike Hammer and Philip Marlowe to his multi-species fantasy city.

A fun escape from the real world.