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ingo_lembcke's review
5.0
Lent with Kindle Unlimited (Black Friday deal 3 months for the price of 1).
After a few books with too many Nazis and the last not so good book (Verses of the dead), a great, totally ridiculous book. Well, looks like Verses of the dead was a one-off fluke, here is hoping.
Bloody, mutilation, lots of kills, what's not to like?
Not to be read as a standalone, at least I do not think most people will appreciate it.
Solid 5 stars for far out ideas. Highly recommended, if you can stand it (but should have read other books in the series!). Reminds me of the movies Burn After Reading and Men who stare at goats, also the book and movie [b:The Serpent and the Rainbow|31490|The Serpent and the Rainbow|Wade Davis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386925594l/31490._SY75_.jpg|2155703]. Just so you get an idea without spoiling it, in what abyss the book will take you.
After a few books with too many Nazis and the last not so good book (Verses of the dead), a great, totally ridiculous book. Well, looks like Verses of the dead was a one-off fluke, here is hoping.
Bloody, mutilation, lots of kills, what's not to like?
Not to be read as a standalone, at least I do not think most people will appreciate it.
Solid 5 stars for far out ideas. Highly recommended, if you can stand it (but should have read other books in the series!). Reminds me of the movies Burn After Reading and Men who stare at goats, also the book and movie [b:The Serpent and the Rainbow|31490|The Serpent and the Rainbow|Wade Davis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386925594l/31490._SY75_.jpg|2155703]. Just so you get an idea without spoiling it, in what abyss the book will take you.
ccollard58's review
3.0
stream-of-consciousness review:
strong start.
interesting new characters that were later killed off or entirely wasted by simply fading into the background.
riveting premise in the "it's so gruesome i can't look away" vein.
implausible and rather boring villain and resolution
Constance Green is now Wonder Woman and utterly ridiculous.
well, at least none of the recurring characters were shot in the chest only to immediately recover this time around.
strong start.
interesting new characters that were later killed off or entirely wasted by simply fading into the background.
riveting premise in the "it's so gruesome i can't look away" vein.
implausible and rather boring villain and resolution
Constance Green is now Wonder Woman and utterly ridiculous.
well, at least none of the recurring characters were shot in the chest only to immediately recover this time around.
kiminindy's review
4.0
Ok so I normally love these but they have changed the actor that does the audible version and I'm not happy with him. However, the overall book was pretty good. Nice little twist.
posies23's review
4.0
Another solid entry in the long-running series. This one starts with the mysterious appearance of dozens of severed feet washing up on a Florida beach, as Pendergast and his assorted cast of supporting players find themselves up against vast, murky forces who don't want them to find out where they came from.
As usual, it's good, page-turning fun, and it's great to see Coldmoon return and more of a "star-turn" for Constance. Part of what really makes this series work is the strength of the supporting characters, and they are well used in this entry.
While the ultimate solution to the mystery was a bit of a let-down for me, I still enjoyed the escapism and adventure. As usual, though, I'll warn readers that you probably want to start this series from the beginning and not try to pick up NINETEEN (!) books in.
As usual, it's good, page-turning fun, and it's great to see Coldmoon return and more of a "star-turn" for Constance. Part of what really makes this series work is the strength of the supporting characters, and they are well used in this entry.
While the ultimate solution to the mystery was a bit of a let-down for me, I still enjoyed the escapism and adventure. As usual, though, I'll warn readers that you probably want to start this series from the beginning and not try to pick up NINETEEN (!) books in.
jakekilroy's review
4.0
This one had an intriguing kickoff, mostly because it's a grandiose start that's more "what" than "who" and everyone's equally curious about what's afoot (yuk yuk yuk). Meanwhile, Pendergast and Constance have strayed rather far into tedious and condescending territory. TColdmoon's still good, though with less of a flow to him. New police chief guy is also a delight, maybe because he's the closest to normal. Not normal is a B-plot, maybe even a C-plot, that gets way too much attention as the ending. A rip-roarin' adventure with a lot of death though. Bow howdy. Florida's insane. All of this is insane.
stuff4bd's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This book is mid part through the series so many of the knowns from prior books were not known by me. I still understood the story. The fast pace and extreme plot elements were entertaining and kept me turning the pages.
vorpalblad's review against another edition
4.0
Crooked River is another cool Pendergast installment and I will continue to argue that they should drop the Gideon Crew books and focus here. In Crooked River Pendergast is called in to a small beach community where over 100 severed feet in matching green shoes have floated onto the shore. Classic Pendergast setup. One thing I really liked about this entry was that Pendergast was not his usual bottomless well of esoteric knowledge. He actually brings in people who specialize in different fields to give him information. And I love that since P&C have stepped away from possible magical influence, they seem to have a lot of research to back up their crazy scenarios. Try to imagine all the ways that a bunch of severed feet with matching shoes could wind up on a beach and you'll probably have a hard time. Not only did they do it, but it's actually a viable reason. I was all in and creeped out.
I want you to know I liked it, but these Preston & Child books, for me, are usually page-turners that cannot be put down. I start them with good intentions of going to sleep soon, but find myself on the last page around 3 AM and Crooked River didn't have that tension for me. Everything related to Constance was discordant. From the house they rent to her final overblown actions, I couldn't get a good hook into her story. Coldmoon and ANOTHER Smithback also felt a bit tacked on here. I guess we needed at least some of the information they provided, but looking back it feels like filler.
I think bringing the local police chief, Perelman, more into the mix would have been a better move since he was such an interesting character that was left only partly developed. Obviously as a four-star read, the problems which take up so much space here were relatively minor in the scope of the novel. If you're a fan of the series I don't think you'll be disappointed, but if you are new to the series, I might start somewhere else.
I want you to know I liked it, but these Preston & Child books, for me, are usually page-turners that cannot be put down. I start them with good intentions of going to sleep soon, but find myself on the last page around 3 AM and Crooked River didn't have that tension for me. Everything related to Constance was discordant. From the house they rent to her final overblown actions, I couldn't get a good hook into her story. Coldmoon and ANOTHER Smithback also felt a bit tacked on here. I guess we needed at least some of the information they provided, but looking back it feels like filler.
I think bringing the local police chief, Perelman, more into the mix would have been a better move since he was such an interesting character that was left only partly developed. Obviously as a four-star read, the problems which take up so much space here were relatively minor in the scope of the novel. If you're a fan of the series I don't think you'll be disappointed, but if you are new to the series, I might start somewhere else.