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geisttull's review against another edition
3.0
I've never read this author before - I picked up the audio book because the reader is award winning. Story was good, reader was great.
jenniferstringer's review against another edition
3.0
Eh. NPR gave it such a great review - I was expecting more...
miajmu's review against another edition
3.0
Really interesting characters in a decent but not great murder mystery.
novelesque_life's review against another edition
2.0
RATING: 2 STARS
(Review Not on Blog)
I called it...a DNF at 55%. At 55% there still did not seem to be action...a lot of talk but no show. I stopped because the snail pace was killing me and the characters were not engaging enough to care where they ended up. Moving onto to something else.
(Review Not on Blog)
I called it...a DNF at 55%. At 55% there still did not seem to be action...a lot of talk but no show. I stopped because the snail pace was killing me and the characters were not engaging enough to care where they ended up. Moving onto to something else.
brandt_sch's review
adventurous
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
My first Peter Blauner book and I want to read more from this author. I found the main character relatable and interesting. It's fun to read about a larger Hispanic woman trying to get ahead in a male dominated field. (Though at first I found all the slang and cool-talking a little off-putting but it's toned down quickly.) The other main character is a vet with PTSD who, in spite of his best efforts, can't quite get his feet on the ground. It really kept me guessing right to the end.
cook_memorial_public_library's review against another edition
5.0
A 2017 staff favorite recommended by Jo.
Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sproving%20ground%20blauner__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=gold
Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sproving%20ground%20blauner__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=gold
scknitter's review against another edition
4.0
Two people have something to prove. Lourdes Robles is a homicide detective just off of probation who must prove she deserves to be back on the job. And, Nathaniel Dresden is a prosecuting attorney who has yet to get over what he did and saw in Iraq and who needs to prove to himself that he is capable of living a life he can be proud of. When his father, a defense attorney who always championed the underdog and disadvantaged, and who was always fighting the establishment is murdered. Natty comes home to be with his mother and try and forgive himself for never really getting along with or understanding his father. What follows is a suspenseful, action-packed, and at times, dark story. A story of love and hate and betrayal that you won’t want to put down.
usbsticky's review against another edition
2.0
2 stars = it was ok.
I thought development of the story and action was slow, a lot writing without a lot of movement, or a lot of words to say a little. I also thought the author didn't do a good job of developing the characters, a lot was written but the characters just didn't reach out to me. Some authors do a great job of making the characters come alive, these didn't. I have no problem with the plot of the book, I just felt the author didn't bring it alive for me. In the end, I just felt the book was ok.
I got this book as a free ARC.
I thought development of the story and action was slow, a lot writing without a lot of movement, or a lot of words to say a little. I also thought the author didn't do a good job of developing the characters, a lot was written but the characters just didn't reach out to me. Some authors do a great job of making the characters come alive, these didn't. I have no problem with the plot of the book, I just felt the author didn't bring it alive for me. In the end, I just felt the book was ok.
I got this book as a free ARC.
ncrabb's review against another edition
3.0
Someone murdered David Dresden. He had been an ultra-liberal civil-rights attorney throughout his life, and he was a tough defense attorney in the courtroom.
His son, Natty, is a troubled young man. He formerly served in Iraq and came home dealing with serious PTSD as a result. Shortly after his dad died, he went to a bar and apparently blacked out while nearly killing a fireman in a fight. Agreeing to straighten up his life if it means he can stay out of prison, he joins his dad’s law firm and serves as an unpaid investigator into his dad’s murder. The father and son experienced a strained relationship, and that worsened when Natty signed up to fight after the terror attacks in 2001. As the investigation into who killed David Dresden heats up, Lourdes Robles joins forces with an aging detective on the force in an attempt to untangle the investigation. Suspects include everyone from Natty to FBI agents.
Because of his PTSD, his relationship with everyone around him is wobbly at best. The one man he loved best as a kid, his parents’ friend, Ben, falls under Natty’s suspicion for a variety of reasons.
The female Latin cop who is supposed to be a character star of the book isn’t. Blauner developed her poorly, and she feels like an also-ran in many respects. I was much more fascinated with Dresden’s female court-appointed psychologist than I ever was with Robles.
That said, this is far more than a conventional police procedural. Blauner describes Dresden’s PTSD in ways that feel remarkably authentic to me.
His son, Natty, is a troubled young man. He formerly served in Iraq and came home dealing with serious PTSD as a result. Shortly after his dad died, he went to a bar and apparently blacked out while nearly killing a fireman in a fight. Agreeing to straighten up his life if it means he can stay out of prison, he joins his dad’s law firm and serves as an unpaid investigator into his dad’s murder. The father and son experienced a strained relationship, and that worsened when Natty signed up to fight after the terror attacks in 2001. As the investigation into who killed David Dresden heats up, Lourdes Robles joins forces with an aging detective on the force in an attempt to untangle the investigation. Suspects include everyone from Natty to FBI agents.
Because of his PTSD, his relationship with everyone around him is wobbly at best. The one man he loved best as a kid, his parents’ friend, Ben, falls under Natty’s suspicion for a variety of reasons.
The female Latin cop who is supposed to be a character star of the book isn’t. Blauner developed her poorly, and she feels like an also-ran in many respects. I was much more fascinated with Dresden’s female court-appointed psychologist than I ever was with Robles.
That said, this is far more than a conventional police procedural. Blauner describes Dresden’s PTSD in ways that feel remarkably authentic to me.