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bonniereads777's review
3.0
The Paradise Affair by Bill Pronzini is the ninth book in the Carpenter and Quincannon detective series. It can be read as a standalone, but the reader may get some spoilers regarding the previous books. It is 1898 in San Francisco, and John Quincannon is on the tail of two swindlers , Lonesome Jack Vereen and Nevada Ned Nagle, who have fled to Hawaii with a considerable amount of cash and bearer bonds belonging to his client. His partner and now wife, Sabina (Carpenter) has managed to arrange a honeymoon of sorts as she joins her husband on his trip to locate Vereen and Nagle. They soon find themselves separated, as Quincannon follows his prey to The Big Island and Sabina remains behind with their hosts in Honolulu.
I found the first third of the book to move very slowly. A lot of time was spent on voyage preparation, the actual voyage, and arrival in Hawaii, but very little of interest occurred. The book picks up steam as Quincannon's investigation and pursuit in Hawaii finally begin. We follow Quincannon from one seedy situation to another as he attempts to find his prey, bring them to justice, and recover the stolen goods. The point of view changes in various chapters between John and Sabina. Sabina also finds herself embroiled in an investigation back in Honolulu. A neighbor is mysteriously shot and killed. Was it an accident, suicide, or murder? Both mysteries are interesting, although one is fairly easy to solve. The description of Hawaii, the ancient Hawaiian beliefs and legends, and the way of life at that time was intriguing. Fans of the Carpenter and Quincannon series will enjoy this book. I also recommend this book to anyone interested in Hawaiian historical fiction.
I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Historical Novels Review magazine. My opinions are my own.
I found the first third of the book to move very slowly. A lot of time was spent on voyage preparation, the actual voyage, and arrival in Hawaii, but very little of interest occurred. The book picks up steam as Quincannon's investigation and pursuit in Hawaii finally begin. We follow Quincannon from one seedy situation to another as he attempts to find his prey, bring them to justice, and recover the stolen goods. The point of view changes in various chapters between John and Sabina. Sabina also finds herself embroiled in an investigation back in Honolulu. A neighbor is mysteriously shot and killed. Was it an accident, suicide, or murder? Both mysteries are interesting, although one is fairly easy to solve. The description of Hawaii, the ancient Hawaiian beliefs and legends, and the way of life at that time was intriguing. Fans of the Carpenter and Quincannon series will enjoy this book. I also recommend this book to anyone interested in Hawaiian historical fiction.
I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Historical Novels Review magazine. My opinions are my own.
annieb123's review
4.0
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
The Paradise Affair is the ninth outing for husband and wife investigators Carpenter and Quincannon by the talented and capable Bill Pronzini. Released 26th Jan 2021 by Macmillan on their Tor Forge imprint, it's a compact 176 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats.
Most readers have their favorite authors/series. The must-reads.. and the ones which come highly anticipated. These books are on my list. They're consistently well written, always entertaining, cleverly plotted, well paced, and intricately put together. The story is told in alternating point of view (mostly alternating by chapters and clearly labeled in the chapter headings). This allows the author to incorporate two mysteries within the book and allow for independent denouements with a final wrap up at the end.
The exotic destination (Hawaii at the end of the 19th century) is well researched and based around a historical framework of period events and characters. The author is quite skilled at interweaving actual and fictional events seamlessly into an entertaining whole. Although the plot works fine as a standalone, there are some spoilers for earlier books in the series, so I do recommend them in order for completists.
Four stars. Solidly engaging and capably written. I'd recommend this one to fans of the private enquiry agent historical mystery genre, as well as previous fans of the series.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Paradise Affair is the ninth outing for husband and wife investigators Carpenter and Quincannon by the talented and capable Bill Pronzini. Released 26th Jan 2021 by Macmillan on their Tor Forge imprint, it's a compact 176 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats.
Most readers have their favorite authors/series. The must-reads.. and the ones which come highly anticipated. These books are on my list. They're consistently well written, always entertaining, cleverly plotted, well paced, and intricately put together. The story is told in alternating point of view (mostly alternating by chapters and clearly labeled in the chapter headings). This allows the author to incorporate two mysteries within the book and allow for independent denouements with a final wrap up at the end.
The exotic destination (Hawaii at the end of the 19th century) is well researched and based around a historical framework of period events and characters. The author is quite skilled at interweaving actual and fictional events seamlessly into an entertaining whole. Although the plot works fine as a standalone, there are some spoilers for earlier books in the series, so I do recommend them in order for completists.
Four stars. Solidly engaging and capably written. I'd recommend this one to fans of the private enquiry agent historical mystery genre, as well as previous fans of the series.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
annarella's review
5.0
Excellent historical mystery, well written and highly entertaining.
I thoroughly enjoyed this well written story and had a lot of fun.
Great characters, solid mystery and vivid historical background.
Bill Pronzini is a master storyteller and the story kept me hooked.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I thoroughly enjoyed this well written story and had a lot of fun.
Great characters, solid mystery and vivid historical background.
Bill Pronzini is a master storyteller and the story kept me hooked.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
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