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fanboyriot's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed the humor in this story. The mystery was good and the characters were detailed—even if there were several I disliked. Overall the story was pretty good.
janjanjukebox's review against another edition
2.0
More like 2.5 this story was all over the place and didn't age well to boot.
juso's review against another edition
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
claudiaswisher's review against another edition
4.0
Fun, sly...Tres Navarre has depths and a history. But coming home after ten years means facing his past - the failed engagement, the murdered father.
The first novel, an adult novel, of the author of Percy Jackson adventures. I loved the setting - San Antonio - and the characters...lots of quirky underworld types. I loved the voice...Tres is comfortable in his skin. He has skills...he's a tai chi master and a private investigator...and a PhD in English...with a dissertation on the dirty jokes of Chaucer...
And he searches for truth..wherever it may take him!
The first novel, an adult novel, of the author of Percy Jackson adventures. I loved the setting - San Antonio - and the characters...lots of quirky underworld types. I loved the voice...Tres is comfortable in his skin. He has skills...he's a tai chi master and a private investigator...and a PhD in English...with a dissertation on the dirty jokes of Chaucer...
And he searches for truth..wherever it may take him!
emesskay's review against another edition
2.0
I was not aware Rick Riordan wrote mysteries until a relative who lived in Texas told me about them. I have read a lot of Rick Riordan's YA series (Percy Jackson, Kaine Chronicles, Magnus Chase, etc.). I am not sure what I was expecting, but it was not what I got. It is not surprising that an author would have a completely different voice for an adult mystery series, but it was jarring to me at first, that it was so different. I got over it after a bit and was able to get into the mystery. I think overall the mystery is well written, and the characters are well developed. It is pretty gritty and raw, as mysteries go, and not the usual kind of mystery I would read.
ninah_sargi's review against another edition
3.0
I loved it, the humor was quite good, the only thing that I didn't like was the fact that Tres didn't go to Maia Lee. :/
pepa's review against another edition
1.0
Short review: Too long, Rick should stick with Percy and books of that genre.
I really wanted to read all the works from R.R., but as it seems, I won't be finishing this series.
It was way too long, there were meaningless dialogues, if half the stuff was erased, it would be probably more enjoyable since the end would be approaching sooner.
That's not how the book is, so I was kind of fast forwarding the other half of the book... Not that I feel I've lost something.
I have to say - I am sorry for this review (meant for R.R.)
There was a highlight, I have to be honest. I know the book was published way sooner than Percy, but even here you can see the kind of dialogues or sentences of dry humour, the things that make the other books so good. Those parts made the book bearable enough for me to finish (that and my "one book behing schedule" challenge).
I really wanted to read all the works from R.R., but as it seems, I won't be finishing this series.
It was way too long, there were meaningless dialogues, if half the stuff was erased, it would be probably more enjoyable since the end would be approaching sooner.
That's not how the book is, so I was kind of fast forwarding the other half of the book... Not that I feel I've lost something.
I have to say - I am sorry for this review (meant for R.R.)
There was a highlight, I have to be honest. I know the book was published way sooner than Percy, but even here you can see the kind of dialogues or sentences of dry humour, the things that make the other books so good. Those parts made the book bearable enough for me to finish (that and my "one book behing schedule" challenge).
sheila90's review
4.0
*3.5*
Good book. Nothing phenomenal though. It has a lot of the wit and humor you'd expect from Riordan.
Good book. Nothing phenomenal though. It has a lot of the wit and humor you'd expect from Riordan.
veronica87's review
3.0
Jackson "Tres" Navarre is returning to his hometown of San Antonio after a ten year absence to see if he can make a go of things with his old high school/college sweetheart. He would've married her back then but witnessing his father, then the local County Sheriff, being gunned down in their front yard (and the case never solved) - well, that does things to a young man. So, instead of the life he'd always thought he wanted, Tres suddenly needed a fresh start as far away as he could get. He made good use of that interim decade, earning a PhD in Literature and becoming a Tai Chi devotee, and generally making a life for himself in San Francisco. Once back on his old stomping grounds, however, it doesn't take long for the old questions about his father's murder to start reasserting themselves.
The author, Rick Riordan, is, of course, best know for his successful Percy Jackson YA series but this one pre-dates that. I mostly picked this up because I'm quite familiar with San Antonio and Riordan did a credible job of hitting a lot of the local hot spots, though several have changed or are no longer around (this was published back in 1997). I found his portrayal of the Mexican and Mexican-American people in the story far less appealing.
As a lead character, Tres was okay though I admit that some of the bests moments in the story for me were when he was getting punched or run over by cars. He's the kind of guy who always has a smug comment to make and who's too cool to ever feel something as mundane as fear when guns are placed to his head - which his Tai Chi skills can usually take care of with minimal sweat spent - so those moments when life swats him down are just like cherries on top of sundaes. Of the secondary characters, none really stood out. And don't get me started on Tres' romantic life. I'm not sure what was going on there. There's the San Antonio (old-ex) girlfriend but there's also apparently a (not-so-old-ex) San Francisco girlfriend, though the details on that relationship are never made clear so maybe that was just a friends-with-benefits thing. It was all too vague and odd. So, needless to say, I wasn't invested in either relationship. I will say this, though, at least the San Franciso lady had some useful skills that could come in very handy if the rest of Tres' life is going to be like his first week back in his hometown.
The cold case surrounding the murder of Tres' father started off interesting but it got too convoluted and there were too many potential players involved. I started losing track of who was who and who potentially did what and the ultimate reveal seemed a little far fetched. I'll give this a generous three stars and I may check out the second book...mostly because I already own it, having picked up books one and two at a used bookstore.
The author, Rick Riordan, is, of course, best know for his successful Percy Jackson YA series but this one pre-dates that. I mostly picked this up because I'm quite familiar with San Antonio and Riordan did a credible job of hitting a lot of the local hot spots, though several have changed or are no longer around (this was published back in 1997). I found his portrayal of the Mexican and Mexican-American people in the story far less appealing.
As a lead character, Tres was okay though I admit that some of the bests moments in the story for me were when he was getting punched or run over by cars. He's the kind of guy who always has a smug comment to make and who's too cool to ever feel something as mundane as fear when guns are placed to his head - which his Tai Chi skills can usually take care of with minimal sweat spent - so those moments when life swats him down are just like cherries on top of sundaes. Of the secondary characters, none really stood out. And don't get me started on Tres' romantic life. I'm not sure what was going on there. There's the San Antonio (old-ex) girlfriend but there's also apparently a (not-so-old-ex) San Francisco girlfriend, though the details on that relationship are never made clear so maybe that was just a friends-with-benefits thing. It was all too vague and odd
Spoiler
(sleeping with his ex-San Francisco girlfriend while his potential San Antonio girlfriend - the one he moved halfway across the country to be with - is missing/kidnapped was in serious poor taste)The cold case surrounding the murder of Tres' father started off interesting but it got too convoluted and there were too many potential players involved. I started losing track of who was who and who potentially did what and the ultimate reveal seemed a little far fetched. I'll give this a generous three stars and I may check out the second book...mostly because I already own it, having picked up books one and two at a used bookstore.