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dansore's review
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
trak17's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
shahrun's review
4.0
Fab read! Each chapter has tantalising clues building on what we already know but still keeping us guessing where it’s all going and how it will all end! Clever writing! Random side note: didn’t realise this book was set in Scotland till almost the end. Will definitely look out for more from this author.
kfrench1008's review
4.0
Marketed as a "quick read" and it certainly was. Still, a good read. Rankin is a master at plot and storytelling.
gwimo's review
4.0
Maybe I should read Ian Rankin's short novella, A Cool Head, five times for good luck. One should know that's not entirely impossible either - a book spanning only 107 pages of large print shouldn't take more than an hour, depending on distractions and your speed.
The story starts off with Gravy, a thirty-something OCD guy, working at the graveyard when a BMW drives awkwardly up to him. From out of the car steps out a friend of Gravy's, a man called Benjy. Benjy's got a bag in one hand and a hole in his chest. Unable to grasp the seriousness of the situation, Gravy thinks this is just another visit from his friend. However, when Benjy's fate is finally met, Gravy feels the need to tell someone. Not to mention deliver the money he's found in the car.
Meanwhile, gangster Gorgeous George is having a little predicament of his own. Someone's taken his money. His right hand man, Don, has a little problem of his own. A deal that should've have been flawless has one man killed and another taking his BMW.
On the ride are a few detectives making an attempt to put two and two together and a woman who's running for her life.
How can such a short book deliver such a powerful storyline in only a few short pages? I don't know but I'm convince - this being the first time I've ever read one of his books - that Ian Rankin is a genius. I'm glad I decided to buy a book after he was mentioned in Yes Man.
A Cool Head is one part detective novel and one part humor, creating a read that's worth the time and money - this book only cost me $2.93, as it is a part of Quick Reads series - "bite-sized books by bestselling writers and well-known personalities for people who want a short, fast-paced read," and "are designed to be read and enjoyed by avid readers and by people who never had or who have lost the reading habit." This is a series and a writer I can get behind. Trust me, there will be more books from both purchased by me in the future.
The story starts off with Gravy, a thirty-something OCD guy, working at the graveyard when a BMW drives awkwardly up to him. From out of the car steps out a friend of Gravy's, a man called Benjy. Benjy's got a bag in one hand and a hole in his chest. Unable to grasp the seriousness of the situation, Gravy thinks this is just another visit from his friend. However, when Benjy's fate is finally met, Gravy feels the need to tell someone. Not to mention deliver the money he's found in the car.
Meanwhile, gangster Gorgeous George is having a little predicament of his own. Someone's taken his money. His right hand man, Don, has a little problem of his own. A deal that should've have been flawless has one man killed and another taking his BMW.
On the ride are a few detectives making an attempt to put two and two together and a woman who's running for her life.
How can such a short book deliver such a powerful storyline in only a few short pages? I don't know but I'm convince - this being the first time I've ever read one of his books - that Ian Rankin is a genius. I'm glad I decided to buy a book after he was mentioned in Yes Man.
A Cool Head is one part detective novel and one part humor, creating a read that's worth the time and money - this book only cost me $2.93, as it is a part of Quick Reads series - "bite-sized books by bestselling writers and well-known personalities for people who want a short, fast-paced read," and "are designed to be read and enjoyed by avid readers and by people who never had or who have lost the reading habit." This is a series and a writer I can get behind. Trust me, there will be more books from both purchased by me in the future.
jbwrites's review
4.0
I give this 3 and a half stars
It was a quick read and as a slow reader this always grabs at my curiosity. This was the first Ian Rankin book I've read and I have to say I am impressed.
What it did well: the characters were memorable (especially the main character), dialogue was often funny and ran smoothly and the descriptions I thought were well done not heavy but enough to get a good picture.
What could have been better: there was no twist, no shock at all in fact. Though it was still exciting, I don't feel like it had any underlying meaning or ground breaking plot.
Would I recommend?
Yeah! Despite all that was said, It was an entertaining read and can be read in a couple of hours. Also, it gave me a good insight into Ian's writing and I will probably give his longer novels a shot sometime in the near future.
It was a quick read and as a slow reader this always grabs at my curiosity. This was the first Ian Rankin book I've read and I have to say I am impressed.
What it did well: the characters were memorable (especially the main character), dialogue was often funny and ran smoothly and the descriptions I thought were well done not heavy but enough to get a good picture.
What could have been better: there was no twist, no shock at all in fact. Though it was still exciting, I don't feel like it had any underlying meaning or ground breaking plot.
Would I recommend?
Yeah! Despite all that was said, It was an entertaining read and can be read in a couple of hours. Also, it gave me a good insight into Ian's writing and I will probably give his longer novels a shot sometime in the near future.
fmspqr's review
2.0
Disappointing.....this is the first book by Rankin that I have read and maybe it was a mistake to start with a "short' story. many people told how good his books are and now I am a little bit worried about taking up one of his "full" books.