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book_concierge's review against another edition
2.0
Riordan focuses on the music world in this second Tres Nevarre mystery. Nevarre is only 10 hours (or so) away from completing his apprenticeship and getting his official PI license. But he gets entangled in a case of a missing music producer, and can’t just let it go. I really like the character of Tres Nevarre – a tai-chi master with a PhD in medieval English, and a cool head when faced with a dangerous situation. However, the plot gets really convoluted here and doesn’t move fast enough for me. While Riordan has the skill to write in such a way as to keep me turning pages, I though it took too long to set-up the case and I was losing interest. He’s also guilty of one of my biggest pet peeves – he gets the geography of the city wrong. I’m a native of San Antonio … he has the characters driving south on a major thoroughfare, passing a famous landmark and then turning right (west) onto another major street. Except that the street they turn right onto in the book, is actually several blocks NORTH of the landmark they have supposedly passed before making the turn. A reader not familiar with the territory won’t be bothered by this; it’s a tiny little scene in a 365 page book. But little details like this drive me nuts when the author gets it wrong (and Riordan is a native of the area in question, so he definitely knows better). That little paragraph lost him a star in my book.
ruth_ilieiva's review
The plot holes were hurting my brain (which is so weird, I literally read 5 chapters and it ALREADY had plot holes) and I just couldn’t push through as I usually do
bkdrgn303's review against another edition
3.0
While I love Tres Navarre and his cat Robert Johnson, this book dragged a bit for me. I guess the country music business of Texas just doesn't interest me that much. Regardless, the writing is good and the snark is snarky so I'll keep reading about the trials and tribulations of Tres.
sarahstockwell's review against another edition
4.0
High art this is not, but I really enjoyed the descriptions of Texas rural life and character development. Was a page-turner.
smthuriot's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
See my full review here:
https://sarahoverbooked.wordpress.com/2023/04/23/the-widowers-two-step/
https://sarahoverbooked.wordpress.com/2023/04/23/the-widowers-two-step/
duckinggreyduck's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
earlapvaldez's review against another edition
3.0
Still a "new" Rick Riordan for me, if you compare it to the Percy Jackson books.
cmbohn's review against another edition
3.0
There were things I liked about this book. The Texas setting was so familiar. I liked the story. I liked the cat.
But the main character - wow, did that guy get on my nerves! If there's a wrong way to do things, Tres Navarre will do it. If there's a person he needs to like him, he will go out of his way to antagonize him. If there's a dumb choice to be made, he'll make it. I wanted to smack him through the whole book and ask him why he was doing the things he was doing.
But the main character - wow, did that guy get on my nerves! If there's a wrong way to do things, Tres Navarre will do it. If there's a person he needs to like him, he will go out of his way to antagonize him. If there's a dumb choice to be made, he'll make it. I wanted to smack him through the whole book and ask him why he was doing the things he was doing.
fanboyriot's review against another edition
3.0
I think I liked the first book better, the people that Tres was around were manipulative, to say the least. The plot was straightforward and easy to figure out. Kinda neutral about this book.
claudiaswisher's review against another edition
3.0
I still like Tres a lot and all the complications of his family and friends, but...this one didn't captivate me as much as the first book.
Like the Texas setting, love the cat, like Tres's layers...PhD in medieval literature who's a private investigator...
I'm in, but This book has so many minor characters, all contributing to the plot, that I'd have to stop and remember who was who...
Like the Texas setting, love the cat, like Tres's layers...PhD in medieval literature who's a private investigator...
I'm in, but This book has so many minor characters, all contributing to the plot, that I'd have to stop and remember who was who...