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quirkycatsfatstacks's review
4.0
Third Degree is the result of the efforts of three different authors, Ross Klavan, Tim O'Mara, and Charles Salzberg. Each one contributed a short story to this anthology, creating a novel full of thrilling reads with a noir aesthetic.
What I love about collections like this one is just how well the stories fit together. They may not be from the same world, the same series, or even the same authors, but they certainly all have the same feel.
Cut Loose All Those Who Drag You Down by Ross Klavan
Rating: ★★★
Ross Klavan writes about one man, and the seriously bad string of luck that he has. Dick has been through quite a lot, much of it his own making. Yet the most recent circumstance is far from his own fault, as a friend (of sorts) brings all sorts of trouble down on his head.
“This has happened to me in every one of my eight marriages.”
Out of the three, this short story has feels the most dated. By that I mean – it felt like it belonged in a very specific time period, and it resonated through every single paragraph and line. Dick wasn't an easy character to like, but that was hardly the point – the mess he got into was more important, and the quick pace made sure to keep everything moving at breakneck speeds.
Beaned by Tim O'Mara
Rating: ★★★★★
A life of crime isn't exactly new to Aggie, a small-time smuggler just trying to keep his life moving forward. Today, he was on the docket for transporting some maple-syrup and coffee beans. Not exactly a high stakes game. That is, until Aggie and his partner saw something they just couldn't walk away from, not while maintaining their souls.
“After all the guns and shooting and dead people I'd seen over the past few days, I felt like I was in the spy biz, brother.”
Beaned is probably the highlight of the three, at least for me. Aggie is such an unexpectedly charming character, and his entire...experience is full of mystery, intrigue, and lots of surprises. Okay, there's a fair bit of action as well, but that was to be expected. Overall, I really loved the noir themes, and how well they meshed with the more criminal elements of this adventure. It made for a great read, one that I wouldn't have minded reading more of.
The Fifth Column by Charles Salzberg
Rating: ★★★★
Jake Harper is a young reporter with big dreams. Dreams made bigger and wilder by the events of Pearl Harbor. From that moment on, he wanted to work for a big newspaper. Well, Jake is about to learn that reporting sometimes takes guts, and the ability to refuse to walk away from a story that needs telling.
“Sometimes, kid, losing can be a blessing”
The Fifth Column was another fantastic read from this novel. I really adored Jake's perspective, even while it probably felt the most dramatically different of the three. It was charming and riveting, with a strong historical twist. There's a darker tone to the tale, much like the other two, and yet even that felt different in some ways. In short, it was the perfect conclusion to this particular collection. I can't wait to see more from these three authors!
What I love about collections like this one is just how well the stories fit together. They may not be from the same world, the same series, or even the same authors, but they certainly all have the same feel.
Cut Loose All Those Who Drag You Down by Ross Klavan
Rating: ★★★
Ross Klavan writes about one man, and the seriously bad string of luck that he has. Dick has been through quite a lot, much of it his own making. Yet the most recent circumstance is far from his own fault, as a friend (of sorts) brings all sorts of trouble down on his head.
“This has happened to me in every one of my eight marriages.”
Out of the three, this short story has feels the most dated. By that I mean – it felt like it belonged in a very specific time period, and it resonated through every single paragraph and line. Dick wasn't an easy character to like, but that was hardly the point – the mess he got into was more important, and the quick pace made sure to keep everything moving at breakneck speeds.
Beaned by Tim O'Mara
Rating: ★★★★★
A life of crime isn't exactly new to Aggie, a small-time smuggler just trying to keep his life moving forward. Today, he was on the docket for transporting some maple-syrup and coffee beans. Not exactly a high stakes game. That is, until Aggie and his partner saw something they just couldn't walk away from, not while maintaining their souls.
“After all the guns and shooting and dead people I'd seen over the past few days, I felt like I was in the spy biz, brother.”
Beaned is probably the highlight of the three, at least for me. Aggie is such an unexpectedly charming character, and his entire...experience is full of mystery, intrigue, and lots of surprises. Okay, there's a fair bit of action as well, but that was to be expected. Overall, I really loved the noir themes, and how well they meshed with the more criminal elements of this adventure. It made for a great read, one that I wouldn't have minded reading more of.
The Fifth Column by Charles Salzberg
Rating: ★★★★
Jake Harper is a young reporter with big dreams. Dreams made bigger and wilder by the events of Pearl Harbor. From that moment on, he wanted to work for a big newspaper. Well, Jake is about to learn that reporting sometimes takes guts, and the ability to refuse to walk away from a story that needs telling.
“Sometimes, kid, losing can be a blessing”
The Fifth Column was another fantastic read from this novel. I really adored Jake's perspective, even while it probably felt the most dramatically different of the three. It was charming and riveting, with a strong historical twist. There's a darker tone to the tale, much like the other two, and yet even that felt different in some ways. In short, it was the perfect conclusion to this particular collection. I can't wait to see more from these three authors!
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