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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
dark
emotional
tense
Interesting premise, though I'm still not sure I understand it fully. I figured out "whodunnit" early on but did not recognize their opportunities or their motivations. The ending left me unsatisfied, as did some 90s-era racism and homophobia. I will read more in the series.
This audio book was available to download so I did. I knew nothing about the title so was pretty open-minded. I was pretty pleased with the story. In general I enjoyed the many twists and turns the author took. I liked the characters and the Oregon setting. SPOILER: The character of Mike was very suspicious to me and I was always expecting him to betray his dark intentions. Sometimes the characters' motivations were a little fuzzy and the math/science thing made little sense, but that's been true most of my life.
I got a kick out of how the story was stretched beyond where you would expect it to end. When it did end I was like, "WHAT?" I guess I better move on to book 2 in the series, eh?
I got a kick out of how the story was stretched beyond where you would expect it to end. When it did end I was like, "WHAT?" I guess I better move on to book 2 in the series, eh?
I loved it but struggled with the end. I'm still thinking about it.
Wilhelm could have used an editor. Death Qualified shares strengths with her SF classic When Late the Caged Bird Sings: characters are believable, though not complex and she does not shy away from more complex philosophical dilemmas - what is true? what is real?
But the book does not stack up to the challenges Wilhelm sets up for herself. The subtitle of the book is "A Mystery of Chaos" and that is where her narrative ends after 438 pages - in chaos. Unlike When Late the Caged Bird Sings which offers some sort of conclusion to a much, much more tightly wrought and better narrative, Death Qualified bit off more than it could chew and leaves readers feeling bloated and bereft.
Yep, an appropriate read for the few days after the holiday season.
All this being said, I will probably try the next Barbara Holloway just to try to understand what Wilhelm actually thinks happened to her lawyer/detective.
But the book does not stack up to the challenges Wilhelm sets up for herself. The subtitle of the book is "A Mystery of Chaos" and that is where her narrative ends after 438 pages - in chaos. Unlike When Late the Caged Bird Sings which offers some sort of conclusion to a much, much more tightly wrought and better narrative, Death Qualified bit off more than it could chew and leaves readers feeling bloated and bereft.
Yep, an appropriate read for the few days after the holiday season.
All this being said, I will probably try the next Barbara Holloway just to try to understand what Wilhelm actually thinks happened to her lawyer/detective.
‘Death Qualified’ by Kate Wilhelm is a mixed bag of plot choices. I think Wilhelm was settling into a ‘voice’ for her new character lawyer Barbara Holloway (at the time - this book, number one in the series, was published in 1991) as well as a narration style. However, the novel is still clearly a legal thriller/mystery series, with a procedural tone. It is a very busy plot with multiple points of view, and it did take the story awhile to bring Barbara eventually into the story, and longer for her to take charge of the case.
I have copied the book blurb:
”First in the Barbara Holloway mystery series, Death Qualified masterfully combines mystery, science fiction, and a keen examination of legal ethics.
Lucas Kendrick appears at his estranged wife’s home after a mysterious seven-year disappearance, and is instantly shot. Nell Kendrick, charged with his murder, calls Attorney Frank Holloway to defend her. But Frank cannot prepare her defense alone. He needs a lawyer who is “death qualified”—able to defend capital cases. He appeals to his daughter Barbara, who, out of disillusionment with a profession prizing politics over justice, abandoned her practice five years before.
Reluctantly, Barbara is plunged into a case involving chaos theory, the mysterious death of a researcher, and a politically motivated and hostile prosecutor. To complicate matters, Barbara falls in love with a mathematician whose help she seeks in unraveling the case.”
The above description is very accurate! However, I did feel a touch unattached emotionally in caring about the main characters, except for Frank, Barbara’s father.
I was drawn to this series primarily because it takes place in the Pacific Northwest, specifically Oregon. I was born and raised in Washington State, and I often drove to Portland, as well as other tourist stops in Oregon. Its a beautiful state with a geological diversity that is unbelievable, much like Washington State.
I have copied the book blurb:
”First in the Barbara Holloway mystery series, Death Qualified masterfully combines mystery, science fiction, and a keen examination of legal ethics.
Lucas Kendrick appears at his estranged wife’s home after a mysterious seven-year disappearance, and is instantly shot. Nell Kendrick, charged with his murder, calls Attorney Frank Holloway to defend her. But Frank cannot prepare her defense alone. He needs a lawyer who is “death qualified”—able to defend capital cases. He appeals to his daughter Barbara, who, out of disillusionment with a profession prizing politics over justice, abandoned her practice five years before.
Reluctantly, Barbara is plunged into a case involving chaos theory, the mysterious death of a researcher, and a politically motivated and hostile prosecutor. To complicate matters, Barbara falls in love with a mathematician whose help she seeks in unraveling the case.”
The above description is very accurate! However, I did feel a touch unattached emotionally in caring about the main characters, except for Frank, Barbara’s father.
I was drawn to this series primarily because it takes place in the Pacific Northwest, specifically Oregon. I was born and raised in Washington State, and I often drove to Portland, as well as other tourist stops in Oregon. Its a beautiful state with a geological diversity that is unbelievable, much like Washington State.
Disillusioned, Barbara opted out. The parry and thrust world of criminal law got too much for her, so she left it all behind. But now she's manipulated by her father, and against her intentions finds herself interested in doing the research, in finding out the whole story, in trying to get the murder-accused a decent trial.
I'd never have made it in the corporate world or in management positions, and to be involved in the law? ... not a chance. Yet I find myself wanting to opt out of my suburban life - when the world news is just too awful, when my support is needed by too many friends and family, when I've let the things-to-be-done-around-the-house list get really long - and become a hermit. Because of this I felt an affinity with this character (we really don't have anything else in common, but that's fine).
I really enjoyed the personal story, as Barbara found herself having to face a number of things, unfolding alongside the murder mystery. I would have liked a little more depth in the character of the murder-accused, but found the mystery around the victim's missing years fascinating. Altogether the whole book was most satisfying, and I shall definitely follow the series.
I'd never have made it in the corporate world or in management positions, and to be involved in the law? ... not a chance. Yet I find myself wanting to opt out of my suburban life - when the world news is just too awful, when my support is needed by too many friends and family, when I've let the things-to-be-done-around-the-house list get really long - and become a hermit. Because of this I felt an affinity with this character (we really don't have anything else in common, but that's fine).
I really enjoyed the personal story, as Barbara found herself having to face a number of things, unfolding alongside the murder mystery. I would have liked a little more depth in the character of the murder-accused, but found the mystery around the victim's missing years fascinating. Altogether the whole book was most satisfying, and I shall definitely follow the series.
I enjoyed most of Death Qualified, especially the courtroom scenes. Pulling in Mandelbrots and chaos theory was a bit far-fetched, but you could say that was the point.
Abandoned the book about 70% through, due to life being too short. I agree completely with another review I saw on here: "Barbara Holloway is too crabby." Though I wonder how much this had to do with the tone of the reader - I was listening to the audiobook. The reader seemed to inject a lot more sarcasm and negativity into the voices/dialogue than I might have read it with in my head. This left me feeling very unattached to the characters and to the outcome of the story, and certainly to the future cases and adventures that the crabby legal genius Barbara Holloway would be somehow dragged into against her will.
Anyway, I was disappointed because I have recently read and enjoyed 3 stand-alone type books by Kate Wilhelm. My favorite was "Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang." I had hoped to enjoy the whole Barbara Holloway series, but will be removing these books from my to-read queue. Life is too short and there are so many more books to read... Including more of Kate Wilhelm's - just not this series for me.
Anyway, I was disappointed because I have recently read and enjoyed 3 stand-alone type books by Kate Wilhelm. My favorite was "Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang." I had hoped to enjoy the whole Barbara Holloway series, but will be removing these books from my to-read queue. Life is too short and there are so many more books to read... Including more of Kate Wilhelm's - just not this series for me.