Sun 15 Aug 2010
REVIEWED BY WALTER ALBERT:
IRIS JOHANSEN – Deadlock. St. Martin’s, hardcover, April 2009; reprint paperback: October 2009.
There’s always at least one title in every bag of books I tote home from my local mystery bookshop that I can’t account for.
I drew a blank on this book until I read the back cover blurb that described the protagonist Emily Hudson as a “renowned archaeologist who travels the world to save priceless artifacts from theft or destruction.”
That was the hook that snared me.
I can report that I found the novel a quick read, leaving only the memory of a brief few moments of pleasure. This must be the ultimate example of escape reading, which slips away as soon as you’ve finished.
August 15th, 2010 at 10:43 am
“…a quick read, leaving only the memory of a brief few moments of pleasure.”
Walter
I think you have hit this nail on the head. I’ve read a couple of Johansen’s books, and while they passed the time painlessly I can’t recall a damn thing later — one or two I have gotten a chapter into before I realized I had read it before.
That isn’t a knock on her work. She is clearly writing escapism for her readers, and she provides that. But like Chinese food an hour later I can’t recall what it tasted like.
For me her books are mindful of a really good episode of many television series. They distract and entertain, but I’ve forgotten what happened halfway into the program that comes on afterward. Even when all that comes on is the news.
August 17th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
I don’t think that anyone can pack as much into a short review as Walter can.