Calico
I watch for the Lee Goldberg books on either deep sale, or the Amazon (whatever) free reading. This one popped up through the library.
The previous material has a breathless quality, like the characters, the action, it all happens so quickly that no one is allowed a moment’s pause. In part, I would attribute this to an author who wrote for TV, where continuity isn’t always the most important element.
I would stop and interject, “It was midday at the cop shop, and now it’s after midnight at the crime scene, with no allowance for the passage of time, just makes the backdrop look better.”
That’s just me, nitpicking graphic details. The Lee Goldberg books I’ve read thus far? Really enjoyable, and there’s an essence of that old-school pulp that I like.
When I use the term “pulp,” while it might imply trashy and lacking substance? it is anything but.
Calico
Sort of defies taxonomy, as it’s either conspiracy, space aliens (not really), thriller, military, procedural, or just plain pulpy Science Fiction. Time travel. I kept thinking about a B-Movie, “Time Rider.”
Reading it, the almost obsessive pull of the tale, reminded me of the days of cheap paperbacks on wood-chip paper.
Details count, and the procedures, and the historical context seemed about right. There was some rather intricate plotting, and it wasn’t like there wasn’t any advance notice, but I admire the lack of wasted space in this one. It seemed like a long novel, longer than the usual, and for me, it was the deep concepts, ideas bantered about, with a nod to historical accuracy. Brisk pace, interesting, and departure from previous material from the author.
Great stuff. Highly recommended.
