Helpful Score: 1
Worthy follow-up to Bad Move. Featuring over-protective, paranoid husband & dad Zack Walker. I love this MC and can't wait for the next one!
When Zack Walker uprooted his wife and kids to the suburbs, it may have been a bad move for the family, but it was a huge hit for readers. Fans loved Linwood Barclay's zany suburbia, where handymen moonlight as mercenaries and the neighborhood dominatrix takes day calls. Now, Zack is back and on the job as a features writer for the city paper. While researching his first assignment Zack stumbles upon a homicide that may be linked to a gang that's been terrorizing the city's high-end shopping district. Suddenly, Zack finds himself at the center of a violent crime wave and destined for a confrontation with Barbie Bullock--a ruthless criminal with a disturbing obsession. And all is not quiet on the home front either, as Zack discovers his daughter's every step is being traced by a mysterious young man who may harbor more ominous motivations than winning a Saturday night date. As worlds begin to collide and boundaries between family and foes blur, Zack must be ever vigilant to outwit the evil at large, whether in the suburbs, the city, or in his own imagination. Heaven help the bad guys when this resourceful father comes to make good on a deal gone bad.
To his family's releif, the stay at home sci-fi writer has gone to work for the city paper. But while researching an article, he stumbles upon what may be a homicide. A male Stephanie Plum.
Zack Walker is the kind of guy who would undoubtedly drive me insane in real life. He spends way too much of his time "borrowing trouble." Fortunately I don't know anyone like him; therefore, I can laugh my way through his escapades in Linwood Barclay's wonderful books. There is indeed plenty of laugh-out-loud humor in Bad Guys, as there was in the first book in the series, Bad Move.
One of the things that makes us laugh the most when reading about Zack is that most of his problems are caused by his own paranoia. He does B to prevent A, which creates C. C collides with A, making all Hades break loose in D, with no one in Zack's family talking to him or even wanting to look at him. If he'd just left well enough alone... but no, he can't, and he should just save time and build himself a dog house out in the backyard, complete with heating, air conditioning, TV... the works. He'll be spending a lot of time there. He just can't help himself. If he weren't so good-hearted and well-intentioned, we wouldn't love him so much as we shake our heads and laugh.
Another fun thing to do is to pay attention to the things or the people Zack is introduced to and try to figure out how they're going to blend into the story a few chapters down the road. Because they will. Barclay has a very subtle way of shining a little spotlight on something that lets you know you need to pay attention. Whether it's a route to avoid paying parking fees, or a son who actually seems to like some creepy guy following his sister around, readers not only need to laugh when reading a Zack Walker book, they need to pay attention and to think ahead. Just think of yourselves as Sherlock Holmes to Zack's Dr. Watson.
Now that I've laughed (and gasped) my way through Bad Guys (because Barclay knows how to write first-rate action scenes that scare the pudding out of us), I have to get my hands on the third book in the series, Lone Wolf. Linwood Barclay's Zack Walker books should not be missed!
One of the things that makes us laugh the most when reading about Zack is that most of his problems are caused by his own paranoia. He does B to prevent A, which creates C. C collides with A, making all Hades break loose in D, with no one in Zack's family talking to him or even wanting to look at him. If he'd just left well enough alone... but no, he can't, and he should just save time and build himself a dog house out in the backyard, complete with heating, air conditioning, TV... the works. He'll be spending a lot of time there. He just can't help himself. If he weren't so good-hearted and well-intentioned, we wouldn't love him so much as we shake our heads and laugh.
Another fun thing to do is to pay attention to the things or the people Zack is introduced to and try to figure out how they're going to blend into the story a few chapters down the road. Because they will. Barclay has a very subtle way of shining a little spotlight on something that lets you know you need to pay attention. Whether it's a route to avoid paying parking fees, or a son who actually seems to like some creepy guy following his sister around, readers not only need to laugh when reading a Zack Walker book, they need to pay attention and to think ahead. Just think of yourselves as Sherlock Holmes to Zack's Dr. Watson.
Now that I've laughed (and gasped) my way through Bad Guys (because Barclay knows how to write first-rate action scenes that scare the pudding out of us), I have to get my hands on the third book in the series, Lone Wolf. Linwood Barclay's Zack Walker books should not be missed!
SUSAN S. (susieqmillsacoustics) -
I did really like this book, but in the beginning it did not appear that it would live up to the first in the series and maybe it doesn't quite live up to it. It did end up coming close, though. It seemed predictable at the start as to where it was going, but there were some unexpected twists and surprises before it was over and at the end it is a thoroughly enjoyable read.
I like the Zack Walker series a lot. Zack's a witty guy who gets himself into hot water a lot. Some good twists in this story; a real page turner.
Another laugh out loud funny book. His safety obsession gets a little old and is kind of drug out, but on the whole a very enjoyable read. You'll enjoy Zack's efforts to save his family from unimaginable trouble while trying to stay out of trouble with the mob if you like this kind of book.
I enjoyed this sequel quite a bit! It wasn't quite as funny as _Bad Move_, but it still had a couple side-splitting scenes. The characters were just as entertaining and well-done as before, and while the plot was not as unpredictable, it still made for a very fun read. I am quite curious about the rest of the series!
