Helpful Score: 1
I almost always like Thomas Perry so I was anticipating this book with pleasure. The first chapter had me on the edge of my seat, but it didn't quite last through the whole book. The bomb maker's goal is to kill the entire LAPD bomb squad and has the skills to come up with all sorts of different murderous tricks to fool the experts. Perry keeps the bomb maker something of an enigma, a person who is never identified or really explained, and doesn't attempt to have the viewer identify with or root for this person. There is a lot of explanation about bombs: their triggers, their ingredients, placement etc. I enjoyed that, but it might be a bit too much for some readers.
Dick Stahl is a private security expert who used to be the Bomb Squad commander. With the loss of half their personnel, Stahl is called out of private business until they can staff up and catch the bomber. I never really got invested in Stahl's character, and I didn't find his relationship with his subordinate Hines very convincing. Stahl is presented as the superhero, the only one who can sniff out all the tricks the bomber is using; so Perry's plot had to have a reason (aside from getting blown up) to put him out of commission. Perry's attempt to humanize the reporter who breaks the story felt very forced, as though the editor insisted she had to be on the side of the good guys. And at this point, the motives of the bomb maker start to feel less convincing and more like a plot contrivance.
I enjoyed reading about the bomber's preparations, the attempts of the squad to defuse (pun intended) the situation, Stahl's mental process as he tries to think what the bomber would do next. I was a bit less enthused about the bomber's patrons, although it was certainly probable. But the resolution had me sitting back thinking "What? That's how he's going to end this"? Although, after spending a day thinking about it, I decided it was more amusing than frustrating. Ultimately, I'll go on the "I liked it" side for this book, but not as much as his earlier works.
Dick Stahl is a private security expert who used to be the Bomb Squad commander. With the loss of half their personnel, Stahl is called out of private business until they can staff up and catch the bomber. I never really got invested in Stahl's character, and I didn't find his relationship with his subordinate Hines very convincing. Stahl is presented as the superhero, the only one who can sniff out all the tricks the bomber is using; so Perry's plot had to have a reason (aside from getting blown up) to put him out of commission. Perry's attempt to humanize the reporter who breaks the story felt very forced, as though the editor insisted she had to be on the side of the good guys. And at this point, the motives of the bomb maker start to feel less convincing and more like a plot contrivance.
I enjoyed reading about the bomber's preparations, the attempts of the squad to defuse (pun intended) the situation, Stahl's mental process as he tries to think what the bomber would do next. I was a bit less enthused about the bomber's patrons, although it was certainly probable. But the resolution had me sitting back thinking "What? That's how he's going to end this"? Although, after spending a day thinking about it, I decided it was more amusing than frustrating. Ultimately, I'll go on the "I liked it" side for this book, but not as much as his earlier works.
One of the better books I've read in quite a while. The writing is crisp, the action palpable, and the storyline is taut. Once I started this book, I hated putting it down and begrudgingly did any chores that interrupted my enjoyment. I think I read it in two days. Highly recommended.
The Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit of the LAPD is an elite group like no other. These brave men and women put their lives on the line every day. When half of the bomb squad is killed by a particularly well-designed bomb, the City is in shock. It is only after former bomb squad commander Dick Stahl is recruited to be the commander once again on an interim basis that the police realize that the bomber is apparently targeting the bomb squad, making each new bomb a little more clever than the last. The bomber becomes more and more frustrated as Stahl and his team fail to fall into his traps time and time again. At the same time, Stahl becomes romantically involved with a team member, which puts her at risk and affects his judgment where she is concerned. When she narrowly escapes death one day and then manages to survive the bombing of her hospital floor, Stahl becomes even more determined to stop the bomber before the city becomes totally gripped in fear.
The Bomb Maker by Thomas Perry is a dark journey inside the mind of a killer that few authors have successfully created. Perry is an accomplished author, having garnered both an Edgar and a Barry Award for two of his previous novels. The Bomb Maker takes the reader both into the mind of a mad bomber and the squad of officers who show up when called to safely dispose of explosive devices, often risking their own lives in the process. The novel brings to mind such individuals as the Unibomber, which those of us of a certain age will remember or the D. C. Sniper of more recent memory. With it's well-rounded characters and fast-moving plot, this novel gets 4/5 stars from me.
**An electronic copy of this book was the only consideration received in exchange for my review.**
The Bomb Maker by Thomas Perry is a dark journey inside the mind of a killer that few authors have successfully created. Perry is an accomplished author, having garnered both an Edgar and a Barry Award for two of his previous novels. The Bomb Maker takes the reader both into the mind of a mad bomber and the squad of officers who show up when called to safely dispose of explosive devices, often risking their own lives in the process. The novel brings to mind such individuals as the Unibomber, which those of us of a certain age will remember or the D. C. Sniper of more recent memory. With it's well-rounded characters and fast-moving plot, this novel gets 4/5 stars from me.
**An electronic copy of this book was the only consideration received in exchange for my review.**
This is terrific as a battle of wits, but ultimately disappointing because of poor character development. Still, if you've liked other Thomas Perry novels, you might want to stick with this one to the end.
