Dana Haynes

The most laudable thing that can be said about Crashers is that it's fun. And it definitely is that -- lazy brain candy on a Saturday afternoon/Law and Order marathon sort of fun. It's fast-paced romp, with lots of action, a plot-twist or two and lots of beautiful, charismatic characters.

And that's where the praise ends. This reads like a script for a summer movie or a CSI "Special Episode." It is filled with an appropriately diverse cast (for some, unknown, reason the ethnic background of even the most trivial of characters is given. While the supporting cast contains a Korean man, three African Americans, a Brit, an Israeli, a handful of Irish men, an Arab American and an Asian American, the main cast is white -- very TV.) More time is spent describing how beautiful, handsome, rugged and sexy each character is than really giving any personality, which makes it difficult to tell who's talking without dialogue tags.

The action is really designed to be cinematic. I had a lot of fun picturing in my head how the scenes would look, but there aren't really any twists to engage the imagination of the reader.

But, where the Crashers really falls down is the writing. As I said, the plot is fun, the characters are pretty, there's lots of action, overall it would be about as enjoyable as a weak Dan Brown novel, if not for the terrible writing. To be fair, I received an advance copy, which I assume (from the number of typos) is still undergoing some editing. That being said, the dangling participles, heavy handed dialogue-tagging and awkward exposition and narration were so distracting that finishing the book was a chore that I completed because I got the book from First Reads. Had I bought the book, I probably would have given up on it.… (mais)

Michael Patrick Finnigan had been a cop in New York and a US Marshal. When his destiny introduced him to Spanish intelligence officer, Katalin Fiero Dahar, he found a partner for his new venture, eventually called St. Nicholas Salvage and Wrecking. Together, they operate this bounty hunting company, providing their services mostly for a judge who is part of the International Criminal Court and use their abilities to go after offenders that the Court has been unable to apprehend. Their latest mission involves the kidnapping and sale of young Middle Eastern children, but finding the culprits and bringing them to justice might prove tougher than they ever imagined.

St. Nicholas Salvage and Wrecking would make an excellent action film filled with political intrigue, international settings, and rollicking adventure. Told in third person, the book does not give the reader much opportunity to develop a deep connection with the characters, but the two protagonists are given a little more opportunity for growth than the other characters in the story. Although this is not the type of story that I would normally read, it did provide entertainment. Overall, St. Nicholas Salvage and Wrecking is a good beginning for this exciting caper series. 3 1/2 stars… (mais)