ARA Review by davidmwpowers of E M P Honeymoon
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davidmwpowers
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ARA Review by davidmwpowers of E M P Honeymoon
[Following is an OnlineBookClub.org ARA Review of the book, E M P Honeymoon.]
Honey, let's save the world!
Dorothy May Mercer's EMP Honeymoon is the latest instalment of escapades in her series of stories about the McBrides. Kelly McBride has just got married and is on her honeymoon in the Honduras when she discovers an interesting little shop, with an even more interesting back room. Here inquisitive investigations have her attacked and thrown into a world of espionage involving a plan to destroy North America with an Electromagnetic Pulse (yes, that's the EMP).
Fortunately, Kelly is a McBride and, with the McBride training and contacts, the honeymooners on the spot - and friends - have to save the continent.
I'm giving it 3 out of 5 stars.
While the basic plot is good, and the pace is excellent, there are quite a few jarring points from both a literary and a technical standpoint. The story starts with a phone call in which an incoherent and panicky Kelly rings her brother Mike and fails to give any useful information, not even identifying herself or where she is. He has to guess who she is and try to recall where she went on her honeymoon, and then somehow figure out what kind of trouble she is in. His CIA contact is portrayed with a "she'll be all right and I can't tell you anything" attitude. Then when Mike calls her brother Tom, he panics incredibly (for a police officer), and she lies and says everything's okay.
These characters don't sound either professional or hero material (indeed the word 'idiot' kept coming to mind for one character after another).
I don't think the jumping around back and forth in time does the plot justice: from the opening phone call to some things that are later and somethings that are earlier (and in one case poorly cued), while some that are just incidental and coincidental (an informative infodump). The opening was unnecessarily hard to follow and could have been chronological with a far more exciting and straightforward start about leaving the bus, entering the shop and then running for her life.
We get quite a few different points of view, from all sides of the situation, and the story is clearly written to be light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek, even satirical – and perhaps also cartoon-like (we actually have a 'Flash Gordon'). There are many amusing overtones in the way the US and enemy president and staff/forces are presented, along with the incompetence (and even juvenile behaviour) of supposed professionals on both sides.
The technical (scientific and linguistic) details are in many/most cases quite ridiculous, but what might seem under-researched may well be deliberate comic effect and in jokes. Best is to be aware you shouldn't take it seriously: take it as designed to entertain rather than annoy.
Overall, it's an easy read and a light bit of fun, somewhat reminiscent of cartoon/comic-derived stories and movies. I quite enjoyed it once I turned off my brain (or at least quietened the quibbles to a dull murmur).
***
View E M P Honeymoon on Bookshelves
Honey, let's save the world!
Dorothy May Mercer's EMP Honeymoon is the latest instalment of escapades in her series of stories about the McBrides. Kelly McBride has just got married and is on her honeymoon in the Honduras when she discovers an interesting little shop, with an even more interesting back room. Here inquisitive investigations have her attacked and thrown into a world of espionage involving a plan to destroy North America with an Electromagnetic Pulse (yes, that's the EMP).
Fortunately, Kelly is a McBride and, with the McBride training and contacts, the honeymooners on the spot - and friends - have to save the continent.
I'm giving it 3 out of 5 stars.
While the basic plot is good, and the pace is excellent, there are quite a few jarring points from both a literary and a technical standpoint. The story starts with a phone call in which an incoherent and panicky Kelly rings her brother Mike and fails to give any useful information, not even identifying herself or where she is. He has to guess who she is and try to recall where she went on her honeymoon, and then somehow figure out what kind of trouble she is in. His CIA contact is portrayed with a "she'll be all right and I can't tell you anything" attitude. Then when Mike calls her brother Tom, he panics incredibly (for a police officer), and she lies and says everything's okay.
These characters don't sound either professional or hero material (indeed the word 'idiot' kept coming to mind for one character after another).
I don't think the jumping around back and forth in time does the plot justice: from the opening phone call to some things that are later and somethings that are earlier (and in one case poorly cued), while some that are just incidental and coincidental (an informative infodump). The opening was unnecessarily hard to follow and could have been chronological with a far more exciting and straightforward start about leaving the bus, entering the shop and then running for her life.
We get quite a few different points of view, from all sides of the situation, and the story is clearly written to be light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek, even satirical – and perhaps also cartoon-like (we actually have a 'Flash Gordon'). There are many amusing overtones in the way the US and enemy president and staff/forces are presented, along with the incompetence (and even juvenile behaviour) of supposed professionals on both sides.
The technical (scientific and linguistic) details are in many/most cases quite ridiculous, but what might seem under-researched may well be deliberate comic effect and in jokes. Best is to be aware you shouldn't take it seriously: take it as designed to entertain rather than annoy.
Overall, it's an easy read and a light bit of fun, somewhat reminiscent of cartoon/comic-derived stories and movies. I quite enjoyed it once I turned off my brain (or at least quietened the quibbles to a dull murmur).
***
View E M P Honeymoon on Bookshelves
