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In this post we review 3 books that are coming to the end of their run.
Call Me a Cab by Donald Westlake, Here Goes Nothing by Steve Toltz, and Those Who Perish by Emma Viskic all explore what it means to be on the brink – of danger, of death, of an unavoidable ending.
Whether it’s a getaway driver considering his final fare, a man navigating the afterlife with grim humour, or a detective facing a killer in one last deadly pursuit – these books remind us that sometimes the only way forward is straight through.
Buckle up for some fast-talking, knuckle-biting tales. Let us know if you’ve read any of these books and which ones you enjoyed!
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Happy Reading, Friends!
Series or Standalone? :
This is a standalone novel.
"Call Me A Cab" Book Blurb:
You won’t find any crime in these pages but what you will find is a wonderful suspense story, about a New York City taxi driver hired to drive a beautiful woman all the way across America, from Manhattan to Los Angeles, where the biggest decision of her life is waiting to be made. From Pennsylvania to Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Nevada on the way to California, the characters’ odyssey takes them through uncharted territory on the map and in their lives. It’s Westlake at his witty, thought-provoking best, and it proves that a page-turner doesn’t need to have a bomb set to go off at the end of it in order to keep sparks flying every step of the way.
What did we think?: 5 Stars!
This was my first time reading Westlake, and it was a hit 🙂 I’m a fan of the Hard Case Crime series, and turning into a bit of a collector! Was hesitant if I’d enjoy this one as the blurb notes that ‘you won’t find any crime in these pages’ … which is kinda what I was after. Happily though, this was a really well written account of the dynamic that evolves between a New York cabbie and a passenger trying to make a huge life decision. Katherine is trying to decide if she’ll marry Barry – who she knows is a great match, but something is holding her back. I really enjoyed Tom’s character and how he let Katherine interact with the people around her who always assumed they were together and he was in charge. This was a cute road trip story with interesting characters working through their own personal issues and those thrown at them by a conservative society. Very keen to read more from Westlake & got a kick out of his writing:
“… there’s no pleasanter way to drive anywhere than with a good-looking woman in the rearview mirror. Unless, of course, she’s crazy. And in this instance the early signs were not good.” (p11)
“Ever since I was five years old I’ve understood that adventures stop for lunch.” (p22)
“Women are like bewitched characters in old legends, sometimes capable of coping with ordinary life and motion, and at other times under a spell that makes it impossible for them to open doors or order a meal. But instead of the prince’s kiss breaking the spell, it finishes the job of locking the spell on for life.” (p53)
“The cab rolled like a yellow marble through the landscape that seemed never to have known war, or want or winter.’'(p55)
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Series or Standalone? :
This is a standalone novel.
"Here Goes Nothing" Book Blurb:
Angus Mooney is in a dark place: the afterlife. His days are spent in aching embarrassment; god, religion, the supernatural – he was wrong about everything. He longs for his audacious, fiery wife, Gracie, but can only watch from the other side as she is seduced by his killer, who has stepped seamlessly into Mooney’s shoes. Meanwhile, life after death isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Another pandemic is sweeping the globe; Mooney’s new home is filling up fast, resources are scarce, infrastructure is crumbling, and he has to share an increasingly cramped existence with a group of people still traumatised by their own deaths. And although he should know better, he remains in the grip of the same fear as when he was alive: the opinions of others.
What did we think?: 4 Stars!
This was clever, frustrating, funny and monotonous. Toltz writes with an insight and depth that can be thought provoking and amusing while still moving the plot along. I was fully onboard with this book for the first half, but around page 213 I found myself becoming more and more frustrated with the afterlife and the lack of progression or answers – which may have been the point, as things kept going off the rails for the characters both alive and dead. I love reading about alternate visions of life after death – and this was a ride, to be sure. I’ll certainly read more from Toltz. This one left me with a bit of a downer though, and a lot of questions – but I’d definitely recommend to readers looking for a quirky life-after-life story that holds a mirror under societies nose.
What the afterlife feels like: “It feels like when a stranger sneezes and you say ‘bless you’, and then the bastard just keeps on sneezing and you’re stuck saying bless you over and over again, and you can’t stop until he stops.” (p215)
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Series or Standalone? :
This is Book 4 in the Caleb Zelic series.
"Those Who Perish" Book Blurb:
Deaf PI Caleb Zelic has always been an outsider, estranged from family and friends. But when he receives a message that his brother, Anton, is in danger, Caleb sees it as a chance at redemption. He tracks Anton down to a small, wind-punished island, where secrets run deep and resentments deeper. When a sniper starts terrorising the isolated community, the brothers must rely on each other like never before. But trust comes at a deadly price.
What did we think?: 5 Stars!
This is the last book in the Caleb Zelic series, and I’ve enjoyed each instalment that Viskic writes. Caleb and the supporting cast all seem like such well rounded and believeable characters. I’m hoping there will be more in this series in the future & will pick up whatever Emma Viskic puts down. In this book we see Caleb dealing with the fallout of his previous jobs, impacting his personal relationships with his brother and soon-to-be wife, while dodging snipers and trying to solve a murder. I got a kick out of the ‘ugly cardigan woman’ who lives on the island and sports “Two goats on the front panels of her hand-knitted cardigan, very ugly goats with tufted chin hair and watchful eyes” (p49). For non-Australian readers, the mention of a character eating a ‘snot block’ (p236) might seem out of left field, but will have Aussies running to the local shop for a custard slice. There’s more mention of ‘teeth sucking’ in this book – it just stands out to me now whenever I read it – “Greg sucked his teeth” (p237) Weird. Anyway, go and support an Aussie author, you won’t be disappointed.
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