Customer Reviews

Wake of the Hornet

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Light, fast fiction to be read on a tropical vacation. Imagine a Pacific island ("Balesin," baleful sin?), Cargo Cult believers and killer crabs, CIA spooks, academics with axes to grind, old airplanes, an infatuated pilot, a typhoon, and WW II secrets. A discordant mix that eventuates in a wonderful concept behind the final resolution. Heroine Nick, in her third adventure, is every bit the tom-boy implied by her name, a modern (universally talented) woman with peppy repartee. Nick, her father, and other archaeologists do some exploring and observing of the ominous islanders (ethnography), but no one does any archaeology or forensics here, nor are they equipped for it. Also, despite their native-brewed mosquito repellent, I've never known one to work for long in a tropical forest.

Patricia Cornwell needn't "move over" for Val Davis. This is neither so bleak, scary, desperate, hard-bitten, accurate, atmospheric, nor well-written. Davis fantasizes about military-conspiracies everywhere. Editing could be better, some type is ugly, and the island map seems wrong in scale and compass.

I love books that have intelligent, strong, independent heroines. There are so few. But Nick in Wake of the Hornet helps make this book so enjoyable and along the way you learn about airplanes and anthropology. I loved this book. On top of having a heroine I could identify with, Wake of the Hornet has a unique premise and is a real page turner from the moment Nick gets asked to fly out to a small island in the Pacific. Val Davis just keeps getting better and better.

Wake of the Hornet is the best of the series featuring Nicky Scott. It's set in the South Pacific and has lots of interesting stuff about a mysterious religion called a Cargo Cult. This religion started during world war II when native islanders got loot from downed war planes. In addition, there is a terrific surprise ending. I really liked it.

I think book reviewers have to be careful when they compare authors to other authors. As a Patricia Cornwell fan, I really didn't expect this book to reach her standards, and it didn't. But with Patricia Cornwell, I'm looking for the details of the medical investigator field, not just mystery. Wake of the Hornet is a very thrilling, edge-of-your-seat book, although a little confusing and unbelievable as far as the plot. I wish the author had done a little more research and made the ending a bit more original. Beyond that, the characters are super, especially the main character, Nicolette Scott. The author definitely has a grasp on depth-of-character and dialogue. This book is surely a winner and wasn't a disappointment to me even though it wasn't a bit like Patricia Cornwell's expertise! I would recommend Val Davis's books and plan to read others.