Reviews for Timber Beasts

The average rating for Timber Beasts based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2010-10-24 00:00:00 Hal Mcdonald While always wary of historical mysteries, I'm also a big fan of books set in my locale. Combine the latter with a strong working class bias and I'm in. I'll give books an extra star just for taking a political stand because most authors are afraid to (and, in affecting an apolitical stance, they are actually saying something: the status quo is so quo with them, when, as Dr. Horrible once said, "The staus isn't quo."). Anyhoo, this is a decent mystery set in Portland, Oregon of 1902. Restaurateur Sage Adair is actually an undercover agent for an anti-capitalist group, and he's about to completely worm his way in with the bankers, corrupt politicians, and other elites. The nephew of his cook, however, is being sought for the murder of a railroad man who had killed the nephew's brother. The dead railroad man had a secret, though, connected to timber land swindles. The historical detail isn't overdone, just enough for setting. The main character has a tendency to think in Declarative Thoughts and his memories are prompted at convenient times to bring out he and his mother's past. All first mystery writing traps and forgivable. I appreciate that Stoner creates a person in the sidekick/teacher Fong--and he doesn't ignore the Chinese and black presence in Portland--but the whole "wise Asian" who just happens to know a fighting technique can't escape racist stereotypes. That costs him a star.

Review # 2 was written on 2016-12-21 00:00:00 Kimberly Menard I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a definite perk that it took place in the Pacific Northwest where I have lived my whole life. I knew the places S.L.Stoner spoke of in the book. It was a fun mystery that kept my attention.