Pattern Recognition by William Gibson

The story opens with everyday happenings in the life of Cayce (pronounced Case) Pollard. She is a 30-something 'cool' finder. She recognizes patterns and trends in fashion and points a corporation to the next thing that will be desired by the masses. She is often used as a consultant for new logos - what works and what doesn't. Her special gift derives from her condition - apophenia.

But with this gift comes the flip-side. Certain logos/trademarks freak her out; they cause terror, tears, vomiting, anxiety to some degree or other. Personally, I can sympathize with Cayce's feelings concerning the early Michelin Man.

William Gibson put together a fascinating read with Pattern Recognition, the first book in the Bigend trilogy. Cayce's hobby is following a website that is all about this most engaging film that is being released in snippets in various places throughout El Internet. Pretty soon her hobby turns more into an obsession. She partners with a new boss, Hubertes Bigend, and a computer wizard Boon Chu to track down the maker of the film footage. Bigend believes it could be the next big cool and he wants to market it. Boon Chu has his own motivations and Cayce has to admit to herself that she would try to find the maker on her own anyway.

But soon enough this quest becomes much more dangerous and convoluted that Cayce had expected. She travels from England to Tokyo and eventually Moscow to try to unravel this mystery. In the background, she is plagued with unanswered questions concerning her father, presumed deceased. He disappeared in NY on the morning of 9/11/01. However, no body was ever found. Her mother is convinced that he is gone and that she has received messages from him from the other side, messages directed at Cayce.

The reader, Shelly Fraser, was awesome. From the first disc, her voice was Cayce Pollard. She also pulled off a variety of accents, imbued her voice with incredulity, boredom, frustration, fear, and awe at the correct times.

+++++: This book goes on my ETERNAL shelf. The world building and leading up to the crux of the mystery were excellent.

-: Hmmm... can't really think of anything negative.....Maybe a few more humorous emails from Cayce's British friend Damien would have been welcome.

The Dinosaur Hunter by Homer Hickam

I was browsing the shelves at the library and this book leaped out at me, mostly because I like the word 'dinosaur'. Then the cover cinched it - there's a pick of some long-dead dino bones on it.

The Dinosaur Hunter is a fast paced mystery set in modern-day Montana. Mike Wire is an ex-cop from LA who retired to the cowboy life after taking a bullet to the abdomen. Heck, I would be tempted to do the same thing. As a hired-hand for the Coulter family (Jeannette and her teen son Ray), he gets all the tough, dirty, manly chores around the ranch. Ray is a typical ranch kid - practical, hard-working, and a good shot. Jeannette is a no-nonsense kind of lady.

Then when this dino-hunting paleontologist shows up on her door step asking permission to traipse around the ranch, she is tempted to drop-kick him off her land. But Dr. Pickford prevails, is given permission, finds some big dino bones, and calls in his crew to dig it up. His crew consisted of two very capable, and rather pretty, young ladies - Laura and Tanya.

Pretty soon Ray and Mike are volunteered by Jeannette to assist in the digging, which they both enjoy. Ray's girlfriend Amelia also joins him in the field. While Mike takes up a light flirtation with Laura and Tanya, his heart belongs to Jeannette (unbeknown to her). Then Dr. Pickford finds another dino site. Excellent - another opportunity to sprinkle in more dino facts.

Just to further entice you - there's tattooed Russian bad guys, tough ornery neighbors, an ex-porn producer, and a BLM bureaucrat bully that gives everyone grief. Homer Hickam spun together an energetic, kick-you-in-the-teeth, leave-you-in-the-dust cowboy mystery.

+++: Dinosaurs, tough ladies, tattoos, cowboy sense of humor.

--: All the ladies are desirable, several of the ladies want to bed Mike Wire, everyone who isn't a cowboy (environmentalists, feds, cops) are portrayed as bumbling idiots.