One missing girl and the whole city goes crazy.It’s been three days, and now everyone in Brighton is looking for her. There is an army of police searching, her picture is on every front page, and the public can’t get enough of it. Gangs of good citizens are going door to door, turning their neighbours’ houses upside down, but still no one can find her.For Brighton’s No.1 Private Detective, Joe … Private Detective, Joe Grabarz, it brings back too many memories of his first case, another missing girl, when he learnt too many lessons the hard way. No one was going door to door then. No one cared. But her mum and dad weren’t nearly as photogenic, nor quite so saintly.
It’s a lesson Joe learnt long ago that has come back to haunt him: choose your parents wisely.
Warning: this book contains adult language, sex references, and violence (basically, all the good stuff).
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I enjoyed Choose Your Parents Wisely. I love Tom Trott’s writing style. It is unique and he crafts really memorable plots and characters every time I read a book by him. I’m a fan.
This story jumps back and forth between two cases of missing girls. This was well done and as long as you’re paying attention, it isn’t difficult to follow. I think it was really interesting to compare cases, which grew Joe as a character from the first novel.
I highly suggest checking out this series. It is getting better with each book and Tom Trott is a fantastic writer.
*I read this as part of a blog tour with Rachel’s Random Resources. All opinions are my own.*
Favorite Quotes:
Despite being only fifty-something she had the coiffured helmet of hair you expect to see on a pensioner. Hairsprayed to the point where it could be removed in one piece and swapped for something different. Except that it couldn’t, of course, because if it could there was no way you would choose that one. I could see why her husband had left her, I couldn’t live with that hair either.
I had broken my oath to stay calm. In fact I had probably broken a record for the fastest broken oath in history. But that was just a practice run. From now on. Again: I will stay calm.
I’ve always known there was something wrong with me. They say the secret ingredient when making a baby is love. I’m what you get when you leave it out.
This was a place where in twilight elves lurked and fairies larked. But right now, rich people were lurking and larking instead.
My Review:
Thomas Trott has provided another compelling and clever read which was a bit dark, twisted, and complicated, while also smartly crafted, quickly paced, and cunningly plotted. Choose Your Parents Wisely involved three mysteries and two timelines. The timelines narrated his first and most recent cases, each with missing children, and were despairingly similar. The third mystery involved his questionable parentage, which I was never quite certain if the background info was accurate or a possible shakedown. The two timelines were not clearly delineated, nor were they always easily differentiated, which was occasionally frustrating but I was up for the challenge as I adore Mr. Trott’s stylized writing, oddly compelling characters, sardonic humor, and the stealthily placed levity he deftly laced among the tense and dangerous situations our tarnished hero, Joe Grabarz, found himself in. I am enamored with Joe; he appears to be a tried and true smart ass, yet he has a soft heart. Joe would quickly agree to my first observation but would hotly deny the later. I adored his witty banter and snarky quips; even his meaningless conversations often appeared to be amusingly combative. Lucky me, I have one more grand adventure ahead with the enigmatic shamus as I have the newest installment, It Never Goes Away, patiently idling on my new Kindle.
Loved this series. Read all three books. Great characters and story.
I found it a confusing read and after finishing about 80% I gave up on it.
I did not care for this book, too boring explaining unnecessary details and to much switching from the past to the present.
Fresh, interesting plot
Unusual main character caught in a complicated mystery. Difficult to separate the two stories told side by side. Finally made sense toward the end.
Difficult to get started. I didn’t read the entire book.
Hard to put down. Highly recommend
Two stories with no continuity.
Predictable
This has the feeling of a 1940s mystery, the cover hints at that. Maybe it was! Don’t remember the time period being made clear. Tough loner private detective, crummy office, sassy assistant. Would really give a 3.5 if possible. It was a bit hard for me to follow, the narrative went back and forth from a crime several years before to another newer mystery. The comfusion could be due to reading on a kindle, it may have been more obvious in a actual book. Anyway, an interesting book, worth reading.
This book told two stories simultaneously and was a bit confusing. The stories were good but I got a little confused at times.
Interesting twists!
The beginning of the book did not provide a frame of reference or background; characters were not introduced and initial violence was off-putting & gratuitous.
A good read I will read more by this author
A good follow-up to the first book. Very believable characters and story line.
A stumbling detective on a motor scooter, broke and battered again & again yet keeps you turning the page.
That was intense, suspenseful, and compelling. Even though it was a bit confusing, I enjoyed the two stories in one. I wish the two time periods were better differentiated with a ‘Then’ or ‘Now’ or something, because my mind was often in the wrong place and I had to re-read and try to remember what happens last time in that time period. It was an excellent way to reveal Joe’s history, though, instead of him just telling someone about it. I love these characters, well the good ones, they all seem so real. I can’t wait for the next book; write fast Mr. Trott.
I feel sorry for the ones that gave up on this book, because WOW to the endings of each story!
Of course, the title caught my eye. It sounded cheesy as hell, but it is actually one of the most competent modern-era noir mysteries I’ve read in a very long time.