Status
Available
Call number
Publication
JournalStone (2015), 268 pages
Description
A girl from a wealthy Colorado family goes missing and in desperation the police turn to Mr. Howard to help locate her. Mr. Howard is a professor and self-proclaimed psychic with a history of assisting investigators, or so it seems. State Police Detective Willard suspects Mr. Howard is more than what he appears to be. He launches an investigation of the mysterious and eccentric professor setting off a chain of events that quickly spirals out of control. In the tradition of Thomas Harris, ' Hannibal Lecter, The Amazing Mr. Howard introduces a truly memorable character that readers won't soon forget. Mr. Howard is a nightmare from which no one awakens.
User reviews
LibraryThing member emking85
Review contains spoilers!
I received a copy of the ebook version of The Amazing Mr. Howard as part of Library Thing's early reviewers program in exchange for my honest opinion.
And to be perfectly honest, I hated this book. It could have benefited from some simple editing for minor grammatical and
1. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural, and the characters did not have their own voices--they all spoke in mostly the same way, which made the book flat, boring, and unbelievable. For instance, after having his penis chopped off with scissors, one character says something like "it fucking hurts."
2. Character development. It just doesn't happen, plus I found every single character unlikable. Mr. Howard is probably supposed to be likable in a Hannibal Lector sort of way, but he's a bit of an idiot and completely unsympathetic. His cop friend, Killgood, is a complete moron; while his cop foe, Willard, seems to be a psychopath.
3. The plot. OMG, the plot. Mr. Howard is a vampire who pretends to be psychic in order to lead the police to the corpses of his victims, so that their spirits can be reunited with their families instead of haunting him, the murderer. Only one cop, Willard, questions Mr. Howard's "psychic powers," and he is repeatedly told he is crazy. To be clear, this is a "psychic" who finds dozens of identically murdered prostitutes in multiple states, never leads the police to a killer, and has no background that the police can trace. But OBVIOUSLY, there is no way he did it and Willard should stop wasting time investigating him. This also had me rooting for Willard, who is an almost comically terrible person. The whole thing was so completely unbelievable as to be ludicrous. The plot also didn't seem to go anywhere or have much of a point.
4. I also found much of this book to be downright offensive. Willard hates fat people, including his wife and kids, to ridiculous levels. It felt like about 50% of the book was either Willard ranting about his fat family or allusions to hating fatties. It was completely unnecessary to the plot and seemed oddly personal. Women were also in the cross-hairs, existing only as lifeless objects. Willard's wife and daughter were "fat pigs" who whined and nagged, with no other character development. Willard's midget casual sex hookup writes him an email to tell him he was a terrible lover and awful person but that she wants to see him again anyway! Mr. Howard's female victims passively await death and don't even try to escape or bargain for their lives. It was honestly uncomfortable to read, and I am in no way sensitive.
All in all, I found this book dreadful and was shocked to see that anyone had reviewed it positively.
I received a copy of the ebook version of The Amazing Mr. Howard as part of Library Thing's early reviewers program in exchange for my honest opinion.
And to be perfectly honest, I hated this book. It could have benefited from some simple editing for minor grammatical and
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spelling errors; however, I don't think that even the best editor could have made it a good book. I had several problems with it as a whole:1. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural, and the characters did not have their own voices--they all spoke in mostly the same way, which made the book flat, boring, and unbelievable. For instance, after having his penis chopped off with scissors, one character says something like "it fucking hurts."
2. Character development. It just doesn't happen, plus I found every single character unlikable. Mr. Howard is probably supposed to be likable in a Hannibal Lector sort of way, but he's a bit of an idiot and completely unsympathetic. His cop friend, Killgood, is a complete moron; while his cop foe, Willard, seems to be a psychopath.
3. The plot. OMG, the plot. Mr. Howard is a vampire who pretends to be psychic in order to lead the police to the corpses of his victims, so that their spirits can be reunited with their families instead of haunting him, the murderer. Only one cop, Willard, questions Mr. Howard's "psychic powers," and he is repeatedly told he is crazy. To be clear, this is a "psychic" who finds dozens of identically murdered prostitutes in multiple states, never leads the police to a killer, and has no background that the police can trace. But OBVIOUSLY, there is no way he did it and Willard should stop wasting time investigating him. This also had me rooting for Willard, who is an almost comically terrible person. The whole thing was so completely unbelievable as to be ludicrous. The plot also didn't seem to go anywhere or have much of a point.
4. I also found much of this book to be downright offensive. Willard hates fat people, including his wife and kids, to ridiculous levels. It felt like about 50% of the book was either Willard ranting about his fat family or allusions to hating fatties. It was completely unnecessary to the plot and seemed oddly personal. Women were also in the cross-hairs, existing only as lifeless objects. Willard's wife and daughter were "fat pigs" who whined and nagged, with no other character development. Willard's midget casual sex hookup writes him an email to tell him he was a terrible lover and awful person but that she wants to see him again anyway! Mr. Howard's female victims passively await death and don't even try to escape or bargain for their lives. It was honestly uncomfortable to read, and I am in no way sensitive.
All in all, I found this book dreadful and was shocked to see that anyone had reviewed it positively.
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LibraryThing member JLHGGY
This is a quick, fun read, especially if you like vampire stories like me. I'm not going to provide a synopsis of the book--that is available to you with the book description. While I thought the depiction of Detective Willard more of a caricature while others were treated like place holders, I
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still enjoyed this read. Mister Howard is not always likable, but he held my interest. I kept wondering, though, if such a smart man wouldn't have found an easier method to make his way in the world. Show Less
LibraryThing member tvordj
I received this as an Early Review copy and I'm afraid to say I didn't like it much. The basic story about a vampire serial killer was ok, and Mr. Howard himself was interesting enough, something a bit different as far as vampire characters go. The secondary character of Killgood was a bit naive
The book is riddled with diatribes, abuse and rants against people with weight issues, primarily his wife and young teen children. Even if it's not a rant, it's an insult or negative comment and it doesn't always come from Willard though he's the main one. He's also sexist and mysogenistic and there are other tones of that in the book, too. I found it all very offensive. Maybe not everyone will. The end of Willard's story made little sense, too. Maybe some people might have found him funny and one reviewer called him a caricature. The only reason I finished the book was the promise to write a review. I would have rated the book 3 stars for the story but it lost point for everything else.
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and bland for a detective but I suppose that had to contrast with the thoroughly repulsive Willard. He may have been a good detective because he was highly suspicious enough to stick with his own conclusions, but as a person there was nothing redeemable about him at all. The book is riddled with diatribes, abuse and rants against people with weight issues, primarily his wife and young teen children. Even if it's not a rant, it's an insult or negative comment and it doesn't always come from Willard though he's the main one. He's also sexist and mysogenistic and there are other tones of that in the book, too. I found it all very offensive. Maybe not everyone will. The end of Willard's story made little sense, too. Maybe some people might have found him funny and one reviewer called him a caricature. The only reason I finished the book was the promise to write a review. I would have rated the book 3 stars for the story but it lost point for everything else.
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LibraryThing member xymon81
Book 23: [The Amazing Mr. Howard] by Kenneth Harmon.
This was an Early Review book that I recieved last month. It was good for having on my phone to flip through a few pages if I had a spare moment. It is not the usual fantasy detective novel as you assume it to be. I just wish there was a character
Mr. Howard is a college professer who has visions. The police reguarly use him to find people (women) who have gone missing. In reality, you learn early on he is a vampire who pretends to be psychic. The only visions he sees are the ghosts of the people he's killed. He holds women hostage for a week, getting every small detail of thier life before disposing of them. Using this information to give to police to throw off the scent until the body is decompsed enough to conceal his nature.
In the current case, he messes up when he takes a girl from a well off family. He usually targets people off the street. He is approached by two detectives. I really did not like either one. Both let thier personal lives get out of hand. Killgood is a friend of Mr Howard and it blinds him to the possibility of his friends guilt. His daughter is also just getting out of a bad relationship. Willard is a good smart detective. Even though everyone tells him it us deadend, he continues to pursue Mr. Howard as a suspect. He is also a first class asshole. He feels no love for his family I think and is embarressed by them because they have a weight problem. The way he treated them disgusted me and his ending was the most shocking of the book. If you are looking for a happy ending in this book you dint get it and one or two points in the story are never resolved.
This was an Early Review book that I recieved last month. It was good for having on my phone to flip through a few pages if I had a spare moment. It is not the usual fantasy detective novel as you assume it to be. I just wish there was a character
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to like in the book. Mr. Howard is a college professer who has visions. The police reguarly use him to find people (women) who have gone missing. In reality, you learn early on he is a vampire who pretends to be psychic. The only visions he sees are the ghosts of the people he's killed. He holds women hostage for a week, getting every small detail of thier life before disposing of them. Using this information to give to police to throw off the scent until the body is decompsed enough to conceal his nature.
In the current case, he messes up when he takes a girl from a well off family. He usually targets people off the street. He is approached by two detectives. I really did not like either one. Both let thier personal lives get out of hand. Killgood is a friend of Mr Howard and it blinds him to the possibility of his friends guilt. His daughter is also just getting out of a bad relationship. Willard is a good smart detective. Even though everyone tells him it us deadend, he continues to pursue Mr. Howard as a suspect. He is also a first class asshole. He feels no love for his family I think and is embarressed by them because they have a weight problem. The way he treated them disgusted me and his ending was the most shocking of the book. If you are looking for a happy ending in this book you dint get it and one or two points in the story are never resolved.
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LibraryThing member DrDS
Kenneth W. Harmon's latest work, 'The Amazing Mr. Howard,' certainly caught me by surprise. The main character, easily guessed to be Mr. Howard, can be best described as a charismatic, insightful, brilliant, and cooking-adept vampire. Volunteering to work with local police departments, Mr. Howard
This book presented a number of strengths, which I felt contributed to a solidly successful book. Foremost, character development was completed in such a way that I felt I both knew and understood the characters. While descriptions of place were not quite as well developed (though still acceptable), I found myself able to picture each character. Of particular note, and I say this with admiration, the ending allowed for either a smash hit sequel, or a satisfying ending (bravo, Mr. Harmon!). The text was relatively fast paced, which really helped to keep my attention firmly riveted on finding out what happened next. While the plot was bordered on the brink of being overly simplified, I still found pockets of complexity that added a measure of spice. Coupled with small tidbits of dark humor, I found the book to be rather enjoyable, and can only hope that we have not seen the last of Mr. Howard!
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seeks to offer his insights and psychic revelations towards solving missing persons cases. However, as the reader quickly learns, there is more to the motivations of Mr. Howard than what one might guess. Cleverly written, Harmon blends his obvious expertise in police procedure into crafting a fresh perspective on vampires, creating a new take on an existing concept.This book presented a number of strengths, which I felt contributed to a solidly successful book. Foremost, character development was completed in such a way that I felt I both knew and understood the characters. While descriptions of place were not quite as well developed (though still acceptable), I found myself able to picture each character. Of particular note, and I say this with admiration, the ending allowed for either a smash hit sequel, or a satisfying ending (bravo, Mr. Harmon!). The text was relatively fast paced, which really helped to keep my attention firmly riveted on finding out what happened next. While the plot was bordered on the brink of being overly simplified, I still found pockets of complexity that added a measure of spice. Coupled with small tidbits of dark humor, I found the book to be rather enjoyable, and can only hope that we have not seen the last of Mr. Howard!
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LibraryThing member BelindaRLSA
Amidst all the horror there is redeeming grace to this story. Mr. Howard is a vampire who has been roaming the earth for 400 years now, as a result of his son trying to save him from the plague, by turning him, and granting him immortality. Mr. Howard is a considerate killer who is now a professor
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at a university in Colorado, and works with the police as a "psychic" to lead them to the bodies he himself is responsible for. He keeps his victims (prostitutes or runaways) alive for a week to get all the information possible to "lead" the police to them, as well as all the blood possible he needs to maintain his own life. Mr. Howard is tortured by his lust for blood, but like any predator in nature, cannot help himself. Finally, a police officer who is very competent, but more vile than Mr. Howard himself, figures Mr. Howard out, and now Mr. Howard has to figure out how to get rid of him too. Mystery, interesting twists, and an ending which allows for a book 2 - bring it on!!! Show Less
LibraryThing member Camy-Sussex
This vampire tale is as far from the spangly YA Twilight mob as it's possible to get.
Harmon's protagonist, the eponymous Mr.Howard, has been around for a while, bumping off pretty young girls and living on their blood. He does this in the nicest way, unlike the despicable detective who is more
All in all the characters were well drawn, and it was a good read - though possibly not for those of a gentle disposition. I can't wait to see what Kenneth W. Harmon writes next.
Harmon's protagonist, the eponymous Mr.Howard, has been around for a while, bumping off pretty young girls and living on their blood. He does this in the nicest way, unlike the despicable detective who is more
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than determined to catch him. And so I found myself rooting for the bad guy because the good guy was so, so much worse.All in all the characters were well drawn, and it was a good read - though possibly not for those of a gentle disposition. I can't wait to see what Kenneth W. Harmon writes next.
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LibraryThing member mikesarney
I liked the story of The Amazing Mr. Howard. It was a quick read with nice, even pacing that never got bogged down.
The dialog between characters left a little to be desired. Kind of like 80's horror movies, slightly stilted.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read.
The dialog between characters left a little to be desired. Kind of like 80's horror movies, slightly stilted.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read.
LibraryThing member katmom55
This was an Early Reviewer book that I received this month. I honestly thought this is just "another vampire book. But, it actually was a combo mystery/thriller and vampire book. Mr. Howard is the vampire and even though he is the "bad guy", I felt sad for him. More despicable was the detective,
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Willard. Overall, it was a good read. Show Less
LibraryThing member BiffSlamkovich
As many other reviewers have pointed out, The Amazing Mr. Howard is a new and different take on an insanely saturated genre. I applaud it for that. Beyond being a novel concept, though, how is it?
At the end of the day, I didn't enjoy it every much. That's not to say it's a bad book, more that it
The problem arises when you get to the novel's antagonist, the detective hellbent on discovering Mr. Howard's secret. He is utterly and completely unlikable. The things he does throughout the novel are cringeworthy. For this story to work (for me), I feel Mr. Howard's 'opponent' needs to be equally sympathetic. You need to struggle with who you want to root for. Hannibal needs a Clarice Starling or a Will Graham. There is a second detective that would have filled the role much better, but that's not what we get. In the end, I'm just left disappointed.
At the end of the day, I didn't enjoy it every much. That's not to say it's a bad book, more that it
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isn't my cup of tea. Rather than call him an antihero, I think Mr. Howard is better described as a sympathetic villain. Again, many compare him to Hannibal Lecter and that's an apt comparison. (He's not quite as charismatic as Hannibal, but who is?)The problem arises when you get to the novel's antagonist, the detective hellbent on discovering Mr. Howard's secret. He is utterly and completely unlikable. The things he does throughout the novel are cringeworthy. For this story to work (for me), I feel Mr. Howard's 'opponent' needs to be equally sympathetic. You need to struggle with who you want to root for. Hannibal needs a Clarice Starling or a Will Graham. There is a second detective that would have filled the role much better, but that's not what we get. In the end, I'm just left disappointed.
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LibraryThing member jmh396
I received a digital copy of this book as an Early Reviewer. This isn't your typical young adult vampire novel. I enjoyed this book because it is more thriller/ mystery than it is sci-fi. The reader will find themselves sympathizing with the Mr Howard, the vampire.
LibraryThing member arkaic
I had to give up this after reading a fifth of the book. The writing is
mediocre,and there wasn't anything to keep me interested in the main character,
Mr. Howard.
The premise is a bit odd. We have a vampire who pretends to be a psychic, in
order to help the police find the bodies of his victims. I
for why he was doing these things. Maybe it gets explained later in the book,
but I didn't care enough to try and find out.
mediocre,and there wasn't anything to keep me interested in the main character,
Mr. Howard.
The premise is a bit odd. We have a vampire who pretends to be a psychic, in
order to help the police find the bodies of his victims. I
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didn't have any feel for why he was doing these things. Maybe it gets explained later in the book,
but I didn't care enough to try and find out.
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LibraryThing member Kimmyd76
The Amazing Mr. Howard
by Kenneth Harmon
So other than Twilight this is my only vampire read. I quite enjoyed it and may actually read more now.
This story had me from the first chapter, I liked the way it was written and how it switched between the characters and was very fast paced. A vampire
by Kenneth Harmon
So other than Twilight this is my only vampire read. I quite enjoyed it and may actually read more now.
This story had me from the first chapter, I liked the way it was written and how it switched between the characters and was very fast paced. A vampire
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story without the romance and love story...I liked it! Show Less
LibraryThing member yoyogod
This is the first Early Reviewer book I've received that is so bad I had to abandon it before finishing (in my case about 50 pages in). The writing is mediocre. The plot is boring. Worst of all, the characters are all annoying and unsympathetic.
The protagonist (Mr. Howard) is a vampire (no spoiler,
That's pretty much as far as I got plot-wise before giving up. It's boring, and life is far too short to be reading this kind of crap.
The protagonist (Mr. Howard) is a vampire (no spoiler,
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despite it not being mentioned in the book's description this is revealed in chapter one) is an unlikeably arrogant college professor who kidnaps and murders teenage girls and then uses his "psychic powers" to lead them to the bodies. For some reason, the police are (mostly) all to stupid to contemplate that the guy who keeps leading them to bodies is maybe a serial killer. The only exception is Detective Willer, who is is also an unlikable jerk who loathes his family for being fat (and who is a major creep who steals the latest victim's panties so he can sniff and lick them). Detective Willer despite being the lead on the case is reluctantly forced to accept Mr. Howard's help and finds the guy very suspicious. That's pretty much as far as I got plot-wise before giving up. It's boring, and life is far too short to be reading this kind of crap.
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LibraryThing member finallycj
I received this book as an Early Reviewer on LibraryThing and really found this to be a great read. It combines the best of a police story with the horror of a vampire story. While that may sound like an odd combination, it was both fascinating and eerie. I would, in some ways, compare this book
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with "Silence of the Lambs" by Thomas Harris. The main character Mr. Howard is a lot like Hannibal Lector, in that he is both mysterious and likes to play mind games with the authorities, while hiding in plain sight. The author gives a lot of insight into what all the characters are thinking throughout the story. At times, a reader can almost find themselves rooting for the wrong side, because the personalities seem so real and draw you into the story. Hopefully, this is just the first of a series of these books. Show Less
LibraryThing member jpporter
I'm not really sure what to do with this book (I mean, besides read it and ignore it). The story is very weak - no drama, no pathos, no suspense, no comedy, no wit, just a bunch of words purporting to tell a story.
My honest opinion? Mr. Harmon wrote this book from beginning to end with no real idea
Hey, if he doesn't care, why should I?
My honest opinion? Mr. Harmon wrote this book from beginning to end with no real idea
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of what the story was supposed to be about - he just made it up as he went along. So my review will be little more than that. Hey, if he doesn't care, why should I?
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LibraryThing member Storeetllr
Mr. Howard, a college professor and self-proclaimed psychic, is called upon by the police to help locate a young girl who has gone missing before she ends up dead. But things are definitely and very much not what they seem. Much of this novel was enjoyable, but there were portions of it that were
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so graphically icky that I found them difficult to take, plus there were sex scenes that I thought unnecessary and gratuitous. I also found most of the characters unlikable to the point I was actually rooting for the villain, who in many ways was the least icky. And, though it was set in Colorado (where I also am currently set), there wasn't enough about the setting to make it meaningful; I mean, it could have been set in Arizona or Rhode Island, for all the setting seemed to matter. Finally, there were a number of questions that never got answered, like why doesn't Mr. Howard have a first name, and how could he have such a loving relationship with his wife and children after what happened with his mother, and why did it happen in the first place? Competent writing, an interesting premise, and the desire to know how it ended kept me reading, but it was just a bit too much and all-over-the-place. If this turns into a series, I'll probably check out the second book, if only to see if any of those questions are answered. Show Less
LibraryThing member OliviaRichards
This is an interesting new take on vampires. Mr. Howard is more of a Hannibal Lecter meets Dracula. As an older college professor who could really expect Mr. Howard of any wrong doing other than maybe favoring a student or two.
Unfortunately a young girl from a wealthy Colorado family goes missing
.
Unfortunately a young girl from a wealthy Colorado family goes missing
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and it's Mr. Howard who the cops come to for help in solving the disappearance. Will they realize their mistake before its too late? .
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LibraryThing member amaryann21
This is an interesting take on a classic- vampires. The first line felt overworked and amateurish, but I did get pulled into the story fairly quickly. The story has some twists and turns and was an enjoyable read. A couple places were a little clunky and short on detail, but an admirable first
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novel. Show Less
LibraryThing member tinasnyderrn
Excellent book!!! I would have given this one 5 stars but I am a bit of a pessimist and feel there is always room for improvement. I have always been fascinated by vampire stories and this one is perhaps the best one I've read that is not a series of books. I would however enjoy reading more
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stories of The Amazing Mr. Howard. I recall as a child growing up lying in my bed at night with the covers pulled up to my chin in the hopes that the vampires would pass me by and perhaps choose a brother or sister instead (sorry sibs). Mr. Howard could be my neighbor...or yours for that matter. Kudos to Kenneth W. Harmon for making me cringe and enjoy every second of it!!! Show Less
LibraryThing member everfresh1
As far as vampire narrative is concerned it was entertaining and well written. I found the story of detective Willard confusing and out of place though. This is besides the fact that Willard is grotesquely evil (how evil can you make a man). I tried and could not reconcile the Willard evilness
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story with the rest of the novel. It is very dark and gives you a shock, which I guess is an intent. Show Less
LibraryThing member copefiend2
Loved the cover art and the premise...that was about it. This book feel vey flat for me and offered only hit or misses in it which lead to disruptive dialogue and a incomplete feel to the story. Mr. Howard was far less scary than detective Willard and he certainly didn't develop well. He was either
I think with some much better editing and story development this book and character could have become something so much more.
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a killer, a lover, a sad husband and father, however he couldn't actullay be all of those things. I think with some much better editing and story development this book and character could have become something so much more.
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LibraryThing member flying_monkeys
I struggled with my rating and review of The Amazing Mr. Howard. It was not a pleasant reading experience for me, and yet I don't enjoy bashing an author's work, even if I found it severely flawed. In such situations I prefer to spotlight what the author did well, which proved difficult to nearly
Once again an interesting idea obliterated by poor execution and a lack of revisions and editing. From the lackluster characterizations to the discursive plot - it read as if the author submitted a manuscript after only one or two drafts. Since it was the book description that lured me into requesting this book, I'll address what I thought the book's biggest problems were, by way of its description. This way others can decide if these would be problems for them, too.
A girl from a wealthy Colorado family goes missing and in desperation the police turn to Mr. Howard to help locate her.
The girl's kidnapping was described from the abductor's POV on the very first page in three paragraphs. Then, in the opening chapter, detectives showed up to Mr. Howard's class - he teaches mythology, I think - requesting his help. We know nothing about the missing girl; we are given zero opportunity to connect with her, feel scared for her, get a sense of the danger she was/is in. (This was the first clue that the woman in this book were going to be used merely as "victims" or disposable objects.) Also, in our introduction to Mr. Howard, we're shown very little about him except that he enjoys looking up skirts, he's arrogant, and he's boring.
Mr. Howard is a professor and self-proclaimed psychic with a history of assisting investigators, or so it seems.
Chapter two, page 15, the reader learned the truth behind Mr. Howard's "psychic" powers. I couldn't believe it; no suspense, no build-up, just BAM! Here's the answer to what could've been a compelling mystery for at least 50 or 75 pages. And the fact that he's a vampire is NOT the "big reveal", so no spoilers there. Although, him being a vampire could've also been played up and stretched out a bit for added mystery and suspense.
Next arrived the plot holes or, more accurately, the logic holes. Mr. Howard's long-time lover, Leslie, the dean of the university where he teaches, just appeared outta nowhere and surprised him in the shower with some morning sex. Uh, if I'm a vampire and I also have other secrets, why would my "girlfriend" have the ability to just show up with no warning?
State Police Detective Willard suspects Mr. Howard is more than what he appears to be. He launches an investigation of the mysterious and eccentric professor setting off a chain of events that quickly spirals out of control.
Here's an excellent example of what a solid edit/revision process should have revealed: had the author merged Killgood (a good cop) with Willard (a bad cop at best, but more likely a psychopath) into one person, and toned down Willard's overtly offensive behavior and thoughts, the author would've had a much stronger antagonist for Mr. Howard.
[Side note: I stand firm in that being offensive purely for the sake of being offensive is a scapegoat. It also says "amateur" to me. It's like authors are trying to distract readers from the glaring faults in their story by throwing pointless violence, abuse, and sexual perversity at us.]
Willard was a wholly unlikable character, and he was just that: a character. On top of pages of long tirades about his wife's and children's weight, he also frequented online swingers clubs to fulfill his perverse fantasies because he was unable to suck it up and actually leave the wife he so often complained about. He also physically abused his family. Oh, and did I mention he sniffed the missing girl's panties? WTF. I understand that populating one's story with unlikable characters forces the reader to sympathize with the least detestable of them - e.g., Mr. Howard - but I don't enjoy that tactic, especially when the characters are such flat imitations of each other.
In the tradition of Thomas Harris,’ Hannibal Lecter, The Amazing Mr. Howard introduces a truly memorable character that readers won’t soon forget.
Okay, let's get really real here. If you're going to call out one of THE greatest villains of all time - Hannibal Lecter - you best be damned sure your protagonist is at least in the same ballpark! If I'm being extra generous, Mr. Howard wasn't even in the same league as Lecter. What about Mr. Howard is so hard to forget? That he's a 300-year-old vampire who has to take Viagra? That he has to wear glasses and loves classical music? That every woman he encounters submits without fail and without a fight? Or he's so gosh darn sexy that when his "girlfriend," who's moving away, walked in on him having sex with Jennifer, the new dean at the university, they have a spontaneous threesome? I'm sorry, an old dude in a threesome does not equal unforgettable to me. In fact it screams "delete, delete, delete!" But that's just me.
Mr. Howard is a nightmare from which no one awakens.
Really, a "nightmare"? There wasn't anything subtle about him - no mystery, no intrigue, no suspense. By page 20 I knew what he was going to do the rest of the story. There was nothing scary about him, nothing to keep me awake at night, and definitely nothing with the potential to invade my dreams.
Thankfully, The Amazing Mr. Howard was a quick read.
1.5 stars (because I was able to finish it and, with some practice and polish, the author's stories *could* get better)
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impossible with this book...Once again an interesting idea obliterated by poor execution and a lack of revisions and editing. From the lackluster characterizations to the discursive plot - it read as if the author submitted a manuscript after only one or two drafts. Since it was the book description that lured me into requesting this book, I'll address what I thought the book's biggest problems were, by way of its description. This way others can decide if these would be problems for them, too.
A girl from a wealthy Colorado family goes missing and in desperation the police turn to Mr. Howard to help locate her.
The girl's kidnapping was described from the abductor's POV on the very first page in three paragraphs. Then, in the opening chapter, detectives showed up to Mr. Howard's class - he teaches mythology, I think - requesting his help. We know nothing about the missing girl; we are given zero opportunity to connect with her, feel scared for her, get a sense of the danger she was/is in. (This was the first clue that the woman in this book were going to be used merely as "victims" or disposable objects.) Also, in our introduction to Mr. Howard, we're shown very little about him except that he enjoys looking up skirts, he's arrogant, and he's boring.
Mr. Howard is a professor and self-proclaimed psychic with a history of assisting investigators, or so it seems.
Chapter two, page 15, the reader learned the truth behind Mr. Howard's "psychic" powers. I couldn't believe it; no suspense, no build-up, just BAM! Here's the answer to what could've been a compelling mystery for at least 50 or 75 pages. And the fact that he's a vampire is NOT the "big reveal", so no spoilers there. Although, him being a vampire could've also been played up and stretched out a bit for added mystery and suspense.
Next arrived the plot holes or, more accurately, the logic holes. Mr. Howard's long-time lover, Leslie, the dean of the university where he teaches, just appeared outta nowhere and surprised him in the shower with some morning sex. Uh, if I'm a vampire and I also have other secrets, why would my "girlfriend" have the ability to just show up with no warning?
State Police Detective Willard suspects Mr. Howard is more than what he appears to be. He launches an investigation of the mysterious and eccentric professor setting off a chain of events that quickly spirals out of control.
Here's an excellent example of what a solid edit/revision process should have revealed: had the author merged Killgood (a good cop) with Willard (a bad cop at best, but more likely a psychopath) into one person, and toned down Willard's overtly offensive behavior and thoughts, the author would've had a much stronger antagonist for Mr. Howard.
[Side note: I stand firm in that being offensive purely for the sake of being offensive is a scapegoat. It also says "amateur" to me. It's like authors are trying to distract readers from the glaring faults in their story by throwing pointless violence, abuse, and sexual perversity at us.]
Willard was a wholly unlikable character, and he was just that: a character. On top of pages of long tirades about his wife's and children's weight, he also frequented online swingers clubs to fulfill his perverse fantasies because he was unable to suck it up and actually leave the wife he so often complained about. He also physically abused his family. Oh, and did I mention he sniffed the missing girl's panties? WTF. I understand that populating one's story with unlikable characters forces the reader to sympathize with the least detestable of them - e.g., Mr. Howard - but I don't enjoy that tactic, especially when the characters are such flat imitations of each other.
In the tradition of Thomas Harris,’ Hannibal Lecter, The Amazing Mr. Howard introduces a truly memorable character that readers won’t soon forget.
Okay, let's get really real here. If you're going to call out one of THE greatest villains of all time - Hannibal Lecter - you best be damned sure your protagonist is at least in the same ballpark! If I'm being extra generous, Mr. Howard wasn't even in the same league as Lecter. What about Mr. Howard is so hard to forget? That he's a 300-year-old vampire who has to take Viagra? That he has to wear glasses and loves classical music? That every woman he encounters submits without fail and without a fight? Or he's so gosh darn sexy that when his "girlfriend," who's moving away, walked in on him having sex with Jennifer, the new dean at the university, they have a spontaneous threesome? I'm sorry, an old dude in a threesome does not equal unforgettable to me. In fact it screams "delete, delete, delete!" But that's just me.
Mr. Howard is a nightmare from which no one awakens.
Really, a "nightmare"? There wasn't anything subtle about him - no mystery, no intrigue, no suspense. By page 20 I knew what he was going to do the rest of the story. There was nothing scary about him, nothing to keep me awake at night, and definitely nothing with the potential to invade my dreams.
Thankfully, The Amazing Mr. Howard was a quick read.
1.5 stars (because I was able to finish it and, with some practice and polish, the author's stories *could* get better)
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LibraryThing member dalexander
Although this book is a combination of crime novel and the supernatural , I feel it would appeal more to a person who reads murder mysteries than a vampire enthusiast . The author attempted to highlight the good and evil aspects of the characters of Mr. Howard and Willard. Mr. Howard is presented
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more as a sympathetic vampire instead of the traditional soulless blood thirsty type . His actions are still consistent with being a vampire but we are more aware of his feelings about his actions . Willard on the other hard is shown the be a dedicated police officer with a very dark side . A criticism I have is how this character was developed . Since the author was able to develop the Mr. Howard character without being overly offensive I believe the same could have been done with this character. The positive aspects of this character were well written but when the author tried to develop the dark aspects the writing style fell short . I appreciate that the rest of this book was not written in such a crude fashion or I would not have been able to complete it . Show Less
LibraryThing member Shannon514
I just could not get interested in this book. There were many misspellings and incorrect grammar throughout the story. It could have been an interesting plot idea, but it was poorly written, and didn't make sense at moments. The characters weren't believable and very two-dimensional.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2015-02-20
Physical description
268 p.; 5.98 inches
ISBN
1942712138 / 9781942712138