Official Review: Bush Blues by sheldon schmitt

Please use this sub-forum to discuss any crime, thriller, mystery or horror books or series.
Forum rules
Authors and publishers are not able to post replies in the review topics.
Post Reply
User avatar
bookowlie
Special Discussion Leader
Posts: 9071
Joined: 25 Oct 2014, 09:52
Favorite Book: The Lost Continent
Currently Reading: The Night She Went Missing
Bookshelf Size: 442
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-bookowlie.html
Latest Review: To Paint A Murder by E. J. Gandolfo

Official Review: Bush Blues by sheldon schmitt

Post by bookowlie »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Bush Blues" by sheldon schmitt.]
Book Cover
3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review


Bush Blues: The Adventures of Police Chief Snow by Sheldon Schmitt is a novel about the experiences of a police chief in rural Alaska. It can be categorized in the General Fiction genre. As Chief of Police in Togiak, Brady Snow tackles crime with the aid of bush pilots Frank N. Beans and Stanley Beans. In the Alaskan wilderness, the police often travel by small plane to carry out their duties.

There is a murder mystery and light romance along the way, but the crux of the story is the rollicking stream of wacky people and occurrences. Among other happenings, Chief Snow is attacked by a bear after the bush plane he is flying in goes down. After the attack, a small man named Kinka takes him to a cabin and tends to his wounds until the rescue team arrives the next day. Kinka is one of the “Little People,” gnome-like creatures who are thought to be part of the spirit world. To the locals, none of this is out of the ordinary.

The story gets off to a slow start with excessive descriptions of bush flights and the Alaskan terrain. There are numerous eccentric characters introduced throughout the book. They often drink to excess and a few will resort to drinking Lysol for the alcohol content, if traditional liquor is unavailable. It’s difficult to remember who’s who as the characters have offbeat names and sometimes appear in the story for only a short period. That being said, Chief Snow is well drawn as a diligent worker who treats the townspeople with dignity.

What really sets this book apart is the immersion in Alaskan culture, including Yupik expressions and Alaskan folklore. I was instantly transported to this small village for what seemed like an extended stay. However, the plot is disjointed and feels more like a series of individual vignettes. While some parts are absorbing, there isn’t much propelling the story forward. The good news is the plot becomes more cohesive in the latter sections and roars to a thrilling conclusion.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. The author’s main intention may have been to showcase the life of a police chief in an interesting region. Still, I would have preferred a stronger plot rather than the continual introduction of new characters and nutty situations. Also, extra editing is needed as I noticed approximately nine errors (incorrect tense, a missing word, lack of possessive form, the wrong last name of a character, etc.). Despite these issues, I was enriched by the beautiful imagery and tidbits about the Alaskan lifestyle. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy escaping to a fascinating setting and culture.

******
Bush Blues
View: on Bookshelves

Like bookowlie's review? Post a comment saying so!
"The best way out is always through" - Robert Frost
User avatar
Cecilia_L
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 4952
Joined: 08 Jun 2018, 22:16
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 436
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-cecilia-l.html
Latest Review: No Rushing when Brushing by Humairah Shah

Post by Cecilia_L »

The Alaskan culture and village described in your review are interesting. I would enjoy the imagery, as well. Thanks for your excellent review!
User avatar
gali
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 53652
Joined: 22 Oct 2013, 07:12
Favorite Author: Agatha Christie
Currently Reading: The Suite Life
Bookshelf Size: 2287
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-gali.html
Reading Device: B00I15SB16
Publishing Contest Votes: 0
fav_author_id: 2484

Post by gali »

A novel revolving around the experiences of a police chief in rural Alaska sounds intriguing. Murder mystery, light romance, and Alaskan folklore make is a heady combination. Too bad about the disjointed disjointed plot and lack of editing. I am glad you enjoyed the book despite those issues. Great review as always!
A retired Admin/Mod

Pronouns: She/Her

"In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you." (Mortimer J. Adler)
User avatar
bookowlie
Special Discussion Leader
Posts: 9071
Joined: 25 Oct 2014, 09:52
Favorite Book: The Lost Continent
Currently Reading: The Night She Went Missing
Bookshelf Size: 442
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-bookowlie.html
Latest Review: To Paint A Murder by E. J. Gandolfo

Post by bookowlie »

Thanks Cecilia and Gali! I just noticed the book is categorized in the Mystery/Thriller/Crime genre. Although there is a mystery in the second half of the story, I still think this is general fiction. The mystery is more of a subplot. Most of the book focuses on the wacky people and random daily occurrences.
"The best way out is always through" - Robert Frost
420waystoreachthesun
Posts: 200
Joined: 20 Mar 2018, 11:47
Currently Reading: Bomb Goggles
Bookshelf Size: 50
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-420waystoreachthesun.html
Latest Review: The Complete Thief Series: Boxed Set by Michael Dirubio

Post by 420waystoreachthesun »

I really love your review, but I think I'm a little tired of this genre. Still, good job!
User avatar
Debjani Ghosh
Posts: 670
Joined: 18 May 2018, 05:51
Favorite Book: The Lord Of The Rings
Currently Reading: The Evacuees
Bookshelf Size: 86
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-debjani-ghosh.html
Latest Review: Days of the Giants by RJ Petrella

Post by Debjani Ghosh »

Though the book has a gripping climax, the slow pace in the beginning will definitely put me off. Thanks for the candid review!
User avatar
gen_g
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 3115
Joined: 22 Apr 2018, 10:31
Currently Reading: 1984
Bookshelf Size: 104
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-gen-g.html
Latest Review: The Diary That Will Change Your Lives Forever by Georgios Zelelidis

Post by gen_g »

This sounds like it has a fascinating premise, but it is really a pity that the story was not more cohesive as a whole. I will probably give this a pass because of that, but thank you for the review, bookowlie.
User avatar
kandscreeley
Special Discussion Leader
Posts: 11683
Joined: 31 Dec 2016, 20:31
Currently Reading: Believarexic
Bookshelf Size: 486
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kandscreeley.html
Latest Review: The Elf Revelation by Jordan David

Post by kandscreeley »

If I could bear the slow start, this sounds rather fun and exciting. I love that it is set in Alaska. I can only imagine the adventure that would take place. Thanks for another great review. I'll put this on my list.
A book is a dream you hold in your hands.
—Neil Gaiman
User avatar
Fusmic2k
Posts: 1
Joined: 15 Oct 2018, 14:12
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by Fusmic2k »

That good police man try to do his job but sadly attacked by wild bear and luckily rescued by a native villager who is believed to one of spiritual intity or something... i was amazed how the review delivered the story ...
:) this is my first comment and i have no idea how this stuff works 😀....
Mbrooks2518
Posts: 1617
Joined: 08 Dec 2018, 16:37
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 385
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-mbrooks2518.html
Latest Review: The Portal by Russell Cederberg

Post by Mbrooks2518 »

This reminds me of a reality show I used to watch that followed Alaskan cops, so I'll read this for that alone. Great review!
User avatar
BelleReadsNietzsche
Posts: 472
Joined: 28 Jan 2019, 19:07
Currently Reading: The Handmaid's Tale
Bookshelf Size: 300
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-bellereadsnietzsche.html
Latest Review: I Can See Peace by Julie Penshorn
Reading Device: B00JG8GOWU

Post by BelleReadsNietzsche »

This is a great review that identifies the strengths and weaknesses in the book. Like so many other commenters, I find the idea of a book that focuses on an Alaskan police chief as the main character- there are such unique issues in that role, I suspect!- but it sounds like this isn’t heavy enough on the mystery/thriller element for me. And slow starts are becoming more of a killer for me the more I read. Thanks again for the review!
"The bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so." -Ratatouille (2007)
Post Reply

Return to “Crime, Thrillers, Mystery and Horror Books”