Buggered Up Good. This is the first book in the Charlie Jones Series. I actually read the second book first. I got this from the author. He was asking for people who wanted to read his book. I replied to his post on Goodreads that I read Cloister and wanted to read how the series started. End of story, he gave me a paperback. Thank you again, T J Slee.
After reading Cloister, I was not sure if I liked Charlie Jones. She was vulgar and too brash and she was a novice at that time in the nunnery. But after reading this book, I came to understand where Charlie Jones came from. This book made me like her. I think she is really a good secret service agent with a lot of spunk and sarcasm.
This was a marvelous start to a series. It has introduced and built the character of Charlie Jones as a person and as a spy. Her smart ass comments and banter with Jenno always generates a smile from me. I really love the back and forth between them. I also liked that Jones loves to give his officemates and friends nicknames which are really witty and also sarcastic. What made me soften to Jones was her brutal honesty and being unassuming. She knows herself and the limits of her abilities. She is aware that she doesn't know and understand everything all the time. She admits to her frailties and acknowledges the mountain of challenges that she faces.
The best part of this book is the unconventional confessional conversations between Jones and her confessor priest. They are outrageously hilarious and I can feel the holy father's utmost effort in being patient with Jones. Often times, the holy father is on the verge of his irritation with Jones but because it is Jones, he has to reign in it as though dealing with a petulant and stubborn child. Jones, on the other hand, does not hide that fact that she is testing the limits of the priest's self-control every time.
I give this book 4/5 cups of black coffee. Though Jones has the propensity to get hurt and end up in the hospital most of the time, she is shaping up to be a really valuable spy. I think she is slowly worming her way to becoming my second favorite spy after of Mrs. Emily Pollifax.
The only call I hear right now is the call of nature, Father. So, it's three Hail Marys and join an order?
- T J Slee, B.U.G. -
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