I hope I don't jinx things by saying this, but so far it's been a very mild winter and we're expecting that the next couple of days may be near 60. And it's Leap Year, so here's an early Happy Birthday shout out to anyone out there born on February 29th. What I have for you this month is an interesting mixed bag.
Series
Faceless Killers - Henning Mankell ($7.99/$.50, copyright 2003, 369 pages, Paperback)
This is the first in the Kurt Wallander series, a police procedurals set in Sweden. There's a cover blurb suggesting that if you liked "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", you'll like this book. To me, the only similarities are the setting and the weather. Wallander is a police inspector trying to solve a brutal double murder while also trying to prevent a witch hunt against immigrants. Oh, and he's dealing with several personal crises, including a possibly senile father, an absent daughter, and a wife who's left him. It was OK.
The Reapers - John Connolly ($9.99/$.50, copyright 2008, 515 pages. Paperback)
This is part of the grim and gritty Charlie Bird series, but deals mostly with two characters who have played supporting roles in the past. Louis and Angel are killers, and have been payed very well, in the past, for their services. They are also gay lovers, though that isn't pertinent to this story. Here we learn a lot about Louis' past, and how it is now catching up with him, and how he and his friends deal with it. It's a good read, but if you're not familiar with the series I think you'd have a hard time trying to catch up on what's happening. I enjoyed it.
Miscellaneous
Dead Even - Brad Meltzer ($7.99/$.50, copyright 1998, 529 pages, Paperback)
I've read several of Meltzer's books, and I've always found the underlying premises to be a little strained. Here we have a wife on her first day as an Assistant District Attorney snatching a case that was earmarked for one of her superiors, hoping that it will keep her from getting let go do to upcoming budget cuts. It looks like a simple robbery, but soon things get tricky. And to make matters worse, her husband is hired as the Defense Attorney. There are death threats, outside influences, and more murders to complicate the situation. I enjoyed it.
Make Love, the Bruce Campbell Way - Bruce Campbell ($23.95/$.50, copyright 2005, 309 pages, Hard Cover)
That's right, I said Bruce Campbell. THE Bruce Campbell. Star of the Evil Dead movies, The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., and Burn Notice. (OK..maybe only co-star of Burn Notice). Who could pass this up? Especially at this price! This is an account of his involvement in the Mike Nichols movie "Let's Make Love!" starring Richard Gere. Actually, I'm pretty sure Campbell made this whole thing up, but who wouldn't want to spend a few hours listening to his stories over a couple of cold ones? I enjoyed it.
End Notes
Over the last week, I came across a couple of books that I read many years ago. They're by different authors; deal with different subject matters; and I read them at different stages in my life. They got me to thinking, and I've decided to change things up at times and reread one or two of my personal favorites. Not back-to-back, but added into the mix. We'll see how that works. Happy Mardis Gras, and......
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