OK. So, my laptop burned out a few days ago and now I'm using a new one. Unfortunately, it's been loaded with Windows 8. This type of screen movement might be familiar to the younger generation but it's a pain in the ass to me. Plus, I lost all my pictures and notes. Anyway, here goes.
Series
The Brass Verdict - Michael Connelly ($9.99/$.50, copyright 2008, 547 pages, Paperback)
Connelly is known more for his Harry Bosch series of books. This is the second entry in his Mickey Haller series. Haller is a defense attorney who, having taken some time off, inherits the cases of a colleague who's been murdered. One of those cases involves a Hollywood movie mogul who's accused of killing his wife and her lover. Connelly brings in Bosch as a counter-point to Haller and their relationship rings true. There are some twists and turns and an interesting ending. I enjoyed it.
Cross Fire - James Patterson ($9.99/$.50, copyright 2010, 343 pages, Paperback)
Patterson's signature character - Alex Cross, and his worst enemy - Kyle Craig. I don't want to give too much away but there's a string of murders in D. C. and Craig (disguised) gets into it with Cross. In more ways then one. As always, Patterson brings in Cross's personal life to good effect. I enjoyed it.
Miscellaneous
This Side of Brightness - Colum McCann ($13.00/$4.11, copyright 1998, 289pages, Trade Paperback)
I ordered this book online because I loved another of McCann's books. It did not let me down. It's a family sage stretching from 1916 to 1991 and reaching from the depths of the being-dug subway tunnels to the being-built skyscrapers. McCann, being Irish, has a way with words and just continues to impress me. I enjoyed it.
So... that's it for this month. I would like to reiterate that McCann is an excellent writer and you should check him out.
Until next month...
Keep reading.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Monday, May 20, 2013
Chapter Forty-one
Well, we’re into May now but the weather hasn’t quite settled into Spring yet. Still, rainy days give me the time to read. This month, I have a very mixed group for you.
Miscellaneous
Spring Heeled Jack - Mark Hodder ($12.36/$.50, copyright 2011, 354 pages, Trade Paperback)
This is my first foray into the world of Steam Punk. I’m a big fan of books that take place in the Victorian Era and the cover makes reference to two of my favorite historical characters. Sir Richard Francis Burton, the famous explorer, is listed as the hero (along with the poet Algernon Charles Swinburne) and the title indicates that they would be involved in the Jack the Ripper case. Unfortunately, I found the inclusion of smoke-belching, steam powered machines and scientifically altered animals to be a real distraction. Perhaps if it hadn't revolved around Burton I might have tried to finish it. This one goes back in The Pile for now.
How to Become Ridiculously Well-read in One Evening - E. O. Parrott, ed. ( $4.89/$.50, copyright 1985, 180 pages, Paperback)
This was interesting……Mr. Parrott has gotten a bunch of people to do thumbnail sketches of famous books so that Mr. Joe Average, having gotten through this, can seem well-read. Not gonna happen. First of all, most of the capsules are in verse which tends to become repetitive - and, in a lot of cases, the rhymes don't work. Secondly, I’ve read a lot of the works covered here, and the entries don’t help to understand them at all. Plus, Parrott has set this up alphabetically, from Anonymous to John Wyndham, when I think it would’ve been better done in a linear fashion. I didn’t like it.
The Keys of Hell - Jack Higgins ($7.99/$.50, copyright 2001, 240 pages, Paperback)
This reminded me of one of those great black-and-white cold war movies. It’s mostly a flash-back to 1965 where a British agent, a pretty girl, and an Italian smuggler set out to bring a religious statue out of Communist Albania. I could almost see David Niven as the agent. All sorts of stuff happens - gunfights, captures and escapes, double-crosses. And it’s all bracketed by episodes in 1995 that tie-in beautifully. I enjoyed it.
The Maracot Deep - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ($.95/$.74, no copyright but written in 1929, 156 pages, Paperback)
I found this in a used book store in Colonia completely by accident (I'd gone in looking for something else). Yes, this is a novella written by the creator of Sherlock Holmes - my favorite fictional character (as you probably know by now). It’s a Science-fiction tale about 3 men who undertake a scientific expedition in the depths of the Atlantic, get into trouble, and wind up in Atlantis. It almost reads like one of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ stories. It starts out as written communications between one of the explorers and a friend, progresses nicely through their expedition, and ends with an amazing twist. I enjoyed it.
That’s it for this month. A shout-out to all you Moms out there, and a big Happy Birthday to Sarra, Luke, Giancarlo, Brian, and - the Big Six O - Kathy.
Keep reading!
Miscellaneous
Spring Heeled Jack - Mark Hodder ($12.36/$.50, copyright 2011, 354 pages, Trade Paperback)
This is my first foray into the world of Steam Punk. I’m a big fan of books that take place in the Victorian Era and the cover makes reference to two of my favorite historical characters. Sir Richard Francis Burton, the famous explorer, is listed as the hero (along with the poet Algernon Charles Swinburne) and the title indicates that they would be involved in the Jack the Ripper case. Unfortunately, I found the inclusion of smoke-belching, steam powered machines and scientifically altered animals to be a real distraction. Perhaps if it hadn't revolved around Burton I might have tried to finish it. This one goes back in The Pile for now.
How to Become Ridiculously Well-read in One Evening - E. O. Parrott, ed. ( $4.89/$.50, copyright 1985, 180 pages, Paperback)
This was interesting……Mr. Parrott has gotten a bunch of people to do thumbnail sketches of famous books so that Mr. Joe Average, having gotten through this, can seem well-read. Not gonna happen. First of all, most of the capsules are in verse which tends to become repetitive - and, in a lot of cases, the rhymes don't work. Secondly, I’ve read a lot of the works covered here, and the entries don’t help to understand them at all. Plus, Parrott has set this up alphabetically, from Anonymous to John Wyndham, when I think it would’ve been better done in a linear fashion. I didn’t like it.
The Keys of Hell - Jack Higgins ($7.99/$.50, copyright 2001, 240 pages, Paperback)
This reminded me of one of those great black-and-white cold war movies. It’s mostly a flash-back to 1965 where a British agent, a pretty girl, and an Italian smuggler set out to bring a religious statue out of Communist Albania. I could almost see David Niven as the agent. All sorts of stuff happens - gunfights, captures and escapes, double-crosses. And it’s all bracketed by episodes in 1995 that tie-in beautifully. I enjoyed it.
The Maracot Deep - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ($.95/$.74, no copyright but written in 1929, 156 pages, Paperback)
I found this in a used book store in Colonia completely by accident (I'd gone in looking for something else). Yes, this is a novella written by the creator of Sherlock Holmes - my favorite fictional character (as you probably know by now). It’s a Science-fiction tale about 3 men who undertake a scientific expedition in the depths of the Atlantic, get into trouble, and wind up in Atlantis. It almost reads like one of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ stories. It starts out as written communications between one of the explorers and a friend, progresses nicely through their expedition, and ends with an amazing twist. I enjoyed it.
That’s it for this month. A shout-out to all you Moms out there, and a big Happy Birthday to Sarra, Luke, Giancarlo, Brian, and - the Big Six O - Kathy.
Keep reading!
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Chapter Forty
And so…..life goes on.
I’m a little early this month because I only have two books to tell you about (I just finished the second one), but the total page count should qualify as three. And, coincidentally, they are both fictionalized accounts of historical events. You'll see as we go along.
Miscellaneous
Devil’s Garden - Ace Atkins ($15.00/$1.00, copyright 2009, 369 pages, Trade Paperback)
What Atkins has done here is recreate the infamous Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle trial (actually, trials) for the murder of a young woman during a booze and sex filled party he held in a hotel in San Francisco in 1921. The interesting person here - to me - is the Pinkerton agent who’s hired by Arbuckle's attorney (actually assigned to the case by his boss) to find out what really happened. The agent’s name is Samuel Dashiell Hammett, who went on to become one of the greatest writers of detective fiction (think The Thin Man, Sam Spade, etc.). I won’t go into details here because it’s all a matter of public record, and resulted in the end of Arbuckle’s career but Atkins does a good job of evoking the time and place. And he gives us a Hammett at the end of his Pinkerton career with a bad case of tuberculosis, a wife and baby girl, and a fondness for booze and cigarettes. It’s an interesting book, but Atkins constantly shifts the focus to other people involved in the investigation, and there’s a subplot involving William Randolph Hearst that gets a lot of attention, all of which I found distracting. I would have liked it better if it took a more focused approach, staying with Hammett throughout. It was OK.
The Given Day - Dennis Lehane ($15.99/$4.72, copyright 2008, 702 pages, Trade Paperback)
I am a big fan of Lehane, having read all of his Kenzie/Gennaro books and, although not part of that series, I've been looking forward to reading this. It starts in 1918, and follows the lives of a young Irish cop in Boston - Danny Coughlin - and a young black man from Columbus, Ohio - Luther Lawrence. Danny is all wrapped up in the problems that the rank-and-file officers are having - too much work and not enough pay and deplorable working conditions. Through an undercover assignment he becomes involved in the burgeoning labor movement. Luther moves his pregnant wife to Tulsa - an idyllic place for blacks at the time - but gets involved in a terrible crime and flees. Ultimately he winds up in Boston. How these two men meet and interact is the core of this novel. Lehane adds the NAACP, unions, Bolsheviks, family and friends, and famous people (Babe Ruth, J. Edgar Hoover, etc.) and places them in both Bostons - The one that the haves live in and the one that the have-nots are left with. It all comes to a head during the Boston Police Strike of 1919. It’s a very involving read, and entertaining, but I found it to be a bit too long. In my opinion, Lehane could probably have cut out about 100 or so pages. Still, I enjoyed it.
One quick, personal note.....to my cousin, Monica. I'll miss you.
I already have some interesting stuff on the top of the stack for next month so I’m going to get started now. See you then and remember……..
Keep reading.
I’m a little early this month because I only have two books to tell you about (I just finished the second one), but the total page count should qualify as three. And, coincidentally, they are both fictionalized accounts of historical events. You'll see as we go along.
Miscellaneous
Devil’s Garden - Ace Atkins ($15.00/$1.00, copyright 2009, 369 pages, Trade Paperback)
What Atkins has done here is recreate the infamous Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle trial (actually, trials) for the murder of a young woman during a booze and sex filled party he held in a hotel in San Francisco in 1921. The interesting person here - to me - is the Pinkerton agent who’s hired by Arbuckle's attorney (actually assigned to the case by his boss) to find out what really happened. The agent’s name is Samuel Dashiell Hammett, who went on to become one of the greatest writers of detective fiction (think The Thin Man, Sam Spade, etc.). I won’t go into details here because it’s all a matter of public record, and resulted in the end of Arbuckle’s career but Atkins does a good job of evoking the time and place. And he gives us a Hammett at the end of his Pinkerton career with a bad case of tuberculosis, a wife and baby girl, and a fondness for booze and cigarettes. It’s an interesting book, but Atkins constantly shifts the focus to other people involved in the investigation, and there’s a subplot involving William Randolph Hearst that gets a lot of attention, all of which I found distracting. I would have liked it better if it took a more focused approach, staying with Hammett throughout. It was OK.
The Given Day - Dennis Lehane ($15.99/$4.72, copyright 2008, 702 pages, Trade Paperback)
I am a big fan of Lehane, having read all of his Kenzie/Gennaro books and, although not part of that series, I've been looking forward to reading this. It starts in 1918, and follows the lives of a young Irish cop in Boston - Danny Coughlin - and a young black man from Columbus, Ohio - Luther Lawrence. Danny is all wrapped up in the problems that the rank-and-file officers are having - too much work and not enough pay and deplorable working conditions. Through an undercover assignment he becomes involved in the burgeoning labor movement. Luther moves his pregnant wife to Tulsa - an idyllic place for blacks at the time - but gets involved in a terrible crime and flees. Ultimately he winds up in Boston. How these two men meet and interact is the core of this novel. Lehane adds the NAACP, unions, Bolsheviks, family and friends, and famous people (Babe Ruth, J. Edgar Hoover, etc.) and places them in both Bostons - The one that the haves live in and the one that the have-nots are left with. It all comes to a head during the Boston Police Strike of 1919. It’s a very involving read, and entertaining, but I found it to be a bit too long. In my opinion, Lehane could probably have cut out about 100 or so pages. Still, I enjoyed it.
One quick, personal note.....to my cousin, Monica. I'll miss you.
I already have some interesting stuff on the top of the stack for next month so I’m going to get started now. See you then and remember……..
Keep reading.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Chapter Thirty-nine
Well, it's Spring - although you wouldn't know it by the weather out there. Anyway, one of the pleasures I get out of library shopping is that, once in a while, I come across something interesting. I can take a chance on it because it’s only gonna cost me a dollar or so. Another pleasure I get is finding another book in a series I enjoy. Let me tell you about these.
Miscellaneous
Up Jumps the Devil - Michael Poore ($13.99/$1.00. Copyright 2012, 358 pages, Trade Paperback)
This is that “something interesting“ that I mentioned above. It deals with the Devil (just as the title implies) and his time here on Earth. It starts with how he - using the name John Scratch - made an agreement with a band in 1969. 3 different people with 3 different dreams who each make deals with him, and how those deals come true. Interspaced among this story is how the Devil, throughout history, kept trying to get his girlfriend to leave Heaven and stay with him. Poore even mixes in the Devil’s participation in several different American historical events - mostly wars - and meets (and tempts) several different historical figures from George Washington to JFK. At times funny, at times sad, but always with a poetic feel to it. I really enjoyed it.
Series
These two books belong to series’ that I’ve mentioned here before. Interestingly, these detectives have to deal with cases from their past and how they impact on their present.
Chasing Darkness - Robert Crais ($9.99/$.50, copyright 2008, 391 pages, Paperback)
This is another volume in the Elvis Cole series. There’s a fire in the hills and a corpse is discovered - a suicide. Turns out that he was a suspect in a homicide several years ago, and Elvis found the evidence to get him off. Unfortunately, the police find a scrapbook with the corpse that points to the deceased being responsible for not only that murder, but several others. Crais gives us the more mature but still wise-mouthed Elvis trying to figure things out while dealing with the impact this has on his career and his contacts. Of course, the ever taciturn Joe Pike makes an appearance, although it's a brief one. There are several red herrings that Crais throws in that keep you following along to the surprising ending. I enjoyed it.
Moonlight Mile - Dennis Lehane ($9.99/$5.70, copyright 2010, 348 pages, Paperback)
I actually went looking for this specific book and found it in my favorite used book store in Colonia. The Crais book (above) reminded me about a review I’d seen when this first came out. Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro are detectives who, many years ago, worked a case that put them at odds with each other and actually drove them apart. (Unlike the Crais book, the previous case here was actually a previous volume in this series - “Gone, Baby, Gone“ - involving the disappearance of a little girl). Twelve years later, Patrick and Angie are married, with a 4-year old girl and a home, mortgage, etc. Angie’s gone back to school, and Patrick is trying to get a full-time position in a large investigating firm. Then the previous case comes back in a big way. Lehane puts the Kenzies through the wringer and throws in street punks, identity theft, and the Russian mob for good measure. He even brings in the Kenzies’ friend, the sociopath Bubba, for an appearance. This is a more mature, world weary Patrick and Angie but the old sense of humor and the sparks between them are still there. I enjoyed it.
That's it for this month. Hopefully, by the time I add another chapter we'll finally have some real Spring weather. Until then........
Keep reading!
Miscellaneous
Up Jumps the Devil - Michael Poore ($13.99/$1.00. Copyright 2012, 358 pages, Trade Paperback)
This is that “something interesting“ that I mentioned above. It deals with the Devil (just as the title implies) and his time here on Earth. It starts with how he - using the name John Scratch - made an agreement with a band in 1969. 3 different people with 3 different dreams who each make deals with him, and how those deals come true. Interspaced among this story is how the Devil, throughout history, kept trying to get his girlfriend to leave Heaven and stay with him. Poore even mixes in the Devil’s participation in several different American historical events - mostly wars - and meets (and tempts) several different historical figures from George Washington to JFK. At times funny, at times sad, but always with a poetic feel to it. I really enjoyed it.
Series
These two books belong to series’ that I’ve mentioned here before. Interestingly, these detectives have to deal with cases from their past and how they impact on their present.
Chasing Darkness - Robert Crais ($9.99/$.50, copyright 2008, 391 pages, Paperback)
This is another volume in the Elvis Cole series. There’s a fire in the hills and a corpse is discovered - a suicide. Turns out that he was a suspect in a homicide several years ago, and Elvis found the evidence to get him off. Unfortunately, the police find a scrapbook with the corpse that points to the deceased being responsible for not only that murder, but several others. Crais gives us the more mature but still wise-mouthed Elvis trying to figure things out while dealing with the impact this has on his career and his contacts. Of course, the ever taciturn Joe Pike makes an appearance, although it's a brief one. There are several red herrings that Crais throws in that keep you following along to the surprising ending. I enjoyed it.
Moonlight Mile - Dennis Lehane ($9.99/$5.70, copyright 2010, 348 pages, Paperback)
I actually went looking for this specific book and found it in my favorite used book store in Colonia. The Crais book (above) reminded me about a review I’d seen when this first came out. Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro are detectives who, many years ago, worked a case that put them at odds with each other and actually drove them apart. (Unlike the Crais book, the previous case here was actually a previous volume in this series - “Gone, Baby, Gone“ - involving the disappearance of a little girl). Twelve years later, Patrick and Angie are married, with a 4-year old girl and a home, mortgage, etc. Angie’s gone back to school, and Patrick is trying to get a full-time position in a large investigating firm. Then the previous case comes back in a big way. Lehane puts the Kenzies through the wringer and throws in street punks, identity theft, and the Russian mob for good measure. He even brings in the Kenzies’ friend, the sociopath Bubba, for an appearance. This is a more mature, world weary Patrick and Angie but the old sense of humor and the sparks between them are still there. I enjoyed it.
That's it for this month. Hopefully, by the time I add another chapter we'll finally have some real Spring weather. Until then........
Keep reading!
Monday, February 25, 2013
Chapter Thirty-eight
I'm a few days off from my usual posting date this month. I've tried to add a new chapter on or about the 21st of each month, but I have a good explanation for being a bit late. As you check through this month's books, you'll see what it is.
Miscellaneous
The Pale Blue Eye - Louis Bayard ($14.95/$1.00, copyright 2006, 413 pages, Trade Paperback)Here we start with a retired NYC police investigator, August Landor, living in a small cottage in upstate New York. He is called in to help solve the death of a cadet at West Point in October of 1830. Since he’s a civilian and limited to where he can go and who he can speak to, he requests the assistance of one of the cadets themselves - Edgar Allen Poe. The chapters are listed as Narratives of Gus Landor with several reports by Poe mixed in, and Bayard does a great job of evoking the time and place, and giving each character a distinctive voice. Another murder takes place, suspects abound, and there is a very unexpected twist at the end. It took me longer to read this particular book because, almost halfway through, I realized that Bayard had laced references to Poe’s works throughout the novel - a bust of Pallas, a reference to the beating of a heart possibly being heard by someone, etc. (sort of like Easter eggs in a video game). I had to go back and make sure that I pick up as many as possible. I enjoyed it.
Inherit the Wind - Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee ($9.95/$.25, copyright [unpublished] 1951, 129 pages, Paperback)
I came across this at a library sale in Rahway and was immediately psyched. I loved the movie with Spencer Tracy, Frederic March, Gene Kelly, and Dick York. I even liked the TV version with Jason Robards, Kirk Douglas, Darren McGavin, and Kyle Secor. This is a fictionalized version of the Scope Trial, pitting Creationists against evolution, Bryant against Darrow. It may have a slightly dated quality to it but - looking around at the current political environment - it’s still pertinent today. I don't really think there's a need to go into what happens as I imagine that you all have seen this in one form or another. I enjoyed it.
Series
Comeback - Richard Stark ($12.00/$1.00, copyright 1997, 292 pages, Trade Paperback)A month or two ago I read and reviewed a Jack Reacher book because Tom Cruise had a movie come out based on the character. I liked the book but not the portrayal, largely because Cruise didn’t fit the physicality. Recently, Jason Statham starred in the movie “Parker” , based on the character by Richard Stark and I decided to read one of these books to see how close the performance might be. Richard Stark is a pseudonym for Donald Westlake, a writer known for his comic take on crime novels. As Stark - perhaps an indication of what he intends - he strips away the comic and gives us a series based on the no-frills exploits of a professional thief. This one is centered on the theft of the take from one of those bible-thumper, arena gatherings. The theft, however, is almost incidental. What happens is the after effects - a double-cross, cops, the bible-thumper and his security people, another crew, etc. They all interact before there's a resolution. Parker is a no-nonsense kinda guy. He doesn't talk much but he knows what needs to be done, and he does it. Statham is an excellent choice to portray him. I enjoyed it.
Faded Coat of Blue - Owen Parry ($6.99/$4.72, copyright 1999, 337 pages, Paperback)
I wrote about another of Parry’s Abel Jones novels last month. I was so impressed by it that I went looking for the first book in the series and found it at a used book store on Inman Avenue in Colonia. In this one, Jones is a Captain in the Union Army working as a clerk in the War Department in Washington. General McClellan himself brings Jones in to investigate the murder of another army officer who happens to have been an avid abolitionist. About a third of the way through, Jones reminisces on his past and we learn how this Welshman’s life has brought him to America and our Civil War; about his background in the English army; about his wife; and how he wound up with a damaged leg. Parry does a masterful job of detailing how life was in Washington in 1861 -
specifically how the poor lived, how the way the Irish were treated, and the corruption rampant among the officers and suppliers. (One thing I forgot to mention last month is that these books are written in the first person, and Parry has an amazing ear for dialect, giving Jones a very unique Welsh voice). There are twists, turns, and some fascinating characters. I enjoyed it.
So, let's recap. All 4 books this month deal with a crime. 3 take place in the past. 2 have the word "Blue" in their title. And 1 is a play rather then a novel.
That's it for February and, hopefully, winter. Spring is on the way. Talk to you next month and...
Keep Reading!
Miscellaneous
The Pale Blue Eye - Louis Bayard ($14.95/$1.00, copyright 2006, 413 pages, Trade Paperback)Here we start with a retired NYC police investigator, August Landor, living in a small cottage in upstate New York. He is called in to help solve the death of a cadet at West Point in October of 1830. Since he’s a civilian and limited to where he can go and who he can speak to, he requests the assistance of one of the cadets themselves - Edgar Allen Poe. The chapters are listed as Narratives of Gus Landor with several reports by Poe mixed in, and Bayard does a great job of evoking the time and place, and giving each character a distinctive voice. Another murder takes place, suspects abound, and there is a very unexpected twist at the end. It took me longer to read this particular book because, almost halfway through, I realized that Bayard had laced references to Poe’s works throughout the novel - a bust of Pallas, a reference to the beating of a heart possibly being heard by someone, etc. (sort of like Easter eggs in a video game). I had to go back and make sure that I pick up as many as possible. I enjoyed it.
Inherit the Wind - Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee ($9.95/$.25, copyright [unpublished] 1951, 129 pages, Paperback)
I came across this at a library sale in Rahway and was immediately psyched. I loved the movie with Spencer Tracy, Frederic March, Gene Kelly, and Dick York. I even liked the TV version with Jason Robards, Kirk Douglas, Darren McGavin, and Kyle Secor. This is a fictionalized version of the Scope Trial, pitting Creationists against evolution, Bryant against Darrow. It may have a slightly dated quality to it but - looking around at the current political environment - it’s still pertinent today. I don't really think there's a need to go into what happens as I imagine that you all have seen this in one form or another. I enjoyed it.
Series
Comeback - Richard Stark ($12.00/$1.00, copyright 1997, 292 pages, Trade Paperback)A month or two ago I read and reviewed a Jack Reacher book because Tom Cruise had a movie come out based on the character. I liked the book but not the portrayal, largely because Cruise didn’t fit the physicality. Recently, Jason Statham starred in the movie “Parker” , based on the character by Richard Stark and I decided to read one of these books to see how close the performance might be. Richard Stark is a pseudonym for Donald Westlake, a writer known for his comic take on crime novels. As Stark - perhaps an indication of what he intends - he strips away the comic and gives us a series based on the no-frills exploits of a professional thief. This one is centered on the theft of the take from one of those bible-thumper, arena gatherings. The theft, however, is almost incidental. What happens is the after effects - a double-cross, cops, the bible-thumper and his security people, another crew, etc. They all interact before there's a resolution. Parker is a no-nonsense kinda guy. He doesn't talk much but he knows what needs to be done, and he does it. Statham is an excellent choice to portray him. I enjoyed it.
Faded Coat of Blue - Owen Parry ($6.99/$4.72, copyright 1999, 337 pages, Paperback)
I wrote about another of Parry’s Abel Jones novels last month. I was so impressed by it that I went looking for the first book in the series and found it at a used book store on Inman Avenue in Colonia. In this one, Jones is a Captain in the Union Army working as a clerk in the War Department in Washington. General McClellan himself brings Jones in to investigate the murder of another army officer who happens to have been an avid abolitionist. About a third of the way through, Jones reminisces on his past and we learn how this Welshman’s life has brought him to America and our Civil War; about his background in the English army; about his wife; and how he wound up with a damaged leg. Parry does a masterful job of detailing how life was in Washington in 1861 -
specifically how the poor lived, how the way the Irish were treated, and the corruption rampant among the officers and suppliers. (One thing I forgot to mention last month is that these books are written in the first person, and Parry has an amazing ear for dialect, giving Jones a very unique Welsh voice). There are twists, turns, and some fascinating characters. I enjoyed it.
So, let's recap. All 4 books this month deal with a crime. 3 take place in the past. 2 have the word "Blue" in their title. And 1 is a play rather then a novel.
That's it for February and, hopefully, winter. Spring is on the way. Talk to you next month and...
Keep Reading!
Monday, January 21, 2013
Chapter Thirty-seven
Happy New Year, everybody! Welcome to the first post of 2013. Though it may look like only three books this time, I’m claiming four, as you’ll see in just a bit. To paraphrase Monty Python… And now for some things completely different.
Non-fiction
Married to Laughter - Jerry Stiller($14.00/$.50, copyright 2000, 336, Trade Paperback)
Let me admit up front that I was never a big fan of the act Stiller & Meara. I remember seeing them on the Ed Sullivan show and thinking that they weren't very funny. Of course, I was pretty young and maybe I didn't get the humor in the Irish girl/Jewish guy thing. But having read this autobiography, I have a better appreciation of their relationship. He starts with his early years in Brooklyn and on the lower East Side, where he became fascinated by vaudeville and decided to become an actor, and where he first met Ann Meara. He pursued this choice through his days in the Army, and his time in summer stock and with Joe Papp‘s Shakespeare in the Park, and ultimately to movies and TV (he ends the book after his stint on Seinfeld and just as he gets the call for King of Queens). Through it all, his relationship with - and marriage to - Anne has proved to be his strength. He’s said that she was always the pillar and he the neurotic. It’s part success story, part memoir, part comedy, and part love story. The blurbs call it “laugh out loud” funny. I didn’t think so, but I did enjoy it.
Miscellaneous
The Complete Brigadier Gerard - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ($9.95/Gift Card, Copyright 2005, 380 pages, Trade Paperback)
OK. Anyone reading this knows that I am a fan of Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories. But did you know that he created other just as famous characters? This collection contains all of the Brigadier Etienne Gerard stories, published in the Strand Magazine between 1894 and 1903, (during the period when Holmes was “dead“.). These stories were originally published as two separate volumes - “The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard” -8 stories -and “The Adventures of Brigadier Gerard” -9 stories - 17 stories in all. Doyle was fascinated by the Napoleonic Wars, and had done a lot of research. These stories are historically accurate but the character is far from Holmes. For the most part, they are told in the first person, and as if by a long-retired soldier living on a pension, passing the time with neighbors. He’s a Gascon, much like D’Artagnan from the Dumas stories - which is to say that he is given to exaggerating his abilities. But, as you read the stories you get to know the character, and the times he lived in. Though Doyle, on several occasions, reduces Gerard to the level of a buffoon, he always brings him back to the survivor who lived through the Napoleonic Wars by trying his best to follow orders even though he doesn‘t always understand them. The mood of the stories run from the joy Gerard feels at riding into action to the grimness of the retreat from Moscow. There is adventure, action, some romance (although Gerard always gets the short end here) and some real comedy. At times, the stories get repetitive - given the limited time/area - but Doyle has a way with words. I enjoyed it.
Series
Bold Sons of Erin - Owen Parry ($7.99/$.50, copyright 2003, 392 pages, Paperback)
Though not the first in the series, this was my introduction to the Abel Jones novels, which are set during the Civil War. Jones is a former sergeant from the English army who, having served in India, has relocated to America and now, as a major in the Union army, is tasked with solving murders and mysteries that may affect the outcome of the war. Abel is a short-statured Welshman - and a Methodist - with a bad leg due to a wound. In this book, he is sent to the coal mining area of Pennsylvania (where he and his family just happened to live) to solve another murder - that of a Union general on a conscription mission among the Irish miners. Parry paints as realistic a picture as possible of how life is for the Irish at that time, as well as how things were during the war. He brings in historical figures such as Lincoln and Seward in Washington, Black Jack Kehoe among the miners, and Meagher at Fredericksburg. And he doesn’t hold back from the carnage that was the Civil War, the incompetence of many of the Union officers, nor the corruption of mine owners and railroad operators. The murder turns out to have twists and turns that swing from Russians (autocrats and revolutionaries) to a parish priest and, even, witches. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
As I said, some different things this month - an autobiography, some non-Holmesian Conan Doyle stories, and a mystery series set during the Civil War. Maybe, in the months to come, I'll be telling you about some other different things I've been reading. Then again....maybe not.
Keep Reading!
Non-fiction
Married to Laughter - Jerry Stiller($14.00/$.50, copyright 2000, 336, Trade Paperback)
Let me admit up front that I was never a big fan of the act Stiller & Meara. I remember seeing them on the Ed Sullivan show and thinking that they weren't very funny. Of course, I was pretty young and maybe I didn't get the humor in the Irish girl/Jewish guy thing. But having read this autobiography, I have a better appreciation of their relationship. He starts with his early years in Brooklyn and on the lower East Side, where he became fascinated by vaudeville and decided to become an actor, and where he first met Ann Meara. He pursued this choice through his days in the Army, and his time in summer stock and with Joe Papp‘s Shakespeare in the Park, and ultimately to movies and TV (he ends the book after his stint on Seinfeld and just as he gets the call for King of Queens). Through it all, his relationship with - and marriage to - Anne has proved to be his strength. He’s said that she was always the pillar and he the neurotic. It’s part success story, part memoir, part comedy, and part love story. The blurbs call it “laugh out loud” funny. I didn’t think so, but I did enjoy it.
Miscellaneous
The Complete Brigadier Gerard - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ($9.95/Gift Card, Copyright 2005, 380 pages, Trade Paperback)
OK. Anyone reading this knows that I am a fan of Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories. But did you know that he created other just as famous characters? This collection contains all of the Brigadier Etienne Gerard stories, published in the Strand Magazine between 1894 and 1903, (during the period when Holmes was “dead“.). These stories were originally published as two separate volumes - “The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard” -8 stories -and “The Adventures of Brigadier Gerard” -9 stories - 17 stories in all. Doyle was fascinated by the Napoleonic Wars, and had done a lot of research. These stories are historically accurate but the character is far from Holmes. For the most part, they are told in the first person, and as if by a long-retired soldier living on a pension, passing the time with neighbors. He’s a Gascon, much like D’Artagnan from the Dumas stories - which is to say that he is given to exaggerating his abilities. But, as you read the stories you get to know the character, and the times he lived in. Though Doyle, on several occasions, reduces Gerard to the level of a buffoon, he always brings him back to the survivor who lived through the Napoleonic Wars by trying his best to follow orders even though he doesn‘t always understand them. The mood of the stories run from the joy Gerard feels at riding into action to the grimness of the retreat from Moscow. There is adventure, action, some romance (although Gerard always gets the short end here) and some real comedy. At times, the stories get repetitive - given the limited time/area - but Doyle has a way with words. I enjoyed it.
Series
Bold Sons of Erin - Owen Parry ($7.99/$.50, copyright 2003, 392 pages, Paperback)
Though not the first in the series, this was my introduction to the Abel Jones novels, which are set during the Civil War. Jones is a former sergeant from the English army who, having served in India, has relocated to America and now, as a major in the Union army, is tasked with solving murders and mysteries that may affect the outcome of the war. Abel is a short-statured Welshman - and a Methodist - with a bad leg due to a wound. In this book, he is sent to the coal mining area of Pennsylvania (where he and his family just happened to live) to solve another murder - that of a Union general on a conscription mission among the Irish miners. Parry paints as realistic a picture as possible of how life is for the Irish at that time, as well as how things were during the war. He brings in historical figures such as Lincoln and Seward in Washington, Black Jack Kehoe among the miners, and Meagher at Fredericksburg. And he doesn’t hold back from the carnage that was the Civil War, the incompetence of many of the Union officers, nor the corruption of mine owners and railroad operators. The murder turns out to have twists and turns that swing from Russians (autocrats and revolutionaries) to a parish priest and, even, witches. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
As I said, some different things this month - an autobiography, some non-Holmesian Conan Doyle stories, and a mystery series set during the Civil War. Maybe, in the months to come, I'll be telling you about some other different things I've been reading. Then again....maybe not.
Keep Reading!
Monday, December 24, 2012
Chapter Thirty-six
Well, we made it through another calendar year. There were family highs and lows, and national disasters and tragedies. But, at this time of year, we tend to count our blessings and look forward to the New Year. Here's this months selections.
Series
Think of a Number - John Verdon ($7.99/$.50, copyright 2010, 497 pages, Paperback)This is what I believe to be the first of a series. The hero here is Dave Gurney, a retired NYC detective who can't seem to relax in retirement. Gurney is a criminological genius but his personal life sucks. He gets involved with an old acquaintance who’s been getting some threatening mail - whoever sends it asks him to think of a number, then he’s to open the smaller, enclosed envelope which amazingly - reveals the same number. Then the guy gets killed and the killer‘s footprints seem to lead into the middle of a field, then disappear. Unfortunately, this has taken me 136 pages to get here and it takes me another 30 pages or so to see Gurney finally get asked to join the case. By now, I couldn’t care less how the killer pulled off the number trick or the murder. To me, it was taking too long and I just lost interest. Simply put, this new character just isn’t interesting to me. This one goes back on The Pile.
Brother Odd - Dean Koontz ($7.99/$.50, copyright 2006, 430 pages, Paperback)This is the third book in the Odd Thomas series. Odd was a short order cook who happens to see dead people. The operative word here is “see”. They don’t communicate with him. They just seem to hang around with him until he figures out what they need. In this one, he’s taken refuge in a monastery to get away from things that happened in the first two books. . Of course, that never actually works out. He winds up dealing with the monastery staff, a resident ghost who likes to ring the bells, creatures made of bone, a federal agent, and a nut case - all while trying to protect some children in the monastery’s school shortly before Christmas. I enjoyed the first book, I think because the character was new. The second was a little weirder, but the character of Odd rang true. I didn’t enjoy this one as much but the ending leads me to believe that there will be a fourth volume and maybe the Odd character will find some closure. Then again, sometimes, you can take a character a little too far. I’ll have to wait and see. It was OK.
Killing Floor - Lee Child ($7.99/$.50, copyright 1997, 407 pages, Paperback)This is the first of the Jack Reacher novels. Since Tom Cruise is starring in a movie about the character, I decided to check him out. Reacher is a former military policeman who, having left the army, decides to drop off the grid. He carries no ID and travels only by bus, rail, or simply walking. In this book, he’s arrested for a murder just after he enters a town. There’s something going on but he tries not to get involved until it becomes personal. Child builds the plot nicely, mixing in several other murders (some of which Reacher commits), a criminal undertaking that seems far-fetched but is reasonably explained, and an upcoming deadline. Reacher is an interesting, intelligent character (although I'm not sure how Cruise will do). I liked it.
Miscellaneous
The Avengers :Too Many Targets - John Peel & Dave Rogers ($8.95/$.50, copyright 1990, 181 pages, Paperback)These are not the Marvel Universe Avengers. These are the one’s from the BBC. John Steed, Emma Peel, Tara, Mother, etc. Every one of them true to life and a story that plays to their strengths. Someone is killing British agents. They suspect it's someone on the inside. Steed is supposed to believe it is Mother. Mother is supposed to believe it is Steed. The action is spaced out nicely so as to bring the major characters together. The dialog is fun to read. And there's robots. Jolly good fun. I enjoyed it.
Graphic Novels/Comics
Showcase Presents: Rip Hunter, Time Master - Various ($19.99/$5.00, copyright 2012, 511 pages, Trade Paperback) This is one of those collections that I mentioned last month. Rip Hunter is a “B” list character in the DCU who pops up whenever they have a crossover event that involves time travel. In effect, he’s the man. This volume includes Showcase numbers 20, 21, 25 and 26, and Rip’s own magazine numbers 1 through 15. This covers a time period from May 1959 through August 1963 (published bimonthly). They were all written by Jack Miller, one of the unsung bullpen members and includes artist Neil Caddy, Alex Toth, Bill Ely, and Ross Andru. Here, most of the action takes place in the past - the Stone Age, Ancient Egypt, etc. - with some futuristic aliens mixed in every now and then. The cast includes Rip, his good buddy Jeff Smith, his girlfriend bonnie Baxter, and her kid brother Corky. (This seems to have been a theme back then, a girlfriend who’s tough buts gets into trouble and a kid brother.) Again, these become repetitive if read in a single sitting so I spaced them out to 1 a week. I enjoyed it.
That's it for this month - and this year.
I wish you all health and happiness in the New Year.
Keep reading!
Series
Think of a Number - John Verdon ($7.99/$.50, copyright 2010, 497 pages, Paperback)This is what I believe to be the first of a series. The hero here is Dave Gurney, a retired NYC detective who can't seem to relax in retirement. Gurney is a criminological genius but his personal life sucks. He gets involved with an old acquaintance who’s been getting some threatening mail - whoever sends it asks him to think of a number, then he’s to open the smaller, enclosed envelope which amazingly - reveals the same number. Then the guy gets killed and the killer‘s footprints seem to lead into the middle of a field, then disappear. Unfortunately, this has taken me 136 pages to get here and it takes me another 30 pages or so to see Gurney finally get asked to join the case. By now, I couldn’t care less how the killer pulled off the number trick or the murder. To me, it was taking too long and I just lost interest. Simply put, this new character just isn’t interesting to me. This one goes back on The Pile.
Brother Odd - Dean Koontz ($7.99/$.50, copyright 2006, 430 pages, Paperback)This is the third book in the Odd Thomas series. Odd was a short order cook who happens to see dead people. The operative word here is “see”. They don’t communicate with him. They just seem to hang around with him until he figures out what they need. In this one, he’s taken refuge in a monastery to get away from things that happened in the first two books. . Of course, that never actually works out. He winds up dealing with the monastery staff, a resident ghost who likes to ring the bells, creatures made of bone, a federal agent, and a nut case - all while trying to protect some children in the monastery’s school shortly before Christmas. I enjoyed the first book, I think because the character was new. The second was a little weirder, but the character of Odd rang true. I didn’t enjoy this one as much but the ending leads me to believe that there will be a fourth volume and maybe the Odd character will find some closure. Then again, sometimes, you can take a character a little too far. I’ll have to wait and see. It was OK.
Killing Floor - Lee Child ($7.99/$.50, copyright 1997, 407 pages, Paperback)This is the first of the Jack Reacher novels. Since Tom Cruise is starring in a movie about the character, I decided to check him out. Reacher is a former military policeman who, having left the army, decides to drop off the grid. He carries no ID and travels only by bus, rail, or simply walking. In this book, he’s arrested for a murder just after he enters a town. There’s something going on but he tries not to get involved until it becomes personal. Child builds the plot nicely, mixing in several other murders (some of which Reacher commits), a criminal undertaking that seems far-fetched but is reasonably explained, and an upcoming deadline. Reacher is an interesting, intelligent character (although I'm not sure how Cruise will do). I liked it.
Miscellaneous
The Avengers :Too Many Targets - John Peel & Dave Rogers ($8.95/$.50, copyright 1990, 181 pages, Paperback)These are not the Marvel Universe Avengers. These are the one’s from the BBC. John Steed, Emma Peel, Tara, Mother, etc. Every one of them true to life and a story that plays to their strengths. Someone is killing British agents. They suspect it's someone on the inside. Steed is supposed to believe it is Mother. Mother is supposed to believe it is Steed. The action is spaced out nicely so as to bring the major characters together. The dialog is fun to read. And there's robots. Jolly good fun. I enjoyed it.
Graphic Novels/Comics
Showcase Presents: Rip Hunter, Time Master - Various ($19.99/$5.00, copyright 2012, 511 pages, Trade Paperback) This is one of those collections that I mentioned last month. Rip Hunter is a “B” list character in the DCU who pops up whenever they have a crossover event that involves time travel. In effect, he’s the man. This volume includes Showcase numbers 20, 21, 25 and 26, and Rip’s own magazine numbers 1 through 15. This covers a time period from May 1959 through August 1963 (published bimonthly). They were all written by Jack Miller, one of the unsung bullpen members and includes artist Neil Caddy, Alex Toth, Bill Ely, and Ross Andru. Here, most of the action takes place in the past - the Stone Age, Ancient Egypt, etc. - with some futuristic aliens mixed in every now and then. The cast includes Rip, his good buddy Jeff Smith, his girlfriend bonnie Baxter, and her kid brother Corky. (This seems to have been a theme back then, a girlfriend who’s tough buts gets into trouble and a kid brother.) Again, these become repetitive if read in a single sitting so I spaced them out to 1 a week. I enjoyed it.
That's it for this month - and this year.
I wish you all health and happiness in the New Year.
Keep reading!
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