Doctor Day--Completed

Finally back home and the overall news was good. Everything that is happening with Sandi is perfectly normal at this stage post stem cell transplant. Blood work looks good and they are very pleased.  Long term prognosis and treatment was not discussed as they were really focused on what we need to do the next couple of weeks. The long term stuff has to be coordinated with Mayo staff who uses a different treatment protocol than what her people here do for a stem cell transplant procedure.

The firm belief here is that she still has the blood clot in her neck though it probably shrunk just enough that the neck swelling went down. They believe strongly that, despite what she was told, Sandi was put on a plane and sent home with the clot in there. Needless to say, I am not pleased about that.This also backs up what Sandi has been saying all along regarding the fact that her neck still does not feel right and she has occasional pain in there. For now they are leaving it alone and will not ultrasound the area.

Basically, leave everything alone and just watch her is the mantra for anything and everything right now.

At this point Sandi moves to a once a week blood work deal. Her next time for blood work and a doctor visit is next Wednesday morning.  In between she is supposed to keep eating right, being careful not to overdo things, try to walk a little bit around the complex each day, get plenty of rest, take her 18 daily drugs, and to just be careful "not to rock the boat."

All in all, things seem to be on track in the right way and now we just have to wait and see...

Review: "Keller's Therapy" by Lawrence Block

Don’t let the strange cover of this turn you away from a good read. Unlike the covers of the other short story e-books by Lawrence Block that I have read, this cover featuring two dogs with one on the couch and the other one standing makes absolutely no sense to this reader. Of course, when you are Lawrence Block, covers probably don’t matter at all.

Keller is in therapy as this one opens relating a dream he says he had to Dr. Jerrold Breen. The dream may mean nothing or it could be very symbolic according to the doctor. As he discusses the dream further with Keller, he finds the dream very symbolic as he does the name Keller is going by – Peter Stone.

Why Keller/Peter Stone is going to therapy is just one of the many questions gradually answered in this complicated tale set in New York City. The answer will take some time as the therapy continues with a couple of interruptions for Keller’s work as a murder for hire gunman. Keller is a complicated character as is this good story originally published in 1993.

Keller’s Therapy

Lawrence Block

http://www.lawrenceblock.wordpress.com

Self-Published

February 2013

ASIN: B00BHIZW9I

E-book

$2.99

32 Pages

Material was picked up during the author’s recent free book promotion.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2013

Doctor Day Tomorrow

Sandi's first appointment since she returned from her stem cell transplant is early tomorrow afternoon. It has been awhile since we made our way down to the offices of the cancer doctor at Medical City Dallas for blood work and an office visit, but, that is the plan for tomorrow afternoon. With her car dead in the parking lot, hopefully nothing will go wrong with my car and we can safely get there and back. We also hope the blood work news is good and she won't need any transfusions or infusions.

She continues to tire easily and have the chills and hard shakes after every meal. But, she has started getting a little color back and does not look anywhere as pale as she did when she came home a week ago  Monday. She looks a lot better than she did.

One of the things the folks at Mayo really wanted her to do was walk a little bit each day. Not only does it do something to help strengthen her immune system, walking a little each day will hopefully start to strength her endurance. That should eventually help with future medical treatments assuming she can get back some strength and endurance. Weakness is a huge issue for her and probably plays a role in the post meal chills and shakes.

Today was the first day she felt strong enough to walk a little bit. With Scott at her side she went out for a little while this afternoon for a short walk within  the complex. They were gone a little over a half an hour and kept it close and slow. It wore her down quite a bit, but she said it felt good and that she was glad she had tried to walk.

Her appointment is in the early afternoon tomorrow so with travel time and all that, I have no idea what time late tomorrow afternoon or evening we will be back. I will update sometime late tomorrow when I can.

Life Lessons

can be hard......

 ...and whatever you do, don't pull his finger!

Interesting Reading Elsewhere--- At the Scene of the Crime: Who Ruined Roger Rabbit?

 I never thought much of the Roger Rabbit movie deal. Just didn't really hold my interest or work for me. I never bothered to try and read the book the movie was based on.  Patrick Ohl did read the book and has some thoughts....

At the Scene of the Crime: Who Ruined Roger Rabbit?: I’m a very big fan of the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit . It’s one of the greatest movies of all time in my book – the visual effects are as...

Free Book-- TROUBLED SEA by Jinx Schwartz

The e-book version is free again and happens to be in my electronic TBR pile. Just have not gotten to it as well as many others yet. The synopisis posted at Amazon is:

Hetta and Jenks Jenkins live a life many only dream of aboard their 42-foot boat in Mexico's hauntingly beautiful Sea of Cortez. But their chosen sea has a serpent: Mexico's out-of-control drug trade.

After witnessing a drug-deal gone wrong, they set off a deadly chain of events that lands them in a sea of intrigue involving a best friend, the Mexican Federal Police, the DEA, US Coast Guard, the INS, and a nasty drug cartel.

This fast-paced adventure is a must-read for anyone who has ever dreamed of cutting the lines and shoving off to adventure.

 
You can find it here. 

Thank you to Jinx Schwartz for the direct message alert.

Review: "Organized To Death: A Lighter-Side Mystery Story" by Jan Christensen

Life was supposed to be less stressful and a bit simpler in the fall of 2007 when Tina Shaw came back home to Newport, Rhode Island. Having given up her psychology practice at age 29 in favor of a new profession as a professional organizer, life should be less stressful with her new career as her clients should not die. Her first job should also be easy, all things considered, as she will be working with a client, Rachel, whom she has known since they both were kids. Rachel obviously needs her help as her house is packed. Clutter has filled every nook and cranny except for the perfect baby nursery that is in pristine condition.

That is except for the dead body sprawled across the floor in a pool of blood with several bullet holes in the back.

Crystal is very much dead and for Rachel the loss is tremendous. Crystal could be over bearing and judgmental, but they were sisters and Rachel loved her dearly. If Rachel already needs mental health help, as Tina suspected considering the stat of the house, she certainly does now.

She might not be the only one who needs someone to talk to in Tina's circle of friends and acquaintances. Not only does a killer walk among them, but nearly everyone has a major secret. Some of those secrets unite the characters in various ways, while other secrets will ultimately destroy relationships and cost lives.

Organized To Death: A Lighter-Side Mystery Story by prolific short story and novelist Jan Christensen is a suspenseful page turning read. First in a new series, it features Tina Shaw a complicated young lady with secrets of her own. She also can't get a decent home cooked meal to save her life, has three potential romantic partners who annoy and intrigue her, and the serious unwanted interest of the police who see clear evidence linking her to at least one murder. A rich dynamic character who has yet to find herself, this first novel of a planned series is a tale of personal exploration weaved into a suspenseful cozy style mystery.  Rich in detail and populated with complicated multi-dimensional characters in every role, this latest book from author Jan Christensen is another good one.

Organized To Death: A Lighter-Side Mystery Story

Jan Christensen

http://www.janchristensen.com

CreateSpace (Self Published)

December 2012

ISBN# 978-1481139779

Paperback (also available as e-book)

234 Pages

$11.99

Material supplied by publicist PJ Nunn owner of BreakThrough Promotions.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2013

Interesting Reading Elsewhere--- Anne R. Allen's Blog: 7 Ways Authors Waste Time "Building Platform" on S...

I'm very sick of the huge emphaisis on platform building that many of the small publishers epecially seem to put before what really should matter--quality books. Do you really mean to tell me you, as a publisher, would pass on a great book simply because the author did not have, in your opinion, a big enough social media presence?

Folks, you truly have to read this very informative piece that says it so much better than I would.....

Anne R. Allen's Blog: 7 Ways Authors Waste Time "Building Platform" on S...: Authors are getting hammered with more and more demands on our time. We get escalating pressure to blog more! tweet more!! send more newsl...

Another Free Book---Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: Free for Kindle for a Limited Time

Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: Free for Kindle for a Limited Time: Hallowed Ground: David Niall Wilson, Steven Savile, Robert Sammelin: Amazon.com: Kindle Store : When a man known only as The Deacon set up c...

Lesa's Latest Contest

 as posted elsewhere.....

This week, I'm giving away a copy of Carolyn Haines' latest Sarah Booth Delaney series, Smarty Bones, and Kathryn O'Sullivan's debut, Foal Play. Details on my blog, http://.www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com.

Entries from the U.S. only, please.

Lesa Holstine

lesa.holstine@gmail.com 

http://.www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com.

Free Flash Crime Stories Book from Author R. J. Spears

I picked up a copy of this recently and have not had a chance to read it yet. The link below takes you to the listing on Amazon....

Well, it's time for some BSP.  I have my collection of 7  flash crime
stories, Flash Flash, Bang Bang, available for FREE on Amazon today for
anyone that wants it.  It contain 5 previously published stories and 2
original flash pieces.
You can find it at:Flash Flash, Bang Bang 

Thanks,R.J. Spears

20 Months and Counting-- Karl, Kroger, and the Federal Lawsuit Update

I have been chronicling Sandi’s cancer fight and Karl’s situation with Kroger on Custer Road here in Plano for what seems like forever. Of course, both deals got going really bad at nearly the same time with Karl being pushed out of work on unpaid suspension in mid October 2011 and our finding out Sandi had cancer a few weeks later on Thanksgiving Day. Like her cancer fight, the assistance of experts was needed. That was done when Karl hired the Kendall Law Group last summer. When Kroger management refused to fix the mess their local employees created, that resulted in the filing of a federal lawsuit last September as reported in local and national media as well as on my blog here.

As I have noted here on an infrequent basis, the case continues to grind slowly closer to trial with Houston based attorneys of the Cozen O’Connor law firm representing Kroger. In addition to deposing Karl for the day a couple of months ago, they have his entire medical record, his entire school record, his records from Social Security, etc. Not to mention the fact they also have all the evidence Karl had of wrongdoing in the store and numerous other records and materials.

Apparently all that material on Karl’s entire life and work history is somehow still not enough. They have served notice to the court and other parties that they will take my deposition this coming Friday morning. Considering the records and materials they have, the vast volume of information they have in their possession, I have no idea why they their deposing me starting at ten am Friday morning in the law offices of the Kendall Law Group is necessary.

But, assuming my car keeps running (Sandi’s car is deader than a doornail) I will make the long drive to Karl’s lawyers located just off of Downtown Dallas and be there.

Interesting Reading Elsewhere---Ed Gorman's blog: Steven Spielberg's Nightmare Scenario For Hollywood Is Already Coming True

 If you are not already reading Ed Gorman's blog you should be. You also have to read this as what they are doing is just nuts!  Ed Gorman's blog: Steven Spielberg's Nightmare Scenario For Hollywood Is Already Coming True

Fathers Day 2013

Happy Fathers Day to my fellow fathers---whether you had to go to the Maury Povich show or not. Keep your shirt on so you stay off of COPS.

And remember, don't scratch in public. Makes some folks upset and they will complain. Unless you are a professional athlete. Then it is fine to publicly scratch, but, remember to thank God for the win.

28 Years and Counting....

On a very warm afternoon of June 15, 1985 I married a certain young lady by the name of Sandi in a small church in a suburb of Boston. We were married in the same church her parents were married in years before. I wore a rented tux that was way too big in the waist. A highlight of the ceremony was that every time I moved, especially to kneel, a pin would fly free.

There were times when you literally could hear a pin hit something.

Soon, people in the first couple of rows learned to duck every time I knelt. As the ceremony wound down and I tried to not sound like a quivering idiot every time I spoke, little did we know that we were minutes away from taking a ride in a limo with  no air conditioning driven by a man who would run at least three red lights and nearly sideswipe a half a dozen cars in his attempt to get us to the reception hall. We had no idea it was really possible to make a limo go sideways through an intersection when one was not on a movie set.

It is. The driver did it twice. The second time he did it, he pulled off the hat trick by sending us both off the seat and to the floor.

We also didn't know that the next morning we would wake up to 28 degrees and snow and sleet falling on the city of Boston, Massachusetts. If we had, we might have had more clothing packed than lightweight shorts and shirts and a couple of pairs of jeans.

When we said our vows 28 years ago we had no idea that it was going to be, for the most part, a lot of whole lot of poorer and way too much sickness. We had no idea. What we thought our lives together would be like was very far from the reality that our lives have become. Especially since March of 2010 when I got sick with whatever this is I have and then Sandi's cardiac issues, strokes, and cancer battles. This was not the reality we had planned for and expected on any level.

But, life is what it is and while I would change a lot of things in my past, I would not change marrying Sandi. And I am very thankful and grateful that she is still here with me 28 years and counting later.

Happy Anniversary, Sandi.

Interesting Reading Elsewhere--- Not The Baseball Pitcher Blog

From time to time you no doubt have seen comments on this blog from a guy named Randy Johnson. If you are old enough you may remember a baseball pitcher by that name. This is not the same guy. This is a guy with far ranging tastes in humor, books and film, and stuff in general. Every Friday you can count on Randy to have a solidly good post for Friday's Forgotten Books hosted by Patti Abbott.

Today he is taking a look, as he has in recent weeks, at another Spaghetti Western. You can read his review of May God Forgive You...I Won't here.

Spend some time on Randy's blog--it is well worth it.

Once a Cougar....

....always a Cougar. Bryan Adams High School, Dallas, Texas. Class of 80.....Go Cougars!

 

Interesting Reading Elsewhere--- Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: 2013 Nero Award Finalists

 Yet more award worthy books I have not read....

Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: 2013 Nero Award Finalists: Mystery Fanfare: 2013 Nero Award Finalists

Event: WRITERS' GUILD OF TEXAS MONTHLY MEETING Monday, June 17, 2013

WRITERS' GUILD OF TEXAS MONTHLY MEETING

 

Monday, 17 June 2013

7-8:30 p.m.

Topic: Annual WGT Read-In

Speakers: Featuring the Work of Members

 

Richardson Public Library

900 Civic Center Dr.

Richardson TX 75080

Basement Room

 

Read your work to an appreciative audience of your peers. Three ways to sign up and read:

·       Sign up at the May 20 meeting — signup sheet will be available.

·       Send an email to Virginia Boylan, velkaecs@aol.com.

·       Sign up at the June 17 meeting, if we still have room to add readers (those who sign up in advance get first dibs on reading slots).

Ø  Please note: Readings are limited to a maximum of 5 minutes, with a brief “set-up” of no more than 1 minute allowed

Ø  We estimate that approximately 10 people will be able to read.

Ø  Remember, this is a public library so material must be “PG” or “G-rated” — suitable for all ages.

 

===========================================================================

The Writers' Guild of Texas WGT Critique Sessions: Third Wednesday of each month.

Registration: 6:45-7:00 p.m.

Reading/critiquing: 7:00-8:45 p.m.

 

Basement Room of the Richardson Public Library, 900 Civic Center Dr., Richardson TX 75080.

  

18 June: Coordinator Liz Klein leads these sessions. Participants present their original work and receive feedback.

===========================================================================

For more information about The Writers’ Guild of Texas, contact Membership Coordinator John Vance at john.vance1@gmail.com or WGT Critique Group Coordinator Liz Klein at wgtcritiquegroup@gmail.com.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Annual 2013 WGT dues of $25.00 may be paid at meetings or by mail to Writers' Guild of Texas, 6009 W. Parker Road, Suite 149-175, Plano TX 75093.

 

All WGT events located at the Richardson Public Library are free and open to the public.

===========================================================================

Monday, 15 July 2013: Randy Rawls, a North Carolina author with Texas ties, Randy is the author of several books. His most recent novel is Hot Rocks. Read more about Randy at his website, www.randyrawls.com   Monday, 19 August 2013: LaRee Bryant. The Business of Writing. The importance of approaching writing as a profession, dealing with agents and editors, and basic "don'ts" and "dos" regarding contracts. LaRee is the author of 7 historical novels and 2 non-fiction books, has recently finished the second book in a new cozy mystery series, and is now working on a new stand-alone mystery.   Monday, 16 September 2013: Jill Allison Bryan. Writing Past Procrastination, Perfectionism and Perfectly Good Excuses-5 Fun Ways to Jump Start Your Creativity. Jill will jumpstart your creativity with interactive exercises to stimulate your writing. Jill is a certified Master Kaizen-Muse® Creativity Coach, read more at www.creativeoasiscoaching.com.   Monday, 21 October 2013: TBA.   Saturday, 2 November 2013: Workshop. Rachel Simeone. Book marketing expert Rachel Simeone uses her 20+ years of experience in Internet and consumer marketing to help authors accelerate their sales and achieve their dreams. Implementing proven marketing strategies, Rachel develops customized marketing programs that attract readers and deliver sales. She is known for her innovative ideas that exploit hidden opportunities to give authors a marketing advantage. In addition to her work with authors, Rachel also developed a book marketing training program for the online publisher Blurb.   Monday, 18 November 2013: TBA.   Monday, 16 December 2013: WGT Holiday Meeting.

 

All Writers' Guild of Texas events held at the Richardson Public Library are free and open to the public.

 

For more information about The Writers’ Guild of Texas, contact Membership Coordinator John Vance at john.vance1@gmail.com or WGT Critique Group Coordinator Liz Klein at wgtcritiquegroup@gmail.com.

 

Writers' Events Calendar (contact carol.woods@verizon.net to have your conferences, meetings, or other writing-related event listed here—no individual book signings, please):

Saturday, 22 June 2013: Writing Workshop with Robyn Conley, Book Doctor. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Brady Housing Authority Community Room. 405 East Main, Brady TX 76825. Fiction writers: character building, plot development, marketing tools, revision tools; non-fiction writers: cornerstones of theme and sensory details used by journalists, poets, and those who want to leave a written legacy for their children. $15.00. www.robynconley.com

 

Friday-Sunday, 12-13 July 2013: Lexicon 2013. Sessions, pitch panels, awards, drawings, giveaways. One on ones with agents, publishing executives, writers. Pitch panel on Sunday. Bookstore for published authors. Contact: Mitch Haynes, LexiCon President – 940-206-0262 –MAHaynes36@aol.com. Hilton Garden Inn, Denton, Texas (940-891-4700). LexiConWritersConference@yahoo.com

 

Friday-Sunday, 19-21 July 2013: Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference. Friday keynote: Susan Orlean, Saturday keynote: Rick Atkinson, Sunday keynote: Skip Hollandsworth. Workshops, agents, dozens of speakers, contest. $295.00 until 30 June 2013m then $370.00. Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center, 1800 Highway 26 East Grapevine, Texas 76051-9641. 817-481-8444.http://themayborn.unt.edu/MaybornConference.htm

 

Thursday, 15 August 2013: The Writer's Block presents the second of two FREE! The Craft of Fiction Writing Series 2013. “Beginnings, First Chapters, and Endings" led by writer Ann Fields. The Center for Community Cooperation, 2900 Live Oak in Dallas, Texas, 75204, (214) 821-0911. Register online at http://www.writersblockinc.org/.

 

Thursday-Sunday 24-32 October 2013: Austin Film Festival 2013 Conference. Film competition now open. Screenplay competition now open. Austin TX www.austinfilmfestival.com.

First Saturday each month (except January): Dallas MWASW (Mystery Writers of America, Southwest). Texas Land & Cattle, 812 South Central Expressway, Richardson, TX 75080, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. $5.00 door fee, cash only. All who attend are invited to remain for lunch. Contact info: LaRee Bryant, LBryant316@aol.com. Permission to forward.

First Saturday each month: Pens and Pancakes Writers Workshop. 10:30 a.m.-noon. The Dock Bookshop. 6637 Meadowbrook Dr. in Fort Worth, TX 76112. Guest facilitator Shewanda Riley. Dock Bookshop (www.thedockbookshop.com). 817.457.5700. FREE.

The Dallas Area Writers Group (DAWG) put together a summer reading list—including a reading list for writers. Check it out! The more readers in the world—the more opportunities for writers! www.alanelliott.com

Second Saturday each month: North Texas Speculative Fiction Workshop. Meets every 2nd Saturday at the Hurst Barnes & Noble Bookstore, 6pm.http://www.ntsfw.com

Frisco Writers Meet-Up Groups: Day group meets every 3rd Thursday and night group every 2nd Tuesday. See website for more details. http://www.meetup.com/writers-749/

Visit http://www.writersleague.org/programs/classes.html for up-to-date information on Writer's League of Texas workshops held in Austin TX.

Visit http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/ for guidelines to participate in the annual Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest.

 

The Writers' Guild of Texas is a nonprofit professional organization whose primary purpose is to provide a forum for information, support, and sharing among writers; to help members improve and market their writing skills; and to promote the interests of writers and the writing community.

 

If you don't wish to receive these announcements, please let me know.

Permission to forward this email is not only granted, but encouraged. Let's get the word out to as many in the writing community as possible.

 

Carol Woods, Communications

Writers' Guild of Texas

carol.woods@verizon.net

 

 

Interesting Reading Elsewhere--CrimeFictionWriter: Death of the first draft

I am nowhere near able to do this .....

CrimeFictionWriter: Death of the first draft: I don't know precisely when I stopped writing first drafts, but I do know I haven't written a first draft in years. When I started...

Interesting Reading Elsewhere: "There's No Such Thing as Good Writing: Craig Nova's Radical Revising Process"

In one of my many online writing groups, Texas author Jan Christensen posted a link the other day to this very interesting article in The Atlantic. The piece is here and written by author Craig Nova. It will make you think about the necessary act of revising your work in a radaically new way.

Well worth your time.

Interesting Reading Elsewhere--Tall Chambers at Bookbrowsing

PJ Nunn has an interview that author Earl Staggs did with his character Tall Chambers. You can read the interview here and it is well worth your time. You could even leave a comment. In your comment, you might suggest my idea that Tall needs a sidekick named "Short Magnum" in book two of this series is a good one.

Earl isn't so sure about that.

He definitely was not impressed with my idea that a female character could be named "Tiffany Penetrator" or "Trixie Doubleshot."

I also suggested Terminal Response as a sequel to Justified Action and he didn't much care for that either.

 So hard to help him be successful.....

FFB Review: "THE VANISHERS" by Donald Hamilton -- Reviewed by Barry Ergang

 Friday means Friday’s Forgotten Books hosted by Patti Abbott. Please welcome back Barry Ergang and make sure you check out the other reading possibilities here after you read the review below……

THE VANISHERS (1986) by Donald Hamilton

Reviewed by Barry Ergang

I've been a fan of Donald Hamilton's novels about secret agent Matt Helm since I was in my teens, which means over the course of fifty years, give or take a year or two. Paperback originals under the Fawcett Gold Label imprint, the Helm novels  date back to 1960, starting with Death of a Citizen and ending in 1993 with The Damagers. Those who only know Helm via the (admittedly entertaining) movie spoofs starring Dean Martin do not begin to know the character. The Helm of the novels is a tough, canny, no-nonsense professional who makes the James Bond of Ian Fleming's novels look like a callow, sentimental, incautious amateur. Helm's enemies are also far more plausible than Bond's, however diverting and cartoon-like the latter's may be.     

The Fawcett Gold Medal paperbacks included detective stories by the likes of Richard S. Prather and Stephen Marlowe, spy thrillers by Edward S. Aarons and Philip Atlee, and noir by David Goodis and Peter Rabe. These were, in the main, slim fast-paced novels that typically ran between 144 and 160 pages in length. A few exceptions ran close to or slightly over 200 pages. But then, over time, some of Fawcett's authors started writing longer books. I don't know if it's true or not, but I've often suspected that many publishers demand longer books so they can charge higher prices for them.

In the novel under consideration here, a number of relatively prominent people—scientists, businessmen, and politicians—have vanished (or have been vanished) during the course of the year, and Matt Helm's boss, Mac, expects to be among the next to disappear. He assigns Helm to check on the well-being of the hospitalized Astrid Watrous, who may have been poisoned by a woman named Karin Segerby. Astrid's oceanographer husband is among those who have vanished. After putting emergency routines in place against the possibility of Mac's disappearance, and then being told to "scramble" by a trusted colleague, Helm and Astrid fly to Norway to begin a perilous journey through Scandinavia to a mysterious installation known as the Darkroom. Besides having to worry about attacks from possible terrorists, Helm has to deal with Swedish relatives whose loyalties are hard to determine. To further complicate his situation, a man named Bennett, an old enemy, has been appointed temporary head of the agency in Mac's absence, and aims to make his position permanent. He's declared Helm a traitor and defector, and has assigned agents to kill him. Beset from all sides, Helm isn't sure whom he can trust.

Sounds like a tense, exciting read, doesn't it? For this reader it is and it isn't.

First-person narrator Helm retains the wry manner that was established in Death of a Citizen, and which I've always found appealing. E.g., "A man who says he isn't going to take any chances, as he jabs a gun amateurishly into the back of a trained agent, makes it very hard for said agent to take him seriously. It's one of the situations for which we're taught several responses, mostly lethal, even though no sensible person with a firearm is going to move in that close. After all, the whole point of guns is that they can hurt at a distance."

The problem with The Vanishers is its length. At 295 pages, it lacks the pace of so many of the other books in the series, especially the first thirteen. It's filled with protracted passages that describe the various routes Helm takes driving through Norway, Finland and Sweden, often sounding more like travelogue than fiction. It reinforces the suspicion I voiced earlier, that the publisher may have insisted on longer work and Donald Hamilton therefore padded the story with lots of filler. Even some of the dialogue exchanges seem to go on longer than necessary. Padding dilutes tension rather than prolonging it. Another notable feature is that, being  occupied with entirely different matters, Helm isn't at all involved in the resolution of the vanishings.

Did I dislike the novel? No. It was fun to visit with Matt Helm again, even if aspects of the visit were disappointing. Would I recommend it? Yes—with the caveat about padded passages and the suggestion that some readers might want to skim or even skip over them.

Barry Ergang © 2013

The reviewer would like to thank Karen Mayers for kindly loaning him The Vanishers.

*****

Many of the Matt Helm novels are among the books from his personal collection that Barry has for sale at http://www.barryergangbooksforsale.yolasite.com/. He contributes 20% of the price of the books to our fund, so please have a look. A Derringer Award winner, some of Barry's written work is available at Amazon and Smashwords.

Interesting Reading Elsewhere-- Writing Mystery with Linda Rodriguez

Over on the Book Country blog, there is an interesting interview with Linda Rodriguez of Every Broken Trust and Every Last Secret. I really like this series and highly recommend it. The books definitely should be read in order starting with Every Last Secret. The very good interview is here and discusses the books as well as her writing process in general.

In case you missed my reviews, my review of Every Broken Trust is here and Every Last Secret is here.

Interesting Reading Elsewhere---Six Steps of Self-Publishing (Mostly for Traditional Authors)

Author Libby Hellman with lots of good advice on what she believes is the best way to go self published in Six Steps of Self-Publishing (Mostly for Traditional Authors)

Interesting Reading Elsewhere---- Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: The Heist -- Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg

 Texas author Bill Crider reviews The Heist by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg....

Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: The Heist -- Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg: I'm a big fan of the work of Lee Goldberg, and Judy's a big fan of the work of Janet Evanovich. So when the review copy of this bo...

Sad News

Joan Parker, the wife of author Robert B. Parker, died Tuesday. The obituary in the Boston Globe can be found here.

Applies to all of my writing

though these days it is mainly letters that I am doing to insurance companies, collection agencies, student loan folks like NELNET who can't understand reality or documentation.....