Posts
The Limbo Line: Victor Canning
1 hour ago
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 18 Magazines Accepting Reprints - Paying Markets
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 18 Magazines Accepting Reprints - Paying Markets: Escher - Flickr - Attanatta There is nothing quite like having your work published after you have spent months sending your stories or p...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Bono by Helen Brown
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Bono by Helen Brown: Reviewed by Jeanne Have you ever wanted to just start over? Reinvent yourself? Get out of the ruts of going to work, mak...
Only days left to win books and more on KRL
Only days left to win a copy of "To Catch a Witch" by Heather Blake
http://kingsriverlife.com/09/15/to-catch-a-witch-by-heather-blake/
And to win a copy of "Sherlock Holmes and the Disappearing Diva" by Kelly Rey and Gemma Halliday,and while there check out an interesting interview with both authors
http://kingsriverlife.com/09/15/sherlock-holmes-and-the-case-of-the-disappearing-diva/
Also to win a fun gift basket from Lorraine Bartlett when you check out our review of her book "A Reel Catch"
http://kingsriverlife.com/09/15/a-reel-catch-by-lorraine-bartlett/
And to win a copy of "Travellin' Shoes" by VM Burns and while there check out a fun guest post by her about writing what you know
http://kingsriverlife.com/09/15/travellin-shoes-by-v-m-burns/
And on KRL News & Reviews, only days left to win a copy of "In the Dog House" by VM Burns
https://www.krlnews.com/2018/09/in-dog-house-by-vm-burns.html
And to win a copy of "Disorderly Conduct" by Mary Feliz
https://www.krlnews.com/2018/09/disorderly-conduct-by-mary-feliz.html
Also to win a copy of "Live and Let Chai" by Bree Baker Books
https://www.krlnews.com/2018/09/live-and-let-chai-by-bree-baker.html
Happy reading,
Lorie
http://kingsriverlife.com/09/15/to-catch-a-witch-by-heather-blake/
And to win a copy of "Sherlock Holmes and the Disappearing Diva" by Kelly Rey and Gemma Halliday,and while there check out an interesting interview with both authors
http://kingsriverlife.com/09/15/sherlock-holmes-and-the-case-of-the-disappearing-diva/
Also to win a fun gift basket from Lorraine Bartlett when you check out our review of her book "A Reel Catch"
http://kingsriverlife.com/09/15/a-reel-catch-by-lorraine-bartlett/
And to win a copy of "Travellin' Shoes" by VM Burns and while there check out a fun guest post by her about writing what you know
http://kingsriverlife.com/09/15/travellin-shoes-by-v-m-burns/
And on KRL News & Reviews, only days left to win a copy of "In the Dog House" by VM Burns
https://www.krlnews.com/2018/09/in-dog-house-by-vm-burns.html
And to win a copy of "Disorderly Conduct" by Mary Feliz
https://www.krlnews.com/2018/09/disorderly-conduct-by-mary-feliz.html
Also to win a copy of "Live and Let Chai" by Bree Baker Books
https://www.krlnews.com/2018/09/live-and-let-chai-by-bree-baker.html
Happy reading,
Lorie
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Review: TOUGH: Crime Stories Editor Rusty Barnes
TOUGH:
Crime Stories opens with “Texas Hot Flash” featuring
police Officer Sunshine McCall. A day in the life of the officer who happens to
be turning 40 with plenty to do and burdened by far too many memories.
Charlie
is very much lost as “Night Drive” by JM Taylor begins. A nighttime drive to
the pool at the college has gone horribly wrong. He is lost and in his
wandering has come across somebody from his old high school class. She is on a
street corner panhandling. She needs his help and one favor will lead to
another.
Someone
needing help is also a major point of the next story, “Lavina” by Richard
Prosch. At one end of the duplex are Danny Parks and his girlfriend, Tammy. At
the other end, there is Lavina and some guy she apparently lives with. Danny
and Tammy never paid much attention to them until it became very clear Lavina
need their help.
Our
narrator is the owner of the oldest tattoo store in the Bay Area and lives with
Megan who is a waitress. Each day is pretty much the same except for some artsy
kid from the university. The kid keeps coming in to the tattoo shop more and
more. Not only is he a bit different, he might be up to something in “St. Girard’s
Ink Den” by Mark Rapacz.
Kachencko
had spotted Jonas at the airport. That was a complication he didn’t need in “Detour”
by Tom Andes. The clock is ticking and Kachenko has a mission to complete.
Francie
is supposed to be marrying Nattie though, at the moment with his waving around
of the gun and the white powder around his nostrils, he really isn’t displaying
model behavior for a potential husband. In “Kennick” by Nelson Stanley, Kennick
deals with his cousin’s future husband as best is he can.
Mantra’s
dad used to talk about how a man needs to know himself. Mantra lives by that
principal and does in “Working Overtime” by Matt Phillips. He would also argue
that one needs to know others as well. Mantra, a cop, knows what is happening
in his city as well as what is going on in a certain bungalow in Palm Springs.
Things have to be dealt with one way or another.
James
and Harlan had a great plan in “And they Shall Take Up Serpents” by Chris McGinley.
The first part of their most excellent plan was to borrow the church van used by
their preacher. The same preacher who likes to use snakes in his services. They
really should have thought more about the snake issue.
Being
a waiter at Shenanigans on a Friday evening as happy hour rages on into the
night is not a lot of fun. Rob knows he is about to get screwed as the party of
ten sits down in “run, Jennifer” by Doungjai Gam. He has dealt with the group
before and they always leave a crappy tip. The only person in the group he
likes is Jennifer. The usual crappy tip
from the group will be the least of the problems on this night.
While
nobody has seen Carmen Sloane for five years now, everyone in the neighborhood has
seen her husband, Tom. He always makes a major point of talking about her. What
happened to Carmen is the point of “Love-Honor- Cherish” by J. D. Graves. A husband
has a duty to make his wife happy.
Chess
did his time and now is back home. Amir acts like they are fine and all, but
Chess senses that Amir is suspicious. Considering that Chess went to prison and
kept his mouth shut, Amir should be grateful in “Doubt Thou the Stars Are Fire”
by S. A. Crosby.
Stan
blew up his old life and is dealing with the aftermath in “Blood Daughter” by
Matthew Lyons. That includes trying to stay in touch with his daughter, Cassie,
despite the interference by his ex, Melinda. He may need to move forward by replacing
his family a piece at a time.
Katie
knows what is coming so now all she can do is “Leave The World a Better Place”
by Tom Barlow. She does. One shot at a time.
The
final story is an “opening excerpt” titled “Ruby Behemoth” by Court Merrigan.
Ivy was supposed to pick up Ruby Hix when she stepped out from the Women’s Penitentiary
in Chowchilla, California. She didn’t. That will be dealt with latter as Ruby
has errands to run and people to see.
The
stories in TOUGH: Crime Stories cover a broad spectrum in crime fiction. In
a couple of cases the stories tend more towards the horror genre than crime
fiction. In most of the cases, the situations the characters face are extreme
violence or day to day drudgery as whatever promise they had, if any, was never
fulfilled. These tales don’t feature kittens, balloons, or happy time thoughts---unless
serious drugs are involved. These are stories of lives coming apart at the seams
or lives dying a slow death in the day to day drudgery of just getting through
the day. Not an easy read and certainly not for all readers, the stories in TOUGH:
Crime Stories all showcase the idea that noir can come in many
different flavors.
TOUGH: Crime Stories
Editor
Rusty Barnes
Redneck
Press
August
2013
ISBN#
978-0692166543
Paperback
Only
166
Pages
$10.95
ARC
PDF supplied by Editor Rusty Barnes with no expectation of a review.
Kevin
R. Tipple ©2018
Monday, September 17, 2018
TEXAS BOOK LOVER: Monday Roundup: Texas Literary Calendar for Septem...
TEXAS BOOK LOVER: Monday Roundup: Texas Literary Calendar for Septem...: Bookish goings-on in Texas for the week of September 17-23, 2018: Special Events: Writers' Feast 2018 , Dallas, September 21 SCBWI ...
Aubrey Hamilton Reviews: Accent on Murder by Richard and Frances Lockridge
Frances Davis
Lockridge (1896-1963) and
Richard Lockridge (1899-1982)
were journalists known mostly for their Mr. and Mrs. North mysteries. A
good analysis of these books (written by Charles L.P. Silet)
can be found on MysteryNet.com here: http://www.mysterynet.com/books/testimony/norths/
About 70 books
form the lavish Lockridge oeuvre, released
between 1936 and 1980. In addition to the books about the Norths and Lt. Bill
Weigand of the New York City police, the Lockridges also created stand-alone mysteries
and mysteries with Nathan Shapiro, a police detective who worked for Bill
Weigand; with Bernie Simmons, an assistant district attorney in New York City;
with Paul Lane, a detective in the New York City 19th Precinct; and with
Inspector Merton Heimrich of the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal
Identification, stationed in upstate New York. Of them all, the books featuring
Lt./Capt./Inspector Heimrich are my favorites.
Lt.
Heimrich first appears in a North mystery, Death of a Tall Man
(1946) and then features in his own book the following year. (The Lockridges
liked to work their characters hard: Paul Lane pops up in several of the Bernie
Simmons books and Nathan Shapiro appears in at least one Merton Heimrich story.
Professor Emeritus Walter Brinkley shows up in multiple series.)
Heimrich’s
beat is Putnam County and the surrounding area north of New York City, bordering
the state of Connecticut, and a developing bedroom community at the time the
books were written. The Lockridges describe the land along the Hudson River,
where Putnam County is situated, lovingly; it must have been deeply important
to them. A lot of the tension and action in this series derives from resentment
of newcomers to what had been secluded rural enclaves owned by generations of the
wealthy. With commuter trains reaching further into the country in the 1950s, suburban
home ownership and work in the city became possible and many ambitious families
took full advantage. Then there were the nouveau riche anxious to become
country squires, also deeply disliked for their new money, presumption, and
disruption to the status quo. Much of the point of these books I think was to
examine a dramatically changing way of life and its impact on different groups.
In Accent
on Murder, one of my series favorites because of its geek plot, Walter
Brinkley, Professor Emeritus, is throwing a cocktail party for a recently
married acquaintance. Professor Brinkley in his retirement is writing a book on
American accents. Amusingly entitled A Note on American Regional Accents,
the manuscript is some 1200 pages long and not yet complete. A newcomer to the
area is killed by a shotgun and a local resident who isn’t entirely stable is
suspected but those who know him can’t believe he’s violent.
While
the police procedure is solid during most of the book, I have to confess the
plot seems to gallop near the end and has a certain amount of “And then a
miracle occurred” to wrap it up. The real strength of the book is the locale
and the characters and of course Professor Brinkley’s learned commentary on the
accents of everyone around him. The interaction between Professor Brinkley and
his housekeeper is particularly charming. Highly recommended for anyone but
especially readers of Golden Age mysteries.
·
Hardcover: 223 pages
·
Publisher: Lippincott;
1st edition (1958)
·
Language: English
·
ASIN: B0007DWVA2
Aubrey Hamilton ©2018
Aubrey
Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and
reads mysteries at night.
Sunday, September 16, 2018
Crime Watch: Review: FOOLS' RIVER
Crime Watch: Review: FOOLS' RIVER: FOOLS' RIVER by Timothy Hallinan (Soho Crime, 2017) Reviewed by Craig Sisterson The two most difficult days in Bangkok writer Poke...
Lesa's Book Critiques: A Willing Murder by Jude Deveraux
Lesa's Book Critiques: A Willing Murder by Jude Deveraux
Saturday, September 15, 2018
Crime Review Update: New issue of Crime Review
We feature new 20 reviews in each issue of Crime Review (www.crimereview.co.uk), together with a top industry interview. This time it’s author Steve Burrows in the Countdown hot seat. We’re on Twitter at: Crime Review: @CrimeReviewUK Linda Wilson: @CrimeReviewer Sharon Wheeler: @lartonmedia This week’s reviews are: WILD FIRE by Ann Cleeves, reviewed by Fiona Spence In the final Shetland novel, Jimmy Perez is facing the most disturbing investigation of his career. THE SHADOW KILLER by Arnaldur Indriðason, reviewed by Ewa Sherman When a travelling salesman is found shot in a basement flat, the police initially suspect a member of the Allied forces as it’s 1941 and British and American soldiers are stationed in Iceland. But the investigation takes a turn into the past and uncovers evidence of dubious experiments carried out on Icelandic boys. DON’T EAT ME by Colin Cotterill, reviewed by Chris Roberts Police Inspector Phosy Vongvichai investigates a body apparently gnawed by small animals, while Dr Siri Paiboun organises a Lao film version of War and Peace. OUR FRIENDS IN BERLIN by Anthony Quinn, reviewed by Arnold Taylor 1941. Jack Hoste is associated with a group of Nazi sympathisers intent on gathering secret information to help the German cause. His specific aim is to locate the most dangerous Nazi agent in Britain. THE MARTIAN GIRL by Andrew Martin, reviewed by John Cleal Failing journalist Jean becomes obsessed with the mystery disappearance of a rising Victorian music hall star. As she pursues her investigation, the lives of the two women begin to blur together and plunge her into danger. NIGHTFALL BERLIN by Jack Grimwood, reviewed by Chris Roberts British intelligence agent Tom Fox travels to Berlin to nursemaid a British defector seeking to return to the UK. Things do not go according to plan. BRIGHT SHINY THINGS by Barbara Nadel (audio narrated by Charles Armstrong), reviewed by Linda Wilson East London PI Lee Arnold and his friend and assistant Mumtaz Hakin set out to track down a young radicalised Muslim man in the hope that he’s decided to turn his back on ISIS. EDGAR ALLAN POE AND THE JEWEL OF PERU by Karen Lee Street, reviewed by John Cleal Edgar Allan Poe believes his family may again be under threat from the past as an influx of immigrants disrupts traditional city life. When a young heiress he is reluctantly helping disappears, he is forced to call for help from his French detective friend the Chevalier C Auguste Dupin.
KILLED by Thomas Enger, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor Henning is determined to discover who killed his son. But his determination will cost him dearly. CAN YOU HEAR ME? by Elena Varvello, reviewed by Sylvia Maughan Elia Furenti is a teenage boy living with his parents in a remote village in Northern Italy. When a young boy is kidnapped and murdered in the village and a young girl goes missing, Elia suspects his father. THE PRICE YOU PAY by Aidan Truhen, reviewed by Chris Roberts When Jack Price asks around about the murder of a near neighbour he gets a very serious beating. Jack’s thirst for recompense knows no bounds. ALL THESE BEAUTIFUL STRANGERS by Elizabeth Klefoth, reviewed by Linda Wilson Charlie Calloway’s mother disappeared ten years ago. Rumour has it that her rich, powerful father was responsible. Charlie never believed the rumours, but she still wants to know the truth. LIAR’S CANDLE by August Thomas, reviewed by John Cleal Penny Kessler becomes an international symbol when she survives a terrorist bombing, then is forced to go on the run to stay alive OUR HOUSE by Louise Candlish, reviewed by Linda Wilson Finding strangers moving into her house who claim to have bought it is only the start of Fi Barton’s nightmare … I, WITNESS by Niki Mackay, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor Six years ago Kate Reynolds pleaded guilty to the murder of her best friend. Now she wants to clear her name. KIN by Snorri Kristjansson, reviewed by John Cleal When the adult sons and daughter of Viking chieftain Unnthor Reginsonn are drawn back to the isolated family farm in search of his fabled wealth, murder follows. Adoptive daughter Helga Finnsdottir must find the killer. THE COLLECTOR by Fiona Cummins, reviewed by John Barnbrook The Bone Collector is a disturbed and sinister figure who abducted people with bone deformities to strip and display their skeletons. He had been caught by the police but escaped and now his earlier victims, together with new specimens, are at serious risk. THE SECRETS OF VESALIUS by Jordi Llobregat, reviewed by John Cleal Daniel Amat returns to Barcelona after the death of his father and is plunged into dark mystery of murder and scientific experimentation. MY BOX-SHAPED HEART by Rachael Lucas, reviewed by Linda Wilson Girl meets boy, but they both have secrets, some darker than others. THE TRIAL OF ADOLF HITLER by David King, reviewed by Chris Roberts The true story of the 1923 ‘beer hall putsch’ and subsequent trial, which provided Adolf Hitler with a great opportunity for publicity, kick-starting his rise to power. Best wishes Sharon
Mystery Fanfare: MYSTERY BYTES: News and Views around the Internet
Mystery Fanfare: MYSTERY BYTES: News and Views around the Internet: I often post individual news items when I see them, but thought I might do a round-up every now and again. Here are several news items a...
KRL This Week Update for 9/15/18
Up in KRL this week a review and giveaway of "To Catch a Witch" by Heather Blake http://kingsriverlife.com/09/15/to-catch-a-witch-by-heather-blake/ And a review and giveaway of "Sherlock Holmes and the Disappearing Diva" by Kelly Rey and Gemma Halliday, along with an interesting interview with both authors http://kingsriverlife.com/09/15/sherlock-holmes-and-the-case-of-the-disappearing-diva/ We also have a review of "A Reel Catch" by Lorraine Bartlett, and a chance to win a fun gift basket from the author http://kingsriverlife.com/09/15/a-reel-catch-by-lorraine-bartlett/ And a mystery short story by Gary R. Hoffman http://kingsriverlife.com/09/15/murder-on-lake-okeechobee-mystery-short-story/ And a review and giveaway of "Travellin' Shoes" by VM Burns along with a fun guest post by her about writing what you know http://kingsriverlife.com/09/15/travellin-shoes-by-v-m-burns/ Over on KRL News & Reviews we have a review and giveaway of "In the Dog House" by VM Burns https://www.krlnews.com/2018/09/in-dog-house-by-vm-burns.html And a review and giveaway of "Disorderly Conduct" by Mary Feliz https://www.krlnews.com/2018/09/disorderly-conduct-by-mary-feliz.html And also a review and giveaway of "Live and Let Chai" by Bree Baker https://www.krlnews.com/2018/09/live-and-let-chai-by-bree-baker.html
Happy reading, Lorie
Lesa's Latest Contest: Cat Cozy Mystery giveaway
This week, I'm giving away cat cozies - Sofie Kelly's A Tale of Two Kitties and Cate Conte's Purrder She Wrote. Details on my blog, https://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com. Entries from the U.S. only,
please.
Lesa Holstine
lesa.holstine@gmail.com
http://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com
please.
Lesa Holstine
lesa.holstine@gmail.com
http://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com
Saturdays With Kaye: The Mirror Sisters by V. C. Andrews
The Mirror Sisters by V. C. Andrews
This is classic V. C. Andrews, dark and gothic, with a pair of
tormented sisters. In this case, they’re tormented by their mother, who is
obsessed with them being identical twins. Not just identical, but absolutely the
same in every aspect. Not only their hair and clothing, but the treatment they
get, the food they eat, comments made to them, equal hugs and kisses. Kaylee,
Haylee’s twin, begins to think that her mother considers them one person:
Kaylee-Haylee, Haylee-Kaylee, which is what she often calls them. She always
makes sure to say the other name first the next time. The excruciating rituals
wear thin on their father, who dares to think that maybe they might want to be
considered as individuals some day. He seems to be their only hope for
eventually becoming whole persons.
The girls are home-schooled so that nothing and no one can ruin
their perfection. Their mother loves the fact that people stare at them when
they eat out. They always respond in tandem to comments. Their mother would be
upset if they didn’t.
However, the mother relents at last and lets them attend public
high school. Predictably, cracks appear in the mirror. We’ve already seen that
Haylee is growing adept at creating little eddies of turmoil that reflect badly
on her sister. In high school, the eddies turn into dangerous whirlpools.
It’s very good that a second and third installment are planned
soon. You’ll see what I mean when you finish the book. It seems to read slowly
and there’s a lot of repetition, but the story is always building and the
tension increasing. If you like Andrews or gothic horror, you’ll race through
this book, shivering with dark delight.
Reviewed by Kaye George, author of Requiem in Red, for Suspense Magazine
Friday, September 14, 2018
FFB Review: DEATH KNELL (1945) by Baynard Kendrick (Reviewed by Barry Ergang)
It has been awhile, but Barry Ergang is back today
with another all new FFB review. For the rest of the list make sure you check
out Patti Abbott’s blog.
DEATH KNELL (1945) by
Baynard Kendrick
Successful novelist and
gun collector Larmar Jordan lives in a lavish fourteenth floor Arday Apartments
suite with his wife Lucia, his live-in secretary Paul Hirst, a cocker spaniel
named Winnie, and domestic servants. In attendance at a cocktail party in the
suite are
Larmar’s literary agent Sarah Hanley, newspaper reporter Bob Morse, and Sybella
Ford, accompanied by her fiancée Captain
Duncan Maclain.
Having attained his rank twenty years earlier during World War I while
an intelligence officer, and blinded during that conflict, Maclain overcame his
handicap—and benefited from it by heightening his other senses—to take on the
unlikely profession, along with partner Spud Savage, of private investigator.
When Troy Singleton, a woman with whom Jordan has been intimately
involved, is shot to death in the author’s study with one of the firearms from
his esoteric collection, Jordan is the immediate and arrested suspect. Although
New York Homicide detectives Inspector Davis and Sergeant Archer, with whom
Maclain has contended before, consider it an open-and-shut case, not least
because of a neighboring witness, Mrs. Oliver, Maclain agrees to undertake
Lucia’s investigation of her husband’s predicament. What he unearths reveals a
great deal more than the police have suspected.
In addition to some of the aforementioned people, Maclain has to deal
with as sources of information and/or as suspects Ellis Brown Mitchell,
firearms expert who is cataloguing Jordan’s collection; Jess Ferguson, Jordan’s
attorney; a menacing and motivated individual named Martin Gallagher; and very
successful aircraft manufacturer Daniel Pine.
A generally well-written detective story with a good sense of
character, Death Knell has occasional
arguable stylistic lapses wherein descriptions of Maclain’s abilities are
reminiscent of descriptions of pulp “super” heroes like The Shadow, Doc Savage,
and others of that ilk. The novel combines the qualities of the traditional
whodunit with some of the action and suspense of the hardboiled school.
Those old enough to remember the short-lived TV series Longstreet might recall its blind
insurance investigator portrayed by James Franciscus. Mike Longstreet wasn’t Duncan
Maclain, but the program—and thus his character—was credited to Kendrick as
creator. In 1938 and the early1940s, there were several movies starring the
miscast Edward Arnold (miscast physically, that is, based upon descriptions in
the books) as Maclain, among them “Eyes in the Night” which, as of this
writing, is available at YouTube.
Although my teenage reading about
mystery series informed me of the Duncan Maclain novels, it wasn’t until
paperback editions were reissued following the advent of the Longstreet program in 1971 that I
actually got to read several of them. It is a worthwhile series of detective
novels which merits resurrection for 21st Century readers.
© 2018 Barry Ergang
While his website is http://www.writetrack.yolasite.com/ some of Derringer
Award-winner Barry Ergang’s work is available at Amazon and Smashwords.com
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Guest Post: The Tipping Point by Paul D. Marks
When your son
gets his Bachelors Degree in Criminology at UTD and then goes on to work on his
graduate degree in the same subject at the University, you learn a lot about the
“Broken Windows Theory” which is a major part of Criminology. That theory ultimately
led to the concept of “Community Policing.” That theory also led to the new
book by award winning author Paul D. Marks. Please welcome Paul to the blog
today with his guest post.
The Tipping
Point by Paul D. Marks
According
to Malcolm Gladwell in The Tipping Point—How Little Things Can Make a Big
Difference, Broken Windows theory says:
In
a city, relatively minor problems like graffiti,
public
disorder, and aggressive panhandling,
[James
Q. Wilson and George Kelling write],
are
all the equivalent of broken windows,
invitations
to more serious crimes.
—Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping
Point—How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
Point—How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
To
that end, Private Eye Duke Rogers decides to help Marisol, an undocumented
immigrant, whose brother has been murdered.
Duke
says, “I believed in the ‘broken windows’ theory, which says that if you
replace the broken windows in your neighborhood there will be less crime
overall. The murder of Marisol’s brother Carlos was a broken window that needed
fixing. And I decided right then: I would help Marisol…”
Broken
Windows
is the sequel to my Shamus Award-winning mystery-thriller White Heat. In White
Heat Duke does something that inadvertently leads to the death of an
innocent person. In that book, he tries to make amends for his actions. And in Broken
Windows he’s still doing penance for unintentionally and indirectly causing
that woman’s death. So maybe he’s a good guy who just wants to help Marisol out
or maybe he’s doing it to try to fix his own “broken window”.
Like
many of us, Duke is a mixed bag in terms of a person. He’s someone who wants to
do good, but who sometimes can’t, and who sometimes does the wrong thing simply
because it’s expedient. But he does have a conscience and wants to make good
for his misdeeds. At the same time he has to contend with his sidekick and partner,
Jack, who’s the epitome of unPC. And, while Duke and Jack don’t always see eye
to eye, each knows the other has his back. In some ways, Jack is like the devil
from the old cartoons on Duke’s shoulder, egging him into doing the wrong
thing.
In
the course of the case, Duke and Jack find themselves in the middle of the
immigration quagmire, embroiled in the Prop 187 debate even to the point of
finding themselves at Smuggler’s Gulch near San Diego, one of the main routes
for people to sneak into the US. They find that things aren’t what they seem
and through Marisol even Jack begins to see the ambiguities of the immigration
debate.
And,
though the story is set in 1994 and revolves around a real situation, that of
the Prop 187 chaos, we might look at it as a precursor to what’s happening with
the immigration debate today. And if we don’t find a way out of the immigration
quicksand, we’ll find ourselves continuing to sink, until the muck is over our
heads and our grandchildren are writing stories around the immigration issue of
their time and saying to each other, ‘the more things change, the more they
stay the same’.
And
thank you for hosting me, Kevin. I’ve enjoyed being here.
Paul
D. Marks ©2018
Paul
D. Marks is the author of the Shamus Award-winning mystery-thriller White
Heat, which Publishers Weekly calls a “taut crime yarn,” and its sequel
Broken
Windows (dropping 9/10/18). Publisher’s Weekly says: “Fans of downbeat
PI fiction will be satisfied…with Shamus Award winner Marks’s solid sequel to… White
Heat.” Though thrillers and set in the 1990s, both novels deal with
issues that are hot and relevant today: racism and immigration, respectively. Marks
says “Broken Windows holds up a prism from which we can view the
events burning up today’s headlines, like the passionate immigration debate,
through the lens of the recent past. It all comes down to the saying we know so
well, ‘the more things change, the more they stay the same’.” His short stories
appear in Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazines,
among others, and have won or been nominated for many awards, including the
Anthony, Derringer and Macavity. His story Windward, has been selected for the Best
American Mystery Stories of 2018, edited by Louise Penny & Otto
Penzler, and has also been nominated for both a 2018 Shamus Award and Macavity
Award for Best Short Story. Ghosts of Bunker Hill was voted #1 in the 2016
Ellery Queen Readers Poll. He is co-editor of the multi-award nominated
anthology Coast to Coast: Private Eyes from Sea to Shining Sea. www.PaulDMarks.com
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