For my monthly newspaper book
review column in the Senior News
Newspaper, I usually make sure to choose one fiction and one nonfiction
book in the hopes of interesting more readers. For September I went with The
Contractors by local area resident Harry
Hunsicker
who I have been a huge fan of since
reading his first book, Still
River. For the non-fiction book I went with Playing
with Stencils: Exploring Repetition, Pattern, and Personal Designs by Amy Rice. For a number of years before
Sandi had cancer she did a lot of stencil work. These days her eyes as well as
her hand/eye coordination won’t allow it, but she still looks at the books when
I bring them home for use in the column and on the blog. Longer reviews of both
were run here on the blog earlier this year and can easily be found by clicking
on the above book titles.
Included
below are the relevant book covers for my September 2014 column…
The
Contractors: A Thriller
Harry
Hunsicker
Thomas
& Mercer (Amazon)
ISBN-13: 978-1477808726
E-Book
(available in paperback and audio)
514
Pages
Anyone who has read the Lee Henry Oswald series
by Harry Hunsicker knows that the author does not write the Dallas Chamber of
Commerce ad copy type of books. Bad things happen to all on the streets of
Dallas in his books. The Contractors: A Thriller raises
that bar to all new levels.
While nearly everyone has heard of the private
contractors working in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere overseas, they also are
working here at home. Jon Cantrell and Piper are contractors for the DEA as
well as being romantically involved. As the book opens, they are on the trail
of Lisa, a missing 14 year old teenager. Hired by a retired crooked cop named
Sinclair they need to find the girl and get her back home. Not only will that
get them paid, it will allow them to focus on another job where their violent
skills will be put to the test.
Those who expect a serious mystery in the style of
the excellent Lee Henry Oswald series will be disappointed in The
Contractors: A Thriller. This is a fast paced action orientated novel
where nearly everyone has very few redeeming qualities. A thriller in every
sense of the word where character development is limited and told in occasional
bursts of backstory to give readers a break from the frenetic forward pace. The
Contractors: A Thriller by Harry Hunsicker takes readers on a violent
and bloody rampage from one end of Texas to the other in a read that constantly
twists and turns in ways that should keep readers hooked to the very end.
Playing
with Stencils: Exploring Repetition, Pattern, and Personal Designs
Amy
Rice
Quarry
Books (Quayside Publishing Group)
ISBN#
978-1-59253-829-4
Paperback
144
Pages
Playing with Stencils: Exploring
Repetition, Pattern, and Personal Designs by Amy Rice features variety
in design of others while teaching readers how to go about creating their own
personal touches in various projects. Along with plenty of information there
are a number of photographs depicting the various ideas covered in the book.
Broken into three main
sections along with several resource sections the book features projects that
go from floor to table and runs the gamut. While skill level is not addressed
in this 145 page book it is clear that like any other art form patience and
practice will be needed to perfect the image you are trying to create. This is
a good resource featuring plenty of colorful projects to help you get started
while also providing plenty of inspiration.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2014
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