Wednesday, April 14, 2021
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Year of Wonders, Purpose of Power, Laced, The Splendid and the Vile, China Dolls
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Year of Wonders, Purpose of Power, Lac...: The first book up was Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks which, as the title implies, is set in London in 1666 ...
SleuthSayers: The Busted Flush by David Edgerley Gates
SleuthSayers: The Busted Flush: Penguin/Random House has reissued John D. MacDonald’s twenty-one Travis McGee novels in nicely-packaged trade paper, with tasteful cover art...
Short Story Wednesday Review: Merrick: A Short Story by Ben Boulden
From the archives….
Almost from the beginning, the planned robbery of
the armored stage goes wrong one day in Texas. Nobody was supposed to die.
Clarence Tilley, had a good plan, but he didn’t plan for everything in Merrick:
A Short Story.
A robbery gang is only as good as its weakest link. The point is proven again and again in this fast moving western tale by Ben Boulden. Filled with plenty of action, intrigue and deceit, as well as need for justice, the story recounts how Merrick does what needs to be done to settle things as best as can be done in the hard scrabble West. Like his novel, Blaze: Red Rock Rampage, the short story, Merrick, is highly recommended.
Merrick: A Short Story
Ben Boulden
http://www.gravetapping.blogspot.com
.45-70 Press
September
2017
ASIN: B075JN7Y21
eBook
25 Pages
Digital ARC was provided by the author for my use in an objective review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2017, 2021
Tuesday, April 13, 2021
Review: Dark Sky: Joe Pickett Novel by C. J. Box
It was not a job
that Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett wanted, but the Governor made it clear he
had no choice. At fifty-one and doing a job for the most part he loves, he is very
well aware that politics controls his career and his department. If he did not
already know, a recent meeting with the newly elected Governor made that fact abundantly
and bluntly clear in a recent meeting.
So, on this
October morning with signs that winter is coming, Joe Pickett is at the
Saddlestring Municipal Airport watching a Gulf Stream worth sixty-five million
dollars power across the western sky above the Bighorn Mountains. It is a plane
he is not looking forward to meeting and not just because standing there in the
morning cold is not doing a lot for his still healing leg due to the events in Long
Range. The rifle round ripped through his thigh and, while he is
better and able to be back at work, he feels it when he stands in the cold or
where he exerts that leg. He is also not wearing his gun, holster, or belt and
he is keenly aware of the missing weight.
It is not long
before the plane stops and the man he is supposed to take elk hunting comes
down the stairway. Steven “Steve-2” Price, social media tech mogul, has arrived
for his hunting experience. With him is his assistant, Timothy Joannides, and
his bodyguard Zsolt, who treats Joe like he is a threat and not law enforcement.
It is clear from the start that the three men have no business coming to
Wyoming for an elk hunt and the trip is designed as a sort of publicity stunt.
It is also clear that they will be treating Joe and his friend who is helping
guide the trip, Brock Boedecker, as glorified servants to do their every whim.
The three from
California, despite what Steve-2 says, are not there to really experience
nature and fully participate in the elk hunt. Thanks to all their high-tech
toys and unwillingness to actually help set up camp or do anything, they are
there to be seen, by way of constant social media posts, to be seen on the
hunt. While his daughters know about Steve-2 and use his sites, Game Warden Joe
Pickett cares nothing about that.
Pickett’s plan
is to get through the next few days as best as he can while hopefully
accomplishing the main mission as outlined by the Governor. His job, as well as
the jobs of many others is at stake, per the Governor's stated threat. A
mission that would be difficult at best if things went right. It won’t because
the five of them and their horses are not the only ones in the mountains.
Dark Sky: A Joe
Pickett Novel
by C. J. Box is the latest in this long running series and is a good one.
Readers unfamiliar with the series could start here as the backstory is limited
and does not impact previous reads. Readers long familiar with the series will
find plenty to enjoy in this latest read that ends in a fittingly violent and
intense resolution in the mountains of Wyoming. An ending that is also used,
much like a billboard neon sign out by the highway, to tell one and all the focus
of the next book in the series.
Dark Sky: A Joe
Pickett Novel
C. J. Box
G. P. Putnam’s
Sons
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/588964/dark-sky-by-c-j-box/
March 2021
ASIN: B08BKTNP9X
eBook (Hardback,
audio, and large print paperback formats also available)
363 Pages
Material supplied by the good folks of the Dallas Library System. Big time thanks to Scott who was able to make the technology work for his old man.
Kevin R. Tipple
©2021
Monday, April 12, 2021
Little Big Crimes: Ghost of a Ghost by Martin Hill Ortiz
Little Big Crimes: Ghost of a Ghost, by Martin Hill Ortiz: "Ghost of a Ghost," by Martin Hill Ortiz, in Mystery Weekly Magazine, April 2021. This is, I think, at least the fourth story in ...
Beneath the Stains of Time: Murder in the Oval Office (1989) by Elliott Roosevelt
Beneath the Stains of Time: Murder in the Oval Office (1989) by Elliott Roosevelt: Some years ago, "JJ," of The Invisible Event , started a sporadic series of blog-posts entitled "A Little Help for My Friends...
Bitter Tea and Mystery: #1936Club: Case for Three Detectives
Bitter Tea and Mystery: #1936Club: Case for Three Detectives: I read this book for the 1936 Club hosted by Simon at Stuck in a Book and Karen at Kaggsy's Bookish Ramblings . I have had this book on...
SleuthSayers: Anthologies, Pro and Con by Steve Liskow
SleuthSayers: Anthologies, Pro and Con: When I started taking writing seriously, I aimed to produce a novel every year or so, along with three or four short stories. When I publish...
Aubrey Hamilton Reviews: Someone to Watch Over Me by Ace Atkins
Someone to
Watch Over Me
by Ace Atkins (Putnam, 2021) is the ninth book he’s released in the series about
the iconic private eye Spenser created by Robert B. Parker in 1973.
Spenser has
always been inclined to mentor the youngsters who come his way, Paul Giacomin and Zebulon Sixkill most notably. The latest
is Mattie Sullivan, a former client, who is acting as his trainee while she attends
college classes. Mattie’s new client is a 15-year-old girl who wants to recover
her laptop and backpack which were taken from her after the girl was assaulted
by a much older man in an exclusive Boston club. The teenager is afraid to
report the attack and insists on secrecy. Mattie is enraged after she learns
her client is one of many girls victimized by this wealthy executive and his
friends.
Spenser is
understandably disgusted; he and Hawk become involved in Mattie’s case as the relatively
simple request to recover a laptop and backpack gradually reveals a major sex
trafficking operation that moves girls out of Boston to a private estate in the
Bahamas. Word that Spenser’s nemesis The Gray Man serves as the security lead
for the operation creates flashbacks to their last encounter, from which
Spenser emerged critically wounded.
A significant
subplot deals with the loss of Pearl II and the ways Spenser, Susan Silverman,
and Hawk each react to the replacement puppy.
This story
was clearly written in 2019 at the time Jeffrey Epstein and his colleagues were
making headlines. Current events have provided cases for Spenser before; School
Days (Putnam, 2005) is a notable example. Atkins follows the details of the
depressingly sordid tale so closely that even the physical descriptions of the
characters match the real-life players. The ending however is considerably
different and far more satisfying.
Comparisons
between Atkins’ version of Spenser and that of the series creator are
inevitable. Spenser is not quite the same in Atkins’ hands but then Spenser in
the early Parker books is not the same as Spenser in the last few Parker books
either. Which one is the real Spenser? The differences may lie more in the plot
treatments. For instance, the thread about the puppy seemed unParker-like to
me. It was not the sort of detail I think he would have included.
I was glad to
see a mention of Paul Giacomin, as he has
thus far been missing from the Atkins books, and I wondered where he was. My
very favorite bit though was Spenser saying he has Hank Phillipi Ryan on speed
dial. Ryan is an actual well-known investigative reporter for Boston station WHDH-TV as well as an award-winning
mystery novelist. Inside jokes are always fun. This book is a good thriller and
essential reading for fans of the Spenser canon.
·
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons (January 12, 2021)
·
Language: English
·
Hardcover: 320 pages
·
ISBN-10: 052553685X
·
ISBN-13: 978-0525536857
Aubrey Hamilton ©2021
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It
projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
Sunday, April 11, 2021
Punk Noir Fiction: The Company Man by Paul D. Brazill
Paul posted this a few days ago and I just found it today. To be fair..... I feel seen. 🤣
Punk Noir Fiction: The Company Man by Paul D. Brazill
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett: Reviewed by Jeanne Thirteen year old Tiffany Aching is continuing her training to be a witch. At the moment, she’s apprenticed to ...
Saturday, April 10, 2021
Beneath the Stains of Time: Pell-Mell in a Hotel (2021) by Eugenius Quak
Beneath the Stains of Time: Pell-Mell in a Hotel (2021) by Eugenius Quak: A few years ago, E-Pulp published Gruwelijk is het huwelijk ( Marriage is Gruesome , 2017) by the impalpable enfant terrible of oranje pu...
Scott's Take: Once & Future Volume Two: Old English by Kieron Gillen and Illustrator Dan Mora
Once
and Future Volume 2: Old English
by
Kieron Gillen and illustrator Dan Mora is the second volume in the series. I
reviewed Once
and Future Volume 1: The King Is Undead back last January. I said in
the conclusion of that review that this book was on order and that the library
system was not accepting holds. Eventually, they did, I did my hold, and it
finally came my way.
Once and Future
Volume 2: Old English continues the story of Duncan and his grandmother, Bridgette
McGuire. After the revelations in the first volume, Duncan has lost a lot of
his innocence and has become a bitter young man. His relationship with his
grandmother is worse than ever. As they attempt to stop the undead King Arthur
from enacting his new evil plan, they have a new problem. Beowulf has
manifested in the real world. Because Beowulf has manifested, so too has
Grendel and his mother, who are also threats.
Full of action,
the same sense of humor, and incredible art like the first volume makes this
another very good read. Both Duncan and his grandmother remain the same great
characters they were in the first volume. The bad guys are just as evil as they
were in the first volume. if you enjoyed
the first volume you will love this volume. Once and Future Volume 2: Old
English has a bit more of a horror tone to it than the first book.
Despite that fact, it was not over the top.
I highly
recommend this series.
The next book in
the series, Once & Future Volume 3: The Parliament of Magpies
and scheduled to be released in late July. This means with the way things work in
the Dallas Library System, I am looking at very late summer or early Fall before
I will be able to get my hands on a copy to read.
Kieron Gillen
https://www.comixology.com/Kieron-Gillen/comics-creator/1864
Illustrator Dan
Mora
https://www.behance.net/danmora
Boom Studios
https://www.boom-studios.com/wordpress/
November 2020
ISBN:
978-1-68415-637-5
Paperback (also
available in eBook format)
160 Pages
My reading copy came from the Dunbar Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.
Scott A. Tipple ©2021
Friday, April 09, 2021
The Reading Room: You Cannot Mess This Up: A True Story That Never Happened ~ Reading Room Review
The Reading Room: You Cannot Mess This Up: A True Story That Never H...: If you could travel back in time and not only observe but interact with your ten-year-old self and your then family, would you? Amy Wein...
Gravetapping: Coming Soon: Killers, Crooks & Spies: Jack Bickham's Fiction
Gravetapping: Coming Soon: Killers, Crooks & Spies: Jack Bickham...: My companion to the late-Jack Bickham’s novels, titled Killers, Crooks & Spies: Jack Bickham’s Fiction , is coming out ne...
Beneath the Stains of Time: The Hotel of the Three Roses (1936) by Augusto de Angelis
Beneath the Stains of Time: The Hotel of the Three Roses (1936) by Augusto de ...: Back in 2016, Pushkin Vertigo introduced the world to the father of the Italian detective story, Augusto de Angelis , who created a homegrow...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams: Reviewed by Ambrea Gavin Scott is second baseman for the Nashville Legends. His career is at an all-time high, he has a beauti...
FFB Review: The Texas Capitol Murders by Bill Crider
From the Archives….
The Texas Capitol Murders
features romance, murder, a Texas Ranger, a governor afraid of his own shadow,
strident anti-abortionists, at least one pervert (depending on your personal
definition of “pervert” there could be a couple more), and other unique human
beings. In other words, the read easily could be nonfiction, but author Bill
Crider is offering this read featuring a cast of characters as a fictional
mystery. Originally published in 1992 by St. Martin’s Press, the book has
recently been released again in an e-book version with a much better cover than
the original. The setting of the late eighties may be twenty plus years old,
but the story itself is not dated and could easily be happening right now
considering how things work at the state capitol.
Nearly everyone involved in this story is trying to
use their job at the state capitol to move up to better things. The usual worst
point of the day for many is when “Wayne the Wagger” comes out in view of
tourists and staff and the drug addicted homeless man does what comes
naturally. That does not ever go over well and the usual response by capitol
police is to kick him out of the building for the day.
While they may tolerate Wayne inside the building
when he does his thing when he goes outside and decides to use one of the small
cannons flanking the entrance – cannons that may or may not have been used in
both the Texas Revolution and the Civil War – as a public urinal, it gets him
arrested. Too bad Wayne can’t remember witnessing the murder of a woman in the
capitol building the night before because the police could really use his help.
They don’t even yet know there is a dead woman in the building.
Shifting through a large cast of characters, Texas
author Bill Crider weaves a story of romance, greed, lust, and political
agendas run amok. Likeable and respectable characters are few in this wild tale
where idiots (certified and otherwise) abound. Far different than his Sheriff
Rhodes series where Sheriff Dan Rhodes is the main focus while investigating
the latest murder, here author Bill Crider puts a number of characters into
motion and unleashes chaos as those involved randomly collide and ricochet off each
other while going through their day-to-day activities.
Occasionally a little raunchy, sometimes sarcastic, The
Texas Capitol Murders is an entertaining tale that is quirky and funny
while delivering a topflight mystery to its fitting dangerous end at the top of
the capitol dome. Like the floor below, nearly everyone is cracked in this
story that is well worth your time.
The Texas Capital Murders
Bill Crider
http://www.billcrider.com
ASIN: B00BV8ZCC6
March 2013
E-book (print length 266 pages)
With the print copy unavailable at my local library,
the material was purchased via a gift card by this reviewer for use in an
objective review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2013, 2021
Thursday, April 08, 2021
Vaccine Update: 52 Hours
We felt better when we got up this morning so we decided to go about things like it was a normal day and not stay in bed all day like we did yesterday. That was a bit of a mistake.
As the day wore on, we felt more and more fatigued and somewhat achy. Scott also developed off and on chills though that seems to have stopped this evening. His right arm still bothers him a bit, but he seems to be powering through it and it is not impacting his video game performance levels tonight.
All in all, if this is the worst of it, we have done very well.
SleuthSayers: Get Under the Kanopy
SleuthSayers: Get Under the Kanopy: What I am about to tell you will probably delight a few people and annoy a lot more. That is the risk you take in the hard-hitting world o...
A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: Release Day! Mail Order Blaze by Caroline Clemmons
A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: Release Day! Mail Order Blaze by Caroline Clemmons: Caroline Clemmons has a new release today. It’s available through Amazon and Kindle Unlimited. About the Book After her sister ...
Wednesday, April 07, 2021
Late Night Vaccine Update
As I write this, it has been nearly 30 hours since we each got our shot. So far, so good. Scott's arm is hurting a bit at the injection site, but not too bad. I have not had any arm pain. We both have had a headache today.
The big thing has been that we both have been very tired today. Neither one of us slept very much last night. So, how much is the lack of sleep and how much is the shot, we do not know.
If this is the worst of it, we are very happy.
Dallas Morning News: Art and the City: Literary Dallas continues to grow, despite challenges of the pandemic
Dallas Morning News: Art and the City: Literary Dallas continues to grow, despite challenges of the pandemic
Beneath the Stains of Time: The League of Matthias (1934) by Brian Flynn
Beneath the Stains of Time: The League of Matthias (1934) by Brian Flynn: Brian Flynn 's The League of Matthias (1934) is the fourteenth entry in the once criminally overlooked and now justifiably revived Anth...
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: "So Much Cooking" by Naomi Kritzer
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: "So Much Cooking" by Naomi ...: This short story is written as a series of blog posts, beginning with hints of an outbreak of bird flu. The blog focuses on food and cooking...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Dark Arts and a Daiquiri, Best of Iggy, Promised Land, Dark Money, Paris Hours, Murder List
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Dark Arts and a Daiquiri, Best of Iggy...: Reported by Garry Nevermore started with some light and fluffy reading, which was just what our reviewer needed. Dark Arts and a Daiq...
Been a Hell of A Day
The last few days I have been dealing with a lot of things. Way more than normal. Late this afternoon, we got our one and done J&J Covid 19 shots and it seemed like things might start turning around. Then some other stuff happened this evening and enough was enough.
Effective immediately, I have resigned as VP of the SMFS and have left the group in all aspects. Clearly, I over stayed my welcome. I wish all involved well as they move forward.
Tuesday, April 06, 2021
Monday, April 05, 2021
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey: Reviewed by Christy Evelyn is a renowned and award-winning scientist, known for her groundbreaking work in creating genetically c...
Aubrey Hamilton Reviews: The Lady Upstairs by Halley Sutton
Halley Sutton
is a writer and editor living in Los Angeles. Her debut novel The Lady
Upstairs (Putnam, 2020) is a startlingly original piece of noir that’s
earned praise from major reviewing outlets, including a starred review from
Kirkus. Reviews on Amazon and Goodreads are mixed, which is a testament to the
deeply dark nature of the tale.
Set in
contemporary Los Angeles, the main character and sole narrator of the story is
a woman named Jo. At a low point in her life Jo was recruited for a specialized
line of work by her coworker Lou, who is the contact with their elusive boss Jo
knows only as The Lady Upstairs.
The agency is
advertised as a recruiting and placement firm but its source of revenue is
blackmail. Its goal is to take revenge on men who exploit women: the Hollywood
producers, the powerful business executives, the corrupt politicians, the men
who have insulated themselves from retribution with their clout and their
money. Jo arranges for their quarries to meet appealing women and, when they
behave as usual, a hidden photographer collects incontrovertible evidence of
their vices. The targets of her stings are always willing to pay handsomely to
see that their venality stays secret.
Most of Jo’s
sizable income is earmarked to reduce a substantial debt. Once the slate is
wiped clean, Jo intends to leave the job and Los Angeles and start over
somewhere else. Freedom is in sight when one of her targets ends up dead, drawing
law enforcement attention to the agency and Jo. Jo desperately sets up one last
scam to win back the trust of The Lady Upstairs, recoup the lost money, and
divert the police.
In other hands this plot could have turned into a feminist caper, a light-hearted spin on “don’t get mad, get even.” But Sutton has turned out an intense piece of noir with unlikeable characters and desperate situations where none of the choices are good. Everything is filtered through Jo and her increasingly alcoholic perceptions, creating doubt in the reader as to what really is happening. The ending seems inevitable. An acutely suspenseful story, even though I realized early on what was meant to be a big reveal near the end of the book. Halley Sutton is an author to watch.
·
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons (November 17, 2020)
·
Language: English
·
Paperback: 320 pages
·
ISBN-10: 0593187733
· ISBN-13: 978-0593187739
Aubrey Hamilton ©2021
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who
works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
Sunday, April 04, 2021
Saturday, April 03, 2021
Scott's Take: Batman: Three Jokers
Batman: Three Jokers
by Geoff Johns is a DC Black Label title so it is meant for adult readers. This
book took several years to create and that ended up causing it to be an elseworlds
tale and not cannon. With beginnings that tie into Justice League: The
Darkseid War published in 2016, this book took so long to complete that
it ends up being designed to address the original question raised in that book.
In that tale Batman gains the knowledge of a god and basically asks what is the
real name of the Joker? The answer was there are three jokers.
Why has Batman faced off with such widely different versions
of the Joker. It was not because the
Joker is crazy. Instead, there have been three versions of the Joker. The three
depictions of the Joker commonly referred to as The Criminal (his earliest
version and a crime boss), The Clown (a Joker who is more focused on being
funny though still more violent than the earlier version), and the Comedian
(who is the evilest version of the Joker who is more modern and more of a
horror character). Most writers have a preferred version of the Joker that they
use for their story and then use parts of each Joker to make their own version
of the Joker. In this book, all three versions of the Joker are present and
working together.
In this book all
three versions of the Joker face off against the heroes they have most
traumatized. Batman, Red Hood (who was killed by one of the Jokers), and Batgirl
(Barbara Gordon who was paralyzed by one of the Jokers and in a wheelchair for
several years and has since regained the use of her legs). Batman has a hard
time just fighting one Joker. Taking on all three Jokers could he his most
difficult challenge yet.
Since this is a DC Black Label tale, this is a violent more
adult story. This is an action-packed read with frequent references to earlier
encounters with the Joker as the characters attempt to stop the various Jokers.
This book is very good though it would be confusing for newer Batman fans since
there is a lot of discussion about other crimes that the Joker has committed
and discussing which version of the Joker might have been involved. I recommend
this for longtime Batman fans that have read cannon and non-cannon tales.
Batman: Three Jokers
Geoff Jones
DC Black Label
https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Batman:_Three_Jokers_Vol_1
November 2020
ISBN# 978-1779500236
Hardback (also available eBook format)
160 Pages
My reading copy came from the Prairie Creek of the Dallas
Public Library System.
Scott Tipple ©2021
Friday, April 02, 2021
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: A Study in Emerald by Neil Gaiman and Rafael Albuquerque
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: A Study in Emerald by Neil Gaiman and Rafael Albuq...: Reviewed by Ambrea Defined as a cross between the world of Sherlock Holmes and the mythos of Lovecraft’s Cthulhu, A Study in Emerald...
Beneath the Stains of Time: The New Kindaichi Files (1994) by Seimaru Amagi
Beneath the Stains of Time: The New Kindaichi Files (1994) by Seimaru Amagi: Two years ago, I reviewed Seimaru Amagi's Denn ō sansō satsujin jiken ( Murder On-Line , 1996), a so-called "light novel," wh...
Blood-Red Pencil: 2021 Workshops and Conferences April to June
Blood-Red Pencil: 2021 Workshops and Conferences April to June: Whether a one day session, one week conference, or a month-long writing workshop, writing related events are a good way to commune with othe...
FFB Review: Tilt A Whirl: The John Ceepak Mysteries Book 1 by Chris Grabenstein
Sea Haven, New Jersey is an eighteen mile long barrier island consisting of motels, beach houses, bait shops, etc. For twenty-four year old Danny Boyle it is home and he works part time as an unarmed summer cop who helps with the influx of tourists in the muggy summer months. He just never expected to work a murder scene.
But, that is exactly what quickly happens because
Danny also serves as the driver for John Ceepak. Ceepak used to be a military
policeman, spent time in Iraq, and has been forced to deal with some really bad
guys on more than one occasion. War is hell and Ceepak has lived it and has the
memories. Ceepak is the man you want to follow into battle and is the man you
want on your side. He lives by “The Code” that few these days can understand
let alone follow.
The blonde girl, about thirteen years old, wearing a
blood soaked dress and screaming as she comes up an avenue towards The Pancake
Palace early one morning is a reminder that few live by Ceepak’s code. She is
Ashley Hart, the daughter of Reginald and Betty Hall Heart. Betty Hall used to
be on the local TV as the bubbly weather person. Reginald Hart was a
businessman and real estate developer who did some rather unorthodox things and
was very wealthy. Now, he is very dead having been gunned down on the
Tilt-A-Whirl ride while sitting next to his daughter. The fact that the ride at
the Sunnyside Play Land wasn’t even open yet this Saturday morning isn’t going
to matter to the media or scared tourists. The fact that a crazed killer is
wandering around the area is a chamber of commerce disaster and Chief Cosgrove
wants it solved fast. He puts Ceepak and by extension his driver, Boyle, on the
case. Murder is just the start of a twisting tale that ultimately leads to a
horrifying conclusion.
Told at a fast pace, this is a read that quickly
pulls the reader into the quirks of location and character. Both elements
quickly come to life for the reader as back story is skillfully woven into
dialogue and the occasional flashback. In a departure from most mysteries, the
story is told in the first person from the Danny Boyle’s perspective while the
real protagonist is Ceepak. This allows readers to get deeper into the Ceepak
character because he is being observed while also getting a good idea of
Danny’s character. It also works with the other characters that are never cardboard
cutouts and instead are usually realistic and sometimes a bit quirky.
As some have noted, the cover does not remotely do
justice to the book. Hot pink in background the cover prominently features a
rollercoaster and not the ride depicted in the book. Though, there is a
rollercoaster ride at the mythical Sunnyside Play Land so there is a vague
link. While the design created by Michael Fusco seems very wrong, it does bring
glances and inquires from folks when the book is out in public. More than one neighbor
came over to see what I was working on now because they had spotted the cover
as I sat reading on my apartment porch. Sometimes they came over at the most
inopportune times.
The bottom line here is this is a book that fires on all cylinders and takes the reader on a very good ride. Sometimes funny, sometimes dark, this is a novel that quickly becomes riveting and one of the best I have read in a very long time. Start of a series, this is a very good one and a book you simply have to read.
Book provided by the author in exchange for my objective review.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2009, 2016, 2021
Thursday, April 01, 2021
Wednesday, March 31, 2021
Beneath the Stains of Time: The Grassy Knoll (1993) by William Harrington
Beneath the Stains of Time: The Grassy Knoll (1993) by William Harrington: William Harrington was an American writer who ended his own life in 2000 and left behind a self-written obituary in which he revealed to ha...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Mudbound, Dying of Whiteness, Sum of Us, Sacre Bleu
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Mudbound, Dying of Whiteness, Sum of U...: Reported by Garry Our first book reviewed was Mudbound by Hillary Jordan. Our reader had watched the movie a while ago, and states t...
Reads, Writes, Reviews: Paris in Ruins by MK Tod: Review and Interview
Reads, Writes, Reviews: Paris in Ruins by MK Tod: Review and Interview: I recently had the pleasure of reading a pre-publication copy of Paris in Ruins by MK Tod, which was published yesterday (March 30th, 202...
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: THE BAGMAN'S PONY
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: THE BAGMAN'S PONY: "The Bagman's Pony" by E. OE. Somerville & "Martin Ross" (Violet Martin) [from All Along the Irish Shore: Iris...
Short Story Wednesday Review: The Feast Of All Souls: A Short Story by George Wier
From the Archives….
Well known for his Bill Travis Mystery Series, Texas author George Wier has made quite a name for himself in the realm of short stories as well. Many of them are stand alone tales with a hint of the paranormal in some aspect. Such is the case here with The Feast Of All Souls: A Short Story.
It has been fifty-eight years since Glenn Robinson had his pocket knife. He knows exactly where and when he lost it all those years ago. At seventy-two, he knows that the clock is ticking on his life. He also knows that the sudden return of his pocket knife as thanks for a pilfered breakfast is significant and means a lot. That morning would change everything as there are many other pieces of his life he would love to have back.
He also knows that some people are watching for signs of anything that would give them an excuse to throw him into a nursing home and effectively end his life. He knows he has to be super careful and have a plan that will work and deal with all contingencies.
The Feast Of All Souls: A Short Story is a tale of the past, present, and future. It is a tale of what was, what is, and what will be. It also is a tale that is not easy to explain even after one has read it and thought about it awhile. It is a good read and well worth your attention.
The Feast Of All
Souls: A Short Story
George Wier
http://www.billtravismysteries.com
Flagstone Books
December 2018
ASIN#:
B07M5NCSZG
27 Pages
Material was purchased in early February 2019 to
read and review by way of funds in my Amazon Associate account.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2019, 2021
Tuesday, March 30, 2021
The Reading Room: Murder in Unsound Mind by Anne Cleeland: Reading Room Review
The Reading Room: Murder in Unsound Mind by Anne Cleeland: Reading R...: There are certain plot points on which you can rely in an Acton and Doyle murder mystery by Anne Cleeland . Acton will be trying to keep ...
Monday, March 29, 2021
Crime Watch: Review: TRUE WEST by David Whish-Wilson
Crime Watch: Review: TRUE WEST: TRUE WEST by David Whish-Wilson (Fremantle Press, 2019) Reviewed by Craig Sisterson Western Australia, 1988. After betraying the Knights bik...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Child Star by Brian “Box” Brown
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Child Star by Brian “Box” Brown: Reviewed by Jeanne When this graphic novel came in, I picked it up intending to glance through it and then send it on its way ...
Beneath the Stains of Time: Down On His Luck: "The Silver Curtain" (1939) by by Carter Dickson
Beneath the Stains of Time: Down On His Luck: "The Silver Curtain" (1939) by C...: Mike Ashley's momentous anthology The Mammoth Book of Locked Room Mysteries and Impossible Crimes (2000) introduced John Dickson Carr ...
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 62 Calls for Submissions in April 2021 - Paying markets
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 62 Calls for Submissions in April 2021 - Paying ma...: This April there are more than five dozen calls for submissions. All of these are paying markets, and none charge submission fees. As always...
Aubrey Hamilton Reviews: The Hallows by Victor Methos
Victor Methos
is a successful practicing attorney in a firm he co-founded in Utah as well as
an accomplished author with 50 mystery and science fiction novels to his credit
including nine series. His stand-alone The Gambler’s Jury (Thomas & Mercer, 2018) was
shortlisted for the Edgar’s Best Novel award.
The following
stand-alone The Hallows (Thomas & Mercer, 2019) is a fine legal
thriller. Tatum Graham is on top of the world, a leading defense lawyer in
Miami, Florida, where his talent is in demand by the rich and famous. Known for
getting his clients acquitted even in the most egregious situations, he charges
outrageous fees and the luminaries in need of his services willingly pay them.
Until he defends someone who celebrates his acquittal by promptly committing
murder.
Tatum turns
his back on Miami and his life there in disgust and desperation and heads back
to his small hometown in Utah, on his way to somewhere he can hide. There he
finds his desperately ill father from whom he parted on bad terms years before and
his high school girlfriend Gates who is now the district attorney in an
underfunded and understaffed office. Gates persuades Tatum to stay around long
enough to help the two freshly minted lawyers in her office prosecute a murder
case. Ineptly investigated by the local police and overshadowed by the
political power of the defendants’ families, the case looks lost from the start.
Tatum galvanizes the limited resources at his disposal and plunges in, feeling
quite strange to be on the prosecutorial side of the fence. Misdirection
abounds as he searches for more evidence to convict the defendants, resulting
in a gratifying surprise ending.
No surprises
in the outline of the plot, the conventions of the legal thriller are all
there: the disenchanted superstar, the case with impossible odds, political
opposition, the love from the past, the opportunity for redemption. Methos
embellishes and polishes these standard components until they gleam like new in
this sleek piece of writing. Compulsively readable. Readers of legal thrillers
and police procedurals will especially enjoy this book.
Winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction.
·
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer (July 1, 2019)
·
Language: English
·
Hardcover: 350 pages
·
ISBN-10: 1542042747
· ISBN-13: 978-1542042741
Aubrey
Hamilton ©2021
Aubrey
Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and
reads mysteries at night.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
