Sylvia Dickey Smith interviews John Floyd TODAY!

Today, November 16, at 6:PM central time, I will be interviewing John Floyd, editor of Wolfmont Publishing's annual Toys for Tots anthology, A GIFT OF MURDER. I invite you to listen in at:

www.blogtalkradio.com/MurderSheWrites

And if you haven't gotten your copy in support of a worthy project, and a collection of great Christmas mystery stories, get yours now. John will tell you how to order yours tomorrow on the program.

Sylvia Dickey Smith Author
Sidra Smart mystery series
http://www.sylviadickeysmith.com/
http://sylviadickeysmith.blogspot.com/

Event: WGT Meeting 11-16-2009

Mark the _third_ Monday of every month for the Writers' Guild of Texas meeting.

Monday, 16 November 2009 7-8:30 p.m. Topic: Revision Hell in 14 Days Speaker: Candace "Candy" HavensRichardson Public Library900 Civic Center Dr.Richardson TX 75080Basement Room

Revisions can be hell at times, but there is a way to get through them. Candace will lead us through several steps, and provide ideas of things to look for as you revise and clean up your manuscript. In less than two weeks you could have a polished manuscript ready to send to agents and editors.

Candace "Candy" Havens is a best selling and award-winning author. Her novels include /Charmed & Dangerous/, /Charmed & Ready/, /Charmed & Deadly/, /Like A Charm,/ and /The Demon King and I/. She is known for writing strong female characters who save the world, but aren't exactly perfect. She is a two-time RITA, Write Touch Reader, and Holt Medallion finalist. She is also the winner of the Barbara Wilson award.
Candy is a nationally syndicated entertainment columnist for FYI Television. A veteran journalist, she has interviewed just about everyone in Hollywood from George Clooney and Orlando Bloom to Nicole Kidman and Kate Beckinsale. You can hear Candy weekly on 96.3 KSCS in the Dallas Fort Worth Area. Her popular online Writer's Workshop has more than 1000 students and provides free classes to professional and aspiring writers. Check out http://www.candacehavens.com/.

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

A MESSAGE FROM THE FRIENDS OF THE WRITERS' GUILD OF TEXAS:
The Guilded Pen

wwww.theguildedpen.ning.htm
a social network developed for writers, offers an open forum that welcomes writers of all levels and writing mediums. Come join the fun. Create, develop, and promote your work. Get support and inspiration and share in an open, non-threatening environment. Be a resource for those looking for collaborators for joint works. Friends of the Writers’ Guild of Texas.

Kat Smith, Membership Chair, is developing a membership directory to help members find members with similar interests, etc. to partner for critique or support. The membership form will provide a clear picture of each member's profile. Take the opportunity to talk to her at the next meeting.

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

Pay annual 2010 WGT dues of $20.00 (not prorated) on 1 November 2009 or later so you can be a voting member by December 2009. This also makes you eligible to be a reader at the December Read-In.


All WGT events are free and open to the public. For information on the sponsoring organization, visit http://writersguildoftexas.org/joomla/.

* *_Monday, 21 December 2009_. Regular meeting: Annual WGT All-Stars Read-In* *and Election of WGT Board members. All are welcome; only paid-up members may read and vote.*
* *_Monday, 18 January 2010_. Regular meeting: TBA *



Writers' Events Calendar (contact shurlock@flash.net to have your conferences, meetings, or other writing-related event listed here--no individual book signings, please): *
10-11 April 2010_, DFW Writers' Conference 2010! Grapevine, Texas.
http://dfwwritersworkshop.org/

Second Saturday each month: North Texas Speculative Fiction Workshop. http://www.ntsfw.com_

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.

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

-----------------------------------------------------------

Reviewing: "Killers" edited by Colin Harvey

Mysteries come in many forms. Sometimes they are straight forward and easy to figure out as the author hits all the expected points one by one. Like dominoes, each plot or storyline point is hit in turn and they fall in a story by the numbers precision. Other times, not at all because the author weaves complexity and misdirection into the tale in such a way to keep the readers guessing all the way to the end.

Then there are those books that don’t fit easily into categories while clearly containing some crime and mystery elements. Novels and stories that might be classified more in the horror, supernatural, fantasy, etc genres and yet also contain a few elements of crime and mystery. Tales and books that don’t easily fit into the classifications created by libraries and book stores because the stories cross genres. Such is the case here with this intriguing and often disturbing anthology edited by Colin Harvey. If the stories in the “Killers” anthology share anything beyond the basic genre elements, they also frequently feature characters questioning their own sanity. Or not, as the book opens.

The very disturbing story titled “Doctor Nine” written by the multi Bram Stoker award winning author Jonathan Maberry begins the eleven story anthology. A very hard to describe story that features a child responding to a telepathic call to commit murder. This story powerfully sets the tone of what most will follow in the book.

“Dead Wood” by Sarah Singleton, also a winner of awards including the 2005 Children of the Night Award, comes next. Long ago someone once wrote of the woods being dark and deep. Chris has his own issues with sleep and these woods will slowly give up their secrets one by one.

Philip J. Lees heads to the virtual world for his story “Virtual Analysis.” Listed last month as an honorable mention finalist for the Ellen Datlow’s Best Horror of the Year Anthology, his tale tells of a plan to study the thought processes of a serial killer while he kills in a virtual world. Of course, things will go disastrously wrong- at least for some of the study participants. But why?

Multi award winning Bruce Holland Rogers contributes next with “Pushover.” Beware those that appear meek and naïve as not only can appearances be deceiving, they also have jobs to do.

“Beautiful Summer” by Eugie Foster works on the angle that the fashion world is always looking for a fresh new face. Nominated for numerous awards, her story is haunting as well as highly entertaining.

Editor Colin Harvey steps into the author shoes with his own story titled “Just Another Day.” Set in Iceland, this story has a feel of being ripped from the head lines type of read to it. More straight forward than most in the collection, it features a police officer trying to figure out who killed the woman he loved set against the backdrop of genetics and cloning research.

“Losing Paradise” by G. C. Veazey follows next in a tale set in a hospital ward. Virginia may work among the patients and staff, but she isn’t really one of them.

Mental health also plays a role in “Visibility Less Than Zero” by Paul Meloy. Mr. Meloy is a mental health nurse in Bury St. Edmunds and one gets the feeling that he is writing well of what he knows. A tale that shifts in points of view and explores the idea of whether anyone really knows if he or she is sane.

Charlie Allery uses computers and hackers in her very good story “Hunter-Killer.” While Philip J. Lees went one way with some of the same elements, Charlie Alley went a different way in her own cyber murder tale. Each is equally good in its own right and either vision or both could easily come true.

“Index Of An Enigma” by Gary Fry tells the tale of a professor making a lecture appearance a symposium. The problem is that he is haunted by what is real and what might not be real.

Bram Stoker Award winning author Lee Thomas closes out the anthology with “The Good and Gone.” A hospital is again the setting in this tale of a patient dealing with pain in a rather unique way.

Published by Swimming Kangaroo Books of Arlington, Texas, this 233 page anthology features stories that share a very wide brush stroke link of murder and crime. After that, they have little in common as they showcase different genre elements in tales that feature widely divergent writing styles and tastes, and reader accessibility. Difficult to review or categorize, the “Killers” anthology features no easy tales that are quick reads and forgettable. Instead, each very good tale manages to hint at far more than it explains and makes you think long after you close the book.



Killers
Edited By Colin Harvey
Swimming Kangaroo Books
http://www.swimmingkangaroo.com
September 2008
ISBN# 978-1-934041-66-6
233 Pages
Paperback
$14.99


Material provided by the publisher in exchange for my objective review.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Barry's Reviews: "Lost Stories" by Dashiel Hammett (edited by Vince Emery)

LOST STORIES (2005) by Dashiell Hammett

Reviewed by Barry Ergang

This book is clearly a labor of love. Its editor, Vince Emery, is also the publisher, and he obviously took great pains to be sure the book was carefully designed and constructed.

It contains twenty-one stories—though in a handful of cases calling them stories rather than vignettes is stretching the point—not all of which are mystery/crime tales, the type of story for which Dashiell Hammett is most famous. Some display Hammett’s more “literary” side, harbingers of those aspects of his later work that readers and critics have seized upon to justify his “legitimacy” as a writer of substance and significance—as if any justification were needed! Some—e.g., “Laughing Masks”—are wonderful examples of pulp action/suspense stories. Many have not been seen since they first appeared in print. Others have been reprinted, but in abridged or extended versions, depending on the whims of presumptuous editors. Fred Dannay is mentioned more than once as being notorious for “editing”—which is to say trimming—the works of established authors he reprinted in Mystery League and Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine.

Perhaps the most intriguing point Emery makes is that Hammett became a writer from necessity rather than from compulsion. There was absolutely nothing in his past to indicate even the slightest literary inclination. That he was never a hack but rather a conscious craftsman who took pride in his work (as his fictional sleuths took pride in theirs) is further testament to his achievements. Despite Carroll John Daly’s preceding him into the pages of Black Mask by a matter of weeks, it is Hammett who genuinely deserves to be called the father of the hardboiled mystery* story, perhaps even of the truly American mystery story. Three-Gun Terry Mack and, subsequently, Race Williams, in Daly’s clumsy prose, brought a fanciful wild-west sensibility to urban settings, whereas Hammett’s carefully-wrought plots and prose rendered them more real and more believable.

Hammett’s importance as an influential Twentieth Century writer, as Emery points out, is undeniable. (A debate has apparently raged for years about who influenced whom, Hammett or Hemingway. I’ve long felt that in The Glass Key, which I consider his greatest novel, Hammett outdid Hemingway at his own game. According to the evidence Emery provides, Hammett published quite a number of short stories before Hemingway arrived on the scene.) Like Raymond Chandler, whom I’d also nominate as a major influence on many of his contemporaries and successors—originators and imitators alike—both in and out of the mystery field, Hammett’s style and vision has had a profound effect on writers in America and around the world.

Lost Stories is highly recommended.

*I use the term mystery here in its broadest sense, since not all of Hammett’s crime tales contained fairly-clued puzzles.


Barry Ergang © 2009

Former Managing Editor of Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine and current First Senior Editor of Mysterical-E, Barry Ergang's work has appeared in numerous publications, print and electronic. He was a 2007 Derringer Award winner.

Happy Halloween

to all who are into Halloween and being scared.

I'm not.

Fear is something I deal with a lot. As part of that, fear regarding my own writing is a major issue. So, submitting something to my local writer's group always makes me a nervous wreck before and after our meeting. With considerable unease, I submitted another somewhat weird story of mine for today's meeting.

General consensus of the folks that were able to attend was that the story worked. Needs a little work primarily in the area of dialogue and conflict between the two major characters. But, overall the piece has a good nucleus and hangs together well.

I also got an idea from them on how to bridge the vast middle on the novel project.

So, all in all, it was a pretty good meeting though I wasn't able to offer much advice their way on their projects. And so it goes......

News and Notes for October 25, 2009

Interesting reading seen elsewhere:

1) E-books and libraries
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/15/books/15libraries.html?_r=1

2) A lack of respect for sci-fi authors
http://sffmedia.com/books/science-fiction-books/417-why-science-fiction-authors-just-cant-win.html


Just stuff I found interesting and informative.


On a separate note—finished my latest story effort about an hour ago and sent it off to my local writer’s group. Will found out next Saturday how it went over as if dealing with Halloween isn’t enough.

Review: "The Gift of Murder" Compiled and Edited by John M. Floyd

For the fourth consecutive year, Wolfmont Press has released an anthology designed to raise money for the “Toys for Tots” program. Edited by John M. Floyd, this year’s anthology is made up of many familiar names to anyone who reads short mystery fiction and novels. Austin Camacho Bill Crider, Earl Staggs, Randy Rawls, Deborah Elliot-Upton and the other usual suspects are also familiar to readers who participate in the various online writing groups. Just reading the author names involved should tell you that the content of the book is going to be good.

The anthology opens with “The Seven Dollar Clue” by J.F. Benedetto. Private Eye Mark Sauer doesn’t want to be a murder victim the week before Christmas. But, when Madame Zhu Li, head of the Jade Dragon Criminal Triad in New York’s Chinatown, wants to see him and won’t take no for an answer, he worries this could be his final dinner.

“Red Christmas” by Stefanie Lazer follows next in a tale about just how far a parent has to go to get the right toys for Christmas.

Written from the perspective of a child, the story, “The Christmas Caper” by Stephen D. Rogers tells what a child will do to get the toy he must have at nearly all costs.

“Twas The Night” by Anita Page brings the ongoing economic crisis into focus for a recent layoff victim. Having retreated to his cabin after his job and his marriage crashed, the narrator becomes involved in a local disappearance.

If you haven’t read the Ace Edwards, Dallas Private Investigator series by Randy Rawls you are really missing out. For this anthology, there is a prequel of sorts to the series via the tale “Jingle Bell, S. I.” Beyond explaining a little early history, the tale is silly and light hearted and reflects the occasional mood of the series.

“Caught On Christmas Eve” by Earl Staggs has more than a couple of twists in this shoplifting tale. I had the pleasure of reading this story in advance a few months ago since Earl and I are both in the same local writer’s group and I knew then it was a winner.

“The Gift Of The Margi” by Peg Herring proves that, in the end, during the holiday season sometimes family is all you can count on.

Deborah Elliott-Upton crafted a rather disturbing story with her “An Unexpected Gift.” Impossible to describe without ruining it for readers, I can safely say this one surprised me. It also proved to be a harbinger of several darker in tone stories in this anthology.

Known primarily for his excellent Sheriff Dan Rhodes series, Bill Crider is writing of werewolves again in “The Werewolf’s Christmas.” Imagine the holidays with a full moon and you are a werewolf. A guarantee of trouble on the home front.

“Yule Be Sorry” by Carolyn J. Rose shows just how mad a woman can be when she thinks her husband is cheating on her.

In a nod to her excellent novel “Death Will Get You Sober” released last year author Elizabeth Zelvin brings back Bruce, Jimmy and Barbara in a quick little holiday tale. Recovering alcoholic Bruce manages to help with a murder case and still make a quick run to the store in “Death Will Trim Your Tree.”

Everyone has relatives they don’t care for. Gwen seems to have more than her share in “The Worst Noel” written by Barb Goffman. Enough is enough and she finally does something about the issue in this disturbing tale.

The Hannibal Jones series of novels written by Austin S. Camacho are quite good. It isn’t any surprise that the tale “No Place To Spend Christmas” involves Hannibal and his latest case.

The media constantly warns folks to beware of strangers trying to help you during the holiday season. Elmer finds out why in “One Good Turn” by Steve Shrott.

I’m not sure what the folks at Amazon will think if they read “The Kindle Did It” by Gail Farrelly. I am pretty sure I don’t want a Kindle anymore.

For a police detective the late night phone call, especially during the holiday season, can mean only one thing. Ben Barker isn’t thrilled when he is summoned in “An Inconvenient Killing” written by Herschel Cozine and isn’t going to like what he finds in this disturbing tale.

Detective Julie Garcia of Cottonwood, Arizona finally gets a chance to deliver the ultimate Christmas gift in “The Gift Of Christmas past” by Kris Neri.

The final story is the “Sprit of Spadena Street” by Marian Allen. When a neighbor is mugged during the holidays, it is time for the other residents to rally around and find the perpetrators.

268 pages including author bios, the anthology features a variety of writing styles and tones along with a variety of crimes during the holiday season. From the lighthearted type of stories typically seen in these anthologies in years past to the dark and disturbing ones included this year there is something for nearly every reader. John M. Floyd is to be commended for expanding the scope of the anthology this year to stories that probably would not have made the cut in past years. Unlike past anthologies, silly cleverness and puns regarding the crimes and events during the holiday season were kept to a bare minimum. Readers who prefer syrupy silliness might be disappointed, but those who prefer a harder edge, even during the holiday season, won’t be disappointed with this good anthology.


As in past years, sale proceeds after publishing costs will be donated by Wolfmont Press owner and publisher Tony Burton to the “Toys for Tots” campaign.


The Gift of Murder: An Anthology of Holiday Crime Stories to Benefit Toys for Tots
Compiled and Edited by John M. Floyd
http://www.dogwoodpress.com/floyd/
Wolfmont Press
http://www.wolfmont.com/
October 2009
ISBN# 978-1-60364-010-7
$15.00
Paperback (also available in e-book form)
268 Pages (including 4 pages of author bios)



Material provided by Tony Burton in exchange for my objective review.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Reviewing: "Quick-Stitch Crochet" Edited by Judy Crow

Designed for speed, this 2008 release is aimed for folks who want time saving designs. As editor Judy Crow notes in her welcome on page three, “With societies busy schedules, today crafters are looking for fast, simple projects with great end results. The designs in this book are ideal for the crafter on the go!”

The book is broken into five sections with the first titled “Around the House” and features sixteen various designs for different unique items. Whether it is the “Hot Pot Mates” on page 8, or the “TV Time Accessories” (found on page 26) to hold your various remotes, or the “Candle Mat Doily” on page 38, each design is simple and features plenty of directions, list of materials needed, finished measurements and photographs of the finished item.

The second section is aimed at the kids with the title “Little Ones.” Beginning on page 46 with “Bootie Bouquet” to make a very unique baby shower gift and culminating on page 68 with the “Baby Shells Afghan” the focus is on babies. In between, there are ten other patterns for baby items sure to please both baby and mom.

“Gifts to Share” is the third section and has something for almost anyone. How many crochet books, for example, feature designs for “Oxygen tank covers.” This book does beginning on page 90. The various “bookmarks” starting on page 108 are pretty neat too. This section features another twelve designs meaning there should be something to make and give that personal touch for any friend or member of the family this holiday season.

With cooler weather moving in, there is still time to create some “Afghan Beauty.” This fourth section of the book of the book begins on page 120 and is all about blankets. Find the pattern, pick your colors and get to work using any one of the twelve patterns included. Make sure to look at the beautiful “sand and sea” on page 131.

By now you have accessorized your home, made something for others, and a blanket so it is time for some personal fashion flair. “Fashionable Accessories” begins on page 148 with “Easy Tie Wrap” before moving on to the “Winter Royal Set” on page 156 (matching gloves, hat, and scarf) and “Slippers For The Family “on page 166 with nine other possible choices of things to make to set the style this fall and winter.

The book ends with a very short two pages on general instructions regarding symbols and techniques and a one page “special thanks” to various artists and designers. No matter what design you are looking at in this book, each one is simple and comes with plenty of detailed directions, list of materials needed, the finished measurements of the project and pictures of the finished item so that you can evaluate what you have made very step of the way. Filled with over sixty colorful patterns, this 176 page book would make a great gift to yourself or the crocheter you know.


Quick-Stitch Crochet
Edited by Judy Crow
DRG Books
http://www.drgbooks.com/
2008
ISBN# 978-1-57367-295-5
176 Pages



Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Reviewing: "Whack A Mole: A John Ceepak Mystery" by Chris Grabenstein

It is summer again on Sea Haven, NJ and things start innocently enough. Danny Boyle is now a full time police officer and remains partnered with John Ceepak. As Ceepak finds romance, Danny’s babe, Kate has left and moved to California. With Katie gone, Danny is coping as best he can, often finding just something to do to occupy himself. Such is the idea to go with Ceepak on their day off to return a ring that Ceepak found in the sand while using his metal detector.

The ring at some time belonged to a Brian Kladko who graduated from P. J. Johnson High School in Edison back in 1983. Danny and Ceepak meet the owner of the ring who says he gave it to a Lisa Franco who was his girlfriend at the time. She disappeared back in the summer of 1983 and Brian Kladko never got a chance to ask for it back. He may have moved on with a wife and kids, but it becomes clear very quickly that Lisa might have died that summer.

Quickly, like some demented game of whack a mole, clues begin to pop up all over the island, primarily in the sand. As the town leadership tries desperately to keep the media ignorant, Ceepak and Boyle attempt to stop a madman from killing again.

Third in the mystery series after “Tilt A Whirl” and “Mad Mouse” this book continues the slow shift for Danny from wide eyed kid playing cop to a compete police officer. As he shifts, so too does Ceepak who is becoming less isolated as a romantic relationship begins blossom. Fortunately, while the characters may evolve some, rock steady is Ceepak's code and Danny’s faith in Ceepak.

As in the early novels of the series, “Whack A Mole” is set in the present tense. It features plenty of action, humor and clues to keep the seasoned mystery reader entertained and guessing right to the end. There is a reason author Chris Grabenstein has won the Anthony award and others-- good mystery stories.


Whack A Mole: A John Ceepak Mystery
Chris Grabenstein
http://www.chrisgrabenstein.com/
Carol & Graf (Avalon Publishing Group, Inc.)
http://www.carrollandgraf.com/
2007
ISBN# 0-7867-1818-8
Hardback
310 Pages


Material provided directly by the author in exchange for my objective review.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Reviewing: "Fire And Ice: A Beaumont And Brady Novel" by J. A. Jance

For J. P. Beaumont of the Washington State Attorney General’s Special Homicide Investigation Team, the latest body might be the break in the case they have needed. Up until now the charred remains of several young Hispanic women have been missing their teeth making identification impossible. The latest body found in the melting snow near Ellensburg matches the other cases except for the fact that this body has her teeth. The fact that she still has them gives J. P. Beaumont and the team a way of identifying her and working the case.

Sheriff Joanna Brady of Cochise County, Arizona has a puzzling case of her own at a local all terrain vehicle campground. The caretaker is dead in what at first appears to have been an accident, but was actually murder. With his dog as the only witness and nearly worthless surveillance equipment, the case isn’t going to go any where fast. That is until J. P. Beaumont comes back to Cochise County pursing leads in his case, the DEA gets involved, and human nature in the form of vengeance rears its ugly head, among other things.

Shifting in viewpoint between J. P. Beaumont, Joanna Brady, and others, the novel works its way to a satisfying conclusion. While that works, what doesn’t work so well for the reader is the fact that frequently the povs of Sheriff Brady and Investigator Beaumont are placed together in the same chapter with little used to mark the differences between them. Gone are the days found in the early Beaumont books of his very own distinctive style. As the read makes clear, these days the main style or voice is with the Brady character with Beaumont coming across more and more like Brady.

Despite the quibble, overall the read is a good one. J. A. Jance seems to be following the herd of highly successful authors who have forced two of their signature characters together in the same novel. Ostensibly, it is a marketing ploy that is used to introduce readers to characters they nay not have read before. The results are often mixed from a reader perspective but in this case it seems to have worked fairly well.


Fire And Ice: A Beaumont And Brady Novel
J. A. Jance
http://www.jajance.com/
William Morrow (Harper Collins Publishers)
http://www.harpercollins.com/
2009
ISBN#978-0-06-123922-9
Hardback
338 Pages
$25.99

Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

As seen in the new GILA QUEEN

If you aren't reading the Gila Queen to stay up to date with the markets, you are making a big mistake. Kathy put out a call looking for somebody to take a free ad and I got very lucky. Below is the ad running in the new issue:



ADVERTISEMENT

Carpathian Shadows Volume 2

Deep in the heart of the Carpathian Mountains, in Transylvania, lays a castle once home to a nobleman who warred with the church, bound his servants with a curse of silence, and ruled his lands with a grip of iron. Lord John Erdely has been dead for centuries and his castle is now a haven for tourists. Or so, at least, is the claim. Under the editorial direction of Lea Schizas, six authors tell what happens to these tourists.

BooksforaBuck.com

http://www.booksforabuck.com/sfpages/sf_08/carpathian_shadows2.html

$3.99 and available in HTML, Adobe Acrobat PDF, Mobipocket, eReader, ePub, Sony Reader LRF, and Microsoft Reader (zipped) formats.

It is also available through Amazon for the Kindle.

Available at Amazon in paperback as well, it can also be purchased directly from Kevin R. Tipple in paperback form for the very low price of $10, which includes media rate shipping. Buyers can contact Kevin through his Web site: http://kevinrtipple.com/ .


Now, how cool is that?

Kevin

Reviewing: "Treasure of Eden" by S. L. Linnea

In late March, 1954, two cousins found a cave in the Judean desert, west of the Dead Sea. Bedouins, the teen boys, believed the cave to be full of treasure. The boys knew of a promise made by the sheikh that whoever brought back home treasures of antiquity would get to go with the sheikh on the next Hajj. The cave wasn’t full of treasure, but it did contain one small box that is priceless.

The box and the situation of the discovery ultimately created a scenario where one cousin lived and one died. That box has given the survivor both power and heartbreak. Held by the cousin for years as he ascended to power, he finally sees no other option but to sell it in late January, 2007. Of course, in the age of the Internet, the only way to sell it is obviously to put it up for auction on eBay where it quickly comes to the attention of various parties around the globe. However, the cousin soon has a big problem as the item is no longer in his possession and losing it could have dire consequences.

Among others, that box is vital to the operatives of Eden which includes United States Military Chaplin Jamie Richards. Back in Iraq and still working as an Army Chaplin, she has powerful friends and allies both in the real world and the hidden “Eden” world. She also has powerful enemies that also want the ancient box. An ancient box that may hold the actual written details of what Jesus said would be best in terms of society, markets and other issues.

This final installment of the trilogy brings the series to a close and satisfactorily wraps up a number of over arching story threads. Once again there are an excessive number of characters as the authors emulate epic thriller novels while not grasping the concept that secondary characters must have an impact on the overall storyline to have a purpose other that padding word counts. There remains the annoying tendency to bury the small parts of good stuff in a noise of unnecessary fluff. The authors, Sharon Linnea and B. K. Sterer, who together are writing under the name of S. L. Linnea, still refuse to understand that that there is a fine line between providing a rich read and preaching to the readers whether it is religious theory, economic theory, or some other social point. When the tale stops dead for page after page to make some sort of societal point, the authors lose their audience. A book purported to be a thriller should never bore the reader and this one frequently does, despite the raves by some and the promotional copy hype.

Still, for those fans of the series and there are many, this final installment will give them exactly what they want as the ongoing characters have not evolved at all over the several years of the series. Book three follows the same tried and true formula of the invincible Jamie Richards, compassionate, smart and so incredibly talented as she battles against forces of evil and misguided zealots to save the planet from the latest problem. The perfect comic book heroine, she can survive anything and find love along the way.

For those new to the series, this might be the best book to read as it rehashes concisely the first two books and tells a story slightly better than them.

Seasoned readers may wish to take a pass on this book as many of us have seen the same ideas done by many others in so many better ways.


Treasure of Eden
S. L. Linnea
http://www.edenthrillers.com/
St. Martin’s Paperbacks
http://us.macmillan.com/treasureofeden
ISBN# 0-312-94216-8
October 2008
Paperback ARC


Review copy provided by publicist P. J. Nunn of BreakThrough Promotions in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple (c) 2009

Milton Burton's Latest Story

If you haven’t read Milton Burton before you are really missing out. Not only has he written two excellent novels,


“The Rogues' Game” and


“The Sweet And The Dead,” he has written quite a few short stories. He has some of them up on his blog found at http://obscuredestinies.blogspot.com/ The latest one is more of a time traveling piece, but he has a number of Texas based mysteries on there.

Take a look and if you like them, I am pretty sure you will like the novels as well. I highly recommend them.

Kevin

Reviewing: "The Dark Horse: A Walt Longmire Mystery" by Craig Johnson

Having won the 2009 Spur Award from the Western Writers of America for the preceding novel in the series, “Another Man’s moccasins,” Craig Johnson makes the fifth installment another interesting read. Wade Basard, a wealthy rancher in Campbell County, Wyoming approximately ten days ago as the novel opens. Mid October finds Mary Basard being brought to Sheriff Longmire for holding until her murder trial back in Gillette in Campbell County in three weeks. Holding prisoners for overcrowd jails is a way for Sheriff Longmire to help his budget in Absaroka County and to use the often vacant space.

In this case, it also gives him something to do since his daughter Cady went back to Philadelphia just after Labor Day. Already feeling depressed over that, the with drawn Mary Basard brings out the father in him. Accused of shooting her husband six times in the head as he lay on the bed and then setting the house on fire , she has confessed and refuses to say much or eat. But, Walt Longmire thinks she is covering for the real killer and before long goes undercover in Campbell County to find out what actually happened.

This novel is told through twin storylines. One storyline concerns the present day undercover investigation. The second storyline features events of ten days earlier and up until the current storyline. Both storylines are present in each chapter and separated by time and date stamps to clarify what is happening when. Both storylines are present from the beginning of the book until the flashback storyline is dropped for the last sixty pages.

The result of that creates a somewhat chaotic read as the novel jerks back and forth in time upsetting the flow of the story. Despite that issue which will vary in severity depending on reader preference, the latest novel features another entertaining read. This is somewhat of a crossroads novel for Sheriff Longmire whose daughter Cady is about to possibly embark on a major life change , his interest in deputy Vic remains, and he faces reelection against strong opposition from Da Kyle Straub and his slogan “ a man to make a difference.”


If you haven’t read Craig Johnson’s stuff before, start in the beginning with “The Cold Dish.” Sure, you can start with “The Dark Horse” but the characters in his books evolve over the course of several novels. They come to life , grow and change, which along with good stories, humor, and plenty of action , make this series not only award winning but worth reading.



The Dark Horse: A Walt Longmire Mystery
Craig Johnson
http://www.craigallenjohnson.com/
Viking (Penguin Group USA, Inc.)
http://www.vpbookclub.com/
2009
ISBN# 978-0-670-02087-4
Hardback
318 Pages
$24.95


Book provided by the author in exchange for my objective review.



Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Reviewing: "Blood Lines: A Novel" by Kathryn Casey

It has been nearly a year since the events depicted in “Singularity” and only now is Lieutenant Sarah Armstrong somewhat ready to return to work as a criminal profiler for the legendary law enforcement organization Texas Rangers. Her time at the ranch outside of Houston, Texas with her Mom, her daughter Maggie and the horses has helped her a lot and she is ready to work again if Mom and Maggie are okay with it.

She certainly is needed at work. Not only is there a case of a suicide that is just too perfect, teenage pop star Cassidy Collins is coming to Texas to do some shows. Coming with her and very much unwanted is the stalker who is terrorizing her and threatening to kill her. Known as “Argus” he seems to always know what she is doing on stage and off and has inserted himself into her life at every turn. He seems determined to end the harassment by killing her and appears unstoppable as he has, among other things, taken over her communications systems at concerts.

Fortunately for Cassidy, Sarah is back on the job and has help from FBI agent David Garrity. A former romantic love interest, he provides a compelling back story as does life on the ranch in another storyline with a medical crisis for one of their beloved horses.

“Blood Lines: A Mystery” is a much stronger second novel than the first book. Author Kathryn Casey made family and characters alive in the first novel and builds on those in this second book. In this series, people change and grow over time unlike the characters in some other series. In that way, the novel mirrors real life and the continuing characters easily come alive for the reader.

Believability regarding Sarah being a Texas Ranger was an issue with the first book which failed to deliver real behind the scenes details or sense that Sarah was an actual Texas Ranger. Billed as a “police procedural” by some reviewers, it really wasn’t and it never rang authentic in that area. While the Texas Rangers and law enforcement in general remains a key theme in the book, which some reviewers are also insisting it is a police procedural when it clearly isn’t, that area is secondary to the relationships between characters and understanding why folks act the way they do. Character development and interaction is clearly the author’s forte and when she focuses on that the novel rolls forward at a steady enjoyable pace.

Despite being predictable in a couple of spots for seasoned mystery readers, overall, the read is a good book with two compelling mystery cases that provide plenty of action, investigation and drama. While it can be read as a stand alone, reading the first novel will allow readers to experience both the growth of the characters as well as the fiction skills of the author.


Blood Lines: A Mystery
Kathryn Casey
Minotaur Books (St. Martin’s Publishing Group)
http://www.minotaurbooks.com/
2009
ISBN# 0-312-37951-X
$24.99
Hardback
294 Pages

Material provided by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library system. I also recieved the first novel through the library system.



Kevin R. Tipple (c) 2009

Reviewing: "Below Zero: A Joe Pickett Novel" by C. J. Box

April Alive?

It can’t be possible that their foster daughter, April, who died in the botched raid of the soverign cult as described in “Winter Kill”, could be alive. It’s been six years and the family of Game Warden Joe Pickett, his wife Marybeth, daughters Lucy and Sheridan has moved on though a lot of trouble and turmoil after burying her charred beyond recognition body. Joe saw her in a window of a trailer seconds before it was engulfed in flames and he knows she couldn’t have possibly gotten out alive.

They buried her and tried to move on, but her death and Joe’s guilt over failing to save her has lingered on. Marybeth and the kids eventually moved from the game warden’s house when Joe was replaced as the Game Warden and moved into the town of Saddle String. Joe has worked a lot of stuff as a sort of trouble shooter for the governor of Wyoming. He is living most days far apart from his family in a sort of political exile in extreme southern Wyoming in the Bays District, Known as the “Warden Graveyard” and other colorful terms.

Somebody called their old house looking for Sherry and claiming to be April. The people there gave out Sherry’s cell phone number and soon the texts start arriving. Whoever is sending the texts knows things that only April could possibly know. Whoever is sending the messages is also in grave danger and could be a hostage for a dying Chicago Mobster and his crazed environmentalist son, Robert. Even if it isn’t April, the text sender needs help and Joe Pickett isn’t going to let the FBI screw up a rescue again.

The latest in the series is another good read though author C. J. Box is once again using the extreme elements of the environmental movement to provide social commentary. As he has done in the last several novels, the work he does a as Game warned and what made the series o good in the beginning, takes a back seat to author lectures on the dangers of environmental extremism through villains that are environmental fanatics. In this case the mobster son, Robert, who is deranged in many ways and not just because of his environmental beliefs, wants his father to offset his “carbon footprint” to the point where Dad never existed. To do so requires money and lots of it and while they seek his fortune hidden on a ranch somewhere in Wyoming, they take the time to permantely remove others along the way that they deem are excessive in terms of consumption and carbon output.

Clearly, the author advocates more of a balanced land use policy that reflects the needs of nature as well as mankind. That is all well and good. But, to consistently portray only the extreme fanatics of the environmental movement in the novels and to constantly preach against them in the guise of story telling, does get a bit old. While the mystery of whether or not April is alive is a good one, some of the surrounding pieces of that mystery have a bit to be desired.


Below Zero: A Joe Pickett Novel
C. J. Box
http://www.cjbox.net/
G.P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Group USA)
http://www.penguin.com/
2009
ISBN# 978-0-399-15575-8
Hardback
343 Pages


Material provided by the god folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Reviewing: "Defending Violet" by Jennifer Louise Jefferson

Ginger Rae Reddy practices law in the city of Port Grace, located somewhere along the northeastern seaboard hard against the Atlantic. A city that, like herself, has seen tough times and still sees them and yet survives despite all odds. Ginger Rae is practicing Family Law these days which is primarily about the final collapse of a family during divorce proceedings. She also takes the occasional misdemeanor case such as a marijuana charge or underage drinking. A baby in the hospital in a coma implies a major criminal case and one that Ginger Rae should avoid for her own mental health.

But, the baby mother’s is Violet and a former client. Ginger Rae got a restraining order several months ago against AJ, Violet’s boyfriend, the baby’s father, and a married man with a history of violence. Violet should have let the order do its work, forgot about AJ, and tried to change her life for her own sake and the baby, Teddy. However, as Ginger Rae knows, the cycle of domestic violence is hard to break. Violet loves AJ, is convinced he loves her and their baby, and that if she just makes him happy everything will be fine.

Things are far from fine. The baby, Teddy, is in the hospital in a coma probably induced by being violently shaken. Violet is in jail, charged with the crime, and the only suspect as far as the police and the D.A.’s office is concerned. Ginger Rae believes the teenage mother is not responsible and sets out to prove it.

Billed as a “legal thriller” in the jacket copy, “Defending Violet” is more of a psychological one. The law is a constant theme but personal relationships are the prominent hard hitting theme and take precedence over everything else. Not just the relationship between Ginger Rea and Violet, but Ginger Rae and her family and Ginger Rae and her assistant, Marco. Nothing is easy for Ginger Rae with others and her own self destructive streak runs wide and deep. Others make allowances for that, but, there are limits and she constantly tests them. Written from the perspective of time after the events in the book have run their course, the novel is constantly looking back at how relationships evolve and change and what outside forces can do to them.

Featuring fully formed realistic characters that are flawed, in some cases very seriously, the novel winds through the legal cases in criminal and family court with Violet. Along the way with some social commentary, is a tale of repercussions, consequences, and ultimately acceptance and survival. While this isn’t light escapist reading by any means, it is a very good book and this is one author worth keeping an eye on.


Defending Violet
Jennifer Louise Jefferson
http://www.jenniferjefferson.net/html/defending_violet.html
Five Star Mysteries Series
http://www.gale.cengage.com/fivestar/
November, 2006
ISBN# 1-59414-536-9
Hardback
$25.95
285 Pages


Review copy provided by publicist PJ Nunn, owner of “Breakthrough Promotions” in exchange for my objective review.



Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Reviewing Children's Book: "Davey BigHead: Dream Big"

Self published through Amazon’s Book Surge Division, this children’s book tells of Davey’s experiences at his first day of school. Davey has a very big head that is far out of proportion to the rest of his body. He can’t get on the bus because his head is too big. He gets caught in the jungle gym, is quickly out in dodge ball, and gets found easily during hide-and-go-seek after school all thanks to his giant head. His first day of school wasn’t very good. That night he has a great idea.

On his second day of school, he asks to play soccer and is told yes. Davey gets a uniform and before long is having a blast as his giant head is perfect for a soccer goalie. With cheers raining down on him along with the soccer ball, Davey leads his team to victory.

This is the start of a series, according to author Peter J. Hayden, and it is a very good start. Unlike many books published by Book Surge, the illustrations here are done very well and feature colorful pictures with many details. The text does not clash with the illustrations underneath it and serves to complement the artwork. This book is actually well made and in all appearances comes across as a children’s book from a traditional publisher. Marketed at kids of ages 9 to 12, the book appeals to a lower age range as children in the targeted group may find it way too simplistic for their reading level.

Teaching a message of acceptance and embracing differences, the book works well on a storyline level as well. Davey suffers setbacks and on his own figures out a way to succeed. Something that isn’t always easy to do.

Sure to be a hit with kids, it is going to be a pleasure to incorpate this book into my classes this fall.


Davey BigHead: Dream Big
Peter J. Hayden
http://www.daveybighead.com/
Book Surge Publishing
http://www.booksurge.com/
2009
ISBN# 1-4392-2972-4
26 Pages
12.99

Material provided through Bostick for the author for my objective review.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Reviewing: "Strangle a Loaf of Italian Bread" by Denise Dietz

Ellie Bernstein likes to clip coupons and watch police shows when she isn’t doing her things as leader of a local chapter of “weight winners” or reading a complex mystery novel. That is, when she isn’t helping out her boyfriend, Lieutenant Peter Miller of the Colorado Springs Police Dept. These days find her also babysitting a dog for one of her diet club members.

Rachel Lester has to be out of town and Ellie is in charge of the dog named “Scout.” While the dog and Ellie’s own cat are getting along despite her initial concern, Ellie is a bit bored. September has been very slow on the crime action front and she wants something to happen so that Peter has to consult with her. She’d also like the coach of the Broncos to consult with her on why they just lost to the Chicago Bears.

She soon gets her wish, at least on the murder front, when waitress Sara Lee is found dead in the alley behind “Uncle Vinnie’s Gourmet Italian Restaurant.” Peter tells her some details and admits to not having a suspect. It certainly isn’t for want of trying to find one.

“Everybody liked Sara Lee. And that’s all I am going to tell you.” (Page 31)

Clearly, someone didn’t. Clearly, Peter needs help whether he knows it or not. Before long, in between thinking about food and how to link movie star Kevin Bacon to anything and everyone, Ellie gets to poking around the case. Her methods aren’t always orthodox, but are always highly entertaining as she solves more than one case bugging the Colorado Springs Police Dept.

This is the fourth installment of a highly entertaining series. It features not only Ellie and Peter, but the other characters familiar to readers such as Ellie’s brother Tab and her overbearing mother. The various storylines weave together slowly with the main focus being on food in various delectable forms. Ingredients and recipes are described in the text with an additional recipe at the end. Like some series, at least one ongoing storyline is left hanging wide open at the end to entice readers into picking up the next book. Despite that, the overall read is enjoyable with plenty of fun characters, romance, and murder to keep almost any reader who likes the cozy style of murder mystery entertained.


Strangle a Loaf of Italian Bread: An Ellie Bernstein / Lt. Peter Miller Mystery
http://www.eclectics.com/denise
Five Star Mystery Series
Gale/Cenage/Five Star
http://www.gale.cengage.com/fivestar/
May 2009
ISBN 978-1-58414-76909
E-Book


E-book version provided direct by the author for my objective review.

I also strongly recommend the very good novel "Eye of Newt" and I am still awaiting another one in that series. I refuse to accept the idea that it is one and done.




Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Reviewing: "Wool Pets" by Laurie Sharp

Needle felting is using wool fibers and shaping them to create an object like a butterfly, kitten, rabbit, etc. The basics are wool, a barbed needle and a foam pad, though in the materials section, the author explains in words and pictures that it can be a bit more complicated than that. For example, the basic felting needle is “…a long, sharp, three-or five-sided barbed instrument.” (Page 6) Needles come in a variety of gauges and vary in the number of sides and locations of the barbs.

After an introduction that also discusses what to use as a foam pad and the types of wool, the book goes into basic techniques starting on page ten. How to properly “needle,” “roll the wool,”“making flat shapes,” and sculpting are covered in two pages of text and numerous photographs. The photographs, like all the ones in this book are done by Kevin Sharp, the author’s husband, and are fairly close in detail.

The patterns begin on page 13 with “Bug Magnets.” Patterns for “Bumble Bee” and “Lady Bug” are used with the “Bumble Bee” result much more realistic looking. That is quickly followed with a “Penguin & Chick “pattern, a “Butterfly Pin” one, and a “Bunny” pattern. Each of the twenty patterns in this book ranging from a “Border Collie” (Page 74), to a “Cat” (Page 80) to a “Giraffe” (Page 104) feature a close up large and in color picture of the finished item with detailed step by step instructions along with numerous pictures during various stages of the construction process. They range from the simple such as the previously mentioned “Bug Magnets” to the complex “Mermaid” found on pages 110-117 or the “Gnome Girl” on pages 118-125.

A gallery of a few more pictures, a list of resources and a brief author bio that includes a plug for her website and business brings this 128 page book to a close.

This a fun book full of interesting patterns and techniques and one sure to entertain and enlighten creative folks. The numerous pictures taken by her professional photographer husband add a level of detail and helpfulness to the book.


Wool Pets: making 20 Figures with Wool Roving and a Barbed Needle
Laurie Sharp
Creative Publishing International
http://www.creativepub.com/
2008
ISBN# 1-58923-385-9
Hardback
$19.95



Material provided by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Cookbook Review: "Back of the Box Cooking" by Barbara Greenman

If you are tired of saving recipes off of boxes, this book is for you. It features 500 recipes from over fifty brands in a hardback spiraled book format. These recipes are ones consumers requested the most from companies.

The thirteen chapters cover every meal time, snack time and desert. Each contributed recipe is just as it would be on the box so the directions are short and there isn’t any nutritional information. Nor are there any pictures. Color and flash are missing here as all you get are recipes and lots of them.

Also included in the 352 cookbook is information on the homepages for the various companies as well as a multi page index.

Edited by Barbara Greenman, the cookbook is a delight to use and an excellent way to reduce some kitchen clutter.


Back of the Box Cooking
Edited by Barbara Greenman
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
http://www.blackdogandleventhal.com/
ISBN# 978-1-57912-780-8
$19.95


Material provided by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Reviewing: "Mad Mouse: A John Ceepak Mystery" by Chris Grabenstein

“Mad Mouse” is the second in the series after “Tilt a Whirl” and features another interesting and dangerous case for police officers Danny Boyle and John Ceepak. It is late August and a few weeks after the events of the previous novel. Sea Heaven has returned to normal and much of the media attention has finally moved on to other targets leaving Danny to contemplate what the coming end of the summer means. The new police chief intends to hire one of the summer cops as a permant officer and Danny is hoping to move up.

In the meantime, it is time for the old gang of Danny, Katie Landry, (who Danny is hopeful will become a very special friend) Jess Garrett, Olivia Chibbs, Becca Adkinson and Harley Mook to meet. Every August 30th in honor of “National Toasted Marshmallow Day” the group gets together in an annual party ritual. It dates back to when they were teens and they still get together even though the friendships amongst the group are far different now then when they were kids. It should have been a simple late night party at the beach.

It was until the sniper opened fire.

At first, despite Becca’s serious eye injury, it appears that the attack was nothing more than an idiot with a paintball gun. Later investigation and subsequent attacks prove that bullets, along with paintballs are being fired at the group. And it just could be that Danny is the main target.

Being a tourist spot means that the local politicos want this to be kept quiet. The FBI already spent time in Sea Heaven working the Tilt a Whirl case and the local economy can’t take another visit from the FBI and media scrutiny. John Ceepak and Danny Boyle don’t care about that. They just want to end the escalating carnage.

Featuring the same quirky characters, flashes of humor, plenty of action, and another twisting mystery, “Mad Mouse” builds upon the strong foundation of the first book. Everyone is back, and while little more of Ceepak is revealed, readers really get a strong sense of who Danny Boyle was as a teenager and how far he has come in two novels. While the books should be read in order, it is possible to read this one first as there is a minimum of references to the first book.


Mad Mouse: A John Ceepak Mystery
Chris Grabenstein
http://www.chrisgrabenstein.com/
Carol & Graf (Avalon Publishing Group, Inc.)
2007
ISBN# 0-7867-1936-2
Trade Paperback
323 Pages
$14.95



Book provided by the author in exchange for my objective review. By the way, if you haven't read "Tilt A Whirl" you really should. Check it out!


Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Reviewing: "Gone Tomorrow: A Reacher Novel" by Lee Child

“Gone Tomorrow” is the thirteenth novel in the Jack Reacher series and this one opens in a subway car in New York City. There are five passengers in the subway car with Jack and only one of them gives him any cause for concern. Twenty years ago when Jack was in detached duty with an Israeli army captain he learned the list of suicide bomber characteristics. The female passenger he is watching fits every single one of them.

But, Susan Mark, that female passenger was not a suicide bomber. Moments after Jack started talking to her, she pulled a gun and quickly committed suicide. According to one of the detectives who came to the resulting crime scene, Jack pushed her to do it by approaching her. Maybe he did. Or maybe, something or someone else caused it.

As long time readers know, once involved in something Reacher isn’t going to let it go until he decides it is over. A succession of suits from various governmental agencies arrive to ensure the cooperation of the NYPD, Jack, and anyone else involved. The bad guys have other ideas. With all of these people involved and telling Reacher to go home and forget about it, once knows that Reacher is just going to keep pushing with violent repercussions for everyone.

This latest Reacher novel is another good one despite the author’s need to constantly remind the readers of the freedoms lost in the wake of 9/11 tragedies. A drum that he has beat before to great effect and does tone down some in this novel while making the same points he has in recent novels. Much of the storyline is back dropped against the modern scourge of Al Quada and the fact that at one time they were our friends when they were fighting the Russians in the eighties. As he has done before, Lee Child has taken current political events and dropped Jack into the thick of a part of it.

While Reacher was always a taciturn fellow, he seems to be even more withdrawn in this book. Dialogue as a result is limited with most of the prose concerning action scenes or scenes where Reacher contemplates events while riding subway cars and trains or standing outside of various locations. As in the recent reads, he once again befriends a member of local Law Enforcement and before the final epic battle, spends some quality private time with her.

Oh, the sacrifices one must make for his country.

Still this is one of the better Reacher novels of recent memory. “Gone Tomorrow” is full of misdirection while moving forward at a rapid pace and only features one rather ridiculous plot coincidence. Though, as recent real world history has shown, just about anything is possible.



Gone Tomorrow: A Reacher Novel
Lee Child
http://www.leechild.com/
Delacorte Press (Bantam Dell)
http://bantamdell.com/
June 2009
ISBN #978-0-385-34057-1
Hardback
421 Pages
$27.00



Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.



Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Reviewing: "The Scarecrow" by Michael Connelly

Last seen primarily in “The Poet,” Jack McEvoy returns in this novel which is both a mystery and a lament to the world of newspaper publishing. It’s been a lot of years since the celebrity success of his book on the poet serial killer and Jack is on the wrong side of 40. The LA Times has seen its best days and the latest round of staff cuts have included Jack. They will give him one break which at the same time is a bit of an insult. He can leave now or he can train his replacement, Angela Cook, for the next two weeks and collect another paycheck. Beyond that his options are few and he knows not much else.

“Death is my beat,” I whispered to myself. “I make my living from it. I forge my professional reputation on it.” ( P. 25)

In a final one finger salute to the management of the paper, he comes up with a plan. Contacted by a family member of Alonzo Wilson, who claims he didn’t do the murder he was arrested for, Jack decides to write about the case. With Alonzo being sixteen, living in the projects and dealing drugs, the story of how society created a killer almost writes itself. That is until Jack realizes the kid is innocent and was used by a serial killer as a scapegoat.

Society did create a serial killer. Not the teenager, at least not yet, but someone else who can use the internet and the digital world to track potential victims and those that would hunt him. Nothing and no one is safe from his online reach.

With frequent heart felt observations about the demise of newspapers, author Michal Connelly, aims a spotlight at what is happening today. Much of the early part of the book is spent on a tirade against what is happening in the newspaper industry today and unfortunately, it comes across as a whine and not a rallying call to save anything. It also serves to tell readers what they already know, if they are paying attention, and slows down the development of the story.

Against the backdrop of the slow collapse in newspaper publishing, Connelly has weaved together a good mystery using the classic clichéd pieces of the super smart computer guy who is a killer (which is told in the opening thereby killing much of the possible suspense), that nothing is safe online from a hacker or nefarious forces, and that a romance interrupted but meant to be can be rekindled. Each of the elements is a bit hackneyed and yet they all work together fairly well in the novel. After a rocky start, the reader is pulled into the fictional world and despite the author’s occasional heavy handed allusion to reality in the form of references to his own writing career; the overall read is a good one.

Simply put---It isn’t Bosch. But, it will do.


The Scarecrow
Michael Connelly
http://www.michaelconnelly.com/
Little, Brown And Company (Hatchette Book Group)
http://www.hatchettebookgroup.com/
May 2009
ISBN# 978-0-316-16630-0
Hardback
419 Pages (Additional 14 page preview of the October release of the latest Bosch —NINE DRAGONS)
$27.99


Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Reviewing: "Quick Food: Gourmet Recipes in Just 30 Minutes"

At over 700 pages, this recently released paperback cookbook from Reader’s Digest boasts at containing over 300 recipes blending home style cooking and ethnic cuisine. Most are listed as easy to make and all are supposed to be made within thirty minutes. Fresh ingredients, not canned or frozen, is paramount here in most recipes with something available to serve the most finicky eater.



After a brief introduction, Chapter One opens with “Snacks and Starters” featuring “Smoked Salmon Dip” (Pages 18-19), “Sausage and Tabbouleh Wraps” (Page 28-29) and “Tuna Pastry Pies” (Pages 36-37) among others. With each recipe, the directions and ingredients are on the left page with a full page color picture on the right. Separate preparation and cooking times are listed which combined add up to thirty minutes, along with portion size and cooking difficulty level. Extra tips are few and far between because most info is included in the straightforward directions.

Chapter Two is on “Salads” and starts on pages 88 and 89 with “Smoked Chicken And Avocado Salad.” That is quickly followed by the “Arugula, Pancetta, And Tomato Salad” (Pages 90-91) and “Italian Sausage, Artichoke, And Asparagus Salad “(Pages 92-93) and many more. While many of the recipes in this chapter are labeled as “Level 1” meaning they are the simplest to make, they involve cooking meats and or vegetables first and then adding them to a salad. Therefore, if you like your salad relatively plain and simple, most of these recipes won’t work for you. Beans and nuts also pay a prominent role in many of these salads as well.

“Thai Tofu And Mushroom Soup” kicks off the “Soup” section starting on page 150. A hearty “Tomato, Vegetable And Bean Soup” (Page 158-159) and a “Hot And Sour Chicken Soup” (Pages 174-175) follow among many others.

Chapter Four is on “Pasta.” Of course, spaghetti is in here but this time it is as “Spaghetti With Mint, Garlic, And Olives,” (Pages 196-197) or “Spaghetti With Peas, Crisp Bacon, And Parmesan” (Pages 198-199) or “Spaghetti With Butter And Sage Bread Crumbs” (Pages 200-201) and several other variations. Recipes for fettuccine, angel hair pasta, penne, macaroni, and others are included.

“Noodles” is the theme of the next chapter with “Chicken Udon Noodle Soup” (pages 270-271), “Chile And Lime Shrimp Noodle Salad” (Pages 276-277) and “Warm Black Bean Lamb And Rice Noodle Salad” (Pages 280-281) among others. Many of the recipes here could have been included in the salad section. If you are really into noodles, you will love this section because they seem to have the topic well covered.

Chapter Six begins on page 318 with “Grains.” Risotto is the main ingredient here though there are a few rice recipes such as “Rice With Herb Pesto And Feta” (pages 352-353) and “Brown Rice Salad” (Pages 354-355). A noted earlier, there are recipes in this Chapter such as “Tuna Couscous Salad” (Pages 364-365) which easily could have appeared in the salads chapter section instead of here.

“Seafood” comes next and opens with “Spicy Mussel Soup.” (Pages 370-371) followed by the eye opening “Salt And Pepper Squid.” (Pages 372-373) There is also “Sea Bream With Fennel And Onions” (Pages 388-389) and “Cod With Potatoes” (Pages 394-395) among many others.

Chapter Eight is all about “Poultry.” Whether it is “Chicken With Asparagus And Prosciutto” (Pages 428-429) or “Grilled Chicken With Garlic, Lemon And Parsley” (Pages 431-432) or something else, chicken is prominent here. Duck is also occasionally included such as in “Duck And Green Onion Yakitori” (Pages 462-463). Also briefly mentioned are quail and turkey.

The ode to carnivores continues in the next chapter on “Meat.” The chapter opens with “Beef Fillets With Tomato Pesto and Prosciutto “(Pages 488-489) soon followed by “Beef Sirloin With Tomato And Olive Sauce” (Pages 494-495) and “Beef Steaks With Mushrooms And Sweet Potatoes” (Pages 496-497) and others. Numerous pork, lamb, and veal recipes are also included.

“Eggs And Cheese” also known as Chapter Ten begins with “Pan-Fried Eggs With Potatoes And Tomatoes” (Pages 552-553). Recipes for “Florentine Pizzas (Pages 560-561) and “Egg And Bacon Pies” (Pages 566-567) among others soon follow. None of these are the simple scrambled eggs and toast variety.

Chapter Eleven is on “Vegetables.” These include “Thai Vegetable Green Curry” (Pages 596-597), “Tomato, Garbanzo Bean, And Olive Pilaf” (Pages 600-601) and “Spicy Lentils With Spinach” (Pages 610-611) among others. Beans of a variety of types play a dominant role here along with a variety of nuts and grains.

“Desserts” is the final chapter and begins with “Chocolate Chip Puddings” on pages 644-645. A “Quick Tiramisu” (Pages 674-675) which uses coffee and sweet sherry follows among other delectable treats.

A six page index brings this colorful book to a close.

It should be noted that the thirty minutes claim is a little misleading for some of the recipes because it does not take into account total cooking time nor the occasional use of a prepared pizza dough or other base. Speed of meal preparation is important to many people and was used as a marketing tool here. The fact that some of these recipes take longer than 30 minutes is not necessarily a negative if you plan accordingly.

While this is a well done cookbook full of intriguing recipes, it does have a huge drawback. The book contains zero nutritional information. While the prevalence of fresh ingredients is clearly more healthful than use of canned, frozen, or prepared materials, the lack of nutritional information severely impacts its usefulness for those of us who must monitor such information.


Quick Food: Gourmet Recipes in Just 30 Minutes
Jenny Fanshaw & Annette Forrest
Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.
http://www.rd.com/
2009
ISBN# 978-0-7621-0981-4
Paperback
704 Pages
$24.95


Material provided by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.



Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Reviewing: "Pilikia is My Business" by Mark Troy

Written by 2002 Shamus Award Nominee Mark Troy, this fast paced and suspenseful novel revolves around Hawaii based private investigator Val Lyon. An ex cop, ex-con, and former pro basketball player, Val Lyon doesn’t tolerate idiots and has little patience for those who don’t do the right thing. Her latest case brings her to the office of Brian Magruder who used to work in the Honolulu Public Defender’s Office before going out on his own.

Part of the wealthy and politically connected Magruder family, Brian is a bit of a black sheep of the family as he has gone his own way. Among his many clients is Jean Pfeifer whose case has turned into a media firestorm. Jean claims that her ex-husband, Jason “Jock” Pfeifer abused their son, Nathan. Jean has stopped the visitations and has hidden their son in an effort to protect him from further abuse from his father. She faces contempt charges and jail time unless she brings Nathan back out of hiding and lets him see his dad. Something she isn’t going to do.

This strikes a chord with the media and the viewing public causing a media firestorm with Jean and her attorney at the center of things. Numerous groups get involved making Jean and by extension Nathan part of their agendas. That also ratchets up further the media scrutiny. Brian Magruder initially just wants Val to be part of the security team, and to protect Jean at a public rally the next day. With emotions running high on all sides, something is sure to go bade and it does. Soon, a simple body guard job morphs into a case involving death threat, blackmail, extortion and a missing child as well as the beginnings of a romance between Val and Brian Magruder.

While occasionally reminiscent of the Stephenie Plum type character because Val is also a woman with a sarcastic wit, Val is a much better character. Not only does she have a deeper and more complex background, she also learns from what happens and takes precautions as opposed to Stephanie who makes the same fundamental mistakes in book after book after book. Val is an evolving character over the course of the novel and one that builds quickly on experience.

That fact, coupled with a steady pace, plenty of twists and turns, and characters that come alive for the reader, it is no wonder this book was a Shamus Nominee. It is a very good one.



Pilikia is My Business
Mark Troy
http://hawaiian-eye.blogspot.com/
LTD Books
2001
ISBN# 1-55316-533-0
Trade Paperback
245 Pages


Material provided by the author in exchange for my objective review.



Kevin R. Tipple ©2009

Reviewing: "The Container Gardener’s Bible" by Joanna K. Harrison and Miranda Smith

Broken into four sections, this book is designed to teach you everything you every wanted to know about container gardening. The first section is about design and how to come up with a workable design for your gardening area. Before it gets to that though, the section opens with a multi page history lesson on containers which may tell you far more than you every wanted to know. After six pages of history, the book moves into “Why use a container?” There are multiple reasons and not just because of space limitations.

After answering that question in detail, the first section moves through various areas of design, types of planters and pots, colors, single species plantings as well as seasonal single species, formal, informal, etc. Pictures are frequently used to illustrate each idea with text explaining what was trying to be achieved, the setting or location of the containers, type of containers, plants involved or showcased, as well as tips on little extra things you can do to pull off the look. Your personal space, whether it is a balcony, roof top terrace, passageway, sunken garden, etc. plays a huge role as it is part the design and such scenarios are addressed in great detail. Attracting wildlife and being “green” are dominant themes throughout the book and are present here with several pages devoted to aquatic life as well as other ideas.

The second section is devoted to “Seasonal Planting” and starting with page 70 begins with “Spring Planting Ideas.” Tulips, Daffodils, Rosemary, Hyacinth, are all common but this book showcases ways to use them differently. Words won’t really describe how. Like virtually everything in the book, the pictures are what do the idea justice.

After moving through the four seasons with splashes of color everywhere it is time to do the same in “The Kitchen Garden.” No, this isn’t all about a few herbs that can be grown in a windowsill though that is covered. Instead, this third section of the book is about growing fruit and vegetables “…in containers and hanging baskets that will look attractive, taste good, and be far more economical than pricey store-bought produce.” (page 87) So along with herbs and strawberries planters, there are ideas for growing lettuce in a hanging basket, chard and rhubarbs in various pots, fruit trees in pots, and plants that can serve as living aromatics among other ideas.

Of course, buying the best plants is a waste if you don’t know anything about “Preparation and Planting.” Starting with things to consider when buying containers and pots, this fourth section of the book takes readers through everything they need to know about the many choices out there. The right potting mix is as important and again, going “green” or organic is the focus before detailed instructions on how to plant and trees in a variety of containers and locations. Watering, fertilizing, grooming and dealing with pests are just some of the other topics in this thirty-three page section.

A detailed plant directory featuring photographs and information on each plant follows. The information is broken in to mini sections by types of plants such as perennials, annuals, bulbs, climbers, grasses, bamboos, etc. Detailed info that has also appeared in the book earlier is listed here in a quick and easy reference guide.

A glossary, a world wide hardness zone map and a multi page index bring this 191 page book to a close.

Recently released, this book is not only a book of colorful big ideas; it is also a book of day to day practical advice. It helps both the novice gardener get started as well as the seasoned pro see things in a new way. With something for everyone, this book full of colorful photos, tons of information, and practical ideas makes a great gift as well as a personal resource.


The Container Gardener’s Bible: A Step-By-Step Guide To Growing In All Kinds Of Containers, Conditions And Locations
Joanna K. Harrison and Miranda Smith
Quarto Publishing (Rodale)
http://www.rodaleinc.com
2009
ISBN# 1594869588
Paperback
192 Pages
$21.95



Material provided by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.


Kevin R. Tipple ©2009

Saturday Meeting of MWA-SW

JUMPING INTO THE DIGITAL PUBLISHING WORLD: A WRITER'S TOOL KIT Doris Booth, CEO Authorlink.com and WritersEducation. com speaks to writers on how to SUCCEED AND NAVIGATE within the soaring electronic and declining traditional book industry. The electronic book industry is growing by triple digits. The good news for writers is that this new animal is content hungry.

MWA-SW meet monthly on the first Saturday at Texas Land & Cattle, 812 South Central Expressway, Richardson, TX 75080 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. The $5.00 door fee pays for our free coffee/tea and use of the room. Stay, eat lunch and mingle/network.

For more information, Call Jeannie Furlong @ 214-663-1708 Info.

Reviewing: "Tilt A Whirl" 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.


Tilt-A Whirl
Chris Grabenstein
http://www.chrisgrabenstein.com/
Carol & Graf (Avalon Publishing Group, Inc.)
2006
ISBN# 0-78671-781-5
Trade Paperback
330 Pages
$14.95


Book provided by the author in exchange for my objective review.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Reviewing: "The Duchess To The Rescue: A Bones & The Duchess Mystery"

At first Bones thinks it has to be a joke. Bones used to be a cop in the small town of Ephesus, Pennsylvania. He got fired for doing a good thing for a homeless woman. He’s made the local police and especially the police chief look weak by solving cases with the help of The Duchess (Verity Buscador). But, this really takes the cake.

Arrested while eating at the Broad Street Hotel, Bones is quickly transported to the local jail. He is accused of hit and run with his car and spray painting graffiti around town. Most of the graffiti makes fun of Police Chief Hunsicker and it is no secret that the two men don’t get along.

Clearly Bones needs the help of The Duchess to prove that he didn’t do any of it. The case looks bad because his car is damaged, there are empty spray paint cans in the backseat area of his car, and he has no witnesses to prove that he is innocent. Good thing her mom, Quintessa, is a lawyer. With mom handling stuff in the courtroom and The Duchess working the teen graffiti artist angle, it won’t be long before the real person who did all of it will be identified.

As in the other books in the series, Aspergers and the role it plays in the life of The Duchess and those that care about her is discussed in the course of the solving the mystery. While the Aspergers is always present, it does not dominate the story. Instead, issues familiar to kids of feeling alone, bullying, and other things are at the forefront of this book. The truth can be a heavy burden and once again The Duchess sees things clearly while the adults in her world do not. The result is another strong mystery for readers in the targeted age group of forth to seventh grade readers that provides a good moral and a good tale.


The Duchess To The Rescue: A Bones & The Duchess Mystery
Alexandra Eden
Allen A. Knoll, Publishers
http://www.knollpublishers.com/
2006
ISBN# 1-888310-55-3
Hardback
122 Pages
$16.00


Book provided by the publisher in exchange for my objective review.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2009