Check your calendar--meeting reminder that SinCND is this Sunday!
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Saturday, July 23, 2016
Sisters in Crime Meeting Reminder!
I have not been able to attend in quite some time thanks to various things here....
Check your calendar--meeting reminder that SinCND is this Sunday!
Check your calendar--meeting reminder that SinCND is this Sunday!
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: When in Doubt, Add Butter by Beth Harbison
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: When in Doubt, Add Butter by Beth Harbison: Reviewed by Ambrea Gemma Craig has had enough of dating; instead, she has decided to focus on her job, which she’s surprisingly g...
KRL This Week Update--July 23, 2016
Up this morning in KRL a review & giveaway of
"Murder Has Nine Lives" by Laura Levine
http://kingsriverlife.com/07/23/murder-has-nine-lives-by-laura-levine/
Also reviews & giveaways of a fun bunch of 5 mystery
novels by Penguin & Kensington authors-"Gone with the Wool": Yarn Retreat
Mystery by Betty Hechtman, "Dressed to Kilt": Scottish Highlands series by Hannah
Reed, "Final Fondue": A Five-Ingredient Mystery by Maya Corrigan, "Take the
Monkey and Run": A Call of the Wilde Mystery by Laura Morrigan, and "Toasting Up
Trouble": A Dinner Club Mystery by Linda Wiken
http://kingsriverlife.com/07/23/a-bunch-of-july-mysteries-from-penguin-kensington/
And a review & giveaway of a fun food mystery,
"Death at the Day Lily Cafe" by Wendy Sand Eckel, along with a fun food guest post by Wendy which includes
recipes!
http://kingsriverlife.com/07/23/death-at-the-day-lily-cafe-by-wendy-sand-eckel/
And a review & giveaway of "A Grave
Prediction" by Victoria
Laurie
http://kingsriverlife.com/07/23/a-grave-prediction-by-victoria-laurie/
We also have a review of 2 British mystery TV
shows-"Inspector Lewis" & "Endeavour"
http://kingsriverlife.com/07/23/the-british-are-coming-the-british-are-coming-part-2-inspector-lewis-endeavour/
And a mystery short story by Kaye George
http://kingsriverlife.com/07/23/handbaskets-drawers-and-a-killer-cold-mystery-short-story/
Over on KRL Lite this morning a review & giveaway of
"Honolulu Hottie" by Terry Ambrose http://kingsriverlife.blogspot.com/2016/07/honolulu-hottie-mckenna-mystery-by.html
Happy reading,
Lorie
Friday, July 22, 2016
Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: Worse news
Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: Worse news: Very aggressive form of carcinoma. Looks bad. Love to you all.
Bill Crider Update
This is per his daughter, Angela, on Facebook minutes ago:
"I wanted to post an update on Dad, although not a happy one. He has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of carcinoma. We do not know much, but we will be seeking appointments with specialists and having more tests during the coming days. I will let you know when there is an update. Thank you again for all of your thoughts and prayers."
"I wanted to post an update on Dad, although not a happy one. He has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of carcinoma. We do not know much, but we will be seeking appointments with specialists and having more tests during the coming days. I will let you know when there is an update. Thank you again for all of your thoughts and prayers."
Pulp Hack Confessions: Young Americans vs. Hillbilly Crime Lords and La C...
Pulp Hack Confessions: Young Americans vs. Hillbilly Crime Lords and La C...: Young Americans By Josh Stallings 288 pages ( Heist Publishing; October 30, 2015) ISBN-10: 0996948007 ISBN...
FFB Review: A CHAIN OF EVIDENCE (1912) by Carolyn Wells (Reviewed by Barry Ergang)
Barry is back for Friday’s Forgotten Books hosted by
Patti Abbott. Read Barry’s review and then check out the FFB list today.
A CHAIN OF EVIDENCE (1912) by Carolyn
Wells
Reviewed by Barry Ergang
Attorney Otis Landon and his
widowed sister, Mrs. Laura Mulford, live together in the Hammersleigh, “one of
the most attractive of the moderate-priced apartment houses in New York City.” At
thirty-two, Otis expects never to marry, although, as he tells his sister, “I
rather fancy that if I ever fall in love, it will be at first sight, and very
desperately.”
Conveniently both for Otis
and the plot, he does. The object of his affection is one Janet Pembroke, who
lives in an apartment across the hall with her wealthy but miserly,
temperamental, and somewhat reclusive great-uncle, Robert Pembroke. Although
they’ve only lived in the Hammersleigh for two weeks, Otis and his sister have
both heard Pembroke’s “voice raised in tones of vituperation and abuse.”
Not long after, Robert
Pembroke is found dead. Otis and Laura Mulford are drawn into what turns out to
be a case of murder, Pembroke slain by what is described as a woman’s method. When
the crime was committed, the door to the apartment was locked, the windows were
fastened tight, and a night-chain was in place, which suggests that only one or
both of two others within it, Janet Pembroke and her maid, Charlotte, could
have done the deed. Fully smitten, Otis is ready to do whatever it takes to
protect the woman he (irrationally?) loves.
Thus begins the essence of a
mystery novel by an author seminal to the genre who predates “the Golden Age.” It
is a novel that demands of modern readers patience, tolerance and, above all, a
sense of humor.
Patience is
essential for several reasons. The author’s narrative style is that of an
older, more formal era, and will likely seem stilted and verbose to a modern
audience. The dialogue is equally stilted. I sincerely doubt Americans in the
early 20th Century spoke the way Carolyn Wells’ middle- and upper-class
characters do. Jane Austen’s English characters from the early 19th Century
spoke less “literarily.” For example, consider this exchange between Laura
Mulford and Otis Landon regarding whether Janet Pembroke merits her uncle’s berating:—
“Yes, but how do I know what she may do to
deserve it? Those dark eyes show a
smouldering fire that seems to me quite capable of breaking into flame. I rather fancy Miss Pembroke can hold her own
against any verbal onslaught of her
uncle.”
“Then
I’m glad she can,” I declared; “as she has to stand such unjust tyranny, I hope she has sufficient
self-assertion to resent it. I’d rather like to see that girl in a towering rage; she must look stunning!”
The book could be shorter by
a third to a half if Otis Landon’s first-person narrative didn’t contain
multiple repetitions of the facts of the case and, especially, incessant
lengthy passages in which he moons about the enigmatic and volatile Janet
Pembroke, his love for her, his anxieties about her possible love for other men
in the story, and angst about her possible guilt.
Tolerance is
essential because of snobbishly demeaning, disparaging and racist attitudes
toward “menials”—e.g., an elevator operator whose language suggests a
substandard education, and Charlotte, the African-American maid, with her stereotyped
dialect. Here’s Charlotte talking about forgetting to remove the night-chain
before opening the apartment door:—
“Laws!” exclaimed what was unmistakably a
negro (sic) girl’s voice, “I nebber can
’member dat chain!”
A sense of humor is essential—make that vital—when
reading this novel. Thoroughly non-existent is police procedure as we’ve come
to know it nowadays. Landon and others are given license to explore and tramp
all over the crime scene as they see fit. A prominent lawyer, very much a
suspect, who represented Robert Pembroke and who visited him the day before his
death, is presently out of town on business. Rather than locate and bring him
in for immediate questioning, the police and D.A. decide to delay official proceedings
until his return. Otis Landon fancies himself possessed of a detective’s
instincts, and manages to find physical clues and talk to people connected to
the victim who might have reasons for wanting him dead while the police do
almost nothing investigative. But despite his efforts, he can’t resolve the locked-apartment
puzzle, so he ultimately consults Carolyn Wells’ incarnation of the Great
Detective, Fleming Stone. A Chain of
Evidence contains twenty-four chapters. Fleming Stone doesn’t appear until
the twenty-first (or, according to my Kindle, until eighty percent of the novel
was behind me). As soon as Landon explains the circumstances of the case to
Stone, the latter announces that he knows who the murderer is. In order to
solve the locked-room problem, however, he must visit the apartment. Once he
does, it takes him no time at all to figure out the answer to that riddle.
The fact that the solution is
a complete cheat is apparently inconsequential to the author. Much earlier in
the story the reader is given several crucial details concerning the impossibility
of entrance to the apartment with the night-chain in place. What is revealed in
Stone’s explanation contradicts much of it and points up something the reader
should have been told but wasn’t, thus underscoring that the reader has been unfairly
duped.
Except to mystery historians
and purists, I must conclude that A Chain
of Evidence is nothing more than a (vaguely) entertaining curio.
For more information about
Carolyn Wells, see mystery connoisseur and analyst Michael E. Grost’s A Guide to Classic Mystery and Detection: http://mikegrost.com/classics.htm. For more on Fleming Stone, see The Thrilling
Detective website: http://www.thrillingdetective.com/eyes/fleming_stone.html.
© 2016
Barry Ergang
Derringer Award-winner Barry
Ergang’s own (fairly-clued!)
locked-room mystery novelette, “The Play of Light and Shadow,” is available at Amazon and, during the annual sale through the end of July,
at Smashwords at a reduced price, among his other works you can find at those sites.
Thursday, July 21, 2016
Gravetapping: Books You Should Read: "Backshot" by Ed Gorman and...
Gravetapping: Books You Should Read: "Backshot" by Ed Gorman and...: Cemetery Dance has two signed, limited edition hardcovers, with interconnected storylines available. The titles: Backshot: 1902 by Ed Gor...
Crime Review Update
We feature new 20 reviews in each issue of Crime Review ( www.crimereview.co.uk), together with a top industry interview. This time it’s author Jeff Gulvin in the Countdown hot seat. We’re on Twitter at: Crime Review: @CrimeReviewUK Linda Wilson: @CrimeReviewer Sharon Wheeler: @lartonmedia This week’s reviews are: WHEN THE MUSIC’S OVER by Peter Robinson, reviewed by Sharon Wheeler Newly-promoted Det Supt Alan Banks is landed with a cold case from 50 years back where it’s alleged a TV personality assaulted young female fans. BEFORE THE FALL by Noah Hawley, reviewed by Chris Roberts When a private jet goes down, painter Scott and a young boy are the only ones who survive. Several of the passengers had serious enemies – was it sabotage? A FINE LINE by Gianrico Carafiglio, reviewed by Arnold Taylor Guido Guerrieri is a defence lawyer working in Bari, southern Italy. Having just completed a successful appeal on behalf of a man accused of sexual assault, he receives a telephone call from a judge requesting his help. THE HOTEL OF THE THREE ROSES by Augusto De Angelis, reviewed by John Cleal Commissario Carlo De Vincenzi receives an anonymous tip that a crime is to be committed at a louche hotel. STREETS OF DARKNESS by AA Dhand, reviewed by Sharon Wheeler DI Harry Virdee has been suspended from duty, but he goes solo to track down the killer of a Bradford VIP. THE PRIMROSE PATH by Rebecca Griffiths, reviewed by John Barnbrook Rachel has moved to a small Welsh community to escape her past life. Unfortunately her past is not keen to let her go and not all is as it appears on first encounter GOODBYE TO THE DEAD by Brian Freeman, reviewed by John Cleal Lieutenant Stride is investigating a street killing, and discovers a link to a murder in which he found himself on the opposite side to his late wife years before. DEATH ZONES by Simon Pasternak, reviewed by Chris Roberts In Belorussia in July 1943, a few hundred miles west of the advancing Russians, a German general is killed by partisans. Oberleutnant Heinrich Hoffman is pressed to find the man responsible.ALONE WITH THE DEAD by James Nally, reviewed by Linda Wilson.
Rookie PC Donal Lynch is one of the first on the scene of a brutal murder. The investigation quickly stalls, but the murdered woman herself is determined to make sure her case isn’t forgotten. HIDDEN by Emma Kavanagh, reviewed by John Cleal A gunman stalks the wards of a hospital. Two members of a police firearms unit assigned to find him are recently reinstated after being investigated for shooting a teenage boy. The third has his own problems. As the stress mounts, death is only the pull of a trigger away. THE CHOSEN by Kristina Ohlsson, reviewed by Ewa Sherman The terrifying Paper Boy arrives at night, carefully chooses his victims, mostly children, and disappears. Later the mutilated bodies are found with paper bags on their heads. Fredrika Bergman and Alex Recht have to stop him from claiming more lives. THE FIXER by Joseph Finder, reviewed by Chris Roberts Rick Hoffman’s discovery of a fortune in cash concealed in his father’s old study leads him to an investigation of corruption and a rethink of his own life. THE LONELINESS OF DISTANT BEINGS by Kate Ling, reviewed by Linda Wilson Life aboard the First Contact Vessel Ventura is regimented in all respects. The system has no place for teenage rebels, as Seren soon finds out. THE INCORRUPTIBLES by John Hornor Jacobs, reviewed by John Cleal Army scouts Fisk and Shoe are assigned to guide a Senator on a hunting trip, but face supernatural as well as human enemies. THE AMERICAN by Nadia Dalbuono, reviewed by Sylvia Maughan A body is found hanging under the Ponte Sant’Angelo. Who is he and why are there similarities to the death of Roberto Calvi all those years ago? Inspector Scamarcio has his work cut out to solve this one. DEAD OF WINTER by Gerri Brightwell, reviewed by Chris Roberts Mike Fisher is a taxi driver with little going for him, but when his daughter disappears, rescuing her becomes a motivating preoccupation. A MAN OF SOME REPUTE by Elizabeth Edmondson, reviewed by Arnold Taylor Hugo Hawksworth of the intelligence services is given a desk job following an injury sustained in the field. His boss arranges for him to be accommodated in Selchester Castle, from which Lord Selchester had mysteriously disappeared six years earlier. SONGS ABOUT A GIRL by Chris Russell, reviewed by Linda Wilson Fifteen-year-old Charlie Bloom’s life is turned upside down when she’s asked to take a series of backstage photos of the latest boyband phenomenon, Fire&Lights. DEATH OF A SCHOLAR by Susanna Gregory, reviewed by John Cleal Once again Cambridge is full of murdered clerics and scholars. Physician/detective Matthew Bartholomew and Brother Michael must sort out their latest mystery. HEAVEN SENT (audiobook) by Meg Cabot, reviewed by Linda Wilson Paul Slater is determined to change the past and make sure that Suze and her boyfriend Jesse never meet. Suze is equally determined to stop him. Best wishes Sharon
Our Medical Update
It was a long morning at the hospital. We got behind at the radiation deal and that cascaded everything backwards. But, we are finally home.
Radiation went okay once they got things working and going. Sandi has four more treatments and that will be it.
Sandi's blood work seemed to be okay. They are double checking a couple of things as they seem a little too good to be true. But, if the results are confirmed things look amazingly good blood wise.
Doctor was pleased about how she is doing. The current plan is for her to come back in three weeks and do the usual visit. At that point and after consulting with the radiation doctor they will have an idea as to how we go forward. Indications right now are that an MRI will be done in very late August or early September so they can measure the tumor in her spinal area and see if it has shrunk like it was supposed to do. After that is done what we do next will be determined.
So, all we know for sure is once the radiation is done we should have a couple of weeks break from going down to the hospital and doing anything. That will be nice.
Radiation went okay once they got things working and going. Sandi has four more treatments and that will be it.
Sandi's blood work seemed to be okay. They are double checking a couple of things as they seem a little too good to be true. But, if the results are confirmed things look amazingly good blood wise.
Doctor was pleased about how she is doing. The current plan is for her to come back in three weeks and do the usual visit. At that point and after consulting with the radiation doctor they will have an idea as to how we go forward. Indications right now are that an MRI will be done in very late August or early September so they can measure the tumor in her spinal area and see if it has shrunk like it was supposed to do. After that is done what we do next will be determined.
So, all we know for sure is once the radiation is done we should have a couple of weeks break from going down to the hospital and doing anything. That will be nice.
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: Update.
Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: Update.: Not kidneys. Very likely lymphoma. Biopsy tomorrow.
We are devastated by this news. Our thoughts and prayers are with Bill and his family.
We are devastated by this news. Our thoughts and prayers are with Bill and his family.
Pulp Hack Confessions: 50 Shades of Zane Grey in E.A. Cook's Thriller, "T...
Pulp Hack Confessions: 50 Shades of Zane Grey in E.A. Cook's Thriller, "T...: Taconite By E. A. Cook 77 pages (Rogue House Publishing; February 4, 2016) eBook by Amazon Digital Services ASI...
WELCOME TO HELL ~ by Glenn Walker: The Legend of Tarzan
WELCOME TO HELL ~ by Glenn Walker: The Legend of Tarzan: The Legend of Tarzan ~ Don't tell him this, I don't want him to get a swollen head, but my big brother rocks. Even before he sa...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Dark Money, Running With Scissors, All...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Dark Money, Running With Scissors, All...: This week, our readers kicked of Nevermore with Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radi...
Guest Post: Jeanne on "(Brand) Name Dropping"
Please
welcome back Jeanne of the Bristol Public Library with a few thoughts regarding
brand names in stories. When I think of this sort of thing, I think of Stuart
Woods and his Stone Barrington series where the brand name dropping is
everywhere on nearly every page. I don’t think so much about how such tactics
can date the work. It does and Jeanne shares some examples below.
(Brand)
Name Dropping
Years and years ago, I was reading a novel which
mentioned a character watching a Star
Trek rerun. This would have been
around 1972 or so, when I was an ardent Star Trek fan before there was a real
organized fan network, so the mere mention electrified me. I went on to notice
that the author mentioned other things by brand name, such as Noxzema. I was surprised but at the time I thought it
made the book seem immediate and up to date—the show was playing every
afternoon in syndication on a semi-local station, so that made perfect sense. I
was impressed.
A few decades down the road, I’m not so sure. It’s not so much the product placement (a
concept I’m not sure was around then) but product longevity, something that
seems in short supply these days. More
and more it seems that when I pick up an older book, there’s some reference to
a company or product that has gone extinct.
It’s a little disconcerting when the book would almost seem to be
contemporary because it instantly reminds me that it’s not. To pull an example from a comic book, I
vividly remember a scene in a Batman comic in which Bruce Wayne receives a
video tape sent anonymously. He looks at
it and comments that at least the sender had the sense to send a Betamax tape.
Is there a show of hands of folks who know the
significance? Uh… how about people who remember Betamax? Okay, how many know what Betamax was? I’m
only half kidding, because most of the people with whom I work would not
understand at all that the dialog was intended to reinforce the image of Bruce
as a connoisseur, someone who appreciated the higher quality picture that
Betamax afforded. To readers now, it
would indicate he was hopelessly outdated and would evoke laughter. I’m sure that should the story ever be
reprinted, the Betamax reference would be expunged. It certainly wouldn’t be first to undergo
such revision: there are a number of
children’s books which have been updated for various reasons, including
outdated language and stereotypes. The
Nancy Drew series has been updated several times, starting in 1959. Some fans still mourn the loss of the blue
roadster. (Or was it maroon?)
It’s quite a different thing if a writer wants to
evoke an earlier era. Then the
references to people and products are a deliberate attempt to show readers when
they are, though sometimes the authors have to word things carefully to make
sure readers know what is being discussed.
For example, if a character in the early 1970s is enjoying a delicious
Smoothie, the audience should understand that it is not a drink but candy
somewhat like a Reese’s Cup but the peanut butter is covered in butterscotch. Most recently, I encountered this in Joanna
Cannon’s The Trouble with Goats and Sheep; she named dropped then
current TV shows, celebrities, candy, and other products to remind people of
the time period.
On the other hand, there are authors who use such
deeply contemporary books as sources for their own historical novels. Most recently I heard David O. Stewart
discuss reading period novels for his new mystery, The Babe Ruth Deception,
in order to check for slang expressions. He also commented on that some of the
books were difficult to read because the sentence structure and vocabulary were
so different from contemporary novels. (Stewart is an historian and lawyer and
author of several non-fiction books, but he has a series of historical
mysteries set in the early part of the 20th century. He was being
interviewed on the radio show Your Weekly
Constitutional about the special
place baseball has in Constitutional law.
Really. You can listen to the
podcast at https://www.montpelier.org/center/radio.)
So, authors, you may want to consider how long you
expect your work to be read before you have a character walk down the street
absorbed in Pokemon Go!
(Note: I am
reasonably sure that the first book I mentioned was The Mephisto Waltz
by Fred Mustard Stewart, which I recall as being a nifty little horror novel
along the lines of Rosemary’s Baby.
Our library doesn’t hold a copy so I couldn’t check to see if the reference
to Star Trek was there, which would
confirm its identity. It was published
in 1969, so that fits. A recent review
by Lobstergirl at Goodreads calls it “wonderfully dated” with “ghastly product
placement.” Ummm, well, that probably
fits too.)
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
If you have a minute, please think of Bill Crider
I just found an announcement on Facebook from Bill Crider that he has been hospitalized. According to a post on his blog earlier today, his doctor believes he is dealing with kidney failure.
If you have a minute, please think of Bill Crider in whatever way is your custom. We may not be able to be there with him, but we can do so in spirit.
If you have a minute, please think of Bill Crider in whatever way is your custom. We may not be able to be there with him, but we can do so in spirit.
SleuthSayers: A Noir Summer
SleuthSayers: A Noir Summer: by Paul D. Marks Since Turner Classics doesn’t appear to be doing a noir Summer of Darkness like they did last summer, I thought I’d ment...
Earl Staggs Reviews: Criminalities: Three Short Crime Stories and an Essay by Barry Ergang
Criminalities:
Three Short Crime Stories and an Essay by
Barry Ergang
FREE ebook at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/643316
The first story is”Jewel of Denial,” a
gem originally published in the June 2005 issue of Mysterical-e. Lainie
Truscott is dismayed when guests at her bed and breakfast are robbed of cash
and jewelry during the night. Lainie follows a hunch and takes a short trip to
see if she's right. When she arrives at her destination, one surprising twist
after another will leave you grinning, nodding your head, and thinking, “Well
done, Mr. Ergang.”
Next up is “Vigilante,” which received
a Derringer Award in 2007 for Best Story of the Year. Weissman is alone in a
dark alley with a militant, tattooed skinhead. Their vast difference of opinion
about the Holocaust is settled in the only appropriate manner.
The third story, “Brianna’s Way,” was
an Editor’s Choice when it appeared in Flash Bang Mysteries Magazine. When his
ex-wife's lawyer wants to talk to him, Rutledge agrees to the meeting out of
curiosity. Brianna is accused of killing her second husband, the man she dumped
him for. What does the woman who ruined his life want from him?
In the essay “Impossible Pleasures,” Mr.
Ergang tells how in his youth, he became an “unregenerate, unapologetic fan of
the mystery genre,” and discusses classic writers and stories. He was drawn in
particular to the “locked door” or impossible crime” tales. These are the
stories in which a crime is committed in a space such as a locked room with no
way for the criminal to get in or out without being seen. If you're a fan of
this type of story, you'll learn which authors, past and present, to look for.
For an excellent example of a locked
room mystery, I recommend reading “The Play of Light and Shadow,” one of many
published stories by Barry Ergang. You'll find it at:
Earl Staggs ©2016
Texas author Earl Staggs earned all
Five Star reviews for his novels MEMORY OF A MURDER and JUSTIFIED ACTION and has twice received a
Derringer Award for Best Short Story of the Year. He served as Managing Editor of Futures
Mystery Magazine, as President of the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and is a frequent speaker at conferences and seminars.
He invites any comments via
email at earlstaggs@sbcglobal.net
He also invites you to
visit his blog site at http://earlwstaggs.wordpress.com to learn more about his novels and stories.
Monday, July 18, 2016
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: A Familiar Tail by Delia James
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: A Familiar Tail by Delia James: La Nuit ponders A Familiar Tail Reviewed by Jeanne A Familiar Tail: A Witch’s Cat Mystery by Delia James begins with Annabe...
18 Down, 7 To Go
Sandi completed her 18th radiation treatment this morning. She now has 7 more to go. We also met with the radiation doctor this morning, as we do each Monday, and he remains very pleased with how she is doing.
Later this week on Thursday, after she has radiation, we will go upstairs and meet with her regular cancer doctor and do blood work. That meeting may or may not include planning for the next scan to re-image her cancers. Assuming nothing horrendous turns up in the blood work we should be on the way home in our un-airconditioned car before the day time temps hit the predicted century mark.
Things seem to be going as well as possible. Hopefully, they truly are.So many times when we have thought she was doing well, she wasn't and things blew up in our faces. So, I remain worried though they say things are fine. More importantly, she thinks things are fine. It is a feeling she has. Considering she knew the cancers were back before they found them and told her, as well as a few other things in recent years cancer wise, I believe she knows before they do.
Later this week on Thursday, after she has radiation, we will go upstairs and meet with her regular cancer doctor and do blood work. That meeting may or may not include planning for the next scan to re-image her cancers. Assuming nothing horrendous turns up in the blood work we should be on the way home in our un-airconditioned car before the day time temps hit the predicted century mark.
Things seem to be going as well as possible. Hopefully, they truly are.So many times when we have thought she was doing well, she wasn't and things blew up in our faces. So, I remain worried though they say things are fine. More importantly, she thinks things are fine. It is a feeling she has. Considering she knew the cancers were back before they found them and told her, as well as a few other things in recent years cancer wise, I believe she knows before they do.
TEXAS BOOK LOVER: Monday Roundup: TEXAS LITERARY CALENDAR July 18-24...
TEXAS BOOK LOVER: Monday Roundup: TEXAS LITERARY CALENDAR July 18-24...: Bookish events in Texas for the week of July 18-24, 2016: Special Events: 10th Annual Writers' League of Texas Summer Writing Retr...
Monday With Kaye: "Down the Darkest Street" by Alex Segura (Reviewed by Kaye George)
Another Monday With Kaye, like
air conditioning, is a very good thing…
Down the Darkest Street by Alex Segura
The torrid Miami atmosphere adds to the
gritty beginning of this noir tale, the second Pete Fernandez mystery, as he
moves from one darkness to the next.
Pete is trying to be a recovering
alcoholic. He lives in a quiet Miami suburb with, unfortunately, his ex-wife. That’s
supposed to be temporary. He attends AA, but not regularly and not seriously,
after the initial events. As the story opens, he’s getting beat up in an alley
after consuming prodigious amounts of Jim Beam and beer. When his hand
inadvertently strayed to the wrong soft thigh, it led to his take down. As he’s
stumbling out of the alley, post-whipping, a van drives by. Pete gets a good
look at the driver and at the teen-aged girl curled up beside him. That leads
to trouble.
Having lost his job as a sports
reporter, he helped a fellow journalist, Kathy Bentley, with a sensational
story that brought about the exposure of a mob hitman. The monetary reward was
enough to enable him to spend a lot of time thinking about drinking and to work
a part-time job in a used bookstore. He doesn’t have many friends. One is Dave,
the guy who runs the Book Bin. Another is his potential AA sponsor, Jack.
He needs both of them as he gets caught
up in the search for a missing teen girl and draws close to a dangerous,
demented killer, like a moth drawn to a flame.
This hardboiled story is written for a
quick read, with a nice, taut style, which is good because once you get
started, you’ll want to tear through it. I enjoyed it without reading the first
one, Silent
City, but it might be good to read these in order.
Sunday, July 17, 2016
Today in MYSTERY HISTORY: 7/17/2015 Greenfellas arrive
Today in MYSTERY HISTORY: 7/17/2015 Greenfellas arrive: July 17, 2015. Today was the official publication date for Greenfellas , a novel by Robert Lopresti. And here is the first review: ...
Little Big Crimes: Shortcut to Gringo Hill, by James Nolan
Little Big Crimes: Shortcut to Gringo Hill, by James Nolan: "Shortcut to Gringo Hill," by James Nolan, in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, July/August 2016. Lot of good stories i...
Pulp Hack Confessions: "Cleaning Up Finn" Would Take a Truckload of Disin...
Pulp Hack Confessions: "Cleaning Up Finn" Would Take a Truckload of Disin...: Cleaning Up Finn By Sarah M. Chen 160 pages (All Due Respect Books; May 13, 2016) eBook for Kindle by Amazon Digital ...
WELCOME TO HELL ~ by Glenn Walker: The GAR! Podcast - Steak, Tech, and Old School Rad...
WELCOME TO HELL ~ by Glenn Walker: The GAR! Podcast - Steak, Tech, and Old School Rad...: The Biff Bam Pop! Podcast Network presents The GAR! Podcast , the Glenn Walker and Ray Cornwall weekly podcast where they talk unrehears...
Review: "Gardening With Less Water" by David A Bainbridge
While the rains have
come back to Texas, the long term drought to the west, especially in
California, continues with devastating effects. The issue of water is going to
have to change as climate change continues to cause environmental problems.
While one can plant landscapes that feature native plants in terms of grasses
and some flowering plants, the issue with vegetables and fruits that need water
to survive and thrive is a bit more complex. Those kinds of plants absolutely
have to have water. The new book “Gardening With Less Water” by David A
Bainbridge outlines some possibilities regarding the delivery of water to the
plants.
“Low-Tech, Low-Cost
Techniques” that will allow you to “Use Up To 90% Less Water In Your Garden” is
prominently splashed across the cover of this small paper back. Also
prominently displayed is a clay pot inserted into the ground between carrot and
potato plants. Putting clay pots and other devices below the surface of
the ground to deliver water is the primary theme of this book.
After an introduction
that details the water crisis in text and pictures, the book broken into two
parts. Part One covers “Super- Efficient Irrigation Systems” and begins on page
14 with a brief overview on the topic. “The key to minimizing eater use is to
get water to the plant just as it is needed with little or no loss to
evaporation and runoff.” (Page 17)
Part of that is the
aforementioned technique of burying clay pots into the ground. The buried pots
in the form of gourds or wide mouthed clay pots can be used either to hold
water or to hold the plant in the ground. By burying the pot to the top or very
near the top one can water the planet in the pot and contain most of the water
to that immediate vicinity. The pot tends to stay wet longer when buried in
soil and thus restrains moisture around the plant. Obviously, the clay pots
should be porous, not glazed, and in their natural state without wax or paint, that
would interfere with the technique. More tips for this technique can be found
on pages 22 and 23.
Along with suggesting
ways of using clay pots inside of bigger
clay pots for those of us apartment and condo owners where space is very
limited, the author how to effectively garden with, porous hoses, porous
capsules (such as bottles and flasks among others), deep pipe irrigation, wicks,
and more. A number of different techniques are explained in detail by text and
photographs so that you can use one or more ways of addressing your personal
landscaping situation.
The various
techniques and ideas lead into “Part Two: Taking It To The Next Level.”
Starting on page 78 the author gives tips on how to water wisely as well as
advice on how to use your landscape to contain water by way of plants, rain
barrels, grid gardening, and more. Included in this section are tips on how to
develop a water garden plan for your particular situation. Beyond your personal
situation in terms of your landscaping, the author suggests ways to encourage change
with your local governmental policy makers at all levels.
The book concludes
with an appendix, an acknowledgments page, a 2 page list of suppliers and their
contact info, and a 3 page index.
At 130 pages Gardening
With Less Water by David A Bainbridge is a short, but extremely
informative book. Through pictures and text the book details how one can take
very small steps to conserve water as well as how to upscale info significant
savings. Detailed and comprehensive Gardening With Less Water is a well done
source that explains how you can do your part to save our precious resource.
Gardening With Less Water
David A Bainbridge
Storey Publishing
Dec 2015
ISBN# 978-1-61212-582-4
Paperback (also available in eBook)
$14.95
130 Pages
Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano Public
Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2016
Saturday, July 16, 2016
Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: FFB: The Neddiad -- Daniel Pinkwater
Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: FFB: The Neddiad -- Daniel Pinkwater: Summertime is rerun time, USA. Here's one from December 28, 2008. I'm a big fan of the works of Daniel Pinkwater. His books are s...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Mike Lawson, reviewed by Doris Stickley
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Mike Lawson, reviewed by Doris Stickley: Last week, the Bristol Public Library lost a beloved member of our family, Doris Stickley . In her role as Marketing Director, she was the ...
Clear The Shelters-- July 23, 2016
The annual effort in North Texas where pet adoption fees are waived. Plano, as well as a number of other cities across Dallas/'Fort Worth and the surrounding area will be participating. More details at ClearTheShelters.Org.
KRL This Week Update--July 16, 2016
Up this week in KRL a review & giveaway of "The
Pursuit" by Janet
Evanovich & Lee
Goldberg
http://kingsriverlife.com/07/16/the-pursuit-by-janet-evanovich-lee-goldberg/
Also up a review & giveaway of "A Toxic
Trousseau" by Juliet
Blackwell
http://kingsriverlife.com/07/16/a-toxic-trousseau-by-juliet-blackwell/
And a fun guest post by Nancy Lynn Jarvis about a fun cookbook,
"Cozy Food: 128 Mystery Writers Share Their Favorite Recipes," and
you can enter to win a copy
http://kingsriverlife.com/07/16/cozy-food-128-cozy-mystery-writers-share-their-favorite-recipes/
And a review & giveaway of "The Semester of Our Discontent" by
Cynthia Kuhn
We also have a review & giveaway of "A Dark and
Stormy Murder" by Julia Buckley, along with an interesting interview with
Julia http://kingsriverlife.com/07/16/a-dark-and-stormy-murder-by-julia-buckley/
And an article about Isaac Asimov and his mystery writing
http://kingsriverlife.com/07/16/legendary-isaac-asimov-as-mystery-writer/
And we have a mystery short story by JR Lindermuth
http://kingsriverlife.com/07/16/those-bodies-at-the-temple-mystery-short-story/
For those who also enjoy fantasy, a review & giveaway of
"Paper and Fire" by Rachel
Caine
http://kingsriverlife.com/07/16/paper-and-fire-by-rachel-caine/
And over on KRL Lite a review & giveaway of "Heart
of Stone" by James Ziskin
http://kingsriverlife.blogspot.com/2016/07/heart-of-stone-ellie-stone-mystery-by.html
--
KRL is now selling advertising & we have special discounts for
mystery authors & bookstores! Ask me about it!
Mystery section in Kings River Life http://KingsRiverLife.com
Check out my own blog at http://mysteryratscloset.blogspot.com/
mystery authors & bookstores! Ask me about it!
Mystery section in Kings River Life http://KingsRiverLife.com
SleuthSayers: I Like Short Shorts
SleuthSayers: I Like Short Shorts: by John M. Floyd Two weeks ago, I was sitting in a rocker on the back porch of a beach house on Perdido Key, with sand in my shoes and ...
Friday, July 15, 2016
Lesa's Latest Contest: Terrence McAuley, guest post & giveaway
Terrence McAuley did a guest post about my favorite subject - libraries,
and I'm giving away a copy of his thriller A Murder of Crows. Check my
blog, http://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com for details. Entries from
the U.S. only, please.
Lesa Holstine
FFB Review: "THE WEB" (1996) by Jonathan Kellerman (Reviewed by Barry Ergang)
Barry is back today for FFB with an all new review for
FFB hosted by Patti Abbott. Make
sure you check out the list after you read Barry’s review of The Web by
Jonathan Kellerman.
THE WEB (1996) by
Jonathan Kellerman
Reviewed by Barry Ergang
Aruk
in Micronesia, location of a U.S. Naval base blockaded from the rest of the
island that’s also known to some as Knife Island because of its shape, has been
for many years the home, site of medical practice and research to Woodrow
Wilson Moreland, a.k.a. “Dr. Bill” to the locals. Having come upon an article
in a
professional journal written by psychologist Alex Delaware, and then seeking
and reading additional such articles by him, Moreland writes to Delaware with a
proposition: help him organize three decades worth of the research he’s done on
natural history and nutrition, with the possibility of collaboration on a book,
journal articles, or a monograph—depending on what the physician’s research
lends itself to. “I’m prepared to offer compensation of six thousand dollars
per month for four months,” Moreland writes, “in addition to business-class
transportation from the mainland and full room and board. There are no hotels
on Aruk, but my own home is quite commodious and I’m sure you would find it
pleasant.” He further offers to accommodate Delaware’s wife, if he’s married,
though he has no paid work to offer her.
 |
| Paperback |
Delaware
isn’t married, but he is involved with Robin Castagna, and the two decide to
take Moreland up on his offer. After all, who doesn’t fantasize about fleeing
from the daily grind to a desert island paradise?
Paradise,
as anyone reading a mystery/suspense novel can guess, winds up being paid for
at an exorbitant price. Moreland, although an amiable host, turns out to be a
man of many secrets and possessed of a somewhat enigmatic personality. Then,
too, so do several of the other major characters, not all of them being who or
what they seem to be whom Delaware and Robin meet in the course of their adventure,
which
involves, among other things, a death by plane crash and the particularly
grisly deaths of two young island women, one six months earlier, the other
during Delaware and Robin’s visit.
 |
| Hardback |
It
doesn’t seem to be necessary to read previous novels in the Alex Delaware
series; I found this one easily accessible even though I haven’t. The writing
quality was generally quite good in spite of the author’s fondness for
“dramatic” sequences consisting of single-sentence paragraphs, and character
delineation was adequate. At 416 pages in the mass-market paperback edition I
read, I thought it tried a little too hard to pile on surprising revelations, was
more than a little padded in places, and that the story would have been just as
effective, if not more so, at a shorter length. Were I rating it at Amazon or
another major book-rating site, I’d give it three out of five stars and
wouldn’t go out of my way to read another title in the series.
I
would also warn readers squeamish about raw street language that the novel
contains some, including some f-bombs, but doesn’t teem with it.
©
2016 Barry Ergang
Some
of Derringer Award-winner Barry Ergang’s work can be found at Amazon and Smashwords. At the latter site, he’s participating in the July
Summer/Winter Sale, where you can find his e-books at 25% off, as well as three
(always) for free.
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
BTAP Webzine | George R. Johnson | A Well-Ordered Life?
BTAP Webzine | George R. Johnson | A Well-Ordered Life?
This story was written by the late Randy Johnson who occasionally made an appearance here by blog comment as well as by way links to his own blog. He is deeply missed.
This story was written by the late Randy Johnson who occasionally made an appearance here by blog comment as well as by way links to his own blog. He is deeply missed.
Review: "Widowmaker" by Paul Doiron
The ghost of his father
continues to haunt him in the latest in the Game Warden Mike Bowditch series, Widowmaker.
So too does a training film he saw on his first day as a cadet of the Maine
Criminal Justice Academy. That message five years ago stuck in his mind and
regularly appears in his nightmares.
He had just been
thinking about the film and the message delivered by the instructor when a strange
vehicle appeared at the road down by the end of his drive minutes after he had
gotten home on this January evening. That vehicle is a concern and he puts his
gun belt back on to deal with the situation. What had been planned as a quiet
evening at home by himself as his wildlife biologist girlfriend, Stacy, is out
of town, is now on the backburner due to the red Grand Cherokee parked with somebody
inside smoking. The driver turns out to be a 48 year old woman named Amber
Langstrom.
First, she says she
pulled over on the narrow road to make a call. Then she says she needs to use a
restroom. Finally, she says she was sitting at the drive trying to work up the
courage to come talk to Mike about his father, Jack Bowditch. The man is dead
and buried, but his criminal actions in Maine are legendary and that legacy has
been a heavy burned on Mike Bowditch. After coming up to the house, Amber Langstrom
drops a bombshell on Mike.
She claims that she
had a relationship with Jack Bowditch many years ago. It was a sexual
relationship. If she is to be believed, this happened right before Mike’s world
turned upside down, as his parents divorced and he moved away with his Mom.
Amber Langstrom goes on to allege that her son, Adam, is Jack’s son making him Mike’s
half-brother. Adam is missing and she believes Mike should look for him. Adam
was recently released from prison after serving two years time for a conviction
for having a sexual relationship with a minor. He was 17, she was 14, and they
were in love until her parents found out. Adam’s life was forever changed and
Mom is very angry as to what happened. Classified and registered as a sex
offender, Adam has been out for three months and been following all the rules
according to his mom. He has been working and living at a logging camp that serves
as a halfway house for registered sex offenders with nowhere else to go. She is
desperate for Mike’s help to find her missing son.
After some
preliminary checking by phone and a lot of thought, Bowditch eventually makes
the journey to the Widowmaker Ski Resort to start looking for Adam. The woods
surrounding the resort may be lovely, dark, and deep, but they also hide many
secrets. Secrets of a variety with lots of players determined to settle scores
and keep things hidden in the snows of Maine.
Widowmmaker is the
latest in the series that began with the Edgar award nominated The
Poacher’s Son. Six books later, the central character Mike Bowditch
continues to evolve and change as he gains wisdom and maturity. The mysteries
and complexities of daily life, person al relationships, and other issues
continue to be a background staple in this long running and very good mystery series.
Widowmaker
Paul Doiron
Minotaur Books
June 2016
ISBN# 978-1-250-06370-0
Hardback (available
in eBook and audio formats)
310 Pages
$25.99
Material supplied for me to read and
review by the good folks of the Plano Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2016
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Out of the Gutter Online: Review: Face Value, by William E. Wallace
Out of the Gutter Online: Review: Face Value, by William E. Wallace: I recently wrapped up my reading of Face Value by William E Wallace and I am amazed how Wallace seems to hone his writing chops more and m...
Amazon Prime Day
As an Amazon Associate every sale made by going through my links here on the blog helps me as each one generates a few pennies into my account with no extra cost to you. Those pennies add up and help me primarily buy medical supplies for Sandi though I do now and then buy a book for myself.
The same is true for Amazon Prime Day. If you go through the link below and buy yourself a membership today I will make a little bit off of your membership by way of a referral fee. So, if you are going to buy there or do any shopping with Amazon, I hope you will think about coming through me first on your way there.
The same is true for Amazon Prime Day. If you go through the link below and buy yourself a membership today I will make a little bit off of your membership by way of a referral fee. So, if you are going to buy there or do any shopping with Amazon, I hope you will think about coming through me first on your way there.
Little Big Crimes: A Gathering of Great Detectives, by Shawn Reilly S...
Little Big Crimes: A Gathering of Great Detectives, by Shawn Reilly S...: "A Gathering of Great Detectives," by Shawn Reilly Simmons in Malice Domestic: Murder Most Conventional, edited by Verena Rose,...
WELCOME TO HELL ~ by Glenn Walker: Backpedaling on Captain America
WELCOME TO HELL ~ by Glenn Walker: Backpedaling on Captain America: Yeah, if you think I'm backpedaling on my thoughts and opinions on Captain America, that ain't happening. I still stand by what ...
Monday, July 11, 2016
A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: ENGLISH PROFESSOR GONE WILD BY DAKOTA MADISON!
A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: ENGLISH PROFESSOR GONE WILD BY DAKOTA MADISON!: Gone Wild by Dakota Madison ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GENRE : Romantic Comedy MY REVIEW OF THE WILD WAY BY DAKOTA MADISON By Caroli...
TEXAS BOOK LOVER: Monday Roundup: TEXAS LITERARY CALENDAR July 11-17...
TEXAS BOOK LOVER: Monday Roundup: TEXAS LITERARY CALENDAR July 11-17...: Bookish events in Texas for the week of July 11-17, 2016: Special Events: Summer Book Arts Studio , Houston, July 12-15 Macondo Writ...
13 Done, 12 To Go
Sandi completed her thirteenth treatment this morning. She has twelve to go. This means she is now beyond the halfway point. So far, any sideffects that are radiation caused can't be discerned as different than what happens to her on a daily and weekly basis.
Met with the doctor as well today. He is very pleased at how she is doing and that there have not been any complications. At this point he does not see anything to be concerned about.
The fight goes on....
Met with the doctor as well today. He is very pleased at how she is doing and that there have not been any complications. At this point he does not see anything to be concerned about.
The fight goes on....
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