Saturday, July 27, 2019

Scott's Take: Justice by Alex Ross, Jim Kruger, and Doug Braithwaite

Papberback and eBook Cover

Justice by Alex Ross, Jim Kruger, and Doug Braithwaite originally came out in 2005 and has been republished a variety of times in various forms. This is a review of the eBook version that came out in 2012. This version collects all twelve issues of the complete comic series for a total of 384 pages.

Justice is an out of canon story of the Justice League vs The Legion of Doom. Many of villains of the DC universe have been having the same dream that The Justice League will fail allowing all of humanity to die as the world literally burns in a fiery end. The villains decide to prevent this dream by killing all the members of The Justice League. To do that, the villains steal the files of Batman and learn the secret identity of every superhero on our planet. They begin to implement their plan by grabbing Aquaman as he is a key component to their plan to eliminate The Justice League.

Most of The Justice League is soon out for the count, so it is up to the backups to rescue the heroes and save the world. Heroes like Shazam (who is really Captain Marvel but DC lost the rights to that name) Zatanna, The Metal Men, Doom Patrol, and more.
Hardback Cover 

This story is very mature and violent and not at all suitable for little kids. The attacks on the heroes are brutal and graphic. In fact, even one hero has parts of his brain removed by one of the villains. The artwork for that section as well as the entire book is amazing and very realistic. Alex Ross more than lives up to his reputation for realistic and detailed illustrations.

All the heroes have epic moments that help a person understand the character. The perspective of the book shifts throughout as different characters visualize what is happening and their own personal experiences. This results in the fact the reader fully understand that the plans by the villains are impressive and lead to horrible actions which are counteracted by pragmatic and well-designed plans of the heroes.
Paperback and eBook Back

It is hard to discuss much of this book without spoiling the various scenes in the book that are very cool and very different. If you don’t like one of the main heroes of the DC Universe this book could change your mind. If you think Aquaman is lame, you probably won’t after this. Aquaman has one of the best story lines in the book but everyone involved pretty much has a good storyline.

This story I personally like a lot and it is one of my favorite comic books. I have read this story multiple times in different formats and especially prefer the eBook. The digital format allows one to zoom in on some of the smaller dialog boxes and take in the smaller scenes.

Despite how much I enjoy this story it is not appropriate for younger readers at all. There are sex jokes, torture scenes as well as scenes with extreme violence, and more. This is an Elseworlds story so you do not have to be caught up with any old or current storylines to enjoy. If you like this story you might also enjoy Kingdom Come which is a darker tale from Alex Ross and Mark Waid which is another Elseworlds tale though there one does need to be fairly familiar with most of the DC Universe characters.



Justice
Alex Ross, Jim Kruger, and Doug Braithwaite
DC Comics
July 2012
ASIN# B008Q1XEZ8
eBook (also available in various print formats)
384 Pages
$14.99



I purchased this many years ago when it was on sale at a far lower price.


Scott A. Tipple ©2019

Friday, July 26, 2019

I Am Alive

All six bad teeth are out. I am told it went very well and everybody involved is very pleased. I slept through it. I am heavily medicated. Still numb in my lower jaw, chin, and lower lip which makes trying to drink water and take pills an interesting and messy experience.

I am told the next few days will be worse pain wise and I am not looking forward to that.

Just wanted to let one and all know I survived and hope to be online a little more tomorrow. I have a ton of email and messages on FB and whatnot so I know folks were letting me know they care. I do appreciate it and will work on reply, as I can over the weekend.

Thanks again, everyone.

Dental Surgery Day

By the time this post appears, I should be at least part of the way through a procedure to remove six teeth. I am losing all four wisdom teeth, each of which is apparently fractured and a mess, and two more broken teeth that I knew were broken. Both broke long ago, at different times, while Sandi was in her battle and my focus was on taking care of her.

This mess in my mouth played a role of some type in my recent hospital stay. So, it absolutely has to done. I don't have a choice. But, I hate it. Nervous wreck over it as my phobia about needles, dentists, and all the rest of it is in full bloom. I am more than a bit freaked out. I am very aware that things can and do go wrong on occasion even with things that should and usually do go okay.

Fingers crossed and all that.


Thursday, July 25, 2019

Dental News

Dental News....or an update on the tooth that is trying to self eject now and not wait to be extracted.

The damn thing got really loose as I was eating last night. So much so, I only was able to eat about half of my dinner. It did stay in last night though this morning it is clearly way looser. I had set my alarm  to be able to call in when the office for the dentist opened at 7:30 and did so.

Told them the issue and they called the oral surgeon people and then called me back. I am to be at the oral surgeon place at 12:45 to do paperwork and then they will "work me in." Code for come spend the afternoon with us. They will numb the area and remove the tooth that wants to leave the plane now. While they have me in they may look at the others or not as it all depends on how things work out.

In theory, I should be able to drive myself and will be doing that. In theory, this should go off without any issues other than being there awhile. I am guessing I will be filling prescriptions for antibiotics and pain pills on the way home.

Not looking forward to this at all. But, at least it is today and not Saturday afternoon at five.


Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Only days left to win a bunch of books from KRL

Only days left to win a copy of "Bite Club" by Laurien Berenson

And to win copies of "Down in Flames": A Webb’s Glass Shop Mystery by Cheryl Hollon, "Guilty as Charred": A Cook-Off Mystery by Devon Delaney, "Left Fur Dead": A Jules & Bun Mystery by J.M. Griffin, "Seeing Red": A Red Herring Mystery by Dana Dratch, and "Murder’s No Votive Confidence": A Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery by Christin Brecher

Also to win an ebook copy of "Answers in the Attic" by Kathi Daley

And to win a copy of "Cherry Scones & Broken Bones" by Darci Hannah and while there check out an interesting interview with Darci

And to win a copy of "Sifting Through Clues" by Daryl Wood Gerber

Over on KRL News to win a copy of "Chai Another Day" by Leslie Budewitz

And to win an ebook copy of "Game Town" by Janet Elizabeth Lynn and Will Zeilinger 

And to win a copy of "Atlanta Deathwatch" by Ralph Dennis, published by Brash Books


Happy reading,

Lorie

Unlawful Acts-- Small Crimes: Wednesday Reads

Unlawful Acts-- Small Crimes: Wednesday Reads

In Reference To Murder: Mystery Melange for 7/24/19

In Reference To Murder: Mystery Melange for 7/24/19

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Davis, McCall Smith, Atwood, Andres

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Blood-Red Pencil: Is the State of the World Affecting Your Writing? by Polly Iyer

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Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Dental Update

Back home and exhausted Back is really bad now. Got really close to falling and scaring everyone, but the wall stopped me from going all the way down and I did NOT dent the wall. lol In dentist news.....there is NO cancer. They see what worried me and why.... and it is multiple infection sites. Four teeth have to come out for sure, and maybe two more. The four are broken --two wisdom and two regular-- and are massive infection areas as is two gum boils and a couple of other areas. He is pretty sure that this was part of the reason why I wound up in the hospital and is concerned that things could be making the cardiac deal worse. He is sending me to an oral surgeon who will work with my PCP and the cardiologist to figure out what sedation would work for me and how to go about getting the bad teeth and infected areas out. Then, about a month after the sugery happens, I will have to start doing teeth cleaning in the main dentist office. I am in for along haul,. but he kept stressing that considering how long it has been for me with dental care, things are better than he expected. All the other teeth--at this point--are okay and should be fine once the gum disease situation is stopped.

Buried Under Books: Book Review: Five Days, Five Dead by Carol Wright Crigger—and a Giveaway!

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In Reference To Murder: Media Murder for Monday for 7/22/19

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Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 31 Great Writing Conferences in August 2019

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Monday, July 22, 2019

Monday Markets and Jobs for Writers for 7/22/19

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TEXAS BOOK LOVER: Monday Roundup: Texas Literary Calendar July 22-28...

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Aubrey Hamilton Reviews: Gunrunner by Graham Ison


Yet another British detective series I did not know and must add to the TBR list. Beginning in 2001, Graham Ison released 16 books featuring Harry Brock and Dave Poole and has three other series, all capitalizing on his career in Scotland Yard. In these stories Harry Brock, a divorced detective chief inspector, and Detective Sergeant Dave Poole, whose family hails from Jamaica, serve on the Homicide and Serious Crimes Command in London.

Gunrunner (Severn House, 2011) is 11th of the titles. Harry Brock is all settled in for a gourmet Christmas feast with his girlfriend and her parents when he’s called to a Heathrow car park. One of the attendants has gotten around to checking the cars, a task ignored during all of the office parties during the past day or so, and found Kerry Hammond bloodily dead in her Jaguar. She was to have accompanied her husband to New York City, and suspicions are raised when the investigators discover he went to New York without her.  While they wait for the husband to return, Brock and Poole visit the trucking company Kerry inherited from her first husband and that she has continued to run successfully. They learn the company has been investigated for smuggling liquor and Gary Dixon, the driver responsible, was let go months earlier after being convicted and fined. Yet his phone number is in Kerry’s recent calls log and his fingerprints are in her car. Dixon immediately moves up in the interest of the detectives, along with the husband, whose real estate business, it turns out, isn’t going all that well. Then there’s the sketchy owner of a sleazy nightclub where Kerry Hammond spent a lot of time, who claims to be Spanish but doesn’t understand a word when one of the detectives starting questioning him in that language. One of the directors of the transport company had expected to receive ownership of the company when Kerry’s first husband died and is afraid that her current husband will inherit it now, and the suspect list keeps on growing.

Brock and Poole are methodical and sound in their interviews and in their investigation, which brings a couple of surprises along the way to a solid and satisfying conclusion.



·         Hardcover: 192 pages
·         Publisher: Severn House Publishers (December 1, 2011)
·         Language: English
·         ISBN-10: 0727880950
·         ISBN-13: 978-0727880956


Aubrey Hamilton ©2019

Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: ORPHAN TRAIN BRIDES #newrelease

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KRL This Week Update for 7/20/19

Up in KRL this morning a review and giveaway of "Bite Club" by Laurien Berenson

We also have reviews and giveaways of another fun group of mysteries-"Down in Flames": A Webb’s Glass Shop Mystery by Cheryl Hollon, "Guilty as Charred": A Cook-Off Mystery by Devon Delaney, "Left Fur Dead": A Jules & Bun Mystery by J.M. Griffin, "Seeing Red": A Red Herring Mystery by Dana Dratch, and "Murder’s No Votive Confidence": A Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery by Christin Brecher

And a review of season 5 of "Shetland"

And a review and ebook giveaway of "Answers in the Attic" by Kathi Daley 

And also a review and giveaway of "Cherry Scones & Broken Bones" by Darci Hannah along with an interesting interview with Darci

For those who prefer to listen to Mysteryrat's Maze Podcast directly on KRL we have a player of the latest one here-"Sifting Through Clues" by Daryl Wood Gerber. And we also have a contest for a chance to win a copy of the book

Up on KRL News this week we have a review and giveaway of "Chai Another Day" by Leslie Budewitz

And a review and ebook giveaway of "Game Town" by Janet Elizabeth Lynn and Will Zeilinger

And a review and giveaway of "Atlanta Deathwatch" by Ralph Dennis, published by Brash Books

Happy reading,
Lorie 


The Rap Sheet: Revue of Reviewers for 7/19/19

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Bookbrowsing Blog: What’s a publicist to do? by PJ Nunn

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Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Death at Whitewater Church : An Inishowen Mystery...

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Scott's Take: Secret Hero Society: Science Fair Crisis by Derek Fridolfs, Pamela Lovas, and Shane Clester


Secret Hero Society: Science Fair Crisis by Derek Fridolfs, Pamela Lovas, and Shane Clester is a book aimed at the middle school or pre-teen reader.  It comes to readers from the DC Universe and features the superheroes when they were kids and members of the “Junior Detective Club.” The members include Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman and other superheroes when they were kids and investigating mysteries around their school. Secret Hero Society: Science Fair is the fourth book in the series and this time the science fair is at risk because somebody keeps sabotaging it.

The story is presented through various ways by using letters, illustrations, journal writings, texts, emails and more. This book is fun and has an enjoyable story featuring cameos of good and bad people from the DC Universe where here they are students, teachers, and more. There are various jokes made that if a person is familiar with the DC universe are funny. While the artwork in this one is not nearly as good as the earlier books, the characterizations established earlier in the series remains true

Therefore, it does make sense that a middle school aged Batman is very interested in forensic science and is always very secretive and a young Aquaman is interested in sea life and is part of the swim team. This deal works with the adults as well as James Gordon, instead of being a police captain, is a strict and fair principal. Alec Holland (aka Swamp Thing) is a biology teacher with a focus on plants. One of the PE teachers is the mercenary known as Sports Master and is really good at sports. Here he is on the straight and narrow. In the comics where he is also really good at sports, he wears a hockey mask and uses his sports skills to commit crimes.

Basically, this book and series is just a kid appropriate version of the Justice League. In these tales, the authors deal with subjects important to the primary reading audience such as bullying and other school problems. Those issues are raised in the background while a pretty good mystery keeps kids reading. If you have a child who likes mysteries and the DC Universe, this kid friendly story would be a good match. Secret Hero Society: Science Fair Crisis by Derek Fridolfs, Pamela Lovas, and Shane Clester is just fun.

This October, the fifth book in the series titled, Secret Hero Society: The Field Trip Disaster by this same writing and artwork team. The series begins with the 2016 book, The Study Hall of Justice.



Secret Hero Society: Science Fair Crisis
Derek Fridolfs, Pamela Lovas, Shane Clester
Scholastic
2019
ISBN#978-1-338-27328-1
Hardback (also available in paperback and digital formats)
176 Pages
$12.99

Material supplied by the good folks of the Dallas Public Library System. My copy came from the Skillman Southwestern Branch.

Scott A. Tipple ©2019

Friday, July 19, 2019

Beneath the Stains of Time: The Case with Nine Solutions (1928) by J.J. Connington

Beneath the Stains of Time: The Case with Nine Solutions (1928) by J.J. Connin...: " J.J. Connington " was the pseudonym of Professor Alfred W. Stuart, a Scottish chemist and lecturer, who produced close to th...

Lesa's Book Critiques: Winners and A Secret Giveaway

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FFB Review: The Philadelphia Quarry by Howard Owen

After a recent unplanned hospital stay and complications from that as I am still not back to my crummy normal, FFB here finally returns today with an all new review from yours truly. This is the second book in a series that started with Oregon Hill. This is a series that should be read in order. For more reading suggestions, make sure you head over to Todd Mason’s Sweet Freedom blog.

As we learned in the first book of this series, Oregon Hill, reporter Willie Black is not one to back off the story even when his bosses or the powerful elite order him to do so. While those in charge may think it is a character flaw, like his drinking, others would see it as his way of being principled when justice is being denied. The same is true in The Philadelphia Quarry where a wrongfully convicted man is once again arrested for a crime he did not commit.

In August 1983 in the good city of Richmond, Virginia, Richard Slade was arrested for the rape of sixteen year old Ashley Simpson. In May of 1984 he was convicted on little evidence and sent to prison. In the middle of January 2011, he was finally released when DNA evidence proved without a shadow of a doubt that he did not do it despite the fact that Ashley Simpson identified him as her rapist those many years ago. Her accusation was the main evidence against him at the time.

Did she make a horrible mistake or did she deliberately lie?

The Innocence Project may have successfully proven the point that Mr. Slade was innocent of the crime of rape, but nothing can restore Mr. Slade’s reputation in the minds of many or undo what Mr. Slade has gone through all these years in prison.  As he was held for a crime he did not do, his reputation took a beating over the years, in large part, due to scathing editorials that came out in the same newspaper that Willie Black works for as a reporter. The paper, through those editorials, has been very vocal in the belief that Mr. Slade was guilty and a threat to the community. Then, as in now, many people did not understand that editorial writers and news reporters share little in common other than being employed by the same paper.

Decades ago, reporter Willie Black worked the night crime beat and reported on the case from the start. All these years later he is back on that same crime beat and thus back on the story of Richard Slade and the victim, Ashley Simpson.  In the hours following Mr. Slade’s release, Willie Black is trying to do follow ups with the two principals and isn’t getting any traction with either one of them. Simpson and her well connected family want their privacy while Mr. Slade’s family sees Willie Black as the enemy thanks to the editorials from the paper.

He is getting nowhere at all and then everything changes. Within hours of Mr. Slade’s release, Simpson is shot and dies. Who has the best motive to kill her? A man recently released from prison after being convicted of a rape he did not do or somebody else?  Within hours of her death, Richard Slade is again arrested for a crime he did not commit. The elite and powerful close ranks and before long Willie is being asked to choose employment over chasing a story that is clearly going in a different direction than his bosses would like.  

The Philadelphia Quarry is a powerful sequel to Oregon Hill. It is a timeless crime fiction tale with plenty of twists and turns. Set in the twin dying worlds of journalism and newspapers, the read powers along at a steady clip while also delivering societal observations that are even more relevant today six years after publication. It is also a mighty good mystery read. 



The Philadelphia Quarry
Howard Owen
The Permanent Press
July 2013
ISBN# 978-1-57962-335-7
Hardback (also available in audio, digital, and paper formats)
240 Pages

Material was received and read by way of the Interlibrary Loan Program where a copy owned by the Rockwall County Library System was shared with the Dallas Public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2019

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Funny by way of Barry Ergang


Chess, Comics, Crosswords, Books, Music, Cinema: Memory Man by David Baldacci, 2015

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Bronzeville Bee: Horror Reflections: The Dark Half by Stephen King

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Bitter Tea and Mystery: Pearls before Swine: Margery Allingham

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In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange for 7/17/19

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Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Texas Highways: Big Bend Fossils Reveal New Dinosaur Species

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Bronzeville Bee: Recent Latina Books Inspired by Folklore and Mythology

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SleuthSayers Blog: Community Standards by Michael Bracken

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Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Romance Rehab: Why authors who rely on Facebook ads to sell books are in serious danger

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Beneath the Stains of Time: The Gates of Hell (2003) by Paul Doherty

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Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough

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Monday, July 15, 2019

The Bronzeville Bee: Great Writing by Sandra Ruttan

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Lesa's Book Critiques: Heather Webber, An Interview

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A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: GROUNDWORK FOR MURDER

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In Reference To Murder: Media Murder for Monday 7/15/19

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Monday Markets and Jobs for Writers for 7/15/19

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TEXAS BOOK LOVER: Monday Roundup: Texas Literary Calendar July 15-21...

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Aubrey Hamilton Reviews: Sayonara Slam by Naomi Hirahara


Sayonara Slam by Naomi Hirahara (Prospect Park Books, 2016) is the sixth book in this award-winning series led by an irritable semi-retired Japanese-American gardener in his 80s named Mas Arai who just wants to be left alone. Instead, his daughter, son-in-law, and grandson live with him, interfering with Mas’s potential plans to ask his girlfriend to move in with him and generally complicating his life.

The son-in-law has finally gotten a good job as head groundskeeper at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, and Mas is helping him out during the World Baseball Classic series where Korea and Japan are playing. An obnoxious Japanese sportswriter from an unsavory publication drops dead among the crowd of spectators and journalists jostling for position near the dugout. Mas ends up answering questions from the police instead of watching the game, since he was helping pass water among the group.

The grandson of Mas’s childhood girlfriend arrives from Japan a couple of days later ostensibly to take over the dead sportswriter’s job and hires Mas as chauffeur and translator. In reality Yuki is investigating what has turned out to be a homicide. The victim’s computer files are missing and just what he was working on isn’t clear. Some signs point to the dead journalist dabbling in blackmail on the side. Mas’s unwillingness to explain his relationship to Yuki’s grandmother to Mas’s current girlfriend creates a possible turning point in their lives.

This is a leisurely mystery, perhaps not for everyone, no car chases and no shoot-outs, but it is a fine read about people who sound authentic. It holds a great deal of history woven into the background of the story, Japan and Korean political relationships, Hiroshima and World War II survivors, prisoner exchanges, but none of it obtrusive. Other reviewers suggest starting at the beginning of the series for a fuller picture of the characters and their backgrounds.




·         Paperback: 280 pages
·         Publisher: Prospect Park Books LLC - Prospect Park Books (April 26, 2016)
·         Language: English
·         ISBN-10: 1938849736
·         ISBN-13: 978-1938849732


Aubrey Hamilton ©2019

Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.

Sunday, July 14, 2019

RTE Update: RTE for July 13

The July 13 2019 issue of RTE is out and includes fifteen new reviews and a new interview.


Our guest in the "Sixty Seconds" spot this week is Donis Casey:


                                        REVIEWS THIS WEEK:

BIG SKY    Kate Atkinson    Reviewed by Yvonne Klein

CONVICTION    Denise Mina    Reviewed by Barbara Fister

UNDER THE COLD BRIGHT LIGHTS    Garry Disher    Reviewed by Yvonne Klein

THE CHAIN    Adrian McKinty    Reviewed by Barbara Fister

WHEREVER SHE GOES    Kelley Armstrong    Reviewed by Keshena Hanson

BROKEN GROUND    Val McDermid     Reviewed by Jim Napier

THE NEW GIRL    Daniel Silva    Reviewed by Anne Corey

ALMOST MIDNIGHT    Paul Doiron    Reviewed by Sharon Mensing

ARCHES ENEMY    Scott Graham    Reviewed by Sharon Mensing

SHOOT THE BASTARDS    Michael Stanley    Reviewed by Susan Hoover

MAN OF THE YEAR    Caroline Louise Walker    Reviewed by Susan Hoover

THE ALCHEMIST OF LOST SOULS      Mary Lawrence     Reviewed by Lourdes 
Venard

A LADY'S GUIDE  TO GOSSIP
AND MURDER    Dianne Freeman     Reviewed by Lourdes Venard

CHAI ANOTHER DAY    Leslie Budewitz    Reviewed by PJ Coldren

HEART OF BARKNESS    Spencer Quinn    Reviewed by Diana Borse


We post more than 900 new reviews a year -- all of them are archived on the site -- as well as a new interview with a top author every issue.

Yvonne Klein

Lesa's Book Critiques: Have You Heard? - Miranda James' Classified as Murder

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