Saturday, December 21, 2013
CrimeFictionWriter: "Because," I said.
CrimeFictionWriter: "Because," I said.: Over at SleuthSayers.org there was a recent discussion about dialog tags . I joined in and, I think, summed it up best: "If a speec...
Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: JibJab 2013 Year in Review: "What A Year!"
Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: JibJab 2013 Year in Review: "What A Year!": ▶ JibJab 2013 Year in Review: "What A Year!" - YouTube :
Friday, December 20, 2013
Wounded Feet
This has been a tough couple of days for the feet around here. Late yesterday evening, I stepped on a piece of glass that mysteriously appeared in the carpet. Cut an inch long gash in the bottom of my right foot and proceeded to bleed like crazy. Apparently the aspirin therapy in conjunction with my bp meds must be
really working because you would have thought I slit my jugular the way
the blood was coming out of me.No need for stitches and no need for a crime scene tech despite my bloody footprints everywhere around here while trying to find a bandaid..or two..or three.
Then today, Sandi got hung up in the umbilical cord from her air machine, stumbled, and then managed to kick the ottoman breaking her left little toe. She has unhappily broken it before--several times--and knew exactly what she had done when she did it. After she iced it down for a couple of hours, we got it immobilized and taped up. The ottoman would not have been there in front of her chair if she didn't need her feet up to try and reduce the daily swelling in her lower legs and ankles.
So, the feet have not been making out too well. Told the boys they better be real careful as this kind of crap runs in threes.
Then today, Sandi got hung up in the umbilical cord from her air machine, stumbled, and then managed to kick the ottoman breaking her left little toe. She has unhappily broken it before--several times--and knew exactly what she had done when she did it. After she iced it down for a couple of hours, we got it immobilized and taped up. The ottoman would not have been there in front of her chair if she didn't need her feet up to try and reduce the daily swelling in her lower legs and ankles.
So, the feet have not been making out too well. Told the boys they better be real careful as this kind of crap runs in threes.
Lady Sandra: Ideas for Glass or plastic Christmas ornament with...
Lady Sandra: Ideas for Glass or plastic Christmas ornament with...: There are so many items you can put into an empty clear ornament here are some ideas. This year I found some flat looking clear ornam...
Sandi's Store is at http://www.ioffer.com/users/sanditipple Lots of good handmade stuff there. Stop by and take a look.
Sandi's Store is at http://www.ioffer.com/users/sanditipple Lots of good handmade stuff there. Stop by and take a look.
The South Jersey Writers' Group Blog: Writing 2.6 - What to Write About
The South Jersey Writers' Group Blog: Writing 2.6 - What to Write About: Guest Blog by Rich Voza , originally presented on his blog, Brainsnorts: Trashing Today for a Better Tomorrow . You can see it here . ...
Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: Forgotten Books: The Quest -- Nelson DeMille
Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: Forgotten Books: The Quest -- Nelson DeMille: I suspect that not many people have read Nelson DeMille's original version of The Quest. I have, and I still have the copy I bought ba...
Dead End Follies: Book Review : Richard Stark - The Hunter (1962)
Dead End Follies: Book Review : Richard Stark - The Hunter (1962): Order THE HUNTER here ''I was never a whore, Parker,'' she said. ''You know that.'' ''No, ...
FFB Review: "Death on the High C’s" by Robert Barnard-- Reviewed by Patrick Ohl
Friday
means Friday’s Forgotten Books with Patti Abbott. Patti has declared today to
be in honor of Robert Barnard. The list will
be here later today. In the meantime, check out Patrick Ohl’s review of Death on the High C’s below…
There are
some books that you pick up at a bookstore on a hunch, because you just know there has to be something good in
between those covers! Maybe you’ve never heard of the author or read their
work, but you can’t resist either way. Sometimes, the hunches do not pay off— I
learned this the hard way with The Affair
at Royalties by George Baxt, purchased solely on the strength of a
brilliant cover that had absolutely no relevance to the story itself. However,
when these hunches do pay off, the
experience is extraordinary.
Such was the
case for me with Death on the High C’s
by Robert Barnard. I had heard of Barnard of course, and read his insightful
appreciation of Agatha Christie, A Talent
to Deceive, which I liked very much. So when his name appeared on a book
with such a gloriously punning title, I simply could not resist the urge to
purchase it on the spot. I do not regret this purchase in the least.
Gaylene
Ffrench fancies herself to be a great big opera star and refuses to hear
anything to the contrary. But really, her opinion is bloated— she overacts all
her parts, is nasty to her fellow cast members, and she sleeps around
indiscriminately with every available male. For once, however, she really does give a sizzling performance—in
fact, it’s downright electrifying. The problem is she doesn’t give it onstage,
but backstage… after touching the doorknob of her dressing room and stepping on
a metal doormat. The result? A jolt of electricity rushes through the
despicable young lady, and she prematurely shuffles off this mortal coil. What
makes this case particularly interesting is that several attempts have already
been made on Gaylene’s life, and it looks like the assassin has succeeded at
last.
There’s no
lack of suspects whatsoever. Everyone in the company agrees that Gaylene was a
most despicable person— not only was she arrogant and self-centered, she was
also a racist bigot. She particularly was scandalized when Calvin, a black (but
very English) member of the company gets engaged to Bridget, one of the girls
(who happens to be white and Gaylene’s unofficial rival). However, Gaylene’s
reaction may have stemmed just as much from the fact that her none-too-subtle
sexual advances on Calvin were firmly rejected. But to be honest, just about
anyone would have gladly done her in and the rest would just as gladly buy the
killer a drink as a thank-you gesture.
Enter
Superintendent Nichols, who as far as I can tell has not been reused by
Barnard. It’s a shame. He’s an intelligent man and a competent investigator,
and he has a genuinely happy, normal
marriage. It is so normal, in fact, that he barely feels the need to comment on
it! I don’t know if I’m the weird
one, but I always find it so nice when somebody has a normal, content marriage.
It’s so much more interesting than unending bouts of screaming, sarcasm, and
cruelty. There’s a lot more to Nichols than meets the eye, but to reveal more
would be to spoil a genuinely delightful plot twist.
Barnard
delights in presenting his characters and then introducing a minor twist to
them. When we first meet Calvin, he is presented as a completely ordinary
fellow, and it is only after the second chapter that Barnard remembers to
mention that he just so happens to be black. It’s the character’s greatest
strength— he isn’t black for the sake of being black, he’s just an ordinary person
who happens to be black. (Far too often, characters written expressly as black
characters end up as embarrassments, which makes Barnard’s approach so
refreshing.) While the colour of Calvin’s skin has affected him in ways he
might not want to own up to, he doesn’t let himself get bogged down by
traumatic memories.
Above all,
though, Barnard constructs a complex and fairly-clued plot in the Golden Age
tradition. He manages to plant some major clues that walked right under my nose
without being noticed. For a few clues, you’d have to know your opera to spot
the hint when it’s given, but you can still piece everything together while
being blissfully ignorant of all things opera.
You actually
want to know what happens to the characters. Unfortunately, only the central
group of characters is really strong. A fistful of characters remain
half-developed sketches because others, far more interesting, get more “screen
time”. When so-and-so suddenly reminds you of the existence of this-and-that’s
brother, it sometimes felt like a genuine shock as I struggled to remember just
when the devil that character was introduced (before eventually finding him
mentioned in the recesses of Chapter Six).
However, to
make up for this weakness is Barnard’s storytelling style, which is full of
genuine, delightful wit. This is the kind of author Gilber Adair thinks he is.
Barnard has genuine respect for the traditional form of mysteries, but he takes
delight in poking fun at some of their conventions. Here, that convention is
the person so unpleasant that nobody minds their being murdered— in fact, the
murder is treated as something of a lark… until a second murder takes place.
Even then, nobody seems to mind Gaylene’s being gone, but people do take
offense to having the second victim removed from their midst. Basically,
Barnard completely trumps Adair’s approach, but a more detailed analysis would
only result in a lot of well-deserved bile thrown in Adair’s direction.
Instead, to calm myself down, I will content myself with mentally reciting a
limerick about an old man from Khartoum.
Overall, Death on the High C’s is a witty triumph
of plotting and ingenuity, with solid characters and clueing that make the
proceedings very interesting indeed. I highly recommend the book.
Note: This review was originally written long
before Robert Barnard’s tragic death earlier this year. Looking back at the
review, I remember my delight when I first read the book and I can only wonder
at why I haven’t gotten to more of Barnard’s books yet.
Patrick Ohl is a 20-year old Canadian crime fiction aficionado who enjoys hobbies such as taxidermy and runs a dilapidated motel in the middle of nowhere alongside his crazed mother. He enjoys relaxing in his subterranean evil lair while watching his favourite hockey team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and will occasionally make chicken chow mein to die for. His life is accompanied by a soundtrack composed by John Williams, and James Earl Jones provides occasional voice-overs.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Lady Sandra: More Christmas projects for teeny or adult
Lady Sandra: More Christmas projects for teeny or adult: Here some more projects that Teenies can do or adults might like to do also. Terracotta Christmas Bells Materials: 2 x 3&quo...
Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: Song of the Day
Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: Song of the Day: ▶ We Didn't Start The Fire | 2013 Celebrity Edition - YouTube :
Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: The Best Western Movies, TV Series & DVDs of 2014
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Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: The Best Books on Writing and Creativity of 2013
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WELCOME TO HELL ~ by Glenn Walker: C. Hope Clark's Tidewater Murder
WELCOME TO HELL ~ by Glenn Walker: C. Hope Clark's Tidewater Murder: I have talked about this kind of happy coincidence before. When a friend has a project - a book, a story, music - you kinda have to say ...
Big Daddy's Place: Sinker - Rex Kusler
Big Daddy's Place: Sinker - Rex Kusler: This sixth novel in the Las Vegas mystery series finds James "Jim" Snow working alone. His partner at James and James Detective...
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Doctor Update
We are back home. Everything is pretty much the same so they are letting her skip coming down next week. Our next visit and blood work deal is on the morning of January 2, 2014.
I fell twice yesterday evening and once this morning spectacularly in the parking lot at the hospital so the rest of today I am staying flat on the floor and moving as little as possible. FFB for Friday has been setup for a couple of weeks now so you may not see anything new here until then.
I fell twice yesterday evening and once this morning spectacularly in the parking lot at the hospital so the rest of today I am staying flat on the floor and moving as little as possible. FFB for Friday has been setup for a couple of weeks now so you may not see anything new here until then.
Monday, December 16, 2013
Doctor Day Tomorrow
Blood work and the usual down at the Oncologist's office for Sandi. Going to be a long morning with, hopefully, no surprises.
One Bite at a Time: Twenty Questions With Todd Robinson
One Bite at a Time: Twenty Questions With Todd Robinson: Twenty Questions comes heavy today; Big Daddy Thug is in the house. Todd Robinson is best known as the publisher, editor, and general cons...
Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: 99 Cent Sale!
Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: 99 Cent Sale!: Amazon.com: West of the Big River: The Artist eBook: Jackson Lowry: Kindle Store : Before he was a world-famous Western artist, Charles M. &...
Cookbook Review: "Perfect Pies & More: All New Pies, Cookies, Bars, And Cakes From America’s Pie-Baking Champion" by Michele Stuart
Perfect
Pies & More: All New Pies, Cookies, Bars, And Cakes From America’s Pie-Baking
Champion is exactly as promised by the title. Plenty
of recipes with few pictures are found in this over 240 page book. Broken into
nine chapter sections the recipes run the gamut and feature varying amounts of
prep time and difficulty.
After a short introduction the book opens with
“Crusts & Toppings.” First up is the author’s “Traditional Pastry Piecrust”
on pages 4-7. Along with the list of ingredients and instructions there are
suggestions on other recipes to use this pie crust for as well as tips on how
to do it well. This same format
continues throughout the book as well as with the other four crust recipes and
three topping recipes of this chapter.
“Fruit Pies” begins on page 16 and opens with “Apple
Carmel Crunch Pie” I’m partial to blueberry
as well as cherry pie and they are present here in the combined form of
“Blueberry-Cherry Sugar-Free Pie (pages 28-29) as well a couple of other
variations. A “Sugar Free Pumpkin Pie” (pages 52-53) is one of 13 other
suggestions in this chapter.
If you prefer a cream filling in your pie that
chapter appropriately titled “Cream Pies” comes next. “Blueberry Cream Pie” (pages 59-60),
“Chocolate Silk Pie” (pages 63-64) and an “Oreo Cream Pie” on pages 73-75 among
nine other pies are in this chapter.
Maybe you prefer nuts in your pies. Six recipes make
up the “Nut Pies” chapter section and include the “Candy Bar Pie (pages 89-90)
and the “Turtle Pecan Pie (pages 98-100).
“Whimsical Pies” comes next and is all about celebrating
anything and everything. Items such as the “Birthday Cake Surprise Pie” on page
106-109) blends a vanilla cake with a pastry shell. Or you could make the
“Cannoli: Party Dip Pie” on pages 110-111 or the “Thin Mint Chocolate Cookie
Pie” on pages 116-117. There are seven
more choices for your consideration in this chapter.
Moving on from pies of various types, “Cookies &
Bars” comes next starting on page 132. Recipes for biscotti, cookies, and lots
of treats are present in this chapter. “Snicker Doodle Cookies” (pages 162-163)
and other favorites such as “Fudgy Brownies” (pages 170-171) are here.
If you are looking for a little booster in the
middle or the afternoon with a cup of coffee or tea there are 11 suggestions in
the section titled “Perfect for a Cup of Tea.” It could be “Banana Tea Bread” (pages 182-183)
or “Double Chocolate Bundt Cake” (pages 188-190) among others.
“Lovin’ Spoonful” comes next with “Apple Crisp” on
pages 206-207 and “Old Fashioned Bake Rice Pudding” on page 215-216. There are
four other recipes in short section.
The final chapter considers toppings with “Top This.”
Along with “Hot Fudge Sauce” (page 223) and “Whipped Cream” with several
variations (pages 228-229) there is one for “Royal Icing” (page 231) and
others.
The book closes with a short acknowledgement section
and six page index.
Using her experience winning 27 first place awards
in the “National Pie Championship Awards” author Michele Stuart’s cookbook is another
treat for the pallet. Lots of good ideas in Perfect Pies & More: All New
Pies, Cookies, Bars, And Cakes From America’s Pie-Baking Champion featuring
plenty of variety not only in terms of ingredients but also in terms of skill
levels.
Perfect Pies & More: All New Pies, Cookies, Bars, And Cakes From America’s Pie-Baking Champion
Michele
Stuart
Photographs
courtesy of Ben Fink Photography
Ballantine
Books (Division of Random House)
October
2013
ISBN#
978-0-345-54419-3
Hardback
(also available for the Kindle)
256
Pages
$26.00
Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano Public
Library System located in Plano, Texas.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2013
Author of Mind Slices and
contributor to Carpathian Shadows, Volume II
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