Reviewing: "Baby Moll" by Steve Brackeen (John Farris)

Hard Case Crime has made a habit of consistently bringing back into print books that came out decades ago along with a few brand new titles. Such is the case with this novel originally published in 1958 by Fawcett Books. While it is a pleasant enough diversion, it certainly doesn't meet the usual standards set by Hard Case Crime.

Peter Malloy had been a part of the Florida mob. He managed to get out, taking his secrets and knowledge with him and managing to leave on his own terms. He eventually opened up a fishing supplies place called "The Angler's Shop." He got himself a girl friend, Elaine, who means the world to him. But, he always knew that the price of the illusion of freedom was expensive and someday the tab would come due.

That someday is now as his old boss wants his help. Rudy Mask has been sent to bring Pete back. Macy has sent for Pete because somebody is trying to kill him. Somebody is taking out the old gang one by one and Macy is feeling fear and his age. Macy has let control slip through his fingers and now the old crime boss needs Peter to stop whoever is trying to kill him. If he won't cooperate, Macy has information that could ruin forever his relationship with Elaine and according to Rudy, will definitely use it.

Of course, Peter Mallory isn't going to let that happen. Elaine means everything to him and she doesn't know about his dark past and it is very questionable whether their relationship could survive the knowledge. So, he will go to Macy's estate, see the old man and do what needs to be done to get free once and forever. While the players have for the most part changed, his skills haven't dimmed nor has his assumption that everyone is against him.

This is simply a book by the numbers. Almost all the male characters are violent knuckle dragging thugs except for Pete. Pete is the only one who can see the big picture and he is the only one with a certain style and class. The women are stunningly beautiful and either evilly cunning using their bodies as bait or mind boggling stupid and using their bodies as bait. Violence is just a few pages away throughout the book and seems to be used in most cases as a way of avoiding any depth to the story or characters. Instead, the violence is usually unnecessary and serves only as a vehicle to move the story forward in some way. Virtually all of the characters are stereotypically bad actors in one way or another.

While the story does have two minor surprises, most of the book is one that any reader of mysteries is going to easily figure out. The writing is distant and the characters never really come alive for the reader. There is a flatness to the book from start to finish as Pete tells readers how much he is tormented by various things, but that fact and many others never really come alive for the reader.

The August 2008 selection of the Hard Case Crime Book Club doesn't meet the normal standards of the published books. From a flat uninspired cover to a stereotypical story, this isn't one of the really good ones readers have come to expect. Therefore, it can only be of real interest to devoted readers determined to read every single title published by this company.

Baby Moll
Steve Brackeen (John Farris)
Hard Case Crime
http://www.hardcasecrime.com
August 2008
ISBN #0-8439-5964-9
Paperback
217 Pages


Review copy came courtesy of my paid membership in the Hard Case Crime Book Club

Kevin R. Tipple © 2008

Reviewing: "VeggieTales: Tomato Sawyer & Huckleberry Larry's Big River Rescue (A Lesson in Helping Others)"

For those that don't know, The VeggieTales series features animated vegetables that teach children history and values while telling an entertaining story. Bible verses area a key part of that mission, but, the teaching is done in a gentle way and does not heavily push a religious agenda. The latest installment works on the idea of helping others.

After a very funny preview of "The Pirates Who Won't Do Anything," the video opens with the vegetables meeting in book club fashion. Instead of reading the book, they all have been using "Norm's Notes" which gives a condensed version of classic books along with some criticism of the book for vegetables on the go. While some of this may skip over the kid audience, adults will certainly get a few chuckles out of this as well as the numerous pop culture references throughout the video.

Bob the Tomato soon reads a question from a child who knows another child who is being picked on. The child wants to help, but is scared if he does, will get picked on too. An issue that any parent or teacher will have to deal with regarding the kids in their lives. After a brief discussion on the topic which hasn't really settled the issue, the video segues into the story "Tomato Sawyer & Huckleberry Larry's Big River Rescue."

Narrated by Clark Wayne, the story tells about life along the big river aka" The Mighty Mississippi" and focuses on Big Jim who is working at Dooley and Sons Lumber Camp as punishment for a crime he did not commit. Through song, conversation and narration, history in the form of the Homesteading Act, Federal Tax Laws and other facts are told as well as a very good story.

Big Jim manages to escape the Lumber Camp and eventually winds up with Tomato Sawyer and Huckleberry Larry. He wants to be reunited with his Mama. Tomato Sawyer and Huckleberry Larry figure out that he used to have a singing career with his Mama and was very famous. They soon figure out that Dooley and Sons aren't telling the truth, that Big Jim is, and that he needs help.

Help in getting away from the evil clutches of Dooley and Sons. Help in getting to St. Louis to reunite with his mom. Help that Tomato Bob is willing to give up to a point. When it comes down to it, while Huckleberry Larry realizes that not helping someone is the same as hurting someone, Tomato Sawyer is a bit slower to grasp the concept. Once he does, he arrives in the nick of time to help Huckleberry Larry and Big Jim and participate in the feel good conclusion of the story.

Justice is served, Big Jim is reunited with mom and Clark Wayne puts the final touches on a well done tale before viewers are returned to the book club. The overall theme is reinforced by a bible verse and a discussion between Tomato and Pickle about what it all means. They refer to the child's letter and suggest various ways to help the child being picked on.

The video runs about 50 minutes and doesn't suffer from blaring music and unhearable dialog as so many do these days. Bonus items include a "Behind the Scenes" feature (writing a Biscuit silly song, studio commentary, among others), "Fun and Games" (songs, a puzzle game, more on how to draw), "Parents" feature (details on the computer CD-ROM items) and a "discussion guide." The bonus items are concluded with the "Studio Store" feature with references to many more items available at BigIdea.com.

The Veggie Tales have always been a big hit around here and this latest installment is another one. It isn't preachy and serves to gently guide and teach while telling a great story. It will tickle the funny bone of children and adults alike with a gentle story and plenty of pop culture references while reinforcing a great message.

VeggieTales: Tomato Sawyer & Huckleberry Larry's Big River Rescue (A Lesson in Helping Others)
BigIdea
http://bigidea.com/index.aspx
July 2008
DVD
50 Minutes

Review copy provided directly by the company in exchange for my fair and objective review.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2008

Reviewing: "Martha Stewart's Cookies"

With a title of "Martha Stewart's Cookies" and her smiling picture plastered on the cover one would expect Martha Stewart to have written the cookbook. Instead it's "From The Editors of Martha Stewart Living" magazine and as such appears to be a compilation of recipes and features that have run in the magazine.

After the table of contents, there is a multi page section of pictures of various cookies with their name and what page the recipe is on. The cookies are listed in general categories such as "light and delicate, crumbly and sandy, chunky and nutty, cakey and tender, crisp and crunchy" and "rich and dense" with the corresponding page number for the section.

"Light and delicate" section begins our journey through 175 cookie recipes. The section starts off with "Meringue Porcupines," before moving through "Fortune Cookies, Bratseli, Langues-De-Chat, Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars" among many others listed in this section which began on page 20. Most of the recipes are not simple and require some dexirity with kitchen appliances, pastry bags, etc. to achieve anything close to the items picture here. There are a few pictures of items in various stages of preparation, but the pictures are small and therefore doing not provide much detail.

The "soft and chewy" cookies take over starting on page 56. Of course, one would expect a recipe for "Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies" and there is one. Also included are recipes for "Coconut Macaroons, Chocolate Macaroons, Chocolate Malt Sandwiches, Whole-Wheat Date Bars" and many others. The same format is used with most of the pictures in this section depicting the finished product.

At page 104 the book shifts to consider "crumbly and sandy" cookies. "Almond Horns, Pecan Logs, Springerle, Apple-Cheery Crumble Bars, Sand Tarts" and many more cookie recipes make up this section. The same format continues and again in this chapter, most of these are labor intensive cookies requiring lots of experience in the kitchen.

"Chunky and nutty" is the next section starting on page 164. "Rocky Ledge Bars, Banana-Walnut Chocolate-Chunk Cookies, Pine Nut Cookies, Magic Blondies" and many more appear here. All appetizing and all carried in the same format as earlier ones in the book.

Page 188 marks "cakey and tender" with items such as "Lemon Madelines, Lebkuchen, Raspberry Almonds Blondies" and many others. All delectable and nearly all very complicated to make and depicted in the same format used throughout the book.

Page 218 marks the start of "crisp and crunchy" with such one as "Chocolate-Orange-Espresso Thins, Chocolate Pretzels, Striped Icebox Cookies, Chocolate Sandwiches" and others.

"Rich and dense" begins on page 264 with items such as "Baci di Dama , Chocolate Thumbprints, Truffle Brownies, Rugelach Fingers" and many others .

Starting on page 306 there is a section on "tools and techniques." Here you will find information on ingredients, tools for making dough or shaping the dough, and information on how to drop dough, decorating cookies and other useful items. There are pictures, but they are small like most of the pictures in this book so detail is hard to come by.

Now that you have made the cookies you have to know something about "packing and giving." Starting on page 328 this section is devoted to various ways to present the efforts of your hard won labor via sacks, cookie drums, window boxes, etc.

A list of sources for ingredients and supplies, a listing of photo credits and an index bring this paperback cookbook to a close. A cookbook that you will have to pin down in some way without breaking the spine to use. And a cookbook that does feature delectable recipes which are very complicated.

Beyond the fact there is no reference to dietary information at all as well as the fact that is done by the editors of her magazine instead of Martha which is a bit misleading since this info is inside and not on the cover, the biggest issue is the recipes themselves. No doubt they are "the very best treats to bake and share." They are also very complicated, very labor intensive and rather impossible to do unless one has numerous people under their command to take care of things while one is the kitchen or anything to do beyond being in the kitchen. While the book is decent, except for the small pictures, it doesn't really matter because the book isn't practical for many cooks. Like most of her books, her magazines and her TV show, it operates in the principal that there is nothing else to do.

For those of us who truly have our hands full with a job, child care, and a host of other issues, the book simply doesn't work.

Martha Stewart's Cookies
Editors of Martha Stewart Living
Clarkson Potter/ Publishers
http://www.clarksonpotter.com/
2008
ISBN# 978-0-307-39454-5
Paperback
352 Pages
$24.95

Review copy provided by the staff of the Plano, Texas Public Library System
http://www.plano.gov/Departments/Libraries/

Kevin R. Tipple © 2008

Reviewing: "The Pastry Queen Christmas: Big-Hearted Holiday Entertaining Texas Style"

Fredericksburg, Texas area resident Rebecca Rather, owner of the "Sweet Bakery and Cafe" since 1999 has created a very good holiday book full of Texas color and recipes. After an acknowledgment that thanks her customers as well as many others who helped in some way with her writing career, and an introduction that gives personal background, it is time for the recipes.

Chapter One "Holiday Open House" starts with "Old-Fashioned Eggnog." Be warned, this isn't the kind of eggnog one buys in the grocery stores these days. Recipes for "Cranberry-Walnut Scones, Mustard Baked Ham, Green Chile and Cheddar Baking Powder Biscuits, Red Velvet Cupcakes with Mascarpone Cream Cheese Icing" are just a few of the delectable recipes in this chapter. Pictures are many and include not only the finished product but also often a picture at some point in the recipe before it is a finished product. "Tips" are many as well with various suggestions concerning adding other ingredients to the recipes mentioned. Along the way there is the occasional story about the recipe detailing the background of the dish.

A subsection of Chapter One begins on page 43 and is titled "Outdoor Tree Trimming" along with brief instructions on how to make "fresh fruit ornaments, dried fruit ornaments,"etc. there are the recipes. The recipes start with "In-The-Bag Chili Frito Pie," and move to "Rather Minty Brownies, My Mistake Cookies" and other treats. This is a very short section at six pages.
"Ranch Barn Brunch" is the title for Chapter Two beginning on page 51 and the Chapter works off the theme of the author's love of horses. Friends of the author provided the barn for the party pictures and she again explains about her love of horses and how the party was designed. The recipes begin with "Larry Doll's Famous Cranberry Margaritas" and include among other mouthwatering recipes "Seasonal Fruit Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing, Brown Sugar Bacon, Mexican Ranch Chilaquiles, Mexican Camp Bread" among many others. Like in Chapter One, there are numerous color photos of the meals as well as numerous tips along with personal stories about the history of the recipes and the people in the author's life.

Chapter 2 concludes with a section on "Making Gingerbread Houses." Templates for the houses are included in the appendix. As part of the making gingerbread houses, which is a kid involved activity, she makes a few other suggestions of what to make now that the kids are in the kitchen. "Sour Cream and Chicken Enchiladas" is one with "Torched S'mores" being another of the several possibilities.


"Christmas Eve" is Chapter Three (page 99) which kicks off with "LBJ Ranch Crown Roast of Lamb with Rice Stuffing and Jalapeño-Mint Sauce. If that doesn't strike your fancy, maybe "Blue Corn Blinis with Crab and Avocado Crema" will work for you. The recipe makes 28 servings which means since they are appetizers, you might need to double upon it. There is always "Green Olive Beef Tenderloin" as well as "Martha's Best –Ever Rolls. Save room for the "Christmas Coconut Cake." As in every chapter, there are far more recipes than I have mentioned here, along with color photographs, history and tips.

"Cookie Decorating" is a little section at the end of this chapter and is all about the kids and having fun. Pretty much self explanatory and this section begins on page 133.

"Christmas Day" marks Chapter Four in a chapter working around the theme of the day and beautiful Christmas dinners. It begins on page 143 and buffet is the order of the day in the author's house. One of the first dishes to be consumed is her "Green Bean Bundles." The "Texas Spice-Rubbed Roast Pork" sounds mighty good and looks good too. As does the "Cajun Roast Turkey" (no picture though) and numerous other dishes. Included are the usual photographs, tips, and personal history.

At the end of the Chapter is another small section titled "Wrapping Up the Holidays with Edible Gifts." Aptly titled and self explanatory, it covers little tasty treats such as "Denise's Vanilla Caramels, Lola's Sunday Fudge," among other items.

"New Year's Eve" is the title for Chapter Five and the final Chapter in this book which begins on page 183. Beyond the gorgeous photograph of a spinning windmill against a Texas sunset there are recipes such as "Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Quesadillas with Cranberry–Pecan Salsa, Mother's Lobster Bisque, Ken Hall's Standing Rib Roast" and many others with a distinctive Texas flavor. Of course, there are more photographs, tips and history here following the format used throughout the book. This chapter closes the book and is followed by the aforementioned templates for a gingerbread house and an index.

At 225 pages, this is a beautifully photographed book full of recipes, Texas history and culture and ways to do the season right. Written in a down home style, this is not a pretentious book and does not at any time talk down to readers. It provides easy clear instructions, something many cookbooks lack, along with pictures, to help you through the recipe process.

It does lack basic info on dietary issues. While it states how many servings a dish has, it doesn't make any mention of sodium counts, fats, sugars, etc. in regards to health, Granted, it is a book for the holiday season and many folks ignore such issues during that time, but for others such information is critically important year around.

That being said a lot of that sort of info can be determined by considering the recipe itself before making the item. Therefore, the lack of info is a minor quibble overall and one that can be ignored simply because this is such a beautifully done book full of mouth watering recipes. A book well worth your time and investment in and one sure to assist you for many holidays to come.


The Pastry Queen Christmas: Big-Hearted Holiday Entertaining Texas Style
Rebecca Rather with Alison Oresman
Photography by Laurie Smith
Ten Speed Press
http://www.tenspeed.com/
2007
ISBN#: 1-58008-790-6
Hardback
226 Pages
$32.50

Review copy provided by the staff of the Plano, Texas Public Library System
http://www.plano.gov/Departments/Libraries/

Kevin R. Tipple © 2008

Reviewing: "Damage Control" by J. A. Jance

"Damage Control" is the aptly named latest novel in the Arizona Sheriff Joanna Brady series. Much of this novel finds Joanna Brady practicing damage control in one form or another at home and at work.

One of the two central cases in this novel is the aftermath of an elderly couple's death at the Montezuma Pass Overlook in the Coronado National Forest. The couple died when their fifteen year old Buick Regal rocketed through a guard rail, went airborne, and smashed down the mountain side flipping end over end and ejecting the elderly couple. Cochise County doesn't have a helicopter and the mountain side is extremely rugged making recovering the bodies very difficult. Especially with a late afternoon storm coming as it is monsoon season.

Elsewhere, those same rains will dislodge a pair of large trash bags from their shallow grave in the Greenbush Draw. They will be moved by the torrent of water far from their resting place until they are pushed into the scrawny branches of a mesquite tree. The bags will be left behind by the receding waters waiting for somebody to take a peek inside them. The bags will be found by a local boy out scavenging for anything left behind by the many illegals that cross the desert in search of a better life. The young teenager hopes for money or even drugs that he can sell. Instead he finds skeletal remains.

As the two cases strain her small department already dealing with manpower and budgetary issues, Joanna's home life is becoming increasingly strained as well. Like many a new parent, Joanna Brady is permanently sleep deprived. Dennis is now four months old and while their teenage daughter, Jenny and Joanna's husband, Butch are a big help, all three are feeling the strain. Butch has a hard deadline to meet in four days for his new novel and really needs to go on a book tour. A book tour is something his publisher is more than willing to do despite the fact that such things are rare especially for a new novelist. And her Mom, Eleanor is acting weirder than normal.

All of these elements combine into a 374 page cozy style novel that is one of the best author J.A. Jance has penned in years. Funny at times and intensely moving towards the end of the book, J. A. Jance writes of sacrifice in so many ways in this latest entry to the series. Along the way, Joanna Brady ties up a couple of aspects of her own life history while helping to resolve current issues. As such, character development is virtually non-existent in this novel and limited to filling in a couple of old questions.

As in any series, it really is best to read these in order. However, if you haven't, go ahead and grab this latest one. Read it and then go back and see how it all came to be. Reading this one won't really mess up the others, and you'll be entertained by a mightily good novel.


Damage Control
J. A. Jance
http://www.jajance.com/
William Morrow (Harper Collins)
http://www.harpercollins.com/
2008
ISBN# 978-0-06-074676-6
Hardback
374 Pages
$25.95

Review copy provided by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System
http://www.plano.gov/Departments/Libraries/

Kevin R. Tipple © 2008

Reviewing: "Too Late To Die" by Bill Crider

Having recently read "Of All Sad Words" which is the latest in the Dan Rhodes series from Bill Crider and a book that I enjoyed very much, it seemed like I should read others. I'd never read Bill Crider before that book and while the TBR pile seems to achieving sentient life status, it still has not managed to sprout legs and move. So, I went back to where this series began with "Too Late To Die" and requested it from my local library.

It is election season as this is the first novel in the series opens. Sheriff Dan Rhodes knows that some folks aren't going to vote him in Blacklin County, Texas. The Sheriff gets blamed for everything and praised rarely. When somebody's store gets robbed and the bad guys get away, it is his fault. Some folks aren't going to vote for him for another reason. They are dead.

Jeanne Clinton, the much younger wife of Elmer Clinton has been found dead in her home. Her face is a little battered, her neck has been broken, and the house is in disarray. Word has spread fast and the town experts figure her husband Elmer did it. He's a suspect of course, but it soon becomes clear that there are other suspects.

The population of Thurston is 408 and a large number of the good folks are suspects. Several folks that aren't murder suspects are convinced that Sheriff Rhodes needs to be dating again because his wife Claire died awhile back and he needs to move on. Then there is the problem of his daughter, Kathy who is dating one of his deputies. A deputy who suddenly stands accused of assault and police brutality. Just what Sheriff Rhodes really needs in an election year.

Released in 1986 this novel moves at a steady pace that allows readers to learn about the characters before they learn of the first murder. Character development come first with crime second as author Bill Crider sets the solid foundation for this running series. Having read his most recent novel in the series, it isn't surprising that the same style and tone were set in this novel where the people come first and then the crime or case.

Unlike many books published over twenty years ago, the read does not come across as dated at all. Instead, it comes across as a mighty good story told by a friend sitting next to you on the living room couch. Can't ask for any better than that.

Too Late To Die
Bill Crider
http://www.billcrider.com
Walker and Company
1986
ISBN# 0-8027-5650-6
Hardback
183 Pages

Review copy provided by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System
http://www.plano.gov/Departments/Libraries/

Kevin R. Tipple © 2008

Reviewing: "Houston Homicide" by Bill Crider and Clyde Wilson

Detective Sergeant Ted Stephens isn't bothered by the heat and humidity of Houston, Texas in the summer of 1969. Known to one and all as "Steve" he is bothered that his Lieutenant is shoving him onto a case assigned to other detectives. Lieutenant Bolce has his reasons and knowing the fact that Detective Wetsel is on the case explains at least part of it. Wetsel isn't one of the best in the Houston Police Department though he thinks he is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

The well kept exterior of a nice home in the River Oaks section of the city hides a nightmare inside. Three adults are dead. Each adult was shot multiple times. Several kids were also in the house and slept through the shootings. That fact allowed them to survive the massacre and they are now safely in the custody of CPS. Before the bodies are removed, investigators already know that at least one of the victims had ties to organized crime. Investigators already know that the grandson had threatened to kill the rest of the family before and that the grandson has a history of drug dealing.

For some the information regarding the grandson makes it a simple case. Steve doesn't agree and begins to turn up other pieces to the puzzle. His investigation increasingly leads elsewhere and is constantly hampered by interdepartmental politics and a chaotic personal life.

Bill Crider and Clyde Wilson have created a steady tale full of interesting characters, plenty of action and a case that is far from simple. Relationships matter in this novel and relationships are what drive most of the events. Whether it is the conflict between Steve and Wetsel, Steve and his wife trying to save their marriage, or Steve and his friend private investigator Clive Watson working together in different and at times conflicting ways to bring a killer to justice, relationships are front and center throughout the novel. Relationships, both friendly and antagonistic, are the primary catalyst behind nearly every action in this enjoyable steady novel and serve to drive the investigation forward in a work that also examines the seedier side of life in as clean and a sterile way as possible.

While some have categorized the novel as a police procedural, I wouldn't. Instead, I would refer to it more as a cozy style novel that is occasionally a little graphic. While there are police procedural elements in it, as well as suspense, elements, romance elements, etc. it really isn't a police procedural. If anything, it could be described more as a "buddy mystery novel" if one had to pin it way down. Suffice it to say that it is a good mystery novel and leave it at that.


Houston Homicide
Bill Crider and Clyde Wilson
http://www.billcrider.com
Five Star Publishing (Gale Group)
2007
ISBN# 1-59414-603-9
Hardback
261 Pages
$25.95


Review copy provided by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System
http://www.plano.gov/Departments/Libraries/

Kevin R. Tipple © 2008

Mouth Full Of Bullets--Summer Issue Up

The summer edition of the zine is now up at http://mouthfullofbullets.com/ As previously announced by BJ, I'm no longer part of things. I wish BJ well.

Kevin

Reviewing: "The Brimstone Murders: A Jimmy O'Brien Mystery Novel" by Jeff Sherratt

It's 1973 as this third novel in the Jimmy O' Brien series opens. Jimmie's latest assigned client is Robbie Farris accused of murder and currently residing in the L. A. County Jail. Jimmy knows his client is guilty and to make matters worse very uncooperative. After butchering his former college professor by stabbing him 27 times, Robbie has found Jesus and rants and raves about the Lord and how he must atone for his crime. The case includes Robbie's bloody finger prints at the scene, his confession and other evidence and Jimmy is thinking that the insanity defense might be the only way to save Robbie's life.

With his client being so uncooperative, Jimmy decides the best thing to do is to go talk to Robbie's Mom who lives out near Chatsworth. Hazel Farris is his Mom and she lives out there somewhere in a beat-up Airstream trailer. After a strange visit with her, she agrees and signs the necessary paperwork for O'Brien who thinks things are going to get better.

Things go from rough to disastrous as within hours of Jimmy O'Brien being in her home; Hazel is dead with evidence indicating that he was the last one to see her and may have killed her. With the police already investigating him, Robbie manages to escape his arraignment and in the aftermath, a deputy blames Jimmy O'Brien. O'Brien is certainly not a favorite of the local police and court system for multiple reasons detailed in "One, Two, & Even" and "Six to Five…Against" and things have not improved in the recent past. It is 100 plus everyday, the air is smoggy, the bad guys want O'Brien dead and the cops want him in jail or dead - they don't care which.

The latest in the series presents another cozy style atmospheric read that is heavy into relationships. Jimmy's friendship going back ten years with Sol is detailed as is his romance with Rita who wants to be his partner in the firm some day and is attempting to defend him against all charges. Mabel also reappears as his cranky secretary who knows all and has opinions on everything. Those secondary characters and a number of others familiar to readers return again in this enjoyable read.

At its heart "The Brimstone Murders" recently released by Echelon Press is a slow moving cozy style mystery featuring a case that meanders for most of the book before rapidly picking up steam. The action towards the end of the novel borders on the slapstick absurd and yet, if one doesn't think about it too much; believable enough that it doesn't totally jar the reader out of the story. The book is a pleasant diversion and while not spectacular, a solid performance that continues to build on an interesting and enjoyable series.

The Brimstone Murders: A Jimmy O'Brien Mystery Novel
Jeff Sherratt
http://www.jeffsherratt.com/
Echelon Press
http://www.echelonpress.com/
February 2008
ISBN# 1-59080-552-6
Paperback
287 Pages
$12.99


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


Kevin R. Tipple © 2008

Earl Staggs on the loose

The other day over on the DorothyL list I saw mention of Earl being the Friday guest on The Stiletto Gang blog. So, I surfed over and read the piece where he wrote about the difference between writing a short story and a novel. Good stuff. Take a look at www.thestilettogang.blogspot.com and then get a copy of his book. It is a good one too.

Kevin

Reviewing: "Another Man's Moccasins" by Craig Johnson

"No matter what aspect of law enforcement with which you might be involved, there's always one job you dread. I'm sure at the most complicated venues it's the terrorists, its serial killers, or it's gang-related, but for the western sheriff it's always been the body dump. To the north, Sheridan County has two unsolved, and Natrona County to the south has five; up until twenty-eight minutes ago, we'd had none. There you stand by some numbered roadway with a victim, no ID, no crime scene, no suspects, nothing." (Page 15)

If you haven't read a novel in the Sheriff Walt Longmire series written by Craig Johnson you have missed a real treat. From "The Cold Dish" to "Death Without Company" and the previous novel, "Kindness Goes Unpunished" the author has developed not only a fascinating and complex hero in Walt Longmine, but numerous secondary characters that are just as alive and vital as Walt is to readers. That continues here with his latest release "Another Man's Moccasins" which begins two months after events depicted in "Kindness Goes Unpunished."

Sheriff Walt Longmine has returned home to Wyoming and is dealing with the personal and family repercussions of recent events as best as he can. Progress is slow, but steady. At the same time, the recent events have triggered in some way flash backs for Walt of his time in Vietnam shortly before the Tet Offensive in 1968.

The discovery of a Vietnamese woman in a ditch doesn't help his contemplative mood or his ability to ignore the past. Summer in Absaroka County is supposed to mean vacation season with folks coming to the rodeo. It isn't supposed to mean death. The woman was strangled at first and then whoever did it squeezed her neck too hard and broke it, before dumping her lifeless body in the ditch. When Sheriff Longmire checks the nearby culvert he is attacked by a violent homeless man who also has the dead women's purse. In that purse is a picture of a much younger Walt Longmire, playing a piano half a world away in a bar in Vietnam. A picture that includes a woman who worked in that bar and who bore a striking resemblance to the dead young woman found in the ditch.

With a flashback for nearly every step forward in the investigation, this novel serves to not only tell an interesting contemporary story it also fills in a major part of the Walt Longmire's life long before he came home and started his 24 years and counting Sheriff's career. Another election is coming and this is a novel where Walt is not only feeling his age but also finding that so much of his personal life is no longer under his control. The past is never truly past and Walt is attempting to put it back in its tiny compartment and failing because of so many reminders.

Readers that expect the body to fall in a prologue or certainly by paragraph 3 of the first page because that seems to be the rage these days according to writer's magazines and some publishers will be disappointed as the body doesn't fall for about 15 pages. Readers that hate flashbacks will be annoyed as the secondary storyline flashbacks number in the double digits and begin before the first body drops.

However, readers who like series featuring characters that become part of the family, books that build on top of each other building depth and life to characters in arcs that carry from one novel to the next, and books that showcase characters that evolve will love this latest novel of the series. Once again Craig Johnson weaves a tale full of the best of people in a morality play set against the backdrop of the Big Horn Mountains.

"Another Man's Moccasins" is another very good read in a series that is overall very good. Reminiscent of the work by James Lee Burke regarding descriptions, the effect here is just as good and yet at the same time different with Craig Johnson's own edge. While James Lee Burke's work these days is pitched against the backdrop of Hurricane Katrina, Craig Johnson's work remains focused more on the basic notion of good and evil and at times, the plight of the American Indian. Unlike Burke who let his editorializing dominate recent releases to the detriment of the story, Craig Jonson consistently puts story first and anything else secondary.

The result is another very good read and one that needs to be read after "Kindness Goes Unpunished." I would recommend reading the entire series in order if these books are new to you.


Another Man's Moccasins
Craig Johnson
http://wwwcraigallenjohnson.com/
Viking Penguin (Penguin Group USA)
http://www.vpbookclub.com/
2008
ISBN #978-0-670-0186-1
Hardback
290 Pages

Review copy provided by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System
http://www.plano.gov/Departments/Libraries/

Kevin R. Tipple © 2008

Reviewing: "The Case of the Deceiving Don" by Carl Brookins

Private Investigator Sean NMI Sean returns for a case that is very close to home in this second book of the series begun with the very good "The Case of the Greedy Lawyers." He lives in the normally quiet and unassuming suburb Roseville located in a northern side of the twin cities in Minnesota. As he arrives home one day it is clear by the flashing police lights, the numerous spectators and the remnants of a wheel chair that something has happened. With four retirement homes within a five block area of his neighborhood the P.I. with no middle name is used to seeing elderly in wheel chairs on the side walks.

What he isn't used to seeing are the aftereffects of a bombing which virtually destroyed a wheelchair. This wheelchair clearly was and the explosion turned the wheel chair into chunks of burned shrapnel and killed its occupant. With no identification on the body it takes a little time to ascertain who died. It also takes some time to identify the occupants of a silver Audi who seem to be staking out the neighborhood and Sean's home in particular.

Even with the victim identified Sean has a minimal interest in the case at first and that interest is pretty much is geared towards the fact that it happened virtually right outside his home. Then, when people connected to the deceased hire him to find out who did it, Sean begins a hunt for information. Information that the local police are more than happy to let him dig for and cooperate with him nearly every step of the way. Why not let him as he is doing all their work and risking his life and his girlfriend's life as he pushes a killer into the open.

Unlike the first novel in the series which was constantly funny, this novel while still in the cozy style, is much darker in tone. Sean does toss off the occasionally irrelevant one liner, but for the most part, this is a more serious character working through issues in his life, the case and the nature of our ultimate fate. That could be because the subject matter is heavily grounded in nursing homes, the patients, and the staff of them or it could be that Carl Brookins has been told to be more serious in the series.

I'm hoping it was the former and not the later by some well meaning party. While still a good novel featuring an interesting tale populated by realistic characters, this isn't the type of novel I expect where Sean is present. Gone and very much missed is the irrelevant wise crack man in his red keds. Well, the red keds are still there but this isn't the same character that entertained me so well the first time around.

The fact that this book is so different makes it hard to objectively evaluate this novel. I found as the pages wore on that I was missing the original funny Sean version more and more. There were moments that screamed out for a one liner from him and yet he was either silent or serious.

Taken on its own, the book currently scheduled to be released august 20th is a good book. It just doesn't meet my personal expectations which were based on the first book because it is missing a huge component. The humor for the most part simply isn't here and that is a major disappointment. As such, while it is a good book overall when compared to the first one in the series, there is no comparison.


The Case of the Deceiving Don
Carl Brookins
http://www.carlbrookins.com/
Five Star Publishing
http://gale.cengage.com/fivestar
August 2008
ISBN# 978-1-59414-677-0
Hardback
266 Pages
ARC

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

Kevin R. Tipple © 2008

Taking a Quiz

for the fun of it. The results, which include some typos, are below. Being my odd self is a bit hard these days in a pc world that values appearance over everything else.









What Planet Are You From?


this quiz was made by The Autist Formerly Known As Tim

Reviewing: (Thuglit Presents) Hardcore Hardboiled

From the introduction written by Otto Penzler:

The contributors to this volume are mostly young (even conceding that nowadays everybody seems young to me), writing in a style as colorful as Elton John's laundry. It is mostly vulgar, nasty, obscene, violent, and sewer-mouthed. It is visceral, unadorned and crueler than a puppy juggler. Lines that you could quote to your mother are harder to find than Amelia Earhart.

And that pretty much sums up this book. The language is graphic, the action is graphic as well as often intense and very messy and the characters are, well, for want of a better term, graphic. They also are usually messy, obnoxious and would rather cuss you out and step over your body as you lay in a pile of vomit (your own or anyone else's) and no doubt would laugh if you hurt yourself accidentally and rather painfully. Most of the folks in this book you don't want knowing your family and you sure as heck don't want them knowing where anyone you care about lives. That is, unless you want somebody you care about or are still saddled with dead.

Simply put, you can't see the land of cozy style novels from here. If cozy style novels were one extreme, this book is as far as you can get away from there in the opposite direction. Cats don't solve crimes here. If any cats were involved, they would be fired off on catapults while still alive because a screaming target to shoot at is always more satisfying than some chunk of clay.

This dark and often twisted anthology of twenty-four stories written by twenty authors is a good one and features what Editor Todd Robinson aka "Big Daddy Thug" felt were the best from the year of Thuglit.Com. You'll recognize some names you know from elsewhere and most likely have no clue about a bunch of other names. If you check out the end of the book you will find a salute to those involved with thuglit which include those names that you know and others you don't that didn't make the print edition. Packed in this anthology are twenty-four powerful and dark stories so there are way too many to go into depth at all on them. Instead of trying to cover all of them, here are a few personal favorites of mine to give you some idea of what is in the paperback book.

It opens with "Ten Dimes" written by Mike Toomey. A customer in a bar is looking for a fence because he wants to move some merchandise. Not ordinary stuff by any measure. This legendary stuff and he wants a fence on the Vegas Strip bad.

"Johnny Cash Is Dead" according to Jordan Harper who weaves a tale of a man on a mission of justice. If he planned things right then the stairs will be the hardest part of the job.

Tim Wohlforth in his story "Juanita" tells a tale of dealing with the stinking mess the best she can. Sure, she is very glad that somebody got the bastard, but they could've cleaned up the mess for her too.

J. D. Smith in the story "False Alarm" points out how worthless car alarms these days because anything sets them off and nobody pays attention. Shooting the damn thing sounds like a good option if the story's narrator can't get any help.

It seems like addition to his excellent novels, stories written by Frank Zafiro are popping up in every anthology known to mankind. Frank is in this one as well with his story "Rescuing Isaac" which concerns a guy arrested in a theft and the fact that his bosses are a bit concerned he might not be able to keep his mouth shut.

Then there is "Counterfeit Love" penned by Jeffery Bankgkok where there is more then one way to deal with a step mom.

Stories by Ken Bruen, Sam Edwards, Ryan Oakley, Sean Chercover, Hana K. Lee, Mike MacLean, Donovan Arch Montierth, Victor Gischler, B. H. Stepherd, Vinnie Penn (who really
Seriously disturbed me with his story), Bill Fitzhugh, Vincent Kover, Duane Swierczynski, Patty Templeton, Stephen Allan, Bryon Quertermous, David Bareford and Charlie Stella all made the cut for this dark and often disturbing anthology. These are characters often past their breaking point and past caring about themselves let alone anyone else. They don't clean up well and are not interested in what you think unless some money might be involved one way or the other

Some characters are detailed with depth while others are scarcely described or explained at all. Some stories are subtle about the violence and others are intense and stomach turning graphic. Being male in this book often has a very bad outcome involving pain, loss of lots of blood and death. Some stories are intensely action based while others are more of a conversation between two people with the anger and the violence unseen but rippling below the surface. Therefore, it isn't simple to characterize author style or development because every tale is pretty different than the others in the anthology. It is hardboiled fiction from front to back of the book and one that will make you often cringe and almost never chuckle.

The common denominator beyond being hard-edged is that one really better watch what they wish for because it often comes in a very bad way.

Hardcore Hardboiled
Edited by Todd Robinson
http://www.thuglit.com/
Kensington Books
http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/
2008
ISBN# 0-7582-2266-1
Paperback
308 Pages
$14.00

Review copy provided directly by Editor Todd Robinson at my request in exchange for my objective review.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2008

Reviewing: "Texas StarWatch: The Essential Guide to Our Night Sky"

After an introduction by author Mike Lynch, "America's Master Stargazing Instructor, the book begins with "Quantitative Meditation" in Chapter One. This is the big picture chapter where facts and figures about the size of our sun, power of our sun, how it orbits a black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy and will take over 225 million years to circle it once, and other interesting facts and figures. Depending on the light pollution in your area, on average, the distance you can see with the naked eye are stars 100 light years out.

Chapter 2 titled "What's A Star" explains what a star is and also awe inspiring pictures of newborn stars emerging in the Eagle Nebula, M16, in the constellation Sagittorius. How stars are formed and born, live and die are discussed as well as why stars are different colors, variable, doubled or even tripled and how distance to the star is measured.

"A Sky Full Of Constellations" is the heading for Chapter 3. This short chapter covers in detail how stars and constellations are named, how the brightness level is determined and other interesting information.

Chapter 4 "Stars On The Move" explains how the stars move around Polaris (the North Star) each night as well as the seasonal shifts due to the earth's revolution around the sun. The author explains the Celestial sphere, the seasonal motion of the stars, the ecliptic, and the zodiac in the same dry and somewhat technical way all of the information is presented.

"Using Star Maps" marks Chapter 5 which explains how to use the 12 Texas based maps found at the very back of the book and various items in the night sky to really look for when using the enclosed maps. The idea behind the "Messier Objects" is explained along with brief explanations of such things as various types of nebula, star clusters and galaxies along with numerous pictures of all items discussed.

Chapter 6 "Northern Constellations" covers the biggest and brightest such as "The Big Dipper, Ursa Major and Minor, Cassiopeia," and other items of nightly interest.

"Autumn Constellations" marks Chapter 7 and does the same thing. This time it is "Pegasus, Perseus, Aries" and numerous others. In each case, as was done in chapter 6, there is a wealth of statistical information on the constellation, a star map of the area, and other items in the intermediate area to look for.

Chapter 8 "Winter Constellations" does the same thing with "Canis Major and Minor, Orion the Hunter" and numerous others.

"Spring Constellations" are covered in Chapter 9 with sections on "Leo the Lion, Virgo the Virgin" and other stars and objects.

"Summer Constellations" is the title for Chapter 10. It looks at many including "Cygnus the Swan, Lyra the Lyre" and "Draco the Dragon" along with other points of interest for this time of year.

"The Marvelous But Mischievous Moon" is the title for Chapter 11 which is all about, you guessed it, the Moon. Beyond the obvious idea that the Moon is the enemy of stargazing when full, the author delves into concepts about where the Moon came from, what is the surface like, the orbit, the phases and why we see it the way we do from earth, among other topics. Also included in this chapter is information about solar and lunar eclipses (which always seem to happen when the skies are at best heavily cloudy here).

The planets finally make their appearance in Chapter 12 "Planets, Wanders Of The Sky." Movement and basic info on each planet is covered as well as depicted in pictures.

Chapter 13 "Celestial Extras" is devoted to such things as the Aurora Borealis (very rarely seen in Texas and primarily only in the Panhandle), comets, shooting stars, and meteor showers. Meteor shows are barely covered despite the fact that both the Leminds and Perseids are usually easily seen here even in the cities.

"You And Your Telescope" is the topic of chapter 14. Each chapter contains references to items you can see with the naked eye as well as with a telescope depending on its power level. This chapter goes into some depth on the various types of telescopes available as well as what are the equipment needed to be able to purse astrophotography. Learning to use your telescope requires patience as it is a skill that has to be developed to get the most out of it. That point is made clear here but is also somewhat minimized.

The book concludes with various appendices and an index. Appendix A is a "Planet Locater" chart for "Venus, Mars, Jupiter," and "Saturn" showing dates of opposition the next couple of years, best months for viewing the same time period and whether it is best seen in morning or evening.

Appendix B "Brightest Stars In Texas" lists various stars, what constellation they reside in, luminosity (brightness), size and other interesting info.

Appendix C is a resource guide regarding some Planetariums and Observatories, clubs, software, magazines, and websites. This leads into a two page index that seems very inadequate based on the material covered in the book.

Finally, Appendix D "Monthly Star Maps" contains 12 star maps, one for each month of the year. Prominent features are listed on each map so the maps are not overly complicated for those new to stargazing.

With a title of "Texas Star watch" one would expect detailed information from a Texas viewing perspective. Certainly with a back cover statement "You won't find a better guidebook to our night sky than Texas StarWatch!" one would expect a book that would be uniquely Texan and a good value for the money. Instead, the only thing that really works with this book is the spiral design inside of a hardback cover which allows the book to lay flat for easy reading. A good design idea with the cover does not make up for the stuff inside.

The book is a real disappointment and has very little to do with Texas based night sky viewing. It also isn't easy to use or understand despite what the author claims in the introduction. What is here is dry and often technical mainly consisting of facts and figures with zero inspiration behind them. Instead of inspiring folks to go out and look at the night sky this is the kind of book that makes it hard work and takes all the joy of it away. Space should be inspiring and the idea of what is out there should provoke thought, speculation, and appreciation of what we are as human and what the possibilities are out there. Instead, this book is as inspiring as a manual on how to wash dishes.

It is fairly clear that Mike Lynch, "America's Master Stargazing Instructor" (a claim with zero explanation of how that title came about and one that is NOT used on his website) has never spent time in Texas because if he had, he would know about how increasingly severe the light pollution around our major cities is these days, that Aurora Borealis is very rarely seen here, etc. The only real Texas based stuff in the book is the 12 maps located at the very back of this hardbound spiral book. It would appear that with a word choice change here and there and 12 new maps the same book could be released with a new title for any state in the union or any country in the world. Based on a little looking around at bookstores online, that might be what was done because the same cover was used on multiple state versions. The Texas part of this 160 some odd page book consists of a sum of 12 pages which is the same as slapping four American made tires on an import car and claiming the car was made in America.

The technical dry text is some what offset by the wonderful pictures. However these same pictures are the classic ones used over and over by every other author. These are not new or exciting for the most part and because they are so common, little to enhance the value of the book. Considering the wonderful photographs produced by the Hubble Space Telescope it is unfortunate some of them were not used instead of old classic pictures that have been in circulation for decades.

This disappointing book does little to attract new folks to the joy of stargazing and does nothing to interest anyone who has been stargazing for any length of time. With the ready availability of star maps on the internet from any location, the maps in this book don't do anything to really help the book either. The result is a book that doesn't really help its intended audience and isn't relevant for the topic.


Texas StarWatch: The Essential Guide to Our Night Sky
Mike Lynch
http://www.lynchandthestars.com/
Voyageur Press
http://www.voyageurpress.com/
2007
ISBN# 0-7603-2843-9
$26.95
160 Pages

Review copy provided by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System
http://www.plano.gov/Departments/Libraries/

Kevin R. Tipple © 2008

Reviewing: "Design Ideas For Fireplaces"

Our family lives in a small apartment that features two fireplaces. One is located downstairs in the living room and the other is upstairs in the master bedroom. The master bedroom is where the computer is and as such the master bedroom is where I do the bulk of my writing much of the year. Nothing is better than having the fireplace roaring and the words flowing as a story takes shape. Both fireplaces get lots of use depending on how much money we have to spend on firewood and the weather. While the use is obvious during winter months, it isn't so clear during the warmer weather.

What to do to dress up the gaping holes is an issue every year. Some of our neighbors put fake plants in them which don't appeal to the wife or me. Others put elaborate trays of burning candles in them which wasn't something we were in favor of either. Once again this year the deal seemed to be to move a couch in front of the downstairs one and ignore the one upstairs. This was on my mind during a recent trip to the library where, as I was checking out, I spotted this book and from the title assumed it might be what I was looking for. I grabbed it without looking at it and figured I probably had things covered.

I was wrong.

This book has nothing at all to do with anything fireplace related during the off season. Instead this book is primarily aimed at those looking to install a fireplace or update/remodel an existing one. Neither of those categories applies to those of us who live in apartments where landlords get excited over nails used to hang pictures on the walls. Still, having checked it out and lugged the book home, I wasn't going to just toss it back in the bag for a quick return trip. I had to take a look at it in depth before I could send it back. Okay, so it is a compulsion but those who love books understand. Those that do not are something else entirely.

While it is not what I wanted or needed it is clearly a good book for the intended audience. After a dedication and a couple of pages of photographs of various fireplaces roaring away at various flame heights, the first chapter is titled "Design Considerations." With numerous pictures and a short text the chapter goes over different types and designs of fireplaces, locations of the new fireplace which should be on an interior wall to reduce drafts, consideration of installation of an air intake system for your fireplace should your home be new or remolded to be airtight and signs of problems in existing fireplaces among other tips.

Twenty-six pages later the second chapter opens with "What's New?" The twenty-four page chapter covers "masonry fireplaces, exterior chimney designs, factory–built fireplaces, EPA certified woodstoves (which are very briefly covered in the book), gas fireplaces, exterior fireplaces" and various design material questions involving each. Your choices are many and this chapter features, as does the entire book, page after page of colorful photographs depicting various types of fireplaces with assorted design elements including, but not limited to, mantles, seating arrangements, fabrics and textures, color choices, etc. Along the way in this chapter are tips on saving energy which is more important then ever before.

Chapter 3 consists of thirty pages on "Architectural Styles." This chapter is devoted to mantles and surrounding area of a fireplace. There are numerous choices such as brick, paneling of various types, cut stone, wood framing, etc. This chapter goes into great detail both in terms of text and photographs with an eye to finishing the area around the fireplace.

Chapter Four titled "Wood-Burning Devices" is as the title implies all about the wood. Types of wood, the fact that the wood needs to be stored and kept dry, how to buy the wood, etc are part of this chapter. The twenty-four pages also include tips on how to start a fire, what can be added to a fire and most importantly what should never be burned in a fireplace. Based on what several of my apartment neighbors have done over the years, some of this should be mandatory reading for anyone with a fireplace. Though it does not say so, I would also recommend not burning telephone books in a fireplace based on having neighbors who felt the need to do it and were allegedly not under the influence at the time.

Chapter 5 covers "Gas Fireplaces and Stoves" in twenty-four pages that detail the basics, more on types and locations, as well as various venting systems that can be used. Venting systems are the primary focus here with lots of consideration given to different types and use depending on location and need.

"Electric Fireplaces" which were briefly mentioned earlier are covered again in greater detail in Chapter 6. Over twenty-four pages (again the symmetry with the length of the chapters is something) the basics of an electric fireplace are covered as well as their advantages with no disadvantages noted in the chapter. Clearly there are advantages but just like with E-Books, my strong preference is for the traditional. They just aren't the same thing.

"Location, Location" is the title of Chapter 7 and a chapter that seems to be placed too late in the book. Some of this info is addressed briefly early on in the book. However, here the information is more in depth in that it covers the placement of fireplaces in various locations inside the home such as in bathrooms, kitchens, etc or outside on the deck. It would appear that this chapter should have been moved to the front of the book somewhere and certainly before Chapter 3 and the discussion on architectural styles. Clearly, the location of the fireplace will have some influence on the style.

Chapter 8 is the final chapter of this book and consists of a scant ten pages on "Safety Matters." The chapter takes a look at various issues, how far materials should be from a fireplace, size of hearth, sparks and how to prevent them, etc. and how to prevent various common problems.

The book concludes with a short resource guide to various manufacturers and related services, a glossary, an index and a list of photo credits. The resource guide, while not intended to just depict ones used in the book does have little explanation of each one to provide more information regarding the products the company produces.

Part of the "Creative Homeowner" series, this 208 page book is a comprehensive look at various types of fireplaces and options regarding them. The text is secondary to the more than 450 photographs that depict all types of fireplaces usually with extensive design elements around them. In fact, there is so much in the area surrounding most of the fireplaces my inner "clutter alarm" repeatedly triggered page after page. Many items seemed placed far too close which may in fact be the camera angle instead of a real issue. Then too there was a question regarding the fires themselves. Interestingly enough, most of the fires which of course are burning brightly looked amazingly the same in terms of wood, flame and color which made me wonder how that was realistically possible.

Obviously the title is a bit off as it gives the wrong impression of the material inside. The title should include a word such as "remodeling" or "construction" or something else that would make it clear that this is a book aimed for those who are adding a fireplace or remodeling their existing fireplace. Despite that quibble, there is no doubt that the book is done very well and does exactly what it was designed to do for the actual intended audience. While it isn't the book I needed, it is extremely well done and will easily help those who are looking to add a fireplace or remodel their fireplace situation.


Design Ideas For Fireplaces (Creative Homeowner Series)
Karen Stickels
Creative Homeowner
http://www.creativehomeowner.com/
September, 2007
ISBN #978-1-58011-363-2
Softcover
208 Pages
$19.95

Review copy provided by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System
http://www.plano.gov/Departments/Libraries/

Kevin R. Tipple © 2008

Review: "Nothing To Lose" by Lee Child

Former Army MP Jack Reacher has metaphorically traveled the road from hope to despair many times. In Colorado, while on his way to San Diego, Reacher has the opportunity to do it in a physical sense as he has found both towns and the 12 miles of road that separate the two. It is a straight two lane road running between the two towns that serves to separate two locations that could not be further apart in terms of style, pleasantness of the population, or anything. Hope's part of the highway consists of thick dark asphalt rolled smooth. Despair used hot tar and dumped grey gravel on it. Reacher plans walking to Despair, having a cup of coffee and then will be back on his way either by foot or by catching a ride if he can get lucky.

He never intended to stay because he was just passing through and taking the shortest way between two points. Reacher would have left the folks of Despair alone if they had left him alone. They didn't. Four locals want him gone for no good reason that Reacher can understand. They make the mistake of messing with Reacher and suffer the painful consequences. Now they have given Reacher a reason to stick around and poke into their business until he finally exposes the secrets they have hidden for years.

This latest installment, number twelve in a series that began with the incredible good "Killing Floor" is not Lee Child's best work. This novel, much like Reacher who is constantly walking back and forth between the two towns when he isn't romancing a local cop just a little, is a plodding read that goes the distance but nowhere fast. The Reacher character was substantially fleshed out sometime ago and as such there isn't anything new to discover and report. If anything, after recent events this is a Reacher that, while he says the right things about helping others and doing the right things when needed has a thicker distance to him now that wasn't present earlier in the series.

Also apparent is a flatness to the writing. Part of that is due to the described starkness of the landscape as well as the constant and detailed plodding trips between the two towns. This novel has a certain apocalyptic feel to it as the world in general compresses down to this small area of Colorado where information is scarce and the threats are huge and come in many forms. Despair is a company town and as such exists for one reason only much like the towns in novels of the future where genetic, biological, chemical, nuclear, or some other horror have laid waste to everything and nearly all of humanity. The landscape is harsh, the people unfriendly, and deep dark secrets exist that grow worse short chapter after short chapter.

The flatness to the writing extends to the comments Reacher makes regarding the military and service. Even after Reacher lectures the reader on how the military knows in these times what the politicians are up to and believes that the politicians have broken the implied contract between the military and the people, there is a lack of passion in the arguments. Instead, this piece and several other commentaries along these lines in the latter pages of the novel are all without any passion or zest. These comments which don't have enough passion in them to be termed "rants" are completely out of character for Reacher and do not fit the actions of a character well known to readers. While cynicism in a character as he or she ages is nothing new, or in the author for that matter, one expects such situations to be explained and that is not done here. Instead, Reacher offers opinions flatly and with little emotion as if by saying these things it won't matter anyway because nothing will change. Implied is the question—why bother?


Something quite a few readers may well ask themselves at the end of this one. It is a very long way to go for the final seventy pages or so that pound forward as only a Reacher book can and provide an enjoyable and suspenseful finish to the book. This isn't the best in the series by a long shot and has fundamental flaws for this reader. It is by that series standard, set long ago, that this novel falls a bit short. In a lesser writer, the work would be thought better by comparison. A weak Jack Reacher novel is better by a long shot than a lot of other books out there these days.


Nothing To Lose: A Jack Reacher Novel
Lee Child
http://.www.leechild.com/
Delacorte Press
http://bantamdell.com/
June 2008
ISBN# 978-0-385-34056-4
407 Pages

Review copy provided by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System
http://www.plano.gov/Departments/Libraries/

Kevin R. Tipple © 2008

No Rain--Just Heat, Baby

Hurricane Dolly hit the Texas coast and then decided that she wanted to keep going West North West. That meant that while the desert country of the Big Bend got rain, we still didn't get a drop. While Marfa was a wet 67 degrees yesterday, we were clocking yet another blistering day of over 100 degrees. A normal year we have about 16 of those. Tomorrow should be number 16 and could easily break the record for the day of 106.

I hate the summer. I truly hate the heat. Now the local pools aren't safe because there is some nasty bug in the water. At least I can again eat the tomatoes--for now.

Anyway, I am inside reading, despite the gunfire coming from the latest game the kids got, though you have not seen much evidence of that here. Been working summer school, attending the mandatory orientation for next year which was much quicker this year than years past, and working on various other things here and there that have nothing at all to do with my own fiction writing.

I think I need a patron.

Kevin

Earl Staggs on NETDRAG (PODCASTING)

Earl Staggs, friend and fellow writer in a local writer's group, penned the mystery novel "Memory of A Murder" featuring Adam Kingston.


From the synopsis:

After a near-fatal accident, Adam Kingston, a former FBI profiler, develops psychic powers that allow him to “see” things most people can’t. Now, twelve years later, this special sight opens the doorway to a mystery man who comes to Adam for help.

“I think I killed someone.”

Chip Weathers, a homeless man suffering from amnesia, believes he may be behind the murder of a woman found buried in the basement of the house his family once owned. A fateful Newsweek article leads Chip to Adam in the hopes he can reach through the fog of memory to determine the truth. But soon after Chip enlists Adam’s help, someone takes a shot at them. It seems as though someone has a lot to lose by Chip regaining his memory of the violent events of the past. Only Adam can “see” what really happened, but will his visions lead him to the killer or will his gift lead him to his death?

I had the pleasure of reading this book and reviewing it here as well as a few other places sometime back. Yes, Earl is my friend and in my local writer's group. So, yes, you could consider me biased. But, those who have read my many reviews here and elsewhere know that I tell it like I see it. I don't care about issues such as gender of the author, publisher of the author, whether the person is a friend, acquaintance or somebody who just found my work and thought to try me, etc. I just want a good book. It is a good book and now is once again available after the last publisher went belly up on Earl and a bunch of other folks.

Now you get a chance to hear Earl talk about his book and the perils of publishing these days. Surf over to

http://www.wildvoice.com/NETDRAG/Posts/NETDRAG-EPISODE-3-AUTHOR-EARL-STAGGS

Take a listen to the podcast. It is worth it.

Kevin R. Tipple (c) 2008

Reviewing: "Blood Trail" by C. J. Box

Having tried "Blue Heaven" and quitting after fifty pages because I absolutely hated it despite the glowing praise from others, I was thrilled to have this one come in at my local library. I have been a big fan of the exploits of Game Warden Joe Pickett for some time despite events such as author C.J. Box killing off Pickett's foster daughter in one novel. Despite the fact that I was so upset by that novel that I nearly swore off reading anything written by C. J. Box ever again, I came crawling back and stayed with him. The latest one reminds me of that past in a small way but overall the read is another good one featuring Joe Pickett.

Things have changed over the series and as this novel opens, Joe and his family now live in the town of Saddlestring, Wyoming. Instead of the quiet of his old home where he saw deer cross the meadows surrounding his state owned home, or the ranch where his conniving mother–in–law lived where he saw cattle, he now sees his nosy neighbor, Ed Nedney. Ed has an opinion on everything Joe does or doesn't do and can't understand why Joe isn't more receptive to his help especially because property values affect the whole neighborhood. The call from the Governor while bringing the horrible news brings a temporary respite from Ed for Joe.

The Governor wants Joe Pickett on the case of a hunter found dead in the nearby mountains. It was not a hunting accident. The man was gutted and hung like one would do a game animal and the killer's calling card; a red poker chip was left behind on the ground near the body. A team of investigators including Joe, and his old nemis and former bureaucratic boss, Randy Pope and others are assembled. While this is the first case Joe has been told about there have been others. And unknown to them there will be more too because the killer has an agenda and wants the story told in the nationwide media.

What follows is a complex tale in the Wyoming Mountains featuring violence, retribution and justice. Like many of the novels in this series, there is a certain old west feel to the book and the issues as well as the characters, despite the modern conveniences of pickup trucks, two-way radios, infrared equipment and all the rest of it. When it comes down to it this book, as are so many in this series, are a sequence of events that mark continuing escalations between Joe and his inner self as well as outside forces and these confrontations are only briefly settled in the Wyoming high country at the close of the novel.

After so many novels there really isn't any character development work here regarding the Joe Pickett character. Or, for that matter, any of the other returning characters in this series. A minor plot line of Sheridan, now 16 and dealing with high school issues, does little to advance the work and instead is used primarily to illustrate again how Joe and his wife Marybeth have raised their children in the real world they live in and how out of touch folks from the East Coast are to the way of life in Wyoming. Otherwise, the reader learns a couple of new things about the recurring characters that shed further insight upon their behavior, but there really isn't any character development.

At its heart, this novel is another part mystery, part adventure read, full of recurring characters and a new killer that walks among them with impunity. As always, the author's deep appreciation for the natural beauty of Wyoming landscape come through as he tell yet another very completed and very good tale


Blood Trail: A Joe Pickett Novel
C.J. Box
http://www.cjbox.net/
G. P. Putnam's Sons (Penguin Group)
2008
ISBN# 978-0-399-15488-1
Hardback
301 Pages
24.95


Review copy provided by the Plano, Texas Public Library System
http://www.plano.gov/Departments/Libraries/


Kevin R. Tipple © 2008