Monday, August 21, 2017
Aubrey Hamilton Reviews: Music Tells All by E. R. Punshon
One of my great finds this year has been the prolific Golden
Age author Ernest Robertson Punshon (1872-1956). Writing as E. R. Punshon, he
released 35 books featuring Bobby Owen, an Oxford-educated policeman who worked
his way up through the Scotland Yard ranks. He wrote another five featuring
Sergeant Bell, a plodding, lugubrious London detective who nevertheless always
reached a satisfactory conclusion in his cases. Still another 20 books were
stand-alone mysteries. Dorothy L. Sayers
regarded Punshon’s work highly, saying that “all his books have that elusive something which makes them count as
literature, so that we do not gulp them furiously down to get to the murderer
lurking at the bottom, but roll them slowly and deliciously upon the tongue
like old wine.” While I don’t like them quite that much, I enjoy reading Punshon,
sometimes more for his portrayal of England during the first half of the 20th
century than for his plots, which are not always as solid as one could hope.
In Music Tells All,
published by Victor Gollancz in
1948, Bobby Owen and Sergeant Bell, promoted now to Inspector, team up on a
case that moves back and forth between a village and London. The story starts
with Bobby and his wife Olive who need a place to live. She asks to see a home
at a comfortable distance from his job at Scotland Yard. Expecting a crowd of competing
seekers, they rush out only to find a quiet village with a house that seems
perfect. The landlord names a rental fee far less than what he could get in
this time of extreme scarcity and they jump at the lease. They soon learn that
an odd neighbor is given to playing her piano tempestuously at all hours.
Everyone in the village gives her a wide berth, except for their landlord who
seems to be simultaneously fascinated and repulsed.
Bobby is distracted by a jewelry heist in London which
involves a wild car chase through the city streets. One of the rings from the
robbery is found in the village where Bobby just moved and the body of a
stranger shows up in a nearly dismantled bomb shelter, bringing in Inspector
Bell. The obvious suspect is a chauffeur who disappeared about the same time
but several of the neighbors warrant closer inspection. Bobby doesn’t
understand how his new village is tied to the robbery but can see that it is.
Poor Olive is constantly searching for food for the two of them.
There aren’t enough clues to suggest the actual culprit and
the motivation behind the crimes so the ending requires too much explanation,
but all in all this is a good story, describing as it does life in post-war
England and the citizenry determined to make do and get by.
The Kindle edition features a new introduction by crime fiction historian
Curtis Evans.
- File Size: 1185 KB
- Print Length: 270 pages
- Publisher: Dean Street Press (July 22, 2016)
- Publication Date: July 22, 2016
- ASIN: B01IYDCH28
Aubrey Hamilton © 2017
Aubrey Hamilton is a former
librarian who works on Federal IT projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
Sunday, August 20, 2017
The End of Porch Time
Yesterday morning, Scott and I turned in all the keys to the old apartment. Doing so ended a thirty year plus run of living at the complex that we had moved into in late June of 1987. It was a very strange moment to turn those keys in and realize that it really was over. In many aspects, it is a relief to be out of there.
Before we went to the office, I went out on the back porch over looking the creek for one final look. Sitting out on that porch while reading and writing was one of my favorite activities. But, it wasn't just that. It was also sitting out there on the many, many nights that I could not sleep and was losing my mind over what we were going through here. A few times over the last several years, I sat out there cloaked in darkness and cried over Sandi. That porch helped me cope with so much.
Scott went up the stairs and took this final picture of me out there.
Before we went to the office, I went out on the back porch over looking the creek for one final look. Sitting out on that porch while reading and writing was one of my favorite activities. But, it wasn't just that. It was also sitting out there on the many, many nights that I could not sleep and was losing my mind over what we were going through here. A few times over the last several years, I sat out there cloaked in darkness and cried over Sandi. That porch helped me cope with so much.
Scott went up the stairs and took this final picture of me out there.
Saturday, August 19, 2017
KRL This Week Update for 8/19/17
Up in KRL this morning a review & giveaway of
"Death of a Bachelorette" by Laura Levine Mysteries
http://kingsriverlife.com/08/19/death-of-a-bachelorette-by-laura-levine/
Also a review & giveaway of "Lions, and Tigers, and
Murder, Oh My" by Denise Swanson http://kingsriverlife.com/08/19/lions-and-tigers-and-murder-oh-my-by-denise-swanson/
And a review & giveaway of "Camp
Carter" by Kathi Daley along with a fun camping post by Kathi
http://kingsriverlife.com/08/19/camp-carter-by-kathi-daley/
We also have a review and giveaway of "Hollywood
Homicide" by Kellye
Garrett along with an interesting interview with Kellye about her book
and her background in TV
http://kingsriverlife.com/08/19/hollywood-homicide-by-kellye-garrett/
And a review & giveaway of "All Signs Point to
Murder" by Connie Di
Marco
along with an interesting chat between Connie & Sunny Frazier about astrology & their books
http://kingsriverlife.com/08/19/all-signs-point-to-murder-by-connie-di-marco/
And an article about Ann Cleeves series featuring DI Jimmy Perez
We also have a mystery short story by Michael Bracken
http://kingsriverlife.com/08/19/the-great-train-robbery-mystery-short-story/
For those who also enjoy fantasy, on KRL Lite today a review
& giveaway of "Moonbreaker" by Simon R Green
http://kingsriverlife.blogspot.com/2017/08/moonbreaker-secret-histories-series-by.html
And if you enjoy a little fantasy with your mystery, on KRL
News & Reviews we have a review & giveaway of "Blood Kissed"
by Keri Arthur http://www.krlnews.com/2017/08/blood-kissed-lizzie-grace-novel-by-keri.html
KRL is now selling advertising & we have special discounts for
mystery authors & bookstores! Ask me about it!
mystery authors & bookstores! Ask me about it!
Happy reading,
Lorie
Mystery section in Kings River Life http://KingsRiverLife.com
Check out my own blog at http://mysteryratscloset.blogspot.com/
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Sandi Update 8/19/17
We are now safely home after seeing Sandi at the hospital. She remains on the catheter with the heart telemetry doing its thing and is still off of oxygen. Her mood is pretty good even with the news she was given this morning.
They currently plan to remove the port on Monday as it no longer matters if the tests come back saying the port is clean. Even if it is still okay, it will not stay that way. The only question is when it will be come infected. There is no choice at all so it will come out to protect her. They also, as I suspected, can't put anything into her port wise until she is clearly infection free.
That means she will have new iv lines put into her hands and arms each and every single time they have to put something into her. She is not happy, but also understands very well that she does not have any choices right now.
All in all, she is amazingly upbeat about everything and looks pretty good. She has eaten a bit more today, so far, than she has been and that is a good sign. She also has had at least some shrinkage of the sinus tumor as her ears have opened up a little bit. She can actual hear you when you talk to her and she can now hear the television. Being able to participate in the world has helped her tremendously.
 |
| Picture by Scott |
They currently plan to remove the port on Monday as it no longer matters if the tests come back saying the port is clean. Even if it is still okay, it will not stay that way. The only question is when it will be come infected. There is no choice at all so it will come out to protect her. They also, as I suspected, can't put anything into her port wise until she is clearly infection free.
That means she will have new iv lines put into her hands and arms each and every single time they have to put something into her. She is not happy, but also understands very well that she does not have any choices right now.
All in all, she is amazingly upbeat about everything and looks pretty good. She has eaten a bit more today, so far, than she has been and that is a good sign. She also has had at least some shrinkage of the sinus tumor as her ears have opened up a little bit. She can actual hear you when you talk to her and she can now hear the television. Being able to participate in the world has helped her tremendously.
New Issue of Crime Review
We feature new 20 reviews in each issue of Crime Review ( www.crimereview.co.uk), together with a top industry interview. This time it’s author Louise Penny in the Countdown hot seat. We’re on Twitter at: Crime Review: @CrimeReviewUK Linda Wilson: @CrimeReviewer Sharon Wheeler: @lartonmedia This week’s reviews are: THE LATE SHOW by Michael Connelly, reviewed by Linda Wilson Detective Renée Ballard works the night shift in Hollywood, starting cases then handing them on as each new day rolls around. But now there are two investigations that she wants to stay part of. Unfortunately, her bosses don’t see things the same way. THE KILLER ON THE WALL by Emma Kavanagh, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor The three villagers leaning up against Hadrian’s wall could have been asleep, but even from a distance, 15-year-old Isla Bell knew they were dead. THE EXILED by Kati Heikkapelto, reviewed by Ewa Sherman Finnish police officer Anna Fekete returns to her home town in the former Yugoslavia for a well-deserved summer holiday. But when her handbag and passport are stolen, she realises that there are other deep-rooted reasons why the Romany thief chose to target her. KITTY PECK AND THE DAUGHTER OF SORROW, by Kate Griffin, reviewed by John Cleal Kitty Peck has inherited Paradise, her grandmother’s sprawling criminal empire in the Thames docklands. But the past casts a long shadow and she must face a criminal cabal intent on her humiliation and destruction. HUNTING THE HANGMAN by Howard Linskey, reviewed by Arnold Taylor A few thousand soldiers from the defeated Czech army made their way to Britain. Now their President in exile wants two of them to return to Czechoslovakia to undertake a special mission from which they are unlikely to return. THE UNQUIET DEAD by Ausma Zehanat Khan, reviewed by Chris Roberts A man found dead at the foot of Scarborough Bluffs, a Toronto suburb, proves to have a history in Bosnia, where he played a very active role in the slaughter. ROBERT B PARKER’S SLOW BURN by Ace Atkins, reviewed by Linda Wilson Boston PI Spenser investigates a fire in a disused church that left three firefighters dead. One of their colleagues is convinced the fire was arson. SHERLOCK HOMES AND THE NINE-DRAGON SIGIL by Tim Symonds, reviewed by Chris Smart Sherlock Holmes and John Watson investigate a fiendish plot in Imperial China.
MONSTER IN THE CLOSET by Karen Rose, reviewed by Sylvia Wilson Taylor Dawson comes to Baltimore to work as an intern equine therapist, but also to find her father, from whom she has been hidden by her mother since birth. EARTHLY REMAINS by Donna Leon, reviewed by Sylvia Maughan Commissario Brunetti is under strain at work and is sent away for a rest, but then an old man he’s made friends with goes missing. THE SUMMER OF IMPOSSIBLE THINGS by Rowan Coleman, reviewed by Madeleine Marsh After their mother’s suicide, two sisters fly to Brooklyn to sell the house their grandfather left. There, impossible events offer them the opportunity to change the past and affect the present. THE SHIMMERING ROAD by Hester Young, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor Charlie Cates’ mother and sister have been murdered, leaving a legacy she cannot ignore. THE IRREGULAR by HB Lyle, reviewed by John Cleal When a friend is murdered, Wiggins, once leader of Holmes’ Baker Street Irregulars, seeks revenge and becomes involved with Britain’s emerging security services. THE GOOD DAUGHTER by Alexandra Burt, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor Dahlia came home to uncover the truth about her childhood, but wasn’t expecting to find a woman buried in the woods. WHERE SHE WENT by BE Jones, reviewed by Linda Wilson TV journalist Melanie Black wakes up in bed next to a man she doesn’t know. And that’s not the least of her problems. She then realises that she’s dead. THREE DROPS OF BLOOD AND A CLOUD OF COCAINE by Quentin Mouron, reviewed by Chris Roberts When old Jimmy Henderson is found dead in his car, mutilated with a knife, both local sheriff Paul McCarthy and Franck, a visiting private detective, take an interest. THE WOMEN OF BAKER STREET by Michelle Birkby, reviewed by John Cleal Holmes’ landlady, Mrs Hudson, is in hospital, and thinks she sees a murder, but cannot be sure. Dr Watson’s wife Mary investigates a number of missing young boys. Gradually the two inquiries are drawn together and their lives are put in danger. PILL CITY by Kevin Deutsch, reviewed by Chris Roberts The true story of two tech-savvy Baltimore 18-year-olds who created a dark web drug delivery service for legal and illegal opiates across the US. THE DEATH HOUSE by Sarah Pinborough, reviewed by Linda Wilson Toby lives in the Death House, isolated from the world, confined with others who have tested positive for a defective gene. There’s only one way out of the house, and that’s not one any of the inmates wants to take. CARAVAL by Stephanie Garber, reviewed by John Barnbrook >From a young age, Scarlett has longed to go to Caraval, a magical event run by the famous Master Legend. Scarlett wants her and her sister to escape from her cruel father. Eventually she gets her wish but things do not happen as she expects. Best wishes Sharon
Friday, August 18, 2017
Just Talked To Sandi
Just talked to her for a little while and she says that she had a blood transfusion earlier today and is awaiting platelets tonight. That is way different than what I understood earlier today. None of the therapy folks showed up so she did not do any of that either that she thought was planned.
Bitter Tea and Mystery Review: Dead Skip by Joe Gores
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Lesa's Latest Contest: This Week's Giveaway
This week, I'm giving away ARCs of Linda Castillo's Down a Dark Road and
Claire Booth's Another Man's Ground. Details on my blog,
http://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com. Entries from the U.S. only,
please.
Lesa Holstine
Sandi Update --8/18/17
Scott and I just got home from seeing Sandi at the hospital. She is doing a little better as she is off oxygen support and breathing on her own. She was awake and more with it than the past several days as well. She still has the catheter in her and still is being monitored for any possible heart issue. She has been fever free so far today.
The x-rays came back with no sign of a break. She does have a dark area on her right ribcage indicating that she has a bruise. They do not believe that the bruise extends inward to her lung nor does it appear that her heart is bruised. All that is very good news. It also means that I did not make things worse for her trying to get her up off the floor. The bruise is causing her significant pain, but there is no sign that I did anything to make that worse or cause any other injury.
We also now know for sure that the shower I helped her take after the fall was not responsible for her fever and everything else since then. I was very worried I had not done something correctly with her port in trying to cover it from the water and had caused what she is going through now.
The tests have come back and she does have a major bacterial blood infection. It is worse than the last one. We don't know if this is the staph infection that was not completely defeated and came back with a vengeance or something new. There is a very good chance that not only has the infection spread to her major organs (which they believe they can stop and clear) it has also spread to her tri-fusion port. If that has happened --they are running tests for that--there is going to be a major problem as the port would have to be removed. It also would seem that such a situation would preclude trying to put another one into her until the infection was completely cleared.
While they run tests and try to decide what to do about that, they are running massive amounts of various antibiotics into her along with saline fluids and platelets. She probably is going to have a blood transfusion of multiple units over the weekend. They also hope to get her out of the bed at some point this afternoon and have her walk a little bit with the therapists.
So, at this point, clearly there are things to worry about, but I feel a little better about her situation. Seeing her awake and oriented was a major relief. She has clearly been through a lot since Tuesday evening, but I think she is doing a little bit better.
The x-rays came back with no sign of a break. She does have a dark area on her right ribcage indicating that she has a bruise. They do not believe that the bruise extends inward to her lung nor does it appear that her heart is bruised. All that is very good news. It also means that I did not make things worse for her trying to get her up off the floor. The bruise is causing her significant pain, but there is no sign that I did anything to make that worse or cause any other injury.
We also now know for sure that the shower I helped her take after the fall was not responsible for her fever and everything else since then. I was very worried I had not done something correctly with her port in trying to cover it from the water and had caused what she is going through now.
The tests have come back and she does have a major bacterial blood infection. It is worse than the last one. We don't know if this is the staph infection that was not completely defeated and came back with a vengeance or something new. There is a very good chance that not only has the infection spread to her major organs (which they believe they can stop and clear) it has also spread to her tri-fusion port. If that has happened --they are running tests for that--there is going to be a major problem as the port would have to be removed. It also would seem that such a situation would preclude trying to put another one into her until the infection was completely cleared.
While they run tests and try to decide what to do about that, they are running massive amounts of various antibiotics into her along with saline fluids and platelets. She probably is going to have a blood transfusion of multiple units over the weekend. They also hope to get her out of the bed at some point this afternoon and have her walk a little bit with the therapists.
So, at this point, clearly there are things to worry about, but I feel a little better about her situation. Seeing her awake and oriented was a major relief. She has clearly been through a lot since Tuesday evening, but I think she is doing a little bit better.
Thursday, August 17, 2017
Sandi This Evening--8/17/17
Nothing really new to report since this morning other than multiple rehab therapists have been in to talk to her--usually by waking her up first and then rushing through what they have to say while she is not awake enough to comprehend---and then leave her a bit confused as to their plans. Apparently, one of them went so far as to complain to one of her nurses about Sandi as he rushed off to leave for the day, so that nurse took it upon herself to come in and chew out Sandi without knowing the facts. Needless to say that did not go over well.
This summer there have been no end of problems at Medical City Dallas. Why--we don't know. They do seem overwhelmed with patients and short staffed so that may be part of it.
It seems their main focus right now--despite the fact she is still hooked up to all sorts of monitoring and pumping machines, running high fevers, and all the rest of it---is the idea of sending her to rehab for an unspecified period of time as soon as possible. While they are justifiably concerned about her falls and preventing them, we both are far more focused on what the infection is and how to get that damn thing cleared up.
And speaking of falls, I also fell here earlier this afternoon while in the garage. It was a spectacular one witnessed by no one. Nothing broken, but I am very sore. Hopefully, with five falls here between the two of us (I now have the lead 3-2) the HOUSE GODS are appeased and no more falls will be required. If more are required, I think we should have warning like they always did on Star Trek with the fight music so we would know what was coming ahead of time.
This summer there have been no end of problems at Medical City Dallas. Why--we don't know. They do seem overwhelmed with patients and short staffed so that may be part of it.
It seems their main focus right now--despite the fact she is still hooked up to all sorts of monitoring and pumping machines, running high fevers, and all the rest of it---is the idea of sending her to rehab for an unspecified period of time as soon as possible. While they are justifiably concerned about her falls and preventing them, we both are far more focused on what the infection is and how to get that damn thing cleared up.
And speaking of falls, I also fell here earlier this afternoon while in the garage. It was a spectacular one witnessed by no one. Nothing broken, but I am very sore. Hopefully, with five falls here between the two of us (I now have the lead 3-2) the HOUSE GODS are appeased and no more falls will be required. If more are required, I think we should have warning like they always did on Star Trek with the fight music so we would know what was coming ahead of time.
Sandi This Morning-- 8/17/17
Talked to her for a little while and she hurts and is not a happy camper. As expected, they put in the catheter and have done the x-rays of her chest and right side rib cage. She is also on some oxygen support though she does not think she needs it. She does. They also added heart monitoring equipment overnight due to her erratic heart rate. She does not want that either, but having seen her erratic heart rate happening yesterday for most of the day, I am very glad they did that. Antibiotics of various types continued overnight and are underway this morning. She continues to have a significant fever, but not quite as high as it was several times yesterday.
So, things are under control as best as they can be right now. She does not want us coming up there as she says that all she is doing is sleeping. She is also worried about me and what I went through the last couple of days. So, for now, I have agreed that we willl stay home and do some things here as we can.
Will update as I know more.
So, things are under control as best as they can be right now. She does not want us coming up there as she says that all she is doing is sleeping. She is also worried about me and what I went through the last couple of days. So, for now, I have agreed that we willl stay home and do some things here as we can.
Will update as I know more.
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