Just Finished, Some New Books and Other Things like the Author's A - Z

Our week of sunshine has ended temporarily. It's a bit drizzly today but still comfortable. As long as we get two or three sunny days before the guys come to wash the siding and such on Wednesday. Spent the morning watching footie. Brighton managed a draw with Burnley and that puts them 5 points above the relegation zone with two games to go....

It always happens when I buy a bunch of books, like my Tuesday visit to the Rotary Club Book Sale. On Thursday and Friday I received 4 new books in the mail. I'll show you those and update my reading list. I hope to finish at least two more books before the end of April, but we'll see about that. I'll also update my Author's A - Z List for you.

So let's go!!!

New Books

I received one from Discovery Books in Toledo Ohio and 3 from Awesome Books in the UK.

1. Hammerhead by James Mayo (Charles Hood #1). I saw this listed in the back of an Adam Dimond spy story I'd recently enjoyed. I thought it might be worthwhile trying. I have taking a liking to those 60's spy stories and I've since started this one, hoping to finish before May. Mayo wrote 5 books in this series and also a number of books under his real name, Stephen Coulter.







"Introducing a new Secret Service agent who's worth keeping an eye on. Name: Charles Hood, bon viveur, sportsman, and art connoisseur. Of course it's all part of a cover for something much more dangerous."

2. Kill Zone by Loren D. Estleman (Peter Macklin #1). This is another new series for me. The write-up sounded interesting.


"Peter Macklin, a consummate hit-man working for the Boniface crime family of Detroit, finds himself working for the FBI and the Secret Service to secure the release of several hundred hostages aboard a tour boat on Lake Erie."

3. The Bishop's Wife by Mette Ivie Harrison (Linda Wallheim #1). Soho Crime has many interesting series. I've been exploring them slowly and for the most part enjoying.









"Linda Wallheim is a devout Mormon, the mother of five boys and the wife of a bishop. But Linda is increasingly troubled by her church’s structure and secrecy, especially as a disturbing situation takes shape in her ward. One cold winter night, a young wife and mother named Carrie Helm disappears, leaving behind everything she owns. Carrie’s husband, Jared, claims his wife has always been unstable and that she has abandoned the family, but Linda doesn’t trust him. As Linda snoops in the Helm family’s circumstances, she becomes convinced that Jared has murdered his wife and painted himself as a wronged husband.

Linda’s husband asks her not to get involved in the unfolding family saga. But Linda has become obsessed with Carrie’s fate, and with the well-being of her vulnerable young daughter. She cannot let the matter rest until she finds out the truth. Is she wrong to go against her husband, the bishop, when her inner convictions are so strong?"

4. The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1908). One of the classics. I've not yet read anything by Rinehart but look forward to reading it. She is supposedly the writer who made 'the butler did it' famous.









"Rachel Innes, a middle-aged spinster, has barely settled in at the country house she has rented for the summer when a series of bizarre and violent events threaten to perturb her normally unflappable nature. A strange figure appears briefly in the twilight outside a window. At night, a rattling, metallic sound reverberates through dark halls, and — most disconcerting of all — the body of a strange man is found lying in a pool of blood at the bottom of a circular staircase.
Before this spine-tingling tale's ends, five connected deaths shatter the normally placid atmosphere of the vacation retreat. Rachel's devoted niece and nephew are among the prime suspects in one of the murders; stolen securities and a bank default threatens the young pair's financial security; and Aunt "Ray" ultimately fights for her life in an airless secret room.
Author of more than 60 chilling mysteries, Mary Roberts Rinehart (1876–1958) is credited with inventing the "Had-I-But-Known" school of detective fiction, which typically involved an attractive heroine caught up in a seemingly endless succession of dangerous predicaments. The Circular Staircase — originally published in 1908 — is considered the first of the genre. A clever blend of intrigue, villainy, and heart-pounding suspense, leavened with traces of wry humor, this immensely popular novel will delight today's crime fiction buffs as much as it galvanized readers almost 90 years ago."

Just Finished

Collusion by Stuart Neville (Jack Lennon #2).

"Collusion is the 2nd book in Stuart Neville's DI Jack Lennon mystery / thriller series set in Northern Ireland. Like the first book, Ghosts of Belfast, this was a gritty, action - filled story.
It's definitely useful to read the first story in this series as events carry-on from what happened in the first book. A hit-man, The Traveler, is hired by O'Kane to kill off all of those people who were involved against him in the first book. This includes Jack Lennon's ex-lover and his daughter, Marie and Ellen McKenna. Included as well is Gerry Fegan, who was heavily involved in the first book as well. Fegan is a scary individual and O'Kane wants to pay him back. Fegan also knows Marie and Ellen and had helped them get away. Fegan is hiding in New Jersey but has promised to return if Marie and Ellen are threatened.
People are killed as the Traveler does his work and Lennon tries to convince his superiors that the killings are related. But there might be collusion between the various gangsters, Catholic and Protestant, and the police and UK's Special Branch.
It's a fast - paced story, jumping from Lennon to Fegan to the Traveler as the story moves along. As Lennon works to find Marie and also the killer, he's got to find people he can trust to keep Marie safe. As the story moves along, you are drawn into the action and the secrecy. Who is helping the Traveler and can he save Marie. Everything comes to a climactic head as the story ends. You'll find yourself on the edge of your seat as you turn the pages to get to the ending. I've enjoyed both books and even though it can be somewhat confusing, what with the Loyalists and Republicans and all the competing factions, it doesn't really takeaway from the story. Well worth trying but start with the 1st book. (4 stars)"

Currently Reading

I've currently got 5 on the go because I couldn't resist starting Hammerhead (see above) right away. My other new book is below.

Watchman by Ian Rankin. This is one of Rankin's earlier works, written after his first Inspector Rebus mystery.










"Bombs are exploding in the streets of London, but life seems to have planted more subtle booby-traps for Miles Flint. Miles is a spy. His job is to watch and to listen, then to report back to his superiors, nothing more. The job, affording glimpses into the most private lives of his victims, appeals to Miles. He doesn't lust after promotion, and he doesn't want action. He wants, just for once, not to botch a case. Having lost one suspect - with horrific consequences - Miles becomes too involved with another, a young Irishwoman. His marriage seems ready to crumble to dust. So does his home. But Miles is given one last chance for redemption - a trip to Belfast, which quickly becomes a flight of terror, murder and shocking discoveries. But can the voyeur survive in a world of violent action?"

Author's A - Z

 

David Brin

1. David Brin. American writer Brin has written some of my favorite science fiction novels and one of my favorite series, Earthclan. I'll highlight 3 of his books

a. The Postman. I've read this story 3 or 4 times, nicely readable and a great story. The movie unfortunately wasn't quite as good.










"He was a survivor - a wanderer who traded tales for food and shelter in the dark and savage aftermath of a devastating war.
Fate touches him one chill winter's day when he borrows the jacket of a long-dead postal worker to protect himself from the cold. The old, worn uniform still has power as a symbol of hope, and with it he begins to weave his greatest tale, of a nation on the road to recovery."

b. Heart of the Comet.

"An odyssey of discovery, from a shattered society through the solar system with a handful of men and women who ride a cold, hurtling ball of ice to the shaky promise of a distant, unknowable future."

c. Earthclan. This book contains two books in the Earthclan series and it was the first one that I read.










"David Brin's Uplift Universe portrays humanity's desperate struggle for survival in a dangerous universe... and how we may cope by taking wise partners with us on this journey. Artificial intelligence is one way that we may add diversity to our civilization. But in this series we've done it by giving a boost in intelligence to some of our fellow creatures on Planet Earth. Dolphins and apes - especially - seem trapped under a "glass ceiling" that limits their ability to speak, to argue, to create, to use tools, to invent and take part in Terran culture. But what if we, the first species on Earth to cross the wide gulf of sapience, were to turn around and offer a hand to others? To pass on the gift (that sometimes threatens to be a curse) of fully empowered mind?"

 

Anne, Charlotte and Emily

2. The Brontes (Charlotte, Anne & Emily). In high school, Grade 13 to be specific, I took Wuthering Heights and recall not particularly liking it. I never read another again until the past few years when I decided to start reading more classics. Since then I've read and enjoyed books by both Charlotte and Anne. Below are two favorites.

a. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.











 "Great story. I had great difficulty putting it down. Jane is a fantastic character; strong, intelligent, independent. I liked how she stood up to her cousin, how well she did at the boarding school she was sent to (as an outcast) and how she performed at Rochester's home when she became governess to his ward, the lovely Adelie. Even with the 'plot device' as my wife calls it, which kind of makes you go, 'yeah right', it's a fantastic story; a love story, a Gothic romance at times, an adventure (Jane's life is an adventure) and just a great work of fiction. There were characters I liked very much; Mrs Fairfax (Rochester's house keeper), who treats Jane so caringly, after a life of much tribulation for Jane; St. John's sisters, Diana and Mary, both lovely, who take Jane and make her part of their family; even the headmistress of the boarding school, who loves her charges, even under the strictures of the school's Master. The scenes with Rochester's 'wife' are quite intense and even spooky. The description of the north of England, where the story takes place, is well - described. The story is excellent, the characters well-developed and I'm glad that I read it finally. I guess I'll now have to try Charlotte Bronte's sisters, Wuthering Heights again now.. :) "

b. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte.











"The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë was originally published under the pseudonym Acton Bell, basically required during the time it was written, 1848, as it was difficult for women to publish under their own name. It's the 2nd Bronte novel I've read in the last couple of years, the first being The Professor, by sister Charlotte Bronte. I think I preferred The Professor, but both were fine stories.
We find Helen Graham and her son recently installed in Wildfell Hall, a mysterious woman with little back story. She gradually becomes acquainted with the residents of the area. Gilbert Markham, a land owner who lives with his mother, brother and sister becomes infatuated with Helen and while she seems to reciprocate, she also pushes him away, frustrating him greatly. Helen's reputation becomes suspect to the locals due to the time she spends with her landlord, Mr. Lawrence.
When challenged by Halford, Helen gives him her diary to read in order to explain everything. This story tells of her life with her husband, Mr. Huntingdon and the reason she has come to Wildfell Hall, quite a disturbing, tragic tale. Of course there is much more to the story, especially the ending which I won't tell.
It's a long tale, told in various formats, diaries, letters and basic story telling which I found quite interesting. Men aren't for the most part portrayed very sympathetically, especially Huntingdon and his friends. Halford is good-hearted but also head strong and emotional. Helen is a strong character, dealing with many hardships and trying to raise her son away from the influences of his father. It's often a depressing story but also an excellent one. As I got into it, I found myself spending more and more time with it, wanting to see how it resolved. (4 stars)"

Peter V. Brett

3. Peter Brett. I forgot this author in my last post (confused him with Simon Brett). Brett is an American fantasy author, noted for the Demon Cycle series. I received the first as a gift and have since purchased the 2nd. I definitely plan to read the first this year.... I think..

a. The Warded Man.











"As darkness falls after sunset, the corelings rise--demons who possess supernatural powers and burn with a consuming hatred of humanity. For hundreds of years the demons have terrorized the night, slowly culling the human herd that shelters behind magical wards--symbols of power whose origins are lost in myth and whose protection is terrifyingly fragile. It was not always this way. Once, men and women battled the corelings on equal terms, but those days are gone. Night by night the demons grow stronger, while human members dwindle under their relentless assault. Now, with hope for the future fading, three young survivors of vicious demon attacks will dare the impossible, stepping beyond the crumbling safety of the wards to risk everything in a desperate quest to regain the secrets of the past. Together, they will stand against the night."

b.  The Desert Spear.

"Demons rise nightly, but so has a legendary Deliverer. From Desert Spear city, Ahmann Jardir unites tribes into an army. In the North, the tattooed Warded Man denies the title. The two former friends are now fierce adversaries. Healer Leesha, musician Rojer, and abused farm-girl Renna Tanner return with Arlen. Against all comes a demon prince, more intelligent, powerful, and deadly. Bonus 20 pages, author interview."

Well, there you go. I hope you're enjoying your weekend. Take care!