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| What do you mean, 'going to the vet?' |
Tomorrow is may appointment... not at the vets! I'm off for my 2nd appointment at the Physio, probably to get a bit more acupuncture. The first appointment didn't help that much, but it usually takes a few times before I notice any improvement.
Since my last reading update, I've finished two books and, of course, started two more. I also received one in the mail last week. I'll start with those and then move on to my continuing stroll through my book shelf on my Goodread's page. So let's get started.
Finished Reading
"The Quiller Memorandum is the first book in the Quiller spy series by Adam Hall. Quiller has spent the post WWII tracking down Nazis to be tried by the post War tribunals. He has just seen the final case and is due to return to England for a well-earned vacation. Attending a play in the New Germany, he is approached by Pol, from a UK government agency with a proposal to track down a notorious Nazi, Zossen who is reported to have returned to Germany from exile in Argentina. The agent previously involved in this case was found murdered. During the war, Hall had infiltrated the Nazis, working in concentration camps to save as many Jews as possible. Zossen ran one of these camps.
This begins an interesting spy story with excellent explanations of spy craft, how spies communicate with their bosses, how to fight interrogation, etc. The story moves along very quickly, plenty enough action and a fascinating story. There are points that 'irritated' me, or more likely that I started to find somewhat humorous; Quiller loves making lists; 3 scenarios, how many types of interrogation drugs he might have been given, etc. But at the same time it provides a picture of how he reasons through his work. The picture of post-War Germany is also interesting, the trials of Nazis, the Nazis still hidden in clear sight and what they are plotting to return to power, etc. Interesting spy story, well worth trying. I'll continue reading the books (3.5 stars)"
"Kill Zone by American author Loren D. Estleman is his first book in his Peter Macklin mystery / thriller series. Macklin is a hit-man for the Michigan mob. (Think Thomas Perry's Butcher Boy or Lee Child's Reacher) In this first book a tour boat on Lake Erie is hijacked by a group called the Ziegfrieds. The FBI is struggling to find a way to save the people on the ship when they are approached by the lawyer for a mob boss currently residing in prison. His offer; he'll send his hit-man Peter Macklin to the ship to deal with the hijackers if his sentence is commuted.
An interesting plot line. There are some other twists in this story of course. The current mob boss (or the guy filling for the main guy) sends his own hit-man after Macklin as he is enjoying filling in and wants to stay in charge. As well, Macklin has family difficulties. And the FBI is trying to keep tabs on Macklin.
The story is nicely paced. Macklin works to find out more about the 8 people who make up Ziegfried. The story moves between Macklin, his opponent, the ship, the FBI and keeps you very interested in the goings on. Macklin is an interesting character, smart, capable and efficient. The story is tense and has plenty of action.
I enjoyed it very much, found it to be a comfortable, exciting read and it held my interest throughout. It'll be interesting to see how Macklin's life evolves after this first story (4 stars)"
Currently Reading
I'm still working through Adam Sisman's biography of John le Carré and Joe Haldeman's omnibus trilogy of The Forever War books. I've finished the first two books; Forever War and Forever Free and I've started Forever Peace. Below are the two other books I've started.
"Marilyn Monroe has been murdered. And irrepressible ex-cop PI Grace Smith is hired to hunt down the killer. But there are no all-expenses-paid trips to California for this case: Marilyn Monroe was a donkey, and Grace is too broke to turn down the owner's bizarre request for an investigation. As the case progresses, Grace finds herself increasingly drawn into the mystery surrounding the murder of a young prostitute, whose death occurred on the same night as Marilyn's. But pitting her wits against a deranged criminal mind while trying to keep one step ahead of the police proves a challenge. And as an extraordinary tale of greed and betrayal begins to unfold, Grace soon realizes her own life is in grave danger."
"Beneath the azure sky of the French Riviera, Christina Mordant looks and behaves like any other attractive girl. But each night as darkness falls, the demon within her betrays its presence.
A thousand miles away, deep in the Essex marshes, a priest of Satan is about to achieve his life's ambition: Canon Copely-Syle of Bentford Priory prepares for the virgin sacrifice which will give breath to the foul abomination he has created..."
New Books
Only one book arrived in the mail, the last one of an order from March. Surprisingly, we had just watched the first movie version of one of the short stories contained therein. Can't wait find out what it is? Well, here it is.
"1920s London. A shocking murder has stained the plush carpets of a handsome London townhouse. The victim is an older woman, the enormously rich Emily French. All the evidence points to Leonard Vole, a young chancer to whom the heiress left their vast fortune and who ruthlessly took her life. At least, this is the story that Emily's dedicated housekeeper Janet Mackenzie stands by in court. Leonard however, is adamant that his partner, the enigmatic chorus girl Romaine, can prove his innocence.
From the stunning original story which inspired the new BBC television thriller The Witness for the Prosecution to some of the most spine-tingling gems in detective fiction, these twelve tales of baffling crime and brilliant deduction showcase Agatha Christie at her dazzling best.
This collection includes an introduction by Sarah Phelps, who wrote the screenplay for the award-winning And Then There Were None and now The Witness for the Prosecution, and also Agatha Christie's Poirot and the Regatta Mystery, a story exclusive to this new edition."
Bill's Author's A - Z
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| Jim Butcher |
"Harry Dresden--Wizard
Lost Items Found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.
Business has been slow. Okay, business has been dead. And not even of the undead variety. You would think Chicago would have a little more action for the only professional wizard in the phone book. But lately, Harry Dresden hasn't been able to dredge up any kind of work--magical or mundane.
But just when it looks like he can't afford his next meal, a murder comes along that requires his particular brand of supernatural expertise.
A brutally mutilated corpse. Strange-looking paw prints. A full moon. Take three guesses--and the first two don't count..."
"The Dresden Files are always a rollicking good fantasy adventure. I like Dresden, his spiritual guide/ assistant, Bob and I have a thing for policewoman, Karrin Murphy, although her part in this story was a bit minimized. I also like Michael, the sword carrying Hand of God who helps Dresden so much in this story. Basically in this story, Dresden and Michael are running around Chicago battling angry ghosts and trying to find out who is responsible for stirring them up and causing disturbances in the border between Earth and the Nevernever. The story is filled with action; vampires, sorcerers and Dresden's sexy stepmother, evil Lea (yum) who wants to make Dresden subservient to her. The story is fast-paced, entertaining and just fun to read. (4 stars)"
The other books in the series are -
1. Storm Front
4. Summer Knight
5. Death Masks
6. Blood Rites
7. Dead Beat
8. Proven Guilty
9. White Knight
10. Small Favor
11. Turn Coat
12. Changes
13. Ghost Story
14. Cold Days
15. Skin Game
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| Andrea Camilleri |
"The goats of Vigàta once grazed on the trash-strewn site still known as the Pasture. Now local enterprise of a different sort flourishes: drug dealers and prostitutes of every flavour. But their discreet trade is upset when two employees of the Splendour Refuse Collection Company discover the body of engineer Silvio Luparello, one of the local movers and shakers, apparently deceased in flagrante at the Pasture. The coroner's verdict is death from natural causes - refreshingly unusual for Sicily.
But Inspector Salvo Montalbano, as honest as he is streetwise and as scathing to fools and villains as he is compassionate to their victims, is not ready to close the case - even though he's being pressured by Vigàta's police chief, judge, and bishop.
Picking his way through a labyrinth of high-comedy corruption, delicious meals, vendetta firepower, and carefully planted false clues, Montalbano can be relied on, whatever the cost, to get to the heart of the matter."
"In the third book in Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano series, the urbane and perceptive Sicilian detective exposes a viper's nest of government corruption and international intrigue in a compelling new case. When an elderly man is stabbed to death in an elevator and a crewman on an Italian fishing trawler is machine-gunned by a Tunisian patrol boat off Sicily's coast, only Montalbano suspects the link between the two incidents. His investigation leads to the beautiful Karima, an impoverished house-cleaner and sometime prostitute, whose young son steals other schoolchildren's mid-morning snacks. But Karima disappears, and the young snack thief's life-as well as Montalbano's-is on the line . . ."
"In 1880s Vigàta, a stranger comes to town to open a pharmacy. Fofò turns out to be the son of a man legendary for having a magic garden stocked with plants, fruits, and vegetables that could cure any ailment - a man who was found murdered years ago. Fofò escaped, but now has reappeared looking to make his fortune and soon finds himself mixed up in the dealings of a philandering local marchese set on producing an heir."
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| Truman Capote |
"An excellent factual account by Truman Capote of the murders of the Clutter family in Holcombe, Kansas by Dick Hickock and Perry Smith. Capote tells the story in a measured, thoughtful way, without being graphic. He is able to imbue the characters with personalities and emotions throughout the story. I liked his style very much, the story flowed smoothly and was always interesting. I will admit that at the end I kind of thought, well ok, so what now? Capote doesn't moralize, rather lets the reader do that on his own, but at the same time, there was a coldness to it, I think. At any rate, I am glad that I finally read it, it's not a book that has been on my wish list, but, ultimately, it was well worth reading and I'm very glad to have been exposed to Capote's writing. I will have to read some of his fictional works now. "
"With her tousled blond hair and upturned nose, dark glasses and chic black dresses, Holly Golightly is top notch in style and a sensation wherever she goes. Her brownstone apartment vibrates with martini-soaked parties as she plays hostess to millionaires and gangsters alike. Yet Holly never loses sight of her ultimate goal."
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