A Friday Update

Borrowed hummingbird photo

Jo is at work and the pups and I are relaxing so I figured it might be a good idea to do a weekend update. It's been an interesting week or so. We've had two visitors in the past seven days or so. And, no, not people, birdies. We've been keeping the front door open and the patio door to get a breeze through while it was hot. We were sitting on the couch in the family room last week or so and Jo heard a noise. We went into the front hallway and lo and behold there was a hummingbird trying to get out the window at the top of the hallway. It's a good 10 feet up. We pondered how to get the poor thing, then I got the expansion ladder and climbed up and caught it in a storage container Jo found. Once I sealed it in, I gave it to Jo and she released it to the wild.

The other morning while the pups and I were relaxing in bed, a sparrow flew into the bedroom. I was indeed surprised. I have no idea how it got in unless it flew in the front door when I came home from walking the dogs. Anyway, I got it cornered in the bathroom, caught it in a towel and brought it downstairs and released it. It's not the first times we've had birds in the house. There have been at least two other occasions. We've managed to catch them and let them go each time. I can't understand what they find so attractive in our house, must be our wonderful personalities. LOL.

So now for a quick update. I've finished one book since my last update and I'll provide that review and update any other new books I've received, plus continue with my look at Women Authors whose Works I've been enjoying.

Just Finished

1. Peepland by Christa Faust (2017).

"Peepland is a graphic novel from the Hard Case Crime publishing company, this story written by Christa Faust. It portrays a gritty New York, before it was gentrified, with nudity, violence, bad cops, all the good things. There are references to the Central Park Five story in this one, although with different outcomes. There are also crooked politicians willing to do anything to help their career advance.

Roxy Bell works in a peep show posing for men willing to pay. Dirty Dan who makes a living filming women in the nude and doing commercials, runs into her booth and hides a video tape in the lining of the chair that the customers use. He is killed later on, falling in front of a subway train. Roxy takes the tape and watches it with a friend. It shows a murder of a young woman and also the murderer's face.

On the murder front, the police arrest a group of black teenagers. The henchmen of the father of the murderer hunt for the tape. Roxy and her boyfriend, a punk rocker, try to find out how to get the tape to the police in order to save the boys, one of whom is the sun of Roxy's best friend, another employee of the peep show.

So there is your story... oh, are the cops working the case honest? Oh yes, don't forget the attempted blackmail.

It's an action-packed story, a real page turner. Roxy and Nick are also trying to stay alive, one step ahead of the goons. Well drawn (although I did find some of the characters looked a bit like others, so a tad confusing at times). But entertaining and interesting. (3.0 stars)"

New Books

1. Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan #5 / 1916). It's been fun reading this series so far.

"In the forgotten city of Opar, the bloodied sacrificial altar of the Flaming God stood above vaults piled high with the gold destined for fabled, lost Atlantis. There La, the beautiful high priestess, still dreamed of Tarzan, who had escaped her knife before. Around her, the hideous priests vowed that he should never escape again. For now Tarzan was returning and they were waiting for him. Tarzan planned to avoid La and the priests. But he could not avoid the earthquake that struck him down in the vaults and left him without memory of his wife or home - only with what memory he had had as a child among the savage apes who reared him."

2. The Blood Royal by Barbara Cleverly (Joe Sandilands #9 / 2011). This historical mystery series featuring Scotland Yard inspector Joe Sandilands has gotten better and better.

"Murder, mystery and espionage set in London in the long, hot summer of 1922, against the backdrop of the Romanov murders and the disappearance of the tsar’s fortune.

A beautiful and traumatized young Russian woman turns herself in at the British consulate in Russia, begging to be sent to relatives in England and rescued from the mysterious tragedies of her past. But is she what she seems, or is she a deadly spy on a secret mission?"

3. The Distant Dead by Lesley Thomson (The Detective's Daughter #8 / 2021). I enjoyed the first story in this mystery series. I've gathered a few others to continue my exploration of it.

"London, 1940

A woman lies dead in a bombed-out house. It looks like she's another tragic casualty of the Blitz, until police pathologist Aleck Northcote proves she was strangled and placed at the scene. But Northcote himself has something to hide. And when his past catches up with him, he too is murdered.

Tewkesbury, 2020
Beneath the vast stone arches of Tewkesbury Abbey, a man has been fatally stabbed. He is Roddy March, an investigative journalist for a podcast series uncovering miscarriages of justice. He was looking into the murder of police pathologist Dr. Aleck Northcote – and was certain he had uncovered Northcote's real killer.

Stella Darnell used to run a detective agency alongside her cleaning business. She's moved to Tewkesbury to escape from death, not to court it – but Roddy died in her arms, and Stella is someone impelled to root out evil when she finds it. Now she is determined to hunt down Roddy's killer – but then she finds another body.."

4. The Trouble with Peace by Joe Abercrombie (Age of Madness #2 / 2020). The first book in this fantasy series was excellent.

"Conspiracy. Betrayal. Rebellion.

Peace is just another kind of battlefield...

Savine dan Glokta, once Adua’s most powerful investor, finds her judgement, fortune and reputation in tatters. But she still has all her ambitions, and no scruple will be permitted to stand in her way.

For heroes like Leo dan Brock and Stour Nightfall, only happy with swords drawn, peace is an ordeal to end as soon as possible. But grievances must be nursed, power seized and allies gathered first, while Rikke must master the power of the Long Eye . . . before it kills her.

The Breakers still lurk in the shadows, plotting to free the common man from his shackles, while noblemen bicker for their own advantage. Orso struggles to find a safe path through the maze of knives that is politics, only for his enemies, and his debts, to multiply.

The old ways are swept aside, and the old leaders with them, but those who would seize the reins of power will find no alliance, no friendship, and no peace, lasts forever."

5. The Winter Knights by Paul Stewart (Edge Chronicles / Quint Saga #2 / 2005). I'm reading and enjoying the first book in the Quint Saga. It's an entertaining YA Fantasy series... So far anyway. Great artwork by Chris Riddell as well.

"Quint Verginix has enrolled as a squire in the Knight’s Academy. After his training, he will be able to pilot stormchaser sky-ships into the heart of Great Storms, and retrieve the solidified lightning – stormphrax – to weigh down the floating rock on which Sanctaphrax is built. But as a freezing winter takes hold, and the city strains to break free of its tether, ancient feuds threaten to tear its people apart.

On his own, Quint can do nothing to help avert the impending doom. But with the help of a band of loyal friends he might just be able to avert disaster.

The Winter Knights is the second book of the Quint Saga – first trilogy in The Edge Chronicles, the internationally best-selling fantasy series, which has featured on the UK and the New York Times best-seller lists and sold more than 3 million copies. There are now 13 titles and four trilogies in the series, but each book is a stand-alone adventure, so you can read The Edge Chronicles in any order you choose."

Women Authors Whose Work I've Been Enjoying - Holly Roth

Holly Roth

Holly Roth lived from 1916 - 1964 and was born in Chicago and lived in New York and London. She also wrote under the pseudonyms of K.G. Ballard and P.J. Merrill. I've enjoyed two of her spy / mystery novels so far and am looking forward to trying more.

1. The Content Assignment (1955).

"The Content Assignment is the first book written by American author Holly Roth and the second book I've read and enjoyed by her. It was originally published in 2 parts in The Saturday Evening Post in 1953.

I really enjoyed this novel, an intriguing, entertaining, 'lost girl' thriller with spy intimations. The story follows English reporter John Terrant as he travels to America to find Ellen Content. Terrant had been working in postwar divided Berlin and along with a friend met Ellen, who says she works as a secretary at the US Embassy. Over the course of the next week or so, he meets with her a total of 4 times. In the last meeting, he gets involved with Ellen as she tries to rescue a Russian man and his wife. They find the man dead. Ellen orders John to save the wife and take her to Ellen's boss. John does this and then loses track of Ellen.

John has fallen deeply in love with Ellen during these short meetings and over the next years he continues to try and find her. He does discover that she has worked for the CIA and that she seems to have disappeared on a ship to New York. When John discovers a new article that seems to indicate Ellen is still alive, he heads to New York, against advice / orders from the American FBI and even Scotland Yard, to try and find Ellen. There you have the crux of this entertaining thriller, as John stumbles around New York city and state, trying to find clues to Ellen's existence.

The story moves along nicely. It's not perfect as there are moments that seem inconceivable, but to Roth's credit, everything is explained satisfactorily. The characters are well - crafted, John is likable and intense. The FBI and police aren't idiots and act reasonably and sympathetically. It's a nice introduction to Roth. She has a clear writing style, the story is logical and well-crafted and just plain enjoyable. I will explore Roth's works further as I do enjoy her style and story-telling. (4 stars)"

2. The Crimson in the Purple (1956).

"I'm not sure where I first heard of Holly Roth. I have a feeling the book The Crimson in the Purple was listed at the back of another Penguin crime book. At any rate, for the past few years I have looked for the book and finally found a copy. I'm very glad that I took a chance on it as I've enjoyed it very much. I will definitely find other books by Roth (Ed Note. In fact I have ordered another of her books, The Content Assignment.

Bill Farland, a Private Investigator in NY and also a wannabe playwright, is hired by Catherine Hadden because she feels someone is trying to kill her. Farland is initially hesitant to take the job because he doesn't really believe her and also feels he might not be good enough for the case. But when he discovers that she comes from a famous acting family, he decides to go to the Hadden's home for a dinner party, ostensibly as her date. The party is a somewhat fractious affair with Farland not getting along with famous actress, Terrata Hadden. At the follow-up dinner, Catherine is taken severely ill (food poisoning?), the family doctor is called. Farland stays the night to watch Catherine and there is a murder..... Thus starts this excellent mystery, with the rest taken up with the investigation by Police Captain Rhine.

The mystery is described in the synopsis as 'melodrama'. Melodrama - "a sensational dramatic piece with exaggerated characters and exciting events designed to appeal to the emotions." I guess that sort of describes this excellent mystery. It kind of reminded me of Dynasty mixed with Margaret Millar's story crafting. The characters are all interesting. The Hadden family is filled with issues and personalities. Farland is an interesting character, struggling with his desire to even be a PI, with feelings for Catherine, wanting to connect with the family leader Dominic to get his play brought to the stage. Captain Rhine is a tired, smart, matter-of-fact investigator. He explores each character (suspect) with wit and intellect, an excellent, likeable investigator.

The story moves along very nicely, is so well-written and laid out. There is tension, mysterious characters / intentions, hidden back stories, all that comes out as the story is presented. It's eminently readable and Roth presents wonderful pictures of the setting and the characters. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the story. I'm looking forward to the enjoying the next book. (4.5 stars)"

Sound interesting at all? You can find the complete list of Roth's work at this link. Have a great weekend.