Just writing a quickie here while Jo is having a noon nap. I'll update the latest books I've finished, those started since my last update and any new books purchased as well. No politics, no sports, just good old books. Someone is going mad sawing down trees and grinding branches today... So noisy! (OK, one non-book related comment)
Books Completed
(Two books completed since my last update)
"Cargo of Eagles is the 19th book in the Albert Campion mystery series by Margery Allingham. In fact, it's more than just a mystery series as Albert Campion is a mysterious individual, with a mysterious past who seems to have worked for the British spy service during WWII and maintains connections with them.
In this story, the focus is on other people, an American historian, Morty Kelsey, who has been in Saltey, on the outskirts of London, located by a salt marsh. He comes to London to meet Campion to maybe get his assistance with a matter. A woman doctor, Dido, who he has taken a fancy to, has just surprisingly inherited a house in Saltey, the other residents object to. Dido has been receiving mysterious (yes, that word 'mysterious' again) threatening letter telling her not to move there. But this just makes her want to more. She won't back down.
'Mysterious' things are happening in Saltey. Campion has sent his butler / assistant Lugg there to keep an eye on things as well. Campion is investigating something but isn't providing much info. He's working with an old friend from the intelligence services and also a retired police superintendent and friend, Stanislaws Oates, because there was a history of smuggling in that area and it may have something to do with what's going on.
The solicitor who managed the will of the decedent is murdered and this brings in London cops who leave behind Sgt Throstle to investigate that aspect. Suffice it to say that there is a lot going on and I'm not doing it justice. The locals are very secretive. There are gangs of Mods and Rockers invading periodically and causing problems. And two old dangerous criminals who seem to be leaving calling cards.
It's an intriguing story and at times the tension is palpable and the action is quite exciting, especially the fights between locals and the 'tearaways', the motorcyclists. Through all of this Campion is a bit ghostlike. He wanders in, gathers info from Morty and Lugg and heads back to London. But he doesn't provide much info until everything is resolved. But at the same time, there are moments when he is surprisingly firm and intransigent, not at all like him.
Neat people, fascinating action-filled story that draws you in completely. The series is definitely worth reading. 3.5 stars"
"The Hyde Park Murder by Elliott Roosevelt is the 2nd book in the mystery series featuring his mother, Eleanor Roosevelt and his father, FDR. It's a unique and entertaining mystery series. Eliot makes a brief appearance in this story as well.
The Roosevelt's Hyde Park neighbour, Alfred Hannah is accused of being involved in a multi-million dollar stock swindle. Hannah's son, Bob, is engaged to close family friend, Adriana van der Meer, who also has a residence at Hyde Park. Because of the scandal, Adriana's father has rejected the engagement. Adriana goes to the Roosevelts who she considers as her aunt and uncle to ask for help. She supports Bob who believes his father is innocent. She wants to rush off and marry Bob against her father's wishes but Eleanor persuades her to wait and instead gets Adriana to agree to stay with the Roosevelts in DC while the investigation is sorted out.
Bob, on his own, begins an investigation, breaking into the firm in which his father is a partner to try and gather evidence. He finds clues that might indicate his father is innocent. Along with Eleanor, they continue to investigate. Eleanor enlists the help of the Head of the SEC, Joseph Kennedy. When Bob's father is found dead, the police in New York say it is a suicide but the facts don't add up for Bob and he thinks his father was murdered. Eleanor approaches New York's Mayor, La Guardia, and asks for him to investigate. La Guardia has a newly formed special police unit which he promises to use.
It's a rich, complex story which even involves German business men linked to Hitler. There is action, intrigue and just an entertaining story. I don't know if it was a unique concept back in the 80s to have real life figures portrayed as such in fictional series but it seems much more common now; Churchill's private secretary, Josephine Tey involved in solving crimes, etc. Anyway, it has been an enjoyable series so far. Now to try and find others. (3.0 stars)"
Currently Reading
"National park ranger Anna Pigeon goes undercover as a waitress at Yosemite National Park to investigate the disappearance of four young employees. What waits for Anna in the snowy wilderness of the Sierra Nevadas is a nightmare of death and greed - and perhaps her final adventure..."
"A love letter to the horror genre from many of the most influential and bestselling authors in the industry.
For twenty-five years, Becky Siegel Spratford has worked as a librarian in Reader Advisory, training library workers all over the world on how to engage their patrons and readers, and to use her place as a horror expert and critic to get the word out to others; to bring even more readers into the horror fold.Why I Love Horror is a captivating anthology and heartfelt tribute to the horror genre featuring essays from several of the most celebrated contemporary horror writers including, Grady Hendrix, Paul Tremblay."
What seems to be a meteorite falls to earth, but from the debris, unfolds terrifying alien life...
A young man called Leon records his observations and sketches. 'Those who have never seen Martian life can scarcely imagine the horror' - he tells us. 'Even at this first glimpse, I was overcome with fear and dread. The earth stood still as we watched, almost unable to move ...'
In a full colour, graphic novel retelling of the classic, Chris Mould depicts the arrival of these giant Martians that tower over woods and cities, seemingly ungainly at first, but then horrifyingly efficient when they begin to attack...
As war descends, Leon and his scientist wife race against the clock to discover the science behind these Martians in the hopes of ending this war of all worlds."
Now, for the first time, The Screwtape Letters is presented with its full text alongside helpful annotations provided by Lewis enthusiast and dramatist Paul McCusker. The notes include literary, theological, and biographical information to enhance Lewis's core themes and demystify complex ideas. McCusker also guides readers to concepts and references from the beloved author's other treasured volumes to deepen and enrich this timeless classic. The annotated edition is the ultimate guide for understanding the heavenly truths buried in these epistles from below."
In the Finnish wilderness, more than wolves roam the dark forests. For Siiri and Aina, summer’s fading light is a harbinger of unwelcome change. Land-hungry Swedes venture north, threatening the peace; a zealous Christian priest denounces the old ways; and young women have begun to disappear.
Siiri vows to protect Aina from danger. But even Siiri cannot stop a death goddess from dragging her friend to Tuonela, the mythical underworld. Determined to save Aina, Siiri braves a dangerous journey north to seek the greatest shaman of legend, the only person to venture to the realm of death and return alive.
In Tuonela, the cruel Witch Queen turns Aina’s every waking moment into a living nightmare. But armed with compassion and cleverness, Aina learns the truth of her capture: the king of the underworld himself has plans for her. To return home, Aina must bargain her heart—as Siiri plots a daring rescue of the woman she loves the most."
Still, he accepts the invitation, only to find not a curated show, but a to see if he not only has the magic necessary to enter the paintings, but also the strength to escape them. Because unbeknownst to Lewis, there is power in his art, just as the ten paintings carry with them both immense eldritch abilities and a terrible curse—making them, perhaps, the most valuable works of art in the world.
And Lewis has been asked to destroy them all.
With orders from a mysterious museum official, Evangeline, and partnered with an alluring agent in her employ, Noah Rao, Lewis must plunge into a world of black markets, gothic magic, ancient history, and unspeakable terror to save those unlucky enough to call any of the paintings their own, and to hopefully locate the tenth painting in the series, long missing, the powers of which are suspected to be most devastating of all…"
“Why do you write?” the organizer of a literary event in Mexico City asks Miriam Toews. Each attempt at an answer from Toews—all unsatisfactory to the organizer—surfaces new layers of grief, guilt, and futility connected to her sister’s suicide more than fifteen years ago. She has been keeping up, she realizes, an internal correspondence with her beloved sibling, attempting to fill a silence she can barely comprehend. As Toews turns to face that silence, we come to see that the question “why I write” is as impossible to answer as deciding whether to live life as a comedy or a tragedy.
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