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| Is this what you mean by Boxing Day? |
It's a lazy Boxing Day here at the old homestead. Yesterday was a wonderful day, great Xmas dinner, a tearful Xmas Call the Midwife and a piece of lemon / lime cheesecake for dessert. Today we are relaxing, maybe will have turkey sandwiches for Boxing Day lunch and then Jo said she might make spaghetti for dinner.. Diets start in 2019!
I finished one more book this morning and plan to read one more by year's end. Today I'll also start some 2018 year end summaries. Today's entry will be my list for the Top Ten Mysteries I read this past year.
Just Finished
1.
Passport to Oblivion by
Jame Leasor (Dr. Jason Love #1).
"Passport to Oblivion is the first book in English author James Leasor's Dr. Jason Love spy series of 9 books. Ian Fleming is probably the most well known master of the spy series, but I've discovered a number of other series the past couple of years; Adam Diment's Philip McAlpine books, James Mayo's Charles Hood books and Victor Canning's Rex Carver books, to name a few. Of the one's I've tried so far, they offer different styles to that of Fleming's Bond books.
Dr. Jason Love is a country doctor who served in the British army during WWII. He now has a small medical practice, teaches veterans judo in his spare time and enjoys his flashy Cord sports car. During this time period, the British spy services are facing a major crisis. Due to traitors in their service, the spy network in the Middle East has been compromised and neutralized for the most part. At the beginning of this story, one of their agents in Iran is murdered by Russian spies.
Trying to find someone to go to Iran to see what is going on, MacGillivray, deputy head of the Secret Service searches through old files to try to find someone unknown to the Russians who he can send to Iran. He comes across Dr. Love's file. It seems that once during the war, Love had helped him find Japanese sympathisers in the Indian Army. With that information, MacGillivray persuades Love to help him again.
Thus, Dr. Jason Love finds himself in Iran trying to discover what the missing English spy, K, might have discovered. That is the gist of this story. It's an interesting premise and a well-developed story. There are some typical spy craft type equipment that appears; pens that shoot darts, transmitters implanted in teeth, sword canes and such but they just make the story more interesting. There is sufficient action and interesting baddies that try to discover Love and to destroy him.
The story moves through Iran and then to Northern Canada in a quick transition; hot desert suns to frozen northern wastes. All in all, it's an interesting story. Love is a thoughtful amateur spy who manages, by his wits and physical abilities to keep ahead of his enemies. The story is positively comparable to the Bond books, easy to read and entertaining. I did like how this book refers to actual situations of the period, double agent George Blake whose traitorous actions resulted in the deaths of many British spies, Igor Gouzenko, the Russian spy who turned himself into Canadian authorities, etc. It added a different quality to this story. Most enjoyable. (4 stars)"
Currently Reading
1.
Eighteen Acres by
Nicolle Wallace. This is one of Christmas books I got this year from Jo.
"
Eighteen Acres, a
description used by political insiders when referring to the White
House complex, follows the first female President of the United States,
Charlotte Kramer, and her staff as they take on dangerous threats from
abroad and within her very own cabinet.
Charlotte Kramer, the
45th US President, Melanie Kingston, the White House chief of staff, and
Dale Smith, a White House correspondent for one of the networks are all
working tirelessly on Charlotte’s campaign for re-election. At the very
moment when they should have been securing success, though, Kramer’s
White House implodes under rumors of her husband’s infidelity and grave
errors of judgment on the part of her closest national security
advisor. In an upheaval that threatens not only the presidency, but the
safety of the American people, Charlotte must fight to regain her
footing and protect the the country she has given her life to serving."
My Top Ten Mysteries of 2018
(I read them in 2018, they probably weren't written in 2018).
The list isn't in any particular order, although I've ranked from 5-star ratings through 4-star.
1. Death Without Company by Craig Johnson (Longmire #2).
"Death Without Company is the 2nd Walt Longmire mystery by Craig Johnson. It's been awhile since I read the first and I'm so glad to revisit the Absarka Police Department in Wyoming. Such a great, entertaining, engrossing story.
It's near Christmas and the snows are starting to fall in the community that Walt Longmire polices. He's waiting for his daughter Cady to come for the holidays from Philadelphia. He is interviewing and considering hiring a new detective, Santiago Saizarbitoria and also heading to the Durant Home for Assisted Living for his weekly chess game with Lucian Connally, the previous sheriff. The trip takes a turn when a woman of Basque heritage, one Mari Baroja, is found dead at the home. It turns out that Lucian was once married to her, for all of 3 hours, and he claims that she has been murdered.
Thus begins a sometimes convoluted murder mystery, more bodies will crop up and there will also be attempted murders. How is Mari involved and for that matter, how is Lucian. Family members begin to arrive to find out what they might have inherited. It turns out Mari was a bit of a financial expert and is worth quite a bit. Her second husband, the father of her children, was an awful man, one who beat her and who has 'disappeared'. Are drugs involved? What about this past? What about the granddaughter who runs the local bakery?
It's such a fascinating story. The cast is excellent, from Longmire himself, to his assistant, Vic, down to earth and sexy, to Henry Running Bear, Longmire's oldest friend, to the other people who work at the Police department and even Dog, Longmire's inherited pet. There is great wit and humor (check out the stake out at the hospital, some laugh out loud moments there) and awful violence (the incident at the river had me holding my breath) and even spirituality (Longmire has dreams and visions that are interesting to try and dissect). It's not a perfect story (some of the crime solving seems a bit convoluted) but it's just an excellent read. (5 stars)"
2. The Pusher by Ed McBain (87th Precinct #3)
"First published in 1956, The Pusher is the 3rd book in Ed McBain's 87th Precinct police procedural series. I find it hard to believe, myself, that I rated this book 5 stars, but for its small size, it packs a great punch.
The 87th Precinct is set in a fictional US city and features the cops and detectives of the 87th Precinct. In this edition, they and the city they protect are preparing for Xmas. The story starts with Detective Steve Carella and his partner, newly promoted Detective King called out to a seeming suicide. The body belongs to a young Puerto Rican addict who is found dead with a rope around his neck. To Carella, it seems to pat and he suspects that the boy has been murdered.
This begins a fascinating case involving drug dealing, an addicted Police Lt.'s son who may be involved in the murders, possible black-mailing and other murders. The story moves along at a nice pace, mainly following Carella's investigation but also covering his boss, Lt Byrnes as he must deal with issues surrounding his son.
It's more than just an investigation, although having said that, there are interesting pieces of forensic work and excellent interrogations that are realistic and well-crafted. But you also get into the personal lives of the detectives; Carella's relationship with is lovely wife Teddy and Byrnes' troubled but powerful relationship with his wife and son. Even minor characters such as Carella's informant Danny Gimp are turned into real people. I loved the dedication of the police. I loved how McBain took time to present the city and the people who lived there.
The story ended emotionally for me. The story was only 158 pages but it grabbed me from the very beginning and held me engrossed from beginning to end. I've now read the first 3 books in the series and each and everyone has been excellent. (5 stars)"
3. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (Cormoran Strike #1).
"Many years ago I enjoyed JK Rowlings' Harry Potter books. When I heard that she was writing more adult themed books under the name of Robert Galbraith I kind of hesitated to try them. Moving from fantasy to mystery seemed a bit of a stretch to me. I was wrong, to put it bluntly.
The Cuckoo's Calling, the first book in Galbraith / Rowlings' Cormoran Strike series was a real pleasure to read. The book did have one other thing going against it in my mind, it was almost 600 pages. I read authors who seem to think that the more successful they get that maybe they need to make their books longer and longer. I think that I'm getting a bit lazy in my older years; a long book doesn't mean a bad book. Quality tells.
So moving on to the story. Cormoran Strike is a down-in-his luck detective working in London. We learn over the course of the novel that he's an ex-military policeman who lost a leg in Afghanistan, he's in terrible debt, his absent father is a rock star and he's just had a nasty break-up with his on and off again girl friend. A new temporary secretary, Robin, is added to his situation. How will he be able to afford her?
A new case is dropped on his door step, one that might help him get out of his debt situation. A famous model, Lula Landry, falls to her death from her apartment. The police call it a suicide but Lula's half brother thinks it's murder and hires Strike to investigate. There is a link between Strike and John Bristow; his older brother (also a suicide victim as a youngster) went to school with Strike and was a good friend.
Initially hesitant to take the case, Strike, as he gets into his investigation, begins to come around to the murder idea. There are many interesting qualities to Strike; his methodical investigative style, his ability to put things together as the evidence starts to come together, his gruff but caring manner. Robin, his secretary is slowly developed as well. While looking for other work, she begins to like working for Strike, her interest in being involved with the case and she also shows nice detective skills. They make a very nice team.
The case is also interesting, with many potential suspects and Galbraith paces everything nicely and keeps your interest up. She is an excellent writer with great descriptive powers and is a superb story teller. I'm so glad to finally have read this. The next Strike book now awaits my attention (5 stars)"
4. Flesh and Blood by John Harvey (Frank Elder #1).
"Flesh and Blood by John Harvey is the first book in the Frank Elder mystery series. I have previously read the first book in his Charles Resnick series; Lonely Hearts and enjoyed it. This was so much better. As a matter of continuity, Resnick makes a brief appearance in this story.
Elder is an ex-cop who retired and moved to Cornwall; partly to get away from a broken marriage. The book starts with his daughter Katherine's visit and Elder's attempt to keep a relationship with his teenage daughter. Soon his life is turned upside down when an ex partner, Maggie, advises him that Shane Donald has been released from prison. Donald was involved with a big case of Elder's; he and his mentor had kidnapped and abused and murdered a young girl. They were also assumed to have been involved in the disappearance of another young girl, whose body had never been discovered.
Elder begins to dig into his old investigation, visiting the mother of the girl, Susan Blakelock, and rehashing the evidence. We also follow Donald, now in a half way house and being monitored by a female probation officer.
Events take a quick turn for the worse; Donald runs away from the half way house, a young lady disappears. The question is whether Donald was involved. Things really start to take off; besides the old investigation, the police are desperate to find Emma, the young girl, to find Donald, etc. (I won't get into that story any more as there has to be some surprises for you). It's a tense, well-crafted and described story. It moves along at an excellent pace and keeps your interest at all times. I found the ending both realistic and satisfying. Great story! I was given this as a Xmas present and I'm so glad that I was. (5 stars)"
5. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (Philip Marlowe #1).
"The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler is my first exposure to this excellent writer of the noir genre. Chandler created Private Investigator Philip Marlowe, who worked the streets of San Francisco. There was a movie made of this story starring Humphrey Bogart as Philip Marlowe. I think I've seen it but will now have to watch it again.
Marlowe is hired by a wealthy San Francisco family to try to sort out a black-mailing situation. The wealthy senior of the family has two wild daughters, especially Carmen, who is the subject of 'personal' photos. The investigation moves Marlowe into the criminal underworld and into close contact with various criminals and also murders. It's a nicely confusing plot, with many twists and turns and enough action to keep you very interested in the story.
Chandler has a way with telling his story. His characters are so well-described that you can picture them clearly. They have unique personalities and you do find yourself drawn to some and repulsed or afraid of others. His story telling is straight-forward, with a touch of humour and also a nice flair for the written word. I love this line, "I went back to the office and sat in my swivel chair and tried to catch up on my foot-dangling." I know it's just one small sample but it's so perfect and the story is filled with such perfection.
You don't necessarily get to know a great deal of Marlowe's past but you definitely get a feel for the type of character he is. Even though a private eye, he's got friends in the police force who respect him. He's similar to Ross MacDonald's Lew Archer, John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee, a loner private eye with standards. I don't know that I see Humphrey Bogart as Marlowe but I'll have to think more on that subject. I do know I am looking forward to reading the other books in this short series. Excellent and for lovers of great mystery, must-reads. (5 stars)"
6. Banquets of the Black Widowers by Isaac Asimov ( Black Widowers #4).
"I've read many of Isaac Asimov's science fiction books; the Foundation and Empire trilogy, the robot books, Fantastic Voyage, etc. He was such a good story teller. It's been many years since I last read one of his books and recently I discovered this mystery series; the Black Widowers and I bought one of them; Banquets of the Black Widowers.
The Black Widowers are a group of six gentlemen who meet on a monthly basis for a dinner and drinks and then to interrogate a visitor about a mystery in their life. They are ably assisted by their waiter, Henry, maybe the smartest member of the group.
The collection of short stories are gentle and cozy. They follow the same formula for the most part. In each one, one of the members is the host of a visitor; they chat and have dinner and then while they relax over drinks afterward, they interrogate the visitor. Even their interrogation starts off in a similar fashion; first the member must justify their lives and then they tell a story that has troubled them while the members try to offer a solution that might help the person.
There is no violent crime just incidents in their lives that they need help either remembering or rationalizing. The six widowers are middle-aged or older, curmudgeonly and interesting. Their waiter Henry serves and observes and is the voice of final solution, deferred to by the others. I enjoyed this collection very much and will search for the others. Excellent concept. (3 stars)"
7.
The Old Man in the Corner by
Baroness Orczy.
"The Old Man in the Corner by Baroness Emma Orczy was a little gem. I'd read her adventure, The Scarlet Pimpernal, and had enjoyed quite a bit. While I was reading it, my wife mentioned that she remembered a radio series she'd listened too many years ago, which was based on Orczy's book about The Old Man in the Corner. It sounded interesting and so I decided to see if I could find a copy; which I did at The Book Depository (one of their print on demand books).
Basically, the book is a collection of short story mysteries. They remind me somewhat of Isaac Asimov's books about the Black Widowers, in which a group of older men, meet regularly at their club and meet someone who explains their circumstances (normally involving a crime) and then without leaving their club they try to solve it (usually with final words from the waiter). The Old Man in the Corner features a similar situation. Newspaper reporter, Polly, meets regularly with The Old Man at a local cafe (an A.B.C shop as it's called) and the old man details a recent court case; a robbery, a murder etc. Polly basically listens while the old man tells her the story and then solves the case, a case that has continually befuddled the police and courts.
There are a variety of stories in the book and each is interesting as is the Old Man's solutions. I enjoyed each case and the Old Man's quirks (he is impulsive about tying a string in knots as he goes through each case). Once solved he basically disappears until the next meet. The stories are short and grab you right away and the solutions are also interesting. What I particularly enjoyed was the final case and Polly finally getting in the last word. It was a surprising ending that actually had me laughing out loud in amazement. I enjoyed this book very much and recommend highly. (4.5 stars)"
8. Who Killed Marilyn Monroe? by Liz Evans (PI Grace Smith #1).
"Who Killed Marilyn Monroe? by Liz Evans, the first book in the PI Grace Smith series, was an entertaining, fun surprise. Of course, I was somewhat mislead by the title, of course, it had nothing to do with Marilyn Monroe. Grace Smith is a struggling PI working for Vetch Associates, somewhere on the coast of England (struggling because she never seems to have any money and seems to get the odd ball cases).
Marilyn Monroe is a donkey, belonging to December Drysdale, who runs them down to the beach for tourists to take pictures of and to ride them. Unfortunately, Marilyn has been murdered and Drysdale doesn't think the police will take the death seriously enough. Grace 'Smithie' is assigned the case and thus begins an interesting, odd case which might also involve the murder of one of Drysdale's neighbors, a young woman, who was also murdered the same evening.
While it seems an unlikely story, but Evans puts it together nicely, making for an interesting, even fascinating story. She develops her characters with loving care and you find yourself drawn into them and the story. As Liz Lemon would say, "I want to go to there" and meet Grace and the other people in her community; from bar owner and aging rocker, Shane (who feeds Grace for free and entertains with loud rock music), her co-worker, Annie (sarcastic and a tolerant, helpful friend); the residents of the old age home, even Drysdale's donkeys. You find yourself loving these characters.
Evans weaves a fun story, somewhere between Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books and Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone mysteries. Grace Smith is at times hapless, but always determined. She's scruffy, sexy and lovable. I've already ordered the next book, JFK Is Missing!. If you like a cozy, but action-filled, at times humorous mystery, try Liz Evans (4.5 stars)"
9.
Stranger in my Grave by
Margaret Millar.
"I discovered Canadian mystery writer Margaret Millar a few years ago and since that time I've been hunting down her books. She is such a great writer. A Stranger In My Grave was originally published in 1980. While it wasn't necessarily my favorite of her books so far, I still enjoyed it immensely.
Daisy Harker has been having dreams where she is looking at her grave stone showing Dec 2nd 1955 as the day she died. Of course, she is still alive, or she wouldn't be having the dreams. ;0) The dreams have disconcerted her very much and she is not given any real support by her husband, Jim or by her mother Ada. A chance occurrence, the arrest of her absent father provides Daisy with the opportunity to find out the significance of what might have happened on Dec 2, 1955. Her father, while visiting San Felice, is arrested in a bar fight and the detective / bail bondsman who gets him out of jail, contacts Daisy to pay the bail.
Daisy hires Steve Pinata to check into events of Dec 2 to see what it might signify to Daisy's dreams. This begins a somewhat meandering detective investigation into Daisy's life. It turns out that the headstone she sees in her dream does exist but there is a different name on it, that of a man Carlos Camilla, who supposedly committed suicide on the same day. Daisy doesn't know him but does he have some relationship to her?
As I mentioned, it's a slow paced story but as it progresses we begin to find out secrets, connections that keep your interest up as you wait to see how everything will tie together. Margaret Millar has a sparse, at times unemotional style, but she gathers in your interest and attracts you to her characters. I enjoy her story-telling so very much and she has so far not disappointed in any way. I recommend you explore this fantastic writer and also the stories of her husband, Ross MacDonald. (4 stars)"
10.
Chinatown Beat by
Henry Chang (Detective Jack Yu#1).
"What a great introduction to the Detective Jack Yu mystery series, Chinatown Beat by Henry Chang is. Jack Yu is a detective in the 0-Five Chinatown precinct. He is adjusting to the death of his father, leaving Jack without any other family members.
The story develops very nicely, introducing us to the setting, Chinatown in New York, and to the main characters; Mona, mistress to a Chinatown gangster, 'Uncle Four', who desperately wants to escape; Johnny Wong, the limo driver who loves Mona; and others such as Lucky Tat, an old acquaintance of Jack Wu's who now leads the Ghost Legion, a gang of killers.
Jack Wu first gets involved in the rape of a young Chinese girl. Mona is sorting out a way to get away from Uncle Four, who is very abusive. Johnny Fong also has dreams of escaping his life and becoming successful.
The way I've described it, makes it seem a very simple story. But there is an intricate richness and many intriguing sub-plots that tie the various stories together. The story, itself, is very gritty at times and as it develops, builds up a great head of steam to the ultimate ending. I like Jack Yu very much and enjoyed how his character and relationships grew over the course of the story. It's such a unique world for me and made the story even more fascinating. Well - written, excellent first story. (4.5 stars)"
In my next entry I'll provide my list of the Top Ten books of all genres that I enjoyed this year. There will, of course, be some overlap with this list. :0) Have a great Boxing Day!
