A Thursday Night Reading Update

Watching the Station 19, Grey's Anatomy & Alaska Daily trilogy on a Thursday night. Bonnie has settled down after an hour of discomfort. Sometimes her meds take time to start working. She's been irritated today, more than normal, but seems OK now, quieted down somewhat.

It's been a week since my last reading update, so here goes.

Just Finished

(4 books finished, of which I gave up on one)

1. A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers (Monk & Robot #2). I've been pleasantly surprised by this 2-book series. I'm looking forward to reading more of Chambers' work.

"Back in my earlier years, when I was discovering the joys of reading, I used to focus on one book at a time. More recently, as I joined online book groups and became an enthusiastic participant with various reading challenges, I started reading 2 of 3 books at a time (oh, who am I kidding, 5 - 7 at a time, depending on my mood). I'd read two or three a day, around 30 - 50 pages each and feel satisfied with my daily results. Every now and then, as I start a book, I just don't even bother putting it down and focus on it until I'm finished.

With that preamble out of the way, A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky  Chambers, the 2nd and so far final book in the Monk & Robot duology, was one such book. Like the first book, it was so easy to sink into the two characters and the wonderful story that I just had to finish it before I went back to my other books.

Sibling Dex is a monk who, in the first book, began a journey on a tea cart, traveling to village after village, opening his tea shop and serving and providing counsel to other citizens of the small moon, which they call home. On this journey, he met a free robot, Mosscap, who wanted to visit humanity again (robots were granted freedom and had gone into the wilderness to live) and see 'what they needed'? This second story is their journey around their home, visiting various communities.

It's a gentle, slow moving story, basically small vignettes as the two get to know each other, become close friends, and visit with communities. Thoughtful discussions, humor, positivity, just a book that leaves you feeling good. Sibling Dex and Mosscap are wonderful creations. The moon is a fascinating, interesting place. The people are neat. Don't expect action, just a gentle, loving, positive, entertaining story. For the moment, there are two books in the series. If Becky Chambers decides to keep it that way, I'll be perfectly happy because the ending was so satisfying. If there are no more books, I'm happy to start her Wayfarers series. (4.5 stars)"

2. The House that Stood Still by A.E. van Vogt (1950). My first attempt of a van Vogt novel. Disappointing and didn't finish. I may try another.

"Their should be a Did Not Finish (DNF) rating for books on Goodreads. Anyway, suffice it to say that I did not finish The House That Stood Still by A.E. van Vogt, my first attempt at his Sci-Fi work. Sometimes Sci-Fi is too silly for words.

Brief synopses (noting I only read 77 pages of this 192 page effort. Lawyer Allison Stephens is the local rep of another law firm, representing the business affairs of rich Mr. Tannahill, which includes his estate, yup, the Tannahill Estate. It's a mysterious place, seems to back even before the first Spanish conquistadors arrived their when their ship crashed ashore.

Stephens hears strange goings on in his office building (after hours), a woman is being whipped by adherents to some society??? Ancient Toltec? Martian????? Who knows. What else... Immortality?? Maybe. A Martian invasion of Earth?? Sorry, I just gave up and you'll have to try yourself to find out.  I do have one more van Vogt book on my shelves, The Anarchist Colossus... I may give it a try in case it's more interesting. So there you go, folks. DNF, and No rating (NR)."

3. The Case of the Screaming Woman by Erle Stanley Gardner (Perry Mason #52 / 1957). My first Perry Mason mystery. I enjoyed.

"I've enjoyed the Perry Mason TV series in the past couple of years, rewatching the shows on MeTV. The Case of The Screaming Woman by Erle Stanley Gardner is the 52nd book in the series by my first attempt at it. Like the TV show it's an interesting mix of crime investigation and courtroom drama.

This is a somewhat confusing case, involving a mystery woman, a lying husband, an understanding wife, a dead doctor, nosy neighbors, a shady adoption practice and a vengeful DA (Hamilton Berger). Perry and his competent, lovely right hand woman, Della Street, with investigative help from PI Paul Drake and his staff investigate a case that hasn't really happened yet, until the discovery of the dead (murdered) doctor and then have to work to keep their client out of jail. At the same time, Perry and Della must try to keep themselves sanctioned by the DA and another lawyer, a shady character, from turning them in, or succumbing to his bribery attempts.

It's a bit overblown and the case is kind of far flung but it's still entertaining, quick moving and Perry and Della are great characters. I have a few other cases in my bookshelf and look forward to exploring the series more. (3.0 stars)"

4. Saga, Volume #1 by Brian Vaughan (Saga Chaps 1-6 / 2012).

"I have been enjoying adding graphic novels again the past few years. Such variety and great imagination. I heard about Saga, Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan from some Book Club friends and thought, what the heck, let's give it a try. I loved it!

Vol 1 contains Chapters 1 thru 6 and it starts off with a bang and just keeps going from there. Great artwork, strange creatures, fascinating story. Two races battle throughout the galaxies. One with horns (Marko), one with wings (Alana), some magic involved, all the good things. In a Romeo and Juliet situation, Alana helps Marko escape from prison, they have a baby (yes, the two species can have sex) and are on the run from both species and also Freelancers (kind of bounty hunters, I guess).

They want to escape to protect Hazel (who has both wings and horns) and race across Landfall to the Rocketship Forest to find a wooden spaceship so they can go to the planet Quietus. Anyway, their journey is fraught with danger, battles and lots of great dialogue. One they way they meet Izabel, the ghost of a teenage girl, indigenous to the planet, who will help them find their way.

You've also got Prince IV who is ordered to kill them and as well, the aforementioned Freelancers. The story jumps from character to character keeping the story moving along nicely. It's lots of fun, it's imaginative, the dialogue is down to earth and it's sometimes graphic, but it's a great story. I fear it's also a LONG series but if it continues to be as enjoyable, I'll keep going with it. Vol 2 is on the way. (4.0 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. Think, Inc by Adam Diment (Philip McAlpine #4 / 1971). The last book in this 60 / 70's spy series.

"Philip McAlpine, Switched-on, turned-on, pot smoking, pop spy comes in from the cold for a hot number - Chastity, the coal-black sex-kitten."

   

2. A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie (The Age of Madness #1 / 2019). Interesting start, not wasting any time getting into the action.

"The chimneys of industry rise over Adua and the world seethes with new opportunities. But old scores run deep as ever.

On the blood-soaked borders of Angland, Leo dan Brock struggles to win fame on the battlefield, and defeat the marauding armies of Stour Nightfall. He hopes for help from the crown. But King Jezal's son, the feckless Prince Orso, is a man who specializes in disappointments.

Savine dan Glokta - socialite, investor, and daughter of the most feared man in the Union - plans to claw her way to the top of the slag-heap of society by any means necessary. But the slums boil over with a rage that all the money in the world cannot control.

The age of the machine dawns, but the age of magic refuses to die. With the help of the mad hillwoman Isern-i-Phail, Rikke struggles to control the blessing, or the curse, of the Long Eye. Glimpsing the future is one thing, but with the guiding hand of the First of the Magi still pulling the strings, changing it will be quite another..."

3. No Next of Kin by Charlotte Armstrong (1959).

"Her father had always taken care of her. Now Dad was running for Congress, and rich, ravishing Andrea Langdon learned it was her turn to protect him... from the ugly threats of her one-time lover Seymour Boyd. And a big contribution to Boyd's personal get-rich-quick campaign seemed a small price to pay.

Political columnist Fergus MacDonald suspected something was troubling Andrea and went canvassing for answers. He found that blackmail wasn't the only crime on Boyd's platform, and Dad wasn't the only one who needed to run. Because Andrea herself was a prime candidate... for murder!"

New Books

(3 new books, one found in a Little Free Library)

1. Lemon in the Basket by Charlotte Armstrong (1969). I've now read two of Armstrong's mysteries.

"A thriller about a rich Los Angeles family and the assassins with whom they are involved."

2. Post After Post-Mortem by E.C.R. Lorac (Robert MacDonald #11 / 1936). My first experience with Lorac was very enjoyable.

"The Surrays and their five children form a prolific writing machine, with scores of treatises, reviews and crime thrillers published under their family name. Following a rare convergence of the whole household at their Oxfordshire home, Ruth – middle sister who writes 'books which are just books' – decides to spend some weeks there recovering from the pressures of the writing life while the rest of the brood scatter to the winds again. Their next return is heralded by the tragic news that Ruth has taken her life after an evening at the Surrays' hosting a set of publishers and writers, one of whom is named as Ruth's literary executor in the will she left behind.

Despite some suspicions from the family, the verdict at the inquest is suicide – but when Ruth's brother Richard receives a letter from the deceased which was delayed in the post, he enlists the help of CID Robert Macdonald to investigate what could only be an ingeniously planned murder."

3. The Toff and the Lady by John Creasey (The Toff #15 / 1946). I have enjoyed so many books by John Creasey, AKA JJ Marric, AKA Anthony Morton.

"The Honourable Richard Rollison (aka ‘The Toff’) received what he thought to be a letter, addressed simply to ‘The Toff, London W1.’ Remarkable in itself in reaching him, inside the envelope there was nothing more than a photograph of a beautiful, but unidentified, woman. In fact, the previous evening the woman herself had attended a society ball, looking somewhat pale but dressed immaculately in black satin and mink. No one knew who she was and she said she had lost her memory. Then, within days, the mystery deepened and The Toff was pitched against her cunning, with murder as the backdrop, whilst his own heart and feelings were both getting in the way of a solution and putting more lives in danger."

So there you go. I really want to get back to my Women Author's theme but it'll have to wait until a later entry. Anyway, hope you see some books or authors that interest you.

Some Christmas reading presents

Jo and our visitors are out for the afternoon, hoping to get to Mount Washington so Logan (an 18 month old), Harrie and James's son, can see some snow. So I'm spending the afternoon with the dogs waiting for them to come home. I think I'll take this opportunity to do at least one BLog entry.

I got a few books as Christmas gifts. I'll update those books and do another entry in my ongoing look at the mystery genre. I might be able to finish it off this entry.

New Books

1. The Hero by Lee Child. I've read some of Child's Jack Reacher books. This a non-fiction entry.










"In his first work of nonfiction, the creator of the multi million-selling Jack Reacher series explores the endurance of heroes from Achilles to Bond, showing us how this age-old myth is a fundamental part of what makes us human. He demonstrates how hero stories continue to shape our world – arguing that we need them now more than ever.

From the Stone Age to the Greek Tragedies, from Shakespeare to Robin Hood, we have always had our heroes. The hero is at the centre of formative myths in every culture and persists to this day in world-conquering books, films and TV shows. But why do these characters continue to inspire us, and why are they so central to storytelling?

Scalpel-sharp on the roots of storytelling and enlightening on the history and science of myth, The Hero is essential reading for anyone trying to write or understand fiction. Child teaches us how these stories still shape our minds and behavior in an increasingly confusing modern world, and with his trademark concision and wit, demonstrates that however civilized we get, we’ll always need heroes."

2. The Irishman by Charles Brandt. 

"The Irishman is an epic saga of organized crime in post-war America told through the eyes of World War II veteran Frank Sheeran, a hustler and hitman who worked for legendary crime boss Russell Bufalino alongside some of the most notorious figures of the 20th Century. Spanning decades, Sheeran's story chronicles one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in American history, the disappearance of legendary union boss Jimmy Hoffa, and offers a monumental journey through the hidden corridors of organized crime: its inner workings, rivalries and connections to mainstream politics. Sheeran would rise to a position of such prominence that in a RICO suit against The Commission of La Cosa Nostra, the US Government would name him as one of only two non-Italians in conspiracy with the Commission. Sheeran is listed alongside the likes of Anthony "Tony Pro" Provenzano and Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno.

In the course of nearly five years of recorded interviews, Sheeran confessed to Charles Brandt that he handled more than twenty-five hits for the mob, and Brandt turned Sheeran's story into a page-turning true crime classic."

3. The American Police Novel by Leroy Lad Panek. 











"The American police novel emerged soon after World War II and by the end of the century it was one of the most important forms of American crime fiction. The vogue for either Holmesian genius or the plucky amateur detective dominated mystery fiction until mid-century; the police hero offered a way to make the traditional mystery story contemporary. The police novel reflects sociology and history, and addresses issues tied to the police force, such as corruption, management, and brutality. Since the police novel reflects current events, the changing natures of crime, court procedures, and legislation have an impact on its plots and messages. An examination of the police novel covers both the evolution of a genre of fiction and American culture in general. This work traces the emergence of the police officer as hero and the police novel as a significant popular genre, from the cameo appearances of police in detective novels of the 1930s and 1940s through the serial killer and forensic novels of the 1990s. It follows the ways in which professional writers and police officers turned writers view the police individually and collectively. The work chronicles the ways in which changes in the law and society have affected the actions of the police and shows how the protagonists of police novels have changed in gender, race, nationality, sexual orientation, and age over the years. The major writers examined begin with Julian Hawthorne in the nineteenth century, and include such writers as S.S. van Dine, Ellery Queen, Erle Stanley Gardner, Ed McBain, Chester Himes, MacKinley Kantor, Hillary Waugh, Dorothy Uhnak, Joseph Wambaugh, Bob Leuci, W.E.B. Griffin, and Carol O'Connor." 

My Ongoing Look at the Mystery Genre - American Legal Mysteries
In last entry for this topic I highlighted James Lee Burke's Billy Bob Holland series. I have two authors left to finish off my look at mysteries so I think I'll talk about them in this entry.

Mark Gimenez

1.  Mark Gimenez. Gimenez is an author or lawyer from Texas who specializes in thrillers especially legal thrillers. Since 2005 he has written 11 novels. The majority are standalones although he has written two featuring John Bookman and three featuring Scott Fenney. I read his fourth novel and have his first Scott Fenney on my bookshelf. 

a. The Common Lawyer (2009).











"I've had The Common Lawyer by Mark Gimenez on my bookshelf for awhile and was glad to finally get to try it. I'd seen it at one of my local used book stores and the synopsis sounded interesting and I always like to try a new author.

The premise is this. Andy Prescott is a lawyer in Austin Tx. He's sort of lazy, was a C student at law school and now lives in the SoCo area of Austin getting by sorting out traffic tickets in court. His system, which always works, is to appeal the tickets, await the follow-on hearing, which can take up to two years and then when the cop doesn't appear, the case is thrown out. He rents a small office above a tattoo parlor, spends his time with his three buddies, watching the girls go by, and cross-country cycling. His mother is a liberal art teacher at the local uni and his father is dying of liver disease, was once a budding country singer.
 
So, with this happyish life style, Andy's life is going to be thrown into turmoil. Billionaire developer Russell Reeves hires Andy to be his local voice for his plans to redevelop portions of SoCo. As well, he wants Andy to hunt down 17 women that he had been involved with in his past to try and make amends. However this second assignment is not quite what it seems and the tension ratchets up from this point on. Andy now has lots of money but does it make him any happier? And who is following him?
 
It's an interesting premise and the story and action builds quickly as the story develops. Andy is a happy-go-lucky sort of guy, an under achiever and likeable. Austin seems to be a lovely city and is well-described. I found the story to be somewhat John Grisham lite but still entertaining and an easy, quick read, when I settled down to it. I'll check out others of Gimenez's books to see how his writing matures. (3 stars)"

b. The Colour of Law (Scott Fenney #1) (2005).

"When a hotshot Dallas lawyer is asked to defend a black prostitute accused of murder, he is forced to question everything he previously held dear."

The remaining Gimenez books are -
- The Abduction (2007)
- The Perk (2008)
- Accused (Scott Fenney #2) (2010)
- Con Law (John Bookman #1) (2013)
- The Governor's Wife (2013)
- The Case Against William (2014)
- Parts & Labor: The Adventures of Max Dugan (2015)
- The Absence of Guilt (Scott Fenney #3) (2016)
- End of Days: Con Law II (John Bookman #2) (2017)

John Grisham

2. John Grisham. John Grisham, born in 1955, is an American novelist, attorney and politician who specializes in legal thrillers. Since 1989, he has written 40 books. Back in the day I read quite a few of his books; A Time to Kill, The Client, The Pelican Brief, but it's been quite a few years since I read any of his books. In a similar vein to Stephen King's books, I kind of just got overwhelmed by the amount of books put out and needed something different. Now I've got one on my bookshelf and will see if I enjoy as much as before. 

a. The Whistler (2016).











"We expect our judges to be honest and wise. Their integrity and impartiality are the bedrock of the entire judicial system. We trust them to ensure fair trials, to protect the rights of all litigants, to punish those who do wrong, and to oversee the orderly and efficient flow of justice.

But what happens when a judge bends the law or takes a bribe? It’s rare, but it happens.

Lacy Stoltz is an investigator for the Florida Board on Judicial Conduct. She is a lawyer, not a cop, and it is her job to respond to complaints dealing with judicial misconduct. After nine years with the Board, she knows that most problems are caused by incompetence, not corruption.

But a corruption case eventually crosses her desk. A previously disbarred lawyer is back in business with a new identity. He now goes by the name Greg Myers, and he claims to know of a Florida judge who has stolen more money than all other crooked judges combined. And not just crooked judges in Florida. All judges, from all states, and throughout U.S. history.

What’s the source of the ill-gotten gains? It seems the judge was secretly involved with the construction of a large casino on Native American land. The Coast Mafia financed the casino and is now helping itself to a sizable skim of each month’s cash. The judge is getting a cut and looking the other way. It’s a sweet deal: Everyone is making money.

But now Greg wants to put a stop to it. His only client is a person who knows the truth and wants to blow the whistle and collect millions under Florida law. Greg files a complaint with the Board on Judicial Conduct, and the case is assigned to Lacy Stoltz, who immediately suspects that this one could be dangerous.

Dangerous is one thing. Deadly is something else."

I won't get in to any of the other books I've read or might have read because I may confuse with the movies. As I said, his books (movies made from books) became somewhat overwhelming. So if you are interested in trying Mr. Grisham the link will take you to the list of his novels.

So over the last months (year?) I've gone through my library to highlight some of the variety you can find in the mystery / thriller genre. My list is probably just a small portion of the books that make up this genre. Check my posts out and maybe it'll lead you to other authors as well. Next in line, I'm thinking I'm going to try and look at my Science Fiction / Fantasy collection, but I may need to do some research to break it down into more bite size sub-categories. More to follow on that. My next couple of entries will look at my 2020 reading challenges. I hope you find them interesting. Enjoy the last day's of 2019. Happy 2020!

 

A Saturday Reading Update

I've been out for some errands this morning, dropped off a few bags of clothes at the Salvation Army Thrift Shop, took the dogs for a drive to the local vets to get a few cans of their gastro dog food and also stopped off at the liquor store to get some beer and other stuff. I still plan to drive out to Cumberland to the brewery out there to fill up my growlers with some Cumberland Fog. This afternoon, Jo and I will head over to Dogwood Ave to get the crib we need for our coming visitors. But for the moment, time to relax for a bit and listen to Christmas tunes with Jo.

I finished one more book this morning, quite a good one too. I'll update that and also the book I'm going to start, maybe my last book of 2019. I'll also continue with my look at the Mystery genre, my last sub-genre of just 3 authors; American legal mysteries.

Just Finished

1. The Lady Vanishes by Ethel Lina White (1936).











"Ethel Lina White is an English crime writer who was prolific in the late 1920's thru the early 1940's. In her time she was as well-known as Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. Of course, I only discovered her in recent years, mainly due to my enjoyment of the Alfred Hitchcock thriller, The Lady Vanishes, which was based on White's book, The Lady Vanishes or The Wheel Spins. Another of her books, which resides on my TBR bookshelf, Some Must Watch, which was turned into another mystery movie, The Circular Staircase.

I have to say that I'm glad that I finally read one of White's books. This was a gem of a story. It focuses on a young English woman, Iris Carr, who was on vacation with a group of friends at a small resort somewhere in Eastern Europe. The story starts at the end of this vacation. Iris and her friends have been a rowdy, undisciplined group, causing some consternation amongst the more staid older English visitors also staying at the resort. Iris is getting a bit bored of her friends so decides to stay another day when the rest depart.

She has no real friends left there now as the remaining guests, all scheduled to leave in two days time, lump her in with her friends. Iris spends her last day in the sun and gets a bad sunburn. At the train station the next day, while waiting for her train, she collapses and only just makes it on to the train before it leaves the station. It also turns out that the rest of the guests, for various reasons, have decided to move up their departures so are on the train too. As well, there are two other Englishmen, one a professor and the other, an engineer, also catch the train.

In Iris's compartment, are a countess who is very off-putting, a family, and a young lady, none of whom are English. Across from Iris, is an elderly lady, who Iris discovers is English and they go to dinner together. The other English companions on the train, basically ignore Iris. Iris, still feeling poorly, falls asleep in her compartment after dinner and when she wakes up, her companion, one Winnifred Froy, is no where to be seen. This begins an intense search by Iris to find her.

What seems a simple story becomes quite complex. Her English compatriots, for reasons that will come out as the story progresses, don't remember Miss Froy. The other passengers in Iris's car will deny that there ever was a Miss Froy. In the compartment next to Iris's, a doctor and nurse(s) accompany a patient bound with bandages. He also denies ever seeing Miss Froy and also insinuates that Iris might be having mental difficulties due to her sunstroke.

The story follows Iris and the English professor and the engineer as they search for Miss Froy. Neither really believes Iris but they feel some obligation in helping Iris. The story develops at a nice pace, the tension increases as Iris becomes more and more frustrated. We do know that there is a Miss Froy as the story even goes back to England to meet her parents. It's a fascinating story as we get to get into the minds and lives of the other English passengers, as well. You may think you know where the story is going and you may be right, but it will take many obscure paths to get there. I'm so glad I read this and now I have another mystery writer of the that generation to search out. (4.5 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. The Cooperman Variations by Howard Engel (Benny Cooperman #10). I have enjoyed this series very much. I read a few of the books many years ago and have started finishing it off in the past few years. Benny is a fascinating private investigator from Niagara Falls, Ontario.

"Benny Cooperman's favourite lunch counter and diner have closed down and the fittings have been sold to Americans. The nation mourns the accidental death of its greatest artist, cellist Dermot Keogh. It's April and there's already a heat wave. Things are just not the way they used to be."

My Ongoing Look at the Mystery Genre - American Legal Mysteries.

James Lee Burke

1. James Lee Burke -  Billy Bob Holland.
Burke is a new author for me. I often saw his books when I was trying to find another Irene Kelly mystery by Jan Burke, because, well, they were usually side by side. :0). I avoided trying his books because there seemed so many of them. But I've finally succumbed and am going to try his Billy Bob Holland series of four books to see how they are. Burke is a prolific writer it would seem, with 4 series and a number of standalone novels. He was born in Houston in 1936 and is best known for his Dave Robicheaux series, which I may try if I like this one. Billy Bob Holland is a Texas attorney. I have the first two books on my bookshelves to try.

a. Cimarron Rose (1997).









"Texas attorney Billy Bob Holland has many secrets in his dark past. Among them is his illegitimate son, Lucas Smothers. When Lucas is arrested for murdering his girlfriend, Holland knows that he has no choice but to try to save the boy, regardless of what it may mean to his own--or the boy's--reputation.

The boy is a country musician, abused by his stepfather and haunted by the possibility that he did, indeed, commit the murder in a drunken black-out. But Billy Bob knows the propensity of the small Texas town to make scapegoats of the innocent, and to exploit and sexually abuse those who are without power.

The dead woman was with Lucas the night she died. Everyone knows that. But they were also with the East Enders--the kids from the good homes with the rich daddies, whose morals are as loose as their pocket-books. Lucas doesn't want Billy Bob to drag the dead girl's name through the mud, but Billy Bob knows that he'll need to do much worse if he is to save his son's life."

b. Heartwood (1999).









"Billy Bob has a problem with local kingpin, Earl Deitrich, but also has a passion for Deitrich's wife. So he has to be very careful when he takes on the defense of Wilbur Pickett, a man accused of stealing from Deitrich."

The remaining two books in the series are -
- Bitterroot (2001)
- In the Moon of Red Ponies (2004)

So there you go, the countdown to Christmas continues. Good luck with your last minute shopping.