I've finished two books in November so far and, of course, have started two more. I'll also get back to my Goodreads list of Authors. The last three authors I highlighted were Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Daphne du Maurier and John Dunning.
Just Finished
"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)"
"Before I tried Ross MacDonald's writing I'd become a major fan of his wife, Canadian mystery writer Margaret Millar's books. At one point, I decided it was only fair to try MacDonald's books as well. The first Lew Archer book I read was The Archer Files, a collection of short stories featuring his noir PI, Lew Archer. That hooked me on his books as well.
The Drowning Pool, published originally in 1950, was the 2nd Lew Archer book. It was later turned into a movie starring Paul Newman. Archer is hired by Maude Slocum to investigate a threatening letter she had received. Archer is hesitant to take the case as Mrs. Slocum provides little to no information to help him in his investigation. Archer agrees to go to Nopal Valley to meet her family and to do at least a cursory investigation.
While there, Mrs. Slocum's mother-in-law is found dead in the pool and this accelerates Archer's investigation. There are many suspicious people (it is a mystery after all) and threats of violence and other deaths. One thing I've noticed about the few Archer stories I've read so far is that they don't mind being gritty.
MacDonald writes in a sparse, but at the same time, a rich style. His characters breathe life and you get an excellent picture of the setting and action. Archer is one of those great historical characters, in the same vein as Travis McGee and Philip Marlowe. He's tough, hard nosed but has strong moral values. I will continue to read this series now that I've tried it. Millar and MacDonald are a powerful writing duo. (4 stars)"
Currently Reading
"Dirk Pitt, death-defying adventurer and deep-sea expert, is out to the ultimate test as he plunges into the perilous waters of the Pacific Vortex -- a fog-shrouded sea zone where dozens of ships have vanished without a trace. The latest victim is the awesome superb Starbuck, America's deep-diving nuclear arsenal. Its loss poses an unthinkable threat to national defense. Pitt's job is to find it, salvage it, before the sea explodes. In a furious race against time, Pitt's mission swirls him into a battle with underwater assassins-and traps him in the arms of Summer Moran, the most stunningly exotic and dangerous toward disaster, Clive Cussler plummets his hero onto an ancient sunken island-the astonishing setting for the explosive climax of Pacific Vortex!"
"A Rage in Harlem is a ripping introduction to Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones, patrolling New York City’s roughest streets in Chester Himes’s groundbreaking Harlem Detectives series.
For love of fine, wily Imabelle, hapless Jackson surrenders his life savings to a con man who knows the secret of turning ten-dollar bills into hundreds—and then he steals from his boss, only to lose the stolen money at a craps table. Luckily for him, he can turn to his savvy twin brother, Goldy, who earns a living—disguised as a Sister of Mercy—by selling tickets to Heaven in Harlem. With Goldy on his side, Jackson is ready for payback."
Bill's Authors A - Z
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| George Eliot |
a. Daniel Deronda (1876).
"Not my normal story at all; I do tend to more light reading, thriller, adventure, but at times I do try to explore more challenging stories. This was definitely one of those. It's a true classic, well-written and intelligent. The story focuses on two main characters, Gwendolen Harleth, a selfish, young lady who thinks the world revolves around her and Daniel Deronda, a gentlemen, searching for himself. This search has many aspects, the simple one being trying to ascertain who his parents are as he has grown up under the protection/ guidance of Sir Hugo Mallinger from childhood. This also involves more internal searching, who is he, why does he think as he does.
He is a caring individual, selflessly helping friends and strangers; his flighty school friend Hugo Meyrick, the lovely Jewess Mira and even Gwendolen.. There is so much in this book, unspoken love, a brief study of what it is like to be Jewish in those times, death, romance, etc. I was very surprised how much I enjoyed the story and as I worked my way through the initial pages to get accustomed to the style of the time, it was published in 1876, I enjoyed it immensely. As much as Gwendolen irritated me to no end with her selfishness, at the same time, there was an inkling of sympathy for the plight she finds herself in (even if much of it is due to her own actions) and ultimately.. well, I won't go there. It's a heavy tome, but well worth reading. I'm very glad I did. (5 stars)"
b. Adam Bede (1859)
"Adam Bede is the third book by George Eliot that I've read over the past 3 or 4 years, the others being Daniel Deronda and The Mill on the Floss. Adam Bede, written in 1859, was her first novel. I preferred the other two but this book was still an impressive work.
At it's simplest, it's a love triangle. Adam Bede runs from 1799 - 1807. Adam Bede is a carpenter who lives with his brother Seth and his parents. He loves the niece of a reasonably prosperous farmer, Martin Poyser, Hetty, but because he is responsible for caring for his parents, he doesn't feel he is yet ready to pledge his love to Hetty. Hetty, a pretty girl of 18, has cast her eye and hopes towards the rich son of the local landowner, a young man above her station, he being Arthur Donnithorne. Arthur is a friendly, handsome young man who is waiting for his grandfather to die so he can inherit the estate. He is a happy-go-lucky sort, who wants everyone to like him and has great plans for the estate land. He flirts with and develops feelings for pretty Hetty.
So there is the basic premise. Some unfortunate aspects to this triangle. Adam is a good friend of Arthur's. Hetty, even though she does realise that nothing can ever become of her love for Arthur, is able to talk herself into a belief that he might still marry her. This whole situation will have drastic consequences; a situation that is so well developed by Eliot that you will find yourself reading on and on to find out how it might resolve.
There are other story lines as well and other excellent characters. Seth loves Dinah, another niece of the Poysers, who spends time at their home. Dinah is a wonderful character, a young woman who is a Methodist preacher, who cares for the poor and downtrodden in her county. Everybody likes Dinah; she brings comfort to so many. As I mentioned, Seth loves her but, she won't marry him because she is dedicated to her preaching. (In a way there will be another interesting triangle that affects these two as the story develops)
It's an excellent story and as I write this review I can appreciate it even more. It's a slow build and you get to know and care for all of the different characters. There is great tragedy and there is also great love. For a first novel and one that lead the way for Eliot's other writings, it's a pretty darn good start. Eliot only wrote 7 novels between 1859 and 1874. If the others are as good as the three I've already read, I'll be trying them as well. (4 stars)"
c. The Mill on the Floss (1860).
"Such an excellent classic. I had read George Eliot's Daniel Deronda last year and loved her writing style. She writes with intelligence and emotion. The Mill on the Floss tells the story of Maggie Tulliver and her family, father and mother and brother Tom. Her father owns the mill of the title. It has been in his family for generations. Due to various dealings, a lost court case and debts, he loses the mill and ends up working for the lawyer, Wakem, who he had the court case against.
Maggie is a beautiful, head strong girl, a difficult way to be in the time of this story. She loves Wakem's son, Phillip, a disabled young man, but due to her father's strong feelings against that family, they must meet in secret. There are many tragedies in this story, the family's bankruptcy, the father's illness as a result of losing the court case, his death, Maggie's tragic loves, etc.
The story is told in seven sub-stories, as Maggie and Tom grow up. Tom is her brother, she loves him dearly and craves his returned love. It is his intransigence, that keeps her and Phillip apart and leads to other tragedies. I liked many of the characters, especially Maggie's cousin, Lucy, who loves and cares for Maggie dearly. The story moves easily through Maggie's life and as you get used to the language of the day, and this isn't a hard prospect as Eliot writes so well, you will get into the flow of the story. The ending left me feeling very sad and bereft, especially that it took this final event to bring brother and sister back together. Excellent story... (5 stars)"
These are the other novels that Eliot wrote. She also wrote poetry.
- Silas Marner (1861)
- Romola (1863)
- Felix Holt, The Radical (1866)
- Middlemarch (1871 - 72)
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| Kate Ellis |
2. Kate Ellis. Kate Ellis is a British writer of crime fiction. I've tried books in both of her series, featuring Wesley Peterson and Joe Plantagenet. I've featured Ellis just recently so if you want more info on the books in her series, just click on this link.
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| J. T. Ellison |
3. J.T. Ellison. American crime writer, J.T. Ellison, hails from Florida. She has written books in a number of series. I've been interested in two in particular; medical examiner Dr. Samantha Owens and Nashville homicide detective Taylor Jackson. There are currently 4 books in the first series and 8 books in the Taylor Jackson series.
a. Dr. Samantha Owens
i. A Deeper Darkness (#1 / 2012).
"This was my first experience with J.T. Ellison. The story, which features Dr. Samantha Owens, a pathologist from Nashville, started off a bit slowly and I wasn't sure I'd like it. Samantha has experienced a personal tragedy in her life, something that is only alluded to, but it has made her OCD (hand washing and more hand washing) and also a personal wreck. A family friend, the mother of her first love, has asked her to come to Washington, DC to examine the remains of her son as Emily thinks there is more to his murder than the police seem to think.
During this trip, Sam has to confront her past and her demons as she is dragged into a possible military cover-up and other related murders. Once the story gets going, it's hard to put down, lots of tension and well-described action. The story moves along at high pace and I grew to like the main characters, even Sam, with all of her issues.
The story resolved itself very nicely, although in some ways I had hoped for a different personal result, but ultimately it was satisfying. A pleasant surprise. She has written others in the Sam Owens series and also other series, including those featuring Sam Owen's police officer friend, Taylor Jackson, which I think I'll also try. Worth reading for sure. (4 stars)"
- Edge of Black (#2 / 2012).
"Dr. Samantha Owens is
starting over: new city, new job, new man, new life. She's trying to put
some distance between herself and the devastating loss of her husband
and children—but old hurts leave scars.
Before she's even unpacked her office at Georgetown University's forensic pathology department, she's called to consult on a case that's rocked the capital and the country. An unknown pathogen released into the Washington Metro has caused nationwide panic. Three people died—just three.
A miracle and a puzzle…
Amid the media frenzy and Homeland Security alarm bells, Sam painstakingly dissects the lives of those three victims and makes an unsettling conclusion. This is no textbook terrorist causing mayhem with broad strokes, but an artist wielding a much finer, more pointed instrument of destruction. An assassin, whose motive is deeply personal and far from understandable.
Xander Whitfield, a former army ranger and Sam's new boyfriend, knows about seeing the world in shades of gray. About feeling compelled to do the wrong thing for the right reasons. Only his disturbing kinship with a killer can lead Sam to the truth…and once more into the line of fire."
Before she's even unpacked her office at Georgetown University's forensic pathology department, she's called to consult on a case that's rocked the capital and the country. An unknown pathogen released into the Washington Metro has caused nationwide panic. Three people died—just three.
A miracle and a puzzle…
Amid the media frenzy and Homeland Security alarm bells, Sam painstakingly dissects the lives of those three victims and makes an unsettling conclusion. This is no textbook terrorist causing mayhem with broad strokes, but an artist wielding a much finer, more pointed instrument of destruction. An assassin, whose motive is deeply personal and far from understandable.
Xander Whitfield, a former army ranger and Sam's new boyfriend, knows about seeing the world in shades of gray. About feeling compelled to do the wrong thing for the right reasons. Only his disturbing kinship with a killer can lead Sam to the truth…and once more into the line of fire."
- When Shadows Fall (#3 / 2014).
"Dear Dr. Owens,
If you are reading this letter, I am dead and I would be most grateful if you could solve my murder…
Forensic pathologist Dr. Samantha Owens thought life was finally returning to normal after she suffered a terrible personal loss. Settling into her new job at Georgetown University, the illusion is shattered when she receives a disturbing letter from a dead man imploring her to solve his murder. There's only one catch. Timothy Savage's death was so obviously the suicide of a demented individual that the case has been closed.
When Sam learns Savage left a will requesting she autopsy his body, she feels compelled to look into the case. Sam's own postmortem discovers clear signs that Savage was indeed murdered. And she finds DNA from a kidnapped child whose remains were recovered years earlier.
The investigation takes Sam into the shadows of a twenty-year-old mystery that must be solved to determine what really happened to Timothy Savage. Nothing about the case makes sense, but it is clear someone is unwilling to let anyone, especially Samantha Owens, discover the truth."
If you are reading this letter, I am dead and I would be most grateful if you could solve my murder…
Forensic pathologist Dr. Samantha Owens thought life was finally returning to normal after she suffered a terrible personal loss. Settling into her new job at Georgetown University, the illusion is shattered when she receives a disturbing letter from a dead man imploring her to solve his murder. There's only one catch. Timothy Savage's death was so obviously the suicide of a demented individual that the case has been closed.
When Sam learns Savage left a will requesting she autopsy his body, she feels compelled to look into the case. Sam's own postmortem discovers clear signs that Savage was indeed murdered. And she finds DNA from a kidnapped child whose remains were recovered years earlier.
The investigation takes Sam into the shadows of a twenty-year-old mystery that must be solved to determine what really happened to Timothy Savage. Nothing about the case makes sense, but it is clear someone is unwilling to let anyone, especially Samantha Owens, discover the truth."
The other book in this series is -
- What Lies Behind (2015)
b. Lieutenant Taylor Jackson.
- All the Pretty Girls (#1 / 2007).
"Some secrets should stay buried.
When a local girl falls prey to a sadistic serial killer, Nashville Homicide Lieutenant Taylor Jackson and her lover, FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin, find themselves in a joint investigation pursuing a vicious murderer. The Southern Strangler is slaughtering his way through the Southeast, leaving a gruesome memento at each crime scene -- the prior victim's severed hand.
Ambitious TV reporter Whitney Connolly is certain the Southern Strangler is her ticket out of Nashville; she's got a scoop that could break the case. She has no idea how close this story really is -- or what it will cost her.
As the killer spirals out of control, everyone involved must face a horrible truth -- that the purest evil is born of private lies."
When a local girl falls prey to a sadistic serial killer, Nashville Homicide Lieutenant Taylor Jackson and her lover, FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin, find themselves in a joint investigation pursuing a vicious murderer. The Southern Strangler is slaughtering his way through the Southeast, leaving a gruesome memento at each crime scene -- the prior victim's severed hand.
Ambitious TV reporter Whitney Connolly is certain the Southern Strangler is her ticket out of Nashville; she's got a scoop that could break the case. She has no idea how close this story really is -- or what it will cost her.
As the killer spirals out of control, everyone involved must face a horrible truth -- that the purest evil is born of private lies."
- So Close the Hand of Death (#6 / 2011).
"It's a hideous echo of a
violent past. Across America, murders are being committed with all the
twisted hallmarks of the Boston Strangler, the Zodiac Killer and Son of
Sam. The media frenzy explodes and Nashville homicide lieutenant Taylor
Jackson knows instantly that The Pretender is back...and he's got
helpers.
As The Pretender's disciples perpetrate their sick homages--stretching police and the FBI dangerously thin--Taylor tries desperately to prepare for their inevitable showdown. And she must do it alone. To be close to her is to be in mortal danger, and she won't risk losing anyone she loves. But the isolation, the self-doubt and the rising body count are taking their toll--she's beside herself and ready to snap.
The brilliant psychopath who both adores and despises her is drawing close. Close enough to touch...."
As The Pretender's disciples perpetrate their sick homages--stretching police and the FBI dangerously thin--Taylor tries desperately to prepare for their inevitable showdown. And she must do it alone. To be close to her is to be in mortal danger, and she won't risk losing anyone she loves. But the isolation, the self-doubt and the rising body count are taking their toll--she's beside herself and ready to snap.
The brilliant psychopath who both adores and despises her is drawing close. Close enough to touch...."
The remaining books in this series are -
- Field of Graves (prequel / 2016)
- 14 (2008)
- Judas Kiss (2009)
- The Cold Room (2010)
- The Immortals (2010)
- Where the Dead Lie (2011)
Well, there you go. A nice mix I think. See anything that interests you?
Well, tomorrow is the big mid-term day for the US of A. I don't know if I'll watch. I just hope the American people come to their senses.... Good luck!
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