A Quick Update

Jo is on a video call with her best friend in England and we're waiting for a call from her doctor about tomorrow's chemo session so I thought I'd do a very quick update while I'm sitting here.

Completed Books

(Only one book completed since my last update and one that I gave up on)

1. Blood and Judgment by Michael Gilbert (Peter Petrella #1 / 1959).

"Blood and Judgement is the 1st book in the Peter Petrella police procedural series by Michael Gilbert. This was the 2nd book in the series that I've enjoyed, the other being Petrella at Q. There are six books in the series but unfortunately, they are difficult to find, or very expensive so this might be the last I'll try. I do have some of Gilbert's standalones so I'll continue with those anyway.

Petrella is a Detective Sgt who works in Dept Q in London. He has been working as part of a team trying to find a young girl but is called off that task when a woman's body is found near a reservoir buried under some leaves. It looks like maybe suicide so after a perfunctory examination, Petrella heads back for his other job. However, the coroner, in his examination, discovers that she has in fact been murdered by gun shot.

So this starts the investigation into the woman's death. Firstly, Petrella has do find out who the woman is. He is assigned a Detective Inspector from another division due to manning shortages in Q. The investigation progresses, the DI is attacked and severely hurt so another DI is brought in, this one more objectionable, from Scotland Yard. 

The main suspect is a local gangster involved in jewelry robberies who has been in conflict with his boss, another gangster who escaped from prison and supposedly managed to get to France. The woman seems to be a girlfriend to both of them?

Basically, you've got an excellent police procedural. Petrella is an excellent character, not perfect (many things are missed originally) who diligently searches for clues and uses his intelligence to sort things out. His new DI is set on a specific suspect and is willing to leave evidence out to help get him convicted. Petrella risks his career to continue investigating.

Gilbert lays out an excellent story. The setting is described nicely, the characters are fleshed out. I like Petrella's actual boss, level-headed, supportive of his men and using common sense. I do enjoy a well developed and presented police procedural and this story was no exception. I hope that I can find the other books in the series. (4.5 stars)"

2. Suez: Britain's End of Empire in the Middle East by Keith Kyle (History / 1991).

"Suez: Britain's End of Empire in the Middle East by Keith Kyle was unfortunately, a Did Not Finish (DNF) for me. I saw it originally when it first came out (2003) and at that time my interest was piqued by the subject matter. I finally bought a copy a few years back.... In the interim, I've read a much shorter book that dealt more strictly with the Suez war itself. This book deals with the build up to the war, the political machinations, the characters; Nasser of Egypt, Eden of England, Eisenhower, etc. It's detailed, intricate and I've just come to realize that when I'm reading 10 pages a week, it'll take me forever to finish. I can't say it's not interesting but it is so far in the weeds... well. If you like history and this area interests you, please try it. Mr. Kyle put tremendous effort into his research and deserves a better audience than me. Oh well. No rating (NR)"

Currently Reading

1. The Godfather of Kathmandu by John Burdett (Royal Thai Detectives #4 / 2009).

"John Burdett's famed Royal Thai detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep is put to the test both as a Buddhist and as a cop as he confronts the most shocking crime of his career.

A rich American film director has been murdered. It is an intriguing case, and solving it could lead to a promotion for Sonchai, but, as always, he is far more concerned with the state of his karma than he is with his status in the earthly realm. To complicate matters his boss, Colonel Vikorn, has decided to make Sonchai his consigliere in a heroin smuggling operation. Sonchai travels to Kathmandu to meet Vikorn's connection Tietsin, a Tibetan Buddhist monk, and falls under the sway of this dark and charismatic guru."

2. V is for Vendetta by Alan Moore (Graphic novel / 1990).

""Remember, remember the fifth of November..."

A frightening and powerful tale of the loss of freedom and identity in a chillingly believable totalitarian world, V for Vendetta stands as one of the highest achievements of the comics medium and a defining work for creators Alan Moore and David Lloyd.

Set in an imagined future England that has given itself over to fascism, this groundbreaking story captures both the suffocating nature of life in an authoritarian police state and the redemptive power of the human spirit which rebels against it. Crafted with sterling clarity and intelligence, V for Vendetta brings an unequaled depth of characterization and verisimilitude to its unflinching account of oppression and resistance."

New Purchases

1. Latchkey by Nicole Kornher - Stace (Archivist Wasp #2 / 2018). I enjoyed the 1st one very much.

"Isabel, once known as Wasp, has become leader of the fearsome upstarts, the teen girl acolytes who are adjusting to a new way of life after the overthrow of the sadistic Catchkeep-priest. They live in an uneasy alliance with the town of Sweetwater—an alliance that will be tested to its limits by the dual threats of ruthless raiders from the Waste and a deadly force from the Before-time that awaits in long-hidden tunnels.

Years ago Isabel befriended a nameless ghost, a super soldier from the Before-time with incredible powers even after death, and their adventure together in the underworld gave her the strength and knowledge to change the brutal existence of the Catchkeep acolytes for the better. To save Sweetwater, Isabel will have to unlock the secrets of the twisted experimental program from centuries gone by that created the super soldier and killed his friends: the Latchkey Project."

2. Black Hearts in Battersea by Joan Aiken (The Wolves Chronicles #2 / 1964).

"Simon, the foundling from The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, arrives in London to meet an old friend and pursue the study of painting. Instead he finds himself unwittingly in the middle of a wicked crew's fiendish caper to overthrow the good King James and the Duke and Duchess of Battersea. With the help of his friend Sophie and the resourceful waif Dido, Simon narrowly escapes a series of madcap close calls and dangerous run-ins. In a time and place where villains do nothing halfway, Simon is faced with wild wolves, poisoned pies, kidnapping, and a wrecked ship. This is a cleverly contrived tale of intrigue and misadventure."

There you go, folks. A few reading ideas for your consideration. Take care!