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| Just north of us in Campbell River yesterday |
So let's update books, eh? A week into November and I've read 3 books so far.
Completed Books (3 books completed)
"Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix was published in 2014 and is my first attempt at his work. I was attracted to the book by the cover, a play on an IKEA catalogue and, as it turns out, is a theme at the beginning of each chapter. Each chapter portrays an item of furniture that you can get at this IKEA competitor, ORSK (well, some of the later items are actually a bit bizarre).
The story takes place in the Orsk superstore in Cleveland, Ohio. The main focus is Amy, who isn't really happy working there and wants to get back to the store she originally worked in. She has troubles with her boss, Basil, and is having difficulties making ends meet.
As Amy arrives at work, she wants to avoid Basil, so takes a back route. She thinks she sees someone, a man, who runs away. Basil does catch up with her and tells her to give some new recruits a tour of the facilities so they can get familiar with their new workplace.
Another strange incident occurs at the beginning of this day. The set up crew has found a disgusting deposit on one of the beds in the bedroom section. It seems that these types of events have been taking place for a few days now... broken items, items being shifted, etc.
Basil tells Amy and another employee, Ruth Anne, a more elderly woman, that he needs them to stay after work with him so they can discover who has been causing the disruption. The two were actually a last choice for Basil, as everyone else had 'something else planned'. He offers them extra money, which will help Amy pay her overdue rent to her roommates.
Of course, since this is a horror story, things will get stranger and stranger over the course of the evening. They discover two other employees hiding out because they believe the store is haunted and want to film it so they can become famous ghost hunters. We'll discover secrets about the Orsk location.
It's an interesting story, not particularly scary, but there is a constant creepiness to it. The various characters are all interesting and over the course of the evening, they grow in stature. The mystery about the site is also quite neat. All in all, I enjoyed it quite a bit. It's well - written and developed and it keeps you turning pages to see how everything will be resolved. Kind of satisfactorily actually (4.0 stars)"
"The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes was originally published in 1913. It's been translated into a few movies, the earliest being by Alfred Hitchcock in 1923 (I believe as a silent movie). It's an interesting psychological movie focused on the Buntings. They are an elderly London couple who used to work as servants and now have their own house. The two are struggling financially and can't believe their fortune when a seemingly wealthy man comes to the door to rent the upstairs rooms. The man is Mr. Sleuth.
At the same time, in London a serial killer is on the loose and the police can't solve the cases. He leaves a calling card on each victim, all women, a slip of paper with the words, The Avenger.
The Buntings new boarder is quiet and wants to be left alone. As the story progresses, Ellen Bunting begins to worry about the man. He conducts some sort of experiments in the upper floor. He spends his time sitting in his cold room, reading the Bible and another book. He goes out in the early hours and returns quietly, creeping up to his room. Ellen lies in bed listening for his movements. What can she do? They need the money and he always seems so polite to her? Is he the Avenger?
Two other people play roles in the story. There is Daisy, Roger Bunting's daughter from his first marriage. The marriage ended with is wife's death. She stays with an elderly aunt but has come to spend time with the Buntings.
There is also Joe Chandler, a young policeman, who visits regularly as he has feelings for Daisy.
But the main focus of the story is really Ellen Bunting. There isn't a lot of action. The tales of the ongoing murders are reported by the newspapers. Roger is fascinated with the case and can't stop talking about it with Ellen and with Joe when he visits. Joe provides what information he can on the ongoing investigations.
But the story plays mainly through Ellen's mind. She can't believe that Mr. Sleuth is the Avenger but she finds herself searching his room when he's out. She listens constantly for his footsteps. She makes herself quite ill with worry. it's all played out quite nicely throughout the story.
It's an interesting story for an early mystery, I think. It's an easy read and flows nicely. If you're looking for action, it might not be for you. But if you like steadily rising tension, give it a try. (3.25 stars)" (Note. Goodreads now lets us rate book by .25's. I don't know it that will make my reviews and scores more accurate, but I'll give it a go)
"I've read six other books by Michael Gilbert, mostly mysteries but one also set in a prison camp during WWII. Of those, two were 5 star reads. Gilbert has a way of telling a story that draws you in and just hold your interest. Game Without Rules is a collection of short stories featuring retired MI-5 operatives Mr. Calder and Mr. Behrens. Both now work for DI-5, a special division of the British government that takes on the messy cases that the other departments can't handle. The division is run by a 'banker', Mr. Fortescue, who calls them in when he needs their expertise.
Each and every story is fascinating and different. Grant and Behrens live in a small village so they can remain in contact. The other main character is Rasselas, a Persian deerhound who lives with Mr. Calder. They share a close bond and seem to even talk with each other.
The book contains 11 stories and each is different and interesting. Some feature just one of the team but for the most part they are both involved. It's hard to describe them individually. There are some Cold War stories, a la John le Carre. Heilige Nacht is set in Bonn, Germany over Christmas. A Polish spy working for the UK has stolen crucial info but due to an accident is turned away from the British embassy. While he is chased by the Soviets, Calder and Behrens have to find him. It's a methodical investigation but at the same taut with tension. In Cross-over, the two men are trying to break down a Russian spy ring that moves people and documents from the UK to Russia. They need to find out how and break it down. Both follow a volunteer as he 'pretends' to defect (or is he pretending) across France and Germany. Once again, the tension builds steadily. It's a combination of technology (a new electronic tracking system) and pure gut instinct by the two men.
Rasselas plays his part in many of the stories. In Prometheus Unbound, Calder seems to be having a breakdown when he is desperately needed for a mission in Albania. Calder disappears but Behrens and Rasselas track him down but can Calder be saved? Each story has twists and turns and build quickly, methodically and come to satisfying conclusions. Calder and Behrens are excellent characters and each story was excellent. I'd give this book 5-stars but for the final chapter!!!! So sad... But well worth reading if you like excellent spy / thrillers. (4.75 stars) (Note. If you are interested in checking out Michael Gilbert, these were my 5-star reads so far - Smallbone Deceased (Inspector Hazelrigg #4 / 1950) and Petrella at Q (Patrick Petrella #3 / 1977).
Currently Reading (started since my last update).
"Suicide Expected, first published in 1939, is the third book in the series featuring Scotland Yard's Inspector Mallett. From the first edition “Mr. Hare settles into his stride. His third novel confirms the hopes aroused by his first and second. Unquestionably he joins the select few who can 'keep it up'; and in Suicide Expected he shows himself master of one of the most difficult arts in detective fiction—the art of surprise. As the title shows, the story turns upon the 'suicide clause' in a life insurance policy. Did Mr. Dickinson put an end to himself or was he the victim of foul play? The police were satisfied with the verdict of suicide. The dead man's children were not—family pride apart, they stood to lose heavily if their father took his own life, since the insurance company would not pay up. Inspector Mallett was sufficiently impressed by Stephen's argument to open a special file. But if it hadn't been for Stephen's determined pursuit of the unknown murderer, the file would have remained empty."
"She seemed to care only for music and poetry. Why would anyone want to murder the quiet Czech violinist?
Superintendent Gently, temporarily at loose ends while his wife is away, cannot rest from his Yard duties. It falls on him to find the killer of the solitary young woman who seemed to have no ties in the village, but whose social life turns out to have been more active than any but the discreet participants were aware of. Certainly there was one lover--but how many more."
Spain at the time of the dreaded Inquisition. Catalina, a destitute cripple, has been promised a miraculous cure but she becomes the centre of a storm of religious and political intrigue…
Maugham is, as always, a master story-teller and here he brings a terrible and troubled time vividly to life."
"Silver smoke winds around my torso, peeling away from my ribs and back, stealing the dark mist covering my hands and lower extremities...tattoos dissolving into demon flesh, coalescing into small dark bodies. My boys. The only friends I have in this world. Demons.
I am a demon hunter. I am a demon. I am Hunter Kiss.By day, her tattoos are her armor. By night, they unwind from her body to take on forms of their own--demons of the flesh, turned into flesh. This is the only family demon hunter Maxine Kiss has ever known. It's the only way to live, and the very way she'll die. For one day her demons will abandon her for her daughter to assure their own survival--leaving Maxine helpless against her enemies.
But such is the way of Earth's last protector--the only one standing between humanity and the demons breaking out from behind the prison veil. It is a life lacking in love, reveling in death, until one moment--and one man-- changes everything..."
But the journey is long and hard, and tensions rise back in the forest as Firestar and Leafpaw watch Thunder Clan’s world crumbling around them. As the questing cats struggle to uncover the meaning of the prophecy, turmoil threatens to overtake the Clans."
Because Elsie hasn’t always been Elsie. Once upon a headline, she was Mad Mabel Waller—Australia’s youngest convicted murderer. But was she really mad, or just misunderstood? Either way, she’s kept her secret buried for decades.
Enter seven-year-old Persephone, a relentless little chatterbox who has just moved in across the road (armed with stickers, questions, and no sense of personal boundaries); Joan, who appears to have it in for Elsie; and a healthy dose of public interest—the cops are sniffing around, and the media is circling like seagulls at a picnic.
So Mabel does what she’s always done best—she takes matters into her own hands.
Is she a cantankerous old lady with a shady past? A cold-blooded killer with arthritis? Or just someone who’s finally ready to tell her side of the story?"
