My 2020 Reading Challenges - Part 2

It's almost 9 p.m. on 31 Dec here on the west coast of Canada and I'm relaxing with Jo and Fiona as they watch a holiday British Baking special. Harrie and James are out trying to find a pub in town to have a New Year's Eve drink. Logan, who has had a very busy day for a little one, is sound asleep upstairs. Bonnie and Clyde, our pups are also relaxing. The humans went out for a very nice dinner at Locals restaurant. Everybody left satisfied.

So, while I'm relaxing I'm going to finish off my post from yesterday where I highlighted my first Reading Challenge of 2020, the 12 + 4 Reading Challenge - Finish some darn series. I listed all of the books I plan to read for this challenge but my first book will be Time Quake by Linda Buckley - Archer, the final book in the Gideon the Cut-purse trilogy.

I will go through my other reading challenges in this post. Before I do that, I'll do a last update on 2019. I finished my last book this morning, The Cooperman Variations by Howard Engel, a Benny Cooperman mystery. My review is below.






"The Cooperman Variations by Howard Engel is the 12th book in the Benny Cooperman mystery series. Benny Cooperman is a private eye in Grantham, Ontario, next to Niagara Falls. At the start of this story, Benny is in a bit of the doldrums. His favorite restaurant has been closed down and he's in between cases. His girlfriend Anna is in Italy and traveling with a man she's met.

Suddenly into this boring life arrives Stella Moss, an old high school mate, one who ever man in school lusted over. She is now Vanessa Moss and head of programming for a major TV network, NTC, headquartered up the road in Toronto. Someone has killed a friend of Vanessa's in Vanessa's home. The question is whether the target was Vanessa and the killer had mistaken her friend for Vanessa or whether the friend was the target. Vanessa hires Benny to be her body guard (employing him as an executive assistant).

Benny heads to Toronto and finds himself in the midst of network intrigue, with every director after Vanessa's job and trying to help the police and at the same time to fight them off. Other people die and Benny tries to tie them together or find a reason. He finds his attraction to Vanessa growing. He travels to the Muskoka region to check out her alibi and the people in cottage company.

The story is somewhat convoluted but holds your attention. Benny is an entertaining character, an excellent private eye, with strong analytical skills and great intuition. The story is very down-to-earth and written with excellent humour. I've always enjoyed the Benny Cooperman stories I've read. Engel is a great writer who makes it entertaining and fun to sit down with Benny at a café and have a chopped egg and white bread sandwich. Still a few to go for me in this series so I'm happy to be able to look forward to them. (3.5 stars)"

Now on to my remaining 2020 Reading Challenges. I'll let you know what they are and the first book in each challenge.

1. 1st Book in a Series.
Of course, this, like all of my challenges, is self-explanatory. I've got a large number of series on my book shelves that I've yet to start. So one of my challenges will be to make a start to as many series as I can.

a. Tales of the Black Widowers by Isaac Asimov.

"There were six of them. Professional men and their waiter. They gather at the Milano Restaurant once a month for good food and good conversation. But lately the Black Widowers have added a new entertainment to their meetings. They have begun to solve mysteries, murders, and conspiracies of seemingly impossible dimensions.

With all the skills of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot combined, these six men and their ever-faithful waiter, Henry, take on challenging cases that will tease your deductive skills to the limit and keep you guessing to the very end.

Contents:
* The Acquisitive Chuckle
* Ph as in Phony
* Truth to Tell
* Go, Little Book!
* Early Sunday Morning
* The Obvious Factor
* The Pointing Finger
* Miss What?
* The Lullaby of Broadway
* Yankee Doodle Went to Town
* The Curious Omission
* Out of Sight"

2. Next in Series.
I've got a large number of series on the go as well. So while I've got challenges to finish some series and another to make a first start on a series, in this one I'll try to at least continue a number of series I've been neglecting.

a. Nicolle Wallace - It's Classified (18 Acres #2). The 2nd in the trilogy from my favourite newscaster.










"Charlotte Kramer, America’s first female president, is beginning her second term and is determined to make her mark on history although events do seem to be conspiring against her. Melanie Kingston, her best friend, just signed on as secretary of defense. Will their relationship survive? Dale Smith is the senior communications advisor to the vice president and knows a secret that could not only ruin her own career but put the credibility of the White House on the line. Tara Meyers is the most popular vice president in recent history, but does her public image match her private life?

When a classified terror threat is made public, all the weaknesses of this presidency are laid bare—and with the country’s safety at stake, someone in the White House isn’t taking any chances."

3. Anything But A Series.
This challenge cover everything but series books; non - fiction, fiction, etc.

a. John Blackburn - Children of the Night.











"For centuries, the small English village of Dunstonholme has been the scene of mysterious tragedies. Local lore traces these strange events back to the year 1300, when a sect of Christian heretics known as the Children of Paul were involved in a bloody massacre. Since that time, there have been railway disasters, mining accidents, shipwrecks, and other terrible happenings. Now a wave of suspicious deaths has the locals on edge and looking for explanations. Dr. Tom Allen and adventurer J. Moldon Mott think they know what is behind the killings: an ancient evil, dating back seven hundred years, lies hidden underground—and it is preparing to emerge to the surface..."

Monthly Challenge
Each month I will focus on either a specific genre or a specific author. For January I'm going to try and read books by Canadian authors (CanCon). I'll let you know about each other month's challenge at the beginning of that month. That'll give me flexibility to change if I wish. :0)

a. Mordecai Richler - Barney's Version.

"Barney Panofsky smokes too many cigars, drinks too much whiskey, and is obsessed with two things: the Montreal Canadiens hockey team and his ex-wife Miriam. An acquaintance from his youthful years in Paris, Terry McIver, is about to publish his autobiography. In its pages he accuses Barney of an assortment of sins, including murder. It's time, Barney decides, to present the world with his own version of events. Barney's Version is his memoir, a rambling, digressive rant, full of revisions and factual errors (corrected in footnotes written by his son) and enough insults for everyone, particularly vegetarians and Quebec separatists.

But Barney does get around to telling his life story, a desperately funny but sad series of bungled relationships. His first wife, an artist and poet, commits suicide and becomes--à la Sylvia Plath--a feminist icon, and Barney is widely reviled for goading her toward death, if not actually murdering her. He marries the second Mrs. Panofsky, whom he calls a "Jewish-Canadian Princess," as an antidote to the first; it turns out to be a horrible mistake. The third, "Miriam, my heart's desire," is quite possibly his soul mate, but Barney botches this one, too. It's painful to watch him ruin everything, and even more painful to bear witness to his deteriorating memory. The mystery at the heart of Barney's story--did he or did he not kill his friend Boogie?--provides enough forward momentum to propel the reader through endless digressions, all three wives, and every one of Barney's nearly heartbreaking episodes of forgetfulness. Barney's Version, winner of Canada's 1997 Giller Prize, is Richler's 10th novel, and a dense, energetic, and ultimately poignant read."

One last thing to say to everybody.....

A December Reading Update

It's going to be a busy day as we finish getting the house ready for impending company. I don't know how much time I'll have over the next ten days or so to keep updating this BLog although I'll try to get the odd post in.

Today I'll do sort of a final update on my 2019 reading. I've got one book on the go at the moment; The Cooperman Variations by Howard Engel, a Benny Cooperman mystery which I'm enjoying very much. I won't read any more books in 2019. I've got my first few 2020 books set up in my night stand. I'll try to provide a look at my 2020 challenges in a future post, hoping to do that before end 2019. I hope I enjoy my 2020 reading as much as I've enjoyed this past year.

This will be a brief post, just to provide some basic info on what I've accomplished reading-wise in 2019.

Goodreads has put out a summary of my reading stats so let's start with that. Just remember that I'm going to add in the above book in my stats. So this is how Goodreads breaks down my year.

Total pages and books - 41,734 pages over 137 books (add in one more book and 279 more pages) Note that Goodreads total page count is based on the book copies I just for my Goodreads bookshelf. Sometimes I can't find the exact version that I'm reading but I usually try to find one with a similar page length)
Shortest Book - 48 pages, Tank Girl - Carioca
Longest book - 879 pages, Justin Cronin - The Passage
Most popular - Night by Elie Wiesel (994,060 read)
Least popular - French Alley by Matthew Clay (0 read) (but me of course)
My average rating for 2019 - 3.6 of 5
Highest rated on Goodreads - Night by Elie Wiesel 4.32
My first review of year - The Black Dudley Murder by Margery Allingham (3 stars)




Now for my last monthly update.

Dec 2019

General Info                 Dec                  Total (Including my current read)
Books Read -                   9                      138
Pages Read -                 2,900                40,000 (somewhat at variance from Goodreads)

Pages Breakdown
    < 250                           3                        60      
250 - 350                         4                        35     
351 - 450                         1                        27     
   > 450                            1                        16     

Ratings
5 - star                             1                          7      
4 - star                             8                        74      
3 - star                             -                         53      
2 - star                             -                          4

Gender
Female                            3                       55
Male                               6                        83

Genres
Fiction                            4                       24
Mystery                          3                       80
SciFi                               1                       27
Non-Fic                          -                          5
Classics                          -                          2            

Top 3 Books
1. Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery (5 stars)
2. The Lady Vanishes by Ethel Lina White (4.5 stars)
3. Death in Captivity by Michael Gilbert (4.5 stars)

How I did in my Challenges
 
12 + 4  Challenge - (completed 16) (Challenge Complete)
Papa Bear Challenge (Books I've had the longest on my Goodreads bookshelf) - I completed 14 books
Mama Bear Challenge (Middle of my Goodreads bookshelf) - I completed 16 books
Baby Bear Challenge (Books most recently added to my Goodreads bookshelf) - I completed 14 books
Goldilocks Challenge (Random Number Generator) - I completed 13 books
Break from Challenge Challenge (Freebees every time I complete 10 books) - I completed 15 books
Challenges from Other Groups - I completed 21
September Individual Genre Challenge - Women Authors - I completed 9 books
October Individual Genre Challenge - Horror - I completed 4 books
November Individual Challenge - War - I completed 4 books
December Individual Challenge - A Mish Mash - I will have completed 5 when I finish The Cooperman Variations

A Brief Look at 2020 (My first five books)

1. The Death of Kings by Rennie Airth (John Madden #5)












"In the fifth novel in the John Madden mystery series, Inspector Madden is called upon to assist Scotland Yard on a notorious decade-old murder case.

On a hot summer day in 1938, a beautiful actress is murdered on the grand Kent estate of Sir Jack Jessup, close friend of the Prince of Wales. An instant headline in the papers, the confession of a local troublemaker swiftly brings the case to a close, but in 1949, the reappearance of a jade necklace raises questions about the murder. Was the man convicted and executed the decade before truly guilty, or had he wrongly been sent to the gallows?

Inspector Madden is summoned out of retirement at the request of former Chief Inspector Angus Sinclair to re-open the case at Scotland Yard. Set in the aftermath of World War II, The Death of Kings is an atmospheric and captivating police procedural, and is a story of honor and justice that takes Madden through the idyllic English countryside, post-war streets of London, and into the criminal underworld of the Chinese Triads"

2. Tales of the Black Widowers by Isaac Asimov (Black Widowers #1)














"There were six of them. Professional men and their waiter. They gather at the Milano Restaurant once a month for good food and good conversation. But lately the Black Widowers have added a new entertainment to their meetings. They have begun to solve mysteries, murders, and conspiracies of seemingly impossible dimensions.

With all the skills of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot combined, these six men and their ever-faithful waiter, Henry, take on challenging cases that will tease your deductive skills to the limit and keep you guessing to the very end.

Contents:
* The Acquisitive Chuckle
* Ph as in Phony
* Truth to Tell
* Go, Little Book!
* Early Sunday Morning
* The Obvious Factor
* The Pointing Finger
* Miss What?
* The Lullaby of Broadway
* Yankee Doodle Went to Town
* The Curious Omission
* Out of Sight"

3. It's Classified by Nicolle Wallace (Eighteen Acres #2)


"Charlotte Kramer, America’s first female president, is beginning her second term and is determined to make her mark on history although events do seem to be conspiring against her. Melanie Kingston, her best friend, just signed on as secretary of defense. Will their relationship survive? Dale Smith is the senior communications advisor to the vice president and knows a secret that could not only ruin her own career but put the credibility of the White House on the line. Tara Meyers is the most popular vice president in recent history, but does her public image match her private life?

When a classified terror threat is made public, all the weaknesses of this presidency are laid bare — and with the country’s safety at stake, someone in the White House isn’t taking any chances"

4. Children of the Night by John Blackburn

 "For centuries, the small English village of Dunstonholme has been the scene of mysterious tragedies. Local lore traces these strange events back to the year 1300, when a sect of Christian heretics known as the Children of Paul were involved in a bloody massacre. Since that time, there have been railway disasters, mining accidents, shipwrecks, and other terrible happenings. Now a wave of suspicious deaths has the locals on edge and looking for explanations. Dr. Tom Allen and adventurer J. Moldon Mott think they know what is behind the killings: an ancient evil, dating back seven hundred years, lies hidden underground—and it is preparing to emerge to the surface...

5. Barney's Version by Mordecai Richler









"Barney Panofsky smokes too many cigars, drinks too much whiskey, and is obsessed with two things: the Montreal Canadiens hockey team and his ex-wife Miriam. An acquaintance from his youthful years in Paris, Terry McIver, is about to publish his autobiography. In its pages he accuses Barney of an assortment of sins, including murder. It's time, Barney decides, to present the world with his own version of events. Barney's Version is his memoir, a rambling, digressive rant, full of revisions and factual errors (corrected in footnotes written by his son) and enough insults for everyone, particularly vegetarians and Quebec separatists.

But Barney does get around to telling his life story, a desperately funny but sad series of bungled relationships. His first wife, an artist and poet, commits suicide and becomes--à la Sylvia Plath--a feminist icon, and Barney is widely reviled for goading her toward death, if not actually murdering her. He marries the second Mrs. Panofsky, whom he calls a "Jewish-Canadian Princess," as an antidote to the first; it turns out to be a horrible mistake. The third, "Miriam, my heart's desire," is quite possibly his soul mate, but Barney botches this one, too. It's painful to watch him ruin everything, and even more painful to bear witness to his deteriorating memory. The mystery at the heart of Barney's story--did he or did he not kill his friend Boogie?--provides enough forward momentum to propel the reader through endless digressions, all three wives, and every one of Barney's nearly heartbreaking episodes of forgetfulness.

So there you go. My last look at 2019. Have a great Boxing Day and enjoy the rest of your year.

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.

Day 20 - My Xmas Month Countdown - A Book, a Song and now a TV Show

Yay! No rain to start the day. I went out for a walk this morning after taking the dogs for their morning walk. Feeling not too bad afterwards. It was perfect weather, cool and fresh. I only saw one person out for a run. I tripped him!!! Show-off!! Just kidding.

Anyway, probably another busy day ahead, so before we get started here are my Top 6 books, song and TV show from the past year. (In case you are just starting to check this thread out, the choices weren't necessarily published / produced in 2019, just that I enjoyed them this past year.) So on that note, here we go.

Book 6

José Andrés

José Andrés - We Fed an Island.

José Andrés is a Spanish - American chef who founded the World Central Kitchen, a non-profit that provides meals in the wake of natural disasters. I got We Fed an Island for Christmas last year and it was one of the first books I read in 2019. The story deals with his efforts to help the island of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. I enjoyed the story very much, obvious I guess, eh, since it's in my Top books of the year. LOL. My review is below.






"I enjoyed reading We Fed an Island: The True Story of Rebuilding Puerto Rico, One Meal at a Time by chef José Andrés. It's a fascinating story of the efforts Jose Andres and a group of chefs from off - island and those also on the island to try and feed Puerto Rico after the devastating effects of Hurricane Maria.

On the whole, it's a very uplifting story, about how these chefs and their volunteers were able to bring food; ham and cheese sandwiches, paella and other meals to the people of San Juan and then expand it to the outlying areas. The amazing thing is that they were able to accomplish this while the government efforts, through FEMA and other organizations, and also the larger NGO's like the Red Cross were unable to accomplish the same successes.

Jose Andres wanted to get down to Puerto Rico as soon as possible and pulled as much money as he could from his own bank accounts to get started. He teamed with friends in Puerto Rico, like restaurateur Jose Enrico and others to start feeding right away. He started small making meals and then expanding successfully for the time he was there. As a chef and with many of his friends and business associates, they were able to cut through the red tape and find sources of food, barter food for gas, use local food trucks and move out into those areas hardest hit to provide food to them. His team also endeavored to get kitchens working in schools, in outlying restaurants and such to ease the workload of the people working out of San Juan.

He does highlight frustrations dealing with the federal government and the local governments, but the majority of the book details their hard work and positive results and ideas for providing support to future disasters. Food and water were their priorities but as they grew they were able to provide other forms of support as well, tarps, medicines, etc.

It's an amazing, fascinating story and even with the frustrations, does make you feel good for their efforts. The story moves along very nicely and is well - written and keeps you turning pages. Excellent book (5 stars)"

Song 6

Rita Ora

Rita Ora - Let You Love Me.

Rita Ora is an English singer / songwriter who started her pop career back in 2012. I've liked her music from the first time I heard her and a few of her songs have made it to my USB. She has only released two albums since 2012 and has had 3 UK #1's. Let You Love Me was released in 2018 and reached #4. It was her 13th song to reach the Top Ten. The video is from her performance at the 2018 Victoria Secret show.

TV Show 6

911
911 is in its 3rd season. Of all the Cop / Emergency response type shows on the tube these days, it's the one that is both Jo and my favorite. We liked it from the very first episode. It has a great mix of disaster response and a look at the personal lives of the emergency responders.







You get a look at the fire fighters and emergency techs; led by station chief Peter Krause, the police, in the form of Angela Bassett and the 911 operators, Jennifer Love Hewitt. This season started off with a tidal wave hitting the coast of California, which played out over the first episodes. It was tense and exciting. The previous season ended with Jennifer Love Hewitt stalked and attacked by her ex-husband, a psychotic control freak, one of the most exciting TV episodes we've seen. The acting is great and the incidents are unique and fascinating. Excellent series. They are starting a follow-on series in January, set in Austin, Tx. I hope it doesn't let the series down.

So there you go, folks. Tomorrow we start the Top 5. Have a great day!

A Reading Update

It's been raining all day, quite depressing. I hooked up the new TV in our bedroom. It's better for our poor eyes, slightly bigger. Our big Christmas present. Monday we'll get our microwave.

I've finished two books since my last reading update and have started one. I'll update that and finish my ongoing look at the Mystery genre - American Cops.

Just Finished

1. A Firework for Oliver by John Sanders (Nicholas Pym #1).












"A Firework for Oliver by John Sanders is my first exposure to Sanders' writing. Firework was originally published in 1964 and is the first of five books featuring spy, Nicholas Pym. The series is a historical adventure series set during the rule of Oliver Cromwell. Pym works for Cromwell's spy master Mr. Thurloe.

This adventure takes Nicholas Pym from England to France and onward to Switzerland as he hunts Guy Fawkes's son, who is trying to manufacture weapons that will destroy Cromwell's hold on Europe. It's non-stop action as Pym gets into scrape after scrape and somehow manages to escape and continue his hunt for Gustav van Fawk and the mysterious woman with him. He doesn't know who he can trust as Europe is filled with spies, those loyal to the dethroned King Charles, also the French king and many, many sub-species of enemies to Cromwell.

It takes a bit to get used to the dialogue and the characters but once things warm up, you just kind of go with the flow and enjoy the ride. Suspend disbelief and enjoy as Pym uses his luck and wits to track and maybe defeat van Fawk to save England. It's always fun to read a good adventure peopled with interesting characters and filled with action and maybe somewhat historically accurate information. The period of the Roundheads is basically unfamiliar to me so I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the books. (4 stars)"

2. They Shoot Horses, Don't They? by Horace McCoy.

"When I heard They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? was a book (I'd seen the movie many years ago and found it a strange, disturbing movie), I thought I should check it out. Horace McCoy lived from 1897 - 1955 and wrote 5 novels and one that wasn't finished, plus numerous short stories for a magazine called Black Mask. He had an interesting, somewhat checkered life, from the information on Wikipedia.

One of his jobs when he was struggling was as a bouncer at a marathon dance contest. He tried to turn it into a movie script called Marathon Dancers but it was rejected. Instead it became the subject of his first novel, The Shoot Horses, Don't They? Oddly enough, in 1969, the book was turned into a movie, starring Jane Fonda, Michael Sarrazin and Susannah York.

It's a short, succinct novel, but it still manages to get across its point effectively. The story is set during the Great Depression. Gloria is a frustrated actress who can't find work. She meets Robert as he leaves from a disappointing attempt to get a job in a movie as well. She persuades him to join with her to enter a dance marathon. The rules of these marathons are simple; you dance for an hour and fifty minutes, then you had a ten-minute rest period. In this rest period, you tried to eat, sleep, shave, get physical treatment, etc. They don't really dance, basically you just have to keep moving or swaying. But at the end of each break, the organizers tend to make them move around the track at a faster pace. And as the audience increases over the days, yes days, they have a daily derby, where the couple who makes the fewest laps is ejected from the competition.

It's a fascinating look at life, gritty and covering many taboo subjects. The pressures on these people is tremendous. By the end of the story, the competition has reduced from 140 couples to 20 and they've been on the move for 879 hours. Interspersed with the story is the final results of a trial of Robert. Even though you know right at the beginning why Robert is on trial, I won't mention it here.

The story is an easy, quick read, but it will draw you in immediately. The tension will build steadily. And yet, for everything that happens, there are no really evil people, I don't think, it's just a dark story and a small portrait of what the period must have been like. Fascinating. Now to find McCoy's Kiss Tomorrow Good-bye. (4 stars)"

Just Started

1. The Lady Vanishes by Ethel Lina White.











"Iris Carr is a beautiful, young socialite on her way back home to England after vacationing in Europe. Feeling terribly alone and afraid, she finds comfort in the company of a strange woman she knows only as "Miss Froy." But comfort soon turns to horror when Miss Froy mysteriously vanishes without a trace. Fearing madness, risking death, Iris desperately tries to solve the sudden disappearance of her traveling companion-a woman no one else on the journey remembers seeing at all!"

My Ongoing Look at the Mystery Genre - American Cops

Julie Smitn

1. Julie Smith - Skip Langdon.

I've highlighted Julie Smith previously, when I was looking at American detectives. I've tried two of her other series; Rebecca Schwartz and Talba Wallis. There are nine books in Smith's Skip Langdon series. Skip is a police detective in New Orleans. I've read 3 so far and they have been somewhat hit or miss. 

a. New Orleans Mourning (1990).












"It's Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and civic leader and socialite Chauncy St. Amant has been crowned Rex, King of Carnival. But his day of glory comes to an abrupt and bloody end when a parade-goer dressed as Dolly Parton guns him down. Is the killer his aimless, promiscuous daughter Marcelle? Homosexual, mistreated son Henry? Helpless, alcoholic wife Bitty? Or some unknown player? Turns out the king had enemies...

Enter resourceful heroine Skip Langdon, a rookie police officer and former debutante turned cynic of the Uptown crowd. Scouring the streets for clues, interviewing revelers and street people with names like Jo Jo, Hinky, and Cookie, and using her white glove contacts, the post-deb rebel cop encounters a tangled web of brooding clues and ancient secrets that could mean danger for her—and doom for the St. Amants." (3 stars)

b. The Axeman's Jazz (1991).

"This is my second Julie Smith mystery, also conveniently the 2nd in the Police Inspector Skip Langdon mysteries, set in New Orleans. It's been awhile between my enjoyment of the 1st book and this one. I'm glad I decided to read her again as it was most enjoyable. Julie Smith has a different style, not sure exactly how to describe it. Skip Langdon seems to almost float through the investigation into the murders of two different people, seemingly linked to the various 12-Step Self help organizations that permeate the city. It seems as thought the murderer, one who seems to be using similar methods to a much earlier serial killer, The Axeman, might be linked somehow to the groups, either choosing victims from the groups or as a member himself/ herself. Skip inserts herself into the groups to investigate the members and follows various members around. The basics are there to make the story flow; murders, an investigation, a resolution, but this seems to be almost peripheral to just being with Skip as she wanders through her story. I liked it and want to read more of Skip Langdon's stories as I find it an interesting style and I like the location." (3 stars)

c. Jazz Funeral (1993).












"I readily admit that I struggled with Jazz Funeral by Julie Smith. This is the 3rd book in the Skip Langdon mystery series set in New Orleans. The basic gist of the story is that jazz impresario, Ham Brocato, is found murdered in his home, just before the big party at his home to open the annual Jazz and Heritage Festival. At the same time, Ham's younger sister Melody disappears; a suspect or maybe a witness? Other suspects include Ti-Belle, a singer discovered by Ham and his live-in lover, or maybe his father, Gregory or even his mother Patty.

It's a rambling sort of story with all sorts of main characters; Skip, of course, but also Ti-Belle, Melody and the fore-mentioned Gregory and Patty. Skip is looking for Melody, trying to find her in case she is in danger. Melody has run away from home (for what reason?) and hiding out in New Orlean's center. It's just a disconnected story and there is no real investigation of the murder... other than Skip showing up at peoples' homes and asking a few questions.

The more I got into the story, the better it got, but it was still frustrating. No real police work, just wandering from character to character. Unfortunately, I didn't find any of them particularly sympathetic and some (Melody) were down right irritating. Maybe I just can't relate to teenagers anymore. Even the ending was sort of a throw-in. I do have the next book on my shelf and will read it, but I don't know if I'll be in a particular hurry to grab it. (2.5 stars)"

The remaining books are (I've asterisked those I have on my shelf)
- New Orleans Beat (1994)
- House of Blues (1995)
- The Kindness of Strangers (1996)
- Crescent City Kill (1997)
- 82 Desire (1998)
- Mean Women Blues (2003)

This is my last author in the American Cops segment of my look at the American mystery genre. I have a few authors still to look at, in the legal area. More to follow. :0)

Time to feed my puppies now. Enjoy the rest of your week!

A Sunday Reading Update

Well, lunch has been had, chicken sarnies. Pretty darn good if I do say so myself. We're relaxing a bit and watching Practical Magic before we go shopping. A quick update. I finished one book this weekend and have one left to finish. I imagine I'll finish it either tonight or tomorrow morning. I'll read another book if I finish it today and then see if I do any more.

I'll update the book I just finished and provide a synopsis for the one I've got on my nightstand and then continue with my look at the Mystery genre, American cops. I'm almost finished that list.

Just Finished

1. Lucy Maud Montgomery - Anne of Avonlea (Green Gables #2). I bought most of this series for my wife last Christmas and have started reading myself. This is the second book in the series.

"Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery (Green Gables #2).... *sigh* What a stoopid story!! What a load of schmaltz!! What does it offer anybody, I ask? Well, maybe love... maybe friendship... maybe flights of imagination... family, happiness, a few tears, gentleness, caring.. So nothing really. ;0)

This second book of the Green Gables series finds Anne Shirley back in Prince Edward Island living with Marila. She is now 17 and about to assume her job as teacher of the school she started in. The book, like Anne of Green Gables is a series of vignettes, little incidents that make up Anne's life. Her life as a teacher, as she tries to win over her students (do you have any doubts?). There are new acquaintances, the new neighbour Mr. Harrison, grumpy and upset about the fact that Anne's cow continues to escape into his wheat crop (quite a funny incident ensues). There is young Paul Irving, one of her students and a kindred spirit when it comes to wonderful imagination. There is Miss Lavender, a spinster who Anne and Diana (Anne's closest friend) discover by accident and who becomes a dear friend and whose life Anne will change most drastically. There are the twins, Davy and Dora, from a distant cousin of Marila, who will be adopted by Marila and Anne and will spice up their lives (especially the precocious Davy)

Of course, there are the old friends from the first book; Diana and Gilbert (who plays a smaller role in this one as he is teaching in a nearby district) and their close neighbour, Mrs. Lynde, Marila's oldest friend. These people continue to enrich Anne's life, as she enriches theirs.

It's a wonderful story. You will laugh at some of the happenings, feel tears as Anne's life changes throughout, especially at the end. There are even some tense, frightening moments (see Chapter 24). All in all, it's a wonderful story of a simple, but fascinating life. At times it made me think fondly of events in my childhood. What more can you ask from a story. As I said, stoopid story! Well, ok, a lovely, warm, satisfying story. (5 stars)"

Next In Line

1. Horace McCoy - They Shoot Horses, Don't They?. Good Christmas fare, eh? I think I watched this movie many years ago. I don't know how I discovered there was a book, but when I did, I thought it would be interesting. The movie came out in 1969, was directed by Sydney Pollack and starred Jane Fonda, Michael Sarrazin, Susannah York, etc.

"The depression of the 1930s led people to desperate measures to survive. The marathon dance craze, which flourished at that time, seemed a simple way for people to earn extra money dancing the hours away for cash, for weeks at a time. But the underside of that craze was filled with a competition and violence unknown to most ballrooms."

My Ongoing Look at the Mystery Genre - American Cops

Karin Slaughter

1. Karin Slaughter - Will Trent.
In my last entry, I looked at Slaughter's first series, the Grant County mysteries. The Will Trent series features Georgia Bureau of Investigation special agent Will Trent and his partner Faith Mitchell. There are 8 books in this series and two short stories. Sara Linton from the Grant County series joins the first two books. I've read the first 3 books in this series so far. I'm not sure I like it quite as much as the Grant County books, maybe too many character foibles, but it's still a good thriller series.

a. Triptych.












"I enjoyed my introduction to Will Trent, even if he was often on the periphery of the story. The story rather focused on John Shelley, an ex-con trying to get his life in order and discovering that someone has been using his identity. It's more about John's investigation into who is doing this that is the focus of the book. Other characters in the story include Michael Ormerod, an Atlanta cop, with his own secrets and Angie Polaski, a vice cop, with connections to all three men. Throw in a serial killer and you've got the makings of a tense, interesting story. Sometimes it seemed far-fetched to me, but ultimately it didn't really matter. I will try other Will Trent mysteries. (3 stars)"

b. Fractured.

"Fractured is the 2nd Will Trent, Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent, mystery by Karin Slaughter. Overall, it's a tense, quickly - paced, interesting mystery. I do have some issues with Trent; how he is able to function effectively as an investigator, with all the paperwork and bureaucratic matters he must deal with, when he is dyslexic and basically can't read, does cause me some issues. However, having said that, people learn to work around physical and mental issues and Slaughter has worked hard to make it plausible. Trent is smart and imaginative and has found ways to deal with those administrative matters. His issues do at times mean he misses items that might be useful in solving cases, but his boss knows about his problem and accepts them. (As long as he doesn't screw up)

In this book, Trent takes over a kidnapping case from the Atlanta PD when they miss key clues at the crime scene and he ends up being teamed up with an Atlanta cop, Faith Mitchell, in working through the case. There are issues and tensions between them as well, as Trent's last case involved finding and dealing with corrupt Atlanta cops, including Faith's mother. (Yep, there are lots of twists and issues in this story).

It's interesting as Trent and Mitchell learn to work together (Trent is a bit of a loner) and the methodical manner in which they investigate and try to ascertain more about the victim, Emma,a young girl and her friends to find out who might have wanted to kidnap her.

Oh, let's throw in a couple of other little twists; Emma's mother came across the crime scene and killed a young man she thought was attacking her daughter, who turns out to have been a possible witness. And Emma's father went through the same foster system as Trent and has major issues with Trent being involved in the case.

Enough twists and turns and issues? Well, they do ultimately get resolved very nicely and the story moves along at a nice pace to keep you very interested. Do I like the Trent stories as much as I liked the Grant County series. Not yet, but still very enjoyable and I will continue to work through the books. (3.5 stars)"

c. Undone.












"Undone is the 3rd book in Karin Slaughter's Will Trent suspense series. I had greatly enjoyed her first series, the Grant County books, featuring coroner Sara Linton as the central character. I'd read the first two books in the Will Trent series and enjoyed them but not as much as the Grant County books. Probably one of my difficulties with total enjoyment was wrapping my head around the main character, Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) detective, Will Trent. Trent has so many issues, the main one being dyslexic, meaning he has great difficulty even reading, figuring out his left from his right (meaning it's difficult just getting from  A to B), etc. But even so the stories themselves were highly interesting mysteries.

The 3rd book, Undone, was excellent. It's only problem was maybe being somewhat too long, but even with that minor complaint, it was easy to get into, an interesting, creepy, unsettling mystery, and the story just flowed. The other nice thing was that Sara Linton, one of my favorite characters in a mystery series, was in this story. She had just started working in the ER at Grady County and is immediately involved with the mystery.

So what is the basic story? A naked woman is hit by a car driven by two elderly people. It turns out she's near death, appears to have been tortured cruelly for a long time and by the time she is brought to Grady County, she's in a coma and the doctors are struggling to bring her back. Even though it appears to be a local police department case, Rockford County, Will Trent and his partner, Faith Mitchell, GBI detectives, get involved, causing interdepartmental headaches and friction. While Faith is at the hospital, Will discovers where the body has been kept (in a hole in the ground - not just a hole... but a scary place as you'll discover) and also discovers she wasn't the only victim.

So there you go. This starts a frustrating, intense investigation, with Will and Faith treading on the toes of other jurisdictions, with the help of their fantastic boss, Amanda Wagner (I love her. She's grumpy, smart, down to earth, strong - willed and scares the pants off people when she needs to.. including her own detectives). The case involves one of the creepiest serial killers I've yet to read about. The descriptions of his / her actions are just intense enough to give you the shivers. Will and Faith deal with their own problems and each other. Sara has her own issues, which I won't get into if you haven't read the Grant County series because they relate to incidents that take place there. (By the way, you should read Grant County before you dive into this series)

It's a long story, as I've mentioned, but it doesn't really seem to be as you move through the investigation, the character interactions and the final, exciting finish. It's been so nice to get back into Karin Slaughter's stories again. You'll love the characters and curl into a ball as you move into the story.. *shudder*... Great stuff (4 stars)"

I have the next two books in the series - Broken (#4) and Fallen (#5) and after that are Criminal, Unseen and The Kept Woman. As well there are two novellas, Busted and Snatched.

This is the penultimate author in my look at American Cops. Of course, it's not all-inclusive, just those books I've tried. But maybe it'll give you some ideas.

Have a great week!.

A Friday Reading Update

Well, the dogs are currently at the cleaners. It's always fun when we arrive at the front door. As we drive up the road, Clyde starts whining and whining. They both are very excited as we exit the car and when we go into the groomers, they whine and bark and then indicate they are now ready to return to the car...  Oh yes, lots of fun.

So while the dogs are being groomed, I'll update the latest book I finished reading. I received one book in the mail the day before so I'll also update that. Then I'll continue with my ongoing look at the Mystery genre - American cops.

Just Finished

1. The Passage by Justin Cronin (Passage #1). I got this book as a Christmas gift from my daughter back in 2013. I'm glad I finally read it. Now do I dare buy #2 and see what happens next?

"The Passage by Justin Cronin is the first book in his 'Passage' fantasy / horror series. It came out in 2012 and I've had it on my bookshelf for 5+ years. I readily admit to being intimidated by its size, almost 900 pages. But I'm glad to have finally taken it off of my shelf and dusted it off. It's not a perfect story but in its scope and content, it is still an excellent story. In many ways it reminded me of Stephen King's The Stand.

So how to provide a 'brief' outline of the story, which encompasses 100 years or so... OK, here goes.

Current day - Two ex FBI agents travel to various maximum control penitentiaries throughout the US picking up prisoners on death row and having them sent to a secretive military compound in the mountains of Colorado. Some types of experiments are being conducted. There is a maximum number of these prisoners. The same to agents are also sent to a nunnery in the Eastern US to pick up a young girl, Amy (6 years old). It seems this girl has some 'powers'. A nun from Africa recognizes something in the girl but the two still catch her. One of the agents, Wolgast, comes to some sort of revelation and tries to save the girl, but she is still brought to Colorado. Something happens and the prisoners escape, a virus is let loose and America is on the road to destruction. Wolgast escapes and takes Amy to the mountains of Oregon to hide out from what is happening.

The Future (100ish years later) - The US is basically destroyed, overrun by Smokes (AKA vampires). A community survives in California, behind a walled fortress. They live under strict rules. Their power is supplied by an old power station miles away. The walls are guarded constantly, at night, powerful lights shine out keeping the Smokes away. Events begin to happen that will disrupt their lives. There is a critical evening when a young girl, a Walker (someone who hasn't succumbed to the virus) shows up at the gate to the town and at the same time it is attacked by vampires. Can you guess who this young girl might be?

These events will disrupt everything that has been built in the community, resulting in a journey by a small group of the community and the young girl, trying to get to the source of everything that has occurred. It's a journey of often terrifying events that will try all of them.

So there you go, The Passage. It's a fascinating story. It takes a long while to develop but in the long run, your efforts to work through it will be worth it. I will warn you, however, that this is the first book of a trilogy, so everything might not be resolved quite to your satisfaction. And in the same vein of George RR Martin's Game of Thrones series, you might be careful about getting to invested in some characters. Because there are some really well - developed personalities in this story and because the story is so long you will get to know and like them. I 'enjoyed' The Passage very much. Now to find the next book.. Dare I? (4 stars)"

I haven't started any new books. I currently am finishing (almost 1/3 of the way through), Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery and A Firework for Oliver by John Sanders. I will probably finish them over this weekend. I have one more sitting waiting to start but I'll update that when I finish the two others. I'll limit myself to one at a time until we get to 2020.

New Book

1. The Tomb of Zeus by Barbara Cleverly (Laetitia Talbot #1). I've enjoyed Cleverly's Inspector Joe Sandiland mystery series very much. This is a new start for Cleverly, a historical, archeological mystery series. It sounds interesting.









"Born into a background of British privilege, Laetitia Talbot has been raised to believe there is no field in which she may not excel. She has chosen a career in the male-dominated world of archaeology, but she approaches her first assignment in Crete the only way she knows how–with dash and enthusiasm. Until she enters the Villa Europa, where something is clearly utterly amiss…

Her host, a charismatic archaeologist, is racing to dig up the fabled island’s next great treasure–even, perhaps, the tomb of the King of the Gods, himself. But then a beautiful young woman is found hanged and a golden youth drives his Bugatti over a cliff. From out of the shadows come whispers of past loves, past jealousies, and ancient myths that sound an eerie discord with present events. Letty will need all her determination and knowledge to unravel the secrets beneath the Villa Europa’s roof–and they will lead her into the darkest, most terrifying place of all…."

That should pretty well wrap my book purchases for 2019, except for gifts, unless I see something interesting at one of my locals. I've purchased more than enough this past year.

My Ongoing Look at the Mystery Genre - American Cops
In my last entry, I looked at John Sandford's Lucas Davenport 'Prey' series. As a note, Sandford also has written a series featuring Virgil Flowers, but I have yet to look into that series. 

Karin Slaughter

Karin Slaughter - Grant County (forensic mysteries). Karin Slaughter is an American crime writer. She was born in Georgia and continues to live there. She has written two major crime series, the Grant County forensic mysteries and the Will Trent (Georgia Bureau of Investigation) series. I'll feature the 2nd series in my next reading update. I discovered the Grant County series, which features Grant County coroner Sara Linton, back in early 2000, when I was also just starting Patricia Cornwell's forensic mystery series, featuring Kay Scarpetta. I also discovered Kathy Reichs' Temperance Brennan forensic series as well. Each was excellent in its own right. Between 2001 and 2007, Slaughter wrote 6 books in this series. They are gritty, tension-filled stories. I think I prefer them to the Will Trent series but it's pretty good as well. I read all of the books in the Grant County series; kind of disappointed that there will be no more. Sara does move to Atlanta and has featured in one of the Will Trent books so that was also OK.

a. Blindsighted (2001).












"The sleepy town of Heartsdale, Georgia, is jolted into panic when Sara Linton, pediatrician and medical examiner, finds Sibyl Adams dead in the local diner. As well as being viciously raped, Sibyl has been cut: two deep knife wounds form a lethal cross over her stomach.

When a second victim is found, crucified, only a few days later, it becomes clear that Sibyl's brutal murder wasn't a one-off attack. What Sara and police chief Jeffrey Tolliver are dealing with is a seasonal sexual predator. A violent serial killer..." (4 stars)

b. Kisscut (2002).

"Saturday night dates at the skating rink have been a tradition in the small southern town of Heartsdale for as long as anyone can remember, but when a teenage quarrel explodes into a deadly shoot-out, Sara Linton--the town's pediatrician and medical examiner--finds herself entangled in a terrible tragedy.

What seemed at first to be a horrific but individual catastrophe proves to have wider implications. The autopsy reveals evidence of long-term abuse, of ritualistic self -mutilation, but when Sara and police chief Jeffrey Tolliver start to investigate, they are frustrated at every turn.

The children surrounding the victim close ranks. The families turn their backs. Then a young girl is abducted, and it becomes clear that the first death is linked to an even more brutal crime, one far more shocking than anyone could have imagined. Meanwhile, detective Lena Adams, still recovering from her sister's death and her own brutal attack, finds herself drawn to a young man who might hold the answers. But unless Lena, Sara, and Jeffrey can uncover the deadly secrets the children hide, it's going to happen again . . ." (5 stars)

c. A Faint Cold Fear (2003).













"Sara Linton, medical examiner in the small town of Heartsdale, Georgia, is called out to an apparent suicide on the local college campus. The mutilated body provides little in the way of clues -- and the college authorities are eager to avoid a scandal -- but for Sara and police chief Jeffrey Tolliver, things don't add up.

Two more suspicious suicides follow, and a young woman is brutally attacked. For Sara, the violence strikes far too close to home. And as Jeffrey pursues the sadistic killer, he discovers that ex-police detective Lena Adams, now a security guard on campus, may be in possession of crucial information. But, bruised and angered by her expulsion from the force, Lena seems to be barely capable of protecting herself, let alone saving the next victim..." (4 stars)

d. Indelible (2004).












"An officer is shot point-blank in the Grant County police station and police chief Jeffrey Tolliver is wounded, setting off a terrifying hostage situation with medical examiner Sara Linton at the center. Working outside the station, Lena Adams, newly reinstated to the force, and Frank Wallace, Jeffrey's second in command, must try to piece together who the shooter is and how to rescue their friends before Jeffrey dies. For the sins of the past have caught up with Sara and Jeffrey -- with a vengeance ..." (4 stars)

e. Faithless (2005).

"The victim was buried alive in the Georgia woods–then killed in a horrifying fashion. When Sara Linton and Jeffrey Tolliver stumble upon the body, both become consumed with finding out who killed the pretty young woman. For them, a harrowing journey begins, one that will test their own turbulent relationship and draw dozens of life into the case.

For as Jeffrey and Sara move further down a trail of shocking surprises and hidden passions, neither is prepared for the most stunning discovery of all: the identity of a killer who is more evil and dangerous than anyone could have guessed." (4 stars)

f. Beyond Reach (2007).












"Sara Linton--resident medical examiner/pediatrician in Grant County, Georgia, --has plenty of hardship to deal with, including defending herself in a heartbreaking malpractice suit. So when her husband, Police chief Jeffery Tolliver, learns that his friend and coworker detective Lena Adams has been arrested for murder and needs Sara's help, she is not sure she can handle the pressure of it all.

But soon Sara and Jeffery are sitting through evidence, peeling back the layers of a mystery that grows darker by the day--until an intricate web of betrayal and vengeance begins to unravel. And suddenly the lives of Sara, Lena, and Jeffery are hanging by the slenderest of threads." (4 stars)

So there you go. I highly recommend this series. Give it a try.