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| Dad had the best lap to lie on, right Jenn? |
Firstly, I want to wish my Dad a Happy Father's Day! Love you, Dad!
Jo is having her afternoon nap so I thought I'd take this opportunity to do a quick book update. Alright!
Completed Books
1.
Shotgun by
Ed McBain (87th Precinct #23 / 1963). A favorite police procedural series.
"If you like a good police procedural type mystery, the 87th Precinct series is one for you. Shotgun is the 23rd book in this entertaining series by Ed McBain and no, I haven't read the 23 books. I've read out of order somewhat with this one as it fit into one of my reading challenges. While there are personal features in the lives of the featured cops that might be missed, their back stories are told enough in the particular book that you aren't missing anything.
The 87th Precinct is a police precinct in an unnamed US city. It follows the cops that work there. As far as I can tell, it's not always the same cops in a particular story, there do seem to be some main ones. In this case, you've got Detectives Kling and Carella handling the main case and the night shift, Meyers and Hawes handling the other case.
Kling arrives on the scene of a nasty double murder, a man and a woman murdered by shotgun blast, two each to the head. (Note. The crimes can be violent but they aren't sensationalized. Everything is quite matter of fact). The main story follows this investigation as well as the lives of the two cops. (Oh, it's close to Hallowe'en) The other crime is the murder of a woman in her apartment. She has been stabbed and murdered with a knife in her home.
So that's the main premise and we basically follow the cops as the move around the city, living their lives, sorting out clues to the crimes, interrogating people, gathering facts, etc. It all sounds mundane and maybe it is. But McBain turns it into a fascinating story. His description never wastes a word. You can picture the city, the people, their lives. He is a great story teller.
I kind of had the main mystery figured out but that really didn't matter. I still wanted to see if I was correct and how the cops got there. The 2nd murder resolution was kind of neat. It's just a nice page turner, a well written, well crafted story. I've read 3 or 4 now and enjoyed them all very much. (4.0 stars)"
2.
The Blotting Book by
E.F. Benson (Mys / 1908). A new author for me.
"The Blotting Book, originally published in 1908, was my first exposure to English writer, E.F. Benson, who lived from 1867 - 1940. It was one of the early mystery novels. It appears that Benson only wrote a couple in this genre amongst his other works.
It's a pretty simple story, actually, no fuss, no bother, just an entertaining, descriptive, quick little story. A young man, Morris Asheton is about to inherit his estate, having attained 25 years of age, or soon anyway. He is very excited as he is about to propose to a lovely young lady. However, his solicitors, Mr. Taynton and Mr. Mills, have been mucking about a bit with his money and he doesn't actually have as much as he thinks.
Between the two, they have a bit of a plot to fix things. Mills has put about some scandalous words about Morris to his fiancé's father that has put a damper on the whole wedding idea. And Mills also is black mailing Taynton about his fiddling with Morris's future money.
Lots of anguish, especially from Morris, who wants to deal harshly with Mills and also by Taynton, who needs to recoup his financial losses and also somehow deal with Mills' threats. In the midst of all this, a horrendous storm hits the Brighton / Falmer area. Mills, who is supposed to return from his London office on that night, doesn't make it home.
Eventually, his body is discovered and in the investigation Morris is charged with the murder and a trial is held. I'll leave it there. This isn't really spoilers as it's pretty well all mentioned in the brief synopsis.
Benson is a bit of a flowery writer but still entertaining. He's an excellent observer of settings and characters and presents an interesting story. At times it seemed a bit overblown but I still enjoyed the set-up, the mystery and the ultimate solution. He doesn't develop the characters over much, just enough to give you a flavor of them, enough to help you ascertain their reasoning and motives. All in all, a nice short, satisfying mystery. (I've ordered another, The Luck of the Vails. (3.5 stars)"
3.
Japanese Gothic by
Kylie Lee Baker (Hor / 2026). Another new author for me and this was her latest.
"I heard of Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker from various book podcasters that I follow and they seemed quite excited about trying it. So needless to say, being an easily influenced person when it comes to books 😉, I figured I should check it out as well. It was an interesting read.
Japanese Gothic is a sort of fantasy / fairy tale / time travel / interdimensional type story, I think. It follows two main characters, Lee, a young man who lost his mother when he was 12 and is still dealing with it, taking lots of Ativan and not dealing with people very well, especially his father. Then you have Sen, from the 1800s, daughter of one of the last Samurais who lives with her family in a house in Japan, where her father is hiding from the Emperor's army. Oddly enough, Lee is now staying with his father, James and Dad's girlfriend, Hina in the same house that Sen lives (d) in.
So, there are some SOME!!! complications as well. Lee was attending college in the States and believes he murdered his roommate and that is the reason he dashed off to Japan. Sen, as a young girl, was sacrificed to the ocean by her mother, because she thought by doing so, her son would be saved from... maybe typhoid?? Sen was returned to the house by some woman who lives under the ocean, the sacrifice receiver...
Oh yes, the main 'complication'. There seems to be an opening in the space / time continuum (borrowed by myself from Star Trek.. Thanks!) that allows Lee and Sen to interact by a doorway in their room. Lee hopes to get Sen to help him find his mother's spirit. (There is a back story there, about whether his mother died (in some way?), was kidnapped, or something... which his father won't discuss. Let's see.. Sen's father was part of a revolution of Samurai's against the Emperor which was defeated. Instead of dying on the battle field with his comrades, Sen's father returned home and hid his family away and now spends his time training Sen to be a Samurai (he's very abusive)...
Got the story now? Did I mention the sort of fairy tale about the man who saved a tortoise and lived 300 years under he ocean with a princess? Ah, well, they do play a part.
So it's a complex fascinating story that I'm not sure I totally understood, especially when it came to the resolution. Did I like the characters? Lee and Sen are both very damaged, especially Lee, and it's hard to really like them. Lee's and Sen's dads aren't very likable either, Lee's because he can't deal with the disappearance of his wife or with Lee's issues and Sen's because he's not a very nice guy to his family (putting it mildly). I did like minor characters, especially Hina and wish she were in it more and there is a servant who works for Sen who is loyal and caring...
But you don't have to like everybody. The journey that Lee and Sen are on is quite interesting. The various stories are interesting, even if there is a fair bit of violence.. at times. The twists and turns are all fascinating and the ending, while I think, to me anyway, still left questions was also interesting. I enjoyed exploring the book. It wasn't perfect but it was well-written, beautifully described and held my interest throughout. (4.0 stars)"
4.
Bad Indian's Book Club by
Patty Krawek (Non Fic / 2025).
"Bad Indians Book Club: Reading at the Edge of a Thousand Worlds by Patty Krawec is a book about books, by genre, focused on books about and by indigenous / marginalized peoples. I seem to be reading a few of these books focused on books of late. Unfortunately (really, it's fortunately... 😉) they all give me ideas for more books to purchase to read. Patty Krawec is an Anishinaabe / Ukrainian writer and she presents this book in a fascinating, unique way.
It was started when Patty was asked by friend to recommend a book or two to help him better understand indigenous experience and thought. As Patty says, she is incapable of doing anything in the simplest way. His request became a twitter feed, a book club and a series of panel discussions over the course of a year, which she called 'Ambe A Year of Indigenous Reading'. Each month they talked about a handful of selected books and were invited to talk about other books.
They covered all genres; Why Indigenous writing matters, Science and Nature, History, Refusing Patriarchy, Memoir, Fiction, Horror and Speculative Fiction and Graphic Novels. Before each section, Patty provides snippets of her own short story, created for this novel, the story of Kwe, Ojibwe for Woman, more specifically Life Giver, Life Carrier. It, on its own is a fascinating story.
I just found it a beautifully written, thoughtful book with its analysis of the indigenous world and their ideas and thoughts.
Oh, Bad Indians are "those who challenge the stories we tell about the society in which we live, because the things we believe have consequences that are often borne by others, consequences we may not see."
You should read it to get the full experience because anything I say probably can't do it justice.
Chi-miigwech, Patty for sharing this. (Hoping I used the term correctly) (4.0 stars)"
5.
The Will of the Tribe by
Arthur W. Upfield (Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte #27 / 1962). My second book in this series.
"The Will of the Tribe is the 3rd Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte mystery I've read and the 27th in the series by Australian writer Arthur W. Upfield, so yes, you could say I've been reading out of order. 😎
Inspector Bonaparte is a half caste member of the Australian police forces and he has been sent solve the murder of a man who's body was discovered in an old crater. There is a lot of discussion of aboriginal mythology in this story. one thing the crops up is that even though there seem to be disputed time frames for when the crater might have been created, there are no aboriginal myths about it. (It's figured that the crater happened early 1900s then. This isn't critical to the story, I just wanted to belabor the point).
The body is seen from the air. The local police officer Howard and his trackers head out to the location (oh, it's on the Northwest coast in the desert, I believe), assisted by the local ranch owner, Brentner and his ranch hands. Bonaparte's instructions, from his unnamed superior are to find out how the body got there, let the local police sort out the murder itself. It's all very mysterious. He's not told who the body is, just to investigate.
It's a fascinating, complex story. Bony, as he likes to be called, is a man with footholds in two worlds, the white and the aboriginal and he treads carefully in both. It's a culture I don't totally understand (oh, I think the story is set in the late 40's.), but you've got various groups. The white ranch owners, there two young girls, and some white ranch hands and the cook. There is the Captain, an aboriginal from the local tribe, who's been educated in white schools and is the ranch foreman. There is Tessa, a young aboriginal girl, about 18, who was adopted by Mrs. Brentner, and who wants to send Tessa off to school to become a teacher. The local 'tame' aboriginal tribe is run by Gup-Gup and his medicine man, Poppa. They provide ranch hands from their tribe in exchange for food and cigarettes. Then there is the 'wild' aboriginals who live on the fringes. It's an arrangement that seems to work, even if their are tensions.
So Bony finds himself in the midst of this group of people and works to get to know them, to understand their relationships and to solve the murder. Oh yes, and trying to avoid the attacks of Mr. Lamb... what a neat animal, very funny. Consider Mr. Lamb as a pool cue and the people on the ranch as his balls and you'll get the idea.
Bony is a wonderful detective, a great character who is smart, deductive and who everyone seems to like (even if they might be suspects) and respect, especially the Brentner's young girls. It's a fascinating story and case and resolved very nicely ultimately. Upfield's writing, his description are beautiful, and he presents a great picture of life in that time and in that region of Australia's wilderness. I have a few more Bony books on my shelves and look forward to continue to explore Bony's past, his life and his cases. (3.5 stars)"
Currently Reading (as per normal, these are books commenced since my last update)
1.
A Fragment of Fear by
John Bingham (Mys / 1965) I've enjoyed every mystery that I've read by Bingham so far.
"James Compton, a young journalist and crime writer, becomes intrigued by and then involved in the mysterious death of an older woman British tourist apparently on holiday near the ruins of Pompeii. On his return to England he becomes further implicated in what he now knows was a murder but his efforts to help the police are sabotaged by unknown forces who discredit him to such an extent that his evidence and his theories are devalued. However, so determined is he to bring the criminals to justice that he endangers not only his own life but that of his fiancée Juliet on the very day of their long awaited wedding."
2. Sepulchre by James Herbert (Hor / 1987). I'm really enjoying exploring Herbert's work."There is a house called Neath that holds a dark and terrible secret.
In that house, there is a psychic called Kline who is part of its secret.
The Keeper is guardian of the house, of the psychic, and of the secret.
But now an outsider must protect them from a terrible danger. Halloran will combat men who thrive on physical corruptions; he will find love of a perverse nature; he will confront his soul's own darkness. And, eventually, he will discover the horrific and awesome secret of the Sepulchre."
3. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (The Empyrean #1 / 2023).
"Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.
But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans; they incinerate them. With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant. She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.
Yet with every day that passes, the war outside grows deadlier; the kingdom's protective wards are failing; and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret."
4. Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts by Margaret Atwood (Bio / 2025) Atwood is on my bucket list of authors to try and read all of her work.
"How does one of the greatest storytellers of our time write her own life? The long-awaited memoir from the author of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments, one of our most lauded and influential cultural figures.
‘Every writer is at least two the one who lives, and the one who writes. Though everything written must have passed through their minds, or mind, they are not the same.’
Raised by ruggedly independent, scientifically minded parents – entomologist father, dietician mother – Atwood spent most of each year in the wild forest of northern Quebec. This childhood was unfettered and nomadic, sometimes isolated (on her eighth 'It sounds forlorn. It was forlorn. It gets more forlorn.’), but also thrilling and beautiful.
From this unconventional start, Atwood unfolds the story of her life, linking seminal moments to the books that have shaped our literary landscape, from the cruel year that spawned Cat’s Eye to the Orwellian 1980s Berlin where she wrote The Handmaid’s Tale. In pages bursting with bohemian gatherings, her magical life with the wildly charismatic writer Graeme Gibson and major political turning points, we meet poets, bears, Hollywood actors and larger-than-life characters straight from the pages of an Atwood novel.
As we travel with her along the course of her life, more and more is revealed about her writing, the connections between real life and art – and the workings of one of our greatest imaginations."
5. Talk Treaty to Me: Understanding the Basics of Treaties and Land in Canada by Crystal Gail Fraser & Sara Komarnisky (Non Fic / Canada / 2026). I read an article about a treaty about to be ratified in the Comox Valley and some of the difficulties being experienced and when I saw this book, it seemed appropriate that I should learn more about this subject. Seemed like fate to me.
"Treaties cover much of Canada. Some were established thousands of years ago, with Land and animals, and others date back to the time when Europeans first arrived in North America. These agreements make it possible for all of us to live, work, play, and profit on these Lands. Additionally, treaties have profoundly shaped the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. In Talk Treaty to Me, Crystal Gail Fraser and Sara Komarnisky untangle the complexities of treaties and set forth a path to a greater understanding of all our roles, rights, and responsibilities. In this accessible, clear, and concise book, they discuss:
- Treaties among and between Indigenous Peoples
- The history of treaty-making between Indigenous Peoples and Britain, then Canada, from the very beginning to the present day
- Concepts like Métis scrip, modern Land claims and self-government agreements, Indigenous sovereignty, and unceded territory
- The (dis)honouring of treaties and the role of Canadian settler colonialism
- How the creation of Canadian borders interrupts Indigenous sovereignty and nationhood
- Important insights from gendered and queer perspectives on treaty and Land
- The politics of land acknowledgements
- Reconciliation and Land Back movements
With a quick-reference timeline, maps, and black-and-white photographs throughout, Talk Treaty to Me concludes with a call to action and specific, tangible steps that all of us can take every day to support truth and reconciliation."
New Arrivals (only one book since my last update, not including Talking About Treaties).
1. The Xanadu Manuscript by John Rowe Townsend (Sci Fi / 1977).
"Visitors from the future complicate the lives of several inhabitants of Cambridge, England."
I think I might go have a snooze as well.. Happy Father's Day!
