Midweek Music Medley

Decided to treat ourselves today with donuts from Bigfoot Donuts. Excellent but sweet.

Here is your Midweek Music Medley for Wed 9 Feb 2022

Midweek Music Medley

1. American rapper Doja Cat - Woman (2021).

2. English synth-pop singer / songwriter Georgia - Running up that Hill (2021).

3. Georgie - Chasing Kites (2020). (Ok, I know nothing about her except I like this song).

Enjoy the rest of your week. Stay safe.

Early February Reading / New Book Update

Canada's heroes (masked)

My goodness! It's actually 11℃ in the Valley today. I had a great run this morning and it was nice to be running in daytime (morning time), even though I started at pretty well the same time. Jo and I have been enjoying the Olympics, even though it means staying up late each night (early morning). The Canadian women's hockey team sets a wonderful example; wearing masks, even while playing. 

Canada's shame (whining about masks)

Some truck drivers should take them as an example instead of right wing American anti-maskers. These young ladies and so many other Canadian athletes are proudly representing Canada in China. These convoyists are intimidating Canadians in Ottawa and other cities, because it's not fair to make them wear a mask. Poor babies.

Anyway, enough ranting. BOOKS!

I've finished two books since my last update. Following my standard procedure, I'll provide my reviews of both and the synopses of the next books I've started. I'll also provide the synopses of those new books that have 'mysteriously' come into my possession since my last update. 😎

Just Finished

1. Darkness at Dawn by Cornell Woolrich (1985). An interesting collection of short stories.

"Cornell Woolrich was one of the secret gems of the noir genre. His best known stories, Rear Window and The Bride Wore Black were turned into movies. He wrote many many short stories throughout his writing career. Darkness at Dawn: Early Suspense Classics contains his earliest short stories; published between 1934 and 1935.

The stories are an interesting mix of cop stories, mysteries and even a couple of horror stories. They are all quite excellent, obviously some better than others, but all enjoyable. The collection starts off with a bit of a bang, where a dentist is accused of murdering his client. The dentist's friend doesn't believe it and takes it into his own hands to investigate the murder, even at the risk of his own life. Walls that Hear You is a terrifying little story. A fellow ends up in the hospital with his tongue and all ten fingers removed. His brother, in similar fashion to the first story, takes it upon himself to try to find the attacker. Fascinating aspect is how he eventually is able to communicate with his brother. 

The stories continue in this vein. You get good cops, reluctantly assigned to cases. You get bad cops who get confessions by butting out cigarettes in suspects' arms. Most are told in the first person but there a couple that aren't. Neat twists and turns in all of them. Kiss of the Cobra is a scary little horror story; is she woman or snake??? Red Liberty is a neat story, a closed room mystery which takes place on the Statue of Liberty. Worked on by a hard done cop, whose wife thinks he needs to read more and visit art galleries. He goes to the Statue because he figures it's the biggest sculpture around ... lol. The Death of Me is another neat story with lots of twists. Protagonist is down on his luck, tries to commit suicide, but fails. Discovers body on train tracks and the story takes a whole new set of twists. Just fascinating.

Woolrich has a way of immediately getting into the story and action. He has a way with description and a down-to-earth way with language. All of his stories were interesting page-turners and with satisfying endings. Most enjoyable. If you want to try the noir genre, check him out, please. I discovered his works only the past few years and am so glad I did. (4 stars)"

2. Corpus de Crossword by Nero Blanc (Crossword Mystery #6 / 2003). I enjoyed the first book I tried in this series. This one was even more entertaining.

"Corpus de Crossword is the sixth book in husband & wife team Nero Blanc's entertaining Crossword mystery series. Husband and wife team, PI Rosco Polycrates and crossword puzzle creator, Belle Graham, live in Massachusetts. They get involved in a case when a body is discovered at a building site at a nearby town, Taneysville.

Rosco basically goes undercover as a building inspector to try and find out the identity of the body (he is asked by a man running for a seat in Congress) and who murdered her / him. Belle gets anonymous crosswords in the mail and as she deciphers them, she begins to believe they might be related to Rosco's investigation. The story is told from their perspective with time also taken up with the crossword puzzler, an elderly woman living in a senior's home (Her name isn't given)

It's a light fun case. Rosco and Belle are a great team, clearly in love and with a super relationship. The supporting cast, especially family friend, Sarah, and ex-partner of Roscoe, Police Lt Al Turner add to the enjoyment of the book.

Throw in a town filled with secrets of its past and a murdered PI who had tried to contact Rosco and everything moves along at a nice pace and comes to an interesting, satisfying conclusion. I thought my first experience with the crossword solving sleuths was interesting but this was better, more well-defined and well- crafted. Now to find more of the series. (3.5 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. Life's Little Ironies by Thomas Hardy (1895).

"The proverbial phrase 'life's little ironies' was coined by Hardy for his third volume of short stories. These tales and sketches possess all the power of his novels: the wealth of description, the realistic portrayal of the quaint lore of Wessex, the 'Chaucerian' humour and characterization, the shrewd and critical psychology, the poignant estimate of human nature and the brooding sense of wonder at the essential mystery of life.

The tales which make up Life's Little Ironies tenderly re-create a rapidly vanishing rural world and scrutinize the repressions of fin-de-siècle bourgeois life. They share the many concerns of Hardy's last great novels, such as the failure of modern marriage and the insidious effects of social ambition on the family and community life. Ranging widely in length and complexity, they are unified by Hardy's quintessential irony, which embraces both the farcical and the tragic aspects of human existence."

2. Cranks and Shadows by K.C. Constantine (Mario Balzic #11 / 1995). I've enjoyed one book in this mystery series so far. This one has started off well.

"This is the final book in the acclaimed Mario Balzic series. Balzic has been told to lay off five more staff in his already skeletal department. But he feels the town needs protection, and he is willing to run a private army to achieve this."

New Books

1. A Circus of Hells by Poul Anderson (Ensign Flandry #2 / 1970).

"Crack Lieutenant Dominic Flandry was not a man easily swayed from his duty to the Empire... not, that is, until galactic vice king Leon Ammon offered him a million credit bribe, a voluptuous woman called Djana, and a commission to explore a dark and treasure laden moon.

But within the desolate peaks and valleys of that strange world of ice and shadow, Flandry found more he had bargained for. Supposedly barren, the planet swarmed with a hideous race of strange, inhuman creatures... infernally controlled by a deranged and brilliant computer brain. Each creature, like a piece in a bizarre and lethal chess game, was programmed to kill.
And although Flandry did not know it – so was the woman he loved..."

(Ed Note. A bit of self-back patting here. I bought the next 3 books in 2nd Page Books in Courtenay and as I arrived at the cash to pay for them, the owner told me how impressed he was with the variety I'd chosen. Must say it made me feel pretty good. Nice to get a compliment sometimes)

2. Tamsin by Peter S. Beagle (1999). I've only read The Last Unicorn by Beagle and enjoyed it very much. (Ed Note. The owner of 2nd Page Books said that A Fine and Private Place by Beagle was his mother's favorite book. I'm going to have to get a copy)

"Arriving in the English countryside to live with her mother and new stepfather, Jenny has no interest in her surroundings until she meets Tamsin. Since her death over 300 years ago, Tamsin has haunted the lonely estate without rest, trapped by a hidden trauma she can't remember, and a powerful evil even the spirits of night cannot name. To help her, Jenny must delve deeper into the dark world than any human has in hundreds of years, and face danger that will change her life forever. . . ."

2. Night of January 16th by Ayn Rand (1936). Back in my university days, I was quite taken with Rand's writing. I enjoyed Atlas Shrugged and We the Living and Anthem. I used to get the Ayn Rand newsletter. I've moved on from her philosophy (did I even understand it? The Theory of Selfishness I think it was called). Anyway, when I saw this play (her first work) I thought I'd give it a try.

"To the world, he was a startlingly successful international tycoon, head of a vast financial empire. To his beautiful secretary-mistress, he was a god-like hero to be served with her mind, soul and body. To his aristocratic young wife, he was an elemental force of nature to be tamed. To his millionaire father-in-law, he was a giant whose single error could be used to destroy him.

What kind of man was Bjorn Faulkner? Only you, the reader, can decide.

On one level, Night of January 16th is a totally gripping drama about the rise and destruction of a brilliant and ruthless man. On a deeper level, it is a superb dramatic objectification of Ayn Rand's vision of human strength and weakness. Since its original Broadway success, it has achieved vast worldwide popularity and acclaim."

3. A Confederate General from Big Sur by Richard Brautigan (1964). I've previously read two books of Brautigan's; The Hawkline Monster and Trout Fishing in America, both quite unique stories.

"Brautigan's excellent novel is definitely worth the quick read, then worth another to catch all his language play. Having grown up near Big Sur, this book was particularly funny as Lee Mellon is still in residence there.

Brautigan's descriptions of drugs, drinks, frogs & the commas of Ecclesiastes are all done in a straightforward style. A favorite paragraph:
"He broke the seal on the bottle, unscrewed the cap & poured a big slug of whiskey into his mouth. He swallowed it down with a hairy gulp. Strange, for as I said before: he was bald." A great read.

If there's one thing the world lacks, it's a good supply of well-written, funny-as-heck books. Luckily, aside from A Confederacy Of Dunces, we have this little gem. The characters are drunks, druggies, skanks, prostitutes & nutzoids. The pace is brisk, the imagery vivid. Most of it seemed to be part of my own life, but just where do you find weed that's so potent that 4 people smoking 5 joints stay high for well over 2 hours?

If you want to spend a day or night having a good laugh over a great book, pick this one up. You'll laugh out loud. As Martha Stewart says, "it's a good thing"."

(Do you agree with my bookseller?)

4. Doing Time by Jodi Taylor (Time Police #1 / 2019). I've read two books in Taylor's St Mary's Academy of Time Traveler's series. This is the first book in this new series.

"A long time ago in the future, the secret of time travel became known to all. Unsurprisingly, the world nearly ended. There will always be idiots who want to change history.

Enter the Time Police. An all-powerful, international organisation tasked with keeping the timeline straight. At all costs.

Their success is legendary. The Time Wars are over. But now they must fight to save a very different future - their own.

This is the story of Jane, Luke and Matthew - the worst recruits in Time Police history. Or, very possibly, three young people who might change everything."

5. Greek Myths by Charlotte Higgins (2021). One of the courses I took in university dealt with the Greek myths. This is a retelling of certain ones and it sounded interesting.

"Charlotte Higgins reinterprets some of the most enduring stories of all time in this beautifully produced, spellbinding new collection, featuring original artworks by Chris Ofili.

Here are myths of the creation, of Heracles and Theseus and Perseus, the Trojan war and its origins and aftermaths, tales of Thebes and Argos and Athens. There are stories of love and desire, adventure and magic, destructive gods, helpless humans, fantastical creatures, resourceful witches and the origins of birds and animals. This is a world of extremes, and one that resonates deeply with our own: mysterious diseases devastate cities; environmental disasters tear lives apart; women habitually suffer violence at the hands of men.

Unlike in many previous collected myths, female characters take center stage - Athena, Helen, Circe, Penelope and others weave these stories into elaborate imagined tapestries. In Charlotte Higgins's thrilling new interpretation, their tales combine to form a dazzling, sweeping epic of storytelling, and a magnificent work of scholarship and imagination."

6. Hawkes Harbor by S.E. Hinton (2004). Back in the day I enjoyed The Outsiders, at least a few times. This is a more adult book by Hinton, supposedly, with horror aspects.

"An orphan and a bastard, Jamie Sommers grew up knowing he had no hope of heaven. Conceived in adultery and born in sin, Jamie was destined to repeat the sins of his parents--or so the nuns told him. And he proved them right. Taking to sea, Jamie sought out danger and adventure in exotic ports all over the world as a smuggler, gunrunner--and murderer. Tough enough to handle anything, he's survived foreign prisons, pirates, and a shark attack. But in a quiet seaside town in Delaware, Jamie discovered something that was enough to drive him insane-and change his life forever. For it was in Hawkes Harbor that Jamie came face to face with the ultimate evil...."

7. The Best of John W. Campbell by John W. Campbell (1976). I have yet to read anything by Campbell but he seems to be highly respected in the Sci-Fi world. We'll see.

"THE VISIONS OF JOHN W. CAMPBELL

Here are the finest stories by the man who almost single-handedly created modern science fiction--the writer who taught a generation to dream...and to write of all possible futures.

TWILIGHT
He was a mere hitchhiker now, but he had once seen the far, far future...and had returned to mourn what he had seen!

THE MACHINE
The machine was ultimately benevolent...so benevolent that it gave mankind the ultimate but most unwanted gift!

FORGETFULNESS
They were like children in the museum of Earth's glorious past...children who had forgotten so much, but whose powers were those of gods!

And the classic that was to become the movie THE THING: WHO GOES THERE?
The Thing was the most dreadful threat men had ever faced...a creature that could be any one--or all--of them!

And many more!"

Women Authors I'm Enjoying - Elly Griffiths

Elly Griffiths

British author Elly Griffiths is relatively new to my although I have been noticing her books for awhile. She has written books in three series, plus other books. I've enjoyed one in her Ruth Galloway series thus far and have two other books awaiting my attention. Let's take a look at them. Btw, the Ruth Galloway book series has been turned into a Canadian TV series, Coroner, which is quite good.

1. The Crossing Place (Ruth Galloway #1 / 2009).

"The Crossing Places is the first book in English author Elly Griffith's Ruth Galloway series. It's one of those series I'm glad I finally discovered and tried because I will find the next books and maybe try her other series as well. 

Ruth Galloway is a forensic anthropologist who teaches at the University of North Norfolk. Ruth fell in love with the starkness of the marshes when she took part in an archaeological did there ten years ago. She lives in a small isolated cottage, one of three, on the edge of the salt marsh, loving the open skies, the smell of the salt marshes. Ruth is called by DCI Harry Nelson to examine a body that has been discovered in the marshes, the body of a small child. Nelson feels it might that of Lucy Downy, who disappeared ten years ago, a cold case he still frets about. It turns out that the bones are those of an Iron Age girl. However, this interaction between Ruth and Harry will continue as another young girl disappears and they continue to work together. Harry has been receiving letters from the purported 'criminal' who may have abducted Lucy, letters that continue to goad him about his failures and which offer clues in mythology and religion to her whereabouts. As Ruth gets more involved, she also begins to attract the attentions of a mysterious person. 

It's a tense, well-written story. The area is such an interesting place and not totally unfamiliar to me as my wife and I have driven through in some of our travels. Ruth is an interesting character, somewhat lacking in confidence in her physical appearance and in her personal life, but who possesses unknown inner strength and an ability to look deeper into situations to come up with answers. Harry is frustrated by the lack of progress in both cases but he has a determination to find answers. The bringing together of the two characters makes an interesting story and they also present a unique team. The supporting characters also make the story richer and tenser as well. There are no shortage of suspects and even though I had an inkling who the actual perpetrator might be, it was still a fascinating journey getting to a satisfying conclusion. There interesting tidbits also presented though the story about a potential victim that made the story even more interesting.

I enjoyed this introduction to the Ruth Galloway series. It read nicely, flowed along at an excellent pace, offered interesting historical  and archeological information and made for an all-around entertaining mystery. Looking forward to trying the 2nd book, The Janus Stone (4 stars)"

2. The Janus Stone (Ruth Galloway #2 / 2010).

"It’s been only a few months since archaeologist Ruth Galloway found herself entangled in a missing persons case, barely escaping with her life. But when construction workers demolishing a large old house in Norwich uncover the bones of a child beneath a doorway—minus its skull—Ruth is once again called upon to investigate. Is it a Roman-era ritual sacrifice, or is the killer closer at hand?

Ruth and Detective Harry Nelson would like to find out—and fast. When they realize the house was once a children’s home, they track down the Catholic priest who served as its operator. Father Hennessey reports that two children did go missing from the home forty years before—a boy and a girl. They were never found. When carbon dating proves that the child’s bones predate the home and relate to a time when the house was privately owned, Ruth is drawn ever more deeply into the case.

But as spring turns into summer it becomes clear that someone is trying very hard to put her off the trail by frightening her, and her unborn child, half to death."

3. The Stranger Diaries (Harbinder Kaur #1 / 2018).

"A dark story has been brought to terrifying life. Can the ending be rewritten in time?

Clare Cassidy is no stranger to murder. As a literature teacher specializing in the Gothic writer RM Holland, she teaches a short course on it every year. Then Clare's life and work collide tragically when one of her colleagues is found dead, a line from an RM Holland story by her body. The investigating police detective is convinced the writer's works somehow hold the key to the case.

Not knowing who to trust, and afraid that the killer is someone she knows, Clare confides her darkest suspicions and fears about the case to her journal. Then one day she notices some other writing in the diary. Writing that isn't hers..."

The complete listing of Griffiths' work can be found at this link. Hope you see something that interests you. Enjoy!

Midweek Music Medley

I had a good run this morning after taking off since Friday. Feeling a mite stiff now. 😫

Here is your midweek music medley for the first Wed of February 2022. 

Midweek Music Medley

1. English singer / songwriter and actor David Essex - Oh What a Circus (1978).

2. English singer / songwriter Elvis Costello - Magnificent Hurt (2021).

3. Guyanese / English singer / songwriter Eddie Grant - Living on the Front Line (1979).

Enjoy the rest of your week.

January 2022 Reading Update

Here you go, my first Monthly Reading Summary of 2022.

January 2022
General Info               Jan                    Total (Including my current read)
Books Read -                 11             
Pages Read -               2550                           (Avg per book - 232)

Pages Breakdown
    < 250                           6     
250 - 350                        4
351 - 450                
   > 450                           1

Ratings
5 - star                            2                   
4 - star                            5
3 - star                            4
2 - star                      
No Rating (NR)                                                                

Gender
Female                          2     
Male                             9
Not Stated                           

Genres
Horror                                                
Fiction                         1         
Mystery                       4          
SciFi                            2            
Non-Fic                       2
Classics                                           
Young Adult                                 
Poetry                1                 
Short Stories                1                              

Top 3 Books (No 5 star reads in December)

1.  Call Me What You Want by Amanda Gorman (5 stars)

2. Hunting the Bismark by C.S. Forester (5 stars)

3. Darkness by Dawn by Cornell Woolrich (4.0 stars)

Challenges
1st Annual Reading Challenge (completed 2)
1. The Complaints by Ian Rankin (4 stars)
2. The Power-House by John Buchan (4 stars)

Individual Challenge - The Dusty Library #1 - 428 (completed 1)
1. Gideon's Wrath by J.J. Marric (4 stars)

Individual Challenge - The Middle Ground #429 - 855 (completed 3)
1. The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester (3.5 stars)
2. Hunting the Bismark by C.S. Forester (5 stars)
3. The Island of Fu-Manchu by Sax Rohmer (3 stars)

Individual Challenge - Newest Books #856 - Infinity (completed 3)
1. Could You Survive Midsomer? by Simon Brew (3.5 stars)
2. Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman (5 stars)
3. Darkness at Dawn by Cornell Woolrich (4 stars)

Monthly Challenge - January Focus Author - Biography (completed 2)
1. Futureface by Alex Wagner (4 stars)
2. The Alice Behind Wonderland by Simon Winchester (3 stars)

Currently Reading

1. 1st Annual Reading Challenge - Begin a Series - Dawn by Octavia E. Butler
2. Individual Challenge (My Dusty Library Books #1 - 428) - #274. Industrial Magic by Kelley Armstrong
3. Individual Challenge (The Middle Ground #429 - 856) - #644 - Corpus de Crossword by Nero Blanc
4. Individual Challenge (The Newbys #857 - Infinity) - #1143 - Protect and Defend by Vince Flynn
5. Monthly Challenge - January Focus - Biography -  Both / And by Huma Abedin
6. Monthly Challenge - February Focus - The Classics / Pre - 1900 - Selected Short Stories by Thomas Hardy 

Next Challenge Books in Line

1. 1st Annual Reading Challenge - Begin a Series - The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
2. Individual Challenge (My Dusty Library #1 - 428) - #427 - Head of the Traveler by Nicholas Blake
3. Individual Challenge (The Middle Ground #429 - 856) - #646 - Cranks and Shadows by K.C. Constantine
4. Individual Challenge (The Newbys #857 - Infinity)  - #864 - The Disappeared by M.R. Hall
5. Monthly Challenge - February 2022 Focus (Pre-1900) - The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle

A Weekend (Reading) Update

It's been a relatively busy week. Jo and I have been down to Qualicum Beach, braving the fog, enjoying lunch and supporting some of their neat local shops. I've kept up with my running. Yesterday Clyde had his check-up and got his rabies shot. Poor little fella. But they said he was so sweet. 😀 Then Jo and I had lunch at Benino's and we checked out some of Comox's shops. It was a fun day, especially since it seems that after 4 or 5 days, the fog seems to have broken. We even enjoyed out walk last night, could see a few stars.

BREAKING NEWS: Bill buys more books... whatever!

Since my last update, I've finished five books. January has been a good month. And yes, I've also bought a few.. I'll spend the next little while, providing my reviews of the books completed, synopses of those I've started since and then finish with the synopses of those I've newly acquired. But first the puppies, who are sprawled beside me on the sofa, will be going for their noon walk and then having lunch. Back in a bit. 

Just Finished

1. Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman (Poetry / 2021).

"To Amanda Gorman

Me to poetry, often, regularly, er.. generally = incomprehensible. We don't jive. I've been told; it's allegory, simile, description, but, nope, I still don't often get it. I guess my brain doesn't work that way.

But then I read Call Us What We Carry and wow. Light bulb moment. Your poetry works -

Part historical, part future -looking; prose / poetry; despair / inspiration; magical use of words, playing with them like a juggler; use of style & shape to create full pictures.

Some promote hate as the way to run / ruin America, a splitting apart at the seams, an Us vs Them battle; you talk about the desire not for revenge, but for recognition of past events and the trauma caused and the need for all to realize it if America will grow, come together to save America.

The history of racism, its use to split America; the need to recognize it, to identify it if America is to heal;  a diary of the pandemic in prose and poetry; your wonderful, awe-inspiring words at Joe Biden's inauguration. So much more.

It's difficult to pick one point, the book as a whole is so great... But here is one (from Fury & Faith)

"Together, we envision a land that is liberated, not lawless.
We create a future that is free, not flawless.
Again & again, over & over.
We will stride up every mountainside,
Magnanimous & modest.
We will be protected & served
By a force that is honored & honest.
This is more than protest.
          It's a promise."

Thank you for your artistry (5 stars)"

2. The Alice Behind Wonderland by Simon Winchester (2011).

"I generally enjoy Simon Winchester's unique take on any topic about which he decides to write, very much. I opened up The Alice Behind Wonderland with anticipation, looking forward to reading about how Alice Liddell, the daughter of the college dean at Oxford, influenced Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) in his writing of Alice in Wonderland.

Sadly, in that respect it was disappointing. The story is more about the photo, one amongst many, that Dodgson took of young Alice Liddell, that being the one featured on the cover. The story covers the development of photography, how Dodgson took to it and, yeah, his pictures of the Liddell children. We learn a bit about the Liddell family, we learn a bit about Dodgson's early years and we hear snippets about possible feelings Dodgson might have had about young children... er.. well, snippets but nothing more. The information provided about photography was interesting stuff, but the rest kept starting down alleyways but never seeming to find the end.

It's a low key, relatively interesting, short story, and it flows nicely, but other than that, it was kind of disappointing, considering how much I've enjoyed previous works. Oh and Winchester never even got to see the 'actual' photograph because it's kept in an airtight room, sealed in some vault in Austin Texas. LOL (3 stars)"

3. The Island of Fu-Manchu by Sax Rohmer (Fu-Manchu #10 / 1940).

"I had previously read 4 of Sax Rohmer's Dr. Fu Manchu's thriller / adventure / fantasy series. So I kind of knew what to expect when I read The Island Of Fu Manchu. And as usual, it didn't let me down. British spy / investigator Nayland Smith and his friend Bart Kerrigan, along with intrepid explorer / architect Professor Barton, travel to England, the US, Panama and ultimately Haiti as they try to stop Fu Manchu from taking over the world and also if time permits, rescuing Kerrigan's lover (or is she an enemy), the exotic Ardatha.

In this adventure, you've got Fu Manchu's marmoset, held hostage by Barton. You've got shriveled heads, green hands (unattached to anything), the mysterious snapping fingers (heard before bodies are murdered and drained of all their blood) and even zombies!!! Ardatha appears and disappears and appears again and doesn't seem to remember Kerrigan.

Fu Manchu keeps us guessing. Whose side is he actually on? His mysterious organization the Si-Fan seems to have splintered and some are working against him. What is he doing in Haiti? How does the voodoo queen, Mamaloi, tie into the whole scene? Is she on his side or against?

As usual, you've got to put blinders on somewhat. Fu Manchu is leader of the 'yellow' peril, the Haitian voodoo ceremonies are savage, bestial.. But ultimately, it's a page turning, at times ponderous (yes, Kerrigan WE KNOW YOU MISS ARDATHA!!!), but it's still non-stop, fantastic action with lots of supernatural, mystical elements, more than enough to keep you occupied. (3 stars)"

4. The Complaints by Ian Rankin (Malcolm Fox #1 / 2009).

"I've been enjoying the Inspector Rebus mysteries by Ian Rankin for the past few years, very much. The Complaints is the first book in his Malcolm Fox series. It is also set in Edinburgh, Scotland. Fox works for The Complaints (aka Internal Affairs). His job is to investigate and catch bad cops.

Fox works with a team of two other cops, Tony Kaye and Joe Naismith. They in the process of completing an investigation on another cop, Glen Heaton, from another district and turning their findings over to the Procurator - General (the DA) for prosecution. They get a call from the sex crimes division, DS Annie Inglis and are asked to assist in investigating another cop, DS Jamie Breck. Sex crimes believes he is involved with a pedophile ring working out of Australia.

As well, Vince Faulkner, partner to Fox's sister Jude, has been found dead, basically beaten to death. Fox believed that Vince had recently broken his sister's arm and there is now suspicion that maybe Fox had something to do with his death.

That's the basic outline of the story. Fox is now being investigated by another Complaints division and he falls in with Jamie Breck as the two realize that their best outcome might result if they work together. It's all very fascinating and well-crafted. There are the usual actions that cause you to throw your hands up and shout, 'Oh, come on now!', but they are few and far between. There is a nice interaction between the two cops; can they trust each other or not? Which other cops can the trust and who will help them and who will grass them? How does the investigation into Breck and that of the murder of Vince relate, and do they even? What about the disappearance of real estate developer Charlie Brogan? How does that tie in?

It's all very intricate and interesting. And it's set during the 2009 bank / real estate crisis, all described very nicely. Rankin has a lovely flow in his stories, they move along at an excellent pace and are generally entertaining page turners. At the end of the book, Rankin offers some nice tidbits; what are the top five reads of Malcolm Fox and of Jamie Breck (I'm more like Fox, btw). What are Fox and Breck's top 5 films (once again, I'm more Fox, lol). Anyway, an excellent mystery and just an excellently entertaining story. (4 stars)"

5. The Power-House by John Buchan (Sir Edward Leithin #1 / 1916).

"John Buchan wrote one of my favorite adventure thriller series featuring John Hannay, the first being The Thirty-Nine Steps. I've read a few of his other books, both fiction and non-fiction. He was a prolific writer. The Power-House as the first book in his Leithen quadrology and it was very entertaining.

Sir Edward Leithin is a somewhat staid lawyer and MP, happy with his life and friends. His main circle of life revolves around London and her rarely travels beyond. Suddenly Edward's life changes when a friend of a friend suddenly disappears. Edward sends his mate Tommy Deloraine to find this other fellow, Charles Pitt-Heron, a trip that will take them Uzbekistan. However this part of the story is only discussed via telegram. The story is focused in London as Edward tries to find out where Pitt-Heron might have gone and also why. This will lead him in a war of wits with some vague enemy, Andrew Lumley, leader of  nebulous group called The Power-House.

It's a slow paced story at first but once Edward begins to understand who this enemy is and his threat to England (maybe), the civilized world (maybe?) and especially Edward Leithin. There are interesting discussions (philosophical) between Lumley and Leithin, a bit slow, but for the last half of the story, the tension rises as Edward and his friend, fellow politician Chapman, try to both avoid the Power-House and stop them.

It's a neat story. The rationale for the threat isn't really elaborated or explained in detail but it's not really that important. The transformation in Leithin is what makes the story. While seemingly momentous events are taking place in the Far East, they are only peripheral. The crucial events take place in London and like the chase cross Britain in The 39 Steps, the action builds and builds and makes for a satisfying, entertaining story. Good old Mr. Buchan. Thanks. (4 stars)"

(Ed. Note: I've completed 10 books in January, hoping I'll complete one more before month's end. We'll see)

Currently Reading

1. Corpus de Crossword by Nero Blanc (Crossword Mysteries #6 / 2003).

 

"Folks in Taneysville, Massachusetts, are furious when a builder decides to develop fifteen acres of their precious land. Then the determined developer is stopped cold in his tracks...not by a demonstration, but by a grisly discovery. The skeletal remains of a young woman have been unearthed by the construction crew. Belle and Rosco are fast on the case. It's not long before anonymous crosswords start pouring in-but even with so many clues, Belle and Rosco find that in this old-fashioned hamlet, not everything is black and white..."

2. Dawn: Lilith's Brood 1 by Octavia E. Butler (Xexogenesis #1 / 1987). 

"When Lilith lyapo wakes in a small white room with no doors or windows, she remembers a devastating war, and a husband and child long lost to her. She finds herself living among the Oankali, a strange race who intervened in the fate of humanity hundreds of years before.

They spared those they could from the ruined Earth, and suspended them in a long, deep sleep. Over centuries, the Oankali learned from the past, cured disease and healed the world. Now they want Lilith to lead her people back home.

But salvation comes at a price - to restore humanity, it must be changed forever..."

3. Both / And: A Life in Many Worlds by Huma Abedin (2021).

 

 

 

 

 

 

"In this beautifully written and propulsive memoir, Huma Abedin—Hillary Clinton’s famously private top aide and longtime advisor—emerges from the wings of American political history to take command of her own story.

The daughter of Indian and Pakistani intellectuals and advocates, Abedin grew up in the United States and Saudi Arabia and traveled widely. Both/And grapples with family, legacy, identity, faith, marriage, motherhood—and work—with wisdom, sophistication, and clarity.

Abedin launched full steam into a college internship in the office of the First Lady in 1996, never imagining that her work at the White House would blossom into a career in public service, nor that her career would become an all-consuming way of life. She thrived in rooms with diplomats and sovereigns, entrepreneurs and artists, philanthropists and activists, and witnessed many crucial moments in 21st-century American history—Camp David for urgent efforts at Middle East peace in the waning months of the Clinton administration, Ground Zero in the days after the 9/11 attacks, the inauguration of the first African American president of the United States, the convention floor when America nominated its first female presidential candidate.

Abedin’s relationship with Hillary Clinton has seen both women through extraordinary personal and professional highs, as well as unimaginable lows. Here, for the first time, is a deeply personal account of Clinton as mentor, confidante, and role model. Abedin cuts through caricature, rumor, and misinformation to reveal a crystal clear portrait of Clinton as a brilliant and caring leader, a steadfast friend, generous, funny, hardworking, and dedicated.

Both/And is a candid and heartbreaking chronicle of Abedin’s marriage to Anthony Weiner, what drew her to him, how much she wanted to believe in him, the devastation wrought by his betrayals—and their shared love for their son. It is also a timeless story of a young woman with aspirations and ideals coming into her own in high-pressure jobs and a testament to the potential for women in leadership to blaze a path forward while supporting those who follow in their footsteps.

Abedin’s journey through the opportunities and obstacles, the trials and triumphs, of a full and complex life is a testament to her profound belief that in an increasingly either/or world, she can be both/and. Abedin’s compassion and courage, her resilience and grace, her work ethic and mission are an inspiration to people of all ages."

New Books

(Brief Political Rant: I've been so dismayed to read about what's going on in schools in the US. In Florida they passed a law banning teaching subjects (CRT, which they don't, actually) that might make white children uncomfortable about their history. School boards are now banning books, demanding teachers wear body cams so their teaching can be monitored. They are going into schools and libraries and removing books that they deem to be uncomfortable. The most recent book was Maus, a graphic novel by Art Spiegleman, presenting an interview with his father, a concentration camp survivor. This was deemed unacceptable due to unacceptable language and nudity. Note that it's mouse nudity! This book was banned by a Tennessee school board. How soon before they start burning books?? Anyway, these actions have caused a backlash; sales of Maus, for one, have resulted in sellouts. I have ordered a copy. Don't let your country be turned into a fascist state! That applies to any country, btw. Rant ended)

1. Ensign Flandry by Poul Anderson (Ensign Flandry #1).

"Introducing...Dominic Flandry.

Before he's through he'll have saved worlds and become the confidante of emperors. But for now he's seventeen years old, as fresh and brash a sprig of the nobility as you would care to know. The only thing as damp as the place behind his ears is the ink on his brand-new commission.

Though through this and his succeeding adventures he will struggle gloriously and win (usually) mighty victories, Dominic Flandry is essentially a tragic figure: a man who knows too much, who knows that battle, scheme and even betray as he will, in the end it will mean nothing. For with the relentlessness of physical law the Long Night approaches. The Terran Empire is dying..."

2. Enough Rope by Dorothy Parker (1926).

"Known as the wittiest woman in America and a founder of the fabled Algonquin Round Table, Dorothy Parker was also one of the Jazz Age's most beloved poets. Her verbal dexterity and cynical humor were on full display in the many poems she published in Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and Life and collected in her first book in 1926. The poems in Enough Rope range from lighthearted self-deprecation to acid-tongued satire, all the while gleefully puncturing sentimental cliches about the relations between men and women."

3. Death in Daylesford by Kerry Greenwood (Phryne Fisher #21).

"When a mysterious invitation for a spa holiday arrives for Miss Phryne Fisher from an unknown retired Captain Herbert Spencer, Phryne's curiosity is piqued. Spencer runs a retreat in Victoria's rural spa country for shell-shocked veterans of World War I. It's a cause after Phryne's own heart, but what can Spencer want from her?

Phryne and her faithful servant Dot set out for Daylesford, viewing their rural sojourn as a short holiday. While Dot gets to know the remarkable women who run the hotel where they are lodging, Phryne enjoys an enticing meal--and dessert--with the attractive Captain Spencer. But their relaxation is short-lived as they are thrown into treacherous Highland gatherings, a mysterious case of disappearing women, and a string of murders committed under their very noses. Meanwhile, back at home, Phryne's three wards are busy solving a mystery of their own when a schoolmate is found floating facedown near the docks--and pregnant at the time of her death.

With her usual pluck and deft thinking, Phryne methodically investigates the strange goings-on in this anything-but-tranquil spa town."

4. Letters Across the Sea by Genevieve Graham (2021).

"Inspired by a little-known chapter of World War II history, a young Protestant girl and her Jewish neighbour are caught up in the terrible wave of hate sweeping the globe on the eve of war in this powerful love story that’s perfect for fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

If you’re reading this letter, that means I’m dead. I had obviously hoped to see you again, to explain in person, but fate had other plans.

1933

At eighteen years old, Molly Ryan dreams of becoming a journalist, but instead she spends her days working any job she can to help her family through the Depression crippling her city. The one bright spot in her life is watching baseball with her best friend, Hannah Dreyfus, and sneaking glances at Hannah’s handsome older brother, Max.

But as the summer unfolds, more and more of Hitler’s hateful ideas cross the sea and “Swastika Clubs” and “No Jews Allowed” signs spring up around Toronto, a city already simmering with mass unemployment, protests, and unrest. When tensions between the Irish and Jewish communities erupt in a riot one smouldering day in August, Molly and Max are caught in the middle, with devastating consequences for both their families.

1939

Six years later, the Depression has eased and Molly is a reporter at her local paper. But a new war is on the horizon, putting everyone she cares about most in peril. As letters trickle in from overseas, Molly is forced to confront what happened all those years ago, but is it too late to make things right?"

5. Thus Was Adonis Murdered by Sarah Caudwell (Hilary Tamar #1 / 1981).

 

 

 

 

 

  

"The first mystery in Caudwell's popular series featuring amateur investigator Hilary Tamar and a cast of clever and trouble-prone young London barristers. When a young man is found dead in Julia Larwood's bed, her barrister friends are the only ones who can uncover the truth of this masterpiece of murder."

6. Introducing the Toff by John Creasey (The Toff #1).

 

 

 

 

 

  

"Whilst returning home from a cricket match at his father's country home, the Honourable Richard Rollison - alias The Toff -comes across an accident which proves to be a mystery. As he delves deeper into the matter with his usual perseverance and thoroughness , murder and suspense form the backdrop to a fast moving and exciting adventure."

7. While the Patient Slept by Mignon G. Eberhart (Sarah Keate #2).

"On a blustery February day Sarah Keate arrives at a gloomy mansion to nurse old Adolph Federie, bed-bound after a stroke. Meeting the patient sets off an alarm inside her, but fleeing the house is impossible. The redoubtable red-haired nurse is stuck there with a strange coterie and a black cat named Genevieve. "

8. The Devil May Dance by Jake Tapper (Charlie & Margaret Marder #2).

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Charlie and Margaret Marder, political stars in 1960s Washington DC, know all too well how the tangled web of power in the nation's capital can operate. But while they long to settle into the comforts of home, Attorney General Robert Kennedy has other plans. He needs them to look into a potential threat not only to the presidency, but to the security of the United States itself.

Charlie and Margaret quickly find themselves on a flight to sunny Los Angeles, where they’ll face off against a dazzling world of stars and studios. At the center of their investigation is Frank Sinatra, a close friend of President John F. Kennedy and a rumored mob crony, whom Charlie and Margaret must befriend to get the inside scoop. But in a town built on illusions, where friends and foes all look alike, nothing is easy, and drinks by the pool at the Sands and late-night adventures with the Rat Pack soon lead to a body in the trunk of their car. Before they know it, Charlie and Margaret are being pursued by sinister forces from Hollywood’s stages to the newly founded Church of Scientology, facing off against the darkest and most secret side of Hollywood’s power.

As the Academy Awards loom, and someone near and dear to Margaret goes missing, Charlie and Margaret find the clock is not only ticking but running out. Someone out there knows what they’ve uncovered and can’t let them leave alive. Corruption and ambition form a deadly mix in this fast-paced sequel to The Hellfire Club."

9. The Black Swan by Winston Graham (Poldark #5).

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Cornwall 1794. The birth of a son to Elizabeth and George Warleggan serves only to accentuate the rift between the Poldark and Warleggan families. And when Morwenna Chynoweth, now governess to Elizabeth's eldest son, grows to love Drake Carne, Demelza's brother, the enduring rivalry between George and Ross finds a new focus for bitter enmity and conflict."

10. Murder and Mendelssohn by Kerry Greenwood (Phryne Fisher #20).

"An orchestral conductor has been found dead and Detective Inspector Jack Robinson needs the delightfully incisive and sophisticated Miss Fisher's assistance to enter a world in which he is at sea. Hugh Tregennis, not much liked by anyone, has been murdered in a most flamboyant mode by a killer with a point to prove. But how many killers is Phryne really stalking?

At the same time, the dark curls, disdainful air and the lavender eyes of mathematician and code-breaker Rupert Sheffield are taking Melbourne by storm. They've certainly taken the heart of Phryne's old friend from the trenches of WW1, John Wilson. Phryne recognizes Sheffield as a man who attracts danger and is determined to protect John from harm.

Even with the faithful Dot, Mr and Mrs Butler, and all in her household ready to pull their weight, Phryne's task is complex. While Mendelssohn's Elijah, memories of the Great War, and the science of deduction ring in her head, Phryne's past must also play its part as MI6 become involved in the tangled web of murders."

11. Poison Flower by Thomas Perry (Jane Whitefield #7).

"Poison Flower, the seventh novel in Thomas Perry's celebrated Jane Whitefield series, opens as Jane spirits James Shelby, a man unjustly convicted of his wife's murder, out of the heavily guarded criminal court building in downtown Los Angeles. But the price of Shelby's freedom is high. Within minutes, men posing as police officers kidnap Jane and, when she tries to escape, shoot her. Jane's captors are employees of the man who really killed Shelby's wife. He believes he won't be safe until Shelby is dead, and his men will do anything to force Jane to reveal Shelby's hiding place.

But Jane endures their torment, and is willing to die rather than betray Shelby. Jane manages to escape but she is alone, wounded, thousands of miles from home with no money and no identification, hunted by the police as well as her captors. She must rejoin Shelby, reach his sister before the hunters do, and get them both to safety.In this unrelenting, breathtaking cross-country battle, Jane survives by relying on the traditions of her Seneca ancestors. When at last Jane turns to fight, her enemies face a cunning and ferocious warrior who has one weapon that they don't."

12. Tarzan and the Forbidden City by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan #20).

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Tarzan cared little for the fate of adventurer Brian Gregory, drawn to the legendary city of Ashair by the rumor of the Father of Diamonds, the world's hugest gem. But to the ape-man the tie of friendship was unbreakable, and Paul d'Arnot's pleas moved him to agree to guide the expedition Gregory's father and sister organized for his rescue. The enigmatic Atan Thome was also obsessed with the Father of Diamonds, and planted agents in the Gregory safari to spy out its route and sabotage its efforts. Both parties reached their goal, remote Ashair . . . as prisoners of its priests, doomed to die in loathsome rites."

13.  Don't Mess with Mrs In-Between by Liz Evans (PI Grace Smith #3).

"When Barbra Delaney comes into Grace Smith's office, looks her in the eye and announces, 'I'm filthy rich and I've decided to make a will leaving the lot to a complete stranger. I've chosen you...', Grace thinks she may be hallucinating. It is, after all, the stuff of which daydreams are made. That is until Barbra hands Grace the photographs of three complete strangers, and tells her to find their names and addresses so that she can will all her dear departed husband's worldly goods to them. But, as Grace tracks down the lucky legatees, she discovers that they all have their own reasons for not wanting her poking around in their lives. When a series of increasingly violent events culminates in a very nasty death, it seems that someone will stop at nothing - not even murder - to stop Grace finding out the truth ..."

 

14. Let Me Tell You What I Mean by Joan Didion (2021).

"Ten pieces never before collected that offer an illuminating glimpse into the mind and process of a legendary writer

Here are six pieces written in 1968 from the "Points West" Saturday Evening Post column Joan Didion shared from 1964 to 1969 with her husband, John Gregory Dunne about: American newspapers; a session with Gamblers Anonymous; a visit to San Simeon; being rejected by Stanford; dropping in on Nancy Reagan, wife of the then-governor of California, while a TV crew filmed her at home; and an evening at the annual reunion of WWII veterans from the 101st Airborne Association at the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas. Here too is a 1976 piece from the New York Times magazine on "Why I Write"; a piece about short stories from New West in 1978; and from The New Yorker, a piece on Hemingway from 1998, and on Martha Stewart from 2000. Each one is classic Didion: incisive, bemused, and stunningly prescient."

 

15. The Shrinking Man by Richard Matheson (1956).

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Fleeing, he glanced back across his shoulder and saw that the spider was gaining on him, its pulsing egg of a body perched on running legs - and egg whose yolk swam with killing poisons. He raced on, breathless, terror in his veins...

Scott Carey's life was good. He was a regular guy, normal wife, normal house, normal job. He was even normal-sized... until the fog passed over...

He was the size of a doll when the cellar door slammed - and locked - behind him....

He was the size of a match-stick when the Black Widow spider awakened to feed..."

16. The Institute by Stephen King (2019).

"In the middle of the night, in a house on a quiet street in suburban Minneapolis, intruders silently murder Luke Ellis’s parents and load him into a black SUV. The operation takes less than two minutes. Luke will wake up at The Institute, in a room that looks just like his own, except there’s no window. And outside his door are other doors, behind which are other kids with special talents—telekinesis and telepathy—who got to this place the same way Luke did: Kalisha, Nick, George, Iris, and ten-year-old Avery Dixon. They are all in Front Half. Others, Luke learns, graduated to Back Half, “like the roach motel,” Kalisha says. “You check in, but you don’t check out.”

In this most sinister of institutions, the director, Mrs. Sigsby, and her staff are ruthlessly dedicated to extracting from these children the force of their extra-normal gifts. There are no scruples here. If you go along, you get tokens for the vending machines. If you don’t, punishment is brutal. As each new victim disappears to Back Half, Luke becomes more and more desperate to get out and get help. But no one has ever escaped from the Institute."

17. The Slaves of Heaven by Edmund Cooper (1974).

"Our far future descendants are primitive, earth-bound people, preyed upon by silver-clad beings who descend from the sky. Berry, chief of the nomadic Londos clan, devises a defensive strategy to protect his people from the Night Comers. But the gleaming giants are indifferent to Berry's fiercest warriors with their arrows & carry off Londos women as they always have, effortlessly. Furious with frustration & doomed to disgrace & death at the hands of his disappointed tribe anyway, Berry recklessly pursues the Night Corners & finds a giant tower is, of course, tho Berry Doesn't recognize it, a space vehicle. It seizes him, taking him to a world of technological complexity & social sophistication beyond his wildest imaginings. It's a world that despises his crudeness & determines to kill him since he won't be submissive. But it is a decadent world. Berry's resourcefulness & deadly skills enable the primitive man to run a world-spanning chase for his life--& for the existence both of the Night Comer's world & his own earth as well."

18. Small g: A Summer Idyll by Patricia Highsmith (1994).

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Finally published in the United States ten years after Patricia Highsmith's death, Small g, in the words of her biographer Andrew Wilson, is an "extended fairy tale suggesting that…happiness is precarious and…romance should be embraced."

In unmistakable Highsmithian fashion, the novel opens in a seedy Zurich bar with the brutal murder of Peter Ritter. Unraveling the vagaries of love, sexuality, jealousy, and death, Highsmith weaves a mystery both hilarious and astonishing, a classic tale executed with her characteristic penchant for darkness. Small g is at once an exorcism of Highsmith's literary demons and a revelatory capstone to a wholly remarkable career. It is a delightfully incantatory work that, in the tradition of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, shows us how bizarre and unpredictable love can be."

19. The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss (Kingkiller Chronicle #2).

"My name is Kvothe.

I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.

You may have heard of me.

So begins the tale of a hero told from his own point of view — a story unequaled in fantasy literature. Now in The Wise Man's Fear, an escalating rivalry with a powerful member of the nobility forces Kvothe to leave the University and seek his fortune abroad. Adrift, penniless, and alone, he travels to Vintas, where he quickly becomes entangled in the politics of courtly society. While attempting to curry favor with a powerful noble, Kvothe uncovers an assassination attempt, comes into conflict with a rival arcanist, and leads a group of mercenaries into the wild, in an attempt to solve the mystery of who (or what) is waylaying travelers on the King's Road.

All the while, Kvothe searches for answers, attempting to uncover the truth about the mysterious Amyr, the Chandrian, and the death of his parents. Along the way, Kvothe is put on trial by the legendary Adem mercenaries, is forced to reclaim the honor of the Edema Ruh, and travels into the Fae realm. There he meets Felurian, the faerie woman no man can resist, and who no man has ever survived ... until Kvothe.

In The Wise Man's Fear, Kvothe takes his first steps on the path of the hero and learns how difficult life can be when a man becomes a legend in his own time."

20. Cold Days by Jim Butcher (Dresden #14).

"You can't keep a good wizard down - even when he wants to stay that way.

For years, Harry Dresden has been Chicago's only professional wizard, but a bargain made in desperation with the Queen of Air and Darkness has forced him into a new job: professional killer.

Mab, the mother of wicked faeries, has restored the mostly-dead wizard to health, and dispatches him upon his first mission - to bring death to an immortal. Even as he grapples with the impossible task, Dresden learns of a looming danger to Demonreach, the living island hidden upon Lake Michigan, a place whose true purpose and dark potential have the potential to destroy billions and to land Dresden in the deepest trouble he has ever known - even deeper than being dead. How messed up is that?

Beset by his new enemies and hounded by the old, Dresden has only twenty four hours to reconnect with his old allies, prevent a cataclysm and do the impossible - all while the power he bargained to get - but never meant to keep - lays siege to his very soul.

Magic. It can get a guy killed."

21. Ammonite by Nicola Griffith (1992).

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Change or die. These are the only options available on the planet Jeep. Centuries earlier, a deadly virus shattered the original colony, killing the men and forever altering the few surviving women. Now, generations after the colony has lost touch with the rest of humanity, a company arrives to exploit Jeep - and its forces find themselves fighting for their lives. Terrified of spreading the virus, the company abandons its employees, leaving them afraid and isolated from the natives. In the face of this crisis, anthropologist Marghe Taishan arrives to test a new vaccine. As she risks death to uncover the women's biological secret, she finds that she, too, is changing - and realizes that not only has she found a home on Jeep, but that she alone carries the seeds of its destruction."

22. Sleep No More: Six Murderous Tales by P.D. James (2017).

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Put your feet up and enjoy a good read! Longtime P. D. James fans will devour these short tales of criminality and deception, each one a pleasure, evocative and engrossing. Including several stories originally published in magazines, this enchanting arrangement of memorable whodunits treats the reader to atmospheric storytelling, mysteries to be solved, and enjoyable puzzles that will keep you guessing. With wit and warmth, P. D. James pays tribute to her English crime-writing forebears, delighting in the dark secrets that lurk beneath the surface of quintessentially English settings.

Sleep No More is a beautifully produced, rare gift book, and an exciting addition to the P. D. James library, offering her devoted readers a glimpse of earlier work never before collected between two covers, and--for those who come newly to it--a delightful place to begin."

Whew.. Well, there you go. I guess I need to do more regular updates.. lol..