Thursday, January 31, 2013

Publish or Perish: Margot Kinberg

The setting is academia: a university in Pennsylvania. I always enjoy a good academic mystery. Professors and  students are interesting, but I hope all of them are not as back-biting and immoral as the ones here. I know that the academic setting is a competitive one, although I have no first-hand knowledge of this. (I do work for a community college, but do not work directly with academics.)


Here we get a picture of a particularly divisive department and what can go wrong when promotion and status are too important.

This is a quickly paced, entertaining read. I liked the semi-amateur detective, Joel Williams, who treads very lightly as he works to help the police with their investigation of the death of a graduate student.  I describe him as semi-amateur because he is an ex-policeman who now teaches in the university's Department of Criminal Justice.

It is nice to read a detective story where the policemen (and ex-policemen) are likeable and mature and not scarred by their life. There is also a good subplot about a group of students investigating the murder. The cover of the book hints at the crime being related to computer technology. A traditional mystery in a contemporary setting.

All of the books I have read in January (to this point) have been under 300 pages, and some have been under 200 pages. I have enjoyed reading some quick, pithy books vs. the overly long books that have become more prevalent lately. This one is just over 200 pages. A quick read. I read it in a day, and that is always a good sign for me. I highly recommend this book.

From Margot Kinberg's page at Goodreads:
 The second in Kinberg's Joel Williams series is B-Very Flat, in which Williams helps to solve the murder of a young violin virtuosa who dies suddenly on the night of an important musical competition.
I am looking forward to reading that novel also.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Social Justice Theme Read

February is fast approaching. In that month, I plan to read some books for a Social Justice theme read. This event is hosted by Rachel at Resistance is Futile. (Isn't that a great name for a blog?)


Here is Rachel's description:

"In honor of the World Day of Social Justice (February 20th), I am hosting the first Annual Social Justice Theme Read during the month of February. I hope that this theme read will educate us on social injustice in the world and allow us to appreciate organizations that have been working for social justice locally and world-wide."

There will be two read-alongs:
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee (for the classics/literature crowd)
Noughts & Crosses, by Malorie Blackman (for the YA/Dystopia crowd)
Check out this post for more information. Also this more recent post that has dates for the read-alongs.

I will be reading To Kill a Mockingbird. I am also planning to read Devil in a Blue Dress, the first in a mystery series by Walter Mosley that combines detective fiction with themes of racial disparity and social injustices experienced by racial minorities. I will be on the lookout for other books that will fit the theme.


Monday, January 28, 2013

Archie Meets Nero Wolfe: Robert Goldsborough

I am a long-time fan of the Nero Wolfe series by Rex Stout. I have even read all the additional Nero Wolfe titles authored by Robert Goldsborough.  So I was very interested when I heard that a new prequel to the series by Goldsborough was going to be published. And very pleased to read that some other fans of the original series were happy with the new book.

The question here is whether this novel can be enjoyed equally by readers who are familiar with the original series and readers who have read little or none of the Nero Wolfe series. I can speak only to the first set of readers. I suspect that the book is of more interest to those who are looking for more Nero Wolfe and Archie, and who know what has come before. Of course, those same readers may tend to pick the book apart if it doesn't hold up to their expectations.

I found this to be a very satisfactory read. I enjoyed this picture of how Nero Wolfe meets Archie and decides to offer him employment. I especially liked the portrayal of Del Bascom, who never had much of a role in the original series. The mystery held my interest, especially because it fleshes out a case that is mentioned in Fer-de-Lance, the first Rex Stout book featuring Nero and Archie. The culprit was not obvious to me.

The only characterizations that I found jarring compared to the original series were the portrayals of Saul and Orrie.  Saul just didn't seem right, but I was OK with the portrayal. Orrie seemed to be much nastier than he was in the books by Rex Stout, although I do remember Archie resenting Orrie's frequent attempts to ingratiate himself with Wolfe. The portrayals I was most interested in were Archie as a young man, and Wolfe, and they seemed fine to me. Some reviews seem to have a problem with the timeline between this book and the Stout series, but I did not notice the problem. If there was a discrepancy, then I am happy to see this as an alternate Nero Wolfe universe.

I expected Archie to start working for Wolfe (directly, not through an agency) sooner in the book, but the progression of the relationship makes more sense as it is told here. It leaves the situation open for Goldsborough to do some more prequels, maybe.

Some other views of this novel are at Classic Mysteries, at Traditional Mysteries, at At the Scene of the Crime, and at In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

The Caves of Steel: Isaac Asimov

This is the second book by Isaac Asimov that I have read this month, and I am hooked on his writing. I am not new to Asimov, but it has been a while, and my tastes have changed. I found that his story telling abilities still keep me interested. His characters are a little less compelling, but are fleshed out as the stories proceeds.

Summary from the back of the paperback edition:
A millennium into the future two advancements have altered the course of human history: the colonization of the galaxy and the creation of the positronic brain. Isaac Asimov's Robot novels chronicle the unlikely partnership between a New York City detective and a humanoid robot who must learn to work together.
The novel blends science fiction and mystery. This was the goal of the author as stated in the introduction in my edition of the book: "I sat down to write a story that would be a classic mystery and that would not cheat the reader — and yet would be a true science-fiction story."

Our hero is New York City police detective Elijah Baley. His boss, the Commissioner of Police, has instructed him to go to Spacetown to investigate a murder, a very unexpected request.


I was captivated by the descriptions of the world Asimov has invented. The introduction to Spacetown is especially well done. I liked the chapter titles, such as "Introduction to a Family." There the reader learns not only Baley's family life, but also living conditions in the City.

This novel presents a picture of a very overpopulated earth where the basics of life are regulated to be able to support the huge population. The relationship between the earthlings and the Spacers was not immediately clear and Asimov reveals this gradually throughout the book.

As the investigation moves along, Baley makes a couple of false guesses about the identity of the culprit, and each time we learn more about the overall situation in his job and family life and the prevailing culture on earth. As new facts are revealed to him, he fights against the logical conclusions because it challenges his view of life on earth.

The story raises philosophical issues: How the regular residents of earth react to the perceived superiority of the Spacers, and why they are fearful of robots. A big issue is robots taking over jobs of humans, and in today's world, that is still a concern.

This review at SF Reviews.net describes it well:
The Caves of Steel goes beyond the boundaries imposed by genre convention. More than merely an entertaining whodunnit, this novel is ultimately about humanity's need to overcome the fears and prejudices which senselessly prevent our own betterment as a species. For 1953, it was a revolutionary idea. Today, it might seem old hat, but, if ongoing racial strife is any indication, it's an idea we still sorely need.
I read this book as a part of the 2013 Sci-Fi Experience at Stainless Steel Droppings.
Check out the Review Site for the Sci-Fi Experience here to see other blogger's reviews and related posts.

I am also submitting this post for The Vintage Science Fiction Month not-a-challenge at the Little Red Reviewer. For that event participants will be "talking about time travel, laser guns, early robotics, first contact, swords and sorcery, predictions for humanity and the authors who came up with it all. Haphazardly, the defining year for 'vintage' is 1979."

Both Margot at Conversations of a Mystery Novelist... and Sergio at Tipping my Fedora recommended this novel to me. I am grateful to both of them. Margot has an In the Spotlight post on this novel, which goes into much more detail.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

A Blogging Award


This blog has been in existence less than a year and it is amazing how much enjoyment I have derived from blogging, sharing my thoughts on books, and learning from other bloggers during that time.

I started blogging to write about the books I read (mostly mysteries) and to be able to remember what I like about a book or an author and why. (I am getting older. It is amazing how fast the plot and other characteristics of a book disappear from my mind.) I like to do research, so I get to add a little research about an author or a book now and then. Without the stress of it being work.

Just recently, I learned that Sergio at Tipping My Fedora had included me in his list of bloggers deserving of the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award.


The ‘rules’ for the award are simple:
1. Select the blog(s) you think deserve the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award
2. Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen – there’s no minimum or maximum number of blogs required – and ‘present’ them with their award.
3. Please include a link back to this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award at The Thought Palette and include these ‘rules’ in your post (please don’t alter the rules or the badges!)
4. Let the blog(s) you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the ‘rules’ with them
5. You can now also join our Facebook page – click the link here ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award Facebook page.
6. As a winner of the award – please add a link back to the blog that presented you with the award – and then proudly display the award on your blog and sidebar.

I am very appreciative of Sergio's vote and I am taking this opportunity to list some other blogs that I find both informative and entertaining. Awards are subjective, but this is the perfect opportunity to express my appreciation in turn.

Tipping My Fedora would of course be on my list, but he already has six votes. I could say something about each of these blogs but the best thing to do is go and check them out yourself. All of these books have added books to my To Be Read stacks or taught me new and wondrous things, and often both.

So here is my list of blogs (in no order):






Tuesday, January 22, 2013

The Thin Man: Dashiell Hammett

Bill Pronzini is not very fond of this novel, based on his review in 1001 Midnights: The Aficionado's Guide to Mystery and Detective Fiction. Here is an excerpt from that review:
The Thin Man is Hammett’s last and weakest novel. By the time it was written, he had begun his affair with Lillian Hellman, been embraced and financially enriched by Hollywood, and adopted a freewheeling, alcoholic, pseudo-sophisticated life style not dissimilar to the one depicted in these pages.  He had, in short, lost touch with everything that had made his earlier work so innovative and powerful — his background as a Pinkerton detective, his contacts in the underworld, the lean years spent in a San Francisco flat painstakingly writing stories for Black Mask.
After watching the first two Thin Man movies in December, I wanted to refresh my memory of the novel. I remembered the unending night clubbing and drinking, but I did not remember the grittiness.
I found the story to be dark, but it was told with humor. If you have seen the Thin Man movie, the banter and quips in that movie show up in the book also. My last post has my comments on the movie.

Nick and Nora Charles are a well-to-do couple. They have a loving and playful relationship. Nora has inherited money; Nick manages the money (with the help of friends with more business knowledge). Nick is a former private investigator who is pulled reluctantly into an investigation into the disappearance of Clyde Wynant (the "thin man" of the title).

The family of the missing man is eccentric, to put it mildly. There is a host of other shady characters and you are never sure who is telling the truth.

I enjoyed the novel. It is the only novel I have read by Dashiell Hammett, so I cannot make comparisons to other books. I do know that this novel is less highly regarded than his other novels by some.

This exchange between Nick and Nora near the end of the novel illustrates the juxtaposition of the indulgent lifestyle with the harder side of Nick.
She laughed. "All right, all right. Still want to leave for San Francisco tomorrow?"
"Not unless you are in a hurry. Let's stick around awhile. This excitement has put us behind in our drinking."

"It’s all right by me. What do you think will happen to Mimi and Dorothy and Gilbert now?”
“Nothing new. They’ll go on being Mimi and Dorothy and Gilbert just as you and I will go on being us and the Quinns will go on being the Quinns. Murder doesn't round out anybody's life except the murdered's and sometimes the murderer's. ”
I hope to read one or more novels by Hammett later in the year to sample his more hard-boiled writing; specifically The Maltese Falcon or The Glass Key.

Submitted for the Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge (Yankee Doodle Dandy category)

Monday, January 21, 2013

The Thin Man and After the Thin Man (films)

We watched The Thin Man and After the Thin Man between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. The two movies make a good pair because one follows the other immediately in time. The Thin Man takes place for a few days around Christmas. In After the Thin Man, the couple arrives back home in San Francisco on New Year's Eve. They have been favorite movies in our household for many years, and we never tire of them.

 
Just in case you are not familiar with the premise of the movies, the first movie is adapted from the book of the same name by Dashiell Hammett. From here on, I am mostly talking about the movies, because it is a very loose adaptation. 

Nick and Nora Charles are a rich couple. Nick was a private investigator before they got married, and Nora wants him to investigate a murder of an old acquaintance of his. He wants to stay out of it. Guess who wins? 

Nick and Nora drink a lot. Nick has lots of friends and acquaintances who are on the shady side. There is lots of witty dialog. These are definitely not realistic mysteries, but they are a lot of fun. And I have not even mentioned Asta, the dog, another star of these movies.

W. S. Van Dyke directed both of these movies (and the next two in the series). Per an article at the Turner Classic Movies site: 
The Thin Man was shot on a "B"-movie budget, very quickly -- accounts vary between 12 and 18 days. Not for nothing was Van Dyke dubbed "One-Take Woody."
Nick and Nora are played by William Powell and Myrna Loy. They are perfect in those roles. Also at TCM, how Powell and Loy were selected for the parts:
He [Van Dyke] had just directed Manhattan Melodrama (1934), starring Clark Gable, William Powell, and Myrna Loy, and had been struck by the chemistry between Powell and Loy. The two had developed a bantering friendship, and their between-the-scenes repartee was charming and lighthearted. That was exactly what The Thin Man needed. MGM executives didn't agree. Both actors came with a lot of baggage, and studio bosses couldn't see them as the glamorous detective duo.
The cinematographer for the first movie was James Wong Howe, who filmed many other well-known movies, including Yankee Doodle Dandy (my favorite) and Sweet Smell of Success (one of my husband’s favorites).

These two movies were followed by four other Thin Man movies. I have seen all of them, but the first two are the ones we watch over and over again. The third movie also has a good reputation. See this post at Traditional Mysteries.

I did not read the book The Thin Man until a few years ago. I was very surprised to find that Nick and Nora drink just as much in the book as in the movies. While trying to write up my thoughts about this movie, I felt compelled to re-read the book. The plot of the movie is close to the book, but the tone of the book is much darker. The five sequels to The Thin Man movie had no connection to the book. The thin man in the book is not Nick Charles, but I assume they wanted to continue with that title to tie the movies together.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

What's in a Name 6

You can tell from the title that this challenge is in its 6th year. However, this is the first year that I will attempt the What's in a Name Challenge, hosted at Beth Fish Reads. The challenge is to read six books, each with a specific word or item in the title.


Between January 1 and December 31, 2013, read one book in each of the following categories:
1. A book with up or down (or equivalent) in title
2. A book with something you'd find in your kitchen in title
3. A book with a party or celebration in title
4. A book with fire (or equivalent) in title
5. A book with an emotion in title
6. A book with lost or found (or equivalent) in title

Other Things to Know

  • Books may be any form (audio, print, e-book).
  • Books may overlap other challenges.
  • Books may not overlap categories; you need a different book for each category.
  • Creativity for matching the categories is not only allowed but encouraged.
  • You do not have to make a list of books before hand.
  • You do not have to read through the categories in any particular order.
For more explanation and to sign up, go HERE.  It's never too late to join!

I will list the books I read here:
The Last Houseparty by Peter Dickinson
Forty Words for Sorrow by Giles Blunt


Chunkster Challenge 2013




Another 2013 Reading Challenge I plan to participate in. Last year I joined and read four chunky books. Each book has to be 450 pages or more in length and must be adult literature, non-fiction or fiction. No audio books or e-books (there are some exceptions). The complete rules and sign-up post is HERE.

I am signing up for the Chubby Chunkster level (4 BOOKS). I am definitely dabbling. I am enjoying reading shorter books in the last month, and I think such long books will be an exception for me.

I am already planning to read these two books, and both are over 650 pages:
The Meaning of Night by Michael Cox (fiction, historical mystery)
The Third Reich in Power by Richard J. Evans (non-fiction, history)
Some other possibilities, according to my book cataloging system:
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The Alienist by Caleb Carr
Blackout by Connie Willis
A Carrion Death by Michael Stanley
My choices... reviews will be linked when written


British Books Challenge 2013

I just ran into another challenge I want to participate in. I saw the British Books Challenge  last year but did not join. I am signing up for the 2013 edition of the challenge now hosted by Feeling Fictional. The challenge involves reading books by British authors.

An overview:
The books can be in print or out. Old or new titles. They can be from any genre and for any age range.

If you sign up for the Challenge you will be aiming to read at least 12 books by British Authors (which works out to one a month).
The complete rules and sign up can be accessed HERE.


I will list the books I read here:
Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
The Smoke by Tony Broadbent
The Last Houseparty by Peter Dickinson
Crooked House by Agatha Christie
The Loyal Servant by Eva Hudson
The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
The Stately Home Murder by Catherine Aird
The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie
The Dark Winter by David Mark

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Murder at the Vicarage: Agatha Christie

This novel is the first in the Miss Marple series by Agatha Christie and was published in 1930. The story is set in the village of St. Mary Mead. A very unpopular resident of the village is murdered in the vicar's study. The vicar, and Miss Marple, get involved in figuring out who the murderer could be.


Mysteries by Agatha Christie are hard to review. Christie is so well known and so revered that it is hard to add anything new. I am on a quest to read one Agatha Christie novel a month this year, and discover what I like and dislike about her novels. I have read only four of her novels (including this one) in the last few years, and I enjoyed three of them. Very encouraging. (The one I did not enjoy was her first published novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles.)

It has been so long since I read a Miss Marple mystery that I don't remember which ones I read, how many, or anything about the stories. I was surprised to find that this one was told in first person, and also that there were no further Miss Marple mysteries for another twelve years. A book of short stories was published in 1932, and six of those stories were actually written and published prior to the publication of Murder at the Vicarage.


This is part of a brief description of this book from Robert Barnard, in his book, A Talent to Deceive:
Our first glimpse of St Mary Mead, a hotbed of burglary, impersonation, adultery and ultimately murder. What is it precisely that people find so cosy about such stories?
I will be counting this book for the Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge, hosted by Socrates Book Reviews because it fits the definition perfectly. But I agree with Robert Barnard, this book describes the dark side of English village life.

What did I like?

I liked the way the story was told: first person narration by the Vicar. There is a lot of subtle humor. I enjoyed the relationship between the Vicar and his much younger wife.  The mystery was interesting. I did guess who did it, but I was never sure until the solution was revealed.

I was surprised, and delighted, to find that the Miss Marple in this book is not a sweet old woman. She is very perceptive and sees the evil that is hidden underneath the surface in the village. The vicar's wife describes her as a "nasty old cat." She also says... "That kind of old cat is always right."

Overall, this was a very enjoyable read for me.

I  read this book for the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge, hosted by  Mysteries In Paradise. If you are interested in joining in, here are instructions on how to do that.

Also submitted for the Vintage Mystery Challenge (Scene of the Crime).

Thursday, January 17, 2013

One Coffee With: Margaret Maron


This is a police procedural with an academic setting. A professor in the Art Department of Vanderlyn College in New York City is poisoned. Lt. Sigrid Harald and her assistant are brought in to investigate.

In some ways this is a typical police procedural, but the female protagonist and her emotional issues bring another facet to the story. She is a good policeman but knows she only got her position to fill requirements for hiring women. And she is resented by the men she works with. This book was published in the early 1980's. 

When I first started reading this book I felt like the writing was too dry, maybe too stilted. After a while I got used to the style. It kept reminding me of something else I had read, but it took me a while to identify it. I finally figured out that the writing reminded me of the John Thatcher books by Emma Lathen and the Gregor Demarkian books by Jane Haddam. Because of the third person narration, we get the thoughts and motivations (to a certain point, of course) of many of the characters.

I enjoy reading books written in earlier times because they often give a picture of what that time and the attitudes were actually like. Some readers find such books dated, but I like them because they are dated. At this post on the author's blog, she discusses this in the introduction to the e-book edition.

I also found Harald's emotional issues interesting. She is not "damaged," as are many police protagonists in mysteries, but she keeps her emotions under tight control, to the point of iciness. There are issues related to her father, a policeman who was killed while on duty when she was young.

The author, Margaret Maron, won many awards for the first novel in her second series, Bootlegger's Daughter. Maron is better known for that series. I read the first two books in that series a few years ago and did not want to continue it, but I may check them out again.

There are seven more books in the Sigrid Harald series. The last was published in 1995. I definitely want to read more of this series. In The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Modern Crime Fiction, Mike Ashley notes that "MM regards this series as one long serial -- in fact the first eight books span only one year and have reached a natural conclusion." I find that very intriguing.

At Margot Kinberg's blog, Confessions of a Mystery Novelist..., there is an In the Spotlight post for One Coffee With.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Bink the Cat


My husband wrote this tribute to our cat.
Bink died yesterday at a very ripe age. She always lied about it but we think she was 18. The last two days saw her decline rapidly and - while the vet offered to try and prolong things - we all thought it was time to go.

All hail Bink. Mummy fighter extraordinaire and classy looking dame. Truthfully though, her bathroom habits did leave something to be desired.
I miss Bink terribly. The house has three adults, but seems empty without the Binkster. I am pressuring my husband to open our home to another cat. 

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Global Reading Challenge 2013

I have been waiting for the sign up for this challenge to be available.  The challenge is hosted by Kerrie at Mysteries in Paradise. The complete rules and sign up is HERE.

I have decided to push myself and go for the Medium Challenge -- read two novels for each "continent." I am very excited about this challenge. This year I am concentrating on reading mysteries set in different countries. In addition to my other goals of reading more science fiction, fantasy, and related books. And keeping up with reading vintage mysteries and historical mysteries.

Sign In and Challenge Rules


The 2013 Global Reading Challenge (2013GRC) challenges you to expand your reading boundaries, go where you haven't been before, move a little outside your comfort zone.

You may read any genre so long as the books are fiction.  Your reading will take place in the calendar year 2013.

The Medium Challenge
Read two novels from each of these continents in the course of 2013:

Africa
Asia
Australasia
Europe
North America
South America (please include Central America where it is most convenient for you)

The Seventh Continent (here you can either choose Antarctica or your own ´seventh´ setting, eg the sea, the space, a supernatural/paranormal world, history, the future – you name it).

Try to find novels from fourteen different countries or states.

I will add my books (with links to reviews) below as I read them. I have listed a few to choose from that I already have, but I reserve the right to change my mind.

AFRICA

Ghana            Wife of the Gods by Kwei Quartey 
Botswana       A Carrion Death by Michael Stanley
South Africa   Blood Safari by Deon Meyer  

ASIA

Japan   The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino  
China   Death Of A Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong
Israel    Murder In Jerusalem by Batya Gur 


SOUTH AMERICA



AUSTRALASIA



NORTH AMERICA
Amuse Bouche by Anthony Bidulka (Canada, Saskatchewan)
The Ransom Game by Howard Engel (Canada, Ontario)

EUROPE
The Smoke by Tony Broadbent (United Kingdom)
Eye of the Red Tsar by Sam Eastland (Russia)

SEVENTH CONTINENT (Space)
Red Planet by Robert A. Heinlein
Old Man's War by John Scalzi



Books in Translation Reading Challenge 2013

Another new challenge for me. I will be participating in the Books in Translation Reading Challenge, hosted by The Introverted Reader.  This fits in with several other challenges that I am participating in: The European Reading Challenge, The Global Reading Challenge, and a five-year challenge, Around the World in 80 Books. All the books I read for those challenges will not necessarily be translations but some of them will, and I am always interested in how reading a translated book compares to reading in one's own language.


A Summary of the Guidelines
(Go here to sign up and get more details. There are links to suggestions, if you need them.)

The goal is obviously to read translations of books, from any language into the language(s) you're comfortable reading in; they don't have to be in English.

You can read any genre and any age range. Crossovers with other challenges are fine. Any format that you choose is also acceptable. The challenge will run from January 1 through December 31, 2013.

The challenge is not limited to bloggers. You can also link to a review you wrote on another site, such as GoodReads or LibraryThing.

Levels:
Beginner: Read 1-3 books in translation
Conversationalist: 4-6
Bilingual: 7-9
Linguist: 10-12


My Goal:   I will be aiming at the Conversationalist level: 4-6 books.

The books I read will be listed here:



Saturday, January 12, 2013

The End of Eternity: Isaac Asimov

I have a theory that all novels have an element of mystery to them. I don't read enough of any other genre except mystery, crime fiction, and thrillers to really test this out. But when I did read mainstream fiction and science fiction or fantasy in the past, I remember that the "mystery" elements were the ones I enjoyed. What is the problem or issue of the book? How will it be solved? What is the author going to do with this story? What will happen with the main character or the relationships?

And, coincidentally, this evaluation of The End of Eternity at NPR Books says that this book by Isaac Asimov comes close to being a mystery or thriller.
Eternity also works as a futuristic thriller and is particularly effective as a straight-up mystery novel. The last 30 pages of the book move with terrific velocity through a series of startling revelations. Asimov snaps together a dozen story elements cleverly obscured throughout the other chapters.
The End of Eternity was written in 1955, and is one of Asimov's lesser known science fiction novels. The edition I read was a reprint edition published in 2011 by Orb books. It had not been in my reading plans at all. I had picked out other books for the 2013 Sci-Fi Experience at Stainless Steel Droppings.. But my husband saw the book in Carl V.'s list of best books and films for 2012. He bought it and I decided it would be perfect for a science fiction read for this month.

This description from a review at SF Signal provides a good introduction without revealing plot details:
Andrew Harlan is an Eternal, those who live outside time, Observe and create Reality Changes which positively affect the greatest number of people throughout history. Only two periods are unaffected by them – the prehistoric age, before time travel was invented, and the far, FAR-flung future. Harlan’s skill as an Observer in the 482nd attracts the attention of Computer Twissell, who arranges for him to become a Technician (someone who actually performs the change) and teach his hobby of primitive history to a student.
I enjoyed this book very much. There is a love story which is uneven; women did not figure in the book hardly at all, which I usually find a negative. But I was not reading this book for a love story, and I thought that portion of the story worked well in the context of the overall story.

As usual with books I like a lot, it is hard to define why. Within a couple of chapters I was hooked. I liked the way the time travel issues were just handled. I am not really concerned with whether the science behind the story makes sense. There was not a lot of character development; the story was more plot and idea driven. But I found the characters to be believable and the plot entertaining and thought-provoking throughout.


Check out the Review Site for the Sci-Fi Experience here to see other blogger's reviews and related posts.



I am also submitting this post for The Vintage Science Fiction Month not-a-challenge at the Little Red Reviewer. For that event participants will be "talking about time travel, laser guns, early robotics, first contact, swords and sorcery, predictions for humanity and the authors who came up with it all. Haphazardly, the defining year for 'vintage' is 1979.".

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Wycliffe and the Three-Toed Pussy: W. J. Burley

I was not sure how much I would enjoy the Wycliffe series. I had read several of the books years and years ago and I like them then, but I have changed and my tastes have changed. Back then, I would not have read the thrillers that I enjoy now.

Wycliffe and the Three-Toed Pussy was the first book in a series of 22 books. They are police procedurals featuring Chief Superintendent Wycliffe

I am glad to say that I did enjoy the book very much. It is a traditional mystery with little violence on the page, but it definitely has an edge. The victim, Pussy Welles, was not an innocent young woman, and a lot of the villagers are not very attractive people.

Here is part of the description from the back of the edition I read (Corgi paperback edition, 1995):
Pussy Welles was dead. She lay slumped on the plain oatmeal-covered carpet, her auburn hair lustrous in the sunlight, and a jagged hole ripped by a bullet in the middle of her chest. What was even more bizarre was that the murderer had torn the shoe and stocking from her left leg, revealing that Pussy had a deformed foot bearing only three toes.
The location is a fictitious village named Kergwyns on the Cornwall coast between St. Ives and Zennor. Burley was born and bred in Cornwall, and he brings that area to life in this book.

Superintendant Wycliffe detects intuitively, walking around the village, talking informally to the residents, gathering impressions. Inspector Darley is more of a "by the book" detective, and prefers to follow established routine. They work well together because they bring different talents to the investigation.

The only negative aspect for me was Wycliffe's evident distaste for a homosexual couple. He admits that his attitude bothers him. The book was published in 1968. Possibly this is just a reflection of those times when there was less acceptance of that lifestyle.

Another plus with this book was that it was a nice length, about 220 pages. I am looking forward to continuing the series. My husband also read this book in 2012 and enjoyed it. See his review at Goodreads.

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Red Planet: Robert A. Heinlein

This is not the first book by Robert Heinlein that I read, but it has been a long, long time. It has been a few years since I have read any sci fi novels, and the ones I read most recently were published in the 1970's and 1980's.


Red Planet, first published in 1949, is about the adventure of a young boy (in his early teens?) living on Mars who leaves his boarding school to return to his parents. Many of the books Heinlein wrote in this period (through the 1950's) are described as juveniles and were originally aimed at teenagers. However, I agree with this assessment on the first page of the edition I read by the Chicago Tribune: "Readers young and old will enjoy this fast moving adventure novel."
 
What did I like about Red Planet?


I liked the story of a young man who is willing to challenge the officials in his school in order to protect his family and his way of life. The setting and the culture of earthlings living on Mars is portrayed very well as the plot unfolds, as opposed to a lot of exposition setting up the story. And the descriptions of the various types of Martian creatures that the earthlings co-exist with are vivid and interesting.
 
The protagonist, Jim Marlowe, journeys with his friend, Frank, and Willis, his "pet", across Mars. Willis is a Martian creature, a "bouncer" who looks like a hairy basketball, but a bit smaller, who at various times has different appendages that appear when needed.

I noted that Jim is the intuitive, impetuous one. Frank has more common sense, and is more practical. But they are both loyal and have integrity, which a lot of the adults around them don't have. Interestingly, when Jim's father and his friend Doctor MacRae become involved, Jim's father is the more practical one and MacRae is the more impetuous one. 

What I disliked:
I did not notice how male-centered (and chauvinistic) the story was until I got to a part where Jim's sister volunteers to help and is refused. That did not bother me a lot, because of the time the book was written. I am used to reading vintage mysteries where there may be racial slurs and women are not always depicted well.

More about the book...
After reading the book, I discovered that there are two versions. The original printed version was modified significantly by Heinlein because the publisher demanded the changes.

Per Wikipedia:
The version published in 1949 featured a number of changes forced on Heinlein by Scribner's, since it was published as part of the Heinlein juveniles. After Heinlein's death, the book was reissued by Del Rey Books as the author originally intended.

This article at The Heinlein Society website describes the differences in detail.

I do not know if I am glad or sad that I read the version as it was originally published, but from reading the article at The Heinlein Society I can see that the excised portions would improve the experience of the book for me. Some of the changes would not make much difference. Others affect how a character was portrayed and enhance relationships. I will go back and try to find a later printing but I probably won't read it for a while.

I read this book as a part of the 2013 Sci-Fi Experience at Stainless Steel Droppings. The event starts in January and runs through February. During the two months of that experience I want to read some vintage sci fi, some current sci fi, and work in at least one  book that combines mystery and science fiction. The Review Site can be found here; check out other bloggers reviews and related posts.

New (to me) Authors, October - December 2012


Today I am joining in on the meme on best new-to-me crime fiction authors 2012 at Mysteries in Paradise. The goal is to share authors that are new-to-us this year, especially the ones we liked.


This meme runs at the end of each quarter. Check out other posts for this quarter.

In the last quarter of 2012, I read five books by authors that I have never read before. Three were vintage mysteries.
  1. The House Without a Key by Earl Derr Biggers
  2. The Greene Murder Case by S. S. Van Dine
  3. The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
  4. A Trace of Smoke by Rebecca Cantrell
  5. The Cape Code Mystery by Phoebe Atwood Taylor

My top new author out of this group is Rebecca Cantrell. A Trace of Smoke is the first in a historical mystery series, set in the years between World War I and World War II, starring Hannah Vogel, a crime reporter in Berlin.  If I had not had other reading commitments at the time, I would have started reading the second book in the series immediately.

While reading the first half of this book, I was not so sure. I wasn't comfortable with the author's style of telling the story. But at the halfway point, all of a sudden I was hooked by the story, by the character; the last few chapters were a roller coaster ride. The book did not end at all like I expected, and I liked the ending a lot.


Of the vintage authors I read for the first time, I was most impressed with Earl Derr Biggers. I will definitely be reading the rest of that series also.

The book I read was the first Charlie Chan mystery, The House Without a Key. I have seen many of the Charlie Chan films, and I have always enjoyed them, but I had not read any of the books. I was pleasantly surprised that I found this first book very enjoyable. The book has a complex plot that held my interest.

Both of these books were borrowed from my husband. He has copies of the entire series for both of those (lucky me).

Friday, January 4, 2013

The Man Who Liked to Look at Himself: K. C. Constantine


K. C. Constantine is another author I am getting reacquainted with. I read some of his books years ago and have been meaning to read some more for quite a while.

Constantine has written a series that mostly features the chief of police of Rocksburg, Pennsylvania, Mario Balzic. Some of the later books feature one of his detectives, after Mario has retired. The books were written between 1972 and 2000.

This week I read the 2nd in the series (of 17 books). I was mesmerized again by the writing. I know nothing of what life in a small Pennsylvania town was like in the early 1970's, but this book made it feel real. And very gritty.

This a very short book with a very long title. For most of the book, I was wondering what the title, The Man Who Liked to Look at Himself meant. And at 155 pages, it was a quick and enjoyable read.

The crime is discovered almost immediately. A dog finds a portion of a bone which looks to be human on hunting grounds used by the police department in the fictional town of Rocksburg, Pennsylvania. More remains are found subsequently and the body is identified. The book is a whodunit but it is primarily about how and why such a crime occurred. The book also examines the community, which has been hit hard by the loss of jobs and industry in the area. The protagonist is dealing with a new boss, who has troubling racial biases.

The author, K. C. Constantine, writes beautifully and has a good command of dialogue. All of the characters are very well developed, the policemen, the suspects and the witnesses. I highly recommend this book.


Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge 2013

I know you think I am crazy to join more challenges. But this one is perfect too. All I have to do is aim to read at least one more book this year than I read last year, and I can use this one to motivate myself to track all the books I read. This year I plan for my reading to be more of a mix, more sci fi and fantasy for sure.


Reading Challenge Details:
  • Runs January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013 (books read prior to 1/1/2013 do not count towards the challenge). You can join at anytime. Sign up on The Book Vixen’s blog.
  • The goal is to outdo yourself by reading more books in 2013 than you did in 2012. You can move up a level as often as you’d like but no moving down.
  • Books can be any format (bound, ebook, audio).
  • Novellas that are at least 100 pages in length, as well as full-length novels, will count for this reading challenge.
  • Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
  • You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads or LibraryThing.
 Levels:
     Getting my heart rate up – Read 1–5 more books
     Out of breath – Read 6–10 more books
     Breaking a sweat – Read 11–15 more books
     I’m on fire! – Read 16+ more books


I am going for the easiest level: Getting my heart rate up. I read 85 books this year, so that means I am aiming at 86-90 books.

I will track all the books I read below.
  1. The Man Who Liked to Look at Himself by  K. C. Constantine
  2. Red Planet by Robert A. Heinlein
  3. The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov
  4. Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
  5. The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett
  6. Archie Meets Nero Wolfe by Robert Goldsborough
  7. The Case of the Angry Actress by E. V. Cunningham
  8. The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov
  9. Publish or Perish by Margot Kinberg
  10. The Smoke by Tony Broadbent
  11. The Last Houseparty by Peter Dickinson
  12. Old Man's War by John Scalzi
  13. Sticklers, Sideburns, and Bikinis by Donald Graeme
  14. Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley
  15. Crooked House by Agatha Christie
  16. The Tourist by Olen Steinhauer
  17. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
  18. Amuse Bouche by Anthony Bidulka
  19. Detective by Parnell Hall
  20. The Loyal Servant by Eva Hudson
  21. More Book Lust by Nancy Pearl
  22. Forty Words for Sorrow by Giles Blunt
  23. The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
  24. Deadly Appearances by Gail Bowen
  25. Eye of the Red Tsar by Sam Eastland
  26. Nearest Exit by Olen Steinhauer
  27. The Courts of Chaos by Roger Zelazny
  28. Book Lust To Go by Nancy Pearl
  29. A Stone of the Heart by John Brady
  30. The Stately Home Murder by Catherine Aird
  31. The Ransom Game by Howard Engel
  32. The Chinese Parrot by Earl Derr Biggers
  33. Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss
  34. Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie
  35. Chinatown Beat by Henry Chang 
  36. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
  37. The Dark Winter by David Mark  
  38. A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley
  39. Except the Dying by Maureen Jennings
  40. A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny
  41. Ten Second Staircase by Christopher Fowler
  42. Silence of the Rain by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza
  43. Origins of the Specious by Patricia T. O’Conner and Stewart Kellerman
  44. Fell Purpose by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
  45. Murder at the Mendel by Gail Bowen
  46. House of Evidence by Viktor Arnar Ingólfsson
  47. Kaleidoscope by J. Robert Janes
  48. Death Wore White by Jim Kelly
  49. Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
  50. Don't Know Much About Literature by Kenneth C. Davis
  51. Daemons Are Forever by Simon R. Green
  52. The Mugger by Ed McBain
  53. The Pusher by Ed McBain
  54. Mind's Eye by Håkan Nesser
  55. Green-Eyed Lady by Chuck Greaves
  56. Open Season by Archer Mayor
  57. Mental Floss: Scatterbrained
  58. Plots and Errors by Jill McGown 
  59. Planetary Vol. 1-4 (graphic novel)
  60. A Question of Identity by Susan Hill
  61. The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie
  62. Roseanna by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö
  63. Blood of the Wicked by Leighton Gage
  64. Skulduggery by William Marshall
  65. The Square of Revenge by Peter Aspe
  66. Detective Inspector Huss by Helene Tursten
  67. Unholy Ground by John Brady
  68. Murder at Hazelmoor by Agatha Christie
  69. Seeking Whom He May Devour by Fred Vargas
  70. The White Trilogy by Ken Bruen
  71. The Broken Shore by Peter Temple
  72. The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino
  73. The Infernal Detective by Kirsten Weiss
  74. The Yard by Alex Grecian
  75. Vendetta by Michael Dibdin
  76. The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie
  77. Frantic (2007) by Katherine Howell
  78. Raven Black (2006) by Ann Cleeves
  79. White Nights (2008) by Ann Cleeves
  80. Dark Star (1991) by Alan Furst
  81. The Man in the Picture by Susan Hill
  82. Dead Before Dying (1996) by Deon Meyer
  83. The Big Sleep (1949) by Raymond Chandler
  84.  

Mystery/Crime Reading Challenge 2013


This challenge is a natural for me. Mystery and crime fiction are my genres of choice. I even like to read mystery reference books (although those don't count for this challenge). This will be the perfect opportunity to list all the mystery fiction I read. The challenge is hosted by The Crafty Book Nerd.


Here are the rules:

1.) The challenge starts January 1, 2013 and ends December 31, 2013.
2.) You can read any novel, short story or author just so that the genre is mystery/crime.
3.) 1 novel counts as 1 novel (1 novel is anything over 100 pages) of course but you will have to read 5 short stories to count as 1 novel.

There are more guidelines and information at this post.

You can aim at several levels:
5 books = Detective
10 books = Sergeant
15 books = Lieutenant
20 books = Captain
25 books = Chief
30+ books = Sherlock Holmes

I will aim at 30 books or more.

I will list all mysteries (or sets of short stories) here:
  1. The Man Who Liked to Look at Himself by  K. C. Constantine
  2. Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
  3. The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett
  4. Archie Meets Nero Wolfe by Robert Goldsborough
  5. The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov
  6. Publish or Perish by Margot Kinberg
  7. The Smoke by Tony Broadbent
  8. The Case of the Angry Actress by E. V. Cunningham
  9. The Last Houseparty by Peter Dickinson
  10. Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley
  11. Crooked House by Agatha Christie
  12. The Tourist by Olen Steinhauer
  13. Amuse Bouche by Anthony Bidulka
  14. Detective by Parnell Hall 
  15. The Loyal Servant by Eva Hudson
  16. Forty Words for Sorrow by Giles Blunt
  17. The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
  18. Deadly Appearances by Gail Bowen
  19. Eye of the Red Tsar by Sam Eastland
  20. Nearest Exit by Olen Steinhauer
  21. A Stone of the Heart by John Brady
  22. The Stately Home Murder by Catherine Aird
  23. The Ransom Game by Howard Engel
  24. The Chinese Parrot by Earl Derr Biggers
  25. Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie
  26. Chinatown Beat by Henry Chang 
  27. The Dark Winter by David Mark 
  28. A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley
  29. Except the Dying by Maureen Jennings
  30. A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny
  31. Ten Second Staircase by Christopher Fowler
  32. Silence of the Rain by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza
  33. Fell Purpose by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
  34. Murder at the Mendel by Gail Bowen
  35. House of Evidence by Viktor Arnar Ingólfsson
  36. Kaleidoscope by J. Robert Janes
  37. Death Wore White by Jim Kelly
  38. Daemons Are Forever by Simon R. Green
  39. The Mugger by Ed McBain
  40. The Pusher by Ed McBain
  41. Mind's Eye by Håkan Nesser
  42. Green-Eyed Lady by Chuck Greaves
  43. Open Season by Archer Mayor
  44. Plots and Errors by Jill McGown
  45. A Question of Identity by Susan Hill
  46. The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie
  47. Roseanna by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö
  48. Blood of the Wicked by Leighton Gage
  49. Skulduggery by William Marshall
  50. The Square of Revenge by Peter Aspe
  51. Detective Inspector Huss by Helene Tursten
  52. Unholy Ground by John Brady
  53. Murder at Hazelmoor by Agatha Christie
  54. Seeking Whom He May Devour by Fred Vargas
  55. The White Trilogy by Ken Bruen
  56. The Broken Shore by Peter Temple
  57. The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino
  58. The Infernal Detective by Kirsten Weiss
  59. The Yard by Alex Grecian
  60. Vendetta by Michael Dibdin
  61. The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie
  62. Frantic (2007) by Katherine Howell
  63. Raven Black (2006) by Ann Cleeves
  64. White Nights (2008) by Ann Cleeves
  65. Dark Star (1991) by Alan Furst
  66. Dead Before Dying (1996) by Deon Meyer
  67. The Big Sleep (1949) by Raymond Chandler