MYSTERY OF THE WEEK

MYSTERIES: A WALK ON THE DARK SIDE

This week I read "The Weatherman" by Steve Thayer. "The Weatherman" is a mystery that features a strong sense of place (Minneapolis) and three complicated, well-drawn characters. The plot has a serial killer who kills during notable weather events. It is quite violent, and presents some disturbing images.
Readers who enjoy this type of mystery may also like "Flood" by Andrew Vachss. This is the author's first book featuring Burke, the ex-con detective, with no first name who was abandoned as a child. He operates on the shady side of the law. The underworld of New York is the setting, and no maggot is left unturned. The title character, Flood, is a young woman who hires Burke to track down a pedophile. This is a similarly dark and disturbing story, with an atmospheric setting--although the seamy surroundings are no match for the Twin Cities. Burke is an intricate character, and reveals little about himself willingly. Most of Vachss's books deal with child molesters, so they are not for the squeamish.
Another suggestion is "Coffin Dancer" by Jeffery Deaver. Quadriplegic criminologist Lincoln Rhyme must track down a hired killer within 48 hours. Rhyme is a complex character and since he can't move, all the action is in his mind. There is excellent plotting from Deaver, and psychological tension by the bucketful. The Rhyme series is a good choice for a reader who wants characters that are more than superficial adjuncts to the plot, evil bad guys, and lots of suspense. Set in New York City.
For nonfiction, try "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote. In this groundbreaking work by Capote, he recreates the brutal murder of a Kansas farm family by two strangers in 1959. He interviewed those involved with the investigation, capture, trial, and eventual execution of the killers. The insight into the minds of the killers, and the re-telling of the crime in a manner that is more literary than crime reporting, should hold readers in a darkly fascinating grip.
Another nonfiction choice is "The Stranger Beside Me" by Ann Rule. The author met Ted Bundy in 1971 when they worked together on a suicide hot line at a Seattle crisis center. When he was suspected of the serial killings of young women, she found it hard to believe that this charming, charismatic young man was a sadistic murderer. Though a grim story, Rule does not dwell on the gruesome--instead continuing in a journalistic style, following Bundy to his death by electrocution in a Florida prison in 1989. The persona of Bundy, and the details of his crime--and how he eluded capture--draws readers in.
Other suggestions: "Winter Prey" by John Sandford; "Kiss the Girls" by James Patterson; "Dead Man Walking: an Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions" by Helen Prejean; and "The Devil's Right Hand Man: the True Story of Serial Killer Robert Charles Browne" by Stephen Michaud.

SHIVER ME TIMBERS!

Here's a word of warning. September is "Talk like a pirate day." So grab your eye patch and your parrot, and board the vessel with the rest of your scurvy mates.

Title: Carry me Home

Author: Sandra Kring

In ten words or less: Coming of age story set in 1940s Wisconsin.

Review:
“Carry Me Home” is set in a small Wisconsin town during the 1940s. Earl “Earwig” Gunderman suffered from a fever as a small child, and as a result of brain damage, never learned to read or write. He helps out at this parents’ grocery store and his protected by his older brother Jimmy. The story begins in 1940, when Jimmy falls in love with Molly, the prettiest girl in town. Earwig’s social life revolves around his family, his dog Lucky, and a younger neighbor Eddie.
When the United States enters the war, Jimmy and many of his friends enlist in the armed forces. Many families in town put up flags in their windows with stars on them—one blue star for each son in the military. Earwig watches the star intently, because he knows that if the star turns gold, it will mean that Jimmy is dead.
In addition to worrying about Jimmy, the war puts stress on the Gundermans in other ways. The ration coupons put a strain on the family store, and Earwig discovers a long hidden secret of his mother’s.
Earwig’s unique voice is similar to that of Christopher, the narrator of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.” Kring is a Wisconsin author, and “Carry Me Home” is her first novel.

Why bother? Touching story of family members that help each other through difficult times.

BOOK REVIEW

Title: Farm Kid: Tales of Growing up in Rural America

Author: Justin Isherwood

In ten words or less: Humorous, thoughtful stories of growing up on a farm.

Review: Farming is not for the faint of heart, writes Justin Isherwood, a fifth generation farmer from Plover, WI. Isherwood , who has received an award from the Council for Wisconsin Writers, grew up on a dairy farm. Being a farm kid in the 1950s guaranteed a life full of chores, adventures, and sometimes peril. The 63 stories in “Farm Kid” focus on the simple pastimes and objects of childhood, such as jackknives, icicles, manure, high-top shoes, and chasing cows.
Though mostly of a lighthearted nature, the tales do venture occasionally into more serious territory, acknowledging the reality of the dangers of farm work. Animal lovers may not appreciate his story of using some of the many farm cats as ammunition in his homemade catapult.
Why bother? Isherwood uses his words as an artist uses color; to create a world so real you can smell the cows. He describes his grandfather, “I remember that look of a grown man so like a child, looking into the fire. On his face the look of the whole crayon box, all its colorations. Wonder. Contentment. Pleasure. Nurture. Peace. Bliss. Contentment. Satisfaction.”
Other books by Isherwood are “ Book of Plough” and “The Farm West of Mars.”

Books for Fall 2008
These are a few of the titles I'm looking forward to reading this fall.

Belzer, Richard and Michael Black. I am not a cop: a novel
Belzer, the comedian and actor from “Homicide: life on the street” and “Law and order: special victims unit” tries his hand at a novel.

Maraniss, David. Rome 1960
The author’s book “Clemente” was excellent—here he combines portraits of notable athletes Rafer Johnson, Wilma Rudolph, Cassius Clay (before he became Muhammed Ali), and Abebe Bikila against the political and social forces of the day.

Theroux, Paul. Ghost train to the Eastern star
Theroux recreates his journey of thirty years ago, travelling from Europe to the Pacific Rim and back.

Winn, Marie. Central Park in the dark: more mysteries of urban wildlife
The happenings of an urban park at night—birds, beasts, and other wildlife are hidden from the daylight but are a universe unto themselves.

Menzies, Gavin. 1434: the year a magnificent Chinese fleet sailed to Italy and ignited the Renaissance
Historian and former British naval officer argues that the Chinese, the most technologically advanced society in the world, sailed from China to Cairo to Florence and back again.

Greenlaw, Linda. Fishermen’s bend
The second in the Jane Bunker mystery series set in Maine.

Yancey, Richard. The highly effective detective goes to the dogs
Naïve, bumbling, and unlicensed detective Teddy Ruzak finds the body of a man outside his door.

Weston, Kath. Traveling light: on the road with America’s poor
Riding the bus across America, and listening to the stories the passengers tell.

Vowell, Sarah. Wordy shipmates
Snarky history nerd investigates the Puritans of seventeenth century New England.

Krakauer, Jon. Hero
Master storyteller Krakauer writes about Pat Tillman, former football player who was killed in the Afghanistan war, and whose death was manipulated by the U.S. government in order to garner support for the war.

JERRY REED DIES AUGUST 31, 2008

"We got a long way to go and a short time to get there" from "Eastbound and down"--Jerry Reed

Why do I watch "Smokey and the Bandit" when I see it on tv? Who knows--a guilty pleasure perhaps?

August’s Books

This month’s books include a collection of cartoons by S. Gross, “I am blind and my dog is dead.” Sam Gross’s cartoons have appeared in National Lampoon, Esquire, Gourmet, and most notably, the New Yorker. They are cartoons of few or no words. A fish with legs emerges from the ocean to see a sign, “No evolving allowed on this beach.”


Winchester, Simon. The man who loved China
Lipman, Elinor. My latest grievance
Johnson-Bennett, Pamela. Cat vs. cat
Collins, Kate. Rose from the dead
Ellis, Richard. Tuna: a love story
Gross, S. I am blind and my dog is dead
Riley, Jess. Driving sideways
Cook, Claire. Summer blowout
Benchley, Peter. Shark trouble
Doctorow, C. Down and out in the Magic Kingdom
Bradbury, Ray. Something wicked this way comes
Coultrip-Davis, D. Flavors of Korea
Schilling, Peter. The end of baseball
Brand-Miller. New glucose revolution shopper’s guide
Turtledove, Harry. Gunpowder empire

Kramer, Julie. Stalking Susan