Duma Key
Stephen King
I'm not going to give a synopsis of DUMA KEY here. If you haven't read the book already, blurbs are all over for you to get the general story idea. My thought is that
I’ve just invested the time in reading a 770+ horror novel, when horror isn’t my thing. I figure life has enough trials without out scaring myself with someone else’s nightmares. I’ll ride my own, thank you very much.
So why did I finish this book? Be damned if I know. Must be because King is very good at what he does. Twists and turns and breath-catching description and spates of terrific action. And yet, there is a lot of repetition, to the point where I say, “Enough already. I’ve got the picture—got the picture—got the picture.” Still, I read almost every word. Don’t want to miss a salient point, you know.
Did I read this book for the characters? Must have. I like characters, although with a 770 + page novel some are simply walk-ons that I can’t invest much in. But for the three guys, the tres amigos of this story, they’re all great individuals. The women, not so much. Sometimes it seemed they’re in the book to provide victims. Ah, well.
Will I read another King horror novel soon? Probably not, even though King is a terrific writer with an imagination few can equal. Thank God.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
THE OUTLANDER
The Outlander
By Gil Adamson
HarperCollins 2008
Hardcover, 390 pages
ISBN 978-0-06-149125-2
This is a story that, from the blurb, I expected to belong in the western mystery genre. And it does. Sort of. Yet it’s not really genre fiction at all, but rather a weird combination of literary novel, western, suspense (I wouldn’t call it mystery), romance, with a study of mental illness and a lesson in the healing power of love thrown in for good measure. Did I say weird? Well it is. But the whole thing works in a story that grew on me until I was completely mesmerized. Adamson is certainly an author who deserves the accolades that come her way.
Briefly, the plot is thus: A bewildered young woman is running away from a murder—and she is the murderess. The brothers of the man she killed are following her, determined to bring her back to hang. The widow (as she is named throughout the book although we do finally discover her name is Mary) flees into the wilderness, stealing just enough supplies (and a horse) to stay alive. She hears voices and sees things that aren’t there, doesn’t know what’s real and what is not. The people she meets along the way are, for the most part, as confused about their own existence as she is. Most are kind to this poor muddled woman, certainly eccentrics with an unexpected generosity of spirit. The man she killed? Her husband. I think he had it coming.
You may want to read The Outlander more than once. I know it's going on my keeper shelf.
By Gil Adamson
HarperCollins 2008
Hardcover, 390 pages
ISBN 978-0-06-149125-2
This is a story that, from the blurb, I expected to belong in the western mystery genre. And it does. Sort of. Yet it’s not really genre fiction at all, but rather a weird combination of literary novel, western, suspense (I wouldn’t call it mystery), romance, with a study of mental illness and a lesson in the healing power of love thrown in for good measure. Did I say weird? Well it is. But the whole thing works in a story that grew on me until I was completely mesmerized. Adamson is certainly an author who deserves the accolades that come her way.
Briefly, the plot is thus: A bewildered young woman is running away from a murder—and she is the murderess. The brothers of the man she killed are following her, determined to bring her back to hang. The widow (as she is named throughout the book although we do finally discover her name is Mary) flees into the wilderness, stealing just enough supplies (and a horse) to stay alive. She hears voices and sees things that aren’t there, doesn’t know what’s real and what is not. The people she meets along the way are, for the most part, as confused about their own existence as she is. Most are kind to this poor muddled woman, certainly eccentrics with an unexpected generosity of spirit. The man she killed? Her husband. I think he had it coming.
You may want to read The Outlander more than once. I know it's going on my keeper shelf.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
MYSTERY
ANGEL'S FLIGHT
by Alice Duncan
July, 2009 release
Five Star/Cenage
Hardcover, 256 pages, $25.99
ISBN 978-1-59414-783-8
Boston socialite Mercedes Louise Allcutt (Mercy, as her friends call her) escaped her mother's iron hand and joined her married sister in Los Angeles, California. Mercy has found a secretarial position with ex-cop, P.I. Ernie Templeton, and for the first time in her life has a sense of freedom and self-worth--until she opens the door one morning and discovers her mother on the front step. From there, her day only grows worse. It's hard telling who is the most shocked, Mercy, when she learns her mother is contemplating a divorce, or Mrs. Allcutt at hearing her daughter has an actual, for pay, job. Like any good 1920s era liberated woman, Mercy isn't about to quit working, and all too soon she's involved in murder, seances held by fraudulent spiritualists, and movie (call them flickers) stars. However, Mrs. Allcutt may have a point in her fierce opposition to Mercy's employment, especially when Mercy puts her trust in the wrong person--one who just might be setting her up for murder.
This is the second of Alice Duncan's Mercy Allcutt mysteries. The local and historical period is intriguing, set as it is on the scene of the early days of movie making. The title comes from the name of a tiny railroad that zipped from downtown Los Angeles to the hills where the upper crust lived. Mercy has just the right amount of naivety, which sometimes gets in the way of her good sense. She's a well-rounded character well able to carry these lighthearted tales. The supporting cast is full of colorful characters. A fund read.
by Alice Duncan
July, 2009 release
Five Star/Cenage
Hardcover, 256 pages, $25.99
ISBN 978-1-59414-783-8
Boston socialite Mercedes Louise Allcutt (Mercy, as her friends call her) escaped her mother's iron hand and joined her married sister in Los Angeles, California. Mercy has found a secretarial position with ex-cop, P.I. Ernie Templeton, and for the first time in her life has a sense of freedom and self-worth--until she opens the door one morning and discovers her mother on the front step. From there, her day only grows worse. It's hard telling who is the most shocked, Mercy, when she learns her mother is contemplating a divorce, or Mrs. Allcutt at hearing her daughter has an actual, for pay, job. Like any good 1920s era liberated woman, Mercy isn't about to quit working, and all too soon she's involved in murder, seances held by fraudulent spiritualists, and movie (call them flickers) stars. However, Mrs. Allcutt may have a point in her fierce opposition to Mercy's employment, especially when Mercy puts her trust in the wrong person--one who just might be setting her up for murder.
This is the second of Alice Duncan's Mercy Allcutt mysteries. The local and historical period is intriguing, set as it is on the scene of the early days of movie making. The title comes from the name of a tiny railroad that zipped from downtown Los Angeles to the hills where the upper crust lived. Mercy has just the right amount of naivety, which sometimes gets in the way of her good sense. She's a well-rounded character well able to carry these lighthearted tales. The supporting cast is full of colorful characters. A fund read.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
THE DARK HORSE
CRAIG JOHNSON, The Dark Horse, Viking, Hardcover, 320 pages, $24.95.
ISBN 978-0-670-02087-4
If you’ve read the previous Walt Longmire mysteries (Johnson is the 2009 Spur Winner for Another Man’s Moccasins), you may already have your copy of the next book, The Dark Horse on pre-order. If Craig Johnson’s series is new to you, you’re in for a treat. If these western mysteries are already on your “must read” list, you know Walt is the sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming. You also know he’s a tough, fair-minded law officer who won’t quit until he solves a case, no matter what the odds. This time the mystery involves a woman who has confessed to a murder many, including the sheriff of the neighboring county, don’t believe she committed—not that the victim, her husband, didn’t deserve it. He did, after all, set the barn on fire with her prized horses inside it. Walt has agreed to go undercover to discover the truth, and he’s lacking the back-up of his trusted deputies.
But Longmire’s not without resources. There’s the little bandit, who has an endearing habit of chewing on his hat’s stampede strings; there’s an illegal alien named Juana with two years of law enforcement training and a yen to use it; an old cowboy who may himself be involved in the murder; and of course, Henry Standing Bear, also known as “The Cheyenne Nation.” And then there’s Wahoo Sue, a prominent player as Walt and his crew unravel events and outrun a ticking clock in a race against death.
Johnson has created a wonderful cast of characters in his Walt Longmire series. Each individual springs to life and fills an important role in the story. Walt is a protagonist who is wearing well even after five books, a law enforcement officer who truly realizes he’s there to serve and protect. Johnson nails the Wyoming setting, and includes just enough landscape details to put the reader in the picture.
The Dark Horse is a book you won’t want—no, you won’t be able—to put down until the final page.
ISBN 978-0-670-02087-4
If you’ve read the previous Walt Longmire mysteries (Johnson is the 2009 Spur Winner for Another Man’s Moccasins), you may already have your copy of the next book, The Dark Horse on pre-order. If Craig Johnson’s series is new to you, you’re in for a treat. If these western mysteries are already on your “must read” list, you know Walt is the sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming. You also know he’s a tough, fair-minded law officer who won’t quit until he solves a case, no matter what the odds. This time the mystery involves a woman who has confessed to a murder many, including the sheriff of the neighboring county, don’t believe she committed—not that the victim, her husband, didn’t deserve it. He did, after all, set the barn on fire with her prized horses inside it. Walt has agreed to go undercover to discover the truth, and he’s lacking the back-up of his trusted deputies.
But Longmire’s not without resources. There’s the little bandit, who has an endearing habit of chewing on his hat’s stampede strings; there’s an illegal alien named Juana with two years of law enforcement training and a yen to use it; an old cowboy who may himself be involved in the murder; and of course, Henry Standing Bear, also known as “The Cheyenne Nation.” And then there’s Wahoo Sue, a prominent player as Walt and his crew unravel events and outrun a ticking clock in a race against death.
Johnson has created a wonderful cast of characters in his Walt Longmire series. Each individual springs to life and fills an important role in the story. Walt is a protagonist who is wearing well even after five books, a law enforcement officer who truly realizes he’s there to serve and protect. Johnson nails the Wyoming setting, and includes just enough landscape details to put the reader in the picture.
The Dark Horse is a book you won’t want—no, you won’t be able—to put down until the final page.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
LEADEN SKIES
ANN PARKER, Leaden Skies, Poisoned Pen Press, Hardcover, 298 pps., $24.98.
ISBN 978-1-59058-577-1
Leadville, Colorado is celebrating the arrival of former President Ulysses S. Grant, along with most of Colorado’s dignitaries. Investment in Leadville’s silver mine is at stake; the movers-and-shaker’s politics and money providing a backdrop for arson and murder in the town’s red-light district. This third book in Ann Parker’s series returns the reader to the world of Inez Stannert, owner of the Silver Queen Saloon. She runs a clean place, respectable, and now she’d like to expand. That fits well with brothel madam Frisco Flo’s plans to move her house uptown and sell her building to Inez. But when Flo’s place is first set on fire, then one of her girls murdered, Inez has second thoughts. Seems there’s a third party in this deal, whose identity Flo is withholding. While Inez untangles the dealings of some of Grant’s party, she’s also trying to discover Lizzie’s murderer as she strives to keep herself alive.
Although the mystery isn’t especially strong in this book, the murderer being pretty easy to spot, it didn’t distract much from the over-all story. Filled with history, action, and emotional realism, it’s a story that will leave you feeling you’ve made contact with the folks who live in Leadville. There’s never a dull moment; somebody is always trying to take advantage of someone else. Some folks are moral, some not. All are interesting. And the book ends with a darn good cliffhanger, making sure to leave you wanting more.
ISBN 978-1-59058-577-1
Leadville, Colorado is celebrating the arrival of former President Ulysses S. Grant, along with most of Colorado’s dignitaries. Investment in Leadville’s silver mine is at stake; the movers-and-shaker’s politics and money providing a backdrop for arson and murder in the town’s red-light district. This third book in Ann Parker’s series returns the reader to the world of Inez Stannert, owner of the Silver Queen Saloon. She runs a clean place, respectable, and now she’d like to expand. That fits well with brothel madam Frisco Flo’s plans to move her house uptown and sell her building to Inez. But when Flo’s place is first set on fire, then one of her girls murdered, Inez has second thoughts. Seems there’s a third party in this deal, whose identity Flo is withholding. While Inez untangles the dealings of some of Grant’s party, she’s also trying to discover Lizzie’s murderer as she strives to keep herself alive.
Although the mystery isn’t especially strong in this book, the murderer being pretty easy to spot, it didn’t distract much from the over-all story. Filled with history, action, and emotional realism, it’s a story that will leave you feeling you’ve made contact with the folks who live in Leadville. There’s never a dull moment; somebody is always trying to take advantage of someone else. Some folks are moral, some not. All are interesting. And the book ends with a darn good cliffhanger, making sure to leave you wanting more.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
STRONG ENOUGH TO DIE
JON LAND, Strong Enough to Die, Forge, $24.95 Hardcover. ISBN 978-0-7653-1258-7
Caitlin Strong, widowed when her husband, part of an team of civilian computer technicians, is killed in Iraq, has taken up a new profession. The former Texas Ranger has applied for a job as counselor in the Survivor Center for Victims of Torture. The first patient she meets is her husband, barely alive, his mind wiped of everything, including his sense of self. Meanwhile, Cort Wesley Masters, convicted via blood evidence left at the scene of Caitlin’s last Ranger mission, has been exonerated by new DNA testing and released from prison. Vowing vengeance, he goes after Caitlin, only to save her and her husband’s life when the Survivor Center is attacked and everyone in the building but they are killed. She, in a weird twist, rescues Cort’s kids when they are attacked by the same man, a huge, foul man named Guillermo Paz. But why? Uneasy partners, Caitlin and Cort set out to discover what ties them together, and what happened to Caitlin’s husband. The answers are buried, and to unearth them means almost certain death.
Strong Enough to Die is a great title with meaning on more than one level. The body count piles up to an almost unimaginable height, so if you’re squeamish, you might need to wall off the horror. The degree of violence sometimes makes it hard to distinguish the good guys from the bad, although Guillermo Paz turns into the most intriguing character in the book. The cause of all this mayhem is enough to scare the pants off you, incurring belief in the “black helicopter” line of thought. Non-stop action carries the day in this excellent thriller. A real page-turner.
Caitlin Strong, widowed when her husband, part of an team of civilian computer technicians, is killed in Iraq, has taken up a new profession. The former Texas Ranger has applied for a job as counselor in the Survivor Center for Victims of Torture. The first patient she meets is her husband, barely alive, his mind wiped of everything, including his sense of self. Meanwhile, Cort Wesley Masters, convicted via blood evidence left at the scene of Caitlin’s last Ranger mission, has been exonerated by new DNA testing and released from prison. Vowing vengeance, he goes after Caitlin, only to save her and her husband’s life when the Survivor Center is attacked and everyone in the building but they are killed. She, in a weird twist, rescues Cort’s kids when they are attacked by the same man, a huge, foul man named Guillermo Paz. But why? Uneasy partners, Caitlin and Cort set out to discover what ties them together, and what happened to Caitlin’s husband. The answers are buried, and to unearth them means almost certain death.
Strong Enough to Die is a great title with meaning on more than one level. The body count piles up to an almost unimaginable height, so if you’re squeamish, you might need to wall off the horror. The degree of violence sometimes makes it hard to distinguish the good guys from the bad, although Guillermo Paz turns into the most intriguing character in the book. The cause of all this mayhem is enough to scare the pants off you, incurring belief in the “black helicopter” line of thought. Non-stop action carries the day in this excellent thriller. A real page-turner.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
SACRIFICE
Sorry. It's been a long time since I've posted a new review, but here's one on a book I reccommend.
THRILLER
S.J.BOLTON, Sacrifice, St.Martins Minotaur, Hardcover, 379 pages, $24.95, 2008.
ISBN 978-0-312-38113-4
Tora Hamilton, an obstetrics surgeon, is practicing in a hospital on one of the most remote Shetland Islands off the coast of Scotland. She joined her husband, Duncan, who was born there, upon his sudden desire to “go home.” But he is often away on business, so Tora works and rides her horses, very much an outsider. When one of her horses dies, Tora, wishing to bury the animal on her own land, bulldozes a hole only to discover the body of a young woman who was cremated years ago. The woman’s heart has been torn from her body, which shows signs of recently bearing a child. Viking runes have been carved into her flesh. When the police investigate, they try to pass the body off as ancient, having been preserved by the peat in which it was buried. That premise doesn’t hold up long, and then Tora finds this woman may not be the only one buried on her land. What does it all mean? Who are these women, and why does everyone on the island, from her father-in-law, the local police, and even the head of the hospital where she works, discourage her questions? Worse, Duncan shows signs of being involved. Persistent, Tora keeps digging into the mystery, only to find she may very well be the next to die.
Tora’s at times irritating, constant preoccupation with having a child, ties in with her determination to find the killers. Plural killers, because she soon learns the women’s deaths have to be part of a conspiracy. With those she can fully trust numbered on one hand, she goes against all advice and breaks all the rules in her quest for the truth. Scenes on the island, as well as those at sea, are well-written and evocative; medical procedures seem very real and graphic. The book has a great sense of place. Although the situations Tora puts herself in often depict her as the TSTL (too stupid to live), if the reader can suspend disbelief for long enough, this is a fascinating thriller that moves at breakneck speed. New surprises await on every page right up to the end. Reccommended.
THRILLER
S.J.BOLTON, Sacrifice, St.Martins Minotaur, Hardcover, 379 pages, $24.95, 2008.
ISBN 978-0-312-38113-4
Tora Hamilton, an obstetrics surgeon, is practicing in a hospital on one of the most remote Shetland Islands off the coast of Scotland. She joined her husband, Duncan, who was born there, upon his sudden desire to “go home.” But he is often away on business, so Tora works and rides her horses, very much an outsider. When one of her horses dies, Tora, wishing to bury the animal on her own land, bulldozes a hole only to discover the body of a young woman who was cremated years ago. The woman’s heart has been torn from her body, which shows signs of recently bearing a child. Viking runes have been carved into her flesh. When the police investigate, they try to pass the body off as ancient, having been preserved by the peat in which it was buried. That premise doesn’t hold up long, and then Tora finds this woman may not be the only one buried on her land. What does it all mean? Who are these women, and why does everyone on the island, from her father-in-law, the local police, and even the head of the hospital where she works, discourage her questions? Worse, Duncan shows signs of being involved. Persistent, Tora keeps digging into the mystery, only to find she may very well be the next to die.
Tora’s at times irritating, constant preoccupation with having a child, ties in with her determination to find the killers. Plural killers, because she soon learns the women’s deaths have to be part of a conspiracy. With those she can fully trust numbered on one hand, she goes against all advice and breaks all the rules in her quest for the truth. Scenes on the island, as well as those at sea, are well-written and evocative; medical procedures seem very real and graphic. The book has a great sense of place. Although the situations Tora puts herself in often depict her as the TSTL (too stupid to live), if the reader can suspend disbelief for long enough, this is a fascinating thriller that moves at breakneck speed. New surprises await on every page right up to the end. Reccommended.
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