No comments about Blackstone and the Fire Bug (Inspector Blackstone).

4 comments about The Children of Dynmouth.

1. This darkly funny expose of a British seaside town in the mid 70's is Trevor at his absolute best. Tim Gedge, the maladjusted anti-hero at the centre of the action, is a 12 year old boy with time on his hands and a determination to uncover the secret heartaches and hypocricies at the core of this trim English town. The details are razor sharp, the characters painfully portrayed, and the humour is very, very black - but there is a soul to this story - as there always is with Trevor. It tells you more about us sorry Brits than Notes from a Small Island ever could.



2. Well, maybe I'm not qualified to review this because I didn't finish it, but I tried twice, 6 months apart and both times I only made it about 40 pages and just couldn't continue. Maybe some people like this type of writing style, to me it lacked connection to real emotion or interest, and seemed like merely a ponderous exercise in the author's use of various writing techniques. Because it is a Penguin edition, and because I thought all Irish writers were great, I passed it on to my wife without any comment, thinking maybe she could appreciate something in it that I missed, but she had the same reaction.



3. Clever but strange and sour tale of a deprived boy living in a crummy old seaside town, whose daydreams focus on his glorious appearances as a comedian on 'Opportunity Knocks'. He divides his time between watching the box in his absent mum's council flat, and badgering the townspeople, telling them about the darkly comic act which he hopes will win him the annual fete's talent competition, and finally blackmailing them into supplying him with the necessary sets and costumes! Don't be misled by the quaint little painting on the cover of the old British edition - this is an awful story, all about neglect, failure and delusion, though the curiously flat and unsubtle prose make it not quite as devastating as it really should have been.



4. William Trevor continues to lead the pack as my favourite living author throughout the world. His frugal use of the most precise language leaves a reader gasping at times, and he is an unparallelled master tragedian. Here, he has actually crafted a fairly humourous, if naughty, tale of a teenage "tearaway," as he himself might call the lad. Trevor imbues this lonesome council lad with some rather astonishing powers of perception that, once put to work with the singlemindedness reserved solely for what one really really wants, results in a domino effect of despair and destruction that washes over a small, raw, seaside Southern UK town. It remains funny throughout, however, a testament not only to Trevor's many gifts as a story-teller of genius and power but to his love for his flawed characters and thier powers of endurance.

No comments about Sexual Blackmail: A Modern History.

1 comments about Wessex Papers #2: Fallout (Wessex Papers).

1. Noah is deep in trouble. Not only did he have sex with the new teacher, Miss Burke, but he somehow got caught on tape doing it! Now he is being backmailed for $200,000. Noah isn't sure how it happened, but he does know that Fred Wright, who he thought was his buddy, has definitely got to be responsible. When the deadline comes and he still doesn't have the money, Noah finds himself expelled from school with nowhere to go and his life a whole mess...

   Fred has no idea why Noah accused him of betraying him but he is gonna find out what conspiracy is going on at the school. Enlisting the help of Sunday the two begin to investigate the whole matter. Soon they uncover clues and find this conspiracy has been going on for quite a long while. The revelations about the conspiracy isn't the only shocking thing, their feelings for eachother too are starting to grow...until their world comes to a crashing halt after just witnessing what they believe is a murder...

   The second book in the Wessex Trilogy is almost as good as the first. Of course the cliffhanger ending makes you grab the 3rd book and just start reading. I highly recommed these books to teens!

1 comments about Marker.

1. I don't usually read the truly gritty novels, but this one caught my attention from the very beginning. Who could resist a novel that begins with yellow smiley faces on the walls of the Jackson prison and a convict who thinks he knows it all? Then there's the judge, a cocky personality who thinks he's got it all under control.

   The judge is a boozer & also does drugs. Unwillingly he goes to Alcoholics Anonymous and then his house of cards begins to tumble down around his head. Everything seems to be going wrong.

   Excellent writing, marvelous flow to the narrative and an insightful peek into the psyches of the various people involved. Highly recommended.

5 comments about Wolfpointe.

1. Rick Buda's first novel details the sinister secrets of a new development - toxic waste, murder, and a mysterious creature all come together with small town politics to create a great murder mystery. The murder investigator would have never imagined that his new case would somehow have ties to an ancient native american curse and local corporate corruption. A compelling story and an enjoyable quick read.



2. A very nicely done book! The characters are well drawn, the plot interesting and fast paced. The book does a wonderful job of drawing the reader in and keeps you guessing until the end. I highly recommend this book!



3. The first few pages set up the various elements and characters, leaving the reader a little puzzled as to the lack of continuity, then the pieces all start to come together into a very satisfactory, quick, page-turning read. The story is a combination of Indian legend, modern pollution problems and a good guy/bad guy thriller. A very good first novel and I look forward to this author's next book. A sequel to "Wolfpointe" would be welcome.



4. Ace Underground Specialists Earl Suggs prides himself with always being first at the job site, but this time when he tosses his match into the ditch a fire ball erupts and engulfs him. Timber Park Police Department Officer Malcolm "Mac" MacKurghdy arrives at the scene as the first responder to investigate. He realizes that the case is not quite a negligent accident as some things involving the "gas" fails to fit the circumstances. Still his superior Captain Dave Strickland informs him the case is resolved as a stupid tragic incident.
   
   Veterinarian Dr. Elaine Johnson alarmingly wonders about a geometric increase in the number of animals tortured, mutilated and murdered. She and Mac make inquiries that lead to wealthy Clinton Delevan, who has under construction over one hundred homes that will sell for $500,000 each, but only town leaders and Delevan know that underneath the exclusive site is a toxic swamp. Ironically unbeknownst to these avarice souls the toxin in the swamp has dramatically magnified the Ojibwa Indians' Windigo deep hatred of humanity, as the spirit wolf speaks for the swamp desecrated by mankind.
   
   The cast turns this intriguing supernatural police procedural into a must read for fans of both genres. The story line mixes everyday rural living with greedy investors and an otherworldly essence into an action-packed tale. Interestingly Mac is a terific character struggling with his who-done-it inquiries that is difficult enough since the evidence seems illogical, but also with his superior yanking him off his investigation for reasons that just fail to make sense to him. Rick Buda is on the environmental side of the development debate, yet any fan of a supernatural tale will appreciate his cautionary thriller.
   
   Harriet Klausner



5. I picked this up due to its high "word of mouth" recommendation from a website I frequent. I eagerly started reading it and put it down after page 4. The repetitive, wordy prose circles around a detail creating a 7 sentence description where a 5 word one would do. The author knows police procedure from "reading all about it" instead of experience and it shows. I'm not sure about the plot, I'm too angry that I paid money for this to read it closely enough to know what it's actually about. The author found a small publisher, possibly a vanity publisher, to get this drivel on the market. Another bit of info, the author is touting the "award" for which he's been nominated. It's from a website where one pays $50 bucks per entry to have the work "promoted" as an award nominee/winner. I'm still nauseous. I'll be certain to avoid future works by this author.

No comments about Double Life: The Shattering Affair Between Chief Judge Sol Wachtler and Socialite Joy Silverman.

5 comments about Dear Mouse: A Tale of Love, Murder and Movie-Making in the Carolina Mountains.

1. Matt Logan, a famous movie actor, has just been released from the hospital after surgery to reconstruct his face after a drunk-driving accident. His 7-year-old daughter was sitting alongside him. He is about to begin a year of community service and rehab, and he wants to see his daughter, who was unhurt in the crash, even though his estranged wife has attained a restraining order against him. As he waits outside her school, his wife's lawyer comes up behind him and reminds him that he is in contempt of court. He only gets to watch her from 500 feet away.
   As the novel progresses, Matt begins to put his life back together, going to AA meetings and working on a new movie in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains. It is here that a whole new set of problems arises for him.
   For fans of the genre, Schuyler Kaufman's first novel, Dear Mouse... will satisfy more than just the desire for a "whodunit." Besides being a murder-mystery, Ms. Kaufman's novel, written from Matt's perspective as a series of journal entries in the form of letters to his daughter, who he refers to as Mouse, is about a recovering alcoholic father trying to reconstruct his life and reunite with his daughter, while both working on a movie and being suspected for the murder of a young wannabe starlet who once tried to seduce him.
   Ms. Kaufman provides an unsentimental view of a recovering alcoholic while weaving a subtle mystery into an interlocking tale of love, lies, and redemption. In developing her characters, she allows them to be seen as real people with vulnerabilities and fears, who don't always speak in polished sentences or behave in the most elegant manner. For this she is to be praised, and for the sarcastic wit that sometimes shines through in her prose.
   For example, there is a scene in which the seductive starlet tries to blackmail Matt and the movie's director into giving her a role by threatening them with accusations of rape. The director calmly points toward a video camera in the corner of the room with the red light blinking that recorded the whole affair. After she storms off, embarrassed and angry, Matt worries that she will sell her story to the tabloids, but the director says to him, "She won't go near it. Stupid people can't stand being laughed at."
   In another scene of equally sarcastic ridicule, Matt approaches a receptionist at the tabloid newspaper office to diffuse an embarrassing story about himself that has just been printed. Ms. Kaufman's receptionist ignores his request completely and begins to rattle off her favorite things about his previous movies, "with a true fan's disregard for time or convenience."
   There is one other instance where Ms. Kaufman's dry humor particularly stands out. In two sentences she caricaturizes the five major American news channels and their typical tongue-in-cheek positions. As Matt hears the news from the front desk clerk at the hotel where the cast is staying, we read, "NBC says you did it, CBS says you'll get off because you're famous, ABC says you'll get nailed because you're famous. Fox says you're innocent. CNN won't say." At points like this Ms. Kaufman is at her most entertaining.
   However, such scenes are sometimes interspersed with awkward phrases like "Ah, geez" and convoluted constructions with questionable word choices like "Coffee was created, " which even in context is difficult to read. These slips hinder the reader's concentration. Ms. Kaufman's attempts at making her characters seem real often fails when she uses such terms and constructions. Also, there is a sublte desire for the novel to seem deep when it really isn't.
   There is a darker side to this novel, one that reveals a shadowy undertone in Ms. Kaufman's storytelling. We learn of a young girl, about the same age as Matt Logan's daughter, who, having heard about his separation from his own daughter, writes letters to him and sort of adopts him as a surrogate father. Her own father molests her, and she uses her letters to Matt as a mental escape. Matt comes to look on her letters as an inlet into his own daughter's life, which he is not allowed to be a part of. His sympathy and sense of helplessness to rescue her is as genuine and wrenching as if she were his own.
   In all, Ms. Kaufman has written a subtly dark mystery with a disturbing yet hopeful surprise ending. The local flavor she supplies with her references to known landmarks and her use of colloquialisms makes this book a fairly enjoyable and quick read for mystery enthusiasts.



2. Had the tag trailing the title for this mystery novel indicated moviemaking in glitzy Hollywood rather than in the Carolina mountains, I would have had no interest. But the contributions of an Appalachian environment on actors and actresses is another matter. Put another way, the industry there is not so big that it can keep out unwanted influences. And so the Bellers, a familiar family name, are everywhere; and although they could show up in many forms, in this story they appear frequently as "trash-Bellers." One of these, Crystal Beller, is the first to be murdered, and she is of immediate interest because others say of her that she can become anyone in her desire to be a starlet. Of course, such a statement is really doubly interesting, in addition to being a nice device to spread the mystery, because it suggests that those saying it may be capable of the same subterfuge. Written in the form of an epistolary novel, letters from a recovering alcoholic father/leading man to his young daughter, this novel introduces numerous characters in order to confound the deductive reader, and each succeeds in the mission if the reader lends to it his or her own contribution of subtle thinking. At the same time, the form often denies the extended description of a character here or there-you wouldn't expect Matt Logan to fully detail someone to his little girl. It also denies the more evocative descriptions of the beautiful Carolina mountains and that, perhaps, is a fault. But overall, the story runs true from beginning to end and was an enjoyable read.



3. Schuyler Kaufman writes in a way that makes me feel like I was a part of each scene. I felt as if I was actually there, watching and listening to everything that was happening (from being on the movie set with everyone to being alone with only his letters to his daughter for company). Many of the scenes seemed quite familiar to me. For example, in the hospital room when the three women trash one of Matt's old movies and Matt walks in on it, I laughed and laughed as this is the type of thing I love to do with my best friend.

   In addition, the way she writes dialogue, I could easily hear the differences between different people's speech. For instance, when Pike, who is retired from NYPD, works with Quin, a local inspector, the clash of dialects makes their conversations that much more interesting and fun to read. Not to mention Kaufman's dry sense of humor, which worms its way even into the darkest scenes.

   When I read the book, I felt as if I were in Matt's head. Kaufman gives him his own individual expressions and ways of speaking. I love the way he exaggerates. For example, in the police interrogation scene he says, "The questions went on for several millennia;" or when the director complains that Matt doesn't act enough like a star, Matt replies, "Geez. I thought you wanted an actor, not a media event."

   Another thing that I really like about the book is its realism. Coming from a family that has suffered divorces, I found the way Kaufman portrayed the children to be right on target. In addition, it was refreshing to become familiar with a caring and loving father who is not a "deadbeat dad."

   The events and circumstances kept the mysteries lively, and kept me guessing throughout the book. I strongly recommend this book for anyone who likes a good mystery with terrific characters. Enjoy!




4. This book was amazing. Lately I haven't been reading that much on the fiction scale, but it caught my attention. Dear Mouse, has special meaning to me. Not only was it a so-called Christmas present, but one of the caractors takes on my name. I was able to connect with this book. Recently I lost my son so the emotions were there that were triggered by this mans loss. It was always my feelings that I could still write notes to him even though he couldnt read. I was also enchanted by the way Schuyler was able to give each caractor their own personality. It made the book that much more interesting. Usually I guess what is going to happen in a book, then when I find out I was right,I dont want to read anymore. Towards the end when I find out what is going on, I couldnt put it down. I HAD to find out what happened to that adorable little girl. It was a great book. There are now about four people waiting in line to read my copy. They are all itching to find out what happens. I would recomend this book to anyone looking for a little mystery that isnt too gory. Great reading material. Ms. Kaufman keep up the good work, and stop by our TA any time.
   shannon



5. If you are a movie buff as I am, and if you have ever wondered about what really happens on one of those out-of-Hollywood shoots, then you are going to enjoy reading "Dear Mouse" by Schuyler Kaufman, a mystery writer who has experienced being "on location," and who has had the opportunity to be an "extra" in an actual film.
   "Dear Mouse" has it all: A location in the Mountains of North Carolina; the townspeople's reaction to a filming and to these strange film folk; the glamour of Hollywood actors and a peek behind their facades; a genuine look at a make-believe world from behind the cameras; and, to keep you on your toes, a murder.
   I don't want to give away the plot of this very readable novel, but I can tell you there are twists and counter-twists that will keep your mind in high gear as you try to stay one step ahead of the storyteller--and Ms. Kaufman is a first-class storyteller.
   As a movie buff, I was delighted; as an avid reader of today's new writers, I felt--in this age of high gasoline prices--that I had discovered oil in my back forty.
   I'm waiting for your next novel, Ms. Kaufman. How soon?

4 comments about Dark Ride.

1. Highly Recommended - - Born with athletic abilities, intelligence, wealth, and handsome good looks, Jimmy Roger has it all. He takes his attributes for granted, thinking the good times will never end, but the success-wave rolls on, leaving him high and dry on the shore of life. When the job offers stop coming the Golden Boy of Clarksville, California drifts into the position of a semi-successful insurance agent. Angry at the turn of events, Jimmy feels he deserves more. His own father, the ruthless old town mayor, cuts him from the will, leaving all his wealth to his business partner, Phil Stack. The only thing Jimmy gets is Phil's wife, Eve. Obsessed with their wild sex, the days of endless drugs, and the pain-pleasure induced nights spend in her secret basement bedroom, Jimmy plots to retake what he knows rightfully belongs to him, but caught in a web of his own making Jimmy quickly becomes a pawn in a deadly game of murder, politics, sex, and intrigue. Kent Harrington, a first-time novelist, unfolds a tale of psychological obsession. Character studies of intensity and depth reveal the neurosis of failure and the repercussions of narcissism and youthful bravado. Mr. Harrington draws the reader in an atmosphere of murder and mayhem, leaving us breathless with anticipation as we turn the pages ever faster. His writing skills are exceptional, as is his research. I look forward to reading his next novel. Kathee S. Car



2. Really potent and troubling, hard-hitting noir. Easily one of the best things I've enccountered in a genre that's prone to cliche. I recall reading that Harrington took a cue from Madame Bovary too, and it sounds right.



3. There is little need to read this if you are up on your James M. Cain or Jim Thompson. The only difference is Harrington offers up lots of sex and some violence to update the genre AND he does an admirable job of preventing the familiar from getting overly trite. I will say that this is an impressive debut work. I hope Harrington finds his own plots and his own voice.



4. Kent Harrington's Dark Ride is the real deal--a contemporary noir novel that makes you cringe as you read it and while you're cringing, delivers one gut punch after another until the word "drain" takes on a kind of superhuman meaning.

   Since anti-hero Jimmy Rogers has been sliced out of his former mayor father's will, he works as a lowlife insurance salesman trying to get by selling cheap policies to working class slobs and elderly residents, somewhere in northern California. He has a girlfriend, Kelly, who adores him, and also a lover, Eve, his boss' wife, who gets off on playing rough in the sack.

   Phil, Jimmy's boss, never catches on that Jimmy's diddling his wife. He's too busy being an inflated ego of a boss and hitting on Kelly. Eve, one mean femme fatale, tells Jimmy she needs Phil's money. And there's only one way to get it...

   Complicating matters is Phil's brother Nigel, an ex-con who's learned a lot of stuff from the law books while incarcerated in Folsom Prison--so much, in fact, that he knows exactly how to put the squeeze on Jimmy and Eve.

   What makes this a whole lot of cuts above the standard, run-of-the-mill noir novel is Harrington's sharper than a barber's razor writing, and his relentless probing of Jimmy's psychology. Identifying with a murderous loser like Jimmy, in the hands of a less talented writer, would be a tough job. But Harrington is smart enough to give us the stuff that Jimmy's dreams are made of. This is what keeps us going, long past the thud of the first body Jimmy wipes off the face of the earth.

   This is a stinging punch of a noir novel, just perfect for those who like their noir nasty and gripping. Give it a go if you like 'em like this....

2 comments about Passing Off.

1. Don't even think about picking this book up unless you've got a weekend to kill. Mr. LeClaire is a highly skilled writer expert at creating empathy for his main character, excellent dialogue, and gripping suspense. The book follows the exploits of Michael Keever, an American with almost NBA potential who plays for a Greek professional team. Keever occupies the spot on the team reserved for foreign players with Greek ancestry. His only problem: he isn't Greek and a mysterious woman knows his secret. If Keever's ancestry is determined before he collects his bonus, all of his hard work will be for nought. Thus, Keever, is forced to use his basketball-honed deception skills both on and off the court. If you like suspense, you'll love passing off.



2. Tom LeClair's witty and entertaining novel of basketball's minor and euro leagues is so much more than the candid and humorous tour of garbage ball it starts out as. A hanger-on point guard jumps from the CBA and college recruitment schtick to "pro ball" in Athens, where he unwittingly becomes involved in an eco-terrorist plot. LeClair's real triumph isn't the wonderful depiction of Michael Keever running the point on the floor (and LeClair's depiction of the game is criminally strong) but that same character's ability to weave through the complex human drama surrounding him and go to the hole. Brilliant, satisfying novel.