The Mirror Crack'd by Agatha Christie is a Miss Marple novel about the murder of movie star fan. A high strung, hot and cold American actress, Marina Gregg is hosting the showing off their new home in England to the local neighbors. One of the guests talking with Marina spills her drink and Marina, flustered, offers her own drink. Moments later the guest is dead from poisoning. Suspicion immediately arises that Marina was the target of the murder and steps are taken to protect her while the investigation begins.
There was a film of this story out in the early 1980's starring Elizabeth Taylor as the actress and Angela Lansbury as Miss Marple.
I read a “pre-publication” edition of The Larry Nichols Story -- Damage Control, which is book that was supposed to be coming out in hardcover (but ultimately arrived as a trade paperback). It claims to be the authorized biography, by David M. Bresnahan, of Nichols who, apparently, has 40 boxes of “evidence” locked away that will “dethrone the Clintons” and a long list of current Clinton “supporters” willing to testify to some infractions. But this book does not even hint at what the evidences are or who the witnesses are or to what they can testify. This is because the evidence and witnesses, if made public, might taint a criminal investigation and/or drive the witnesses underground. It is not even clear what the purpose of the book is. Supposedly, Larry Nichols wants to inform the public on the kind of trash the Clinton’s are and warn them of his “Damage Control” tactics so that we can see the sham when they employ it from the White House. Also, he wants the Clinton’s brought to justice, if not legally, then within the eyes of the public.
If this book is supposed to help that cause, it didn't work for me. Politically, I counted myself as a Republican and on just a bit right of center, at that since 1980. I already was less than thrilled with his election. Even so, I must say this an unfair, unwarranted (at least in scope), vitrolic, pointless attack. It is almost forgivable not to cite evidences which are held in secret, but it doesn’t even cite evidences which were made public. A vast majority of the allegations that he does make are about his governorship and even if all of them are true, they don’t affect his presidency except to suggest that if he did it then, he’s doing it now. The closest thing to “illegal” attributed to Clinton was his use of government resources to support is sexual promiscuity. Clearly this is unethical and sleazy, but I’m not so sure that it’s actually “illegal”. The most significant charge is that Clinton is a stooge, bought and paid-for by some power base in Arkansas, if so, then shouldn’t the war be wage against them? The book is nothing but unsubstantiated allegations, no support, poorly written, rambling and rhetorical. It’s value is limited to fluffing up the ire of those that already dislike Clinton.
As one of those who disliked Clinton, I can testify to the fact this book didn't even do that for me. I suspect the actual motivation for the book was to capitalize on the upsurge of the conservative right about this time.
Tombstone Courage, Joanna runs for and is elected Sheriff and the day after the election is confronted with two murders, one of which is 40 years old. The attraction of this series isn't just a fine mystery, but also the myriad of sub-plots that almost turns the series into a "soap opera" atmosphere. Joanna, newly widowed, in addition to taking on the sheriffs job, has to deal with her own grief as well as deal with that of her daughter. There's office politics. Her second in charge ran against her in the Sheriffs election and seems to be doing all he can to undermine her authority.
Phantoms by Dean R. Koontz is set in the California town of Snowfield. The entire population has either disappeared or been found brutally murdered. Jenny Paige, M.D. her sister, Lisa, and a small crew from the Santa Mira Sheriffs department investigate the cause and come face to face with the "Ancient Enemy".
The film with Ben Afflect came out just
about the time I was reading this. The film was a comparatively faithful
adaptation. But then, you'd might expect that since Dean Koontz wrote
the screenplay.
A Fine Set of Teeth from Jan Burke is limited release from A.S.A.P. The story is about the murder of a temperamental songstress. It's an Irene Kelly story and features original music (scored on the inside cover) by Jan's husband, Tim. A cute story and salted with "let's insult musicians" jokes (Q: What's the difference between a singer and a terrorist? A: You can negotiate with a terrorist.)
Dead End by Margaret Coel is a Father John O'Malley short story about the murder of a wife beater on an Arapaho reservation. The FBI has jurisdiction for murder on the reservation and, of course, the wife is the prime and only suspect. This is a limited signed and numbered released by ASAP in 1997.
As Far As You Can go Without a Passport is a series of essays by Tom Bodett, a humorist. These stories, unlike those from
The End of the Road series, are not about the fictionalized characters he created, but are humanistic essays on life in and around Homer, Alaska.This is Phillip Margolin's first novel, Heartstone. Two brutal murders of a high school couple in the fall of 1961 is pursed by a detective who becomes obsessive with it's solution. Convinced he knows who was behind it, he resorts to unethical and illegal tactics to pin the murder on a couple of "rawdy" kids he believes is responsible. Though it takes 6 or 7 years to bring them to trial, the case is strong with circumstantial evidence and is helped by an inexperienced defense lawyer.
Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass brings the nearly 6 year cliffhanger to a swift conclusion, but now Roland, Eddie, Susanna, Jake and Oy find themselves in what appears to be Kansas. Roland tells his friends how, at the age of 14, he became a gunslinger, of his love affair with Susan and it's tragic end. In conclusion, our friends, The Dark Tower Ka-Tet, is thrust into a Wizard of Oz parable. But, alas, our friends are back on the path of the beam and new threat from Martin.
I liked this one the best of the series. There are those that maintain the first one, The Gunslinger is his best to date. Maybe on a literary level that is true,
Rudy Baylor, is The Rainmaker. In this novel from John Grisham, Rudy is also destitute, but with a bright future. In his final month of law school, he is about to file bankruptcy, be evicted from his apartment and be sued by Texaco. However, he has a job waiting for him once he graduates and it’s just a matter of weeks. Unfortunately the company about to hire him is bought out and he finds himself without a job. He manages to find another position by bartering a client he stumbled into from one of his class field trips, but soon finds that they just wanted the client. They immediately let him go and this leaves leaves him without a job again. and being sought by the police for arson and murder (it seems this new firm was torched and a security guard was killed and Rudy is the prime suspect).
Violin from Anne Rice is a supernatural love story about Triana, a recent widow seduced by the music from a ghost’s (Stefan) violin. She is torn between the beautiful music and anguish it causes. Eventually she steals the violin from Stefan and plays for the public, a dream she has had all her life. This is the second Anne Rice novel, I've done, and with all due respect to Anne, I just don't seem to connect with her work. This and Interview With a Vampire seem to be "classy" supernatural horror stories, and for those into the genera may enjoy it.
John Grisham's
The Street Lawyer as a promising young lawyer with a big firm as
one of a few “captured” in seige by a homeless “terrorist”. The event
causes him to re-think his priorities and gives up his high paying
career to take on a job as a “street lawyer” to help the homeless. It is
an interesting premise, but too much a lecture, for my taste.
The apparent suicide of Rebecca Morland’s husband is accepted too easily by everyone for her liking. So she sets out in the
Pursuit of Justice, the title of Mimi Latt's second novel. Her husband has been stressed lately as a partner in a prestigious law firm and right hand man for the wanna-be Senatorial candidate head of the firm, but not suicidal. She is not only convinced it was not in his nature, but everyone else seem eager to close the case as a suicide and move on. This story involves political and social power, embezzlement, and very good suspense and a plot twist. Unfortunately, Latt’s portrayal of Rebecca’s character as an unreasonable, whimpering hot head is distracting, counter productive and as Rebecca is an attorney herself, it seems a bit incredible for Ms. Morland to take such a tact. But still, forgiving this one flaw, leaves us with a better than average mystery.
Angela's Ashes, by Frank McCourt is a memoir of Frank’s childhood as he grew up, impoverished, in Limerick, Ireland. Candidly honest, undetached yet fair treatment of events, including his relations with his irresponsible father, less than caring family and his constant desire to move to America. This audio is read by Frank, himself and is a delightful, poignant, often witty account of his life as a child and during early adolescence.