Slow Reader’s Quarterly Reports

Titles in Red are books we have (or have had) in stock.

Titles in Bold Black indicate autographed books we have (or have had) in stock.

I began posting Slow Reader's Quarterly Reports on rec.arts.mystery and, subsequently, on the dorothyl list in January of 2000. Book titles in a different color are or have been in stock. Those in red are unsigned copies, those in bold black are autographed. See the List of Residents for details.

July - September 2004

    The reason for these "quarterly" reports is that I just can’t keep up with the speed most of you read. It is not unlikely that I’ll only get one book done in a month and now that my "day" job has me doing less traveling, I don’t go through audio books as often.
 		  
 

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child 2003 book is Still Life With Crows. This is a suspense thriller featuring Special Agent Pendergast. A mutilated body is found in a Kansas cornfield that seems to be a staged tableau. The sheriff believes it is an isolated case, but Pendergast is certain that it is the work of a serial killer that will strike again. Pendergast and the sheriff inevitably but heads. Pendergast enlists the aid of a young girl (a high school misfit) to act as his assistant, driving him around and filling him in on the town's history. It is a very suspenseful story which exposes a nasty past (a massacre by Indians over a hundred years earlier), local problems (a plan for a research project growing genetically altered corn), differing theories on just who or what the killer is. It all leads up to Kraus' Kaverns and a riveting climax in the search for the killer.
 

I enjoyed the book (as I usually do with these authors), but I thought the suspense was a bit drawn out. It got to the point that it wasn't so suspenseful as it was a tease. It was mostly around the beginning of the second half of the book that I was starting to wonder if it would ever move ahead. Also, I was beginning to wonder if this wasn't another Museum Beast story (ala Relic and Reliquary). Happily, I discovered it wasn't. However, it did bog down for about fifty pages or so  in the middle, but then picked back up and moved ahead. The ending/resolution was really satisfying.

 		  
    Employment is Murder by Daniel B. Brawner is a screwball comedy. It is due out in August 2004 (ISBN: 1-59414-189-4 from 5 Star Mysteries at $25.95 in hardcover). The front cover, covers it with its want ad: "WANTED. Idealistic individual to help save the world and restore metaphysical equilibrium to Los Angeles. No experience necessary." Simon is generally unemployed, but is always looking. His girlfriend, Amy, a very strong character and financially well set, doesn't care whether he gets a job or not. Actually, she'd rather he didn't, since he has a tendency to line up with really unscrupulous outfits and then turns them in. Simon seems to be completely oblivious to the consequences of corporate whistle blowing. This worries Amy. Currently, Simon has just started a job selling Platinum Plated Golf Putters for a company called Going Platinum. The organization is composed of Bulgarian refugees who got their corporate inspiration from the film, The Godfather. The company "uniform" is a black zuit suit with a white tie. The situations are bizarre and the story telling is hilarious.
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       

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