Best-selling author Tony Hillerman dies

When I heard Monday morning that writer Tony Hillerman had died, I thought that the mystery fiction world lost a favorite son. He was 83. And here's a recent pix of Hillerman from Google.

The prolific writer of the Navajo Tribal Police mystery novels left a stored collection of culture and creativity, most prominently with his long-running mystery series with Navajo police officers Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. A quick check of my library system's catalog finds 64 Hillerman titles includes books on CD or tape, edited collections and a memoir Seldom Disappointed.

The Associated Press reported Hillerman developed an appreciation for Indian culture as a student in a school for Potawatomie Indian girls in Oklahoma. As an adult, he become a journalist, later a journalism instructor and began writing novels.

Leading a life that was varied and enriching, Hillerman has a unique life story as shared recently in the New York Times.

Hillerman's last book The Shape Shifter, from 2006, is summarized as being retired Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn's last case--an unsolved crime which troubles him and returns him to active police work.

Eye Catching Book Title--

When one of co-workers opened a box of new fiction books recently, I noticed a new paperback with Charleston (SC) in the title and I gave it a long glance. I really like Charleston. The full title of the book is The Charleston Ripper by Steve Brown and the cover includes the description: A modern-day Jack the Ripper stalks his victims in Old Charleston. The book's website (www.chicksprings.com) says the book features detective Susan Chase.

Looking this book over I found it has a very strong local connection with the publisher, Chick Springs Publishing, in Taylors, South Carolina. And, that writer Steve Brown has a sizable body of writings with "The Myrtle Beach Mysteries" (six books) and four others. The book's website says Brown writes historical fiction in addition to mysteries and claims he is "one of South Carolina's most versatile writers." I'll say this: I credit him with developing a series of titles in locations where you get crime and trouble instead of sand and suds.

Book Club discusses "The Genius"

In September, the book club discussed Jesse Kellerman's newest book The Genius. The son of writers Jonathan and Faye Kellerman, Jesse (the accompanying photo comes from Google) has released his third novel set in the fast-paced New York City contemporary art scene with its demanding artists and competitive lifestyle.
Art dealer Ethan Muller is a member of this environment and when a unique art piece (consisting of multiple drawings for a single design) set falls in his possession--he appears to have found gold. The artist is an older man named Victor Cracke but he is missing. After a search for the man, Ethan forges ahead and opens a show with the newly-found art. The attention-grabbing work is good for business but draws unexpected attention. It rises the curiosity of a retired police detective, Lee McGrath, who recognizes in the art the identities of actual murder victims from years earlier. So, then, how is the absent artist involved? Muller and McGrath began a tenuous relationship to investigate.

We liked the story and found the layered story entertaining. The novel bounces from present-day NYC to "Interlude" chapters beginning 1847 with a family tree story of immigrants setting in the city with ties to the present day. One unique story involves a deformed family member hidden from the public and one attendee remembered how visited a family with that situation (that person could be hear but was not seen).

The Ethan Muller and Lee McGrath team later switch to Muller and Samantha McGrath (Lee's DA daughter) as the investigation continues and a romantic begins. That was a troublesome aspect for some as that relationship seemed unlikely and forced (I didn't agree as the writer seemed to make it appear plausible--my take). While working with Samantha--Ethan does his own legwork though--he is able to use the *cover* of working with the DA when interviewing others.

Otherwise, Ethan does actually have a girl-friend, Marilyn, who is also in his field so that Ethan does have a messy personal life by his doing. Those actions and attitudes create conflict with results throughout the novel.

Victor Cracke is the other major player in this novel as the "genius" with artiistic talent. Is he a genius though? Ethan mulls over the concept of "genius" and the skill with which Victor created art. One attendee suggested however, Victor may have a medical disorder--autism--which guides his talents. At times during Victor's growth into adulthood, he is placed in institutionized settings for convenince, but not treatment.

A well-written book, most said they would recommend this title to others.

God bless you, Paul Newman

I enjoyed going to Paul Newman movies over the years (Slap Shot, Fort Apache the Bronx and The Verdict anyone?) and I was saddened to hear of his recent death. I still find it a little odd to see his pix on salad dressing bottles but he was blessed to have mulitple careers and ventures.

I do give him partial credit to directing me to mysteries as a genre when I discovered his version of writer Ross McDonald's private eye Lew Archer in the films Harper and years later The Drowning Pool. In the Newman movies, a character's name was changed to Harper--and I've read two different accounts why that is the case--and Harper is based on the novel, The Moving Target while The Drowning Pool is the same title of the book. As it happened, the movies lead me to reading the books and I enjoyed McDonald's strong narrative of the lone wolf California PI.

The two Harper movies are in the new Newman collection DVD set and the photo on the cover case (shown here) is from the first movie.