"Mystery" movie DVDs in the library--

I appreciate that our library system has the various categories that it does for DVDs such as "classic," "drama," (the videos have been removed and maybe Blu-ray movies will come...???) and "mystery" is included.

While in the back work area recently, I spied an old movie from the 70s and checked it out that day. It was director Robert Altman's "The Long Goodbye" starring Elliot Gould as Raymond Chandler's private eye Phillip Marlowe. I enjoyed the movie with its almost oddball detective who walks around nearly unaffected by his environment. And I hope it was a joke that Marlowe went through the movie with an ever present cigarette--usually lit--in his mouth and dressed in the same black suit.

The DVD cover (as found on Amazon) is cool too--good job by the marketing people.

Also, this is the movie with the surprise ending and I will give it that. And the Arnold Swarzengeer sighting is nifty too.

By chance, days later I grabbed foreign film DVD based on Harlan Coben's book of the same name "Tell No One." Now, it is a foreign film but it is a mystery story. I had mentioned this in the blog last year as a movie to look out for and it took me a while to get the dvd and watch it. It was a very well-done movie with its story moved from the U.S. to France. I watched the movie the first time in its original French language with English subtitles and then started watching the movie again with the English language dubbing. I preferred it the first time--I was good with the subtitles and the French language is nice to hear.

Heard on the TV News this morning that (Christmas book sales)--

Before dashing out the door to work this morning, I heard that this is the first Christmas in which sales for physical book were surpassed by the e-book. Taking a look on the web later, I read that Amazon claims this feat was due to the popular Kindle e-reader. There's a little more information here from InformationWeek but the future is here and now with electronic reading.

Getting into the nuts and bolts of the mystery novel--

I checked out a book recently and read about another just released one in USAToday which both tackle the craft of mystery writing--from different angles. The newer book is Talking About Detective Fiction by long-time mystery writer P.D. James. It gives an illuminating, big-picture approach to mysteries with information about the history of the genre in certain literature titles (i.e., Charles Dickins's Bleak House) to present day works with writers like Colin Dexter as shared in Amazon's product description of the book.

Click here to read additional information including a Publisher's Weekly review about this book which says it does cover British writers to a major although not exlusively degree. Look for attention focused on Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Margery Allingham and Ngaio Marsh and more. The book is 198 pages.

James has a great expertise to lend to her book while the other book The Lineup: the world's greatest crime writers tell the inside story of their greatest detectives gives a multiple voice approach. Edited by Otto Penzler, the book features 21 authors talking about the characters that they have created--the inspirations and what makes up the characteristics of the detectives. I skipped around and read the entries about writer John Harvey's Charlie Resnick and Laura Lippman's Tess Monaghan. The book is 406 pages.

A Christmas wish for a DVD set--

Its Christmas time again and I enjoy receiving DVDs (or DVD sets) like many this time of year. My dream DVD set would be an old personal favorite TV show--a private eye series from the 1970s, "Harry O" starring David Janssen. Here's a googled pix of Janssen from the series.

The series only ran two years and that can be one reason it doesn't appear to be joining other shows on the DVD racks--sadly. I had hope it would make it as more shows were coming to DVD a few years back but the DVD television show glut has eased I believe. Still, Janssen's big TV hit, "The Fugitive" is released regularly for the interested to purchase in half season "chunks"--OK, DVD sets.

Anyway, I liked the nature of the Harry Orwell character with his wit and unconventional lifestyle of living on a boat on the beach. And to get around for a while during the series he would just take public transportation--the bus. Also Janssen's voice over segments during the episodes worked for me too.

On the other hand, I still have a paperback book based on the series simplyly entitled Harry O. It was the first book with a #1 in the top left corner and was published in 1975. So till my dream happens (a studio DVD television set), I'll keep check for upcoming DVD releases but I won't hold my breath. Finally, I'm including the opening for the show courtesy of YouTube. I'm including the first and second, the third is just OK.

Book Club discusses "An Incomplete Revenge" [October]

The book club discussed the fifth book of the "Maisie Dobbs" series by Jacqueline Winspear several weeks back during the October session. An Incomplete Revenge features psychologist and investigator Maisie Dobbs--a highly motivated woman who pursuits an education and opportunities to move to a professionally-recognized status from that of a house servant. This book series is set during and following the first World War.

Winspear's picture here comes courtesy of her website.

In this novel, Maisie Dobbs is employed by an old friend to check out the feasibility of a land purchase. The land is in a village outside London in Kent and peculiar news stories from the area raise concern for Dobbs employer--incidents of fires. She arrives during a harvest season and works to gain the trust of the locals, including a gypsy community with which she finds an affinity.

The truth of the mysteries lie in a community's hidden secrets and try as she might, Maisie is the outsider--the woman driving around the village in her MG car.

Some quick observations (shared here) included:

• Maisie attempts to fit a community setting by picking up on the language or terms used by the residents or setting
• Maisie has a young assistant who's also a working stiff type and family man, Billy, and she offers him some work with investigations but hasn't reached out to help him as a mentor
• Maisie has personal troubles that stop her from leading a cheerful life
• however, she has a warm relationship with her father
• incidents of community secrets (or shame?) include nearly the whole community.

New Mystery by Celebrity Author--

NBC's "Today" show weatherman Al Roker is stretching his writing talents with a new mystery book, The Morning Show Murders, co-authored by Dick Lochte. The author of previous titles about fatherhood and cooking, has a made a splash into fiction writing here. The photo of Mr. Roker comes courtesy of the"NBC Today Show" website.

Sticking close to what Al knows, the book, as the title suggests, deals with a murder mystery in a network TV setting. It begins as TV morning personality, Billy Blessing, a chef and restaurant owner, is suspected in the murder of a network head. The television executive has just dined at Billy's restaurant and dies after consuming poison in his meal. But who is the actual murderer? With his professional life snapped shut and on hold (no TV and restaurant work), Billy turns into a self-styled sleuth.

This is one of two new mysteries I remember from a recent book catalog at work (the other was the new Sue Grafton book).

Library System Gets a Pat on the Back

(Here's some big news from our Main Library:) The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library (formerly the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County) and South County Regional Library have once again been designated a “Five-Star” library. This is a due in large part to the support and patronage we receive from you, the people of Charlotte. Thanks! Wondering what a Five-Star Library is? It’s the highest possible rating given out by the Library Journal, and it’s similar to the Michelin and Mobile guides used for restaurants and hotels. They’ve actually given it to use twice: first in February 2009, then again in November 2009.

You can read more on our website [link to http://www.plcmc.org/About_Us/in_The_News/releaseDetails.asp?id=407].
The Library Journal Index is based equally on four things: visits, circulation, program attendance, and public Internet computer use.

The Newest in a Loooonng Series

A co-worker smiled yesterday as she received the newest Sue Grafton alphabet mystery, U is for Undertow, before leaving for the day. She noted how the series is coming to end soon and marveled that she remembered reading the first book in the early 1980s. At that time, she was at a church sleepover with two of her children--then in grade school--reading "A" is for Alibi: a Kinsey Millhone mystery.

I'm impressed that Grafton is still going strong with this clever mystery concept and has carvered a unique spot in the mystery genre for herself. And as the new People magazine notes in a book review, private detective Millhone--reaching book 20 now--does that have the wonderful author blessing of not aging in natural years as all novels are still set in the 1980s.

Interested in a *Mystery Movie*?

I browsed through USA Today on the web last week and found an poll about holiday movies. I selected one I'd like to see, to see how it fared with the others, and to my surprise Sherlock Holmes--not my choice--did quite well. That peaked my curiousity and I decided to look for other upcoming movies and I found two others which can fairly can be called mysteries.

Naturally, you'd want to see a movie trailer before going to the theater--so you can take a look here. I have "The Lovely Bones," "The Missing Person" and "Sherlock Holmes" (thanks YouTube and click on the "Back" button at the top of the page to toggle between selections). Look them over and select your choice below. I appreciate your vote.

*Which Movie Would You Rather See This Holiday Season? (*Correction--the last entry should read "I want to go to a comedy film instead")

Recommended Reading (2)

Not that long ago, a fellow librarian mentioned that her most recently read novel was a good title so I jotted the title down to save for a time like this. The book she read was In Their Blood by Sharon Potts and it is her debut novel according to her author website.

The story's plot is about a college student personal investigation of a double murder in his family's home--consisting of his parents. The student, Jeremy Stroeb, explores his parents' background to find out what would lead to their attack and, with expected results in the process, stirs up the trouble for himself and his sister. Jeremy's investigation finds his parents were not the people he believed them to be.

Set in Miami Beach, Florida, the novel is 354 pages and was published this year.

Book Club discusses "The Body in the Record Room" [September]

Unexpectedly, I got behind with book club comments about our selections so I'm catching up now. The September selection was The Body in the Record Room by Joe Barone. Set in 1954 at a Missouri mental hospital, an assertive patient discovers a body in the facility's record room and begins his own investigation of the death.


Here's a photo of author Barone from his blog under "Crimeplace: a place for readers and writers of crime fiction to meet." At this point, he appears to participate in blogs instead of having a website.


With the assistance of a fellow patient and an outside contact, the patient actually makes strides in this endeavour without outwardly upsetting established practices. And the patient does have a name--he goes by "Roy Rogers" after his idol, the cowboy movie star.


The book club had a very good discussion about the novel and it covered a range of topics. Mainly though, the book takes a major turn in the storyline which is only slyly hinted in book descriptions and reviews. That being the case, I'll keep that big plot line quiet here too.


Otherwise, our comments include the following:

• the novel has its share of bad acts by characters but the author plays fair by finding fault all around


• Roy has genuine mental issues but he is able to keep them at bay while focused on his investigations


• Roy also has a unique ability to move around the grounds with the ease of being undetected and getting the trust of necessary allies


• the manner which the town hosting this mental facility appears to benefit from the operation but isolates it.

As I recall, we all found the book a worthwhile read.

Recommended Reading (1)

As you sit behind the library desk, you're bound to get advice about a good book you ought to read (or just hang around in the library--no difference) and when I get ambitious I do write the title down. That happened just the other day when a retired librarian spoke to me about a novel which she said the book club should read. It is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson with translation from Swedish by Reg Keeland. She cautioned the story takes a while to get into but she is preparing to purchase a follow-up novel (although I can't recall if it is the new The Girl Who Played with Fire or the upcoming The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest).

Dragon Tattoo was published in 2008 in the United States and is a rather hefty 485 pages (more reading than I'd like to ask of the book club for the monthly selection). The book is popular though as the library system has copies in regular print, large print and CD with double-digit requests for the title.

The novel's story covers the investigation of a missing young heir to a very wealthy Swedish family by a journalist and--seemingly unlikely ally--a young, tattooed computer hacker. This investigation also begins after a 40-year-old disappearance.

New Black and Latino mystery collections

A few months ago I noticed an interesting title Hit List: the best of Latino Mystery among the library's new fiction books. It is a collection of mystery and crime short stories. Publishers Weekly wrote (I couldn't find my library's copy) that the book claims to be a first-ever anthology of mystery short stories by Latino writers. Included are stories by Manuel Ramos, A.E. Roman, Lucha Corpi, Alicia Gaspar de Alba, Rolando Hinojos and Steve Torres. Writer Carolina García-Aguilera is the only one whom I ever remember reading (from her "Lupe Solano" private investigator mystery series).

Anyway, I'm glad to see the book in our library. Hit List was edited by Sarah Cortez and Liz Martínez and it is 191 pages.

Next, as an appropriate follow-up, I discovered the new book Black Noir: mystery, crime, and suspense stories by African-American writers in the same new fiction location. The book was edited by Otto Penzler. It features work by Walter Mosley, Edard P. Jones, Chester Himes, Charles W. Chesnutt, Elanor Taylor Bland and more. The book was edited by Otto Penzler and he writes in his introduction, "On the pages that follow, you will find stories that transcend race and genre to fulfill their primary purpose to inform and entertain."

Black Noir is 349 pages. And I'll repeat, I'm glad to see this book in the libray (and in print).

Needlecraft and Mysteries sown together...

It hasn't happened yet but my wife tells me she'd attend my book club if we'd read a Monica Ferris book. And as it turns out, she said that to me again after I'd brought her home another new Ferris book, Blackwork, from the library a few days ago. My wife knits religiously as her time allows.

Ms. Ferris is the busy author of this hobby-orientated mystery series which feature needlework shop owner and part-time sleuth Betsy Devonshire in small-town Minnosota.

The author--who writes under the pseudonym "Monica Ferris" according to her website--is at novel number 13 with the needlecraft mysteries. Ms. Ferris also loves to wear hats as you can see here courstesy of Google.

Now, will the book club ever read a book in the needlecraft series? It could happen but I have steered the club toward the more hard-edged type of mysteries (not just hardboiled) but the club votes on titles and we're not struck in the mud on types of mysteries.

The "fun" of writing young adult novels

Parade magazine in yesterday's Sunday newspaper had a timely question about adult fiction writers moving on to pen young adult titles. In the "Walter Scott's Personality Parade" section, a reader asked that question of writers Carl Hiaasen and Jane Smiley. Smiley was contacted--the article said her first young adult novel was published last month--and described the process as "fun." She added, "Since we want kids to read good books, why not try a hand at writing them?"

The same can be quickly said for some mystery writers as I wrote about Robert B. Parker two years ago with his first such book Edenton Owls. And he is continuing with his third young adult book--this time with his most popular adult character "Spenser" in a story from his childhood. Chasing the Bear: a young Spenser novel is a story of the then 14-year-old living with his father and two uncles involved in a dangerous bout of rescue and friendship.

More about the future of books and reading--

I did not listen to the entire "Charlotte Talks" program I mentioned just previously about the "digital age" and books but I don't believe the discussion reached vooks. A recent New York Times newspaper article described "vooks" as being a new innovation of the reading method with titles boosting the blending of text, video and Internet features. Click here for the entire article and related information.

This sort of hybrid book (as the Times aptly puts) may be the new panacea to draw readers as some book publishers hope. That is particularly the great expectation for younger people.

Writers, on the other hand, are mixed too. But mystery writer Walter Mosley said the practice has no appeal to him. He said, "Reading is one of the few experiences we have outside of relationships in which our cognitive abilities grow,” according to the novelist. “And our cognitive abilities actually go backwards when we’re watching television or doing stuff on computers.”

The Health of Libraries and Books--

Monday morning, our library director joined a panel of fellow administrators for a discussion about the future of libraries for our local public radio's "Charlotte Talks" program. Entitled " Libraries and Books in the Digital Age" that show asked how books are keeping up with the changing times and demands from the public with the growing preferences for download able items (books and information) and e-book devices.


Library director Charles Brown said he felt despite the interest in newer technology that print books would still keep its audience. He noted how he still sees young children fascinated with holding and using books and that there are still upcoming new book titles which draw a big adult audience (i.e., the new Dan Brown book, The Lost Symbol).


The full program is at wfae.org.

The late William Safire

Over the years, I became a fan of "On Language" the writing column in the New York Times magazine by wordsmith William Safire and I caught myself saying a woeful "awww" upon reading of his death last week.

I would find the columns interesting, timely and informative. I enjoyed that someone would take all that time to examine our use of words and their meaning--particularly words which had become significant due to some news story or other media interest (I have a googled recent photo of him here).

*I also took the time to attend a class he spoke to years ago when he make a campus visit to my former employer (then Queens College)--and he favorably impressed me as a thoughtful gent.*

Truth be told, I bet the next time I yank a dictionary off the shelf to double-check the meanings of a word, he may come to mind.

It Came in the Mail (2)--

In another mailing (months ago old, I'm afraid), I received 10 very nice promotional brochures for writer Jane K. Cleland's new book Killer Keepsakes (a Josie Prescott antiques mystery). Called a "sneak preview" on the top, this brochure gives the first two chapters of the book, book series information, and invitations to contact Ms. Cleland.

Of course, the author's website is mentioned which includes interactive appraisal challenges from a notable auction house, book discussion questions and comments of critic's praise for earlier work. That website also has a nifty YouTube video with Cleland discussing the five components of a "traditional mystery."

I passed out the brochures during the September book club and two attendees recognized the author and had read her work with one saying she had read Killer Keepsakes.

Keepsakes is the fourth Josie Prescott book of the series.

It Came in the Mail--

Months ago I received a nice postcard promoting a new mystery The Examined Life (a Gil Rodrigues Mystery) by Virgil Jose for the book club. Unfortunately for us, we don't have it in our library system but its good to find out what we're missing.

War vet and widower Rodrigues is a private investigator who receives a jot to his stagnant world as his best friend, David Chang, is suddenly murdered. He looks into the crime and finds Chang's business affairs along the way touches upon professional assassins and international espionage. Pushing the issue on this case, Rodrigues does move to enact a personal revenge.

Crime Spree Magazine says the book is "one of those small gems that deserves to be dug out of the thousands of books published each year." According to the Amazon website, this is Jose's first published work of fiction.

A Fan for Rick Riordan

As I was waiting in the car dealership for my car for a routine service call last week, I pulled out my book club selection, The Body in the Record Room and began reading. You have to travel with a book right? Also, the book club session was mere days away.

Anyway, at some point I snickered at a line in book--which I'll unabashedly do while reading--when a woman sitting near by heard me and asked about my book. I showed it to her and she said the book cover is possibly enough to sell her to read the book (she read inside the book jacket too). Take a look for yourself.

Truth be told, I didn't get into the grimmer aspects of the book at that point so I could not share such in a conversation but we talked a little and she brought up the topic of favorite authors. She really enjoyed reading the adult mystery titles of Rick Riordan with private eye Tres Navarre (he's a renaissance man with backgrounds as a martial arts expert and a doctorate in medieval literature according to the author website).

The fellow driver said she enjoys Riordan's capture of the Texas lifestyle, etc., etc., as she is former resident of Austin and the novels take her there in stories. Here's a googled pix of Riodan.

That's good for me to know. I have to admit--for a while I've heard much more about teen readers interested in Riordan's Percy Jackson fantasy series for youth.

Overall, of course, it's good to know what others like to read and I enjoyed talking to the fellow Honda driver.

A Few Questions with Mary Anna Evans--

Shortly before our last book club, I decided I'd chance a quick email to writer Mary Anna Evans about her book Findings. It is a newer edition of her Faye Longchamp mysteries after reading her website (her photo comes from that site). I had hoped to hear from her at some time but she was able to write back shortly after I had emailed her.

I asked four questions and I shared her responses with the book club. I'll do the same here:

What do you hope we talk about with the book club regarding your book?

FINDINGS is an interesting place to start my series, if your members haven't read my work before. I write all my books so that they can be read independently, but FINDINGS is the culmination of the slowly developing relationship between Faye and Joe, so it's special to me because of that. I was also very fond of my historical couple, Jedediah and Viola. They were fun to write and people seem to respond well to them. My books are mysteries. To me, mystery is the literature of justice, in the way that some people call science fiction the literature of ideas. In a mystery, the world is set akew and it takes everything the protagonist has got to make things right. Things are not as they were--the victim is still dead--but justice has been done in a way that isn't always possible in real life. In a mystery, you can explore the boundaries of justice and right and wrong; what is just is not always right, and what is right is not always just. So, if asked what my first three mysteries were about, I would say, "Justice." Imagine my surprise when I wrote the last chapter of FINDINGS and realized that this book was not about justice. It was about love. There is no character who is not touched, for good or ill, by romantic love.

I've been looking at your previous interviews and user friendly webpage for talking points for the book club. Any special challenges for writing this book?

This book took me back to the setting of my first book, ARTIFACTS, so I didn't have to create a new setting. I did, however, need to communicate the setting and the recurring characters to people who hadn't read ARTIFACTS, without boring long-time readers. And I had to decide how to resolve Faye's and Joe's relationship...or whether to resolve it at all.

What is your writing and book promotion schedule like?

When my daughter is in school, I write from the time I take her to school until it's time to pick her up--basically 8 to 3. On non-school days, it's very hard for me to get creative work done, but I'll write then if I'm on deadline. More often, I do business or promotional work during the time when I can't be alone in the house. I promote heavily during the first few months after a book comes out, then I focus more on writing the next book. I still do events, but I tend to just go where I'm invited, instead of actively seeking appearances. It works out to about an event a month.

And how did you come to write mysteries?

I write in many genres, but Faye's stories are the ones that captured the attention of my publisher. And I'm glad, because I enjoy writing Faye. She's become almost like my invisible twin. :-)

[Hope this helps! Mary Anna]

Yes, it does. Thanks.

Mystery Graphic Novel

One of my job responsibilities has been to process new graphic novels coming to my library branch and recently I ran across the title Britten and Brulightly, an engaging yet somber graphic novel of a private detective named Fernandez Britten. Set in England, this noir title follows the Ecuador native (you look like you're French, he's told) as he latches on to a possible murder case of a man judged to have died by suicide. Britten, who describes himself as a "researcher" and is nicknamed "The Heartbreaker" for handling numerous cases of couples and infidelity.

The story follows the expected private investigator fiction traits of secretive snooping and personal threats or attacks. The book also goes an unexpected route with Britten's partner, Brulightly, who is not just another body to help manage a case.

Muted colors and the frequent rainfalls add to the gloomy mood of Hannah Berry's book, but why not? This is just not the type of situation to find people with a sunny disposition, although Berry successes in presenting a memorable graphic novel.

Local writer doing good--

During a recent short family trip--or an attempt at slipping in a few mental health days--we hit the road for South Carolina beaches (the hotel was on the beach) and I was pleased to find a local mystery writer had her works on prominent display at the hotel's gift shop. Writer Kathryn R. Wall had a nice display with autographed copies of books from her "Bay Tanner Mystery" series.

I was pleased to see that since I believe this is an excellent way to give a visitor a quick and lasting (you can keep the book) flavor of the local community. (And it worked in my case, I purchased the first book of the series.)

Wall's books are set in the coastal South Carolina area which is where she currently resides with her husband in their retirement home. I was also glad to find her titles on shelves of my library at work.

This pix of Wall is one from her website and book jackets and her "Bay Tanner" series is reaching the double digits in number of novels with Covenant Hall earlier this year.

Book Club discusses "Stranger Room"

[This post was started in May but got delayed.] In May, the book club had a great surprise for its book discussion session as it was joined by writer Frederick Ramsay, the author of Stranger Room our book selection for the month. And the meeting was quite different for us as Ramsay joined by conference call from his home in Arizona. This is the first time we've hosted a guest author by phone.

Thankfully, everything went very well--handling the conference call with our phones, etc.-- and I believe we talked for about 40 minutes or so. Here's an author photography from the his website. Also, Ramsay contacted the group about speaking to us as he happened to google his name and found that we had his book scheduled for May. I was never more surprised then when I actually received that first call from Mr. Ramsay.

Ramsay is the author of the "Ike Schwartz mystery" series and Stranger Room (published last year) is his newest until Choker hit the book stores and library shelves just recently. Schwartz is the sheriff in a fictional rural Virginia mountain community which is his actual hometown. Following a stint in the CIA, Schwartz is back in Picketsville, Va., and works to shape up a badly-managed sheriff's department.

In Stranger Room, the death of a traveler to the town nearly mirrors the unexplained death of another in same building--now a possible historical local attraction--and to solve the crime will take a long trip back almost 150 years before the Civil War.

Also, as I wrote earlier the conservation went on for nearly most our time and here are some of the things our guest author shared:

• he is "retired and writing for fun" with the typical goal of writing a novel within three months by producing a chapter a day


• as Ramsay started his writing career, his wife assisted him by typing his work but not these days as she is a full-time student


• he says he hates research when writing novels and says he'll fake some matters and "make things up"


• "it is hard to edit your own stuff" and you have to recognize the book's story needs to move along


• as books make a profit, the book publishers will ask for more books


• on the disappointing side, "people aren't buying books, especially young people" (for instance, at book signings the attendees appear to be 45-years-old and older)


• when writing, "the hardest challenge is to make each book better and to not repeat" a story


• while writing this series, Ramsay says he develops the characters one book at a time and doesn't plan ahead where the characters should "wind up"


• when asked about having input on book covers, he said it depends but his suggestions were used for what to show for Stranger Room cover.

Ramsay definitely won us over after we finished our discussion with his healthy dose of wit, clear-thinking judgment and good prose. Again, (as I said that night) thanks for calling and your time, Frederick Ramsay.

The "Booklists" are complete--

After flipping through old printouts of book club material going back several years, I believe I have compiled my final list of book club selections. That is, I have listed on the blog's sidebars (to the left) the entire list of books the book club has read over the years. The book club started in November 2001 with an initial meeting and, luckily, has been going steadily since then with monthly sessions.

Unfortunately, I have missed a date or two in 2002 and 2003 but I'm a little impressed as I look at all the titles read, including a true crime book early on (Mississippi Mud: Southern Justice and the Dixie Mafia by Edward Humes) and award winners like the first book selection (Edgar winner, The Bottoms by Joe R. Lansdale).

And as I wrote in a recent post, the book club would regularly have "open dates" without assigned titles for the entire group and I didn't list each one for the book lists. So, looking back, I'm surprised how the time has flew by--it has been fun.

Open Book Club Date--

Last week, the book club had one of its "open dates" for a meeting without any assigned book title. It is as I say, a session to select your own title and to come to discuss it for the group.

It can be a good way to mix things up, to read and discuss a title you'd personally like to share, to select something offbeat and to get a greater variety of books included in the book club.

The mystery books we discussed were as follows:

• The September Society by Charles Finch--a follow-up to the British mystery with freelance detective Charles Lenox [the book club read and discussed the author's first book the previous month]


• Choker by Frederick Ramsay--the newest book in the series with Sheriff Ike Schwartz in rural Virgina [the book club read and discussed the author's previous book The Stranger Room for the May book club and a previously delayed post will cover the book discussion]


• The Trail of the Wild Rose by Anthony Eglin--the next book in the series with retired botany professor (and amateur sleuth) Lawrence Kingston


• Walla Walla Suite by Anne Argula--the second book to feature Quinn an ex-cop, now a private investigator in Seattle


• The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl--this historical fiction debut tells of the pursuit of a serial killer in Boston following the end of the Civil War by a literary club which is matching the deaths to its translation of Dante's Inferno for the American public.
  

Book Club discusses "A Beautiful Blue Death"

Last month the book club discussed a title set during the infancy of the Scotland Yard with Charles Finch's A Beautiful Blue Death. This mystery is the first of a series to feature a well-to-do, freelance detective of the 1860s named Charles Lenox. The book was published in 2007 and here's a pix of Finch from his website.

The book jacket dubs this book as "equal parts Sherlock Holmes, Gosford Park, and P. G. Wodenhouse" and it appears to have its aims well placed.

In the story, Charles takes an assignment from his close friend, Lady Jane, to investigate the death of servant Prudence Smith--a former employee of Lady Jane--when it appears she has committed suicide. His investigation, though, leads him another direction to suspect that Smith was murdered by a unique poison. As Charles continues, he enlists the help of resourceful allies while bypassing Scotland Yard (mostly) and endearing himself to Lady Jane.

Now, as I recall, the group as a whole liked the book. Responses to the book included:

• the story was the type of mystery one attendee really enjoyed reading


• Charles and Lady Jane's relationship although close, it could be the same as if between a gay man and straight woman (one take)


• Charles led a very relaxed, pampered life as a Victorian gentleman and would be very ill-suited to work as a detective on a full-time basis


• Charles enlists his valet Graham to assist with the investigation and the two men share a relationship which occasionally crosses class lines--very unlikely it was suggested


• a filmed version of this novel could be a good period piece but would drag along otherwise


• how Charles managed to be independently wealthy without an apparent livelihood was curious


• the story almost takes a long tangent of political discourse during the period when the novel veers back to the central story (the author does have a background in politics)

One attendee also had a copy of the next book in the series The September Society that night.

When your writing hand breaks--

With a busy month, I have--to my chagrin--neglected to post to this blog (oh no!) I always attempt to post once a week which I consider reasonable. This month, it certainly did not happen.

I don't want to say my writing hand broke but I did catch myself taking a breather.

As a reminder of such I found an apropro article in the newspaper courtesy of the New York Times about blogs going by the way side by some writers. In addition to its reasoned information about some blogs biting the dust, it nicely features a mystery writer Judy Nicholas (her most recent is the paperback Tree Huggers if you check Amazon). It appeared that the passion, Ms. Nicholas started with the blog cooled (possibly) and writing for a novel took precedence.

Internet Radio Show "Mystery Matters"

Looking at mystery writer Maggie Bishop's website [see below], I checked her webpage of personal appearances and saw it included an interview on May 15th. More specifically, it says: Radio interview by Fran Stewart on Mystery Matters internet radio.

Mystery Matters?

Well, checking Fran Stewart's webpage I found a link to "Mystery Matters: Where Murder is an Open Book." It is an hour-long, weekly radio show hosted by the award-winning mystery writer Stewart with interviews and discussions about all types of mysteries. (Stewart writes the "Biscuit McKee" mystery series--a librarian and amateur sleuth in Georgia--with the newest title Indigo as an Iris. The webpage includes a search show option which would lead me to the "Maggie Bishop interview" I mentioned earlier.

This radio show airs on Fridays at 10 a.m. EST on the VoiceAmerica, talk radio network. And as one who listens to talk radio on the internet anyway (along with other programming), I'm glad to catch on this show which is PC keystrokes away.

Traveling through the Appalachians--

With the vacation season rapidly coming into full tilt, stories with a sense of community and adventure are appreciated and writer Maggie Bishop manages that with her North Carolina mountains stories. Her newest book was released last year and I found on my library's new fiction shelf weeks ago--Perfect for Framing.

Bishop's author website (which includes this photo) says: In Perfect for Framing, the second in the Appalachian Adventures Mystery series, CSI wannabe, Jemma Chase, has carpentry skills that lead to fire, a peeping Tom, truck trouble and a body. Jemma knows it wasn't an accident but tangles with Detective Tucker about the meaning of clues. The first book was Murder at Blue Falls: the Horse Found the Body and published in 2006.

In fact, during a recent trip to Asheville I remember browsing through mysteries at a bookshop and thinking that a local writer should have a book there...

All the same, I'm glad to discover Ms. Bishop's now and I look forward to listening to her as this month's participant on Mystery Matters.

From a(nother) Desk Calendar

A co-worker passed on a entry from her calendar months ago and I've held on it, guessing it might be useful at some point. Her calendar, the Book Lover's Calendar for 2009 has daily picks for recommended books and/or authors.

The date I have is for January 27th for two titles by Ian Sansom. In a nice synopsis from Booklist, it reads: British author Ian Sansom (The Impartial Recorder) gives us a hilarious mystery series set in north Ireland and starring Israel Armstrong, a bumbling, lovable vegetarian nebbish of a librarian who takes a mobile library.

Hence, the "mobile mystery series" is born with the first two titles The Case of the Missing Books and Mr. Dixon Disappears mentioned on the calendar entry. (Here's a pix of the first book,) My library has those titles and a third, newer one, The Book Stops Here from last year. It is also a book, I've noticed on our library's "new fiction" display downstairs. All book titles are paperbacks.

The Pix of the Week (from my desk calendar)...

For several years, I've purchased a weekly engagement calendar to prop up on my desk at work to keep up with events and to use for note taking during an occasional meeting. Typically, it would some sort of art, I love Claude Monet's work. This year, though, I purchased Jill Krementz's The Writer's Desk 2009 Calendar--it has great black and white photographs of famous authors--and this week I have photo and quote from writer Elemore Leonard. Here's a photo from the author's website.

And if I remember correctly, I did mention to my library's mystery book club that during a 2005 Time magazine interview, Leonard was described as being "the greatest living writer of crime fiction" by the New York Times. The calendar features Leonard quoting: If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.

A "Mystery 101" Column for All

I peeked through the newest Booklist magazine--an American Librarian Association publication--and found an enjoyable column about mystery books for the librarian and general reader alike. Joyce Saricks, adjunct faculty member of Dominican University and writer, dubs her newest column a sort of "Mystery 101 for readers."

Saricks is author of Readers' Advisory Service in the Public Library and nicely nails down the popularity and wide appeal of mysteries here. This is a well-constructed, quick read for those whom may even read crime fiction all the time.

Book Club discusses "The Good Thief's Guide to Paris"

This month the book club read and discussed Chris Ewan's The Good Thief's Guide to Paris [a mystery]. The second of a new series--the first is The Good Thief's Guide to Amsterdam--continues the escapades of mystery writer and professional thief Charlie Howard. Here's a googled photo of writer Ewan.

The fictional roving Englishman Howard is on a book tour in France when he boldly takes a challenge to show how to break into an apartment. Rather, he takes the challenge after drinking too much wine with a new acquaintance.

Charlie pulls it off and soon he approached to break in the same apartment again--this time, to steal an oil painting. OK--Charlie is in his element--but things spin out of control when he discovers a dead body in his living room and he concludes he can't go to the police about the crime. Against the odds, he tries to clear his name while sinking deeper into art thefts.

The book was well-liked. Here are a few quick observations:

• Charlie enjoys success as a thief by working within a certain range of risk
  

• Charlie's books enjoy moderate success but it's suggested he has yet to reach his potential as a writer


• one book clubber said the writing on occasion seemed to awkward in the novel (the phrasing of sentences) while another said for English writers the sentences appear typical


• the novel takes the proper tone of not taking the story too seriously.

Fun note: with Ewan's next book, Charlie Howard will come stateside for a story set in Las Vegas.

"How Can I Keep Up With the Newest Books at the Library?"

In so many words, I was asked that question at my book club last week in regards to keeping up with new books at the library from authors that one may want to follow. Fortunately, the public library has a new convenient way to handle through your PC.

Wowbrary is a new resouce for weekly emails (or RSS) billed as providing information about "the newest stuff at your library (i.e. books, music CDs and DVDs)." On the website homepage, it also boasts of offering the advance of early notification of titles and the option to reserve bestsellers instantly. To begin, you provide your email address for the sign up page.

In the Charlotte area, go here to see our public library version of Wowbrary. The website is under the "Catalog Search" section and under the small heading "New Items." If you look closely, you will find "New Items" but this attractive resource doesn't get much promotion. Look and I think you're consider the website's layout is very user friendly too with its sections for top choices, dvds, recreation, personal growth, young people and more.

For the library user who has be up to date with new books and media this is just what the doctor ordered.

Updating "About Me"

When I started this blog, I did not think about incorporating myself as a focal fixture within the blog. The blog is about the book club, mystery books and books in general. So, I had decided to skip a photograph of myself and to have a very short "About Me" entry. And in case you've never noticed, About Me is on the right hand side of this blog page at the bottom.

However, it you look at the revised "About Me" entry--you can see I changed my mind. Recently, I read about the advantage of providing a fuller entry for readers to understand why the blog exists. Point taken. As a result, I decided to give more background about how the book club started with my involvement.

Hope it's interesting.

Now regarding the photo--that comes from playing copycat to the writer's photos which accompany their books (some are quite showy). In particularly, I'd say I roughly modelled my picture on two writer's photographs featuring Ross McDonald (in the hat) and Robert Crais (in the shades) as shown here.

Funny, clever and cute

In the book club selection this month of Chris Ewan's The Good Thief's Guide to Paris, I give credit him a good sense of wit. Late into this mystery novel, his protagist Charlie Howard describes one truly unique character as being "a good few hardbacks short of a full library, if you know what I mean."

Good line--or else I missed this joke during library school...

Book Club discusses "Death of a Cozy Writer"

This month, the book club read and discussed the first of new series Death of a Cozy Writer: a St. Just mystery.

Writer G.M. Malliet, a former journalist, won the Malice Domestic Grant for this title. The grant is awarded to unpublished writers for traditional mysteries following in the tradition of a Agatha Christie novel--that is the setting is within a confined setting of people who know each other in a novel without explicit sex or excessive gore or violence. Here's a pix of Malliet from her website.

Death of a Cozy Writer is set in Cambridgeshire, England (where Malliet also lives) with the unsettling activities of a wealth writer's planned remarriage and the negative reaction by his adult children. The writer, Sir Adrian Beauclerk Fisk, has build a successful book series with an Agatha Christie-type character. As a result, he may offer his children Ruthven, Sarah, Albert or George a wealthy inheritance upon his death. Instead, he toys with that possibility and changes his written will at whim--showing contempt to all his children. Tragically, during a major family gathering for the engagement announcement, one in the party is found dead.

With almost a third of the story told, Detective Chief Inspector St. Just enters the novel.

Here are some takes on the novel:

• DCI St. Just has an amazing gift of deduction to solve the case--he appears to shortcut the investigation process...


• the novel has its share of humor but not the sort of British humour some readers would expect (except for the laughable American character who tries too hard to fit in) and it struck me as being "catty" too often


• the "Cast of Characters" in the front of the book was nice for the reader


• the book was nicely written


• as a murder occurs in a eighteenth-century Cambridgeshire manor to bring the police to the location, the family and others remain there during the investigation and--unfortunately--another death occurs there so it was suggested the people should have been moved


• the most shadowy and seldom seem character,Violet Mildenhall was judged the most interesting because of her unique background


• the favoritism which Adrian displays to some of his children at times, and disapproval more often, raised a long discussion about favoritism in real families and how the issue is handled in fair and biased manners.

Overall, the book was judged as a OK but not noteworthy.

Two book reviews on library podcast--

I think this is ironic timing. I discovered at work last week while my voice had pretty much left me and I was reduced to whispering--the results of a cold--that a podcast session I recorded last year is now available. That is, I recorded a segment for a monthly podcast recording for the library system's "Reader's Club" website. One librarian hosts the sessions and invites others to participate.

My contribution are two book reviews from two previous book club meetings last year for Terry Hoover's Double Dead and Jesse Kellerman's The Genius in the month of February.

I had hoped to incorporate podcasts with this blog for months (and months) but I really haven't yet. It is still in the plans though.

You Decide: Likable Characters Needed?

I paused for a moment while listening to a radio interview with author Zoe Heller, promoting her new book The Believers. [Here's a pix of her which accompanies this National Public Radio story on the web.] She makes the point of explaining her work by saying "My hope, at least, is that I write difficult, complicated but sympathetic characters."

And to further stress this, she continues [in a forceful tone] "I'm slightly irritated by what I think is a kind of modern demand for characters you can root for, characters you would like to be friends with. Speaking as a reader, I have to say that some of my favorite characters in literature are some of the nasty ones." Those comments caught me as I hear during book club sessions about novels with unlikeable characters.

Being in a book club focusing on mysteries (i.e. crime stories), how do we reconcile this? It--frequently, it seems with my book club--comes up that a novel doesn't have any likable characters. Is it a must to have a character to at least root for (redeemable wouldn't be strong enough here) to have a good reading experience? Or should readers just accept that too many fictional characters operate from their own their own selfish, narrow or jaded interests and that's their lives?

What do you think?

Hollywood Celebrity Pens New Mystery

I'm sure I'm not just one of the 20 people in the world who browse through Google News to catch up on news but I might be. In any case, I zipped through some "Entertainment" stories recently and found one about a new mystery book co-authored comic Joan Rivers.

Writing about what ones knows is safe ground for any writer and Ms. Rivers makes that connection with her new book Murder at the Academy Awards: A Red Carpet Murder Mystery. Working with mystery writer Jerrilyn Farmer--a good match I believe, I read some of her work--Ms. Rivers broadens her writing chops with this genre fiction title. And the book has some genuine interest as it has a wait list for check-outs in library. Additionally, the library system has a few of her earlier books which are mainly biography and humor-themed.

How did the current contestant on NBC-TV's “The Celebrity Apprentice” get her mystery off the ground? She answers that during a recent interview found on "The Improper" website:

IM: Describe the writing process as you worked on “Murder at the Academy Awards: A Red Carpet Murder Mystery.”

Rivers: Well I worked with someone who is a great mystery writer named Jerrilyn Farmer, so it was great because she really brought all the mystery and showed me how to do that because I didn’t have a clue in hell. She didn’t have a clue in hell about what happens on the red carpet, what goes on backstage, what goes on at The Kodak Theatre, and what goes on in the gifting rooms, etc. We worked together.

IM: Which challenges did you come across as you wrote the story?

Rivers: I don’t know, I struggle with everything! (laughs) So many of the characters are composites of real people, and you don’t want to get in too close, but you also want to be able to tell a story that you heard about this person or saw about that person… So that was fun. It was all fun, it really was fun writing the novel- much easier than writing my other book which was such a research project!

A Visit Back to 2008 for the "Best of.."

Can you believe how quickly the year is going? Well, I thought about looking around for a "best of" list for mysteries last December then decided to let that go. Now, as it turns out, this morning I found such a list while looking at the National Public Radio website. Specifically, there's the "top five mystery and crime novels of 2008" with regular book review contributor Maureen Corrigan doing the honors (she has a great delivery for radio--I enjoy listening to her).

I like the selections although as I searched for them to my library system's collection, we only have The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson here.

Such as it is.

Book Club discusses "Christine Falls"

This month the book club discussed Benjamin Black's Christine Falls as the month's selection. The book is the first of a new series featuring Dublin pathologist Quirke, a frequent drinker with a troubled background. Here's a picture of the author from his website.

"Benjamin Black" is also a pen name for the award-winning Irish writer John Banville. The last award as noted on his website is the Man Booker Prize 2005 for The Sea.

Quirke, who is never referred to by his first name Garret, becomes suspicious when his stepbrother and physician Malachy ("Mal") Griffin alters the death record of recently deceased young maid Christine Falls. What would prompt Mal to do this Quirke wonders and--against his usual disposition--he actually becomes concerned and investigates the matter. The results are long in developing as Quirke finds few full answers until he travels to Boston to accompany a family member and the entire situation comes into focus.

The book club had mixed to negative reactions to the novel--perhaps more disappointed is correct to say. Some observations included the following:

the mystery element of the story was lacking--a few suggestions popped up about ways the novel could have turned with plot twists

Quirke was too unlikeable to have appeal (of course, the author designed the character to be complex and troubled)

one person found the changes in character narration of the novel confusing (it was mainly two but at least two others were given short passages

the same person liked the writer's use of language

Quirke finds the Catholic Church is supporting a conspiracy which bears a relation to cover-up of Christine Falls death and it appeared to be a strong slap at that institution

too much of the story was devoted to Andy Stafford and his wife Claire (they are tied into the Catholic Church conspiracy)

well-written book gives little of the book setting in the 1950s Ireland

why use the pen name "Benjamin Black"?

The paperback version of the book includes 12 "discussion questions" in the back and I shared them in the book club. This is only the second time I remember having accompanying discussion questions for a book club mystery title.

More Poe news (courtesy of a post office visit)

When I was growing up I collected commemorative postal stamps for a while and my mom even graciously purchased several of the special commemorative stamp sheets in an official binder. That said, I tend to look out for commemorative stamps even today although I slowly go through them (and the stamp postage price keeps rising before I do).

Anyway, I did have to make a trip to the post office earlier this week and I was pleasantly surprised to see a poster promoting a new Edgar Allan Poe stamp for sale in January. Of course, it came as the 200th birthday of Poe was observed (here's info about the stamp). I'll admit that the post office visit was guided by the simple need to get in and to get to mailers on the way but I look around to see if anything else is interesting.

I did not purchase any Poe stamps that day but I will likely in the near future. I guess I shouldn't pass on the "father of the mystery novel," huh? And with the increase in first class postage stamps coming in May, I feel prepared because I already have one and two cents stamps from the *last* price increase.

Final New Novels by Deceased Writers Craig and Spillane

I didn't know about the death of writer Philip R. Craig until I was flipping through book reviews in one of the library's professional magazines a few weeks back. Craig, author of the "Martha Vineyard mystery" series with private investigator Jeff Jackson, died in May 7, 2008. The last book by Craig is Vineyard Chill as mentioned on the author's still current website. I counted 22 books in the series from the website. In fact, it is mentioned there that still another "J.W.(Jackson)" novel which is partially written "may someday be completed by his family per his instructions" by another writer. So, readers are urged to just stay tuned. Here's a pix of Craig from his website.

Writer Mickey Spillane, who died in 2006, has a writing story which the late Craig may follow. Spillane's last private detective novel with Mike Hammer was completed following his death by writer--a friend and a fan as mentioned on "The Guardian" website--Max Allan Collins. The book is entitled The Goliath Bone and was published last year. With a story that is ripped from the headlines--it features Hammer confronting Islamic terrorists and Israeli extremists following an attempted robbery. Included here is a recent, googled pix of Spillane.