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.