Eye-catching Photo of Detective Duo



Scene from CBS-TV's "Elementary" from Google

 The other day online I spotted an eye-catching photo--I thought--of a couple in an urban setting.  It was actress Lucy Liu whom I recognized and actor Jonny Lee Miller from a scene of an new upcoming fall TV series.  Now, the actual TV show is called "Elementary" which features the two playing (another) version of "Sherlock Holmes."  This time Miller plays Holmes and she is "Dr. Joan Watson."  Okaaay.

When I saw the photo I was reminded almost immediately writer S.J. Rozan's detective team of Lydia Chin and Bill Smith.  In fact, I had hoped it would be.  It would be a different TV show to closely follow the format of the books with either Chen or Smith as the primary investigator for the case.  The two reside in New York City with the American-born Chinese Chen working usually in the Chinatown community with Smith often "shadowing" Chen.

Smith has strong American roots which go back to Kentucky although he's a full-time New Yorker these days.  His work in Rozan's books have taken him around the New York area.  Chen, however, has cases typically with her Chinese community.

Frequent investigations into Chinatown could lead to a culturally enlightening show--as the books do.  I'd imagine such a series would include--for the sake of realism--times of characters speaking only Chinese and closed captioned scenes.  How might that go over on network TV?   Of course, there's always cable, right?

I think Rozan has the thought-provoking elements for a unique TV series with her fictional detectives.

Book club discusses "Anatomy of Fear" (October)

October's book club selection was writer Jonathan Santlofer's Anatomy of Fear which cleverly includes on the book cover the billing "a novel of visual suspense." That is because, if you flip through the first chapter alone you will find nine sketches of a criminal suspect--from the start to finished version--and that is reflected throughout the book.

The story follows the work of police sketch artist Nate Rodriguez with examples of his work incorporated throughout although in actually, author and accomplished artist Santlofer produces the art in the novel. More than 50 pages, including the back flap of the book with author information a self-portrait (seen here), feature Santlofer's sketches and some photographs demonstrating sketching.

The novel follows the work of the talented Rodriguez as he is brought in to assist on a case of a serial killer who sketches of his victims and leaves them--roughly--as calling cards for the police. The police also quietly suspect the murders are hate crimes and Detective Terri Russo finds Nate's background, track record and training at Quantico a good asset to help crack the case. Nate's life away from work is another major part of the book as his diverse background and unique life is revealed.

Attendee comments included:

• Nate is a good listener to get an accurate description of a person for a sketch
• the art is "fascinating" and process Nate uses his mind and creativity to sketch suspects
• perhaps the artwork is too good for the work of a police sketch artist
• the character (Nate) is flawed but the story is not formulated
• Nate has the training to notice which emotions are reflected through the use of facial muscles and it was said that can be better to use than a lie detector
• why does Nate stay put where he is with his training and background?
• the book is well-edited
• one liked the use of color in the book with a deep red lettering on the top of each page for the author's name, book title and spots (of blood maybe?) at the start of each chapter
• the book has a lot of stories woven together
• two people didn't find the book very engaging
• the book is a good idea but the writing as effective with the characters and dialog
• one person read the follow-up book to Anatomy of Fear and found it different in tone without a big story line featuring Nate's very religious and spiritual grandmother--more focused on the crime story.

Anatomy was published in 2007 and its follow-up The Murder Notebook came the next year.

Book club discusses "Neptune Avenue" [June]

In June, the book club discussed the third "Jack Leightner crime novel" published last year entitled Neptune Avenue by Gabriel Cohen. Leightner is a veteran Brooklyn South homicide detective who catches the case of a young woman found dead in an abandoned row house with his new, young detective partner. It appears to be a suicide from the initial inspection.

Leightner, however, looks harder and knows otherwise.

The resulting case requires its share of police legwork but Leightner becomes quietly distracted as he learns of the death of a likable Russian acquaintance and attempts to investigate that death and comfort his friend's widow. And unexpectedly--his professional work takes a back seat to his personal interests and desires.

The detective character and the writer are a bi product of the Brooklyn neighborhoods as Cohen writes with an understanding and appreciation for the ethnically diverse communities ranging from Brooklyn Heights to Coney Island.

The book was well-received with comments during the book club including:

• it is a surprise how Leightner comes to ignore his professional case to look into the investigation of his friend's death
• the two concurrent cases though give the novel a quick pace of storytelling
  
• the detailed focus on the Russian based community in the novel was appreciated
• perhaps two (or so) incidents or descriptions of the neighborhood made one curious of when the book was written or when the story actually occurred
• one person who read the first book of the series, Red Hook, noted that Leightner gets different partners on-the-job due to his special detective rank
  
• Jack's attraction to his friend's widow, Eugenia, turns to into a surprisingly quick romance [one view]
• the map in front of the book was useful and one attendee (who grew up in the area) talked briefly about her childhood in Brooklyn.
  

The author photograph comes his website.

Final Nights for New "Law & Order" Episodes on NBC-TV--

I was stunned when I read NBC-TV's long running series "LAW & ORDER" was cancelled from the upcoming fall season. It has hung around through cast changes and time changes over the years until I thought it could air another two or three years. Well, that was not to be.

I liked the set-up of the shows episodes split between the police detectives and the district attorneys' work on a case. And I liked the New York City sets. I became hooked on the show during the last season of the Briscoe/Curtis detective (with actors Jerry Orbach and Benjamin Bratt) era and hung in ever since. The procedural set-up won me over as good and life-like storytelling for TV crime fiction. Here's a pix of the current cast from Google.

I like the current cast and think they have done some good work. And yet, we have all favorites and my true favorite was during the Briscoe/Green detective (with actors Orbach and Jesse L. Martin) era. In any regard, I'm a bigger fan of watching the detective work for the set-up of the case although I do want to see how the case survives (and concludes) in court.

Thanks to various cable stations over the years, I've been able to see most shows going back the first episode and I have a greater appreciate for the entire body of work. Some stories stretch too hard for the famed "ripped from the headlines" theme of the show but I have found most "Law & Order" shows very watchable.

I'll miss it--or do you think 20 years was too long for this series?

Prolific writer Donald Westlake dies

As the new year began a few weeks ago, I missed the news story of the passing of yet another giant in the mystery-writing field. The prolific Donald Westlake died on New Year's eve while vacationing in Mexico. He was 75 years-old and here's a googled recent pix.

His writing career reached back to 1960 when his first book was published. Since then, Westlake is credited with penning more than 90 books--most set in New York City and sometimes written under the another name, usually Richard Spark. To read more about his life, check here for three obituaries and for even some more, check his website.

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.

Mystery novelist visit at PLCMC--

I had received a message in advance but still couldn't work it in my schedule to see a promising author visit. The main public library hosted mystery novelist Elizabeth Zelvin on May 14th. She came to discuss her debut mystery, Death Will Get You Sober which was published in April.

Just as bad, I forgot to mention this at my book club too. Zelvin does believe in staying within a keyboard's reach of the public though as she promotes her book at website. The book features New York City psychotherapist Bruce Kohler who's a recovering alcoholic. During his new bout with sobriety, he finds incidents of homeless alcoholics turning up death--including one he befriends--and starts his own measured investigation.