Book club discusses "The King of Lies"

(I'm behind with our book club session reports, so here's the one for our February book discussion.) The most recent book club had a good and genuinely lively discussion about first-time novelist John Hart's book The King of Lies." Hart is a local writer and longtime North Carolina resident whose story is set in Salisbury, N.C. Here's a pix of Hart as shown on his website www.johnhartfiction.com.



The book's story follows a 30-something lawyer Jackson Workman "Work" Pickens who comes to a crisis of direction in his life albeit when his missing father turns up dead and he's identified as a possible suspect in his death. Pickens is worried sick his sister may be involved with their father's death and he goes to desperate lengths to protect her...

Overall, most of enjoyed the book although some of the the central character's actions were considered bone-headed and that led to a fair amount of discussion. The mystery story itself was appreciated and a couple noted a local Charlotte restuarant that drew their attention too. It is a kick to read a book with local settings which you've actually seen.

As a good sign for the writer John Hart, several asked if the writer has another book coming out soon and double-checking his personal website this week I see that he does. It is entitled Down River and its release date is early October.

Childhood favorite bound for the big screen--

I suppose I read The Hardy Boys series like any boy who enjoys reading and what's not to love with kids several years your senior solving adult mysteries? Of course, with a brother 14 months younger, it made the adventures seem a little more real. In fact, when I read those books, this is one of them with the same cover:

Of course, it is not surprise for fictional characters to last for years and years, they will change with the times or have some sort of reincarination. So, that's the case with the Hardys too. I read this week on the Entertainment Weekly website that the detective team will come to the movie screen in the coming future as adults in an action/comedy "The Hardy Men" starring Tom Cruise and Ben Stiller.

While this certainly is an interesting idea, is it a good idea? I'm curious what the writer(s) come up with here.

A Good Read for a Book Club--

During our most recent book club, we hosted an open session when each participant brings a book (or more for that matter) to discuss of their only choosing. I had to smile when the slightly older title The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold was discussed by one. The book was first published in 2002 and sat on the New York Times bestseller list for more than a year (thanks, Wikipedia).

Is there any popular novel reader who hasn't heard about this title? A 14-year-old girl is raped and murdered with the crime becoming an ongoing investigation in the novel. However, the girl, Susie, lives on in spirit in heaven and she observes how events and life change with her family and friends.

The elements and emotions of the novel made it a success and a must read for many and it also became a frightening title too. Some would comment that some aspects of the book (the death of a child, etc.) would make for disturbing reading.

And--according to Wikipedia again--the story will have a new life (so to speak) as a film version of the book may arrive for the public sometime this year.

As I mentioned in the title for this post, this is a good read for a book club. I read this book several years ago for the "Rea Road Readers" book club at my library where general interest adult titles are discussed.

I really liked the book overall, although I felt a twist near the end of the book was forced and unnecessary.

At that time, I had considered using the book for the mystery book club as it has mystery elements with a clearly different slant. Now, I haven't yet but maybe I should keep it mind. When the book was shared that night, I asked of those present who read the book and only three of us (just under half) did.

In fact, this book could be good for an older teen book club too...

Reading tips from the Sunday paper--

When I turned to the book section in Sunday's Charlotte Observer newspaper, I was pleasantly surprised to see two familiar faces recommending books. Three individuals were included in book section feature as notable figures from the local book world. One person is Cathy Pickens who is a local mystery writer. The trio offered suggestions for reading read-alike titles and here's what they said:

What do I read next?

JERI KRENTZ

jkrentz@charlotteobserver.com

We're always looking for good books to read, so we turned to three experts for advice. We hope their ideas help the next time you're browsing at the library or shopping at your favorite book store.

JULIE AGUIRRE WHITTED

Whitted is a freelance reporter for WFAE-FM (90.7) and founder of the new Charlotte World Book Club. The club meets the second Tuesday of the month to discuss and learn about literature, life and the world beyond Mecklenburg County.

If you enjoyed Khaled Hosseini's "The Kite Runner" -- The story of an unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy in Afghanistan and the son of his father's servant -- Whitted recommends:

"Ursula, Under," by Ingrid Hill.

I loved this book. I like to think that a million more Americans with diverse family backgrounds have similar stories in our own family trees.

"Always Running," by Luis J. Rodriguez

By age 12, Luis Rodriguez was a veteran of gang warfare. An interesting and touching first-person view.

"Naked in Baghdad," by Anne Garrels

Maybe because I'm a reporter, but I could not put this book down. Garrels, an NPR correspondent, shares her experiences covering the invasion of Iraq and its aftermath.

"Enrique's Journey," by Sonia Nazario

I picked this up at the Novello Festival. It shows the illegal immigration issue from an important point of view: That of a young teenager driven to reunite with his mother in North Carolina.

"Around the Bloc," by Stephanie Elizondo Griest

A funny and fascinating look at a young woman's experiences in Moscow, Beijing and Havana. A great read for armchair travelers.

CHARLES BROWN

He is library director for the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Before coming to Charlotte, Brown directed the Hennepin County Library in Minnesota and the Arlington County Library in Virginia.

If you enjoyed "The World Is Flat" -- subtitled "A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century," it looks at the sweeping changes taking place -- by Thomas L. Friedman, Brown recommends:

"The Extreme Future," by James Canton

The publisher touts this book -- subtitled "The Trends That Will Shape the World for the Next 5, 10, and 20 Years" -- as "this generation's 'Future Shock.' " Canton is a global futurist and social scientist.

"The Lexus and the Olive Tree," by Thomas L. Friedman

Friedman argues that globalization is the international system that replaced the Cold War system. "If the first era of globalization shrank the world from a size `large' to a size `medium,' " he writes, "this era of globalization is shrinking the world from a size 'medium' to a size 'small.' "

"Mind Set!," by John Naisbitt

By the best-selling author of "Megatrends," "Mind Set!" (according to Naisbitt's Web site) "discloses the secret of forecasting." Naisbitt "gives away the keys to the kingdom, opening the door to the insights that let him understand today's world and see the opportunities of tomorrow."

"America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It," by Mark Steyn

Here's how the publisher states Steyn's argument: "America should proclaim the obvious: we do have a better government, religion, and culture than our enemies, and we should spread America's influence around the world -- for our own sake as well as theirs."

CATHY PICKENS

Cathy Pickens the pen name for Cathy Anderson, a professor at Queens University of Charlotte whose novels include "Southern Fried" and "Done Gone Wrong." She likes reading and writing mysteries because they're "intellectual puzzles."

If you enjoyed "One for the Money" by Janet Evanovich--it begins a series about funny bounty hunter Stephanie Plum and her off-center New Jersey friends and family -- Pickens recommends:

Joan Hess' Maggody series

Hess' characters -- including Chief of Police Arly Hanks; the chief's mother, Ruby Bee Hanks; the n'er-do-well Buchanon clan; preacher Brother Verber and others -- are people that anyone from a small town (Southern or otherwise) will recognize.

"Skinny-dipping," by Claire Matturro

In this and Matturro's other books, Sarasota, Fla., attorney Lilly Rose Cleary takes on such cases as a kayak whiplash and defamation of an orange. The latest in the series is "Bone Valley;" the fourth is due out next fall.

"Sucker Bet," by James Swain

Swain, a gambling expert, and wise-cracking Tony Valentine take readers through the fascinating underworld of professional gambling.

"The Virgin of Small Plains," by Nancy Pickard

On a more serious side, but with rich regional atmosphere, this is a suspense novel set against the dramatic Kansas Flint Hills. Her best book yet.

c) 2006 Charlotte Observer and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.

Some New Mysteries on the Shelves--

If I want to see the newest mysteries in the library, I head downstairs where our newest fiction titles are shelved. Three titles caught my eye among those offered:

The Trouble with Tulip is the first book of "a smart chick mystery" series by Mindy Starns Clark. It features advice columnist Josephine ("Jo") Tulip who turns detective to investigate a neighbor's sudden death with the aid of a close friend, Danny, who's a photographer. Jo and Danny plunge in this venture to the frustration of the local police and find their friendship is strengthened and strained as a result. Clark writes under a Christian publisher and the "smart chick" series is a follow-up to her "million dollar mysteries" series. The book is 293 pages.


Minister's Ghost: a Fever Devilin Mystery is the newest book by Phillip DePoy. The third book to feature Fever Devilin has the professor and noted folklorist returning to his family home to re-establish his roots in the Appalachians of Georgia. While on a trip to collect folktales and lore, he sees has an apparition at a railroad crossing which he believes is a dangerous omen. Later, Fever finds that to be the case as a friend loses two nieces from a suspicious accident at the same railroad location. Determined to investigate the matter, Fever encounters various colorful local characters and bucks against his oldest friend Sheriff Skidmore Needle in his pursuit. The book is 277 pages.

In Second Burial for a Black Prince by Andrew Nugent, Sergeant Molly Power is in charge of the investigation of an attack on an young African man. Found in the countryside, the man dies in the hospital of massive blood loss--from an amputated leg performed in a crude manner. The dead man is an immigrant and restaurateur named Shad who is very well-liked in the community. And as the police investigate, Shad's brother Jude and a boy investigate too. Nugent, who resides in Ireland, has a varied background with writing and as a lawyer along with working at one time as a missionary in Africa. The book is 228 pages.

"Run the Risk" book discussion

With our last book club for the year, we discussed the first book of a new series featuring a California homicide lieutenant by Scott Frost in Run the Risk. Frost has written novels before, but he's better know for penning TV scripts for various shows including Twin Peaks. I've read Frost also worked on The X-Files too but I'm unsure about dates or episodes.

Frost's Lt. Alex Delillo is a dedicated law-enforcement professional who is thrown by the developing case of hunting a killer who has a lethal expertise in rigging explosives. And Delillo's situation turns additionally frightful as this same criminal kidnaps her teen-age daughter during her investigation of him.

The book is action-packed with dangerous and tense situations. And Frost gives the reader Delillo's perspective in a first person narrative that nicely personalizes the novel.

That said, only one of us appeared to enjoy the book's entire package of characters, story, action, etc. One person mentioned how the story appeared to start like an episode of TV's 24 but lost its way. And, to be fair, that TV series certainly takes it leaps of logic but for this novel it led to frustration. The prolonged involvement of Delillo in a personal case--she assists in handling the kidnapping--and headstrong actions call her judgment in question. Moreover, is Delillo really the only one is charge of all investigations? Puzzling.

Now, this stripped-down novel action thriller has pluses but the lack of characterization, background and some detail turned the book into more of an endurance test than a compelling read. I remember how I mentioned at the start of the book discussion that this author has another book in this series and I asked if anyone had read it or found it. No one did and typically a few in the book club will read other books in a well-liked single title of a series.

Frost's second book with Delillo is Never Fear which was published earlier this year.

Book Club discusses "Cripple Creek"

Last Thursday the book club discussed the new book Cripple Creek by James Sallis. [Here's a pix of James from his website.] Cripple Creek is the second book by Sallis to feature a world-weary small town deputy named Turner living near Memphis, Tennessee who is rebuilding his life. And truth be told--Sallis didn't win over new readers to his books that night with this title.

Although critically well-received, Sallis' novel jumps around like a toad (the story is interrupted with flashbacks) and the narrative is not easy follow. As it turns out, Turner has had several previous lives an a Vietnam War vet, a cop in Memphis, a prision inmate and a therapist. And those lives blur at times.

One book clubber read the book and decided to reread it to get a better understanding while another decribed it as forgettable after finishing. Another read the first book to feature Turner in Cypress Grove and described the second book as very similiar. I somehow got the impression she preferred the first one though. I had mixed feelings about the book and found its appeal somewhat limiting.

Sallis does give the reader a modest story in detail (really, a crime story of revenge) with neat doses of atmospheric text involving a layered character.

And truth be told, I guardedly recommended this series to a library patron and he said he'd give the first book a try. He was interested in a character-driven book.

It's GOOD to read fiction--

The current issue of Psychology Today has a thoughtful article about the benefits of reading in "Novel Delights: Reading Books Can Help You Read Minds." In an article is based on research in the new Journal of Research in Personality, reading fiction is identified as a genuinely social process. That is, "frequent readers of narrative fiction scored highter on tests of empathy and social acumen than did readers of expository nonfiction." And as one psychology doctoral candidate says later, the stories push the reader empathize with characters different from oneself and would lead to better understand "the many kinds of people we come across in the real world."

Now, how would mysteries figure in such research? One psychologist in the article acknowledges mysteries and romanaces tend to boost empathy and social savvy. And, it is agrued that a social aspect of fiction causes us to "read minds" and to guess what a character is thinking or feeling. That conclusion comes from English professor and author of Why We Read Fiction, Lisa Zunshine, who notes while reading whodunits a reader would suspect all characters of lying. Here's a pix of Zunshine from Google.

Finally, University of Toronto psychology professor Keith Oatley says that fiction offers a safe release of emotions. "You know that this whole set of events in contained and you can get up and or you can put your book down." For instance, he says, in a thriller a reader can feel a hero's grief and anxiety without experiencing threats to the family or the fear of running from a murderer.

Book Club discusses "Lost Lake"

This month the book club discussed Philip Margolin's thriller Lost Lake which has been referred to as Margolin's best effort. He has a great record of all of his novels hitting the New York Times bestsellers list according to his official website (although it needs to be updated maybe, that does not include his newest titles). Here's a pix of Margolin courtesy of Google.

Lost Lake is--what I would take as--a grand-scale novel of mystery and cover-up reaching to an aspiring presidential candidate. The novel starts with a young Portland, Oregon attorney, Ami Vergano, who takes a new tenant, Dan Morelli, who reacts violently during a little league game fight and comes to need her legal help. (FYI: Margloin has a daughter named "Ami" and a son "Daniel."). Things are complicated further after this big news story attracts an old acquaintance of Dan, Vanessa Kohler who is a reporter for a tabloid newspaper. Vanessa has a history of pursuing alien-abduction stories and also will tell any interested that her father had headed a secret military unit for the government. Her father, Gen. Morris Wingate, is now a presidential candidate. And the story goes and goes from there.

Needless to say this book covers a lot of ground and you should take the attitude of enjoying it as a wild roller coaster ride. Some of us did and enjoyed it. The book includes the piecing together of the individual's stories and the unlikely relationship between Vanessa and Dan. Some of us did not and found it less likeable, however. One person suggested the book's storytelling was uneven, that for such a book--at times going over the top--it was could have used a lighter tone. I found the story too much over the top and agreed with another about questioning why Dan and Vanessa become a couple late in the book.

We all agreed the book was well-written. It is nicely paced too.

This is the second time our book club has read a title by Margolin. Either two or three years ago, we read Gone But Not Forgotten.

The library has a new title by Margolin entitled Proof Positive. It is Margolin's third legal thriller featuring feisty defense lawyer Amanda Jaffe according to Amazon.com.

PLCMC's Festival of Reading Begins

The annual PLCMC festival of reading called "Novello" begins Monday, October 9th in Charlotte and it appears to be another great year of local and national literary talent.

On the PLCMC website, it says: Held each October since 1991, the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County's award-winning Novello Festival of Reading is a celebration of reading and books including presentations by best selling authors and other reading-related activities.

Included this year are these featured authors in evening programs: Mitch Albom, David Baldacci, Augusten Burroughs, Mark de Castrique, Pearl Cleage, Mark Ethridge, Dr. Russ Greenfield, Tommy Hays, Margaret Maron, Doug Marlette, Sonia Nazario, Jan and Michael Stern, Amy Tan and Dr. Andrew Weil. Even more authors are included in two more events with multiple authors but for mystery book series fans there's Margaret Maron (with the "Deborah Knott" books) and Mark de Castrique (with the "Barry Clayton" books). First time author Mark Ethridge may be setting his sights in similar territory with his book Grievances with a modern-day Southern novel/mystery.

Novello is a great program and a major presentation by PLCMC. Ticket and other information is available at the Novello web site.

A recommended English series for book club--

Our book club received a recommendation for an English detective series recently ("you [the club] don't like English mysteries do you" I was asked and I replied "no" but we had read only two other English mysteries that I readily remembered--[gulp]) and we gave it a shot. And to catch an early story of this series I went with the second book of the series since the library system had only a few copies of the first. The book selected was The Dedicated Man: an Inspector Banks Mystery. The author is Peter Robinson who has a long-running series with his hard-charging detective chief inspector. The Dedicated Man was first published in 1988. Here's a pix of Peter from www.inspectorbanks.com.



"The Dedicated Man" was aptly noted in the discussion group to identify the murder victim, a former professor consumed with local archaeological ruins and now Banks who has catch his killer. Mindful that the more time lingers in a murder case, the harder the case, Banks bounces from Steadman's small circle of friends and associates to find who is the murder. It is one of the those situations where repeated trips are needed to the likely suspects to build or establish a case in court (CBS-TV's "Cold Case" comes to mind). And as Banks finds out, a few who are involved are very tight-lipped.

The book club found the mystery to have a satisfying conclusion and one person--who went on to read other books in the series--said the other stories carry plausible reasons for committing murder (well, in as much as it a sound reason to murder another...).

One person noted how the book title is apt for the murder victim and for Banks who pursues his killer. Robinson says as much about the character through others and gives him a somewhat cloudy past as he's relocated to the smaller Eastvale from London. What job-related incident made Banks want to leave? Robinson says in an interview on "Bookreporter.com" that Banks "becomes more introspective and melancholy [throughout the series]. He is strongly affected by things that happen in his personal life and on the job. In that sense, he's more like a real person, an everyman, not a superhuman thinking machine or one-man vengeance society, and I often see the series as books just about a man and things that happen to him at home and at work."

Banks is by all measures a level-headed fellow with a family and interests in reading literature in "Dedicated Man." However, I later discovered via Wikipedia search that Banks is now divorced and his ex-wife remarried (initially, I did a search for Peter Robinson but found a "Banks" entry too).

Robinson certainly has staying power with his writing--he's up to at least 16 books about Inspector Banks. The newest title, released this year, is Piece of my Heart.

Hollywood true crime on the big screen--

"The Black Dahlia" film opens in movie theatres this weekend and it joins "Hollywoodland" as a one, two punch for movie audiences of old Hollywood true crime stories. And, as you would expect, books exist at the local public library about both stories.

"The Black Dahlia" is the name given to a murder victim, Elizabeth Short who was found tortured and murdered in a vacant lot in Los Angeles in 1947. The "Black Dahlia" was the nickname given to Short who dressed completely in black. An ambititous but apparently promiscuous starlet, Short's body was found nude and "crudely cut in half" according to the Encyclopedia of American Crime. The book adds the case remains unsolved despite "a rash of confessions" from those who could not accurately account for various aspects of the case.

The new film is inspired by the James Ellroy book of the same name. A new paperback edition of the book is being released this year.

And that murder case has inspired other books too, with at least three seperate titles in PLCMC.

The mysterious death of actor George Reeves of TV's "Superman" fame is depicted in "Hollywoodland." This death occurred in Los Angeles too, but in 1959. Reeves had acceived fame on TV portraying the superhero Superman for several years. However, he soon after died of a gunshot wound which was determined to be a suicide but some questions remain. In the movie, the questions are investigated by a private detective. In print, however, Reeves life is covered in more detail for the less than wholesome actor in Hollywood Krypotonite: the Bulldog, the Lady, and the Death of Superman by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger.

And the interest in Reeves death just didn't translate into the mystery, sexy, speculation of the "Black Dahlia" story as the library system has only one copy of the Reeves book.

All the same, it's neat to have two period mysteries on the big screens.

I found a new series (to me) on the shelves...

As I walked around and looked at some of the different titles in the mystery section recently, I ran across the Chloe Newcombe series by Betsy Thornton and it caught my eye. I hadn't heard of this author or series before. Chloe is a victim's advocate with the county attorney's office in the fictional Old Dudley, Arizona. She describes her job as helping victims during "crisis intervention, courtroom accompaniment for hearings and trials, whatever we can do to help." (Writer Thornton writes from her own life experiences as she lives in Arizona and works for the Cochise County Attorney's Victim Witness Program as a victim compensation advocate and victim advocate.)

The notion of an amateur detective who works directly with crime victims sounded unique to me and I settled on a the latest book in the series Dead for the Winter since the first book of the series The Cowboy Rides Away is not in our library system.

It is a nicely-written effort by Thornton with its share "off-center" characters to give the book its distinct sense of community. Even Chloe is somewhat off-center here. Her judgment slips with dangerous results.

Chloe finds herself a suspect in the death of nearby town carpenter who she befriends after employing him. She finds him charming and even considers him a romantic prospect--she's broken up with her long-time boyfriend now--except he has pestering secrets. For instance, he's married.

I suspected later that I might have enjoyed another book in the series where Chloe is actually working (she's suspended from her job here--that suspicion of murder and all) but such as it is. And I hope that Chloe returns but Thornton has decided to write about others for her next book. Due this October, Thornton has taken a new turn with A Whole New Life with a new cast of characters featuring southern Arizona sheriff deputy Jackson Williams. Following the car crash death of Williams's wife, it is deemed a murder and he is arrested and imprisoned. This may be a nice character driven story as Jackson has helpful friends and family in corner to help him while he concedes his marriage was a mistake.


In any regard, I think I'll try another Thornton mystery at some point.

I didn't remember signing up--

I didn't remember signing up for email messages from this author (you have to email updates of your work and activities as a writer today, right?) but I appreciate this message all the same. Author Julia Spencer-Fleming has a new book coming in October All Mortal Flesh: A Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne Mystery. The book is the fifth of a series of a police chief in a small upstate New York community who receives frequent assistance from a female Episcopal priest.



The series is very well-received and award winning even (the first book of the series--In the Bleak Midwinter)--won multiple awards. In fact, I remember one librarian noting how she enjoyed how the novels were evolving as a series.

And the series is taking a dramatic turn in this novel as Spencer-Fleming has on her author webpage that: Police Chief Russ Van Alstyne didn't expect any gossip in the town about his carefully contained feelings for the Reverend Clare Fergusson. So he certainly doesn't expect to be the prime suspect when his wife is found murdered in their own home.

Wow.

My book club read the first book of the series and we enjoyed the story and wondered very much about the missing Mrs. Van Alstyne in the book (she doesn't appear in the novel). And I know some have continued reading the newer Spencer-Fleming books.

Now back to the email, I like the news that the author is touring and will be coming South (maybe even the Carolinas?). I also like that the message is headed by "News From The Kill" ("Kill" is the first part of the name of the New York community), and an interview with Spencer-Fleming is mentioned on the nifty "Murderati" blog. That blog is written by 7 mystery writers "dedicated to mysteries, murder & marketing." The interview was on the August 19th posting. Here's a pix of Julia from her website.



And finally, I was surprised when I took a long look at the Spencer-Fleming website and found my name. When you look at the "Reading Group Guides" entry there are questions for two books. I'm listed in the second series of questions for In the Bleak Midwinter. Now that's a surprise to me as I submitted the questions months (and months) ago and didn't get any notice that they would be posted.

Oh well--surprise!

Like a family gathering [regional mystery writers panel--Pt. 1]

It was fun and as cozy as a family gathering to attend the noontime "Celebration of Mysteries" at Main Library yesterday. As part of the National Sisters-in-Crime 20th anniversary, a panel of regional mystery writers ("just some" we were told) assmembled to talk about writing mysteries set in the South. The participants ranged from a somewhat new kid on the block with Terry Hoover (her first book Double Dead is due in January) to the well-established writing team of Jim and Joyce Laverne (the Sharyn Howard mysteries and more). Others included multiple Shamus award nominee Richard Helms (his series are with Pat Gallegher and Eamon Gold), award-winning Gwen Hunter (with the Dr. Rhea Lynch series) and Daniel "Chipp" Bailey (novels featuring television reporter Cassie O'Connor). The panel moderator was Cathy Pickens whose first novel won a mystery writing award (she has two in print) about an attorney named Avery Andrews. Her promotional pix is included here.

Pickens guided the discussion with a few questions for writers while permitting ample time for questions from the audience. To start, officially, though, Pickens asked the authors what makes the South a unique place for mysteries. Daniel Bailey noted the region has "so many colloquies." He added further that the actions of individuals come into play too. He would hear it said "people wouldn't do that--but they do it in the South." Gwen Hunter complimented on the significance of family secrets which can carry into Southern fiction. For her, "the secrets that we hide from generation to generation" can become great plot devices so that for novels "its the little things that get revealed book to book." Richard Bailey said that customs are "part of what the Southern thing is about." He added a sense of fatalism for the region that goes back to the Civil War era. Terry Hoover said the South does "revel in exceptional characters." Consequently, the mysteries become more character-driven and the actions are more observational. Jim Leverne added a newer and very public aspect of Southern culture is NASCAR.

That led to some additional talk about having mysteries set in the South. Bailey has used the low country of South Carolina for novels and said "the locale become a character in my books." Hoover said the locales are extoric to people in other parts of the county. Hunter mentioned how she has garnered good book sales abroad with some of her titles.

[This was a fun session and I want to share more so I'll add a part 2 later when I also hope to photos from the panel discussion.]

"Sisters in Crime" anniversary celebration in Charlotte

Sisters in Crime is celebrating its 20-year anniversary this year and Charlotte is included. The Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County will host a regional mystery panel discussion with several best-selling, award-winning local authors. "A Celebration of Mysteries" will be held on Monday, Aug. 21st from 12:15 to 1 p.m. at the Main Library's Movies and Music Room [704-336-2725]. The event is free.

The program participants are Daniel Bailey, Rick Helms, Terry Hoover, Gwen Hunter, Jim and Joyce Laverne with Cathy Pickens moderating. The panel will discuss their books and questions including: What are mysteries? Why do we read them? Why are Southern mysteries so popular in other parts of the country?

PLCMC has copies of books by Bailey, Helms, Hunter and Pickens including the following:






Sisters in Crime is the national support organ for writers--particularly women--in the mystery writing field which offers advice, support and networking assistance.

The book discussion on "California Girl"...

During our last book, we discussed the T. Jefferson Parker novel California Girl for our selected monthly title. And it worked well for our group as it provided a lively discussion. That said, the book seemed to rank low on the favorable list of good reads. One participant noted how she liked Parker's other books but did not like this one. She recommended reading--to another attendee who asked--the books featuring Detective Merci Rayborn (in the books The Blue Hour, Red Light and Black Water.)

Overall, the "mystery" story appeared to be a good as a murder mystery. It features the death of a troubled, yet popular and pretty young woman with attachments to various elments of her Orange County, California community. Set in the late 1960s, Janelle Vonn has ties to the drug community but also works a police informant while being involved with several men. Who killed her?

The other central characters of the novel are a flawed family of brothers and those faulty individuals just didn't ingratiate themselves to the book club readers. This family of brothers, though, become involved with Janelle through her life and death. The family was described as dysfunctional and with pampered kids. And that soured the story for many. Additionally, a few instances of foreshadowing--the crime story begins in the 60s but ends roughly in the present day--was annoying to least a couple in the group. And two twists in the novel due to fate and justice drew negative comments too.

However, two of us liked the novel overall though. I liked it--though not as much as Parker's more modestly-developed book Silent Joe. That book was also read by the book club and I remember it as a personal favorite that year.

Otherwise, the 60s referrences in the novel were fun for everyone. Including the soon-to-be president, Richard Nixon, the story had a few real life individuals and the 60s down pat. I had forgotten how the cops were often called "pigs" then.

California Girl won a the Mystery Writers of America Edgar award in 2004 for best book of the year.

I Read it in a Magazine--

Taking a few days off from work, I actually grabbed a recent U.S. News and World Report magazine (July 3-10 to be exact) with the cover story about having a "stress-free summer." I didn't get to give the magazine a thorough read but it did include a couple of nice mystery titles for the summer reader in all of us. That is if you'd like novels taking a fun spin with a mystery story involving actual writers in historical fictional stories. The first title is The Poe Shadow: a novel by Matthew Pearl.
From the PLCMC library's catalog, the summary is as follows: In 1849 Baltimore, following the death of Edgar Allan Poe, Quentin Clark discovers that Poe's final days had been marked by a series of bizarre, unanswered questions and launches his own investigation to resolve the mystery of Poe's death. The book is 370 pages. The other title is The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril by Paul Malmont. Again from the library catalog, the summary reads: Meeting regularly at a New York City tavern, rival authors Walter and Lester debate the nature of L. Ron Hubbard's fictional works and become embroiled in a pulp adventure of their own involving a madman who would create a new global empire. The novel's authors are popluar and successful in the pulp fiction genrie--Walter Gibson, creator of "The Shadow" and Lester Dent, creator of "Doc Savage." The book is 371 pages.

Mickey Spillane Died Monday

It's a bit of a stun and surprise to me to hear that mystery writer Mickey Spinane died today. I had just pulled a couple of his titles for a mystery book display this past weekend. The display was entitled "The Modern Masters of the Mystery Genre" and Spillane makes the cut as a recipient of a "Grand Master" category during one year for a national mystery book award series.

I've never read a Spillane title and I didn't think his books with his hero, detective Mike Hammer would appeal to me for 200 pages or so. And I remember the TV show of Mike Hammer with actor Stacy Keach only holding mild appeal. All the same, I do fondly remember the 1950s film Kiss Me Deadly as a different, out there movie. It did have a neat film noir take with the rarely pleasant Hammer. Ralph Meeker started in the movie. And watching it on the big screen while in college, made for a fun evening.

Spillane certainly had a varied but truly successful career. Only after googling him, did I find out that he also wrote comic books at one time and even starred as his fictional detective in the movies. Here's an old pix of Spillane.

New Mysteries on the Shelves--

When I travel downstairs at work, I can find the newest fiction books in the library. Here are two new mystery titles:

The Blood-Dimmed Tide by Rennie Airth was first published in the United States in 2005. The story follows John Madden, a former Scotland Yard police inspector. Unfortunately, his quiet family life in rural 1932 England shattered by the brutal murder of a young village girl, and Madden teams up with former Scotland Yard colleagues, the British secret service, and the German police to investigate. The book is 340 pages.


The other book is High Priestess ("a tarot card mystery" is printed on the book cover) by David Skibbins.


Booklist describes the title as being the second of the Skibbins' tarot card series. The book brings back hippie-of-a-certain-age Warren Ritter, who has settled in as a tarot reader in Berkeley, still trying to live under the radar thanks to his radical past. Warren is a thoroughly endearing character, despite (and partially because of) his tendency to run at the first sign of danger. This time, however, when two Satanists who Warren knew back in the day, appear at his tarot table, Warren doesn't run. Satanists don't generate a whole lot of sympathy, but Skibbins' portrayal of Warren and his ability to evoke Berkeley's hippie detritus make this offbeat series worth a look. Jenny McLarin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved This book is 280 pages.