Posted at 10:55 AM in Books, How To Write, Murder Mysteries, Television | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted at 01:54 PM in Books, Current Affairs, How To Write, Humor, Murder Mysteries, Television | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: chris grabenstein, el anatsui, mitch kahan, the little magazine on the blog
Posted at 10:09 AM in Books, Humor, Murder Mysteries, Television | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Certain words now in our knowledge we will not use again, and we will never forget them. We need them. Like the back of the picture. Like our marrow, and the color in our veins. We shine the lantern of our sleep on them, to make sure, and there they are, trembling already for the day of witness. They will be buried with us, and rise with the rest. Also, here is a link to info on the new movie, HOWL about Allan Ginsberg’s book and life. Sounds like something we must see!!!http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/2189 i conclude with some words about the three mysteries i've read in the past week. all three are parts of series, leading me to the conclusion that writers ought to stop their series, say, on book six. still victoria thompson with her gaslight mystery series and janet evanovich with her stephanie plum series must be making a ton of money. i even doubt if they'll completely lose me as a reader; i'll always have some curiosity as to what these prolific authors can come up with next. a number of years ago, when i first read janet evanovich, i really did laugh out loud. the characters were drawn so large. the situations they found themselves in so outrageous that they filed me with delight. the characters in sizzling sixteen are still drawn large, but they are the same characters. the situations are still outrageous, but, after all, if we've been taught to look down on bondsman vinnie for fifteen books, why would we care if he's kidnapped in #sixteen? if stephanie can't make up her mind between morelli and ranger, why wouldn't ranger, who is getting the worst of the deal, cut out for greener pastures after all of these novels and smashed cars? and what reader is interested in lula (whose cup size continues to runneth over) and her intellectual conversion. this is not a book for political correctness. sizzling sixteen is a quick read at 309 pages. it is published by st. martin's press. then i read victoria thompson's murder on bank street and murder on waverly place. in bank street, the reader and widowed mid-wife sarah brandt find out what happened to sarah's husband dr. tom. we knew he was a good guy all along. this novel proves it. he is not the bad 'doctor' referred to as a villain. the story line is weak, except for the last few pages of denouement. then thompson does give us a neat twist. the book is 324 pages and published by berkley prime crime. murder on waverly place is a stronger story, though a murder at a seance has been don before. but, hey, if you can do it better, give it a try. the reader might think that now that the shadow of tom brandt has lifted, sarah and her co-sleuth detective frank malloy would get together, but no, we're going to see this strung out as long as possible. some of the minor characters do gather steam in the two books referred to here. sarahs' mother who was previously somewhat demonized as a 'socialite' shows bravery and inner strength. maeve, her helper from the orphanage, is somewhat of a detective herself, all to the good. the book is 294 pages and also published by berkley prime crime.
Posted at 12:40 PM in Books, Murder Mysteries, Television, Travel | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: janet evanovich, poet laureate, victoria thompson
i came across seven interesting writers' resources in following the path from a recent duotrope mailing to penguin books. i've checked them and they seem reliable. you'll find writing and publishing tips, as well as some information (thesaurus.com, for ex.) for the general reader. please let me know what you think.
1. Authorlink
Writers resource and rights marketplace
Website: http://www.authorlink.com
2. Booktrust
Provides listings, factsheets on publishing and getting published, plus book news
Website: http://www.booktrust.org.uk
3. Handbook of Rhetorical Devices
Guidelines for and examples of rhetorical devices
Website: http://www.virtualsalt.com/rhetoric.htm
4. Mslexia
The magazine for women who write. Advice and inspiration; news, reviews, interviews; competitions and grants
Website: http://www.mslexia.co.uk
5. Thesaurus.com
Online thesaurus
Website: http://www.thesaurus.com/
6. The Writers' Advice Centre for Children's Books
Founded in 1994, The Writers' Advice Centre for Children's Book is the only manuscript agency in the United Kingdom specialising solely in children's publishing.
The Writers' Advice Centre for Children's Books
16 Smiths Yard
London SW18 4HR
Tel: 0797 9905353
Email: info@writersadvice.co.uk
Website: http://www.writersadvice.co.uk
7. XRefer
Reference search engine
Website: http://www.xrefer.com
then a few comments from the london times 'saturday review' sent to this blog by our scotch correspondent alastair s.
bbc has produced a new three episode sherlock holmes program (would that be 'programme' if i'm talking british?). it gets rave reviews, the only complaint being that it is limited to three parts to its 'fleet, flashing run.' you'd think it would be impossible to have a new and better interpretation of conan doyle's stories, but obviously not. we can only hope some enterprising u.s. station buys the t.v. broadcasts.
also, a new biography has been published about photographer edweard muybridge, the man who gave us the stop frame photographs showing man and animals in action, the precursor to motion pictures. it turns out that muybridge was also a murderer; he shot and killed his wife's lover. who would have guessed after all of these years of seeing in museums his photos of horses running, men leaping, etc.
now to fictional murders. sorry, i could not read Delicious and Suspicious (A Memphis BBQ Mystery), though i thank the reader who sent it to me. the author is riley adams. 'includes recipes!' is the bribe offered to potential readers on the back cover. if the title hadn't kept me away, that would have. i did read enough to find out the story starts in a bar-b-q restaurant in memphis, tenn. including the recipes, the novel is 277 pages and published by berkely prime crime.
i did read Grace Under Pressure (Manor House Mysteries, No. 1) by julie hyzy. grace, of course, wheaton is our girl detective. the love interest is the landscape architect. the older mentor is bennett marshfield, the owner of marshfield manor where grace works and where the murder occurs. we have two secret staircases (hey, i have one in Eloquent Corpse: A Murder Mystery
), a group of suspects, and all of the expected accoutrements of the beginning of yet another series. julie hyzy can write and put together a plot. i wouldn't be surprised if she comes up with something less predictable.
berkley prime crime is also the publisher of this 310-page book.
Posted at 05:49 AM in Books, Current Affairs, How To Write, Murder Mysteries, Publishing, Television | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: delicious and suspicious, grace under pressure, holmes, julie hyzy, muybridge, publishing info., riley adams, writers' resources
Stalking Susan
by julie kramer and Murder on Mulberry Bend (Gaslight Mystery)
, by virginia thompson continue the stories of their authors' heroines.
have the authors' improved their styles? was i in a better mood reading these two murder mysteries than i was when reading previous books in the series? maybe i just had a couple of good nights' sleep. both books are better than their predecessors. conversations are more natural. virginia thompson turns out to be really witty.
added later: there's a problem with above analysis. Stalking Susan
is julie kramer's first book. i read it after another she's written, so there is no progression here.
kramer places her heroine, riley spartz, in a contemporary minneapolis (well, someplace in minnesota) tv newsroom, fighting for every headline, every inch of space. thompson's heroine sarah brandt is a mid-wife in turn of the century new york. both women have smoldering, helpful men in attendance. as i remember. both of the women have husbands who died in the recent past so are tentative about new relationships, though always moving closer. the two women, themselves are assertive, if not downright aggressive. they work in fields where they are not always made to feel welcome. they travel into dangerous areas of town. they meet dangerous people. they put their lives on the line and solve crimes.
kramer and thomas have worked hard to give verisimilitude to their ambiances, kramer from her own experiences in tv-land, thompson, i assume, from research. both are successful. kramer rushes headlong into a rather dumb ending, but what is one to do? i still highly recommend stalking susan and murder on mulberry bend.
some statistics: Stalking Susan, published by anchor books, is 387 pages plus two chapters of kramer's next book. i hate that. does anyone rush out and buy a book based on those two chapters. if i'm going to read another book by kramer or anyone else, i'll base it on what i've just finished reading or on an interesting review such as one you find on the whodunit? blog.
Murder on Mulberry Bend (Gaslight Mystery), published by berkley prime crime is 346 pages. at least neither of them end with questions for reading group discussions.
Posted at 01:09 PM in Books, Murder Mysteries, Television | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: gaslight mystery, julie kramer, minnesota mystery, murder on mulberry bend, stalking susan, t.v. mystery, victoria thompson, victorian mystery
Posted at 09:28 AM in Books, How To Write, Murder Mysteries, Television | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: 'a japanese shaggy dog story', louise penny, onepagestories.com, the brutal telling, wallander
e-mail comments are still coming in from my curious george and machu picchu call to readers. i can't post all of them, but have tried to divide them into representative categories for all to enjoy--and ponder. what does it mean, for example, that the questers, those searching for mysterious lost cities, tend to be male and to write long, thoughtful comments? i'll post some of those reviews next blog.
but some of the shorter comments are great, too. in response to my trying to make a connection between curious george and machu picchu, jess. b. of north canton sent back a return e-mail: 'Curious George and the man in the yellow hat go to Peru?' love it. thanks.
m.l. from chicago says, 'Great on Curious George! And thanks for the thumbs down on the Laura L novel--didn't look that appealing, will skip it now .'
some went back to older blogs: 'I AM BUYING THE BOOK CALLED Nine Dragons (Harry Bosch)
FOR MY GRANDDAUGHTER WHO GOES TO KENYON COLLEGE.' even if she's not interested in hong kong, it's a good read.
and another reader who scrolled back, 'I know, Audrey, you are thinking that I am trying to one-up Nelson Demille. Have I?' i assume this reader means by being wordy (after a long e-mail) but maybe she means being a sympathetic main character. either way. it's always a pleasure to hear from j.c.
some people took the opportunity for general literary criticism. 'I want poetry that I don't have to run to the dictionary for every third word but that means more than the words it took to write it.' says r.s. from zoar and there are many who would agree with him.
i'll close with some of my own comments -- i don't watch t.v. crime shows. however, i do find it interesting that a novel by patricia cornwall was going to be made into a t.v. show for the first time. i think all of that blood and gore would be difficult to transfer to what-used-to-be-called the small screen.
more about lisa scottoline's Look Again
next blog
Posted at 09:54 AM in Books, Murder Mysteries, Television | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Recent Comments