DIVORCING THE DICTATOR: America's Bungled Affair With Noriega by Frederick Kempe

 Finished Tu 8/12/25

This is one of my ancient hardbacks that I had never read. It was a fascinating book and it read like a novel. 

The story of Manuel Antonio Noriega- a guy who truly played both sides against the middle. He aligned with the Americans because 'he was against communism' and the US turned a blind eye to his insane traffic in illegal arms, drugs, and technology. The US government gave Noriega $200,000a year for support for the Contras and America would turn a blind eye to his illegal activities. Everybody knew what was going on, but didn't no how to stop him. It took a US invasion of the country to end his reign.

Omar Torrijos was technically the head of Panama, but Noriega ran things from behind the scenes. He was like Joseph Goebels or Dick Chaney. He came across almost as a 'leftist'- kind of a playboy and 'man of the people'.

An interesting book and a departure from my normal 'literary or genre' ficiton.      

JITTERBUG PERFUME by Tom Robbins

 This is one of my trade paperbacks that I had never read. I don't know why I put it off because I really loved the book. There was a beautiful turn of the phrase on nearly every page. Just a wild and crazy tale about Evolution, Sex, History, beets, the perfect taco, and Perfume. This book was truly something different. 

The plot in a nutshel:

"The book follows two interweaving storylines, one in Ancient Eurasia and one in the present day. The story connects dueling perfumers in Seattle, Paris and New Orleans to a bottle of incomparable perfume created by two unlikely but defiant lovers of the past who seek immortality."

A link to the novel's page on Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jitterbug_Perfume#:~:text=The%20book%20follows%20two%20interweaving,the%20past%20who%20seek%20immortality.

FREAKY DEAKY by Elmore Leonard

This is one of my ancient paperbacks that I first completed on Fr 11/4/98 at FitClub. I refinished on We 7/23/25.

A great read and deals with the marginalized people from the anti-war movement of the 60's a decade their heyday. Nobody in the novel is without massive faults. The story is about a group of grifters who try to blackmail a rich and drug addled hippie. I'd read almost anything by Elmore Leonard.  

Review at 'nytimes.com':

"How dearly Elmore Leonard loves a scam, a con, a slippery scheme. How fond he is of the schemer, especially the schemer who thinks big. What a master criminal Mr. Leonard would make if he got tired of writing thrillers and changed professions. The plot of ''Freaky Deaky'' races along, constantly changing course and doubling back on itself, like a cunning fox in front of the hounds.

The setting is contemporary Detroit. The cast of characters includes a recycled Black Panther turned man Friday to a millionaire, a pair of student revolutionaries left over from the 1960's, assorted narcotics dealers and kneecappers, and Chris Mankowski. A straight-arrow cop no one will ever nickname Lucky, he's already in trouble with the novel's opening sentence: ''Chris Mankowski's last day on the job, two in the afternoon, two hours to go, he got a call to dispose of a bomb.''

After six years on the bomb squad, nagged into it by his girlfriend, Chris has requested a transfer. Now ''a guy by the name of Booker, a twenty-five-year-old super-dude twice-convicted felon,'' is sitting in a green leather wing chair with several sticks of dynamite planted in the cushion. Along with Chris, who's always puzzling over its shifting boundaries, we've entered Elmore Leonard's ethical and moral ''gray area.''

Booker's life, arguably, isn't worth saving. Chris should attempt to disarm the bomb anyway, even if he gets blown to bits. He makes what most of us would agree is the right decision, one a reviewer shouldn't reveal. Let's simply leave it that Mr. Leonard's spectacular 26th novel starts out with a bang.

Tricky stuff, dynamite, as we soon learn from Skip Gibbs, ''a thirty-eight-year-old kid'' originally from Indiana, who still uses such Midwestern locutions as ''I like to died.'' Skip is a demolitions expert for movie companies these days. That's after serving a long prison sentence for blowing up a Federal building, back in the time when blowing up Government buildings was a political act. Alas, the forces of law and order didn't see it that way. Neither does Skip, any longer. ''Sweet-heart,'' he tells Robin Abbott, his fellow street fighter and assistant bomber of long ago, ''that whole show back then was a put-on. You gonna tell me we were trying to change the world? . . . Where's everybody now? We've come clear around to the other side, joined the establishment.''

''Some have,'' Robin observes grimly. Having served time for the same bombing, she's had eight years to figure out who blew their cover after she and Skip got arrested, jumped bail and went underground. Their betrayer must have been Mark Ricks, fellow student radical turned theatrical producer, or Mark's brother Woodrow (Woody) Ricks, a physically repulsive specimen known even in his college days as ''the Poor Soul.'' The Poor Soul inherited $50 million from his mother. Robin wants to redistribute the wealth.

Brother Mark ended up with pocket change, relatively speaking; he wants a chunk of Woody too. So does Donnell, former Black Panther and self-appointed houseman to ''Mr. Woody'' who keeps his boss in a booze-and-drug-sodden stupor. In fact, so many people want a piece of Woody, a hilarious and awful grotesque, that the line winds all the way around the block. Even Chris ends up in the particular gray area where Woody's money exerts its magnetic pull, as does Ginger, the red-haired actress who replaces the nag as Chris's girlfriend.

He's not a great deal better off. It's understandable that Chris's father thinks that his son should try dressing better and maybe changing his after-shave.

In short order the stage of ''Freaky Deaky'' is crowded with as many rogues as ''The Beggar's Opera,'' from Juicy Mouth, a black hit man with a gray tongue as big as the sole of a shoe, to Skip and Robin, once again a dynamic duo. Fortunately for Chris and for Woody, the world's weirdest person, the lot of them aren't any longer on brains than they are on scruples.

''All these ones here,'' a cop named Wendell says to Chris about Juicy Mouth and retinue, ''they got their game going, living on the edge. . . . We get a feel for that kind of action, huh? Know when to step outside, so to speak, let them do their own kind of freaky deaky. You remember that sexy dance? . . . Man, we had people shooting each other over it.''

Wendell could be talking about Elmore Leonard, who steps back from his characters just enough to marvel at their gyrations, as everyone tries to shake down everyone else. He's got a feel for their kind of action. His ear is the best in the business. No one writes better or funnier dialogue, whether the speaker is stoned-out Woody, joylessly intoning ''Boy-oh-boy,'' or Donnell trying to strike a deal with Juicy Mouth:

'' 'You out of work, you out of finances. I have a man for you needs to be vamped on. Tell me what you charge to bust his leg. . . .' '' 'Yeah, I'll bust his legs good.' '' 'Just one.'

'' 'I'll give you a deal for the same price. I'll put him away.' '' 'Juicy?'

'' 'I'll take him out someplace. . . . Nobody ever see him again.'

'' 'Juicy? How much just for the one leg?' ''

THE LONG LAVENDER LOOK by John D. McDonald

 Finished Sa 7/19/25

This is one of my ancient paperbacks and McDonald is an author that I've alway liked. In this novel Travis McGee and Meyer are returning home from a wedding and run Miss Agnes off the road. Miss Agnes is the name of McGee's 1936 Rolls Royce that had been converted to a pickup. This is the beginning of another Travis McGee adventure. I really liked the book and it's nice to get back to some vintage McDonald. 

From AI Overview:

"The Long Lavender Look is a novel by John D. MacDonald featuring his popular hard-boiled detective character, Travis McGee. It's the 12th book in the Travis McGee series. 

Plot summary

The story begins with McGee and his friend Meyer driving on a deserted Florida road after a friend's wedding. A young woman wearing little more than a "determined look" suddenly appears in the road, forcing McGee to swerve and crash his car into a swamp. As they attempt to navigate the deserted road, someone in a pickup truck shoots at them. When they finally reach a service station and report the incidents, they are arrested and charged with the murder of a local thug. McGee finds himself in a corrupt system and must clear his name and fight for his life. 

Reception

The novel is considered a solid entry in the Travis McGee series, though some readers find the ending a bit anticlimactic and stretched out. It has been praised for its engaging plot, intriguing twists, and depth of characters. Some reviewers have noted the detailed descriptions of vehicles and the author's ability to create a sense of place. While some themes or characters might seem dated to a modern audience, readers who appreciate classic detective fiction will likely find it an enjoyable read. MacDonald's skill at storytelling and insight into human nature are often highlighted as strengths. 

Overall, The Long Lavender Look is considered a good choice for fans of hard-boiled detective fiction and those who enjoy the Travis McGee series, or are looking for a place to start with the series." 

THE THIRD DEADLY SIN by Lawrence Sanders

 Finished Th 7/10/25

This is a writer that I used to read thirty years ago. This book seemed like a reaction to the brand new theories of Feminism. The book was published in 1981 and the premise seems to be that now that woman want more responsibility they also have to accept the liabilities. Men commit more of the violent crimes and now women will share that dubious burden. {I don't think that there is any reliable proof that this has occurred}. I really liked the book and I'll (re) read more of Sanders.  

From 'annikalareview.com'

"THE THIRD DEADLY SIN (1981) & the fourth book in the series.

In the first chapter of The Third Deadly Sin, Lawrence Sanders introduces us to Zoe Kohler, a divorced woman in her 30s who works as a secretary in the security office of a Manhattan hotel. Zoe is ordinary in appearance. She often feels invisible, adrift, and sometimes wonders if she exists. She is “disgusted” by the world, and more specifically, by men. Zoe has recently embarked on a series of “adventures” to make her mark. By the end of the chapter, Sanders has made it clear what those adventures are.

In chapter 2, we meet series protagonist Edward X. Delaney, retired Chief of Detectives of the New York Police Department. Delaney really misses being a cop, so he is thrilled when he is asked to help investigate a series of killings in midtown Manhattan hotels.

The brutal killings are nearly identical: the victims have had their throats cut and their genitals mutilated with multiple stab wounds. But there is no apparent link between the victims, and there are few clues. The murders appear to be random—similar to the “Son of Sam” killings that terrorized New York City in 1976 and 1977, a few years before the time in which this book is set.

The reader knows what Delaney and his team do not: that Zoe Kohler is the killer, dubbed the “Hotel Ripper” by the press. But the police and the press assume that the killer is male. Serial murderers have rarely been female. When women do kill, they are usually motivated by passion or greed. Those motives don’t fit random “repeater” murders.

But as Delaney analyzes the killings, he begins to suspect that the perpetrator is in fact a woman. He questions why a woman couldn’t be as capable of murder as a man. A woman, just like a man, could feel “hatred of a type of individual or a class of individuals who, in the killer’s sick mind, are deserving of death,” or could feel “rejection not by individual or class but by society, the world, life itself.” Such feelings could lead either a man or a woman to commit murder.

This motive for murder would fit the classic definition of wrath, the third deadly sin. In some lists of the deadly sins, the third deadly sin is lust, and lust is in play here too. But the deadly sins in the books’ titles refer to the sins of the killers, and here it’s the victims who have been motivated by lust. Zoe herself is disgusted by lust. So even though Sanders isn’t explicit about it, I’ll go with wrath as the third deadly sin.

As always, Delaney shares his theories with his wife Monica. But Monica, who has immersed herself in the women’s movement, pushes back against the notion that women can be capable of such horrific acts. This dynamic between Delaney and Monica gives Sanders the opportunity to explore the question of gender at this relatively early point in the women’s movement (the book was published in 1981). Although some of the discussion seems dated, it still provides an interesting sociological context for the story.

The chapters alternate between Zoe’s perspective and Delaney’s. It’s an effective technique for ratcheting up the suspense, as the reader knows what Zoe has done before the police do. Sanders is meticulous in describing both Zoe’s thoughts and actions and the progress of the police investigation. The book is not a quick read, but Sanders rewards the patient reader with a wealth of detail about the mind of a killer, on the one hand, and the painstaking work involved in a police investigation, on the other hand.

A word of warning: some of the descriptions of the brutal murders (and one rape) are quite vivid. So if you’re squeamish, this book may not be for you."

THE FOURTH DEADLY SIN by Lawrence Sanders

 A Kindle book for $1.99- I had just finished 'THE THIRD DEADLY SIN' and I happened to see that his previous novel was on sale for a buck ninety-nine. I had to have it. I really like Sanders novels, but I was surprised to see that KIRKUS is not a fan. They think Sanders is kind of a hack. I disagree.   

From 'annikalareview.com'- A review of THE FOURTH DEADLY SIN and a discussion of the works of Lawrence Sanders.

"The Fourth Deadly Sin opens with the brutal murder of a prominent psychiatrist, Dr. Simon Ellerbee, in his Upper East Side office on a rainy mid-November Friday night. Three days later, First Deputy Commissioner Ivar Thorsen of the NYPD asks former Chief of Detectives Edward X. Delaney to assist the Department with the investigation of the murder.

Thorsen tells Delaney that he is under enormous pressure to get the case solved. Dr. Ellerbee was a wealthy, civic-minded man with friends in high places. His wife, Dr. Diane Ellerbee, a prominent psychologist (as well as a woman of exceptional beauty), and his father, a major Manhattan real estate magnate, are demanding answers.

Thorsen is also facing pressure within the NYPD. He recently persuaded the Commissioner to appoint the first Hispanic Acting Chief of Detectives, Michael Ramon Suarez. The Commissioner will name a permanent chief in late December. Thorsen wants Suarez to get the job, but it’s unlikely that he will if the Ellerbee murder hasn’t been solved by then. Suarez knows that he is out of his depth on the case, but Thorsen thinks that Delaney’s skills and experience could prove invaluable.

After talking with Suarez, Delaney agrees to come on board as an unpaid consultant. After reviewing the case files with his team, he realizes that the investigation to that point has been far from thorough. There are numerous potential suspects and few clues.

“He had a disturbing hunch that this was going to be what he called a ‘loose-ends case.’ That’s what he called investigations in which nothing was certain, nothing could be pinned down. A hundred suspects, a hundred alibis, and no one could say yes or no.

“You had to live with that confusion and, if you were lucky, discard the meaningless and zero in on the significant. But how to tell one from the other? False trails and time wasted chasing leads that dribbled away.”

In an attempt to focus the investigation, Delaney asks Diane Ellerbee to identify a half dozen of her husband’s patients who may have a propensity for violence. Delaney then has his team conduct in-depth investigations of each of the six.

The story is very suspenseful. As in the previous books in the series, the descriptions of the police investigation are detailed and meticulous. The reader learns a lot about the six prime suspects, who all are fascinating characters and very different from one another. Sanders kept me guessing about the identity of the murderer until close to the end. Even though I know that the fourth deadly sin is envy, various suspects could have had that motive.

The story is very suspenseful. As in the previous books in the series, the descriptions of the police investigation are detailed and meticulous. The reader learns a lot about the six prime suspects, who all are fascinating characters and very different from one another. Sanders kept me guessing about the identity of the murderer until close to the end, when a stray remark leads Delaney to the answer.

Even though I know that envy is generally considered to be the fourth deadly sin, I couldn’t quite figure out which suspect would have had that motive. It makes sense in the end, but one of the compelling aspects of The Fourth Deadly Sin is that the motive is a large part of the mystery.

The Bottom Line: Should You Read the Edward X. Delaney Series?

With some qualifications, I highly recommend the Edward X. Delaney series, especially the Deadly Sins books. I would have liked to read an Edward X. Delaney book focusing on each of the seven deadly sins, but unfortunately, Sanders chose to cover only four of them.

On the negative side of the ledger, the books are dated in a couple of respects. Sanders is meticulous and detailed in describing police procedure. But I often found myself thinking that some current technology, like cell phones and traffic cameras, would have been immensely helpful to the police. Of course, that is common with an older book, and I doubt it would detract from the story for most readers.

More problematic are some politically incorrect attitudes and language referring to women, gays, minorities, and people with mental disabilities. I do think that, unfortunately, such attitudes and language are accurate reflections of the time in which the books are set. I’ve usually found that I’m able to shake my head and move on, but other readers may have different reactions.

These negatives are far outweighed by the positives. First, the books are very suspenseful. Whether the story involves a serial killer whom the police are trying to catch (The First Deadly Sin and The Third Deadly Sin) or a single murder with multiple plausible suspects (The Second Deadly Sin and The Fourth Deadly Sin), Sanders keeps the reader engaged in the contest between detective and killer from beginning to end.

Second, Sanders is a master of the well-drawn character. The reader gets to know the detectives working on the case as well as the murderers and the other suspects. But most of all, we spend a considerable amount of time with Delaney, both on the job and off, when he is with Monica. Delaney can be self-righteous and rigid—his NYPD nickname “Iron Balls” is on the mark—but he is also dedicated and tenacious. And he is surprisingly tender with Monica.

Delaney’s love for sandwiches provides a touch of humor throughout the series. Delaney describes himself as a “sandwich freak” and believes that “the Earl of Sandwich had been one of civilization’s great benefactors.” His sandwiches can be elaborate. One of his favorites in The Fourth Deadly Sin is his “U.N. Special: Norwegian brisling sardines in Italian olive oil heaped on German schwarzbrot, with a layer of thinly sliced Spanish onion and a dollop of French dressing.” Monica says he’s suffering from “sandwich senility.”

Third, Sanders writes very well, and he’s a pleasure to read for that reason alone. He can turn a phrase, whether he’s writing about a case, a person, a place, or an idea. His fond descriptions of Manhattan will be especially enjoyable to any New Yorker.

And fourth, there is truth in Sanders’s stories. He understands life. Near the end of the last book, Delaney muses about justice—and life:

“We all settle, don’t we? One way or another. Who gets what they dream? We all go stumbling along, hoping for the best but knowing we’re going to have to live with confusion, sometimes winning, sometimes cutting a deal, occasionally just being defeated. It’s a mess, no doubt about it, but it’s the price we pay for being alive. I like to think the pluses outnumber the minuses.”

BLOWN by Philip Jose Farmer

 Finished Fr 7/4/25

This is one of my ancient paperbacks that I had never read. Boy, am I glad that I kept this one around because I don't think I've read anything like it. It's hardcorn porn that's excellently blended into a compelling SciFi tale. Many reveiws seemed shocked at the sex, but I thought it was essential. One of the characters was named 'Vivienne Mabcrough'. She has a 'snake' that extends from her vagina during sex. This extension has the bearded face of Gilles de Rais. The Vivienne character is the 'reincarnation' of Joan of Arc and Gilles de Rais was a leader of the French army during the Hundred Years' War and a companion-in-arms of Joan of Arc. He is best known for his reputation as a serial killer of children. The fictional character of 'Bluebeard' is based on this historical figure. 

The 'Ogs' and the 'Tocs' were two societies from another galaxy that were at war on their home planets and then took their fight to earth. These two 'tribes' were the basis for faries, nymphs, werewolves, big foot, and many others. 'Ogs' were bad and 'Tocs' were forces for good. 

From Thriftbooks.com:

"In Philip Jose Farmer's incredible sequel to The Image of the Beast, Herald Childe continues what started out as a murder case - a very gruesome one admittedly - but which has now become a struggle against the strange and deadly beings who have taken his wife, who threaten his manhood and who threaten mankind itself. His seems a hopeless quest. He is fighting not people but inhuman. unhuman monsters from another universe. They take grotesque physical forms, they recklessly indulge cruel whims-and they are utterly sex-crazed. There's Vivienne-amazingly beautiful-who used to be Joan of Arc. But she has false teeth and she comes, literally, to pieces. Her lover is a snake-like horror whose needle teeth drip aphrodisiac venom. There's Count Igescu. a real live vampire. And these three are surrounded by a crowd of ghastly aliens, grisly characters in a science fiction nightmare. But for Childe there is to be no waking up. It is no bad dream. Though no one else will believe him. he knows this is for real... This description may be from another edition of this product."

It was a wild and crazy ride and I really liked the book.