Finished Tu 9/4/12
A very tepid murder mystery which is set in the high-pressure world of the London Bond Market. I expected to get some kind of insight into the workings of global financial markets, but came away with little new information, and the nefarious incidents in the novel were cluttered with very predictable 'red herrings' and fairly obvious villains.
Paul Murray is an ex-Olympic runner and works for London investment traders, De Jong & Co. He uncovers a very byzantine, complicated, and possibly illegal bond deal shortly after one of his co-workers, Debbie Chater, dies in an accident/murder/or suicide. He travels to New York and Phoenix to conferences, and tries to uncover information about the millions lost on this bond trade, and to try to determine what happened to Debbie.
Although the Bond Market setting for this novel is a fresh idea, the construction, writing, and story-line has been done before with more pleasing results. Now, Michael Ridpath sets his novels in Scandinavia, and has completely departed from the financial world, and I read his novel, WHERE THE SHADOWS LIE, and I really enjoyed it. Maybe he's found his niche.
My notes:
Hamilton, Murray's boss at De Jong arranged the deal, killed Chater. He's ruthless and cares only about 'deals'. Murray is able to recover the money that the firm would have lost through a series of transactions that were almost too complicated to follow.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Monday, September 3, 2012
THE MEMORY OF RUNNING by Ron McLarty
Finished Su 9/2/12
My post on Good Reads:
My notes-
Smithson Ides- Named for Robert Smithson, shortstop for Cincinnati Redlegs who in 1884 made the first double play in baseball.
Bethany- His sister who suffers from schizophrenia.
Norna Mulvey- Next door neighbor that always loved Smithy. Bea is Norma's mother
Raleigh/Moto- Two brands of Smithy's bikes
Smithy loses his father and mother in a traffic accident while they are returning from a vacation cabin.
Wa Ryan's souped-up Volkswagen Beetle hit Norma, and she's paralyzed from waist down and in
wheelchair.
Orlando Cepeda- Puerto Rican soldier that was killed when Smithy took a piss while on patrol in Vietnam. They were standing together by a river, and the Viet Cong homed in on the noise of the piss hitting leaves.
Norma talks with Smithy at the funeral home and mentions all the letters that she sent him when he was in the hospital for his 21 bullet wounds, but he doesn't seem to remember (or, maybe he never got them).
Count and Paula- Smithy's aunt and uncle. Count is nearly 300 pounds, has severe heart problems, and loves telling off color jokes. They had a beagle (Wiggy), and Bethany killed it and put it in their freezer the night before her wedding.
Just when Smithy comes back to his parents house after the funeral there is a letter from Los Angeles saying that Bethany, 51 had died of exposure and she was at the morgue in Venice. She had been gone for years.
Smithy rides his childhood Raleigh and ends up in the river. Saved by Father Benny Gallo. He's a priest that made some sexual remarks to a woman over the phone, and now is only an assistant priest. The gay priests were promoted. His bike is tuned and repairs, and the priest even gives him clothes. This is where Smithy decides to take the bike trip to California to get Bethany's remains.
Bethany dates a thug and goes to the prom with this guy and a friend and his date. Bethany puts him in the trunk and drives away. Bobby Meyers, her date, is brought up on rape/assault charges.
Smithy calls Norma to tell his job he won't be in. He works in a factory that makes action figures. It is a dull and pointless career.
On his cross country trip Smithy reads novels about the Old West. 'Iggy' a black cowboy, and 'Ringo' one armed one legged cowboy.'Suzanne of the Aspens'-Pioneer woman loses husband and son, but manages during the winter and befriends the Indians and never gives up.
Dr. Glenn Golden- One of Bethany's shrinks and this guy does as little as possible. Likes golf....a lot.
Bill Butler- Black soldier that saved Smithy after he was shot. Later in the novel Smithy bikes to East St. Louis to visit him, but he is gone and a wino and speaks with Bill's wife and son. Smithy almost gets shot by the son who hates his father for being a drunk and abandoning the family.
Carl Greenleaf- Hits Smithy with his pick up and is dying of AIDS. Although very hurt, Smithy drives the truck to the hospital, and they recognize Carl and think that Smithy is delivering him for treatment. He goes back to Carl's house and is very well treated by Carl. The nurse/doctor (Dr. Donna Trivitch) who admitted Carl (but not Smithy) thinks that Smithy is a bum, and brings a cop to throw him out the next morning. The cop beats Smithy, but then the nurse apologizes. Carl dies the next day, and Smithy must make all the calls to alert friends and family. His friend the nurse/doctor can't do it. but gets a brand new outfit, Moto touring bike, and cash.
Dr. Georgina Glass- Another shrink for Bethany. Smithy has a crush on this doctor, and later in the novel Bethany tells her that Smithy had been sexually abusing her for years, and Glass almost has Smithy arrested. Glass means well, but really has no idea about what she is doing. She doesn't appreciate how far gone Bethany really is.
Jeff Greene- Manages Benny's Home and Auto Store. He marries Bethany, but she disappears on their honeymoon. He really loved Bethany, but didn't know what he was dealing with. Thought she had recovered, but Bethany never will. Smithy and his father go to try and find Bethany and she might have stolen their car. Maybe this is how she ends up on the west coast.
Fort Garland-Smithy stops and takes the tour. This is where Kit Carson was a commander. Tour guide has no idea where Carson died.
"My name is Kenny"....Freak snow storm in Colorado, and Smithy saves this kid who had skipped school to go fishing. Parents (Roger and Kate- they live in an old silver mine; Kate makes rugs) are indebted to Smithy, but initially the police think that Smithy abducted the kid. And, he gets shot.
At Ash Fork, Smithy identically joins a bike club that is riding through the desert to Kingman, AZ.
Meets Chris who is with two of her friends and business partners in a day care center. She sleeps with Smithy but he rejects her because he realizes that he is going to be true to Norma.
Almost to California () Smithy stops at a 24 Hour Restaurant that won't open for an hour, and meets a black truck driver. Philip Wolsey. He tells Smithy about his college educated and brilliant brother, Walter, who became a writer on a Chicago paper, and then became a junkie. He killed there pastor father trying to steal silver, and then killed himself with a shot gun to the head. The truck driver takes Smithy and his bike to California because Smithy is sick with a very bad cold.
Chen Ho Funeral Home in Venice, CA where Bethany's remains are kept. Norma finds the address and sets up the meeting when Smithy arrives.
Running out of money he has two flats in California. Trades some of his stuff for the repair. 'Luis's Bike Shop' The shop owner and tells him the story of how his son fell off a truck, hit his head, and was killed. His name was Luis. He fixes the bike like brand new.
Stops to cleanup in a beach bathroom and his bike is stolen. Girl trims his beard and puts beads in his hair for free.
Bethany is waiting for him at the funeral home in Venice.
My post on Good Reads:
Smithson Ides- Named for Robert Smithson, shortstop for Cincinnati Redlegs who in 1884 made the first double play in baseball.
Bethany- His sister who suffers from schizophrenia.
Norna Mulvey- Next door neighbor that always loved Smithy. Bea is Norma's mother
Raleigh/Moto- Two brands of Smithy's bikes
Smithy loses his father and mother in a traffic accident while they are returning from a vacation cabin.
Wa Ryan's souped-up Volkswagen Beetle hit Norma, and she's paralyzed from waist down and in
wheelchair.
Orlando Cepeda- Puerto Rican soldier that was killed when Smithy took a piss while on patrol in Vietnam. They were standing together by a river, and the Viet Cong homed in on the noise of the piss hitting leaves.
Norma talks with Smithy at the funeral home and mentions all the letters that she sent him when he was in the hospital for his 21 bullet wounds, but he doesn't seem to remember (or, maybe he never got them).
Count and Paula- Smithy's aunt and uncle. Count is nearly 300 pounds, has severe heart problems, and loves telling off color jokes. They had a beagle (Wiggy), and Bethany killed it and put it in their freezer the night before her wedding.
Just when Smithy comes back to his parents house after the funeral there is a letter from Los Angeles saying that Bethany, 51 had died of exposure and she was at the morgue in Venice. She had been gone for years.
Smithy rides his childhood Raleigh and ends up in the river. Saved by Father Benny Gallo. He's a priest that made some sexual remarks to a woman over the phone, and now is only an assistant priest. The gay priests were promoted. His bike is tuned and repairs, and the priest even gives him clothes. This is where Smithy decides to take the bike trip to California to get Bethany's remains.
Bethany dates a thug and goes to the prom with this guy and a friend and his date. Bethany puts him in the trunk and drives away. Bobby Meyers, her date, is brought up on rape/assault charges.
Smithy calls Norma to tell his job he won't be in. He works in a factory that makes action figures. It is a dull and pointless career.
On his cross country trip Smithy reads novels about the Old West. 'Iggy' a black cowboy, and 'Ringo' one armed one legged cowboy.'Suzanne of the Aspens'-Pioneer woman loses husband and son, but manages during the winter and befriends the Indians and never gives up.
Dr. Glenn Golden- One of Bethany's shrinks and this guy does as little as possible. Likes golf....a lot.
Bill Butler- Black soldier that saved Smithy after he was shot. Later in the novel Smithy bikes to East St. Louis to visit him, but he is gone and a wino and speaks with Bill's wife and son. Smithy almost gets shot by the son who hates his father for being a drunk and abandoning the family.
Carl Greenleaf- Hits Smithy with his pick up and is dying of AIDS. Although very hurt, Smithy drives the truck to the hospital, and they recognize Carl and think that Smithy is delivering him for treatment. He goes back to Carl's house and is very well treated by Carl. The nurse/doctor (Dr. Donna Trivitch) who admitted Carl (but not Smithy) thinks that Smithy is a bum, and brings a cop to throw him out the next morning. The cop beats Smithy, but then the nurse apologizes. Carl dies the next day, and Smithy must make all the calls to alert friends and family. His friend the nurse/doctor can't do it. but gets a brand new outfit, Moto touring bike, and cash.
Dr. Georgina Glass- Another shrink for Bethany. Smithy has a crush on this doctor, and later in the novel Bethany tells her that Smithy had been sexually abusing her for years, and Glass almost has Smithy arrested. Glass means well, but really has no idea about what she is doing. She doesn't appreciate how far gone Bethany really is.
Jeff Greene- Manages Benny's Home and Auto Store. He marries Bethany, but she disappears on their honeymoon. He really loved Bethany, but didn't know what he was dealing with. Thought she had recovered, but Bethany never will. Smithy and his father go to try and find Bethany and she might have stolen their car. Maybe this is how she ends up on the west coast.
Fort Garland-Smithy stops and takes the tour. This is where Kit Carson was a commander. Tour guide has no idea where Carson died.
"My name is Kenny"....Freak snow storm in Colorado, and Smithy saves this kid who had skipped school to go fishing. Parents (Roger and Kate- they live in an old silver mine; Kate makes rugs) are indebted to Smithy, but initially the police think that Smithy abducted the kid. And, he gets shot.
At Ash Fork, Smithy identically joins a bike club that is riding through the desert to Kingman, AZ.
Meets Chris who is with two of her friends and business partners in a day care center. She sleeps with Smithy but he rejects her because he realizes that he is going to be true to Norma.
Almost to California () Smithy stops at a 24 Hour Restaurant that won't open for an hour, and meets a black truck driver. Philip Wolsey. He tells Smithy about his college educated and brilliant brother, Walter, who became a writer on a Chicago paper, and then became a junkie. He killed there pastor father trying to steal silver, and then killed himself with a shot gun to the head. The truck driver takes Smithy and his bike to California because Smithy is sick with a very bad cold.
Chen Ho Funeral Home in Venice, CA where Bethany's remains are kept. Norma finds the address and sets up the meeting when Smithy arrives.
Running out of money he has two flats in California. Trades some of his stuff for the repair. 'Luis's Bike Shop' The shop owner and tells him the story of how his son fell off a truck, hit his head, and was killed. His name was Luis. He fixes the bike like brand new.
Stops to cleanup in a beach bathroom and his bike is stolen. Girl trims his beard and puts beads in his hair for free.
Bethany is waiting for him at the funeral home in Venice.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
BILLY LYNN'S LONG HALFTIME WALK by Ben Fountain
Finished Th 8/30/12
My post on Good Reads-
Specialist Billy Flynn faces nearly the same conundrum as Captain John Yossarian did in Joseph Heller's classic novel, CATCH 22. Both characters are trapped in a 'double bind' or paradox. Yossarian can't get out of the Air Force due to insanity because War demands a certain degree of insanity, and Specialist Flynn can't reconcile what he did and saw in Iraq with the lavishly inappropriate reception that he and his squad receive when they return to the States. Ben Fountain's excellent novel presents Billy and the other members of Bravo Squad as they are idolized and adored at a home game of the Dallas Cowboys during the Thanksgiving Classic. Nearly the entire novel takes place at this football game, and 'The Heroes' indulge in some pretty immature, yet understandable behavior, but what I found to be especially revealing is how 'the average' Americans related to these young men. They seem deliriously happy and grateful that the US had finally violently reacted to the tragic events of 9/11 even though Saddam Hussein or the country of Iraq had nothing to do with the attack. These Americans didn't care and didn't want to know, and although it's never stated, it seems that, 'Kill Em All, And Let God Sort It Out', was our wildly popular foreign policy. Also, the novel profiles some of the Texan 'Monied Elite' who supported Bush and his administration's agenda, and these characters seem especially chilling and almost demonic.
This is a thought provoking and entertaining novel about Americans and their questionable political and social culture. If you lean politically to the far Right, you probably would find this novel a waste of your time, but it's your profound loss.
The eight survivors of Bravo Squad are caught in a gun battle at Al-Ansakar Cana in Iraq, and are treated to be guests or 'America's Team', The Dallas Cowboys at the Super Bowl with Destiny's Child.
'Victory Tour' media stunt by the Bush administration to reinvigorate public support for the war.
Specialist William Lynn from Stovall Texas
Sargent Shroom who died in his arms
Excellent profiles of the big monied supporters of The War and Republican Party.
Whoever said that this novel is,"the CATCH 22 of the Iraq War", really hit the nail on the head.
My post on Good Reads-
Specialist Billy Flynn faces nearly the same conundrum as Captain John Yossarian did in Joseph Heller's classic novel, CATCH 22. Both characters are trapped in a 'double bind' or paradox. Yossarian can't get out of the Air Force due to insanity because War demands a certain degree of insanity, and Specialist Flynn can't reconcile what he did and saw in Iraq with the lavishly inappropriate reception that he and his squad receive when they return to the States. Ben Fountain's excellent novel presents Billy and the other members of Bravo Squad as they are idolized and adored at a home game of the Dallas Cowboys during the Thanksgiving Classic. Nearly the entire novel takes place at this football game, and 'The Heroes' indulge in some pretty immature, yet understandable behavior, but what I found to be especially revealing is how 'the average' Americans related to these young men. They seem deliriously happy and grateful that the US had finally violently reacted to the tragic events of 9/11 even though Saddam Hussein or the country of Iraq had nothing to do with the attack. These Americans didn't care and didn't want to know, and although it's never stated, it seems that, 'Kill Em All, And Let God Sort It Out', was our wildly popular foreign policy. Also, the novel profiles some of the Texan 'Monied Elite' who supported Bush and his administration's agenda, and these characters seem especially chilling and almost demonic.
This is a thought provoking and entertaining novel about Americans and their questionable political and social culture. If you lean politically to the far Right, you probably would find this novel a waste of your time, but it's your profound loss.
The eight survivors of Bravo Squad are caught in a gun battle at Al-Ansakar Cana in Iraq, and are treated to be guests or 'America's Team', The Dallas Cowboys at the Super Bowl with Destiny's Child.
'Victory Tour' media stunt by the Bush administration to reinvigorate public support for the war.
Specialist William Lynn from Stovall Texas
Sargent Shroom who died in his arms
Excellent profiles of the big monied supporters of The War and Republican Party.
Whoever said that this novel is,"the CATCH 22 of the Iraq War", really hit the nail on the head.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
THE AGE OF MIRACLES by Karen Thompson Walker
Finished Tu 8/28/12
My Post on Good Reads:
THE AGE OF MIRACLES is the first person, personal story of Julia, a middle school student who lives in a contemporary California coastal town with her mother and father. Early one Fall, the days inexplicably become longer. At the beginning, it's only minutes per day, but within months, daylight and nighttime might last for the old equivalent of several weeks. This is not a SciFi Thriller, and the 'temporal dysfunction' is only a literary device to demonstrate how people cope and deal with cataclysmic change.
I guess the whole novel could be taken as a metaphor that life is only temporary, and, as people, our only legacy is that, "We Were Here", and learn to accept and celebrate this unalterable fact.
Walker's writing style is lyrical, and deeply moving. This is a beautiful novel that's compelling, as well as thought provoking. This is a terrific debut novel, and I look forward to more books by Karen Thompson Walker.
My notes;
"We Were Here" (What Julia and Seth wrote on the wet cement sidewalk at the end of the novel)
Joel, Helen, Julia (She is eleven and twelve through most of the novel; 5th 6th grader)
Hanna- Julia's friend
Sylvia- Neighbor and piano teacher. Possible lover of Joel
Michaela- Julia's friend who was old beyond her years. Her mother is much younger than the other mothers.
Far into 'the event' she and her mother's new man move to a very expensive gated community.
Chole and Tony- Julia's cats
Tom and Carlotta- Older couple that live on Julia's stream. Arrested for growing marijuana.
Seth Moreno- Boyfriend of Julia's. His father is a scientist who is working on plants that can grow without life. Hopes to splice genes with undersea plants.
Gabby- Goth friend of Julia's. Shaves her head and wears black nail polish. She flees to desert community of "Circadia". (definition of 'circadian'-Relating to or exhibiting approximately 24-hour periodicity)
Joel's father, Julia's grandfather- Lives in a sprawling old house in the center of a new housing development. He is a 'hoarder' and dies in an accidental fall while stocking his secret bomb shelter that had been there since the early sixties. This happened on Julia's birthday, and the family was to meet him to take him to the birthday dinner. He died with a birthday card and a twenty dollar bill in his pocket for Julia.
Mr. Jensen- Hippie science teacher. He leaves early in the novel; probably headed to a desert community. These people live by the earth and sun's rhythms, called "Real Timers". The government has mandated that people should live by a 24 hour clock. By the end of the novel, days and nights have stretched to days long. At one point, this southern California area got five inches of snow. Night lasts so long, the temperatures drop, and then, it snows. Plants are dying off.
Eucalyptus trees were introduced to California in 1850's from Australia. They were pretty much useless, but they took to the growing season of California. The tree in Sylvia's front yard falls on her house, and destroys her piano.
Whales dying/deterioration of the magnetic fields/birds are dying and falling out of the skies.
Helen, Julia's mother, is sick through most of the novel. She is affected by the lengthening of the days, and sometimes she is completely debilitated.
My Post on Good Reads:
THE AGE OF MIRACLES is the first person, personal story of Julia, a middle school student who lives in a contemporary California coastal town with her mother and father. Early one Fall, the days inexplicably become longer. At the beginning, it's only minutes per day, but within months, daylight and nighttime might last for the old equivalent of several weeks. This is not a SciFi Thriller, and the 'temporal dysfunction' is only a literary device to demonstrate how people cope and deal with cataclysmic change.
I guess the whole novel could be taken as a metaphor that life is only temporary, and, as people, our only legacy is that, "We Were Here", and learn to accept and celebrate this unalterable fact.
Walker's writing style is lyrical, and deeply moving. This is a beautiful novel that's compelling, as well as thought provoking. This is a terrific debut novel, and I look forward to more books by Karen Thompson Walker.
My notes;
"We Were Here" (What Julia and Seth wrote on the wet cement sidewalk at the end of the novel)
Joel, Helen, Julia (She is eleven and twelve through most of the novel; 5th 6th grader)
Hanna- Julia's friend
Sylvia- Neighbor and piano teacher. Possible lover of Joel
Michaela- Julia's friend who was old beyond her years. Her mother is much younger than the other mothers.
Far into 'the event' she and her mother's new man move to a very expensive gated community.
Chole and Tony- Julia's cats
Tom and Carlotta- Older couple that live on Julia's stream. Arrested for growing marijuana.
Seth Moreno- Boyfriend of Julia's. His father is a scientist who is working on plants that can grow without life. Hopes to splice genes with undersea plants.
Gabby- Goth friend of Julia's. Shaves her head and wears black nail polish. She flees to desert community of "Circadia". (definition of 'circadian'-Relating to or exhibiting approximately 24-hour periodicity)
Joel's father, Julia's grandfather- Lives in a sprawling old house in the center of a new housing development. He is a 'hoarder' and dies in an accidental fall while stocking his secret bomb shelter that had been there since the early sixties. This happened on Julia's birthday, and the family was to meet him to take him to the birthday dinner. He died with a birthday card and a twenty dollar bill in his pocket for Julia.
Mr. Jensen- Hippie science teacher. He leaves early in the novel; probably headed to a desert community. These people live by the earth and sun's rhythms, called "Real Timers". The government has mandated that people should live by a 24 hour clock. By the end of the novel, days and nights have stretched to days long. At one point, this southern California area got five inches of snow. Night lasts so long, the temperatures drop, and then, it snows. Plants are dying off.
Eucalyptus trees were introduced to California in 1850's from Australia. They were pretty much useless, but they took to the growing season of California. The tree in Sylvia's front yard falls on her house, and destroys her piano.
Whales dying/deterioration of the magnetic fields/birds are dying and falling out of the skies.
Helen, Julia's mother, is sick through most of the novel. She is affected by the lengthening of the days, and sometimes she is completely debilitated.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
TWENTY-NINE PALMS A TRUE STORY OF MURDER, MARINES, AND THE MOJAVE by Deanne Stillman
Finished Su 8/26/12
My post on Good Reads-
This is a superior book of the 'true crime' genre, and closer to the approach of Truman Capote or James Ellroy rather than Ann Rule. Rule's books recount an enthralling murder case, and basically it's, 'just the facts', and the other two authors try to capture a bit more of the 'emotional fall-out'of the atrocity. And, this is what Deanne Stillman has beautifully accomplished.
Much has been made about how the author presents the Mojave desert as a major ingredient in this bloody and senseless double murder. But, I think what really sets this novel apart is how she showcases the 'less than sterling' characters of the victims and their families. Mandi Scott and Rosalie Ortega were promiscuous drug takers who hung around with the 'wrong crowd', yet Stillman really evokes empathy for them. They really come across as loving and caring individuals wise beyond their years, and this makes the tragedy even more devestating.
This is a great read, and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves 'true crime' books that aspire for just a bit more.
6422 Palo Verde Street Apt 7- murder scene. August 2/3, 1991. This apartment was a 'party pad' for local gang-bangers and Marines stationed at the nearby base.
Amanda (Mandi) Scott- Just days prior to her sixteenth birthday; mother came to the apartment just after the murder, and did not enter. She was finding out about the birthday party which would have occurred the next day. She was driving a green Camaro which she would have given to Mandi.
Rosalie Ortega (Fishhead) From Philippines and the nickname comes from her love of cooking fish. Had a young daughter, Shantelle who was with her grandparents when she was murdered. They were long distance truckers, and her grandmother went by the CB handle, 'Asian Doll'. She was 21 at the time of her death, and had a job at the local Texaco mini-mart.
Debie McMasters- Mandi's mother; Came from two generations of women who were physically abused by spouses. Originally from Northern California (near Sonora, CA). She had a history with The Hells Angels and other biker gangs, and dealt in drugs with them.
Valentine Underwood- Veteran of The Gulf War. Killer of the two girls, and had several rape/assault charges before he entered the Marines. Just weeks before the murder he raped a girl by the name of Tammy. Her father was the highest ranking NCO on the base, and he promised her not to press charges, and he would take care of Underwood. He apparently did nothing. Valentine had a college degree, and was in college on a basketball scholarship.
He wore the number "33" (Patrick Ewing and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Lou Alcindor), and he stabbed each girl 33 times. Amanda was first, and Rosalie was in the shower. He stabbed himself in the hand, and was almost too injured to play a game between the Marines and the Air Force right after the murders. He started, but was taken out, and claimed that he had injured himself cleaning a trash can with a disposable razor.
His blood was found at the murder site, and he raped both victims, but he claimed that he only found the bodies after having consensual sex.
Received a life sentence in 1997. Years later he was brought up on charges of rape in Massachusetts due to a DNA match.
My post on Good Reads-
This is a superior book of the 'true crime' genre, and closer to the approach of Truman Capote or James Ellroy rather than Ann Rule. Rule's books recount an enthralling murder case, and basically it's, 'just the facts', and the other two authors try to capture a bit more of the 'emotional fall-out'of the atrocity. And, this is what Deanne Stillman has beautifully accomplished.
Much has been made about how the author presents the Mojave desert as a major ingredient in this bloody and senseless double murder. But, I think what really sets this novel apart is how she showcases the 'less than sterling' characters of the victims and their families. Mandi Scott and Rosalie Ortega were promiscuous drug takers who hung around with the 'wrong crowd', yet Stillman really evokes empathy for them. They really come across as loving and caring individuals wise beyond their years, and this makes the tragedy even more devestating.
This is a great read, and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves 'true crime' books that aspire for just a bit more.
6422 Palo Verde Street Apt 7- murder scene. August 2/3, 1991. This apartment was a 'party pad' for local gang-bangers and Marines stationed at the nearby base.
Amanda (Mandi) Scott- Just days prior to her sixteenth birthday; mother came to the apartment just after the murder, and did not enter. She was finding out about the birthday party which would have occurred the next day. She was driving a green Camaro which she would have given to Mandi.
Rosalie Ortega (Fishhead) From Philippines and the nickname comes from her love of cooking fish. Had a young daughter, Shantelle who was with her grandparents when she was murdered. They were long distance truckers, and her grandmother went by the CB handle, 'Asian Doll'. She was 21 at the time of her death, and had a job at the local Texaco mini-mart.
Debie McMasters- Mandi's mother; Came from two generations of women who were physically abused by spouses. Originally from Northern California (near Sonora, CA). She had a history with The Hells Angels and other biker gangs, and dealt in drugs with them.
Valentine Underwood- Veteran of The Gulf War. Killer of the two girls, and had several rape/assault charges before he entered the Marines. Just weeks before the murder he raped a girl by the name of Tammy. Her father was the highest ranking NCO on the base, and he promised her not to press charges, and he would take care of Underwood. He apparently did nothing. Valentine had a college degree, and was in college on a basketball scholarship.
He wore the number "33" (Patrick Ewing and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Lou Alcindor), and he stabbed each girl 33 times. Amanda was first, and Rosalie was in the shower. He stabbed himself in the hand, and was almost too injured to play a game between the Marines and the Air Force right after the murders. He started, but was taken out, and claimed that he had injured himself cleaning a trash can with a disposable razor.
His blood was found at the murder site, and he raped both victims, but he claimed that he only found the bodies after having consensual sex.
Received a life sentence in 1997. Years later he was brought up on charges of rape in Massachusetts due to a DNA match.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
THE MERMAIDS SINGING by Val McDermid
Finished Th 8/23/12
Post on Good Reads-
This is the first in Val McDermid's series featuring criminal profiler, Tony Hill, and Bradfield police detective, Carol Jordon. The novel is set in the early 1990's in a fictional northern England city, and it occurs just when the concept of criminal profiling had gained popularity in the United States. Tony Hill is trying to set up a national criminal profile database in England as a serial killer begins targeting young men in the gay subculture in the city of Bradfield, England. And, this is not 'gay bashing' since the victims seem to have been subjected to very gruesome and elaborate forms of medieval torture.
What makes the novel interesting is that the lead character, Tony Hill, is a celebrated criminal psychologist, yet he suffers from fairly serious psycho-sexual problems. A minor flaw in the novel might be that Carol Jordan's problems in dealing with an endemic sexist hierarchy has been explored in nearly every detective novel with a female lead. But, this is the first in a series, and I would not let this prevent me from reading another.
The killer's journal documenting his torture devices was very interesting, and his emotional state during the murders was very compelling. The ending of the book revealed an unexpected killer, and managed to blend Hill's sexual problems with the solution to the case, and also leaves the door open for a growing relationship between the two main characters. I would definitely check out another of the Hill/Jordan series by McDermid.
My notes-
The killer is Christopher Thorpe, but he is a transsexual and now using the name Angelica. This is the woman who Tony Hill has been using as a 'phone sex' partner. He was researching the Phone Sex Sub-Culture, but this woman seemed to be making his problem of impotence a thing of the past, and right before he was kidnapped, he was entertaining thoughts of actually meeting Angelica.
Carol Jordan lives with her brother Michael who is a computer expert, and she has a cat named Nelson.
The title to the novel is from the poem by T.S. Elliot, LOVE SONG OF J. ALFRED PRUFROCK
"I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each, I do not think that they will sing to me".
Each chapter begins with a few lines from "On Murder considered as one of the fine arts" by Thomas De Quincey (1827).
Post on Good Reads-
This is the first in Val McDermid's series featuring criminal profiler, Tony Hill, and Bradfield police detective, Carol Jordon. The novel is set in the early 1990's in a fictional northern England city, and it occurs just when the concept of criminal profiling had gained popularity in the United States. Tony Hill is trying to set up a national criminal profile database in England as a serial killer begins targeting young men in the gay subculture in the city of Bradfield, England. And, this is not 'gay bashing' since the victims seem to have been subjected to very gruesome and elaborate forms of medieval torture.
What makes the novel interesting is that the lead character, Tony Hill, is a celebrated criminal psychologist, yet he suffers from fairly serious psycho-sexual problems. A minor flaw in the novel might be that Carol Jordan's problems in dealing with an endemic sexist hierarchy has been explored in nearly every detective novel with a female lead. But, this is the first in a series, and I would not let this prevent me from reading another.
The killer's journal documenting his torture devices was very interesting, and his emotional state during the murders was very compelling. The ending of the book revealed an unexpected killer, and managed to blend Hill's sexual problems with the solution to the case, and also leaves the door open for a growing relationship between the two main characters. I would definitely check out another of the Hill/Jordan series by McDermid.
My notes-
The killer is Christopher Thorpe, but he is a transsexual and now using the name Angelica. This is the woman who Tony Hill has been using as a 'phone sex' partner. He was researching the Phone Sex Sub-Culture, but this woman seemed to be making his problem of impotence a thing of the past, and right before he was kidnapped, he was entertaining thoughts of actually meeting Angelica.
Carol Jordan lives with her brother Michael who is a computer expert, and she has a cat named Nelson.
The title to the novel is from the poem by T.S. Elliot, LOVE SONG OF J. ALFRED PRUFROCK
"I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each, I do not think that they will sing to me".
Each chapter begins with a few lines from "On Murder considered as one of the fine arts" by Thomas De Quincey (1827).
Sunday, August 19, 2012
HUNTING IN HARLEM by Mat Johnson
Finished Su 8/19/12
"When you believe in what you do, what you can do you won't believe"
"By Any Means Necessary" Malcolm X (Jean Paul Satre)
Cedric Snowden
Robert M. Finley
Horus Manley
Congressman Cyrus Marks
Lester Baines
MOUNT MORRIS HISTORIC DISTRICT
Piper Goines NEW HOLLAND HERALD
Chupacabra
Horizon Realty
My post at Good Reads:
HUNTING IN HARLEM is a well-written novel that attempts to reconcile an important dilemma. How can a destitute urban area be saved from the downward vortex of poverty and crime, yet still allow members of the community the freedom to live their lives as they see fit. Horizon Realty operates in the Mount Morris section of Harlem, and takes a bold approach. Their goal is to resuscitate the local economy at any cost, and if you are judged, 'not part of the solution, you are you are part of the problem'. Three surprisingly motivated and intelligent ex-cons are hired by Horizon, and slowly begin to realize the company's draconian policy. However, the book is not a thriller, and although Horizon's criminal behavior is not exactly defended, it is certainly not condemned. While reading the book I always found myself wondering (and, I am sure that this was Mat Johnson's intent) if the managers at Horizon didn't have a point. Since a tiny fraction of people in a ghetto obviously lead bad lives, can't these 'bad' lives be sacrificed for the greater good? Of course, it's also true that those who are certain of what is right for the majority are usually the most dangerous (and, also a subliminal message by the author).
The characters and plot are entertaining and engaging, but secondary to this conundrum. I thought that the last line in the novel was especially telling and ironic-"When you believe in what you do, what you can do you won't believe".
"When you believe in what you do, what you can do you won't believe"
"By Any Means Necessary" Malcolm X (Jean Paul Satre)
Cedric Snowden
Robert M. Finley
Horus Manley
Congressman Cyrus Marks
Lester Baines
MOUNT MORRIS HISTORIC DISTRICT
Piper Goines NEW HOLLAND HERALD
Chupacabra
Horizon Realty
My post at Good Reads:
HUNTING IN HARLEM is a well-written novel that attempts to reconcile an important dilemma. How can a destitute urban area be saved from the downward vortex of poverty and crime, yet still allow members of the community the freedom to live their lives as they see fit. Horizon Realty operates in the Mount Morris section of Harlem, and takes a bold approach. Their goal is to resuscitate the local economy at any cost, and if you are judged, 'not part of the solution, you are you are part of the problem'. Three surprisingly motivated and intelligent ex-cons are hired by Horizon, and slowly begin to realize the company's draconian policy. However, the book is not a thriller, and although Horizon's criminal behavior is not exactly defended, it is certainly not condemned. While reading the book I always found myself wondering (and, I am sure that this was Mat Johnson's intent) if the managers at Horizon didn't have a point. Since a tiny fraction of people in a ghetto obviously lead bad lives, can't these 'bad' lives be sacrificed for the greater good? Of course, it's also true that those who are certain of what is right for the majority are usually the most dangerous (and, also a subliminal message by the author).
The characters and plot are entertaining and engaging, but secondary to this conundrum. I thought that the last line in the novel was especially telling and ironic-"When you believe in what you do, what you can do you won't believe".
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