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* R E A D I N G F O R P L E A S U R E *
* *
* Issue #23 *
* Extra-Large 3rd Anniversary Issue *
* June 1992 / July 1992 *
* *
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* Editor: Cindy Bartorillo *
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CONTACT US AT: Reading For Pleasure, 103 Baughman's Lane, Suite 303,
Frederick, MD 21702; or on CompuServe leave a message to 74766,1206;
or on Delphi leave mail to BARTORILLO; or call our BBS, the BAUDLINE
II at 301-694-7108, 1200-9600 HST.
NOTICE: Reading For Pleasure is not copyrighted. You may copy
freely, but please give us credit if you extract portions to use
somewhere else. This electronic edition is free, but print editions
cost $2 each for printing and postage.
**************************
~ HOW TO GET THE ELECTRONIC EDITION OF RFP
First, call your local computer bulletin boards to see if they have
the latest issue. If not, you can always get all issues by calling The
Baudline II at 301-694-7108. These issues are ZIPped (compressed) for
quick downloading and must be unZIPped with Phil Katz's PKUNZIP
program (IBM). If you need a plain .TXT version, just leave a
(C)omment telling us which issue(s) you need and when you'll be
calling back to get them. (Be sure to give us at least 24 hours to get
your Comment and prepare the files.) If you get the latest RFP, be
sure to upload it to all the computer bulletin boards that you call.
Also available on The Baudline II is an Index of RFP reviews
(RFPINDEX.ZIP) and the latest catalog from Sisters in Crime
(RFP-SC.ZIP).
~ HOW TO GET THE PRINT EDITION OF RFP
Send $2 to: Reading For Pleasure, 103 Baughman's Lane, Suite 303,
Frederick, MD 21702. Please specify which issue you'd like. If you
send a check, be sure it's drawn on an American bank and made out to
Cindy Bartorillo, otherwise send cash or a postal money order.
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Table of Contents
Welcome to the Last RFP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Mainstream Fiction Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Mystery Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1524
Science Fiction & Fantasy Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2557
Horror Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3351
Nonfiction Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3946
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~ WELCOME TO THE LAST RFP
Yes, an era has ended and it's time to move on. We've had a lot of fun
these past three years and have learned a great many things, which is
about all you can hope for from any experience. We've met some great
people too, which is nice, and I'd like to thank everyone who has
contributed to RFP along the way, all those great writers and
reviewers who donated their words so we all could benefit. Especially
deserving of thanks are Darryl Kenning, Robert Pittman, and Howard
Frye, whose contributions were either above or beyond the call of
duty, occasionally both.
Although our bimonthly magazine of book news and reviews is stopping,
at least for now, Reading For Pleasure still lives. We will still be
here, at the same addresses, working on our new project: the Reading
For Pleasure Electronic Library. We'll be publishing classics and some
of our older favorites, in floppy disk format for IBM compatible
computers. One day soon we'd even like to publish some new material.
If you'd like to be on our mailing list for information about the RFP
Electronic Library, just drop us a note. Our addresses are:
CompuServe: 74766,1206
Delphi: BARTORILLO
Reading For Pleasure
103 Baughman's Lane, Suite 303
Frederick, MD 21702
We are also reachable by computer on our BBS: The Baudline II, 8N1,
1200-9600 HST, 301-694-7108.
Once again, thanks for your support, and remember that the best thing
to do with your enthusiasm for literature is to PASS IT ON.
See you in the bookstore...
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* Lionel Dahmer has just sold his autobiography to Morrow. He's the
father of convicted murderer--and cannibal-- Jeffrey Dahmer, and he
says his book "will be useful to fathers and mothers everywhere who
are willing to learn from my experience".
* American humorist, journalist, and member of the famous Algonquin
Round Table, Robert Benchley, had a shelf devoted to books collected
solely for their titles. The shelf contained such classics as: FORTY
THOUSAND SUBLIME AND BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS, SUCCESS WITH SMALL FRUITS,
TALKS ON MANURE, KEEPING A SINGLE COW, BICYCLING FOR LADIES, THE
CULTURE AND DISEASES OF THE SWEET POTATO, AILMENTS OF THE LEG, IN AND
OUT WITH MARY ANN, PERVERSE PUSSYS.
**************************
^ CLOCKERS
by Richard Price
(Houghton Mifflin, May 1992, $22.95, ISBN 0-395-53761-4)
In CLOCKERS, an apparently routine drug murder pulls a homicide
detective in the working-class city of Dempsy, New Jersey, deep into
the lives of two brothers, both caught in a horrifying web of chance
and circumstance. Rocco Klein, the veteran detective, has lost his
appetite for the wild drama of the street, and when a warm June night
brings yet another drug murder, he has no sense that the case is
anything special. Victor Dunham, a black 20-year-old, steps forward to
confess, but then a little digging reveals that he's never been in any
kind of trouble, whereas his brother runs a crew of street-corner
cocaine dealers--clockers--in a nearby housing project. Soon Rocco is
sure that Victor is innocent, sure that his brother, Strike, is the
real killer, and suddenly Rocco's hunger for the job is back.
But we KNOW this brother, and we know Strike is not the killer. Driven
and shrewd, Strike uses violence when he has to, but his main concern
is survival. Strike has been clocking for almost a year; if he could
somehow move up to the ounce business, "deal weight", he might get off
the street before it breaks him. But then a homicide cop begins
hounding him and his life becomes a nightmare.
To research CLOCKERS, Richard Price spent two years "hanging out with
anybody and everybody that has to deal with life on a survival level
in the cities"--homicide investigators, drug dealers, narcotics
police, families struggling to stay intact, social workers, kids in
drug treatment programs, lawyers. "I just wanted to find out how this
world worked," Price says. "Who are these kids who live by the
two-minute clock? What are their lives like?" CLOCKERS, recently sold
to Universal Pictures for 1.9 million dollars, is at once a riveting
murder mystery and a brilliant portrait of two lives on a collision
course, a searingly authentic novel of the American inner city, full
of vivid characters and pitch-perfect dialogue. Richard Price has been
writing screenplays for the last 10 years, two of the most memorable
being THE COLOR OF MONEY and SEA OF LOVE.
**************************
^ THE WILD BOAR
by Felix Mettler, translated by Edna McCown
(Fromm, April 1992, $18.95, ISBN 0-88064-134-7)
Death has no sense of justice. On the one hand, there is Horst Goetze,
an altogether unpleasant, ruthlessly ambitious, chain-smoking doctor
at St. Stephen's Clinic in Zurich. He is healthy and successful. On
the other hand, there is Gottfried Sonder, a simple and yet
extraordinary, honest, reclusive widower who works in the hospital's
autopsy department, nearing retirement. A nonsmoker and full of
respect for nature, he has developed lung cancer. To make matters
worse, the terrible diagnosis was made by none other than Dr. Goetze.
No doubt fate has made a mistake. Sonder, who has traveled the world
and knows about life, now has the disease that was clearly meant for
Dr. Goetze. An experienced hunter, he also knows about death, having
once shot a wild boar which fought back and attacked him until its
ultimate death. Sonder decides to fight back as well and tries to find
a way to rectify fate.
Soon a murder takes place, a body turns up in the car trunk of one of
the doctors, and then vanishes. But unlike other books of the same
genre, THE WILD BOAR makes us sympathize with the murderer. Even the
characters of this astonishing literary mystery almost dread the
uncovering of the crime, not least Commissioner Haeberli, whose
methods are thoroughly unusual: in solving the case he trusts his
unconscious more than facts and their observation. After all, Haeberli
knows that "murder is a creative process, more creative than birth at
any rate, as paradoxical as that may appear at first glance."
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a wry, witty, and constantly surprising mystery
of unusual subtlety and finesse. You can give THE WILD BOAR to any
discerning mystery lover, secure in the knowledge that they have never
read anything quite like it.
**************************
^ STALK
by Louis Charbonneau
(Donald I. Fine, June 1992, $18.95, ISBN 1-55611-284-X)
Former CIA man Barney McLean, ousted for turning in his crooked
superior, and Angela Marchetti, the ex-wife of a drug kingpin, have
built an idyllic life for themselves under new identities, neither
knowing who the other really is. But somehow Angela's cover is blown,
her ex-husband sends his thugs to capture her, and she flees. Barney
sets out on a cross-country chase to find and protect her, while also
being tailed with murderous intent by his nemesis from his CIA days.
Veteran thriller writer Louis Charbonneau (THE ICE) offers up a new
swiftly-paced suspense novel.
**************************
^ THE PLAGIARIST
by Benjamin Cheever
(Atheneum, May 1992, $20.00, ISBN 0-689-12153-9)
Arthur Prentice is the husband of a demanding, difficult woman, the
son of an aging, acerbic, alcoholic, much-acclaimed American writer,
and the comic hero of this impressive (and provocative) first novel
from Benjamin Cheever. An innocent in the world of modern publishing,
Arthur tries to establish his own identity, taking a job at THE
AMERICAN READER magazine, where he is paid a fantastic salary and, not
so incidentally, is expected to deliver something written by his
famous father. Unfortunately for Arthur, his father thinks the
magazine is a bad joke, and to salvage his career Arthur realizes he
must do something... Which leads to an act that gives this
entertaining novel its title.
**************************
^ NIGHT WOMAN
by Nancy Price
(Pocket Books, June 1992, $21.00, ISBN 0-671-74993-5)
Randal Eliot is a renowned writer whose private life is kept from his
many adoring fans. Mary Eliot, his wife, is the actual author of his
books, silently doing the work while her husband's mental breakdowns
bounce him in and out of institutions. When Randal suddenly dies, Mary
is free at last, and can assure her financial future by writing books
that are "found" after Randal's death. But Mary wants the public
recognition she deserves. Then she meets Paul Anderson, a man she
hopes to love and share her secret with. But Paul's obsessions and
terrible temper will turn out to be mere hints of the violence in his
past, a violence that will threaten Mary's very existence. NIGHT WOMAN
is another terrifying novel of suspense from the author of SLEEPING
WITH THE ENEMY.
**************************
^ GABRIELLE
by Albert Guerard
(Donald I. Fine, June 1992, $20.00, ISBN 1-55611-288-2)
Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Randall, in Paris for a conference
on Latin America, is tired of the "official diplomatic" lifestyle, and
decides to relive the Paris of his youth. He enlists the aid of his
hotel chambermaid, Gabrielle, who, with the help of her many friends,
turns his night on the town into an international event. Randall is
passed from kidnapper to kidnapper in a blurring succession of captors
and causes.
GABRIELLE rises above and beyond the genre thriller, combining a quick
pace and deliciously original characters with the stylistic elegance
and political insight for which the author's earlier novels are noted
(CHRISTINE/ANNETTE, THE EXILES, and THE HUNTED). The result is a
witty, sexy and suspenseful whirlwind tour of an American innocent
abroad caught in the European underground.
**************************
^ NEW AMERICAN PLAYS 1
with an introduction by Peter Filichia
(Heinemann, 1992, $15.95, ISBN 0-435-08604-9)
NEW AMERICAN PLAYS 1 collects four two-act plays, presenting an
encouraging and entertaining picture of modern American theater.
STARTING MONDAY by Anne Commire introduces us to two wonderful women,
one of whom has cancer. While giving a hint of the cold, dehumanizing
experience of modern medical care, as well as the isolating nature of
severe illness, STARTING MONDAY never becomes oppressive, maintaining
it's center with the vibrancy of the two leads. They share each
other's experiences, and, through the play, with us. It's touching,
funny, and sad all at once.
YANKEE DAWG YOU DIE by Philip Kan Gotanda illustrates the lives of
Asian Americans with two actors. Vincent is in his late 60s and
represents where Asian Americans have been: mostly playing fiendish
Oriental villains spouting such memorable lines as "Yankee dawg you
die!" Bradley is in his 20s, representing the present day, working on
"significant" Asian American plays written, acted, and produced by
Asian Americans, but only in small regional theaters or in low-budget
films that play in art houses. Who is right? Should you compromise
your identity to gain public acceptance? Vincent and Bradley's
conversations show us the struggle to understand and be understood
through their clash of cultures, generations, and theories of art.
THE BUG by Richard Strand is a paranoid's nightmare made hilarious.
Dennis works in the Assembly department at Jericho Corp. He connects
wires. As the play opens, he is visiting the head office with one
thought only: he doesn't want to be transferred to St. Louis. A new
employee is starting on Monday, but there are no open cubicles, and
Dennis is just certain that he's marked for exile to the company's
outpost in St. Louis. The conflict between Dennis' paranoid fears and
the company's maniacally rigid bureaucracy will leave both permanently
changed, as a succession of information is revealed. Like the fact
that no one has ever seen Dennis' immediate boss in Assembly, and how
Dennis found that huge company slush fund hidden in the computer's
files. This is the best play I've read in quite some time, and as soon
as I finish typing this I intend to read it again. If you like a good
comedy, THE BUG is worth the price of NEW AMERICAN PLAYS 1 all by
itself.
INTERROGATING THE NUDE by Doug Wright is about Marcel Duchamp and his
famous painting "Nude Descending a Staircase" that so shocked and
horrified the public at the 1913 Armory Show in New York City. The
play stars Duchamp himself and the photographer Man Ray, as Duchamp
turns himself in to the police station, confessing that he has
murdered Rose Selavy, whom he claims is his sister and who has been
having an affair with Man Ray. The play is surreal, fluid, and very
visual, with excellent stage directions that allow the reader to see
the play clearly in the mind's eye. The playwright has managed to
create in a drama what Duchamp created on canvas, a new way of
perceiving a well-known subject. INTERROGATING THE NUDE is a lively,
funny, and fascinating experimental play that is clear enough to grab
any reasonably intelligent audience yet complex enough to intrigue the
more demanding reader.
You can contact the publisher at: Heinemann Educational Books, Inc.,
361 Hanover Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801-3959.
**************************
^ DOCTOR SLEEP
by Madison Smartt Bell
(Penguin, June 1992, $10.00, ISBN 0-14-016560-6)
Adrian Strother simply can't get to sleep--which is a bit odd, since
Adrian's livelihood is hypnotism, a trade this young American plies in
a not-so-fashionable section of London. He supplements his meager
income by doing the occasional job for Scotland Yard, where he soon
finds himself enmeshed in the grubby doings of a particularly unsavory
drug trafficker and his bullyboy henchmen, who have a singular talent
for hair styling and mayhem. Meanwhile, there is a savage serial
killer at large whose prey is little girls.
Adrian's love life is equally vexed, what with Clara vacating his
insomniac bed and Nicole perhaps re-entering it. His skill in the
martial arts is no help at all here. Yet somehow all of it comes
together, and in dramatic and startling fashion, Adrian's gifts come
violently into play. He will, perhaps, sleep.
**************************
^ MY LIFE AS A WHALE
by Dyan Sheldon
(Villard, 1992, $20.00, ISBN 0-679-40691-3)
Michael Householder is a member of an endangered species: he's a
reasonably successful adult male living in New York City who happens
to be unmarried. He isn't gay, he isn't crazy, he just prefers to live
alone. As a result, Michael is being stalked. Between a city full of
unmarried women, and a mother who wants a daughter-in-law, Michael's
life is being ruined. So he decides to do something about it. He
invents a wife, even going so far as to dress in women's clothes so
"she" can be seen around his apartment. The problem begins when
Michael tries to get rid of his wife by having her "leave". She
disappears just a bit too thoroughly for some of his neighbors, who
become convinced that he has murdered her. Soon Michael is arrested,
and many believe that he is the serial murderer currently plaguing the
city called the Butcher of Broadway. MY LIFE AS A WHALE is a
delightful comic thriller, fast-paced, and great good fun to read.
**************************
^ UNDER THE SOUTHERN CROSS
by Claire McNab
(Naiad Press, 1992, $9.95, ISBN 1-56280-011-6)
American Lee Paynter has built her small travel agency into an
international tour company. Brash, confident, openly lesbian, her
great love is her business. Women? They're to enjoy and let go.
Alexandra Findlay is pursuing a career in Australian tourism with
quiet focus and determination, convinced that her career is the best
she can hope for in her arid, closeted emotional existence. Now Alex
has been assigned to accompany Lee on the American woman's visit Down
Under, to win Lee's company over to Australian tourism. Suddenly
Alex's quiet life explodes...and Lee is challenged by a woman unlike
any she has ever known.
Bestselling author Claire McNab departs from her famous Detective
Inspector Carol Ashton series to bring us this dazzling romance set
against the majestic landscape of Australia. You can order UNDER THE
SOUTHERN CROSS directly from the publisher by sending the list price,
plus 15% for postage and handling, to: The Naiad Press, Inc., PO Box
10543, Tallahassee, FL 32302. Or call their order line:
1-800-533-1973.
**************************
^ GOOD OMENS
by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
(Berkley, March 1992, $8.95, ISBN 0-425-13215-3)
We hear the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just
before dinner. Unfortunately Sister Mary Loquacious of the Chattering
Order has misplaced the Antichrist. The Four Horsemen of the
Apocalypse ride motorcycles. And the representatives from Heaven and
Hell have decided they actually LIKE the human race...
Have a nice doomsday.
GOOD OMENS is sort of like Douglas Adams, Monty Python, and Woody
Allen all at the same time. This could well be the funniest book you
read this year. Don't miss it.
**************************
^ CURTAIN
by Michael Korda
(Warner, February 1992, $5.99, ISBN 0-446-36227-1)
Felicia Lisle was the stunning English ingenue who won an Oscar for
her role in a whirlwind, epic motion picture. Sir Robert Vane was the
renowned genius of the stage. For twenty years, as the world was swept
into war, Vane and Felicia played out a meteoric public love affair
and their separate, stormy careers. But what no one could see were the
secret deals made and broken, the Hollywood power plays, the
betrayals, sins, madness, and finally, even a murder. For while Vane's
moody genius kept him apart from Felicia and plunged him into a
dangerous relationship with the American comedian Randy Brooks,
Felicia's private demons were hurtling them both toward ruin.
CURTAIN is nearly definitive summer reading.
**************************
^ A CERTAIN DISCONTENT
by Cleve Boutell
(Naiad Press, 1992, $9.95, ISBN 1-56280-009-4)
After the death of her parents, Joanna Becker becomes the ward of her
Aunt Beatrice. Beatrice, wise witness to the gothic existence led by
the seemingly tranquil Becker family, has gleaned much about the
forces that have shaped the assertive Joanna. Vicki LeBrecque, in
thrall to Joanna, is astounded to discover that she has the consent of
Beatrice to love Joanna. But Beatrice has a past of her own, and
telling reasons...
Joanna finds additional protection among a circle of highly
sophisticated women, one of whom is Vicki's own mother, and her lover.
Fed by the wellspring of this confident, powerful cadre, Joanna seeks
to apply her advantages--her strong personality, her prestige, her
energetic optimism, and most of all her ideals--to influence young
women around her. But she has much to learn about the world outside
her own, and the rock-hard price women with less privilege must pay
for independent lives.
This splendid novel, set just after World War II, portrays American
forerunners who carried the torch until the day when women would
openly fight for control of their lives. You can order A CERTAIN
DISCONTENT from the publisher by sending the list price, plus 15% for
postage and handling, to: The Naiad Press, Inc., PO Box 10543,
Tallahassee, FL 32302. Or call their order line: 1-800-533-1973.
**************************
^ BLOOD RED, SNOW WHITE
by Diane Henry & Nicholas Horrock
(Little, Brown, February 1992, $19.95, ISBN 0-316-35752-9)
On the outside, Alec Anton has the perfect life: he is a successful
corporate lawyer at a prestigious Wall Street firm, has considerable
political influence around the courts and city hall, has an elegant
Park Avenue apartment, and a luxurious country home in Connecticut. On
the inside, however, Alec isn't so fortunate--he is still haunted by
memories of Vietnam and a painful divorce. And when a beautiful
neighbor asks Alec to help her find her missing son, he falls for her
hard.
Even though Alec is already involved in a sensitive money-laundering
case, he begins the search for the missing young Noah. Even his
passion for Noah's mother doesn't blunt the horror when Alec discovers
connections between his money-laundering case, Noah's disappearance, a
shadowy Colombian drug family, high-level corporate and political
corruption, and murder. BLOOD RED, SNOW WHITE is a fast-paced and
gripping suspense novel.
**************************
^ GRASSY FLATS
by Penny Hayes
(Naiad Press, 1992, $9.95, ISBN 1-56280-010-8)
Lesbian lovers Nell and Aggie are struggling to survive on their farm
in Grassy Flats, Idaho, during the Depression. When the town learns of
their love, merchants will no longer extend credit and the situation
grows desperate. GRASSY FLATS is a powerful and affecting tale from
the author of THE LONG TRAIL, YELLOWTHROAT, and MONTANA FEATHERS.
You can order GRASSY FLATS from the publisher by sending the list
price, plus 15% for postage and handling, to: The Naiad Press, Inc.,
PO Box 10543, Tallahassee, FL 32302. Or call their order line:
1-800-533-1973. Be sure to ask for a copy of their latest catalog.
**************************
^ THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY
by Robert James Waller
(Warner, April 1992, $14.95, ISBN 0-446-51652-X)
Photographer Robert Kincaid, is in Madison County, Iowa, in 1965 to
shoot covered bridges for an article in NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC. Not able
to find Roseman Bridge, he stops at a farm house to ask directions,
and his life changes forever. Francesca Johnson is a farm wife whose
husband and two children are away at the Illinois State Fair. She was
an Italian war bride who taught literature until her farmer husband
decided he didn't want his wife working. On this August day Francesca
is 45, Robert Kincaid is 52, and they will transform each other,
finding something extraordinary together, something entirely Other.
They will only have four days together, but those four days will last
them a lifetime. THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY is a novel of
remarkable emotional depth, a story of love and passion more profound
than anything I've ever read. A truly wonderful book.
**************************
^ KING SOLOMON'S CARPET
by Ruth Rendell writing as Barbara Vine
(Harmony Books, May 1992, $19.00, ISBN 0-517-58795-5)
After having won the Crime Writers' Gold Dagger award for A FATAL
INVERSION, Vine won it again for this dark psychological thriller,
KING SOLOMON'S CARPET, becoming only the second writer to win two Gold
Dagger awards. In this story, the tension begins immediately as we are
introduced to Jarvis, the owner of a large house overlooking the last
stop on the London Underground. Jarvis is obsessed by the Underground,
and the peculiar lodgers that he rents out rooms to all find
themselves drawn to it as well. There is Alice, who has recently left
her husband and baby. Tom, who plays music on the platforms. Jasper
and his friends, who play chicken on top of the cars. Jed, who keeps a
hawk and uses the trains at night. And then there is Axel, who hates
the Underground and rides around on it, reminding himself how much he
hates it, and formulating his plan.
The interconnections in this odd group of people form a pattern that
is complex, dark, and sinister. KING SOLOMON'S CARPET is chilling,
tense, and impossible to put down. (TRIVIA NOTE: The first writer to
win two Gold Daggers was Ruth Rendell.)
**************************
^ RIVERFINGER WOMEN
by Elana Nachman/Dykewomon
(Naiad Press, 1974/1992, $8.95, ISBN 1-56280-013-2)
Since Inez Riverfingers' arrival on the scene in 1974, women have
hailed RIVERFINGER WOMEN as an indispensable classic of lesbian life.
"In a moment I will conjure Abby Riverfingers and Peggy
Warren and the burden of inventing myself again will wear
off, the story will begin...The hammering of myself into the
background will seem to be over. This hammering, this
background--the language of our getting older, the time of
our being no longer children but young women, that is to
say, forming into identifiable shapes, it is not simple.
From time to time you will hear that faint tackety-tackety-
tackety, like kids at summercamp, making bronze name plates
in relief dot by dot:
these are our lives, these are our lives, these are our
lives."
Discover for yourself Inez, Abby, and Peggy, and their richly
intertwined lives. Meet Rainbo Woman and Lucy Bear. Recapture the
exhilaration and pain of being young and lesbian in the anti-war '60s
in this salty tour de force, this romp through a unique time of
personal and sexual discovery.
**************************
^ DREAMS OF LONG LASTING
by Mark Medoff
(Warner, June 1992, $19.95, ISBN 0-446-51597-3)
DREAMS OF LONG LASTING is the story of Jacob Landau, an aspiring young
playwright locked in a self-destructive struggle between the demons of
his past and his fear of the future; between his lust for fame and
fortune and his desire to become a decent, compassionate man. His fate
is to be hopelessly attracted to the "woman of his dreams," a
brilliant but emotionally scarred actress with whom he has an
all-consuming love affair so intense it threatens to destroy them
both. Jacob painfully extricates himself and returns home to his
family in Miami Beach to lick his wounds. Once there, fury, perverse
amusement, and indecision combine to thrust him into an unlikely
marriage to a classic "princess". But what Jacob never counted on is
that behind her state-of-the-art nose job and perfectly coiffed hair
is a woman whose sharp intelligence, sense of adventure, and
determination match his own.
Despite his best efforts at self-sabotage, it looks as though Jake may
end up living happily ever after...that is, until the woman of his
fantasies reappears, sending him on an odyssey that will bring him
face-to-face with his hopes, his fears, and his limitations in a most
unexpected and shocking way.
Mark Medoff is the author of the Tony Award-winning and Academy
Award-nominated play CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD, as well as the
screenplays of CLARA'S HEART and CITY OF JOY.
**************************
^ THE PLAYER
by Michael Tolkin
(Vintage, 1989, $10.00, ISBN 0-679-72254-8)
The title character is Griffin Mill, a top executive at a major film
studio, a master of the game that is Hollywood. He talks to industry
wannabees constantly, and his common, throwaway phrase is "I'll get
back to you", a reply that is not to be taken seriously, and never has
been. Until now. For one disappointed would-be screenwriter has begun
sending postcards to Griffin, several of which carry the message
"You said you'd get back to me. You didn't. And now...I'm
going to kill you."
Suddenly Griffin is forced to consider these faceless petitioners as
individuals, and wonders how to appease his tormentor. But, at the
same time, Griffin's position at the studio is uncertain, and he must
plan for upcoming power shifts. THE PLAYER is a fascinating study of
the inner world of a studio executive and his paranoid game-playing.
It's a world where love and passion, even life and death, are vague,
nebulous elements around a solid center of industry rumors, power
lunches, and political phone messages. Cynical without being
contemptuous, THE PLAYER is the most fascinating peek inside Hollywood
since WHAT MAKES SAMMY RUN? and THE DAY OF THE LOCUST. Recommended.
**************************
^ BODY OF TRUTH
by David Lindsey
(Doubleday, May 1992, $22.50, ISBN 0-385-24814-8)
Homicide cop Stuart Haydon, last seen in Lindsey's IN THE LAKE OF THE
MOON (1988), finds himself this time out in Guatemala, looking for a
missing woman: Lena Muller, the daughter of a wealthy Houston
businessman. Instead he finds a country of casual brutalities,
political corruption, and a group of American expatriots who are also
seeking Lena. But who is telling the truth? Which ones are really
Lena's friends? How can Haydon find truth in a country whose only
reality is political expediency? A tense, taut thriller.
NOW AVAILABLE ON TAPE!
BODY OF TRUTH is now available from Bantam Audio (read by Keith
Szarabajka, who was a regular on THE EQUALIZER): 2 cassettes, 3 hour
abridgment, $15.99, ISBN 0-553-47049-3.
**************************
^ VENUS BLUE
by Gustaf Sobin
(Little, Brown, February 1992, $19.95, ISBN 0-316-80255-7)
Stefan Hollander is a collector who becomes fascinated with the
memorabilia of 1930s film starlet Molly Lamanna. She only made a few
films, mostly forgettable, but the woman herself was a mesmerizing
presence on the screen. Careful research nets Hollander virtually no
information about Molly's life at all, and the enigma of her offscreen
personality, her life, leaves him with a veritable lust for knowledge.
Then he learns of the unusual 1939 journal written by Millicent
Rappaport, a screenwriter who was as much obsessed by Molly as
Hollander. VENUS BLUE alternates between Hollander's activities and
portions of Millicent's journal as the two, separated by half a
century, try to discover the secrets at the center of the woman who
was Molly Lamanna. Reminiscent of the movie LAURA, Sobin's VENUS BLUE
is a hauntingly poetic tale of 1930s Hollywood, wartime Europe, and
personal obsession. Gustaf Sobin is an American poet (VOYAGING
PORTRAITS) living in the south of France.
**************************
^ THE VANISHED CHILD
by Sarah Smith
(Ballantine, April 1992, $20.00, ISBN 0-345-37350-2)
Flashback: In 1887 New England, millionaire William Knight is shot to
death in his home. The only witness was Knight's grandson Richard, but
when asked what he saw, replied only: "I won't tell. I'll never tell."
Three days later, Richard disappears, despite being heavily guarded,
and all that is left are questions. Who killed William Knight? Why
wouldn't Richard talk about it? What happened to Richard? Was he
murdered for what he knew?
Now it's 1906. Richard has been gone for 18 years, the estate being
managed by the Knight lawyers even though an estranged son of William
Knight survives. But Gilbert Knight is convinced, has always been
convinced, that Richard is still alive, and refuses to allow the
lawyers to declare Richard legally dead. And about this time Richard's
old physician, and long-time friend of Gilbert's, catches sight of
Baron Alexander von Reisden, who bears a marked resemblance to the
Knights, and the doctor mistakes him for the grown Richard. Reisden
denies being Richard, but is soon involved in a scheme posed by the
Knight lawyers to prod Gilbert into finally having Richard declared
dead. The only problem is that once Gilbert sees Reisden, he is
instantly convinced, beyond all doubt, that Reisden is indeed Richard.
And, unbeknownst to Gilbert and the lawyers, Reisden can't remember
anything prior to his tenth birthday.
Is Reisden really Richard? Why is Gilbert so afraid of him, until,
that is, he discovers that Reisden really doesn't remember what
happened with old William Knight? Why is the doctor now so sure that
Reisden isn't Richard, and why is he so angry? Why can't Reisden
remember any of his early childhood? There are so many questions to be
answered as this enthralling mystery and emotionally wrenching novel
unfolds; a serious novel that also hides a delightful and delicate
romance within its enigmatic pages. A tale of hidden identity similar
to that of Anastasia (Smith tips her hat to this old story in the name
of Reisden's deceased wife), THE VANISHED CHILD is compulsively
readable and bound to be considered among the finest novels published
this year. Sarah Smith orchestrates a diverse collection of human
personalities and motivations, all with incredible ease, and not a
false note anywhere. Simply wonderful.
**************************
^ CARAVAN
by Dorothy Gilman
(Doubleday, June 1992, $19.00, ISBN 0-385-42361-6)
Caressa Horvath, CARAVAN's unflappable heroine, never guessed that her
skills as a pickpocket would take her away from the carnival life of
her childhood...all the way from Boston to the Sahara Desert. In an
attempt to educate her daughter in the elements of culture, Caressa's
ambitious mother sends her off to a finishing school in Boston just
before the outbreak of World War I. Sixteen-year-old Caressa tries to
pick the pocket of wealthy Jacob Bowman. He catches her in the act,
and, fascinated, soon befriends her. An amateur anthropologist who
loves to travel, Jacob is planning a trip to the Sahara Desert. Uneasy
with the idea of leaving Caressa behind, he proposes marriage, and
they sail off to Tripoli, where a caravan awaits them.
Once on their journey they meet up with a band of vicious
Tuareg--desert nomads--who demand tribute money to ensure the
caravan's safety across the desert. Jacob refuses; a decision that
costs him his life. Thinking Caressa is a sorceress, the Tuareg spare
her life, but she is then forced to travel with them to their camp in
the Hoggar Mountains. So begins her 3-year odyssey across the desert,
where she struggles desperately to survive its harsh climate and
dangers and to learn its mysterious ways.
Dorothy Gilman, a master storyteller who has won millions of readers
with her bestselling Mrs. Pollifax mysteries, has, with CARAVAN,
written a rousing adventure story filled with exotic locales and
memorable characters.
**************************
^ A SINGULAR SPY: A Madison McGuire Espionage Thriller
by Amanda Kyle Williams
(Naiad Press, 1992, $8.95, ISBN 1-56280-008-6)
Madison McGuire is a lesbian and an experienced operative working for
the CIA. When an insignificant station clerk in Geneva is killed, the
intelligence community must face a very unpleasant fact: there is
apparently a traitor in their midst. Suddenly intelligence gathering
slows to a crawl and agents are endangered all over the world. Madison
McGuire's assignment is to find the mole before any more damage is
done.
But finding a mole is a very difficult operation. Who can you trust?
Madison assembles her own team, made up of outsiders and one Company
trainee. And she will only report to the CIA's highest level
people--the Deputy Directors and the Director himself. On this case
Madison will lose some of her team, meet a deadly Russian spy named
Natasha, and will have her own home stained by violence. A SINGULAR
SPY is exciting, intelligent, and a great change of pace from the
virulent, bigoted and misogynist stories of Ian Fleming. Actually, the
Madison McGuire stories don't bear any comparison to Fleming at all.
They're most comparable to John Le Carre's novels, but with a writing
style that is distinctively American. If you like a good spy story, be
sure to check out the Madison McGuire books.
Previous Madison McGuire novels are THE PROVIDENCE FILE ($8.95, ISBN
0-941483-92-4) and CLUB 12 ($8.95, ISBN 0-941483-64-9). All are
available from the publisher. Send the list price(s), plus 15% for
postage and handling, to: The Naiad Press, Inc., PO Box 10543,
Tallahassee, FL 32302. Or call their order line: 1-800-533-1973. Be
sure to ask for a copy of their latest catalog.
**************************
^ HARRY AND CHICKEN
by Dyan Sheldon, illustrated by Sue Heap
(Candlewick Press, 1992, $13.95, ISBN 1-56402-012-6)
A novel for readers 8-11
Sara Jane, known to her family as Chicken, has been feeling awfully
lonesome since her best friend Kim moved away, so it's a stroke of
luck all around when she runs into Harry, a large gray cat sitting on
a trash can in the rain--cold, wet, and hungry. But you must
understand that Harry is very special. He can talk, you see. But
that's not TOO unusual, because all the sponge-like beings from the
planet Arcana who visit Earth in the form of cats can talk. But they
still need someone to feed them, and keep them out of the rain, and
keep them company so they won't be too lonely. So Chicken takes Harry
home with her, which is just a bit more complicated than Harry seems
to realize, because Chicken's mom doesn't like cats, her sister is
allergic to them, and her brother has two pet birds. (So it's sure
lucky that Harry isn't a REAL cat, isn't it?) Somehow it all comes out
happily in the end, and the reader can look forward to another
adventure with Harry and Chicken in HARRY THE EXPLORER.
HARRY AND CHICKEN is a delightful story for young cat lovers by Dyan
Sheldon (a fellow aficionado who dedicates this book to her three
felines: Harpo, Mao, and Elvis), engagingly illustrated by Sue Heap.
You can contact the publisher at: Candlewick Press, 2067 Massachusetts
Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02140.
**************************
^ OUTER BANKS
by Anne Rivers Siddons
(HarperCollins, 1991)
<>
This book is a delightful trip through the pleasures and joys of
youthful friendships, the more sobering realities of mature
friendships, and the bittersweet irony of reunions. It tracks the
lives of four women who become acquainted as sorority sisters at a
university in Georgia. The principal figure in the story and the
character from whose perspective the story is told is Katherine Stuart
Lee who comes from a family of modest means in Alabama. In spite of
this reality, Katherine's father represents himself as a member of
"Southern Aristocracy", imbues Katherine with his dream of social
status, and pushes her into contacts and relationships that are
founded on pretenses. Her mother is a follower and passively
collaborates in the family deception. During Kate's second year of
college her father commits suicide as his lies and debts become
excessively burdensome, and she must leave expensive Randolph Macon
College for the less expensive State University. It is at this point
that the other three principals enter the story.
Cecie is her roommate, the product of a broken family, but a bright,
clever woman with a dry wit and a sense of discretion that makes her a
perfect confidant.
Fig is the ugly misfit with no taste and no social graces. She is the
butt of jokes, is rejected in her attempts at forming friendships, and
focuses on Kate as her model and mentor. She is also a brilliant
student and keeps a running record of the college life in her secret
diaries.
Ginger is the lively, gregarious, self-effacing rich girl who is
generous to a fault. Her family owns the house on the outer banks of
North Carolina where the four first go on vacation from school and
where their final reunion takes place some 30 years later.
In telling this story Anne Rivers Siddons shows an unusual ability to
reach deep into the personalities, emotions and private thoughts of
the four women. She does this with humor, sympathy, suspense and even
a bit of mystery. Like most friendships, the ties between the four
women wax and wane through the years of their association but some
contacts are maintained and their memories of each other are strong
and enduring. The final reunion at Ginger's home on the Outer Banks
provides the platform for revealing the strengths and weaknesses of
the women and for resolving some of the mysteries that have developed
between their youth and their maturity.
The author is vivid and poetic in describing the Outer Banks--if you
have ever been there it is like having a real second visit. Good
insight and good reading.
**************************
^ GAUNTLET #3
Politically (In)Correct Issue
GAUNTLET, an annual book/magazine subtitled "Exploring the Limits of
Free Expression" is dedicated to discussing censorship, publicizing
instances of censorship, arguing censorship issues, and printing
examples of censored material. I particularly like the essays from
divergent, often controversial, points of view, because this is
exactly the kind of input that censorship denies us. In effect, the
censor states: "I believe in my position but I'm very insecure about
it, so I'd better just not allow any other positions to exist." That's
really it, isn't it? The sensible person who feels that a certain
movie debases women, or encourages violence, or whatever, that
sensible person just avoids that movie. The censor must go further.
The censor feels he must prevent anyone else from seeing it either.
Once again, GAUNTLET provides an excellent forum for discussion, news,
views, and examples of censored stuff. I think I can pretty well
guarantee that just about everyone will find something offensive
within the covers, but it's all educational, it's all food for your
brain cells, and some of it just might change your perceptions. In any
case, in GAUNTLET #3 you find talk about: the politics of rape, the
abortion controversy, political and corporate censorship, little-known
aspects of the Gulf War, Lenny Bruce, Andrew Dice Clay, "The Year in
Censorship", the movie BASIC INSTINCT, book reviews, comics, artwork,
and of course a lot of Politically Incorrect viewpoints. There's an
interview with publisher William M. Gaines, and contributions from
people like: John Shirley, Harlan Ellison, Rex Miller, Thomas F.
Monteleone, and many more. Censored fiction comes from Nancy A.
Collins, Brian Hodge, Ramsey Campbell, Steve Rasnic Tem, Richard
Christian Matheson, James Kisner, and others. This issue of GAUNTLET
could give you conversational material for the next year. Great stuff.
Get your copy of GAUNTLET #3 by sending $12.95, plus $2 postage and
handling, to: GAUNTLET, Dept. SUB92, 309 Powell Rd., Springfield, PA
19064. There are still limited quantities of #1 and #2 left, which you
can get for $10.95 plus $2 postage each. Next year's #4 can be
reserved now for $12.95 plus $2, but if you get #3 and reserve #4 at
the same time you can save a couple of dollars--send $24 plus $4
shipping and handling. GAUNTLET is a worthy publication put together,
as I understand it, entirely on a teacher's salary, so you might think
about lending your support. If you'd like to send a donation, send it
to: GAUNTLET, Dept. DON92, 309 Powell Rd., Springfield, PA 19064.
**************************
~ BOOK STACKS UNLIMITED
HAVE YOU EVER READ a review of a book in READING FOR PLEASURE and
wanted to buy it immediately? Then, after you FINALLY get to a
bookstore, you find they don't carry that particular book. It can
really be exasperating.
Most bookstores carry 30,000 - 35,000 titles with a select few stores
carrying 100,000 titles. While this may seem like alot, it really
isn't when you consider that they all have basically the same titles.
If you go to a bookstore looking for a certain book and they don't
have it, you can pretty much count on the other stores not having it
as well.
Now there is a "bookstore" that carries over 650,000 titles --- nearly
every title in print! BOOK STACKS UNLIMITED is an on-line bookstore
and readers' conference system available to anyone in the world. When
you dial into Book Stacks, you can browse the 'shelves' and search for
books by author, title or subject. Choose your titles, place your
order and we will ship your books directly to your home or office. As
a special bonus, when you purchase books from Book Stacks from Book
Stacks you earn credits, called Bookmarks, for FREE books.
Book Stacks also offers other valuable services to its customers. In
MAGAZINE RACK you will find electronic newsletters, like Reading For
Pleasure, plus USA Today and Boardwatch Magazine. CONFERENCE/MESSAGES
allows you to chat with other book readers in areas such as science
fiction or you can enter your own book reviews. Additionally, you can
download ZIP files of books available in a particular area of
interest.
To browse the 'shelves' of Book Stacks dial:
Modem # (216) 861-0469 (300-2400 Baud)
Modem # (216) 694-5732 (9600 Baud)
*10% of Book Stacks' profit goes to a national, non-profit
organization which helps Americans learn to read.
Next time you're looking for a book, dial into Book Stacks Unlimited.
Save yourself time, money and alot of useless trips to the "limited"
bookstores.
**************************
^ DEATH IS FOREVER
by John Gardner
(Putnam, June 1992, $15.95, ISBN 0-399-13716-5)
With the unification of Germany in 1990, the existing joint
American-British intelligence network in East Germany disbanded. Now
the British SIS and the CIA want to renew contact with the network,
code-named CABAL. Their initial efforts fail when the two original
case officers are killed under mysterious circumstances before
reaching their six undercover agents.
007 and his American counterpart, Ms. "Eazy" St. John, are called upon
to replace the dead case officers. Following the leads left by their
unfortunate predecessors, Bond and Eazy track down the first agent,
who dies on his way to a rendezvous with our master spy. Certain now
that the entire network is marked for death, Bond and Eazy race across
Europe, hoping to save the others from the unknown killer, only to
find that they too have become the targets of CABAL's old enemy:
Wolfgang Weisen, the shadowy director of the former East German
Security Service.
Although he has been on the run since the destruction of the Berlin
Wall, Weisen still maintains a following of loyal and highly trained
security officers with access to a wide range of sophisticated
weaponry. By setting a trap for Bond, Weisen plans to "neutralize" the
secret agent before undertaking his true mission: the destabilization
of Western Europe through a single, savage act.
**************************
~COMING IN JULY!
^ THE EBONY SWAN
by Phyllis Whitney
(Doubleday, July 1992, $21.00, ISBN 0-385-42443-4)
Susan Prentice, a 29-year-old nurse, has called off her engagement and
has decided to return to the home of her deceased mother, Dolores, a
place her father has forbidden her to visit for over twenty years.
Alexandrina Montora, Susan's maternal grandmother, is anxious to
reunite with the young woman, and at the same time desires to make
peace with a past that has torn her family apart since the tragic
death of her daughter. Susan's appearance unleashes painful truths for
both women, as they learn that Dolores' death was no accident. First,
however, Susan finds herself at the center of the conflicts within her
family's community and her grandmother's past, and these conflicts
must be settled if there is to be a future at all.
Set in the island communities of Virginia's historical Chesapeake Bay,
THE EBONY SWAN combines psychological suspense, mystery, and romance
as Phyllis Whitney's many fans have come to expect.
**************************
~BOOKS ON TAPE:
^ THE PELICAN BRIEF
by John Grisham, performance by Anthony Heald
Abridged, 4 cassettes, 340 minutes
(Bantam Audio, 1992, $22.50, ISBN 0-553-47046-9)
Late one October night Justice Abe Rosenberg, at 91 the Supreme
Court's liberal legend, is shot to death in his Georgetown home. Two
hours later Glenn Jensen, the Court's youngest and most conservative
justice, is strangled. The country is stunned; the FBI has no clues.
But Darby Shaw, a brilliant law student at Tulane, thinks she has the
answer. Days of digging through the law library's computers have led
her to draft a brief speculating on an obscure connection between the
two justices--and a most unlikely suspect. Her suspect has powerful
friends: one evening, outside a New Orleans restaurant, Darby narrowly
escapes an assassin's car bomb. Someone has read her brief--someone
who wants her dead.
Alone and frightened, Darby disappears into the anonymous shadows of
the French Quarter, where she contacts investigative reporter Gary
Grantham and convinces him that Washington's position on the killings
amounts to the biggest cover-up since Watergate. Together they go
underground, on the run, trying to stay alive long enough to expose
the real truth contained in the Pelican Brief.
**************************
^ BOY'S LIFE
by Robert R. McCammon, read by Richard Thomas
Abridged, 2 cassettes, 3 hours
(Simon & Schuster Audio, 1992, $16.00, ISBN 0-671-76014-9)
Robert McCammon's BOY'S LIFE is a large, lavish novel of the life of
12-year-old Cory Mackenson in 1964 small-town Alabama (reviewed in RFP
#19). In condensing the story for this audio version, the choice was
made confine the material to the murder mystery. This is certainly a
wise choice, making a more coherent short version of the novel, but it
sure does leave out a lot of good parts, and a few terrific
characters. You will, however, hear about how Cory and his dad come
across a murdered man, just before the body disappears forever in
Saxon's Lake. No one turns up missing, and without a body or at least
knowing the identity of the murdered man, the sheriff can do nothing.
The only clue, known only to Cory, is a green feather found at the
scene. Hoping to solve the murder in order to help his father, Cory
keeps his eyes and ears open, but his investigation takes many twists
and turns. First there is a serious flood in the town, after which
Cory meets The Lady, an ancient black wise-woman (whose voice is done
to perfection by Richard Thomas). With her help, Cory will solve the
mystery, and the story reaches a breathtakingly exciting ending. This
is a very fine story to listen to, beautifully read by Richard Thomas,
but I would still recommend reading the book as well, for a much
deeper, richer narrative experience.
**************************
^ SKY MASTERS
by Dale Brown, read by Joseph Campanella
Abridged, 2 cassettes, 3 hours
(Dove Audio, $15.95, ISBN 1-55800-352-5)
In the near future, U.S. forces are completing their final withdrawal
from bases in the Philippines. The navy of the People's Republic of
China lays claim to the Spratly Islands, decimating a Philippine
drilling platform when its occupants refuse to knuckle under. The
confrontation quickly escalates when the Chinese use a tactical nuke
to wipe out the Philippino flotilla. The U.S. Air Force counterattacks
with specially equipped B-52s, B-1s and B-2 Stealth bombers, Colonel
Patrick "Mac" MacLanahan of the original "Old Dog" flight playing a
key role in the harrowing operation. You can order SKY MASTERS by
calling 1-800-345-9945.
**************************
^ THE CAY
by Theodore Taylor, performance by LeVar Burton
2 cassettes, 165 minutes
(Bantam Audio, 1992, $15.99, ISBN 0-553-47038-8)
Phillip's mother didn't like black people. "They are different," she
had told him. Phillip had never believed her before, but now...After
all, Timothy WAS different. He was huge, and he was very old, and to
Phillip he seemed ugly. And he was the most stubborn man Phillip had
ever known. But after the Germans torpedoed the freighter on which he
and his mother were traveling during wartime, Phillip found himself
dependent on the old West Indian. There were just the two of them cast
up on the barren little Caribbean island--three, if you counted Stew
Cat--and a crack on the head had left Phillip blind.
Their struggle for survival and Phillip's efforts to adjust to his
blindness and to understand the dignified, wise, and loving old man
who was his companion make this a memorable tale.
**************************
^ THE TRUMPET OF THE SWAN
by E.B. White, read by the author
Unabridged, 4 cassettes, 259 minutes
(Bantam Audio, $21.99, ISBN 0-553-47050-7)
Louis is a Trumpeter Swan, but has no voice. Though he is frightened
when his father explains how he is different than other cygnets, Louis
is resourceful and determined. Leaving his wild and beautiful home, he
finds a young human friend, Sam Beaver, who helps him learn to read
and write. When Louis returns to his lake, he discovers his education
isn't enough: the beautiful swan he loves, Serena, can't read his
declarations of love--and he cannot trumpet them. Louis' resolution to
win the swan of his desiring launches him on an adventure that will
take him far from home and lead where fate--and love--have a few
surprises in store. With humor and lyric beauty, E.B. White tells a
timeless tale of love, courage, and freedom that will capture the
imagination of every listener.
**************************
^ BRIGHT CAPTIVITY
by Eugenia Price, performance by Linda Purl
Abridged, 2 cassettes, 3 hours
(Bantam Audio, 1992, $15.99, ISBN 0-553-47045-0)
Toward the end of the War of 1812, Anne Couper, daughter of a wealthy
Georgia planter, has a birthday, and she can't wait to fall in love.
Then her birthday party is interrupted by British soldiers, which is
how she meets John Fraser, a charming Scot who also happens to be the
enemy. He captures the estate, temporarily, and her heart permanently,
in this frothy and exuberant romance engagingly read by Linda Purl.
**************************
^ TWILIGHT AT MAC'S PLACE
by Ross Thomas, read by Robert Culp
Abridged, 2 cassettes, 3 hours
(Dove Audio, 1990, $15.95, ISBN 1-55800-287-1)
It's always twilight at Mac's Place, a Washington bar and grill, and
that's where Granville Haynes goes after the funeral of his father,
Steadfast "Steady" Haynes. Steady Haynes was a long-time unofficial
employee of the CIA, who may, or may not, have written his tell-all
memoirs before his death. Naturally, a number of people are
interesting in the existence, whereabouts, and ownership, of these
possible memoirs. When people start dying, Granville enlists the help
of the owners of Mac's Place, and the game begins. TWILIGHT AT MAC'S
PLACE is classic Ross Thomas: complex, clever, humorous, and with a
very distinct bite to it. And Robert Culp's irreverent, hard-edged
voice is the perfect way to hear it. You can order TWILIGHT AT MAC'S
PLACE by calling 1-800-345-9945.
**************************
^ MERCY
by David L. Lindsey, performance by Judith Ivey
Abridged, 2 cassettes, 3 hours
(Bantam Audio, 1992, $15.99, ISBN 0-553-47042-6)
Houston is shattered by a shock wave of unbelievably vicious sex
killings. And this time the pattern is unique--way out of line with
traditional violent-crime psychology. In Detective Carmen Palma's
experience, a psychopath always chooses anonymous targets. But the
Houston victims know and trust their killer. They meet willingly in
hotel rooms, even in their homes. They don't fight when the leather
cuffs are fastened to their wrists and ankles. They don't even
struggle when the first blows fall...
Palma's first lightning instinct is that the victims expected their
torture. They were practicing masochists, part of a secret clique that
includes some of the city's most prominent women. They helped
choreograph their own punishments--every blow. They just didn't expect
to die...
**************************
^ THE EDUCATION OF LITTLE TREE
by Forrest Carter, read by Peter Coyote
Abridged, 2 cassettes, 3 hours
(Audio Literature, 1992, $15.95, ISBN 0-944993-51-6)
A 1991 ABBY Award winner, THE EDUCATION OF LITTLE TREE is a young
boy's story of growing up with his Cherokee grandparents, learning
about nature, about mankind's place on the planet, about life, and
about death. A word-of-mouth bestseller, it has been popular with
readers of all ages. It's funny, it's sad, it's full of everything
that defines life. Some of my favorite parts are: the harvesting of
the first watermelon, Grandfather's analysis of MACBETH, and the story
of the time Grandfather saved Little Tree from a rattlesnake, only to
get bitten himself and nearly die. This Audio Literature adaptation is
made special by the reading of Peter Coyote, whose subtle, understated
and unsentimental inflections of a small boy allow the drama of the
material to speak for itself. THE EDUCATION OF LITTLE TREE is a
delight to read and Audio Literature has turned it into a very
entertaining listening experience. You can order it directly from
Audio Literature by calling their Order Line: 1-800-841-2665. You can
write to them for a catalog at: Audio Literature, PO Box 7123,
Berkeley, CA 94707.
**************************
^ TREASURES
by Belva Plain, performance by Joanna Gleason
Abridged, 2 cassettes, 3 hours
(Bantam Audio, 1992, $15.99, ISBN 0-553-47036-1)
TREASURES is the story of the Osbornes, who began at the bottom and
achieved stellar heights, determined to make their mark on the world.
There's Connie--a vibrant, innocent beauty--who set out for Texas in
the booming 1970s. Her marriage to the scion of a well-to-do Houston
family ended in shattering disillusion, while the wealth and power of
her second husband swept her into the most dazzling circles of New
York Society. Then there's Eddy. On Wall Street, his uncanny knack for
deal making sent his personal stock soaring, while his marriage to a
beautiful blue-blood opened doors his lack of social credentials had
locked against him. Of all the Osbornes, only Lara remained in the
little Ohio town where they'd all been born. Married to her childhood
sweetheart, mother of two, she also seemed to have achieved her dream.
What had gone wrong? Suddenly everything Connie possessed stood
between her and the passionate love she craved. Fate and her
commitment to family contrived to imperil everything Lara cherished.
Addicted to risk at the highest level, Eddy committed reckless acts
that threatened to destroy them all. They had gone from exuberant
innocence to the brink of despair in a decade driven by the forces of
unbridled ambition. Now, as they approach the 1990s, they must choose
to stand alone and watch their dreams die, or work together to salvage
what they alone can treasure.
**************************
^ THE FIFTH PROFESSION
by David Morrell, ready by David McCallum
(Dove Audio, $15.95, ISBN 1-55800-251-0)
The man known only as Savage is a "protector" for hire. On a job his
agent has arranged for him--rescuing a woman threatened by a man with
mob connections--Savage recognizes a colleague, a Japanese protector
and former adversary of Savage's, a man Savage saw beheaded several
years ago. Equally surprising is the Japanese man's surprise at seeing
Savage, for, as they find out when comparing notes, they BOTH saw the
other beheaded on that old job, a job in which it turns out that both
had been hired to protect the same man, a man who was killed despite
their best efforts. Now working together, the two men investigate
their shared experience, but find no corroborative evidence that any
of it ever happened, except for one small thing. Both men were
seriously injured in the course of the job and required extensive
hospital care. While neither can find their experience in hospital
records, x-rays they have taken show the broken bones that had to be
healed, and both men have small, drilled holes in the very same spot
on their skulls. What does this mean? What really happened on that
job? And why is there no remaining evidence of it anywhere? Part
mystery, part psychological suspense, and part international thriller,
THE FIFTH PROFESSION is edge-of-the-seat entertainment, masterfully
performed by David McCallum.
If you can't get Dove Audio's THE FIFTH PROFESSION locally, you can
get your charge card and call their order-only line at 1-800-345-9945.
For a free color catalog of Dove Audio's tapes, call 1-800-328-DOVE.
**************************
^ THE BOY WHO MADE DRAGONFLY: A Zuni Myth
as told to Tony Hillerman, read by Debra Winger
Unabridged, 1 cassette, 87 minutes
(Audio Literature, 1992, $10.95, ISBN 0-944993-44-3)
The hero of this enchanting Zuni Indian myth is a little boy who saves
his people from an ecological disaster. The story was first told over
500 years ago. It is retold here in the words of Tony Hillerman, who
is world-renowned for his mystery novels and nonfiction books about
the American Southwest. "In our society," Mr. Hillerman explains, "it
would be called a 'Bible story.' Like stories based on the Old
Testament, this narrative is intended to teach people both the history
and morality of a people." Children and adults alike will respond to
the dramatic blend of moral and spiritual teaching and inspiring human
story of this enchanting myth, read by the versatile and talented
actress Debra Winger.
You can contact the publisher at: Audio Literature, PO Box 7123,
Berkeley, CA 94707; 510/845-8414; Order Line: 1-800-841-2665.
**************************
^ THE LIGHT IN THE FOREST
by Conrad Richter, performance by Robert Sean Leonard
2 cassettes, 3 hours
(Bantam Audio, 1992, $15.99, ISBN 0-553-47047-7)
True Son, born John Butler in a little frontier town, was captured by
the Lenni Lenape Indians when he was just four years old. He was
adopted into the tribe by the great warrior Cuyloga, who renamed him
and reared him as his own. True Son grew up to think, feel, and fight
like an Indian, and to revere their god. Then the Indians made a
treaty and agreed to return all white captives to their own people.
But by this time True Son had learned to dislike white men. So...who
were his people now?
**************************
^ GAMES OF THE HANGMAN
by Victor O'Reilly, read by David McCallum
2 cassettes, 178 minutes
(Barr Audio, 1992, $15.95, ISBN 0-8043-4013-7)
Hugo Fitzduane, former soldier and battle-scarred war photographer, is
no stranger to death, or to killing. But Rudi von Graffenlaub's body
dangling from a gnarled oak tree on his own land, a windswept island
off the west coast of Ireland--Fitzduane's haven in a violent
world--is one body too many. There has to be a reason for this
senseless waste of life, and Fitzduane, driven by the memory of Rudi's
still-warm corpse in his arms, is compelled to seek it out.
But a calculating blood-thirsty man known as the HANGMAN is obsessed
not only by the exquisite pleasure of devising intricate murders but
by the bottom line imperatives of his chosen profession. For him,
international terrorism is a business whose only ideology is profit.
**************************
^ SLEEPING TIGER
by Rosamunde Pilcher, performance by Carole Shelley
Abridged, 2 cassettes, 3 hours
(Bantam Audio, 1992, $15.99, ISBN 0-553-47037-X)
For the first time in her life, Selina Bruce wasn't sure what tomorrow
would bring. She had impulsively left behind her lawyer fiance in
London and flown alone to a tiny island off the Spanish coast. She was
searching for the father she'd never known, but what she found was an
unexpected truth about herself and the man she planned to marry. For
exotic San Antonio offered Selina more than the penetrating brilliance
of the noonday sun. It offered the mysterious George Dyer, who held
the key not only to her past...but to her heart.
**************************
^ WIND CHILL FACTOR
by Thomas Gifford, performed by Ron Vawter
Abridged, 2 cassettes, 180 minutes
(Bantam Audio, 1992, $15.99, ISBN 0-553-47060-4)
Hitler lost the war. This the world knows. What the world doesn't know
is that some Nazi survivors view their defeat as a mere temporary
setback. Their plans have long been in motion. Their key personnel are
in place inside the corporations and capitals of every major nation.
By the end of this century, it will all be theirs.
John Cooper is an heir to this evil--an evil he thought he'd turned
his back on. Until now. For the dark legacy has finally caught up with
him, thrusting into his hands a secret too explosive to be kept. As he
races against time a figure from his past, insubstantial as a whisper,
will be revealed to him. And for a single electrifying moment Cooper's
fate, and the fate of billions, will hang in the terrifying balance.
**************************
^ THE ENLIGHTENED HEART: An Anthology of Sacred Poetry
edited by Stephen Mitchell
read by Coleman Barks, Peter Coyote, Ram Dass, Dorothy Fadiman,
Robert Hass, Jane Hirshfield, Stephen Mitchell, & Jacob Needleman
Abridged, 2 cassettes, 3 hours
(Audio Literature, 1991, $15.95, ISBN 0-944993-34-6)
Audio Literature has assembled an all-star cast for this recording of
Stephen Mitchell's collection of sacred poetry selected from the great
cultures and religious traditions of the world. Beginning with early
sacred masterpieces such as the Book of Psalms and the Bhagavad-Gita,
this extraordinary anthology includes Buddhist and Taoist poetry, the
work of Rumi and other Sufi masters, great Christian poets such as
Dante and St. Francis, Navajo and Inuit bards, and such Western
visionaries as Blake, Emily Dickinson and Gerard Manley Hopkins.
Whether as an introduction to the great spiritual traditions of
mankind, or as a testament both to the breadth and to the profound
commonality of these traditions, this program provides an inspiring
record of the deepest meanings of human experience.
You can contact the publisher at: Audio Literature, PO Box 7123,
Berkeley, CA 94707; 510/845-8414; Order Line: 1-800-841-2665.
**************************
^ HOTEL
by Arthur Hailey, performance by Victor Garber
Abridged, 2 cassettes, 3 hours
(Bantam Audio, 1992, $15.99, ISBN 0-553-47059-0)
Conflict and desire, secrets and tumultuous destinies are part of the
fascinating world of the famous St. Gregory, a New Orleans luxury
hotel. For five sultry days of a hot Louisiana summer the lives of
strangers intimately touch, sizzle, and explode in round-the-clock
excitement as the St. Gregory becomes the stage for private and public
drama--and for the stunning, heart-stopping climax awaiting them all.
**************************
^ UNDER SIEGE
by Stephen Coonts, read by Michael Prichard
(Books on Tape, Inc.)
<>
In this novel Stephen Coonts takes on the dangerous world of drugs as
he continues the saga of Jake Grafton who is the principal character
and hero of three previous novels, FINAL FLIGHT, FLIGHT OF THE
INTRUDER, and THE MINOTAUR. It is much more a suspense and adventure
story than his earlier novels and is less involved with technique and
technology.
Coonts loses no time in revealing to the listener the unprecedented
evil that rules the drug trade. The listeners' normal and conventional
understanding of conflict and competition dissolves quickly as the
author shows the depths of viciousness, hostility and greed that exist
as a normal part of the drug subculture. Before the book ends, one has
involuntarily accepted new lower levels as standards of human
behavior.
A prominent Colombian drug lord, Chano Aldana, has been captured and
extradited to the U.S. for trial. His power and extensive influence is
brutally demonstrated as he draws together forces to assault federal
government figures and to de-stabilize the community of Washington
D.C. The listener is pulled into the story as the author develops
carefully documented and vividly believable backgrounds on several
principal characters around which the action revolves. Among the
characters is an undercover agent of the FBI who has worked his way
into the inner circle of the major drug dealer in Washington, and in
doing so, must embrace the standards of a beast and live minute to
minute with the risk of discovery. There is also a young WASHINGTON
POST reporter who plays a large role. He is pseudo-sophisticated and
somewhat cynical in his appreciation of the forces involved in drug
activities. His "objective observer" posture, though, is radically
twisted as Jake Tarketon shepherds him through the reality of
combating drug-financed terrorists. Perhaps the most absorbing of the
characters is Henry Charon, a quiet, introspective man who lives a
satisfying but solitary life on a remote ranch in Nevada. He has grown
up learning to be an expert hunter and has also become a much sought
after hunting guide. Persuaded by one of his clients, he adds human
game to his agenda and evolves into an accomplished assassin. It is a
profession which he follows with cold, emotionless detachment but one
which he thoroughly enjoys.
Chano Aldana's demonstration of power starts with an assassination
attempt on President Bush that is close to successful and puts Vice
President Quail at the head of government. That event is followed by
other assassinations of key government figures and a series of
suicidal terrorists attacks in public facilities that result in
indiscriminate deaths on a large scale. Quail is presented in the
story as a thoughtful, responsible substitute president. He quickly
grabs the reins and makes the hard decisions necessary to prevent the
nation's capital from falling into chaos. Washington is almost turned
into a military camp before the drug inspired conflict is brought
under control and the public terror and disorder is ended. Throughout
the trauma, Coonts is a master at describing and analyzing the
responses of politicians. Listening to his vivid and persuasive
portrayal of political figures is alone sufficient reward for
reader/listener investment in this story.
There are several interesting sub-plots that are developed as the
story progresses and a fascinating cast of characters populate those
sub-plots. The pace is rapid and Mr. Coonts creates peaks of suspense
so intense that it almost brings the listener to the threshold of
pain. All of this makes it a great book for the audio format. It is
read by Michael Prichard with just enough restraint and detachment to
avoid intruding on the emotions the author's craft of communication
has established.
Read it or listen to it--either way you are certain to enjoy UNDER
SIEGE.
**************************
~MORE LOUIS L'AMOUR FROM BANTAM AUDIO
^ BOWDRIE FOLLOWS A COLD TRAIL
1 cassette, 60-minute full-cast dramatization, $9.99
ISBN 0-553-47053-1
When Texas ranger Chick Bowdrie rides into a long-abandoned ranch, he
discovers the skeleton of the owner. All signs indicate the man has
been dead for many years and his wife and child were taken forcefully
from him. Bowdrie vows to bring the killer to justice and find the
missing family. BOWDRIE FOLLOWS A COLD TRAIL is a classic western
adventure performed in a full-cast dramatization with stirring music
and authentic sound effects.
^ McQUEEN OF THE TUMBLING K
1 cassette, 60-minute full-cast dramatization, $9.99
ISBN 0-553-47041-8
Texas ranch foreman Ward McQueen knows trouble when he sees it. In
town, McQueen learns that a gambler has just won the ranch next door
to the Tumbling K in a dirty card game and that same gambler is
turning his wily eye on the K's pretty owner, Miss Ruth Kermit. This
37th exciting Louis L'Amour full-cast dramatization, with music and
sound effects, brings to life the sweat and fire of the Wild West as
it's never been heard before.
^ THE LAW OF THE DESERT BORN Boxed Set
3 cassettes, 3 1-hour full-cast dramatizations, $21.99
ISBN 0-553-47063-9
The three stories in this boxed set are dramatizations of Louis
L'Amour short stories that were published in the paperback LAW OF THE
DESERT BORN. Each thrilling dramatization uses the techniques of
old-time radio: authentic sound effects, dramatic music, and a full
cast of professional actors to create a very special kind of
entertainment.
**************************
#:#:#:#:#:#:#:#:#:#:#:#:#
~ # MURDER BY THE BOOK #
#:#:#:#:#:#:#:#:#:#:#:#:#
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Murder By The Book is a division of Reading For Pleasure, published
bimonthly. This material is NOT COPYRIGHTED and may be used freely by
all. Catalogs, news releases, review copies, or donated reviews should
be sent to: Reading For Pleasure, 103 Baughman's Lane, Suite 303,
Frederick, MD 21702.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
* Central Films Ltd., an English company that is responsible for the
series of INSPECTOR MORSE television dramas that are shown here in
America on PBS's MYSTERY!, has just purchased the rights to Ellis
Peters' Brother Cadfael series. British viewers should see their first
Brother Cadfael TV mystery in late 1993 or early 1994, and let's hope
we get it soon after that. For the uninitiated, Brother Cadfael is an
herbalist in a Benedictine abbey in 12th-century Shrewsbury. There
have been 19 Brother Cadfael mysteries so far.
**************************
^ THE WEREWOLF MURDERS: A Niccolo Benedetti Mystery
by William L. DeAndrea
(Doubleday Perfect Crime, June 1992, $16.50, ISBN 0-385-42089-7)
It's known as the OLYMPIQUE SCIENTIFIQUE INTERNATIONALE--an exclusive,
grandiose scientific enclave in Switzerland. Something unbelievable is
happening there--scientists are being brutally, savagely murdered.
Professor Hans Goetz is the first victim, his dead body discovered
outside his benefactor's estate. Another doctor is attacked, his
gouged face little more than a disfigured mask. When Niccolo Benedetti
is called in to stalk the perpetrator, the evidence he uncovers leads
him to one frightening, but unavoidable, conclusion--the killer is
anything but human. The killer, he announces, can only be a werewolf.
From the deepest regions of the Swiss Alps, and further into the
hidden secrets of the private laboratory, Benedetti battles French
authorities and rich barons in an effort to hunt down his very
elusive, and very dangerous, "werewolf". THE WEREWOLF MURDERS is a
fantastic, breathless read, the ultimate game between a depraved
serial killer and a master sleuth at the height of his deductive
powers. William DeAndrea is an Edgar Award-winning author. The first
appearance of Niccolo Benedetti was in THE HOG MURDERS.
**************************
^ THE LAVENDER HOUSE MURDER: A Virginia Kelly Mystery
by Nikki Baker
(Naiad Press, 1992, $9.95, ISBN 1-56280-012-4)
By night--the bars, the music, the sexual energy. By day--the beaches,
the bay...basking in the sun and the scent of suntan lotion. And
everywhere the women of Provincetown. Among these women in the sun is
Afro-American Virginia Kelly, on vacation apart from lover Emily.
Ginny has come to P-town with friend Naomi. They stay at Lavender
House, a hotel for lesbians run by Sam, a woman with whom Naomi has
had some dramatic history.
Other inhabitants include a "helper" named Anya. A writer and sometime
guest named Joan. Loud Barb and her quiet partner. And in P-town
itself, a "car girl" Ginny is very much drawn to. Then...murder
shatters the vacation bliss. For among the people brushing up against
Ginny and Naomi for these few sensual days is a ruthless killer. And a
victim whose death will change the lives of Ginny and Naomi.
Virginia Kelly's last adventure, IN THE GAME, was good enough to make
THE LAVENDER HOUSE MURDER a automatic reading list addition. You can
order THE LAVENDER HOUSE MURDER from the publisher by sending the list
price, plus 15% for postage and handling, to: The Naiad Press, Inc.,
PO Box 10543, Tallahassee, FL 32302. Or call their order line:
1-800-533-1973. Be sure to ask for a copy of their latest catalog.
**************************
^ MURDER TAKES TWO
by Bernie Lee
(Donald I. Fine, May 1992, $18.95, ISBN 1-55611-280-7)
The third novel about the dashing duo Pat and Tony Pratt (after MURDER
WITHOUT RESERVATIONS and MURDER AT MUSKET BEACH) takes the twosome
away from their beloved Oregon coast to London, England, where the
doings are just as murderous as in their previous adventures. There,
intrigue abounds when the advertising agency executive who
commissioned Tony is found dead behind the door in a recording studio
sound stage. Suspects include "talent" Paul Taylor, the client Thomas
Baking Company executives Chet Norris and Deborah Thomas--and Tony
himself.
The quest for the truth and to free Tony from suspicion takes them
from London, to Stratford-on-Avon, and back to their now
not-so-idyllic Oregon coast town of Musket Beach. Literally
cliffhanging suspense is the result in this superb mystery.
**************************
^ DREAMLAND
by M.K. Lorens
(Doubleday Perfect Crime, May 1992, $16.50, ISBN 0-385-42237-7)
It's spring again and time for the annual Edgar Awards, and this year,
as usual, Winston Sherman's chief competition for the Best Novel award
is Imogen Vail, the queen of slightly kinky psychological crime
fiction. Jenny's taken the Edgar away from Winnie eight years in a
row, and his memories of their brief long-ago love affair don't make
winning by default any easier when he finds his competition shot to
death before she can accept this year's award.
Suspects abound, including Jenny's brash grandson Gregory; her
estranged husband Philip Vail; her editor Rachel Hallam, her protege
Marina Vilnius; Steven Stanway, producer of a hit TV series based on
her books; and assorted rival authors, chief among them Winston
himself. Meanwhile, unknown to Winnie, his foster son David Cromwell
has become entangled in the bizarre suicide of an anonymous phone
caller whose warnings drive David deeper and deeper into the peculiar
despair only the electric dreamland of Manhattan can produce. He
identifies the caller, follows him to regular meetings with a woman in
Central Park, tantalized by the message of the anonymous calls:
"Someone is going to die. You can stop it."
But the warnings are in vain. By the end of Edgars night, two people
are dead. Are the two deaths connected? Why did Jenny, on the very day
of her death, try to contact Winston after years of silence? That's
what the police are asking, and their chief suspect seems to be the
portly fellow in the shiny evening suit with cigarette burns on the
lapels--Winston Marlowe Sherman, alias Henrietta Slocum, the Dowager
Empress of fictional detection.
DREAMLAND is the fourth in the Winston Sherman series, following SWEET
NARCISSUS, ROPEDANCER'S FALL and DECEPTION ISLAND.
**************************
^ DEATH AND TAXES: A Jill Smith Mystery
by Susan Dunlap
(Delacorte, April 1992, $18.00, ISBN 0-385-30443-9)
"Several years ago I had a little interlude with the IRS.
Their fault. Cut and dried. Simple problem. At the end of
the four months hassling with them I was so angry I could
have killed them. And then, I thought: 'Wait a minute, I'm a
mystery writer. I can kill one of them.' And so I have."
---Susan Dunlap
When Berkeley homicide detective Jill Smith finds out that the latest
murder victim is the most feared and hated IRS auditor, Philip Drem,
she realizes that even her night of chocolate binging won't take the
edge off this case. Jill soon finds herself knee-deep in suspects from
every part of Berkeley's eclectic community. The facts don't add up
when the only clues she has to go on are the hypodermic needle and
bicycle seat left at the scene of the crime. Finding the causal
relationship between death and taxes may prove to be the most
difficult case in Jill Smith's career.
The previous Jill Smith mysteries are: DIAMOND IN THE BUFF, A DINNER
TO DIE FOR, TOO CLOSE TO THE EDGE, NOT EXACTLY A BRAHMIN, AS A FAVOR,
and KARMA (all available in Dell paperback editions). Susan Dunlap has
also written three Vejay Haskell mysteries: AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
DEATH, THE BOHEMIAN CONNECTION, and THE LAST ANNUAL SLUGFEST; and two
mysteries starring medical examiner Kiernan O'Shaughnessy: PIOUS
DECEPTION and ROGUE WAVE (due from Dell in July 1992).
**************************
^ BURY HIM KINDLY
by Pat Burden
(Doubleday Perfect Crime, April 1992, $16.50, ISBN 0-385-42234-2)
When an abandoned yellow Datsun, and then the corpse of its owner, are
discovered in the woods near Alice Meddlar's property, suspicion
naturally falls on the reclusive old woman and her "simpleton" son
Robby. But retired Detective Chief Superintendent Henry Bassett is not
convinced, and abandons his beloved chickens long enough to find out
who among the newcomers to the nearby village of Fletch Heath could
have reason to fear the dead man, and what secrets the murderer might
be trying to protect.
BURY HIM KINDLY is the third Henry Bassett mystery, following
SCREAMING BONES and WREATH OF HONESTY.
**************************
^ STRANGE LOYALTIES
by William McIlvanney
(Morrow, May 1992, $20.00, ISBN 0-688-11413-X)
The third novel to feature Glasgow police detective Jack Laidlaw
(after LAIDLAW, 1977, and THE PAPERS OF TONY VEITCH, 1983), STRANGE
LOYALTIES finds Laidlaw looking into his brother's death in a traffic
accident. As PUBLISHERS WEEKLY said:
"Jack's inquiries into how Scott Laidlaw came to his
untimely end lead to much larger questions about the nature
of pain and injustice and--not least of all--about the
meaning of his own life and how it encompasses the impending
failure of his relationship with the woman he loves."
Jack will find his most significant clue in the paintings that his
brother left, and in their connection to a tragedy out of Jack's own
past.
**************************
^ DYING CHEEK TO CHEEK
by Diane K. Shah
(Doubleday Perfect Crime, May 1992, $18.50, ISBN 0-385-42250-4)
Welcome to the world of 1947, where the first television sets are
appearing in the homes around Hollywood, where Rita Hayworth is filing
for yet another divorce, where the freeways are gobbling up the
countryside around Los Angeles, and where flamboyant Etta Rice rules
the powerful gossip columns of the Hearst newspaper empire. Young
Paris Chandler is in the perfect position to watch all these events:
she's Etta's assistant at the L.A. EXAMINER, Hearst's enormously
mighty paper.
The murder of L.A.'s first television newscaster sends Paris on the
trail of a greedy and insidious killer, down a winding path of broken
hearts and busted dreams, and deeper still into the tarnished world of
Hollywood illusion--and murder.
Set in Los Angeles in the Forties, and featuring a host of real-life
characters: Clark Gable, Slim Hawks, William Randolph Hearst, Van
Johnson, "Ronnie" Reagan, Henry Fonda, Dory Schary and Milton
Berle--the stars of film and tabloid; the power-brokers at the
Hollywood film studios; the personalities whose very names lit up the
newspaper columns of those post-war days--DYING CHEEK TO CHEEK is a
glittering, luscious novel of murder in Hollywood's heyday.
This is the second Paris Chandler mystery novel, after AS CRIME GOES
BY.
**************************
^ CAT CRIMES II
Masters of Mystery Present More Tales of the Cat
edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Ed Gorman
(Donald I. Fine, June 1992, $19.95, ISBN 1-55611-285-8)
Last year's CAT CRIMES was so much fun that Greenberg and Gorman have
gathered another 19 all-new stories of cats and crime. There are
stories by Bill Pronzini, Sharyn McCrumb, Jeremiah Healy, Edward D.
Hoch, Nancy Pickard, Charlotte Macleod, Margaret Maron, Bill Crider,
Kristine Kathryn Rusch, John F. Suter, Carole Nelson Douglas, June
Haydon, Christopher Fahy, B.W. Battin, Joan Hess, Les Roberts, Richard
Laymon, Carolyn Wheat, and Barbara Collins. There are nice cats and
nasty cats, country cats and city cats, even a robot cat! And you
surely don't want to miss "The Maltese Double Cross", another Midnight
Louie adventure.
**************************
^ LONGSHOT
by Dick Francis
(Fawcett Crest, April 1992, $5.99, ISBN 0-449-21955-0)
His agent has always known that John Kendall, writer of travel guides
to harsh terrains, is impulsive. But taking an assignment because he
needs money hardly seems a rash act, and off to rural England Kendall
goes to interview his subject, a successful racehorse trainer. Soon
enough, however, Kendall realizes that he must draw upon all his
ingenuity to complete his book. In fact, the perils described in his
survival manuals pale next to the dangers in rural England. "Impulse
will kill you one of these days," his agent had warned. Kendall should
have listened, but he didn't--not by a longshot...
**************************
^ HAVING WONDERFUL CRIME
by Craig Rice
(International Polygonics, June 1992, $6.95, ISBN 1-55882-125-2)
While visiting New York City, Helene and Jake Justus befriend a
disconsolate drunk who is trying to steal the lilies from their
hotel's flower display, and find that they have once again stepped
deeply into something often found in gardens. Of course, Helene sends
an SOS to John J. Malone. When the little lawyer arrives, this is what
he finds: a decapitated bride, who may not be the bride after all--and
then again, maybe she is (If she is, how can she keep sending all
those letters from Niagara Falls saying she is deliriously happy?); a
disappearing bridegroom with a yen to travel on the Staten Island
Ferry; an embezzling lawyer who hires Malone to clear the bride of her
own murder; a Greenwich Village poet who without charge spouts her
free verse freely and at the slightest provocation; and an escort
bureau that indulges in extracurricular and extramarital blackmail.
Sound confusing? Just wait until the mourning after.
Other Craig Rice titles available from IPL:
The Big Midget Murders, $6.95, ISBN 1-55882-112-0
The Corpse Steps Out, $7.95, ISBN 1-55882-022-1
8 Faces at 3, $5.95, ISBN 1-55882-007-8
The Right Murder, $8.95, ISBN 1-55882-078-7
Trial by Fury, $5.95, ISBN 1-55882-091-4
The Wrong Murder, $7.95, ISBN 1-55882-067-1
To get any of the above titles, send the list price(s), plus $1
postage and handling for the first book ($.50 for each additional
book), to: International Polygonics Ltd., Madison Square, PO Box 1563,
New York, NY 10159-1563.
**************************
^ YOUR EYELIDS ARE GROWING HEAVY
by Barbara Paul
(International Polygonics, June 1992, $5.95, ISBN 1-55882-126-0)
The groundskeeper who awakened Megan Phillips on the 14th-hole fairway
of the Schenley Park golf course assumed she was sleeping off a drunk.
He was wrong. Megan didn't drink. In fact, until then she was well in
control of her life--attractive, confident, competent and in line for
a vice presidency at the pharmaceutical company where she worked.
Suddenly, Megan had to confront a blank in her life, a 38 hour blank.
Her neighbor Gus couldn't help reconstruct the missing day and a half,
and even Dr. Snooks of the Pittsburgh Psychiatric Clinic could not
draw any memories from her unconscious. It was as if an eraser had
wiped out a piece of her past.
When she started to get the phone calls, conversations she forgot as
soon as she hung up, she realized her blackout was something more.
Slowly she began to understand that during the period she couldn't
recall, she had been with someone. Someone who had hypnotized her and
told her and told her to...to...
She couldn't remember. No matter how hard she racked her brain, she
couldn't remember who had called, or what had been said. She just
didn't know. What she did know was that the only way to regain control
of her life was to find the mysterious hypnotist...and kill him.
LIARS & TYRANTS & PEOPLE WHO TURN BLUE ($5.95, ISBN 1-55882-110-4),
another fascinating Barbara Paul novel, is also available from IPL.
You can get either by sending the list price(s), plus $1 postage and
handling for the first book ($.50 for each additional book), to:
International Polygonics Ltd., Madison Square, PO Box 1563, New York,
NY 10159-1563.
**************************
^ FIFTY BEST MYSTERIES
edited by Eleanor Sullivan
(Carroll & Graf, 1992, $13.95, ISBN 0-88184-819-0)
Here's an anthology that doubles as a history of mystery fiction.
Fifty of the best mystery stories--ten from each decade from the 1940s
through the 1980s--taken from the pages of ELLERY QUEEN'S MYSTERY
MAGAZINE. Authors include: Margery Allingham, Simon Brett, Donald E.
Westlake, Peter Lovesey, Ruth Rendell, Stanley Ellin, Nicholas Blake,
Edward D. Hoch, Hugh Pentecost, Robert Barnard, Robert Bloch, Julian
Symons, John Dickson Carr, Ngaio Marsh, Michael Gilbert...
Well, you get the idea. The perfect thick volume of delicious mystery
fiction to take on vacation. If you can't get FIFTY BEST MYSTERIES
from your local bookstore, you can order it directly from the
publisher by sending the list price, plus $1.25 postage and handling,
to: Carroll & Graf Publishers, Inc., 260 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
10001.
**************************
^ DEATH FOR OLD TIMES' SAKE
by A.J. Orde
(Doubleday Perfect Crime, June 1992, $16.50, ISBN 0-385-41941-4)
When antiques dealer Jason Lynx agrees to accompany his police
detective girlfriend to an abortion clinic that she is assigned to
protect against protesters, little does he realize that he is about to
become embroiled in a murder investigation that will have intimate
repercussions. A woman protester, who is quietly murdered in front of
the clinic, has a past that leads directly to Jason's recently
deceased adoptive father. An early-morning attempt on Jason's own life
propels him deeper into a mafia-associated family and its secrets. The
murdered woman belonged to this family and so, to Jason's
astonishment, might he.
DEATH FOR OLD TIMES' SAKE is the third novel in the Jason Lynx mystery
series, the first two being A LITTLE NEIGHBORHOOD MURDER and DEATH AND
THE DOGWALKER. A.J. Orde has worked as an investigator for a private
employment agency. Orde is a pseudonym for a bestselling writer in
another genre.
**************************
^ AS THE SPARKS FLY UPWARD
by Gloria Dank
(Doubleday Perfect Crime, April 1992, $16.50, ISBN 0-385-42236-9)
In the third book in the "Bernard & Snooky" series, ne'er-do-well
Snooky, who has a positive genius for attracting trouble, settles into
a small town on the Vermont/New Hampshire border. When his sister Maya
and brother-in-law Bernard, a writer of children's books and a
passionate hater of children, visits, the simple virtues of a life in
the wilderness become extremely complicated by the discovery of a
grisly murder...And once again Bernard, very much against his will, is
drawn into the chase for an elusive and unlikely killer.
Bernard and Snooky are two of the most ill-matched amateur sleuths
since the pairing of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. AS THE SPARKS FLY
UPWARD is a charming, comic novel--a lovely romp through the rolling
hills of New England. (Bernard and Snooky's previous adventures were
related in FRIENDS TILL THE END and GOING OUT IN STYLE.)
**************************
^ A HOPELESS CASE
by K.K. Beck
(Mysterious Press, May 1992, $18.95, ISBN 0-89296-469-0)
Jane da Silva is making ends meet, barely, as a cabaret singer when
her wealthy and eccentric Uncle Harold dies, leaving his estate to
Jane--provided that she take over the running of his pet charity, the
Foundation of Righting Wrongs, otherwise known as the Bureau of
Hopeless Cases. Jane's first hopeless case involves a talented young
pianist who would like Jane to find her lost inheritance so she can
study at Juilliard. Her wealthy mother mysteriously drowned sixteen
years ago, just after making a large contribution to a cult called the
Fellowship of the Flame. Jane will discover that the old cult has
tentacles that stretch well into the present, and that an old murder
can lead to new ones... K.K. Beck is also the author of DEATH IN A
DECK CHAIR and THE BODY IN THE VOLVO.
**************************
^ THE RESURRECTION MAN
A Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn Mystery
by Charlotte MacLeod
(Mysterious Press, April 1992, $17.95, ISBN 0-89296-443-X)
Sarah and Max run an art detection agency in Boston, which is where
Bartolo Arbalest, also known as the "Resurrection Man", has set up an
exclusive art restoration business. Soon wealthy Bostonians are having
artworks stolen from them, shortly after having them professionally
restored by Arbalest. When Sarah's old friend George Protherie is
killed during a similar burglary, Max decides to look into Arbalest's
background, and finds that the man is guarding an array of secrets
that stretch back to his days as an importer of oriental antiquities.
**************************
^ BLOOD ON THE STREET: A Smith and Wetzon Mystery
by Annette Meyers
(Doubleday Perfect Crime, June 1992, $18.50, ISBN 0-385-42376-4)
When Wall Street headhunter Xenia Smith gives her best friend and
partner, Leslie Wetzon, a session with a fortune-teller as a birthday
present, Leslie is highly skeptical. But when the shaken fortune
teller gazes into the depths of her crystal ball and sees "blood on
the street", Leslie is forced to admit that something deadly and
sinister has crossed her path. Four hours later, a powerful
stockbroker Leslie has recently placed in a new position is found
murdered in Central Park. And once again, for Leslie Wetzon and Xenia
Smith, headhunters and amateur sleuths extraordinaire, the game is
afoot!
Previous Smith and Wetzon mysteries: THE BIG KILLING, TENDER DEATH,
and THE DEADLIEST OPTION. BLOOD ON THE STREET is a lethally fast-paced
sizzler of Wall Street intrigue, wheelers and dealers, scandals, love,
and murder.
**************************
^ FINISHING TOUCH
by Betty Rowlands
(Walker, 1992, $19.95, ISBN 0-8027-3209-7)
Melissa Craig is a successful crime novelist who has left London to
pursue her career in the more relaxed atmosphere of the Cotswolds. It
doesn't take her long to discover that fact and fiction are sometimes
frighteningly similar, and the gentle country existence she planned
for herself is, instead, providing grist for her creative mill.
FINISHING TOUCH finds Melissa getting more involved with the local
community and teaching creative writing at the local Tech, something
one would think would keep her out of trouble. But murder stalks the
college art department, reminding both Melissa and Iris, her artist
neighbor, of a bizarre event they had witnessed some time before.
And there is an added complication: Melissa finds herself drawn to one
of the chief suspects. While Iris tries to keep the writer from
becoming too emotionally involved, Chief Inspector Harris is once more
on hand to issue stern warnings about leaving such matters in the
hands of the professionals. But it is not until the second murder and
some bewildering revelations that Melissa Craig is able to resolve the
mystery.
This is the second mystery featuring Melissa Craig, who was introduced
in A LITTLE GENTLE SLEUTHING.
**************************
^ BODY COUNT
by William X. Kienzle
(Andrews and McMeel, 1992, $18.95, ISBN 0-8362-6128-3)
In BODY COUNT, the 14th Father Koesler mystery, Kienzle returns to
some of the same issues he covered in THE ROSARY MURDERS. When someone
confesses to Father Koesler that they have killed a priest, what
should Koesler do? Surely he is bound by the storied seal of the
confessional, but what if another priest, a young priest who has his
own opinions about the issue, accidentally overhears the confession?
This is the situation confront Father Koesler in BODY COUNT. He must
remain silent about the confession, and persuade Father Nick Dunn to
respect his decision. Then, to complicate Koesler's life further, the
police seek his help to find a missing priest, the very one he heard
the confession about. The police believe it is a missing persons case,
but Father Koesler knows it's a murder, AND he knows who the murderer
is. Worse yet, Father Dunn is very anxious to help Koesler investigate
another murder. What's a peace-loving and moral man to do? BODY COUNT
is another fine intellectual mystery from a very fine writer.
**************************
^ MURDER...BY CATEGORY: A Subject Guide to Mystery Fiction
by Tasha Mackler
(Scarecrow Press, 1991, $52.50, ISBN 0-8108-2463-9)
What is it about mystery readers that makes them so...analytical? No
other genre I know of has fans that take their reading so seriously.
At least I know I do, and there must be plenty more like me because
there are so many books and periodicals devoted to studying mystery
fiction. A very exciting addition to any mystery fan's reference shelf
is Tasha Mackler's MURDER...BY CATEGORY, the very first subject guide
to mystery fiction that confines itself to recent publications, so
that the interested reader has a good chance of actually finding the
books somewhere. Except for a couple of entries that Mackler just
couldn't resist adding, every book listed was printed, or reprinted,
from 1985 through 1991. She even includes paperback originals, which
is great for people with access to used-book stores or the stamina to
try ordering directly from paperback publishers. (Most of them will
sell you books directly, but they make more mistakes filling orders
than any other type of mail-order business I've ever tried.)
The categories that Mackler has tracked are great. There are lists
devoted to "Getting Away With Murder", "Bookstores", "Richard III",
"Writers and Their Conventions", "Witches, Curses, and a Little
Voodoo", and, my favorite, "Old Crimes and Murders". Best of all, the
entries are annotated with brief plot descriptions, and stories
starring series sleuths carry an indication of which appearance a
particular book was ("1st", "2nd", etc.). MURDER...BY CATEGORY is a
bit pricey, I know, but you'll be using it for years. This is an
irresistible reference book for the mystery reader, and would make a
truly spectacular gift.
You can order MURDER...BY CATEGORY directly from the publisher by
sending the list price, plus $2.50 postage (for first book, $.50 for
each additional book), to: Scarecrow Press, Inc., 52 Liberty St., PO
Box 4167, Metuchen, NJ 08840. Or you can call their Order Line at:
1-800-537-7107. Or you can FAX your order to: 908-548-5767.
**************************
^ BLOODY TEN
by William Love
(Donald I. Fine, April 1992, $19.95, ISBN 1-55611-275-0)
When Jim Kearny has an argument with his half-brother Nick Carney over
child support payments, and then Nick is found murdered, Kearny
becomes the prime suspect. It's lucky for him that he's a friend of
New York cop-turned-PI Davey Goldman, who now works as a special
assistant to Bishop Francis X. Regan, a man with an IQ of 220 and a
passion for crime-solving.
Originally created in homage to Rex Stout's famous characters (Dave
Goldman, like Archie Goodwin, does the legwork, while the Bishop/Nero
Wolfe stays home and does the thinking), William Love's series sleuths
now have a following all their own. BLOODY TEN is the third mystery
featuring the Bishop and Davey Goldman, the first two being THE
CHARTREUSE CLUE and THE FUNDAMENTALS OF MURDER.
**************************
^ DEEP SLEEP
by Frances Fyfield
(Pocket Books, March 1992, $18.00, ISBN 0-671-73546-2)
Chief Superintendent Geoffrey Bailey and Crown Prosecutor Helen West
respect one another's privacy and separate professions, until an
argument breaks out over the sudden death of Margaret Carlton, wife of
the "Caring Chemist" Pip. Geoffrey doesn't want Helen to interfere in
a police investigation, but Helen is suspicious about the case.
Margaret was in good health, for one thing. And the police report is
curiously incomplete. Then when she considers that a chemist would
certainly know all about poisons, and she sees his attractive and
buxom assistant, Helen begins a personal investigation of several
residents of the East End neighborhood known as Herringbone Parade.
Geoffrey and Helen also solved cases in Fyfield's A QUESTION OF GUILT
and NOT THAT KIND OF PLACE.
**************************
^ THE END OF APRIL: A Victoria Cross Mystery
by Penny Sumner
(Naiad Press, 1992, $8.95, ISBN 1-56280-007-8)
Dorothy L. Sayers called her novel BUSMAN'S HONEYMOON "A Love Story
With Detective Interruptions", which would serve just as well for
Penny Sumner's first book, THE END OF APRIL. Archivist/investigator
Victoria Cross is back in England, helping her Oxford professor aunt
transcribe some 19th century porn. At a social gathering she meets
April, a lesbian activist, and it's love at first sight. Tor is deeply
concerned when she learns that April has been receiving threatening
letters, but April herself isn't worried, so she lets the matter go.
At least she lets it go until April is out of town unexpectedly and a
visitor sleeping in her bed is murdered. Now Tor is convinced that
someone is seriously stalking April, and she is determined to find out
who, and why. Before she loses the love she's had for such a very
short time.
You can order THE END OF APRIL from the publisher by sending the list
price, plus 15% for postage and handling, to: The Naiad Press, Inc.,
PO Box 10543, Tallahassee, FL 32302. Or call their order line:
1-800-533-1973. Be sure to ask for a copy of their latest catalog.
**************************
^ KISSING THE GUNNER'S DAUGHTER
by Ruth Rendell
(Mysterious Press, June 1992, $19.95, ISBN 0-89296-390-5)
Detective Chief Inspector Reginald Wexford, of the Kingsmarkham
police, returns after a four-year absence in KISSING THE GUNNER'S
DAUGHTER, a tale of brutal murder and dark secrets. This time out
Wexford must discover who is responsible for the murders of celebrity
writer Davina Flory, her husband, and her daughter. The only one left
alive in Tancred House was Flory's granddaughter Daisy, who is left
critically injured with a gunshot wound near the heart.
Wexford, oddly drawn to the lone survivor, must solve the crime and
ferret out the secrets of Tancred House and the Flory family. This is
Wexford's 15th case, and certainly one of the best.
**************************
^ WAS IT A RAT I SAW?
by Sue Perry
(Doubleday Perfect Crime, May 1992, $16.50, ISBN 0-385-42238-5)
Neuropsychologist Dr. Clare Austen is doing exciting research with her
split-brain patient, rock musician Tommy Dabrowski, who has had the
connection between the two hemispheres of his brain severed to prevent
dangerous epileptic seizures. Clare's research becomes suddenly
critical when her mentor, Dr. Stanford Colton, is murdered in his
office and Tommy is the only witness. The problem is that it was the
right hemisphere of Tommy's brain that knows what he saw, but it's the
left hemisphere that governs speech. So Tommy can't tell what he
knows. Somehow Dr. Austen must figure out a way to tap Tommy's hidden
knowledge before it gets both of them killed. WAS IT A RAT I SAW? is
an exciting suspense story and a fascinating look at frontier research
in psychology. Definitely recommended.
**************************
^ JABLONSKI AND THE EROTOMANIAC
by Perry Lafferty
(Donald I. Fine, April 1992, $19.95, ISBN 1-55611-323-4)
An erotomaniac is a fan who not only loves a celebrity, he also
believes that the celebrity loves him in return. An erotomaniac has
fallen for Mikki O'Reilly, co-anchor of the television news, and she
is subjected to a series of fan letters that become increasingly
threatening. Finally an attack with acid leaves Mikki mutilated and
blind, and PI Jackson Jablonski, ex-FBI agent, is called in to hunt
down the lunatic before he strikes again. JABLONSKI AND THE
EROTOMANIAC is a fast-paced thriller that is the second case for
Jablonski, the first being JABLONSKI OF L.A. This is shaping up to be
a very fine detective series.
**************************
^ HACKER: A Deb Ralston Mystery
by Lee Martin
(St. Martin's Press, April 1992, $16.95, ISBN 0-312-06990-1)
Fort Worth Policewoman Deb Ralston has four children, a husband, two
cats, a pit bull, and a loose ax murderer to catch. The weird thing
about the ax murder is that the victim's computer was also smashed.
Then another murder occurs, also with the computer destroyed, and Deb
learns that both computers had been infected with a software virus.
Could the virus have been the cause of murder? At the same time, Deb
is followed home by Shane, an apparently homeless teenager, who
arouses all of Deb's material instincts, at least until she discovers
his links to both crime scenes. And just when Deb begins to think
she's getting somewhere on the case, the same virus is found in her
husband's computer.
A great mystery and a very entertaining read. Deb Ralston was last
seen in THE MENSA MURDERS (1990).
**************************
^ COPP IN SHOCK
by Don Pendleton
(Donald I. Fine, May 1992, $19.95, ISBN 1-55611-287-4)
PI Joe Copp has problems. For one thing, after being nearly killed, he
wakes up with no memory of the last three weeks, which the doctors
assure him is only temporary. For another thing, he apparently married
someone during those three weeks, a woman who is now dead. Now the
police think Joe Copp murdered her, and someone else is after him for
reasons unknown, and Joe Copp has to elude both while trying to piece
together those missing three weeks.
This is the sixth novel to feature Private Detective Joe Copp, and
possibly the best one of the bunch. (Don't you just love amnesia
stories?) The previous five books are: COPP FOR HIRE, COPP ON FIRE,
COPP IN DEEP, COPP IN THE DARK, and COPP ON ICE.
**************************
^ THE TWELFTH MAN
by Max Marquis
(St. Martin's Press, May 1992, $17.95, ISBN 0-312-07874-9)
"Realism isn't something we get a lot of in English
detective fiction. I thought it would be a change to write
about police work as true to life as possible as it is in
England."
---Max Marquis
The first of a new crime series starring British Detective Inspector
Harry Timberlake, THE TWELFTH MAN is a riveting police procedural by
an exciting new voice in mystery fiction. When a local barrister is
found with an ax embedded in his skull, Timberlake is assigned to the
case. But when that murder is linked to a series of seemingly-random
killings elsewhere, Harry joins forces with Scotland Yard to track
down the killer. The two intertwined threads of interest in THE
TWELFTH MAN are: Why is the killer choosing these particular victims,
and How are the police going to find him? Both questions are cleverly
handled and the suspense is palpable. An exciting read.
**************************
^ THE CHRISTIE CAPER
by Carolyn G. Hart
(Bantam Crime Line, May 1992, $4.99, ISBN 0-553-29569-1)
It seems like each Carolyn Hart mystery is more delightful than the
last. If you like your murders reasonably nonviolent, and your
detection pure, you should stock up on every Carolyn Hart book you can
find. Just listen to the premise of THE CHRISTIE CAPER:
Annie Laurance Darling (Hart's series sleuth, along with her husband
Max Darling) owns a mystery bookstore and plans to have an elaborate
celebration of Agatha Christie's 100th birthday. Unfortunately, who
should show up but Neil Bledsoe, the most despised book critic in
America, a man who actually prefers his detection hard-boiled and
likes gory true-crime books. A man SO depraved, it appears, that he
plans to write a nasty biography of Agatha Christie. Naturally, the
party hardly starts before there are multiple attempts on Bledsoe's
life.
THE CHRISTIE CAPER is fun from the first page to the last, a must-read
for Christie fans, "cozy" fans, and Hart fans. Other Annie Laurance
and Max Darling mysteries are: DEATH ON DEMAND, DESIGN FOR MURDER,
SOMETHING WICKED, HONEYMOON WITH MURDER, A LITTLE CLASS ON MURDER,
DEADLY VALENTINE, and, coming soon, SOUTHERN GHOST.
**************************
^ CHARISMA
by Orania Papazoglou
(Crown, April 1992, $19.00, ISBN 0-517-57088-2)
A nine-year-old boy is found shot to death, gangland style. He is soon
identified as a child prostitute, and his death is only the beginning
of a series of murders. At the same time, someone is killing and
mutating former nuns. The police don't connect the two grisly patterns
of murder, but there IS a connection, and her name is Susan Murphy.
For 17 years she was a nun, but has now left the convent and is trying
to readjust to everyday life. She is drawn to Damien House, a haven
for runaways and victimized children in the ghetto, and unwittingly
becomes the link in the motivations of a psychotic killer, as well as
his ultimate target. CHARISMA is a grim psychological thriller of
nearly unbearable tension.
**************************
^ A DIET TO DIE FOR: A Claire Malloy Mystery
by Joan Hess
(Ballantine, April 1992, $3.99, ISBN 0-345-36654-9)
Claire Malloy gets talked into escorting an overweight, depressed
heiress to her diet and fitness sessions. When it seems that someone
is trying to kill the heiress, Claire decides to find out who, but can
she survive a forty-minute workout to discover the truth? Another
funny and witty mystery in the Claire Malloy series, which also
includes: STRANGLED PROSE, THE MURDER AT THE MURDER AT THE MIMOSA INN,
DEAR MISS DEMEANOR, and A REALLY CUTE CORPSE.
**************************
^ THE CAMBRIDGE THEOREM
by Tony Cape
(Bantam Falcon, April 1992, $5.99, ISBN 0-553-29034-7)
A brilliant but troubled graduate student is found hanged in his room
at Cambridge University. Detective Sergeant Smailes is supposed to
rule it a suicide, quickly and quietly, upsetting no applecarts. But
the many questions that remain unanswered bother Smailes. Like the
mysteries surrounding the dead student's research. The student just
may have stumbled onto international secrets that powerful people
wanted to protect. He may have discovered the true identity of
Kennedy's assassin, and of the notorious "Fifty Man" in the
Cambridge-KGB spy ring. Now Smailes finds himself in the middle of a
fifty-year-old spy war that threatens to explode into life once again.
THE CAMBRIDGE THEOREM is fascinating, suspenseful, and very clever.
**************************
^ THE JEWEL THAT WAS OURS: An Inspector Morse Mystery
by Colin Dexter
(Crown, April 1992, $20.00, ISBN 0-517-58847-1)
A group of Americans are touring Oxford when one of them suddenly
dies. Mrs. Laura Stratton was resting in her room when she died of a
heart attack, and, at the same time her handbag goes missing, a
handbag containing a jeweled artifact that she was planning on
presenting to a British museum. The dour, irritable Chief Inspector
Morse is assigned to the case, along with Sergeant Lewis, and they
find a host of unanswered questions, likely suspects, red herrings,
and another murder. The mystery is interesting and carefully plotted,
but the best thing about this novel is, as always, the characters and
the tone. Inspector Morse likes Wagner, crossword puzzles, and good
ale, not necessarily in that order. He is also cantankerous and
frequently sarcastic, requiring a buffer between himself and much of
society at large (particularly his police colleagues), which he finds
in the person of patient and cheery Sergeant Lewis. In a recent poll
of Britain's Crime Writers Association, Inspector Morse headed the
list of Favorite Male Detectives, ahead of Hercule Poirot (#7) and
even Sherlock Holmes (#2). Colin Dexter manages to maintain a tone of
humorous pessimism throughout, an unusual mixture of comedy and drama
that is very entertaining.
**************************
^ THE JEWEL THAT WAS OURS
by Colin Dexter, read by Edward Woodward
Abridged, 2 cassettes, 3 hours
(Soundbooks Pub., $15.95, ISBN 1-881109-01-1)
This is an absolutely superior audio rendition of Colin Dexter's
latest Inspector Morse mystery, THE JEWEL THAT WAS OURS. If it weren't
abridged, I might be tempted to prefer it to the book, because on the
printed page you can't hear the wonderful reading of Edward Woodward
(best know as the star of the TV show, THE EQUALIZER). Colin Dexter
has given him a variety of characters to portray, from boozy matrons
and stodgy academics to the weary crabbiness of Morse himself, and
Woodward has fun with them all, turning in a bravura performance that
will delight and amuse, while giving depth and color to the mystery
underneath. As a side note, Woodward does a very passable imitation of
John Thaw's version of Morse's voice, which I think anyone who watches
the Inspector Morse dramatizations on MYSTERY! will recognize. You can
contact the publisher at: Soundbooks Publishing Group, 310 Greenwich
Street, New York, NY 10013.
**************************
^ DEADLY ALLIES
Private Eye Writers of America & Sisters In Crime
Collaborative Anthology
edited by Robert J. Randisi & Marilyn Wallace
(Doubleday Perfect Crime, April 1992, $18.50, ISBN 0-385-42235-0)
DEADLY ALLIES is a joint anthology put together by Randisi (PWA) and
Wallace (SIC), with the stories presented in pairs (one from a PWA
member, one from a SIC member), but don't worry about the gimmick.
It's the stories that count, and the stories here are excellent. My
favorite is a powerful and haunting story from Sandra Scoppettone
about repressed childhood memories called "Like Father, Like
Daughter". Scoppettone is a very talented writer. If you're not
familiar with her work, you should definitely look her up on your next
visit to the bookstore or the library. And be sure to look up Jack
Early too, a pseudonym that she has used occasionally.
There were a few other stories here that specialized in psychological
suspense, among them is a surprising tale about a deeply depressed
woman who had recently been forced to kill a man who had been
harassing her: "Invitation" by Sarah Andrews. I also particularly
liked Julie Smith's "Silk Strands" in which a poet reflects on the
very peculiar life of her murdered boyfriend. And Marilyn Wallace's
"Reunion" features a psychologist who attends her class reunion hoping
to bury some old emotional baggage.
I really enjoyed the surprises in "Easy Go" by Lia Matera, and the
Ellery Queen-like puzzle in Margaret Maron's "Hangnail". Anything
Carolyn G. Hart writes is bound to be a pleasure to read, and DEADLY
ALLIES includes "Nothing Ventured", in which a journalism professor
investigates a local murder to clear one of her students of suspicion.
Other tried-and-true mystery writers (and their detectives) show up
here with fine stories: Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone does "A Little
Missionary Work", one-armed PI Dan Fortune digs into the death of a
former football star in "Role Model" by Michael Collins, Amos Walker
tracks a missing husband in Loren D. Estleman's "Safe House", V.I.
Warshawski takes on the professional tennis circuit in "Strung Out" by
Sara Paretsky, John Lutz's Nudger is the victim of mistaken identity
in "Before You Leap", PI John Francis Cuddy tries to rescue a homeless
man from a murder charge in Jeremiah Healy's "Summary Judgment", Leo
Haggerty investigates a gigolo in "Mary, Mary, Shut the Door" by
Benjamin M. Schutz, Nick Delvecchio has to outwit a mobster in Robert
J. Randisi's "Turnabout", Ben Perkins gets trapped between sisters
with "Unfinished Business" by Rob Kantner, and even the star of a
series of comic books, Ms. Tree, gets involved in a child custody case
in Max Allan Collins' "Louise".
Also included in DEADLY ALLIES is Susan Dunlap's "A Good Judge of
Character", about a woman who impulsively steals a camera, an act
which changes the course of her life. And Nancy Pickard's "Sex and
Violence", in which Amy has conflicting feelings about the death of a
former boyfriend. Also, Jenny Gordon--of G&G Investigations--looks
into marriage of a woman accused of murdering her husband and the man
she claims was abusive in Jan Grape's "Whatever Has to Be Done".
DEADLY ALLIES is a first-rate anthology of contemporary short fiction.
**************************
^ "H" IS FOR HOMICIDE: A Kinsey Millhone Mystery
by Sue Grafton
(Fawcett Crest, May 1992, $5.99, ISBN 0-449-21946-1)
The title homicide occurs right outside Kinsey Millhone's office
building, and turns out to be a claims adjuster for California
Fidelity, the company which Kinsey frequently works for in exchange
for office space. Soon Kinsey is working on an insurance claim that
California Fidelity expects is fraudulent, a case originally handled
by the dead man, and she is drawn into a complicated network of
insurance fraud and gang violence. For the first time in her life
Kinsey Millhone goes undercover, staying at the apartment of a crime
boss, along with his girlfriend, his lieutenant, and his pit bull.
The dangers of undercover work are told with Grafton's usual grim
humor, and the characterizations are wonderful, particularly that of
the psychotic king of insurance fraud. A few extra flourishes are
added to Kinsey's character as well; one of mystery fiction's finest
female detectives continues to develop and become more interesting as
the letters of the alphabet go by. Still, "H" IS FOR HOMICIDE won't
make my Best list, largely because of the ending. Obviously I can't
give specifics, but I could picture Grafton doing a dozen different
drafts of the ending, trying to weed out every last bit of anything
that could be construed as intellectually or emotionally satisfying.
If you hate forced, manipulated, or overly convenient mystery story
endings, you'll love "H" IS FOR HOMICIDE. Personally, I prefer a
conclusion that is more lip-smacking, even if a tad less realistic.
Read "H" IS FOR HOMICIDE for the characters, not for the plot.
**************************
~BOOKS ON TAPE:
^ DOWNTOWN
by Ed McBain, read by Stephen Macht
Abridged, 2 cassettes, 3 hours
(Dove Books on Tape, $15.95, ISBN 1-55800-454-8)
Michael Barnes is a Florida orange grower with a few hours to kill in
New York City, so he decides to have a drink in a bar on Wall Street.
You wouldn't think that this would endanger anything but his liver,
but you'd be wrong, because that drink is the first event in a 24-hour
period that Barnes will NEVER forget. Con artists get his money, a
thief gets his wallet, and then the real troubles begin: Barnes gets
framed for murder. Hunted by both the police and a professional
killer, Barnes sees a side of the Big Apple that the travel brochures
never mention. DOWNTOWN is a change of pace for Ed McBain, a very
funny rollercoaster of an adventure story.
You can get DOWNTOWN at bookstores, or by calling Dove Audio's order
line: 1-800-345-9945. Dove Audio also has other Ed McBain novels on
tape (SNOW WHITE & ROSE RED, PUSS IN BOOTS, THREE BLIND MICE,
CINDERELLA). You can get a catalog by calling 1-800-328-DOVE.
**************************
^ L.A. CONFIDENTIAL
by James Ellroy, read by Jerry Orbach
Abridged, 2 cassettes, 177 minutes
(Barr Audio, 1992, $15.95, ISBN 0-8043-4011-0)
L.A. CONFIDENTIAL is a dark crime novel of three Los Angeles cops in
the 1950s, and of a mass murder that will change the lives of all of
them. James Ellroy is a critically-acclaimed master of the hard-boiled
noir crime story, and L.A. CONFIDENTIAL is one of his best. Jerry
Orbach does a great job of turning the Ellroy's prose into sound. You
can order Barr Audio's L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, or get a current listing of
available and upcoming tapes, by calling 1-800-582-2000.
**************************
^ THE HIGH WINDOW
by Raymond Chandler, read by Elliott Gould
Abridged, 2 cassettes, 2 hours 43 minutes
(Dove Books on Tape, 1988, $14.95, ISBN 1-55800-091-7)
In this fourth in a classic series of Raymond Chandler novels, a
well-heeled Pasadena matron sends L.A.'s toughest private eye on a
search for a priceless gold coin. Philip Marlowe finds the coin--but
not before he uncovers a couple of dead bodies and a nasty blackmail
scheme.
Elliott Gould, who played Marlowe in Robert Altman's film version of
THE LONG GOODBYE, captures the hard-boiled humor and rough gallantry
of America's favorite fictional detective. Gould's expressive reading
brings out the sinister atmosphere and hard-edged tension that
characterize Raymond Chandler's best writing.
**************************
^ THE THIN WOMAN
by Dorothy Cannell, performance by Amanda Donohoe
Abridged, 2 cassettes, 3 hours
(Bantam Audio, 1992, $15.99, ISBN 0-553-47062-0)
Ellie Simons longs to be thin--and married. But with her single-minded
passion for eclairs and clotted cream, her prospects on both counts
seem dim. That's why the summons to attend a family reunion at the old
ancestral home is about as welcome as a snake bite. How CAN she show
up with her embarrassingly full figure in her humble unmarried state
and keep her chins up? Enter Bentley T. Haskell of Eligibility
Escorts, a devastatingly attractive writer of smutty novels who also
cooks like a dream. With Bentley posing as her besotted beau, Ellie
feels brave enough to beard her batty relations in their den.
But mouldering Merlin's Court is nothing like Ellie remembers, and
with her wretchedly beautiful cousin Vanessa making eyes at Ben and
her malevolent old uncle Merlin himself popping up in the most
unexpected places, it's enough to put Ellie off her food. And the
best--and worst--is yet to come, as the weekend leads to sudden death,
unexpected romance, and a treasure hunt that promises epicurean Ellie
wealth, hearth, and happiness...if she survives.
**************************
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