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Monthly Archives: May 2011

Shut Your Eyes Tight – John Verdon

31 Tuesday May 2011

Posted by Randy Johnson in Books

≈ 1 Comment

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John Verdon, thriller

Dave Gurney is a retired NYPD homicide detective. At just forty-eight now, he’d retired early because he’d grown tired of being known in the press as a super cop. He was good at solving puzzles. Now his wife, Madeleine, and he lived on a thirty acre place in upstate New York. He occasionally lectured at the police academy in Albany. Otherwise, his biggest problem these days was whether to use manure on the asparagus plants.

But the tug was still there.

He’d let that tug pull him in as a consultant on a tough case a year ago(THINK OF A NUMBER). It had nearly cost him his life and threatened Madeleine as well.. Then he’d gone back to the bucolic life in the country.

But the tug was still there.

When Gurney gets a call from his ex-partner wanting him to meet society socialite Val Perry, married to a wealthy neurosurgeon, who wants to hire him to find her daughter’s killer.

Here’s the set-up. Four months before, spoiled young daughter, Jillian Perry, married hot shot psychiatrist Scott Ashton, twice her age. Just a few minutes before the congratulatory toast, the bride is found sitting in a chair in the Mexican gardener’s cottage, her head decapitated and sitting on a table facing the body. The back window was open and bloodhounds followed a trail into the woods back there that lead to a clearing where a bloody machete was found. The scent trail ends there as well. The gardener,Hector Flores, has disappeared and the wife of the next door neighbor at the same time.

The police have two theories: the gardener, working for Ashton, was gay and jealous of Jillian and the other was that he was a hot Latin lover that had bedded both Jillian and the wife next door, running off with the wife..

The case had stalled and the mother wanted Gurney to step in. His ex-partner had gotten booted off the case by his boss because he didn’t like the direction police efforts were concentrated and told him so. He’d convinced the mother that Gurney could help her. Gurney agrees to look at it for a couple of weeks, something that doesn’t please the investigator in charge.

As Gurney starts to look things over, his puzzle solving mode begins fitting the pieces together differently.

There was the text message the bride had received from Flores shortly before her murder: FOR ALL THE REASONS I HAVE WRITTEN. EDWARD VALLORY. Flores had turned up at the Ashton estate looking for work as a gardener. He’d become a sort of protege of Ashton, going in a year’s time from an illiterate, non-English speaking Latin to a cultured sounding man. Really odd.

No one had anything nice to say about the murdered bride. Her mother said she was a sex addict and a sexual predator. Her new husband agreed.

Her new husband? Ashton had met her while she was a student at a private school for teenage girls he ran, a school filled with the daughters of the wealthy, all of them sexual predators, victims of incest and abuse themselves in their younger days.

The deeper he gets into the case, the more disgusting things he uncovers. But no sign of the Flores. Something more was going on here. But just what Gurney hasn’t figured out yet. He knows he’s on the right track though when he gets a couple of not-so-subtle warnings from unknown sources.

I haven’t read the first book in this series, an omission I’ll soon rectify. Verdon has crafted a novel that is part thriller, part police procedural, and all good. As I was getting into the last half of the book, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

I can’t recommend this enough. Release date is set for July 12th and can be pre-ordered HERE.

May 2011 Book Round-Up

31 Tuesday May 2011

Posted by Randy Johnson in Books

≈ 4 Comments

81: AD: The Dead Man: Hell In Heaven(e-book) – Lee Goldberg & William Rabkin

82: SP: Spycatcher – Matthew Dunn

83: MY: Loitering With Intent – Stuart Woods

84: WE: Longarm and The Scarlet Rider – Tabor Evans

85: SF: The Resisters – Eric Nylund

86: MY: Kisser – Stuart Woods

87: WE: Smoky Valley – Donald Hamilton

88: TH: Quick Fixes(e-book) – F. Paul Wilson

89: MY: Lucid Intervals – Stuart Woods

90: SF: Fuzzy Nation – John Scalzi

91: SF: Sjambak(chapbook) – Jack Vance

92: MY: Santa Fe Edge – Stuart Woods

93: MY: Hothouse Orchid – Stuart Woods

94: WE: The Family Jensen: Helltown Massacre – William W. Johnstone with J. A. Johnstone

95: WE: The Two-Shoot Gun – Donald Hamilton

96: PI: The Professional – Robert B. Parker

97: PI: Painted Ladies – Robert B. Parker

98: CR: Split Image – Robert B. Parker

99: AD: The Dead Man: The Dead Woman(e-book) – David McAfee

100: WE: Blue-Eyed Devil – Robert B. Parker

101: TH: Killer Move – Michael Marshall

102: SF: Transit To Scorpio – Alan Burt Akers

103: WE: Mad River – Donald Hamilton

104: CR: The Honest Dealer – Frank Gruber

105: WE: Shadow At Noon – Harry White

106: CR: The Sweet Ride – Richard S. Prather

107: CR: Shut Your Eyes Tight – John Verdon

108: CR: Die Like A Dog – Frank Gruber

109: AD: King Solomon’s Mines – H. Rider Haggard

May 2011 Movie Round-Up

31 Tuesday May 2011

Posted by Randy Johnson in movies

≈ 5 Comments

Speedway(1929)

Scarface(1932)

Cross Fire(1933)

Kansas Raiders(1950)

The Big Heat(1953)

Bandido(1956)

The Monster That Challenged The World(1957)

My Gun Is Quick(1957)

Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey(2005)

Overlooked Movies: Speedway(1929)

31 Tuesday May 2011

Posted by Randy Johnson in movies

≈ 6 Comments

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Overlooked Movies

I thought I was being smart, I guess, when I picked SPEEDWAY for this week’s Overlooked Movie feature of Todd Mason’s SWEET FREEDOM blog. A 1929 silent film set against the backdrop of the Indianapolis 500, I figured it perfect, even if I were a couple of days late. But, I found a post did on it a couple of days back. Ah well.

The silent starred William Haines as Bill Whipple and Anita Page as Pat Bonner, both huge stars at the time. The pair appeared together frequently and SPEEDWAY was the last silent either of them did.

Bill Whipple is a vainglorious young man who constantly puts on a show of bravado. Though he has a natural gift as a mechanic, he imagines himself as more, the world’s greatest driver and lover. A constant flirt and braggart, watching the film, he comes off early on, at least to me, as a blowhard. He gets his comeuppance though when Pat takes him up in a plane(she’s the pilot). Even there, terrified as he is, they use that old ruse of him instantly being calm whenever she looks back at him. Pat is not fooled though.

Jim “Mac” MacDonald is his mentor, a man who’d taken him in and taught him everything he knows. He’s been trying to win the 500 since it started. The upcoming race is the 17th. He’s learned that his bad heart won’t stand another five hundred mile race. I think the intention was to let Bill drive the race.

But things get in the way.

Bill has met Pat Bonner and began a flirting relationship with the young woman. He keeps doing things to try to impress her. Rival driver Renny has plans to steal Bill away from Mac. In last year’s race, he’d wrecked Mac to keep him from winning.. The two things work together to cause an argument between Mac and Bill, the upshot of which has Bill quit Mac to drive the race for Renny. He works on the engine and qualifies in the poll position.

Bill is all set to drive. Dugan, another of Mac’s mechanics is to drive Mac’s race car. Mac is secretly proud of Bill’s qualifying effort and claims he doesn’t want to drive against Bill(only Mrs. MacDonald knows about the weak heart). Suddenly, just before the start, Renny shows his true intentions, coming out dressed in driving gear, and has Bill dragged off the course.

As the race goes on, Dugan falls farther behind, a spin-out causing some sort of damage in his chest. Pat dresses Bill down for his prideful attitude and Renny’s using him. Mrs MacDonald tells a distraught Bill the real reason Mac isn’t driving the race. At the same time, Pat tells Mac he’s got to let Bill drive the rest of the race. He can catch Renny.

When Bill starts, he’s five laps down and must drive a fierce race to catch up. Near the end of the race, he does and takes a one lap lead, only to seem to quit with just a few laps left, coming into the pits. A wood splinter has gotten under his goggles and damaged his eye(of course the eye isn’t hurt). Mac must finish the race and takes over, now trailing Renny, and we get an exciting finish, Mac finally getting that long coveted win and all the accolades that go with it. He then collapses over the wheel and ends up in the hospital.

Okay though as he gets to see the big headline in the paper with his name when he recovers. Bill gets the girl and all ends well.

One thing I got curious about in the movie. The day of the race, there were parades touting Decoration Day. Myself, I’d never heard that term before in any context, not just in relation to the Indy 500. So I did a bit of research. Decoration Day is a longstanding Southern tradition of communities gathering to clean up and decorate cemeteries. Some believe it the inspiration for Northerners creating Memorial Day, the big difference being Memorial Day is on a fixed date and Decoration Day is varied by rural communities. I live in a fairly rural area and I have never heard of it though.

SPEEDWAY is a curious little film and is as much of a comedy as an action piece. Bill’s flirting antics and overacting kept me grinning quite a bit early in the film.

A Good Deal From Lee Goldberg

29 Sunday May 2011

Posted by Randy Johnson in Books

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Lee Goldberg

It was two years ago today that, at Joe Konrath’s urging, I began my “Kindle Experiment” by making my out of print book THE WALK available as an ebook. I’ve sold close to 20,000 copies of THE WALK since then…and to celebrate, and in a blatant attempt to propel THE WALK into the top 100 on Amazon for the first time, I am selling the book for just 99 cents for the next week.

But to make the offer even sweeter, and to promote my original ebook series THE DEAD MAN, anyone who emails me proof of purchase (at Lee@leegoldberg.com)9my interjection here. I’ve not mastered the art of setting up email with a click as yet. His address is not hard to remember though) will get a free copy of FACE OF EVIL. That’s two books for just 99 cents.

I have the original hardcover of THE WALK and enjoyed it just fine. The ebook of THE DEAD MAN series is good also. If you don’t have either of them, here’s the time to jump in. 99 cents is a very good deal.

New In The House

29 Sunday May 2011

Posted by Randy Johnson in Books

≈ 3 Comments

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New In The House



1: Dangerous Ways – Jack Vance: from Subterranean Press, an omnibus of three mysteries by the science fiction great. Inside are THE DEADLY ISLES, THE MAN IN THE CAGE, and BAD RONALD.

2: Dreams In The Fire – edited by Mark Finn & Chris Gruber: a collection of stories and poems honoring Robert E. Howard. The proceeds go, as I understand, for the preservation and upkeep of Howard’s home in Cross Plains, Texas, a museum now. Some of the writers I’m familiar with(James Reasoner and Charles Gramlich), others not. Damn, this looks good though.

3: Shut Your Eyes Tight(ARC) – John Verdon: the second novel to feature retired NYPD homicide detective Dave Gurney, This book is a combination of thriller and police procedural. Gurney gets pulled into a four month old case that had stalled. A young bride is found on her wedding day, just before the toast, sitting in a chair with her head on a table facing the body, the weapon a machete. Nearly finished this one. Great.

4: You’re Next(ARC) – Gregg Hurwitz: Mike Wingate, abandoned at four and raised in foster care, is happily marrieed with an eight year old daughter and owns a successful construction company. Something from a past he doesn’t even remember is about to descend on him and his family.

Talk About A Long Time Ago…

29 Sunday May 2011

Posted by Randy Johnson in music

≈ 2 Comments

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Judas Priest

Check this out. A live clip of the title song from Judas Priest’s 1974 debut album, long before they had their signature look. This was in 1975.

Kid Rock – Born Free

27 Friday May 2011

Posted by Randy Johnson in music

≈ 3 Comments

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Kid Rock

Is it just me, or does anyone else see a little Bob Seger influence at work here?

FFB: Mad River – Donald Hamilton

26 Thursday May 2011

Posted by Randy Johnson in Books

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Donald Hamilton, Forgotten Books, western

The town of Sombrero had changed a lot in the five years Boyd Cohoon had been away. Black’s ferry was gone, a bridge built in it’s place over “Mad River.” Main Street was twice as long and the buildings were way too gaudy for Boyd’s taste,. too many people thronging the walks.

Boyd had served five years in Yuma Prison for another man’s crimes, robbery, because of the love for a young woman, Claire Paradine. What had happened was, the pair were out buggy riding when they’d come across her brother lying beside his horse, a bullet in his leg, a mask on his face. Boyd had gotten him onto the buggy, sending Claire away, leading the posse on a chase wearing the mask.

Caught, he’d been tried and sentenced to prison, remaining silent as Claire had promised to wait.The other man in the robbery had been killed by a drummer after he’d shot the driver and the boy’s father, Harry Westerman, a rich land owner, had promised vengeance on Boyd as he was lead away.

While he was in prison, Boyd’s father had been shot in the back on the trail and the killer had gone straight to the Cohoon home, shooting down his older brother when he opened up the door, then burning the house.

Now Boyd had come home.

The Marshall is looking for any excuse to arrest him. Son of the former ferryman, a victim of bullying by Boyd’s older brother when they were kids, he seems to have a hate on for the younger Cohoon. There’s a couple of gunmen that want to kill him. The whole town is waiting to see what he will do about the murderer of his family. Boyd’s uncle believes it to be Westerman. The only one who didn’t wait was Claire. She is engaged to Westerman.

Colonel Paradine, the local banker, offers Boyd ten thousand dollars for his five years sacrifice. Refusing it at first, he finally agrees and leaves while the Paradines stand around shamefaced.

What we have here is a mystery.

While Boyd was in prison, a bandit known as the “General” had begun working in the area. No one knew who he was, presuming him to be a Mexican, his gang comprised of Mexicans and rogue Apache. Wearing a gaudy uniform and a mask, people think there must be someone in town feeding him information about the mine payrolls. The finger is quickly pointed at Boyd, never mind that he’s got the perfect alibi for the robberies themselves.

Another element in our tale is the young woman Boyd meets on the stage ride into town. Nan Montoya has a past of her own and she’s the new singer at one the less savory businesses in town.The pair of them grow closer as they are the new pariahs in town.

The Marshall’s out to get him. That ten thousand looks suspicious just after a mine payroll robbery. Westerman has told him to leave town or he’d kill him. His uncle looks askance at him because he doesn’t seem to care about his father and brother. A young man from Nan’s past shows up wanting her to come home. A couple of attempts on Boyd’s life muddy the waters.

And all Boyd wants to do is rebuild his home and gather the cattle left in the brush of his land, gone wild in five years. Oh, and find his family’s killer.

The last of the Hamilton westerns I’ve posted on. Below are links to the previous posts.

TEXAS FEVER

THE BIG COUNTRY

SMOKY VALLEY

THE TWO-SHOOT GUN

Five westerns and I’ve been asked to rank them. Let’s see. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be close between THE TWO-SHOOT GUN and THE BIG COUNTRY, the former for the several twists that kept turning the story around and the latter because I’ve long been an admirer of the fifties film and soundtrack, although I didn’t read the novel until recently. MAD RIVER would come third, followed by SMOKY VALLEY, with TEXAS FEVER at the end. I liked them all just fine, but this is as good as a list I can come up with right now.

For more fine forgotten books, go to PATTINASE.

Forgotten Music: The Animals

26 Thursday May 2011

Posted by Randy Johnson in music

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

Eric Burdon, Forgotten Music, The Animals

Still exploring my teenage years this month. At the time, the “British invasion” began, I was a mere lad of fifteen just beginning to get into music. I enjoyed the Beach Boys, just beginning to make some noise, but if there were any others at the time, the intervening years have faded them from my mind. In addition to the bigger bands from that time, the Beatles, the Stones, Who, one of my other favorites was an outfit called The Animals. Eric Burdon fronted that band and I had a fondness for his voice. What a voice!

I didn’t know then where their music came from, their influences, or that their biggest hit was a cover of an American folk song. Hell, I was just a kid.I didn’t care where it came from, I was just into the music.

There were a few other bands I liked during that time and I will likely post on them in the future. It’s fun revisiting my far off youth.

Here are a few clips of my favorites from their repertoire:

House of The Rising Sun

It\'s My Life

Please Don\'t Let Me Be Misunderstood

We Gotta Get Out Of This Place

I Put A Spell On You

Above photograph is copyrighted by http://www.flickr.com/photos/zoot42/4276325829/ . The photographer was Richard William Laws.

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