MUSIC MONDAY: Somewhere Over The Rainbow by Mandy Patinkin

Music Monday

Music Monday's originated at The Tattooed Book Geek's fantastic blog and has shown up hither, thither, and yon since then.

Doesn’t get better than this…

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Rhythm and Clues by Olivia Blacke: A Locked-Town Mystery

Rhythm and CluesRhythm and Clues

by Olivia Blacke

DETAILS:
Series: The Record Shop Mysteries, #3
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: March 26, 2024
Format: eARC
Length: 304 pgs.
Read Date: March 8-11, 2024
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What’s Rhythm and Clues About?

An old college acquaintance of Juni Jessup has approached her and her sisters with a proposition—he and his partner will invest in Sip & Spin Records, help it succeed—and take a good portion of the profits. Juni and her old (and maybe future) boyfriend, Beau, attend a hockey game with them for a little wining and dining (or beering and snacking) along with the pitch. It’s not the beginning of a Record Shop Mystery that you’d expect, but it’s pretty fun.

The fun goes away later that night when a monster storm hits their area, knocking out power to the entire town, and threatening to flood buildings as well. Juni and her older sister dash to their store to try to mitigate the damage there. Before you know it, the event readers were waiting for happens—one of the investors is dead outside their shop and Juni is the one who discovers the body.

The police warn her off—but the surviving partner has heard of Juni’s previous adventures and asks for her help. Which is convenient—because she wanted to look into the murder anyway.

The storm has made leaving—or entering—Cedar River impossible for a few days, so the murderer is definitely still around. This could be a problem because it seems that everywhere Juni looks, she finds another suspect with plenty of reasons to want that investor gone. Will she be able to find them before they can get out of town?

The Investors

For various and sundry reasons (starting with all the roads being washed out), Juni ends up spending a lot of time with the dead man’s business partner and gets to know their business practices much better than she did during their pitch to Juni (or her sisters).

While they don’t do anything illegal, and probably not strictly unethical either, there’s something about their methods that just don’t sit right with me (or several others in the novel). As a mystery reader, we get to encounter all sorts of unsavory characters and actions that aren’t necessarily illegal, but sure aren’t good. Very often you wonder how realistic they are while hoping some fiendish writer made it all up out of whole cloth (but secretly knowing they didn’t). I suspect that Blacke is sharing something that came up in her research—or something that people she knows have run into for their own small business.

I truly hope the latter isn’t the case, because I’m sure people like this exist and people suffer because of them. It makes me glad to not own a business and have to worry about it.

Juni’s Growth

She’s been on her own for several years, and until an economic hit at her company led to her coming home, seems to have found some sort of success in life. So you’d think she’d come back to town as an adult—and she does, but she also seems to be largely treated as pretty much the same kid she’s always been. And maybe part of that is just coming back to the place where everyone knows you as that kid you were when you went to college and aren’t ready to accept that you’ve grown up.

But she’s been coming into her own, little by little, over the course of the series—and arguably arrives in this book. Maybe she’s just more comfortable in her own skin and her old hometown. Maybe it’s the way others see her. Probably a little bit of both. It certainly doesn’t hurt things at all the way she keeps finding herself in the middle of murder cases.

The important thing is that it’d be easy for Blacke to freeze all the characters so that they’re who we met in Vinyl Resting Place for the rest of the series. But she doesn’t do that—Juni’s the most notable example of this, but there are others, too. I’m so glad that Blacke has taken this path, it opens the door up for more changes, more development—and will keep readers like me engaged with the characters and the stories they find themselves in.

In my post about the last book, I said, “I do worry that at some point the residents of Cedar River are going to decide that Juni’s the Angel of Death having brought so many murders to town with her.” They still might do that—but so far, they’ve gone in another direction. Particularly the first responders in town. There’s a moment involving them and Juni that got me to laugh out loud. And I don’t know how to say more about it than that.

Juni’s Drinks

Blacke’s music pun-inspired coffee drink names are as good here as they’ve ever been, if not better. Now, I understand why she doesn’t give us too many per novel. But I think she could give her fans some supplemental material—bonus tracks, if you will—just give us some of the seasonal menus from the time between books. Just throwing that out there as an idea.

That Moment

When it comes to a lot of procedurals or other mystery shows on TV there’s a moment where the detective sees something or hears something that a friend/coworker says, they get this look in their eye and they dash out of the room, they’ve got the whole thing solved now. Gregory House was great at these—Temperance Brennan is the other prime example that jumps to mind (but I know there are many others).

It’s hard to depict those moments in novels, however. But you can still see them happening—Juni has one of those here. Well, she starts to anyway, and something comes along to take her out of the moment. For most/all readers, we won’t get taken out of the moment—if anything, we’ll keep going with it and solve the mystery (or at least get a lot closer to it). Blacke really handled that well—a trick I wish she’d teach others.

While commending her for this, her creation got on my nerves because of it. Juni took forever to circle back to that breakthrough moment and finish her thought. I was so relieved when it happened without me having to climb into the book and shake her by her shoulders until she’d focus.

So, what did I think about Rhythm and Clues?

Blacke is really onto something with these books—this is her best yet, and she shows no signs of slowing down (I hope she gets to keep going). The writing was sharp here, the characterizations—particularly of the investors, and the new people Juni encounters during the case—were on point and vivid, the mystery was her best and twistiest yet. The herrings were a bright and lively red—practically vermillion. The resolution was so, so gratifying.

This series is quickly becoming a solid favorite of mine—I’m never going to be a giant cozy mystery fan, but when I read one that works as well as this one does, I want to go find more. It’s a very clever and fast read, with some heartfelt emotional moments and it brings a lot of smiles to my face.

I honestly don’t know of a better way to put it or a better reason to commend it to your attention. Rhythm and Clues was as satisfying a read as you’re going to find. You can jump on here or you can get the first two books in the series and have a good time with them first. Either way, I encourage you to track it down.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley—thanks to both for this.


3.5 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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Zwingli the Pastor: A Life in Conflict by Stephen Brett Eccher: A Look at The Reformer’s Most Important Work

Zwingli the PastorZwingli the Pastor:
A Life in Conflict

by Stephen Brett Eccher

DETAILS:
Publisher:  Lexham Press
Publication Date: March 20, 2024
Format: eARC
Length: 288 pg.
Read Date: February 25-March 10, 2024
Buy from Bookshop.org Support Indie Bookstores

What’s Zwingli the Pastor About?

Of the first-generation—or Magisterial—reformers, Huldrych/Ulrich Zwingli is probably the least known today—and a lot of what carries his name popularly isn’t necessarily reflective of his actual positions. From what I’ve heard, there’s somewhat of a resurgence of interest and scholarship in Zwingli. Stephen Brett Eccher brings us this introduction to the reformer as part of that.

This is not a biography of Zwingli, nor is it an in-depth examination of his theological insights and writing. As the title suggests, it’s a look at his pastoral work. His life was defined by conflict, and that’s true as well for his ministry.

After a quick overview of his life, including his pastoral work pre-Zurich, Eccher looks at Zwingli’s pastorate topically rather than chronologically. His focus wasn’t on changing the Church throughout the world, or making history (although he did both)—Zwingli’s focus was ministering to the people of Zurich in the pulpit, in their homes, in sickness, and in rapidly changing times.

Disagreeing with Zwingli

I’m not going to argue that an author writing a book about someone else needs to be in lockstep with him (or how could anyone ever write a book about anyone?). But if you disagree with your subject on significant points (and I think this is more true when it comes to theological points than otherwise), you need to exercise care in describing the subject’s positions you differ with—and those people who differed with him. I think Eccher tried, but he could’ve been more successful at it.

The book is critical of Zwingli—in both his actions and teachings—and Eccher handled that well.* It was when (for example) he would describe Zurich’s Anabaptists as they began to disagree with Zwingli, that he stumbled. He never came out and said, “they were right to separate from him over this,” but the tone suggested both that on point X they were obviously correct and it’s not even worth discussing how they were. Even if he did circle back to point X in a few pages or chapters to discuss it properly, it didn’t seem to me that he really gave Zwingli a fair shake on these points, and just assumed that the Anabaptists (or whoever) were correct and that readers already agreed with Eccher (and didn’t necessarily describe Zwingli’s position to the extent he maybe should’ve).

* Largely, anyway. There are a few sentences that I’d like to challenge Eccher to explain/defend. But I’m not going to get lost in the weeds here.

Not knowing that many details about Zwingli on some of these points, I could be wrong about this. Perhaps Eccher didn’t get into details and nuances because they aren’t present on these points of difference. But it didn’t seem like that to me—and I’m just trying to describe my reaction to the text as a reader.

The Structure of the Chapters

Given everything that Eccher sets out to accomplish (and largely succeeds in doing so), this is a pretty short book*. And I’d imagine that Eccher would want to feature some tight writing to facilitate him meeting his agenda. But he doesn’t, each chapter** starts with an introduction set in contemporary Zurich (or somewhere else in Switzerland), and then he comes to a point leading into the chapter.

* It’s listed at 288 pages, in my electronic version, only 65% of the book makes up the text, the rest is bibliography, indices, etc. Which makes this a very short—but dense—read.
** There might be an exception or two to this, but the point stands. And those exceptions will be very similar.

Then it feels like he backs up to set the historical stage, talk about some of the development in Zwingli’s life/thought/ministry before getting to that introductory point, developing it, and then reaching some kind of conclusion.

I’m not doing the best job of describing the structure, but that’s the gist of it. I think it would’ve been far more economical to cut everything before the point where Eccher backs up and sets the historical stage. I don’t think the glances at contemporary Zurich, etc. added anything to the book beyond word/page count. They didn’t detract from anything, but if they added anything I missed it.

And I’m not sure that we needed the brief introductory summary of the chapter’s point, either. At best, they meant you knew where each chapter was heading (if you couldn’t guess from the chapter title)—at worst, I think they took some of the punch of the points away, because you were waiting for them to show up.

This could just be me. It wouldn’t surprise me a whole lot to find that most readers appreciate one or both of these devices (obviously Eccher and his editor(s) liked them). But by the second time I saw him use them, I got a little tired of it—and it needled me every subsequent time.

Five Theses

Eccher completes the book with “Five Theses on Zwingli.” These are summaries of aspects of his thinking/teaching and Eccher’s reflection of them as a whole. His greatest criticisms of the Reformer are presented and explained here. (and frankly, it’s here that Eccher annoyed me more than elsewhere) I would’ve liked each thesis to have been given more space and more development—50-100% more space each, I think it would’ve made them stronger.

That said, this kind of wrap-up/conclusion is a great way to structure the book and complete the examination of Zwingli. I heartily appreciated it.

So, what did I think about Zwingli the Pastor?

Let me start this section by stressing that the above sections described minor things that niggled at me while I read—they are by no means major complaints or shortcomings. But it just takes a while longer to describe something like that than to pay a compliment. And I have several compliments to offer.

For example, the chapters on Zwingli’s ministry during the time of plague—and the devastating impact it had on his life—and his marriage were very strong. The description of the infamous Affair of the Sausages, the lead-up to it, and the fallout from it was another strong point. Eccher went to great pains to show the influence of others—historic and contemporary to Zwingli—on his thinking and actions. As much as people talk about Erasmus’ influence on Luther (largely Luther reacting against Erasmus), it was good to see Erasmus’ influence bearing such positive fruit in Zwingli (much to Erasmus’ woe, I’m sure) up to the point where the two split. Actually, I’m going to cut myself off here before I just start listing the Table of Contents (I could). I do wish we’d gotten a little more describing the circumstances of his death—that portion of the book felt rushed.

One strength of this book is that it avoided the temptation to turn Zwingli into a 21st-century type of Evangelical, or someone who agreed with the author in almost every way. So often when reading a book about a lesser-known figure in church history, you can get the feeling that the author is saying “outside of this little quirk or that, mostly because of their place in history; this guy is just like me.” Eccher doesn’t say that—he seems to admire a lot about Zwingli, but he’s by no mean prone to hero worship or whitewashing any perceived shortcoming.

Going into this book I had only a rudimentary familiarity with Huldrych/Ulrich Zwingli, and while I’ve often thought about addressing that, I hadn’t. This book hasn’t given me a complete and exhaustive look at him by any means—and wouldn’t claim that. But it’s a great, broad introduction to his work and thought. I feel equipped now to go out and read some of his works, and other books about particular aspects of his theology, having this book give me the overall lay of the land.

I encourage others who are looking for a place to start with this often overlooked Reformer to give this a read. If only so it can spur you to further reading and investigation—like I think it has for me—but you’ll know where to dig in.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Lexham Press via NetGalley—thanks to both for this.


4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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Saturday Miscellany—3/16/24

Odds ‘n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
bullet Is It A Betrayal To Publish Dead Writers’ Books?: Inside the ethically thorny world of posthumous publishing.
bullet I didn’t get the credit for my bestselling book: the secret life of the celebrity ghost writer—Liam Pieper describes the reality that’s close to what I expected, but is nice to see confirmed.
bullet Not Just Covers, But Every Page: Why Writers Should Talk About Book Design Early On: Debbie Berne on the Intricacies of Literary Interior Design
bullet Why Are These 90s Young Adult Books So Irresistible?—For readers of a certain age, this is a fun collection of posts/articles from Pocket.
bullet Famous Works of Irish Literature as Limericks—what better way to note St. Patrick’s Day than with Amanda Lehr’s latest post to McSweeny’s?
bullet Bookish Death Cleaning: On What We Keep, and What It Means
bullet Page Turners vs. Screen Scribes: The Endless Debate of Physical Books vs. Ebooks—nothing revolutionary here, but that’s not neccesarily a bad thing.
bullet Breaking into the indie market with the Break-Ins! —Over at Before We Go Blog, The Fictional Escapist has a great interview about a great idea.
bullet Bookmark Chat: Guess Who’s Back…—The McBooknerd is back!
bullet A Voracious Reader was under the pressure of handling Witty & Sarcastic Bookclub’s Tough Questions this week (I really need to get on my answers)
bullet Thoughts From A Grumpy Year Of Reading—2024 isn’t treating our pal Peat too well…

A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
bullet The Conversation with Nadine Matheson 2.58 S.A. Cosby: We Tell Lies To Tell The Truth

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago Week?
bullet Red Rising by Pierce Brown—the beginning of a beautiful book friendship for me…
bullet And on the other end of the tonal spectrum…Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet The Ballad of Sprikit The Bard (And Company) by Sean O’Boyle—I’ve seen this described as “A ‘Discworld’ meets ‘Lies of Locke Lamora’ Adventure.” Which is enough for me. Hearing a lot of good about it, too.
bullet Say Hello to My Little Friend by Jennine Capó Crucet—a “darkly comic” book about a Pitbull imitator (the rapper, not a canine) teaming up with a magical orca to become a real-life Tony Montana with shades of Moby Dick. The novel sounds so strange that it just might work.
bullet Black Wolf by Juan Gómez-Jurado—This thriller looks so good that I’m getting the first in the series from the Library today. Click the link, I’m not going to try to summarize it.

Man Sitting at his desk, 1784, Jan Ekels with a speech bubble reading 'If you finish a task early at work, you should be allowed to have silent reading time like we used to do in school.'

The Ballad of Bonaduke—Episode 49: Light and Shadow by R. T. Slaywood: Well, that could’ve gone better

The Ballad of BonadukeThe Ballad of Bonaduke—
Episode 49: Light and Shadow

by R.T. Slaywood

DETAILS:
Series: The Ballad of Bonaduke, #49
Format: Kindle Vella Story
Read Date: March 14, 2024

The Story So Far…

A drunken Michael Bonaduke decides to use a grift (with maybe some sort of magic/magic-like “help”) to win on a scratch-off lottery ticket so he has money to buy more to drink. He pulls off whatever he did, gets his money and some booze and stumbles off into the darkness to drink himself into oblivion so he can start again the next day. He’s hit by dark memories (probably what’s driving him to the drinking) of fire, pleading, and screaming. There’s going to be a price to pay for his grift, and he’s trying to be ready.

He’s abducted by some representatives of a mysterious group who subject him to a test—if he passes, everything will be explained to him (and hopefully the reader, too). He passes—and is brought somewhere for answers, or maybe training, or maybe another test. Time will tell (or things are going to get really annoying). Answers aren’t quick to come—but the mysteries and questions keep piling up.

Things get hairy and Bonaduke leaves and finds himself back in the neighborhood he started from. He takes refuge in a homeless encampment shortly before a police raid. He’s apprehended and finds himself an interrogation room and shortly escapes after using his grift (but with results he didn’t quite intend). He finds himself by a group of squatters who seem to have strapped a woman to a chair for reasons that can’t be good. He attempts to rescue her before he even realizes what he’s doing, and seems to have succeeded—well, the two of them got away from the group anyway—breathing but bruised. They make their way to a fast-food taco joint and Bonaduke really needs to refuel to keep going. He tries, but fails to get food because he keeps passing out. Thankfully, the clerk is the same guy from the liquor store and he both recognizes him and gives him first aid. The woman (Zero) wakes up and shows some abilities of her on as she helps them escape from her captors who’ve tracked her down. One thing leads to another—Zero and Bonaduke’s magics don’t mix well (at least until they understand what each other can do?), and they end up in a video-game race against the squatters in a tricked-out version of Eric (the clerk’s) car. Note, I said video-game race, not a video-game-style race. They’re actually in one. When dumped back into reality, he’s surrounded by bruised and broken bodies (of people and cars). And then he gets into a supernatural fight and survives…just.

Or maybe not. But he gets better. And then his new…friends? Acquaintances? People who keep popping up in his life?…start explaining exactly what’s going on to him while they set up a new HQ and try to teach him about his abilities (and everyone tries to understand them) while they try to fund their further work.

What’s Light and Shadow About?

Whatever plan that Bonaduke’s compatriots might have had fell apart before they really got it started–it’s like Tyson said, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” But I’m not sure this plan even lasted that long.

Regardless, it falls apart dramatically–since I already mentioned Tyson, think of poor Peter McNeeley’s encounter with the boxer. It makes for some exciting reading.

So, what did I think about Light and Shadow?

The editing on this episode was either poor or non-existent. I’m hoping that Slaywood just skipped the step this time, but it really needed some. I can’t tell you how many things I had to read a few times before I was pretty sure (not necessarily confident) before I understood what he was trying to say. That’s never a good thing, but in the middle of an action scene, taking the time to suss out what the author was trying to say really kills momentum.

Beyond that, I think Slaywood could’ve done a better job describing what was happening–he’s got the pacing of a huge action scene down, but he doesn’t do a great job conveying what’s going on.

There’s plenty of good ideas floating around this episode, but the delivery was wanting. Still curious about how they get out of this mess.


2 1/2 Stars

Teaching Moments by Troy Lambert: A Tale of Horse Thieves and a Serial Killer

Teaching MomentsTeaching Moments

https://troylambertwrites.com/the-max-boucher-series/)

DETAILS:
Series: Max Boucher Mysteries,  #2
Publisher: Unbound Media
Publication Date: January 18, 2022
Format: Paperback
Length: 368
Read Date: August 24-26, 2023
Buy from Bookshop.org Support Indie Bookstores

What’s Teaching Moments About?

It seems that after the events of Harvested, Max Boucher has developed a specialty when it comes to his PI work—animals. Granted, most of these are pretty small cases without a lot of excitement, but work is work, right? And if he’s getting the bills paid, he can spend more time thinking about the new evidence he found at his old home at the end of Harvested.

But that’s for another time, really. Max has been hired to leave Seattle and come to Cedar Peak—a small town in Idaho*, where someone from out of town sticks out like a sore thumb. He’s been called upon to investigate a missing—presumed stolen—horse, worth a pretty penny.

* I kept changing my mind about what city it’s based on, and decided to stop trying because it really doesn’t matter.

But before he can even start this investigation, he stumbles across a murder. Now, that’s not why he’s in town, but he sort of befriends the woman dating the dead man (who turns out to be related to the horse’s owner). He’s warned off by the local police, but he ends up looking into the murder, too.

It’s not long at all before Max discovers that almost nothing is what it seems and that he might have bitten off more than he can chew this time.

The Other POV

Interwoven with Max’s story is the first-person account of a young woman becoming a serial killer. On the one hand it’s easy to see why we get this (her weapon of choice is used in the murder)—but it frequently feels like it could be a different book.

Actually, you could excise these chapters (or at least almost all of them) and publish it as a stand-alone novella. You’d probably need a different conclusion to make it satisfactory—but it’d work that w
This isn’t entirely a criticism (although it does feel a little out of place from time to time)—the way this story ends up merging with the rest of the novel really works and adds to the overall impact of the novel.

The only real complaint I have about it is that all these chapters are in italics, and it just bugs me to read that much italicized material, there’s gotta be a better way to set that kind of thing off from the rest of the text.

The Series Arc

After the way that Harvested ended (and well, the way that most of that book went), I assumed we’d get a lot more time and space devoted to the murder of Max’s daughter and the disappearance of his wife in this book. I didn’t expect that he’d solve everything so soon, but still.

And while Max (and/or Lambert) didn’t blow off the topic, the novel didn’t focus on it as much as I’d assumed. I think it’s good for the long-term health of the series, as long as Lambert doesn’t drag things out in this regard. The closing pages of this novel bring in a new twist to the series that can help out with the overall arc(s), too.

So, what did I think about Teaching Moments?

It feels pretty uncharacteristic of me not to mention Max’s dog so far. Russ is one of those rescued at the end of Harvested and he’s become an important part of Max’s life. He’s a very good boy, and a canine I’m pleased to make the acquaintance of.

I don’t think I was as surprised at a lot of the serial killer story as the novel wanted me to be. That may be because I read too many things in this genre. It was well-executed and I don’t have any noteworthy negative things to say about it beyond I thought it wasn’t that unexpected. I don’t need to be shocked, I just want a good story, and that’s what Lambert delivered.

A solid PI novel is one of my favorite things in the world. Lambert’s Max Boucher novels are good examples of the genre. Yes, the setting and the central crime might not be common for the genre, but they work well in Lambert’s hands. I’m definitely looking forward to more of these, and recommend them to you. Even if you’re not looking for a series, Teaching Moments could work as a standalone. Either way, you should give this a shot.


3.5 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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REPOSTING JUST CUZ: Harvested by Troy Lambert: A Man Bites Dog P.I. Novel

I flipped a coin late last night and it came up “stop writing and get some sleep.” It was frustrating that I got to that point, it’s even more so that I had to walk away from a post that was coming along pretty nicely. Hopefully I can finish it tonight, so you can read it tomorrow. In the meantime, here’s a look back at the first Max Boucher book in lieu of something about the second.


HarvestedHarvested

by Troy Lambert

DETAILS:
Series: Max Boucher Mysteries, #1
Publisher: Unbound Media
Publication Date: March 15, 2019
Format: Paperback
Length: 247 pg.
Read Date: January 2-3, 2023
Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org

What’s Harvested About?

Max Boucher is a P.I. in Seattle. Like a good (fictional) P.I., he spends a lot of time drinking. He spends most of the rest of his time working just to make ends meet. He really wants to devote his time to looking for whoever murdered his daughter, killed his dog, and either kidnapped or murdered his wife. He—and his former colleagues in the Seattle PD—have followed every lead they have, but he’d spend all of his life going back over the evidence time and time again if he could.

Now, he’s taken on a case—he takes on every case that comes his way—that takes him back to his old neighborhood. The dog park that he and his family used to go to, in fact. There’s a rash of dognappings in the area, and owners have come together to hire him to find their canine friends. The police can/will only do so much, but Max can devote more time to it.

It doesn’t take long for things to get hairy—there’s a connection to a Korean mob boss. Some of the dogs start reappearing—with strange injuries. And it turns out that this has been happening all over Seattle for some time. Max isn’t sure what he’s gotten himself into, but it’s about a lot more than missing poodles.

Supporting Characters

Obviously, you’ve got to have a compelling P.I. in a book like this—and a good hook for the story. That’s what the reader comes for, and the writer had better deliver. A plausible villain, is important, too—but the others can overcome an iffy one. But what will really make a P.I. novel work is the supporting characters—the cop buddies/frenemies/rival (depending on the series), the client, the witnesses, and so on.

Lambert nails this throughout the book. I like Boucher and want to see more of him, but I enjoyed some of the side characters more than him. There’s a friendly and helpful veterinarian who could probably carry a cozy mystery series on her own—and I would buy six of those tomorrow if they existed.

There’s a guy who details Max’s car (he’s got an older car that’s his pride and joy)—which is something definitely called upon when your case involves carrying injured dogs (and injured detectives) around. If Eddie shows up for a scene or two in every book in the series, you can color me pleased. I’m not even sure why—I also don’t care much, I just liked him.

I’m not going to say I enjoyed the Korean mob boss* in the same way I did those two. But the scenes with him are some of the most intense in the novel.

* Ahem. Suspected boss, of a mob that may not even exist.

I could go on for a few more—I don’t remember exactly my point when I started this section, other than to rave about Dr. Gamble and Eddie. But I guess that I just want to stress that Lambert gives us more than a solid P.I. He knows how to give the reader characters to invest in and care about—even if only for a page or two.

Beware of (Hurt) Dogs

* (yeah, that’s a lame section title—but it’s better than “It’s a Dog Eat Dog Book” with the implied cannibalism)

I know I have readers who will be antsy about this book—we’re talking about kidnapped and injured dogs here (there’s a reason I have a recurring post about books about dogs who live). And for those who cannot take violence toward animals, this is a book to avoid.

I will say, however, almost all of the violence happens “off-screen”—you see very little of it on the page. And what you see on the page isn’t that bad (up until the climactic bit at the end, but the violence there is spread amongst characters with two and four legs (and the two-legged ones get the worst of it).

The point of this book is Boucher investigating the kidnappings, stopping them by getting to the bottom of things and rescuing as many dogs as he can. So if you’re on the fence, you can hold on to that.

So, what did I think about Harvested?

This was a good read. Lambert delivered in every way I wanted a book like this to—solid plot, unique case, great character work, and a pace that keeps you turning the pages long past the time you should put the book down for sleep or chores. I’d recommend this just for the (relative) novelty of a Seattle P.I.—mid-sized US cities need to be the setting of more P.I. novels. The book delivers on everything it promises and gives you an open (and welcome) invitation to come back for another. I know I’m accepting that invitation.

Oh—minor spoiler—by the end, one of the kidnapped dogs can’t be matched with an owner and ends up staying with Max. So you know I have to come back, just for more of him.

I’d have come back anyway—I want to see how Max moves on from this point in general. I’m quite curious about the clues he discovered regarding his wife’s case, too. I’m assuming (and really don’t want to know the truth until I’m into the next book) that book 2 will advance the investigation into his wife’s kidnapping while Max and his new partner dive into another stand-alone case—and we’ll continue that way for a while. That sounds like a great time to me. Grab this one—the second book is out now, you might as well grab it, too. You’ll have fun.


3.5 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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WWW Wednesday, March 12, 2024

Well, today got away from me. Let me get this up and I’ll try again tomorrow.

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.

The Three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Seems easy enough, right? Let’s take a peek at this week’s answers:

What are you currently reading?

I’m reading still A Blight of Blackwings by Kevin Hearne, as with the first in the trilogy, as much as I’m enjoying the book, I need to take a break from it every now and then. but hopefully I finish it before next week’s post. I’m also listening to a very odd take on Peter Pan, Darling by K. Ancrum, read by Angel Pean, on audiobook.

A Blight of BlackwingsBlank SpaceDarling

What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished a couple of very entertaining books: Olivia Blacke’s Rhythm and Clues and Dead Ground by M.W. Craven, read by John Banks on audio.

Rhythm and CluesBlank SpaceDead Ground

What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be the ARC of The Tenacious Tale of Tanna the Tendersword by Dewey Conway & Bill Adams (soooo many ARCs lately, how am I ever going to make TBR progress?) and my next audiobook should be a quick trip to Painter’s Mill, Ohio (the most crime-ridden Amish community in the States) in A Hidden Secret by Linda Castillo, read by Kathleen McInerney .

The Tenacious Tale of Tanna the TenderswordBlank SpaceA Hidden Secret

Whatcha readin’?

PUB DAY REPOST: The Body’s Keepers (Audiobook) by Paul L. Kimmel, M.D., Lane Hakel (Narrator): The Social History I Didn’t Realize I Needed

The Body's KeepersThe Body’s Keepers:
A Social History of Kidney
Failure and Its Treatments

by Paul L. Kimmel, M.D., Lane Hakel (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Publication Date: March 12, 2024
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 17 hrs., 59 min. 
Read Date: Fevruary 27-March 5, 2024
Buy from Bookshop.org Support Indie Bookstores

What’s The Body’s Keepers About?

I feel underqualified to try to describe this book, and you’ll see why here in a sentence or two. So, I’m just going to paste what the Publisher’s Site says: (yes, I typically would cite the audiobook publisher here, but the print edition’s publisher gives more details)

A remarkable account of the kidney and the scientific, medical, and health evolution tied to our understanding of it.

The kidney is an extraordinary organ – in many ways the regulator, the metronome, the keeper of the human body’s delicate equilibrium. On a given day, minute by minute, it purifies the body of toxins it encounters from diet, climate, activity, and injury. It allows us to be and to move in the world. And yet most of us know so very little about these extraordinary vessels nestled in our bodies – and indeed millions of us only really learn about them when they stop working. Nearly a million Americans every year have end stage kidney disease, about 37 million have some form of chronic kidney disease. And it is an incredibly common universe of challenge and ailment that, until relatively recently, would simply kill those afflicted with it.

Renowned nephrologist Dr. Paul Kimmel takes us on an eye-opening journey through the history of kidney disease, dialysis, and transplantation. Drawing on both his extensive research and decades of experience in the field, he explains the development of treatments, technologies, and medical practices that have advanced the care of patients with kidney disease. Kimmel illuminates the impact of medical advances on the lives of those suffering from this debilitating disease and offers a clear understanding of the challenges that remain.

The Body’s Keepers also reveals the inequities and injustices at the heart of America’s healthcare system. Filled with case studies, personal histories, and first-hand accounts, the book reveals the shocking truth about the exploitation of vulnerable populations in the pursuit of profit. Kimmel examines how disparities in access to care have led to life-threatening consequences for many Americans. He also looks at the ways in which the medical industry has profited from the suffering of others, and how the path to health equity is still far from being realized. With unflinching honesty and a passionate commitment to social justice, his book is an essential read for anyone looking to understand the complexities of modern healthcare.

What Did I Think About the Narration?

With all due respect to Dr. Kimmel, this could very easily have been a dry-as-dust book. Yes, there’s occasionally some wit and some passion in the text–Kimmel’s personality does come through. Lane Hakel makes sure that shines through. He maintains the appropriate tone and seriousness to the subject, but with simple and subtle changes in inflection and so on to help maintain the listener’s engagement.

If nothing else, Hakel helped me pronounce a few terms and medication names that I’ve always stumbled on (or heard multiple ways).

I’m not saying that Hakel made this a joy to listen to, or that it was entertaining in the same way that, say, Luke Daniels makes a book–nor should it have been. But he keeps the listening experience accessible and interesting–even when the text seems just to be a list of names and acronyms. (which doesn’t happen often, but, occasionally it seems like it).

My Interest in the Book

So, I saw this on Netgalley the day after my son’s first dialysis treatment. And I clicked the request button as quickly as I could. I’ve talked in this space a little about his kidney transplant a few years ago. But what I know about kidney disease and the treatment of it doesn’t amount to much–and it’s very focused. So the opportunity to learn more–particularly in a history, was more than appealing.

Sure, I was discouraged a bit right off when one of the first things that Kimmel says is that he won’t be discussing the kidney disease my son had. But, he spent a lot of time talking about End Stage Renal Disease and transplants. So that more than made up for the skipped subject. And even the topics that didn’t directly have anything to do with my son were interesting to listen to. Because really, at the end of the day, the more medicine learns about various treatments for one area of kidney disease/treatment, the better off all patients are.

So, what did I think about The Body’s Keepers?

Can a non-medical professional read/listen to this and profit from this book? Absolutely. Are we the target audience? I don’t think so–well, those interested in the overlap of politics/economics/prejudices and medical treatments are definitely part of the target audience. So it’s not just the kind of book for M.D. after their name. But it’s not written for the person browsing a bookstore/library shelf for their weekend read, either.

This is an 18-hour listen, and it’s not the easiest listen, either–both because of the subject matter and the thoroughness with which Kimmel discusses things. Folks who are just idly curious are probably not going to make it through this book. But those who have a connection to the topic–because of their profession or professional interests, because (like me) they are or know someone going through these things, or because they’re invested in the social aspects and things like equitable access to care, or some other connection–will make it through this book and be glad for it.

For those who are interested in this subject, this is a fascinating book and a good audiobook experience. I do think I may end up getting the print edition just to make looking up a point or two easier. But for non-reference use? The audiobook is a good way to go.

I learned a lot, I have to say. The historical development of nephrology is fascinating. For such a young science the advances made are truly astounding (for example, when you hear how they made the first “artificial kidney”–the precursor to a dialysis machine, your mind will be boggled). The origins of the treatment of kidney diseases and injuries really start because of the World Wars and now kidney transplants happen all the time (not often enough for those on a transplant list for years), dialysis is routine, and the medical research is very promising to improve and innovate both.

Yes, the impacts of race, sex, income, and so on when it comes to access to and varieties of treatment are dismaying and befuddling (and on those providing the treatment). But the book suggests there’s every reason to be hopeful for the future, and that progress has been made. Easy for this white guy to say, but that was my takeaway from Kimmel. And, as in this post, I’m talking about this as a listening experience rather than commenting on the society that is depicted–the shortcomings of the system (especially in the U.S.) contrasted to the successes make for a more engaging narrative.

I should add that in the early chapters while doctors and researchers were still figuring out how to treat various kidney ailments, the symptoms and treatments (and failure rates), were strong reminders of how correct I was in choosing academic and career paths that took me far away from medicine. Some of that was rough for me (and no, I will not watch any documentary Dr. Kimmel decides to make in the future). People of stronger constitutions will not be bothered.

I’m really glad I listened to this, and encourage those interested to give it a try. It’s not a book for everyone, but for the right people will appreciate this.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from North Star Editions via NetGalley–thanks to both for this.


4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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PUB DAY REPOST: Strong Like You by T. L. Simpson: Love And Hate On The Edge Of A Knife

Strong Like YouStrong Like You

by T. L. Simpson

DETAILS:
Publisher: Flux
Publication Date: March 12, 2024
Format: eARC
Length: 224
Read Date: March 1, 2024
Buy from Bookshop.org Support Indie Bookstores

What’s Strong Like You About?

Walker Lauderdale is a high school sophomore and a starter for his small Arkansas high school’s football team. He and his cousin/best friend/might as well be brother Sawyer are fierce players for the defense (and we see that almost instantly). This should be the best time in his young life—but there’s something wrong.

His dad has been missing for a month. He’s not there to watch his first game. He’s not there to burst with pride, to offer advice, or to cheer from the stands. He’s just…gone. Walker’s dad and Sawyer’s dad (also best friends and teammates on the same high school team before marrying sisters) took off one night and haven’t returned. The two boys are certain they’ll be back any time—they’re frequently checking the bleachers to see their fathers up there.

The book is an extended monologue—or a series of them. Technically, an apostrophe, but let’s stick with monologue. Walker is addressing his father—catching him up on the turmoil and victories he’s missing, the hurt Walker feels because of his absence, and how he’s trying to make things work until his dad comes back. The grief, loss, and anger jump off the page.

Walker’s dad isn’t a great one, either, it should be stressed. Rarely employed, his income is largely illegal and irregular. Both missing fathers are abusive to their wives and sons. But in the way that we all can recognize, the boys are just that much more devoted to them because of it—making their dads proud is a chief aim of theirs.

Walker becomes determined to go look for his dad—which involves starting with the man his dad and uncle were last seen with—a truly frightening and violent man. Sawyer tries to dissuade him, but that just makes Walker even more certain that he needs to act.

But does he truly want to find the answers he’s seeking?

Learning About Guns

Walker—like so many people in the U.S.—appreciates guns. He’s quick to grab a pellet gun to (try to) chase away his uncle. But his cousin Sawyer? Sawyer is a nut for guns, he has magazines about them all over his room. At some point, Sawyer comes across a pistol (and somehow gets money for many bullets for it—or at least acquires them). There’s a big difference between a pellet gun and a Colt 1911, and it doesn’t take long for Walker to start learning about them.

Not what you learn in video games/TV, not what Sawyer’s survival mags teach, or anything like that. But about the reality of them—how they can invite violence, how holding one affects you, what destruction they can bring even without trying. There’s no pro-/anti- gun message at work here. No lessons or sermons were delivered. But the reality of what a gun can do to a person, a situation, or an attitude is presented in stark reality. I’d say it’s easily one of the best things about this book, but if I started listing the best things about this book, we’d be here for a long time.

Anger

Walker and Sawyer are angry young men—it’s simmering right below the surface, and comes out at inopportune times. Although, it does sometimes come out when it should*—and we see an example of that in the opening minutes of their first game of the year.

* Arguably, anyway. Their coach and teammates would say it’s appropriate.

There are plenty of reasons for them to be so angry—even before their fathers abandoned them. The more time you spend with them—Walker in particular—you see just how many reasons he has. It’s part of what his parents have passed down to him, part of the example they’ve set and the environment he’s been raised in.

The guy his father and uncle runs with, Lukas Fisher, has another kind of anger inside him—and he doesn’t hesitate to express it—where Walker’s parents shape him by their anger, Lukas “trains” his pit bull with his.* While we can see a little constructive use of anger, we can see some people who are angry due to circumstance and situations—but Lukas? He seems to revel in it, maybe even feeds on anger.

* This is off-point, but Simpson’s description of the dog’s barking was both wonderfully accurate and a bit of a tension breaker.

But back to Walker, it’s his anger that lands him in weekly sessions with the school counselor before the book begins. This counselor is one of the few who seem to look beyond Walker’s attitude, his anger, his disinterest in education, and his abilities on the football field. It’s unclear how Walker will respond to him—or even if he can respond to this man appropriately. But it’s a rare example of how his anger just might put him in the right place.

The Meaning of Manhood/Strength

Walker’s primary concern at the beginning of the book is to be strong—strong, as the title says, like his dad. For him, strength equals control. Control over your life, your circumstances, your choices—it’s also tied into how to fix things. How to make things better.

Yes, it absolutely is about physical strength first and foremost, but it’s about more than that, too. For a character presented as not that intelligent (Walker would say worse than that about himself), he’s really perceptive. He’s spent more time than many—probably even he—realizes thinking about the nature of strength.

Ultimately, this is what being a man is for Walker (and Sawyer, too)—maybe even Hank and Rufus, too. Walker sees Hank as strong—physically, emotionally, and mentally. This is what he aspires to—for himself, for his mother, and possibly even for Hank. If Walker gets to be strong enough—on and off the football field—he can make Hank and his mom proud. He can make their lives better, fixing those things that need fixing (that his father never gets around to fixing, despite Walker’s deep-seated conviction that he could and will).

Over the course of this book, this understanding of what manhood means and what strength means are seen in light of that anger mentioned above. One of the bigger questions of the novel surrounds Walker and Sawyer—as they navigate toward adulthood/maturity, what will win out? Strength or anger? What kind of men will they be?

The Love Story

Okay…after a few attempts, I realize that I cannot say anything about this without a spoiler. All I will say is that it’s perfectly conceived, perfectly executed, and just what this book needed it to be.

So, what did I think about Strong Like You?

I have several more things I wanted to talk about—but this is too long, and almost two days behind schedule (it’s at least 6 hours after I normally post something). What’s worse, every time I start writing “just one more thing,” I think of two more. So I’m bringing this in for a landing, and I may bounce around a little bit here.

I do not even like football—why do I keep reading books featuring it? Okay, I live in the USA and it’s pretty hard to escape, that’s a large part of it, but still… There’s a large part of me that doesn’t care as long as it’s a book like this one. And sure, he’s talking about a different game entirely, but Walker would agree with Dani Rojas—”Football is life!” He thinks in football terms and metaphors, he can’t explain to someone why he loves football—he can’t even understand why that person doesn’t like football, it’s like telling him that they don’t like to breathe. Most of the time, Simpson doesn’t have Walker or Sawyer tell us this, they just live this. The way he does this alone tells me that Simpson is someone to watch (or, I suppose, he thinks the same way as Walker does and it’s coming out organically—but I don’t think so)

I really should spend a lot of time talking about Walker’s guidance counselor and the arc of their relationship, there’s so much about Simpson’s work here that should be commended. There’s also this strange little tangent featuring a recent graduate of Walker’s high school and his little sisters that tells us more about Walker than anything except his attitude toward football—who he really is, not who he thinks he needs to be.

You don’t have to read very far before you know a couple of things—1. despite his conviction—or at least the conviction he voices—things are not going to go the way he anticipates, and that rough times are ahead for Walker; and 2. you are not going to want to put this book down until you reach the last page. I glanced at the first couple of pages to make sure it downloaded correctly and had to walk away from my Kindle, because I had multiple other deadlines and I knew if I didn’t do that, I’d finish the book before I did anything else. I can’t describe it, but there’s something about Walker’s voice, the way he’s talking to that father that isn’t there that just grabs you.

I’m not entirely satisfied with the way the novel ended. I liked the resolution to the various stories, let me be clear. But I feel like I could see Simpson’s not-so-Invisible Hand working to get some of the resolutions to work out the way they did. I like the way the storylines ended up, so I’m not going to complain too much. And since it was only in the closing pages that I thought about maybe criticizing something in the book, Simpson earned a little authorial heavy-handedness.

This is a real winner—Strong Like You shares so much DNA with Eli Cranor’s Don’t Know Tough (but is not a copy in any way) and even hearkens back to Early Autumn by Robert B. Parker. And anytime a book can make me compare it favorably with those two knockouts, I’m going to put it down as pure joy.

If you’re someone who gets hung up on the YA tag, push “Pause” on that for 224 pages. This is a book that deserves a fair shake and many, many readers—Simpson’s debut is as strong as Walker hopes to be.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from North Star Editions via NetGalley—thanks to both for this.


4 1/2 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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