Category: M-R Page 4 of 10

Series M-R

The Revelators

by Ace Atkins
Series: Quinn Colson, #10

Hardcover, 386 pg.
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2020

Read: August 4-10, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

“Place kinda looks like when you came home ten years back?”

“Nope,” Quinn said, placing the small bottle back in the glove box. “It’s a lot worse.”

What’s The Revelators About?

How is it already book ten?

The Revelators starts with Boom Kimbrough trying to keep his friend alive. Quinn Colson has been responding to a call about a domestic dispute and had been ambushed by The Watchmen—the far-right vigilante militia beating him and then someone shooting him. When a book starts off with your series’ protagonist clinging to life, you know it’s going to be a grim time and it is.

A year passes and Quinn’s rehab has gone pretty well. The governor has appointed someone to fill in as Sherriff, and that man is everything that Quinn isn’t, he make’s Quinn’s crooked uncle look like a fine lawman. He’s not entirely physically ready, but he can’t wait anymore—Quinn’s got to step up and do his job before it’s too late and criminal elements have completely taken over. Quinn, Boom, Lillie Virgil, and the Jon Holliday (plus who knows how many undercover agents he has—he won’t tell anyone) prepare for a significant move that’ll put most, if not all, of the major elements in prison.

Meanwhile, the new Sherriff and ICE raid a local chicken processing plant (to the surprise of almost everyone in the county), arresting everyone, not allowing anyone to provide their immigration papers (of those who have them), merely sending them off somewhere to await deportation. Lillie and her church have their hands full with the children left behind by this move. If anything, this action galvanizes Quinn to step up his work.

Fannie Hathcock is making moves of her own, securing her position not only in Tibbehah County but the entire state (and beyond). And…well, I don’t have the space to keep going. There are so many moving pieces in this book I’m not even going to attempt to summarize.

There’s at least an allusion to the previous books, and many characters/crimes/events from them directly impact what happens here. The Revelators is the culmination of ten novels’ worth of events and nothing’s going to be the same after it. It’s clear from the get-go that Atkins has something major in mind and the atmosphere of the whole book reflects that. At various points in the novel, I have notes like “please don’t do anything to X and Y.” And at times it feels like this could be the series finale, and I spent a little time wondering how there’ll be any way for it to continue.*

* I’ve heard/read enough interviews of Atkins at this point to know he’s not keeping the next novel a secret, so I don’t feel bad about saying that.

Is this Fiction?

From the ICE raid on a chicken processing plant—and the way that parents are kept from their children afterward, to the police corruption and abuse of power, to the militant (and well-armed) right-wing group pushing their way around, and a few other spoilery actions—these “ripped from the headlines” storylines made me wonder time and time again how little fictionalization/sensationalism Atkins was pouring int this. I’m so relieved that it is fiction but at far too many points, it doesn’t feel all that fictional and you get a little sick wondering just how much of this could really be happening in Mississippi (or your own state).

Lights in the Darkness

In the middle of all this corruption, crime, inhumanity, and impending doom, there are moments of hope, joy, and family. Quinn’s nephew, Jason, falls for a girl (who falls right back). Quinn and Maggie are expecting. Maggie’s son Brandon grows closer to his new family—there’s one very sweet scene between Brandon and Quinn. Caddy seems to have found another chance at love.

And an old foe realizes how far down the wrong road they’ve gone and seeks to make it up to Quinn. I had to read a couple of scenes twice to make sure I understood what was going on.

Not only does that kind of thing keep Quinn and his allies going—it’s a reason to keep fighting, even if things are worse in the ten years since he came home. But, it also makes it easier to read. If it was all crime, corruption, racism, impending doom, and the rest, sure, it’d be worth reading, but these brief reminders that even Tibbehah County isn’t as bad as it could possibly be make it so much easier to keep reading.

So, what did I think about The Revelators?

“Johnny Stagg, J. K. Vardaman, the Watchman—all of them come from the same place,” Quinn said. “Me and you been fighting them over since we came home.”

“Been here long before me and you were born,” Boom said. “And they gonna be around long after we die.”

“That’s a hard take,” Quinn said.

“Do I lie?”

That is a hard—and honest—take. But what Quinn leaves unspoken is that it really doesn’t matter how long this kind have been around, people like he and Boom have been around resisting, fighting back the darkness, and trying to make it easier for light to shine. That’s why readers have kept coming back to this series for ten years. And they’ll keep coming back as long as that fight’s being waged.

Atkins has outdone himself this time—there are so many moving parts, so many interweaving plotlines, so much that he has to reveal slowly (or not let us see) so that he can let it all loose at the right time.

While reading it, I kept muttering about how good it all was, how fantastically Atkins was pulling off this very ambitious novel—and he made it look easy while keeping the reader white-knuckling the cover.

Book 11 in this series is going to look pretty different than the ten that came before, but it’ll be Quinn facing off with the same type of people—and as long as we get books of this caliber (or near it), that’ll be more than good enough.

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, opinions are my own.

Bullet Points about Burning Bright by Nick Petrie: There’s No Sophomore Slump in the Second Peter Ash Adventure

By HCNewton

On May 29, 2020

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Nicholas/Nick Petrie, Peter Ash

Burning Bright

by Nick Petrie
Series: Peter Ash, #2

Hardcover, 416 pg.
G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2017

Read: May 11-14, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

He climbed down to the dry riverbed, hurting all over but more or less functional. His forehead felt warm and wet. He put his hand up, felt the slickness of blood, and wiped it away, reminding himself that head wounds always bleed like crazy.

He knew too much about damage to human bodies.

This post is overdue (as was reading this in the first place), and I can’t seem to find time to do it right. So, I won’t. Here’s a quick and dirty way to get it taken care of. I wish I had it in me to do a better job, but I don’t. Here’s the blurb taken from Petrie’s site:

War veteran Peter Ash sought peace and quiet among the towering redwoods of northern California, but the trip isn’t quite the balm he’d hoped for. The dense forest and close fog cause his claustrophobia to buzz and spark, and then he stumbles upon a grizzly, long thought to have vanished from this part of the country. In a fight of man against bear, Peter doesn’t favor his odds, so he makes a strategic retreat up a nearby sapling.

There, he finds something strange: a climbing rope, affixed to a distant branch above. It leads to another, and another, up through the giant tree canopy, and ending at a hanging platform. On the platform is a woman on the run. From below them come the sounds of men and gunshots.

Just days ago, investigative journalist June Cassidy escaped a kidnapping by the men who are still on her trail. She suspects they’re after something belonging to her mother, a prominent software designer who recently died in an accident. June needs time to figure out what’s going on, and help from someone with Peter’s particular set of skills.

Only one step ahead of their pursuers, Peter and June must race to unravel this peculiar mystery. What they find leads them to an eccentric recluse, a shadowy pseudo-military organization, and an extraordinary tool that may change the modern world forever.

If I had the time to do this properly, here are the things I’d be talking about.

bullet At multiple points both Peter and June note that Peter’s having fun when it’s dangerous, when things are violent, when the bullets are flying. As a reader, this is great—you don’t see Reacher, Charlie Fox, Evan Smoak, etc. enjoying things quite like this. But I’m a little worried about what it says about him as a person.

bullet We get some good backstory on Peter—before he enlisted.

bullet On a related note, Peter has a family! A well-adjusted, not violent, family.

bullet Lewis is back from the first book—he’s essentially Hawk and Pike with flair. His growing family ties are a real strength of character.

bullet June is tough, capable, smart. She’s complex in a way that most characters in this role usually aren’t, and really ought to be.

bullet The villains in this novel are great. Their motives are complex, they don’t approach things the way you think they’re going to (up to the last couple of chapters).

bullet While trying not to give too much away, I appreciate that Ash doesn’t have a scorched-earth approach to his opponents in either book.

bullet Best of all, in the middle of the technothriller stuff, the action hero stuff, and all the rest, there’s a real attempt to portray what a vet with PTSD goes through. How it molds everything he does, but doesn’t define him.

bullet The biggest compliment I can give is this: it kept me awake when I should have been. Since I got my new CPAP last summer, I haven’t been able to read more than 2-5 pages with it on before I’m out like a light. So imagine how shocked I was when I realized that I’d barreled through over 50 pages one night! That’s a feat.

This is a great thrill-ride, I’m not going to wait another year and a half before I get to the next one (it’s sitting on my shelf as we speak). I strongly recommend the Peter Ash books.

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, opinions are my own.

The Misadventures of Nero Wolfe: Parodies and Pastiches Featuring the Great Detective of West 35th Street by Josh Pachter, ed.: A Collection of Short Pieces Celebrating Nero Wolfe

By HCNewton

On May 1, 2020

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin, Rex Stout

The Misadventures of Nero Wolfe: Parodies and Pastiches Featuring the Great Detective of West 35th Street

by Josh Pachter, ed.

Kindle Edition, 364 pg.
Mysterious Press, 2020

Read: April 15-27, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

Wow—2 chances to talk about Nero Wolfe in less than a month? Say what you will about 2020, there are some really nice things going on, too.

In the same vein as the 2018 compilation that he co-edited, The Misadventures of Ellery Queen, Pachter (with the blessing of Stout’s daughter), Pachter presents just what the title promises: a collection of short pieces featuring takes on Nero Wolfe (and, generally, Archie Goodwin).

There are three introductory essays—one by Otto Penzler; one by Stout’s daughter, Rebecca Stout Bradbury; and then one from Pachter (which served as a typical introduction). All three of these pieces were a pleasure to read, but obviously, Bradbury’s is the standout for sentimental reasons.

Then we move into pastiches, although some felt more like parodies to me—but why quibble? The first entry just didn’t work for me, and almost put me off the project as a whole. But, it’s Wolfe, so as much as I say “almost”—there’s no chance that’d stick. Thankfully, the second entry more than made up for it, as did the rest. A personal highlight came from Pachter reprinting the first chapter of Murder in E Minor, Robert Goldsborough’s first Wolfe novel—I appreciated the reminder that I did really like his work at one point. (I wish something from William L. DeAndrea’s Lobo Blacke/Quinn Booker books had made it in here)

The next section featured a handful of parodies. By and large, I enjoyed this part, but I would’ve appreciated a bit more subtlety with many of the works. The story “Julius Katz and the Case of Exploding Wine” was simply fantastic—I will be tracking down more of these stories by Dave Zeltserman as soon as I can (I have a browser tab open at the moment for an e-store with the collections).

The final section, “Potpourri,” was my favorite. It included things like a story about a circus’ Fat Woman doing a fine Nero Wolfe impression (and was a pretty clever story even without that); Pachter’s short story about a young man named for Wolfe, “Sam Buried Caesar,” which was utterly charming; and a scene from Joseph Goodrich’s stage adaptation of Might as Well Be Dead. The highlight of this section (and possibly the entire book) was a little story called “The Damned Doorbell Rang,” about a couple who used to live next to Wolfe’s Brownstone on West 35th (obviously on the opposite side from Doc Vollmer), who didn’t realize who they lived next to, nor appreciate the goings-on in the brownstone. An inspired idea that was executed wonderfully.

As with almost every compilation ever assembled, there were a lot of high highs and very low lows in this one—and most readers will likely disagree with what I’d put in either category. But I can’t imagine any Wolfe reader not finding more than enough in this book to consider any time spent with it a win. The writers all clearly had fun with the subject matter, and it’s infectious. Pachter has speculated about doing another collection of Wolfean tidbits. If he does, I know I’ll be more than ready to grab it.

For a lot more about the book—the background, more information about some of the entries/authors/whatnot—check out Episode 10 of Like the Wolfe podcast. It’s a fun episode.

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, opinions are my own.

A Few Quick Questions With…Like the Wolfe Podcast (and a little bit of an intro to it)

By HCNewton

On April 22, 2020

In A Few Quick Questions With..., Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin, Rex Stout

Most of what I’ve written about Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin and their author Rex Stout predates this blog, but I’ve not hid the fact that I’m a near-rabid fan, and will take any excuse to mention them. So imagine my excitement when a few weeks ago, someone joined one of the fan groups on Facebook and mentioned he had a podcast working through the Corpus.

Like the Wolfe is working their way, book by book, through series starting with the first, Fer-de-Lance (something I wrote about it, their podcast episode). Typically, there’s a little bit of material that’s safe for someone who hasn’t read the book under discussion, but most of the episode is full of spoilers and assumes a familiarity with the material.

Which honestly, is fine—few Wolfe and Archie fans read (or re-read, re-re-read, re-re-re-re-read, etc.) the books for the whodunit.

In the first few episodes, the audio quality isn’t that great and the hosts are clearly learning how to do a podcast. But those shortcomings actually come across as charming, and their enthusiasm is infectious. By Episode 8-The Silent Speaker, the audio quality has really improved and the hosts have obviously become comfortable with the format.

I binged the first 9 episodes in under a week, and had a blast. Sure, I’d quibble with some of the observations and would demur with some of their evaluations/criticisms—but that’s part of the fun, right?

Anyway, I’ve blathered on long enough—the hosts, Reyna Griffin and Jeff Quest, were gracious enough to answer a few questions for me. Check these out, and then go listen to their podcast. If you’re new to Wolfe, it’s a great introduction (Quest himself is a newbie), if you’re a die-hard fan, you’ll love revisiting the books (if you’re in between—give it time, you’ll become a die-hard). If you have no idea what I’m talking about? Give the books a shot, and use this podcast to help (I also blathered on a bit about the idea here).

Why don’t you both start off by giving me a little bit of background info about you as readers/in general? Introduce yourselves to us—and how did you get to know one another? I’m guessing it wasn’t via a Craigslist advertisement, “Looking for a Co-Host for a Nero Wolfe Podcast.” (do note, out of respect for the character that brings us together, I didn’t abbreviate advertisement—I just can’t bring myself to do it anymore)

Reyna Griffin (RG): Hello! I always wonder what would be great to say about myself, but here it goes! My name LaReyna Griffin and I LOVE Nero Wolfe novels. I am a huge fan of mystery/detective novels – I really like to get away from the real world. For me reading is something I do to just decompress and I do like to read other than detective novels (even tho I will never say no to a Poirot story) these are my favorites. I am in 2 book clubs, they typically are not my usual books so I do get out of my comfort zone a few times a month. Some of my favorite authors are Christie, Beaton, and of course Stout. How I met JQ? Jeff was my boss at my previous job – he actually has been my boss since I was 18, in one way or another, and it was through this that I found that we both were book folks. The idea for the podcast was *maybe* a collab brainchild but probs more Jeff.

Jeff Quest (JQ): Jeff Quest here and I seem to remember this being prompted more by Reyna than myself. I’m the newbie to the series and take care of most of the tech side of the podcast.

I’ve always been a fan of mysteries and was more than happy to try an author I hadn’t read before. I have a far greater knowledge of spies, I write and podcast about them at my site SpyWrite.com and that’s probably what prompted the idea of a podcast looking at Wolfe. Wolfe is a surprising blind spot in my mystery reading so when Reyna suggested reading through the series and talking about each book I was up for it. However I leave the encyclopedic knowledge of the Nero Wolfe series to Reyna.

What brought each of you to the Nero Wolfe series? Was it a recommendation from someone? Just stumbling across one in a bookstore? Did you mean to buy a book about Orchid Growing and get a very poor substitute? For me, it was an aunt who insisted I’d like them—she eventually got tired of me ignoring them and just handed me a couple of them (I believe it was Where There’s a Will and something else), and that was it. Three decades later and I’m still re-reading them.

RG: My mother brought me to Nero but what kept me here was watching the A&E series (brought to life by Timothy [Hutton] and Maury [Chaykin]). I loved the books but the characters became so real for me once that show was aired. I actually rewatch the show on a weekly basis, it is just that timeless and good. It says something about a show that is on par with the books (maybe better??).

JQ: Reyna was the one that has me hooked on the series, although it really only took reading the first book to see why so many have fallen in love with the series. From the first moments Archie’s voice is so vibrant and fun, you can’t help but want to keep reading.

Why a podcast? Whose idea was it and how did it come about?

RG: Hmm I think the podcast because we wanted to share our love for the topic and this was the best format. I wasn’t much for a blog because I am not a writer and also I wanted to maintain some contact/interaction with JQ.

JQ: Yeah, since I had done a few other podcasts on spy related topics for my own site and the Spybrary podcast (Spybrary.com), this seemed like a fun way to keep in touch with Reyna while also having some interesting structured discussions.

What kind of response are you getting to these episodes?

RG: We were on break for a bit, due to life issues, but now we see that folks are interacting with the podcast – from comments to tweets about our choices.

JQ: So far so good. We didn’t really promote it much yet, we wanted to have a few episodes under our belt before doing that, but folks seem to be enjoying it, aside from my apparently foolish references to Wolfe as “Nero.” which gets folks riled up.* I had a chance to talk to Josh Pachter about the book he edited, The Misadventures of Nero Wolfe, which was quite fun. I’m hopeful that I can do some more of that. It would be great to give the fan community a place to hear the voices of others who enjoy his work, especially for those who don’t have a local Wolfe club to gather with.

* I’d note that I’m one of those riled up by that, Archie has noted that only three men refer to him by his first name. That’s a personal bugbear, and I don’t hold it against them (however must I grimace when I hear it).

One more question about the podcast itself—are we going to ever get to hear your “Lost Episodes” (Some Buried Ceasar, Over My Dead Body, Where There’s a Will, Black Orchids, Not Quite Dead Enough, Booby Trap—I assume Black Orchids is around the corner, given that you did Cordially Invited to Meet Death)?

JQ: I’ll take the blame for this. The dreaded “tech issues” reared their head. We lost a couple due to a garbled recording and I have a couple that I need to go back to the original recordings to reedit for release after the first edit was lost in a hard drive crash.

Luckily, I’ve spent the time we were on hiatus learning a bit more on how to put out a better podcast. So the quality for future episodes should be stronger than those early episodes.

Let’s shift to the books themselves: Jeff, you’re the neophyte (by the way, I’d love to be in your shoes and have all these great reads in my future—they’re great re-reads, but for them to be new again?), so what’s your favorite Wolfean moment so far? Reyna, I don’t know if you can limit yourself to just one at this point (especially without ruining anything for Jeff), so maybe give me one from the books you’ve discussed on the podcast.

RG: My favorite moment we have not hit yet! My favorite moment comes in The Doorbell Rang, a very cool scene in Wolfe’s office with the client where he puts her in her place while still being a gentleman.

JQ: Is it the very first book where Archie is lamenting losing the wallet that Wolfe gave him?* Although Archie gives Wolfe a hard time, it shows how much he really cares and what they’ve been through together. I really liked that moment.

* Great moment indeed, but it’s from The League of Frightened Men, the second novel (which Quest has mentioned enough on the podcast that I was surprised he slipped here).

You’ve both talked about enjoying Wolfe’s vocabulary. I know that my vocabulary (in writing and in conversation) improves generally when I’m in the middle of a Wolfe novel have you found that? Reyna, this is more likely for you (but Jeff can weigh-in if he wants): do you have a favorite Wolfean word/phrase? How many of them have entered your day-to-day vocabulary? Personally, off the top-of-my-head, I use “flummery” quite often; I can’t type it any other way than, “Pfui,” (and typically pronounce it like that); and will go out of my way to not use “contact” as a verb (and have been told I scowl when people do so at work). ?

RG: While I find “Flummery” as my go-to word for something outlandish, I prefer to use some of his phrasings – they randomly will pop into my head, usually when at work and dealing with a difficult client. One I used recently in a meeting with my boss was “Cheek meets cheek” – referenced in Eeny Meeny Murder Moe.

JQ: I probably haven’t read enough of the books for his vocabulary to really sink in yet but I can’t resist a good “satisfactory.”

You talked a little about casting Arche in your Introduction to him, and you’ve suggested actors for other prominent characters. But aside from a little tongue-in-cheek (I presume) casting that I couldn’t hear in your The League of Frightened Men episode, I don’t think I’ve heard you suggest anyone for Wolfe. My current picks for him are Vincent D’Onofrio or Steve Schirripa (assuming he can lose the Brooklyn accent), what about you?

RG: I love Vincent D’Onofrio, and his recent twitter soliloquies really reinforce this. He would be great! He has that slightly off-putting method that makes him a great Wolfe. Besides him, I actually can’t think of an actor that would be fitting for the shoes left by Maury Chaykin. I also need to see it, because before I saw Kenneth Branagh as Poirot I would never have thought we could recast from David Suchet.

JQ: I always find dream casting tough. Mainly because film and tv is so different from print. Personally, I’d go with some unknowns that could really make the role their own. The trouble with well-known actors is that it becomes hard to see past the actor and let them become a character that we all know and love.

If you forced me to pick, I’d go crazily out of the box and say someone like Andre Brauer for Wolfe and Daniel Radcliffe for Archie. Brauer has that great broodiness that’s needed and can just look smart. Radcliffe is too short but has a fun energy that he could bring to the role. But I might not mention those on the podcast, the Wolfe Pack (or Reyna) would probably string me up!

Bauer is an inspired choice—Radcliffe’s not bad, either, I can see that working.

Thanks for your time—and thanks for the podcast, I’m thoroughly enjoying it.

RG and JQ: Thanks for having us here and for listening!

A Few Quick Questions With…Noelle Holten

By HCNewton

On March 13, 2020

In A Few Quick Questions With..., DC Maggie Jamieson, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Noelle Holten

Struck by inspiration a couple of days ago, I hit Holten up with a last-minute request to participate in this, which she graciously agreed to and found time in her busy schedule. Hope you enjoy this half as much as I did.

In case you haven’t read my posts about her books, Dead Inside and Dead Wrong, you should before (or after) you read this, so you have a clue what we’re talking about.

So what was it that flipped the switch for you to move from Award Winning Book Blogger to Crime Fiction Writer?

I’ve been an avid reader of crime fiction for so many years – too many to mention. In the back of my head I had always wished I could write a book but never thought I could string a story together. I was encouraged by other writers who I had met at various festivals and then in 2017 I attended Crime & Publishment run by Graham Smith with Michael J Malone. All I had was the prologue to Dead Inside and when I finally showed it to both of them (separately) and got the same reaction – ‘Wow. That’s powerful’ I thought maybe I could actually write a book… 12 weeks later, the draft for Dead Inside was complete!

If that draft prologue was close to the published version, I can easily see why they’d react that way. I did. 🙂

Technically, Dead Inside was a Maggie Jamieson book, but it was Lucy Sherwood’s just as much (if not more). Was the plan all along to slide into Maggie’s series like or did Dead Inside evolve into a story focusing on Lucy?

Dead Inside had always been Lucy’s story. In fact, Maggie had originally only played a small part in the book and the whole series I had mapped out in my mind. I always saw this as an ensemble series – many, if not most of the main players would be introduced in Dead Inside and then each of the following books would focus on someone else – with the police & Maggie solving any crimes that came up. My publisher felt that a police procedural would be a better focus and so I brought DC Maggie Jamieson more into the story. Dead Wrong was/is her story and we see much more of her in the other books that follow.

How was the experience of writing Dead Wrong different than Dead Inside? Having the confidence from one under your belt, was it easier? Or was it like starting from Square One again?

I think writing Dead Wrong was much harder. Although I had an idea mapped out, I had Dead Inside in my head for a few years – or at least an outline of it. I also didn’t have deadlines to meet! That makes a huge difference no matter how disciplined you are! I still feel very much a newbie to the game and love learning more about writing as each book comes alive. I don’t think it will ever get easier for me as I am always worried that I won’t write a story that people will want to read – the whole imposter syndrome sets in.

Obviously, you’re a Crime Book Junkie, but is there another genre you’d like to try your hand at?

If I had to choose another genre it might be horror – as I definitely would have no chance at writing a rom com or sci fi – I know I couldn’t do it! I do have an idea for a stand alone psychological thriller – so I might try that one day.

Let’s play “Online Bookstore Algorithm” (a game I’ve recently invented). What are 3-5 books whose readers may like Dead Inside? [N.B. I meant to ask about Dead Wrong, whoops.]

Oh this is a tough one! Ok, I have some series in mind so I will choose one book from those I guess!
Silent Scream by Angela Marsons
Somewhere to Hide by Mel Sherratt
A Suitable Lie by Michael J MaloneI can’t really think of others off the top of my head but the above I think each have a similar feeling to Dead Inside that I think readers would enjoy if they enjoyed these books.

What’s next for Noelle Holten, author?

I have a few crime festivals I will be attending either as an avid fan of crime fiction or on a panel. I am currently editing the third book in the series (cover and title to be revealed soon I hope – woohoo!) and that should be out towards the end of this year. I’m also about 20k into writing Book 4. I work full time as well and although blogging itself has taken a back burner, I am still reading and reviewing too. Somewhere in between all that I try and sleep too!

It’s Release Day Eve for Dead Wrong. How nervous are you? How’s it compare to Dead Inside?

I am EXTREMELY nervous. I think I feel exactly the same as I did when Dead Inside came out but maybe even a little more nervous. I mean, what if people don’t like Dead Wrong?! What if they were expecting something exactly the same as my first book – and it’s not the same – oh my god, the nerves!! So yeah, I don’t think it gets any easier.

Thanks for your time—and thanks for Dead Wrong, I’m really enjoying it, and hope you have plenty of success with it.

Thank YOU for having me and after your incredible review of Dead Inside. I am SO NERVOUS to hear what you think of Dead Wrong.

(Revised and Updated) Dead Wrong by Noelle Holten: A Detective Struggles to Prove She Made the Right Arrest with Lives on the Line

By HCNewton

On March 13, 2020

In DC Maggie Jamieson, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Noelle Holten

Updated: I was dead tired last night when I finished this, and ended up not saying everything I meant to. I still haven’t, but it’s getting too long. But still, I missed a couple of points yesterday, and have got them covered now.

Be sure to come back in an hour or so for A Few Quick Questions with the Author, Noelle Holten! Also, this book releases tomorrow–be sure to grab it (still time to pre-order). While you’re at it, get the first in the series, too!

Dead Wrong

by Noelle Holten
Series: DC Maggie Jamieson, #2

eARC, 432 pg.
One More Chapter, 2020

Read: March 8-12, 2020

Last year, Noelle Holten blew my socks off with her debut, Dead Inside. It was the first of the Maggie Jamieson novels—although, I mentioned at the time “you’d be excused if you didn’t pick that up until the last chapter,” because it focused so much on a side character. This time out, the focus is almost exclusively on Maggie—her professional side as well as her personal life.

Before Dead Inside, Maggie had been part of a Homicide investigation team but had been reassigned to help her decompress after a stressful investigation that resulted in Bill Raven, a confessed serial killer, getting a life sentence. It ended with Maggie getting a voice mail from her old boss:

‘Your secondment is over at the DAHU. Raven has appealed his sentence, claimed he’s innocent. Timely I’d say as there has been another murder. Either a copycat or the real killer picking up where they left off. Get your arse in here.’

It turns out that it’s a bit more than “another murder.” It’s actually the murder of the woman Raven claimed was his first victim. Which doesn’t seem like a big deal, everyone knew she was dead. The twist comes when the report comes in that she’s been dead two days.

Say what you will, being locked up already for someone’s murder is a pretty good alibi for their actual murder. Many people—including fellow police officers and detectives–and the Press are outraged. Maggie’s previous work is being scrutinized, she’s having to defend her actions in the past while investigating the new murder (okay, it soon becomes murders—including more women that Raven claimed to have killed). She’s also doing everything she can to keep Raven behind bars—but that’s an unofficial goal. Officially, she’s supposed to stay away from revisiting the original investigation.

Now, the idea of a detective having to deal with an old investigation being re-opened because the convicted killer is making a case for their release isn’t new—Bosch had to deal with it in Two Kinds of Truth, Poe dealt with it in Black Summer, even the great Capt. Raymond Holt had to endure this kind of thing. But none of them had to explain how some of the victims turned out to have been recently alive. There’s more to differentiate Maggie’s challenge than that, but it’s a good start. Whoever is behind these killings is clearly some sort of monster, and sussing out the motive and means may prove as difficult as finding whoever’s responsible.

While the brass are inclined to believe Raven’s claims that he was delusional from drugs and a psychiatric condition when he confessed, Maggie only has a couple of sympathetic colleagues—an old friend who is now her DS and a psychologist she befriended on her temporary assignment, Kate Moloney.

Kate ends up consulting for the investigation for the new murders, helping the team think of their evidence in new ways, and helping Maggie better understand Raven and who he may have been working with while incarcerated to do the killing.

We see both women at work and at home—their home situations are almost as troublesome and stress-inducing as the hunt for the “real killer.” But, relying on each other, and their respective strengths, they’re able to muddle through—and even have a little fun. It’s an early Tony Hill/Carol Jordan-type relationship (I want to stress the “type,” because they’re all very different people and Holten isn’t trying for a clone in any sense).

I should add quickly that we do get to see Lucy, who is still working through the issues revealed in Dead Inside, but seems to be doing really well (all things considered). We don’t spend much time with her, but the way it’s done leaves the possibility for her to return to the books.

What about Bill Raven, our potentially falsely-convicted killer? It’s pretty late in the book when the reader gets a firm answer about his guilt. But we learn a few things about him right away. He’s arrogant, confident, enjoys playing with Maggie (and other detectives), and there’s just something about him that’s “off” (for lack of a better description). Whether or not he’s ultimately found to have committed the crimes he enjoys the attention and is hopeful for what the new murders mean for his release. The source of his derangement, and exactly why he’s doing what he’s doing is hinted at—and I think he alters his approach during the novel (or maybe I just don’t understand him enough).

Unlike most of the British Police Procedurals I’ve read the last few months, Dead Wrong primarily uses three characters for the Points-of-View (Maggie, Raven and Kate)—making it really easy to keep track of everyone. We do see a little from Maggie’s DI, and a couple of the victims in their last moments, too.

Speaking of the victims, and I mention this because I know the tastes of a lot of my readers. I should spend a minute talking about what befalls these women (and they are primarily women). However, and isn’t this a pleasant change, there’s nothing sexual about what happens to them. There’s not a hint, suggestion or implication of any rape or similar abuse. They are held captive—and what happens to them is truly horrifying, make no mistake, but it’s not your typical fictional serial killer thing. There’s no torture, either. At least not as you normally think about it. (what happens has to be tortuous, I assure you) we get a couple of pages’ worth of the female victims point-of-view, but even it isn’t as fear-filled as typically portrayed. There is soul-crushing despair, but done in a way I rarely, if ever, see.

I have an idea or three about where Holten is going with this, and if I’m even close to being in the right ballpark, let me say that I’m not a fan. Not that I don’t think it’ll be gripping reading, I’d just like things to go a little better for Maggie than I think they’re going to.

There are a couple of things I’m not crazy about. Once or twice, Maggie’s reaction to something feels a little over-dramatic/melodramatic. And there are a few things that I would have preferred given to us with greater detail (for example, someone is arrested for their role related to the investigations—and we’re only told that and have to make ill-informed guesses about what their actions have done to alter the police’s work).

That said, I really enjoyed this book—it’s a real slow boil of a book, things start bubbling pretty soon, but you have to wait and wait and wait for that to become a full-fledged rolling boil. Holten’s great at making sure you know there’s tension and malfeasance afoot, even if she doesn’t allow it to take over the novel. It’s well-plotted and well-executed, allowing the momentum to build so the reader is fully hooked before the plot really gets moving. Dead Inside concluded with a sentence or two past that voicemail. Dead Wrong ends on a similar note, propelling the reader on to the next book.

Dead Wrong didn’t wow me as much as its predecessor did—for one thing, I now know what Holten is capable of, and expect it—also, the nature of the story was is a bit more traditional than the last one was. While my theories while reading were wrong more often than right with Dead Wrong, I still had a pretty solid idea where the plot was going all along (until the very end, that is)—so it took a little of the luster off. Not much though, I’m still sure this is going to go down as one of the best things I read in 2020. I’ll wager the same is true for you.

4 1/2 Stars
Disclaimer: I received this eARC from HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter via NetGalley in exchange for this post and my honest opinion—thanks to both for this.

Madam Tulip and the Serpent’s Tree by David Ahern: It Made me Happy to See that Derry and her Fortune-Telling Alter-Ego are Back

By HCNewton

On March 9, 2020

In Fiction, Madam Tulip, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Madam Tulip and the Serpent’s Tree

by David Ahern
Series: Madam Tulip, #4

eARC, 258 pg.
Malin Press, 2020

Read: February 26-27, 2020

Derry frowned. ‘Why is everything so complicated?’

Bruce thought about that. He shrugged. ‘‘ Cos we’re not dead?’

This is a mystery novel that’s hard to talk about—because for the longest time, it’s not a mystery novel at all it’s a novel about a couple of under-employed actors, their rising TV star friend, and an insecure pop star. I want to stress that this isn’t a complaint, it’s a description. By the point that it becomes a mystery novel*, you’re already invested in all the characters and the situations so everything becomes heightened.

* Sure, we all knew it was going to become a mystery novel because that’s what the Madam Tulip books are. But there were at least three ways it could’ve become one before the murder is discovered.

For those new to this series, Derry O’Donnell is a young Irish-American actress in Dublin. Her best friend, Bella, has got a new and regular gig on TV and her career seems to be going somewhere. Meanwhile, Derry and her pal Bruce are still looking for their big break. And Madam Tulip? Well…

Madam Tulip was her fortune-teller alter ego whom Derry had created as a means of making some cash on the side. A woman of indeterminate age and exotic dress, skilled in Tarot and card reading, Madam Tulip was the perfect act for celebrity events. She wasn’t even an imposter or any kind of fraud. Derry was, after all the daughter of a seventh son of a seventh son. But too often, Madam Tulip had led Derry into situations she would rather have avoided and the company of people best left to their own devious devices.

That last sentence is a very understated way of describing the series. Like Jessica Fletcher, dead bodies have a tendency to turn up when Madam Tulip is nearby. This time, thanks to some of Bella’s machinations (as well as a favor from an old friend), Derry is going to be working at the birthday party of a pop star. Before the weekend is over, Derry finds herself as a confidante to the star and (separately) another member of the band. Their manager is trying to get Derry to be his informant, if he can’t get her to influence (via Madam Tulip) the singer.

Derry’s torn between wanting to help everyone but the manager (but she, Bella and Bruce need the manager for something they’re trying) and wanting to leave them all to their own devices. because they’re all a bit too much. But she really can’t get away from it all—especially when a murder is discovered.

The mystery aside, the most intriguing part of this novel to me is the way that Derry thinks of Tulip—and how it changes from the beginning of the book to the end. I don’t think I can discuss it without spoiling something, so I’ll just say that I didn’t see it coming, and really like the way that Ahern dealt with it.

There’s a sweet little romantic story that gets just the right amount of attention and space. And I now realize that I don’t have much else to say about it—I liked this guy for Derry.

Since Day One, I’ve thought that Derry’s father, Jacko, could be the stand-out character of the series with the capability of stealing every scene he’s in. It’d be really easy to overuse him. Ahern hasn’t done that the way that I can imagine it’d be easy to do so far. In fact, I’d argue that he underused Jacko in this volume. He’s decided it’s time to publish his memoirs—which will include “a tell-all exposé” of the art world—an idea that terrifies Derry’s mother (and makes for fun reading). He’s even hired a ghostwriter and expects to publish soon. I liked his storyline, but thought it ended a bit abruptly. But that’s really just me being disappointed that we didn’t get more of Jacko—because it was executed just right.

Derry’s pal Bruce, struggling actor, former SEAL, jack-of-all-trades (it seems) is (again) a real highlight of the book. He continues to be Ranger to Derry’s Stephanie Plum—just without the money, the team or the flirtation (and the post-flirtation stuff). I really enjoy him as a character—not just when he’s pulling Derry’s bacon out of the fire, but for the nice, quiet moments of friendship and support. If Ahern decides to give Tulip a break and focus on Bruce for a book or two, I’d be in the front of the line for that.

This is the best one yet in this series—yeah, I said that in my post about #3, Madam Tulip and the Bones of Chance, too—it was true then and it’s true now. There’s more depth to the characters, more subtlety to the story—and even some of the story beats that should be expected by now (because Ahern’s used them in every book) took me by surprise. It’s just a pleasure to read one of these books—Madam Tulip and the Serpent’s Tree was a little oasis of enjoyment in the midst of a stressful week for me, and I relished retreating to it.

I’d been eagerly checking Ahern’s website off and on for news about this release before he emailed me about it. I like this world, I look forward to spending time with these characters, and the Serpent’s Tree not only solidified these feelings it intensified them. These are fun mysteries, and the little touch of the supernatural (which takes on different nuances in each book) helps keep them fresh. Would this work as a jumping-on point? Yup. Any of them would—take the plunge, you’ll be glad you did.

4 Stars

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for my honest opinion, which is what you just read. The opinions expressed are my own.

The Night Fire by Michael Connelly: A Superfluity of Cases Hampers Connelly’s Latest

By HCNewton

On November 19, 2019

In Fiction, Harry Bosch, Michael Connelly, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Renée Ballard

The Night Fire

by Michael Connelly
Series: Harry Bosch, #22/Renée Ballard, #3

Hardcover, 405 pg.
Little, Brown and Company, 2019

Read: November 1-4, 2019

…I’m not sure how much I can be involved.”

“You’re dumping this case on me. You changed my radio station and dumped the case on me.”

“No, I want to help and I will help. John Jack mentored me. He taught me the rule, you know?”

“What rule?”

“To take every case personally.”

“What?”

“Take every case personally and you get angry. It builds a fire. It gives you the edge you need to go the distance every time out.”

Ballard thought about that. She understood what he was saying but knew it was a dangerous way to live and work.

“He said ‘every case’?” she asked.

“‘Every case,'” Bosch said.

In The Night Fire Michael Connelly gives one more piece of evidence that yes, you can occasionally have too much of a good thing. We’ve got a little bit of a Mickey Haller case, something that Bosch works mostly on his own, something that Bosch and Ballard work together, a case that Ballard works mostly on her own, and then a hint of something else that Bosch primarily does solo. Plus there’s something about Bosch’s personal life and a dash of Maddie’s life. Which is all a lot to ask out of 405 pages.

It’s plenty to ask out of 650 pages, come to think of it. But anyway, let’s take a look, shall we?

Haller was drafted to defend an indigent man accused of murdering a judge, and is doing okay in the trial, but not well enough with things coming to an end. Bosch watched a little bit of the trial, waiting to talk to his half-brother and something strikes him wrong. So he takes a look at the files and gives Haller to think about. But it’s clear to Bosch that the LAPD isn’t going to act on anything they turn up, they’ve got their man. So if anyone’s going to expose the judge’s killer, it’s going to be Bosch. While it’s to be expected that the detectives that arrested Haller’s client would resent Bosch’s involvement with the defense—but Ballard is antagonistic toward the idea as well. Just because these two respect each other and can work with each other, they’re not clones, they don’t agree on a lot.

Ballard’s called to the scene of a homeless camp, where someone had burned to death in a tent fire. She’s just there as a precaution, in case the LAFD decides it’s arson (and therefore homicide) instead of an accident. Having been brushed off—and afraid that the LAFD will do the same to the case—she takes a little time to turn up enough evidence to justify treating the case as a homicide. Then she was promptly removed from the case, so her old team at RHD could work it. Naturally, like every character Connelly has ever created, Ballard walks away, right? Yeah, I can’t type that with a straight face—she cuts a corner or two and works the case herself, making better progress than anyone else does, too. This brings her into contact with her old antagonist, now-Captain Olivas. He’s close to retirement, and it’ll be interesting to see what happens to her career after that.

But what gets the majority of the attention of the novel is the case that the Ballard and Bosch work together—Harry’s mentor (and father figure) has died and left him a murder book from 1990 that he’d, um, “borrowed” when he retired. John Jack wasn’t assigned to the case in 1990, it’s unclear that he did anything in 2000 when he took the file home. Bosch has no idea why he had it, but convinces Ballard to read it over and look into the case. They start working it, bringing them into contact with retired and not-retired gang members, digging up the past, and the question about why John Jack had taken the file.

Watching Connelly balance these mysteries/storylines is a treat—he does a great job of moving forward with each of them while bouncing back and forth between. I do think each case could’ve used 10-20% time than he gave them. But I could be wrong. They all wrap up satisfactorily, and There’s not a lot of time given for anything that isn’t case related, but we get a little bit. Both the personal material for Bosch (which is what he was waiting in court to talk to Haller about) and what we learn about Maddie make me really wonder what’s around their corners—and it appears we won’t learn anything in 2020 (unless we get a bit of an update in the Haller novel next year). Ballard’s material is always about her work primarily, but we do learn a little more about her life between her father’s death and her time with LAPD. I’m glad that Connelly hasn’t given us her whole biography, but man…what we have been given just makes me want more. Clearly, he’s making sure that fans of all three characters are going to have to come back for more as soon as he produces it.

I appreciated the discussion Bosch and Ballard had about some actions at the end of Dark Sacred Night, I have a friend who will rant at the drop of a hat about Ballard’s choices there (and I trust my email/text messages will get another one when he reads this post). I don’t think this conversation will satisfy him, but it’s good to see the pair acknowledge mistakes they made. While I don’t think either of them do anything quite as misguided in this book, but they both make a couple of reckless moves. Bosch’s always had a little bit of dirt on/leverage with superiors (even some history) to give him some coverage when he gets reckless. Ballard doesn’t. So when she goes maverick, it’s more nerve-wracking than it is when Bosch did/does it. A nice little bit of character work, and a good distinction between the two characters.

There’s a moment in every Michael Connelly novel, no matter how good it is, where something just clicks and suddenly I’m more invested in it than I am in almost any other book. I think I’ve talked about it before, but when That Moment hits—there’s nothing better. I get that with a lot of Thrillers/Mysteries (and even some books in other genres), but never as consistently as I do with Connelly. I knew that moment had hit when my phone told me it was time to put the book down and go into my office and I audibly groaned. How was I supposed to focus on anything else when Bosch and Ballard were on the hunt?

Lastly, and this is very likely going to be only a problem I had. Several right-hand pages in my copy that have very faint—practically missing—letters. It’s like it’d been left in the sun too long, or like when an inkjet printer is running out of ink. Please tell me that Little, Brown has better equipment than I do.

This isn’t the best Connelly can do, but man…it’s so good. Solidly put together, we get to spend time with all our favorites and it hits every button it’s supposed to. Connelly is one of the best around—The Night Fire shows why.

4 Stars

Finally Fall Book Tag

By HCNewton

On November 5, 2019

In Book Tag, Dennis Lehane, Fantasy, Fiction, Kevin Hearne, Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin, Rex Stout, YA/MG/Children's Books

While reading these posts on Bookidote, beforewegoblog, and The Witty & Sarcastic Bookclub, I noticed myself mentally composing this list—so I figure I had to join in the fun. I’d have posted this last week, but my free laborer realized how little he was getting paid and decided to play video games instead of generating my graphic.

Naturally, I only paid half of his fee.

Enough of that, bring on the Autumn! (even if it feels like Winter here in Idaho):

In Fall, the air is crisp and clear. Name a book with a vivid setting.

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Edwards

I had a hard time coming up with something for this one, honestly. But Whangdoodleland was so vivid that I can still picture parts of it, despite having read it only once in the last 30+ years.

Nature is beautiful…but also dying. Name a book that is beautifully written, but also deals with a heavy topic, like loss or grief.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

When I posted about it, I said, “I’m not convinced that this is really all that well-written, technically speaking. But it packs such an emotional wallop, it grabs you, reaches down your throat and seizes your heart and does whatever it wants to with it—so who cares how technically well it’s written? (and, yeah, I do think the two don’t necessarily go together). A couple of weeks from now, I may not look back on this as fondly—but tonight, in the afterglow? Loved this.” I still look back on it as fondly, for the record.

Fall is Back to School Season. Name a Nonfiction Book that Taught You Something.

Timekeepers: How the World Became Obsessed With Time by Simon Garfield

If I’m going to read a non-fiction book, it had better teach me something or I’ll end up ranting about it for days/weeks/months! This one popped to mind, though. In my post about the book, I said: “Did I learn something from the book? Much more than I expected to. The chapter on the French experiments alone probably taught me enough to justify the whole book. I didn’t/couldn’t stick with the details of watch-making (I have a hard time visualizing that kind of detail), but even that was fascinating and informative on the surface. Most topics broadened my understanding and taught me something. Also, the sheer amount of trivia that I picked up was great (the amount of time spent recording the first Beatles LP, why pop music tends to be about 3 minutes long, etc., etc.).”

In order to keep warm, it’s good to spend some time with the people we love. Name a fictional family/household/friend-group that you’d love to be a part of.

The Household of Nero Wolfe from the books by Rex Stout

(yeah, that picture is from the A&E TV show, not exactly the books—but in that image in particular, they look just about perfect)

There were many families/groups/households that I could’ve picked for this, but that Brownstone on West 35th Street is near the Platonic ideal for a place to live—I’d love to spend time with Mr. Wolfe, Archie and Fritz (not to mention Saul, Fred, Orrie, Lily, Lon . . .)

The colorful leaves are piling up on the ground. Show us a pile of Autumn-colored spines.

(I thought this was going to be hard, but in the end, I had to not make the pile bigger!)

Also…wow, clearly, I’m not a photographer. It’s a shame I don’t live closer to my pal, Micah Burke, things around here would look much spiffier.

Fall is the perfect time for some storytelling by the fireside. Share a book wherein somebody is telling a story.

A Plague of Giants by Kevin Hearne

That’s really 90% of the book—a bard telling stories. How he pulls this off, really impressed me.

(Hammered by Kevin Hearne would also qualify, but I liked the storytelling in this one better)

The nights are getting darker. Share a dark, creepy read.

Darkness Take My Hand by Dennis Lehane

This one disturbs me every time I read it (4-6 I think), I still remember having to sleep with the lights on after I stayed up reading it until 2-3 in the morning the first time—I doubt I was a very good employee the next day. (Sacred maybe is creepier, but this is the better book by Lehane)

The days are getting colder. Name a short, heartwarming read that could warm up somebody’s cold and rainy day.

Wonder by R. J. Palacio

The “short” in the category is the sticky wicket. But this is a quick read (even if the page number is higher than I’d count as “short.” Formulaic? Yup. Predictable? You betcha. Effective? Abso-smurfly. Textbook example of heartwarming.

Fall returns every year. Name an old favorite that you’d like to return to soon.

Magic Kingdom for Sale — SOLD! by Terry Brooks

Ive been thinking about this book a lot since Bookstooge’s Quick Fire Fantasy post. Gotta work this into the 2020 reading schedule.

I’m tagging any blogger who reads this. Play along.

Happy Birthday, Archie!

By HCNewton

On October 23, 2019

In Calendar Items, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin, News/Misc.

My annual tribute to one of my favorite fictional characters (if not my all-time favorite). I’ve got to do an overhaul to this soon, but it is slightly updated and tweaed from last year.

On Oct 23 in Chillicothe, Ohio, Archie Goodwin entered this world—no doubt with a smile for the pretty nurses—and American detective literature was never the same.

I’m toasting him in one of the ways I think he’d appreciate most—by raising a glass of milk in his honor.

Who was Archie? Archie summed up his life thusly:

Born in Ohio. Public high school, pretty good at geometry and football, graduated with honor but no honors. Went to college two weeks, decided it was childish, came to New York and got a job guarding a pier, shot and killed two men and was fired, was recommended to Nero Wolfe for a chore he wanted done, did it, was offered a full-time job by Mr. Wolfe, took it, still have it.” (Fourth of July Picnic)

Long may he keep it. Just what was he employed by Wolfe to do? In The Black Mountain he answers the statement, “I thought you was a private eye” with:

I don’t like the way you say it, but I am. Also I am an accountant, an amanuensis, and a cocklebur. Eight to five you never heard the word amanuensis and you never saw a cocklebur.

In The Red Box, he says

I know pretty well what my field is. Aside from my primary function as the thorn in the seat of Wolfe’s chair to keep him from going to sleep and waking up only for meals, I’m chiefly cut out for two things: to jump and grab something before the other guy can get his paws on it, and to collect pieces of the puzzle for Wolfe to work on.

In Black Orchids, he reacts to an insult:

…her cheap crack about me being a ten-cent Clark Gable, which was ridiculous. He simpers, to begin with, and to end with no one can say I resemble a movie actor, and if they did it would be more apt to be Gary Cooper than Clark Gable.

I’m not the only Archie fan out there:

A few months back, someone pointed me at this post, The Wit and Wisdom of Archie Goodwin. There’s some really good stuff here that I was tempted to steal, instead, I’ll just point you at it.
Robert Crais himself when writing an introduction to a Before Midnight reprint, devoted it to paying tribute to Archie—one of the few pieces of anything written that I can say I agree with jot and tittle.

In case you’re wondering if this post was simply an excuse to go through some collections of Archie Goodwin quotations, you wouldn’t be totally wrong…he’s one of the fictional characters I like spending time with most in this world–he’s the literary equivalent of comfort food. So just a couple more great lines I’ve quoted here before:

I would appreciate it if they would call a halt on all their devoted efforts to find a way to abolish war or eliminate disease or run trains with atoms or extend the span of human life to a couple of centuries, and everybody concentrate for a while on how to wake me up in the morning without my resenting it. It may be that a bevy of beautiful maidens in pure silk yellow very sheer gowns, barefooted, singing “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” and scattering rose petals over me would do the trick, but I’d have to try it.

I looked at the wall clock. It said two minutes to four. I looked at my wrist watch. It said one minute to four. In spite of the discrepancy it seemed safe to conclude that it would soon be four o’clock.

Description:I shook my head. “You’re flattering me, Inspector. I don’t arouse passions like that. It’s my intellect women like. I inspire them to read good books, but I doubt if I could inspire even Lizzie Borden to murder.”

She turned back to me, graceful as a big cat, and stood there straight and proud, not quite smiling, her warm dark eyes as curious as if she had never seen a man before. I knew damn well I ought to say something, but what? The only thing to say was ‘Will you marry me?’ but that wouldn’t do because the idea of her washing dishes or darning socks was preposterous.

“Indeed,” I said. That was Nero Wolfe’s word, and I never used it except in moments of stress, and it severely annoyed me when I caught myself using it, because when I look in a mirror I prefer to see me as is, with no skin grafted from anybody else’s hide, even Nero Wolfe’s.

If you like Anglo-Saxon, I belched. If you fancy Latin, I eructed. No matter which, I had known that Wolfe and Inspector Cramer would have to put up with it that evening, because that is always a part of my reaction to sauerkraut. I don’t glory in it or go for a record, but neither do I fight it back. I want to be liked just for myself.

When a hippopotamus is peevish it’s a lot of peeve.

It was nothing new for Wolfe to take steps, either on his own, or with one or more of the operatives we used, without burdening my mind with it. His stated reason was that I worked better if I thought it all depended on me. His actual reason was that he loved to have a curtain go up revealing him balancing a live seal on his nose.

It helps a lot, with two people as much together as he and I were, if they understand each other. He understood that I was too strong-minded to add another word unless he told me to, and I understood that he was too pigheaded to tell me to.

I always belong wherever I am.