Book Review Thursday - Two Ray Irish Mysteries

My Review of: Ray Irish Mystery Case Files #1 & #2 by Gordon Brewer

I think I found these two short pulp/noir detective mysteries via a freebie newsletter dealybob and went to the author's website to download a few samples. The writer is Gordon Brewer, and he had these two Ray Irish Case Files available for visitors. (Plus a short two-volume sword and sorcery e-book called Clovel Sword Saga which I've read and liked but have yet to review.)

The first Ray Irish mystery is titled Death Stalks the Runway and was quite intriguing and enjoyable. It starts out strong with a vicious crime, and the shamus (or private eye) is off and running, tracking down suspects as the tension mounts and the acts of violence increase. This story features a model and a suspicious agent - along with some gangsters and other nefarious players. The women the agent represents are living in fear, but a courageous 'dame' wants justice and Ray Irish is happy to seek it despite the danger to himself and his colleagues.

If you enjoy hard-boiled pulpy noir set in the 1940s, I think you'll like this first one. It's gritty and raw but well written and full of interesting characters. It's a short novella or a long novelet (about 65 pages), and is just the right length for this kind of adventure. I give it 4.5 stars.

The second Ray Irish mystery (Reaper Walks the Garden) is not as good as the first. Whereas Case File #1 bolts right out of the gate - with danger and fast pulpy action - Case File #2 opens with a grisly murder followed by lots and lots of talking. Lots and lots. The hard-boiled detective action didn't really start until a third of the way through. And for something this length (overlong at 95 pages), that's too far into the story for me to stay interested. So I skimmed to the end where everything was explained.

Basically, our shamus Mr. Irish tries to figure out who killed a dysfunctional woman in a dysfunctional family. Everyone's a suspect. But none of the characters grabbed me and they were all unlikable. Also, quite vulgar and violent. Like I said, it just didn't match the intrigue and engaging style of the first novelet. Not as strongly written, plus more than few typos which distracted me every now and then. Only 2.5 stars for this follow up mystery. But do grab the first one here.

~*~

This is Book #17 in my race to read/review 52 books this year.

Click here for a list of all my 52 Week Challenge reviews.

A Nice Review

A number of years back I started putting my short stories into short collections and publishing them online for 99 cents. A whole bunch are mentioned here on this tab of my blog.

One of my favorite collections is Last Gasp - Four Cozy Thrillers. This is a real quick fun read, the purpose is to distarct one during a lunch break, say.

Last Gasp - Four Cozy Thrillers
Only 99 cents! (affiliate link)

Well, mission accomplished!

A very popular reviewer on Amazon and Goodreads came across my bit of whimsy and wrote the following review (some sample excerpts from his longer review below)...

I ran across this by happenstance and decided to take a chance on it, desiring something brief and gossamer to entertain between bigger reads. These stories were short, amusing and engaging. If the purpose was to paint a smile on readers’ faces in a matter of minutes without, as Poirot would say, taxing the little gray cells, this collection of four miniature stories succeeds....

Great for a quick smile before bed, or perhaps a welcome diversion during a lunch break at work. This obviously isn’t meant to be more than that, and to its credit doesn’t try to be. Leaning heavily toward the cozy end of the spectrum, with the thrills more amusing than fear-inducing — as they are intended to be — there is an element of fun here. If that’s what you’re looking for you’ll probably enjoy this as I did. 

I'm very touched and appreciative. Just thought I'd share a little bit of good news with you today. If you happen to come across any of my books or collections and enjoy them, let me know! Thanks.

~*~

"Tip a buck, get a book."

(via PayPal.Me - an e-book from Tule Fog Press.) 

This blog is reader supported. Thank you for your support!

Space Opera

A FB acquaintance posted something about Star Wars and I commented that we should remember SW is fantasy not science fiction. Some nosey bug felt the need to correct me and teach me about space opera, 'which is a sub-genre of science fiction.' Oh dear.

Well, seeing as I wasn't born yesterday, I clarified that Star Wars was a storyline using fantasy tropes dressed up as sci-fi, a telltale sign being the use of magic ("Use the Force, Luke!"), which is not an element in space opera. But of course, my nuance fell on deaf ears.

Anyway, I do know what space opera is and one of my favorite series is T.M. Hunter's Aston West novels and stories. Go to Amazon (link in my review below) and browse his some fifteen titles and discover some good reading for yourself. To whet your appetite, here's my take on Hunter's latest offering - a triple-shot of Aston West.

I gave it 5 Stars:

Sweet Embrace & Other Adventures is a short collection of three more Aston West stories (book 5 in the series). This cycle centers around the space pirate/smuggler's relationship with a relative newcomer to the smuggling game, knock-out beauty Diedra Cane.

In tale number one, Conventional Wisdom, Aston gets in and out of a sticky situation...with a little help from Diedra. In the second story, Sweet Embrace, we see a more compassionate side to Aston, grace under fire, if you will. And finally, he wins the day in Ridealong, the third story where Cane's naivete once again gets our hero into a bit of trouble.

All told, aboug 35 pages. If you like space opera, wild adventure, and a turnabout storyline, these triple shots are just the thing for a quick lunch break escape or bedtime reading.

Review of POW!erful Tales - Super Powered Short Stories

My review of editor Michael Lea's collection of super human fiction, POW!erful Tales, is up at TangentOnline.com. Here's my opening take:

I have to admit at the outset that I’m not a super huge fan of superhuman stories, but I do like well told speculative adventures, which is what this anthology boils down to. And for the most part, the stories contained in POW!erful Tales, edited by Michael C. Lea, are fairly well told fictions featuring superheroes and super villains battling it out in and over Beta City, “the hero capital of the world.”

The setting of Beta City (on the shores of a post-cataclysmic Lake Erie) is important as it serves as a unifying thread for a collection of (for the most part) disparate stories written by thirteen different authors. Lea did a fairly good job tying them together with a running narrative that grouped thematically similar adventures into four sections. He even referred back to some of the characters and situations in his climactic story, “Uncreation Myth.” The overall project was maybe a bit ambitious as the groupings were somewhat forced, but I have to admit it was fresh and creative and did serve to set this anthology apart from the various other hero fiction collections out there.

After a fictional introduction by Lea that seeks to offer the reader some rationale for the increased hero activity in and around Beta City, the dossier is opened and we are invited to judge for ourselves the origins of the sensational happenings as well as the “menaces catalogued” there.

Read my reviews on all 15 stories included in this collection. And if this is your type of lit, then I'd give it a recommended thumbs up, a 6.5 out of 10.

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

Collection of short stories from Bengali/Indian-American perspective. Poignant and forlorn. Definite recommend. Fuller review later. (UPDATE Dec 2009: Another confession - I probably won't ever get around to reviewing each of the stories in this collection. So sue me. Just read 'em. They're good. Trust me.)



More Reviews:
Bookreporter
Hey Lady!
IndiaStar

Conscientious Inconsistencies by Nancy Jane Moore

This review originally appeared at The Fix, Oct 24, 2008.

PS Showcase #2 - Conscientious Inconsistencies

by Nancy Jane Moore.

Conscientious Inconsistencies by Nancy Jane Moore is the second volume in PS Publishing’s series of “mini-collections of brand new short stories by some of the best and brightest new writers on the genre fiction scene.” And I have to say I was impressed. Although touted in the introduction as a sampling of stories influenced by Moore’s feminism, I found, rather, the four pieces of fiction (and a list of “Thirty-One Rules for Fulfilling Your Destiny”) as examples of great writing featuring fully characterized protagonists who just happen to be women. Moore’s style rises above a particular perspective and stands on its own as quality short fiction. To classify this collection as feminist literature, in my opinion, might unnecessarily marginalize these stories away from the very genre fiction scene it seeks to represent.

That being said, the opening piece, “A Mere Scutcheon,” is a galloping sword-and-sorcery tale featuring a duo of the queen’s guardswomen who are smart, sassy, and bold enough to contest Alexandre Dumas’s famous trio any day you please. The characters, plot, and writing style are just as entertaining as that classic story as well. Anna d’Gart is sworn to protect the honor of her liege and must undertake a mission on behalf of her queen, whose honor the realm’s evil Cardinal (and sorcerer) is seeking to discredit. With only a week to accomplish their quest, Anna and her cohort, Asamir, must outwit the cardinal who has influence over both the king’s guardsmen and the weather! Along with requisite sword clashing, chivalry, and a bit of romance, and we have a very satisfying short story.

Leaving the world of historical fantasy (although I did note in this second story passing reference to The Three Musketeers), Moore’s next piece is a modern day speculative reflection on one’s own mortality. In “The First Condition of Immortality,” the narrator takes us to the funeral of her friend, all the while accompanied by a shadowy figure lurking just outside her periphery. Frightened by the implications this unexpected companion represents, our protagonist initially ignores the shadow, or tries to. Eventually she confronts the unknown…which is the subtle message behind the narrative. Poignant yet laced with humor, this short fiction captures both the somber reality of death and the (in this case, tentative) hopefulness of an examined life.

The interlude, “Thirty-One Rules for Fulfilling Your Destiny,” seems to serve as a thematic tie that binds these stories together, and, while admittedly aimed at the female reader, was informative and entertaining to me, a male. I especially enjoyed the humorous implication of Rule #8:

The male way of warriorship has been defined for thousands of generations. It is possible that there is a female way of warriorship. Think on these things, but not when your enemies are attacking.

And the profundity of Rule #28:

Do not be deceived by those who would make you a god. If taking on the name of God is a good strategic decision, accept the title humbly. But do not believe it yourself. Godhood is not your destiny.

These two rules seem especially appropriate in light of the themes found in the third story, “Homesteading.” Set in a postapocalyptic near future, Isabel and Lily find refuge among a ragtag clan of women and children headed by Harlan, the only grown man on the farm. Even though they carry their load and share in the chores, the inevitable tension of a shifting interpersonal dynamic gives way to outright confrontation. And the results are surprising. The new dynamic is not the byproduct of the typical male way of warriorship. But, then, as the clan discovers, Isabel is not your typical warrior.

The final story is a bit of slipstream titled “Three O’Clock in the Morning.” Told in second person present tense (a rarely used but, in this case, competently written POV), this urgent and bizarre tale communicates the hidden prejudices, perceived inadequacies, and underlying loneliness that pervades our modern culture. Put yourself in the story: Early each morning, you awake to discover that another insurmountable wall has cut you off from a portion of your world. What will you do when those walls isolate you completely? You, the protagonist, have a choice…

As a collection, these short stories fit together nicely. While some might prefer more cohesion among the genres, I thought the mix of fantasy, speculative, dystopia, and/or SF worked rather well in this showcase. Both the publisher and the author should be happy with the results, and I look forward to future installments in this series.

Reviewed by Lyn Perry
Rated 7 of 10

BTW, Book View Cafe used a bit of my review as a blurb for Moore's collection. So that's cool.

Also, at SF Signal, Moore discusses a comment from my review. She's very gracious and her insights help me understand even further her perspective on feminist literature. She writes:

In recent years, I've been exploring gender issues in a lot of my fiction, and I've never made any secret of the fact that I'm a feminist. I hadn't thought I was violating any taboos by doing that, but a comment in a positive review of my collection, Conscientious Inconsistencies, has given me some food for thought. On The Fix, Lyndon Perry wrote, "To classify this collection as feminist literature, in my opinion, might unnecessarily marginalize these stories away from the very genre fiction scene it seeks to represent."

His observation, which was based on the fact that the introduction and the jacket cover both discuss feminism, has made me wonder if some of the rejections I receive have to do with the fact that many of my stories do touch on gender issues, or if - as Perry suggests - my reputation as a feminist makes some editors (and readers) dismiss my work without paying close attention.

I wouldn't go so far as to suggest that a taboo exists against feminist material - or political material generally. Frankly, I hope Perry's wrong, much as I appreciate the nice things he said about my stories. But it does seem as if fiction that goes farther than simply writing a woman character into a role once reserved solely for male ones is not common in mass market fiction. It's nice to see the kick-ass heroines, but I am hungry for meatier material.

Thinking about this hasn't driven me to self-censorship, though. The truth is, I just find gender issues too interesting to stop writing about them. And I've been told "girls can't do that" too many times to let any criticism stop me from being a feminist.

Book Review - Infinite Realities

Infinite Realities by R. L. Copple
The following review first appeared at SFReader.com.

Infinite Realities is a novella sized collection of fantasy tales – 5 short stories in about 85 pages, plus a bonus commentary on the relationship between faith and fiction. It can be read in an evening; and if you know you're immersing yourself into a series of morality tales with hints of allegory, one setting will be enough. Not that it's overkill. The pieces are well told and fast paced, and the author has provided the reader with some interesting scenarios to consider as well as a few adequately developed characters (for this short of a project). However, the message-oriented nature of this book is best contemplated as a whole.

The intended audience is Christian (or anyone comfortable with the Judeo-Christian milieu); but the fantastical elements and plot lines, while painted in fairly primary colors, do allow the five stories to stand on their own and thus could appeal to general fantasy fans. I might have appreciated a more subtle approach (more pastels) to the various "realities" I encountered while journeying with Sisko, our protagonist, but again, for the novella length, I think the book accomplished its purpose.

And that purpose? To assist the reader, Every Man or Every Woman (via Sisko), to experience and learn from the many stages, or realities, of life. Copple isn't trying to duplicate the grand scale of Pilgrim in his progress "toward no earthly destination" (Bunyan), but he does capture with simple "clarity and a gentle sincerity" (from the Introduction by M. Keaton) that human yearning to be more than what we are.

It starts with a calling. In "Steamy Realities" Sisko discovers his true yearning which is to become a healer of the human family; indeed, to become his brother's keeper. With a magical ring inscribed in Hebrew with the words, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (words of Jesus), Sisko leaves the Steam House (reminiscent of an aboriginal sweat lodge) with a vision to pursue and the power to fulfill it.

While on this journey, Sisko encounters currents from within and from without of jealousy and power ("Undesired Realities"); inadequacy vs. duty and revenge vs. forgiveness ("Unknown Realities"); the power of love and mercy ("Unseen Realities"); and failure, repentance, and destiny ("Ultimate Realities"). One gets the impression that these themes could go on ad infinitum, and that would be correct, thus the title. Yet the handful of issues explored here are representative and adequate enough for the reader to put down the volume with satisfaction.

For a small press release (Doubled-Edged Publishing) the quality is fine, with only a few typos and formatting slips. The front cover is very well done, and the writing, as mentioned, is competent but not stirring. As a Christian, I found the bonus column on the interplay between faith and fiction to be a most cogent and intelligently argued apologetic for why fantasy literature is not merely to be tolerated within Christian circles but celebrated and pursued. This may not be of interest to those who don't share that faith perspective, but it is still a hotly debated topic among believers. For this reason alone, I'd recommend Infinite Realities for not only its contemplative offerings but for simple fun and enjoyment.

Reviewed by Lyn Perry
Rated 6 of 10.

Review - Mr. Templar

Four new stories and four new poems are offered in the current online issue of Aberrant Dreams, updated mid-April. My favorite was the opening piece. Here's my review at The Fix which covers the whole issue.

“Mr. Templar” by Jason Sizemore tops the table of contents and is a good, old-fashioned robot tale, with an alien twist. Humanity has fled, all biological life has since died out, and in this endless post-holocaust nuclear winter, androids roam the planet in search of energy to maintain their existence. When they chance upon each other in the desert wasteland, it’s usually a fight to the finish, with the loser’s power source as the reward. So it’s with skepticism and grave reservation that Mr. Templar, one of the last remaining androids on Earth, agrees to assist a dying robot who claims that humans—with fuel—have returned from space to save them and are orbiting the planet even now. Are Mr. Templar’s misgivings with or without merit? The author does a fairly good job introducing characters, planting clues, and creating a little suspense in this sci-fi mystery, but the resolution lacked the punch I was looking for. The conclusion was probably a bigger letdown for Mr. Templar, however, who had his hopes pinned to that promise of reuniting with his human masters.

Science Fiction (PGish)
About 5500 words
My Rating: 7 of 10
Read it over lunch.

Review - The Night of the Meld

From Flashing Swords, Issue 9
(Illustration "The Meld" © 2008 Miko)

"The Night of the Meld"
by Bruce Durham

This was the first S&S story I've read that featured Dalacroy, the mercenary protag who slashes, parries, feints, then graces has way through one adventure after another - "Meld" being the 4th of 5 tales written so far by a competent and imaginative Durham. In this episode, Dalacroy and his lover/sidekick Moirya rescue a princess from the clutches of an evil wizard. A trite plot, you say? Not when the real action occurs once dark magic is unleashed and our hero must face a monstrous melding of the living and the dead that even the wizard may not be able to control. The characters are nicely developed and, while there are a few dangling details, the story holds together as a stand alone very nicely.

Sword & Sorcery (PG-13)
About 5900 words
My Rating: 8.5 of 10
Take an early lunch and read it.

May Announcements

May 16
+ My review at The Fix of Talebones #36 (Spring 2008) is now up.

May 15
+ My review at SFReader of Faith Awakened, a novel by Grace Bridges is up.
+ My review at The Fix of Aberrant Dreams (April, 2008) is now up.

May 14
+ Aphelion (May, 2008) posted my scifiaku, "Generation Gap."

May 7
+ My review of A Thousand Faces, (Issue #4) went up at The Fix. Reactions from some of the authors are here, here, and here.

May 6
+ Oh yeah, my daughter got an engagement ring today. :-)
(Update - BTW, we're proud and happy for both!)

May 5
+ Bewildering Stories (Issue #288) published my Zombie humor, "The Hunt Hunt." Take 30 seconds and read my flash fiction and let me know if you laughed, smiled, or groaned. :-)

May 1
+ Shh, don't tell. But I'm buying this camera for my mother-in-law for her birthday.
Canon PowerShot A460

Review - Lono and the Little Gods

From Sword's Edge, Issue 24

"Lono and the Little Gods"
by Paul McNamee

When Lono's wife is abducted by the little gods, he sheds his fear of the unknown and chases after them into their underground kingdom. With some unexpected help along the way, Lono battles Kaang, their king, and discovers more than a few new truths about himself, the gods, and the woman he loves. From the opening fight scene to the revealing dénouement, McNamee builds and maintains the momentum with action and mystery in this wonderfully descriptive Polynesian styled story. What seems to be a simple rescue-the-maiden plot turns out to be something much more satisfying in the end. The unique setting and exotic cast of characters makes the story interesting and enjoyable.

Fantasy/Supernatural (PGish)
About 4700 words
My Rating: 8.5 of 10
Take an early lunch and read it.

Review - Pink Plastic Flamingos

From Big Pulp, (Horror Section)

"Pink Plastic Flamingos"
by Michael Turner

Ronnie, a small time criminal, gets by on a little B-n-E as he calls it. Especially when the caper's easy, like breaking into little old ladies' homes. He knows where his grandma keeps easy cash and figures other people her age hide things in about the same places. Plus, without any security, today's heist would be a pushover. That was Ronnie's first mistake, thinking there was no alarm system. In this short but engaging horror story, we're treated to quickly paced tale that is entertaining and creepy at the same time. You won't look at a yard full of pink flamingos the same way again.

Horror (PG to PG13)
About 2300 words
My Rating: 8 of 10
Take an early lunch and read it.

Tall Tales On The Iron Horse

Book Review
Short Story Review

With an imagination sparked by that understated and deliberately dry British humor (well, humour, I suppose), Science Fiction writer Colin P Davies has crafted a wonderfully witty collection of fantastical stories titled, Tall Tales on the Iron Horse (published by Bewildering Press).

Here's a sample narrative quip:

I felt a responsibility for her. Silly, I knew. But I tended to gather responsibilities like a hypochondriac gathers medicines. I blame my mother, for putting me in charge of the chickens.

This snippet is from the opening tall tale, for which the anthology is named, and is followed by 18 more stories, including 3 never before published pieces.

~*~
1. Tall Tales on the Iron Horse

All aboard! Quickly now! And without so much as a goodbye to reality, this first story steals your imagination away and immediately plops you down in the middle of a surreal journey through space, with an incessant and annoying Talker as your travel guide. Where are you heading? How soon will you get there? Author Colin P Davies deftly leads the reader from Australasia to Titan, Saturn's moon, so that we can...wait for God. This first person narrative is a clever space travel/psychological thriller (with a bit of nanotechnology for the hard sci-fi fan) that keeps your confusion at bay until all is divinely revealed.

Sci-Fi (PG)
About 3900 words
My Rating: 9 of 10
Take an early lunch and read it.*

* This story is available online at Infinity Plus.
Not all stories are available online. Please purchase your copy here.

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Review - An Evening's Walk

From Fear & Trembling, (Double-Edged Publishing)
(Cover art © 2008 by E.J. Mickels II, art wrangler at F&T)

"An Evening's Walk"
by Wesley Lambert

This short suspense piece worked hard at setting the scene - proper foreshadowing, couple red herrings, eerie descriptions, slow build - then a quick climax and conclusion. And while I enjoyed the surprise ending, it was more cute than creepy and so all of the urgency of the buildup fell a bit flat. I might have cut the heavy description (written in a very literary style, competently executed, but a bit much), planted a few more obvious clues, and turned this into a true flash fiction. Still, a fun little story.

Horror (PG)
About 2150 words
My Rating: 6 of 10
If time, read it over lunch.

Review - Frank Hunter vs. The Crawling Brains

From Membra Disjecta, Volume 1, Issue 2

"Frank Hunter vs. The Crawling Brains"
by Nicholas Ozment

A hilarious romp through a 1950s B movie from the perspective of Eddie Reed who wakes up during a film's opening credits to realize he's playing Frank Hunter, a Big Game Hunter and husband to a 44D Blond Bombshell named...quick, check the wedding announcement...Cindy. Whew! After an awkward but exciting (he kisses his wife, hubba hubba) opening scene, Eddie quickly orients himself to the task at hand by recalling all those sci-fi/horror flicks from his childhood. Monster Brains from Space are on the prowl and he has to save the world before the Saturday matinée ends! Will Frank figure out a way to end this 'deadly menace' before it's too late?! Will he get beyond second base with his wife - and slip past that dang Hays Code before 1968? You'll have to tune in and find out!

Sci-Fi/Horror/Humor (PG to PG13)
About 5100 words
My Rating: 8.5 of 10
Take an early lunch and read it.

Review - The Magenta Equations

From Allegory, Volume 6/33, Spring 2008

"The Magenta Equations"
by J Alan Erwine

A bit slow off the start, this psycho-analytically infused SF piece eventually develops into a mildly interesting mystery. But there isn't much of a plot to explore or crisis to resolve so the payoff at the end is only mildly satisfying. An increasing number of space-fairing travelers are developing "hyperspace insanity" and the Board of a major consortium wants to know why before the press gets a hold of the story. Enter Dr. Jeng Fitztog, a reclusive scientist more adept at understanding broad behavioral equations than dealing with individuals, which is what he must do to solve this crisis! Except, his discovery could have been made by a computer and the press would have already noticed the increase in space madness and demanded an explanation. The big-business-conspiracy theme didn't quite work, and although the writing is solid, the story never took off as expected.

Sci-Fi (PG)
About 4200 words
My Rating: 6 of 10
If time, read it over lunch.

Review - Blythe's Vengeance

From Fantasy Gazetteer, Issue #3, May 2008

"Blythe's Vengeance"
by Heather Kuehl

Through a tragic misunderstanding, Blythe's family is killed and her village destroyed by a grieving sorcerer, Nethaniel. As a witch, she was able to survive, and eventually return, to seek revenge with her champion, Gaylan, a half-dragon "animagus." The magick battle that ensues is standard fantasy fare, but competently told. The conflict (both internal and external) make this an intriguing story, but I was unclear as to the protag's moral resolution. The ending seemed abrupt. Blythe experienced a crisis of character in her battle with Nethaniel, but I was left wondering what effects the sorcerer's magick truly had on her soul. If you enjoy magical fantasy and dueling wizards, this is worth a look.

Fantasy (PG'ish)
About 3050 words
My Rating: 6.5 of 10
Read it over lunch.

Review - The Voice Within the Book

From Demon Minds, Spring 2008 Tales of Terror

"The Voice Within the Book"
by Heather Kuehl

This short horror piece is a suspenseful and entertaining story that adds a fresh mystery angle to a somewhat predictable (given the title) plot. But the writing is fairly solid and the characters adequately described so as to elicit in the reader an emotional interest in their outcome. A couple of creepy parts kept me, like Matthew (the protag), reading (hint hint); and not a lot of blood and gore, for which I am grateful. The most interesting character is the antagonist (the "Voice"), which has a personality and agenda all her own. An agenda that is as delightfully disturbing as the ending. Worth a read even if you don't enjoy horror.

Horror (PG to PG13)
About 3,450 words
My Rating: 6.5 of 10
Read it over lunch.