Carl Deuker -- Books, Movies, TV

Split between Sunnis and Shia.  M. has no male children upon death.  So who is the next leader?  Shia follow son-in-law Ali, husband of Fatima, and father of two boys.  "The Feud of the Necklace."  Aisha, youngest and favored wife, is left behind on a journey because a necklace, gift from M., came apart and she needed to restring it.  She is "rescued" by a young soldier who brings her back to Medina on his camel.  Others see the young Aisha with the soldier and immediately suspect her of infidelity, humiliating M.  He sends Aisha away while he figures out what to do. Ali's advice:  Divorce Aisha, thereby earning her undying hatred. Advice based on rivalry; not really great for M. as it makes it seem as if he has been cuckolded.  He doesn't do it.  Instead, he has a vision that clears her of wrongdoing. Upshot:  In Islam, a woman cannot be considered unfaithful unless four witnesses testify.  Very enlightened.  How...

Plot thickens. Who killed LaDuc? What does the map really show? How is it that the revolver in the stained glass window is the same style revolver that killed LeDuc? Silencer came from? English company that manufactured the gun involved? Why is 3 Pines not on the map. Lots of mysteries--I'm expecting she will pull it together from the high ratings. I'm guessing some sort of cross-generational retribution is going on.  LeDuc's grandfather in the photo.  Amelia's grandfather?  Something like that.  

Gritty almost to the point of being over-the-top.  Jack Taylor is an intellectual version (and more interesting) than Jack Reacher, but they share a similar moral code.  Irish writer who is unrelenting in his analysis of the flaws of the Irish.  I'll definitely read another of his books, but I'm going to give it a rest. Some spoilers follow: The book is notable for killing off characters that are--conventionally--off limits.  So, Stewart is murdered by the psychopath he is shadowing.  Ridge (female cop) dies from a stupid act of violence--huge rock thrown on her car from the overpass.  The good-looking chick (Kelly) turns out to be the serial killer.  (How many serial killers are women?)  She's also married to the rich guy who is taking over Galway; in addition, she makes a play for Jack. Jack, the vengeful, does not kill Kelly.  Instead, he visits her at her "psycho" ward where she is being treated (including memory suppressing) for he...

Enjoying this more as I go along.  The map, from WWI, will be the key. I'm guessing it's a DaVinci Code sort of plot.  One of the present day, or a few of the present day, occupants of Three Pines are connected to an earlier event represented by the map.  The pyramid will be the key. Amelia will figure it out, or be the next victim saved in the nick of time by Armand.  Moving pretty well now. Map also appears in back pocket of soldier represented on stained glass window in church. The window is a memorial to dead soldiers from Three Pines.

Jack Taylor falls off the wagon.  Cop friend, female, gets knocked into a coma trying to get the statue of Mary back. Stewart, Jack's friend, does some vigilante revenge. C33, psychopath, kills fourth victim. Irish toughness throughout. Bleak hard-drinking profane     I am reading Louise Penny at the same time.  Authors COULDN'T be more different.

Like it a lot, so far. Jack Taylor as your classic flawed hero.  Giving up drink, cynical, unloved, violent, sarcastic, insightful.  So far a couple of murders--loan shark (female) thrown over her own stairwell to her death.  Stolen statue of Mary. Rich guy moved into poor Irish town--spare, sparse prose.  The exact opposite of A Great Reckoning which I'm also reading now.  LIke this one much more.

Latin America Central America has no good navigable rivers.  Disease problem due to heat and humidity.  South America vast area, but again geography is not kind like it was to North America. Arctic:  Global warming will make shipping, and arguments over rights, very contentious over the next years.  The new "Northwest Passage" will reduce travel time and shipping costs tremendously.  Norway, Sweden, Russia, USA, Canada--trouble ahead. Liked this book very much.  Scholarly without being pedantic in the least--perfect for the layman.

One Touch of Nature Yanks in London find themselves at a baseball game--first game for Birdsey in five years. After game, B. invites companions for dinner.  One is reporter; the other is criminal who has left safety to see the game.  Reporter calls police.  B. thinks this is unsporting, tackles reporter, bank robber escapes. Reporter:  How will I explain this to police.  B.  That's easy, I have to explain to my wife. 4/5

History of successful restaurant. Katie and Andy run it together.  Falling out because K. wants to be dancer.  K. decides to kill herself (gas).  Writes note.  Waiter gives it to Andy.  He loves K.  Rushes up and saves her (she'd already been saved by the old waiter). Marriage.  Weak  2/5

Dance girl in NYC.  Visitor comes in and dances with her, living his wife upstairs to watch.  Girl is sad for the girl--bad sign for the marriage.  She arranges for the girl to come down and win a dance contest.  Her boss is angry--the prize cup is NOT to leave the premises.  Husband realizes that his wife is great and decides to hustle her out of NYC so he doesn't lose her.  Our dance girl decides to return to her husband, a man from the very town the couple had come from.  Sentimental in the extreme  3/5

The less attractive of two girls becomes the object of attention of Ted Brady, a super athlete who has never had time for girls. They would marry, but her grandfather believes he is the king of England.  Poor Brady, a commoner, is not good enough. Brady, though, manages to win a contest and becomes THE KING OF CONEY ISLAND for a week.  He tells granddad, and all is well. Interesting in the treatment of dementia as comic, sort of.

The Shy Man Amusing story about a mongrel dog who is owned by a "shy" man.  The man is a burglar.  He plants the dog in a house having trained the dog not to bark.  The dog, wanting the man to become less shy, whines to his new owner to come down and meet the "shy" man.  Nice "dog" thoughts throughout. 3.5/5 He Moves in Society Same mongrel dog who now becomes the dog of a rich little boy. The family detests the mongrel.  The mongrel mistakes a pure bred dog for a rat, attacks it, and that's that.  He is to be shot.  Little boy runs away with the dog.  Family believes little boy has been kidnapped and that the dog has saved him. Dog is in like Flint.  Can't say I liked this on much.  2/5

Wilton's Holiday Wilton makes up a tragic death of a wife-to-be so he will be left alone by women.  Golf, tennis, great joy on his holiday.  Then he falls in love,but, drat, the girl won't have him because she's sure he'll be pining for his dead (imaginary) fiancee. A fight, danger on the beach due to rising tide, a happy ending.  4/5

Very clever.  Gussie is off in America chasing a chorus girl.  Bertie Wooster is sent by this aristocratic family to bring him back.  Nice reversal, the chorus girl's father won't have Gussie as a son-in-law unless he joins vaudeville and gets some acting skill.  Gussie's mother comes out . . . she was once in vaudeville and . . . was in love with Gussie's would be father in law.  She gives up her fake aristocratic airs, hooks up with Gussie's soon to be in-law, and all ends happily.  5/5 terrific

Short stories: Bill the Bloodhound is a terrible detective in love with a chorus girl. He's assigned to spy on a member of her troupe.  He "disguises" himself anew in every city, but all the troupe know he is a detective. They believe he brings good luck.  In the end, he becomes a mascot/actor for the group and marries the girl.  3/5/5

Long lasting hostility between two countries rooted in Japanese treatment of Koreans in WWII.  Geography today puts N.K. and Japan at odds over islands and shipping lanes.  N.K. nuclear program worrying to both Japan and S.K.  The border between the two Koreas is completely artificial--no real separation--making invasion from the North a constant worry.

Spoilers. Liked it very much and will definitely read more by Tey.  Ending was a little weak.  Brat is okay with being a con man, but won't be privy to Simon's murder of Patrick.  He manages to intuit how the murder was pulled off. Patrick didn't drown, he was thrown over a cliff.  Then Simon planted the suicide note and the jacket. There is a "return to the scene of the crime scene." Brat jostles Simon over the cliff. Brat survives, Simon dies. Loose ends. Brat won't b charged with any crime. Eleanor, sister, will now marry Brat.  (She felt he wasn't her brother, and those English marry cousins.) Who tutored Brat? No one seems to care. Brat's parentage (mother wanted to be nurse so gave him to orphanage; dad never knew  he was alive; both parents dead) was all pretty convenient. But much to like and the writing is superb

Our hero lends his "Mormon" treasure to the elderly bookseller. They will sell it and split commission. He's trying to get in good with her so she will recommend him for membership in antiquarian bookseller group. Looks like it might work--and then her house burns down and she dies. Did the book go up in flames, too? Murder?

Spoilers:  Bures--showing horses, racing . . . Simon tries  to cause Brat to have a serious accident (death) by loosening the girth on his horse before a race. .  . Eleanor feeling non-sisterly feelings for Brat, says, "You can't be my brother."  Simon admits he killed Patrick to Brat, and he tells Brat he will keep trying to kill him.  Different sort of mystery, that's for sure.  Like it very much. Uncle Charles arrives soon . . . he's been mentioned for the whole book.  Something must be important.

Simon has a solid alibi, so he wasn't involved in the death of Patrick.  That leaves . . . no one.  Suicide?  Patrick/Brat takes Timber out for a ride. Simon goes nuclear, telling Brat never to ride the horse again and calling him a fake--in front of Eleanor.  This despite the fact that Patrick/Brat now legally runs the show--he's 21.  Simon drinking heavily.  Headed toward a Simon/Brat fight to the death climax? Uncle Charles comes soon . . . not sure what he's going to bring to the plot.  He must know something about Brat, otherwise the delay in bringing him onto the stage makes no sense.  His presence will change it all.

Mormon mystery.  Emery, as a young man, swears to avenge the murderers of Joseph Smith by slitting the throat of living relative.  He's all set to do it, but he falls in love with her instead. Our rare books guy has a daughter.  The daughter is  falling  in love with the son of a long-time friend.  But wait--that son of a long-time friend is also the son of our rare books guy. He and his friend had a fling one night.  So it would be incest were his daughter to take up with the boy.   Yikes! Cozy but definitely creepy story.

Use the 1st person/3rd person method of ice twins to tell Cowchilla kidnapping story.

Not much reading today.  Timber, Simon's horse, tries to kill Brat in a sly way.  (He tries to scrape him off against a fence.)  Timber, it turns out, has killed other riders.  Simon neglected to mention that to Brat.  Hmmmm.  At the end of one chapter, Brat tries to figure out of whom Simon reminds him.  The answer:  Timber, the athletic but murderous horse. Simon seeming more and more nefarious.  Did he let his brother drown?  Brat finally makes a few mistakes.  He says he has never churned butter. His neighbors say:  Why, Patrick, you used to come ever Saturday.  Very enjoyable

So far, so good, for the imposter.  Everyone believes him . . . except Simon.  Simon pretends to accept him but then tries to catch him out.  Horses, stable--Brat sees all the things he loves. Interesting points:  1) We're rooting for the imposter.  2) Simon "knows" he's an imposter.  How?  Did he see his brother drown and not tell anyone?  3) Brat pulls off the impossible, coolly remembering this lessons about the house and people at all times.  Okay, willing suspension of disbelief.  4) Brat as half-brother, maybe.  Simon and Patrick's father got a servant girl pregnant, maybe, and then she dumped him at an orphanage. The insistence on the "Ashby" resemblance is so often repeated that it would be strange if this "foundling" doesn't have Ashby blood.  Very enjoyable.

The imposter is coached on the life and manners of Patrick.  He's a quick learn.  After two weeks, he's good enough to fool the lawyers and his Aunt Bea.  It also helps him that he looks almost identical (how is this possible?) to his non-identical twin brother, Simon. Simon is the hang-up. Yes, he loses money, so it's natural he doesn't want to believe in the veracity of the tale of his long-lost brother.  But his vehemence is far beyond what his Aunt Bea was expecting.  Also somewhat suspicious.  Did Simon see his brother drown?  Is that why he knows this imposter is a fake? Has he withheld information?  Seems so.

Details about antiquarian book sellers -- it's a hard field to crack into.  Unethical behavior common; suspicions abound regarding the ways in which books are acquired.  A "pirate" mentality is needed.

Sam Waterston America's involvement/incursion/bombing of Cambodia and the results--Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge.  It's a very good film about the relationship of NYT reporter and his Cambodian translator and newspaper collaborator. The NYT reporter is accused, when his Cambodian partner cannot escape, of endangering the man's life to further his own career.  The charge -- all in all -- seems likely true, but the escape of the Cambodian from the Khmer Rouge takes some of the sting out. Very good movie. Very good reminder of a low point in American history.

A double story.  Brat Farrar is going to turn up at the last moment to inherit the land (and horses) of a suicide whom he looks like. I thought, for a moment, that Farrar might discover that he was, in fact, the man he was pretending to be--but that now seems highly unlikely.  Good start, good plot.

Final story Horne Fisher meets Marsh, the journalist, who is about to blow the lid off a scandal involving high ranking British politicians.  H-F convinces Marsh to come to a weekend meeting first.  The corrupt men are, in fact, contriving a way to save Britain.  Corrupt in their personal ways, they remain true to the English ideal.  Except for H-F's uncle.  H-F has to kill him to keep him from betraying England.  Then, in an apocalyptic finale, H-F shows the English/Irish where the invading Germans are, and dies in the process. Quite a story . . . audacious on many levels.  Very much "England the greatest country in the world" in spite of the flaws of English individuals.  The group is much, much greater than the individuals.

This is a very cynical story.  Horne Fisher is manipulated into running for parliament by his brothers and friends.  He speaks truly, logically, and from the heart, and he wins over the populace. However, his friends/brothers didn't want him to win, they just wanted him to siphon off enough votes to let their favored, and much more dishonest, candidate win.  Horne-Fisher learns of the plot. He still wins the election, but never goes to parliament. Chesterton has a strongly cynical bent--evil/dishonesty are frequently uncovered by Horne-Fisher, but then he decides it would be worse for England if the truth ever came out.

"Modern intelligence won't accept anything on authority.  But it will accept anything without authority." "It's my reading of human nature that a man will cheat in his trade, but not in his hobby." (Not sure this applies to golf.)

An architect and an archaelogist meet at Lord Bulmer's house. The discuss the various pretenses of the house--the hole in the wall around it, how old it really is, etc. Prior Park--it was said that it was named after a priory.  Then someone said, no, just named after a Mr. Prior.  Chesterton's comment:  people believe "facts" that deglamorize something far more readily than similarly unsubstantiated facts that glamorize.  In fact, the place was a priory. Anyway, Horne Fisher is invited, along with many others, to a masquerade party.  Two of the men are sport swords.  They have an argument of sorts.  There is ice skating on a frozen pond. The next morning one of the "swordsmen" is missing.  H-F determines that he has fallen into the pond.  Yes, it's shallow, but in one spot it is very deep.  Our murderer knew this, weakened the ice the night before, and then departed.  The murder occurs when he is not there.  Same plot, in...

In 1844, Joseph Smith, the Mormon prophet, died at the hands of an angry mob who stormed his jail cell in Carthage, Illinois. Shortly after, a radical faction of Smith’s followers swore to avenge Smith’s death by killing not only the four men deemed most responsible, but to teach their heirs to eliminate future generations of the prophet’s murderers as well. --from description by Goodreads Good start.  Description of death of Smith in prologue.  I'm going to read a chapter a day as a replacement for the B & N Read out.  This month the free book is a western/romance--not my genre.

The Bottomless Well . . . terrific story marred by anti-semitism at end.  British occupied Arab land.  Legend of Aladdin (different one) building into the heavens.  God, angry, throws him into well as deep as the building was to be high.  Brits have golf course, clubhouse, etc., near the well.  And then--murder.  Famous general (Hastings) killed, apparently by his wife's lover.  Enter Fisher: He figures out that a revolving bookcase holds the secret as to how the death occurred.  Also the (lack of) use of the bottomless well as a place to throw the body plays into the solution.  Very clever, and then, some nasty anti-semitism which blames Jews for involving England in places they shouldn't be, all for money.  G.K.--I didn't know!

The Soul of the Schoolboy--Uncle (Reverend) takes his nephew to see old silver coin. They empty pockets to enter museum.  Boy drops off magnet, string, junk.  A monk/magician enters with them. Colonel Morris is in charge of the place, a skeptic.  The boy, curious about a switch, plunges them all into darkness.  When the lights come back on--the coin is gone. The "thief" is Colonel Morris who used the darkness to test his theory that the silver coin was a fraud.  He used the boys magnet and string to fish the coin out of the display case, proving to himself that the coin was bogus--silver coated but iron, not silver, inside.  Clever