Carl Deuker -- Books, Movies, TV

Confusion of 20's. Main character is confused about his sexuality, his nationality, his future, his past. Great scene where he meets, girlfriend Hella in tow, Giovanni.  Giovanni has been distraught because David simply disappeared. He was worried that David was dead.  David, though, plays the role of the "straight" male.  Giovanni, he pretends to Hella, is just a roommate. No idea why he's so upset.  Hella sort of believes it.  Love, deception, heartbreak, betrayal.  Great writing.

Cozy mystery with a "women are superior creatures" underpinning. The four women have all had their struggles, which we will learn about one-by-one, but they all remain/emerge wiser, kinder, smarter, etc. than the men in the novel, most of whom are corrupt, narrow-minded, unfeeling and potentially violent. (Nora's encounter with the paramedic-hunk is the exception, though it occurs to me that he may be the murderer.) Even Estelle, who uses sex to get what she wants, is portrayed positively.  The men are comically manipulated by her curves.  In one scene, she goes skinny-dipping with a married man but is rescued by her buddies before she actually has sex with the guy. Nora, our main character, is told by her female friends that she is beautiful despite her scars. No male says this to Nora because males are just too crass to see beyond surface beauty.  I hope I'm wrong and the book is more nuanced. If not, then this author is a one-and-done writer for me.

Cozy mystery.  Main character is former librarian who was in a terrible accident and suffered burns that disfigure her. She owns a bookstore and gives "book counseling. She meets an interesting man, sends him to a nearby scone shop for a comfort scone, and awaits his arrival at her bookstore.  Only he dies . . . did he jump in front of a train or was he pushed? Four women become detectives.  Nora, Bookseller and Estella, local tramp are two most compelling so far.

Genre might be dystopian fairy tale. "Daddy" is beast-like in many ways. Kids groom his beard and hair, bear witness to his super-human strength. He is connected to the land in an animalistic way, not a legal way.  He makes his living fighting other men . . . and always winning.  In these fights, he's manipulated, but he is not part of the underbelly.  He fights fair and clean. Spoilers next Ending.  Cathy is attacked.  She manages to kill her attacker (Price's son) even though he is much bigger. Price assumes that "Daddy" has killed his son and so comes after "Daddy" with a crew of men.  Daddy as Christ--pinned to his table. Cathy as Avenging Angel who kills them all. Daniel (who runs away during the attack) goes in search of her (is she alive?) after the horror ends. Ending reminded me a lot of the ending in Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle. " Regular" people revealing their regular cruelty. I will definite

"Daddy" as mythic figure.  Strong, quiet, powerful--I work for no man Book seems to be heading to a confrontation between Daddy and Price, a rich landowner who mistreats the common man.

Daniel narrator. Young boy with no mother and street boxer for a father. Yorkshire. Sister Cathy is attacked on beach by classmates.  Cathy fights them off.  Unclear exactly how far it went, but it was sexual assault.  The novel moves in time.  The assault took place when D & C were young teens.  The "present" tense of the story involves Daniel's search for Cathy, who has run away for reasons which are not yet clear

Pino is forced to bring Leyers to freedom in Austria. Leyers has managed to cover up his past and serves but one year for his war crimes. After that, he lives the good life.

Facebook Twitter Email Print Save Bozeman author Mark Sullivan had reached the lowest point in his life the night he first heard the story of a 17-year-old Italian boy in World War II, who risked his life to save Jews by leading them over the Alps and then spied on the Nazis as a powerful German general’s driver. It was an amazing, heroic story, but Sullivan was skeptical. Why hadn’t anyone heard of this guy before? That was the start of a decade-long journey that led Sullivan to meet Pino Lella, to uncover the often forgotten story of World War II in Italy, and to write a novel based on Lella’s life. “Beneath a Scarlet Sky,” released as a Kindle First book by Amazon’s publishing arm, Lake Union, has been downloaded by a quarter-million readers, who have described it as thrilling and given it a five-star rating. It comes out in paperback May 1. “I think people long for something genuine and inspirational,” Sullivan said. “This story is both.” T

Strongest part of the book. Chaos, violence of Milan after the end of the war. Pina's Anna is a victim. Pina (having played a double-role) is under suspicion as a traitor and is nearly killed. General Leyers (Nazi) is destroying incriminating records and carefully constructing a narrative that makes him a "hero" of sorts so that he can resume civilian life . . . and be rich.

Italy at the end of WWII--an area I wasn't familiar with. Shortages, Jews transported, slave labor, cold winter. Nothing good. The love story between Pina and Anna is hokey. The rest is pretty good.

Progress I'm on page 260 of 526 of Beneath a Scarlet Sky: Pina is now a spy placed well as the driver for Leyers, a chief Nazi war planner. He has met up again with Anna, his first love. Descriptions of Nazi reprisals, partisan attacks, slave labor.

Pino is in the Alps, away from the bombing of Milan.  The priest with whom he stays sends him on rigorous climbing excursion. Pino is not sure why, but learns that the priest is saving Jews by guiding them to Switzerland. Pino becomes the number one guide.  Adventures on the trips:  avalanches, out of shape hikers, etc. keep the action going in some ways but also seem a bit like padding.  Nazis are now suspicious of the priest. Pino is called by his family back to Italy.  Why?

spoiler alert ** An odd little mystery that serves as an excuse to introduce readers to even odder bits of Icelandic lore. It took me a while to get in the spirit of the book, but I'm glad I stuck with it. A real spoiler is coming.  The idea of a "murderer" living on this tiny Icelandic island where everyone knows everyone else seemed impossible. I was curious how Ingolfsson would pull it off. Ingenious. The victim was murdered by being left to starve on a deserted island in the winter. Who left him? Our victim cajoled an old fisherman to take him to the island. He didn't know the fisherman suffered from dementia. Our fisherman dropped him off, waited a while, forgot all about the victim, and sailed back home, sealing the visitor's fate. Very clever and satisfying. The Flatey book does exist and was returned by the Danes to Iceland.

Italy, WWII.  Nazis coming to the "rescue" of Mussolini.  Milan family home bombed. Palo, main character, nearly 18, goes into the mountains to be safe.  He had a crush on Anna, an older girl, before he left. He is now learning to drive (fast) and is also doing some serious climbing.  So far, so good.  Historical fiction isn't my favorite, so . . .