The Undercover Bookshop

 

Warning, I only got to the 13% of the audiobook before I began to look for another book. I came across this in the New York Time Book Review, and it got some favorable remarks. I'm not sure if it was more the content of the book than the reading style of the narrator, but I was turned off. The story took place in the 1950s in a Cotswold village. A newcomer to the village, Gemma Brown became suspicious that the owner of the Undercover Bookshop was really a soviet spy. The reading seemed quite silly to me, and I just could not tolerate it. Perhaps other readers will see it differently.

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The Blue Flame

 George Pelecanos has long maintained the status as one of the favorite crime writers in this blog, and with his latest, The Blue Flame, he has proven once again why we like him so much. The title of the book is intended to refer to that part of his protagonist Derek Strange, that feeling of being a crime-solving cop stays alive and well even though his days of wearing a blue uniform is long in the past. In the present ttime, Strange is a private investigator and runs his own firm, Strange Investigations. In pursuing an alibi for an underworld figure, in fact one of the more dangerous crooks in Washington D.C., he takes a deep dive into that most dangerous world. The writing is prose.

Given how much I love his work, I don't understand why I have not read ever word that he's written. Given a little time, I'll be back there.

West Coast Don

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Stillwater by Tanya Scott

This gripping Australian crime thriller explores how one resolves what a person was with what the person wants to be. Luke Harris is a young man trying desperately wants to build a normal and respectable life after his escaping his violent criminal past. In order to do that, his former identity as Jack Quinn has to stay buried. When his mentor from his past resurfaces, Luke has to confront the choices and secrets of his past.

Luke is not a conventional hero. His complicated history makes him vulnerable and dangerous. His mother died of an overdose and was raised under the influence of Gus Alberici, a ruthless crime boss. Gus saw Luke's potential and turned him into an enforcer. Years later, Luke is still running from his past; he changed his name, enrolled in university, found gainful employment and is developing a relationship with Emma. But his past threatens his future.

Luke's life is presented in a series of flashbacks that reveal Luke’s childhood and his relationship with Gus. The present-day storyline follows his attempt to create a more conventional life. We are exposed to childhood trauma, poverty, dysfunctional families, violence that preceded the redemption he craves.

Much of the story takes place in Melbourne, both the chamber of commerce vision we all have for Melbourne and its dark criminal underworld. The novel is especially effective at connecting the yin/yang of Luke's past and desired life. Danger come only from criminals that threaten Luke's desired to get past those troubled years. The story and characters are developed as a slow burn about crime, suspense, and family issues that interfere with Luke's attempt at a 2nd chance. Readers who enjoy gritt, Overall, Stillwater is an impressive debut. Tanya Scott combines crime, suspense, family drama, and psychological depth to create a story about second chances and the difficulty of escaping who you once were.

Australia? Crime? past vs present? What's not to love? 

ECD

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Johnny Careless by Kevin Wade

Dateline Bayville, Long Island.

A place not accustomed to seeing a dead local wash up on the shore. Police Chief Jeep Mullane,  had returned after years on the NYPD, immediately recognizes the victim as Johnny Chambliss and his former best friend from his younger days. Johnny was the son of local money and was known as “Johnny Careless” because of his reckless behavior. The cause of death appears to be accidental drowning, but Jeep sees details that make him feel that conclusion is premature. Not to mention that his personal connection to Johnny is sure to complicate the investigation. 

The book is all about Jeep Mullane, a believable and complicated protagonist who has returned home after working for the NYPD. He is the son of a police officer and understands what he’s getting in for by ‘coming home.’ His investigation into Johnny’s death is more than just a professional responsibility; he wants to understand what happened to a friend he once knew so well.

Wade effectively uses flashbacks to reveal the history between Jeep and Johnny. These sections explain their friendship despite their different backgrounds, and the events that eventually drove them apart. Wade addresses contrast between Jeep’s working-class upbringing and Johnny’s privilege to the contrasts or privilege, family expectations, loyalty, and old secrets reveal people’s decisions. Just be forewarned that the multiple investigations shift between past and present, so pay attention.

Another strength is the Long Island setting; a place divided between wealth and ordinary working-class communities. The beautiful surroundings and the corruption, secrets, and criminal activity slithering beneath the surface.

Overall, Johnny Careless is a strong debut for Wade who delivers a memorable protagonist, realistic setting, and engaging dialogue to explore the push/pull of friendship and privilege. Jeep Mullane is a character with the depth to carry out future investigations. Wade is a veteran screenwriter and showrunner of Blue Bloods so expect a strong understanding of police work and dialogue. Here’s hoping we haven’t seen the last of Jeep Mullane.

ECD

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Neon Rain by James Lee Burke

Lt Dave Robicheaux visits a condemned prisoner at Angola, Louisiana penitentiary who warns him that someone is out to kill him. Dave dismisses the warning, but it’s not long before he realizes the threat is real. 

Dave likes to fish and while out on some forgotten waterway, Dave discovers the body of a young woman, Lovelace Deshotels. The local cops dismiss the death as an accidental drowning. Not Dave who suspects murder and, despite orders from above, starts his own investigation that leads to a dangerous criminal network involving drug dealers, Mafia figures, corrupt officials, and arms smugglers connected to 3^rd world politics in Central America.

Dave pursues the investigation, he attracts the attention of Julio Segura, a Nicaraguan drug and arms trafficker to help finance arms shipments to the Contra forces. Dave also encounters Murphy, a ruthless creation with government. Dave refuses to give up hunt and for all his noble efforts gets attacked, threatened and framed by people determined to silence him.

Dave also struggles with his personal life: emotional scars for Vietnam, his failed marriage, the demon drink, the challenges of a new relationship in Annie Ballard (she’s a good thing in his life) not to mention the ‘is he or isn’t he’ about his partner Cletus.

Things get particularly nasty. A brutal attack on a federal agent, the unexplained deaths of a couple ‘persons of interest,’ his uninvolved brother is targeted. Money, politics, and power are at the core of conspiracy. Dave gets suspended and doggedly fights to clear his name while also questioning if this is the life he wants.

Betting you’ll see that Lt. Dave Robicheaux of the New Orleans PD Homicide division is a compelling character who is far from perfect. Vietnam vet, an alcoholic, and troubled relationships with colleagues, higher-ups, and women. You get the drift. He is morally driven to find the truth but self-destructive in that pursuit. People like Robicheaux are always good targets for personal and professional redemption.

Burke's prose is one part lyrical, sometimes poetic, and frequently colorful. An unusual combination for the run of the mill mystery writer. Not far into the book, the unravelling conspiracy becomes that run the risk of overwhelming the murder investigation. This doesn’t belittle the strength of the characters, setting and writing. An atmospheric and absorbing brutal crime novel for readers who absorb intelligent detective work, memorable characters in a land of creole, humidity and culinary delicacies.

The Neon Rain (1987) is the first novel in Burke's acclaimed Dave Robicheaux series (over 30 Robicheaux novels in print; we've reviewed a few). Burke is an unusual author in that he has won multiple Edgar Awards (the Oscars of fiction writing); most winners usually score with a single win. Set in New Orleans and the surrounding Louisiana bayous, it is a dark, atmospheric, and brutal crime thriller combining murder, political corruption, organized crime, and ultimately personal redemption. At its center is Dave Robicheaux, a troubled New Orleans police detective whose determination to uncover the truth.

East Coast Don

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Slow Horses

 Slow Horses by Mick Herron is the first of a nine-book spy thriller. I read this one after enjoying the first four seasons of the TV show by the same name on Apple +. I won’t take up much space to review this, but please know I love the show. Slow Horses is about the Sough House where spies who have botched their assignments are sent to live out their lives in London, doing mostly worthless tasks. They hate it there and would do just about anything to get back to regular spy duties, but their odds of ever getting back to the prime time are low. But with their leader, the most disgusting character Jackson Lamb (played by Gary Oldman), they still get drawn into the game. In addition to Lamb, there is the richest group of characters, and together they try to solve a case in which one of their own has been captured by terrorists who plan to cut off his head. However, the Slow Horses are constantly tangling with those people who are really supposed to be running the international spy ring, but they have their own list of emotionally tortured soles, and the interplay is wonderful. Just who are the buffoons.

The first book in the series is mostly a replay of the tv drama. I’ve watched the six episode seasons several times. Your choice, read the books, watch the tv shows, or get hooked enough you do both.

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Your'e Not God, That Job is Taken

 You’re Not God, That Job Is Taken is a new book written by Scott Silverman. It was in 2015 that I reviewed his prior book, Tell me No. I Dare you! Scott is well known in the substance recovery world in San Diego for his work in recovery programs. We met many years ago when we were both being solicited to work at a college-age recovery effort. When he set out to write his new book, he asked me for my thoughts about this content, and we had many invigorating conversations about the book as he worked to write down his ideas. While this book is relevant to recovery from substance abuse for both patients and family members alike, it is really a helpful guide to people who are struggling with all areas of growing up and maturing, be that as adolescents or adults.

From the beginning, I did not like his title, but he insistently hung on to it. His beautifully and compassionately written Preface and Introduction explain what he had in mind when he stuck with the title. This monograph is not meant to be religious or even God-fearing. Rather, he simply points out the dangers of trying to to know everything, trying to be in control of all circumstances, whether that is working as a CEO or just raising a child who has been hooked on alcohol and/or drugs. He accurately quoted the British pediatrician turned psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott who wrote about being “good enough,” a phrase that is appropriate for so many areas of functioning in our complex social environment.

I give this book a 5-star rating and encourage you to give it a look.

Don Houts, MD, psychiatrist and psychoanalyst

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