The 3rd book (2021) in the P.T. Marsh series is easily the best yet.
… a troubled small-town police detective faced with three interwoven crimes that reveal sinister secrets about his community–and the deaths of his family …
In the years since the mysterious deaths of his wife and child, P.T. Marsh, a police detective in the small Georgia town of Mason Falls, has faced demons–both professional and personal.
But when he is called to the scene of a school shooting, the professional and personal become intertwined, and he suspects that whoever is behind the crime may be connected to his own family tragedy.
As Marsh and his partner Remy investigate the shooting, they discover that it is far from straightforward, and their search for answers leads them to a conspiracy at the highest levels of local government–including within the police force. …
Rachel Jenner is walking in a Bristol park with her eight-year-old son, Ben, when he asks if he can run ahead. It’s an ordinary request on an ordinary Sunday afternoon, and Rachel has no reason to worry—until Ben vanishes.
Police are called, search parties go out, and Rachel, already insecure after her recent divorce, feels herself coming undone.
As hours and then days pass without a sign of Ben, everyone who knew him is called into question, from Rachel’s newly married ex-husband to her mother-of-the-year sister.
Inevitably, media attention focuses on Rachel too, and the public’s attitude toward her begins to shift from sympathy to suspicion. …
One of the hottest best sellers right now, The Covenant of Water is an ambitious, well researched novel.
Abraham Verghese is a Professor of the Theory and Practice of Medicine and Vice Chair of Education at Stanford. The medical detail in this book is accurate. Part is set in a leper colony.
Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, The Covenant of Water is set in Kerala, on South India’s Malabar Coast, and follows three generations of a family that suffers a peculiar affliction: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning—and in Kerala, water is everywhere.
At the turn of the century, a twelve-year-old girl from Kerala’s long-existing Christian community, grieving the death of her father, is sent by boat to her wedding, where she will meet her forty-year-old husband for the first time.
From this unforgettable new beginning, the young girl—and future matriarch, known as Big Ammachi—will witness unthinkable changes over the span of her extraordinary life, full of joy and triumph as well as hardship and loss, her faith and love the only constants.
A shimmering evocation of a bygone India and of the passage of time itself, The Covenant of Water is a hymn to progress in medicine and to human understanding, and a humbling testament to the difficulties undergone by past generations for the sake of those alive today. …
Slough House is the 2021 book in the Slough House series of books by Mick Herron.
That’s a bit confusing.
The latest instalment again features the drunken flatulent Cold War burn out Lamb leading a motley crew of secret service failures from their shabby base near the Barbican – the Slough House of the title – and begins with a brief and brutal assassination abroad before the offended foreign power comes looking for revenge. …
The 2022 book in the Colter Shaw series is excellent.
Twist and turns. Surprises. Typical Deaver.
Allison Parker is on the run with her teenage daughter, Hannah, are fleeing her ex-husband who’s just been unexpectedly released from prison.
Two hitmen are also hot on her heels—an eerie pair of thugs who take delight not only in murder but in the sport of devising clever ways to make bodies disappear forever.
Colter Shaw has been hired by her eccentric boss, entrepreneur Marty Harmon, to find and protect her.
Very Agatha Christie, I’d say the 4th book in the Hawthorne series is best, so far.
A great writer, these books are unique in that the author writes himself into the story. A bumbling Watson to Hawthorne’s Holmes.
“I’m sorry but the answer’s no.” Reluctant author, Anthony Horowitz, has had enough. He tells ex-detective Daniel Hawthorne that after three books he’s splitting and their deal is over. …
His new play, a thriller called Mindgame, is about to open at the Vaudeville Theater in London’s West End. Not surprisingly, Hawthorne declines a ticket to the opening night.
The play is panned by the critics. In particular, Sunday Times critic Margaret Throsby gives it a savage review, focusing particularly on the writing. The next day, Throsby is stabbed in the heart with an ornamental dagger which turns out to belong to Anthony, and has his fingerprints all over it.
Anthony is arrested by an old enemy . . . Detective Inspector Cara Grunshaw. She still carries a grudge from her failure to solve the case described in the second Hawthorne adventure, The Sentence is Death, and blames Anthony. Now she’s out for revenge.
Thrown into prison and fearing for both his personal future and his writing career, Anthony is the prime suspect in Throsby’s murder and when a second theatre critic is found to have died in mysterious circumstances, the net closes in. Ever more desperate, he realizes that only one man can help him.
Cory Doctorow is one of the most respected Tech pundits. Super smart. Incredibly well spoken.
Too smart for school. Though he attended 4 universities — he never got a degree. 😀
His novel called Red Team Blues (April 2023) is a financial thriller about cybersecurity.
Martin Hench is an entertaining character. 67-years-old. Steeped in Silicon Valley. In this book, Martin makes $300 million in just a few days. Then ends up penniless and homeless in the tent cities of San Francisco.
The story is merely a vehicle for Cory to reflect on the current state of technology and politics. I learned a lot.
Oddly, Harry Hole starts this book happy. He’s typically an angry drunk in these books.
Married to Rakel, love of his life. Working as a popular and sober lecturer at Police College.
A woman is found dead after a Tinder date, and marks left on her body indicate that the killer used iron teeth to kill her, and then drink her blood. Oslo’s ex-detective Harry Hole reluctantly gets involved in a search for a vampirist. …
That’s a private campground that cost$ money. In 2023 I went instead to the free beach nearby called Haukland. Also good, but not as good.
As parking lots are rarely level, everyone carries these plastic wheel lifters for their vehicles.
Day 8 — July 8th, 2023
Low fog and misty rain. I decided to cycle to one of two hostels in Lofoten ➙ Lydersen Rorbuer.
Stayed 2 nights taking a break and getting some photos and video edited. Did laundry.
I had a great time in 2022. And enjoyed it just as much in 2023.
Here’s the view from the hostel. Low cloud, as you can see.
Nearby is a good store and cafe.
My most mellow day, so far.
Day 9 — July 9th, 2023
Weather was expected to improve today. Some headed up to the main hike from here ➙ Ryten.
As I’d done it in 2022, I headed instead to a lower hike called Ytresandheia – Røren. Excellent, though I’d not even heard about it. It’s the alternative to Ryten when the peak is socked in.
Ytresandheia – Røren
Later — having finished my video editing — I took an evening hike. This photo was shot at 9pm, for example. There is no night above the Arctic Circle in early July.
Day 10 — July 10th, 2023
Next morning I cleaned and organized my gear.
There’s an impressive looking peak called FLAKSTADTIND you see out the window of the hostel. Staff told me it’s actually quite easy and popular with locals.
With the good weather, it was fantastic.
Continuing on south, I stopped to fly the drone through one of the many fish drying racks. Typically cod is hung for about 16 weeks. Much is sold to Italy and Africa.
When I rolled through Reine, weather was perfect. I knew hundreds of people would have climbed 448m to the top of Reinebringen. It would be VERY crowded.
Having done the most popular photo op in Norway twice before, I gave it a miss this time.
But here’s the VIDEO as I can’t resist posting it again. 😀
Instead I cycled leisurely to the end of the line ➙ the quaint village of Å.
I’d hoped to hike and tent — but it’s not legal nor possible anywhere near Å. Lovely evening, however.
I had to backtrack to find a campsite. Even with this vista, I felt it was the least excellent so far in Norway.
Day 11 — July 11th, 2023
It seemed crazy to leave Lofoten with the weather so good — but I rolled on to the free ferry to Bodø.
Farewell Lofoten. One of the best hiking destinations in the world. Know that roads are actually quite crowded and narrow for bicycles. But most of the traffic is tourists, most sympathetic for cyclists.
What actually happened in 2023 was a logistics problem. The ferry to the Faroe Islands was only running once a week. To stop over would leave me there for 8 days — too long, I thought.
When I got an offer to house sit in Berlin, I jumped on it. I’ll be cycling / hiking southern Germany and surrounds instead.
Faroe Islands will have to WAIT for sometime in future. I’ll likely fly.
December 15, 2021:
With my new touring bike, the trip I’d most like to take would include Norway, Faroe Islands, and Iceland.
Gorgeous. Expen$ive — unless you are camping most nights.
Ultimate plan is flying to Oslo July 2022. Connecting flight to Tromsø. Have my bike assembled there by a recommended bike shop.
Cycle about 3000km south to Langesund. In about 30 days. That includes close to 300km by ferry.
This route is the recommendation of a consultant I’ve hired. His name … Matthew Norway.
Matthew put together a map for me in the Komoot app. (If anything goes wrong, I’d cycle to the nearest train station. 😀 )
I’d cycle to the Island of Senja first. Then the Lofoten Islands. Those two destinations are my highest priorities.
That route includes about 30 ferries. Most of those free.
UPDATE: The closer I get to starting, the more unrealistic 3000km is looking to me. I’m anticipating cutting out at some point — and taking the train south so I have time for the Faroe Islands. Another high priority.
If I cut away from the coast, I MIGHT do some famous rides in the south as I work my way to Oslo. Most interesting is Rena to Lillehammer, the Berkebeinerrittet route. It hosts the largest mountain bike race in the world. Or something even more challenging.
Weather is the BIG problem. I’m trying to put together a system that could handle the worst possible conditions. Matthew recommends the Yr.no app for making decisions based on weather.
Finally, I’d take the ferry from Langesund near Oslo toHirtshals on Denmark’s Jutland peninsula. (5hrs)
I’d book the ferry from Hirtshals in Denmark to the Faroe Islands (30 hours). It runs twice a week during the summer.
Once I get to those remote islands, I’ll mainly focus on the most famous hikes. Many of them cost $30 or more as they are all on private land.
It’s another 18 hours by ferry to Iceland. I’m still deciding what to do there.
I’d arrive in Seyðisfjørður on the east coast. Depending on my time and enthusiasm, I MIGHT do one of the routes crossing inland.
Easier would be to find transportation to the most interesting cycling areas:
Iceland is lowest priority of the three destinations as I’ve traveled and hiked there in the past.
An alternative to cycling through Iceland’s interior would be to do CHRIS BURKARD’s 900km route around the remote Westfjords – the Westfjord Way. Lael was on that trip — so I downloaded her map to Komoot.
Rick McCharles 