The Good Detective by John McMahon

On February 9, 2023February 10, 2023 By Rick McIn books1 Comment

Great debut murder mystery 2021. John McMahon is already being listed with the best.

A complicated and fascinating plot.

P.T. Marsh was a good detective.

Then his wife and son were killed in an accident.

Months later he’s not so good — drinking, blacking out.

Late one night he agrees to help out a woman by confronting her abusive boyfriend.

When the next morning he gets called to the scene of his newest murder case, he is stunned to arrive at the house of the very man he beat up the night before.

He could swear the guy was alive when he left, but can he be sure?

What’s certain is that his fingerprints are all over the crime scene.
johnmcmahonbooks.com

Remember the Tom Lehrer Songs?

On February 8, 2023February 3, 2023 By Rick McIn human rights, musicLeave a comment

Tom Lehrer only recorded 37 songs. Performed only about 100 times.

The songs were FUNNY. Way ahead of his time.

In fact, Tom preferred teaching mathematics, lecturing at Harvard University and later at other schools.

His songs were intended to amuse himself and friends. Left leaning, he enjoying making fun of both left and right.

He paid $15 (equivalent to $152 in 2021) for some studio time in 1953 to record Songs by Tom Lehrer. The initial pressing was 400 copies. Radio stations would not air his songs because of his controversial subjects, so he sold the album on campus at Harvard for $3, equivalent to $30 in 2021.

Tom’s still with us. Now age-94. Born 1928 to a secular Jewish family, growing up in Manhattan.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson

On February 7, 2023February 2, 2023 By Rick McIn booksLeave a comment

Not bad. This book is intriguing to start. But doesn’t maintain that throughout.

On a night flight from London to Boston, Ted Severson meets the stunning and mysterious Lily Kintner.

Sharing one too many martinis, the strangers begin to play a game of truth, revealing very intimate details about themselves.

Ted talks about his marriage that’s going stale and his wife Miranda, who he’s sure is cheating on him. Ted and his wife were a mismatch from the start—he the rich businessman, she the artistic free spirit—a contrast that once inflamed their passion, but has now become a cliché.

But their game turns a little darker when Ted jokes that he could kill Miranda for what she’s done. Lily, without missing a beat, says calmly, “I’d like to help.” After all, some people are the kind worth killing, like a lying, stinking, cheating spouse. . .

Peter-Swanson.com

Can I STILL Run 10km in 1 hour? 😀

On February 6, 2023February 5, 2023 By Rick McIn health & fitness, travelLeave a comment

At one point I claimed I could do a 10k race in one hour any time. Without training.

That MIGHT have been true … at one point.

I did work up to it in 2019.

Day two 2023 I felt pretty good. Running steadily, made 8km in an hour. About 7.5 minutes / km.

My goal is 6 minutes / km.

A few days later I ran much better. I was well below 6 minutes / km to start — but couldn’t keep up the pace.

Ended up 6min and 45sec / km.

Next day I switched to Strava, an app much more accurate than Apple Watch Workouts if you make U-turns. (Apple Watch is ideal for checking pace on the fly, however.)

Ran better. 6min and 11sec / km.

On Feb 3rd I psyched up to make my goal. And pulled it off. Started slow. Sprinted the end … to make it. Barely. 😀

In real life I never have to run an hour. This was base training. I’ll switch to sprints and hills now as I find those help more for my cycling and hiking.

Click PLAY or get a glimpse of running in Bermuda on YouTube.

Lane by Peter Grainger

On February 5, 2023February 1, 2023 By Rick McIn booksLeave a comment

Peter Grainger is my favourite writer — who doesn’t yet have a Wikipedia page. 😀

He’s so unknown that he had time to reply to me on one of my comments on his books!

Grainger started by independently publishing for Kindle.

Lane is his 2017 short book introducing Willows and Lane.

Emily Willows is middle-aged, widowed, wealthy, and bored.

Summer Lane is a mysterious new neighbour.

An incident throws them together in a hostage situation and car chase.

It’s Grainger, so it’s good.

St. Regis Bermuda Resort

On February 4, 2023February 3, 2023 By Rick McIn travel2 Comments

IF I had Musk money to waste, I’d definitely hang out at the NEW St. Regis Bermuda Resort.

About CAD $860 / night in February. The place is mostly deserted in winter.

There are units for sale, as well.

I love the location in St. Georges, my favourite part of Bermuda.

That’s Fort St. Catherine in front. A coastal artillery installation used by Royal Artillery units from 1612 into the 20th century. Today it houses a museum.

In the distance is my favourite beach in Bermuda — Tobacco Bay.

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Five Forts Golf Course is somewhat new. It used to be the government run St. George Golf Course designed by Robert Trent Jones.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The Sleeping Doll by Jeffery Deaver

On February 3, 2023February 3, 2023 By Rick McIn booksLeave a comment

The Sleeping Doll by Jeffery Deaver is an excellent short book.

Special agent Kathryn Dance—a brilliant interrogator and body language expert and her partners at the California Bureau of Investigation hunt down escaped killer Daniel Pell, a self-styled Charles Manson.

Both Dance and Pell are fascinating characters.

Jeffery Deaver creates plots with so many twists and turns they could “hide behind a spiral staircase” (People), and The Sleeping Doll has Deaver’s trademark twists in spades. It is guaranteed to keep readers guessing right up to the breathless end.

Click PLAY or watch an interview on YouTube.

I love Mr. Beast

On February 2, 2023February 2, 2023 By Rick McIn ethics, good news, Google, happiness, videoLeave a comment

Mr. Beast is a 24-year-old normal guy from Kansas.

A University dropout.

His YouTube channel reached 112 million subscribers on November 17, 2022, making it the fourth-most-subscribed on the platform, and the highest as a non-corporate identity.

Aside from his philanthropy, everyone studies his simple but effective VIDEO storytelling.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.