The Left-handed Twin by Thomas Perry

On By Rick McIn books, hikingLeave a comment

The Left-handed Twin (2021) by Thomas Perry is good, but not as good as the previous 8 books in the series.

One part I did enjoy was a chase on Maine’s Hundred Mile Wilderness.

Jane Whitefield helps people disappear.

Fearing for their lives, fleeing dangerous situations, her clients come to her when they need to vanish completely—to assume a new identity and establish a new life somewhere they won’t be found. …

… Jane finds a young woman fresh from LA with a whole lot of trouble behind her. After she cheated on her boyfriend, he dragged her to the home of the offending man and made her watch as he killed him. She testified against the boyfriend, but a bribed jury acquitted him, and now he’s free and trying to find and kill her.

Jane agrees to help, and it soon becomes clear that outsmarting the murderous boyfriend is not beyond Jane’s skills. But the boyfriend has some new friends: members of a Russian organized crime brotherhood.

When they learn that Sara is traveling with a tall, dark-haired woman who disappears people, the Russians become increasingly interested in helping the boyfriend find the duo. They’ve heard rumors that such a woman existed—and believe that, if forcibly extracted, the knowledge she has of past clients could be worth millions.  

He does plan a 10th book to be called The Tree of Life and Flowers (2026).

“I See You’ve Called in Dead” by John Kenney

On By Rick McIn books, philosophyLeave a comment

Mixed feelings.

I downloaded “I See You’ve Called in Dead” (2025) for the intriguing premise:

Obituary writer Bud Stanley is semi-depressed. One night he gets drunk and posts his own obituary.

His company assumes he is dead and removes him from their employees list.

Turning up at work, the computer won’t let them fire Bud because he’s technically dead in their system. 😀

Catch-22.

I love it.

And there is a lot of humour. I laughed out loud more than once.

Thurber Prize-winner and New York Times bestselling author John Kenney tells a funny, touching story about life and death, about the search for meaning, about finding and never letting go of the preciousness of life.

Suspended from work, Bud meets a woman and they start attending wakes and funerals of strangers.

There are some interesting philosophical discussions about the meaning of life. Important.

Two additional characters really appeal: Leo, a neighbour’s son, and Bud’s best friend Tim.

So … plenty of good content. But ultimately I’m not sure I can call this book a success. I nearly quit several times.

my iPhone 16 Pro

On By Rick McIn Apple, product endorsementsLeave a comment

Quality is much better than my last phone, the 13 Mini.

Image generated by Ideogram.AI

In fact, I find the 16 Pro better at both photos and video than my current action camera.

It’s my primary camera now.

5x optical zoom is almost enough for my purposes. 😀

Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalaluddin

On By Rick McIn booksLeave a comment

Great title for a cozy mystery.

It kept me going right to the end. Never sure of which suspect was the real killer.

Uzma Jalaluddin is a Canadian writer and teacher. She also writes a column for the Toronto Star.

This one is an Agatha Christie set in the South Asian Muslim immigrant community.

When her grown daughter is suspected of murder, a charming and tenacious widow digs into the case to unmask the real killer in this twisty, page-turning whodunnit …

Sana, phones to say that she’s been arrested for killing the unpopular landlord of her clothing boutique.

Determined to help her child, Kausar heads to Toronto for the first time in nearly twenty years. …

With the help of some old friends and her plucky teenage granddaughter, Kausar digs into the investigation to uncover the truth.

Because who better to pry answers from unwilling suspects than a meddlesome aunty?

But even Kausar can’t predict the secrets, lies, and betrayals she finds along the way…

5-STAR REVIEW: DETECTIVE AUNTY by Uzma Jalaluddin

Themes included murder, affairs, fraud, pyramid schemes, theft, racism, gentrification.

Dim Sum of All Fears by Vivien Chien

On By Rick McIn booksLeave a comment

I liked the 1st book in the series — Death by Dumpling — so carried on with Dim Sum of All Fears. A great title. 😀

Another short, easy read. A cozy mystery. Almost Young Adult. 

Lana Lee is a dutiful daughter, waiting tables at her family’s Chinese restaurant even though she’d rather be doing just about anything else.

Then, just when she has a chance for a “real” job, her parents take off to Taiwan, leaving Lana in charge.

Surprising everyone―including herself―she turns out to be quite capable of running the place.

Unfortunately, the newlyweds who just opened the souvenir store next door to Ho-Lee have turned up dead. . .and soon Lana finds herself in the midst of an Asia Village mystery.

I’ll likely carry on to the 3rd book in the Noodle Shop mysteries series.



Lifebeat – the alternative friendship Newsletter 😀

On By Rick McIn friends, humourLeave a comment

Well kids … there was a time before the internet when friends used something called a telephone to keep in touch. Once in a while we’d write letters. It’s true.

Ron and Kate took the time to put together friendship newsletters called The Calgary Redeye. They collected contributions from friends and put it together on a photocopied, stapled publication.

Out in Saskatoon, I decided to launch a goofy competitor to the Redeye. I called it Lifebeat.

Here’s the Christmas 1991 edition. 😀 The goal was to make friends laugh.

click for larger images

A String of Beads by Thomas Perry

On By Rick McIn booksLeave a comment

Still worth reading, but I found the 8th in the Jane Whitefield series weaker than the rest.

All these books are too slow for me. Unnecessary repetition of plot points.

This one was too slow and had a weaker storyline.

A String of Beads (2015)

 … a year after getting shot on a job that took a dangerous turn for the worse, Jane McKinnon, née Whitefield, has settled into the quiet life of a suburban housewife in Amherst, New York — or so she thinks.

One morning as she comes back from a long run, Jane is met by an unusual sight: all eight clan mothers, the female leaders of the Seneca clans …

A childhood friend of Jane’s from the reservation, Jimmy, is wanted by the police for the murder of a local white man.

But instead of turning himself in, he’s fled, and no one knows where he is hiding out. …

Jane must find and hide him.

Actually, the end of the book was satisfying. A good wrap-up.

The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden

On By Rick McIn books, moviesLeave a comment

Freida McFadden (born May 1, 1980) is the pen name of an American thriller author and practicing physician specializing in brain injury.

Her 2022 book The Housemaid was an international bestseller.

In recent years I’ve begun to tire of the endless line-up of psychological thrillers. But this one is better than average.

Millie is a young woman with troubled past, having recently been fired from her job after an incident which nearly sent her back to prison.

She is unable to find work due to her criminal record and spends a month living in her car.

She jumps at an opportunity as a live-in maid for the Winchester wealthy family: Nina, her husband Andrew, and their daughter, Cecelia, who live in a luxurious estate on Long Island.

Their seemingly perfect life unravels when Millie discovers that the Winchester household hides dark secrets beneath the surface.

To me the twist was predictable.

The husband character one of the most absurdly unlikely I’ve ever read.

The ending of the book was satisfying. BUT I’m unlikely to read on in the series.

I will probably end up watching the upcoming film.

Here’s what I’m CARRYING to Indonesia

On By Rick McIn gymnastics, hiking, travelLeave a comment

Arriving SURABAYA Aug. 19, 2025.

I got a great price on Cathay Pacific out of Vancouver ➙ CAD $512.77 (USD $370.97) including seat selection.

En route to the World Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta in October.

For Indonesia, and beyond — I’m taking less hiking gear. More electronics. 😀

That’s what I’ll be carrying on my back, plus food & liquids.

Two pairs of shoes: city and hiking.

Here’s the full list. Click and scroll if on a computer. Some phones and iPads won’t show embedded PDFs.

Apologies for the format and errors. It’s from my list on PackWizard.com. A great service — but very limited in how you can export your data.

Australia IndonesiaDownload

Stick – season 1

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

You hate golf?

I’d still recommend this TV comedy.

Owen Wilson plays Owen Wilson, as always.

And, as always, he’s very good as Owen Wilson. 😀

A long-washed-up professional golfer turns towards a rising young star in the game to turn things around.

Cast and dialogue is quirky enough to keep me interested.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.