The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose

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Any author named Prose MUST be good. 😀

And her character “Molly Gray” is both likeable and entertaining.

Somewhere on the autism spectrum, Molly must be the best maid in the world.

This is the sequel to the 1st book in the series, The Maid.

Easy reading. Almost young adult. Definitely a cosy mystery.

For a while I suspected the murder mystery itself might be simplistic. I was wrong. 

There are twists and turns enough to keep any reader guessing.

With her flair for cleaning and proper etiquette, she has risen through the ranks of the glorious five-star Regency Grand Hotel to become the esteemed Head Maid.

But just as her life reaches a pinnacle state of perfection, her world is turned upside down when J. D. Grimthorpe, the world-renowned mystery author, drops dead—very dead—on the hotel’s tearoom floor. …

As the high-profile death threatens the hotel’s pristine reputation, Molly knows that she alone holds the key to unlocking the killer’s identity. But that key is buried deep in her past: Long ago, she knew J. D. Grimthorpe. Molly begins to comb her memory for clues …

NitaProse.com

Reviews have been good.

Mystery Road – season 3

On By Rick McIn TV1 Comment

Mystery Road – seasons 1 & 2 were excellent.

Mystery Road: Origin is season 3.  A prequel. Good — but not as good as the first two.

The backstory of Mark Coles Smith as Jay Swan, a young detective in the Aussie outback 1999.

Later, in the other two seasons, Aaron Pedersen plays Jay Swan.

My favourite character, by far, is Grace Chow as Cindy Cheung, a young, enthusiastic, and positive police officer. She was truly the only one I could cheer for consistently.

The acting is very strong. Brave. 

But the story line simply too hard to follow, for me. At the end of the series I had to search out explainers.

I probably won’t watch season 4.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Inheritance by Nora Roberts

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My fascination with Nora Roberts continues.

I wouldn’t call this her best book, but — as always — the story moves quickly. And she’s a master of presenting interesting, engaging characters.

Very readable. But definitely a cheesy romance, as well. 😀

Published Nov. 2023, the most recent of her more than 230 novels, this is the first in a planned trilogy.

A woman inherits a haunted seaside mansion in Maine from a long-lost relative.

Sonya MacTavish isn’t having the best year. After finding her fiancé in bed with another woman, she wonders why she ignored so many obvious red flags about him. …

… uncle left her a large, rambling mansion in a small coastal town in Maine, but his will stipulates that she must live in the house for three years in order to claim her inheritance. Sonya’s innate stubbornness and strong survival instinct come in handy after discovering the house is haunted by a bevy of ghosts, collectively known as the lost brides. …

Kirkus

I downloaded the second book in the series — The Mirror — but couldn’t get into it for some reason.

2024’s Top Geopolitical Risks

On By Rick McIn bad news, economics, ethics, GOP USA, government, human rights, IslamLeave a comment

January 2024.

Even if Trump loses the election, the USA will be further divided and destabilized through the election cycle, exactly what Xi, Putin, and the rest of American enemies want.

I’ve been trying to avoid coverage of Gaza — as it’s so depressing.

In fact, I gave up on that issue decades ago concluding that successive Israeli governments were horrible — and successive Palestinian governments even worse. My friend Mike taught school in Libya and Egypt for many years, coming away very sympathetic for innocent Palestinians.

NOW I find myself brought up to speed by listening to an excellent podcast interview with Ian Bremmer.

Search “Conversation with Ian Bremmer — 2024’s Top Geopolitical Risks”

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Not as good — but similar — is his recent TED talk.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (43min)

As a happy Canadian, I didn’t suffer in any way from the G.W. Bush recession of 2008 nor Trump’s incompetent 4 years — and I MIGHT survive another 4 years of the emotional toddler as President.

But I’m worried about 2024.

As Bremmer points out, once Trump gets the GOP nomination, all Republicans will have to fall in line with that idiot — or vote for Biden.  Or NOT VOTE.

As for Russia, as Economist said at the very beginning, there’s no scenario where Russia wins their invasion of Ukraine. Even if they eventually control all of that nation, the population will be uncooperative with Putin for decades to come. The rest of the world will be leery of Putin-land for decades. Russian assets will stay frozen. And at least a million Russians who fled the nation will mostly not return.

NATO is much strengthened, as well.

When Abortion is Denied

On By Rick McIn economics, education, ethics, GOP USA, government, happiness, health & fitness, human rightsLeave a comment

Diana Greene Foster is a professor at the University of California, San Francisco.

She led the ten-year nationwide Turnaway Study analyzing the health and wellbeing of women who seek abortion in the United States — including those who do not receive one — and in 2020 published a book, The Turnaway Study: Ten Years, a Thousand Women, and the Consequences of Having—or Being Denied—an Abortion, on her findings.

In 2023, she was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in recognition of her scientific work, including the book and more than 120 scientific papers. …

In 2022, she was recognized as one of the ten people who shaped science that year by Nature.

One of the most expert in the field.

Here’s a fascinating new TED Talk. Unsurprisingly, the women forced to carry a child to term have worse consequences than those who have the freedom to make the choice to abort.

Anti-choice advocates in the USA often simultaneously deny raises in minimum wage, health care for children, maternity leave, and even free school lunch. Pro birth. But not pro life.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

What is Bikepacking?

On By Rick McIn cycling, hiking, travel1 Comment

Any bicycle carrying enough gear to allow you to sleep overnight … somewhere.  Even a motel.

There’s a continuum between those who carry panniers. And those who use smaller bike bags.

Those who are trying to make more miles. On rougher trails. Possibly carrying their bike, … I call bikepackers.

I use panniers and call what I do bike touring. I might add a trailer, one day. … Perhaps an electric motor. 😀

IMG_1354
2016

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

related – WHY Bikepacking ?? … 🚲

For me bikepacking was a logical extension of hiking.

The Detective Up Late by Adrian McKinty

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Adrian McKinty is one of the best novelists working today. 

Though winning awards and getting great reviews, he couldn’t make a living as an author. Award winning books were selling 2-3 thousand copies a year.

After getting evicted, Adrian started driving Uber to try to pay overdue bills.

Author Don Winslow heard about it — and asked his agent to contact McKinty to see if there was anything they could do to keep him writing. Shane Salerno offered him $10,000 to keep trying.

At around three in the morning, McKinty gave it a go, writing the first 30 pages of what would become The Chain, sent it to the agent — and went to bed. His phone rang again at 4.15am. 

“Forget bartending. Forget driving a bloody Uber,” Salerno said. “You’re writing this book.”

The Chain (2019) became a huge hit.

The Detective Up Late (2023) is 7th in his series of his Sean Duffy novels.

Slamming the door on the hellscape of 1980s Belfast, Detective Inspector Sean Duffy hopes that the 1990s are going to be better for him and the people of Northern Ireland.

As a Catholic cop in the mainly Protestant RUC he still has a target on his back, and with a steady girlfriend and a child the stakes couldn’t be higher. 

After handling a mercurial triple agent and surviving the riots and bombings and assassination attempts, all Duffy wants to do now is live.

But in his final days in charge of Carrickfergus CID, a missing persons report captures his attention.

A fifteen-year-old traveler girl has disappeared and no one seems to give a damn about it.

Duffy begins to dig and uncovers a disturbing underground of men who seem to know her very well.

The deeper he digs the more sinister it all gets. Is finding out the truth worth it if DI Duffy is going to get himself and his colleagues killed?

Can he survive one last case before getting himself and his family out over the water? 

Blackstone

I’d highly recommend the audio version as it’s done by Gerard Doyle, one of my favourite readers.

Robert Palmer – Addicted to Love

On By Rick McIn musicLeave a comment

Robert Palmer died too young. Age-54 of heart attack.

But this is one of my favourite music videos all time.

Back in 1986, using models and not the actual musicians was groundbreaking ➙ “epitomise the glamour and excesses of the 1980s“.

Palmer was a heavy smoker, but did not party like many rock stars of that era.

The five models in the video are Julie Pankhurst (keyboard), Patty Kelly (guitar), Mak Gilchrist (bass guitar), Julia Bolino (guitar), and Kathy Davies (drums).

Palmer recycled the video’s models concept for the videos of three other songs of his: “I Didn’t Mean to Turn You On” (also from Riptide), “Simply Irresistible“, and the animated “Change His Ways” (both from Heavy Nova).

In the romantic comedy film Love Actually (2003), written and directed by Richard Curtis, the video for Billy Mack’s song, “Christmas Is All Around”, is a tribute to “Addicted to Love”.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Jack Irish – season 1

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Entertaining and funny. Black humour.

Jack Irish  an Australian television drama series (2012) …

Guy Pearce as Jack Irish, a criminal defense lawyer turned debt collector and troubleshooter.  …

Very popular. Skillfully done.

Jack is hopeless as any kind of action hero.

Still, not having seen any of the Jack Irish films, I was confused by most of season 1.

Former girlfriend Linda takes a job in Manila. Get’s involved with a dangerous, mysterious gang. Rescues a child.

Jack has something of a new girlfriend, Sarah, and tries to find out who killed her sister.  A charismatic mega-church pastor seems to be responsible.

I have to admit, the last episode did finally wrap up where they were going with this. An interesting plot. 

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Long Shadows by David Baldacci

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Amos Decker #7.

Long Shadows (2022) by David Baldacci is the author’s 51st crime book and 7th in the Memory Man/Amos Decker series.

I’ve got mixed feelings about Baldacci as a writer.

But have enjoyed all the Amos Decker books, including this one.

It’s a little too long. Too complicated. But still entertaining.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.