Yet another Commissario Brunetti investigation, this time taking him outside Venice to Vicenza and
the US base there. A soldier visiting Venice is found murdered, apparently the result of a mugging;
a rich businessman disturbs burglars who escape the jewellery and three very expensive paintings.
The two events seem unconnected until the reason for the soldier's death and that of his lover, who
was an officer at the same base, is uncovered. This involves the businessman through his connections. By the end of the book, some of the bad guys are punished but most are not. There
is somewhat more background of the political life of Italy, the continuing influence of the old aristocracy, such as Brunetti's father-in-law, and the Mafia. The way in which Brunetti's home
life is woven into the novel is, as always, well done and numerous small aside about life in Venice
evoke a sense of that city without getting overly flowery. Consistently good.
Friday, May 23, 2014
Carroll, Jonathan: Sleeping in Flame
Jonathan Carroll manages skilfully to combine the prosaic here and now with what can only be
called the supernatural. On one level, the plot is straightforward - man meets woman, is instantly
smitten and falls in love which she reciprocates; after various adventures, they settle down together.
This completely ignores the supernatural elements which provide a multiple-layered environment
where past and present, reality and unreality all meet. This book is now 26 years old and I recall
reading Carroll for the first time when the cover drawing of a Mont Blanc pen caught my eye at
least that long ago. Since then I have read other of his books and have at least two unread ones -
a rare vintage that needs to be savoured sparingly.
Hitchman, Beatrice: Petite Mort
Set mainly in the years immediately before World War One, this is about the Parisian film industry of
the time and involvement of a young country girl in it when she is taken on as a seamstress and becomes the mistress of a famous director though her desire is to emulate the famous actress of the day, Terpsichore. Told effectively in flashback, what happens is told to a journalist trying to find
out the trust behind the loss of the film 'Petite Mort' destroyed before ever being shown. She has
traced the heroine of the film, the young country girl, who has agreed to tell her the story after many
decades of silence. What follows is a description of film-making at that time, a love affair and its
convoluted development and a mystery which you will discover if you read the book for yourself.
Although the book is nicely written, I did find the characters a tad undeveloped with some of their
actions seeming to happen only for keeping things moving.
the time and involvement of a young country girl in it when she is taken on as a seamstress and becomes the mistress of a famous director though her desire is to emulate the famous actress of the day, Terpsichore. Told effectively in flashback, what happens is told to a journalist trying to find
out the trust behind the loss of the film 'Petite Mort' destroyed before ever being shown. She has
traced the heroine of the film, the young country girl, who has agreed to tell her the story after many
decades of silence. What follows is a description of film-making at that time, a love affair and its
convoluted development and a mystery which you will discover if you read the book for yourself.
Although the book is nicely written, I did find the characters a tad undeveloped with some of their
actions seeming to happen only for keeping things moving.
Gaiman, Neil: Neverwhere
I remember the TV serial and have the DVD (must play this some time) but the book is much better.
Set in a London which exists under its streets, this is a highly imaginative adventure story whose hero
finds himself in this alternative world because of a small act of kindness. The use of existing (or
rather, above ground names) is skilfully used - as well as the obvious possible such as 'Knights' Bridge' and 'Earl's Court', there is the Angel of Islington and clever use of disused Underground
Stations like Down Street and the British Museum. Obviously, the reader needs to suspend disbelief to enjoy the story but it is an exciting adventure tale in its own right with the locational disruptions of
one's knowledge addigint to the excitement. Very good indeed.
Nelle Neuhaus: Snow White Must Die
Tobias Sartorius is released from prison after his conviction for the murder of two 17 year old girls
whose bodies have never been found. Convicted on circumstantial evidence of killing them, he returns home to a hostile environment even though he has been befriended by the local major
landowner. Two detectives from Frankfurt, the nearest large city, have the task of investigating
events which then become more serious with assaults and the disappearance of another young
woman, a recent newcomer to the village. She has befriended Tobias and also been curious about
the past events. The cover up which led to Tobias' conviction starts to unravel though the final
explanation is somewhat complex. Parallel to this are the lives of the two detectives, the senior
female trying to save the home she has built from being destroyed and the aristocratic male with
a celebrated explorer wife finding his marriage disintegrating. Again, a well-written novel which
deserves its best-seller status.
Nesser, Haken: Borkmann's Point
It has been some time since I read this addition to the Scandinavian crime novels, this one set in
Sweden with an Inspector Van Veeteren as the protagonist. Less gloomy than the Wallander of
Henning Mankell's works, he is summoned from holiday to assist in a pair of brutal murders in
a nearby town. The plot is acceptable and the characters well drawn with few cardboard ones
in view. Borkmann's point is not a geographical feature but an aphorism that in every investigation there comes a point beyond which more information is unnecessary. At this point, enough is known to solve the crime by thinking. An enjoyable novel.
Sweden with an Inspector Van Veeteren as the protagonist. Less gloomy than the Wallander of
Henning Mankell's works, he is summoned from holiday to assist in a pair of brutal murders in
a nearby town. The plot is acceptable and the characters well drawn with few cardboard ones
in view. Borkmann's point is not a geographical feature but an aphorism that in every investigation there comes a point beyond which more information is unnecessary. At this point, enough is known to solve the crime by thinking. An enjoyable novel.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Hannah, Sophie: The Carrier
A psychological thriller which comes with excellent reviews, this was reasonably interesting though the jump of viewpoint from chapter to chapter was a bit annoying at times. Rather wordy and not entirely convincing, particularly the central element claiming the love of Gaby, the lead female, for the supposed killer. This had to be accepted as something that had happened without any real attempt at explaining how and why it did. The book kept my interest in finding out just how it would be resolved without it being really good. I have another of this author's books, thanks to the Sunday Times/W H Smith promotion, but I shall wait before trying it.
Tracy, P.J.: Play to Kill
Another Minneapolis area thriller featuring Gino and Magozzi with help from Grace MacBride which
follows much the same pattern as previous books featuring them: a series of murders leaves them at
first baffled before computer work narrows down the field of possible suspects. Cleverly plotted and
maintaining the character development and interaction of the earlier work, this one did feel a little tired
at times, almost as if either the mother or daughter of the writing duo was less than happy with the way
things were going.
follows much the same pattern as previous books featuring them: a series of murders leaves them at
first baffled before computer work narrows down the field of possible suspects. Cleverly plotted and
maintaining the character development and interaction of the earlier work, this one did feel a little tired
at times, almost as if either the mother or daughter of the writing duo was less than happy with the way
things were going.
Frightfest 2013: Monday 26 August
Banshee Chapter 3D
Secret CIA drug experiments in mind control form the basis of this muddled and useless film. Why 3D?
Odd Thomas
Based on the first of the Dean Koontz novels about the eponymous hero, this was a pleasant enough way to pass the afternoon without exciting the juices. In its favour are the component playing of the
main characters and the clear cinematography.
We Are What We Are
A remake of the Mexican film of the same name, this has a bigger budget but is no more involving than the original
Big Bad Wolves
A nasty little film about a man who kidnaps someone he considers responsible for abducting and abusing his daughters. He tortures him to get to the truth and is helped both by a rogue cop and by
his own father. Not aat all enjoyable but well made.
Summary
The delayed writing of the five days' films is obvious from the shortness of the entries even though I
was able to refer to the programme. However, I think it also points up an overall lower standard than
has been the case is earlier years. The only film I would like to see again is 'The Last Days' though I
may possibly watch some of the others if, and when, shown on TV.
Secret CIA drug experiments in mind control form the basis of this muddled and useless film. Why 3D?
Odd Thomas
Based on the first of the Dean Koontz novels about the eponymous hero, this was a pleasant enough way to pass the afternoon without exciting the juices. In its favour are the component playing of the
main characters and the clear cinematography.
We Are What We Are
A remake of the Mexican film of the same name, this has a bigger budget but is no more involving than the original
Big Bad Wolves
A nasty little film about a man who kidnaps someone he considers responsible for abducting and abusing his daughters. He tortures him to get to the truth and is helped both by a rogue cop and by
his own father. Not aat all enjoyable but well made.
Summary
The delayed writing of the five days' films is obvious from the shortness of the entries even though I
was able to refer to the programme. However, I think it also points up an overall lower standard than
has been the case is earlier years. The only film I would like to see again is 'The Last Days' though I
may possibly watch some of the others if, and when, shown on TV.
Frightfest: Sunday 25 August
Missionary
Not our first choice of the morning but this tale of a Mormon missionary's obsession with a wife and her son which she at first appreciates before his friendship becomes too intense. Reasonable.
Hansel and Gretel Get Baked
Mildly amusing riff on the fairy tale with Lara Flynn Boyle going over the top as the witch who sells
drugs as a cover for killing to keep her looks.
Dark Tourist
A lonely security guard spends his time planning his annual holiday which traces the sites linked to
various serial killers. Rubbish.
The Desert
Three survivors of an unspecified disaster are holed up with occasional forays to get supplies until one
of them brings back a zombie as well. Also rubbish.
The Last Days
The only way to stay alive is to stay indoors or underground in this Spanish thriller set in Barcelona.
The hero needs to get to his pregnant girlfriend and sets off through passages with his boss, the two of
them being anything but friends. For the most part, what happens is not unexpected apart from a bravura scene in a church involving a very large bear which has escaped from the zoo. The two men
develop an understanding which lets the hero eventually find his girlfriend, the denouement being the
end of the plague and the start of a new life. By far the best so far.
Not our first choice of the morning but this tale of a Mormon missionary's obsession with a wife and her son which she at first appreciates before his friendship becomes too intense. Reasonable.
Hansel and Gretel Get Baked
Mildly amusing riff on the fairy tale with Lara Flynn Boyle going over the top as the witch who sells
drugs as a cover for killing to keep her looks.
Dark Tourist
A lonely security guard spends his time planning his annual holiday which traces the sites linked to
various serial killers. Rubbish.
The Desert
Three survivors of an unspecified disaster are holed up with occasional forays to get supplies until one
of them brings back a zombie as well. Also rubbish.
The Last Days
The only way to stay alive is to stay indoors or underground in this Spanish thriller set in Barcelona.
The hero needs to get to his pregnant girlfriend and sets off through passages with his boss, the two of
them being anything but friends. For the most part, what happens is not unexpected apart from a bravura scene in a church involving a very large bear which has escaped from the zoo. The two men
develop an understanding which lets the hero eventually find his girlfriend, the denouement being the
end of the plague and the start of a new life. By far the best so far.
Frightfest 2013: Saturday 24 August
The Hypnotist
Investigating a triple murder, the detective in charge uses a disgraced hypnotist to unlock the memory of
the only witness. Could have been much better.
Frankenstein's Army
As World War II is ending, a group of Russian soldiers find themselves cut off in enemy territory and
stumble on a secret Nazi laboratory where a mad scientist is creating a super-army from the bodies of
dead soldiers with weapons attached. Gory, very unbelievable and an enjoyable romp.
No One Lives
A bungled heist leads a gang to grab a couple in a car without realising that the driver is wanted for a
multiple killing and his companion is actually his hostage. Mayhem ensues and a gory time is had by
all.
R.I.P.D
The 3D effects were a little off-putting in this fantasy thriller where dead lawmen track down and arrest
criminal spirits who disguise themselves as 'normal' humans. With nods to both 'Men in Black' and
'Ghostbusters', this was not as good as one expected from the cast les by Jeff Bridges with Kevin Bacon as the lead bad guy.
Investigating a triple murder, the detective in charge uses a disgraced hypnotist to unlock the memory of
the only witness. Could have been much better.
Frankenstein's Army
As World War II is ending, a group of Russian soldiers find themselves cut off in enemy territory and
stumble on a secret Nazi laboratory where a mad scientist is creating a super-army from the bodies of
dead soldiers with weapons attached. Gory, very unbelievable and an enjoyable romp.
No One Lives
A bungled heist leads a gang to grab a couple in a car without realising that the driver is wanted for a
multiple killing and his companion is actually his hostage. Mayhem ensues and a gory time is had by
all.
R.I.P.D
The 3D effects were a little off-putting in this fantasy thriller where dead lawmen track down and arrest
criminal spirits who disguise themselves as 'normal' humans. With nods to both 'Men in Black' and
'Ghostbusters', this was not as good as one expected from the cast les by Jeff Bridges with Kevin Bacon as the lead bad guy.
Frightfest 2013: Friday 23 August
The Dyatlov Pass Incident
A bunch of American college students travel to Russia to investigate an incident in 1959 when nine
Russian hikers disappeared in the Urals even though they were experienced climbers. After a slowish
start they arrive at the area of the mystery with their numbers gradually being depleted until the remaining two get caught up in what was an ongoing military secret experiment. Very so-so and what
was the delectable Gemma Atkinson doing in an American film wearing winter clothing?
Dementamania
An uptight office worker is stung by a wasp when leaving his morning shower (serves him right for
being over-clean!). This distorts his sense of reality both in the office where gamesmanship seems to
be the primary activity and his mental state is further disrupted by a 'Dear John' e-mail. There is an
impending sense of violence which reaches a climax at the local night club. Overall, mildly interesting
but forgettable.
Sadik 2
New Year's Eve sees six friends partying in a rented house in the country but things go wrong: also in the house is a film crew making a snuff movie using the friends as the cast. Pick up after a slow start
but mainly a compilation of the usual cliches.
Haunter
An excellent performance from Abigail Breslin who has grown up since her 'Little Miss Sunshine' days
made this the most enjoyable film to date. A family are trapped in their house and its immediate surroundings without realising that they are repeating the same day over and over again. Breslin does
work this out which leads to the family finally escaping from the limbo of death without closure to the
final freeing of their spirits. Not bad with a nice cameo from Stephen McHattie.
Wither
I know I saw this film about friends at a holiday cottage but I must have slept through it as I do not
remember a thing.
A bunch of American college students travel to Russia to investigate an incident in 1959 when nine
Russian hikers disappeared in the Urals even though they were experienced climbers. After a slowish
start they arrive at the area of the mystery with their numbers gradually being depleted until the remaining two get caught up in what was an ongoing military secret experiment. Very so-so and what
was the delectable Gemma Atkinson doing in an American film wearing winter clothing?
Dementamania
An uptight office worker is stung by a wasp when leaving his morning shower (serves him right for
being over-clean!). This distorts his sense of reality both in the office where gamesmanship seems to
be the primary activity and his mental state is further disrupted by a 'Dear John' e-mail. There is an
impending sense of violence which reaches a climax at the local night club. Overall, mildly interesting
but forgettable.
Sadik 2
New Year's Eve sees six friends partying in a rented house in the country but things go wrong: also in the house is a film crew making a snuff movie using the friends as the cast. Pick up after a slow start
but mainly a compilation of the usual cliches.
Haunter
An excellent performance from Abigail Breslin who has grown up since her 'Little Miss Sunshine' days
made this the most enjoyable film to date. A family are trapped in their house and its immediate surroundings without realising that they are repeating the same day over and over again. Breslin does
work this out which leads to the family finally escaping from the limbo of death without closure to the
final freeing of their spirits. Not bad with a nice cameo from Stephen McHattie.
Wither
I know I saw this film about friends at a holiday cottage but I must have slept through it as I do not
remember a thing.
Frightfest 2013: Thursday 22 August
The previous entry should have been followed by this one around two weeks later but, on 31 August, Pat broke her ankle and looking after naturally became a priority. This definitely disrupted my days
and did leave me with rather less 'free' time than usual. By the time the cycling season had finished, it
was mid-October and the switch from 'must restart the blog tomorrow' to actually doing it has taken
rather more time than I expected.
The Dead 2: India
The first of the series was shown two years ago and featured as an analytical session last year though I
saw neither. The plot is simple - our hero is trying to reach loved ones during a zombie outbreak so the
story line becomes a series of near misses for him while others are less fortunate. Even had I written
this immediately afterwards it would still have been a rather indifferent reaction.
Curse of Chucky
Here we go again! The malevolent killer doll returns for a number of imaginative killings with, almost
at the end, a cameo from the iconic Jennifer Tilley.
Having intended previously to stay for the late screenings by staying at an hotel - which was none too
successful - we reverted to missing deliberately the final show of the evening.
and did leave me with rather less 'free' time than usual. By the time the cycling season had finished, it
was mid-October and the switch from 'must restart the blog tomorrow' to actually doing it has taken
rather more time than I expected.
The Dead 2: India
The first of the series was shown two years ago and featured as an analytical session last year though I
saw neither. The plot is simple - our hero is trying to reach loved ones during a zombie outbreak so the
story line becomes a series of near misses for him while others are less fortunate. Even had I written
this immediately afterwards it would still have been a rather indifferent reaction.
Curse of Chucky
Here we go again! The malevolent killer doll returns for a number of imaginative killings with, almost
at the end, a cameo from the iconic Jennifer Tilley.
Having intended previously to stay for the late screenings by staying at an hotel - which was none too
successful - we reverted to missing deliberately the final show of the evening.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Kauffmann, Jean-Paul: A Journey to Nowhere
A French student does voluntary work in Quebec as his national service. There he meets and falls in love with a local girl whose parents emigrated to Canada from Courland, an area of Latvia. Although
they consumate their love he leaves her to return to France and they lose touch. Many years later, he is
a successful writer/journalist and discovers that one of his cousins had a father killed in Courland during
World War II when he was forcibly enlisted into the German army as were many Alsatians, they being
known as the malgre-nous. Presented with an open assignment by his editor, he persuades him that an
article on Courland would be worthwhile and this book is the result. It is a mixture of personal narrative covering his time there with his wife, descriptive passages of a number of mansions which had
been built and owned by German descendants of the Teutonic Knights, subsequently dispossessed, some of the relics of the lengthy postwar occupation by the Russians and conversations with some of the present-day Latvians in the region. There is an overlying melancholy to the book which seems to be a genuine reaction to the state of the area with many of the old buildings in disrepair and the remains of the Russian occupation in a similar condition for the most part. This is in contrast to the earlier years, in particular the seventeenth century when the then Duke of Courland initiated attempts to found
colonies in Gambia and Tobago and the time in exile for a while of Louis XVIII. The nineteenth century saw a gradual decline which the novelist Eduard von Keyserling portrays in his works, this despite Libau, the area's main port, being the Russian fleet's home base. After World War 1 and the
Russian Revolution, the area was independent as part of Latvia until invaded by Russia again in 1939,
then occupied by German troops, many of whom died when encircled during the last years of the war.
Although I read the booking small doses over a period of time I enjoyed it and may well read the author's earlier work about Napoleon in exile 'The Dark Room at Longwood' and'Desolation Island' about Kerguelen.
they consumate their love he leaves her to return to France and they lose touch. Many years later, he is
a successful writer/journalist and discovers that one of his cousins had a father killed in Courland during
World War II when he was forcibly enlisted into the German army as were many Alsatians, they being
known as the malgre-nous. Presented with an open assignment by his editor, he persuades him that an
article on Courland would be worthwhile and this book is the result. It is a mixture of personal narrative covering his time there with his wife, descriptive passages of a number of mansions which had
been built and owned by German descendants of the Teutonic Knights, subsequently dispossessed, some of the relics of the lengthy postwar occupation by the Russians and conversations with some of the present-day Latvians in the region. There is an overlying melancholy to the book which seems to be a genuine reaction to the state of the area with many of the old buildings in disrepair and the remains of the Russian occupation in a similar condition for the most part. This is in contrast to the earlier years, in particular the seventeenth century when the then Duke of Courland initiated attempts to found
colonies in Gambia and Tobago and the time in exile for a while of Louis XVIII. The nineteenth century saw a gradual decline which the novelist Eduard von Keyserling portrays in his works, this despite Libau, the area's main port, being the Russian fleet's home base. After World War 1 and the
Russian Revolution, the area was independent as part of Latvia until invaded by Russia again in 1939,
then occupied by German troops, many of whom died when encircled during the last years of the war.
Although I read the booking small doses over a period of time I enjoyed it and may well read the author's earlier work about Napoleon in exile 'The Dark Room at Longwood' and'Desolation Island' about Kerguelen.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Leon, Donna: The Girl of His Dreams
This is the seventeenth Commissario Brunetti novel and something of a change from the earlier ones.
He and Ispettore Vianello respond to a call and pull a young girl from the water. She is blonde and
has been dead for several hours. She is a Rom to use the pc term but, possibly because she had been
thieving, her family neither report her missing nor seem interested in claiming her body. The book opens at Brunetti's father's funeral, a scene which is very eloquently portrayed, which provides the
impetus for a side story as the priest, who had been a schoolboy bully acquaintance of Brunetti's, asks
him to investigate a preacher who appears to be obtaining money fraudulently. This Brunetti does
and is able to put a stop to the fraud's activities without getting directly involved as his thoughts are
occupied by the girl's death. it appears she has fallen from the roof of a house which she had been
burgling but his suspicions are roused by the reactions of the family involved. At the end, he is left with a probable scenario for the girl's death which he is never going to prove, the book ending with
the burial of the dead girl with only Brunetti and Vianello in attendance, her family having since left
the area, apparently having been paid off - but for what? In some ways the absence of a specific
crime investigation at the centre of the book is not missed as Brunetti's efforts to settle what had happened to the girl provides the thrust of the novel but the overall impression is one of loss - of
innocence especially and of human concern for others. Well up to the very high standard Donna Leon has set herself.
He and Ispettore Vianello respond to a call and pull a young girl from the water. She is blonde and
has been dead for several hours. She is a Rom to use the pc term but, possibly because she had been
thieving, her family neither report her missing nor seem interested in claiming her body. The book opens at Brunetti's father's funeral, a scene which is very eloquently portrayed, which provides the
impetus for a side story as the priest, who had been a schoolboy bully acquaintance of Brunetti's, asks
him to investigate a preacher who appears to be obtaining money fraudulently. This Brunetti does
and is able to put a stop to the fraud's activities without getting directly involved as his thoughts are
occupied by the girl's death. it appears she has fallen from the roof of a house which she had been
burgling but his suspicions are roused by the reactions of the family involved. At the end, he is left with a probable scenario for the girl's death which he is never going to prove, the book ending with
the burial of the dead girl with only Brunetti and Vianello in attendance, her family having since left
the area, apparently having been paid off - but for what? In some ways the absence of a specific
crime investigation at the centre of the book is not missed as Brunetti's efforts to settle what had happened to the girl provides the thrust of the novel but the overall impression is one of loss - of
innocence especially and of human concern for others. Well up to the very high standard Donna Leon has set herself.
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