Notes From the black shelf
 
 October 3 ,2001

Recent reads.

John Connolly - The Dark Hollow

     This is the second in an ongoing series with a Private Investigator named Charlie Parker. Bird to his friends.  Parker is an ex-cop, and if you read the first in the series, the Shamus Award winning Every Dead Thing, you’ll know why it’s ex.  Parker has ghosts to deal with and he decides that to help do this he will move back to the place he grew up. His Grandfather’s house in Scarborough Maine. After moving back, he gets involved in a case investigating the murder of a mother and child. The case twists and turns, and brings Parker’s own past into the equation.

       With his friends, Angel and Louis, Parker sets out to find the truth. And the ride takes him through some almost supernatural places, a run in with some mob hoods, and a killer that is not your typical killer. This dark book is a great sophomore effort and worth picking up.
 

Pete Hautman - Ragman

     This latest book from Hautman is a wonderful look at what people are capable of. Mack MacWray is a typical guy. He lives in a average house, has an average wife, and an average job. He’s not aggressive, goes with the flow. The kind of guy most people don’t notice.  He works as a “ragman”.  He’s the guy in a clothing factory that keeps the machinery working, the cloth flowing.  And in this position for a large manufacturer he
meets Lars Larson. Lars is smooth. Everybody like Lars. He’s the people guy. A great salesman.
      And Lars talks Mack into starting his own company. Together they form Mac-Lar. Mack handling the floor and the running of the business. Lars, the people guy takes care of sales. And together with a beautiful bookkeeper he handles the money.
     And then one morning Lars is gone. And Mack discovers that the money is too. And at this point the story really begins. Mack starts to change. And we get to watch as Mack goes from a mild mannered, timid, nice guy to a ruthless businessman. It’s a fun thing to watch as Mack starts to surprise himself. And it’s scary to see at the same time. As he is juggling more and more things in the air, you know eventually something will fall. And you want to see what goes first, hoping it won’t, but knowing it has to. Or does it? How well has Mack learned his new art?

     This book is engrossing. I was afraid to put it down for fear I would miss something, as if Mack would make a move with out waiting for me to be there to read it. I try to make good books last, reading a bit at a time. But I couldn’t with this book. The only reason I stopped was to sleep. And I picked it up as soon as I woke up and finished it. I forgot to eat.  This is one of the best books I’ve read in years
 

Loren Estleman - Lady Yesterday

      This is an older Amos Walker mystery, but with the new one coming out in February I wanted to renew my friendship with the character. Walker is approached by his old friend  Iris, ex-hooker, ex- junkie. She is living in Jamaica and plans to marry soon. When her mother passes on, she finds out that the man who she thought was her father really isn’t. And she comes to Detroit with a the intent of having Amos find her true Dad. With a smattering of clues to start with Amos starts to dig. Knowing that the man was a musician he starts with the jazz clubs. He meets with old players and new. The local drug lord gets involved, which brings a strange alliance in the form of the local mobster.

      In typical Walker fashion, Amos plays things right on the edge, using whatever he can to get the results he needs.  A wonderful hardboiled walk through Detroit. Estleman delivers every time.
 

SJ Rozan - Mandarin Plaid

     This is the first of SJ’s books that I’ve read. Not for lack of wanting to, it’s just that they kept getting pushed back by other books. Not any more. I’m hooked. This series is now going to be read as soon as they come out. The duo lead characters is a great idea. Lydia Chin and Bill Smith are great together.

   In this book Lydia’s brother suggests to a friend that his sister might be of some help. Some one has stolen some clothing designs from a up and coming designer. And  so Lydia is brought in to what should be a simple money drop. But....things go wrong. And she and Bill and up determined to find out why.  Things twist around and take them from Chinatown to a penthouse on Park Avenue.  And all the while we see the story through Lydia’s perspective (every other book is from Bill’s). Her mother is old fashioned, and her older brothers are over protective. A very believable family dynamic, and realistic feeling of the way things work in Chinatown.
 
 

Steve Hamilton - The Hunting Wind

    Number three in the Alex McKnight series. And this time we get a look at a bit more of his past. And old buddy from his days as a minor league ball player comes to pay a visit to Alex in Paradise Michigan. Randy Wilkins is looking for a girl he knew for a week almost thirty years ago. And Alex’s partner Leo accepts the case before telling Alex. Alex reluctantly decides to help Randy, and off they go to Detroit. Which brings up a few bad memories for our buddy Alex.

    At first nothing seems to shake loose, but after a while clues start to filter in. And it seems that the more he finds out, the less he knows. And as we get to the end, we can’t help but feel sorry for Alex.  A great ending, and the ride to it is wonderful. The book has some wonderful moments with Alex and Randy that remind of old friends and how things change.  Steve is another author I will read as soon as his books come out.

John Connolly - The Killing Kind

      I decided I couldn’t wait for the American print, so I ordered the British copy of John’s third book.  I think this one may be the darkest yet. Parker is trying to take more mundane cases, and as a result, safer but boring cases. He is summoned  to the home of a wealthy Maine politico and offered a job. look into the suicide of the daughter of a friend. As it turns out, Bird knew the girl when he was a younger man. He takes the case.

      Grace Peltier was doing research for a paper on the Aroostook Baptists. A religious community that disappeared without a trace some forty years earlier.  When her body is found, her work is missing.   The book takes Parker on a journey into the dark again. People don’t want the truth found. In particular, a very gruesome man who keeps showing up, named Mr. Pudd.

    Parker is again troubled by ghosts. And I think that it gives him a more human quality even though it gives the books a supernatural hint. And back again to watch his back are Angel and Louis.  And Rachel again seems to be his anchor. John Connolly really does his research and it shows. A great book, and so far my favorite of the series.