An Orgy of good reading

After being ill, not enough to not go to work, but enough to just come home and just go to bed. I do not think I read a book for at least a month. Just too tired. So I have been indulging in an orgy of reading mystery books.

Prepared for Rage by Dana Stabenow

Very different from her other books. An American educated Pakistanian watches as his sister is raped and humiliated by Muslim fundamentalists for merely talking to male friend in a car and in his anger becomes fodder for the war against America. His target is a space shuttle. The FBI and Coast Guard have the job of guarding that all American icon, the space shuttle.

Stalking Ivory by Suzanne Arruda:

Another wonderful Jade del Cameron mystery set in post World War II Africa. All the exciting elements are there poachers, raiders, a cache of German guns. Elephants, African shape shifters and Jade herself, an all American woman who can take care of herself.

Strangers in Death by Nora Roberts writing as J D Robb

My daughter introduced me to Lt Eve Dallas of the New York City homicide squad, 2060. The food and electronics are futuristic, the human problems are age old. Always a murder. At least one. Eve is dogged in her pursuit of the truth and the killers. This one is even better than most.

Murder in the Rue de Paradis by Cara Black

Cara Black lives in San Francisco and visits Paris to get the background for her books. Sounds like a dream life to me. Aimée Leduc runs her own private investigation business. Mostly she and her partner prevent information theft. This time the murder of an old flame the morning after he proposes to her leads her into danger. The trails leads her to a sleeper Jihadist cell, Turkish-Kurdish politics and danger as she tries to thwart an Islamic terrorist intent on killing the first Muslim woman elected to a Turkish political post. As usual, fast paced and intriguing.

Even Cat Sitters Get the Blues by Blaize Clement

This is the third Dixie Heminway (no, no relation to the other Heminway) mystery. Dixie a former cop who quit after the death of her husband and child to take up the quiet life of a pet sitter is once again involved in murder and mystery. This time she adds to her list of jobs, a very very sick man and his iguana, Ziggy. It is convoluted, dangerous and almost romantic. So much happens in a short time that it is hard to put this book down.

The Fault Tree by Louise Ure

Cadence Moran, blind from an automotive accident is a first rate auto mechanic. She can hear problems others cannot see. She is used to being independent. Walking to and from work until one night she is almost killed when a car tries to run her down. An elderly neighbor had been murdered and the murders think that Cadence might have seen them. This is a thoroughly intriguing and sad tale of murder, survival and perseverance.

Eliza

Amnesia

Today's entry should be what we're watching.

Amnesia (this link will take you to library's catalog) is the story of Detective Matt Stone (John Hannah) and his seemingly irrational search for the truth behind the deaths of several women whom he believes were all married to and murdered by the same man. You see, Matt Stone's own wife has gone missing it has been driving him around the twist. He can't remember what happened to her and his reality becomes conflated with what he may remember or may be imagining or even may be dreaming.

In this state, he has fixated on John Dean, wonderfully played by an actor named Anthony Calf. Despite every evidence and his own amorphous reality he believes that Dean has re-invented himself time and again and is this time married to the lovely Jenna (Jemma Redgrave). Dean admits to having amnesia, there is much that he just does not recall and Stone is convinced he's faking it.

But who is faking what? Anonymous letters arrive suggesting that Stone may have killed his wife and the truth in this psychological thriller becomes as amorphous as Stone's daily world.

I loved this British TV movie. The actors, lead by Hannah, Redgrave and Calf, were well cast and believable in their roles. I was kept off kilter and guessing and enthralled by Hannah's ability to inhabit the character of Matt Stone. I so enjoyed director Nick Laughland's work that I'll be looking for more by him. If you like to be a little off balance and like to be kept guessing, you'll enjoy this DVD.

~mel