James Ellroy is one of my favorite novelists and his book, The Big Nowhere is near the top of the list when it comes to detective/crime fiction. Here’s a brief video review.
If you’re looking to read one the great stories of the past century, look into Ellroy’s “LA Quartet” as it has come to be know. It begins with The Black Dahlia, moves on to The Big Nowhere, continues with LA Confidential, and wraps up with White Jazz. I’ll be reviewing the other books soon here at the video blog.
Here’s a brief video book review of Silence of the Grave, by Arnaldur Indridason. This is the second book in the series featuring Inspector Erlendur, who is a brooding, detached man working to solve crimes and hold on to his estranged family.
I’m going to read the next book in this series and report on it when complete.
Criminal Investigation by Karen Hess is a textbook used in criminology courses throughout the USA. I studied this book carefully as part of my research for writing one of my novels. The book is a thorough primer on the subject, starting with the basics and going all the way through to advanced techniques. Here’s my video review.
What I found most useful about this book was it’s organization. Without realizing it, I learned a bit about order and structure in the course of an investigation that applies to other areas of life, including writing a novel. Not that I always follow proper or even a logical procedure because part of writing is organic, taking its own course as it moves along. Nonetheless, a bit of formality improves the likelihood of success and I’m pleased to have received a tune-up in this area. So, if you’re someone who loves detective stories or just wants to have a look at the way a criminal investigation should be done, give this book a try.
The Bent Page 
Faithful Place, video review
I just finished reading Tana French’s novel, Faithful Place. Here’s my video review.
I recommend this book for those of you who want to rise above the typical murder mystery. The family drama as well as the location add greater depth and dimension to the genre. Keep reading!
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on February 16, 2012 at 10:38 pm Leave a CommentTags: book review, Books, Faithful Place, fiction, murder mystery, novel, reading, Tana French, video, video blog, Writing