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.
Deception On His Mind, by Elizabeth George sends one of her regular characters, Barbara Havers, on a solo job. She rushes off to the fictional sea-side town of Balford-le-Nez, where a recently arrived Pakistani has been found dead, apparently murdered. Havers soon gets the job of interfacing with the local Pakistani community, which is inflamed by racial tensions thanks to actors on both sides of the divide. As would be expected, there is a list of potential suspects ranging from ex-employees to fellow immigrants, all of which have motives and means.
George tells the whole story in the course of nearly five hundred pages. While some of it is repetitive, it’s a pleasure to read a thoroughly written book as opposed to the more slender, sparsely populated ones of late. There is the backdrop of a town on the skids with renewal on the way. There is the coming marriage of the deceased into a wealthy family looking to maintain their religious traditions amidst a more secular society. There is the dynamics between Havers and her temporary boss, a relationship that teeters on the brink now and then. Not to mention the friendship between two young women whose common history is now unraveling. George leaves nothing out, building a narrative of these and many more elements, all of which spin together in a world that is highly believable.
Deception On His Mind can be read without knowing all of Havers’ background through George’s other mysteries featuring her and Inspector Lynley. Therefore, those looking for a taste of this series will find it enjoyable.
While perusing my bookshelf the other day, I came across Gomorrah by Roberto Saviano. Quickly, I realized I was remiss in not reviewing this book here and in my other venues. Gomorrah is a view from inside the horrow show that is organized crime in Naples Italy. Flipping through the book, the stories of heartbreak, violence, and extortion came back to mind. Too often, crime becomes mythology. Bosses are wise men, underlings are doing the best the can, morality twists in moronic convulsions. Saviano shows there is nothing glamorous or likable about organized criminals. They cheat, steal, and kill with wanton vigor, always on the lookout for the next opportunity to abuse the innocent.
Where Mr. Saviano excels most is in the intimate accounts of individuals caught up in the mayhem caused by organized crime. The tailors, the shop keepers, the truck drivers, regular people are the most frequent victims. However, these are more than tales of woe. They are explanations of exactly how things go wrong, how difficult they are to fix, how there are too few good guys doing the right thing.
The author ventured into this world himself; he did not simply read other reports or talk to a few retired policemen. For his trouble, Mr. Saviano lives under constant threat from the subject he eloquently exposes. Good luck to him. He’s going to need it.
The Bent Page 