The Hungry Detective

Like any serious book reader what really interests me is a 'hot' looking dust jacket or book cover. So, of course, I was taken by Brian M. Wiprud's books. This highlights two things. One is I need to figure out how to post pictures on this blog and two, I need to read his books. I have been really going through a pretty dark period in my reading. Very dark, very noiry. Hard Case Crime books. I read Duane Swierczynski's book. The Hunsicker book Still River . I need something that is going to make me laugh. I am hoping they will be along the lines of Tim Cockey's Hearse series. I have been trying to bring my 'to be read pile' under control for say the last two years... so the prospect of buying three more books does actually give me a moment for pause.....but they are soft cover so they are as good as bought.

My wife's best friend and his wife visited us this weekend. So that means every meal was a chance to eat at one of Rochester's fine eating establishments. Today we ate the South Wedge Diner and at Panera Bread. Yesterday we ate Lindburger's (more on this later). For lunch we ate at Open Face . This place sticks out for me because for a very brief time they served Maid-rite Hamburgers.If you are from the Mid-west you might know what these are..... for those of you who do not it is best described as a crumbly hamburger. When they served them I enjoyed the nostalgia even if I thought the mustard dressing they had on it was a mite to strong. The other delicacy they serve is Moxie soda. Moxie is best described as cough syrup in the form of a soft drink. An acquired taste, but one that a friend or two enjoy even if I don't. Hugely popular during the turn of the last century, it is now reduced to a specialty drink produced in Pennsylvania. Anyway it was sandwiches all aro...

John Rickards writes a pretty good blog that I check out every now and again. His Hard Boiled Jesus is becoming a thing of legend. Here is what he has to had to say about the World's Oldest Living Bee Keeper .

I am a collector. I love every single one of my crime fiction books. Most were bought at stores, but a few were bought at what would broadly be defined as Book Fairs. And maybe I love those books a little more than the rest. Back a few years ago there was a brief time when I collected for profit. Which anyway you look at it was foolish. I bought things I never would have purchased because I thought there was money to made. See? Foolish. As if I would ever sell any of them to reap this profit. Ultimately it meant I bought books that I just did not like. Too my credit I read them, and too my greater credit I never bought another of the author’s books. Supposed profit or not. But I still collect. Maybe this obvious to everyone already, but the book, the object of my fervor, has little to do with why I collect. It is the pursuit that holds all of the attraction. Even if the pursuit is reduced down to searching the stacks of several Border’s to find the one dust jacket that has...

I'm a Barnes and Noble member. I have also joined Borders Rewards program. And besides collecting data for the NSA , it allows me to buy books cheaper. I pay for B&N.... or at least my wife does in the form of a Christmas gift to me. The Borders program is free.... for now. I know, Independent Booksellers Unite! Anyway, I was rambling around B&N to find Elizabeth Castro's book on Publishing a Blog w/ Blogger , when I found T. Jefferson Parker's Cold Pursuit taking up valuable space on the overstock table. Have yet to read him, but have managed to acquire many of his books in a similar manner. A few Ebay, a few overstock. The other two buys were the latest from George Pelecanos and Denise Mina . Pelecanos got a huge push from his publisher for this book, The Night Gardener. I had a great deal of trouble with George's first two books. A Firing Offense and Nick's Trip. Something brought me back for his third, Down By the River Where the Dead Men Go. I will f...

So I am mainly writing this blog so that I can write about crime fiction. Every now and again I may talk about food. Because besides wanting to open a Crime Fiction bookstore here in metropolitan Rochester, Ny I would like to open a restaurant. I want to do none of the work to actually make either one of these dreams come true, but still. My tagline in the header alludes to the fact you should not have to pay over $25 retail for either a good book or a good steak. Barnes and Noble and Borders (no I am not making these linkable.... I feel bad enough for not supporting Independent bookstores) take care of the first half with discounts and overstocks, but the steak in this town I frequently but gladly break what should be maxim number seven. Maxim No. 8? "Don't double space after a period, exclamation, or question mark at the end of sentence". My wife would kill me. She tells me that due to computer type setting or some such nonsense it is no longer needed. That's goin...

1. "Avoid fried meats which angry up the blood". 2. "If your stomach disputes you, lie down and pacify it with cool thoughts". 3. "Keep the juices flowing by jangling around gently as you move". 4. "Go very light on the vices, such as carrying on in society - the social ramble aint restful". 5. "Avoid running at all times". 6. "And don't look back - something might be gaining on you" My mother and father gave me photograph of Satchel Paige for my birthday. I have yet to frame it. But it got be thinking about Satchel Paige. He was a pitcher in the Negro Leagues, and despite not player in the Major Leagues until late life is still remembered as one of the greats. This summer they dedicated a statue of Satchel Paige at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Copperstown. It is only a few hours away from here, and the next time my Dad visits I think we will take a drive down I-90 and check it out. What does this have to do with crime f...