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The Summer and Fall of The Hungry Detective

I have reached the point in my quarantine that I am looking for positives wherever I can find them. I've read 17 books off my 'To Be Read Pile' leaving me within tangible reach of being caught up. Although when I look at the list below I don't seem all that close. Looking for positives here there is a big one. RESIDUE by Michael McGarrity was released in 2019, and everything after that is 2020 release. I will have caught up to the current release year. It is not hyperbolic to say that that has not happened in forever. Truly. 20 years, maybe more.

RED WHITE BLUE - Lea Carpenter
Last summer I wanted to read spy books, so I bought this on eBay for cheap. It is a goal to read all of the George Smiley books next year, and RED WHITE BLUE was scratching that itch. This book had some nice notices and for $10 bucks it is now on my bookshelf. [Editor's Note: Since starting this post I read this book. I liked the style even if it did not amount to too much. The first 200 pages had the effect of reading the first few opening chapters over and over again. And the conclusion is lost on me. Still there is something there, I hope she writes something not so opaque.]
 
THIS STORM - Dog
I have kept this doorstop tome waiting over year. I admire James Ellroy's ambition more than anything at this point. He is a great writer, but over the course of his last 2-3 books stylistically he has been (more) frustrating to read and his and his male character's obsession with Helen of Troy stand-ins has become off-putting. [Editor's note: I am about 200 pages into this. His staccato, gunshot writing style is at level 6 here, so only occasionally frustrating/masturbatory. More frustrating is I remember none of PERFIDIA in the 5 year gap between books. Otherwise I like what I am reading so far.] I more or less have given myself to the end of the August to read this. Despite all my grousing I am taking my time, Mr. Ellroy's work is to be savored.
 
CELTIC EMPIRE - Clive+Dirk Cussler
RESIDUE - Michael McGarrity
THE LAST TOURIST - Olen Steinhauer
FIRECATCHING - Will Thomas
THREE HOURS IN PARIS - Cara Black

A collection of old, new, and final chapters in this run. Most excited for Mr Steinhauer's book. The Tourist series is really quite fine spy fiction. From all reports, there is one more adventure for Dirk Pitt to be co-written by Clive and Dirk Cussler. THE DEVIL'S SEA will probably appear sometime next year, but it is hard not see CELTIC EMPIRE as a farewell of sorts. It would be ambitious to read all this by mid October, but that is my aim.

FAIR WARNING - Michael Connelly
RIVIERA GOLD - Laurie R. King
CRY BABY - Mark Billingham
A PRIVATE CATHEDRAL - James Lee Burke
 
Pretty much the cream of the crop here. I am really looking forward to this run of books. I am confident that I could pick off a book a week here and be done with A PRIVATE CATHEDRAL by Thanksgiving.
 
After that I have I have a few scheduled purchases to close out the year and or more likely open 2021.... NEXT TO LAST STAND - Craig Johnson; WINTER COUNTS - David Heska Wanbli Weiden; EIGHT DETECTIVES - Alex Pavsi, HEAL WOUNDS - Michael McGarrity; THE LAW OF INNOCENCE - Michael Connelly.

And as long as I have come this far on my maybe list are BLACKTOP WASTELAND - S.A. CROSBY and TAKE ME APART - Sara Silgar, plus whatever else crosses my path in the next 3-4 months of the year.

Currently Reading - THIS STORM - James Ellroy
To Be Read - 9. (Single digit!?)
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