The Hungry Detective

There is no ethics in a Blogger post. I am back dating this post to closer to its announcement on Twitter back in October of 2021. Today is April 7, 2022. The latest James Lee Burke is always an event. CLOAK is the continuation of Holland Family saga. The Holland books have not always been my cup of tea, but I liked ANOTHER KIND OF EDEN a great deal. Burke has always dealt in otherworldly specters. Over time those specters have become less metaphorical and more literal deceptions. It is not something I would have though I would be interest in, but the end of ANOTHER KIND OF EDEN was a show stopper. Book drops on May 24th, 2022.   Coming May 17, 2022. More info at https://t.co/vC7MHd0s3C [EM] pic.twitter.com/gabFcX2jIX — James Lee Burke (@JamesLeeBurke) October 26, 2021

Curious occurrence that both books are written as flashbacks. I could not reconcile why this was the right time tell these stories this way. Still, both have The Hungry Detective's strongest recommendations.   CRY BABY - Mark Billingham Mr. Billingham is a closer. Which is to say that he knows how to bring to bare the weight of all that has come before in a book's closing moments. In the case of CRY BABY the closing moments certainly calmed some general qualms about why a flashback story now, especially as a milestone book, Mr. Billingham's 20th. There must be something there, right? There is no acknowledgement in previous books, no cryptic references to the events in previous books about this story. Regardless of this semi-frustrating structure, CRY BABY is great, and Mr. Billingham has not missed in quite some time.   A PRIVATE CATHEDRAL - James Lee Burke "I'm talking about the acknowledgment of mortality, and not the kind that slips up on you in hospice or on th...

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 ...

James Lee Burke. Is. The. Best.  That is all... Currently Reading - NEW IBERIA BLUES - James Lee Burke To Be Read - 32

These are the next 6 books I am going to read. All but the latest James Lee Burke are 2018 releases. I am also under the vague impression that I can do this by early April. Initially, I was going to move onto THE KILLING HABIT next, but I pivoted to the Craig Johnson because in thinking it over, his previous novel, THE WESTERN STAR, was my favorite read last year. DEPTH OF WINTER is the continuation of that book and the (possible?) conclusion to a longer running arc of Tomás Bidarte as Walt Longmire's nemesis. Following that will be the Connelly. Which will be the first book of his that I have some mild trepidation to read. TWO KINDS OF TRUTH did not connect with me and the first book in a long time that I felt was lacking from Mr. Connelly. In the past, I always thought to myself that mediocre -- insert author that you like -- is still better than most books. In truth, that is a weird narrative. And I should just embrace that fact that I didn't like the book. Anyway, TW...

Two years ago, as I was casting about in an effort to rekindle my affection for Crime Fiction, I thought a good project would be to clear out the significant backlog of books that were waiting to be read. I made a list. It was long. 60 plus books. I gave myself the deadline of December 31st, 2018. I did not make that deadline. In fact, even a year ago at this time, I know I would miss it. I think I was 40-ish books away and with all of my usual authors publishing something I knew it would be impossible.  I refocused. I caught up with a few authors whose books I had not been up to date with in several years. I picked off Mark Billingham and Laurie R. King and felt a pretty good sense of accomplishment. Now, I am reading the 2nd of 7 books that I am behind on Stephen Booth.  Mini-review. DEAD and BURIED (2012) is fantastic. One of the best in what is a great series. After Mr. Booth, I will nail down all 5 of the James Lee Burke books I have on the...

Thirty is now fourteen. I am at the halfway point of The List . The List was born out of a desire to reinvigorate my interest in Crime Fiction. Almost two years into this plan and I feel good about where I am...emotionally....physically...with Crime Fiction Although difficult to quantify I knew that the smart play two years ago was to focus on my core authors as a way to rekindle my interest in Crime Fiction. Chasing new authors with 'hot' debuts had lead me to a kind of ruin. My shelves became littered with authors and their two book deals that had come to nothing. A bunch three out of five star books that passed the time but never excelled. The other effect this plan had was to appease my desire to buy books. All those disappointing debuts that amounted to so much nothing still needed replacing. The promise of buying a book is completely separate from the shrug that it can elicit when I read the last page. Filling the gaps of my core authors also filled the need I have...

This list has actually changed a lot more than I thought it would in first year of existence. The small mysteries of life... 1.  Heaven's Prisoners  - James Lee Burke Still on top. When I first created this list I strongly considered Robert Crais's LULLABY TOWN for the head of the list, primarily under the assumption that the cost would prohibit me from buying it. It was not and now HEAVEN'S PRISONERS has been here since the beginning. Soon, I'll head to the same Pasadena Book show where I was tripping over copies last year, and with the express purpose is to land a copy there. Writing that dooms the whole enterprise. [Editor's Note: B'ah it totally did...] 2.  The Beekeeper's Apprentice  - Laurie R. King Previously I have written that my hopes are pinned the acquisition of this book at the Long Beach B'Con in a few months time. That plan has not changed. [Editor's Note: I can no longer state with any certainty if this assertion or the o...