The Art of the English Murder: From Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes to Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock

Today's post is on The Art of the English Murder: From Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes to Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock by Lucy Worsley. It is 312 pages long and is published by Pegasus Books. The cover has an English manor with darkening skies behind it. The intended reader is someone who likes true crime, literary history, and where the two intersect. There is foul language, talk of sex, and talk of violence in this book. The history of both the topics is told in many ways from first hand sources like letters and newspapers to interviews with experts. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Murder -- a dark, shameful deed, the last resort of the desperate or a vile tool of the greedy. And a very strange, very English obsession. But where did this fixation develop? And what does it tell us about ourselves? In The Art of the English Murder, Lucy Worsley explores this phenomenon in forensic detail, revisiting notorious crimes like the Ratcliff Highway Murders, which caused a nationwide panic in the early nineteenth century, and the case of Frederick and Maria Manning, the suburban couple who were hanged after killing Maria's lover and burying him under their kitchen floor. Our fascination with crimes like these became a form of national entertainment, inspiring novels and plays, prose and paintings, poetry and true-crime journalism. At a point during the birth of modern England, murder entered our national psyche, and it's been a part of us ever since. The Art of the English Murder is a unique exploration of the art of crime and a riveting investigation into the English criminal soul by one of our finest historians.

Review- I had so much with this book. It is similar to The Invention of Murder but with a much narrower time frame. Instead of following the English obsession with murder from very earliest records, instead we are focusing on the 1700's to the mid 1940's. Worsley does not spend much time with the murders that influenced the authors but she does stay with the writers who read everything about the murderers and their crimes. She interviews interesting people about everything from Madam Tussauds's Wax Museum and why she started the Hall of Horror. Then Worsley added in the literary history about how the most famous mystery writer's got started and why. Christie started because she needed to support herself and her child and so many did for the same reason. I recommend the this book if you like true crime and the roots of mystery fiction.

I give this book Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Deus Vitae volume 2

Today's post is on Deus Vitae volume 2 by Takuya Fujima. It is 200 pages long and was published by Tokyopop. It is the second in a trilogy. The cover has the main male character on it. The intended reader is adult, likes dark science fiction, and high action. There is foul language, sexuality, and violence in this book. The story is told from third person god perspective. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Beyond the Selenoid dome of the mother Seishia, Lemui looks forward to a bright future in nature with a man and a child. But even as she starts on this beautiful journey, the dark clouds of war between androids and human cumulate again in the sky! Lemiu will have to fight to protect Ash and hew new baby from the anger and prejudice that fills this world.

Review- Once again this volume is very pretty art but the plot is still very thin. The baby that Lemui picks up that the end of the first volume dies but they pick up another child just pages later. We have more sexuality and nudity but this time the sex is at the very least attempted rape. But I think that real problem with the story is that Ash is prefect. Everything he does, he does perfectly and everyone loves or at least respects him. So that is why Lemui is the one all the bad things happen to, like maybe being raped, all because she is traveling with Ash. Only one volume left and I do not have much hope for this series either going any where or doing anything interesting.

I give this volume a Two out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Working Stiff

Today's post is on Working Stiff by Kevin J. Anderson. It is a short story collection of the character Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. It is 163 pages long and is published by WordFire Press. The cover has Dan and Sheyenne on it with a spooky tree behind them. The intended reader is someone who has read the novels, likes horror tropes and making fun of them. There is mild foul language, talk of sexuality, and mild violence in this book. The story is told from first person of Dan Shamble. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Back from the dead…and back on the case!
Even being murdered doesn't keep a good detective down, and in the Unnatural Quarter—inhabited by ghosts, vampires, werewolves, mummies, and all sorts of creatures that go bump (or thud!) in the night—a zombie P.I. fits right in. Dan Chambeaux, a.k.a. "Shamble," solves a string of madcap cases with his ghost girlfriend Sheyenne, his Best Human Friend Officer Toby McGoohan, and his firebrand lawyer partner Robin Deyer.
Working Stiff contains seven cases from the files of Chambeaux & Deyer Investigations. Dan Shamble has to solve the mystery of a stolen deck of fortune-telling cards and the undeath-defying feats of a vampire trapeze artist, finds himself sealed in a coffin in the back of a truck with no idea where he's being taken, and is even hired by Santa Claus to find his lost "naughty and nice" list. Being trapped in an unbreakable monster-proof crypt, deciphering a string of mysterious zombie graffiti, investigating the murder of a costumed fan at a science fiction convention where the monsters are the normal attendees, or tracking down a kidnapped hellhound for legendary vigilante werewolf cop Hairy Harry—it's all in a day's work for Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I.

Review- I really enjoy the Dan Shamble series. It's funny, it's self-aware, and it's not afraid to be silly. Anderson knows his horror tropes and he works well with them. We get everything from a vampire circus to a fan-convention with Dan Shamble cosplayers. If you have read the other Dan Shamble books then you will get all the in jokes but if not you can still enjoy this collection for it's playful humor. There is no extra character development or world building in this series just adventures with the characters and more bad jokes. I hope that Anderson writes more with these characters and this fun world.

I give this collection a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I was given this collection as gift.

Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief

Today's post is on Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright. It is 430 pages long and is published by Alfred A. Knopf. The cover is black with the title in white. The intended reader is someone who is interested in cults, how they are made, and the people who part of them. There is foul language, talk of sex, and violence in this book. The story is told from first person interviews, letters, journeys, and other first hand documents. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- A clear-sighted revelation, a deep penetration into the world of Scientology by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the now-classic study of al-Qaeda's 9/11 attack, the Looming Tower. Based on more than two hundred personal interviews with both current and former Scientologists--both famous and less well known--and years of archival research, Lawrence Wright uses his extraordinary investigative skills to uncover for us the inner workings of the Church of Scientology: its origins in the imagination of science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard; its struggles to find acceptance as a legitimate (and legally acknowledged) religion; its vast, secret campaign to infiltrate the U.S. government; and its dramatic efforts to grow and prevail after the death of Hubbard.
At the book's center, two men whom Wright brings vividly to life, showing how they have made Scientology what it is today: The darkly brilliant L. Ron Hubbard--whose restless, expansive mind invented a new religion tailor-made to prosper in the spiritually troubled post-World War II era. And his successor, David Miscavige--tough and driven, with the unenviable task of preserving the church in the face of ongoing scandals and continual legal assaults.
We learn about Scientology's esoteric cosmology; about the auditing process that determines an inductee's state of being; about the Bridge to Total Freedom, through which members gain eternal life. We see the ways in which the church pursues celebrities, such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta, and how young idealists who joined the Sea Org, the church's clergy, whose members often enter as children, signing up with a billion-year contract and working with little pay in poor conditions. We meet men and women "disconnected" from friends and family by the church's policy of shunning critical voices. And we discover, through many firsthand stories, the violence that has long permeated the inner sanctum of the church.
In Going Clear, Wright examines what fundamentally makes a religion a religion, and whether Scientology is, in fact, deserving of the constitutional protections achieved in its victory over the IRS. Employing all his exceptional journalistic skills of observations, understanding, and synthesis, and his ability to shape a story into a compelling narrative, Lawrence Wright has given us an evenhanded yet keenly incisive book that goes far beyond an immediate exposé and uncovers the very essence of what makes Scientology the institution it is. 

Review- This is a horrifying and fascinating read about a cultic religion I knew little about. Wright gives a full biography of it and the man who founded it. We start with Hubbard's parents and go from there all the way to his death. We follow his writing career, all the major life events, and when he decided to create Scientology. The fascinating part of the book is watching everything come together to make this religion happen and work. The horrifying part is what happens to the people who get trapped in it. They are trapped because we see what happens when someone tries to leave the fold. The interviews with people who left Scientology chilled my blood and made me wonder about religion in general. But I think that a good non-fiction book should make you look at the things in life that are similar to what you are reading about.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

The Water Dragon's Bride volume 1

Today's post is on The Water Dragon's Bride Volume 1 by Rei Toma. It is the first in her Suijin no Hanayome series. It is 192 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover has two of the main characters on it looking at the reader. The intended reader is someone who likes shojo and historical fantasy. There is no foul language, no sex, and violence in this book. The story is told from third person god with characters thoughts added in for character and plot development. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- A modern-day girl gets whisked away to a strange land where she is sacrificed to a water dragon god!
In the blink of an eye, a modern-day girl named Asahi is whisked away from her warm and happy home and stranded in a strange and mysterious world where she is sacrificed to a water dragon god! What plans are in store for her, and what will happen when she comes face to face with this god?
A young boy named Subaru comes to Asahi’s aid, but despite his help, Asahi must endure a test of survival! Will she be able to make it out alive or will she end up being sacrificed? 

Review- There is so much going on in this start that it is hard for me to easily write about, but in a good way. Asahi is not only from present day, she is a foreigner in Japan. So she has red hair and grey eyes and that causes all the trouble for her in the story. Feudal Japan is not a good place for a red haired girl. That is why she is sacrificed to the water dragon. The water dragon has not had anything to do with humans ever and that causes even more trouble for her, almost to her death. All the characters are interesting if a little wooden for this first volume. This volume is more about getting the setting down with some character development on the side. I look forward to seeing where the story is going to go; it is going to be more sadness or if Toma is going to do something else.

I give this volume a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

The Cold Eye

Today's post is on The Cold Eye by Laura Anne Gilman. It is the second on her The Devil's West series, so to understand the story you need to have read the first one. It is 330 pages long and is published by Saga Press. The cover is sky blue with Isobel in the left hand center with her hand up showing the Devil's Mark and a reaper flying above her. The intended reader is someone who read the first one and likes alternative history. There is mild foul language, no sex, and mild violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of the the two main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- In the anticipated sequel to Silver on the Road, Isobel is riding circuit through the Territory as the Devil's Left Hand. But when she responds to a natural disaster, she learns the limits of her power and the growing danger of something mysterious that is threatening not just her life, but the whole Territory.
Isobel is the left hand of the old man of the Territory, the Boss—better known as the Devil. Along with her mentor, Gabriel, she is traveling circuit through Flood to represent the power of the Devil and uphold the agreement he made with the people to protect them. Here in the Territory, magic exists—sometimes wild and perilous.
But there is a growing danger in the bones of the land that is killing livestock, threatening souls, and weakening the power of magic. In the next installment of the Devil’s West series, Isobel and Gabriel are in over their heads as they find what’s happening and try to stop the people behind it before it unravels the Territory.

Review- This volume picks up just days after the last one with Gabriel still healing and Isobel realizing the real limits of her new job. But there is no rest for the wicked and something very wicked is going on. Isobel wakes up with something telling her to go and she follows the voice into trouble and broken land. There is some more world building in this volume and I still really like this world. Isobel grows so much over the course of this book. She still has far to go but she covers so much ground. Gabriel is going to have to choose where his loyal is and to who.With the United States wanting to come into the Territory and as long as they are just looking the Boss cannot do anything to stop them. But Isobel can and that the real point of this volume. I hope that it will be more than one more book but that said I cannot wait to read the next one.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

The Poisoner: The Life and Crimes of Victorian England's Most Notorious Doctor

Today's post is on The Poisoner: The Life and Crimes of Victorian England's Most Notorious Doctor by Stephen Bates. It is 352 pages long including notes and is published by Overlook Duckworth. The cover is white with a skull under the red title. The intended reader is someone who likes true crime and historical mysteries. There is very mild foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- In 1856, a baying crowd of over 30,000 people gathered outside Stafford prison to watch the hanging of Dr. William Palmer, "the greatest villain that ever stood in the Old Bailey” as Charles Dickens once called him.
Palmer was convicted of poisoning and suspected in the murders of dozens of others, including his best friend, his wife, and his mother-in-law—and cashing in on their insurance to fuel his worsening gambling addiction. Highlighting his gruesome penchant for strychnine, the trial made news across both the Old World and the New.
Palmer gripped readers not only in Britain—Queen Victoria wrote of ''that horrible Palmer” in her journal—but also was a different sort of murderer than the public had come to fear—respectable, middle class, personable—and consequently more terrifying. But as the gallows door dropped, one question still gnawed at many who knew the case: Was Palmer truly guilty?
The first major retelling of William Palmer’s story in over sixty years, The Poisoner takes a fresh look at the infamous doctor’s life and disputed crimes. Using previously undiscovered letters from Palmer and new forensic examination of his victims, journalist Stephen Bates presents not only an astonishing and controversial revision of Palmer’s life but takes the reader into the very psyche of a killer.

Review- A true crime book that starts very strong but just fizzes out at the end. Bates has an interesting crime with a lots of  details because of all that was written about in its time but he really does nothing to help engage the reader. In addition to that, I felt that he came into the story with an opinion about whether Palmer was guilty or not and I did not think that he was. I think that Palmer was innocent of murder. The newspapers of the time covered this story with great aplomb and that leaves us with lots of rumors and other opinions but very little facts. What facts we can are few but they come from good sources like the other doctors and the like. The book just fizzes at the end because it gets bogged down in all the rumors and the quotes. Good start but the finish is just bland.

I give this book a Two out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Deus Vitae volume 1

Today's post is on Deus Vitae volume 1 by Takuya Fujima. It is 200 pages long and was published by Tokyopop. It is the first in a trilogy. The cover has the main female character on it. The intended reader is adult, likes dark science fiction, and high action. There is foul language, sexuality, and violence in this book. The story is told from third person god perspective. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

from the back of the book- in the year 2068, the Brain Computer- built by humans to be the core of a machine-driven earth- created Selenoids, andriods with abilities far superior to man. They have, in turn, created a virtually perfect society, with only one flaw in need of elimination: humans! This is the story of Ash Ramy, one of the few surviving humans in the revolution organization, bent on freeing Earth from Selenoid rule, and Lemiu Winslet, a selenoid horrified by the inhumanity her race possesses. In a world of artificiality, is real love mankind's last hope?

Review- A high action start to very pretty but very sexual trilogy. There is a lot of nudity and implied sex. The art is very pretty and I liked that best about the first volume. But it is a little light on plot/characters and heavy on action/sex. What you do know that the end of the first volume is Ash is a human and all the slave selenoids are really humans. Ash makes all the girls so crazy for him and the only reason is because he is human. The volume ends with him and Lemiu fleeing from a city as it falls into ruins and they are underground. Maybe the second volume will have more plot or something hopefully but this first volume was just meh.

I give this volume a Three out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

The Book Thief

 

Today's post is on The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It is 550 pages long and is published by Alfred A. Knopf. The cover is brown with dominoes on it. The story is told from the first person perspective of the narrator Death. The intended reader is young adult or someone interested in World War Two fiction. There is foul language, no sex, and violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . .
Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.
This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

Review- An interesting book about a terrible subject. Having Death as a narrator is always an interesting choice and this book does it well. Zusak talks about a subject that could very easily be overwhelming and too hard for the intended audience but he handles it well. Liesel is a good main character and most of the main cast are interesting and sympathetic. Of course when you have Death as the narrator you know that it is not going to end well. Most of the cast dies and Zusak does not sugar coat it. He does not make anything about this book or subject easy but it is worth reading.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Otomen volume 18

Today's post is on Otomen volume 18 by Aya Kanno. It is the eighteenth in her Otomen series. It is 200 pages long and is publishes by Shojo Beat. As this is the eighteenth volume in this series, you need to have read the first seventeen volumes to understand the story. The cover is a very light pink with Asuka and Ryo in wedding clothes in it. The intended reader is someone who likes shojo manga, humor, and love stories. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of the main character with moments of the other characters added in for plot development. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- For the sake of his mom, Asuka turns away from his friends and Ryo... But the unimaginable happens when Asuka's friends stage an intervention at his graduation! With everything on the line, how will things end for our beloved otomen?!

Review- Well Kanno jumps the shark in this final volume. We get an amnesia subplot for the middle of the volume. Asuka forgets the last 10 years since his father left. Of course Ryo saves the day with love by baking Asuka a cake and he remembers her when he eats, just like the father and son story from earlier in the series. The series ends with Asuka and Ryo getting married and Juta starting a new series about them. All in all I liked this series a lot. I think that Kanno did some interesting things with the plot and characters. I would read her next series.

I give this volume a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money,

The Thief of Always

Today's post is on The Thief of Always by Clive Barker. It is 225 pages long and is published by Harp Collins. The cover is very colorful with a fantastic house and face under it. The intended readers are older children or people who like stories with just a little bit of creepy. The story is told in third person close of the main character. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Master storyteller and bestselling novelist Clive Barker creates an enchanting tale for both children and adults to cherish and retell. The Thief of Always tells the haunting story of Harvey, a bright 10-year-old who is suffering from the winter doldrums, and of a creature who takes him to a place where every day is filled with fun, and Christmas comes every night. Illustrated.

Review- This is a children's story by a master of horror and it works. It has very light horror in it, just enough to make it a little creepy but no nightmares from this one. Harvey is a good main character, he is brave, smart, and just enough like a normal child that you can see yourself in him. The art of the beginning of each chapter helps give some form the fantastic and the horrors that Harvey and the other children see. Once Harvey realizes what is really going on with the House and the children, he first leaves then he comes back to stop the bad guy. The final fight is clever and really brings home the fact that Harvey is a child and Mr. Hood/the House is a being of great power and no morals. So when Harvey outwits him it is very satisfying.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from a friend.