Terry On Books Blog

For any of you who have been paying attention,
you’ve noticed that I haven’t begun reprinting my
book on opening and operating a bookstore. Turns
out it’s a little more work than I had considered,
mainly because I’d forgotten that I had prepared
it long before I had a computer, on my reliable
1960’s Royal typewriter, so I don’t have any
handy files that I can just “copy and paste”. I
actually have to retype the whole damn thing
into my computer in order to put it on my blog,
or at least on my website so I can link it to
my blog.

You guessed it: I’ve been dragging my feet,
putting it off, saving it for later. I am going to
try, really try, to have the first chapter typed
up and available by a week tomorrow at the
latest. So, for those who are interested, check
back then.

The other reason that I haven’t found the time
to retype even the first chapter is that I’ve been
working at The Jolly Olde Bookstore in Port
Moody–firstly two days a week, then three, then,
for the past three weeks, four days a week.
Working there has been satisfying, productive,
and remunerative, but time-consuming.

The owner, Brian Sword, and I and the other
staff have been reorganizing, expanding, and
improving the store over what it was like a
year ago. It’s getting better and better every
month and attracting new customers literally
every day. If you live in or are visiting anywhere
in the Greater Vancouver area and you like
books, you owe it to yourself to pay us a
visit. The store’s in a lovely heritage building
at 2419 Clarke St. in Port Moody, along the
railway tracks, and it’s open seven days a week.

Review of Exit Music by Ian Rankin

After having it sit on my “to-read shelf” for several
months, I decided to get to it and finish off the
Scottish crime fiction saga featuring Detective
Inspector John Rebus; “Exit Music” being his
swan song. Now that I’ve read it, there’ll be no more
Rebus books to anticipate and to savour; at least
not until 2014, when his author has stated that he
may bring Rebus back on board as a consultant.
Rebus would be sixty-eight by then, if he doesn’t
drink himself to death in the meantime.

Predictably, Exit Music is another good read from
Ian Rankin. Our three main characters are here, as
well as a few we’ve met before and a couple of
newcomers. DS Siobhan Clarke is slowly and
competently taking over the reins of the two
related murder investigations in progress as Rebus’s
last day looms large. Big Ger Cafferty floats in and
out of the picture, irritating the hell out of Strawman.

Not surprisingly though, Rebus still has considerable
input in the solving of both cases, despite being
somewhat handicapped by his latest and last
suspension from duty.

Exit Music is another dark, seedy story that Rankin
fans are sure to enjoy, although saying goodbye to
our old friend, John Rebus, as he reluctantly accepts
retirement, is a sad ending indeed. No doubt I’m
speaking for many of you when I say that in a year
or two, I’ll probably begin reading the Rebus books
over again, in anticipation of his resurrection in 2014.

Review of Missing Justice by Alafair Burke

Yes, if you’ve read the novels of James Lee Burke
featuring Dave Robicheaux, then the name “Alafair
Burke” is going to sound familiar. The first name is
the same as Robicheaux’s adopted daughter, and,
of course, the last name could make Alafair Burke
the daughter of James Lee, which it does.

Two of my customers whom I turned on to the
writing of James Lee Burke each said that she had
read one of Alafair’s books and was disappointed.
It just didn’t measure up to her father’s books.
Because of their less than stellar comments, I did
not expect that I would enjoy a book by Alafair
either.

Alafair Burke’s debut novel wasn’t available so I
read her second novel, “Missing Justice”, a pun on
the disappearance of a Portland Oregon Judge.
Alafair is a former Deputy District Attorney in
Portland and her character, Samantha Kincaid
has been recently promoted to Deputy District
Attorney in Portland. As they always say: “write
about what you know”; so Alafair has started
off right. Also, there’s no question that she can write.
Her prose doesn’t have the visual impact of
her father’s, but I certainly found the book
interesting enough to finish.

I liked Samantha Kincaid, but my one criticism
of her is that she tried to do way too much on her
own, instead of–as a Deputy District Attorney
would probably do–directing the police to follow
the clues and take the risks. But then that seems
to be the fault of a lot of modern heroines. Having
said that, I’m looking forward to going back and
reading Alafair’s first book, “Judgment Calls”,
and any more recent titles.

So, sorry ladies, I don’t totally agree with you.
Alafair Burke’s writing is not as exciting or
riveting as her father’s, that’s true, but then that
judgement can apply to eighty per cent of
all mystery writers. It doesn’t mean they’re
not worth reading.

Please take some time to visit my website:
www.stillmanbooks.com
for thousands of quality books.

Remember, the only book purchase you’ll
ever regret will be the one you didn’t make.

Talk soon.

Book Review of “Kill Me” by Stephen White

I’ve read several Stephen White books over the years,
but this is the first story where psychologist Alan Gregory
is a secondary character.

White’s rich protagonist, who narrates the story, has a
potentially fatal skiing accident and starts thinking
about how he would feel if he ever became physically
or mentally incapacitated by another such accident or by
a serious medical condition. He decides that he
couldn’t handle it and would prefer to avoid months or
years of inactivity and helplessness.

So, when a friend tells him that he knows a guy who
knows a guy who can put him in touch with an
organization that will contract to end his life once a
certain threshold of sickness has been crossed, then
our rich protagonist loses little time in arranging the
substantial payment that will guarantee his own death
should certain circumstances occur.

This is a thrilling read, based on a moral and controversial
issue. Many people today come down on the side
of euthanasia and assisted suicide, but what if after a
certain point you had no choice, you couldn’t change
your mind, the action was going ahead despite a
reconsideration on your part? Perhaps you’ve decided
that here’s still something you feel you must do, or
complete, before your life is taken, but the contract has
been signed, you’ve crossed the agreed-on threshold–
the client-determined parameters–and the wheels
are in motion.

White’s protagonist has a dilemma, but with some help,
he arrives at an acceptable solution.
Great story!

Review of “A Philosophical Investigation” by Philip Kerr

The year is 2013. The place is London.

The first of two problems I had with this novel was that
it was published in 1992, but I didn’t read it until 2008.
Sixteen years after publication, and only five years before
the setting of the story, meant that any revolutionary,
futuristic advances in technology weren’t really very
surprising, and/or believable from this advanced
perspective. This is not the author’s fault really, but
it is always a risk writing about the future.

In 2013, the two main changes in society are:
“punitive coma”, wherein murderers and rapists are
put into a drug-induced coma instead of being
executed or becoming a drain on the public purse
for twenty or thirty years; and, the availability of a
“reality approximation machine” for you living room,
complete with protection gear for your exploits,
be they sexual or safari.

The crux of the story lies in the supposed discovery
that the brains of some males lack a Ventro Medial
Nucleus (VMN) which acts as an inhibitor to the
Sexually Dimorphic Nucleus (SDN), a preoptic area
of the male human brain which is the repository of
male aggressive response. The government in
England has identified the men who lack the VMN
and offer them counselling to control aggression.
This group of men are given pseudonyms which
happen to be the names of famous philosophers.
Our criminal is known only as “Wittgenstein” and
he displays many of the traits of the real Wittgenstein.
Except, this Wittgenstein decides it would be a
rather good idea to kill off all the other “philosophers”
in his group, for the good of mankind.

Of course, there is much philosophical discussion
and justification offered; which brings me to the
second problem I had with this book: too damn
much philosophy!

The premise of the story was very good, very
intelligent; and, I liked the female police investigator,
who was very good at her job. But really, for a
simple bloke like me, there was just too much
thinking involved. I have a feeling many readers
would agree with me.

Please take some time to visit my website:
www.stillmanbooks.com
for thousands of quality books.

Remember, the only book purchase you’ll
ever regret will be the one you didn’t make.

Talk soon.