I have read most of the Det. Banks series and was probably expecting this book to be of the same quality. It is basically a story relate by the three main characters, the starlet, the stalker and the policeman. Each gives a vivid description of their depressing lives. The love angle was predictable and early on it takes the appearance of a teen age love story. The final interview with the supposed killer was tedious.
A penny hang was an establishment common in port cities, and located in a cellar or basement. It featured hooks in the walls, with ropes strung in parallel from one side to another at about shoulder height. In the late evening, drunk and exhausted "clients", who had spent all their money, or were too boisterous to be allowed anywhere else, would enter the penny hang, after paying a penny, and then drape themselves over a rope, and attempt to sleep as best they could. As a crowning flourish to the glories of this place, the proprietor could come down in the morning and untie one end of the ropes, so that the clientele who had not managed to wake up and stagger out already would collapse together in a heap on the floor. In 1933, a London sleeping establishment, known as the Twopenny Hangover In 1933, a London sleeping establishment had just such an arrangement. At the Twopenny Hangover the lodgers sat in a row on a bench; with a rope in front of them, and they lean on this as though leaning over a a fence. A man, humorously called the valet, cuts the rope at five in the morning. There are similar shelters in Paris, but the charge there is only twenty-five centimes (a halfpenny) instead of twopence. There are suggestions that the word 'hangover' and the expression 'sleep tight' originated from this.
When I went outside the other day and hopped into my van, I noticed a bit of snow on the windshield. Not thinking too much about it, I started up the engine and 'crack ', the wipers went across the glass and one kept going out onto the driveway. It seems that the day before I had neglected to turn off the wipers all the way. Under the snow was a bit of ice that froze the wipers to the glass. Hence the loud crack when the wipers broke free from the ice. My son came out, found the parts and put it back together. So, lesson learned, at least for that day.
The Golden Rendezvous is a modern tale of pirates. A tramp steamer, with the absurd idea of having A1+ cabins for the ultra rich, meanders from port to port. It is hijacked by some of its own passengers and sails on with murder and mayhem to an expected destination. After a slow start, it is fast paced with excitement reminiscent of James Bond.
Once in awhile I read a western just to keep in touch with the genre. This a story of a western town where the town's elite decide that they don't need the state's judicial system and set up there own court. Of course these are just vigilantes who mete out their own sort of justice. Most of the story is the give and take to get the town back on track. I thought it was a slow starter with the fight scenes dragging on. I pushed on and found it a good story and enjoyed the battle for supremacy at the end.
My T.V. remote was working too well, volume wasn't working, hard to change channels, etc. So I took it apart and wiped it all down with alcohol. What happens is, oil from our fingers gets inside and gums up the buttons. After that, I put it all back together and all is well.
This is the 11th. book with Jason Bourne. As always it is a never ending roller coaster of Bourne's fights and escapes. The story takes place mostly in Mexico with side trips to Israel and China. He is on the path of revenge for the death of his loved one, resulting in the death of almost every character in the book, friend or foe. More room for new characters in the next book. I like the short write ups on the progress of each character as the story moves on, all aspects of the story gets filled in, each character on its own path, heading for the inevitable crash. And to top it all off, the surprise ending was a surprise.
This is a historical mystery from the 14th. century. It is historical but light on the mystery aspect. If you are looking for excitement, you will not find it. I found it slow going for the first few chapters, picking up later on, convincing me to finish the book. with the book completed, I was left with the impression that everyone drank mulled wine.
