October Reading

Here is an overview of a few of the books I’ve read in the past month.

Walter Mosley – Fortunate Son

This one is a bit of a departure for the acclaimed mystery writer, delving into mysteries of the human spirit as opposed to criminal acts and gangsters. There are some amazing, if not inspirational, characters in this novel, one of Mosley’s strongest and most moving ones to date.

Ed McBain – Tricks

What can I say? McBain was simply one of the best in the crime fiction business. He could be witty or wise, depending on his mood and the context of the story. This mid-80s novel is another memorable addition to his catalogue.

John McPhee – Irons in the Fire

This collection contains some of McPhee’s masterful essays and reportage. McPhee’s natural curiosity and probing questions always lead to interesting takes on seemingly mundane subject matters. Forensic geology and cattle rustling are just a few of the subjects that are given the McPhee treatment in this volume. As the jacket says, these are stories about “real people in real places.”

John Sandford – Shock Wave

A new Sanford book, whether it’s one of his “Prey” novels, or another series, means that I stop whatever else I’m reading and plow through it immediately. This book is the newest in his recently started Virgil Flowers mystery series, and it will definitely have you wondering “whodunit” until near the very end. At times the dialogue slips into utter silliness (come on; bombs are going off and people are dying, yet Virgil and his new pals are constantly cracking jokes and having a great time hanging out), but the pace never stalls and there is indeed some very funny laugh-out-loud stuff in the snappy dialogue.

Patti Smith – Just Kids

A heartfelt memoir of her friendship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, focusing on their years living in New York City in the late 60s and early 70s. This book only skims the surface of her music career, tantalizing recollections that will make Patti Smith fans hope that she writes more books about her fascinating life.

Robert B. Parker – Rough Weather

Another Spenser novel, which means it’s a quick, fun read. Like other novels in the series, this is a real page-turner, but sometimes the glib dialogue and non-stop joking around becomes a bit tiresome. With all the murders that abound in the story, there isn’t much tension to be found.

Newton Thornburg – Cutter and Bone

I’d never heard of this writer before until a customer brought in a copy of this novel to my bookshop, raving it about it. This edition includes a forward by George Pelecanos, also praising the novel. It sounded like this would be something very special, so I took the plunge. Indeed, this is a very interesting novel, but it was written in the early 1970s and the dialogue is a bit dated. Not your typical work of crime fiction, but according to the author, that wasn’t the intention. The book is very character driven, and in particular shows what the horrors of war (in this case, the conflict in Vietnam) can do to decimate a person who has “survived” the experience. Thornburg, who died earlier this year, wrote several other novels in addition to this one, which was later turned into a film.

Ishmael Reed – Japanese By Spring

I read several novels by Reed back in the 1990s and enjoyed them very much. I found a hardcover copy of this one in KL recently and thought it would be fun to read Reed again. Alas, this must have been one of his weaker novels. Very weird plot and weirder characters, and any sort of statement the author is trying to make is lost amidst the abundance of weirdness. Needless to say, this is not the best Reed book for the novice reader.

Adam Hall – The Ninth Directive

This is one of Hall’s Quiller espionage novels, and the cool thing about this one is that it is set in Bangkok back in 1966, when the novel was first published. I found it fun to read about various places and streets in my adopted hometown. Like other novels in the “Quiller” series, this is fast-paced and well written. An espionage classic.

Carsten Stroud – Lizard Skin

Stroud has always been under the radar in the world of mystery novelists, which is a shame because his books are always interesting and well written. This one, set in Montana, is no exception. Another gripping tale of lust and murder.

Walter Mosley

Walter Mosley has been a prolific writer for the past three decades, best known for his popular Easy Rawlins series of color-inspired mysteries (Devil in a Blue Dress, White Butterfly, A Red Death, Little Scarlet, Black Betty, etc.), some of which were turned into films. Mosley has also written several other mystery novels (multiple books featured a character named Fearless Jones) and dabbled in non-crime genres of fiction and non-fiction. This guy certainly isn’t rusting away from idleness.

 

I just enjoyed reading one of his most recent novels, Known to Evil, the second book in a new mystery series he started that features a detective named Leonid McGill. This ain’t no cheap throwaway thriller. Like the first book in the series, The Long Fall, this one incorporates spare, tough dialogue, reminiscent of the old noir era of mystery writers such as Ross MacDonald and Raymond Chandler. Unlike the Easy Rawlins novels, which weaved an historical path through several decades of criminal life in urban Los Angeles, the Leonid McGill books take place in modern day New York City.

 

McGill is one of Mosley’s more interesting creations, a chubby middle-aged black man who was given a Russian name by his Communist-loving father. McGill may be an old school guy, but he’s got an iPod and does online research so he’s not totally living in the dark ages. He’s also an ex-boxer who still gets in the ring to “work out” once in a while. His wife cheats on him, and he cheats on his wife. His youngest son is a great kid with a bubbly personality but McGill worries about the boy’s illegal extracurricular activities. His oldest son is a moody sort who doesn’t speak to him. Like the Easy Rawlins books, the McGill novels are packed with an eclectic cast of characters, both criminals and ordinary folks. McGill has lived a violent life that requires both street smarts and cerebral intellect. After being on the wrong side of the law for many years, he is now trying to walk a straighter path as a private detective. But problematic investigations keep preventing him from doing things the traditional — or legal — way. The third book in the Leonid McGill series, When the Thrill is Gone, will be published in March. Hey, that’s this month! I’ll be eagerly waiting for that one.

 

My favorite Mosley books are the ones that feature a wise and intriguing character named Socrates Fortlow. The first of those was the outstanding short story collection Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned. These are vital, life-affirming stories that leave you thinking about life and love, justice and redemption. The most recent of the Socrates Fortlow novels, The Right Mistake, is another great, ambitious effort. Like the short stories, the plot in this novel veers more towards social commentary and philosophy than mystery. One review called it, “a gripping inner drama,” and that’s a very succinct way of describing it. Gripping indeed.