Monthly Archives: August 2019

Amy Caudill’s Reviews : Verses for the Dead

Book Reviews, , , ,
Verses for the Dead by Douglas Preston
Verses for the Dead (Pendergast, #18) by

Douglas Preston (Goodreads Author),
Lincoln Child
50275498

Amy Caudill‘s review

A killer who writes poetry and leaves “presents” of his victims’ hearts on the graves of suicides brings FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast to Miami, but with a handicap to his usual methodology.  Pendergast’s tendencies to ignore procedure and go rogue have led the new Assistant Director of the New York office, Pickett, to assign loner Pendergast a partner.

Agent Coldmoon, a capable agent with issues of his own, has secret orders to try and prevent Pendergast from deviating from FBI procedure, but finds instead that he agrees with his new partner’s more outlandish methods and theories, especially when they begin producing results.

Mr. Brokenhearts, the serial killer’s non de plume, leads the agents on a merry chase through several states as the agents try to find connections between the current victims and the older deaths, which are proven to not be suicides after all but murders, before the murderer can strike again.

Old fans of the series will be bemused and delighted to be introduced to the brother of NY Times crime reporter Bill Smithback, Roger, a local reporter who seems determined to follow in his brother’s footsteps when he recognizes Pendergast at a crime scene.  Bill Smithback was a friend of Pendergast who became involved with and even assisted the agent on several cases, in a number of different books in the series, before his murder during an investigation.  Roger’s character plays a minor role in this book, but his appearance raises the question; will he appear again?

Verses for the Dead will delight readers with a dramatic climax that includes a battle through a swamp swarming with alligators, and a surprising twist to the serial killer’s story that appears in a late chapter.  The action doesn’t stop till the very last page, and leads to a satisfying conclusion.

While this particular volume contains only the barest hints of the paranormal as is present in several of the other books in this series, I’m happy to see that eighteen books in, with several spinoffs, the authors are still producing storylines and characters that are exciting, entertaining, and completely fresh with each new novel.  I award this book five stars and recommend it to fans of detectives and heroes ranging from Sherlock Holmes to Jason Bourne.

A Holiday to Remember

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Hello everyone!  I’m back from a much-needed and very pleasant vacation with my family.  I thought I’d share a few photos taken on our extended holiday through South Carolina.

We started our vacation by heading to Folly Island outside of Charleston, South Carolina, where we shared a beach house with my husband’s family.  Here are some shots of our home-away-from home.

This sign was one of the first things to greet us.  I loved the walking directions to places all over the globe.

Here is another image from the front of the beach house.  We enjoyed the rental of Shell House and may return again some day.

Local art adorned the beach house outside and in, and helped the place feel really inviting.
More artwork hanging on the walls of Shell House, made of locally collected shells.

Of course we didn’t spend all our time inside this lovely house.  We were only 1/4 of the mile from the beach!  We did take the time to explore the town of Folly Island and visit some of the local attractions, like this very impressive restaurant only a short walk away.

This is from the inside of Wiki Wiki, one of the more colorful local restaurants on the island.

Here are some shots of the beach itself.  The first night we arrived was luckily not part of the busy season (as many schools were already back in session) and the beach was very quiet after five p.m.

First views of the beach off Folly Island, South Carolina.
Folly Island is well established as a spot for fishing and water sports, as well as having a scenic and busy pier area with restaurants and multiple hotels.

We didn’t spend all our time hanging out at the beach either.  Nearby Charleston includes many historic sites, including horse-drawn carriage tours and visits by ferry to Fort Sumter National Monument.

Our ride for the day, Otis.
The best way to see Charleston is by horse-drawn carriage, where I took this picture of historic Circular Church.

 

Ft. Sumter, the place where the first shots of the (American) Civil War were fired.

I hope you like seeing a small sampling of my vacation photos, and that you all are inspired to plan your own getaways in the near future!  Summer will be over before very long, so make the most of it!

Amy Caudill’s Reviews : Death Masks

Book Reviews, , ,
Death Masks by Jim Butcher
Death Masks (The Dresden Files, #5) by

Jim Butcher (Goodreads Author)
50275498

Amy Caudill‘s review

In an opening scene far-removed from the norm for The Dresden Files book series, Harry is making a guest appearance on a local talk show, discussing paranormal lore.  While for fans of the series it may seem that Harry has lost his mind, he actually is participating in a clandestine meeting with a spiritual consultant, the authentic kind.

However, Harry is blind sighted by another guest on the show, Paola Ortega, posing as a Professor who debunks supernatural “incidents,” though Harry knows this person is in reality far different than what he appears to be.  Ortega is a noble member of the vampire’s Red Court, and his real purpose for the deception is to issue a challenge to a duel with Harry, to end the war between the vampires and the White Council of Wizards.

Adding to this dangerous situation, a Vatican representative is in Chicago to hire Harry to investigate the local occult community for a stolen artifact.  Father Vincent doesn’t seem to believe in the paranormal, but he will go to any lengths to recover the Shroud of Turin, which he sees as only a historical relic.

Harry, however, knows the artifact is far more than just that, and also how dangerous such a thing can be in the wrong hands.  If certain groups, all whom are clamoring for Harry’s attention, get hold of the Shroud, it could mean the end of the world.  Between the impending duel with the vampire, a group of Fallen Angels whose servants can assume the form of monsters and friends alike, and the attentions of the local mafia headed by Marcone, Harry has a full plate.  Luckily he has God’s Knights of the Cross on his side.

Like the opening, the ending of this book leaves Harry in an unusual position, as he becomes just like the Lady of the Lake, holding a sword he is duty-bound to pass onto a worthy individual, as soon as he finds them.

I am amazed at how author Jim Butcher continues to keep this series fresh, with new ideas, new monsters, and creative new encounters with the supernatural, all while strengthening the relationships between existing and recurring characters.  His battles are vivid scenes that can thrill the reader, while at the same time Harry’s doubts and vulnerabilities make him seem all the more human.

Butcher continues the formula that is one part detective story, one part romance, and one part paranormal adventure, in a tale that will delight readers old and new alike.  I award Death Masks five stars, and look forward to the next book in the series, to see what happens with the continuing arc in the plot, but also for what Butcher comes up with next.