Mini-Reviews of Books #50…
In Trump’s Shadow. David M. Drucker, author. This book was mostly a waste of my time, but I can classify it as reading to “know the enemy.” (The author might be in that group?) The author goes through a list of potential contenders for the Good Ole Piranhas’ presidential nomination in 2024. The only one I can give a slight nod to is the governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan, who’s a bit conservative for this progressive looking for a candidate who’s not VP Kamala Harris. (I doubt Biden will run, or can run, again for the Dems.)
Sen. Ted Cruz, for example, is one of the author’s potential candidates. He recently showed he’s one of the world’s biggest asses by dissing Big Bird’s getting the Covid vaccine, and the rest in Drucker’s list go downhill from there.
If you’re a Good Ole Piranha still adhering to some logic and reason (an endangered species these days!), you might like the parts about the Never-Trump movement. Otherwise don’t bother to spend your good money on this trash. (I received it as a gift.)
“DI Tom Mariner” Series. Chris Collett, author. I continue my binge-reading of British-style mysteries, sometimes entire series, in fact, and this was a new one for me. It’s not among the best I’ve perused, but it’s definitely different. The main character’s a bit of a loser and loose cannon, a Detective Inspector in the Birmingham PD (that’s Birmingham, England, of course). He doesn’t know how to commit with women, and they find him to be too much a loner, but he’s no James Bond either. His sidekick Knox is even more a loser, although he’s “reformed” as the series progresses. It’s almost as if the author is trying to paint all coppers as losers with a lot of baggage. The best character is an “Asian woman” Millie.
It’s all a bit sleazy at times (Mariner’s ED problems, for example), but many times better than anything you’ll find on streaming video. Try a novel and see for yourself.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone!
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Comments are always welcome.
Looking for more British-style mysteries? My collections Sleuthing, British-Style, Volumes One and Two contains some of my own! Volume One is available on Amazon, and Volume Two can be downloaded for free—see the list on the “Free Stuff & Contests” web page at this website (More can be found in the “Friday Fiction” archive and will eventually end up in PDF downloads found in the list.) As explained above, I’m binge-reading these, and they’re influencing my short fiction as well as the last novels in the “Esther Brookstone Art Detective” series. They’re a great way to learn about the milieu and culture of our friends across the pond!
Around the world and to the stars! In libris libertas!
