Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn

In 1886, Lady Julia Grey's husband dies suddenly of heart disease which runs in his family. His cousin, Simon, is similarly afflicted and not expected to live much longer either. Lady Julia quickly settles into the life of a widow, but then she receives a visit from Nicholas Brisbane, a private detective who tells her that her husband Edward had been getting threatening notes and had hired him shortly before his death to look into the matter. He hints that her husband's death may not have been natural, prompting Julia to begin an investigation that uncovers things about her husband and her life that make her realize she never really knew him -- and herself -- at all.

When I picked it up, I was a little leery of beginning a 500+ page book by a first time author, but Ms. Raybourn's writing style is clear and flows well. Her main characters are interesting and well fleshed-out and she fills her story with secondary characters who are strong enough to be main characters in their own books. I loved how Julia moves from wanting a conventional life, in contrast to her wildly eccentric family, to becoming a little more her own person. And I like how Ms. Raybourn does it without making Julia a true eccentric -- just a mite more unconventional than she envisioned herself wanting to be at the beginning of the book. I'll be interested in how her budding romance with the moody, secretive Mr. Brisbane develops.

It's a great start to a great series, and I'm looking forward to the next one.

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

Odd Thomas is 20 years old. He lives in a small California town where he's content to work as a fry cook and lives very simply. He has to live an uncomplicated life with the things he can control -- job, car, money, ambition -- because the gift that he can't control would otherwise drive him crazy. Odd sees dead people and believes that with his gift comes the responsibility to use it to help them. He can also see creatures he's dubbed bodachs -- malevolent spirits who feed off violent death.

The book gets off to a quick start with Odd running down a rapist/murderer but that's only the beginning of a really bad day. While at his diner job he spots an odd-looking stranger who's being followed by more bodachs than Odd has ever seen together in one place. He realizes that something very bad is about to happen in the town and that only he, helped by a few people he's told about his gifts, can prevent disaster.

My favorite so far of the books I've read this year. I don't care much for horror. H. P. Lovecraft's stories give me the creeps and I've enjoyed several of Stephen King's books although they don't scare me. Supernatural beings don't frighten me because I know I'll never really be threatened by vampires, zombies or ghosts and ghouls. A few mystery books have scared me. Psychotic killers and mass murderers do exist and it's mostly a matter of luck whether you'll cross one's path. But horror and mystery stories that have human murderers tend toward the bloody with gross descriptions that depress more than frighten me.

Dean Koontz's books are all in the horror section. I guess that's the only way to classify them and it's probably better for Mr. Koontz; if all his books are together it makes them easier for people to pick up. But I don't consider this book horror any more than I do Stephen King's The Green Mile. Supernatural fantasy? Not exactly a mystery though Odd has to find out who the killer(s) are and the location of the violence in time to prevent it. Suspense definitely.

But why try to categorize it. Odd Thomas is a wonderful story -- suspenseful, sad, funny -- set in a small town full of eccentrics whom I came to care about and hoped wouldn't die (except Elvis, who is already dead as the story begins). And of course Odd himself, with his simple narration, determination to do right and sad backstory.

The Haunted Rectory by Katherine Valentine

The St. Francis Xavier Hookers (they're a rug hooking group -- get your minds out of the gutter) begin work on their new rug for the church's spring raffle, not realizing that with the death of the old pastor, the evil he contained in the rectory has now broken free. It will be up to the new priest, Father Richard Mello, and Jane Edwell, who is hiding her psychic gift, to exorcise the demon once and for all. But they can count on the help of the Hookers, who unite against the threat.

I enjoyed this, though it was a bit odd, kind of a combination of Jessica Fletcher from Murder, She Wrote meets the Exorcist. Ms. Valentine has a tendency to tell to much instead of show. For example, Jane acts nervous about the ladies working at the rectory, but instead of revealing Jane's gift gradually through her actions as the plot goes along, the whole thing is explained up front. One of the women becomes possessed, but it's wrapped up quickly at the end and she suffers no lingering trauma, although a young girl who is mentioned in Father Mello's back story, who has also suffered possession, had to be committed to an institution even though the exorcism was successful.

In spite of this, I'd recommend it. The camaraderie amongst the ladies rings true and the bits of humor ("Now Vera, don't tease the demon") make it worthwhile.

Script Frenzy

The same people who run NaNoWriMo have planned something called Script Frenzy. The first in what should turn into an annual event launches next June. I decided to participate since I first heard about it, but it didn't occur to me until the last few days why I ought to do it. Visuals and descriptives are a problem for me.

In my first novel, most of the time you couldn't tell what season it was (kind of important to know when your novel is set in New England) or anything that made one city distinct from any other city or setting.

I tried to do better in my last NaNo novel, and I did improve. But I think by working on a script, it will force me to think more visually and -- hopefully -- cross over to my novel writing.

My contemplations on imagery began with a book I read recently, a book with great visuals, but one that has elements difficult to convey in a screenplay. I began thinking of all the books I'd read and how some of them had been turned into movies and how sometimes I wished they hadn't cut certain parts, or shot scenes differently. And I began thinking about ways I would shoot the opening of this book, how I could condense the beginning into a sight-dependant form that, while different from the novel's, still have the same impact.

Script Frenzy has to be totally original. We're not even allowed to use anything we've written as a novel or short story. But I'm considering writing an adaptation of that book for practice, even if I don't do a complete script.

Of course, I have to find time between finishing my 2006 NaNo novel, collaborating on a novel which is in the plotting stages right now, and working on my blogs and web site. If only I didn't need so much time for my procrastination...

The Black Sun by James Twining

Tom Kirk an ex-CIA agent and art thief who, in this sequel to The Double Eagle, has gone into the legitimate antique business. When a series of bizarre robberies and murders that point to the Kristall Blade, a group of neo-Nazi extremists, the British Secret Service (MI6) tries to recruit him. But he isn't interested until he learns his old enemy, Harry Renwick, is involved.

I'm so-so about this book. On the one hand, it is an interesting topic: the search for a treasure that was hidden by a group of Nazis at the close of WWII. But the main characters really didn't hold my interest. Tom spent too much time agonizing over the past; his business partner wasn't that well-fleshed out; and Dominique, Tom's possible love interest (if he ever allows himself to get close to her) even less so. She's beautiful, poised, and intelligent, but there's nothing that makes her memorable.

There's one character who comes in toward the end: Viktor -- the Russian crime boss -- who makes the last third of the story come to life. She (yes, Viktor's a she) has an interesting background and made me care about her. Which made it harder when Twining used her for cliche fodder.

The book kept the action moving briskly, but not so briskly that I didn't wonder how they seemed to solve mysteries that people had been looking into for sixty years so quickly. Also, about halfway through Tom realizes that Renwick's following him, letting Tom solve the riddles for him. And yet, Tom doesn't take any more precautions once he knows this, just keeps trying to pinpoint the location of the treasure.

Not a bad book, but I don't recommend it.

A Christmas Secret by Anne Perry

Dominic Corde and his wife Clarice are elated when he becomes the temporary vicar of the small village of Cottisham while Reverend Wynter is away on vacation. Everything seems perfect at first. It's a beautiful rural area with warm and welcoming villagers. The couple even entertain hopes that the situation might become permanent. But then Clarice discovers that Reverend Wynter isn't on holiday; something more sinister has transpired.

This is the fourth in Anne Perry's Christmas-themed mysteries, which feature minor characters from her other series. My only problem was, with this one, remembering who Dominic Corde was (he's Charlotte Pitt's former brother-in-law, widowed when her eldest sister is murdered in The Cater Street Hangman -- the first Pitt mystery). He did turn up in another of the series, but it's been almost ten years and it took me awhile to get enough info from this book to remember him.

Not an overly complicated plot, since these Christmas mysteries are more novelettes, but not overly thin either. She manages to give readers several strong suspects and a plausible reason for the murder. Anne Perry has a way with characters. Even her minor ones are fully realized, interesting, and sympathetic people.

Perhaps this won't be as enjoyable to those who have not read the main series first. On the other hand, it serves as a good introduction to her style and, at 208 pages, is a quick and entertaining read.

Death Match by Lincoln Child

The computer dating system at Eden, Inc. guarantees the perfect match. They've never failed to find the ideal life mate for anyone they accept for their service. Although all the couples match high on compatibility, there are the rare "super couples" -- those who match 100%. When one of those couples commits double suicide, the company calls in Christopher Lash, an ex-FBI forensic psychologist, to determine what caused their aberrant behavior. But when a second super couple dies, Lash begins to suspect murder.

Interesting thriller with a strong main character. I found the explanation of the psychological tests interesting, the computer tech less so. Spoiled by a rather predictable ending, though not so implausible given the advances in computer intelligence. Worth reading.

Critique of Criminal Reason, by Michael Gregorio

An historical mystery set in 1804 Prussia. The main character, Magistrate Hanno Stiffeniis, is called from his small town to Konigsburg to investigate four seemingly random murders. The only connection is that the victims are all found kneeling with no visible injury. The public, already nervous about the possible invasion of Napoleon, is thrown into a panic, attributing demonic powers to the killer.

Hanno discovers he has been recommended by his mentor, the philosopher Immanuel Kant, who had encouraged him to study law as a way to atone for the guilt he feels over his brother's death. He must unmask a serial killer before anyone knew that such a criminal existed.

He is helped by Kant, who in this book uses his philosophical tenets to invent what would become forensic analysis of crime scenes and the psychology of the killer. Elderly and frail, he gives Hanno nudges in the right direction, though Hanno is inclined to trust the usual methods of brutality and torture at first.

Gregorio does a good job of invoking the atmosphere of early 19th century Prussia, from the damp cold to the casual cruelty -- from the filthy table and blood encrusted knives of a bewitching abortionist to the filthy beds and blood encrusted apron of the barrack surgeon. Hanno wavers from believing the killings to be the work of pro-Bonapartists trying to foment chaos and fear to wondering if it might be witchcraft. He gradually begins to see the merit in Kant's methods.

The book is worth reading, for the atmosphere first, and for the mystery which kept me guessing until close to the end of the book. There are a few surprising revelations which I won't hint about here.

Happy Hooker Crap-o'meter

Miss Snark, the literary agent's blog, is hosting the results of one of her infrequent crap-o'meters. This one invited aspiring authors to send in a 250 word (or less) hook for their unpublished novel. The idea is to give her the query that you would send to an agent -- a brief statement of what your book is about. As she writes in one of her critiques, you have about 8 seconds to get the agent's interest, then your letter gets thrown on the crap pile. Very informative for any prospective author. Fun reading for those of you who aren't. After you read enough of these -- and the responses they engender -- you may just find yourself writing for clarity, even in your notes to the paper boy or baby sitter. Oh, and my reading material? I'm starting it tomorrow. With very low expectations. The scariest monsters keep lurking in dark places. Not trotted out as children with all their psychoses plopped on the page.

NaNo haters

Not much new. I seem to have little time for keeping up with my blog. That should change after Christmas. Right now I'm working on my NaNo novel: The Andrews Bride -- trying to get it finished by Jan. 1st. I want to have time to edit it a little. Lulu, a print on demand service, offers a free copy of every NaNo winner's book, but you have to submit it by Jan. 16th. It's always a thrill to see your book actually looking like a book. And Lulu makes a profit since most people probably buy one or two for family and friends.

Of course, some authors can be pretty snobbish about it. I've seen blogs where NaNo is called a waste of time. That it deludes people into believing they're authors. That it encourages people to write crap.

I realize that writing doesn't make you an "author." Or good. But I do think that writing x amounts of words a day to get to a monthly word count encourages discipline. And while it's not possible to learn rules of spelling or grammar just by writing, the sheer amount of writing may lead to better fluency and flow. Maybe even an interest in improving one's grammar.

One of the objections seems to be that most of the NaNo participants will never become published. I can't understand why anyone would care about that. I've been on the forums enough to know that a lot of them have no interest in writing for a living. They're doing it as a one time or yearly thing, just for fun. Or they do write year round, but it's a hobby.

When is the last time you read a blog from a pro golfer bitching about all the people who play golf who have no chance of ever going pro? Or a chef making fun of people who take a culinary course at their local community college? Don't authors understand that writing can be a hobby?

And if someone does have a story that they dream of having published one day? And if they want to begin in November using NaNo to push themselves? Telling yourself that you're going to be writing crap isn't giving yourself permission to be bad. It's just a way of getting started and not being too disappointed when that first draft turns out not to be a finished, polished manuscript.

I think most of us picture our favorite authors sitting down and turning out a perfect book in one draft. Deciding "if what I write doesn't come out perfectly in the first draft I might as well quit" may be one of the biggest delusions that causes people to quit prematurely. If NaNo does nothing else, it frees you from worrying about perfection. Get the words down first. If you have the talent and the discipline and are willing to work hard, you may just turn it into a decent manuscript some day.

If I thought that authors were, as a rule, jealous or fearful of competition, I could understand NaNo put downs. But from what I've seen through blogs and web sites and my limited contact with writers, the majority are very supportive and encouraging with each other and with aspiring authors.

Authors recognize that their profession doesn't have the same sort of cut throat competition of many other careers. Each author is competing more against himself than anyone else. They're competing for readers, but one author's success doesn't signal failure for the others. It's not as if The DaVinci Code killed off that type of book. On the contrary, its success has lead to a run on religious conspiracy action adventure thrillers. Similarly, the success of the Left Behind series showed publishers that there was a market for Christian fiction and opened up greater opportunities for writers who wished to work in that genre.

If I have to guess, I'd say their objections may be because NaNo doesn't fall within their parameters of the Right Way to become an author. An aspiring author should determine if he has the talent for it, and if so, keep writing and rewriting until he learns his craft. Most writers also advise enrolling in a reputable class and joining a writing group for critique and feedback.

Since participating in NaNo doesn't preclude doing any of that, I still don't see the problem some writers have with it.