I’ve been a fan of prolific Simon R. Green’s Science Fiction (Deathstalker series) and Fantasy (Nightside series). Green’s Ishmael Jones series falls somewhere between. Ishmael Jones is an agent for a shadowy entity called The Organization. Jones is invited by his boss, The Colonel, to elegant but isolated Belcourt Manor for Christmas. Jones arrives in the middle of a blizzard which shuts down roads in the area. And, like an Agatha Christie novel, the characters at Belcourt Manor start to be murdered, one by one. Ishmael Jones mentions he operates on the dark side of the road. He certainly proves it in this novel. Solving the mystery is just part of the plot. Stopping the murderer is another. If you’re looking for a suspenseful Christmas mystery with a twisty plot, give The Dark Side of the Street a try. GRADE: B
THE ISHMAEL JONES MYSTERY SERIES:
The Dark Side of the Road (May 2015)
Dead Man Walking (May 2016)
Very Important Corpses: An Ishmael Jones mystery (March 2017)
Death Shall Come (September 2017)
Into the Thinnest of Air (March 2018)

Murder in the Dark (August 2018)

Till Sudden Death Do Us Part (August 2019)

Night Train to Murder (January 2020)

The House on Widows Hill (July 2020)

Buried Memories (October 2021)

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I thought Reflections of Love might be an appropriate 2-CD set to listen to. I preferred CD2 to CD1.

CD2 includes classics like Willie Nelson’s “You Were Always on My Mind,” “You Got It,” by Roy Orbison, “Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles, and “Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers.

Do you remember these love songs? Any favorites? GRADE: B

TRACK LIST:

CD1:

1. Longer – Dan Fogelberg
2. Hold on to the Nights – Richard Marx
3. It Might Be You – Stephen Bishop
4. I’ll Never Get Over You, Getting Over Me – Expose
5. Because I Love You – Stevie B.
6. Tonight I Celebrate My Love – Peabo Bryson/Roberta Flack
7. You Are My Lady – Freddie Jackson
8. Love is Forever – Billy Ocean
9. I’ll Be Over You – Toto
10. All My Life – Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville
11. (I Just) Died in Your Arms – Cutting Crew
12. Angel Eyes – Jeff Healey
13. Key Largo – Bertie Higgins
14. Emotion – Samantha Sang
15. Even the Nights Are Better – Air Supply
16. Never Knew Love Like This Before – Stephanie Mills
17. Yes I’m Ready – Teri DeSario & K.C.
18. Always – Atlantic Starr

CD2:

1. To be With You – Mr. Big
2. Alone – Heart
3. Make it Real – Jets
4. I Miss You – Klymaxx
5. Emotion in Motion – Ric Ocasek
6. You’re Only Lonely – J.D. Souther
7. Hopelessly (Falling in Love With You) – Rick Astley
8. You & I – Eddie Rabbitt/Crystal Gayle
9. Always on My Mind – Willie Nelson
10. You Got it – Roy Orbison
11. Black Velvet – Alannah Myles
12. The Next Time I Fall in Love – Peter Cetera With Amy Grant
13. Make Me Lose Control – Eric Carmen
14. Falling – LeBlanc & Carr
15. We’re All Alone – Rita Coolidge
16. How ‘Bout Us – Champaign
17. Kiss & Say Goodbye – Manhattans
18. Unchained Melody – Righteous Brothers

Robert Aickman writes strange stories. For example, my favorite story in Painted Devils: Strange Stories (1979), “Larger Than Oneself,” is set in a mansion on a night with thunder and rain. A confused woman, invited by wealthy publisher Vincent Cover, arrives at the mansion to find a conference of philosophers discussing the spirit and powers. My favorite character is the sexy Sister Nuper who is followed everywhere by her dozen handsome admirers.

Aickman’s stories take the reader to strange realms. In “The Houses of Russians,” a young boy finds an island in Finland with abandoned houses of the Russians. Odd events occur. In “Ringing the Changes” a couple on their honeymoon arrive at Holihaven where an unseen sea emits an overpowering smell and incessant bells ring and echo all night to awaken the dead.

“The Waiting Room” tells the story of Pendlebury, a man who misses his train, and is forced to spend the night alone in the Waiting Room of the train station. He falls asleep, but when he wakes up he finds he’s not alone anymore: the ghosts that haunt that Waiting Room are waiting for him.

Aickman includes some bizarre stories of affairs. In “The View” a gentleman is invited by a mysterious woman to spend some time in her ancient house. The man is disturbed by the fact the view from his window changes every day. The woman seduces him to keep him with her. In “Marriage,” a young man meets two women who love the theater as much as he does. The older woman, Helen, introduces the young man to Ellen. On a walk in a park, Ellen lures the young man to an isolated area where they have sex. The young man thinks he saw Helen watching from the bushes. The young man and Ellen continue their affair, but the sexual aspects become more extreme.

Robert Aickman’s stories aren’t going to appeal to everyone. Sometimes I’ve finished an Aickman story and asked myself, “What was that all about?” But, if you want eerie, different, and even haunting stories, Aickman is the writer for you. And, I really like Edward Gorey cover! GRADE: B+

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Ravissante — 1

The Houses of the Russians — 27

The View — 57

Ringing the Changes — 87

The School Friend — 117

The Waiting Room — 141

Marriage — 153

Larger Than Oneself — 183

My Poor Friend — 211

Diane and I donned our N95 masks and joined an audience of about 200 people–mostly youngsters and their parents–at the Smith Theater in downtown Buffalo. Everyone was masked and had to prove they were vaccinated.

Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic is a 2015 original Off-Broadway play by New York-based playwright Matt Cox. The play is a comedic retelling of the Harry Potter book series by J. K. Rowling, but from the perspective of the “Puffs”. If you’re into parodies, Puffs is a lot of fun!

The story of Harry Potter seen from the point of view of the lower status and less regarded group of fledgling wizards shows the class structure in this School of Magic and Magic. My favorite character is the brooding and difficult Megan (played by Kris Bartolomeo) who initially resists being a Puff and who has a “complicated” relationship with her mother who’s involved with the Dark Lord.

Both Potterheads and muggles enjoyed this performance by a local theater company. What some of the young actors in the large ensemble cast lacked in experience they more than made up for it in enthusiasm! If Puffs shows up in your neighborhood, you might consider this entertaining experience of laughter and magic. Are you a Harry Potter fan? GRADE: B

P. S. Puffs is not authorized, sanctioned, licensed, or endorsed by J.K Rowling, Warner Bros., or any person or company associated with the Harry Potter books, films or plays.

I’ve been a fan of Allison Moorer’s wonderful singing for decades. When I learned Moorer had written I Dream He Talks to Me: A Memoir of Learning How to Listen about her autistic son, John Henry, I had to read it.

Moorer starts off her story with her joy at the birth of her son. But soon afterward, Moorer started to notice some disturbing developmental changes in John Henry. He stopped saying words. When Moorer took John Henry to specialists, they assured her that John Henry was not autistic. Moorer did her own research–“I read every book written on autism”–and concluded John Henry was autistic.

Moorer sought out doctors specializing in autism and learned more about the changes John Henry was undergoing. Moorer doesn’t pull any punches. She describes John Henry’s tantrums. She talks about her lack of sleep (John Henry wakes up in the middle of the night and starts roaming around in her house). The account of Moorer trying to take a shower while John Henry attempts to escape the bathroom is gut-wrenching. John Henry cannot be left alone or chaos results.

What comes through I Dream He Talks to Me is Allison Moorer’s unconditional love for her son. No matter how difficult the situation–and Moorer contends with dozens of difficult situations in this book–Moorer finds the strength and determination to deal with it and to help her son.

If you’re in the mood for an inspiring and powerful chronicle of a mother facing problem after problem, but never giving up on her son, I highly recommend I Dream He Talks to Me. GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Dear John Henry — 1
Below the belt — 3
The feeling foot — 9
A guide to getting through — 15
When you stare — 25
Fine — 31
Dream #1 — 42
Sick — 43
The wormhole — 49
Grace note — 55
Snow day — 61
Dream #2 — 68
Awe — 69
Ho ho hum — 71
The breath — 88
Functional behavior assessment — 105
Promises — 117
Ten minutes — 129
The line — 133
Shift change — 145
The day we went to the moon — 161
Dream #3 — 180
This part is the worst part — 181
The tender thread — 187
Mornings — 197
Water pressure — 199
St. Jude lives in the garden now — 205
Dream #4 — 208
Terms of surrender — 211

Acknowledgements — 225

I read Jules Verne’s 1873  novel, Around the World in 80 Days, after I saw the 1956 American epic adventure–comedy film of the same name starring David Niven and Cantinflas. Now we have the PBS 8-episode version of Around the World in 80 Days. David Tennant (Good Omens, Doctor Who) stars as literature’s greatest explorer, Phileas Fogg. He is joined on his incredible journey by French actor Ibrahim Koma (OSS 117, Wùlu) as Jean Passepartout, Fogg’s mysterious valet, and German actress Leonie Benesch (The Crown, Babylon Berlin) as Abigail “Fix” Fortescue, a determined and driven British journalist.

As you might suspect, this PBS version varies from Verne’s classic novel just as the movie version did. The PBS version has real historical characters such as Jane Digby and Bass Reeves  interacting with the fictional characters.

I’ve been a fan of David Tennant since his Doctor Who days. Ibrahim Koma impresses me with his versatility. Leonie Besnesch navigates the social strictures on women in 1872 and the two difficult men she has to travel with.

Phileas Fogg makes a 20,000 pound bet with another member of the Reform Club in London that he can circumnavigate the globe in 80 days. The Press instantly starts tracking Fogg’s progress. Ms. Fix files stories for her newspaper that create sensations in the Public. If you’re looking for an entertaining series with plenty of action and adventure and humor, check out Around the World in 80 Days. GRADE: B+ (so far…we’re four episodes in!)

Whoever did the casting for AMAZON Prime Video’s Reacher–based on Lee Child’s first Jack Reacher novel from 1997, The Killing Floor–should get a raise. Fans and critics mocked Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher. Reacher–in the novels–is 6’5″ and 250+ pounds. Cruise doesn’t come close to those attributes.

I’ve only watched two of the eight episodes in Season One, but from what I’ve seen, this series is going to stick closely to Lee Child’s debut novel. Alan Ritchson plays Jack Reacher. He’s smart, big, and powerful. Every few minutes someone is dumb enough to challenge Reacher…who pounds them them into submission. I like Malcolm Goodwin as Oscar Finley, Margrave Police Department Chief Detective–with a police career in Boston and a Harvard degree–who starts out antagonistic to Reacher, but realizes that he’s a ally. It’s early in the series, but I’m fond of Willa Fitzgerald as police woman Roscoe Conklin. She’s also very smart.

Reacher arrives is Margrave, Georgia and is immediately arrested. The police suspect this “drifter” killed two men outside of town. Reacher proves he had a alibi for the time of the killings, but gets drawn into the investigation.

If you’re a Jack Reacher fan, you’re going to love this. GRADE: A (so far)

Here’s a blurb from the new STARK HOUSE edition of The Girl With No Place to Hide: “The action is swift, the writing is solid, the plotting is a step above the usual…The Girl With No Place to Hide is the strongest of the Jake Burrow books.” –George Kelley, Murder Off the Rack

I wrote an essay on prolific paperback writer, Marvin Albert for Murder Off the Rack: Critical Studies of Ten Paperback Masters (1989) edited by Jon L. Green and Martin Harry Greenberg. Greg Shepard of STARK HOUSE was kind enough to use my summary of Marvin Albert’s Jack Burrow series as a blurb.

Albert wrote the Jack Burrow series for Gold Medal Books under his “Nick Quarry” pseudonym. Jake Burrow–no relation to Deb’s future son-in-law Joe Burrow–is a private investigator in New York City. His cases usually involve beautiful, seductive women. As in most of his novels, Marvin Albert provides a tricky plot to propel the action.

In The Girl With No Place to Hide Jake Burrow finds himself helping a girl who was being strangled in an alley. Burrow fights off her attacker and takes the girl home. The girl, Angela Hart, reluctantly tells Jake she needs help. But, before Burrow can help her, he’s lured out of his apartment and when he returns, the girl is gone.

Burrow discovers Angela Hart is linked with a series of murders. As Burrow investigates, he finds himself drawn down a rabbit-hole of crime and violence. The scene with Burrow getting worked over by a crooked cop borders on horrific.

Jake Burrow takes a lot of punishment, but finally untangles all the red herrings and misinformation to solve the case. If you’re looking for a classic private eye thriller with chills and deadly dames, The Girl With No Place to Hide checks all the boxes! GRADE: A

The Jake Burrow Series (as by “Nick Quarry”):

The Hoods Came Calling, Gold Medal, 1958

Trail of a Tramp. Gold Medal, 1958

The Girl With No Place to Hide. Gold Medal, 1959

No Chance in Hell. Gold Medal, Gold Medal, 1960

Till It Hurts. Gold Medal, 1960

Some Die Hard. Gold Medal, 1961

Here are two more compilation albums in the Rolling Stone Presents series. Rhino Records released these two CDs in 2001. After listening to Rolling Stone Presents Classic Rock and Rolling Stone Presents The 70s California Sound, I slightly preferred Classic Rock.

However, I totally disagree that the songs on Classic Rock are “monumental classic rock hits from ’68 to ’83”. Sure, there are some classic songs–“The Weight” and “Smoke On the Water”–but most of the “hits” on this CD are middle-of-the-road Rock songs.

I’m even less enthused by The 70s California Sound CD. When I think of the 70s California Sound, I’m thinking about Linda Ronstadt, The Eagles, The Beach Boys, and Jackson Browne. None of them are represented on this disc.

Do you remember these songs? Any favorites? GRADE: C (for both CDs)

ROLLING STONE PRESENTS CLASSIC ROCK TRACK LIST:

1. DEEP PURPLE — “Smoke On the Water”

2. BAD COMPANY — “Can’t Get Enough”

3. THE BAND — “The Weight”

4. ZZ TOP — “Legs”

5. PETER FRAMPTON — “Do You Feel Like We Do (Live)

6. JEFFERSON STARSHIP — “Ride the Tiger”

7. FOREIGNER — “Hot Blooded”

8. PAT BENATAR — “Heartbreaker”

9. GENESIS — “Turn It On Again”

10. JOE WALSH — “Life’s Been Good”

ROLLING STONE PRESENTS THE 70s CALIFORNIA SOUND Tracklist:

Orson Scott Card is a controversial figure in Science Fiction. Card has publicly declared his support of laws against homosexual activity and same-sex marriage. However, Orson Scott Card is the only SF writer to win both a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for both his novel Ender’s Game (1985) and its sequel Speaker for the Dead (1986) back-to-back. 

Meetings in the Enderverse includes the original story that Card expanded into the novel that won the Hugo and Nebula Awards, Ender’s Game. The other three novellas in this collection have connections to the Enderverse.

“Ender’s Game” presents a problem: if humanity is about to be destroyed by an alien threat, is it ethical to train and use a gifted young child to fight the aliens? Ethical dilemmas show up in Card’s work although the perspectives might jolt some readers. GRADE: B+

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• The Polish Boy” (2002) – Tells the story of how Jan Paweł Wieczorek (Ender’s father) as a small child gets tested by the International Fleet and convinces them to get his family out of Poland. — 9
• “Teacher’s Pest” (2003) (Not present in 2002 version of book) – Tells the story of how John Paul Wiggin (Ender’s father) meets and falls in love with his future wife. — 59
• “Ender’s Game” (1977) – First appeared in the August 1977 issue of Analog magazine and was later expanded into the novel Ender’s Game. Although the foundation of the Ender’s Game series, the short story is not properly part of the Ender’s Game universe, as there are many discrepancies in continuity. — 103
• “Investment Counselor” (1999) – Tells the story of how Ender Wiggin first met the artificial intelligence Jane and became a speaker for the dead. It first appeared in the anthology Far Horizons edited by Robert Silverberg. — 165