Defender of the Innocent: The Casebook of Martin Ehrengraf is another great book just published by Subterranean Press. It collects all of Lawrence Block’s noirish, amoral Martin Ehrengraf stories. The Ehrengraf stories are very wicked. Ehrengraf works on a contingency basis: if he does not free his clients charged with murder, he doesn’t collect his huge fees. Yet in puzzling, almost inexplicable ways, Ehrengraf’s clients find themselves freed. I found a number of these stories clever and tricky. If you’re looking for something different, dark, and devious you’ll find it here in these Ehrengraf stories.
Table of Contents:
◦ The Ehrengraf Defense
◦ The Ehrengraf Presumption
◦ The Ehrengraf Experience
◦ The Ehrengraf Appointment
◦ The Ehrengraf Riposte
◦ The Ehrengraf Obligation
◦ The Ehrengraf Alternative
◦ The Ehrengraf Nostrum
◦ The Ehrengraf Affirmation
◦ The Ehrengraf Reverse
◦ The Ehrengraf Settlement
◦ The Ehrengraf Fandango
◦ Afterword-Edward D. Hoch/Lawrence Bloch

The Library of America has done it again! First they issued the quirky novels of Philip K. Dick (big sellers!) and then the LOA issued collections of noir novels, SF novels, and a popular H. P. Lovecraft book. The Library of America, best known for issuing volumes of Henry James and Herman Melville, obviously found that dabbling in Popular Culture pays Big Time.

Now, the LOA launches a series of Elmore Leonard novels. This collection includes Fifty-Two Pickup, Swag, Unknown Man No. 89, and The Switch. Of course, I have the original editions, but I can’t resist these Library of America volumes. And I really like the cover that reprints the original paperback artwork (LOA started this with the Philip K. Dick books). If you’re looking for a gift for that Elmore Leonard fan on your gift list, Elmore Leonard: Four Novels of the 1970s is perfect!

I’m a big fan of Bette Midler and Sixties Girl Group music so factor that in while you read this review. As Bette Midler sings these classic songs from my teenage years memories came flooding back. I remember singing “Be My Baby” when it came on my new transistor radio. Two of my favorite Gerry Goffin and Carole King songs are on this CD: “”One Fine Day” and “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.” Do you remember these great songs? GRADE: B+
TRACK LIST:
1. Be My Baby
2. One Fine Day
3. Bei Mir Bist Du Schon
4. Baby It’s You
5. Tell Him
6. He’s Sure the Boy I Love
7. Mr. Sandman
8. Come and Get These Memories
9. Too Many Fish in the Sea
10. Teach Me Tonight
11. Waterfalls
12. You Can’t Hurry Love
13. Give Him a Great Big Kiss
14. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
15. It’s the Girl

This Is Where I Leave You is based on Jonathan Tropper’s novel of the same name. It’s a “dysfunctional family” comedy. If you like poop-jokes, you’ll like this movie (I’m not a fan). If you like boob-jokes you’ll like this movie. The talented cast members–Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Jane Fonda, Adam Driver, Connie Britton–are mostly wasted. Everything is predictable. Jason Bateman comes home early and finds…yes, his wife in bed with his boss. Bateman returns to his old home town and sees his high school girl friend and… You can guess what happens. I found This Is Where I Leave You tedious. It should have been a much better movie. GRADE: C-

Just in time for Christmas, Norton has published The New Annotated H. P. Lovecraft. In addition to the great collection of Lovecraft stories, there are over 900 notes and hundreds of photographs, drawings, maps, and illustrations. It’s almost 380,000 words! If you’re a fan of H. P. Lovecraft this is a must-buy! If you’re a casual fan, this thick tome is a great value for $25 on AMAZON. For a more detailed review of The New Annotated H. P. Lovecraft click here. GRADE: A
Table of Contents:
Introduction by Alan Moore
Foreword
Editor’s Note

Selected Fiction
Dagon
The Statement of Randolph Carter
Beyond the Wall of Sleep
Nyarlathotep
The Picture in the House
Herbert West: Reanimator
The Nameless City
The Hound
The Festival
The Unnamable
The Call of Cthulhu
The Silver Key
The Case of Charles Dexter Ward
The Colour Out of Space
The Dunwich Horror
The Whisperer in Darkness
At the Mountains of Madness
The Shadow over Innsmouth
The Dreams in the Witch House
The Thing on the Doorstep
The Shadow Out of Time
The Haunter of the Dark

Additional Material
Appendix 1: Chronological Table
Appendix 2: Faculty of Miskatonic University
Appendix 3: History of the Necronomicon
Appendix 4: Genealogy of the Elder Races
Appendix 5: The Fiction of H. P. Lovecraft (a table)
Appendix 6: The “Revisions” of H. P. Lovecraft (a table)
Appendix 7: H. P. Lovecraft in Popular Culture
Bibliography (selected)

The Buffalo Bills are enjoying their Bye Week. At the mid-way point of the season, the Bills are 5-3. The Bills defense leads the NFL in QB sacks (28) and interceptions (12). Since the Bills aren’t in action today, I can enjoy the Denver Broncos vs. New England Patriots game instead. How will your favorite NFL team do today?

Diane and I got our flu shots this week. This is the 9th year in a row. Since we’ve been getting flu shots neither of us has had the flu. Before the flu shots, I would catch the flu on a regular basis (I work in a germ factory called a College). My students would cough and sneeze on me and I’d be sick for a week. So far, the flu shot has protected me and Diane. Hope we continue to escape the ravages of the flu!

The Black Lizard Big Book of Locked-Room Mysteries collects 68 of the best locked-room short stories ever written. If you check out the Table of Contents you’ll see plenty of familiar stories by Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle, John Dickson Carr/Carter Dickson, Edward D. Hoch, and other writers known for their classic stories in this genre. Plus many unfamiliar writers. If you’re a fan of locked-room mysteries The Black Lizard Big Book of Locked-Room Mysteries is a must-buy. How many of these great stories have you read?
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction by Otto Penzler
FAMILIAR AS THE ROSE IN SPRING
The Murders in the Rue Morgue-Edgar Allan Poe
The Problem of Cell 13-Jacques Futrelle
A Terribly Strange Bed-Wilkie Collins
The Two Bottles of Relish-Lord Dunsany
The Invisible Man-G. K. Chesterton
The Doomoorf Mystery-Melville Davisson Post
The Adventure of the Speckled Band- Arthur Conan Doyle
THIS WAS THE UNKINDEST CUT OF ALL
The Wrong Problem-John Dickson Carr
The Thing Invisible-William Hope Hodgson
Department of Impossible Crimes-James Yaffe
The Aluminium Dagger-R. Austin Freeman
The Crewel Needle-Gerald Kersh
The Doctor’s Case-Stephen King
A Knife Between Brothers-Manly Wade Wellman
The Glass Gravestone-Joseph Cummings
The Tea Leaf-Edgar Jepson & Robert Eustace
The Flung-Back Lid-Peter Godfrey
The Crooked Picture-John Lutz
Blind Man’s Hood-Carter Dickson
FOOTPRINTS IN THE SANDS OF TIME
The Man From Nowhere-Edward D. Hoch
The Laughing Butcher-Fredric Brown
The Sands of Time-Michael Innes
The Flying Death-Samuel Hopkins Adams
The Flying Corpse-A. E. Martin
The Flying Hat-Vincent Cornier
AND WE MISSED IT, LOST FOREVER
The Day the Children Vanished-Hugh Pentecost
The Twelfth Statue-Stanley Ellin
All at Once, No Alice-William Irish
Beware of the Trains-Edmund Crispin
The Locked Bathroom-H. R. F. Keating
Mike, Alec, and Rufus-Dashiell Hammett
The Episode of the Torment IV-C. Daly King
Greaves’ Disappearance-Julian Hawthorne
The House of Haunts-Ellery Queen
The Monkey Trick-J. E. Gurdon
The Ordinary Hairpins-E. C. Bentley
The Phantom Motor-Jacques Futrelle
The Theft of the Bermuda Penny-Edward D. Hoch
Room Number 23-Judson Philips
HOW EASILY IS MURDER DISCOVERED
The Burglar Who Smelled Smoke-Lynne Wood Block & Lawrence Block
The Kestar Diamond Case-Augustus Muir
The Odour of Sanctity-Kate Ellis
The Problem of the Old Oak Tree-Edward D. Hoch
The Invisible Weapon-Nicholas Olde
The Confession of Rosa Vitelli-Ray Cummings
The Locked Room to End Locked Rooms-Stephen Barr
SHOOT IF YOU MUST
Nothing is Impossible-Clayton Rawson
Where Have You Gone, Sam Spade?-Bill Pronzini
In a Telephone Cabinet-G. D. H. Cole & M. I. Cole
The Dream-Agatha Christie
The Border-Line Case-Margery Allingham
The Bradmoor Murder-Melville Davisson Post
The Man Who Liked Toys-Leslie Charteris
The Ashcomb Poor Case-Hulbert Footner
The Little House at Croix-Rousse-Georges Simenon
STOLEN SWEETS ARE BEST
The Bird in the Hand-Erle Stanley Gardner
The Gulverbury Diamonds-David Durham
The Fifth Tube-Frederick Irving Anderson
The Strange Case of Steinkelwintz-MacKinlay Kantor
Arsene Lupin in Prison-Maurice Leblanc
The Mystery of the Strong Room-L. T. Meade & Robert Eustace
No Way Out-Dennis Lynds
The Episode of the Codex’ Curse-C. Daly King
ONE MAN’S POISON, SIGNOR, IS ANOTHER’S MEAT
The Poisoned Dow ’08-Dorothy L. Sayers
A Traveller’s Tale-Margaret Frazer
Death at the Excelsior-P. G. Wodehouse
OUR FINAL HOPE IS FLAT DESPAIR
Waiting for Godstow-Martin Edwards

The Beach Boys are celebrating their 50th Anniversary with this 6-CD box set of their best songs. In addition to their greatest hits, The Beach Boys included 17 live songs from their concerts. Check out what’s on these CDs. There’s a lot of value here. What is your favorite Beach Boy song?
TRACK LIST:
Disc 1
1 Home Recordings/Surfin’ Rehearsal Highlights (2:58)
2 Surfin’ (2:26)
3 Their Hearts Were Full of Spring (2:37)
4 Surfin’ Safari (2:17)
5 409 (2:09)
6 Lonely Sea (2:39)
7 Surfin’ U.S.A. (2:28)
8 Shut Down (1:51)
9 Surfer Girl (2:27)
10 Little Deuce Coupe (1:40)
11 Catch a Wave (2:09)
12 Our Car Club (2:23)
13 Surfers Rule (2:37)
14 In My Room (2:13)
15 Back Home (2:22)
16 Be True to Your School (2:10)
17 Ballad of Ole’ Betsy (2:17)
18 Little Saint Nick (2:01)
19 Fun, Fun, Fun (2:13)
20 Little Honda (1:52)
21 Don’t Worry Baby (2:50)
22 Why Do Fools Fall in Love (2:09)
23 The Warmth of the Sun (3:03)
24 I Get Around (2:56)
25 Wendy (2:19)
26 All Summer Long (2:09)
27 Girls On the Beach (2:25)
28 Don’t Back Down (1:44)
29 When I Grow Up (To Be a Man) (2:03)
30 All Dressed Up for School (2:18)
31 Please Let Me Wonder (2:51)
32 Kiss Me, Baby (2:43)
33 In the Back of My Mind (2:13)
34 Dance, Dance, Dance (2:03)

Disc 2
1 Do You Wanna Dance (2:22)
2 Help Me, Rhonda (2:47)
3 California Girls (2:46)
4 Amusement Parks USA (2:33)
5 Salt Lake City (2:03)
6 Let Him Run Wild (2:21)
7 Graduation Day (3:25)
8 The Little Girl I Once Knew (2:33)
9 There’s No Other (Like My Baby) [2012 “Unplugged” Mix with Party Sessio (4:20)
10 Barbara Ann (2:13)
11 Wonderful Kya (0:09)
12 Sloop John B (3:00)
13 Wouldn’t It Be Nice (2:33)
14 God Only Knows (2:55)
15 I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times (3:20)
16 Caroline No (2:19)
17 Good Vibrations (3:36)
18 Our Prayer (1:08)
19 Heroes and Villains, Pt. 1 (3:08)
20 Heroes and Villains, Pt. 2 (4:18)
21 Vega-Tables (3:46)
22 Wind Chimes (3:07)
23 The Elements: Fire (Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow) (2:37)
24 Cabin Essence (3:32)
25 Heroes and Villains (3:39)
26 Wonderful (2:21)
27 Country Air (2:22)
28 Wild Honey (2:36)

Disc 3
1 Darlin’ (2:11)
2 Let the Wind Blow (2:35)
3 Meant For You (1:50)
4 Friends (2:32)
5 Little Bird (1:59)
6 Busy Doin’ Nothin’ (3:06)
7 Sail Plane Song (2:27)
8 We’re Together Again (2:01)
9 Murray the K (0:11)
10 Do It Again (2:20)
11 Old Man River (1:19)
12 Be with Me (3:09)
13 I Can Hear Music (2:37)
14 Time to Get Alone (2:39)
15 I Went to Sleep (1:38)
16 Can’t Wait Too Long (0:51)
17 Break Away (3:11)
18 Celebrate the News (3:06)
19 Cotton Fields (The Cotton Song) [Versi (3:15)
20 Susie Cincinnati (3:05)
21 Good Time (2:51)
22 Slip on Through (2:17)
23 Add Some Music to Your Day (3:34)
24 This Whole World (1:58)
25 Forever (2:43)
26 It’s About Time (2:56)
27 Soulful Old Man Sunshine (3:27)
28 Fallin’ in Love (3:01)
29 Sound of Free (2:26)
30 ‘Til I Die (2:32)
31 Surf’s Up (4:11)

Disc 4
1 Don’t Go Near the Water (2:39)
2 Disney Girls (4:06)
3 Feel Flows (4:44)
4 (Wouldn’t It Be Nice To) Live Again (4:40)
5 Marcella (3:52)
6 All This Is That (3:58)
7 Sail On, Sailor (3:18)
8 The Trader (5:04)
9 California Saga (On My Way to Sunny Californ-I-A) (3:21)
10 Rock and Roll Music (3:10)
11 It’s OK (2:11)
12 Had to Phone Ya (1:45)
13 Let Us Go on This Way (1:59)
14 I’ll Bet He’s Nice (2:36)
15 Solar System (2:49)
16 The Night Was So Young (2:16)
17 It’s Over Now (2:44)
18 Come Go with Me (2:07)
19 California Feelin’ (2:54)
20 Brian’s Back (2:56)
21 Good Timin’ (2:14)
22 Angel Come Home (3:38)
23 Baby Blue (3:22)
24 It’s a Beautiful Day (3:28)
25 Goin’ to the Beach (2:22)

Disc 5
1 Goin’ On (3:01)
2 Why Don’t They Let Us Fall in Love (3:15)
3 Da Doo Ron Ron (1:53)
4 Getcha Back (2:59)
5 California Dreamin’ (3:24)
6 Kokomo (3:37)
7 Soul Searchin’ (3:59)
8 You’re Still a Mystery (3:20)
9 That’s Why God Made the Radio (3:19)
10 Isn’t It Time (3:44)
11 Runaway (2:53)
12 You’re So Good to Me (2:15)
13 The Letter (1:54)
14 Friends (2:45)
15 Little Bird (1:57)
16 All I Want to Do (2:03)
17 Help Me, Rhonda (4:13)
18 Wild Honey (4:47)
19 Only with You (4:28)
20 It’s About Time (3:37)
21 I Can Hear Music (3:04)
22 Vegetables (2:22)
23 Wonderful (2:21)
24 Sail on Sailor (3:13)
25 Summer in Paradise (4:25)

Disc 6
1 Radio Spot (0:11)
2 Slip on Through (2:32)
3 Don’t Worry Baby [Ve (3:07)
4 Pom Pom Play Girl (2:45)
5 Guess I’m Dumb (2:55)
6 Sherry She Needs Me (2:53)
7 Mona Kana (2:56)
8 This Whole World (1:58)
9 Where Is She? (2:51)
10 Had to Phone Ya (1:49)
11 Smile Backing Vocals Montage (8:31)
12 Good Vibrations (3:49)
13 Be with Me (2:47)
14 I Believe in Miracles (0:21)
15 Why (2:09)
16 Barnyard Blues (2:33)
17 Don’t Go Near the Water (2:45)
18 You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling (3:54)
19 Transcendental Meditation (1:51)
20 Our Sweet Love (2:39)
21 Back Home (2:21)
22 California Feelin’ (2:14)
23 California Girls (2:28)
24 Help You, Rhonda (2:24)
25 Surf’s Up (3:48)
26 My Love Lives On (2:32)
27 Radio Spot (0:14)
28 Wendy (2:14)
29 When I Grow Up (To Be a Man) (2:03)
30 Hushabye (2:39)
31 Carl Wilson: Coda (1:24)

I’m a fan of Gerard de Villiers’ Malko spy series. I’ve reviewed a couple of Malkos here and here.  Chaos in Kabul follows the template of the other Malko novels: double-dealing, betrayal, violence, and sex.  The usual spy shenanigans result.  If you’re looking for a fast-paced action novel, Chaos in Kubul delivers.  GRADE: B+