Sea Minor
creating waves in the world of fiction
Monday 28 October 2024
NOBODY RUNS FOREVER by RICHARD STARK
Thursday 24 October 2024
One Man's Opinion: THE DEATH OF BUNNY MUNRO by NICK CAVE
Friday 20 September 2024
One Man's Opinion: FIREBREAK by RICHARD STARK
Just a mention before the review that the first three books in my Southsiders series are currently free on Amazon for Kindle over the next few days. They were first published by Blasted Heath, something I'm hugely proud of, and it was a collection of books that I loved writing.
Now to Richard Stark.
I know I've been jumping around the Parker books without sense or direction, moving from Deadly Edge (published in 1971) to Firebreak (published in 2001). In some ways it's a big leap, but in others, not so much. In Deadly Edge, Parker's home is violated with lethal consequences for the invaders. Firebreak sees an assassination attempt down by the lakeside house by a professional hit man, as well the boobytrapping of Parker's home. In some ways, this link between the books made the leap satisfactory. It also highlighted in others, the lack of change in Parker over the years. Thirty years on from the last book and I didn't get any sense of physical or mental alteration. That took a little getting over, after all I'm used to characters like Rebus or Maigret ageing in natural time (perhaps it's different for the bad guys). It's a little bit like Parker has been dropped into a world where the internet exists and [of course] doesn't blink at the change.
A bigger difference, for me, is the depth of the novel. I'm not the only one making jumps; Stark changes the viewpoint in this one several times, to the point of it jarring on occasion. There also feels like a lot more going on and with the increased number of facets comes further layers of jeopardy.
Condensed version: Parker is invited onto an art heist aimed at stealing paintings that have been unseen for many years. Interrupting the plans are the attempts on Parker's life that need sorting tout suite. Complications come in the form of a police investigation, paroles, a less than stable team of crooks and a need for revenge. It's a lot to hold on to, but when Stark puts it all into the blender and presses the button, the resulting soup is tasty and full-blooded and, at times, absolutely intense.
Less stripped down that earlier works, Firebreak manages to satisfy nonetheless. It's a great thriller and had me glued to it most of the time.
Fun.
Friday 16 August 2024
One Man's Opinion: GIOVANNI'S ROOM by JAMES BALDWIN
When I heard that the BBC had produced Giovanni's Room for radio, I was straight over there. Though I was excited, I was also a little hesitant on the grounds that not all voices and performances work for me. Fortunately, it was clear from the beginning that the narrator on this one understood exactly how to play it(congratulations Kyle Soller) .
David is a young American living in 1950s Paris. Very early on, we're introduced to the sense of tragedy as we discover David's former lover, Giovanni, is about to face the guillotine. What we don't find out as we set off is just what a beautifully sad and intense journey we're embarking upon.
While David's fiance, Hella, is traveling in Spain, he meets Giovanni in a gay bar that carries the seedy atmosphere of an illicit underground club. Their chemistry is instant and it's not long before their love is consummated and their obsession with each other complete. Unfortunately for David, he's struggling with feelings of guilt and is in denial of his sexuality, for even in the heights of lust and passion he is reluctant to accept that he is gay.
Upon Hella's return, the love triangle inevitably collapses, leaving David spinning in a whirl of confused emotions and desire that doesn't compute with his cold, calculating rational self.
What I enjoyed most about the read was the depth and intensity of emotion. Baldwin, with simple clarity, creates sparks and ignite them into full-force furnaces with apparent ease. The experiences and torture endured by the three central protagonists brought a lump to the throat on more than one occasion. It's powerful stuff, the lust, confusion and heartbreak palpable. Add to that the sense of people and place and the issues raised and this short novel stacks up into a mighty creation.
Incidentally, the last use of the guillotine in France was in 1977, which seems awfully late to be chopping off heads.
Fresh, strong, relevant and important, this is a marvel whether you read it or give the BBC production a try.
Thursday 15 August 2024
One Man's Opinion: THE NAMING OF THE DEAD by IAN RANKIN
The key to the novel, as per, is Rebus himself. He's approaching retirement and struggling with some of the loose ends (namely Ger Cafferty). He goes at these cases full of cynicism and guile, unable to accept the limitations of his bosses and those secret services who have an uncanny knack of showing up in various guises. Also very satisfying here is the development of his relationship with Siobhan, even at this late stage, and her own grown as a human and a detective is brilliant to watch.
There's no doubt about the compelling nature of the story. It's very difficult to finish a chapter and to resist carrying on and the 500 plus pages fly by. The epilogue is hugely rewarding and was as unexpected this time around as with my first exposure- it's definitaly a stand-up-and-punch-the-air kind of ending.
On the very slight downside, there's has to be an element of disbelief suspension. Coincidences abound to the point where things come to the brink of breaking apart, but the suspense of the cases and the periferal action is always strong enough to keep it on track.
Lots of fun and a pleasing holiday read.
And a note on the BBC series. We came back home to watch the final couple of episodes and were utterly gripped once again, until the end of the final episode that is. There are so many threads left hanging and so many questions unanswered that we both felt a little cheated. No doubt the follow-up series will bring it all together, but it fell flat for us when we realised there wasn't a next episode to help us out.
Sunday 11 August 2024
One Man's Opinion: LAST SUMMER IN THE CITY by GIANFRANCO CALLIGARICH
Friday 9 August 2024
One Man's Opinion: LONG TIME NO SEE by ED McBAIN
Long Time No See is a real treat and, much as I normally appreciate the shorter reads, this 87th is a substantial novel and is all the better for it- imagine getting two scoops of your favourite ice cream instead of the usual thrifty single.
It's freezing cold. The streets are quiet. A blind Vietnam vet and his guide dog are returning home when the dog is put to sleep with chloroform and its owner has his throat slit.
The man's wife is blind, too. She's also very soon dead.
There's a third blind victim and a further attack later in the story that almost goes under the radar.
Whoever it is that's carrying out these crimes is one sick individual.
There are many layers to this one. There are the family backgrounds, a military history, connections to sex workers, friction between detectives and there's concern about what will happen to a dog who refuses to take food from anyone other than his dead owner.
I was so convinced by the constant tension of this one that I recommended it to my eldest daughter who doesn't normally look at crime fiction. She absolutely loved it.
A great read for fans of the 87th and anyone who fancies giving detective fiction a try.