Today is my last day as president of The Short Mystery Fiction Society, a discussion list more than a thousand members strong, with twelve years of history when I took office.
I went in knowing what a task it would be to facilitate discussion and move the discourse forward. A handful of members understandably wondered how I planned to do this. I tried to explain, but ultimately I would do it by carrying out the office to the best of my ability.
Leading up to the elections earlier this month, a handful of members asked me to run again. I declined, in part because I believe the true test of how I held office will take place when I leave.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
THE APPRENTICE by Tess Gerritsen
Having followed Tess Gerritsen's blog over the years, The Apprentice is the first of her books I've read. Now two weeks from the premiere of TNT's "Rizzoli and Isles" starring Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander, I wanted to get some background on the characters before watching the show.
Still recovering from a traumatic encounter with serial killer Warren Hoyt, dubbed The Surgeon, Boston PD Det. Jane Rizzoli catches a case with eerie similarities to Hoyt's m.o. The stakes are raised when Hoyt ingeniously escapes from prison and connects with the new killer.
I'm not much a fan of serial killer books, and though The Apprentice introduces M.E. Dr. Maura Isles, I didn't see the friendship yet that the TV series touts. I did appreciate Gerritsen's attention to detail and how well I got to know Jane Rizzoli, how she and FBI agent Gabriel Dean challenged and fascinated each other. I got a good sense of all the characters, except perhaps for Isles, who only appeared in a professional capacity.
The novel's momentum was very good. There were times the momentum surged and I skimmed the writing as if watching a movie. On one hand, I didn't want to give the writing short shrift; on the other, the goal of any creative writing is to draw readers in as much as I was.
Soon I'll have a chance to read the latest Rizzoli/Isles book, Ice Cold. It will be interesting to note the series' progress and changes.
Still recovering from a traumatic encounter with serial killer Warren Hoyt, dubbed The Surgeon, Boston PD Det. Jane Rizzoli catches a case with eerie similarities to Hoyt's m.o. The stakes are raised when Hoyt ingeniously escapes from prison and connects with the new killer.
I'm not much a fan of serial killer books, and though The Apprentice introduces M.E. Dr. Maura Isles, I didn't see the friendship yet that the TV series touts. I did appreciate Gerritsen's attention to detail and how well I got to know Jane Rizzoli, how she and FBI agent Gabriel Dean challenged and fascinated each other. I got a good sense of all the characters, except perhaps for Isles, who only appeared in a professional capacity.
The novel's momentum was very good. There were times the momentum surged and I skimmed the writing as if watching a movie. On one hand, I didn't want to give the writing short shrift; on the other, the goal of any creative writing is to draw readers in as much as I was.
Soon I'll have a chance to read the latest Rizzoli/Isles book, Ice Cold. It will be interesting to note the series' progress and changes.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Unplugged
It rained here for about five minutes yesterday afternoon, but we felt the effects of Long Island's worse weather, losing power for almost seven hours. The power came back around 9:15 PM, but from about midnight to 2:35 PM today, I was without TV and Internet access.
Luckily there was enough daylight yesterday and no urgent need to open the fridge. I was able to watch two-thirds of Burn Notice last night, caught the rest today, and posted my weekly review before 5:00 PM.
In the meantime, I read a good chunk of The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen.
Luckily there was enough daylight yesterday and no urgent need to open the fridge. I was able to watch two-thirds of Burn Notice last night, caught the rest today, and posted my weekly review before 5:00 PM.
In the meantime, I read a good chunk of The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen.
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