CERRI ELLIS - MOSTLY MYSTERY REVIEWS
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Curiosity may have killed the cat, but Cerri Ellis never let a little thing like fear stop her from playing sleuth. When she's not snapping photos of ghosts, solving riddles or sifting through dusty tomes in library catacombs, she writes articles and book reviews for magazines and web sites. Her hobbies include reading mysteries, herbal gardening, and searching online and estate auctions for arcane curios. She is currently at work on a paranormal thriller set in Southern Appalachia. Ms. Ellis enjoys hearing from her readers. You can contact her at cerridwen_ellis @ yahoo.com Or stop by her blog: www.cerriellis.blogspot.com |
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August 2006
LONDON
NOIR
Edited by Cathi Unsworth
Akashic Books, August 2006, $14.95, 280 pp.
ISBN: 1-888451-98-X
Greed, lust and drugs create an uneasy mix of murder in this latest anthology
of the Noir series from Akashic. London Noir is steeped in crime, often
thick as the fog that rolls off the Thames. The authors take you on a
tour, stopping by neighborhoods like Soho, Brixton, Ladbrooke Grove, Maida
Hill, Mayfair, Kentish Town, Clissold Park, King's Cross, Bradford, the
Canary Wharf and more.
With stories from Patrick McCabe, Ken Bruen, Barry Adamson, Joolz Denby,
Stewart Home, Sylvie Simmons, Desmond Barry, Cathi Unsworth, Michael Ward,
Dan Bennett, Max Décharné, Martyn Waites, John Williams,
Jerry Sykes, Mark Pilkington, Joe McNally, and Ken Hollings, each vignette
is a tainted picture seen through the eyes of characters both humble and
egotistical, friendly yet deadly.
Joolz Denby's "Sic Transit Gloria Mundi" shines among an uneven
collection of stories. The tightly written urban parable reminds the reader
that all glory fades. Like many historic metropolitan cities, London beckons
country-fed youth, promising vibrant sophistication. Often delivering
a dose of gritty reality instead. Denby writes the tone of youthful defiance
with ease, bringing her characters to life. It's almost painful to watch
that reality unfold for her narrator. I only wish she could have expanded
on the story, gave the characters more room to grow.
Patrick McCabe's "Who Do You Know in Heaven," is a confusing
montage of seemingly disjointed elements involving an IRA terrorist in
the early 70's.
"I Hate His Fingers" by Sylvie Simmons is a disturbing, twisted
little tale that starts with a woman going to a shrink for help with her
phobia, and slowly degrades into madness and murder.
The anthology felt ragged around the edges, the stories mostly falling
into two categories-at least in my opinion. Good, but unmemorable. And
the rest, lackluster, unfocused and confusing.
Cerri Ellis
SOUTH
OF THE PUMPHOUSE
Les Claypool
Akashic Books, September 2006, $14.95, 192 pp.
ISBN: 1-933354-06-2
SOUTH OF THE PUMPHOUSE is a tale of two brothers and a fishing trip that
probably should have been rescheduled. Or perhaps rewritten.
Ed is a pot-smoking, psychedelic mushroom eater with issues from his childhood.
His brother Earl is a near stereotypical redneck. Ed hasn't seen his brother
since their father's funeral and wants to reconnect with him. He suggests
a fishing trip, a.k.a. brotherly bonding over a brewski. Earl agrees to
the date, forgetting all about his standing weekly trip with his high
school buddy and best friend, Donny.
Donny is an obnoxious, walking stereotype. Ed is surprised and dismayed
when Donny shows up at the dock and ready for their fishing trip. Mostly
because Donny bullied and harassed Ed during his childhood and into his
teen years.
As tensions escalate, the day turns dark and one of them will die.
The first half of the book, I'm sorry to say, moved at a snail's pace.
I kept putting it down. Close to the middle, the pace finally picked up,
but then the story took an unfortunate turn, and stepped into an area
I found distasteful and unnecessary. I forced my way past this section
to finish the book, with the sincere hope that the end would justify the
means. It didn't.
Between the slow beginning pace, the one dimensional, stereotypical characterization,
a gratuitous and in my opinion, disgusting, sex scene involving scat in
a public restroom, along with a boring, predictable end, SOUTH OF THE
PUMPHOUSE is not a book I can recommend.
Cerri Ellis
UNDER
PRESSURE
Kathy Brandt
Signet, June 2006, $6.99, 272 pp.
ISBN: 0-451-21878-7
Early morning, and Detective Hannah Sampson is with her new partner Jimmy
when they see the small plane go nose down into the ocean near their boat.
Within minutes they are searching for survivors sixty feet below.
An experienced police diver, Hannah knows how important it is to secure
and preserve the crash site and leaves nothing to chance.
As the investigation unfolds, it begins to look like the crash was no
mere accident. Political intrigues, shady land grabs and an environmental
activist all factor as the clues seem to lead in multiple directions.
Hannah is also facing a personal crisis when her relationship with her
lover and friend shatters, even while she temporarily adopts the plane
crash's youngest survivor and experiences motherhood for the first time.
With the body count intensifying, she is in a race against time to solve
the case before the big storm hits.
Never having read anything by Ms. Brandt before, I was struck by the originality
of her premise, and the sheer force of her heroine, Hannah Sampson. Seldom
have I read a character so fully realized. The relationships in the story
pull you in as much as the mystery drives the plot. Incredibly detailed,
visual writing, brings the tale to life, while a taut pace keeps the reader
turning the page. UNDER PRESSURE is a must have mystery that should appeal
to most fans of the genre, especially those already familiar with the
author's previous work.
Cerri Ellis
Cerri's Archived Reviews
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