The Butcher's Boy by Thomas Perry

 

(pb; 1982: first book in the Butcher’s Boy series)

From the back cover

“How good is a hit man who blows his big hit? As good as dead.

“How good is the woman assigned to catch him before his killers can? As good as her next move.

“How good is The Butcher’s Boy? As good as they come.”

 

Review

Boy is a great hybrid crime thriller and police procedural, an edgy, blunt, and often action-punctuated genre novel, one that recalls the works of Richard Stark (particularly his twenty-four-book Parker series) and some of the tighter, terser works of William P. McGivern. Boy is a stunning start to what promises to be a standout series. Followed by Sleeping Dogs.

Halloween by John Passarella

 

(pb; 2018: movie tie-in)

From the back cover

“In 1978, Laurie Strode survived an encounter with Michael Myers, a masked figure who killed her friends and terrorized the town of Haddonfield, Illinois on Halloween night. Myers was later gunned down, apprehended and committed to Smith’s Grove State Hospital.

“For forty years, memories of that nightmarish ordeal have haunted Laurie and now Myers is back once again on Halloween, having escaped a routine transfer, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. This time, Laurie is prepared with years of survival training to protect himself, her daughter Karn and her granddaughter Allyson, a teenager separated from her family and enjoying Halloween festivities.”

 

Review

Halloween is a good and often suspenseful book-from-film adaptation of David Gordon Green’s 2018 movie─it’s fast-paced, descriptive (without being overly so) and, aside from an overuse of ellipses (“. . .”) at the ending of certain chapters, a thoroughly enjoyable, film-faithful read that gives some of the characters a bit more background. If you’re looking for a book that expands a lot on the film, this isn’t that book. It is, however, an entertaining, brutal-kill-scene-punctuated horror entry in the multiauthor Halloween movie tie-in series. Followed by Tim Waggoner’s movie tie-in novel Halloween Kills.

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The source film was released stateside on October 19, 2018. David Gordon Green directed it, from Jeff Fradley’s screenplay.

Jamie Lee Curtis reprised, for the fourth time, her role of Laurie Strode. Judy Greer played Karen, Laurie’s bitter daughter. Andi Matichak played Allyson, Karen’s daughter. Toby Huss played Ray, Karen’s husband and Allyson’s father. Will Patton played Officer Hawkins.

Nick Castle reprised his role of The Shape (he was The Shape, a.k.a. Mike Myers, in the original Halloween, 1978). James Jude Courtney also played The Shape. Haluk Bilginer played Dr.Sartain (“the new Dr. Loomis," as Laurie calls him).

The Hanging Girl by Jussi Adler-Olsen

 

(pb; 2015: sixth book in the Department Q series. Translated from the Danish by William Frost.)

From the inside flap

“In the middle of his usual hard-won morning nap in the basement of police headquarters, Carl Mørck, head of Department Q, receives a call from an old colleague working on the Danish island of Bornholm. Carl is dismissive when he realizes that a new case is being foisted on him, but a few hours later, he receives some shocking news that leaves his headstrong assistant Rose more furious than usual.

“Carl has no choice but to lead Department Q into the tragic cold case of a vivacious seventeen-year-old girl who vanished from school, only to be found dead hanging high up in a tree. The investigation will take them from Bornholm to a strange sun-worshipping cult in Sweden, where Carl, Assad, Rose, and newcomer Gordon attempt to stop a string of new murders and a skilled manipulator who refuses to let anything─or anyone─get in the way.”

 

Review

This Department Q case, revolving around a sun-based cult and its possibly murderous leader (Atu), is a steady-build, character-centric police procedural that, like its predecessor Department Q novels, is a slick, entertaining, sometimes quirky, and twist-punctuated read. It’s more low-key than other books in the series but it has its own vibe, a work worth checking out. Followed by The Scarred Woman.

Of Mice and Minestrone by Joe R. Lansdale

 

(pb; 2020; story/vignette anthology)

Overall review

Excellent anthology that fills in some of the timeline gaps in the Hap and Leonard oeuvre, a timely (with its social underpinnings) work that entertains even as it provides a brief, page-turning antidote to current real-life events.

 

Review, story by story

“The Kitchen”: Hap-POV vignette about him and his family visiting his grandmother’s house when he was six or seven years old. Fuzzy-warm, and vividly described.

 

“Of Mice and Minestrone”: Sixteen-year-old Hap tries to help a woman (Minnie) escape her abusive husband (Dash) when she turns up dead in a ditch, setting off a new chain of tragic events in the small Texas town of Marvel Creek.

Excellent two-part tale with all the elements of a worthwhile Hap and Leonard work—well-written, relatable and hissable characters, memorable bouts of violence, with strong social underpinnings.

 

“The Watering Shed”: Hap and Leonard, young men, go to the story-titular backwoods bar where Joe Shank, a no-nonsense barkeep-owner, holds sway. Of course, a racist idiot turns Hap and Leonard’s coming-of-age visit into something more violent.

 

Good, fun read, one that sets the tone for future adventure for the two heroes.

 

“Sparring Partner”: Leonard and Hap eat in a whites-only diner. Leonard enters a boxing ring and fights a gigantic bruiser (Hedge), who may knock more than wind out of Leonard. Another good, fun read.

 

“The Sabine was High”: Leonard, just back from Vietnam, goes fishing with Hap, freshly divorced from Trudy (from Savage Season) and just out of prison (for being a conscientious objector).

“Sabine” is well-written (a Lansdale trademark), solid, one of the quieter/non-action-oriented Hap and Leonard works.

Eddie and the Cruisers by P.F. Kluge

 

(pb; 1980)

From the back cover

“Eddie and his Jersey-bred band, The Parkway Cruisers, were going places. With an album and a few minor hits to their credit, the future seemed bright until Eddie died in a fiery car crash. Twenty years later, a British rock band turns their old songs into monumental fresh hits.

“With this comes a surge of renewed interest in the surviving Cruisers and in a rumored cache of tapes that Eddie made before he died. That’s when the killing starts.”

 

Review

Discontented high school teacher Frank Ridgeway, a surviving member of Eddie Wilson and the Parkway Cruisers, tells the story of how, decades later, one of their old songs resurrects interest in the band’s (supposed) one-album catalogue, and a spate of killings begin. The more he investigates, the deeper the mysteries, legends and regrets surrounding his time with Wilson run.

Eddie is a hard-to-set-down, entertaining novel that ably mixes suspense, relatable middle-age malaise, rock ‘n’ roll nostalgia, a later-coming-of-age tale, and an intriguing murder mystery into a seamless, worth-reading story.

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The resulting film of the same title was released stateside on September 23, 1983. Martin Davidson directed and co-scripted the film, also written by Arlene Davidson.

Tom Berenger played Frank Ridgeway. Michael Paré played Eddie Wilson. Joe Pantoliano played Doc Robbins.

Matthew Laurance played Sal “Sally” Amato. Helen Schneider played Joann Carlino.

David Wilson played Kenny Hopkins. Michael “Tunes” Atunes played Wendell Newton. Ellen Barkin played Maggie Foley (Susan Foley in the book).

John Stockwell played Keith Livingston.

John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band provided the band’s music.

Resident Alien: Your Ride's Here by Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse

 

(pb; 2020, 2021: graphic novel, collecting issues 1-6 of the Dark Horse miniseries. Volume 6 of the six-volume Resident Alien graphic novel series, published by Dark Horse Comics.)

From the back cover

“Harry’s learned a lot about himself and the possibility that other aliens have been stranded on Earth, too. He needs to figure out what to do with Honey, the only resident in Patience, USA, who sees him in his true alien form, as well as deal with his feelings toward Asta, his best friend. Brad and Amanda’s wedding day draws near. Dan is concerned about Harry’s safety, and a sinister federal agent pretending to be a new Patience resident visits Harry’s clinic for a checkup!”

 

Review

Ride’s, the (possibly) final entry in the five-book Resident graphic novel series, is as gentle, intriguing, character-centric and vibe-true as its predecessor books. In this one, romance is on the rise as Amanda and Bradley prepare to get married, but not without a hitch involving Amanda’s daughter (Honey, the only human in Patience who can see Harry’s true form). There’s also a paint ball sniper loose in the small town, one that isn’t fond of cops, as well as a federal agent (Mr. Jones) getting closer to sussing out Harry’s alien identity. And Ethan, Harry’s vacation-replacement doctor, might be more than he and others originally thought.

Ride’s is excellent in its quiet way, like the books that came before it. The stories, characters, and hybrid genre elements are emotionally effective, well-edited and feel organic, making this a seamless, engaging and mildly twisty finish for the Resident series. Worth owning, this.

The Creature from Beyond Infinity by Henry Kuttner

 

(pb; 1940)

From the back cover

“Like a great, lethal snake, plague creeps through the galaxies. No conscious entity can halt its progress, and life is slowly draining from planet after planet.

“Only one super-intelligence is capable of preventing cataclysm. To do it, he must penetrate far beyond infinity─to the formless, deathless creature out to kill the universe.”

 

Review

Plot: Ardath, an alien (a Kyrian), early in Earth’s history, begins traveling through time to gather a group of super-intelligent humans from different periods, to create a race of “mental giants,” wise super-beings to counter an entropic, plague-bearing cloud making its way through the universe. Of course, as with anything involving humans, things go awry─beginning with crafty caveman Thordred,, and culminating with the super-smart Stephen Court, born in the early twentieth century.

Creature is a fun, fast-moving, pulpy, and Conan the Barbarian-esque/hurly-burlish read. It has an episodic feel, with comic book-y elements of what (these days) might be called sexism: Court’s potential girlfriend, Marion, is shown as ditzy, even though she’s a scientist; several of the barely sketched characters are little more than racial stereotypes, though they’re otherwise respectfully presented. For readers who can get past those last two elements─relatively light and briefly mentioned for its era─this could be a well-written, feels-like-it-was-dashed-out science fiction/action distraction to kill an hour or two.

Jaws 2 by Hank Searls

 

(pb; 1978: loosely linked movie tie-in novel. Sequel to Peter Benchley's Jaws.)

Review

Caveat: possible (mini-)spoilers in this review.

Story: a year after the shark attacks (called “The Trouble” by Amity citizens), a local female shark impregnated by the one in the first book, follows oceanic currents back to the tragedy-beleaguered town, and a new cycle of nautical terror begins.

Searl’s well-written, entertaining sequel expands on the themes, characters, and events of Peter Benchley’s 1974 novel rather than the stripped-down film version of Jaws. Like Jaws, the book and film versions of Jaws 2 are considerably different from each other─and separate entities, despite their common elements. This first book sequel to Benchley’s work is a good beach read, one worth owning.

Followed by Hank Searls’s Jaws:The Revenge.

Differences between Searl’s novel and the Jeannot Szwarc-helmed movie include:

The book is grittier, darker, and has more gore than its filmic counterpart, and the shark is more sympathetic in the book, as she’s pregnant and starving (something that’s not mentioned in the movie, which treats the shark as another random stroke of bad luck for Amity). The book’s backstories also make the second shark’s return more believable.

In the film, Martin Brody knows about the new shark early on. In the book, he suspects there might be one, but is not given proof of it until near the end.

Searls expands on Benchley’s mafia/corruption subplot, with a summer-tourist regular, Shuffles Moscotti─big-time gangster─quietly, through illegal channels, investing in an Amity casino that could save the town from economic ruin, a downward trend started by the first shark. Moscotti, through his actions, is a major character in the book. The film version of Jaws doesn’t mention Moscotti or the casino.

Another character, Charlie Jepps─baby seal-shooting tourist cop from Flushing, New York─is only in the book. (Seems he didn’t know about the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, which dictates a yearlong imprisonment and a “twenty grand” penalty fine.)

In the film, the water-skiing tourist (a woman) and the boat driver (a woman) are killed by the shark attack and resulting boat explosion. In the book, it’s the boat driver is a man, the skier his wife.

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The streamlined sequel film, which eschews at least half of the book’s story (to its cinematic detriment), was released stateside on June 16, 1978. Jeannot Szwarc directed it, from a screenplay by Carl Gottlieb and Howard Sackler.

Roy Scheider reprised his role of Martin Brody (from Jaws, 1975). Lorraine Gary reprised her role of Ellen Brody. Mark Gruner played Mike Brody, the Brodys’ adolescent son. Marc Gilpin played Sean Brody, their younger son.

Jeffrey Kramer reprised his role of Len Hendricks. Murray Hamilton reprised his role of Mayor Larry Vaughn. Joseph Mascolo played Peterson.

Keith Gordon played Doug, the book-nerdy friend of the popular teens. Donna Wilkes played the often-screaming Jackie, the bad-influence girl who’s caught Mike Brody’s attention.

Coffin Shadows by Glenn Krisch and Mark Steensland

 

(pb; 2020: novella)

From the back cover

“12 YEARS AGO.

“Janet Martlee’s infant son died under mysterious circumstances. Consumed with grief and anger, she ran away to start again. . .

“YESTERDAY

“A 12-year old body with dead eyes appeared in her classroom, begging for help. But Janet doesn’t’ believe in ghosts.

“TODAY

“Her psychiatrist tells her she must return home to confront her past and uncover the mystery of what happened.

“Only some questions don’t want to be answered.

“And some answers hide in the shadows. . .”

 

Review

Coffin is an entertaining, fast-moving, and tightly written mainstream thriller whose 117-page storyline and characters ring true within their B-movie set-up─a young woman returns to her long-abandoned hometown and discovers that tragedies and fortunes that seem like random luck are anything but. To say anymore might spoil the genre-familiar-but-immersive-and-tidily-presented elements that make up Coffin. Worth owning, this.

Testament by David Morrell

 

(pb; 1975, 1991)

From the back cover

“Reporter Reuben Bourne has broken a promise─to cast a paramilitary white supremacy group in a favorable light. Now, one basically peaceful man, one with a paradoxical attraction for violence, must confront a force of unrelenting hate. Somehow, he must survive─as he leads his family on a desperate flight into a wilderness as unforgiving as the fanatical humans who pursue him.”

Review

Testament is a near-impossible-to-set-down, grim survival thriller. Morrell’s writing balances nuanced understanding about his characters’ emotional states and blunt nature-survival and action writing, as Bourne and his family (wife Claire and eight-year-old daughter Sarah) flee into the wilderness to escape the patient, relentless killers who’ve come to get their revenge on the writer with a secret sin. There are some truly disturbing events in this entertaining, intense novel, and the ending─which could go nasty or otherwise─is character true. Testament is not recommended for those who cannot stand to see children or women menaced, possibly harmed and killed.

Dune: The Lady of Caladan by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson

 

(hb; 2021: second novel in the Caladan Trilogy. Twenty-first novel in the Dune series.)

From the inside flap

“Lady Jessica, mother of Paul and consort to Duke Leto Atreides. The choices she made shaped an empire, but first the Lady of Caladan must reckon with her own betrayal of the Bene Gesserit. She has already betrayed her ancient order, but now she must decide if her loyalty to the Sisterhood is more important than her love of her own family.

“Meanwhile, events in the greater empire are accelerating beyond the control of even the Reverend Mother, and Lady Jessica’s family is on a collision course with destiny.”

 

Review

Lady picks up immediately after the cliffhanger-ish, events of Dune: The Duke of Caladan. Like many of the second books in Herbert and Anderson’s Dune trilogies, it warmed me toward many of the characters introduced in their preceding, first-in-the-trilogies books. Also typical─in the best way possible─of other Dune books, Herbert and Anderson masterfully weave complex, galaxy-altering storylines and character relationships while penning well-written space soap-operatic action and scheming, all of which deepens characters and cleverly fills in the time gaps existing within the Dune timeline. Streamlined (by Dune-series standards) and smartly riveting, this is an excellent mainstream science fiction novel that made me wish that the third entry in the Caladan Trilogy, Dune:The Heir of Caladan, was already published so I could immediately read it.