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The Unforgiving Minutes: a Peter Brichter Mystery by Mary Monica Pulver
Around about my first Pennsic War I discovered the work of Mary Monica Pulver, in the form of a murder mystery actually set at Pennsic. I went on to collect the rest of the Peter Brichter mysteries, sometimes more than one copy. But there was one I couldn't find anywhere: the first book of the series. The one that introduces the characters. This one. Oh, I read it; the Toronto Public Library has one copy (the TPL probably has one copy of everything. The trick is finding the one branch that has that copy, and then catching it in), but I am a collector and I like to own the books I read. None of the Brichter mysteries were easy to find, as Pulver is no longer writing them and they are mostly out of print, but this one was particularely annoying on that front. But, eventually I did find it, and here it is.
Otto Peter "Obie" Brichter is probably the least popular cop on the Charter, Illinois, police force. He's been transferred from department to department far too fast to be good for his career. Now he's in the underfunded and undermanned Organized Crime Unit, determined to make a go of it. He'd also like to see the notoriously corrupt Charter force cleaned up. An anonymous tip leades him to investigate Tretower ranch, outside town, home to former Chicago mobster Nick Telios and his neice, Katherine "Kori" Price. Kori's parents were murdered when she was a child, and now she's beleived around town to have serious mental problems. Telios takes care of her.
Brichter sets out to bring Telios down, exploiting an in he has at Tretower in the form of an old friend who now acts as Kori's tutor. His only aim at first is at Telios, but then he meets Kori and is struck by her beauty, fragility, and wit. Brichter is powerfully drawn to her, and wants to protect her if he can. But from what danger, exactly?
This isn't the best mystery going; it isn't even the best one in the series, but it's still pretty good. I'd say recommended, but good luck finding a copy.
The Dark Tower: the Dark Tower VII by Stephen King
Special spoiler-free note to salix_03: no, it doesn't jump the shark. But there is definately a bike revving up in the background . . .
King's greatest work of outright fantasy comes finally to its end, some 20 years or more in the making (I am too lazy just now to actually do the research). Roland the Gunslinger finally arrives at the Dark Tower, ready to battle the Crimson King. Along the way, the rest of his Posse find their own endings, and they have to save the life of Stephen King so he can finish the series.
Yeah, that last bit I had a few problems with. It's not a bad conceit, really, but there's far too much of it. I know that nearly being killed was what convinced King to get this puppy finished lest he never actually get it done, but . . . I dunno. Does it count as Mary Sue if it really is the writer, undisguised? (also, not everybody loves him. In fact, his creations don't even like him all that much)
Also, it's been kind of implicit in King's work all along that he doesn't trust technology and favours faith instead (see, for example, the Stand), but this book makes it explicit. And it's kinda ironic, cause when King was hit by a van, it wasn't faith that got him to the hospital--it was a big fuckin' technological helicopter.
Also, I think it's a bit unfair of the narrator to suggest that those of us who have come so far with Roland are somehow wrong to want to see how it ends. Unkind, even. And while I agree that that's an ending, even a good ending, I disagree that it's the ending. But it's the one we got, and it works. I have no complaints on that regard.
Do I recommend it? I don't think it matters. If you've followed along this far, you're going to finish it. You have to. But yes, I recommend it. Cautiously, but I do.