'The Hogarth Shakespeare Project' commissions renowned writers to retell and modernize Shakepeare's works. Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood is a contemporary version of 'The Tempest.'
In a nutshell: The Tempest tells the story of Prospero, a duke that's been deposed and exiled by his treacherous brother Antonio, who's in cahoots with the King. The banished Prospero is stranded on an island with his young daughter Miranda, the monster(ish) Caliban, and the mystical spirit Ariel. After many years Prospero, who's mastered the art of magic, manages to lure his enemies to the island with a bogus tempest. Once the usurpers are in his power, Prospero proceeds to get his revenge.
I'm going to be upfront here and admit that - soon after starting this book - I watched the 2010 film 'The Tempest' (starring Helen Mirren as a female version of Prospero), so I'd know what was going on.
On to the review:
Felix Phillips is the cutting-edge artistic director of the Makeshiweg Theater Festival in Ontario - about to produce The Tempest - when he's ousted by his cunning, manipulative assistant Tony. Felix is already reeling from the death of his three-year-old daughter Miranda, so - completely downtrodden - he goes off to live in a lonely shack and nurture plans of revenge.
Though Felix lives alone he imagines Miranda is still with him.....growing up as the years pass. In Felix's mind he and Miranda share meals, have conversations, walk in the yard, play chess, and so on.
After a decade or so Felix gets tired of his lonely isolation and - calling himself Mr. Duke - takes a job with the "Literacy Through Literature” program at the local Fletcher County Correctional Institute. Felix is a gifted and inventive thespian, and - working with medium-security male inmates - he stages innovative versions of Shakespeare plays.
Finally, 12 years after he was deposed by Tony, Felix gets an opportunity to exact retribution. By now the dirty-dealing Judas and his cohorts are politicians, looking to climb the governmental ladder. To further their ambitions, the politicos plan to see a Shakespeare production at Fletcher prison and (of course) stage a photo op.
So Felix decides to put on a prisoner version of The Tempest, complete with the story's "play within a play" scenario. During the traitors' visit to Fletcher, Tony and his pals think they've been nabbed by convicts during a prison riot, that one of their party has been killed, and so on.
The visitors' experiences parallels that of the characters in the real Shakespeare play - and eventually they're confronted with their treachery towards Felix all those years ago.
While reading the book I learned a lot about updating a classic work; how plays are cast and staged; creating costumes; the nuts and bolts of putting on a production; stage names in the clink (LOL); and so on....all of which is very interesting.
I loved that the prisoners were only permitted to use 'curse words' in the original play, and their cuss-filled conversations are hilarious. For example: scurvy awesome; what the pied ninny is this; you're a poxy communist; shove it, freckled whelp; and from one well-spoken convict.....poisonous poxy, what's it scurvy about. I also like the inventive rap songs the prisoners write for the production.
In an excellent addendum, the prisoners make up possible futures for the major characters in The Tempest....that is, what happens after the story ends. I often wonder about this kind of thing myself, so I was intrigued by the prisoners' speculations.
I enjoyed the book and recommend it to Shakespeare fans, lovers of literature, and anyone else who wants to try something a little different.
If you're interested in knowing more about the Hogarth project, the website is here: http://hogarthshakespeare.com/
Rating: 4 stars
In this 18th book in the 'J.P. Beaumont' series, the Seattle police detective looks into a cold case and a murder. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
The Washington State Attorney General, Ross Alan Connors - who's preparing for an election - wants to beef up his record and get some cases solved. Thus Connors creates the 'Special Homicide Investigative Team' (SHIT), composed of a group of reliable, discreet detectives. The SHIT squad includes detective partners J.P. Beaumont and Melissa (Mel) Soames, who also happen to be a romantic couple.
(Note: In my opinion, SHIT is a ludicrous acronym. Can you imagine newspaper headlines screaming 'SHIT gets a commendation from the Governor.')
Beaumont is looking into an old missing persons case when Connors gives him an additional assignment: to investigate the deliberate shooting of LaShawn Tompkins. Tompkins, a former drug dealer convicted of rape, was imprisoned for seven years before being cleared by DNA analysis. Tompkins was doing good works at the King Street Mission at the time of his murder, so who would want him dead? Connors suspects 'people with connections', and tells Beaumont to conduct VERY hush hush inquiries.
For his missing persons case Beaumont is looking into the disappearance of Anthony David Cosgrove, an aircraft engineer who vanished 25 years ago - on the day Mount St. Helen's erupted. Though Cosgrove's death was tentatively attributed to the volcanic explosion, no trace of his remains were found in the debris.
Cosgrove's daughter still hopes her dad will be found, but the engineer's former wife and her (now) husband DON'T WANT the case re-opened. This seems suspicious to Beaumont, and much drama ensues.
Meanwhile, inquiries into the LaShawn Tompkins murder brings Beaumont to the home of LaShawn's grandmother, Etta Mae Tompkins - a fierce, wheelchair bound lady who dearly loved her 'Shawny.' Though Etta Mae applauded her grandson's good works at the mission, she doesn't think much of its founder, Pastor Mark.
Etta Mae's feelings seem justified when Beaumont tries to interview employees at the mission and a lawyer shows up to shut him down.....while Pastor Mark stands by with a satisfied smile.
While Beaumont goes about his business, Mel Soames is looking into the suspicious deaths of men who committed sex crimes, most of whom were registered sex offenders. These scumbags are dying at an alarming rate, sometimes from outright murder.....and sometimes from 'accidental causes.' Suspecting vigilante justice, Soames is determined to nab the killer.
In addition to their detective duties, Beaumont and Soames have personal concerns. Beaumont's beloved grandmother Beverly just died, and a funeral is being planned; Beaumont's daughter Katie, mother of a newborn, is behaving oddly; and Mel Soames is being secretive about her reasons for joining an organization dedicated to convicting sex offenders. Beaumont is especially apprehensive about Mel, since he's had disastrous relationships with women in the past - and actually had to shoot his first wife.
There are some mild surprises in the book, and satisfactory resolutions of all the mysteries. I enjoyed the suspense part of the book but got bored with the minutiae related to the detectives' romance - the wining, dining, loving gazes, little tiffs, etc. To me this seemed extraneous to the story and I could have done without it. I know some readers like this kind of thing, though, so 'nuff said. 🙂
I'd recommend the book to readers who like mysteries, especially fans of J.P. Beaumont.
Rating: 3 stars
In this 3rd book in the 'Daniel Rinaldi' series, the psychologist put his life in danger when he pursues a murderer. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
Dr. Daniel Rinaldi, a Pittsburgh psychologist, gets involved in two police cases. The first involves Wesley Currim, an unpleasant, wise-cracking young man who's confessed to the murder and decapitation of rich executive Edward Meacham. Wes's mother Maggie, however, swears she was with her son at the time of the murder and implores Dr. Rinaldi to help the boy.
At the same time Rinaldi is working with the FBI on a case involving serial killer John Jessup, who was convicted of murdering four prostitutes. Jessup, who was killed in a prison riot, had an admirer who wrote him complimentary, supportive letters signed 'Your Biggest Fan'.
The admirer is now on a murder spree of his own, killing people responsible for Jessup's imprisonment and death. He seems to be targeting a prison guard, the judge, the prosecutor, jurors, the defense attorney, and Lyle Barnes, the FBI profiler who fingered Jessup. Barnes now suffers from night terrors and needs the help of a psychologist.
Local police are working with the FBI to protect potential victims and nab Jessup's admirer. They're hampered, however, because the killer seems to have inside information: he knows where the authorities are hiding potential victims, knows when they're about to question a witness, etc. Clearly, the investigation is compromised in some fashion.
While working on the cases Rinaldi can't seem to go a day without getting involved in a life-threatening situation such as chasing down a gunman.....
......being run off the road by truck, putting himself in the path of a murderer, and so on.
This seems unwise since Rinaldi apparently doesn't carry a weapon or possess martial arts skills. To me, he's somewhat of an unrealistic character - a sort of psychologist/superhero - but he seems to be a decent enough guy. There's also a touch of romance in the story since Rinaldi gets together with Detective Eleanor Lowrey, a woman he's been attracted to for some time.
Eventually Rinaldi comes across information that's pivotal to both cases which leads to the book's climax. I thought this was a pretty good story with interesting characters and a nicely-constructed plot.
Rating: 3 stars
In this science fiction-mystery, people move back and forth in time as easily as taking a bus. Thus time travelers can go back and hang out with their past selves or leap ahead and spend time with their future selves.
Time machine
Wedding festivities can be celebrated by a slew of 'silvers' (future incarnations of oneself) and funerals can be attended by a batch of 'greens' (past incarnations of oneself).
From green self to silver self
Travelers can hop into the future to see how a job interview or relationship turns out or visit the past to give themselves (or other people) things. Nevertheless, NO TIMELINE CAN BE CHANGED WHATSOEVER....NO MATTER WHAT. This premise makes no sense from the get-go (even bringing something to the past changes things) and the book requires a hefty suspension of disbelief. That said, I like the story, which is clever, unique, engaging, and women-centric.
*****
The story:
In 1967 four brilliant women - Margaret, Grace, Lucille, and Barbara - invent time travel. The early experimental trips trigger mental illness in Barbara, so the other women - fearing bad publicity and loss of funding - ruthlessly eject her from the program.
Over the years, time travel becomes a big enterprise run by the 'Conclave', which has very restrictive policies about who can take time-trips. Fearing even a whiff of 'mental instability', the Conclave subjects prospective employees/time travelers to written tests, interviews, and intentional harassment.
Applicants are also assigned unpleasant tasks and required to participate in deadly games.....all to weed out the 'weaklings' who might be freaked out by seeing themselves or loved ones die, etc. In addition, anyone in the program who starts to show signs of mental deterioration is dismissed forthwith.
This regimen is strictly enforced by Margaret, who's matured and become director of the Conclave. Unfortunately, Margaret has also become narcissistic and power hunger.
Jump to 2017 and former time traveler Barbara (Granny Bee) is a widow who lives with her granddaughter Ruby, a psychologist.
When Ruby receives a newspaper clipping from the future, about the mysterious death of an elderly woman in 2018, she fears it refers to Granny Bee - and becomes determined to find out if this is the case. (People insist on believing they can change the future!)
Skip ahead once more to 2018, and Odette - a graduate student who works in the local museum - finds the body of an old woman in the building's basement.
The unidentified victim has been shot in a locked room - but there's no gun - and the scene is suffused with blood and plastic shards. Odette is freaked out, can't sleep or concentrate, and decides to investigate the murder to ease her mind. Thus Odette applies for a job as a detective for the Conclave, so she can go back in time to see what happened.
As a potential employee, Odette meets Margaret and the other founders of the Conclave - Grace and Lucille - who still work for the organization. She also makes the acquaintance of more job candidates and additional employees. Over time Grace learns about the culture of time travelers - a conceited, clannish bunch who think of themselves as better than 'emus' (people who don't time travel, and thus pass through time in a single direction).
Odette meets Ruby as well, when she becomes Ruby's patient for psychotherapy. Odette wants to stop the horrible flashbacks that (mentally) return her to the scene of the crime and interfere with her daily activities.
This is the bare bones of the plot, which is vastly complicated by the past and future Graces, Lucilles, and Margarets that pop up here and there; by additional people that jump back and forth in time; by romances among the characters; and so on. The romance angle is especially weird when it involves people that would normally reside in different time periods. Thus a person can have an affair with the younger version of a person who's currently in his/her dotage. Crazy, right? 😎
The Conclave has singular laws for time travelers, and there's a unique vocabulary for people who engage in time travel. Here are some words/expressions related to time travel:
• Common chronology - the sequence of events experienced by non-time travelers.
• Completion - to live an incident you've already read or heard about.
• Echoing - returning to an incident you've already experienced.
• Forecasting - intercourse with one's future self. (How cuckoo would that be?)
• Liebestod - A trip to see a lover for the last time before one's death.
• Personal chronology - The sequence of events experienced by an individual time traveler.
• Swim in the same cut - People whose personal chronologies match well, because they belong to the same team (at work).
• Wenches - Freshly recruited time travelers.
• Zeitigzorn - Feeling angry with someone for things they won't do wrong for years.
I applaud the author for creating the compelling, convoluted plot (she must have had walls covered with flow charts) - and for presenting the story in a comprehensible manner. The mystery element is especially intriguing, and I liked the solution to the crime.
Though I enjoyed the story and (more or less) accepted the bizarre sci-fi facets of the plot, I did find one idea very troublesome - that past and future versions of oneself can hobnob together. I just don't see how this would work without generating a paradox.
Still, I strongly recommend the book to fans of 'soft' science fiction, for its originality and inventiveness.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Kate Mascarenhas), and the publisher (Crooked Lane Books) for a copy of the book.
Rating: 4 stars
In this 4th book in the 'Chet and Bernie Mystery' series, Bernie gets arrested for murder. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
Bernie
Little and his hundred-plus pound dog Chet run the 'Little Detective
Agency', somewhere in the Southwestern United States. The series is narrated by Chet, whose somewhat limited
vocabulary, unfamiliarity with idioms, and doggie logic set the stage
for plenty of smiles. Bernie is a West Point graduate, good at his job,
and Chet is his invaluable partner, always ready to clamp his jaw on
perps and drag them off by the pants.
In
this book Anya Vereen hires Bernie to pose as her boyfriend for
parents' weekend at Big Bear Wilderness Camp, where her son Devin is a
camper. Anya is estranged from her husband Guy and wants protection.
Soon after Bernie, Chet, and Anya arrive at the camp they learn that Devin apparently wandered off during an overnight campout in the mountains and is missing.
Bernie,
Chet, and troop leader Turk Rendell return to the campsite where Devin
disappeared but things don't go well. Turk is uncooperative and less
than truthful and Devin can't be located. Things get worse when a death
occurs and Bernie is arrested for murder. It soon becomes clear that
something unsavory is going on in this mountain community and many of
the locals - including the judge, sheriff, deputies, and camp personnel -
just may be in on it.
By dint of good luck and clever moves
Chet manages to help Bernie with the assistance of Bernie's girlfriend
Suzy. In the interim Bernie is treated badly, Anya is intimidated, Guy
gets into trouble, and Chet manages to scarf down biscuits, hamburgers,
kibble, and half a BLT.
The
plot doesn't quite gel in a believable way but the book is entertaining
and the bad guys get what they deserve - which is always satisfying.
I'd recommend the book for fans of light, humorous mysteries.
Rating: 3 stars
Joe Hill doing a reading from his book
Joe Hill - like his father, horrormeister Stephen King - delves into dark and frightening themes in his fiction. In this novel, the devil tries to get his due.....and we cheer him on. 😎
*****
Ignatius Perrish (Ig) and Merrin Williams met in a Gideon, New Hampshire church when they were fifteen and were soon a couple. Due to a confluence of circumstances, a boy called Lee Torneau - who also had eyes for Merrin - became a third wheel in the relationship, and often tagged along with the lovebirds.
Skip ahead ten years and Merrin is at Harvard, Ig is at Dartmouth, and Lee is an aide to a U.S. Congressman. Merrin and Ig have plans for their future, which include good jobs, marriage, and children. Their agenda is shattered, however, when Merrin is found raped and murdered near the old foundry in Gideon.
Ig is accused of the crime, but evidence is lacking and the cops let him go.....but never clear him.
The following twelve months are miserable for Ig, both because of his profound grief and the hatred of the townsfolk - who believe him guilty. Even Ig's best friend Lee distances himself, because politics and scandal are a bad match.
Then, on the anniversary of Merrin's death - after a hazy night of drinking - Ig wakes up with horns protruding from his forehead. Oddly enough people don't run away screaming when they see the horns, but instead divulge their darkest thoughts. Even if men and women's sinful wishes aren't spoken out loud, Ig can sense them with a touch.
As Ig encounters friends, family members, a nurse, a doctor, a priest, police, shopkeepers, etc. each person reveals their most wicked desires and actions. Additionally, Ig can now influence people's behavior with sly suggestions and prompts. Afterwards, when Ig is out of sight - no one remembers seeing or speaking to him.
Because of the power of Ig's horns we learn a lot about some folks in Gideon, including:
- Ig's 'friend with benefits' Glenna binge eats supermarket donuts; she also got drunk one night and fellated Lee Tourneau in front of his friends.
- Ig's priest is a lecherous creep who's screwing Merrin's bereaved mother.
- An elderly clerk in a convenience store wants to kill his wife and join his mistress in Florida.
- A cops who constantly harasses Ig is gay and lusts for his partner.
- Ig's mother, father, and grandmother - though professing to believe him innocent - REALLY THINK he killed Merrin, and wish he was out of their lives.
- Ig's brother Terry knows who actually killed Merrin, and reveals the name of the perpetrator.
After this Ig is out for revenge, and as he pursues the murderer, Ig acquires more and more devilish characteristics - like control over snakes and the ability to rise from the ashes.....like a phoenix. Ig's nemesis is no slouch either, and proves to be a formidable opponent.
The story moves back and forth in time, so that - between sections set in the present - we go back to the past.....and see what various characters are up to. Over the course of the story we learn that Ig's father is a well-known jazz musician; Ig's brother is a popular television personality; Ig's relationship with Merrin started with a prank; Ig's friendship with Lee stems from a cherry bomb and a dare; Ig had hoped to do good in his life; and so on. We also discover that some characters have disturbing secrets.....and at least one is a delusional sociopath.
Though I was caught up in the plot and found the story compelling, the book moves too slowly (for me). The scenes are repetitive, so that we're told the same thing again, which I found plodding and tedious. Also, if you're expecting a Stephen King-like book, you should know that there's not that much horror in the tale. Instead, there's a rally for justice and redemption; character studies; religious overtones; and a spot of fairy tale magic.
I would have preferred a different ending, but I enjoyed the story and recommend the novel to Joe Hill fans and readers looking for something off the beaten track.
FYI: This book has been adapted into a movie starring Daniel Radcliffe.
Rating: 3 stars
