Review of "Still Life: A DCI Karen Pirie Mystery" by Val McDermid

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3.5 stars

In this sixth book in the Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie series, the police investigate two cold cases. The book works fine as a standalone.

DCI Karen Pirie of Police Scotland's Historic Cases Unit believes solving cold cases is just as important as solving new ones, to give bereaved people answers. Thus Pirie digs right in when two old crimes land in her lap.



One case is the murder of a woman whose skeleton was found in Perth, on the property of a road accident victim named Susan Leitch. Susan's sister was cleaning out her deceased sibling's garage when she discovered the bones in an old camper van.



Since the corpse must have been rotting away for years, DCI Pirie gets the case.

Another case is the disappearance ten years ago of Iain Auld, a civil servant with the Scottish government.



Iain was presumed dead, and his brother James - who had argued with Iain about Scottish independence - was the prime suspect. James ran away before he could be arrested and was in the wind until now.....



.....when his body was fished out of the Firth of Forth.



Since the whole business has political implications, Assistant Chief Constable Ann Markie (aka The Dog Biscuit) is pressing Pirie to resolve the case fast.



Pirie has two assistants to help her investigate. Her trainee, Detective Constable Jason Murray (aka The Mint), helps with the skeleton case;



and a policewoman from the Fife crime squad, Detective Sergeant Daisy Mortimer, assists with the Auld inquiry.



The first order of business in the skeleton case is to identify the victim, which turns out to be tricky. Pirie and Jason start their inquiries by investigating Susan Leitch, whose garage contained the corpse. Eventually, the detectives narrow down the skeleton's identity to two women, one of whom is presumed to be the victim and one of whom is presumed to be the killer.

Inquiries in the skeleton case lead the detectives to an artist colony in Glenisla;



a woman's father in the Borders;



and a church hall in Manchester.



At one point, Pirie - who's busy with her other case - sends Jason on a solo mission, which turns out to be a dangerous undertaking.



The James Auld homicide is complicated by the fact that he fled to France ten years ago and changed his name. At the time of his death, James Auld was calling himself Paul Allard and playing in a Parisian jazz band. Pirie and Daisy go to France, where they make significant discoveries. They also learn that Auld traveled to London and Dublin before he was killed in Scotland. In time it becomes clear why The Dog Biscuit is so anxious to have the Auld case resolved and out of the public eye; it may be connected to a scandal the government covered up.



To further her inquiries, Pirie needs phones examined; computers scrutinized; DNA analyzed; etc. To get her requests to the front of the queue at the police labs, Pirie coaxes her colleague, Tamsin Martinu, with chocolate biscuits.



Tamsin then chivvies her colleagues to go the extra mile, which puts Pirie's cases on the fast track. Pirie's investigations also require cross-border warrants, which her contacts quickly arrange.

The book alternates back and forth between the skeleton case and the Auld case. The story is easy to follow though, and doesn't get confusing.

Pirie's investigations are complemented by her nascent romance with Hamish Mackenzie, a wealthy crofter and coffee shop entrepreneur who wants to wine, dine, and entertain Pirie in style. Pirie usually eats with her police colleagues, though, and much of their food is described. This includes things like bacon, egg and cheese muffins; fried chicken and chips; crab in rice paper wrappers;



pad khing;



poppadums;



pakoras;



Portuguese custard tarts;



curries; double mozzarella pizza with spicy salami; and more. The meals make a nice accompaniment to the detective work and sound quite tasty. I also liked some of the novel (to me) expressions, like braw day (fine day); the crack of sparrowfart (early morning); radged (angry); breenge in (rush in); and others.

Some aspects of the story stretch credulity a bit, but I enjoyed this compelling police procedural.

Thanks to Netgalley, Val McDermid, and Atlantic Monthly Press for a copy of the book.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review of "Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe" by Brian Greene

 

Brian Greene is an American theoretical physicist, mathematician, and string theorist who writes books about science for the general public.


Author Brian Greene

In this tome, Greene contemplates the universe, from it's inception to it's inevitable demise. Greene writes, "Planets and stars and solar systems and galaxies and even black holes are transitory. The end of each is driven by its own distinctive combination of physical processes, spanning quantum mechanics through general relativity, ultimately yielding a mist of particles drifting through a cold and quiet cosmos."



We don't need to worry much about the end of the universe because it probably won't happen for trillions and trillions of years. On the other hand, the end for an individual living creature - like a human being - is much closer.



Greene suggests that the knowledge of inevitable death drives people to leave a mark, to accomplish something that lasts beyond themselves. This may be the impetus that inspires scientists, scholars, artists, musicians, writers, etc.



In fact it's what drives Greene himself. He writes, "I've gone forward with an eye trained on the long view, on seeking to accomplish something that would last."

The decay of the universe is driven by the second law of thermodynamics, which says that the production of waste is unavoidable. Greene notes, "The second law describes a fundamental characteristic inherent in all matter and energy, regardless of structure or form, whether animate or inanimate. The law reveals (loosely) that everything in the universe has an overwhelming tendency to run down, to degrade, to wither." In other words, disorder is more likely than order.



Greene provides simple examples to demonstrate this. For instance, if you vigorously shake 100 coins and throw then down, it's a hundred billion billion billion times more likely that you'll get 50 heads and 50 tails (a high entropy, low order configuration) rather than all heads or all tails (a low entropy, high order configuration).



So going from the past to the future, entropy is overwhelmingly likely to increase.

You may ask, 'How then did organized things like stars, planets, bacteria, rhododendrons, dogs, humans, etc. come to be'?



Greene explains that (temporary) organization occurs via the entropic two-step, which is a "process in which the entropy of a system decreases because it shifts a more than compensating increase in entropy to the environment." To use humans as an example, we take in energy (food, air) to sustain our bodies, but we give off even more energy as waste products (heat).



A burning question for scientists, philosophers and much of the general public is 'How did life begin?' In the eyes of physicists like Greene, the 'molecular spark' that animated a collection of particles to 'come alive' is explainable by natural laws we haven't yet discovered. The particles themselves slowly formed after the Big Bang, eventually organizing into proto DNA-like molecules that could reproduce themselves....



......and finally into RNA, DNA, proteins, and other molecules that make up living things. Greene explains all this in detail, and - for me - was among the most interesting parts of the book.

As masses of particles that follow universal laws, do we have free will, unlike a rock for example? This is a question of great interest to many philosophers and scientists. Greene observes that, "as living creatures [our] particles are so spectacularly ordered, so breathtakingly configured, that they can undertake exquisitely choreographed motions that are not possible for [rocks]." So we can walk, cook, read, play computer games, go shopping, play sports, and so on. Though our particles ARE bound by physical laws, and we DON'T have free will, we apparently CAN control our behavior. Greene is a bit murky about this, and I would have liked a better explanation. 😏

Greene explains how Darwinian evolution drove the development of living things, from the simple to the complex. For instance, animal life advanced from single celled organisms,



to primitive creatures like sponges,



to more complex organisms like fish,



to land animals like salamanders,



and on and on to VERY intelligent primates (us).



It all happened because of Darwin's law of natural selection or 'survival of the fittest.'

For humans, natural selection favored physical traits - including our big brains - that allowed us to use tools; run from danger; kill prey; make fires; build shelters; etc. Greene posits that more nebulous human endeavors, like language; story-telling; art; religion; music; and so on ALSO helped us survive.



Greene's lengthy discussions about this are a little cloudy, but I got the jist....such behaviors cement us into communities, which are adaptive for survival. In any case, they fit into the 'survival of the fittest' scenario.

Getting back to the fate of the universe, Greene mentions various theories about the destiny of the cosmos. Scientists have observed that the universe is expanding at an ever increasing rate. No one knows what will happen in the future, but various possibilities are suggested, such as: the rate of expansion will speed up even more and the universe will rip apart;



the expansion will slow down and the universe will collapse with a big crunch;



the universe will collapse and expand over and over again...like a sort of cosmic yoyo; and more.



These discussions include consideration of gravity, repulsive gravity; dark energy, electromagnetic and nuclear forces, the Higgs field, and other such things that physicists love. No matter what, however, the universe will ultimately disintegrate into widely separated teeny tiny particles that are randomly drifting around.

As for humanity, we won't be around forever. Greene writes, "The entire duration of human activity - whether we annihilate ourselves in the next few centuries, are wiped out by a natural disaster in the next few millennia, or somehow find a way to carry on until the death of the sun, the end of the Milky Way, or even the demise of complex matter - would be fleeting."

So, does human life matter. If we won't survive for eternity, should we sit back and do nothing? Greene doesn't think so. He writes "our moment is rare and extraordinary" and "it's utterly wondrous that a small collection of the universe's particles can rise up, examine themselves and the reality they inhabit, determine just how transitory they are, and with a flitting burst of activity create beauty, establish connection, and illuminate mystery."

So go on and do your thing. 😊







Greene includes the work and opinions of many scientists and philosophers in his discussions, and tells personal anecdotes to illustrate some points - like the time he blew up the oven at the age of ten; or was thrilled by the aurora borealis; or saw his daughter let go of a soaring swing and tumble to the ground.

Greene has the rare ability to make difficult concepts accessible to non-specialists, and for science and math nerds, there are extensive notes (and a few equations) at the end of the book. All in all, a book worth reading for people interested in the subject.

Rating: 4 stars

Review of "The Escape Room: A Novel of Suspense" by Megan Goldin

The investment bankers at Wall Street's 'Stanhope and Sons' have been flying high - closing deals and making megabucks -until recently, when business started to dry up.



Fearing for their jobs - and keenly aware that bonus time is approaching - a group of four bankers reluctantly agree to a team-building exercise on a Friday evening.

Group leader Vincent and his associates Sam, Sylvie, and Jules are summoned to an isolated high-rise building where they enter an elevator and discover it's an 'escape room' - a game where players work together to find clues and solve puzzles in order to escape.



A flatscreen informs them "Your goal is simple. Get out alive."



The elevator lights go off, there's no Wi-Fi, and phone signals are blocked, so the team members are in the dark and on their own. Under Vincent's direction the group finds a couple of random clues and cogitates over writings that appear on the flatscreen, but they don't make any progress towards getting out.



Still, the group is pretty sanguine, knowing escape room doors open in an hour no matter what. So the team members expect to continue with their evening plans. Sam is going to meet his wife and twins at the airport, to embark on their vacation; Sylvie anticipates flying out to see her boyfriend; and Jules plans to continue the drinking he began earlier in the day.

As the sixty-minute mark approaches, the group members spiff up, face the elevator doors, and wait. But the doors don't open!

After that things go from bad to worse. The heat in the elevator cranks up; the team members get thirsty; they start to fight amongst themselves; they blame each other for their situation; they make threats;



they become injured; they try to force the elevator doors open; and so on.



The action in the elevator alternates with chapters narrated by a woman named Sara Hall.....



.....a former employee of Stanhope and Sons who had been on Vincent's team.



We learn that, after graduating from business school, Sara had a hard time getting into the male-dominated banking field; was deeply in debt for student loans and her sick father's medical bills; had to work back-breaking hours; had a contentious relationship with her female teammate;



garnered smaller bonuses than her male co-workers; and more. It's clear that Sara is disgruntled about her experience at the Wall Street firm.

Meanwhile, the teammates in the elevator start to recall....and perhaps regret....some of their past behavior.

Most readers will probably know where this tale is heading, but it's still suspenseful, with plenty of twists and surprises.

Some parts of the book are hard to believe, but I enjoyed the story, which is off the beaten track.

Rating: 3 stars

Review of "Walk the Wire: A Memory Man Novel of Suspense" by David Baldacci

This review was first posted on Mystery and Suspense. Check it out for features, interviews, and reviews.

https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/re...


In this 6th book in the 'Amos Decker' series, the detective's investigation of a bizarre murder in North Dakota unveils diabolical wrongdoing. The book works well as a standalone.

*****

Amos Decker, 6'5" tall and 300 pounds, was a professional football player until a massive hit ended his career and left him with hyperthymesia and synesthesia.



The hyperthymesia gives Decker a permanent detailed memory of everything he's ever seen or experienced - like a combination photo album/video in his head. And the synesthesia makes Decker see things in false colors - like death scenes glowing blue. Unfortunately, Decker's hyperthymesia doesn't allow him to dim the memories of his dead wife and child, who were murdered a few years ago.

On the upside, Decker's phenomenal memory helped him in his career as a police detective, and he now works for the FBI - on a team that investigates crimes. Decker's FBI partner is Alex Jamison, a woman who understands his problems and has his back.



As the story opens, a wildlife tracker in London, North Dakota finds the body of a woman with her face peeled back, brain removed, and torso dissected.



When the FBI gets wind of the discovery, Decker and Jamison are sent to investigate. The FBI agents work with local police detective Joe Kelly, who tells them the victim was a comparative newcomer to London named Irene Cramer. Cramer had an odd combination of professions: she taught school for an Anabaptist religious sect called The Brothers and provided escort services for oil field workers.



North Dakota's oil industry exploded when fracking was developed.....



.....and at least half London's population of 15,000 are oil field employees.



The boom town environment resulted in increased drug use, theft, drinking, bar fights, prostitution, etc. - but Decker's instincts tell him Cramer's murder wasn't connected to sex work.

In addition to the Anabaptist compound and the oil fields, London also boasts the George S. Douglas Defense Complex, an early warning Air Force station that scans the skies for incoming missiles.



So there's plenty going on in London.

To begin their investigation, Decker, Jamison, and Kelly speak to Cramer's landlady, examine Cramer's apartment, visit The Brothers Compound, inspect a hotel room used by hookers, speak to townspeople, visit the Air Force Station, and so on. Decker and Jamison quickly get the feeling something is wonky in London. For one thing, the Air Force station claims a perfect safety record, but there are ambulances stationed all around.

The detectives get their first lead when Decker reads Cramer's autopsy report, notices something odd, and rushes to the funeral home to examine her body.



This starts a cascade of suicides, murders, disappearances, and kidnappings - and Decker himself is targeted by an ace gunman.



Luckily CIA assassin Will Robie (from another Baldacci series) is on hand to save the day.



Robie's partner Jessica Reel and their CIA handler, the Blue Man, also show up - proving that the treachery in London goes WAY beyond Irene Cramer's homicide.

It turns out that sinister schemes abound in London, and there's so much going on that Decker and Jamison struggle to put the pieces together. They succeed eventually, but not before numerous gun fights and assassination attempts leave bodies scattered across the landscape.

A variety of characters add interest to the story, including Decker's brother-in-law Stan, who happens to be working in London's oil fields;



a coroner who fudges his autopsies;



two rival multi-millionaires who, together, own almost everything in town;



a beautiful woman who turns men's heads;



a feisty nonagenarian who harbors secrets; and more.



Baldacci's stories often feature complex conspiracies, but he goes a bit overboard in this book. It's hard to believe one town could harbor this many diverse cabals. That said, this is an engaging thriller with interesting people, plenty of action, and characters from two of Baldacci's series. Maybe it's the beginning of a trend.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review of "The Redemption of Time: A Three-Body Problem Novel" by Baoshu

 

This is a fan fiction continuation of Cixin Liu's trilogy, Remembrance of Earth's Past, which includes the books: The Three-Body Problem; The Dark Forest; and Death's End.

The book can be read as a standalone, but will make more sense to people familiar with the original stories.

*****

In his prolog to this novel, the author Baoshu explains that he was one of many Chinese science fiction fans who ardently read and discussed Cixin Liu's trilogy. When Liu wrapped up his saga, many devotees were bereft, and continued the stories with fan fiction. Baoshu was lucky enough to have his book published, and this is it. 

Cixin Liu's original trilogy is EXTREMELY complex, but the basic premise is this:  alien beings called  Trisolarans - from the planet Trisolaris- learn of the existence of intelligent life on Earth. They then head for the little blue planet, determined to wipe humans out. Earthlings become aware of the danger and try to take countermeasures. Complicated maneuvers are undertaken by each side, and there's an epic struggle....and disaster. 

Baoshu picks up from there, with a narrative that consists almost entirely of beings talking to each other - so the book 'tells' rather than 'shows.' The lack of action robs the novel of excitement, which is a sharp contrast to the original trilogy, which was action packed. Moreover, Baoshu's 'plot' (such as it is) is murky and confused. Still, I found the book interesting from the point of view of catching up with a few of the original characters, and getting their take on what happened. 

As Baoshu's story opens, a human couple - Tianming and his wife AA - are the only two humans living on a remnant of matter configured to look something like Earth. The duo spend their days walking, talking, lounging, sleeping, etc. Tianming has a high-tech ring that lets him conjure up most anything he needs, so the couple's lives are fairly comfortable (if lonely). 

Tianming and AA share stories about themselves and discuss folktales popular in their culture. Over time, Tianming tells his wife about his tragic interaction with the Trisolarans. He explains that the Trisolarans captured his brain (it's a long story) and studied it for decades to discover how humans think. The aliens - who are incapable of lying - needed to learn how to be 'deceptive' so they could defeat humankind.

The Trisolarans weren't able to plumb the depths of human cogitation, so they tortured Tianming (with hallucinations and dreams) until he agreed to help them destroy Earth's inhabitants. Tianming tried to trick his captors, but one thing led to another and bad things happened. Cixin Liu didn't describe the Trisolarans in his trilogy, but Baoshu gives us a word picture of their appearance, which isn't impressive. 😏

After many decades in their Earth-like environment, Tianming and AA grow old.....and AA dies. Tianming then enters a mini-universe where a 'voice' - which calls itself the Spirit of the Master - explains a few things to him. 

The Spirit informs Tianming that there are two immensely powerful entities in the universe, namely the 'Master' (think female God) and the 'Lurker' (her rebellious son). The Spirit goes on to say that the universe originally had ten dimensions, but the Lurker's attacks reduced the number of dimensions one by one, which resulted in changes in the nature of time and alterations in the speed of light. The Lurker seems determined to reduce the universe to rubble (so to speak) for his own purposes.

The Master wants to destroy the Lurker so she can start the universe again from scratch. There's a great deal of pseudo-scientific chit chat to explain all this, and it's all a bit muddled. 

After the Spirit tells Tianming about the Master and the Lurker, she asks him to become a 'Seeker' - a being that searches for the Lurker so the Master can destroy him. To accomplish this, Tianming's mind is filled with 'ideabstractions' (knowledge) and he's given an indestructible brawny, athletic body. Tianming then goes off to look for other Seekers, in hopes they can join forces to locate the Lurker.

Tianming's quest spans billions of years, during which the Lurker's minions are busy destroying intelligent life in the universe.

As things play out, there's a great deal of trickery and deception - and things aren't always as they seem. After the book's climax, the author has some fun with 'alternative history', and this part is rather entertaining. 

In addition to talking about the 'science of the universe', entities in the book often discuss myths, songs, and fairy tales popular in their culture. These, it turns out, pass vital information down through the generations.....which is an interesting idea.

I applaud Baoshu for the effort he put into writing this narrative, but - in the end - it lacks Cixin Liu's soaring imagination and inventiveness. In addition, it's confusing and hard to comprehend. Still, the book might fill a hole for some readers. 

TThanks to Netgalley, Baoshu, and Head of Zeus publishers for a copy of the book.

Rating: 3 stars