Categories
Agatha Christie-Related Books & Novels Mystery & Suspense

TOMMY & TUPPENCE BERESFORD # 3: N OR M?

Written by Agatha Christie

SUMMARY:

Released in both the U.S. and the U.K. in 1941, N or M? is Agatha Christie’s third novel depicting married British adventurers Tommy & Tuppence Beresford.  Among its subsequent reprints, Penguin Group, Inc.’s Signet imprint released N or M? as a mass market edition in 2000.  In terms of the franchise’s continuity timetable, N or M? is set approximately twenty years after the episodic events of Partners in Crime.      

Note: The “Tommy & Tuppence” series also consists of: The Secret Adversary (1922); Partners in Crime (1929); By the Pricking of My Thumbs (1968); and, lastly, Postern of Fate (1973). 

Aside from successfully raising twins, Derek and Deborah, into adulthood, it isn’t revealed what else Agatha Christie’s patriotic detective couple has pursued in the interim.  With World War II raging on in Western Europe, Tommy & Tuppence Beresford (now in their mid-forties) have been rejected from the British war effort, essentially due to age discrimination.  With a new generation (including their own children) fighting this war, Tommy and Tuppence find they have too little to do fulfilling their ‘empty nest’ phase in life.   

A British spy’s unsolved homicide necessitates a back-channel invitation to Tommy to rejoin British Intelligence.  Aware that the Nazis are systemically infiltrating the United Kingdom to organize a subsequent invasion, the British Secret Service’s upper echelon senses it, too, has likely been breached. 

Needing a trusted face who has been ‘off the grid’ for years, the Service’s Mr. Grant sends in an undercover Tommy to probe a low-key seaside village, Leahampton.  It is suspected that two shadowy Nazi conspirators dubbed ‘N’ and ‘M’ (one man and one woman) are somehow linked to the local Sans Souci Hotel.  Covertly overhearing what Grant and Tommy intend to do, Tuppence opts to make this mission a joint invitation. 

Posing separately as the widowed ‘Mrs. Blenkensop’ and widower ‘Mr. Meadowes,’ the Beresfords infiltrate the middle-class Sans Souci Hotel. Their new neighbors include: a middled-aged couple – The Cayleys; an embittered German refugee – Carl von Deinim; Mrs. Sprot and her playful toddler, Betty; crochety Major Bletchley; a spinster – Miss Minton; and the hotel’s manager, Mrs. Perenna, with her outspoken daughter, Sheila.  All too predictably, the hotel’s residents exhibit varying degrees of patriotic antipathy towards Germany. Also, living nearby is retired Commander Haydock, who gladly shares tales of how his cliffside home had once housed a German spy ring.       

Accumulating evidence of ransacked rooms, eavesdropped phone calls, a woman’s violent death, and a missing girl, Tuppence and Tommy uneasily conclude that their sting operation is rattling their unknown adversaries.  More so, it’s apparent that eliminating pesky nuisances is a task that neither ‘N’ or ‘M’ have any qualms with. After Tommy ominously disappears from sight, a worried ‘Mrs. Blekensop’ must rely upon an old friend for some emergency help. With time now running out, Tuppence redoubles her efforts to bring the Sans Souci enigma to a definitive end. 

REVIEW:

N or M? initially presents an intriguing whatever-happened-to-Tommy & Tuppence? premise.  More so, this storyline is consistent with the Beresfords’ established personalities, as to why they would jump at the chance to rejoin British Intelligence, if and when called upon.  Amidst wartime spy games, Christie has imbued the middle-aged Beresfords with a plausible sense of real-time evolution.  It’s a commendable literary trait that neither of Christie’s most famous creations, Hercule Poirot and Ms. Jane Marple, ever attained.     

Yet, the Beresfords are hampered by a surplus of unsurprising irony.  Spry, tongue-in-cheek entertainment emanating from the couple’s youthful, post-World War I escapades remains timeless – a century ago, Tommy & Tuppence became the genre template for romantic detective duos.  After stoking a few promising chapters, N or M?, unfortunately, initiates their franchise’s slide towards midlife tedium.    

Such disappointment mostly lies with N or M’s far too methodical take on espionage capers.  The plot’s machinations, in other words, unnecessarily unfold at a tortoise’s pace.  One could argue that Christie’s patient storytelling isn’t cheating her readers, as opposed to churning out a fast-paced, shallow potboiler leaving no impact.  The problem is really more such dull execution of this mystery where long stretches go by with little to no progress.      

For instance, far too much ink is allotted to the Beresfords’ cover identities: how many times does Christie really need to address Tuppence by her ‘Mrs. Blenkensop’ alias?  Or how often must Tuppence discuss her cover story’s fictional sons with various Sans Souci housemates?  For that matter, how many jabbing reminders of the Beresfords as restless empty-nesters are sufficient?  Aside from the British Intelligence contact, Mr. Grant, an absence of interesting suspects merely exacerbates a slow read.

One component, however, that N or M? excels at is depicting Tuppence’s remarkable competence as a veteran detective.  Her undercover sequences subtly deploying traps baiting Sans Souci’s possible moles implies someone with formal spy training.  The same applies to a late sequence where she grimly stares down the threat of excruciating torture by a Nazi captor.  The fact that she is the same Tuppence previously defined by flighty impulsiveness, intuitive reasoning, and a flamboyant hat collection makes such scenes a treat to read.  As the novel’s MVP, Tuppence’s climatic heroism compensates for her husband’s bland characterization and minimal plot contributions.

Lastly, in addition to a nice introduction, Christie ensures that readers are bookended by a satisfying climax and conveniently happy epilogue.  It just leaves one with a shrug or sigh that a lackluster mystery is stuck in between them.  For that reason, the middling N or M? makes a practical bedtime read, as far as facilitating drowsiness.        

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

There is a sparse, single-page Christie bio.   

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                    4 Stars

Categories
Books & Novels Fantasy, Horror, & Science Fiction STAR TREK-Related

STAR TREK # 47: THE KOBAYASHI MARU

Written by Julia Ecklar

SUMMARY:

Released in 1989 by Pocket Books, Julia Ecklar penned this 254-page paperback, which became the forty-seventh entry in Pocket’s ongoing series. The book’s title is taken from the Starfleet Command simulation depicted in 1982’s Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Set shortly after the events of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the U.S.S. Enterprise’s latest assignment is to reestablish contact with a research team evidently lost somewhere in the vicinity of the remote planet, Hohweyn VII.  Ongoing cosmic interference prevents the Enterprise from approaching close enough to utilize its transporters. 

The Halley’s shuttlecraft team consists of: Captain James T. Kirk, Hikaru Sulu, Pavel Chekov, Montgomery “Scotty” Scott, and Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy.  A freak collision with a gravitic mine, however, soon disables the Halley, leaving both Kirk and their pilot, Sulu, injured.

Unable to contact the Enterprise, the Halley’s stranded crew anxiously awaits rescue, with time slowly running out on the craft’s remaining power supply and life support.  Attempting makeshift repairs to stay alive, the shuttlecraft’s crewmates (with the exception of Dr. McCoy) each divulge his own closely guarded experience as a cadet years before facing a similar life-or-death experience.  In turn passing time, they recall Starfleet Command School’s dreaded ‘Kobayashi Maru’ scenario, as the shuttle crew helplessly endures the longest day of their lives.     

  • As only alluded to in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Kirk reveals the brazen contempt he has for the simulation by defying its seemingly unfair rules. 
  • Having spectacularly failed the simulation, Chekov’s narrative reluctantly divulges his ingenuity and ruthlessness in a subsequent training scenario.  Specifically, inside an abandoned industrial station on Earth, his cadet class must competitively evade elimination by an imaginary assassin where it is every cadet for himself/herself.
  • Anguished by his beloved great-grandfather’s terminal illness, Sulu’s non-confrontational attitude may end his hopes of any future command.
  • Reluctantly attending Command School to appease his family, Scotty‘s umbrage at the simulation’s relentless Klingon assault precipitates a fateful pivot in his destiny.

With evidently no other options left to help Spock find the lost Halley, Kirk’s refusal to succumb to ‘no-win scenarios’ is desperately tested.  As Star Trek fans all know, he doesn’t like to lose.

Notes: This title is also available digitally and as an audiobook.

REVIEW:

Though her set-up for multiple extended flashbacks is ultra-formulaic, writer Julia Ecklar devises a very readable Star Trek adventure.  The intrigue permeating Chekov’s spy games; Sulu’s poignant bond with his great-grandfather; and Scotty’s fuming ‘don’t mess with my ship’ retaliation are all well-played.  As with the flashbacks, the intervals shifting to and from the ongoing Halley crisis contribute plausible layers to each character’s personal depth. 

The only less-than-compelling component is Kirk’s flashback.  Ecklar’s answer explaining his legendary triumph over the seemingly unbeatable test, though amusing, is something of a letdown.  Still, her take on Kirk’s ‘Kobayashi Maru’ test preceded the 2009 Star Trek film’s version by two decades — yet, both depictions are consistent with Kirk’s ego.  If anything, Cadet Kirk’s unique solution is perhaps a Star Trek mystery best left to be satisfied by a reader’s own imagination.

Note: Ecklar’s story implies that, afterwards, Kirk will relate his ‘Kobayashi Maru’ tale once more, (this time, to a curious Spock) for consistency with their subsequent discussion, as depicted in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

In spite of its predictable lulls, Ecklar’s novel should be commended for concocting an otherwise worthwhile read for Trekkers.  Specifically, her believable characterizations and low-key sci-fi jargon makes The Kobayashi Maru a welcome find for readers of any age.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

There is a single page of the author’s acknowledgements.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                   6 Stars

Categories
Blu-Ray Digital Movies & TV DVD Movies & Television (Videos) Sherlock Holmes-Related The Ratings Game

THE RATINGS GAME: BEST & WORST OF BASIL RATHBONE’S SHERLOCK HOLMES FILMS

In tribute to Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce’s Sherlock Holmes movie legacy, Odd Moon Media Reviews offers its candid assessment of their 1939-1946 movie franchise. 

Twentieth Century Fox produced the first two films in 1939 with first-caliber budgets allowing reasonably close adherence to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s storytelling.  Curiously, the second entry (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes) shares the name of an actual Conan Doyle short story anthology; however, the movie is really a loose adaptation of William Gillette’s popular 1899 same-named stage play.    

Contractual issues with the Conan Doyle estate stalled the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce franchise for three years until Universal Pictures revived it with cost-effective changes.  Due to streamlined budgeting (and a practical nod to war propaganda), the films’ setting was updated to the wartime 1940’s.  Further, these subsequent Rathbone/Bruce films lifted various elements from Conan Doyle’s tales rather than freely adapting a Holmes title like The Hound of The Baskervilles.  In a few instances (i.e. Sherlock Holmes in Washington), the original screenplay is even devoid of Doyle’s work.         

Released in quick succession, Universal’s twelve entries are of a generally consistent caliber.  For instance, Universal’s rotating stock ensemble where character actors inhabit different roles throughout the series (i.e. three different actors portray ‘Professor Moriarty’) might give observant viewers a sense of déjà vu.  Hence, judging these films objectively becomes somewhat harder than it sounds. 

Gauging their current watchability, the entire roster of films are ranked below in reverse order. 

ANALYSIS:

14. Sherlock Holmes in Washington (1943)   71 minutes.  Universal Pictures (Director: Roy William Neill). 

Premise: At England’s behest, Holmes and Watson go to Washington, D.C. to help retrieve missing microfilm that the Allies can’t dare let fall into enemy hands.  Their ruthless opposition is an international spy ring that will readily eliminate anyone getting in their way.  

Apart from Holmes & Watson’s chauffeured tour of the city’s national landmarks, the film is merely a wartime espionage caper without an actual mystery to solve.  Quoting Winston Churchill, Rathbone’ Holmes supplies one of the franchise’s many poetic tributes to England’s allies.  Though Rathbone & Bruce are easy to watch, their Washington, D.C. adventure is forgettable. 

13. Dressed To Kill (1946)   72-76 minutes.   Universal Pictures (Director: Roy William Neill). 

Premise: A femme fatale is at the center of a murderous counterfeiting scheme involving stolen British engraving plates. 

Franchise fatigue is personified by Rathbone’s phoned-in effort, as he subsequently quit the series.  It’s no wonder, considering this tired cliché-fest pitches multiple elements (i.e. a brunette femme fatale, an elaborate treasure hunt, etc.) weakly recycled from previous installments.  Dressed To Kill isn’t necessarily horrible viewing, but its unimaginative plotting fails to conjure up anything worthwhile or even new for fans.         

12. Pursuit To Algiers (1945)   65 minutes.    Universal Pictures (Director: Roy William Neill). 

Premise: After faking his death in an airplane crash, Holmes rejoins Watson and a prince under their protection on an overseas voyage to the nation of Algeria.  Plotting against them onboard, of course, is a murderous ring of foreign spies, who don’t want the handsome, young king-in-waiting making it back to the city of Algiers alive.

Hampered by minimal plotting, Pursuit To Algiers resorts to several musical numbers to obviously pad its running time.  Still, routine cast performances led by Rathbone and Bruce only worsen the storyline’s dull and eye-rolling predictability (i.e. a formulaic romance subplot).     

11. Sherlock Holmes and The Voice of Terror (1942)   65 minutes.    Universal Pictures (Director: John Rawlins). 

Premise: In wartime London, Holmes & Watson are recruited to aid British Intelligence in thwarting a Nazi cell group from decimating England one insidious terrorist attack at a time. Meanwhile, the group’s unseen leader issues ominous taunts and threats to the public via live radio. 

The movie’s purpose is again war propaganda, as the arch-villain is meant to resemble real-life British traitor/Nazi war propagandist, ‘Lord Haw-Haw.’  Packing a few intriguing surprises (including Evelyn Ankers’ great performance), The Voice of Terror is by no means unwatchable.  It’s just that this package, as a whole, is a middling endeavor, as compared to Rathbone & Bruce’s better installments. For instance, Holmes’ climatic deductions are pulled seemingly out of nowhere and depriving viewers a fair chance to guess the ringleader’s identity.

Of interest, a deliberate nod to the franchise’s new setting has Watson gently scolding Holmes into donning a contemporary fedora vs. his iconic deerstalker cap before they depart from their Baker Street lodgings.

10. Terror By Night (1946)   72 minutes.    Universal Pictures (Director: Roy William Neill). 

Premise: During an overnight train ride, a mysterious killer searches for an elusive prize hidden onboard.  All that stands in the culprit’s way is Holmes, Watson, and Dennis Hoey’s befuddled Inspector Lestrade.  

Even if this whodunnit falls far short of Murder on The Orient Express, using a train as the primary crime scene is at least a welcome change of pace for this series.  More so, deploying a different Conan Doyle villain (instead of a fourth Moriarty) helps Rathbone and Bruce make Terror By Night easily watchable.  

9.  Sherlock Holmes and The Secret Weapon (1942)   68 minutes.    Universal Pictures (Director: Roy William Neill). 

Premise: Professor Moriarty (Lionel Atwill) has abducted a pivotal Swiss scientist for the Allied cause.  Parts to construct his captive’s experimental bombsight, however, are hidden in multiple locations.  Hence, Moriarty races Holmes to decipher a baffling code first to unlock their whereabouts one by one.  After being taken prisoner himself, Holmes risks a torturous death to thwart Moriarty’s scheme. 

Crisp and well-played, the film’s plotting makes for solid entertainment.  Atwill’s chemistry as the second ‘Moriarty’ matching wits with Rathbone proves just as good as he had been as ‘Dr. Mortimer’ in The Hound of The Baskervilles three years earlier.

8. Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (1943)   68 minutes.    Universal Pictures (Director: Roy William Neill). 

Premise: Watson is the on-call physician at the Musgrave family’s posh British manor, which is serving as a convalescence home for mentally disturbed war veterans.  As the Musgraves are brutally killed off one by one, Holmes, Watson, and Dennis Hoey’s Inspector Lestrade stumble upon an ancient family ritual possibly spelling doom for all involved.

For a routine whodunnit, neither the culprit nor the motive is much of a surprise.  Still, Sherlock Holmes Faces Death makes for worthwhile viewing, as its sense of campy suspense rides first-class.      

7. The Woman in Green (1945)   68 minutes.  Universal Pictures (Director: Roy William Neill). 

Premise: Reminiscent of Jack The Ripper, a fiendish serial killer is targeting women and then sending each victim’s severed finger to taunt the baffled authorities.  Holmes suspects that a series of subsequent suicides committed by guilt-ridden prime suspects is an extortion scheme hatched by Professor Moriarty (Henry Daniell).  A complication is Moriarty’s alluring blond accomplice, who uses hypnosis to reel in expendable victims.  

Daniell’s performance as the franchise’s third-and-final Moriarty coldly mirrors Rathbone’s Holmes, making them ideal on-screen foes. Daniell might have made a decent Holmes himself, but his Jeremy Irons-like acting style lacks Rathbone’s timeless panache.  As for the film’s contents, be forewarned that its grisly shock value (much like The House of Fear) somehow bypassed the era’s strict censors.  With most of the plot’s nastiness inferred and/or occurring off-screen, The Woman in Green effectively injects film noir into the Holmes/Moriarty rivalry.            

6.  The Spider Woman   (1944)   62 minutes.    Universal Pictures (Director: Roy William Neill). 

Premise: Having faked his own demise, Holmes subsequently goes undercover to probe a suspicious series of deaths plaguing London.  As he suspects, the common link is a cold-blooded female ‘Moriarty’ and her use of a lethal spider venom. 

Often overlooked, The Spider Woman’s best noir asset is Gale Sondergaard’s devious criminal mastermind, making her an intriguing new foe for Holmes & Watson.  By far, Sondergaard prevails as the franchise’s signature femme fatale.  Including the shooting gallery sequence, there is a welcome aura of unpredictability percolating in the plot.  Though the film’s running time is perhaps a few minutes too short, The Spider Woman merits a chance for rediscovery. 

5. The Pearl of Death   (1944)   69 minutes.    Universal Pictures (Director: Roy William Neill). 

Premise: A criminal gang’s deadly ransacking search of London for an elusive pearl includes a giant-sized, silent henchman.  Dubbed ‘The Creeper,’ this behemoth brutally kills prey with his bare hands.  Holmes and Watson may realize too late that they are facing more than one adversary.

Though this comic book-style ‘Creeper’ should be facing off vs. either Batman or James Bond, this Universal movie monster is a potent challenger for Rathbone’s Holmes.  Despite its otherwise formulaic plotting, The Pearl of Death concocts an underrated gem (pardon the pun) for viewers.

4. The Scarlet Claw (1944)    74 minutes.    Universal Pictures (Director: Roy William Neill). 

Premise: During an occult convention visit to Canada, Holmes & Watson are recruited to help snare a ghostly serial killer utilizing a bloody claw-like weapon for vengeance.  Reaching a remote Canadian village where the murders are accumulating, the two detectives must pursue their elusive quarry in a nocturnal fog. 

Along with director Roy William Neill, Rathbone and Bruce are at the top of their deductive game in a gothic chiller worthy of Universal’s other movie monsters.  A terrific Holmes hat trick would be viewing The Pearl of Death, The Scarlet Claw, and The House of Fear together – arguably, they are Universal’s three best mystery-thriller entries in this series.

3. The Hound of The Baskervilles   (1939)   80 minutes.    Twentieth Century Fox (Director: Sidney Lanfield). 

Premise: The storyline is a relatively close adaptation of Conan Doyle’s iconic novel, as Holmes and Watson pursue a bloodthirsty ‘apparition’ stalking members of the Baskerville clan on the Scottish Moors.

In terms of first-class production values, this gothic Hound meets all expectations.  Its only limitation is, as with the novel, the plot’s mid-section drags without Holmes present.  For anyone seeking a faithful black-and-white rendition of Doyle’s most celebrated Holmes tale, this one is highly recommended.

2. The House of Fear (1945)   69 minutes.    Universal Pictures (Director: Roy William Neill). 

Premise: In a secluded Scottish village, the local castle’s residents are being gruesomely killed off one by one.  Each grisly murder is foretold by the receipt of an ominous packet of orange pips.  The insidious rub is that each victim’s life insurance policy is subsequently split amongst their housemates – calling themselves ‘The Good Comrades Club.’  Hired by the suspicious insurance company, Holmes and Watson’s subsequent arrival (along with Scotland Yard) only accelerates the culprit’s haunted-house scheme.   

Deftly blending ghoulish off-screen carnage with well-played humor, this macabre cinematic cocktail nearly equals the classic And Then There Were None from that same year.  As long as one doesn’t ponder a gaping plot hole, The House of Fear’s sheer Halloween entertainment value is tough to beat.    

and at Number # 1 …

1. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939)   81 minutes.    Twentieth Century Fox (Director: Alfred L. Werker). 

Premise: Set in the mid-1890’s, Holmes is frustrated that Professor Moriarty (George Zucco) escapes the British court system’s death penalty on a legal technicality.  Subsequently, with their young female client being stalked by vicious killers, Holmes & Watson try to protect her and the woman’s family.  Worse yet, Holmes senses that an elaborate ruse is masking Moriarty’s most audacious heist ever.  

Exceptionally well-played!  Including Holmes’ undercover turn on a British vaudeville stage, this film’s entertainment value assembles a timeless Holmes mystery worthy of Conan Doyle.  With Rathbone and Bruce in peak form, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is the franchise’s crown jewel. 

Notes: Four of these films: The Secret Weapon; The Woman in Green; Terror By Night; and Dressed To Kill have long since shifted into the public domain, with colorized versions subsequently released.  However, all fourteen black-and-white films are now available in remastered DVD, Blu-Ray, and digital formats.

  • Rathbone and Bruce also performed a weekly New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes radio series from 1939 to 1946.  After Rathbone’s 1946 departure, actor Tom Conway replaced him on the radio show. Universal Pictures evidently considered hiring Conway as Rathbone’s live-action replacement, but the studio instead opted to retire the franchise as is.  As for the radio show, Bruce and Conway left the program in 1947.  The New Adventures relied upon character actors afterwards to fill the void before ending its eleven-year run in 1950.
  • For trivia’s sake, though perhaps briefly mentioned once, Irene Adler never appears in these films.
Categories
Collector's Magazines General Non-Fiction History & Biographies (Books) Reference & Science Westerns

THE WILD WEST: TRUE TALES AND AMAZING LEGENDS – 2017 (by Time Life)

SUMMARY:

Released in 2017 by Time Life Books, this 96-page magazine reflects upon the American West throughout the 19th Century.  Between text and an assortment of photos (mostly black-and-white), along with artwork, the American West’s evolution is encompassed.  After a two-page introduction, five chapters cover the following: 

  1. “An Expanding Nation.” Discussion is focused on ramifications of 1803’s Louisiana Purchase, as to how Lewis & Clark’s expedition became the first step towards a gradual mass migration westward.  Daniel Boone, John Colter, Jedediah Smith, Joseph Walker, Kit Carson and John Charles Frémont are among those explorers highlighted.     
  • “The Great Trek.”  Shifting towards mid-century, initial generations of Western pioneers faced weeks, if not months, of dire reality traveling cross-country.  As much life-ending risk was involved, so, too, were the potential rewards for opportunistic men and women alike.  Case in point: the California Gold Rush, aided in part by the railroad industry, would spike migration numbers enormously. 
  • “Cattle Barons and Cowboys.”  Heralding the Old West’s most famous occupation, fortune awaited this industry’s most successful individuals.  Predictably, those doing the actual labor faced a far more tumultuous daily life.
  • “Law and Disorder.”  Enforcing justice upon outlaws and ruthless killers would prove, at best, an inconsistent, if not hypocritical, terrain for law-abiding citizens.  1881’s ‘Gunfight at the O.K. Corral’ in Tombstone, Arizona, is reviewed, along with glimpses of Wyatt Earp, Jesse James, Pat Garrett, and Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch.  Also examined is the illicit creativity involved with gambling.
  • “The Original Americans.”  Native American tribes and their traditional means of survival are confronted with genocide once encroached upon by settlers in search of land and gold.  Skirmishes between Native Americans and U.S. soldiers would climax in June 1876 at the gory Battle of the Little Bighorn.  After this pivotal loss, U.S. forces re-doubled its efforts in forcing Native American compliance with the government’s changing yet self-interested political stance.  It would also signal that the U.S. had at last conquered the West by the end of the century.           

As its postlude, the brief “Taming of the West” explains how, at the 20th Century’s onset, few pockets of the Old West remained.  The ease of cross-country travel and 1901’s oil discovery in Texas would become signs of the country’s imminent industrial revolution.               

REVIEW:

Providing a thorough history lesson in magazine form, Time Life’s production values are stellar.  With gruesome details kept to a minimum, Time Life’s The Wild West lets its vintage photography brings historical truths to life.  The balanced text stays on task and acknowledges that hyperbole often sparked familiar legends. 

As for younger audiences, it’s best to understand that the details Time Life’s text discuss aren’t necessarily exciting, but they are insightful.  More so, the magazine’s text doesn’t play favorites keeping its narrative consistently objective. Intended for both historical buffs and casual readers, this magazine makes a welcome treat.  Highly recommended!    

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

A table of contents and photo credits are included.  

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                     9 Stars

Categories
Agatha Christie-Related Books & Novels Mystery & Suspense Sherlock Holmes-Related

HOLMES, MARPLE & POE

Written by James Patterson & Brian Sitts

SUMMARY:

Released by Little, Brown and Company in 2023, this 339-page hardcover debuts an enigmatic New York City private investigation firm consisting of: Brendan Mark Holmes; Margaret Marple; and Auguste Poe, all brilliant detectives in their own distinctive ways. 

Each eerily resembling their familiar namesake: this Holmes, among other possibly dark secrets, possesses both a supernatural sense of smell and perhaps unmatched mastery of forensic science; the compassionate and insightful Marple is their best undercover tactician; and the suave Poe, who understands handheld weaponry seemingly better than anyone.  Sharing a massive library at the refurbished industrial factory serving as both office and home, the detective trio can recite their literary inspirations at will. 

Quickly solving a young attorney’s sensationalized disappearance/murder, the three sleuths launch their new firm to public acclaim and instantly earn the scorn of the city’s police commissioner.  Worse yet, the firm brings their first case’s ugly details literally to the doorstep of New York City’s mayor.  Unsurprisingly, a humiliated Mayor Felix Rollins becomes another formidable enemy they may think twice of crossing. 

NYPD homicide detective, Lt. Helene Gray, and FBI Special Agent Brita Stans both become involved in the team’s investigations of several ongoing mysteries.  Among them include: a socialite’s kidnapped daughter; a baffling theft of literary artifacts from a sleazy billionaire’s impregnable safe; a grisly discovery of multiple corpses linked to an unknown serial killer; and the death of a Texas model. 

Marple also becomes determined to end a tragically unsolved ghost story: the 1954 homicide of a teenage girl on the premises of their present-day headquarters, which was once a bread factory.  The team’s invaluable new secretary, Virginia, soon joins Marple in seeking to put this cold case at last to rest.    

Risking their lives multiple times, Poe, Marple, and a potentially self-destructive Holmes find danger lurking in unexpected corners.  Suffice to say, the team racks up fresh victories as often as they incur more threats drawing even closer to home.  Though naturally suspicious of her new rivals, Gray finds herself reluctantly attracted both to Poe’s sophisticated aura and to the trio’s unorthodox mastery of crime-solving.

Yet, the rules they keep bending and established law enforcement procedures the trio flagrantly ignore makes Gray both their best ally and now possibly their worst enemy.  The question becomes: given their shadowy pasts, who are Holmes, Marple, and Poe, really?  The answer may be a smoke-and-mirrors mystery that Gray can’t and perhaps shouldn’t solve.  

Note: This title is also available in large print, digitally, and as an audiobook.

REVIEW:

With co-author Brian Sitts, James Patterson has concocted another potential TV or movie property just waiting to happen. Some readers might have preferred one singular murder-mystery vs. this hodgepodge, but the latter approach still engages the audience with equal depth to each of its rotating mysteries.

The less said about outlandish plot contrivances the better, as Patterson and Sitts focus far more on delivering a potent, hard-edged thriller. The intriguing cast of characters makes an ideal fit for the multiple plot threads coherently weaved throughout the novel.  Hence, it may take a few reads to absorb every detail lurking within this unique whodunnit. 

Overcoming its heavy doses of implausibility, Holmes, Marple & Poe makes for an entertaining, high-concept ride.      

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

There is a biography page, with a paragraph allotted to each co-author.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                              8 Stars

Categories
Books & Novels Mystery & Suspense

LION & LAMB

Written by James Patterson & Duane Swierczynski

SUMMARY:

Released by Little, Brown & Company in 2023, James Patterson collaborated with co-author Duane Swierczynski on this murder-mystery pairing rival Philadelphia private detectives in the most dangerously high-profile case of their careers.  At its seedy core is the city’s premier power couple: Grammy-winning songstress Francine Pearl Hughes and the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning quarterback, Archie Hughes.  To some degree, Francine’s glamorous talents overshadow her husband’s legendary gridiron exploits.      

Late in the night before the NFC Championship Game, Archie is found murdered inside his flashy Maserati near the city’s art museum.  All too conveniently, his brutal homicide is missing from all adjacent security camera footage.  Given the inevitable public outrage, Philadelphia’s best homicide cop, Mickey Bernstein, urges the city’s police commissioner to assemble a task force, so the unknown culprit (or culprits) can be quickly apprehended.  A world-weary Bernstein, per his own recommendation, is assigned this team’s command by the commissioner.

Meanwhile, with two young children at home, Francine isn’t exactly grieving.  With the murder weapon found partially buried in the garden of the posh Hughes estate, she becomes the instant prime suspect.  Scandalized in the media, her arrest for killing Archie is now imminent.  Francine’s defense counsel hires unorthodox private detective Cooper Lamb, Sr. to quickly confirm her client’s innocence.  Having successfully negotiated his list of demands (including access to Philadelphia Eagle autographs for his kids), Cooper immediately pivots towards Archie’s questionable choice in associates.     

The Philadelphia district attorney similarly hires Veena Lion – Cooper’s professional rival and friendly ex-lover, to investigate the case independently of Bernstein’s high-powered task force, which he is already leery of. Behind a pair of ever-present sunglasses, Veena (and her knack for secretly recording conversations) suspects that likely others, besides Archie’s widow, may have wanted the quarterback dead for reasons beyond the Super Bowl’s outcome.      

Cooper, a divorced dad with two young children, uses his military experience, wits, and, rather shamelessly, his cute canine sidekick, to compile a growing list of alternative suspects.  Courtesy of his assistant Victor’s computer hacking expertise, Cooper eyes the Eagles’ sleazy father-and-son owners; an assortment of jealous teammates; and possibly even Archie & Francine’s enigmatic nanny. 

Complicating Cooper’s probe is a resentful Bernstein, as they mutually despise one another.  Bernstein’s rival efforts include fast-tracking the search for Archie’s missing Super Bowl ring.  This stolen ring may be crucial to building airtight evidence against Francine and her possible accomplices.       

Veena and her own assistant, Janie, pursue additional leads, including the Hughes’ disgruntled ex-chef and rumors of shady dealings linked to Atlantic City gambling circles.  Probing parallel trajectories, Veena and Cooper regularly compare notes over drinks.  They both commit to exposing the sordid truth – no matter how ugly it is becoming. 

With two subsequent murders quickly hushing up witnesses, Cooper is repeatedly threatened by multiple sources to stop digging.  In only a few days, Veena and Cooper’s tenacity has their shadowy opposition desperate enough to make the Hughes murder case their last, no matter who must die next. 

Notes: This title is also available digitally and as an audiobook.  The story’s occasional profanities are blacked out.

REVIEW:

One can’t be too surprised that Lion & Lamb just marginally surpasses its eyerolling title.  Co-authors James Patterson and Duane Swierczynski’s slickly plotted thriller gladly follows a genre blueprint on how to best please readers with superficial effort.  Hence, the novel’s undemanding contents are a veritable cliché-fest from the get-go. 

For red flag starters, the notion of Philadelphia’ district attorney would regularly employ freelance private detectives to run shadow investigations exudes far more glaring implausibility than mere contrivance.  Analogy-wise: having Scotland Yard routinely consult either Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot makes sense because Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and later Agatha Christie sold this premise well enough. 

Lion & Lamb, by comparison, opts to have its rival freelancers interchangeably taking gigs from the highest legal bidder – including a district attorney, who should logically have a staff of in-house investigators available.  In other words, the underlying motive for ultra-cool sleuths Veena Lion and Cooper Lamb tilts more towards opportunistic paydays and bragging rights than any supposed search for ‘truth’ they commit to share.     

One might say Lion & Lamb resembles Janet Evanovich’s Fox & O’Hare series, along with some elements of the 1991 Bruce Willis/Damon Wayans action thriller, The Last Boy Scout.  Throw in unsubtle allusions to NFL corruption and mob-affiliated gambling, and one gets the gist of the plot’s shallow contents.  With a complicated homicide investigation deftly wrapped up inside of two weeks, the storyline’s absurd lack of realism is only exacerbated by a feel-good, family-friendly finish.          

Lion & Lamb is obviously meant to spawn Hollywood-style thriller entertainment, presumably with hopes of snaring a potential TV or film adaptation.  One needn’t look further than the book cover to guess where these seemingly mismatched partners are inevitably going.  Hence, the unoriginal tag line’s wording is exactly what one might expect to see on a movie poster — for instance, perhaps pairing Ana de Armas and Chris Evans again.  More so, the novel’s hip substitution of ‘transcripts’ in lieu of building a chapter’s substance is seemingly lazy code for what this formulaic potboiler would look like in script form. 

Ironically, the underwritten Veena Lion and Cooper Lamb don’t stand out amidst a glut of competition in this genre, whether it’s in literature or Hollywood. Aside from Veena’s vivid green eyes, far too little describes what either of these sleuths even looks like. For that matter, only the presence of Cooper’s ex-wife and their young children (and a reference to his military stint) gives readers some idea of his backstory.

Veena’s past doesn’t even reach such minimal details – the authors convey her personality as stylish and high-maintenance, leaving it at that. Hence, Patterson and Swierczynski have imbued their title characters with supposedly catchy last names and virtually nothing else. It’s no wonder then that their storyline relies upon cruise control in peddling this unimaginative whodunnit’s allotment of plot twists.

For practicality’s sake, it’s probably best to catch Patterson & Duane Swierczynski’s Philadelphia private eye caper at the library.  Lion & Lamb is otherwise an easily forgettable diversion for readers.       

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

The co-authors provide an acknowledgements page, along with their paragraph-long biographies.  After its black-and-white cover image, included is a twelve-page preview of Patterson’s next collaboration.  With co-author Mike Lupica, the novel is entitled 12 Months To Live.  It’s the start of a new mystery-thriller series featuring defense attorney/ex-NYPD cop and ex-private detective Jane Smith.   

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                  5 Stars

Categories
Anthologies Books & Novels Fantasy, Horror, & Science Fiction Mystery & Suspense Sherlock Holmes-Related

THE IMPROBABLE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES

SUMMARY:

Released in 2009 by Night Shade Books, editor/journalist John Joseph Adams (with help from David Barr Kirtley) assembled this 454-page paperback. 

Specifically, Adams complied twenty-eight original Sherlock Holmes short stories borrowed from various other anthologies (between 1987 and 2009), each by a different author.  Usually conveyed through Dr. Watson’s traditional point-of-view, these tales explore the iconic British sleuth in an array of genres including science fiction, horror, swashbuckling adventure, and mind-bending fantasy. 

Familiar names, including Irene Adler, Professor Moriarty, Colonel Sebastian Moran, H.G. Wells, and even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle will resurface.  Two very different interpretations of Holmes’ unexplained Friesland steamship case are explored.  The same also applies to Jack the Ripper.  Some literary team-ups and/or unusual crossovers are also among this anthology’s features.  Adams introduces each author, with an additional brief transition alluding to the story’s particular mechanism or inspiration.    

Notes: These tales are not presented in any chronological order.  This title is also available digitally and in an audiobook format.

  • “The Doctor’s Case” by Stephen King.  With Holmes now long dead, a ninety-year-old Dr. Watson divulges the one instance he unraveled a seemingly perfect crime before his best friend could.  The flashback shifts to a rainy London afternoon in 1899.  Scotland Yard’s Inspector Lestrade retrieves Holmes and Watson from 221b Baker Street to decipher a locked room enigma.  Earlier in the day, decrepit shipping tycoon Albert Hull was found stabbed to death in his study.  The baffling homicide’s prime suspects consist of three resentful adult sons and the victim’s abused wife.  With Holmes largely distracted by his allergic reaction to cats, Watson must step up his deductive game. 

Mini-Review # 1: Stephen King’s impressive writing style can’t hide this tale’s glaring implausibility.  Aside from a ‘shock value’ finish, King contrives that Lestrade (and, by extension, Holmes & Watson) would merely accept the Hull family’s witness statements at face value.  King ought to have conveyed that Lestrade’s hurried investigation included outside corroboration (and, accordingly, allow sufficient transition time — say, push back Holmes & Watson’s entrance from early afternoon to nightfall).  Such peripheral details would have surely boosted his tale’s credibility.  6/10 Stars.   

  • “The Horror of the Many Faces” by Tim Lebbon.  Come one dark London night, Dr. Watson is chilled to witness Holmes gleefully eviscerate an unknown victim in a secluded Baker Street alleyway.  Multiple horrific homicides committed the same way plague London over two nights where eyewitnesses observe different culprits each time.  It’s up to Watson to confront this insidious adversary, who resembles Holmes.  Troubling Watson is near certainty that his best friend has succumbed to a bloodthirsty, psychotic madness. 

Mini-Review # 2: This gory 2003 science fiction/horror ‘what if’ succeeds in the sense that there is no clear-cut finish, let alone any sense of triumph.  Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s works, Tim Lebbon concocts a ghoulish read where Holmes and Watson are seemingly outmatched at their most desperate hour.  Not for the squeamish, but this dark alternate reality is worth a read.  7½/10 Stars.    

Note: For some ‘comparison shopping,’ Geoffrey A. Landis’ “The Singular Habits of Wasps” also explores ghastly sci-fi terrain later in this anthology.

  • “The Case of the Bloodless Sock” by Anne Perry.  During Dr. Watson’s visit to the English countryside, his prosperous friend’s daughter is abducted two consecutive days.  The little girl is then returned home both times at midnight.  Her kidnapper’s taunting note compels the doctor to summon Holmes from London for urgent help.  Holmes concurs with Watson that Professor Moriarty is playing an ominous new game.  

Mini-Review # 3: Anne Perry comes the closest to recapturing the conventional style of a Holmes mystery Conan Doyle might have devised for the Strand Magazine.  Yet, her ‘how-dunnit’ tale ironically rates among this anthology’s dullest and most forgettable stories.  Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot short story, “The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly” comes to mind, comparatively speaking. 

Perry’s plotting, suffice to say, comes off as almost too imitative of Conan Doyle to make her own unique impression.  That’s why “Bloodless Sock” becomes a blur shortly upon reading far more daring competition by other authors in this collection.  5½/10 Stars.       

  • “The Adventure of The Other Detective” by Bradley H. Sinor.  Returning home one foggy London night, Dr. Watson inexplicably finds himself transported into an alternate reality where his own counterpart has been dead ten years.  Even more shocking is that Baker Street is home to England’s premier consulting detective: Professor James Moriarty. With Dr. Mary Morstan’s help, Watson and Moriarty must thwart a prison break scheme involving Jack the Ripper, Col. Sebastian Moran, and this world’s greatest criminal genius: Sherlock Holmes.  

Mini-Review # 4: Bradley H. Sinor concocts this anthology’s best and arguably most imaginative tale.  Though there are some violent sequences, Sinor doesn’t push actual gore simply because of Jack the Ripper’s presence.  Not only is every fantastic alternate world element well-played, but this story’s plot twists celebrate the unexpected.  Highly recommended!   9/10 Stars.       

Note: For an intriguing comparison, Neil Gaiman’s Lovecraft-influenced “A Study in Emerald” is another alternate reality re-imagining Holmes and Moriarty as perennial adversaries.

  • “A Scandal in Montreal” by Edward D. Hoch.  More than twenty years have elapsed since “A Scandal in Bohemia.”  With a visiting Dr. Watson back at his side, a retired Holmes is unexpectedly summoned from his Sussex bee farm to Montreal by an old acquaintance, now widowed.  Once in Canada, Holmes and Watson must seek out Irene Adler’s elusive college-age son, who has become the prime suspect in the homicide of a romantic rival. 

Mini-Review # 5: Edward D. Hoch’s contribution is among this anthology’s straightest arrows, in terms of storytelling.   Though a few surprises would have been appreciated, at least Hoch doesn’t resort to peddling the ‘long-lost son’ cliché one might expect.  Hoch’s down-to-earth Irene Adler enjoys a platonic friendship with Holmes that makes both of them come off as likably low-key in their middle age.  If anything, Hoch delivers a cozy whodunnit that Conan Doyle fans can appreciate for its faithful homage to the iconic characters.   6/10 Stars.   

  • “The Adventure of the Field Theorems” by Vonda N. McIntyre.  The latest celebrity client for Holmes and Dr. Watson is none other than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  Though privately deriding Doyle’s gullibility for paranormal hoaxes, the Baker Street duo help the physician/author investigate unexplained crop circles found in the Surrey countryside.  Doyle, despite Holmes’ eye-rolling skepticism, is convinced that these otherworldly geometric patterns are the first step towards open communications with either ghosts or even possibly Martians.   

Mini-Review # 6: Loaded with trivial tidbits perusing Conan Doyle’s private interests in the paranormal, Vonda N. McIntyre’s caper has Holmes and his creator teaming up while matching wits.  With McIntyre’s take on Conan Doyle as essentially a naïve buffoon, it’s up to Holmes & Watson to surpass Robert Stack’s Unsolved Mysteries, as far as debunking bizarre crop circles and alien abductions.  One of the story’s best assets is playing up how, like Houdini, an indignant Holmes must defend his skills from ignorant public misassumptions that he is a supernatural phenomenon.     

As a loaded historical in-joke, “Field Theorems” is a delight to read.  Though this tale is hardly wacky, one practically wishes for a wink-wink cameo from Marvin the Martian.   8/10 Stars.   

  • “The Adventure of the Death-Fetch” by Darrell Schweitzer.  Confiding in a family friend’s college-age son, an elderly Dr. Watson reveals a secret case from decades ago that Holmes had vehemently demanded be suppressed from public knowledge.  Per Watson’s flashback, the daughter of a celebrated British explorer desperately seeks out Holmes for help. Hearing her father’s admission of his ominous Southern Asian jungle adventures, Holmes readily senses that evil is afoot.  Yet, the sleuth rejects the idea that a supernatural impersonator is stalking their client. With no time to lose, Holmes must contend with the reoccurrence of this sinister mirror image as the prelude to his client’s imminent and horrific death.   

Mini-Review # 7: While his story’s bookends to the flashback could have been better, Darrell Schweitzer is spot-on conveying a dose of grisly supernatural horror.  Including a gruesome nod to Indiana Jones, the “Death-Fetch” is one of this anthology’s nastiest yet best-devised entries.  8/10 Stars.   

  • “The Shocking Affair of the Dutch Steamship Friesland” by Mary Robinette Kowal.  As told in private correspondence written forty years later, Holmes and Dr. Watson fatefully meet a fellow steamship passenger: a distressed young bride prior to her arranged marriage.  She may be the key to unlocking the sinister truth behind an Italian political couple’s assassination.     

Mini-Review # 8: While Mary Robinette Kowal’s dark tale of political intrigue is kept short, her characters are effectively characterized.  This story is worthy of inclusion in this anthology.   6½/10 Stars.       

  • “The Adventure of the Mummy’s Curse” by H. Paul Jeffers. Holmes, on Watson’s behalf, probes a supposed deadly curse on an Egyptian archaeological expedition that has recently impacted one of the doctor’s old Army buddies. 

Mini-Review # 9: Reminiscent of Hercule Poirot’s case, “The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb” (but not nearly as icky), H. Paul Jeffers teases a supernatural whodunnit.  Yet, its subsequent blandness gives way to a far more conventional and tidy Conan Doyle finish.  Though this tale is worth a read, it’s definitely middle-of-the-pack material.   6/10 Stars.   

  • “The Things That Shall Come Upon Them” by Barbara Roden.  Hired by one half of a married English couple to de-haunt their new home’s study, Holmes and Dr. Watson meet a more unconventional sleuth: Flaxman Low.  Far more experienced with psychic phenomenon, Low, as it turns out, was hired by the couple’s other half for the very same reason.  Despite contrasting viewpoints on the supernatural, these three detectives probe the ominous secret left behind by the estate’s wicked prior owner.  Note: According to the introduction, Conan Doyle was evidently real-life friends with Low’s co-creator: Hesketh Hesketh-Prichard.    

Mini-Review # 10: Pairing an ever-skeptical Holmes with the world’s first fictional occult detective, Low, is Barbara Roden’s ingenious stroke.  Leaving readers to make their own conclusions (still, it’s fairly obvious which way one is supposed to tilt), Roden concocts an effective team-up.  In particular, the British gentlemanly bond established between Low and the Baker Street duo makes for a satisfying read.   8/10 Stars.       

  • “Murder to Music” by Anthony Burgess.  Eyewitnesses Holmes and Dr. Watson probe two homicides amidst the startling assassination of a Spanish classical musician inside a London concert hall.  With high-profile Spanish royalty in London for a high-profile visit, Holmes senses there may be more mayhem in this case still to come.  Meanwhile, Watson repeatedly helps a baffled colleague by consulting on a case where the patient is shifting from one bizarre foreign disease to the next.   

Mini-Review # 11: Suffice to say, it’s a blah and unsatisfying read, including some undercurrents of racism.  Had this 1989 Anthony Burgess tale been penned fifty years before and sufficiently tweaked, its premise would have been ideal for one of Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce’s wartime Sherlock Holmes radio dramas.  Otherwise, this political whodunnit is skippable.   4/10 Stars.       

  • “The Adventure of the Inertial Adjustor” by Stephen Baxter. A young H.G. Wells convinces Holmes and Dr. Watson to help him probe a scientist friend’s recent demise, as the journalist/author suspects foul play. Specifically, the controversial pioneer had been conducting experimental studies of gravity and electricity to accelerate his dream of space travel.  Investigating the grisly incident, Wells, Holmes, and Watson find that two suspects provide similarly tragic eyewitness accounts. Yet, the truth is hidden somewhere within their startlingly different conclusions.    

Mini-Review # 12: Though its scientific jargon is a bit cumbersome, Stephen Baxter’s whodunnit makes for a good historical fiction read.  Baxter’s story doesn’t overtly criticize the decedent’s animal cruelty, but some readers might cringe at the torturous outcome of his scientific research techniques on animal test subjects.  Still, had this 1997 tale existed a half-century before, it could have been an ideal mystery for a Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce radio drama.   7/10 Stars. 

  • “Mrs. Hudson’s Case” by Laurie R. King.  Would the ever-loyal Mrs. Hudson dare to pull a fast one on her most famous lodger?  With a retired Holmes away assisting international authorities search for two missing children, his college-age apprentice, Mary Russell, intends to find out what the landlady is hiding from them.

Mini-Review #13: Given its charm, Laurie R. King’s cozy caper effectively advertises her own Mary Russell mystery series.  Ms. King’s down-to-earth trifle makes a welcome respite from some of the utterly malevolent plots found elsewhere in this anthology.  6½/10 Stars.               

  • “The Singular Habits of Wasps” by Geoffrey A. Landis. Holmes’ series of unexplained nocturnal absences eerily coincide with Jack the Ripper’s sadistic murder spree in Whitechapel.  A horrified Dr. Watson suspects that Holmes is suffering a psychotic Jekyll-and-Hyde-like split-personality where his friend is both the detective and, unknowingly, the monstrous culprit.  Watson risks his life to find the truth, but an even more ghastly possibility awaits him after dark in Whitechapel.     

Mini-Review # 14: Given their morbid plot similarities, one might assume this sci-fi take on Jack the Ripper is a variation of Tim Lebbon’s “The Horror of Many Faces.”  Yet, Adams gives no indication that these alternate reality tales are deliberately connected.  Devised nearly a decade earlier, Geoffrey A. Landis’ 1994 tale goes even further probing certain horrific aspects that Lebbon’s thriller only alludes to.  As far as macabre storytelling is concerned, Landis imaginatively melds elements of John Carpenter’s The Thing, Men in Black, and Alien into a strange alternative explanation of Jack the Ripper. 

This Landis story, in spite of its shock value details, delivers a spine-tingling read.  Diminishing this story, however, is an instance of Holmes making a vastly condescending racist slur comparing native Africans to modern English civilization.  While Holmes’ context is meant to compare a primitive Earth to far more advanced alien worlds, having him resort to such derogatory phrasing is unnecessary and irrelevant to the plot. 7/10 Stars.   Note: H.G. Wells makes an off-screen cameo appearance.

  • “The Affair of the 46th Birthday” by Amy Myers.  Once more, in flashback, Dr. Watson reveals an international incident from a decade before.  In this instance, Holmes must thwart an ingeniously-devised assassination attempt on the King of Italy during a diplomatic dinner held in the English countryside. 

Mini-Review # 15: This Amy Myers thriller blends historical fiction and political intrigue unto a quick literary cocktail.  Reminiscent of Hercule Poirot-style short stories, there are some inevitable contrivances, but the mystery is still a good read.  “46th Birthday,” in that sense, is of near-equal caliber to Mary Robinette Kowal’s “The Shocking Affair of the Dutch Steamship Friesland” in this same anthology.    6/10 Stars.

  • “The Specter of Tullyfane Abbey” by Peter Tremayne.  Over drinks one night at their Baker Street lodgings, a melancholic Holmes entrusts Watson with a confession of his greatest failure.  In a flashback to Holmes’ college days, his ghost story involves a fateful love triangle, an unsolved disappearance, and the then-amateur detective’s first encounter with one Professor James Moriarty. 

Mini-Review # 16: Peter Tremayne’s retroactive alterations to Holmes’ origin might be condemned by Conan Doyle purists, if only for continuity’s sake.  Still, this gothic whodunnit explores the aloof shrewdness in the sleuth’s classic persona.  One might even consider the tale reminiscent of Casino Royale, as to that plot’s fateful impact on James Bond.  Though many of Tremayne’s plot twists are grimly predictable, he concocts a pitch-black mystery worthy of inclusion.  7/10 Stars.    

The Vale of the White Horse” by Sharyn McCrumb.  A British aristocrat and his fiancée hire Holmes and Dr. Watson to investigate the murder of his physician brother in the rural English countryside.  The corpse had been found under a crimson cloak on a prehistoric chalked landmark dubbed ‘The White Horse’ atop a secluded hill.  Probing their clients’ family history, Holmes & Watson sense the vexing truth may be hidden closer to home.  Aided by an insightful eyewitness, the elderly Grisel Rountree, Holmes must decipher the decedent’s enigmatic last words to unmask the culprit.   

Mini-Review # 17: Though Sharyn McCrumb telegraphs the plot’s pivotal twist far too much, her story’s interpretation of transgenderism in Victorian England is intriguing. “White Horse” offers a gothic mystery with possibly supernatural undertones making it a solid read.   7/10 Stars. 

“The Adventure of the Dorset Street Lodger” by Michael Moorcock.  Due to necessary renovations to their Baker Street lodgings, Holmes and Dr. Watson must temporarily relocate to another boarding house. Once there, Holmes and Dr. Watson offer to help a visiting American businessman collect an unexpected family legacy.  Yet, the case soon becomes dangerously complicated.

Mini-Review # 18: As with Anne Perry’s “Bloodless Sock,” Michael Moorcock does justice to this homage to Conan Doyle’s style of storytelling.  Yet, there isn’t anything particularly remarkable about “Dorset Street Lodger,” as far as its blend of adventure and mystery. The lengthy plot also could have been tightened to make for a more efficient mystery. 6/10 Stars.

“The Adventure of the Lost World” by Dominic Green.  It’s a sequel of sorts to Conan Doyle’s 1912 science fiction novel, The Lost World.  In the autumn of 1918, Holmes and a skeptical Dr. Watson must pursue a horrific serial killer of London’s street trombonists.  What baffles Watson is that his best friend contends that their massive and evidently reptilian quarry belongs to a long-extinct breed of dinosaur.   

Mini-Review # 19: Undoubtedly, Dominic Green’s crossover between Conan Doyle’s two greatest literary accomplishments sounds like an intriguing sci-fi premise.  The end result of having senior citizens Holmes & Watson play amateur dinosaur hunters, however, is very much a wonky read (as one might imagine).  Even the opening segment of an undercover Holmes recruiting Watson’s help is too unbelievable for its own good.  Green at least offers some makeshift Jurassic Park-style fun, no matter how many eyes will be invariably rolling.   5½/10 Stars.              

  • “The Adventure of the Antiquarian’s Niece” by Barbara Hambly.  At the behest of a wealthy American suitor, Holmes and Dr. Watson agree to help extract his would-be fiancée from her evil British relatives.  The Baker Street duo must first enlist an ally: William Hope Hodgson’s British occult detective, Thomas Carnacki (simply called ‘Carnaki’ here) before they confront a centuries-old supernatural cult out of the works of H.P. Lovecraft.  Even Holmes and Carnaki’s formidable sleuthing might not come in time to save a captive Watson from a human monster specializing in ritual sacrifices.  

Mini-Review # 20: As strange as her plot’s supernatural hokum is, Barbara Hambly’s storytelling admirably sells it to readers.  A considerable grain of salt one must swallow, however, is accepting this Holmes’ lack of skepticism towards dark occult powers and what tactics must be subsequently deployed. 

For instance, the Holmes appearing in either Barbara Roden’s “The Thing That Shall Come Upon Them” or Peter Tremayne’s “The Specter of Tullyfane Abbey” is more aligned with Conan Doyle’s original Holmes, as to the sleuth’s disbelief in occult matters.  Still, for fantasy/horror fans, this Holmes & Watson/Carnacki team-up is hard to pass up.   8/10 Stars.        

  • “Dynamics of a Hanging” by Tony Pi.  Months after Holmes and Professor Moriarty had evidently perished at Reichenbach Falls, Dr. Watson is contacted by Reverend Charles Dodgson (aka author Lewis Carroll).  The two of them attempt to decode one of the late Moriarty’s notebooks to find definitive evidence of his criminal activities.  Mostly told by Dodgson in flashback, he and his then-academic associate, Moriarty, had teamed years ago to probe the suspicious death of the professor’s new protégé.  Carroll is now determined to finally verify the chilling truth behind what (or perhaps whom) killed a promising medical student by the name of Arthur Conan Doyle.

Mini-Review # 21: Though Holmes’ presence is confined to inspiring Watson’s deductive logic, this Tony Pi mystery is both a mathematical code-breaking puzzle and a nifty whodunnit.  Pi devises a neat idea to have Lewis Carroll (and, to a degree, Moriarty) fill in for Holmes, but Watson’s minor yet pivotal role is a boon to the iconic sidekick.   7/10 Stars.     

  • “Merridew of Abominable Memory” by Chris Roberson.  Residing in a sanitarium to seek treatment for his present-day memory loss, an elderly Dr. Watson relays a spine-chilling flashback to his therapist.  It involves a Jack the Ripper-like monster, a series of baffling financial thefts, and a man of utterly impeccable memory.  Hired by a businessman expecting to be the thief’s next target, Holmes & Watson must simultaneously hunt a bloodthirsty serial killer.     

Mini-Review # 22: While Chris Roberson devises a unique title character, his mystery’s plot twists become increasingly contrived to make all of its puzzle pieces fit together – too perfectly.  Further, among this anthology’s grisly mysteries, “Merridew” arguably packs the most stomach-churning imagery.  It overwhelms (and frankly squanders) the tale’s thoughtful bookends contemplating dementia vs. the sheer power of human memory. 

Roberson’s story, for the sake of good taste, unfortunately, isn’t one to recommend to others.    3/10 Stars.       

  • “Commonplaces” by Naomi Novik.  After receiving news of Holmes’ demise at Reichenbach Falls, a now-married Irene Adler Norton restlessly departs for Paris to find herself again.  Awaiting her is a forbidden love affair with a lonely man she instinctively knows is still alive in more than just her heart.

Mini-Review # 23: Naomi Novik’s speculation as to why an undercover Holmes chose not to tell Dr. Watson that he had faked his death will raise some eyebrows.  Further, her tale’s romantic poignancy echoes shades of the 1970 film, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, regarding what complex sexual undercurrents motivate Holmes. 

If anything, “Commonplaces” presents an instance of sophisticated Sherlockian storytelling where the lingering mystery doesn’t involve crime, except perhaps for adultery.  Standing out most in Novik’s romance (it’s the anthology’s shortest inclusion) is that this Holmes isn’t the only one who can make ingenious deductions anticipating another’s shadowy moves.  8/10 Stars.       

  • “The Adventure of the Pirates of Devil’s Cape” by Rob Rogers.  Holmes, Dr. Watson, and Inspector Lestrade probe an ultra-grisly massacre by pirates aboard the Dutch steamship, Friesland.  Seeking the whereabouts of missing twin brothers, Holmes and Watson subsequently venture to New Orleans for a showdown with the world’s deadliest cutthroat and his mercenary crew of thugs.    

Mini-Review # 24: Crossing over from his Devil’s Cape saga, Rogers conjures up a mostly solid mystery-adventure caper highlighted by the action of an extensive shootout/swordfight.  Apart from excessively gory shipboard inferences, the other caveat is a ridiculous Lestrade plot twist.  Rogers deploys a similar contrivance to one of his own characters (that works fine), but to also supply Lestrade a convenient American cousin in the Louisiana Bayous pushes the ‘distant relative’ gimmick too far. 

Otherwise, Rogers delivers this anthology’s best combination of action-adventure, suspense, and originality.  8/10 Stars.          

  • “The Adventure of the Green Skull” by Mark Valentine.  The Baker Street duo’s new adversary is a hooded serial killer, who is purportedly a phantom with a glowing green skull stalking victims after nightfall.  Reminiscent of sensationalistic pulp stories, the villain’s calling card is leaving a match in each victim’s hand.  Yet, all isn’t what it seems.  

Mini-Review # 25: Adams’ introduction to Mark Valentine’s story frankly spoils the culprit’s motive.  Further, Valentine doesn’t elaborate enough as to how Holmes deduces where to conduct a fateful stakeout, either.  Despite this structural flaw, the “Green Skull” mystery makes for a relatively good read.   6/10 Stars.

  • “The Human Mystery” by Tanith Lee.  Holmes takes on the enigmatic case of a lonely heiress, who is desperate to break a family curse that may kill her during the Christmas holidays.  Yet, is there an ulterior motive in play that blindsides even Holmes?

Mini-Review # 26: Tanith Lee’s tale proving that an ever-gallant Holmes can be humiliated into a seething rage makes for an intriguing notion.  Even this story isn’t a must-read, it effectively explores whether Holmes’ misogynistic nature can be exploited, let alone be potentially seduced, by someone other than Irene Adler.   7/10 Stars.    

Notes: Lee dedicated this tale to actor Jeremy Brett’s memory.  Per artist David Palumbo, Brett’s Sherlock Holmes likeness appears on this anthology’s front cover.

  • “A Study in Emerald” by Neil Gaiman.  In an alternate universe where H.P. Lovecraft’s demonic creations have long ruled the world, “A Study in Scarlet” is darkly re-imagined. 

Mini-Review # 27: Though mostly retelling a familiar mystery, Neil Gaiman cleverly flips the script on readers.  There are sufficient hints to deduce Gaiman’s enigmatic sleuth before the end, but his best twist is saved for last.  It’s the equivalent of experiencing the story through the eyes of whom you assume the narrator is … that is, until a mirror (or, in this instance, a letter) reveals a twist finish.  Hence, Gaiman’s story could make for an intriguing live-action film.   8/10 Stars. 

Note: For some comparison shopping, one might read this one before or after Bradley H. Sinor’s “The Adventure of The Other Detective.” 

  • “You See But You Do Not Observe” by Robert J. Sawyer.  In 2096, an enigmatic scientist with an eerily familiar name abducts Holmes and Dr. Watson out of time from 1899 to join him in the late 21st Century.  He subsequently assigns the world’s greatest sleuth perhaps the ultimate mission: to determine why Earth hasn’t been contacted by aliens.  The elusive answer makes a fateful impact on Holmes and Watson: past, present, and future.       

Mini-Review # 28: It’s like reading a Sherlock Holmes mystery, as if were written by H.G. Wells.   In spite of this intriguing scenario, Robert J. Sawyer’s convoluted storytelling sabotages itself in order to set up a fitting conclusion.  Along with virtual reality technology far more akin to Star Trek: The Next Generation, this story’s time travel paradoxes will likely bewilder some readers.  And perhaps the less said about its preposterously thin line connecting reality to fiction (i.e. Watson as an unacknowledged Conan Doyle’s proxy) the better.         

Sawyer, in that sense, has concocted a sci-fi homage to Conan Doyle’s lasting resentment over reviving Holmes to merely placate immense public demand.  Though this story’s end packs a wistful tinge, the plot becomes too mind-bending (and self-serving) to make for a satisfying read.  5½/10 Stars.  

RECOMMENDATION:

For Conan Doyle afficionados, this anthology is either a mixed bag or a veritable treasure trove.  Regardless, in terms of its sheer quantity, readers most definitely get their money’s worth. 

Some tales supply innocuous sequels (i.e. “A Scandal in Montreal”) or offer speculations as to Sherlockian mysteries that Conan Doyle had merely teased.  Though most of these stories imitate his narrative style, the ones that may grab a reader’s imagination are ones taking worthwhile risks.  The flip side is an excess of déjà vu: certain themes (i.e. supernatural gore, international politics, etc.) reoccur making one inevitably compare authors, as to whom presents the better read.         

The pertinent question becomes: how far can one really stray from traditional Sherlockian storytelling before audiences hit their limit?  In several instances, shifting Holmes and Watson to different locales and sometimes far-off genres carries a timeless and strangely satisfying appeal.  Such results (at least, when taken in small doses) will make an intriguing experience for adult armchair sleuths. 

Among these twenty-eight tales, there are some dynamite must-reads (i.e. “The Adventure of The Other Detective”).  With thankfully few exceptions, the remainder aren’t anywhere close to dreadful.  However, two of them should be identified, if only as a heads-up.  Though several tales resort to potentially offensive gore, “Merridew of Abominable Memory, presents an implausible flashback too flawed to justify its repulsively wicked details.  Artistically condescending, “Murder to Music” is another misadventure where readers will likely find themselves wishing they were somewhere else than with Holmes and Watson.   

Considering the impressive ratio of good-to-bad, credit must go to John Joseph Adams for assembling a welcome variety.  For casual readers, this literary experiment-by-committee is indeed worth perusing, though it’s not necessarily a keeper.  Perhaps a library rental makes the most practical sense.  If anything, one may be compelled to rediscover Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original literary magic.         

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

After the table of contents, Adams’ introduction is followed by another: Christopher Roden’s “A Sherlockiana Primer” to further whet readers’ appetites.  Afterwards, Adams provides his acknowledgements.  More insightful is the bibliography revealing each story’s original anthology source.  The last entry is Adams’ single-page biography.     

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                            7 Stars

Categories
Books & Novels General Non-Fiction History & Biographies (Books) Humor (Books) Movies & Television (Books)

YES PLEASE

Written by Amy Poehler

SUMMARY:

First published as a 2014 hardcover, HarperCollins/Dey St. subsequently released Yes Please in paperback in 2015.  The book was then updated in 2018 for this 360-page mass market reprint.  Dedicated to her two young sons, actress/comedian/Saturday Night Live (SNL) alum Amy Poehler tries her hand as a humorist intermingling her self-analysis memoir with an assortment of anecdotes and self-help tips for grown-ups. 

Unleashing her distinctive brand of humor, Poehler begins with “Part One: Say Whatever You Want.”  With tales of her life starting out with childhood in suburban Boston, Poehler alternates with womanly advice segments, including her takes on giving birth, motherhood (as compared to Poehler’s more traditional mother), being a working mom, and touching upon her divorce from actor Will Arnett.  A supplemental chapter by her long-time SNL cohort and Late Night host, Seth Meyers, is also included.

Subsequent sections consist of “Part Two: Do What You Like;” and “Part Three: Be Whoever You Are.”  Including more tales of her pre-stardom improv background in Chicago and later New York City, Poehler provides advice regarding marriage, sex, and sleeping.  In the last section, she mostly concentrates on her professional life and life lessons she has learned over time as a celebrity.  Poehler also discusses her six-year stint as the lead actress on NBC-TV’s Parks and Recreation.  Her last entry describes her somewhat befuddled assessments of computerized technology, i.e. inadvertently sending a critical text to the wrong person.      

Note: This title is also available digitally and as an audiobook.

REVIEW:

Amy Poehler’s adult-friendly humor and off-the-wall spontaneity is imbued with an endearing charm, but a little tends to go a long way. Though hardly pretentious, her snarky, stream-of-consciousness writing style can make a reader’s eyes pop trying to follow along with an occasionally confusing narrative.  For the most part, Poehler at least presents a far more engaging and down-to-earth read than trying to absorb Jack Kerouac.  That is, if one doesn’t find her large quantities of musing hodgepodge filler to be increasingly tiresome.      

Per the industry standard, her publisher briefly collects critical quotes applauding Yes Please, but the general tone of these snippets are actually illuminating.  None of them claim that Poehler’s book is a modern humor masterpiece, but that she provides a welcome gift to her fans.  That’s really the most accurate assessment one can make of Yes Please

By no means merely a zippy self-philosophy lesson, Yes Please balances Poehler’s wit and mostly positive attitude with some relatable life lessons one can best learn from his/her own experiences.  Suffice to say, Amy Poehler’s vibrant personality drives Yes Please into a much better read than the actual content might have for somebody else.       

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

A table of contents is provided.  Including her 1977 kindergarten report card, a preface presents Poehler’s insights regarding the obstacles she faced as a novice author.  She then includes ‘instructions’ on how to interpret Yes Please’s context.  An assortment of black-and-white photos and an eight-page color insert are provided.  The book concludes with Poehler’s acknowledgements.     

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                    6½ Stars

Categories
Agatha Christie-Related Books & Novels Mystery & Suspense

HERCULE POIROT: THE PATRIOTIC MURDERS (aka ONE, TWO, BUCKLE MY SHOE)

Written by Agatha Christie

SUMMARY:

Per its original title, One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, this Hercule Poirot murder-mystery by Agatha Christie was first published in the United Kingdom in 1940.  Retitled overseas for American audiences as The Patriotic Murders, it was subsequently released in the U.S. the following year.  This 228-page Berkley paperback reprint was distributed in 1984.

In London (the exact year is indeterminate), Hercule Poirot’s mid-morning dental appointment with the respectable Dr. Henry Morley occurs as expected.  Yet, within two hours, Morley is shockingly found dead by gunshot in his private office. 

Later that same day, one of Morley’s other patients is also discovered dead from an evidently accidental yet lethal injection of dental anesthetic.  Inspector Japp and Scotland Yard are left to conclude that Morley chose to rashly commit suicide out of intense guilt, but Poirot isn’t convinced.  Too many prospective witnesses were present, not to mention too few other indications, to corroborate Morley’s fatal mistake. 

Soon afterward, yet another of Morley’s patients from that day vanishes upon leaving her hotel without a trace.  Unable to locate the elusive Miss Sainsbury Seale, even Japp must begrudgingly acknowledge that all may not be what it seems.  The confounded Belgian sleuth, meanwhile, ponders how these ominous events are linked to multiple assassination attempts on a fourth Morley patient: the wealthy and illustrious Alistair Blunt.

As England’s most influential banker and the symbolic crux of its old-school economic system, Blunt has a whole slew of potential enemies lurking out there.  Including his own niece’s potential fiancé, few, if any, would likely have any qualms seeing the banker eliminated to herald the United Kingdom entering a new financial age. 

A curious Blunt also wants the truth behind Morley’s inexplicable death exposed.  Hence, he quietly recruits Poirot to navigate a shadowy conspiracy scheme against Blunt entangled by impersonation, espionage, extortion, and England’s increasingly quarrelsome conservative and liberal factions.  Treating a familiar nursery rhyme more like a riddle, the legendary Belgian sleuth must persevere, if he is to unravel one of the most baffling whodunnits of his career.   

Notes: One, Two, Buckle My Shoe is accessible in multiple formats, including digitally. Its second alternate title is An Overdose of Death. Regarding this book’s gimmickry, ten lengthy chapters are divided into and titled as verses of the traditional nursery rhyme.  For no apparent reason, this mystery is Inspector Japp’s final appearance in a Poirot novel.  The 1992 televised feature-length adaptation is Poirot: Season 4, Episode 3, including Doctor Who’s Christopher Eccleston among its guest stars.

REVIEW:

As compared to iconic Hercule Poirot mysteries in Agatha Christie’s formidable repertoire, The Patriotic Murders is a middling entry.  Unlike some other disappointing Poirot whodunnits (i.e. The Hollow; Elephants Can Remember; There is a Tide …, etc.), it isn’t necessarily boredom or even exceedingly bad taste (as in the instance of Hallowe’een Party) stalking readers in The Patriotic Murders.  Rather, it is Christie’s outlandish plotting that ruins the novel’s otherwise intriguing premise.   

Intermingling her political and economic commentaries with the plot, Christie’s storytelling (including tidbits of humor) holds up well at least pass the mystery’s halfway point.  Unfortunately, that’s when a series of sinister twists start converging at a rapid pace leaving Blunt to wryly assess that Poirot’s series of conjectures sound too far-fetched.  Such skepticism is all too ironic projection upon Christie’s audience. 

Despite some initially reliable entertainment value, this Poirot caper relies upon too much eye-rolling contrivance to finally link all of its ‘big reveal’ details together.  The Patriotic Murders makes for a decent read for those preferring tidy, cookie-cutter solutions, no matter the lack of plausible loose ends.  For all others, the novel is readily forgettable afterwards.   

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

A table of contents is provided.  The nursey rhyme’s traditional lyrics are presented prior to the novel’s first chapter. 

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                         5 Stars

Categories
Books & Novels General Non-Fiction History & Biographies (Books) Movies & Television (Books)

THE GARNER FILES

Written by James Garner & Jon Winokur

SUMMARY:

First released as a hardcover in 2011 by Simon & Shuster, actor/producer (and self-described curmudgeon) James Garner co-wrote his 273-page memoir with professional scribe Jon Winokur. The book was published three years before Garner’s death in 2014 at the age of 86. 

Recounting his life’s journey, Garner (birth name: James Scott Bumgarner) starts with his turbulent youth growing up in Depression-era Oklahoma.  Though later chapters diverge on side topics, such as his passions for auto racing and golf, producing, his personal brand of politics, and a reluctant 1958 appearance on TV’s This Is Your Life, Garner’s account initially follows a linear path. 

With minimal parental supervision, Garner explains how he was essentially emancipated by age 14 and briefly joined the Merchant Marine just prior to the end of World War II.  Scrounging at various odd jobs before and after his Korean War stint, Garner wandered back and forth from his hometown in Oklahoma to Southern California. 

Sheer luck would land him his first Broadway role as a co-star to one of his big screen idols (and subsequent close friend), Henry Fonda, in The Caine Mutiny Court Martial.  As a struggling 28-year-old actor, Garner would soon marry Lois Clarke in 1956 beginning their 58-year union. 

Subsequent professional success ignited with his instant fame as the title character in the Maverick TV series followed by a series of memorable 1960’s films, including The Great Escape.  His impressive transition between films, television shows, and commercials would continue through the 1970’s, especially with his signature role as private detective ‘Jim Rockford’ on NBC’s The Rockford Files

Standing on principle, Garner describes his lawsuits against Warner Bros. over first escaping his Maverick contract and, years later, multiple lawsuits against Universal Studios over The Rockford Files. Meanwhile, Garner’s favorite hobbies, including golfing at various links worldwide, auto racing, and participating multiple times in the annual Baja 1000 race, are explored. 

Despite multiple lingering injuries impacting him throughout production of The Rockford Files, Garner’s workaholic attitude continued through the 1980’s, in films such as Victor/Victoria and Murphy’s Romance.  As the actor states, by now efficiently producing his own projects, he had become more selective of what scripts appealed to him and what projects he would decline (i.e. First Blood).     

Though not necessarily evasive, Garner discusses little of his family life as both husband and father.  Still, he acknowledges at least one marital separation and his battles with alcohol, smoking, and, briefly, a sampling of illicit drugs with John Belushi.  Garner also expresses his unpretentious feelings on the acting process, and by extension, his disgust with present-day Hollywood’s blend of condescension and shallowness. 

While well-regarded, both personally and professionally, he also relays his propensity for hot-tempered fits on the golf course, road rage, and multiple instances of fisticuffs.  For someone who claims to abhor violence and gunplay, the at-times ornery Garner conveys a complex personality, given his own experiences defending himself (or, at the very least, his sense of honor).    

In lieu of musing upon his lesser films and various projects late in his career (aside from 2004’s The Notebook), Garner supplies a filmography to briefly address his full body of credits.  For the most part, Garner, threads personal viewpoints on a variety of topics through his autobiography.  The experience is reminiscent of having a sit-down interview with him.  

Note: This title is available in these other formats: digital, audiobook, & paperback.

REVIEW:

Ironically, the front side jacket begins by describing Garner as one of Hollywood’s ‘all-time great leading men,’ which isn’t necessarily the actor’s own personal assessment.  Still, this bit of publisher’s gushing really isn’t that far off the truth. 

By Garner’s own admission, he headlined some classic Hollywood properties (i.e. The Rockford Files, Maverick, The Great Escape, etc.).  Garner also readily winces that, either by contractual obligation or merely later for the paycheck, he appeared in his share of awful films, too.  Hence, The Garner Files projects the actor’s candor and humility balancing his life’s successes, failures, and various obstacles in making his memoir a solid read.

Observations by Julie Andrews and Lauren Bacall, among others, are consistent describing Garner as a top-flight, old-school professional, with all the makings of a traditionally good-natured gentleman.  He is also someone that others foolishly crossed, and, by the actor’s account, Garner did not (and would not) back down, if provoked. 

While describing himself as an “average American,” tales of his glamorously expensive hobbies somewhat contradict that assessment.  Still, there is no mistaking that Garner’s perseverance and commitment to honest dealing readily merited his success, as well as a genuine legacy 21st Century Hollywood might only aspire to.         

For fans of Garner and/or Hollywood memoirs in general, The Garner Files is most likely a keeper.  For others, this memoir serves best as a standard, one-and-done library find.  Either way, The Garner Files offers welcome insights into one of the best Hollywood stars who evidently didn’t let iconic fame go to his head.  

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

Following a table of contents, one of Garner’s favorite co-stars, Julie Andrews, provides the introduction.  Garner supplies a brief “Dear Reader,” which aptly summarizes his attitude towards penning this memoir.  

An unusual 31-page supplement (frankly, it’s a classy form of padding) entitled “Outtakes,” supplies anecdotes from his family, friends, colleagues, and even random acquaintances who recount meeting Garner. 

For instance, Garner’s wife, Lois, presents her own version of their first meeting and short courtship in August 1956 prior to their marriage.  Also included are entries from Garner’s two daughters; Lauren Bacall; Tom Selleck; James Woods; Doris Day; Carol Burnett; Dick Cavett; Stephen J. Cannell; and an amusing ‘confession’ from Steve McQueen’s widow, Neile McQueen Toffel.    

Saved for last is Garner’s candid take on his career filmography, along with his appearances in television shows and TV mini-series.  Of particular interest are his own star ratings of his big-screen films and side notes working on various productions.  His insights are occasionally surprising and refreshingly blunt.    

There are also two sections of black-and-white photographs (one is eight pages and the latter is sixteen pages).  From his personal collection and those of family and friends, the photos appear in chronological order, but they don’t necessarily correspond to that section of the book. 

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                  7 Stars