Books, Reviews, Short Stories, Authors, Publicity, a little poetry, music to complement...and other stuff including politics, about life... "Books, Cats: Life is Sweet..."
The many changes I dedicated myself to undergo, has taken years of much patience, discipline, commitment and hard work, all for my well being.
Humility was the driving factor.
My art and books have been a healing of sorts for this journey of my life. They have given more meaning and reason to love the work, finding enjoyment and contentment and moments of serenity and peace.
It feels good to be in no competition with anyone. As I get older the most important ambition now is, to evolve into a better human being .
It's that simple. I've learned to follow my heart. And the spirit that moves inside of it, is calm and without hate and anger, and although the world has ways of robbing that, to anger me, it goes away when the sun goes down.
All day my mind is caught up, as I move around taking care of things, going here and there, taking care of this place and Homie the cat, in giving thanks for the blessings. Not for the things, but for the spirits of my ancestors holding me up, and for Grandfather for opening my eyes, and giving me understanding.
Lioj em chiokoe uttesia. Paas into waata.
Manny, thought I'd add one of my favorites which seemed to match and complement your prayer...
Manny Moreno, Author and Artist, is an ongoing contributor and friend at Book Readers Heaven... Thank you, Manny, for your beautiful words from your life!
"There was a chemical solution to all of America’s food needs, which had been whittled away for years and years and honed down with precision to train the public that everything they needed to put on the table for their family came in a box, bottle or can.”—Kenneth Eade, An Involuntary Spy
Conventional farming has contributed, more than anything, to the destruction of biodiversity. For example, there are only a few strains of conventionally produced fruits and vegetables in existence, and the loss of any of them to disease could eliminate these fruits and vegetables, such as the banana, from the earth. Genetically engineered foods are simply an extension of the murder of our planet’s biodiversity, by experimenting with combining the DNA of food with DNA from other organisms and contaminating the food supply.
Why? GMO foods can be patented. Large companies and wealthy individuals, such as Bill Gates, will eventually not only own most of the world’s farmland, but also the seeds for the entire world’s food supply. This is the elite’s idea of how to feed the world, and to make us completely dependent upon them for survival.
What Makes Genetically Engineered Foods So Bad? According to the World Health Organization, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are "organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in such a way that does not occur naturally." This technology is also referred to as "genetic engineering", "biotechnology" or "recombinant DNA technology" and consists of randomly inserting genetic fragments of DNA from one organism to another, usually from a different species. For example, an artificial combination of genes that includes a gene to produce the pesticide Cry1Ab protein (commonly known as Bt toxin), originally found in Bacillus thuringiensis, is forcibly inserted into the DNA of corn randomly. Both the location of the transferred gene sequence in the corn DNA and the consequences of the insertion differ with each insertion. The plant cells that have taken up the inserted gene are then grown in a lab using tissue culture and/or nutrient medium that allows them to develop into plants that are used to grow GM food crops. This Bt toxin acts as an insecticide within the plant, killing insects that feed on it, and its lethal effect on bees is the reason that GMO corn has been banned in Poland.
“The more we pour the big machines, the fuel, the pesticides, the herbicides, the fertilizer, and chemicals into farming, the more we knock out the mechanism that made it all work in the first place.” -- David R. Brower
As I said before, I am neither a doctor nor a nutritionist. I am an environmentalist who began my quest for improving the environment around me and my family about ten years ago.During that quest, I came to realize that, due to the poisoning of our environment, we are actually poisoning ourselves. And the most amazing pesticides have become an enduring feature of modern life, as they have been proven to increase yields in commercial agriculture. Insecticides have been very effective in controlling malaria and have saved many lives. In 2007, the world used more than 5.2 billion pounds of weed killers, insecticides, and fungicides to do everything from protecting crops to warding off malaria. Worldwide pesticide use has been on a steady increase since then.
But scientists have discovered that this widespread use of pesticides has also caused some serious problems. We cannot reasonably expect to introduce massive amounts of poison into the ecosphere without negative environmental effects. And our inundation of the biosphere with pesticides has eradicated many of the beneficial insects we need to break down wastes and provide a primary food supply for many animals, including birds, amphibians reptiles, and some mammals.
~~~
You know, Folks, we are a greedy nation. For Many of us, it probably is too late, me included. The long list of health issues included in this book have already attacked our bodies and have left us permanently impaired. Kenneth Eade, a lawyer by profession has the expertise and experience to do the research and to present scientific support in a short, but thorough documentary of what he has found. It begins with the basic physical issues that are controlled and/or affected. To many of us, myself included, that first part can be daunting to even consider reading. But, I've taken the time to present perhaps more than I normally would by excerpting the book, to allow you to see that his presentation gets to the point where we personally can understand and relate... Check out the highlighted physical ailments that are affected by these changes to our foods. If you have one of more of these ailments, like I do, you need this book, especially if you are young or middle-age and can choose to make changes to your eating habits.
With regard to your gut microbiome, simply put, if your microbiome is out of whack, which comes from ingesting food that feeds unhealthy or “bad bacteria” this will lead to fatigue, anxiety, depression, brain fog, headaches, acne, eczema, congestion, frequent headaches, colds and infection, and muscle and joint pain, and could lead to the development of more serious conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, metabolic syndrome, cancer, and other disorders. Balancing your microbiome, by consuming foods that feed your beneficial or “good bacteria” is the key to the prevention and even reversal of these diseases. Consuming the wrong types of foods, and medications such as antibiotics, on the other hand, contribute to the imbalance of the microbiome, which can put you at risk of a host of unpleasant conditions.
~~~
I found getting this book and having my great-niece, Rachel, who is my health caregiver now, discussing the same issues, to be another God Incident. In fact, I'm finding that most books by established authors are directing their research and subsequent writing to areas of concern that have been and/or are being negatively impacted daily now in America.
Eades presents a silent murder case for us--Our Own! I remember an NCIS program where a marine comes into the NCIS office and wants to report a murder. He had been poisoned and needed help to find an antidote before he succumbed to that poison.
I started my narrative by talking about the United States being a greedy nation. But there is something very unique in making that statement. We, the people, or a major percentage of us, are not greedy. This can be demonstrated by how easily it is to find a willingness to help in emergencies, disasters, or with personal needs of individuals. So where is the problem?
Well, recently I heard the justification for "something or other" was because we are a capitalist nation. If you wondered exactly how and why this type of statement can be used for declaring that a decision is alright, you need to read this book! It's less than $1 so the author is practically begging us to help solve what has happened in American, perhaps, at first, without intention, but, now...certainly...by intent!
I want to highlight one of my personal observations about living in America... I come from a single-parent household with a mother who seemed to work 24-7 just to keep us fed. We ate lots of flour-based foods which were tasty and filling. We bought chicken backs and necks and cleaned off the little meat on these parts to cook broth and make home-made noodles. We looked forward to our Sunday dinner because my Mom was a great cook... All of us had some type of weight or health issues starting at that early age through no fault of our own...
Now? When I walk into a grocery store, I am amazed... and appalled by the variety--the different types and flavors or what is available. Take just, for instance, cereals. There is one long fully filled row of different types of cereals available for purchase--in just that one store! For other items, for instance, a dish detergent, there are so many choices that we stand in front of another long row, wondering which one to buy. Simply because we have no ability to know what the difference is between each different option. Without extensive research.
In my opinion, this situation has come about because of the decision to permit genetically modified foods to be patented! I am not saying that all of these foods are bad for us; rather, I am saying that, because they have been modified, perhaps insignificantly, they can also be patented! That results in the many slightly different foods or other products, such as pesticides that are now available for sale in our local stores. Competition is higher than, perhaps, it needs to be?
In our conversation, Rachel showed me a program that she had downloaded that provided an evaluation of the issues related to a product. Cheerios, which I had routinely selected because it was supposed to have heart-health support, showed that there were several additives that made it less of a good choice!
Recently I purchased the product GoLo, for weight reduction assistance. What I found, however, was that this requires an entire diet of non-processed foods. Of course, I think Kenneth Eades would approve of this--but when I studied the foods information, I discovered and believe, that the average person cannot use this product on a sustained basis. Especially at my age, when my physical challenges are considered related to when and how I can buy food products. Can you imagine not being able to eat soups, as just one example because it is processed?!
What I do know is that, in my opinion, the evolution to where we are was, mostly, unintentional. But, like with the laws on guns, the proliferation of how food products are provided in America is now a costly and perhaps dangerous situation.
If you have many years ahead of you, have children and/or want to ensure longevity for you and your family, free from the diseases caused by some of the problems now in existence. Now is the time for you to read and learn more... Highly recommended!
Entertainment was the only thing that kept me sane during my teenage years. I watched films most days on VHS video. Steven Spielberg and George Lucas films were favorites. I started to study the film industry hoping to become a cinematographer. I even applied to film school in London. I had to give up that dream when I discovered my mother would not be able to afford the school fees for film school.
I decided to pursue another dream - music. At school I was part of the Caribbean Steel Band. The band was led by a Caribbean teacher that looked like Quincy Jones, the music producer. He was very strict with hours of rehearsal. Perfection was his thing. Losing his temper, if we hit the wrong notes. Doing school tours and events around Nottingham and the midlands. We had a great experience.
Music was always a big part of my life. I remember from a very young age spinning the records on the family record player. So many talented artists. So many classic records. The first record I bought for myself was by The Police. The group, the artist Sting started with.
My sisters would buy music every week. I can remember when I fell in love with Hip Hop. The Sugarhill Gang released, Rapper’s Delight,
a sample of the record "Good Times" by Chic.
In the late 1970's and early 1980's Hip hop and Dancehall music really started to get popular. Massive speakers. New electronic sounds and special effects would be booming from cars and houses. The youth of the day also had street parties. Outdoor music for free while kids danced in the street.
It was a friend of a friend, from a dance hall sound system that really got me into music production. My friend always looked out for me, giving me free music. He was a gadget white kid, kind as hell, and he knew music; like a librarian knows their books. Such a kind hearted guy. Lending me computer games like Atari, and so much music, from every genre.
My teenage years were lonely. I remember I would walk the streets with my Sony Cassette player, hoping I would bump into a stranger to make a new friend. I decided to immerse myself in music and studying everything, from the business side and music production. I wanted to be a record producer or artist, I still wasn't sure, but that kept me sane and busy.
I cannot deny the healing power of music. It got me through some really tough times. I was at the library every week. Learning about composing music and music production. I even read musician autobiographies, for inspiration. I was self-taught. I had all the time in the world to learn my craft. My mother helped buy equipment. I also got a job in a pizza restaurant to get money to buy music stuff when I was fifteen.
My part-time job was washing pots Music to me is where art meets common sense. Pop and Hip-Hop music was mainly four-four timing. Meaning four beats in a bar. It's basic math. I got really good, because I could program the drums. Then tap out the musical parts and change the notes to the correct notes to make sure the song sounded like the hits of the day. I spent many hours practicing, and did want to be part of the music industry, but the cards I was dealt in life made me realize, you can't always follow your dreams...
The 1970's were full of beautiful soul music. With so many solo artists and groups gracing the radio airwaves. It was a lot different to now. Music was an emotional and spiritual experience. Unlike the visual spectacle it is today. Artists really had to have talent and great songs for their talent to shine through. So many artists and classics have stood the test of time from the 1970's, so you will understand where I'm coming from. A majority of Hip-Hop songs came from samples of the 1970's musical legends like James Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic. The Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, James, Brown, Al Green, Motown, the list goes on. We also had a lot of Jamaican music in my house. Bob Marley, Gregory Isaacs, and Jimmy Cliff, were a few names I can remember. My parents never forgot where they came from, and gave us a variety of music to listen to.
~~~
For many children in America, we are bombarded with the entertainment options available. Clive Henry loved his beginning in school in the steel drum band and hoped to continue on in one way or another within the entertainment world. But reality often steps in early, especially related to money...and especially when a parent, Clive's Father, died early in his life. Even if life had not been all that it could be, when tragedy hits, it results in a child suddenly considering whether his (or her) dreams are even possible.
I already knew this, but each time I read that, within the homes of Black families in America, children are taught how to live with other boys and girls who are not the same color, it truly breaks my heart! For I always knew that Jesus had made children in both black, white and other colors. And He loved all of them equally.
Even though history shows how Blacks have been treated since they were forced to come to America to work for no pay, as slaves, most Americans know that the discrimination that began in the cotton fields of the south, has continued until today, no matter in which part of the country we live.
Clive chose to write his first book, mostly as a memoir. It is well written and shares much of his early life.
Trust Nobody Was My Motto
Clive and I are not so different, though... When we started working, we did a good job, often being promoted, until somebody makes things change...
With Clive, it happened much earlier than with me, and it definitely was because he was black (for me, it was because I was a woman in a male-dominated field). And Clive had his family's warnings about the real world in which we live/work... But Clive had gained sufficient self-worth to know he needed to do something--and not accept what was being done. The specifics related to a well-known company frankly, rings true as he writes it.
I know from feedback that I opened many eyes and minds, with what I did. I was also told that policy changes happened within... (name of company). In my mind I had lost everything, so had nothing to lose. I helped others see how wicked the law and these corporate companies could be. Social media was also a sense of healing. I was able to vent and educate at the same time. In 2012 there were high profile cases with people dying in Police custody. The Trayvon Martin case really hit home. Will Black people ever live a life that isn't filled with stress from the cradle to the grave? In 2013 the group called Black Lives Matter was formed. This was a global group born from the pain and destruction of Black life. It did not take me long to join the group in Nottingham to help. As I saw it. I'd experienced racism first hand in the workplace and within the legal system.
Clive Henry is correct. Racism is alive and well in America, sadly there is no way to predict where it might arise. I recommend you read Henry's story if you wish to gain specific knowledge and the way it occurs. Because if you care, you need to speak out. There is NO reason that this continues... But it does.
On the other hand, we did have some good results when a major act of discrimination was made and carried out in the news!
Kudos goes to Clive Henry for speaking out and acting to do something that affects him and so many others. Note that they didn't have the guts to remove the white woman...who continued to speak out... And, by the next day, the two Black ELECTED congressmen were back!
That's what we can do if we all speak out and act related to Racism. Read Clive Henry's story! Then speak out and vote to ensure that those of a political party which is out of control may be stopped. We see it. Clieve Henry and others FEEL the results! Support Henry and get his book and share and talk about it! Personally, I am ashamed that Mr. Henry's memoir had to be based on his own personal experiences! America has a long way to go, starting with God's commandment to love our neighbors!
Later that evening, sitting on the couch wide awake, I wasn’t much good for anything. The trembling had subsided, but I was still pretty nervy. In spite of what’s found in novels and on television programs, cops don’t engage in shoot-outs very often. PIs almost never. I couldn’t remember the last time I shot at something other than a target at the range. The scotch in my drink helped. So did the calming understanding presence of my good friend, Catherine McKerney. She returned to my side on the living room couch after changing the CD in the stereo. The music filled the room and my head. Symphonic. Something by Schumann, I thought.
“Do you want to talk about it,” she said softly. “No,” I said, but then I did talk about it. “Killing is so irrevocable. It’s so final. You can’t step back from that edge, find another route. Once you’ve killed someone that door is closed.”
“You sometimes tell me that even with a death, we are so good at finding information or clues, that no door is really closed.” “That’s true, of course,” I said. I laid my open hand on her thigh as if to reassure myself of her nearness. “But this guy leaves so many questions unanswered. We’ll learn who he is and who he worked for. But why did he try to run me down last week, if it was even the same guy? And who was he working for then? How much did he get paid to take me out? Does he leave a family behind?”
“So many questions,” Catherine murmured. “Did I tell you how very glad I am that we’re here together right now and I’m not visiting you in a hospital. Or the morgue?” We looked at each other.
Then Catherine picked up the thread of our examination. “Will the answers to those questions help solve your cases?”
“Some of them might. One of the questions with possibly an important answer is how he knew where I was this afternoon. Did he follow me from the office? Or was he lying in wait? Did somebody at Murchison call him in to try to rub me out?” I stopped and stared at the living room wall opposite. Then I stuck out my right hand and looked at the back. No tremors but my gut was still signaling me I was upset. A faint ache. “Do you want another drink?” “No, thanks. I’m as certain as I can be the truck was the same one that almost ran me down the other night downtown. That means I’ve been targeted for a while. I wish I could be sure it’s related to the murder of Gottlieb.”
“You seem pretty sure,” Catherine said. I looked up at her. She’d stepped into the kitchen to refresh her glass of wine. “I’m not sure I get you.” “Ever since we got home and you’ve started talking about these cases, you’ve used the singular. You haven’t referred to the cases, plural, as I just did. I think, unconsciously, your analytical brain has decided the murdered Gottlieb, the mysterious Ann/Anne, and the missing Market woman are all connected.”
Being a "little" disabled these days has allowed me to read faster than I can share and discuss them. So, since the next three by Carl Brookins in the entertaining Sean Sean Mystery Series, are all related to thefts, I'm going to go ahead and recommend the entire series to you!
The front cover of The Case of the Purloined Painting spotlights a murder which occurs as two men attack another, obviously looking for something, which the victim does not have. When the man is pushed over a railing and plummeted to his death, the two looked over and then, turned, and left, as if nothing had happened... But somebody had seen what had happened, hurried to the body, picked up an object and also turned away, also leaving the man with little concern!
And while this is happening, Sean is meeting with a new client who wants him to deal with a missing person, a woman the man had only recently began to date...
So, how does murder, a missing person, plus a painting come together into an intensive mystery? Simple... Sean Sean, PI, is on the job!
“Works for me. But first why don’t you tell me what you know and what you think.” McKinley looked mildly surprised and then the planes of his face relaxed and I got a definite feeling that he was softening, starting to think of us as closer to a collaboration. And that was a good thing. I wanted his perspective on the old case. “It was in July that year. The department knew the railroad was bringing a car stuffed with old money through town and we expected a shipment of old paper from the Federal Reserve in Minneapolis to come here by truck. But the truck was delayed so it wasn’t part of this.” McKinley shuffled a copy of a newspaper over to me. It had big headlines and a photo that showed a street scene with a couple of people and a single car parked at the curb. “I’ve got a map in here but this is the street where the thugs rolled up and just started shooting. In the service I would have called it suppressing fire. Made everybody keep their heads down.
“Meanwhile, across the street and half a block down another vehicle rolls up to the train siding where the Railway Express and their guards are waiting. More shooting and the two guards are killed. They never had a chance. One guy jumps out of the truck into the railroad car and starts tossing out those canvas bags they used to use, you’ve seen ‘em?” I nodded. Only in pictures, but I knew what he meant. McKinley took a swig of coffee—he’d forgotten my water—and went on. “Four, maybe five bags of the cash. Then the first car with the rest of the gang rolls up. The truck made a U-turn and they took off down the street heading south on Concord. About that time, a rookie cop named Ed Washington runs into the street from around the corner. He has his gun out and probably shouted for them to stop. They gunned him down.”
“So I count seven guys in the gang—four in the car and three in the truck. What happened to them?”
Old Money had surfaced--a couple had begun a renovation at their home garage and had found the buried stash... Soon as the work started, people started to ask questions, some just friendly neighbors but others who claimed to be inspectors or for other reasons had the right to check out what was happening in the back yard... Actually, it was found by their dog who, upon seeing ground being dug up, found a very old gun and their child picked it up, carrying it into the family's home... Was the gun buried because it was used to murder during a heist? The Kava family came to Sean to guide them on what to do--only thing is, Sean later learned that Kava's wife had a secret that may affect how to move forward. Was it that secret that resulted in both parents being killed, leaving their son an orphan?
Upon investigating it was discovered that the money was indeed old and the timing seemed to possibly be money taken during a train robbery... I enjoyed seeing the name of a distant relative, through marriage, of John Dillinger, a notorious gangster who was part of the family into which my mother's sister married! (And, no, none of that supposed money acquired by Dillinger ever made it all the way down to the John Dillinger who became my uncle...LOL
Well, as you can see, Sean had to do some serious study of train robberies that may have happened in the St. Paul area, figuring it would be an easy grab and run... A great historical story was the outcome of Sean's research and an exciting, complex story that leads to a dangerous vehicle and foot chase with Sean following and hoping some of the calvary got there quickly!
The guy sprawled on my office floor was dead. I didn’t need my years of experience as a private snoop to know that. The big bloody hole in his bare chest clued me in. The recently deceased was about seventy, I judged, and portly, overweight, even. He was a white man wearing expensive sandals and what was probably an upscale pair of boxer-style swimming trunks. They looked dry, but I didn’t touch them to verify that. I sniffed. The blood smell was strong and the dark pool under his right shoulder was just starting to congeal. I didn’t smell any gunpowder. I recognized him, of course. I stepped carefully around the body to avoid getting blood on my favorite tennis shoes and picked up my recently acquired cell phone to dial 911. After that I called my friend Ricardo Simon, an experienced investigator with the Minneapolis PD. I sometimes talked with him about puzzling aspects of my cases. I wasn’t your typical taciturn PI who viewed every cop as a potential enemy. I was atypical in a lot of ways. I often wore red Converse, for example. The ones with white soles. “Detective Simon,” he answered. “Sean,” I said. “You remember my case involving diamond smuggling?” “Of course.” “My principal suspect’s dead. In my office. Large-caliber gunshot to the upper chest.” “Preston Pederson? Wow. Did you kill him?” “No, I just found him.” “Call 911?” “Of course.” Ricardo hummed for a few seconds, then said, “Appears you’ll have to revisit your case while reordering your thinking. Hmm. Stay in touch.” “Thanks,” I said and clicked off. This case was getting more and more complicated. The case to which I referred started a few weeks ago in a suburb of Saint Paul. Actually, the case started years ago, in a previous century and about six thousand miles to the west. But I’m getting ahead of myself...
Sorry, I've not presented these books in order... I started with one, read it, got another, then...you get the idea. Anyway, by the time covered in this book, Sean is practically living with Catherine, his love interest...
My pardner is the tall, willowy and wealthy massage therapist Catherine Mckerney, holder of profitable massage contracts and owner of a massage therapy school and a bunch of stocks. Her dad had left Catherine well-enough fixed, but being a smart cookie and not one to rest on her well-formed backside, she bought a massage school and turned a documented need into a lucrative operation that gave her a very comfortable living, something I was willing and able to share.
What? Shocked? I made a reasonable living as an independent PI. I shuffled about and took care of business just fine. But there was no fancy mansion on Lake of the Isles, no Bentley in the garage. No Pontiac GTO, for that matter. I had my little office on Central Avenue, and I had my practice, and as long as Catherine Mckerney would put up with my shortcomings and my demented wit, we had a fine relationship. It’s called love, I think.
I wheeled into the underground garage at Catherine’s abode, then zipped up to the fourth floor and down the well-carpeted hall to our apartment. As I went I admired the fine prints on the walls between doors. The doors were widely spaced because the apartments on the fourth floor were roomy, sporting multiple bed- and other rooms. Catherine liked her space, and as I might have mentioned, whatever Catherine likes...
Inside, I discovered I was alone save for the blinking light on our joint telephone service. I was something of a reluctant techno user. I had a regular “blower” in my office, one of those units that squatted on a desk. With wires hooking it to the wall. It had a letter and number dial, and you picked up the hand piece and talked into one end while listening to the other. There was an extension here in Catherine’s place and another in my Roseville palace, my address of record. Catherine had a cell phone. I owned one but most emphatically did not carry it. Who wanted to talk on the telephone while driving somewhere? Not me. Maybe I was prejudiced because, not that long ago, I helped an EMT after a bad multi-car accident on a freeway at the edge of the city. I had the misfortune to help collect body parts. One of the parts we collected was the hand and wrist of one of the three dead drivers. The fingers still clutched a cell phone.
So, with the telephone arrangement, I knew I could answer the blinking summons because it was our telephone service. I picked up the mobile unit and ambled into the kitchen while I retrieved the call. There was only one. It was my sultry-voiced lover, Catherine herself. “I miss you, sweetie. And I have to postpone tonight’s dinner date. Some things at the school need my immediate attention. I’ll make it up to you. There are leftovers in the fridge. I should be home by eleven or so and then we’ll have some fun.” Her voice dropped almost an octave, and she sort of growled at me when she hung up. It was very stimulating.
Before Catherine and I came together after a chance meeting at a symphony ball affair, I would have gone out for a quick supper or back to my office with a beer and brat takeout. Something like that. Catherine had modified my eating habits so I was healthier. I checked the refrigerator, went and changed and slipped down to the basement pool to do a few laps. After laps, supper consisted of a large plate of cold broiled chicken, a bowl of cole slaw and a very nice crisp Sterling Sauvignon Blanc. The Napa Valley variety. Later, about eleven-forty or so, just as I was dozing off after having watched Charlie Rose interview somebody important, the other side of our big bed sank a bit and a long-legged, naked siren slid under the covers and began making free with my body.
Got to tell you, this was my favorite, the byplay between Sean and Catherine is fun and extraordinary. Ok, I may be prejudiced, but in my "reading" experience, I don't recall that a rich woman willingly enjoyed a relationship with a guy making less money. You're right, it's normally the other way around. But, the key thing for both of these people was their self-confidence. They enjoyed each other's company and had fallen in love--so they strutted their stuff whenever and wherever they were seen...
And the the only thing that Catherine demanded was that Sean NOT wear his red Keds when they were dressing for a ritzy evening. LOL
There is more than one diamond involved--in fact, there were many gems being secretly stolen and then smuggled to America to sell... That was one concern for Sean...but solving the associated deaths that occurred was his greatest concern.
This wonderful series is character-driven. Sean Sean is funny, a fantastic Private Investigator and shares his love freely and openly. The two of them as a couple have a relationship which is full of quips to each other and, yet, it is clear that they are deeply committed to each other. The mysteries are unique in type and each provides the reader a story into which they can sink and enjoy watching a pro work his magic...
And this all happened due to the pro that has written the series--Carl Brookins. Many kudos for a writer that creates not only great characters but one who keeps you interested to the very end. Enjoy!
Early dawn and the stillness Awakens within a brightness Silence is deceptive The Earth is receptive Every soul yearns for healing Reeling from eons of ill feeling
The time is now for peace It is time for wars to cease May we at last become as one Every being become golden
For far too long the Earth has bled Over millennia peace has fled Reject old ways and pave the way
Put all your enmities away Embrace the possibilities Accept the bounty of beauties Creation has so long offered Eternity has now proffered
Happy Easter! Thanks to Regis Auffray for another contribution of his wonderful poetry here at Book Readers Heaven! And for those of you who, like me, love a good ole Singspiration! I hope I've provided both the old and some new songs for your to celebrate HE IS INDEED RISEN! JESUS IS RISEN!
Ricky Burns’ twenty years as a New York City Homicide Detective were coming to an end. He was conflicted about his retirement, after all at forty-two he didn’t feel ready to give up the job he loved. As a cop, Ricky survived two shootouts and was the first guy the Department went to on the tough, grittier cases. He was smart and had been lucky to stay alive. His former partner was shot and crippled in one of the shootouts, and another detective on his team was dead and gone. When his eleven year-old son came to him, tears welled up in his eyes, and said, “Dad, what if you don’t win the next one?”, smart money told Ricky to take his pension and get the hell out of Dodge. So whether he was ready or not, he put in his papers and prepared to start chapter two of his life.
It wasn’t easy for Ricky to clean out his desk and walk out of Major Case for the last time. The handsome detective spent more than twenty years of his life policing, and despite his son’s encouragement to leave while he could get out whole, abandoning his work bothered him more than he expected. He was still young enough to begin a new career, but the only thing he really loved was solving cases and making a difference. He decided to get his license and become a private investigator. Sitting alone in his small apartment, he agonized over what was next for him. That’s when he got the phone call that changed everything. It had always been a dream of his to live on a houseboat. Every time he passed the 79th Street Boat Basin over the years, he’d thought about it. Jake Sloan, an old buddy of his, moved to Florida ten years prior. He’d invited Ricky to visit so many times, but he had no interest in Florida and he’d never taken advantage of the offers. Now Jake, who knew Ricky had retired, was on the phone with a proposition. He owned a houseboat on Indian Creek in Miami Beach. Because it sat empty, it had been burglarized twice. He wanted Ricky to come live on the houseboat. He wasn’t asking for rent; he only wanted Ricky to be there to keep an eye on it. As long as Ricky lived there, he’d never pay rent. Ricky said he’d give it some thought.
Two ex-wives with hands out for monthly alimony and child support meant Ricky had little time to decide where to go and what to do. His pension was half of what his salary was and that just wasn’t going to cut it. He figured he didn’t have to live in New York to do private investigations, and with his reputation he hoped to have all the work he could handle. That houseboat surely sounded good though. Living on a houseboat was a long-time dream of his, and rent-free was tempting. The more he thought about it, the better it sounded. They were expecting a bitter winter in New York, so “What the hell,” he said out loud. “I’m moving south.”
~~~
I so enjoyed Laurence's last mystery (check out link to that book in the right-hand column) that I got this next book and read in a few hours! This time, Laurence had joined with writer Jerry Lyons and dubbed the book A Ricky Burns Mystery...
I hope that is because there will be more featuring Ricky Burns. You will see that Lyons' previous life in law enforcement has resulted in a leading character that is well worth moving toward an ongoing series...
Perhaps, though, more in the mystery phase than in the legal arena. You see, Laurence is known for being "extraordinary..." She has tried many things in her career and is outspoken when she has opinions, normally strong opinions. In setting the mystery within the criminal justice system as a whole, readers may find that her bias--which in most cases, matches my own--is showing. Is it a spoof? Satire? Or is it just a very real interpretation of just how badly the criminal justice system has sunk and how prejudices, the stereotypical processes by which legal officials make snap judgments about who is guilty, is shown through a critical, exaggerated level of incompetence? It is so extreme, it is almost humorous, but not, because it seems genuine as the police, crime scene specialists and attorneys presents their parts to we readers.
Note: This video was selected mostly because of length and topic, the problem has been identified for years...
Having come to know Laurence through her words, frankly I have no doubt, the ironic comparison between the prosecution and the defense is so well done that we want to start getting into the events that are happening and try to help...Lol... Seriously!
Ricky Burns, the lead character, has just taken early retirement from a major position in law enforcement. He has been involved in the normal danger that is faced by all good cops so much so that his son had begun to worry and asked him to retire. But Ricky wasn't really ready to retire... On the other hand, he knew his son had a right to be concerned. Was a change the best thing? Who knows what might have happened if a long-term friend had not contacted him and offered to have him live on his boat, rent free, just so the boat would have some security... Burns had always considered becoming a PI some day, and it suddenly turned out to be financially feasible as well as help to keep peace in his family life...
The book does not say whether his son ever was told that the very first case involved a double murder and, based upon the actions of the police, Ricky found himself right in the middle of solving the case--by himself!
There had been a shooting. Two men were found, dead, another, injured, in a car near a local club. A club at which Miami Demons Wide Receiver, Ron Ramirez, just happened to be. Mr. Ramirez had been in the news lately, when he had signed a forty-million dollar contract with the Demons, with a twenty-four million dollars guaranteed upfront.
Jay Kirschman, Ron's defense lawyer, had contacted Ricky to see if he would work as the investigator on this high-profile case. So when Ricky heard about the case and that the client was a multi-million dollar athlete, there was no question in his mind. He was in and both Jay and Ricky hoped that Ron was innocent, but with him willing to pay in advance, Ricky was already anxious to get started! And he looked forward to working with Kirschman; and working with his beautiful assistant, Collette, to whom Ricky was immediately attracted.
Often when individuals are violent people, they are sometimes caught in situations where they claim to be innocent. And this was the case with Ramirez. But as the three individuals handling the case, they felt that at least Ramirez was trying to help rather than hinder their work to defend him...
“Okay, man. Take it easy. I just want to tell you something that can’t get out of this office. I wanna come clean, but I don’t want it to come back and bite me in the ass.”
“All three of us are here to get you out of these murder charges. No one will ever hear or read what you tell us,” Jay reassured him. “I can only speak for us, though, Ron. If you have or do tell others, that’s on your watch.”
“You gotta believe I’m innocent when you talk about the murders, but so’s you’ll believe I’m not lying, I’ll tell you this. I did kill a guy a while back. It was what I had to do to get into a gang. I was young and didn’t believe I’d ever get out of the ‘hood. I wanted my back and my family to have protection and that was the best way to get it. You people don’t get it, I know, but it’s a way of life.”
Jay sat forward in his chair and asked, “Who’d you kill?” “I shot James Bacon. He was a piece of shit that had been trying to move in on my posse’s territory. I don’t think anybody even remembers it now. It’s been five years.”
“There’s no Statute of Limitations on murder,” Ricky warned. “Yeah, so?” Ramirez asked. “Just make sure you realize that. Keep it to yourself, we’ll keep it to ourselves and if no one else decides to out you, we’ll be fine.” Jay added.
“Not something I’m likely to bring up in small talk, but I wanted you to believe me when I told you I did not kill those two guys!” Jay nodded and asked Ron to go back to the night of the murders and relate exactly what happened.
The story as Ramirez told them was going to be one where Ricky would have to work to find out as much information as he could. The police had already tied Ramirez to the hit, figuring that it was all related to drugs and one group hitting another... They just needed to name somebody and close the case... Or that was what they thought until the trial actually started and all the work by Ricky began to be shared.
There are a few issues that came to me as I was reading. Yes, I'm a fan of legal thrillers and know quite a bit about procedure. For one, no bail was considered. Ramirez was out free and even, got into a violent incident that resulted in a shot through the eye of another man. But neither of the men were saying anything about what had happened. As mentioned above, the prosecutor's case was shoddy and was revealed during the trial. Interestingly, though, there is at least one or more individuals who were working with Ricky who wanted to get to the real truth. And they had tried to proceed to merge new facts into the case being presented. These efforts were stopped by higher levels of the court.
I enjoy writers who make an effort to pinpoint problems within government, the criminal justice system, and other areas where ethics, truth and a right to a fair trial is spotlighted. America still has major problems, both with police brutality and the lack of controlled access to guns and other means by which violence can be performed. Laurence and Lyons has perhaps been too top-heavy in illustrating that the defendant was being hurried through the system without concern about who actually killed two thugs that were known individuals in gangs or drugs. But, in doing so, the point was clear and the way a criminal case should be handled is perhaps educational to those who are not as familiar with the rule of law and instead work to blame others in order to keep their own freedom.
By the way, there's a bit of secretive romance going on to break up the drama. I was impressed with both the characters of the defense lawyer as well as Ricky Burns, the PI... Hopefully, this pairing of authors will continue for at least a couple more books. Criminal Justice certainly needs to be better handled by having our citizens aware and watching... Reality Must Change! Fiction should not be how we learn Right from Wrong, don't you think?
