Speaker of Mandarin by Ruth Rendell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This Wexford mystery is odd in half of the book being in one location and then shifts and stays in another location and tries to relate the two.

The first half is a bit of a tour of China in the early ’80s. Lots characters and stories of each.The writing of China is very good. The character profiles are standard mystery fare.

Then there is death. Per chance it involves all who were profiled. Including Wexford. Now Wexford goes back and re-studies those he had seen months earlier in China. Lo and behold! All become available. I find this very hard to believe.

The mystery also bugs me in that with a couple of tweaks the story didn’t have to have anything to do with China to begin with. I guess the book’s location gave Rendell reason to travel.

Rendell does include a bunch of twists and turns that are very well done. She was a very good writer and that comes through, what I find a rather improbable tale.

Nevertheless it is good, viewing the book as two stories.

Bottom line: I recommend this book. 6 out of ten points.

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I’ve been chosen by Jeff Parker to post seven of my favorite books, no explanation, no words.

Well, you get words anyway:
This is an exceptional book of agriculture, Orange County and Florida history. Henry Swanson has laid out extensive, well-written and thorough history of the all facets of the agriculture business in Orange County. He even get into the public policy process and who has been involved. It’s an amazing work.
Swanson was also a neat guy who had a heck of a butterfly garden!

Dead Shot by William W. Johnstone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Usually the second book in a new Johnstone Clan series takes a step down. Not in this case. This book takes a turn from the typical Johnstone romp into a more complex story where not all goes as planned and an intriguing story unfolds.

The story starts with Jensen riding in to collect a bounty only to find the bank robbed and his bounty in the sacks. So he’s got to get it back if he wants the dough. A couple of extras get wrapped into the chase and a great plot with lots of fun is presented. I really like this approach of fun and adventure.

The writing is a bit better than other Johnstone than the many dozen of Johnstone books I’ve read, as are the characters. The settings are written in usual fashion.

Bottom line: I recommend this book. 9 out of 10 points.

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Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a collection of poetry entirely involving cats by Eliot. I happen to reall like kitties, so this should be a favorite. I’m just not overly nutty about Eliot’s prose. My favorite of the lot is ‘Macavity, the Mystery Cat’. Otherwise most of it fell flat for me. A bit more zing and clever turns of words would’ve sold me more.

But, if you like kitties as I do, this should be in your library.

Bottom line: i recommend this little book. 7 out of ten points.

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Luke Jensen, Bounty Hunter by William W. Johnstone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Johnstone Clan of writers do tend to present their best in the opening salvo of the series. It’s done again with this book.

The writing is OK and the story is good. Much better than most Johnstone Clan books mostly due to the story having very different settings than nearly all Johnstone Clan books. This has a good part of it set in Georgia. A very refreshing change. As is the more complex story intertwining the War Between the States, a series of great Johnstone characters and well worked out plot. Though, for me, the story was rolling so well in Georgia, i wish it had stayed there.

Bottom line: i recommend it: 7 out of 10 points.

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Take a Murder, Darling by Richard S. Prather
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I do not give the 5 stars easily. But I couldn’t think what is wrong with this book. The story is mapped out in clever twists and turns and comes out in a direction most all readers would never have thought. Best of all Prather took this crackerjack story and molded it into 160 pages. Today, a similar book, would be 500 pages.

Prather has his Shell Scott character in prime shape with one-liners and many a scrap. It all starts in one location with a dead body and then flashbacks to come back to the start. The characters are crackling on the pages. One could point out there are, what today would be called, stereotypical characters, but these are so well done. Yes, there is some, but not a lot of character development, but it isn’t needed in a story like this.

The character dialogue is excellent. I love the patter between Scott and, his pal, Samson. There is also very, very good setting description.

Bottom line: I recommend this book. 9 out of ten points.

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Mark of the Shadow by Walter B. Gibson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love how Gibson winds and blends The Shadow into a story. It’s so well done. This story is well done, but there are logic issues with it. The Reader, knowing of The Shadow’s abilities has to be perplexed when Gibson uses him in some places and not others. If “The Shadow knows” then The Shadow could have solved this mystery within a hand full of pages and the book would have been done. Alas, surely Gibson had page number requirements and so he cheats the reader and prolongs the story.

Further adding to prolonging is something named “CYPER”, another literary device to add pages but never any real explanation and questions at the end.

Overall I like the story and loved The Shadow, so i will set aside these issues.

Bottom line: i recommend this book. 7 out of 10 points.

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Suicide Mission by William W. Johnstone
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Another in the non-series of Wild Bill Elliot vs the bad guys. I don’t know why this isn’t an official series. There are a whole set of these and should be. The Johnstone Clan have so many series. What’s one more?

This is much like others with drug cartels out to destroy America, as they are, but adding middle eastern types aiding the effort. which they also are. The reality slides away as one person is asked to help find one involved and then that one person goes out to build a team to really go after the bad guys. What happens next is more than far fetched, but fun to see the bad guys in trouble, as we have never seen happen.

One big problem with the book is a lengthy short story length background stories of each helping Wild Bill. Far more information than needed, though each is an interesting story. Here the Johnstone trademark great character development goes too far. Each story is so interesting, maybe this should have been a short story collection.

The writing is Ok. the settings are better than most Johnstone books.

Bottom line: I recommend this book: 6 out of ten points.

The Trail of the Florida Circuit Rider by Charles T. Thrift, Jr.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a well written history of the Methodist circuit rider into Florida and all they contributed to what we know of Florida today from cities to colleges. Documented are how most of our best known Florida colleges were started by Methodists.

Thrift covers the early 1800s to publication date, 1944, very well with very good references and insights. His insights are from a Southerner’s perspective and might catch readers of today off guard, who tend to be more of a more narrow mind and lacking historical perspective.

Unfortunately there is no map, but there is an index.

Bottom line: I recommend this book. 8 out of ten points.

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First United Methodist Church of Winter Park 1885 – 1995 by James D. Allen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is an updated and rewritten version of the 1970 history book of the Winter Park Methodist Church. This one is not as well written, but the focus more on the church and less of the back story, making book books a good combination to read. The author does a good job of placing even more focus of the history of the church since the 1970 version to the 1995 publication date.

There is an explanation of the stained glass windows and other sanctuary symbolism that is far better laid out than the 1970 version.

Bottom line: I recommend this book. 7 out of ten points.

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