When the Whippoorwill by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A compact volume of a handful of short stories by Florida writer, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings.
Rawlings’ tales tell of the average Joe in Florida before all of the concrete and asphalt.

As I started writing this, I started thinking how I had more to say than I am really capable to type.
That’s when my new podcast came to mind.

So, Swampy’s Florida podcast #8 is my first book review podcast!
In it i had to also add background information and the like.
Hope the podcast might get more to read Rawlings.
I’ll probably do podcasts for all of the Florida based books I review.

Here is it.
https://anchor.fm/swampysflorida/epis…

I did forget to give the book a rating in the podcast. Oops!
Here it is here:

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

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Shake Hands Forever by Ruth Rendell
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Ruth Rendell is not one of my favorite authors or one of my favorite British authors. I have most of her library and hope eventually get through it all. Here’s the latest read.

This is an odd book. Wexford is solving a case through part of the book and then not through the rest. The reasons why make no sense. He had more than probable cause to continue the investigation. The reaction of his higher ups were more along the lines of reason for arrest. Adding to an other wise contrived plotting, which is what I seem to find in the Wexford series.

It’s the second half of his lone wolf efforts that get improbable as Wexford finds other methods to investigate, that logically he could have done himself. The arrangement of this is goofy and, again, makes little sense. Especially qwhen he takes vacation time with his wife and basically abandons her with others.

The resolution isn’t satisfying as it’s obvious Wexford had all of the pieces to begin with. That would be fine if Wexford was a cook or writer or cupcake maker. But Rendell has him as an officer of the law. At a higher level than a rookie. Seems to me he couldn’t have missed the obvious. What it seems to me is Rendell was trying to present a story with a bundle of twists and went way too far.

The writing is good and the characters distinctively portrayed. Rendell just blew it with convoluted plotting.

Bottom line: i don’t recommend this book. 4 out of ten points.

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Deadly Beloved by Max Allan Collins
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I have expected to like Max Collins writings, but have only cared for a couple. This is another that flopped for me. An obviously over structured effort to present a plot that is good, but very poorly written. The bad guys are obvious from the start. Here’s another Collins book that suffers from his comics writing. The tale is more comic book than novel.

My complaints of Caspary’s ‘Bedelia’ are the reverse here. Needed here is a much more involved and looser novel with well written characters , descriptive settings (It’s Chicago!) and exploring the expanse of the bad guys. Instead this is a lengthened short story that begs for more. This is what I’ve found in other Collins’ work. It’s almost as if he’s afraid to write more.

Bottom line: I don’t recommend this book: 4 out of ten points.

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Bedelia by Vera Caspary
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A rather over written tale that could have been far more powerful with 20 less pages.
Caspary starts off very well pacing in a series of characters that sets up the reader for what follows. Questions swirl and soon accusations. By that point the repetition sets in. As realization sets in, the self doubt is over indulged by Caspary and bites into the mystery and tension. Also, as the pages drag on an obvious conclusion is seen ahead. Thus, the ending was of no surprise. Worse, the tale abruptly ends leaving a blatant loose end raising the question is it all was necessary.

Thus, I found the plotting very lacking. The writing is good. But many of the characters were very similar. The only real interesting one is the name sake of the book.

Bottom line: I don’t recommend the book. 5 out of ten points.

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Winchester 1887 by William W. Johnstone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Johnstone Clan ghost writers can be good bad and all points in between. In this case, the writer is very good. This is the type of story i’d like to read again involving Smoke Jensen. It’s very involved, with very good plotting and writing. I wish the dialogue a bit better, but that the more simplistic is a staple of the Johnstone series. Again, is a Johnstone book with another staple: Very strong characters. There is a large variety in this novel.

The story is a continuation of the first book in the series, which I have not read. This book starts from many different directions and, expectantly, comes together along the way. How that happens has many twists and turns and left me wondering how it would or could all end.

The wondering of the ending is a particular oddity in the Johnstone Clan series. It’s usually known basically how Johnstone books will end. The common predictability today didn’t happen early in all the series when Johnstone, himself, was really involved.

The shoot ’em ups are also fewer here as a strong plot and storytelling is the foundation. Though guns are of particular focus throughout. That should be ecpeted with the title. i expected far more focus of the guns in the novel.

The setting descriptions are superior to other Johnstone Clan books. The narrative, over all, is superior.

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

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Batman: Odyssey (2011-2012) #7 by Neal Adams
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Note: As part of my profession and training involves cartooning and comics, I’m trying to include these in my reading material. I’m trying to read something of graphic novel length a month.

Here’s part 1 of the second set of …No, it’s the 7th part of a 2 part of a… No, it’s….Frankly, in this case, it doesn’t really matter.

This mini-series, or whatever it is, seems a matter of DC Comics/Warner Brothers/ AOL/ etc./etc. handing Neal Adams a check to do whatever he wanted. Earlier efforts should’ve had DC attach some controls. Adams went about re-re-creating Batman and much of what else he created while at DC Comics. Apparently things went long and two parts of two sets of comics were created. This review if of the first of the second set.

It’s pretty clear with the second offering that Adams or someone realized the tale needed to be straightened out a bit. After six issues of utter confusing mess, this issue has quite a bit of explanation in it. But it’s trapped in the worse, so far, of Adams’ inability to tell a story as woman chop through walls, apparent convicts being slaughtered, more seemingly endless unfocused dialogue and Batman riding an enormous bat among dinosaurs.

Wasn’t this reviewed before publication? Did no one suggest psychological treatment for Adams and every single person who let this get printed? How on earth did this see print? ….I ask again.

The artwork is better than the latter part of the first set of this series. But, I am now subtracting for that as it’s clear waaaaay too much time was spent drawing and not enough time given to creating a decent story to tell.

Bottom line: i don’t recommend this book. 2 out of ten points.

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The Clique: The Manga by Lisi Harrison
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Note: I’m trying to read more comics related material as I continue to create such material. As i travel and I find such material free or for a few bits, I’m picking it up, plan to read and then hand over to a friend. This is one such volume.

This is a disturbing lot. First this story is supposedly about 12-13 year olds. The illustrator failed that task miserably. As drawn, these are 6 foot kids with 4 feet of legs. I get the manga style tactic, but I have seen other manga and not seen this effort of elasticizing.

The writer fails to illustrate 12-13 years olds by, as the illustrator did, writing of 20 year olds than dumb kids. Adding to this is no background to any of the characters but for the main character. So there is no real foundation for the actions written. Apparently there is a written novel of all of this. Maybe more involved characters are there. If this is written for young people to read, this is an irresponsible action. The book is more surreal in portrayal than real.

As written here, there are no dumb kids. The parents are portrayed in foolish ways. With the exception of the main character’s mother, who is the only one competently written and illustrated. This is also the only character that is likable. The rest, including the main character, are either nasty or so shallow to be meaningless.

There really isn’t a story. Basically the length is devoted to antics involving the above. There is something involving one being particularly snotty. I thought a story would spark from that. Instead it began a tit for tat exchange that was empty.

Bottom line : i don’t recommend this book. Especially not for young people. 2 out of 10 points.

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In a Small Motel by John D. MacDonald
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A thrilling short story by MacDonald set in south Georgia that is set in a favorite spot of the author. He wrote a number of books and short stories set at the roadside motels and all illustrate life as it was for owners of facilities during the late ’50s through the ’60s. This one reminded me initially of, a favorite of mine of MacDonald’s, ‘Crossroads’. But the truncated structure has this tale develop differently and takes angles not quite expected.

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

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Black Caesar’s Clan : a Florida Mystery Story by Albert Payson Terhune
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I see Terhune’s expertise was dogs. Well, he sure as heck knew Florida at the time of this writing, too. His description of a mangrove swamp is one of the best i’ve read in fiction. He nails all sorts of details and writes of actual locations that existed at the time. Excellent job of portraying Florida around 1920. Pre-Boom.

One error he made was writing of the structure that is the main focus in the book being built during the Seminole War days. First, the overall setting could not have such a structure built and the style of the structure described did not exist at that time.

The story is very good with all sorts of revelations unveiled throughout. It’s mostly well written. Though at times a bit over written and an editor could have trimmed a bit to make it all more solid.

The biggest trouble I found was an odd about face by the main character that was not logical. Especially for the time period. I’d expect as much today. The change didn’t fir the character as had overall written. I believe Terhune got so involved in trying to jolt the reader during a story, this was his 2/3rds of the way through the book jolt. Also one jolt too many.

Despite the ridiculous jolt, the various characters written are really good. The odd representations of “Conchs” is really another error. But the use of the same characters is fascinating.

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

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Off the top of my head illustrated three main characters of books I’ve just finished.
First is Cluny Brown of the book with the same name by Marjery Sharp.
The next is a drawing with no reference of Thomas A. Edison. I just finished ‘The Edisons of Fort Myers’ by Tom Smoot.
The last is the evil, madman, Warren Latch, of ‘The Loner: Brutal vengeance’ by William Johnstone.

All ink on paper.  No pencils. No plan. Just started drawing.

Birds Of Florida by Frances W. Hall
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I’ve probably got a dozen copies of this and most of those are different editions. Probably had most for 30 years or so. Never read any of them, but did use them for reference.

Decided to aid ‘Draw a Bird Day’ by doing a live video of me showing how to draw Florida birds. Nabbed a half dozen Florida bird books off the shelf to talk about. Decided to finally read this one.

This suffers from age. Publishing in the ’40s was tough involving photographs and back then it was tough to get photographs, especially birds. So, the author drew the birds. Just not all of them. So, the wiring of each bird doesn’t have an image of a bird to go with the description. Many of the drawings are not even on the same page of the description. Again, limitations of printing at the time.

The descriptions are a bit slight to tag a bird in the wild. Even the drawings are pretty loose. Though, the illustrations are very good.

Something else this book suffers from age-wise is that some of the information is no longer accurate. The dusty seaside sparrow is now not proliferating, but extinct. And the ibis is no longer low in numbers. There’s more.

Still a great effort for it’s time.

Bottom line: I don’t recommend this book. 4 out of ten points.

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