crime fiction

One of the many pleasures of Sara Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski novels is that the books are topical. In Breakdown, young women (some of whom are immigrants) are involved in a book club reading a "Twilight"-like young adult horror novel penned by “Boadicea Jones”.  A wonderful incentive for young women to be in a book club, but near their ‘haunting’, a real murder takes place.

Meanwhile, two adult women (not unlike some we see on American TV) are running against each other for the Senate.  There is a powerful conservative talk-show host, anti-immigrant hysteria, the fears of the backers of each of the wannabe politicians, and the hysterical concern that V.I.’s work and sharp tongue will have a negative impact on the upcoming election. 

There are lots of coincidences and connections that keep the story moving.  Amid a backdrop of power and politics, bad—and not-so-bad guys are killed and murders solved.  The dialogue is sharp, the satire of politics and media institutions wonderful, and the descriptions hilarious.

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I’ll See You in My Dreams, by William Deverell

After reading crime novels dealing with people smuggling, diamond smuggling, spies, killers, and other bad guys, it was a particular pleasure to read William Deverell’s I’ll See You in My Dreams.  There are, of course, bad guys but in Deverell’s books, these are accused of being bad guys, and Deverell’s Arthur Beauchamp is a lawyer who struggles to successfully defend them in court.  In all his books, Deverell situates the crime—and the legal arguments—in places we recognize: the Law Courts at 800 Smithe and in what is now the Art Gallery.  He lives in the West End and the thinly disguised Garibaldi Island (filled with residents whose lifestyles we recognize), he drives to Squamish, and uses the ferries to small and large islands.  I’ll See You in My Dreams has the additional storyline of the accused, who appears to be the grandchild and great grandchild of victims of residential schools.  A wonderful, provocative read!

Feast Day of Fools, by James Lee Burke

Everything I know about Louisiana I learned from James Lee Burke’s Dave Robicheaux series—wonderfully written books that exemplify Burke’s conviction that “beauty and horror go hand in hand in this life”.  This week I read Feast Day of Fools because it was recommended to me; this is the third book in the Hack Holland series (I will have to find the first two). Like Robicheaux, Sheriff "Hack" Holland is a lawman.  In his case, he’s also a Korean veteran and a descendant of a long line of Texas lawmen. The Holland books take place in southwest Texas, near the border of Mexico; like the Robicheaux books they are wonderfully written, but in this instance, the darkness of a man's heart is greater than the beauty.  I found parts of Feast Day seriously scary, which prompted a memory of Burke’s statement when he was at the Festival several years ago.  He reminded us that, while he writes fiction, his books are based in reality.  Given that he grew up in the Texas/Louisiana Gulf Coat, I believe him.  James Lee Burke is a superb storyteller, well worth reading.

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In order to graduate from High School in Quebec, every single student needs to sit through a Quebec history class, and then regurgitate enough correct information to pass a tough provincial exam on the subject. I was one of the lucky ones. My five foot nothing in heels history teacher was passionate about the subject. Chalk flying, she’d clip and clop back and forth crying out dates that are forever etched in my mind: 1534, 1685, 1971. Each number a gateway into a story filled with conflict, betrayal and dramatic tension.

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I arrived in Vancouver this afternoon one hour before the rain. Walking over the Granville Street Bridge I could see the VIWF venues nestled amongst the markets and art galleries and the nautical supply stores, ready to welcome readers and book lovers and some of today’s finest writers from around the globe.

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Festival Crime Fiction

Shatter the Bones, Stuart MacBride

Stuart MacBride brings his signature dark humor to the seventh book in his bestselling Logan McRae series, Shatter the Bones. Set in Scotland’s gritty Granite City, Aberdeen, it centers on the kidnapping of a mother-daughter singing sensation in today’s celebrity-obsessed world.

After Alison and Jenny McGregor make it through to the semi-finals of reality TV hit, Britain’s Next Big Star, they are thrust into the public eye and splashed across the covers of gossip magazines, until they suddenly disappear. As everyone questions the whereabouts of the mother and daughter duo, ransom demands for their safe return go viral, appearing in all the papers and on TV, the kidnappers demand that the nation dig deep if they want to keep Jenny and Alison alive.

As the media increases focus on the kidnapping and time appears to be running out, outraged citizens demand action, but DS Logan McRae and his colleagues have no leads to go on. With no forensic evidence and the hysteria of fans mounting, will Logan McRae be able to solve this horrifying crime before it’s too late? (January 2011)

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