In The Disappearance: A Jill Hunter Short #13, we find that Rory, computer hacker and partner to Jill, has disappeared. Jill thought it was an argument over the milk but we are at a point 24% into the story where we find out Rory has been kidnapped by someone. Jill had been planning to change her life entirely, close her business, and travel until she got the anonymous phone call that said Rory was in trouble. She had almost made a huge mistake about the “why” of Rory’s disappearance.
Who Cares About Liam?
From the beginning of the novel, the cover, The Breaking of Liam Glass by Charles Harris presents an unrelenting series of double (maybe triple) meanings along with wry, dark, and tongue-in-cheek humorous observations on daily life. It is not just that daily life is humdrum, boring routine; it is a set of circumstances that we have to get through. Jason reflects on great truths such as these as he seeks a break-out story that he can use in his career as a tabloid journalist. He needs to find something that will allow his career to soar. So far his lot has been to report the mundane while employed on what might be called a D-list tabloid. He aspires to international recognition on a well-known and widely circulated A (or at least B) publication. His reflections tend to the grandiose “For every great prophet whose chariot rose into the heavens there were a thousand little people who got crushed under the wheels.” (p. 338). Jason wanted to be that prophet.
Mental
This is a reblog from Kat Myrman, one of the most prolific thinking bloggers I have come across. This article hits hard twice. First look at “Mental” and reflect on that a bit before scrolling down a bit to read her comments on a background that led to this writing. Her comments about her father are absolutely amazing given the parent child relationship. What a brave and sharing person she is to share such an experience in the hope that it will help others!
Mental
The pyramids he built had magical powers, sharpening his used razor blades while happy-sad Jesus watched from a frame on the wall.
Then he dismantled the family car, replicating a Chilton’s Manual diagram on the driveway.
He often argued with a gun barrel. It had the last word eventually, silencing the voices.
~kat
A word about this week’s 52 Words in 52 Weeks Story. The prompt was “pyramids”.
When most people think of “pyramids” they think of the ancient wonders in Egypt. When I hear the word “pyramid” it triggers memories of my dad and one of his many obsessions.
No one noticed the signs, or if they did they didn’t say, because we didn’t talk about mental illness back then. People suffered in silence, or self medicated with alcohol like my dad. He may very well have been a genius, but he was also bat-shit crazy. I…
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A Small Sacrifice
From the Prequel: A New Beginning straight The Cult: Part Two: A Jill Hunter Short #9, there were bound to be some problems. I am sure that reading these short stories in the order prescribed by the author is the way to go. For example, I can’t say I was surprised by the presence of the love interest, Rory, but it seems we are almost back to the prequel except this time it is Rory who is about to walk out. Also, this is a continuation of Short #8. But short #8 is in a boxed set that costs money. This one, #9, was free on the Amazon site.
Morals or Ethics
A New Beginning by Ari Rose is a short prequel to the Jill Hunter Series. I got the prequel through Instafreebies. This was followed up by an email where the author detailed plans for the series. I then visited the Amazon site to find out more about what was happening with this author. There are box sets of three short stories each. This prequel is not included. The three short story sets sell for USD 2.99, the single stories sell for USD 1.99, and for some reason Story 9, Story 13, and the box set containing Stories 10,11, and 12 are free. I am a fan of short stories and I love the price. On to the stories.
This prequel does what it is supposed to do; introduce the reader to Jill Hunter. She is a homicide detective who is worried about her appearance and about getting old. She is even more worried about living with a criminal. It doesn’t feel morally right and it is definitely ethically wrong. True, Rory wasn’t a hardcore criminal; with his computer hacking, he fits more into the white collar crime category. But crime was crime and increasing tension between the two led to a breakup. This was unfortunate because Rory knew about Jill’s latest case, a serial killer and rapist who specialized in victimizing escorts. He offered to help Jill. She assumed the moral high ground, refused his help, and left him. And then something happened.
It was time to rethink priorities.
Watch Out For Spider
Kind Nepenthe by Mathew V. Brockmeyer lives up to the claims on its cover in every way. This tale is dark, macabre, terrifying, and suspenseful. And it takes place in California (of course). This is a novel I highly recommend and give it five plus stars with a caveat; it only gets that rating for a selected audience. This is not your YA genre. But for those who like the weird and far out there, this is it, you have arrived. Brockmeyer is very adept at weaving plot and character development with implications and subtle suggestions of what is to come to produce an excellent, fast moving read. With a novel that contains so many dark and twisted characters, the absence of salacious, gratuitous sex is amazing. Whatever sex there is arrives mostly by implication readers have to take responsibility for and look to their inner self-censors.
Sugar Coated Medicine
In the preface to his book Forbidden Beginnings: Jacqueline’s Tragedy, author William Rubin explains that this stand-alone novel delivers the back story of Chris Ravello, a trauma surgeon who will serve as a protagonist in the already published Forbidden Birth, also published in 2017. This is not a prequel in the way many prequels are, short novels ending with a cliffhanger that entices the reader to buy the next book in the series. This 191-page novel stands on its own and delivers a story with a conclusion. It is not a conclusion I enjoyed. I am not a fan of rainbows appearing over the good ship lollipop while ethereal happy music plays in the background but there is an audience for feel good endings. I am not trying to reveal the ending but I feel comfortable with setting the scene for what is to come.
