Author: Fred Vargas
Trans: Sian Reynolds
ISBN:9781846550638 DDC: 843.914
See also: Librarything ; International Noir Fiction ; EuroCrime ; The Dewey Divas and the Dudes

By fixing his curtain to one side with a clothes peg, Lucio could better observe the new neighbour at his leisure.

As you may already know I’m a big fan of Fred Vargas’ work and while this one is a library copy I’ll be buying this when it comes out in the proper size. I can’t stand these trade publications versions. They make no sense to me. All the negatives of a hardback with none of the positives. But enough about that; on to the plot.

The most straight-forward way of describing this book is to say that it is a murder-mystery. But with characters like Adamsberg there is no such thing as a straight-forward case. So when he spots something a little “off” about the two bodies that have shown up he decides that this case his rather than giving them over to the Drugs Squad.

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Author: Michael Collins
ISBN: 9780753820605 DDC: 823.914
See also: LibraryThing ; MichaelCollinsauthor.com ; Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind ; Lizzy’s Literary Life

In the Friday-afternoon lull within the English Department of Bannockburn College, E. Robert Pendleton sat listening to the sound of life outside his window.

The E. Robert Pendleton of the title is a professor struggling to keep his tenure at Bannockburn College where he lectures in English. He is also an author; although recently he has been suffering from writer’s block. He hasn’t had any successful books in years. And he is feeling the strain. A strain made even worse when an old rival shows up to give a guest lecture. This rival is a best-selling author; in many ways he represents everything that Pendleton yearns for.

It all seems to much for Pendleton, he has suffered previous break-downs, and he attempts to commit suicide. But graduate student Adi finds him and gets help for him. Pendleton had left his writings to her, for her thesis, and so she takes it upon herself to look after him as he recovers. Along the way she discovers a self-published novel, Scream, which details the abduction, rape and murder of a young girl. It is a true work of art, she feels, and helps arrange to get it re-published. But then discovers that the details match up with a real murder. Could Pendleton have been responsible?

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Author: Ron Hansen
ISBN: 0285637541 DDC: 813.54
See also: LibraryThing ;

He was growing into middle age and was living then in a bungalow on Woodland Avenue. Green weeds split the porch steps, a wasp nest clung to an attic gable, a rope swing looped down from a dying elm tree and the ground below it was scuffed soft as flour.

I think this is one of the rare cases where watching the film version improves your enjoyment of the novel. Maybe because for certain passages I could really here the narrator from the film while I was reading. I think that this might make an excellent audio book. Then again, I’ve never listened to an audio book, so what do I know.

In case you didn’t pick the basic plot up from the title of this novel it revolves around the infamous Jesse James and his murderer Robert “Bob” Ford.

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Writ & Dir: Martin McDonagh

• Colin Farrell … Ray
• Ralph Fiennes … Harry
• Brendan Gleeson … Ken
• Clémence Poésy … Chloë

Ray and Ken are two Irish hit-men hiding out after a job. Hiding out in Bruges on orders from their boss, Harry. Ken is all set to relax and enjoy the medieval scenery and architecture. Visit the castles and churches. download free phone ringtones24 theme ringtones,24 ringtones themelg phone ringtones,ringtones for lg wireless phoneringtones maker software,nokia ringtones maker,ringtones makerdownload free ringtones lgcingular free mp3 ringtonesfree phone ringtones verizon,free verizon ringtones,customer free ringtones verizon wirelessalltel free real ringtonesdownload free mosquito ringtonescingular ringtones shop,cingular shop ringtonesdownload info remember ringtones,download info pcs remember ringtones sprint,download free info remember ringtones samsungdownload free cricket ringtonespolyphonic ringtones for sony ericssonyahoo ringtones free downloadfree country music ringtones,country music ringtonesfree real ringtones for sprint phone,sprint ringtones,free ringtones for sprint pcs phonefree music ringtones,download free music nextel ringtones,free get music ringtonesfree us cellular ringtones,free ringtones for us cellular carrier,free ringtones for us cellular phonefree cingular music ringtonescellular download free phone ringtonesfree nokia 1100 tracfone ringtonestv theme ringtonesdownload ericsson free ringtones sonycingular free music real ringtonesinfo nextel remember ringtones wallpaper,info nextel remember ringtones,info nextel personal remember ringtones wallpaper24 free ringtones6560 nokia polyphonic ringtones,nokia polyphonic ringtones,nokia 3560 polyphonic ringtones100 free virgin mobile ringtonesfree mp3 ringtones suncomfree real music ringtones sprintblackberry download free ringtonesfree crazy frog ringtones downloaddownload free ringtones to pcchristian music ringtonescell game phone ringtones wallpaper,cell phone ringtones wallpaper,cell phone ringtones and wallpaperfree logo nokia phone ringtones,free nokia phone ringtones,free ringtones for sprint phone nokia 3588imobile phone ringtones virgininfo polyphonic remember ringtones wwe,info polyphonic remember ringtones sagem,info polyphonic remember ringtonesfree ringtones from cingular,free cingular ringtones and graphicdownload nokia ringtones,download ringtones for all nokia phone,download info nokia remember ringtonesdownload free suncom ringtonesfree ringtones creator software,free ringtones software,free ware ringtones softwaredownload free real ringtonesfree ringtones convertercellular customer free ringtones usfree motorola ringtones tracfonego phone ringtonesnextel real music ringtonesfree nextel real ringtonesdownloadable cell phone ringtones Harry says it is like fairy tale, coming in on the canal. Ray isn’t so sure of that, but when he comes upon a film shot he is much more interested.

And that is enough of a plot recap. Any more would be to give away details that might spoil the enjoyment of the film. Suffice to say that this is a really good film.

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Author: Fred Vargas trans. Sian Reynolds
ISBN: 9780099488965 DDC: 843.914
See also: LibraryThing ; Strangley Connected ; Thorasbook ; Dave’s Fiction Blog ; Lizzy’s Literary Life

Leaning his shoulder against the dark basement wall, Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg stood contemplating the enormous central heating boiler which had suddenly stopped working, two days before.

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you know that I’m a huge fan of Fred Vargas’ work. And this book is no exception. The star, once more, is Commissaire Adamsberg. The plot revolves around a series of murders, the first in 1943, the latest takes place in the present of the book. Adamsberg has a special interest in this case, and the judge he believes to have committed these crimes. In each case the murder victim is killed by three stab wounds. And in each case an assailant has been found, always suffering from amnesia but also having a murder weapon in his possession. In each case the police decide that this individual is responsible and, there you go, case closed. Adamsberg is not so sure.

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Writ & Dir: Andrew Dominik ; based on the book by Ron Hansen

• Brad Pitt … Jesse James
• Mary-Louise Parker … Zee James
• Casey Affleck … Robert Ford
• Sam Rockwell … Charley Ford
• Jeremy Renner … Wood Hite
• Sam Shepard … Frank James
• Garret Dillahunt … Ed Miller
• Paul Schneider … Dick Liddil

I loved this film.

I loved everything about it. The acting was brilliant. The way the story unfolded. The narration. The casting. The scenery. The cinematography. The soundtrack. Everything was just great. Best film I’ve seen this year. Which’d be a higher compliment if this wasn’t the first film I’ve been to see so far this year. But I’m guessing it’ll be up on the top ten list by the end of 2008.

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