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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32124657663177643172017-07-27T08:40:50.440-04:00Back to BooksMurder - Mystery - Mayhem - le Morte - Macabre - MadnessNikki in Niagarahttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3212465766317764317.post-74623230994821429972017-07-25T13:39:00.001-04:002017-07-25T13:39:52.762-04:00When the Whippoorwill by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

When the Whippoorwill by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rawlings' "The Yearling" is one of my favourite books and I've long been wanting to read her since. This collection of stories shows off her writing skills and deft ability at describing settings and characters. All set in Florida, they tell stories of backwoods people and their morals, poverty, and lives in general. I adored every story in this collection which was first published in 1940. Some I liked more than others but they were all winners and I'm glad to have read the collection. Now, hopefully, some day, I'll next get to her book "Cross Creek".

1. A Crop of Beans - Wonderful atmosphere for the first story in this collection. A bean farmer and his wife go year after year barely scraping by, then one year they have an excellent crop and the money rolls in. Examines what a cash fall can do to people, the different ways they deal with it, and finally the whimsy of good fortune. (4/5)

2. Benny and the Bird Dogs - This story's theme is certainly a product of the times. A woman narrates telling us that men will be men, whatever is in their nature cannot be changed and the wife will only cause herself grief by trying to mess with it. The story is told then of how it took Uncle Benny's wife 30 years to accept her husband's nature: a wanderer who stayed away a few nights at a time, harmless but loved, causing mischief, a reckless yet expert driver of his Ford, and a collector of bird dogs, seven at this point. Everyone in the story is a quirky character and the story is hilarious. A fun read. (4/5)

3. Jacob's Ladder - This is a full-length novella consisting of 8 chapters and emphasises Rawlings beautiful writing of sad situations. Set in Florida, first in hurricane country and then further and further south through the swamps and areas of terrific heat. Sort of a circle of life story all about character rather than plot. A poor, bedraggled and beaten girl runs off one night with a boy several years older whom she just met but feels a kinship to. They marry and spend their lives trying to earn a living and live in peace. Treachery always finds them sending them from home to home. That treachery comes from both the savagery of the weather and the meanness of fellow mankind. A beautiful story full of tragedy and a bittersweet ending. (5/5)

4. The Pardon - A man leaves prison after seven years of twenty on a pardon. When he gets home he finds things have changed drastically. No one had figured on a pardon. (4/5)

5. Varmints - Three people have known each other since childhood. The two men, Jim and Luty are always at each other about something, having arguments, stubbornly keeping opposing viewpoints, etc. The woman, Quincey, has always been the go-between and the peacemaker. This is the story of the mule which Jim and Luty bought in shares and the episode which made Quincey forever lose her patience with them (3/5)

6. The Enemy - A big-time Yankee rancher comes to town and buys off a parcel of land for taxes. Now the Cattlemen's cows can't reach the stream. Old man Milford decides to take things into his own hands but he finds the men he ruled over have learnt a lesson, even his son. Times change and people with them. (3/5)

7. Gal Young Un - More like a novella than a short story. It's clearly divided into two parts which have different atmospheres and we don't get a glimpse of what the title refers to until the second half. A wily, out-for-himself young man comes across a middle age widow living in a grand house in the middle of the country. He seduces and marries her to get at her money. The grey haired woman we slowly learn is not fooled by this but gets her own contentment from the relationship. That is until he does the one thing she won't stand for. A really emotional story which could certainly have been expanded into a novel. I was very taken with this. (5/5)

8. Alligators - This reads an awful lot like a tall story without the grandiosity of such. The whole story is a narrator telling life stories. We start by knowing a "Kate" has asked him about alligators. He starts by saying he knows nothing of them and she'd be better off asking the old alligator hunters. Then he commences on telling his own very colourful encounters with alligators throughout his life. Funny and interesting. (4/5)

9. A Plumb Clare Conscience - A moonshiner's partner comes running home with the story of them being surprised by the authorities. A day later, Tim, the moonshiner hasn't come home. The next day they want to send out a search party, most likely for a body, but the wife says wait till tomorrow evening. The next day Tim comes walking home with an incredible tale. (4/5)

10. A Mother in Mannville - This is a sad story. A writer goes into the countryside to write. She gets a cabin on the property of an orphanage. A young boy comes over to chop wood for her and they quickly come to mean something to each other, until a misunderstanding. (5/5)

11. Cocks Must Crow - The lady narrating this story sounded so familiar that I went back through the previous stories and found her! Story 5 "Varmints" is about the same character. At the same time, it is a variation on the theme of story 2 "Benny and the Bird Dogs". Quincey tells of her happy marriage to Will. He is small and spindly while she is considered the fattest woman in the county. Her marriage has been successful because she's always let Will be the man, knowing that men will be men. But now over time, she realises that she has changed and her marriage is at stake. It takes a recently arrived nearby widow to make Quincey see the wrongs of her ways. Certainly, a product of its time also including cockfighting but should be read with a mind to the era making it a thoughtful story with the lesson applying to both husbands and wives in modern times. (4/5)

Nikki in Niagarahttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3212465766317764317.post-11347801353388204632017-07-22T20:29:00.000-04:002017-07-22T20:29:04.551-04:00Missing by Kelley Armstrong

Missing by Kelley Armstrong
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

First, let me say I enjoyed this book. It was a fast-paced story with interesting characters and an easy one to get lost in. However, it had major plot holes and a mystery which was unsolvable (something I can't forgive a mystery/thriller). MINOR SPOILER ........ You can't guess who the bad guy is as they aren't a part of the story, in fact, they don't come into play until they become a suspect. The mystery itself was way out there unbelievable with a convoluted plot. I'm a fan of Armstrong and have enjoyed her other new thrillers but this one misses the boat for me.

Nikki in Niagarahttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3212465766317764317.post-14346098348427788762017-07-12T15:05:00.001-04:002017-07-12T15:05:44.719-04:00Two Nights by Kathy Reichs

Two Nights by Kathy Reichs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kathy Reichs' first adult stand-alone which isn't part of the Temperance Brennan series. It was very good. Not a page-turner, but still a book I kept returning to. There are plenty of themes to interest pretty much everyone: terrorists, cults and child abduction. Two stories are running side by side and Reichs lets us think we know how they connect but she's got a twist up her sleeve which will let us in on the big reveal. I really liked the character of Sunday. She's a female PI in a part usually written for male leads in this genre. Troubled as a kid, ex-military, ex-cop, bitter, sarcastic and easy to warm up to as a reader. I had gotten a bit tired of the Tempe books and left off several books back now, so I was really looking forward to this standalone. As I said not a page-turner I gobbled up, but still a very enjoyable read with strong writing, interesting characters and a twisty plot.

Nikki in Niagarahttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3212465766317764317.post-8759151423474676922017-06-26T21:50:00.000-04:002017-06-26T21:50:54.316-04:00The Girl Before by J.P. Delaney

The Girl Before by J.P. Delaney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book! It's a psychological thriller which threw two twists at me leaving me feeling unsettled at all times. Key words here, "Never assume". It is a page-turning read as the chapters are all only a few pages long each. My favourite narrative voice is used where each chapter alternates between two women: Emma (Then) and Jane (Now). This was done in a unique way though, instead of just switching from the past to present the story is chronological from start to finish as the two women experience the same sort of event. This is very well done and increases the overall pace. It is a story of mystery and murder and most especially of people not being who they appear to be. A great fast thriller which will keep you on your toes.

Nikki in Niagarahttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3212465766317764317.post-6485609848994314782017-06-23T13:27:00.000-04:002017-06-23T13:27:09.531-04:00The Hatching by Ezekiel Boone

The Hatching by Ezekiel Boone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a page turner for me. A cross between horror and apocalyptic fiction, it had me hooked from the beginning. I really enjoyed the writing style. Told from many different points of view there are no real main characters until around page 75. It starts with the narrative shifting from an international setting (China, Peru, India, etc) to various places in the US. Back and forth from place to place and person to person, eventually the crisis is defined and we return to the States and the main characters emerge. I didn't find it scary and it's not really violent either but the topic is certainly freaky. It's fun to read an eotwawki that doesn't feature zombies or plagues for a change. Great characters enhance the plot and the only con I have is that the book doesn't have a finite ending. Instead, we are left with impending doom. Fortunately, the sequel has just come out!

Nikki in Niagarahttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3212465766317764317.post-86300879655880768832017-06-13T21:40:00.000-04:002017-06-13T21:40:10.709-04:00The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson

The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The first collection of Jackson's that I have read, having only previously encountered "The Lottery", of course. The stories didn't quite live up to my expectations having only read two of her novels I expected stories that were rather strange or eerie but it didn't deliver on that score until the last five stories or so, by placing "The Lottery" last. The writing was well done and I'll continue to read the author's other work but some stories did feel cryptic with endings that I just didn't 'get'.

1. The Intoxicated - A drunken man at a party stumbles into the kitchen where he meets the teenage daughter of the house having a cup of coffee. He joins her and she proceeds to gleefully tell him of the upcoming end of the world as we know it. Very short and abrupt. (3/5)

2. The Daemon Lover - Deliciously creepy and suspenseful. Starting off ordinarily enough with a woman getting ready for her fiance to pick her up. Hours later he hasn't arrived and since he lives only several blocks away she takes a taxi to his house then traces his steps on his journey to hers. Really liked this. (4/5)

3. Like Mother Used to Make - This is an interesting story, quite innocent on the surface to start. At first, though, I got a Norman Bates vibe but quickly decided it wasn't going in that direction. But where was it going? A fastidious young man invites his messy downstairs neighbour for dinner and the course of events perplexed me. The main character, Davie, was intriguing. (4/5)

4. Trial by Combat - A woman who has lived in a boarding house for six weeks and has noticed that small insignificant items are vanishing from her rooms. Then one day she sees someone coming out of her room. She knows who it is. An odd little tale but I didn't find the ending satisfying. (2/5)

4. The Villager - This a circular story which reflects on people who come to New York to become artists, writers, dancers and such. The main character lives in Greenwich Village and came here 12 years ago to become a dancer but is a well-paid private secretary now. In the circular nature of the story, she meets an artist who made a success of himself and a young writer new to town. (3/5)

5. My Life with R.H. Macy - A weird little story which I don't get. About a woman working at Macy's and it being like a cult or something. (1/5)

6. The Witch - A four-year-old boy is on a train with his mother and baby sister. Looking out the window he makes up a little story about a witch. Then a man enters the cabin, sits down, and tells a gruesome story about his little sister. (3/5)

7. The Renegade - A typical 1950s housewife who has recently moved to the country receives a call one morning that the family dog has been caught killing chickens. The country seems to be affecting the whole family except her. This one is a bit macabre. (4/5)

8. After You, My Dear Alphonse - A boy brings a friend home for lunch. The mother sees that the friend is black and assumes he is poor. (3/5)

9. Charles - I've read this one before. A five-year-old starts Kindergarten and comes home every day with stories full of the misbehaving Charles. A shock comes at the end but I think it is easy to figure out. (4/5)

10. Afternoon in Linen - Two grandmothers visit for an afternoon tea. Each bringing a grandchild to have them perform so as to show off how one is more precocious than the other. But the little girl turns it into something quite uncomfortable. (3/5)

11.Flower Garden - A much longer (though still short) story than any other so far. This is a straightforward literary story with a punch. It tells the tale of a recently widowed city woman who moves to a small cottage in a little town. Everyone is very nice to her but when she invites a local black man to work her garden every day, opinion of her changes quickly. A good story that shows the two-facedness of racists.(4/5)

12. Dorothy and My Grandmother and the Sailors - A good read even though the story was a bit strange. Two girls are terrified of sailors because of the dire warnings their mother and grandmother continuously give them. (3/5)

13. Colloquy - This is only two pages but is about the feelings of disorientation and alienation from a world one know longer feels culturally or morally connected with. (2/5)

14. Elizabeth - A character study more than anything. Elizabeth is a 30-something woman who moved to New York 11 years ago from a small town. Now she is a partner in a literary agent's office and has a relationship with the other partner, who thinks he is in charge while Elizabeth is the brains and holds things together. Throughout the story, Elizabeth realizes she is not happy and has dreams. (3/5)

15. A Fine Old Firm - Odd, rather boring. Two women who just met have a conversation. I guess the point is that their sons are best buddies in the army and it took that distance for the two women to meet. (2/5)

16. The Dummy - I'm not really seeing the point in these stories. Two women go out for dinner, one is very negative while the other is an optimist. After a ventriloquist performs, he, his dummy and girlfriend sit at a table near the ladies who can't help but overhear the conversation. An unexpected ending. (3/5)

17. Seven Types of Ambiguity - As far as I can tell this is about doing a disservice to a stranger who has selflessly helped you out immensely. It takes place in an old bookstore which makes it a fun literary read. (3/5)

18. Come Dance With Me in Ireland - Three ladies are visiting the youngest one who has a baby. There is a knock on the door and it is an old man selling laces. They take pity on him and give him a quarter, then when he seems unwell bring him into the apartment. Two of the ladies insist he is starving while the other assumes he is drunk. We find out by the end which. Honestly, this was not good. (1/5)

19. Of Course - Mrs. Tyler watches the new neighbour moving in and when the children say "hi" to each other she comes out to meet the woman hoping they will be nice neighbours. As they talk, she slowly realizes they are going to be annoying. (3/5)

20. Pillar of Salt - Finally, a creepy story. A man and woman take a trip to New York for the first time in a year. As soon as they arrive the woman notices that everything sounds, feels, and smells somehow different. Everything looks like it is falling apart. Then one day at the beachside they find a dismembered leg washed ashore and are told an arm was found upriver a few days back. Once back at the apartment, the woman starts to have, what we would call today, a full-blown panic attack. (4/5)

21. Men With Their Big Shoes - New to town, a young newly married and recently pregnant woman is ensnared by her dominant housekeeper. Looks like all the really good stories are at the end! (4/5)

22. The Tooth - A woman goes to New York to have a molar pulled. She's in a daze and sleeps most of the time as she traveled by night and took several sedatives as she left. She meets a mysterious man who seems to belong with her and things get slightly strange. Not sure I understand the ending. (4/5)

23. Got a Letter From Jimmy - Very short and strange. A woman thinks about killing her husband and burying him in the basement because he won't open a letter from Jimmy. We are never told who Jimmy is. (3/5)

24. The Lottery - The most famous and classic story in this book. It is shorter than I remember but just as alarming. In case you haven't read it yet I will be vague. It starts with a small town gathering for a yearly lottery held in the town centre. There is perfect foreshadowing of what will happen but the story slowly reveals its plot to the reader which makes the ending, about the nature of man, quite chilling. (4/5)

Nikki in Niagarahttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3212465766317764317.post-18859851185763895292017-06-11T00:08:00.000-04:002017-06-11T00:08:29.829-04:00The Miserable Mill (A Series of Unfortunate Events #4) by Lemony Snicket

The Miserable Mill (A Series of Unfortunate Events #4) by Lemony Snicket
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've read the first three books in this series twice but never got around to reading more. Now that Neil Patrick Harris has the TV series of these books going I wanted to read this one so I could watch the first season. This is a typical book in the series following the same formula which the author actually makes fun of in the narrative. It was a little different though in that Count Olaff wasn't really in it much, coming in near the end. His overshadowing presence loomed throughout though and knowing that NHP is playing him in the TV series I couldn't help but picture him in the role. A quick read and as always, a fun series to read.

Nikki in Niagarahttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3212465766317764317.post-32317372085400789332017-06-10T11:28:00.001-04:002017-06-10T11:28:24.956-04:00Unboxing Nocturnal Reader's Box June 2017 All Hail the King! (Stephen)Nikki in Niagarahttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3212465766317764317.post-61252462104091107562017-06-06T21:47:00.001-04:002017-06-06T21:47:56.047-04:00Real Crime Magazine #24

Real Crime Magazine #24
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another excellent issue and now I'm up-to-date.
Topics covered in this issue:

Ian Watkins
Kim Jong-Nam Assassination
Etan Patz
Eddie Maher
Italian Camorra Clans
Ricardo Lopez
Golden State Killer (EAR)
Indonesia's Execution Island
Susan Smith
Armin Meiwes
Ross "Dead Pirate Roberts" Ulbricht
and more!

Nikki in Niagarahttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3212465766317764317.post-23513347187760751912017-06-06T13:11:00.001-04:002017-06-06T13:11:46.846-04:0010 Book TBR or What I'm Reading Next June 6 2017

Books Discussed:

Clouded Vision by Linwood Barclay
That Was Then, This Is Now by S. E. Hinton
Lizard Music by Daniel Pinkwater
Missing by Kelley Armstrong
Decapitation: Kubikiri Cycle, The Blue Savant and the Nonsense User by NISIOISI
The Girl Before by JP Delaney
Two Nights by Kathy Reichs
Burntown by Jennifer McMahon
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins
The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg

Nikki in Niagarahttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3212465766317764317.post-21584072349072318242017-06-05T00:59:00.001-04:002017-06-05T00:59:07.481-04:00Normal by Warren Ellis

Normal by Warren Ellis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A good idea that doesn't totally pan out. Set in the not-too-distant future, our main characters are housed in a communal "funny farm" where they are treated to become functional at working, though not necessarily ever becoming "fit" for the outside world. There is a lot of talking and the characters are never explored enough to have any real feelings for either way. Divided into four parts, the book only takes on any excitement at the last section which had me turning the pages. Overall. it is a doom and gloom story of "Big Brother" is watching with topics of surveillance by both corporations and the government, and privacy (or lack thereof) issues.

Nikki in Niagarahttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3212465766317764317.post-11282024986346238602017-06-03T19:31:00.001-04:002017-06-03T19:31:24.912-04:00Real Crime Magazine #23

Real Crime Magazine #23

My favourite true crime magazine! People/cases and topics covered:

Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders
Colin Ireland
Balkans Mafia
The Battle for North Hollywood
Otaku Rat Man
Mexican Narco-Mercenaries
Crime Scene Cleaners
The "Cannibal Cop"
Snowton serial killers
Ma Barker
and more!Nikki in Niagarahttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3212465766317764317.post-86486300145506815932017-05-31T20:25:00.001-04:002017-05-31T20:25:20.040-04:00Book Haul: end of May 2017, BookOutlet, ARCs & manga

Books Shown:
The Seven Deadly Sins 20
Corpse Party: Blood Covered, Vol. 5
Tegami Bachi, Vol. 20
American Vampire Vol. 6 by Scott Snyder
American Vampire Vol. 7 by Scott Snyder
American Vampire Vol. 8 by Scott Snyder
Girl in Snow: A Novel by Danya Kukafka
The Space Between the Stars by Anne Corlett
Skitter: The Hatching Series Book 2 by Ezekiel Boone
The Last Gunfight: The Real Story of the Shootout at the O.K. Corral And How It Changed the American West by Jeff Guinn
Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde
by Jeff Guinn
The Last Tomorrow by Ryan David Jahn (UK edition)
Entrelac 2: New Techniques for Interlace Knitting by Rosemary Drysdale
20 Ways to Draw a Butterfly and 44 Other Things with Wings
Dr. Mutter's Marvels: A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovation at the Dawn of Modern Medicine by Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz
Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor

Nikki in Niagarahttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3212465766317764317.post-283428390158932592017-05-29T22:49:00.005-04:002017-05-29T22:49:56.807-04:00The Black Tortoise: A Peter Strand Mystery by Ronald Tierney

The Black Tortoise: A Peter Strand Mystery by Ronald Tierney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is part of the "Rapid Reads" series which is aimed at adult literacy or ESL. I'm quite fond of this series as it manages to bring entertaining stories to adults while remaining at an elementary reading level. This particular book is one of the highest levels I've read in the series at a Grade 4 reading vocabulary. A good detailed mystery involving a forensic accountant working for a private organization. His look into a non-profit's books leads him to a murder investigation. A solid story and well-written within the confines of the limited allowable vocabulary.I'd certainly read more by this author.Nikki in Niagarahttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3212465766317764317.post-13291317366054888092017-05-27T18:17:00.001-04:002017-05-27T18:17:50.748-04:00Unboxing: May 2017 Nocturnal Readers Box Books Dystopia Sci-Fi

Books I received are:
Normal by Warren Ellis

Borne by Jeff Vandermeer

Nikki in Niagarahttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3212465766317764317.post-43636121410134924462017-05-23T20:48:00.000-04:002017-05-23T20:48:06.148-04:00The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple by Jeff Guinn

The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple by Jeff Guinn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had previously read Guinn's book on Charles Manson and continue to think it's one of the best books I've read this century. When I saw this new book on Jim Jones, I just knew it was a must-read for me. Jones and Manson are similar in that they were both cult leaders and thought they were God, but the similarity ends there. I really knew little about Jones before reading this book, even though I've seen 2 TV documentaries on him this year alone. Guinn's book delves deep into the person Jones was before he became egomaniacal. This is something mostly left out of his history. I was amazed to find out that he wasn't religious but rather communist, that he was a successful politician early on and did a lot for the poor and ending segregation in Indianapolis. It's hard to say but he did a lot of good in his life. This book is written in an engaging manner and flows like a novel. Guinn unravels the story of a very complicated and delusional man. Finally, he poses the question, was Jones always evil or did he become that way over time? I'm impressed with Guinn as an author and have already ordered his earlier book on Bonnie and Clyde, a subject I am deeply interested in. I'm only giving this a four as I have to compare it to "Manson", which is the better book.

Nikki in Niagarahttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3212465766317764317.post-87891204404588185042017-05-22T20:02:00.001-04:002017-05-22T20:02:50.132-04:00What I'm Currently Reading: May 22 2017

Books mentioned:
The Lottery & Other Stories by Shirley Jackson
Army of Darkness / Xena, Warrior Princess: Forever and a Day by Scott Lobdell
Real Crime Magazine
The Creed: Professing the Faith Through the Ages by Scott Hahn
Normal by Warren Ellis:

Nikki in Niagarahttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3212465766317764317.post-370021126874565132017-05-21T13:05:00.000-04:002017-05-21T13:05:03.186-04:00Rue Morgue Magazine #176, May/June 2017

Rue Morgue Magazine #176, May/June 2017
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the first time I've ever read this magazine but I am hooked and now have a subscription. I had never actually even heard of this magazine until recently and as an avid Poe fan could not pass up a mag. named "Rue Morgue". This is a horror magazine which stays on topic throughout and covers every medium possible TV shows, movies, books, comics, music and more. The cover feature deals with Gaiman's "American Gods". Other features cover Disney's dark side especially "The Watcher in the Woods", the thirty year anniversary of "Summer Scool" which made being a horror fan cool, and a piece on Anton LaVey, a showman and atheist who created the church of satan. On top of that, there are well over a dozen regular departments covering various topics. Even the few ads in the magazine are for fringe business dealing in the creepy, in one form or another. I read the mag. virtually cover to cover, near the back I passed over a few articles such as the regular column on music. Otherwise, this kept me entertained and informed. I've added some new-to-me series, movies and books to my tbr, along with now watching American Gods!

Nikki in Niagarahttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3212465766317764317.post-26841312894098755262017-05-16T13:02:00.001-04:002017-05-16T13:02:13.411-04:00Book Haul for April 2017Nikki in Niagarahttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3212465766317764317.post-16970109722663283902017-05-14T22:47:00.001-04:002017-05-14T22:47:05.334-04:00Who Killed Christopher Goodman?: based on a true story by Allan Wolf

Who Killed Christopher Goodman?: based on a true story by Allan Wolf
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Absolutely fantastic! This was a straight read through for me. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. It's written in one of my favourite styles: a narrative from six different voices telling the story from their own point of view, this includes the killer. This book isn't a mystery. We know who gets killed and who did the killing from the start but we know little else. Like the narrators, we piece the story together as they tell it. The book is ultimately about how these teens, each approx. 16-17, deal with the aftermath of someone they knew dying a violent death and each feeling guilty in some sort of way. It's the reality of such a death and how as human beings we can accept the consequences of our actions and reactions as well as receiving certain fruits of the spirit from them. Simply a wonderful book written in a no nonsense and touching manner.

Nikki in Niagarahttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3212465766317764317.post-71181535320064815672017-05-09T10:01:00.002-04:002017-05-09T10:01:25.826-04:00Real Crime Magazine #22 by Ben Biggs

Real Crime Magazine #22 by Ben Biggs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've sung the virtues of this magazine before so I'll just get to the content this time. But I regard this as the best magazine in the genre that I've read. These deserve a place on the bookshelf.
People/Events covered:
-Dylan Roof
-Thomas Mair
-Philip Cairns
-Jessica Wongso
-Roy Fontaine
-Cary Stayner
and much more.

Check my youtube channel in the future as I plan on doing a video review of this magazine in the near future.

Nikki in Niagarahttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3212465766317764317.post-41262923214578668132017-05-04T09:41:00.003-04:002017-05-04T09:41:52.599-04:00Seven: The Ballad of the Sad Café by Carson McCullers

Seven: The Ballad of the Sad Café by Carson McCullers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a decent collection for McCullers. I had expected more along the lines of "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" and "The Member of the Wedding". The titular and first story in the collection is by far the best and, I think, it was turned into a movie. I liked the stories enough that they averaged out to a solid rating of four. I had just expected more darkness, gloom, and emotion.

1. The Ballad of the Sad Cafe - Fantastic! As expected McCullers didn't disappoint me. A summary is impossible as any attempt is sure to fall short. A dark southern gothic with a macabre cast of characters. A heavy air hangs over the whole story and the situation becomes gloomier and gloomier except for the brief period of lightness in the middle. Nobody finds happiness in the end but a brief bittersweet moment is glimpsed. A classic. (5/5)

2. Wunderkind - This didn't overly impress me. Of course, the writing was wonderful. I love McCullers' language. However, there really wasn't a story. We are inside the mind of a young girl, who is somewhat of a piano prodigy, as she waits to take her next lesson. She's lost, or never really found, the soul of music as she plays. It's a melancholy piece as expected but left me feeling a little "so what". (3/5)

3. The Jockey - This one went over my head and I don't intend the pun. Three men, a trainer, owner, and rich guy are having a meal in a restaurant. In walks the jockey, standing against the wall. Conversation turns to the jockey and eventually, he walks over to the table. Saying any more would basically be retelling the story. But it ends on a strange note leaving me confused. Not unpleasant to read but, point? (2/5)

4. Madame Zilensky and the King of Finland - Another just ok story. At least this ends in semi-tragedy. The story of a perpetual liar whose whole existence relies on these lies. Our narrator is the one to "out" her. (3/5)

5. The Sojourner - Now this is more like it! A world travelling journalist returns to Georgia for his father's funeral. On his way back to Paris he has a stop over in New York and arranges to meet up with his ex-wife and her family. It's been 8 years since he saw her and the visit brings to him the melancholy feelings of having wasted his life. (4/5)

6. A Domestic Dilemma - This is a dark story that I really enjoyed even though the ending left me wondering. The narrator is a family man who comes home one evening and ruminates on what his life has become. He has two young children and the wife he loved has become an alcoholic. He deals with the current situation and ponders upon what the future may hold if all continues as it is. (5/5)

7. A Tree, A Rock, A Cloud - Another story which I enjoyed and was what I expected from McCullers. A newspaper boy enters a diner for breakfast and as he leaves a man sunk in his beer calls him over to tell him that he loves him. This transient then goes on to explain his life and experience of love claiming he has now got it down to a science. This didn't go where I expected it to but instead was a sad story on what love is and what it isn't. (4/5)

Nikki in Niagarahttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3212465766317764317.post-71011152647760517022017-04-27T05:15:00.001-04:002017-04-27T05:15:22.211-04:00The Thinking Machine on the Case by Jacques Futrelle

The Thinking Machine on the Case by Jacques Futrelle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Written in 1908 this is the first collection in a series of "The Thinking Machine", otherwise known as Professor Van Dusen, short stories. Each story is broken up into two chapters making me think they may have originally been published in a serial manner. Because of the author's name, I had assumed this would be a French detective but no, the man and the cases are American through and through. This is obviously a variation of the Holmes stories even including a "Watson", Hutchinson Hatch, a journalist. Hatch is basically a gopher as he goes out doing the Professor's legwork. Hatch can obtain plenty of information due to his profession making him have friends in both high and low places. The Thinking Machine solves his cases purely with logic, but I found the cases to be over-the-top and improbable even though Van Dusen will put them together with usually only sound logic. I'm glad to have now read this detective but generally found the stories mediocre; I'll not be reading another.

1. The Thinking Machine - This is a very short story telling the tale of how Professor Van Dusen became known as "The Thinking Machine", a man who uses pure logic to solve any problem. He is obviously based on Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.

2. The Motor Boat - A motor boat comes into a dock at full speed and crashes. Turns out the driver has been dead about 12 hours. Police conclude a heart attack but the Professor deduces otherwise.

3. The Woman in the Case - This brings the conclusion to the current case. Van Dusen and his reporter sidekick, Hatch, travel to the victim's home to interview his wife. Thence, the Thinking Machine gathers all those involved and exposes the murderer, telling how he did it. (3/5)

4. Dressing Room A - An actress mysteriously vanishes from her dressing room minutes before she's called on stage. Van Dusen deducts a crime has been committed and sends Hatch off to answer several questions he has.

5. Fitting a Hypothesis - Hatch follows Van Dusen around the city as he unravels the case and apprehends the villain. Quite an unbelievable solution but the ending was satisfyingly dramatic. (3/5)

6. The Crystal Gazer - A man comes to Van Dusen with an incredible tale. His trusted "seer" of many years has seen his death in his crystal. The man himself has witnessed the vision. He shall die in a week in his own apartments. Van Dusen takes the case and plans an elaborate ruse for the man while Van Dusen sorts things out. It was weird having this start with all the occult stuff as I didn't know how this would connect to Van Dusen at first.

7. A Matter of Logic - This one turned out to be quite fun. Quickly at the beginning the Thinking Machine figures out the case and makes arrests. The rest of the story explains how the Professor figured out the elaborate plan that was in place for the hapless client. My favourite so far. (4/5)

8. The Interrupted Wireless - A great start to this story. Very engaging which had me into the plot right away. Taking place on a passenger ship, the telegram officer is found dead with a knife in the back. The one who found him, the First Officer, is immediately suspected and soon arrested. They reach shore and we can expect Van Dusen to show up in part two.

9. The Midnight Message - The captain goes to Professor Van Dusen because he swears his friend is innocent. Van Dusen questions him and the doctor extensively, then goes to confront the real killer. The plot reminds me of the Crippen affair and his arrest on a liner, but that happened two years after this book was published. Enjoyable. (4/5)

10. The Roswell Tiara - Very intriguing mystery! A type of locked room puzzle. A rich woman wakes one night to find her vault open and a gem torn from a priceless tiara. To avoid public scandal due to her place in society, she goes to the Professor for help. He deduces the problem and gives her strange instructions.

11. A Fool of Good Intention - An overly dramatic solution based on early 1900s science makes this resolution simply silly. The solution is possible in the sense that everything is at some level possible. However, it just wasn't logical to the end which defeats the Thinking Machine's modus operandi. (2/5)

12. The Lost Radium - This is an interesting story from an historical point of view. It concerns radium and takes place while Mme Curie is alive and well. A friend of The Professor's is conducting official international experiments on whether radium can be used for locomotion. A lady visits him one day offering her own radium for the experiments, at a price. After she leaves the radium in-house is gone, stolen. The Thinking Machine then interrogates his friend.

13. The Suitcase - Another over-the-top solution, however quite plausible. As one character states, it was "audacious". We watch the Thinking Machine in action as he unravels the mystery with his logic and in typical fashion gathers everyone together to tell them how the heist was pulled off. A fun case! (4/5)

14. The Green-Eyed Monster - A man's wife starts going off for the day mysteriously and when he questions her he finds that she is not telling the truth.Eventually, he becomes so concerned he tries to follow her but she eludes him.

15. Two and Two Again Make Four - A humorous solution to the question of why the wife has been sneaking around day after day. Certainly a tale of its own time where a woman's clever, though illogical, solution to teaching her husband a lesson is praised. (3/5)

There is a printing error here as the chapter has no title nor is it listed in the toc. I started reading but it was in the middle of something happening and obviously not the beginning. I'll skip ahead to the next chapter and hope I didn't miss anything.

16. Before Midnight - This is short and the second half of the previous part above which is printed incorrectly. (0/5)

17. The Missing Necklace - We are introduced to a master "gentleman thief" and the Scotland Yard detective who is after him. The thief has never been caught and the detective is determined to catch him in the most recent necklace theft. He sets sail with him to America and searchs him, his rooms and belongings to no avail, while the thief is onto him.

18. Master of His Profession - The Scotland Yard man comes to The Thinking Machine and spends a few hours telling him everything about his recent pursuit of the thief. The Professor asks him a few questions, then solves the case and explains. Far-fetched again, but logical. Entertaining. (3/5)

19. The Phantom Motor - As opposed to all the other stories in this collection, this story is complete in itself. A trap has been set up at both ends of an 8-foot high wall tunnel to catch speeding "gasoline autos". But suddenly every evening at midnight a car going incredibly fast enters the tunnel and never exits it. Both officers stationed at the ends are baffled and it takes the Professor to expose the truth. (3/5)

20. The Brown Coat - A young man being an accomplished thief robs a huge sum from a bank. He leaves one tiny bit of evidence behind and is caught and confesses. But he has a wife he wants to provide for so the question for the police is "Where is the money and how can they get?"

21. A Human Problem - The thief is in jail and the Professor is out to find the whereabouts of the money. Halfway through this story a printing error had the story abruptly stop with text from in the middle of "The Phantom Motor"

22. The Gap in the Trail - Another printing error. The first part of this story goes back and add adds a part that was probably missing from #19 "The Phantom Moor" then it suddenly continues on where the last story "A Human Problem" was cut off. I enjoyed the brown coat/human problem story and would have rated it a three or perhaps even a four but because of the confusing printing errors, I must lower the rating. (2/5)

23. His Perfect Alibi - We start off in the middle of the night as a man wanders around with an agonizing toothache and is directed to a dentist's where he has the tooth pulled. Nex morning he is arrested for a murder which happened at the time he was at the dentist. Evidence points to him as the murderer but his alibi proves otherwise.

24. The Thinking Machine is asked to look a the case and in his efficient manner he quickly examines the evidence and the alibi then explains by whom and how the murder was executed. The typical Thinking Machine puzzle that I've come o expect at this point. (3/5)

25. The Superfluous Finger - Very puzzling case! This one is much longer than the other first stories in each two-story case. An elegant British woman enters a surgeon's office and asks to have her perfectly formed middle finger removed at the first joint. He refuses on ethical grounds and the next day she is found dead in her apartments. The Thinking Machine examines everything and the story ends with him telling us he knows just what went on here. One of the better stories in this collection.

26. The Case is Closed - The Thinking Machine sums up all the clues then tells exactly how (and why) the events occurred ending with the identity of the killers and how to find them. A good story to end the collection with and my favourite of the lot. (5/5)

Nikki in Niagarahttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3212465766317764317.post-69191856236745247312017-04-04T14:20:00.001-04:002017-04-04T14:20:23.833-04:00San Juan Noir edited by Mayra Santos-Febres

San Juan Noir edited by Mayra Santos-Febres

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A collection of noir stories taking place in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Even those these averaged out to a solid 3/5, I found the collection as a whole very satisfying. There is a cohesiveness found in the selections which is usually elusive in anthology collections. I came into this blind about the culture and social aspects of San Juan but feel like the collection has given me a sense for the people. Worth reading!

1. Death on the Scaffold by Janette Becerra - A good story to start the collection. A mysterious narrator tells of a painter at her very high up apartment. An incident occurs and she realises a crime has been committed. It's a strange tale with the narrator being a recluse. (4/5)

2. Fish Food by Manolo Nunez Negron - The dark story of a friendship between two men from childhood until one becomes successful and the other ends up with a hit on him from the gang lords. Very well-written and engaging. (5/5)

3. The Infamy of Chin Fernandez by Tere Davila - Our villain is a panty snatcher and he tells of the day he got caught but thankfully it was only for the panty-snatching. Quite dark. I enjoyed it. (4/5)

4. Two Deaths for Angela by Ana Maria Fuster Lavin - Very good! And very morbid. A woman who thrives on loneliness and despair tells of her close encounters with the deaths of others and her doppelganger whom she keeps seeing. (5/5)

5. Matchmaking by Mayra Santos-Febres - Short and dark. A hitman for a drug lord is given a job on a female drug lord and his life changes forever. Even though it's short we get a real sense for the hitman. Well-written. (4/5)

6. Dog Killer by Luis Negron - Another hitman at work. Written in a choppy style which makes you have to infer what happened at certain points. Ok story butI didn't like the writing. (2/5)

7. Saint Michael's Sword by Wilfredo J. Burgos Matos - This was not for me. A male prostitute wakes up in the street with an AK-47 wound in him. He stumbles to his sister's place to be patched up then he travels all over the neighbourhood searching for the one who pulled the trigger. I couldn't get over the very vulgar language and vulgar references. Weird and distasteful. (1/5)

8. A Killer Among Us by Manuel A. Melendez - Honestly, this was just boring. Starting out with the story of an adolescent and his two buddies. He has a nasty drunk for a father who beats his mother. Then a dead man is found in the town bringing about a course of events, No suspense and two-dimensional characters. (2/5)

9. Sweet Feline by Alejandro Alvarez Nieves - Good, but leads up to a disappointing ending. Narrated by a bellhop, he tells of the time a female came to the hotel spending money all over the place. She charms the staff and other guests alike but completely ignores the narrator. Until her last night when she specifically asks for him to come to her room. The suspense is good and we only figure out what is going on when it finally happens. However, you keep expecting something more to come and then it just ends. (3/5)

10. Things Told While Falling by Yolanda Arroyo Pizarro - A man, afraid of flying, tells the random thoughts he has as the plane descends for a landing. Upon landing a dead body is found floating in the river. He continues and tells what happens after. Not bad; it's dark but hard to "get" the point. (3/5)

11. Turistas by Ernesto Quinonez - A man's mother dies and he makes a deathbed promise to her to find his father. His father is famous for having been a gang member of the Vampires and gruesomely stabbing two white kids to death when he was only 14 himself. The ending was unsatisfactory for me but I think the theme here is that family is more important than any amount of money. (3/5)

12. Y by Jose Rabelo - This doesn't make any sense to me. A mathematics teacher tells about a female student who is missing and he wants to solve the problem. There are a lot of cat references and prostitution also. It was readable, but just barely. (1/2)

13. Inside and Outside by Edmaris Carazo - This has a surprise twist at the end which I never saw coming. Honestly, the story is quite mundane; a girl goes to a party with her boyfriend, drives around afterwards, and the bf buys a brick of marijuana. Very annoyed with him, they start home and up to this point, I've been thinking what a boring story. Then the climax comes, what? and finally the twist. OMG! Fun. (3/5)

14. Death Angel of Santurce by Charlie Vazquez - Well written. At first, the story seems to be a day-in-the-life of a prostitute but as the night wears on things turn dark and we're surprised with an unexpected ending. All the action happens at the end thus allowing the author to give a good character sketch of the main character. (4/5)

Nikki in Niagarahttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3212465766317764317.post-16849454299022919102017-04-04T13:28:00.004-04:002017-04-04T13:28:56.319-04:00Boo! by Ben Newman

Boo! by Ben Newman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Adorable! The art is fantastic! Especially on the double spreads. The stylised animals are delightfully cute while the story is fun. It has a repeating text which will make it a delight as a read-aloud. The book starts with a mouse saying he's afraid of nothing at all, then an owl comes along and scares him. Then the owl claims to be the bravest, most fearless until another animal comes along and scares him. The pattern repeats itself until the story comes full circle with the mouse scaring an elephant. Loved it!

Nikki in Niagarahttps://firstname.lastname@example.com


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subset: commoncrawl


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The killing of innocent children and adults always make us angry. Rightly so.
Who in his or her right mind could do such a horrible deed? Most agree that a person mentally deranged would kill their own parent and other innocent children.
The state of Connecticut has the United States' fifth-toughest gun laws, including an assault weapons ban. Whenever a mass murder takes place anywhere in the world, the first thing we hear from the media is that we need to outlaw more firearms. Our laws in Canada differ than those in the U.S. In Canada we have no property rights so the government of the day can by law confiscate anything that we own.
Fortunately, 99.9 per cent of the gun owners in Canada are law-abiding citizens. We are not criminals, not insane, and don't go around shooting innocent bystanders. We don't need to apologize to anyone because we own a firearm. But the media tends to lump all lawful and peaceful firearm owners into the same pot. Somehow owning a gun makes one a potential criminal in this country.
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It is easy to get overwhelmed with roofing. The topic of roofing is a very complex one. This article is a good place to start. It is packed with some great advice about roofing.
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text:
- Description
In this gripping conclusion to The Alliance, nearly six months have passed since Leora Ebersole's Old Order Mennonite community fled to the mountains for refuge after an attack destroyed the region's power grid and altered life as they knew it. Since then, Leora has watched and waited for news of Moses Hughes, the young Englischer pilot who held off invading looters long enough for everyone to escape. Unsure Moses even survived, Leora has begun to warm to the affections of Jabil Synder, who has courted her patiently. But she struggles to see herself as the new bishop's wife, especially when she learns that Moses is alive and has now joined a local militia.
An unexpected encounter in the woods deepens Leora's crisis, as does a terrifying new threat that brings Moses's militia into the community's shaky alliance with the few Englischers left among them. When long-held beliefs are once again put to the test, Leora wrestles with the divide between having faith and taking action. Just how much will her shifting landscape change her?
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Photo Courtesy of Grant Harder
Vancouver is a cosmopolitan, multicultural city. After English and Chinese, the most common mother tongues are Punjabi, German, Italian, French, Tagalog, and Spanish. This translates into a thrillingly diverse dining scene that benefits from the first-class produce grown in the fertile lower mainland and Fraser Valley, as well as from the superb seafood harvested from the waters nearby. Vancouver's Asian food scene is second to none, with excellent sushi bars, ramen joints, and izakayas in every neighborhood. You'll also discover award-winning BC wines, a thriving craft brewing scene, and distilleries creating uniquely Canadian spirits with local ingredients.


text:
Ah, to have a craft room like this! (May'12)
great for scrapbook "stuff". Bet I can find one of these at the thrift store!
Large Craft Table - I might create a variation of this as my dining/utility space since I have one large open floorplan.
how to make a pegboard wall organiser- I can't see this in my kitchen but it would be an awesome girly addition to the workbench in the garage.
The hardware store is your friend when it comes to organizing the little things, like office or craft supplies.
This would be genius for the craft closet! Hide away table- there when you need it, gone when you don't, AND with more storage shelves behind the table, all concealed in a nice neat cabinet! More
Stacked IKEA Bookshelves In The Center of the Room and a Door as Table top ~ for…
Use Buckets and Hooks For Storage Solution -- 26 Craft Room Ideas Every Crafter Would Love : diyready
Brilliant way to store ribbons - multi pant hanger
Everyone should have a pegboard. Here's the Ultimate Guide to Pegboards, and why you should run out and get one right this minute! Pails hung on a pegboard! Also has instructions for building one and hanging it up


text: Home Gallery Video Liquipel Stop Ruining Your Electronics With Steve Aoki Steve Aoki Shows Off His Kooky Side in Hilarious Ad for for Liquipel The Music Artist Gets Goofy with Help from Lord Danger Published on May 21, 2014 Editor's Pick The ShamWow guy may have to retire, because a polo shirt-clad Steve Aoki puts him to shame in this commercial for waterproofing product Liquipel. It's hard to believe this spot isn't an internet spoof as the popular musician/DJ and a bubbly blonde sidekick show off the seemingly too-good-to-be-true water-repellent technology. Aoki -- whose projects include a label, the Dim Mak clothing line and Sol Republic headphones -- signed on with the company in September of last year after having his own equipment treated with Liquipel. Production company Lord Danger created the spot for the brand without a creative agency and even penned the copy itself. The quirky collective has worked on Aoki projects before, as well as music videos and videos for FunnyorDie. Rate this Ad You must be registered to rate the ad. Please Login or Register Now About Description Superstar DJ Steve Aoki joins the ranks of legendary TV pitchmen in this completely insane informercial for waterproofing technology Liquipel. CreditsDateMay 20, 2014Agency:Lord Danger Client:LiquipelProduction Company:Lord DangerDirector:Dan PackerProducer:Maxwell RiesbergProducer:Josh ShadidArt Design:Paul BianchiSound Design:Dan KenyonCinematographer:Aaron GrassoEditor:Dan PackerColorist:Gregory ReeseWardrobe Design:Patrick GlendeningMakeup:Daniela Grasso Industrycomputer/softwareelectronicstechnologytechnologytechnologytechnologyU.S. computers/software Latest Creativity News on Ad Age Gallegos United Has a New CCO, Arnold Hires Alfson, Low Joins Ogilvy Beijing 'I Have a Huge Idea:' Wyclef Jean Wants to Work With Brands BBH New York Rebuilds Leadership Team With New CEO, CCO and Chairman Related work CHA! by Texas Pete: Embrace Your CHAddiction Sales Factory + Woodbine Ancestry.com: Declaration Descendants July 4th Droga5 Boodles Gin: Make America Britain Again Exposure Communications


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vailable with a wide range of car key programmer if lost your car key; also with some car key copier if you want to make a copy of a car key with the old key. Supplying some car key programmer that works with dozens of cars made, also owing some purposely-designed car key maker for BMW and Mercedes Benz, like AK300 BMW CAS key maker, AK90 BMW EWS key programmer, AK500 programmer both for Mercedes Benz and BMW.
SKP1000 programmer add smart key on Hyundai SONATA 8 successfully
Post topic: Step -by -step procedure on how to use SKP1000 tablet key programmer to program smart key on Hyundai SONATA 8 successfully.


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In Plural Nouns
What is Durable Medium?
paper or any instrument which enables the recipient to store information addressed personally to him in a way accessible for future reference for a period of time adequate for… the purposes of the information and which allows the unchanged reproduction of the information stored. In particular, durable medium covers floppy disks, CD-ROMs, DVDs and hard drives of personal computers on which electronic mail is stored, but it excludes Internet sites, unless such sites meet the criteria specified in the first sentence of this paragraphKumar (MORE)


text: PHP Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in ..../vbclassified/vbclassified_adviews.php on line 64 Classifieds - Winnipesaukee Forum Winnipesaukee Forum Winnipesaukee Classifieds User Name Remember Me? Password Home Forums Gallery YouTube Channel Classifieds Links Blogs Calendar Register FAQ Members List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read » Site Navigation » Homepage » WeirsCAM» Forums» Photo Gallery» YouTube Channel» Classifieds» Lake Links» Local Weather» Blogs» Quiz» Water Temperatures » WeirsCAM » Amazon Deals Amazon.com Widgets » Random Classifieds Discover the Veasey Difference! End of Road .., by nicolewatkins Wanted Air chair or Sky Ski by michael yopp Lake Winnipesaukee Waterfront by wendy mchugh Gilford Yacht Club by pekelleher Paddle King Aluminum Swim Raft w/Ladder by Capt. Joe » Recent Forum Threads Vinyl repair of boat... Yesterday 09:14 PM by nhjenny Last post by GodSmile Today 01:51 AM 4 Replies, 79 Views Spelling Bee - Village... 07-15-2017 10:27 AM by Merrymeeting Last post by BrownstoneNorth Yesterday 11:26 PM 1 Replies, 216 Views Att cell service 05-29-2017 04:59 PM by Lakelife2016 Last post by Lakelife2016 Yesterday 10:56 PM 21 Replies, 2,511 Views Car transport from... Yesterday 04:02 PM by glendale Last post by WeirsBeachBoater Yesterday 09:29 PM 2 Replies, 220 Views Night boating - All... Yesterday 11:07 AM by upthesaukee Last post by Just Sold Yesterday 08:20 PM 2 Replies, 340 Views » Made in USA » Winnipesaukee Classifieds If you are looking to buy, sell, or rent goods, property or servicesin the Lakes Region place an ad here for FREE.You must be Registered to post ads. See the FAQ for ad posting information. Views: 0 User Name Last View Date Powered by vBClassified for vBulletin Copyright © 2007, Quarterbore Inc. Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3 All times are GMT -4. The time now is 02:53 AM. Contact Us - www.winnipesaukee.com - Archive - Top Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11Copyright ©2000 - 2017, vBulletin Solutions Inc. This page was generated in 0.26980 seconds


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Business For Sale
35 sqm, busy location to suit any communication business, travel agent
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Inspired by 90s West Coast American skater style, these super phat shorts come in a sturdy, heavyweight denim in a crisp, mid-blue wash. Cut in an extreme wide leg fit that falls below the knee, they're produced in collaboration with a British denim manufacturer that used to pump these out back in the day for the cool kids of the rave generation.
Model is 5'9 and wearing his usual size 30 (the turn-ups are stitched in).
Pictured with our Compton T-shirt in forest green (model usually wears M but is wearing L here for extra phat-ness to compliment the shorts).


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Home ›
Strovolos Sweet Gourmet Gifts
81 items found
Can't find the gift you were looking for? - Try our Business Gift or Personal Gift Recommendation Tool or contact us.
You can send Sweet Gourmet Gifts to Cyprus in the following locations.
What our Customers Say about our Service
"I work for a company with international clients. I called to confirm the quality and contents of the gift basket, submitted an order on a Friday and it was delivered in Korea early Tuesday morning. Excellent communication through the whole process. They even called me to confirm that the credit card I used on the order was mine! "
Elizabeth - Ottawa, Canada - Dec 22, 2009
"GiftBasketsOverseas are one of the best and most professional online ordering businesses I have ever used. The order I placed in Australia one day was completed and delivered in NZ the next - less than 18 hours later!! My mother in law was absolutely thrilled with the quality and the size of the fresh fruit and food hamper. I will certainly be using them again and again!!"
Tui McKeown - Hampton VIC, Australia - Sep 5, 2010
"Last night I got a confirmation that the recipient received the cake and greeting card. I'm so glad that you solved the problem. I was considering for the next year to look for another company, but as you took care about the reported issue, surely I will come back to you for your services. Thanks a lot. Keep doing a good service, and take care of this kind of issues for future customers."
Gabriela A - Guadalajara, Mexico - Sep 21, 2015
"I am so impressed with the service. Was punctual and they did everything they could to make it on time. They even went out of their way when the phone number was not working to try other means to contact the recipient. Will always use this company for my international and local gifts. I strongly recommend this company to everyone I know that is looking for gift delivery or any other service they provide."
Ben Mason - New York, NY - Jan 7, 2013
See other testimonials or leave your feedback here.


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Don't forget always to let me know straight away if you need anything because I know people everywhere. Because I'm in a little firm in a firm. Don't matter where, anywhere in London, I can get on the phone to someone I know I can trust, that talks the same as me. And if he's not the right person that can do it, he'll know the person that can. All right? … That's the thing, it can work – well, it's worked for years, hasn't it?
Words shared in confidence by Detective Sergeant John Symonds of the Met Police in 1969. Words captured by Michael Perry, a small time Peckham crook. A fragment from thirteen tapes. Unlucky for some.
Suspected as a gang member involved in a string of burglaries involving skeleton keys, Perry's flat was raided by the Met. Twelve bottles of stolen scotch and safebreaking tools were found upon the premises.
According to Perry, Detective Inspector Bernard Robson approached him. Robson hailed from Scotland Yard's C9 division. All C9 officers were renown "thief-catchers" and dealt with serious crime intelligence. Proffering advice to provincial constabularies dealing with London crooks, C9 was known by its men as "Home and Colonial".
Given the goods found in Perry's possession, Inspector Robson suggested that it wouldn't be helpful if gelignite were to turn up. On payment of £25, regional crime squad Detective Sergeant Harris omitted to tell the court about a previous conviction of Perry's.
Who cares about twenty-five quid? Remember, we're back in 1969. Using a raw inflation measure, £25 is worth around £359 today. Yet having that cash in your pocket now would give you the spending power of £700.
On the advice of Joey Pyle, an enforcer with the rare distinction of successful association with both the Kray and Richardson families, Perry approached The Times.
Perry was wired-up and the sting instigated by Garry Lloyd and Julian Mounter was published in The Times on 29 November 1969. Over a two month period, Perry had paid Harris, Perry and Symonds £200 to lose the planted gelignite and a further £50 for information regarding a future police raid.
While The Times handed the tapes to Scotland Yard on the eve of publication, they justified their decision to print on the grounds of not trusting all in the Met. Events confirmed the suspicions of The Times.
Following the time-honoured procedure followed by institutions under threat, the messengers were shot. Lloyd and Mounter spent up to eight hours at-a-time being questioned by the police. The crooked cops in question weren't initially subject to the usual rules of the game: "The normal conduct of a criminal inquiry – searching the suspects' homes desks, lockers – seems to have been totally neglected."
The Times allegations were published on a Saturday. The following Thursday, James Callaghan, Secretary of State for the Home Department, appointed ex-chief constable and Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary Frank Williamson to lead the official inquiry into Perry's allegations.
Williamson, with a reputation for fairness and blunt-speaking, recalled his experience at the Yard in conversation with lawyer-turned-crime historian James Morton:
I saw Callaghan alone and he asked had I read the expose in The Times. "What do you think ought to be done?" I said, "Well, it's too late now but you should have had an independent inquiry." Callaghan said, "What do you mean, it's too late?" I said, "Well, if they were going to do any damage they'll have done it. Papers and records will have been destroyed and gelignite wrappers will have been thrown away and the whole thing will be blown wide open." The first thing that happened on the night this was offered to the Yard by The Times everybody named on the tapes was warned by C1 [the central office of the CID] what was coming.
Detective Sergeant John Symonds was a mason. So was the head of Scotland Yard's investigation into The Times's allegations, Detective Chief Superintendent Bill Moody. Coincidental? Unbelievable?
Martin Short, an investigative journalist who submitted evidence to the House of Commons Select Committee on Home Affairs about masonry contends:
Freemasonry was the security blanket – the ultimate in comforters – for a network of corrupt cops throughout the metropolis. Their fraternal bonds reassured them that they could rely on each other's absolute discretion. On that basis the "firm in a firm" provided whatever service was required. It could get criminal charges dropped against the guilty or ensue their acquittal. It could secure the conviction of men who did not pay bribes or got in the way of bigger fish who were paying. It could protect bribe-paying gangs by preventing their detection. It could even supply the direct participation of some policemen in serious crimes such as robbery. This standing conspiracy had several protective layers or shells. First, everyone in it was a policeman. Second, they were all detectives. Third, they were all corrupt. Fourth, most were freemasons.
Still not convinced? I don't apologize for this barrage of testimony, as some are apt at smearing those critical of the police with accusations of harbouring an anti-police attitude. Robert Reiner, Emeritus Professor of Criminology in the Law Department at the London School of Economics, remarks of the Met's behaviour at this time: "The Yard's initial attempt at investigation only confirmed this with a pattern of obstruction, leaks and disappearing documents."
To return to Williamson's own words:
By the time I got there, du Rose [a Deputy Assistant Commissioner at Scotland Yard and ex-head of the murder squad] had got Moody into the inquiry on the pretext he was going to deal with the Warwickshire officers involved in Perry's tape. Moody was clearly sent in to sabotage it. Du Rose was active in the obstruction of The Times inquiry right from the word go. He was responsible for getting Moody onto it and there was only one reason for that. … Du Rose and I fell out on the very first day I was there. … It wasn't very long before he put his ticket in and went to National Car Parks. I can't prove why, but I know why. Because he got the wind up. He realized the game was partially up.
What about the top brass? Following the death of Sir Joseph Simpson in 1968 – the first police constable to reach the rank of Met commissioner – James Callaghan, the Home Secretary, offered the post to Robert Mark, hitherto one of only two provincial commissioners to be appointed to assistant commissioner.
Mark was an outsider and he knew it. More time was needed to familiarize himself with the workings of the Met. He declined the post on the understanding that he would accept a few years later. Sir John Waldron, deputy commissioner, filled the role. For a bit longer than some would have hoped.
In turn, Mark served as deputy commissioner under Waldron. While Mark oversaw disciplinary matters, the Assistant Commissioner (Crime), Peter Brodie, had a say if irregularities were linked to crime.
Frank Williamson and Robert Mark. Two outsiders. Surreptitious meetings took place at the Scilly Isles pub, [the Marquis of Granby?] Esher, near Sandown Park, should the two wish to discuss the corruption inquiry.
Williamson was certainly frustrated by the most senior of police officers, but more by incompetence, even a misplaced sense of loyalty, than direct connivance and corruption. As he elaborated in his measured fashion:
If I'd had Jim Callaghan on my own I think we would have made a dramatic difference to The Times inquiry but not with Brodie and Waldron because Brodie and Waldron were feeding Philip Allen [Home Office permanent secretary] … with what were nothing more than lies which had been fed up to them from the Deputy Assistant Commander level in the CID.
Robert Mark believed the Home Secretary screwed-up by not appointing, as was within his remit, a chief constable with police powers to direct the investigation. Too late. Fatal. To Williamson again:
I would love to be able to tell you Brodie was bent because it would be a retribution. I cannot. It would be totally irresponsible for me to say I knew he was in any way bent but I can tell you this: he was completely and utterly stupid and he accepted the advice of the senior officers like Du Rose and [Flying Squad head] Millen. Anything they said became gospel and they were twisting him right, left and centre. …
Graeme McLagan, a former BBC current affairs journalist, sums up Frank Williamson's portrait of the Met police:
First there were the corrupt ones, then there were those who were honest but knew of corruption and did nothing about it, and then there were those so stupid that they failed to realise there was any corruption at all.
So what happened to our cast of constables? Williamson resigned in 1971 not long before Mark took over as commissioner in the following year. The three cops accused of crooked behaviour had their date in court in 1972. Detective Inspector Robson was sentenced to seven years and Detective Sergeant Harris six years in prison. Detective Sergeant Symonds, infamously recorded as saying"we've got more villains in our game than you've got in yours" fled the country. Garry Lloyd, one of two journalists who worked on The Times corruption expose, told Michael Gillard and Laurie Flynn in 2002:
Symonds was ordered to disappear by the corrupt elements in Scotland Yard. They had a whip round to send him away to South Africa and Rhodesia. Williamson told me that Symonds was flatly ordered to go because he was threatening to blow the whistle on the whole firm. Williamson knew that it had gone right up the ranks to very, very senior officers and that's what they've always wanted to cover up.
Seven years after he went on the run, Symonds gave himself up and served a two-year prison sentence. Dismissed as a fantasist who railed about corruption by the police and law officers working for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Symonds also claimed to have been a "romeo spy" for the KGB during his time abroad. The latter loony claim was proved to be true by the Soviet defector Colonel Mitrokhin.
As for Detective Chief Superintendent Bill Moody, you'll learn more about him soon.
- Andrew Buncombe, "The Spy Who Came in from the Past Escapes Prosecution', Independent, 21 December 1999, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/the-spy-who-came-in-from-the-past-escapes-prosecution-738214.html
- Nick Davies, "Freemasons in the Police", Guardian, 1997, available at http://www.nickdavies.net/1997/01/01/freemasons-in-the-police/
- Clive Emsley, The English Police: A Political and Social History (London: Longman, 2nd edn., 1996).
- Michael Gillard and Laurie Flynn, The Untouchables: Dirty Cops, Bent Justice and Racism in Scotland Yard (London: Bloomsbury, 2nd edn., 2012).
- Dick Hobbs, "Obituary: Frank Williamson", Independent, 28 January 1999, http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-frank-williamson-1076688.html
- ________ "Obituary: Sir Robert Mark", Independent, 5 October 2010, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/sir-robert-mark-commissioner-of-the-metropolitan-police-who-was-ruthless-in-rooting-out-corruption-2097551.html
- Adrian James, Examining Intelligence-Led Policing: Developments in Research, Policy and Practice (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013).
- Robert Mark, In the Office of Constable (London: Fontana, 1979).
- Graeme McLagan, Bent Coppers: The Inside Story of Scotland Yard's Battle against Police Corruption (London: Orion, 2003).
- James Morton, Bent Coppers (London: Little, Brown, 1993).
- Robert Reiner, The Politics of the Police (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 3rd edn., 2000).
- David Rose, "I Told You I Was A Spy", Guardian, 14 September 1999, http://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/1999/sep/14/features11.g22
- Michael Seamark and David Williams, "Day the Gangsters Buried the Hatchet", Daily Mail, 1 March 2007, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-439311/Day-gangsters-buried-hatchet.html
- Martin Short, Inside the Brotherhood: Further Secrets of the Freemasons (London: HarperCollins, 1993).
- Jerry White, London in the Twentieth Century: A City and its People (London: Penguin, 2002).


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Up-to-date report from one of our students!
Nationality: Finland
Course: Jewelry Making
Program: 1year ATELIER COURSE
Period: Oct.14,2013 - June 6,2014
Jun. 18, 2014 | Posted in Jewelry, Top Stories , Student Reports | Tags:S.K., Jewelry | Language:
Reporter: S.K. | Course: Jewelry
A lock 2
1. I also continued with the lock that i started last month.
2. I tied the two parts together with an iron wire and soldered them.
3. I made little rings and filed one side flat.
4. Then I soldered a ring on the tongue part of the lock.
5. When one was soldered on the right level, I soldered the rest of them the same way.
6. And then I made the same to the nest past of the lock.
7. Here all the littlle rings are soldered. When the lock is finished I will make three rows of pearls on them.
8. Then on the tongue part I soldered little tubes on the ends for secure locking.
9. Here both of them are soldered.
10. And then I soldered two little balls of silver on the nest part.
11. Finally I made a thin silver wire and holding the two lock parts together I made the secure locking on both sides.
12. Here is the ready sidelocking to make sure the lock is secure.
13. My classmate Aya on her working place.
14. My classmate Aya sawing her lock.
15. The finished lock open when you can see the two parts.
16. The openwork of the nest part is supposed to be decorative, but also to make the lock less heavy by cutting out metal.
17. The finished lock closed and polished. I will make engraving on the top and 3 rows of pearls on the small rings to make it a brachelet.
Ask a question to this reporter
Graphic Design 23-One Year Course 2017
Language: Reporter: Misa YOSHIDA
Course: Graphic Design
Graphic Design 22-One Year Course 2017
Language: Reporter: Misa YOSHIDA
Course: Graphic Design
Shoe Making 17-One Year Course 2017 (Student1)
Since I started to make this reports I highlighted the fact …
Language: Reporter: Caterina Melidoni
Course: Shoe Making/Design
At Accademia Riaci, we are recruiting Course Reporters from our students. The students who are chosen to become Course Reporters are given 10 % of the tuition as their scholarship fee.
The Reporters who have submitted excellent reports will have his or her profile posted on our school website for the next 5 years as an alumnae and will be able to connect with their business chancesafter their graduation.