Book Review: Empire of Sin by Gary Krist A criminal called “the Axman” opens this story, and after a thirty-year flashback through New Orleans history, wraps it up as well. No one is sure who the Axman actually was, how many of the crimes attributed to him he actually did, or his final fate. Rather… Continue reading Book Review: Empire of Sin
Tag: prostitution
Manga Review: Master Keaton, Volume 1
Manga Review: Master Keaton, Volume 1 art by Naoki Urasawa, story by Hokusei Katsushika & Takashi Nagasaki Taichi Hiraga Keaton is a mild-looking fellow with a bumbling exterior personality. You’d never guess that he’s a brilliant archaeologist, ex-SAS soldier and freelance insurance investigator. He often takes leave of his day job as a poorly paid… Continue reading Manga Review: Master Keaton, Volume 1
Manga Review: Yukarism
Manga Review: Yukarism by Chika Shiomi Teen author Yukari Kobayakawa was born with a birthmark that resembles a sword wound. His books set in the Edo period of Japan are best-sellers; but curiously he never does any research for them. It’s as though that knowledge is his birthright. Yukari’s life goes from odd but… Continue reading Manga Review: Yukarism
Book Review: The Silence of the Loons
Book Review: The Silence of the Loons edited by The Minnesota Crime Wave The long-time reader may by now have realized that I have something of a weakness for anthologies. Collections of short fiction are an excellent use of limited lunch reading time. And I am also a faithful son of Minnesota. So this book… Continue reading Book Review: The Silence of the Loons
Book Review: The Jungle
Book Review: The Jungle by Upton Sinclair Jurgis Rudkos is a Lithuanian immigrant who has come to America with his fiancee Ona and their families to seek the good jobs advertised in his poverty-stricken homeland. It’s tricky for people who don’t know English or the local customs to get around, but finally they make it… Continue reading Book Review: The Jungle
Book Review: Hell-Bent
Book Review: Hell-Bent by Jason Ryan Disclaimer: I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it. My copy was an advanced reading copy, and changes will be made in the published version, due out November 2014. In particular, the end notes and index were not yet finished. Hawaii’s… Continue reading Book Review: Hell-Bent
Manga Review: Ooku
Manga Review: Ooku by Fumi Yoshinaga In an alternate history version of Japan, disaster strikes during the reign of Shogun Iemitsu (circa 1630). A plague that becomes known as the “red-face pox” sweeps the islands, with a fatality rate of 80% among boys and young men. Within a couple of years, the gender imbalance among… Continue reading Manga Review: Ooku
Book Review: Native Silver
Book Review: Native Silver by Blake Hausladen This is a sequel to Mr. Hausladen’s Ghosts in the Yew and will contain some spoilers for the earlier work. Prince Barok has brought the sleepy backwater province of Enhedu from a shameful place of exile to a thriving young nation in little over a year with the help… Continue reading Book Review: Native Silver
Book Review: Jet Set
Book Review: Jet Set: The People, the Planes, the Glamour, and the Sex in Aviation’s Glory Years by William Stadiem Disclaimer: I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it. My copy was an Advance Uncorrected Proof, and there will be considerable changes made to the final product,… Continue reading Book Review: Jet Set
Book Review: Good Advice from Bad People
Book Review: Good Advice from Bad People: Selected Wisdom from Murderers, Stock Swindlers and Lance Armstrong by Zac Bissonnette Disclaimer: I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it. People love to give advice. Maxims, moral pronouncements, proverbs and detailed instructions on how other people should live their… Continue reading Book Review: Good Advice from Bad People