I've written before about Edward Wright's novels (see here, here, and here) in the fine series about John Roy Horn, a disgrace '40s B-movie actor turned investigator. Damnation Falls is a standalone (so far, at any rate) about another disgraced man, Randall Wilkes, formerly a columnist for a Chicago newspaper.
When he's asked to write a biography of his friend Sonny McMahan, former governor of Tennessee, Wilkes returns to their hometown of Pilgrim's Rest, and the next thing he knows, McMahan's mother is murdered. But not before she gives Wilkes a cryptic message. Then McMahan's footloose father, who's supposed to be dead, turns up alive, and there's another murder. How do the killings fit in with McMahan's plans to build a big Civil War study center and museum in Pilgrim's Rest? And where does Wilkes's father, a Civil War historian come into it? Wilkes reporter's instincts kick in, and he finds himself the target of a killer as he pries into things and digs into the past of the town and some of its citizens.
A complex plot, good writing and smooth first-person narration made me glad I picked this one up. Check it out.
Just say no to peppermint oil!NY school suspends girl, 10, for peppermint oil : 24 Hour Breaking News : The Buffalo News: "A 10-year-old girl in New York has been suspended for bringing peppermint oil to her middle school and distributing it to other students.The Commack School District said in a statement on its Web Site that the oil is 'an unregulated over-the-counter drug.'"
How The Grinch Stole Christmas - Grinch Named Worst Christmas Movie Ever - Contactmusic News: "HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS has been named the Worst Christmas Movie of all time in a new online poll."
That's the Jim Carrey/Ron Howard version, of course.
. . . you become a Kindle owner. I would never have bought one for myself, but Judy and I received one from our son for Christmas. It's an interesting device, for sure. I've downloaded a book, but when will I read it? Time will tell.
Happy holidays to all! May your days be merry and bright, and thanks for visiting the blog over the past year.
I hope you'll return often in 2010. In the meantime, Keep Off My Lawn!
Texas County to Name Drunk Drivers on Twitter - PC World: "If you get busted for drunk driving in Montgomery County, Texas, this holiday season, your neighbors may hear about it on Twitter.That's because the local district attorney's office has decided to publish the names of those charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI) between Christmas and New Year's Eve."
Restoring James Bond : POPJOURNALISM.CA: "Over two-and-a-half painstaking years, Lowry’s company and MGM worked on restoring picture and sound quality on Bond films from 1962’s Dr. No to 2002’s Die Another Day."
Airport Employee Hurt In Otter Debacle That Delayed Flight | WBNS-10TV, Central Ohio News: "An employee at Houston's Bush Airport was hurt Tuesday night while trying to round up otters that escaped from their cages inside a plane's cargo hold."
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Loren Singer, Author of ‘The Parallax View,’ Dies at 86 - Obituary (Obit) - NYTimes.com: "Loren Singer, whose 1970 conspiracy thriller, “The Parallax View,” later made into a movie starring Warren Beatty, was one of the first novels to offer a politically paranoid vision of the United States as a country controlled by ruthless technocrats, died on Saturday in Valhalla, N.Y. He was 86 and lived in Mamaroneck, N.Y."
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Duo Accused of Flashing Fake Receipts | MyFoxHouston.com: "A thief and his alleged apprentice were arrested after detectives caught them flashing forged receipts for items they hadn't purchased at a Sam's Club, police said.[. . . .]
Lynn is accused of printing out authentic-looking receipts from his computer before heading to the Sam's Club, according to the statement. He would take anything he wanted and show the fake receipt to employees at the door without actually ever paying at the registers."
Average Net user now online 13 hours per week | Digital Media - CNET News: "The Harris Interactive poll, released Wednesday, found that 80 percent of U.S. adults go online, whether at home, work, or elsewhere. Those who surf the Net spend an average of 13 hours per week online, but that figure varies widely. Twenty percent are online for two hours or less a week, while 14 percent are there for 24 hours or more."
Man accused of stealing blow-up doll | Gainesville.com | The Gainesville Sun | Gainesville, FL: "The Alachua County Sheriff's Office also accused the man of instigating a disturbance at a convenience store, causing a wreck and changing into a woman's jogging suit while stealing a gun."
What were your worst books of the decade? | Books | guardian.co.ukI think there are something like 900 comments if you'd like to read through them to see if there's consensus.Hat tip to Todd Mason.
I've written before about Edward Wright's novels (see here, here, and here) in the fine series about John Roy Horn, a disgrace '40s B-movie actor turned investigator. Damnation Falls is a standalone (so far, at any rate) about another disgraced man, Randall Wilkes, formerly a columnist for a Chicago newspaper.
