Monday Musings for July 27, 2020

My latest podcast.

32. Grabbing, Stomping, and Marla Maples too: WrestleMania V

Red Rain by Dean Koontz

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


From the description: In a town where the corrupt are protected, a bereaved mother seeks retribution for an arsonist’s deadly crimes. Only Nameless can help ease the burden of her grief—and satisfy her rage—in part four of this thrilling series.

After a suspicious house fire, Regina Belmont lost her two children, was left disfigured, and was abandoned by her gutless husband. Brokenhearted and bullied into silence by corrupt officials, Regina’s only recourse for truth and justice is Nameless. There’s something about this case that’s breaking Nameless’s heart as well. But can he bear to remember why?
I didn’t like this as well as some of the others, but I am hoping with the small indications in the book, that we are inching closer to something about Nameless’ past and the organization that he works for.



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One Good Deed by David Baldacci

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


‘The #1 New York Times’ bestselling author David Baldacci introduces an unforgettable new character: Archer, a straight-talking former World War II soldier fresh out of prison for a crime he didn’t commit.

It’s 1949. When war veteran Aloysius Archer is released from Carderock Prison, he is sent to Poca City on parole with a short list of do’s and a much longer list of don’ts: do report regularly to his parole officer, don’t go to bars, certainly don’t drink alcohol, do get a job–and don’t ever associate with loose women.

The small town quickly proves more complicated and dangerous than Archer’s years serving in the war or his time in jail. Within a single night, his search for gainful employment–and a stiff drink–leads him to a local bar, where he is hired for what seems like a simple job: to collect a debt owed to a powerful local businessman, Hank Pittleman.

Soon Archer discovers that recovering the debt won’t be so easy. The indebted man has a furious grudge against Hank and refuses to pay; Hank’s clever mistress has her own designs on Archer; and both Hank and Archer’s stern parole officer, Miss Crabtree, are keeping a sharp eye on him.

When a murder takes place right under Archer’s nose, police suspicions rise against the ex-convict, and Archer realizes that the crime could send him right back to prison . . . if he doesn’t use every skill in his arsenal to track down the real killer.

I liked this book. Archer is a good man to pull for. I didn’t like some characters or their actions, but look forward to another book about Archer.




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The Mercy of Snakes by Dean Koontz

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A series of suspicious deaths in a retirement home draws Nameless into the confidence of a terrified former resident—and into the dark heart of a shocking conspiracy. In part five of the Nameless series, it’s time to hunt.

Oakshore Park is Michigan’s most exclusive assisted-living community. Presided over by two killer angels of mercy, it’s also the go-to facility in assisted dying. For a cut, they make impatient heirs happy. Nameless must concoct a scheme just as cunning. But righteous retribution stirs disquiet in the avenger as light starts to shine on the black hole of his past. Should he welcome it or keep running?
The action picked back up with this one. With only one book left, I hope we get some answers to Nameless, his past, and the group behind his quest.



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Monday Musings for July 20, 2020

My latest Wrestling Podcast

31. No promotion, no crowd, and the names are misspelled: Clash VI April 1989

Ric Flair has his name misspelled, Ricky Steamboat has his name misspelled and a son dressed as a cut rate Yoshi, JYD and Butch Reed return to The Superdome, George Scott is lost, Jim Ross and Michael Hayes reunite, and Terry Funk is not retired as Joey takes a look at Clash of the Champions VI: Ragin’ Cajun.

The latest episode of The Joey Harris Show

Photographing the Dead by Dean Koontz

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Continuing the mystery

I like these mysteries. I a, intrigued by Nameless and hope we find out more about him, his abilities, and the group he works for.



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The Praying Mantis Bride by Dean Koontz

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A deadly black widow has eliminated three husbands and counting. But Nameless knows her one weakness. To bring truth and its consequences to her crimes, the vigilante must spin a web of his own in part three of the Nameless series.

Lucia—current last name, Rickenbah—has made a fortune by marrying rich men who tend to drop dead. But the superstitious blonde believes in more than money and murder. Nameless’s job is to scare a confession out of Lucia, and as the psychological warfare escalates, even he may be in for a shock.
I did not like this one as much as the other one’s, but it held my interest for about an hour. Still hope that we get some clue as to what is going on as well as what happened to Nameless before this started.



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Finally, I have been sidelined in my movie watching, but did watch this classic this weekend:

Have a great week

-Joey

Monday Musings June 22, 2020

It was a hectic week, although I did have some much needed time away this past weekend. I went camping.

I’m currently watching Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl for my movie poster movie.

I am finally on Season 5 of Wings. Alex has joined the cast as a regular this season.

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The latest episode of my podcast

The Baby Blue Rip-Off by Max Allan Collins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Great novel! I’m a huge fan of Max Allan Collins, but this is the first Mallory novel of his that I have read. Mallory is a mystery writer and all around good guy. He delivers hot meals to the elderly and shut ins once a week. When one of his clients is murdered, he investigates. Along the way he deals with thieves, cops, former girlfriends, and a piece of his past. I’m not going to spoil it, but there is a scene near the end that genuinely shocked me. It worked itself out before the end though. Another good one from Collins.



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That’s it for now. Have a great week!

Monday Musings for June 8, 2020

I had a pretty good week.

Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson by Lyndsay Faye

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Lyndsay Faye has written a wonderful pastiche about Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson’s investigation into the Ripper Killing. The solution is satisfying, and I became quite attached to the character of Miss Monk. Worth the time of any Holmes fan.



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Treasure Island by Marty Ross

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is my first experience with Treasure Island, and the adaptation was superb. The actors did wonderfully and I was drawn into the story. Highly recommend.



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The Dark City by Max Allan Collins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Fascinating look into Eliot Ness and his start as Safety Director of Cleveland. Ness has just gotten hired and there is a ticking clock to get some results so that his budget can be passed. Without it, he’s a lame duck before he even starts. Highly recommended.



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I finally finished Season 8 of Unsolved Mysteries on Amazon Prime. It’s on to Season 9!

Continuing my watchthrough of Wings on DVD.

Still on Season 4.

The latest episode of my wrestling podcast:

That’s it for now.
Have a great week!

-Joey

Monday Musings for May 25, 2020

My week wasn’t as productive as the previous week, although I still got some things done:

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Okay way to spend 90 minutes or so. Gives some context behind the final Harry Potter book.



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I continue to watch Season 8 of Unsolved Mysteries on Amazon Prime

Unsolved Mysteries Season 8.

Continuing my watchthrough of Wings on DVD

I have made it to season 4.

I continue to work on my Podcast. A new episode drops every Thursday at midnight.

Episode 23. Now with More Grit: Starrcade ’88

I forgot to add last week that my family gave me the Enno Vatti 100 great movie poster for Christmas and I have been making my way through that. Last weeks movie was Se7en:

Se7en Poster

That’s it for now.
Have a great week!

-Joey

More Books

I’m continuing with my Million Page March this month. My job is always busy in August and, as a result, I don’t get much time for reading. I do however have a few books for you this time.

Sherlock Holmes Vs. Dracula by Loren D. Estleman: The very first book I recorded back in May 2005 when I started this challenge. It is a look at how Holmes would deal with Dracula if inserted into the classic tale by Bram Stoker. I liked it and it is an interesting read for any fan of Holmes or Dracula.

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane: Recently made into a movie, this is the story of Marshall Teddy Daniels investigating the disappearance of a patient at an insane hospital on an island. This was a good novel with many twists and turns and an ending that surprised and saddened me.

Dear American Airlines by Jonathan Miles: The story of Bennie Ford, a man who has made a mess of his life but is trying to make amends by attending his estranged daughters wedding. However, on the way, he is stranded in Chicago and all flights out have been cancelled. Taking out his frustrations in a letter requesting a refund, Bennie instead writes down his life story. This was a fun little book that took me about a day to read. I liked it but felt that the parts of the book that show the latest novel that Bennie is working on, (he is a translator of foreign novels) slows the book down some.

Thanks for reading.

Late evening update

It has been a while since I did a regular post. I have only been doing Friday’s Feasts and posting my questions of the week for you all. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have left comments on the site. It means a lot to me to have people comment on what I have written. I just want to take this opportunity to update you on a few things.

I have done some more work on my book lately. I am a little farther behind than I want to be at this point, but have really been writing some pages lately so maybe I can get back on track soon.

Work is starting to get a little busier at this point, but no more than I can handle. The busy season is still ahead of me at this point. I cleaned out my office on Thursday night, one of my goals for this summer. I am glad that particular task is behind me at this point.

I haven’t had a chance to see any of the big summer blockbusters that have arrived at the cinema the past two months. It sucks because I want to see so many of them so badly but don’t have the funds at the moment. It sucks not having money.

I have had a chance to read a few books this summer. I am slowly making progress on my Million Page Project. Still way behind on the number of books for this year, but every little bit helps.

At the end of the day.

It has been one interesting week. A woman who was beloved in the community where I work and live passed away suddenly this week. I didn’t know her well, but she affected many lives and her loss will be great. It reminded me of the fickleness of life and how we are not promised tomorrow.
The book is slowly coming along. I know I have a long way to go. The hardest part will not be in the writing of the book but in the editing process after. I am hoping to have 20,000 words by the end of the week. It is the largest single writing job that I have ever done. It is challenging to me both as a person and as a writer.
Several years ago, I worked as a security guard at a factory. During an 8 hour shift, I was busy maybe an hour and a half at the most. So I had a lot of downtime in between. My supervisor told me to bring books to read since I was waiting on trucks to be signed in and out. With nothing left to do other than listen to the radio, I got to read a lot of books. One day I got curious and kept track of how many pages I had read during a shift. It was something to keep my mind occupied. Then I wondered if I could read 1,000 pages in a week. It went on from there to see how many pages I could read in a month, a year, and so on. So beginning with the first day of January of 2005 I began what I call my Million Page Project. To see if I could read a million pages of literature. I have hit my yearly goals so far. As an added bonus, I get to read a lot of great books. Let me know what you think.

Taking the same land twice

One of the resolutions that I have made for myself this year was to lose wight. This morning I weighed myself and I have lost 20 pounds. Yeah!!! It got me to thinking though, about something I heard once. This old military saying that some general or something was to have said once. The saying is that this general said that he hated to ever have to retreat, because he didn’t want to have to take over a piece of land twice. That is how my weight loss has been. I hate to see that scale creep up even a pound, because that means that I have to lose that pound all over again. Kind of like a one step forward, two steps back kind of thing.

The new Harry Potter book comes out this summer. I feel so bad, I haven’t read but one book this year. I am really falling behind in my reading. Things at work have been really hectic as this is one of the busy times of the year at my job.

A tow truck is coming to get the station wagon this week and take it off to the junk yard, presumably to be crushed. It had a good run.