Goodreads | Eric_W Welch (Forreston, IL)'s review of Gallows Lane:
Inspector Devlin gets strict instructions from his boss, DCI Costello, to send Jamie Kerr back across the border. He doesn't and what follows is one busted investigation after another. Devlin makes a lot of mistakes, chases rabbits down the wrong warren hole, and generally misses the boat (overdid the metaphors, I think, but you get the picture. Nevertheless, he's a very sympathetic character.
The plot revolves around several seemingly unconnected events: the brutal unrequited rape of several girls, a bank robbery that happened years before, and an old IRA weapons cache that was discovered on some ground
The answer to the puzzle lies in knowing what "moobs" are and what causes them. At least partly.
'via Blog this'
Monday, December 31, 2012
Friday, December 28, 2012
Goodreads | Eric_W Welch (Forreston, IL)'s review of Terror Town
Goodreads | Eric_W Welch (Forreston, IL)'s review of Terror Town:
Another excellent Kaminsky novel, this one from the Abe Lieberman series. There are multiple plots, one involving a pseudo-crazy born-again who has created a nifty extortion racket, another featuring Abe's partner, Bill Hanrahan, which has a neat twist at the end, and the third, also with twist I certainly didn't see coming, involving detective Alan DuPree (who is also featured in a Lou Fonesca novel I'm reading.) In that case a prominent African-American is linked to the killing of one of his employees. Nifty resolution to that one.
Abe is the perpetual Monk-like character: five-seven, weighed a possible 140 on a good day, he wore a nearly perpetual look of resignation on his spaniel face." His wife worries constantly about his cholesterol and so everything he likes to eat is forbidden. He partners with an Irishman, Bill Hanrahan with whom he has a loyal and humorous relationship. Abe is the rabbi; Hanrahan the priest, as they refer to each other. Both are raising second families and Abe's daughter Lisa has a prickly relationship with her dad.
A constant, so far at least, is the strong family life of each of the characters, refreshing to say the least.
'via Blog this'
Another excellent Kaminsky novel, this one from the Abe Lieberman series. There are multiple plots, one involving a pseudo-crazy born-again who has created a nifty extortion racket, another featuring Abe's partner, Bill Hanrahan, which has a neat twist at the end, and the third, also with twist I certainly didn't see coming, involving detective Alan DuPree (who is also featured in a Lou Fonesca novel I'm reading.) In that case a prominent African-American is linked to the killing of one of his employees. Nifty resolution to that one.
Abe is the perpetual Monk-like character: five-seven, weighed a possible 140 on a good day, he wore a nearly perpetual look of resignation on his spaniel face." His wife worries constantly about his cholesterol and so everything he likes to eat is forbidden. He partners with an Irishman, Bill Hanrahan with whom he has a loyal and humorous relationship. Abe is the rabbi; Hanrahan the priest, as they refer to each other. Both are raising second families and Abe's daughter Lisa has a prickly relationship with her dad.
A constant, so far at least, is the strong family life of each of the characters, refreshing to say the least.
'via Blog this'
Monday, December 24, 2012
Goodreads | Eric_W Welch (Forreston, IL)'s review of House Blood
Goodreads | Eric_W Welch (Forreston, IL)'s review of House Blood:
I am part of a medical study through Harvard medical School intended to evaluate the efficacy of vitamin D in combination with Fish Oil. As a double blind study I might or might not be taking either of the drugs or a placebo. I have no way of knowing. That's as it should be. But I'm also at the mercy of those running the trial. I take on faith the purpose is what they say (and we know that in psychological studies they often prevaricate about the purpose of the study), and I assume those designing and running this incredibly expensive study are operating in an ethical and legal manner.
Now what if the backers of the study had something very different in mind and were using Harvard for their own purposes? What if they were acting perfectly within the law but were in blurry territory from an ethical standpoint? What if the result of this unethical behavior might result in a drug to cure a devastating illness? Does it matter if some people are sacrificed along the way?
That's the premise behind this excellent novel. I listened to this and don't know whether it's the book or the reader or a combination that totally captivated me. I have enjoyed other DeMarco stories, but this one blew away the others. It has humor, mystery, social commentary; very enjoyable.
DeMarco hates cutting the lawn, his idea of camping is a Hilton with slow room service, and the idea of wearing hiking books might give him hives. "What could be more perfect, New York v Boston –he hates those fucking Yankees– a steak, a baked potato slathered in butter and sour cream" -- yum. He's a kind-of Congressional fixer who has an office in the basement of Congress and he runs errands and investigations for Congressman Mahoney.
Mahoney asks him to look into the conviction of a friend of his wife's husband who had been convicted of killing his business party. We know right up front who the bag guys are, so the fun is in DeMarco's investigation. He can't seem to find any reason why the conviction shouldn't stand, but just a couple little things niggle the back of his mind. And the investigation, with the help of Emma, leads down a road he had no idea existed.
As far as I can tell the author hates lawyers, Congress, and big-Pharma.
'via Blog this'
I am part of a medical study through Harvard medical School intended to evaluate the efficacy of vitamin D in combination with Fish Oil. As a double blind study I might or might not be taking either of the drugs or a placebo. I have no way of knowing. That's as it should be. But I'm also at the mercy of those running the trial. I take on faith the purpose is what they say (and we know that in psychological studies they often prevaricate about the purpose of the study), and I assume those designing and running this incredibly expensive study are operating in an ethical and legal manner.
Now what if the backers of the study had something very different in mind and were using Harvard for their own purposes? What if they were acting perfectly within the law but were in blurry territory from an ethical standpoint? What if the result of this unethical behavior might result in a drug to cure a devastating illness? Does it matter if some people are sacrificed along the way?
That's the premise behind this excellent novel. I listened to this and don't know whether it's the book or the reader or a combination that totally captivated me. I have enjoyed other DeMarco stories, but this one blew away the others. It has humor, mystery, social commentary; very enjoyable.
DeMarco hates cutting the lawn, his idea of camping is a Hilton with slow room service, and the idea of wearing hiking books might give him hives. "What could be more perfect, New York v Boston –he hates those fucking Yankees– a steak, a baked potato slathered in butter and sour cream" -- yum. He's a kind-of Congressional fixer who has an office in the basement of Congress and he runs errands and investigations for Congressman Mahoney.
Mahoney asks him to look into the conviction of a friend of his wife's husband who had been convicted of killing his business party. We know right up front who the bag guys are, so the fun is in DeMarco's investigation. He can't seem to find any reason why the conviction shouldn't stand, but just a couple little things niggle the back of his mind. And the investigation, with the help of Emma, leads down a road he had no idea existed.
As far as I can tell the author hates lawyers, Congress, and big-Pharma.
'via Blog this'
Friday, December 21, 2012
HP-Autonomy: A Red-Ink Bath for Everyone - Re:Balance -- Jim Peterson
HP-Autonomy: A Red-Ink Bath for Everyone - Re:Balance -- Jim Peterson:
"Sorry, Meg. Not for a generation has an effective due diligence team done any more with a standard audit report than throw it onto the compost heap at the back of the document repository."
See also:
http://grumpyoldaccountants.com/blog/2012/12/19/h-p-throws-its-accountants-under-the-bus-but-why
Isn't the major problem here the whole concept of "good will" which just begs for financial manipulation and cheating? Wouldn't we be better served by not having such a concept? If a company wants to pay more than a company is worth (assuming worth is only cash and other measurable assets) that's their problem, but it should not be countenanced by accountants.
'via Blog this'
"Sorry, Meg. Not for a generation has an effective due diligence team done any more with a standard audit report than throw it onto the compost heap at the back of the document repository."
See also:
http://grumpyoldaccountants.com/blog/2012/12/19/h-p-throws-its-accountants-under-the-bus-but-why
Isn't the major problem here the whole concept of "good will" which just begs for financial manipulation and cheating? Wouldn't we be better served by not having such a concept? If a company wants to pay more than a company is worth (assuming worth is only cash and other measurable assets) that's their problem, but it should not be countenanced by accountants.
'via Blog this'
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