Dave Vizard's Blog
November 7, 2024
Review of "Mackinac Murder" makes my day
Mackinac Murder by Dave Vizard
- a review by Tom Powers, Michigan in Books
Dave Vizard’s series of mystery novels featuring reporter Nicke Steele of the Bay City Blade has put Bay City, Michigan on the literary map. The novel, as well as the entire Nicke Steele series, showcases Vizard’s ability to realistically portray a veteran journalist working a story combined with a riveting and unusual mystery.
When Eric Stapleton, a Bay City man, is killed in a freak horse-riding accident on Mackinac Island it marks the second time in three months he made it into his hometown paper. Three months earlier his 16-year-old daughter threw an overnight, alcohol fueled party for her girlfriends. Stapleton supposedly monitored the party and had a lot to answer for when Sherry Conway, one of the party goers, disappeared that night and has never been found. Furthermore, Stapleton’s job is monitoring Line 5, a highly controversial oil pipeline running under the Straits of Mackinac. Nick Steele is sent to cover the story on Mackinac Island while his fellow reporter and friend Dave Balz will see if he can find a connection to the disappearance of Sherry Conway.
Steele quickly discovers the island police report on Stapleton’s death is at odds with the evidence. Steele concludes it wasn’t an accident but murder and wonders if his job somehow figured in his death. The two reporters relentlessly dig into Stapleton’s past, his job, friends, and the few clues on Mackinac Island nor can they unearth any new leads on Conway’s disappearance. Eventually their hard work and dogged pursuit of a story pays off when a slim lead results in one startling revelation after another. The main plot line will keep you reading late into the night. But the subplots, minor characters, and the personal problems facing the two reporters are equally involving and mirror the life and death story they are trying to unravel.
Dave Vizard, a retired award-winning journalist, is a natural-born storyteller. So, before cracking the cover find a comfortable chair. You’re going to be there for a while.
- a review by Tom Powers, Michigan in Books
Dave Vizard’s series of mystery novels featuring reporter Nicke Steele of the Bay City Blade has put Bay City, Michigan on the literary map. The novel, as well as the entire Nicke Steele series, showcases Vizard’s ability to realistically portray a veteran journalist working a story combined with a riveting and unusual mystery.
When Eric Stapleton, a Bay City man, is killed in a freak horse-riding accident on Mackinac Island it marks the second time in three months he made it into his hometown paper. Three months earlier his 16-year-old daughter threw an overnight, alcohol fueled party for her girlfriends. Stapleton supposedly monitored the party and had a lot to answer for when Sherry Conway, one of the party goers, disappeared that night and has never been found. Furthermore, Stapleton’s job is monitoring Line 5, a highly controversial oil pipeline running under the Straits of Mackinac. Nick Steele is sent to cover the story on Mackinac Island while his fellow reporter and friend Dave Balz will see if he can find a connection to the disappearance of Sherry Conway.
Steele quickly discovers the island police report on Stapleton’s death is at odds with the evidence. Steele concludes it wasn’t an accident but murder and wonders if his job somehow figured in his death. The two reporters relentlessly dig into Stapleton’s past, his job, friends, and the few clues on Mackinac Island nor can they unearth any new leads on Conway’s disappearance. Eventually their hard work and dogged pursuit of a story pays off when a slim lead results in one startling revelation after another. The main plot line will keep you reading late into the night. But the subplots, minor characters, and the personal problems facing the two reporters are equally involving and mirror the life and death story they are trying to unravel.
Dave Vizard, a retired award-winning journalist, is a natural-born storyteller. So, before cracking the cover find a comfortable chair. You’re going to be there for a while.
October 31, 2024
Retired journalist mines newsroom experience to produce popular mystery series - latest: Mackinac Murder Crude Intentions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: davidv1652@gmail.com
Traverse City, Michigan—Faced with the prospect of retirement, some folks consider embarking on a new career, perhaps one that’s a far cry from their original vocation. Others make serious work of creating a bucket list. Finally, some put up their feet and embrace a couch potato lifestyle. Dave Vizard, author of Mackinac Murder: Crude Intentions from Mission Point Press, opted to stay in his lane, embracing post-career opportunities as a novelist.
Mackinac Murder: Crude Intentions is Vizard’s eighth novel in his Nick Steele Mystery Series. Nick, a hardworking journalist, finds himself on Mackinac Island, one of America’s great summer destinations, where a man’s death in a horse-riding accident is shrouded in mystery. He deduces something evil is afoot and chases the story across Michigan, unraveling mysteries that reveal a horrifying blackmail plot.
“I’ve been a writer pretty much my whole life. My first writing job was kicking out high school sports features when I was sixteen, making five bucks for each feature accepted. From there, I wrote for every paper that would hire me through the Marines and college until I landed a dream job as the labor reporter for The Flint Journal. In all, I’ve had a forty-year love affair with journalism and the written word so when it came time to retire from newspapers, I figured I’d end up writing something, somewhere.”
That idea of “something, somewhere” became a journey of sorts for Vizard and Steele as the veteran journalist fleshed out his lead character. “Nick is a combination of the best news reporters I’ve worked with or been connected to from my forty years of working in newsrooms. He’s hardworking to the point of being a high-functioning workaholic. He’s smart, cunning, and driven to get to the bottom of every story he takes on. Nick cares about the people he writes about and doesn’t rest until he finds justice for them,” Vizard said.
Vizard wrote his first Nick Steele adventure, A Formula for Murder, to check off something on his bucket list. “That was supposed to be a one-shot novel. I started writing it as my journalism career was wrapping up. I’d always wanted to write a novel, but never broke myself away from running a newsroom to sit down and write it,” he recalled. The Nick Steele Mystery Series has given Vizard the opportunity to keep his research and investigative skills as a journalist sharp while Nick tackles issues such as human trafficking, illegal immigration, and homelessness. And Nick’s travels across Michigan to Key West, Florida, mirror Vizard’s own. “About six years ago, my wife and I visited Key West. I was appalled by the way the homeless were treated—by the cops, local government, businesses, and residents. Suddenly I had an idea for another novel and we returned to the area so I could live and mingle with the homeless. The result? My fifth novel, Murder, Key West Style.”
While Vizard anticipated the Nick Steele Mystery Series could “go on forever,” he shared an insight. “This series has been great fun and I’m delighted so many have enjoyed my stories. I believe the last story I write will be my obituary, and I hope to finish it just before they shut the lid at my planting,” he said.
Events
Vizard is appearing at a book signing to launch Mackinac Murder: Crude Intentions at the Lemon Tree Marketplace during the annual Holly Berry Fair in Caseville, MI, on Saturday, November 2, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Lemon Tree Marketplace is located at 6604 Main Street. Copies of the book will be available.
About the author
Dave Vizard is an award-winning journalist with a four-decade career as a reporter and editor at The Flint Journal, Bay City Times, and True North magazine. He now writes from the home he shares with his spouse, Barbara, near Lake Huron in Michigan’s thumb region.
About the book
Mackinac Murder: Crude Intentions
Dave Vizard
209 pages; 6 x 9 inches; B/W
Murder Mystery
ISBN: 978-1-961302-86-0, $17.95 (Softcover) ISBN: 978-1-961302-85-3, $26.95 (Hardcover) Mission Point Press, October 29, 2024
Copies are available in bookstores and online. For more information or to arrange for signings and events, contact the author at davidv1652@gmail.com.
Traverse City, Michigan—Faced with the prospect of retirement, some folks consider embarking on a new career, perhaps one that’s a far cry from their original vocation. Others make serious work of creating a bucket list. Finally, some put up their feet and embrace a couch potato lifestyle. Dave Vizard, author of Mackinac Murder: Crude Intentions from Mission Point Press, opted to stay in his lane, embracing post-career opportunities as a novelist.
Mackinac Murder: Crude Intentions is Vizard’s eighth novel in his Nick Steele Mystery Series. Nick, a hardworking journalist, finds himself on Mackinac Island, one of America’s great summer destinations, where a man’s death in a horse-riding accident is shrouded in mystery. He deduces something evil is afoot and chases the story across Michigan, unraveling mysteries that reveal a horrifying blackmail plot.
“I’ve been a writer pretty much my whole life. My first writing job was kicking out high school sports features when I was sixteen, making five bucks for each feature accepted. From there, I wrote for every paper that would hire me through the Marines and college until I landed a dream job as the labor reporter for The Flint Journal. In all, I’ve had a forty-year love affair with journalism and the written word so when it came time to retire from newspapers, I figured I’d end up writing something, somewhere.”
That idea of “something, somewhere” became a journey of sorts for Vizard and Steele as the veteran journalist fleshed out his lead character. “Nick is a combination of the best news reporters I’ve worked with or been connected to from my forty years of working in newsrooms. He’s hardworking to the point of being a high-functioning workaholic. He’s smart, cunning, and driven to get to the bottom of every story he takes on. Nick cares about the people he writes about and doesn’t rest until he finds justice for them,” Vizard said.
Vizard wrote his first Nick Steele adventure, A Formula for Murder, to check off something on his bucket list. “That was supposed to be a one-shot novel. I started writing it as my journalism career was wrapping up. I’d always wanted to write a novel, but never broke myself away from running a newsroom to sit down and write it,” he recalled. The Nick Steele Mystery Series has given Vizard the opportunity to keep his research and investigative skills as a journalist sharp while Nick tackles issues such as human trafficking, illegal immigration, and homelessness. And Nick’s travels across Michigan to Key West, Florida, mirror Vizard’s own. “About six years ago, my wife and I visited Key West. I was appalled by the way the homeless were treated—by the cops, local government, businesses, and residents. Suddenly I had an idea for another novel and we returned to the area so I could live and mingle with the homeless. The result? My fifth novel, Murder, Key West Style.”
While Vizard anticipated the Nick Steele Mystery Series could “go on forever,” he shared an insight. “This series has been great fun and I’m delighted so many have enjoyed my stories. I believe the last story I write will be my obituary, and I hope to finish it just before they shut the lid at my planting,” he said.
Events
Vizard is appearing at a book signing to launch Mackinac Murder: Crude Intentions at the Lemon Tree Marketplace during the annual Holly Berry Fair in Caseville, MI, on Saturday, November 2, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Lemon Tree Marketplace is located at 6604 Main Street. Copies of the book will be available.
About the author
Dave Vizard is an award-winning journalist with a four-decade career as a reporter and editor at The Flint Journal, Bay City Times, and True North magazine. He now writes from the home he shares with his spouse, Barbara, near Lake Huron in Michigan’s thumb region.
About the book
Mackinac Murder: Crude Intentions
Dave Vizard
209 pages; 6 x 9 inches; B/W
Murder Mystery
ISBN: 978-1-961302-86-0, $17.95 (Softcover) ISBN: 978-1-961302-85-3, $26.95 (Hardcover) Mission Point Press, October 29, 2024
Copies are available in bookstores and online. For more information or to arrange for signings and events, contact the author at davidv1652@gmail.com.
June 4, 2024
The Morel to this Story: Under the Ashes a very good read
Morel mushroom hunting in Michigan is almost a cult-like annual event.
Thousands head into the northern woods each spring in search of the tasty, coveted treat. But serious hunters know that picking the WRONG kind of mushroom can be deadly.
This is the backdrop for "Under the Ashes," a legal thriller by Michigan author Charles Cutter. Set in Northwest Michigan cities of Harbor Springs, Charlevoix, Petoskey, and Traverse City, Cutter's protagonist is defense lawyer Burr Lafayette, a smart and witty sleuth who is tasked with figuring out who killed a well-known local radio station co-owner by switching a restaurant dish spiced by morel mushrooms with the deadly variety.
Plenty of colorful suspects in the case, each with their own good reason to take out the radio station manager.
Lafayette is a somewhat unconventional attorney who has colorful associates and a drinking problem that puts him and others in danger. In fact, the lawyer's drinking and driving luck runs out with a deputy sheriff and he ends up in jail, needing the judge overseeing the murder case to spring him for court.
I like the way Cutter handles this very prevalent social issue by drawing attention to alcohol abuse without glorifying or suggesting it's OK.
Clean and smooth writing, clever dialogue, fast-paced – all tied into a very compelling mystery that's the latest installment of Burr Lafayette series. I highly recommend. 5-Stars.
Under the Ashes: Murder and MorelsCharles Cutter
Under the Ashes: Murder and Morels (Burr Lafayette Mystery)
Thousands head into the northern woods each spring in search of the tasty, coveted treat. But serious hunters know that picking the WRONG kind of mushroom can be deadly.
This is the backdrop for "Under the Ashes," a legal thriller by Michigan author Charles Cutter. Set in Northwest Michigan cities of Harbor Springs, Charlevoix, Petoskey, and Traverse City, Cutter's protagonist is defense lawyer Burr Lafayette, a smart and witty sleuth who is tasked with figuring out who killed a well-known local radio station co-owner by switching a restaurant dish spiced by morel mushrooms with the deadly variety.
Plenty of colorful suspects in the case, each with their own good reason to take out the radio station manager.
Lafayette is a somewhat unconventional attorney who has colorful associates and a drinking problem that puts him and others in danger. In fact, the lawyer's drinking and driving luck runs out with a deputy sheriff and he ends up in jail, needing the judge overseeing the murder case to spring him for court.
I like the way Cutter handles this very prevalent social issue by drawing attention to alcohol abuse without glorifying or suggesting it's OK.
Clean and smooth writing, clever dialogue, fast-paced – all tied into a very compelling mystery that's the latest installment of Burr Lafayette series. I highly recommend. 5-Stars.
Under the Ashes: Murder and MorelsCharles Cutter
Under the Ashes: Murder and Morels (Burr Lafayette Mystery)
May 21, 2024
'Witness for the Persecution' a crafty legal mystery by E.J. Copperman
Just finished reading a clever and cunning courtroom drama in the Jersey Girl series. But don't let the drama tag fool you. The novel is funny and, at times, a little crazy. Follow defense attorney Sandra Moss as she and her zany team defend a movie director against charges that he sabotaged the movie set, causing a stunt man's death. While reading, I couldn't help but think of the 'Rust' movie-set death involving Alec Baldwin. Creepy similarities. I enjoyed sleuth Sandy Moss, whose voice in the story reminded me of Jessica Fletcher of 'Murder, She Wrote' fame. The mystery kept me guessing and the side story – Sandy's courtship by a movie star Patrick McNabb – was charming. Smooth and clean writing. Good storytelling. A very enjoyable read beginning to end. This novel is just one arrow in Copperman's quiver of 28 books. Will certainly go for another.
E.J. Copperman
E.J. Copperman
March 2, 2024
'Scarlet in Blue' a good Michigan mystery and thriller
I enjoyed Jennifer Murphy's 'Scarlet in Blue,' though I must admit reading about people who have schizophrenia gives me the creeps.
That's because folks who have the mental disorder can seem fine one moment, then flip the switch the next, and start having wild hallucinations – sometimes violent and unpredictable. In this novel, Scarlet, a mother has the affliction and she spends much of the book running away from a shadowy man with her daughter, Blue, in tow. They run from city to city until they land in Grand Haven, Michigan, where the mom's murder plot takes place with Henry, her psychoanalyst, and the story comes together.
Scarlet is a gifted painter and Blue, a teenager, has pure talent as a pianist. Blue watches her mom fade in and out of reality and does her best to be a normal high school girl, with the heavy burden of her mother's eccentric and crazy behavior – as well as the very-real possibility of inheriting schizophrenia –hanging over her.
I like the way Murphy tells this story. It is told from alternating points of view: Scarlet, Blue, and Henry take turns giving their take on events in the story.
The novel also allows Murphy to display her rich knowledge of art, music, and psychiatry. Readers get heavy and enlightening background info, blended seamlessly into the story, on all three areas.
This book is a Notable Michigan Book Award winner and worthy of such recognition. It's a 5-Star production.
Scarlet in BlueJennifer Murphy
That's because folks who have the mental disorder can seem fine one moment, then flip the switch the next, and start having wild hallucinations – sometimes violent and unpredictable. In this novel, Scarlet, a mother has the affliction and she spends much of the book running away from a shadowy man with her daughter, Blue, in tow. They run from city to city until they land in Grand Haven, Michigan, where the mom's murder plot takes place with Henry, her psychoanalyst, and the story comes together.
Scarlet is a gifted painter and Blue, a teenager, has pure talent as a pianist. Blue watches her mom fade in and out of reality and does her best to be a normal high school girl, with the heavy burden of her mother's eccentric and crazy behavior – as well as the very-real possibility of inheriting schizophrenia –hanging over her.
I like the way Murphy tells this story. It is told from alternating points of view: Scarlet, Blue, and Henry take turns giving their take on events in the story.
The novel also allows Murphy to display her rich knowledge of art, music, and psychiatry. Readers get heavy and enlightening background info, blended seamlessly into the story, on all three areas.
This book is a Notable Michigan Book Award winner and worthy of such recognition. It's a 5-Star production.
Scarlet in BlueJennifer Murphy
February 26, 2024
Hard Being ¥ou a memoir for those suffering loss, living with disability
I recently finished Sharon Emery's remarkable memoir that offers healing and understanding to those who have suffered crippling loss and face disability.
Her opening line packs a wallop: "I am the mother of a dead child," and her story continues through eye-opening accounts of how she has conquered her own disability – a severe stutter while building a successful career in communications.
Her story is pure inspiration. It provides healing and understanding to those coping with death and facing limitation – which is, basically, all of us.
Full disclosure here. I know Sharon Emery and worked with her when she worked for the Booth News Service in Lansing and I was managing editor of The Bay City Times. She's truly a wonderful woman – smart, clever, and quick witted.
I am so delighted she decided to share her journey through life. She provides wisdom, insight, and heart-wrenching stories about her family, including the loss of her daughter and the early deaths of her siblings.
This memoir is a Michigan Notable Book Award winner and is attracting rave reviews. Add me to the list. It's a must-read for all who are trying to find solace when dealing with devastating loss. It's would also be a thoughtful and meaningful gift to grieving loved ones.
It's Hard Being You: A Primer on Being Happy AnywaySharon Emery
Her opening line packs a wallop: "I am the mother of a dead child," and her story continues through eye-opening accounts of how she has conquered her own disability – a severe stutter while building a successful career in communications.
Her story is pure inspiration. It provides healing and understanding to those coping with death and facing limitation – which is, basically, all of us.
Full disclosure here. I know Sharon Emery and worked with her when she worked for the Booth News Service in Lansing and I was managing editor of The Bay City Times. She's truly a wonderful woman – smart, clever, and quick witted.
I am so delighted she decided to share her journey through life. She provides wisdom, insight, and heart-wrenching stories about her family, including the loss of her daughter and the early deaths of her siblings.
This memoir is a Michigan Notable Book Award winner and is attracting rave reviews. Add me to the list. It's a must-read for all who are trying to find solace when dealing with devastating loss. It's would also be a thoughtful and meaningful gift to grieving loved ones.
It's Hard Being You: A Primer on Being Happy AnywaySharon Emery
February 24, 2024
New book unfairly paints the Thumb as haven for losers, misfits, drunks
I just finished "Enough to Lose" by R.S. Deeran and have to say it's disappointing.
Published by WSU press, the book is hailed as an intimate portrait of the Thumb and the people who live here – their struggles and trials in a remote isolated area.
This is a series of short stories about people gettijng drunk, going to jail, getting out of jail, surviving the Flood of '86, getting drunk, deer hunting to put meat on the table, surviving the recession by cutting lawns of bankrupt homes, and did I mention getting drunk and lying to each other.
I'm not suggesting this behavior doesn't occur. It does!
But folks who live like this are not exclusive to the Thumb. They can be found in almost every community. All you have to do is bottom feed. Scrape the bottom of the barrel anywhere and you are bound to come up with crud.
This novel, which is well written and features many colorful charachters, paints the Thumb with a broad brush and it's a faulty picture. I've lived in the Thumb most of my life and there are plenty of hard-working, generous, kind, successful people here.
Unfortunately, their productive lives are ommited from these short stories, and that is unfair.
What makes this work even more disappointing is that it received a Michigan Notable Book award. Sure, it's a gritty story and I can see the snob judges thinking, wow, this is real, telling it like it is.
Unfortunately, the story does not tell it like it is. It's a sour and cynical look at life in the Thumb. Don't waste your time on it. Enough to Lose
R.S. Deeren
Published by WSU press, the book is hailed as an intimate portrait of the Thumb and the people who live here – their struggles and trials in a remote isolated area.
This is a series of short stories about people gettijng drunk, going to jail, getting out of jail, surviving the Flood of '86, getting drunk, deer hunting to put meat on the table, surviving the recession by cutting lawns of bankrupt homes, and did I mention getting drunk and lying to each other.
I'm not suggesting this behavior doesn't occur. It does!
But folks who live like this are not exclusive to the Thumb. They can be found in almost every community. All you have to do is bottom feed. Scrape the bottom of the barrel anywhere and you are bound to come up with crud.
This novel, which is well written and features many colorful charachters, paints the Thumb with a broad brush and it's a faulty picture. I've lived in the Thumb most of my life and there are plenty of hard-working, generous, kind, successful people here.
Unfortunately, their productive lives are ommited from these short stories, and that is unfair.
What makes this work even more disappointing is that it received a Michigan Notable Book award. Sure, it's a gritty story and I can see the snob judges thinking, wow, this is real, telling it like it is.
Unfortunately, the story does not tell it like it is. It's a sour and cynical look at life in the Thumb. Don't waste your time on it. Enough to Lose
R.S. Deeren
January 15, 2024
January 6, 2024
I find great ideas for my novels everywhere I look
When developing characters and setting scenes for my novels, I aim for authenticity – real people conducting their lives in very real ways.
I'm often asked where I get ideas for my books. My answer is: Everywhere! I find interesting people in every direction I look.
For example, after reading the following post from a friend, I have concluded I will have a character in my next story who is a homemaker (male or female) wearing a multi-use apron. Love this post - parts of it will be a gold mine for me:
Murder for Treasure: Booty is in the Eye of the Beholder
"The History of 'APRONS'
I don't think most kids today know what an apron is. The principle use of Mom's or Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few. It was also because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons used less material. But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.
It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.
From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.
When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids..
And when the weather was cold, she wrapped it around her arms.
Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.
Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.
From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.
In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.
When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.
When dinner was ready, she walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.
It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.
Send this to those who would know (and love) the story about aprons.
REMEMBER:
Mom's and Grandma's used to set hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.
They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.
I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron - but love"
Murder for Treasure: Booty is in the Eye of the BeholderDave Vizard
I'm often asked where I get ideas for my books. My answer is: Everywhere! I find interesting people in every direction I look.
For example, after reading the following post from a friend, I have concluded I will have a character in my next story who is a homemaker (male or female) wearing a multi-use apron. Love this post - parts of it will be a gold mine for me:
Murder for Treasure: Booty is in the Eye of the Beholder
"The History of 'APRONS'
I don't think most kids today know what an apron is. The principle use of Mom's or Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few. It was also because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons used less material. But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.
It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.
From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.
When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids..
And when the weather was cold, she wrapped it around her arms.
Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.
Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.
From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.
In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.
When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.
When dinner was ready, she walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.
It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.
Send this to those who would know (and love) the story about aprons.
REMEMBER:
Mom's and Grandma's used to set hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.
They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.
I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron - but love"
Murder for Treasure: Booty is in the Eye of the BeholderDave Vizard
January 4, 2024
"The Exchange," new Grisham book a bit of a disappointment
First off, I need to confess that I'm an unabashed John Grisham junkie. I believe I've read almost all of his books and generally enjoyed them. This affinity goes all the way back to "The Firm," his break-through novel and first movie success.
So, when his team announced "The Exchange" would be a follow-up to the Mitch and Abby McDeere hit, I was excited to read it. The new novel was one of my book Christmas presents and I cracked it open soon after the family celebration and hoopla slowed down. It's not polite to stick your nose in a book and ignore the visiting relatives – no matter how sloshed, boring, or obnoxious they become.
When the right time arrived, I dove into the 334-page yarn like I was coming off the high board. The plunge was fast and deep, and when I surfaced, I gasped for air with a slight feeling of disappointment.
The writing is lively and crisp with the usual mix of Grisham sly humor and irreverence. And his team of researchers did a great job of setting international scenes for McDeere, who, in the new book, has matured into a major player in international law for the biggest law firm in the world, perhaps the galaxy.
Where the new book falls short of the earlier novel is plausibility. No matter how hard I tried, i simply could not swallow the idea that two brilliant, world-savvy, Harvard-trained lawyers, would stumble into a kidnapping by terrorists in Muamaar Gaddafi's Libya, a country plagued by tribal violence and strife for centuries. Sure, the lawyers had so-called security and assurances that all would be fine when they roamed outside of Tripoli, but come on – this is Libya with a crazy Gaddafi at the helm. How dumb! How would they not walk into a trap?
I don't want to spoil the ending here. Some Grisham fans will love the book. It's got his hallmarks all over it. He's still a great storyteller and as prolific as authors come these days.
But I was hoping for more. Four Stars out of Five on this one. The Exchange: After The FirmJohn Grisham
So, when his team announced "The Exchange" would be a follow-up to the Mitch and Abby McDeere hit, I was excited to read it. The new novel was one of my book Christmas presents and I cracked it open soon after the family celebration and hoopla slowed down. It's not polite to stick your nose in a book and ignore the visiting relatives – no matter how sloshed, boring, or obnoxious they become.
When the right time arrived, I dove into the 334-page yarn like I was coming off the high board. The plunge was fast and deep, and when I surfaced, I gasped for air with a slight feeling of disappointment.
The writing is lively and crisp with the usual mix of Grisham sly humor and irreverence. And his team of researchers did a great job of setting international scenes for McDeere, who, in the new book, has matured into a major player in international law for the biggest law firm in the world, perhaps the galaxy.
Where the new book falls short of the earlier novel is plausibility. No matter how hard I tried, i simply could not swallow the idea that two brilliant, world-savvy, Harvard-trained lawyers, would stumble into a kidnapping by terrorists in Muamaar Gaddafi's Libya, a country plagued by tribal violence and strife for centuries. Sure, the lawyers had so-called security and assurances that all would be fine when they roamed outside of Tripoli, but come on – this is Libya with a crazy Gaddafi at the helm. How dumb! How would they not walk into a trap?
I don't want to spoil the ending here. Some Grisham fans will love the book. It's got his hallmarks all over it. He's still a great storyteller and as prolific as authors come these days.
But I was hoping for more. Four Stars out of Five on this one. The Exchange: After The FirmJohn Grisham
