The Drowning House

The Drowning House by Elizabeth Black
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group,1/15/2013
Hardcover, 288 pages

ISBN-13: 9780385535861

Description:

A gripping suspense story about a woman who returns to Galveston, Texas after a personal tragedy and is irresistibly drawn into the insular world she’s struggled to leave.

Photographer Clare Porterfield's once-happy marriage is coming apart, unraveling under the strain of a family tragedy. When she receives an invitation to direct an exhibition in her hometown of Galveston, Texas, she jumps at the chance to escape her grief and reconnect with the island she hasn't seen for ten years. There Clare will have the time and space to search for answers about her troubled past and her family's complicated relationship with the wealthy and influential Carraday family.
Soon she finds herself drawn into a century-old mystery involving Stella Carraday. Local legend has it that Stella drowned in her family's house during the Great Hurricane of 1900, hanged by her long hair from the drawing room chandelier. Could Stella have been saved? What is the true nature of Clare's family's involvement? The questions grow like the wildflower vines that climb up the walls and fences of the island. And the closer Clare gets to the answers, the darker and more disturbing the truth becomes.
Steeped in the rich local history of Galveston, The Drowning House portrays two families, inextricably linked by tragedy and time.

My Thoughts:

In Elizabeth Black's debut novel, The Drowning House,  photographer Clare Porterfield's life is in turmoil. Her six-year-old daughter has died. She is immersed in inescapable grief and her marriage is drowning under the weight of her sorrows. She accepts an invitation to return to her hometown of Galveston, Texas, in order to select the material for a photography exhibition funded by the wealthy Will Carraday.

 

Clare has been gone from the island for many years and, along with others, is questioning her real reasons for returning. In fact, Clare has had a long time relationship with the Carraday family. She had left the island after a tragedy involving her and her friend, Patrick Carraday. He was sent away and they were kept apart.

 

Galveston has a past seeped in tragedy and that feeling imbibes the novel. Part of the novel explores the mystery surrounding Stella Carraday’s drowning during the hurricane that devastated Galveston on September 8-9, 1900.

 

Clare may be in Galveston to look at photographs, but what she really seeks are answers to decades old questions, some of which she didn't even know she needed to ask. She has some questions about her past and her family that need to be answered. As she tries to come to terms with her new life, memories start to come to light in a new way.

 

While the writing in The Drowning House is superb, I'm going to admit that I knew, without a lot of effort, the big secret(s) the novel was going to reveal very early on. If Black had allowed that the reader would have that foreknowledge, leaving us to feel oh-so-slightly-smug at our deductive prowess, and then did a little flip with the plot, I would be applauding her for the extremely well-written novel with the clever plot twist.

 

Black has written a sensitive, atmospheric, southern gothic mystery. While readers might know as quickly as I did the secrets that are going to be revealed, Black has done an amazing job developing her characters, as well as life in Galveston in this finely crafted novel.

 

Highly Recommended

 

 

Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Knopf Doubleday and Netgalley for review purposes.

Quotes:

Instead I said, “I’ll drive.” Saying it made it seem like something I could do.

“You’re going to drive to Texas from D.C.? By yourself?” Now I had his full attention. “You haven’t driven anywhere in months.”

I had tried. I’d gone out to the garage, keys in hand. I’d seen through the window Bailey’s blue parka lying on the backseat, one arm flung out in a gesture so vividly like her that for a moment I could almost believe she was alive. Then the truth washed over me. Bright spots swam up from the concrete floor and my legs began to shake. I went back into the house. (Location 140-145)

 “If it will make you happy.”

I didn’t tell him that happiness had always seemed to me to descend suddenly, when you least expected it, like a sun shower. That often it wasn’t until much later you could look back and say, then, on that ordinary morning, with a car full of six-year-olds squirming and kicking, as the station wagon flashed through the dappled light of the tree-lined streets, then I was truly happy. (Location 148-152)

If I had been asked, I would have said that I’d lost my daughter a year ago—two months and three days after her sixth birthday. I lost Bailey. That was the way I thought of it, and the thought was both hopeful and damning. Lost suggested that she might someday be found, as if she had wandered into the next aisle at the grocery store or been forgotten by the car pool, that she might reappear, absently twirling a damp strand of hair around one finger. Still, anyone listening carefully would understand that it was an admission of guilt. I lost her. I also lost the person I was then, the person I was becoming. Lost her completely. (Location 165-170)

Jules, my agent, would have said more positive things. That I was a young photographer whose star had risen suddenly. That I had been invited to Galveston to choose material for an exhibition. To write the introduction to the exhibition catalogue. And it was true. In my camera bag I had the letter confirming everything. (Location 174-176

Natives call Galveston “the Island,” as if there were no other. Those who are BOI, born on the Island, take pride in the fact. My name is Clare Porterfield, but the house I grew up in is known as the Hayes-Giraud house, for the families who lived in it a hundred years ago. (Location 219-221)

 
“That’s right. They can’t send me away.”

Eleanor sighed. “Clare, we’ve talked about this. Your leaving the Island was something we agreed on together, both families. It was a serious situation. The girl died.”

“That wasn’t our fault!” (Location 323-326)

 

“Michael is fine.” To my surprise, it was true. I knew Michael had suffered. I’d seen him, shoulders hunched, sobbing in the shower. But he had completed his task, delivered his burden to wherever it is old sorrows go. While I had barely started. I was beginning to think that grieving the loss of my child would be my real life’s work. Michael’s ease—one of the traits I’d loved and married him for—was now the principal thing dividing us. (Location 364-367)

 

Growing up, I believed I was deficient in a way that I couldn’t identify precisely and that this explained my failure to fit in with my family. It was something inside, not visible, a matter of character or outlook, I thought. And for that reason, hard to come to terms with. But here was a man whose defect was plain to see, and it didn’t bother him at all. I stared as he matter-of-factly measured out the bait shrimp, made change, his sleeve rolled comfortably above the elbow. I hoped that if I studied him long enough, I might learn his secret. (Location 1026-1030)

I wondered if what they really meant was that now people remembered things differently. That was the way in Galveston. Real events were absorbed into the Island’s narrative and in time became something else. So that life there could go on. (Location 1307-1309) 

My Dead Friend Sarah

My Dead Friend Sarah by Peter Rosch
CreateSpace, 2012
Paperback, 228 pages

ISBN-13: 9781475198232

Description:

Mere months into recovery, Max, an alcoholic with twisted control issues, meets Sarah — the same woman that for years he's habitually dreamt will die after a botched abduction. "Doing the next right thing," a popular AA phrase he's picked up in the rooms, means befriending Sarah long enough to warn her and hope she takes him seriously. But when Sarah falls in love with Max, his newly sober thinking drives him to choose his overly devoted wife, and he abandons Sarah — even when it condemns her to death. When Sarah goes missing, the NYPD suspects Max's dream may have been a pre-crime confession. The truth, all of it, lurks inside of Max, but only by drinking again does he recapture the nerve and clarity vital to free his wife, sponsor, and himself from a life imprisoned by lies.

My Thoughts:

My Dead Friend Sarah by Peter Rosch is really about Max, a recovering alcoholic who is having repeated dreams about a woman being kidnapped and dying. He discovers the woman accidentally on the streets of NYC and begins clandestinely following/stalking her, sure that his dreams are a premonition of the future. He finds out her name is Sarah and ends up striking up a relationship with her, only to break it off in favor of his wife, Rachel. This doesn't stop Max from still following her, thinking he is protecting her. The novel opens up with Max reporting his reoccurring dream to the police.

 

The beginning chapters of this mystery alternate between Max and Sarah. Max has an addictive personality and may be an unreliable narrator. He is an alcoholic, struggling with recovery in AA, keeping contact with his sponsor, Sam, and striving to tell the truth. Sarah, who keeps herself distant from other people, is a suicidal events planner who has been going to therapy for years. Both of these flawed characters like to think that they can control the actions of others.

 

The story itself is compelling and a quick read. The inside information about AA becomes an integral part of the story. It also becomes clear that while Max has a goal of always telling the truth, he may be struggling with that as much as he is with maintaining sobriety.

 

There are a few flaws. While the chapters alternate between Max and Sarah at the beginning, if you aren't paying attention, you might miss this since they are written in exactly the same manner. It might have been nice to have more differentiation between their voices. There were a few grammatical errors which I could easily overlook since I considered them part of a conversational style of writing, but they might really bother some readers.

 

highly recommended

 

Quotes:

“So, I don’t suppose you just want to tell me you did it, where and how—I mean you can leave out the why part. Save that for the twisted boob tube talking head who stands to gain financially off of your killing Sarah. Me? I just want to get out of here in time to go pick up my kid. I’m asking a lot of you to just admit it, confess, so I can go about living a normal life today.”

It was a compelling request from a man of physically diminutive stature, that sank in slowly, slower than all the new words he threw at me after taking a sip of his coffee. Location 9-13; opening 

 

 

“Fine Max. You know, we get a lot of crazies come through these doors, more than our share. And I want to believe that a guy doesn’t visit the police to outline what he is going to do to his victim months before doing it, just to get caught after the fact.” He paused as if to make way for the much bigger point he thought he had coming. “But you knew, and I think know, more than anyone about what has happened to Sarah, and claimed to have known it weeks before it ever happened.” Location 27-30

 

 

Ask my wife what she fears the most, and I’m pretty sure she’ll tell you something along the lines of this: to not be able to reason with someone or something. If she doesn’t know you well, she will probably just say zombies. But at the root of that zombie fear is the idea something could exist that there is no reasoning with. In other words, there is no talking a zombie out of eating you. Or she might say: to not be believed or trusted by the people you love even when you are telling the absolute truth. The latter fear is relatable to the first certainly, and closer to my own heart. I’ve always wanted to be believed, ironically even as I knew myself to be a liar. And as fears go it seemed pretty on point at that moment.

To know that your reality is just that, and have others dismiss it as fabrication or fairy tale no matter how hard you try to demonstrate or explain it, weighs heavy on a soul. Over time if you start believing what you know to be true is the lie everyone else paints it to be, the real madness begins. Location 49-56

My name is Max, and I’m not a writer by trade so forgive me for not putting the entirety of our situation more eloquently: I’ve prayed I’m mistaken, but at some point in the next few months Sarah will be abducted and shortly thereafter, dead. And I’m done trying to stop it. Location 83-84

This morning can’t be the last I see of Sarah. And I hope I’m wrong, but I’m not—Sarah will die after a botched abduction attempt later this year. I feel this to be certain. But as of this morning, as I stated, I will no longer be doing anything to try and stop it. Location 131-133

I would say anyone who only thinks they know me, for the last two years of my life anyway, might say, “Sarah has got it all figured out.” During that time I’ve tried to keep my own ugly business a private affair.

My perfect little life: good job, my own apartment, friends, and a social existence—albeit a mandatory one.

I’ve spoken openly about killing myself to certain people most of my life. Various doctors, therapists, and my father have all heard that plan beyond once or twice. Basically I told anyone who I thought might truly listen, or maybe believe it, except Max. Hysterical really, as Max might have been the only person who would have actually listened, but I never mentioned suicide to him. And I don’t think he has ever suspected nor seen the darkness inside me, and maybe that’s because when I’m around him it’s never been easier to put aside. Location 144-151

This would be the only time, sans alcohol to boot, I would intentionally make the first move in the ritual of making a new friend. And so wandering around behind a woman I had previously only met in a dream, while trying to construct a fool-proof plan to make her my friend, in an effort to save her from dying sometime in the future, seemed just shy of normal behavior. I didn’t mention it to my sponsor though, and since it was a secret, I knew it wasn’t normal. Location 280-284

 

And when she finally, maybe, just possibly came around to starting to appreciate me, her words from the many years before rang too loudly to ignore and betrayed her. “Letting someone in, truly into your world, seems a beautiful thing until they use that gift for something ugly, you’ll see.” Location 327-329 |

She glanced down at my wedding ring. I had taken it off and stuffed it in my pocket every other time I’d followed her on the off chance we’d finally connect. Location 486-487

Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Netgalley for review purposes.

The Archaeological Evidence of Noah's Flood

The Archaeological Evidence of Noah's Flood by Philip Lee Williams
Christian Leaders & Scholars Press, 4/15/2011
Hardcover, 411 pages

ISBN-13: 9780979310225

Description:

The author was completing his twenty-year systematic investigation of the archaeological evidence of a worldwide Flood when Hong Kong explorers announced their 2010 discovery on Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey. Pottery found in what appears the remains of Noah’s Ark relate to a ceramic assemblage that archaeologists see originating on the plains of Ararat and from which the author traces a second worldwide dispersion of mankind. Using forensic analysis, Williams had previously identified what are now understood as ancient religious burials as in fact resulting from a worldwide Flood, radiocarbon dated to about 2400BC. Should his findings withstand the intense scrutiny invited by the author, it will rewrite the history of the ancient world. Accordingly, the advancing edge of belief and learning must return to the biblical foundations that the West has rejected since the Enlightenment.

 

 

My Thoughts:

 

In The Archaeological Evidence of Noah's Flood author Philip Lee Williams states:

"Previous searches for a worldwide Flood have mainly concerned geological phenomena. In this book you will find a straightforward and systematic search for the biblical Flood in the archaeological remains of ancient man. Notwithstanding the general presumption that archaeological searches for the Flood using the biblical chronology of ancient man have proven fruitless, in twenty years of extensive study I have been unable to discover such searches. The Bible has indeed been studied in the light of archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern texts, but archaeology and the ancient texts are rarely studied in the light of the Bible.  (Location 138-142)"

 

The Archaeological Evidence of Noah's Flood is really more a scholarly treatise on the author's search for proof of the historical truth behind what the Bible says. It proposes that it is better to look at ancient history with a correct Biblical understanding of antediluvian archaeology and a proper consideration of the scientific method. In other words, it establishes the scholarly foundation and background to consider approaching the material in a new manner.

Williams writes:

"In Part I, I explain how the teachings of modern science conflict with the biblical account of the origins of man and the difficult challenge that poses to a faith that is based upon historical truth.

In Part II, I point out how historical thinking is rooted in the Bible but how influential Christian theologians have shifted from teaching the historical revelation of the Scriptures to philosophical theology. As I explain, the God of the philosophers is not the God of the Bible.

In Part III, I show how Reformed theology gradually developed into the Deist view that challenged the literal words of Scripture. This section also shows how the modern understanding of history cut its biblical roots. Non-specialists may be shocked to learn how the framework for the modern versions of ancient history developed out of the deep racism of the Enlightenment. They may also be surprised to discover just how much the modern historical criticism of the Bible stems from the particular needs of German nationalism.

In Part IV, I review the most influential interpretations of the biblical Flood. I also explain the method of searching for the Flood that I determined to follow.

Part V covers what I discovered using this approach.

Part VI examines some of the implications of what I have found for related scientific and scholarly fields.

Part VII discusses the relevance this holds for our present world. (Location 143-154)"

 

Now, to be completely honest any actual discussion of discovering Noah's Ark is only at the end of the book, in the epilogue. Williams writes: "Though I had not intended to cover archaeological searches for Noah’s Ark, as I completed this book I became aware of an exciting new discovery on Mt. Ararat, which I describe in the Epilogue.  (Location 156)"

Although I am sure that Williams did not intend this to be the case, the fact that any discussion of discovering Noah's Ark was relegated to the epilogue was a bit disappointing to me as it made the title of the book feel deceptive.

 

Setting aside my personal feelings, the actual content of the book was interesting and certainly worth considering if you are interested in reading about someone's personal exploration of his faith and the soul searching he went through to align his faith with a scientific approach and explanation of various Biblical events, like Noah's flood, as well as archeological findings from sites around the world. The Archaeological Evidence of Noah's Flood  also includes: Table of Contents; List of photographs, illustrations, and credits; Glossary; Topical Bibliography.

Recommended - know that this is not light reading.

 

 

Flesh

Flesh by Khanh Ha
Black Heron Press, 2012
Hardcover, 368 pages

ISBN-13: 9780930773885
http://www.authorkhanhha.com

 

Description:

The setting is Tonkin (northern Vietnam) at the turn of the 20th century. A boy, Tai, witnesses the beheading of his father, a notorious bandit, and sets out to recover his head and then to find the man who betrayed his father to the authorities. On this quest, Tai's entire world will shift. FLESH takes the reader into dark and delightful places in the human condition, places where allies are not always your friends, true love hurts, and your worst enemy may bring you the most comfort. In that emotionally harrowing world, Tai must learn to deal with new responsibilities in his life while at the same time acknowledge his bond, and his resemblance, to a man he barely knew-his father. Through this story of revenge is woven a another story, one of love, but love purchased with the blood of murders Tai commits. A coming-of-age story, but also a love story, the sensuality of the author's writing style belies the sometimes brutal world he depicts.

My Thoughts:

 

Flesh by Khanh Ha opens up with a much older Tai reflecting on a tumultuous time in his life when he was a teenager. At age 16, Tai, along with his mother and younger brother, witnessed the beheading of his father, a known bandit. After a terrible bout with smallpox, from which his younger brother dies, Tai sets out on a mission to retrieve his father's skull so it can be buried with his body, as well as uncover and seek revenge on the man who betrayed his father. He becomes an indentured servant to one man, is entangled in the opium trade, and then his contract is sold to another rich man in exchange for a favored burial site for his father and brother. Tai ends up rescuing, falling in love, and even killing to protect Xiaoli, another indentured servant who works in an opium den in Hanoi.

 

Throughout the novel Tai is always concerned about his mother and he burial site for his father and brother's bodies. It is clear that the gap between the wealthy and the poor is large; life is harsh and the average citizen is struggling to survive in what ever way they can. At the same time, Tai is experiencing gaps in his cultural and linguistic knowledge between the Annam and the Chinese.

 

Flesh is a dark, atmospheric historical fiction novel that captures life in Tonkin (northern Vietnam) at the turn of the 20th century. Ha skillfully uses descriptive prose, in some instances it is almost poetic,and many of his descriptions evoke a sensory-filled reaction - sometimes ominous. The settings he describes can be filled with a sensual richness or evoke a sense of foreboding. And, while Flesh is about family loyalties and the daily struggles of people, it is also a violent novel, sometimes seemingly casually so, which could be disturbing to some readers.

In some cases the prose could have been tightened up and the actual storyline made a bit more concise. There is a fine line between artistic expression and expressionism in writing. Also, sometimes it felt like there was a sharp contrast between Ha's rich prose and the character's dialogue. While the action in the novel was always engaging, I did lose track of the point of the plot in some areas, which made me think it could have been made more clear with just a few minor additions (and subtractions) in the writing.

 

All in all, Flesh is highly recommended and I'll be looking forward to what author Khanh Ha publishes next. I think he is definitely a writer to watch.

 

 

Quotes:      First Chapter

 

 

 

 

Khanh Ha was born in Hue, the former capital of Vietnam. During his teen years, he began writing short stories which won several awards in Vietnamese adolescent magazines. He graduated from Ohio University (Athens, Ohio) with a bachelor's degree in Journalism. Flesh is his first novel. He is at work on another novel.

 

 

 

 

Disclosure: I received an advanced reading copy of this book from the author and Premier Virtual Author Book Tours for review purposes.   

The Tragedy Paper

The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth LaBan
Random House Children's Books, 1/8/2013
Hardcover, 320 pages
ISBN-13: 9780375870408
http://elizabethlaban.com/

Description

     Tim Macbeth is a 17-year-old albino and a recent transfer to the prestigious Irving School, where the motto is, "Enter here to be and find a friend." Tim does not expect to find a friend; all he really wants to do is escape his senior year unnoticed. Despite his efforts to blend into the background, he finds himself falling for the quintessential "it" girl, Vanessa Sheller, girlfriend of Irving's most popular boy. To Tim's surprise, Vanessa is into him, too, and she can kiss her social status goodbye if anyone finds out. Tim and Vanessa enter into a clandestine relationship, but looming over them is the Tragedy Paper, Irving's version of a senior year thesis, assigned by the school's least forgiving teacher. 
     The story unfolds from two alternating viewpoints: Tim, the tragic, love-struck figure, and Duncan, a current senior, who uncovers the truth behind Tim and Vanessa's story and will consequently produce the greatest Tragedy Paper in Irving's history.

 My Thoughts:

The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth LaBan is the story of the senior year of albino Tim Macbeth at the Irving School, as told through CDs to Duncan Meade. While it is now Duncan's senior year at the prestigious boarding school, Tim left the CD's as a legacy of sorts to him as the new resident of the small corner room Tim was relegated to the year before. Since all the seniors are assigned a tragedy paper as a senior year thesis, Tim promises that the CDs will not only tell the story of the tragedy that occurred the year before, but that the story will help Duncan write his tragedy paper. The CD's explain Tim's connection to the popular girl, Vanessa, and slowly build until the final tragedy is fully explained.

The Tragedy Paper is a YA novel and is listed as suitable for age 12 and up. It certainly would be a suitable novel for the YA audience. There is no questionable language and the rule breaking present is very innocent. The pacing of the story is gradual and deliberate, allowing anticipation of the upcoming tragedy to build. LaBan handled the plot and character development with skill. These characters felt like actual young people going through a confusing time in their lives, while unbeknownst to then a  tangible tragedy is about to unfold.

Certainly a novel about a tragedy, and a tragedy paper that must be written, will include many parallels to the literary influences found in other novels and plays. There was abundant foreshadowing and premonitions that something was going to happen.  Works mentioned or credited with influencing The Tragedy Paper include: S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders and That Was Then, This is Now, The Sorrows of Young Werther, The Dead Poet’s Society, Thirteen Reasons Why, Jane Smiley’s A Thousand Acres (based on King Lear) and, naturally, Shakespearean plays (with a Macbeth and a Duncan, need I even mention this.)

I will very highly recommend The Tragedy Paper as a YA novel worth an adult's time too.

 

Elizabeth LaBan worked at NBC News, taught at a community college, and has written for several magazines and newspapers. The Tragedy Paper is her first young adult novel. She lives in Philadelphia with her family. 

Disclosure: My Advanced Reading Copy Kindle edition was courtesy of Random House Children's Books and Netgalley for review purposes.

Hunting Marfa Lights

Hunting Marfa Lights by James Bunnell
Lacey Publishing Company, 12/1/2009
Paperback, 320
ISBN-13: 9780970924940
http://www.nightorbs.net/3601.html

Description:

Hunting Marfa Lights reports the results of an eight-year investigation (2001-2009) into mysterious lights seen near Marfa, a small West Texas town. This is, to date, the only long-term, extensive study of these phenomena. Reports of unusual lights east of Marfa extend back to the 1800s. Based on data collected, the author finds that while most of the observed lights in this area can be explained, about 3 percent are truly mysterious and of unknown origin. In addition to frequent on-site observations and photography, the author installed three automated monitoring stations equipped with a total of nine cameras, to collect nightly video records. Included in this 311-page book are 34 firsthand accounts from eyewitnesses and more than 120 illustrations and photographs. Of particular interest are compelling stories told by people, including the author, who have encountered these mysterious lights and have been astonished and amazed by the experience.

My Thoughts:

Hunting Marfa Lights by James Bunnell explores explanations for the mysterious lights that can be seen at night near Marfa, TX, "a high-desert basin surrounded by beautiful mountains and mesas." Bunnell writes:

"Mysterious lights are reported in many locations worldwide, but one of the best known of these sites is near the small West Texas town of Marfa. In fact, the Marfa Lights are so well known that the State of Texas has created a roadside park for travelers who wish to stop by and take a look. Marfa is slowly gaining worldwide recognition as the home of mischievous nocturnal lights that shine, pulse, dance, and do amazing things to delight lucky observers. These nocturnal happenings are observed mostly east of town in a region known as Mitchell Flat. The question is, of course, are Marfa Lights real and mysterious, or simply folklore hyped by locals to attract tourist dollars? (Location 113-117)" 

 "Marfa Mystery Lights (MLs) usually fly above desert vegetation but below background mesas, with altitudes varying anywhere from 400 feet to as low as 2 or 3 feet above ground level. There are exceptions. One type of mystery light flies high in the night sky entirely above local horizons. (Location 156-157)"

"Light colors are usually yellow-orange but other hues, including green, blue and red are also seen. Red is the most frequent alternative color. I have not witnessed a mystery light that was red from start to finish, but other people have. Marfa Lights are typically yellow-orange or orange for most of their lifetimes and will, on occasion, convert suddenly and completely into brilliant red. (Location 150-153)"

This phenomena was even noted by Native Americans and there are recorded stories from the 1800's, but no serious investigation was ever mounted until Bunnell undertook an eight year exploration utilizing several different monitoring stations and cameras to try to capture the allusive, mysterious lights. Because this is a scientific study of the lights, rather than a collection of fantastic stories, Bunnell approached his study in a methodical manner, recording everything he did and keeping thorough data, notes, photos, and charts of the various lights he or others saw.

 

Bunnell concludes that most of the lights can be explained, but not all of them:

"Based on my investigation of Marfa Lights phenomena, I believe that in most instances, mysterious lights seen from the Marfa Lights View Park do have explainable sources. Some are indeed motor vehicle lights. Others come from many explainable light sources, as discussed in Part II of this book. After eight years of investigation, I am equally convinced that there are also mysterious lights that are the real foundation behind all of the fuss over Marfa Lights. They are indeed rare, but real and most unusual. Stories of people who have experienced these marvelous displays speak volumes. Readers will find a generous sample of these stories in Appendix A. Part I of this book contains photographs and descriptions of mystery light behaviors, and chronicles my evolving investigation into these complex phenomena and growing knowledge about them. (Location 123-128)"

Some of the lights are contributed include: chemical combustion; various car, ranch, and train lights; sprites; plasma jets; and nocturnal mirages from various explained light sources. Hunting Marfa Lights includes illustrations of equipment used, photos of lights and other things observed (the plasma jet photo was really cool),  34 stories in the first of 3 appendices - the other two cover data and equipment- a bibliography, glossary, a list of abbreviations and acronyms, and an index.

 

Bunnell wrote, "As mysterious and intriguing as Marfa Lights may be, I am convinced that they are natural events well deserving of scientific study and attention. It has been my pleasure and privilege to investigate these elusive phenomena over the last few years. This book is the story of that investigation. (Location 167-169)"

 

Highly Recommended - especially if you are planning to go view the Marfa lights someday or if you are simply interested in unexplained phenomena

Author James Bunnell grew up in Marfa, a small town in West Texas. He retired from BAE Systems as director of Mission Solutions for Air Force programs, and was a member of the launch team for all manned Apollo launches (from 1968 to 1973) and earned an Apollo Achievement Award for support of the Apollo 11 launch. He has written two other books: Seeing Marfa Lights and Night Orbs.

Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Netgalley for review purposes.

Great North Road

Great North Road by Peter F. Hamilton
Random House, 1/1/2013
Hardcover, 976 pages

ISBN-13: 9780345526663
http://www.peterfhamilton.co.uk/

Description:

New York Times bestselling author Peter F. Hamilton’s riveting new thriller combines the nail-biting suspense of a serial-killer investigation with clear-eyed scientific and social extrapolation to create a future that seems not merely plausible but inevitable.

A century from now, thanks to a technology allowing instantaneous travel across light-years, humanity has solved its energy shortages, cleaned up the environment, and created far-flung colony worlds. The keys to this empire belong to the powerful North family—composed of successive generations of clones. Yet these clones are not identical. For one thing, genetic errors have crept in with each generation. For another, the original three clone “brothers” have gone their separate ways, and the branches of the family are now friendly rivals more than allies.

Or maybe not so friendly. At least that’s what the murder of a North clone in the English city of Newcastle suggests to Detective Sidney Hurst. Sid is a solid investigator who’d like nothing better than to hand off this hot potato of a case. The way he figures it, whether he solves the crime or not, he’ll make enough enemies to ruin his career.

Yet Sid’s case is about to take an unexpected turn: because the circumstances of the murder bear an uncanny resemblance to a killing that took place years ago on the planet St. Libra, where a North clone and his entire household were slaughtered in cold blood. The convicted slayer, Angela Tramelo, has always claimed her innocence. And now it seems she may have been right. Because only the St. Libra killer could have committed the Newcastle crime.

Problem is, Angela also claims that the murderer was an alien monster.

Now Sid must navigate through a Byzantine minefield of competing interests within the police department and the world’s political and economic elite . . . all the while hunting down a brutal killer poised to strike again. And on St. Libra, Angela, newly released from prison, joins a mission to hunt down the elusive alien, only to learn that the line between hunter and hunted is a thin one.

My Thoughts:

Great North Road by Peter F. Hamilton begins as a murder mystery set in the future and soon becomes much more. It is 2143 and a member of the very wealthy and very cloned North family turns up dead in the river at Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in northeast England. Police detective Sidney Hurst is on the case with a crew of help from the police as well as other very powerful people. It is apparent that the murder may be related to another murder in the North family from twenty years ago on the planet St. Libra. The only witness/survivor/convicted murderer from that mass murder was Angela Tramelo, who has been in prison since then. Angela always claimed that she was innocent - and that an alien monster was responsible for the horrific crime. Now it seems that she may have been telling the truth and the real murderer is an alien monster that is still on the loose, but now in Newcastle. Angela is released in order to join a mission to hunt down the monster.

 

That synopsis doesn't quite do Great North Road  justice, but this is one huge space opera combined with an intense murder mystery and alien-contact thriller. All the plots and sub-plots are neatly tied together in the end. The world building itself is exemplary, with plentiful details and descriptions. The main characters are very nicely developed both in personality and backgrounds. Once you get caught up in the story you might begin to forget exactly how long it is (especially if you are reading it on an e-reader. I began to wonder early on what was up when it seemed my Kindle was on 20% forever... then I looked up the actually length of the novel.

 

At nearly 1000 pages, there are places where Great North Road could have been edited; perhaps some of the details of the investigation could have been tightened up. It becomes apparent that, thankfully due to the length, that there were sections of the novel that I could read quickly in order to get back to some more exciting action. Since it is so long, you might have to throw out the 50 page rule if the opening murder investigation doesn't capture your attention. Try to read quickly along and get to when Angela is introduced. That's when the story really takes off. Not to say that I didn't enjoy the rest of it, but I can see where a reader might begin to wonder where the investigation is going. Don't worry - it goes places. If you enjoy murder mysteries and science fiction then you likely will not have a problem getting absorbed into the details of the narrative

 

Very Highly Recommended - but know that it will require a time investment

 

Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Random House and Netgalley for review purposes.

 

Excerpt 

Quotes:

Sunday January 13, 2143

As midnight approached, the wild neon colors of the borealis storm came shimmering through the soft snow falling gently across Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. It was as if nature were partying along with the rest of the city, providing a jade-and-carmine light show far more elegant than any of the fireworks that had been bursting sporadically above the rooftops since Friday. Detective Third Grade Sidney Hurst watched batches of late-night revelers staggering along the frozen pavement, calling out greetings or challenges depending on how toxed up they were. Location 310-315 

 

Temperature didn’t affect the ring of smartcells around his iris that shone minuscule laser pulses down his optic nerves, overlaying the street with sharp display graphics, correlating what he looked at with coordinate locations for the visual log he was running. As per protocol, Sid’s bodymesh—the interconnective network produced by all his smartcells—quested a link with Ian, making sure they remained in contact. Ian was represented by a small purple icon at the corner of his sight. The bodymesh also downloaded the visual log through the car’s cell and into the police network. Location 364-369

 

The man’s frozen-white body was naked. Which wasn’t the bad thing. The nasty and unusual deep wound just above his heart wasn’t the career-killer, either. No, the one thing that jumped out at Sid was the victim’s identity. He was a North. That meant there would have to be a trial. One that ended with an utterly solid—beyond legal and media doubt—conviction. Fast. Once upon a time—131 years ago to be precise—there were three brothers. They were triplets. Born to separate mothers. Perfect clones of their incredibly wealthy father, Kane North. He named them Augustine, Bartram, and Constantine. Location 544-549 

“More than ripped, actually. Looks like they extracted the smartcells, too.”

“Aye, man. That’ll be a pro hit, then,” Ian said.

“Yeah. Turn his hands over please,” he asked the divers with their rubber gloves. The skin on the tip of every white frozen finger was missing. Somebody was trying to make identification difficult, which might make sense for a normal crime victim, but a North …? “Okay,” Sid said abruptly. “Get the examiner down here to clear and retrieve the body. I’m now officially reclassifying this case as a one-oh-one. All records to be backed up and forwarded to my case file.” Location 583-588

 

“A body has been found in the river. There’s a nasty puncture wound on the chest. I suspect smartcell extraction, too.”

“I see.”

 “Sir, our preliminary identification is a North.”

This time the silence really stretched out as grains of snow kissed Sid’s nose and cheeks. “Repeat please.”

“It’s a North clone, sir. We’re at the Millennium Bridge. The examiner’s clearing the body to be brought ashore now. In addition, I have four agency constables with me on scene, two divers and Captain Foy on the boat. The two civilians who found the body are having their statements taken.”

“I want a lockdown on the area right away. Everyone on scene is to be taken up to Market Street station immediately. No external communication, understood?” Location 611-619

“The HDA is taking over for one simple reason,” Elston said. “The murder method, or to be precise the instrument used to shred the victim’s heart.”

“But … we don’t even know what the hell it is yet,” Sid protested.

“That’s exactly what makes this so special. You see, the murder method has actually been employed once before.” Location 1598-1601

The recording started to play. Angela was struggling against the hold the guards had her in, shouting furiously. The camera zoomed in on her beautiful face as it contorted with rage. “No!” she shrieked. “No no no, I didn’t kill anybody. Why won’t you listen, you stupid f*cks. Listen to me! The alien did it. The monster. Do you understand? It ripped them apart. I swear it—” The image froze again, catching Angela’s mouth open, spittle flying.

“She repeats that same claim for five minutes while she’s dragged out,” Vance said. “In fact, she never stopped claiming it.”

An alien monster?” Ian asked quietly.

“That’s what she said. That was her entire defense. Location 1745-1752

He didn’t like the amount of hostility and skepticism building in the office. The team had arrived expecting to be shat on by a grubby little political appointee, courtesy of the Norths; not be totally screwed by a paranoid spook who believed they were facing an alien Armageddon. Location 1808-1810

In fact she was starting to feel angry that they were here, angry that in this day and age old men still coveted and exploited young girls as they always had, that there hadn’t been any social progress since Roman times, how actually opening up new worlds had been a backward step because so much was now beyond the reach of true civilization and accountability. And as they always did, the Norths took the whole scene with girls to its extreme, because they could, because excess defined them, because unaccountability was their god. Location 5697-5701

The Lord’s universe was a lot bigger than the human soul was comfortable with. Music started playing. Location 7792-7793