Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Field Gray by Philip Kerr

Today I finished reading Field Gray by Philip Kerr.

Field Gray has received considerable critical acclaim.  It was nominated for the 2012 Edgar Award.

"A brilliantly crafted challenge to the stereotypical received history of the Second World War: a thriller that will challenge preoccupations and stimulate the little grey cells." -- The Times (London), selecting Field Gray as a Thriller of the Year.

I must confess.  I missed what the critics saw in Field Gray.  My wife loves the History Channel and WWII.  It was a book for her not me.

Interestingly, Kerr has written a six book series for children called Children of the Lamp.  I was at the pool with my grandchildren this weekend and my eleven year old grandson saw me reading and noticed that the author was Philip Kerr.  He came over and told me how he had thoroughly enjoyed reading the Children of the Lamp series by Kerr.  So while it went over my head there is someone in my family who loves Philip Kerr.

If you are a WWII history buff, you will enjoy this book.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Winter of the Wolf Moon by Steve Hamilton

Today I finished reading Winter of the Wolf Moon by Steve Hamilton.

Steve Hamilton is the author of the The Lock Artist, winner of the Edgar Award.  Winter of the Wolf Moon was Hamilton's second novel in the Alex McKnight series.

Winter of the Wolf Moon is set in Michigan's Upper Peninsula in the wintertime. The description is so good this Alabama boy shivered through most of the book.

Hamilton has an easy to read style, interesting plots and his protagonist Alex McKnight is easy to relate to.  I'll be reading more of this series.




Wednesday, August 8, 2012

The Suspect by L. R. Wright

Today I finished reading The Suspect by L. R. Wright.

The Suspect was the winner of the 1986 Edgar Award.  And I read it as a part of my effort to read all of the Edgar Award winning novels.

The Suspect is uniquely plotted.  It tells the story of an eighty year old man who murdered his eighty-six year old brother-in-law.  It is unique because it deals with an elderly criminal.  The ending is an interesting twist on the theme of crime and punishment.

It is a short novel, 214 pages, well worth reading.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

NSRA Louisville

Tonight I got home from the National Street Rod Association Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky.

I was sick in June and unable to make this years Hot Rod Power Tour from Detroit, MI to Arlington, TX.  So Harold and I made a trip to the Louisville Nats this year's long distance trip in Bobbie Sue, my '51 Chevrolet.

A hot rod trip wouldn't be complete without a few minor mishaps.  And this one wasn't different.  After we reached Louisville and the event registration, the electric fan for the radiator stopped working.  The temperature gauge pegged the Hot mark and steam began to escape from the radiator cap.  We wiggled the wires it started working again and didn't give us any problems afterward.

On the way home we had some oil pressure issues which were solved by adding several quarts and increasing the viscosity from 10w40 to 20w50.

The Louisville Nats showcase hot rods and muscle cars primarily from 1928 thru 1972.  There were 12,000+ participant cars and 50,000 spectators.  The show is held at the Kentucky State Fairgrounds and features 400,000 sq.ft. of vendor displays with everything from A to Z for performance automobiles.