A Bad Day for Scandal: A Crime Novel Review

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A Bad Day for Scandal: A Crime Novel ReviewA Bad Day for Scandal is Sophie Littlefield's third mystery featuring Prosper, Missouri's answer to... I want to say Clint Eastwood, but that's not right. Stella Hardesty is one tough lady. Don't let the sewing machine shop fool you; it's a cover. Her real calling is meting out justice and vengeance, often in equal parts. Ever since she emancipated herself--permanently--from her abusive husband, she's been helping out other ladies in the same boat.
Therefore, it really isn't that unusual when Stella's phone rings in the middle of a social gathering. Like so many professionals, she's on call 24/7. Priss Porter's timing couldn't be much worse, though. Stella was entertaining, among others, the one man she should be keeping her distance from, Sheriff "Goat" Jones, and for once, things seem to be moving forward between the two of them. But Priss is over at her brother's, in town from Kansas City, insisting that she needs to see Stella immediately.
It has been said that friends will help you move, and that really good friends will help you move bodies. Well, rest assured, Stella and Priss aren't THAT close. Stella wants nothing to do with the little problem decomposing in Priss's trunk. When Stella proves to be unbuyable, Priss moves on to blackmail to elicit her help. That doesn't work either. Unfortunately, before Stella can get a feel for how to handle Priss, both she and her brother turn up missing. The Sheriff is looking at Stella askance. And Stella and her associates again find themselves following a convoluted path in search of answers.
What I described above are the opening scenes of an enjoyable enough mystery, but unusually for the genre, it's not the plots that make this series. The mysteries are well-plotted, fast-paced, and complex enough that I've never come near to figuring out who done it on my own. Perhaps more impressively, Ms. Littlefield hasn't fallen back on the same structure or type of story, though the series' premise suggests she would or could. Nonetheless, each outing finds Stella in a different kettle of fish. Still, for me, these stories are all about character.
I've always been able to hear Stella's distinctive voice in my head, but it was delightful to finally hear it in audiobook form, read by the talented Barbara Rosenblat. Ms. Littlefield strikes a perfect balance between the light elements and the dark ones in her novels, and Ms. Rosenblat gets this balance just right, too. There's no denying that these books are exceedingly funny, but there's nothing cute about them. Ms. Rosenblat mines all the humor while still bringing every character realistically to life. It's worth noting that she does an unusually good job with the male characters. And while Stella is at the center of this universe, over the course of three novels, her world has been fully peopled with individuals that jump off the page. There's her sidekick, Chrissy; Todd, the teenager across the street; and the Green Hat Ladies--to name but a few.
I guess you could jump into this series with any of the books, but when reading such delicious characters, personally, I think you'd get more pleasure starting at the beginning and watching the relationship and character arcs develop. Both Littlefield and Hardesty seem to be improving with each tale. So far, I'm three for three with Sophie and Stella. I've read them on paper, on my Kindle, and now on audio. As far as I can tell, there's no wrong way to enjoy these novels.A Bad Day for Scandal: A Crime Novel OverviewWhen Prosper homegirl turned big-city businesswoman Priss Porter returns to town with a body in her trunk, she calls Stella Hardesty to dispose of it. Her uppity ways don't convince Stella to take the job, and Priss attempts to blackmail her with a snapshot of Stella doing what she does best: curing woman-beaters by the use of force. Stella refuses to cooperate and goes home, only to hear later that Priss and her brother, Liman, have gone missing after calling in a disturbance. Stella is implicated when Sheriff "Goat" Jones discovers the scarf she left behind at the house. He warns her to stay local but Stella and her partner, Chrissy Shaw, go looking for Priss in Kansas City, where they discover that she runs an unusual business. When Priss herself—along with two other bodies—turns up in a pond belonging to one of Stella's ex-clients, Stella must investigate a host of suspects, including a crooked but libidinous female judge, a coterie of jealous male escorts, and a Marxist ex-professor.A Bad Day for Scandal is the third in Sophie Littlefield's award-winning, critically acclaimed series. Written with passion, humor, and guts, this is a mystery to be savored.

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How to Survive and Thrive During Hard Times Review

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How to Survive and Thrive During Hard Times ReviewThe title says it all. This book is full of rational and common sense information on surviving tough times, such as many face now, to worst case hard times where America would be in a severe depression and society breakdown for several years. The information goes beyond first aid kits and shelter. For example, in a simple straight forward manner it goes into how the bad side of human nature will express itself and how to prepare for it. Another example, it also goes into brief and simple advice in finding a job in hard times. The thought process is very clear on the recommended items and actions in this book. So clear that the reader can adapt the information as needed. Much of the book is useful even if you never see hard times. Negatives...Some may find having sections with the author's religious views as unnecessary and unwanted but none will find them offensive.How to Survive and Thrive During Hard Times OverviewThis book contains practical advice on how to survive an economic depression or a natural or manmade disaster that disrupts commerce. It contains alternatives for you to consider so you can make the best possible choices for the comfort and survival of your family during hard times.This book will provide you with a variety of options to consider in the areas of water and food procurement, gardening options, personal hygiene alternatives, practical battery operated electronic equipment, a summary of the relevant issues related to firearm selection, how to make your own ammunition at home, a common sense discussion of the pros and cons of a variety of different long-term survival strategies, some spiritual encouragement, and some recommendations for your family's continued education and entertainment.Unlike other books about hard times survival, this book is a hard times reference manual.It is not a book that you read once and then set aside.This book contains information you will need to frequently refer to during hard times as your situation changes.For example, if your water situation changes then you may need to review the information in the 20 page water chapter.If you acquire a different firearm then you may wish to improve your accuracy with that weapon by reviewing the information in the 26 page target shooting chapter.This manual contains 500 pages with 418 full-color pictures and 41 sketches and illustrations in black and white.The pictures and illustrations will help you follow a set of clear, concise instructions and minimize the chance of making a mistake.This book is a high quality detailed instruction manual that is worth the price you pay for it.This reference manual contains information of timeless value.It is the type of book you will pass on to your children and grandchildren.The reason is simple.This book contains detailed instructions on how to do all the following tasks if you should ever need to:1. How to make soap using rainwater, campfire ashes, and animal fat.The instructions in this manual are unique and the process that is described is not the method your ancestors used.It is a scientifically superior process that was developed by an engineer.2. How to make (cast) your own lead bullets using the wheel weights off the wheels of old cars in a junkyard.3. How to construct a high quality bow and arrows using a knife plus the appropriate raw materials you can find in nature.4. How to find water and how to make that water safe to drink in a variety of different environments.5. How to grow food from seed and how to grow seed from that food.Once you understand this process then you can provide your own food for an unlimited number of years into the future.6. How to preserve food for winter consumption without electricity or food canning jars using three simple old-fashioned methods.7. How to build a safe temporary shelter to protect your family from the weather and from predatory wild animals.This is not the type of shelter that is described in wilderness survival manuals.8. How to build an underground log cabin for long-term survival if the need should arise.It is easy to find information on how to build a traditional underground home but this manual explains the best way to use pine logs to build an underground "cabin cave." The information in this reference manual is timeless.This manual explains how to survive hard times during four separate phases:1. Short-term of two-weeks to four-weeks.2. Medium-term of six-months to one-year.3. Long-term of ten to twenty-years.4. Eternity with God in heaven.It would be a shame if a person survived very difficult times and lived to be 100 years old and then woke up one morning in hell.This book includes a special section on spiritual issues to assist a person prepare his or her entire family for eternity and not just the next few years.This high quality reference manual is a true bargain at its current price.

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Among the Living: A Zombie Novel - Revised and Expanded Review

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Among the Living: A Zombie Novel - Revised and Expanded ReviewAmong The Living takes place in Seattle and starts out sharing with the reading audience the lives of four different people in the city. The author uses both third and first person perspectives as we go through the routines of their days. Hints of the start of an undead uprising are sprinkled throughout the story but much of the early part of the book keeps that as background noise for most of the characters...there is a gas leak in a neighborhood, it is cordoned off, there are strange stories on the internet but the news networks are saying nothing and the stories are disappearing as quickly as they appear. As the story rolls on we are given small bits and pieces, a few attacks, there is footage found online of some shaky cell phone video, etc. but the city and the main characters, for the most part, have no real comprehension of what is going on until it is far too late.
The author slips from one character to the next with relative ease, pacing the story through their eyes, and in particular, through Mike, a journalist's eyes, who is telling us his story in first person. The other stories, about Lester, a drug dealer caught inside the neighborhood that is originally cordoned off, Kate, a serial killer who is just getting warmed up, and Grinder, the lead singer of a heavy metal band, are all told in third person. Tim does an excellent job of getting us up to speed on all his character's lives and how they act and react to everything going on around them.
I found it particularly interesting that the only person we are given first person exposure to is the journalist and likely the most normal person of the bunch. Mike is dealing with difficult issues but his burgeoning relationship with a co-worker seems a bright spot in a story filled with three other characters who are all, in my humble estimation, disturbed in their own particular ways. It would have been interesting to see the first person perspective of the serial killer, though the insights into her psychy are pretty indepth (I would especially like to see the first person perspective of the "other", which drives Kate to do the horrid things she does).
When it is finally clear that the deaders are at their full strength and their numbers are growing rapidly, the violence is in your face, visceral, and merciless. The author indiscriminantly throws us into the blender and lets us taste the agony of a city that is dying and coming back to life with the undead. A sequel would be natural and makes complete sense because in many ways, this tale has only just begun.
The story is solid and the characters real and fascinating. I kind of figure Tim decided to give us the first person perspective with the more "normal" character of the lot. Since these four barely get to interact during the book, it will be interesting if he decides to carry along with a first person view and see what perceptions Mike develops about the drug dealer, the heavy metal lead singer, and the serial killer.
The book is excellent and Tim, a first time novelist but someone who has written quite a few other works, definitely has some chops as a writer. My only true criticism is that there are some typos sprinkled throughout the book. Nothing that really detracts from the story but they are noticeable. It certainly did not keep me from enjoying the book a great deal and I am looking forward to picking up the sequel down the road when he gets around to writing it.
If you are a fan of zombies or just of apocalyptic fiction in general, this is definitely one to pick up.Among the Living: A Zombie Novel - Revised and Expanded OverviewAmong the Living - Revised and Expanded edition has been completely rewritten and edited!

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