As a writer, I am alert to grammatical errors I encounter in my reading. One of the most frequent—and one I do not understand—stems from the inability of many writers to tell the difference between a statement and a question. In a book I am reviewing, I read the following: “He’d been trying to escape…… Continue reading A statement is not a question
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Riccardino: A novel way to end a series
I have been an avid fan of Andrea Camilleri’s Montalbano series since the first novel was translated into English by Stephen Sartarelli. Montalbano’s impudence in the face of self-serving bureaucrats has always been entertaining. Most plots were intricate and well resolved. The descriptions of Sicilian seafood specialties often sent me to my cookbooks in fruitless…… Continue reading Riccardino: A novel way to end a series
Review: “We Have Been Harmonized.”
We Have Been Harmonized: Life in China’s Surveillance State by Kai StrittmatterMy rating: 5 of 5 starsYou are on social media and type the words, “I disagree.” They disappear. You retype them, and they again disappear. The state has decided that the phrase no longer exists.You are called in for questioning because an AI algorithm…… Continue reading Review: “We Have Been Harmonized.”
My capsule review of “Yellow Bird”
Yellow Bird: Oil, Murder, and a Woman’s Search for Justice in Indian Country by Sierra Crane MurdochMy rating: 5 of 5 starsA well-written account of a Native American woman who becomes fixated on the disappearance of a white oilfield workers whom she has never met. In her quest to solve the mystery, she must overcome…… Continue reading My capsule review of “Yellow Bird”
Research for the new book
I have just finished the final draft of The Quadrant Conspiracy, a novel of World War II set in Ontario. I am now in search of an agent and publisher. My first three novels all required hours of research, although the first two were based in part on my personal experience. But Quadrant involved more…… Continue reading Research for the new book
Lewis, the Scrivener 