Historical Fiction: Bodmin, 1349, by Roberta Kalechofsky

Plague perils

With Bodmin, 1349, Roberta Kalechofsky has undertaken to present a valuable, comprehensive picture of the life of the common person during an virulent outbreak of bubonic plague. Minutely detailed, meticulously researched, this narrative forcefully conveys a vivid sense of what it must have been like to try to survive such catastophe. Told [...]

Mystery: Echo Park, by Michael Connelly

a Harry Bosch novel

Best Bosch yet
All the entries in the Harry Bosch series have been good, but Echo Park is the best yet. The first few chapters set up the mystery, and from there on out, the action and suspense ratchet up and never stop. Even the final wrap up is a page [...]

Watch It: Duplex

Wolf in sheep’s clothing
Slid this into the DVD player on a rainy afternoon, and spent two hours smiling now and then. Duplex is not a great art film, nor does it pretend or aim to be. But it’s good for a few laughs, and other than using the old formula – one desperate [...]