I really like Michael Connelly and the unique characters he’s created over the years to carry the stories in his crime novels. I wasn’t sure about his latest, Renee Ballard, at first, but grew to understand and eventually like the new crimefighter more as the plot unfolded.
LAPD Detective Ballard is no Harry Bosch, but she is a good cop with her own style, perhaps more representative of the newer breed of crime investigator. In ‘The Late Show’ Ballard is not only challenged by the serious cases that come her way, but she has to stand up for herself and fight to regain her good reputation that was sullied by a former boss.
The story is a bit slow at first, but the intrigue and action build at a good pace. The twist thrown in near the end completely took me by surprise. I think Renee Ballard is a good addition to Connelly’s cast of characters.
Where in Windsor can you find a restaurant with excellent food and service that’s been around for 40 years? The answer is the new old Cook’s Shop Restaurant. Spencer Dawson, took the reigns when the former owner retired from the business he started in 1980. The cozy dining room and Italian menu remain mostly the same, with a few minor changes to both. The old meat display case is gone but the natural stone walls and romantic setting remains the same.
The new owner introduced himself to Cathryn and I, taking the time to explain how he strived to keep fan-favorites on the menu, and brought in a few new recipes handed down by his grandmother. Her homemade bread was the first thing to knock our socks off – a sliced loaf that was crispy golden on the outside and a cornbread texture on the inside, served with a soft herb butter. The wine list covers all bases and quite reasonably priced.
We talked about Dawson’s idol, Lino, the previous owner, who just happened to grace us with his presence moments later. We were lucky enough to chat with both men and capture a few photos of the two most passionate restaurant owners I’ve ever met. Our Caesar salads were delivered on their departure from our table, the original recipe that Dawson said he had to retain in order to prevent a riot.
I forgot about the Escargot – large and tender snails served on a bed of mushrooms sautéed in garlic butter and served in phyllo pastry. We had time for another slice of bread before the salad. Our waiter, Moe, was Johnny-on-the-spot and never far from our table. I ordered the Spaghetti Carbonara, with double smoked bacon, and asked to have it on the creamy side. Yep, more sauce to soak up with the bread. It was one of the best pasta dishes I’ve ever had.
Cathryn ordered the Rack of Lamb, four thick portions stacked over a pea and mushroom risotto. Sitting on my hands was all I could do to resist snatching some while she was away from the table. It was juicy, tender, and cooked to perfection. Sadly, we couldn’t finish the last two pieces of bread. Our meals were quite generous in size.
Although we were both stuffed, I needed a pieced of cheesecake. They had two and I went for the salted caramel. Not too rich, it had the perfect combination of sweet and saltiness. We both loved every part of our meal and enjoyed the experience of meeting both the old and new regime. Giving the Cook’s Shop a 10 out of 10 was a no-brainer.
Watch for Dawson’s future plans, while he renovates the whole building, possibly adding another restaurant and living quarters above that.
I just finished reading, The Wrong Road – A Crime Story, the second book by fellow local author Jack Bennett Sr. More a short story or novella, Bennett weaves a tale of a young and impressionable man from Windsor, Jimmy Burns, who wants to become a somebody by hanging with the wrong crowd.
Burns figures the best way to impress the local stripper he’s taken a shine to, is by showering her with money that he doesn’t have. The solution to his dismal situation is to resort to crime in order to improve his cash flow. Burns soon learns that he’s being taken for a ride and decides to strike out on his own, continuing a cross-country crime spree.
The story finds Burns digging a deeper hole for himself, before he meets the woman who might actually help turn his life around.
The Wrong road is an interesting story and an easy read. I give it 3.5 stars out of 5. It is available locally through the author or at Story Tellers Book Store in Windsor.
Suspect (Joseph O’Loughlin, #1) by Michael Robotham (Goodreads Author) Edmond Gagnon‘s review Feb 17, 2021 I had never heard of author Michael Robotham, perhaps it’s because he’s from Sydney Australia. Regardless, I found his book, Suspect, a very good read. The protagonist is a Psychiatrist, but not a character like Alex Delaware in John Kellerman’s novels, who assists police in their investigations.
Joseph O’Loughlin may be trying to get into his patients heads, but it seems more like he needs to examine himself. By trying to get to the truth he only incriminates himself and goes from helping the police to being their number one suspect.
I found the backstory a bit heavy at times but the plot was well written and fast paced enough to keep my attention. I would definitely read this author again.
The Snowman is the first ‘Harry Hole’ Jo Nesbo novel that I’ve read. Although a Norwegian author, he can weave a crime fiction tale with the best of them. I had some difficulty getting into this book, and keeping things straight as the story progressed, because of all the Norwegian names of places and characters. For me, it was hard to concentrate when I couldn’t pronounce or remember most of the proper nouns that were used. Having said that, the plot was intricately pieced together, with enough twists and turns to keep any crime reader fully engrossed. Nesbo’s police protagonist and sadistic antagonist were equally likable, especially once the latter was eventually discovered.
Having seen the live stage version at least twice, and the previous movie musical with Russel Crowe and Hugh Jackman, I have to say that I enjoyed the latest BBC production of Les Miserables the best. The new version, which we were able to stream on CBC Gem, is not a musical. And it’s cast is not made up of A-listers, but you should recognize names like Dominic West (the Wire), David Oyelowo (Selma), and Olivia Colman (The Crown).
I found a new appreciation for this latest installment of the timeless classic because I got a better understanding of the story. Perhaps the music and lack of backstory in the stage versions left me with more questions than answers as to the overall plot. For the unaware, Les Miserables takes place in France after Napoleon and the French Revolution.
It’s a sad rags to riches to rags tale that is shown in eight parts, currently available for streaming or downloading. Cathryn and I loved the story and both give it a 9 out of 10.
For movie buffs like Cathryn and I, the year 2020 was painful. And because of of the worldwide pandemic with Covid 19, 2021 isn’t shaping up to be much better. Old movies in our DVD collection and streaming companies like Netflix and Crave have been our only saving grace. Even the producers of television shows had to take a hiatus in the name of safety.
After exhausting the list of decent movies to stream, and for a change from binge-watching our favorite TV shows, we’ve taken to searching for decent movies that have to be rented. Major motion picture studios seem to have caught on to our dilemma, and since they can’t release their new movies in theaters, they are making them available to rent.
Last night we rented the latest movie by Tom Hanks, News of the World. We were shocked that we had to pay $25 to watch the new release, but took into consideration that it would have cost us more to see it in a theater. And since we’re not allowed out of our house, what choice did we have. We were able to rent and download the movie through Apple TV.
News of the World is a western with a completely different story line that’s never been done before. It takes place after the American Civil war, when the country is trying to heal, and the south has suffered the most. Tom Hanks’ character travels from town to town, reading from the latest newspaper articles, apprising folk of what’s happening in their part of the world.
I found the movie a bit slow at times, typical of some westerns, but there was enough action and a great story line that kept me interested. We both loved the movie, with Cathryn giving it a big 10. I can’t say there was anything wrong with the flick but I’m giving it a conservative 8, just because I can.
As many of you know, living with my wife, Cathryn, is like living with a personal chef. There’s good and bad that goes along with that. Obviously the good part is that she cooks and serves me gourmet meals almost every night of the week.
The bad part of having a live-in chef is that we don’t go out to restaurants as often as we did when we were dating and sampling food and wine across the county. Add to that our dietary constraints and we rarely get to visit fast food restaurants or eat junk food.
Once a month, I treat myself to a cheat day and basically eat whatever the hell I want. I had been craving a fresh grilled hamburger for quite a while, so yesterday I treated my chef and took her out to Five Guys Burgers and Fries. We now have one in Windsor, just south of the Devonshire Mall.
What a treat! Because of Covid rules we had to eat in the car, but I brought along cloth napkins and plastic lap trays for a touch of parking lot class. We brought our own drinks too so I was a bit surprised by the $26 bill for two cheeseburgers and one order of fries. Granted the burgers were double-deckers and there were enough fries for three people.
Its’ nice to custom order whatever toppings you like, including fried caramelized onions, the bun is steamed soft and the cheese is nice and gooey. The meat is freshly grilled and goes nowhere near a microwave oven. If you haven’t tried a burger from these Five Guys, you don’t know what you’re missing.
Jenn Sadai has combined her love of writing with her passion for empowering women into three purposeful series. The Self-esteem Series currently contains three non-fiction stories tackling common issues that affect a woman’s self-esteem. (Stolen from her Amazon author page because I couldn’t have said it any better).
She has drawn on her personal life experiences as well as those of other women, in putting together seven different books to date that offer women support, advice, and mutual respect. She covers topics like sexual abuse, bullying, harassment and body image.
Her titles include: Dark Confessions of an Extraordinary-Ordinary Woman, No Kids Required, Women Ready to Rise, Cottage Cheese Thighs, Her Own Hero, Dirty Secrets of the World’s Worst Employee, and Her Beauty Burns. You can read more about Jenn Sadai on her website.
If you’d like to meet Jenn and obtain one of her personally autographed books, come meet her at the Essex County Author’s Book Show, at The City Market on Saturday, December 12th, between 10am and 3pm.
Just like the best of serial killers known to man, Author Christian Laforet easily blends in to any crowd, his sick and twisted thoughts safely tucked away from those around him. Simply another working family man you’d think, but he has a hidden dark side.
If horror is your thing, a book by Christian Laforet is something you want to read. Don’t let his Clark Kent appearance fool you, there is a wickedness in this man that oozes from his from his fingertips into the scary stories that he writes. His books, The Space Between Houses and No Light Tomorrow are proof of his sick talent as a horror writer.
The next Stephen King also collaborated with Ben Van Dongen and myself, in putting together a crime anthology called All These Crooked Streets. His most recent work is a short story called Words Gathered, a collection of poetry and prose. You can see all his work at Adventure Worlds Press.
If you’d like to meet the master of disaster in the rotting flesh, come out to the Essex County Author’s Book Show at the City Market in Windsor on Saturday, December 12th, between 10am and 3pm, where you can get a personally autographed copy of one of his books.
Life Written and Reviewed 