It's been too long since I have written, but I have been reading up a storm! I recently finished all of the Miss Marple novels (excluding the short stories). More on those later--the best and the worst!
I'm also making my way through most of the "Hard Case Crime" series. Hard Case Crime is a new imprint of Dorchester publishing. They are re-releasing old pulp noir mystery titles, as well as some new ones. My favorites so far, in no particular order, are 361 by Donald Westlake, written in the 60s, and Straight Cut by Madison Smartt Bell (a recent publication). Both are excellent character studies, as well as hard-nosed, no-nonsense tales of nasty deeds and nastier people. Speaking of which, there are actually quite a few chuckles to be found in another recent entry in the series, Bust, by new-to-the-scene authors Ken Bruen and Jason Starr. Their femme fatale is quite a creation, who manages to get by on her looks and serendipity.
Finally, I'm currently reading Plunder of the Sun by David Dodge, another entry in the series, and Wherever You Go, There You Are, by Kabat-Zinn (oops, his first name is escaping me). It's a dive, not a dip, into mindfulness meditation. Wish me luck!!
