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ChristianFictionQueen
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Name: Ruth
Country: United States
State: Tennessee
Birthday: 9/21/1980
Gender: Female
Interests: Reading - Christian Fiction - Writing Reviews - Talk Radio - Being an "Evil Conservative" - Frank Sinatra - MGM Musicals - BBC - Chris Botti - Broadway - World War II History - Jane Austen - Middle Tennessee Christian Writers - Books & Literature Editor for The Bridge
Expertise: Books in general, especially Christian fiction...and I'm considered something of an expert on Frank Sinatra in certain circles.
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5/9/2005
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Silent in the Sanctuary (A Lady Julia Grey Novel #2)
By: Deanna Raybourn
Publisher: MIRA
ISBN: 978-0-7783-2603-8
About the book:
Fresh from a six-month sojourn in Italy, Lady Julia returns home to Sussex to find her father’s estate crowded with family and friends. Much to her surprise, the one man she had hoped to forget – the enigmatic and compelling Nicholas Brisbane – is among her father’s houseguests…and he is not alone. Not to be outdone, Julia shows him that two can play at flirtation and promptly introduces him to her devoted, younger, titled Italian count.
But the homecoming celebrations quickly take a ghastly turn when one of the guests is found brutally murdered in the chapel. Lady Julia resumes her unlikely and deliciously intriguing partnership with Nicholas Brisbane, setting out to unravel a tangle of deceit before the killer can strike again.
Review:
Deanna Raybourn suffers from no sophomore slump with her second Lady Julia Grey novel, Silent in the Sanctuary. This thoroughly engrossing, humorous sequel ranks even higher in my view than its predecessor, Silent in the Grave (which I absolutely loved!). Lady Julia’s second foray into the world of detection and mystery is just as un-put-downable as the first, and I was compelled to carry it with me everywhere until I finished it. This time, Raybourn gives readers a stronger, more self-assured Lady Julia, though she’s still learning to balance between societal expectations and her own new appreciation of independence, and an even more compelling, wonderfully and frustrating enigmatic Brisbane. When the two are reunited even more sparks fly, and you could cut the romantic tension with a knife, it’s that palpable. But of course nothing is going to come easy for two individuals whose strong wills and temperaments constantly put them at odds with convention and each other.
Following her brush with death in Grave, Lady Julia went to Italy to recover her health, and though she’s reluctant to admit it to herself, to forget inquiry agent Nicholas Brisbane. Though the connection between them is undeniable, when six months pass with nary a word she resolves to move on. When she and two of her brothers are recalled to the family estate for Christmas, she’s shocked and somewhat peeved to discover that Nicholas is in residence as well – with a completely unsuitable fiancée. However, her annoyance is pre-empted by the brutal murder of one of the houseguests, and her father charges her and Brisbane to work together to discover the culprit and minimize the scandal’s impact on the eccentric March family. Isolated by a snowstorm in the historic Abbey/family home, the pool of suspects is limited, casting a pall of suspicion over family, friends, and acquaintances alike. The truth must out before the snow melts, allowing a murderer to go free – or they may strike again.
One of this book’s greatest strengths is that Raybourn allows readers to spend more time with Julia’s delightfully eccentric family. They’re funny, sarcastic, irreverent, and fiercely loyal to each other, even the more questionable of their relations (like Aunt Dorcas, the ancient kleptomaniac). Sanctuary is rife with as much intrigue, misunderstandings, and hidden secrets as its predecessor. The storyline is multi-layered and fascinating, with enough twists and turns and red herrings to give a person whiplash. The fact that the family home was once an ancient Abbey adds to the atmosphere of the story – it’s as though anything is possible in a location where the very stones seem imbued with history and drama. At the center of it all lies Brisbane and Julia’s maddening relationship. Their relationship is like the ebb and flow of an intricate dance – just when events throw them together, something tears them apart. Raybourn excels at developing the romantic tension in this installment. Lady Julia’s world is one I love getting lost in – completely and utterly absorbing, and loads of fun to boot, Raybourn’s storytelling always leaves me wanting more.
So, in the comments section of my review of Silent in the Grave, there was some fun discussion about who should play Nicholas Brisbane, should this series ever be filmed. I bring you two other actors for your consideration:
First, Tom Hardy as Heathcliff in the 2009 version of Wuthering Heights. I honestly don't know why I didn't think of him first, as I am a big fan of his performance here. An added bonus in his favor is that Heathcliff and Brisbane share a very similar heritage...and that's all I'm gonna say about that. 
My second choice today is the absolutely fabulous Richard Armitage. *swoon* I think Richard is a smidge too...hmm, aristocratic in his looks to perfectly fit the role of Brisbane as he's described in the novels. HOWEVER...Armitage's turn as Guy of Gisborne proved that he's a master at playing a dark, tortured, compelling leading man. If he played Brisbane on screen, I have no doubt he'd own the role. Happy thought. :) So, to anyone who's read the books, please chime in with your opinion. Or, based on my reviews, which actor would you most like to see in the role? *I have to say, while I don't like these "new" covers nearly as much as the first run designs for book one, I do appreciate how the cover artist nailed Julia's grey pearls - the necklace is exactly as described. | | |
| New movie review of Julie & Julia is up on my Blogspot...it's late and I'm feeling lazy and don't want to cross-post. So c'mon over and visit me on Blogger. :) | | |
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This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Sheriff’s Surrender
Barbour Books (December 1, 2009)
by
Susan Page Davis
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
I've always loved reading, history, and horses. These things come together in several of my historical books. My young adult novel, Sarah's Long Ride, also spotlights horses and the rugged sport of endurance riding, as does the contemporary romance Trail to Justice. I took a vocational course in horseshoeing after earning a bachelor's degree in history. I don't shoe horses anymore, but the experience has come in handy in writing my books.
Another longtime hobby of mine is genealogy, which has led me down many fascinating paths. I'm proud to be a DAR member! Some of Jim's and my quirkier ancestors have inspired fictional characters
For many years I worked for the Central Maine Morning Sentinel as a freelancer, covering local government, school board meetings, business news, fires, auto accidents, and other local events, including a murder trial. I've also written many profiles and features for the newspaper and its special sections. This experience was a great help in developing fictional characters and writing realistic scenes. I also published nonfiction articles in several magazines and had several short stories appear in Woman's World, Grit, and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.
My husband, Jim, and I moved to his birth state, Oregon, for a while after we were married, but decided to move back to Maine and be near my family. We're so glad we did. It allowed our six children to grow up feeling close to their cousins and grandparents, and some of Jim's family have even moved to Maine!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Gert Dooley can shoot the tail feathers off a jay at a hundred yards, but she wants Ethan Chapman to see she's more than a crack shot with a firearm. When the sheriff of Fergus, Idaho, is murdered and Ethan is named his replacement, Gert decides she has to do whatever she can to help him protect the citizenry. So she starts the Ladies Shooting Club. But when one of their numbers is murdered, these ladies are called on for more than target shooting and praying. Can Gert and the ladies of Fergus find the murderer before he strikes again?
If you would like to read the first chapter of The Sheriff’s Surrender , go HERE | | |
|  The Unfinished Gift
By: Dan Walsh
Publisher: Revell
ISBN: 978-0-8007-1924-1
About the book:
Can a gift from the past mend a broken heart?
Ian Collins is an old man without his son. Patrick Collins is a young boy without his father. On his Christmas list are only three items. He wants the army to find his father. He wants to leave his grandfather’s house. And he wants the dusty wooden soldier in Grandfather’s attic – the one he is forbidden to touch.
Review:
It’s December 1943, and seven-year-old Patrick’s world had been rocked by the sudden death of his mother in a car accident. Sent to live with Ian Collins, the paternal grandfather he’s never even met, and who disowned Patrick’s father for his marriage and renewed faith in Christ – Patrick’s wishes are simple. He wants his father to come home and save him from his cold, unfeeling grandfather, and he wants the unfinished, hand carved wooden soldier hidden in his grandfather’s attic. The wooden soldier just happens to be a very painful reminder to Ian of the long standing rift between him & son. Ian has no intention of giving up that very tangible symbol of years of anger and bitterness, until unexpected truths are revealed and he may have a chance to restore his fractured family. But has his change of heart come too late to save a wounded little boy?
The Unfinished Gift is a sweet little story, especially heart-tugging this time of year, when families tend to be uppermost in one’s mind – those with us physically and those with us in spirit. This is the type of story that should definitely appeal to fans of Richard Paul Evans or even Nicholas Sparks’s at their heartwarming best. Gift is a nice, light diversion but personally, the message of reconciliation and forgiveness got just a bit overly didactic. Also, I had real trouble buying Patrick’s voice as that of a seven-year-old. He’s an adorable kid, but he comes off as way, way too mature for his age and too completely, well, perfect. By the time we meet him in the novel, his mother’s been dead just about a week – one week, and it felt like the narrative just barely scratched the surface of the pain and confusion that must surely be there, somewhere. However, as the impetus for facilitating reconciliation between father & son, Patrick’s character fits the bill perfectly.
Walsh does a commendable job evoking the setting of America during World War II. It’s a treat to read stories set in the homefront, especially ones like this that give you a real sense of the hardships war imposed on those left behind, waiting for and hoping loved ones would return safely from the conflict. That nostalgic sense of time and place is one of the novel’s greatest strengths. I think this story would make an ideal made-for-TV movie. The story is a great little reminder of the importance of faith and family. Though stylistically it’s a little too preachy for my tastes, Walsh does such a good job bringing the time period to life and introducing the Collins family that I want to check out the sequel – The Homecoming releases June 2010. | | |
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This is probably going to be half history, half film commentary (and really long, LOL). Public Enemies is an interesting little film, a surprise because I’ve been mulling over the story and players ever since I finished it last night. It’s not your typical movie in that you’re given a clear beginning, middle, and end tied up neatly with a bow and plenty of closure. Instead, the movie drops you into the middle of the Great Depression, right when John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) boldly breaks several of his comrades out of prison and launches the infamous crime spree that catapulted him to the top of the FBI’s most wanted list. So, because this film doesn’t have a typical story structure, you’re thrust into the middle of the action, watching events unfold without the benefit of context. The result is that it feels like a docudrama, and that format brings with it pros and cons. The way Public Enemies is structured makes you strictly an observer – albeit a riveted, horrified one – but an outsider nonetheless. The sense of identification or knowledge of a character in a film that comes with a more traditional character and story arc is missing, and that’s a little disturbing – but ultimately in a good way, I think, because we see and judge the major players by their actions alone. This doesn’t allow for rationalizations or excuses, you just to see things as they are, so to speak.
Director Michael Mann based Public Enemies on the book of the same name by Bryan Burrough. I started that a while back but got distracted, however now I’ve got to finish in order to properly see how the movie compares to the entire book. I have to say, Burrough’s book is one of those rare non-fiction titles that read like a novel. The structure and pacing are superbly done, with dialogue lifted straight out of FBI interrogation transcripts. What it makes clear about the 1933-34 crime wave (that included not only Dillinger, but Baby Face Nelson, Bonnie & Clyde, etc.) is how it directly led to the birth of the modern FBI. Dillinger and his ilk changed the way crime was fought. It’s absolutely shocking to read about and witness in the film how freakishly inept and ill-equipped national law enforcement was to deal with fearless criminals who hit their targets hard and fast and crossed state lines with ease. Prior to this time period, the FBI was an organization with no real “teeth” – looked upon as more of an annoyance by state law enforcement than an asset, especially since agents didn’t even carry firearms (which made them pretty much useless, yes?).
This story gives an interesting glimpse into the rise of J. Edgar Hoover (played in the film by Billy Crudup) prior to the controversy that characterized his later career. Hoover was driven and focused, apparently obsessed with the idea that his bureau be made up of clean-cut Ivy League types – “nice young men” to fight the dirty nasty criminals running rampant across the country. Since these agents generally had no actual law enforcement experience, and weren’t even authorized to carry sidearms, you can imagine that didn’t end well. They were getting slaughtered until Hoover and one of his star agents, Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) bring in some agents from out west with two very important qualifications: 1) actual law enforcement experience and 2) they knew how to use guns. Or in other words, they could get the job done. One of my favorite scenes in the film is when some Texas Rangers arrive, and they have this look on their faces that just screams they think the FBI agents are utter morons. The result is that the FBI learns to fight fire with fire, with pretty brutal consequences. But it’s also fascinating to see investigative techniques – like tailing suspects, effective stakeouts, wiretaps, or tracing purchases in order to pinpoint a suspect’s location (can you imagine doing that without the benefit of computers or traceable credit card purchases?) - taken for granted today being implemented as truly cutting edge technology. My, how times have changed.
Johnny Depp quite simply owns the role of Dillinger. He’s got this freakish ability to completely disappear into any character he plays. Physically, there is a resemblance (just compare their mug shots – the way Depp’s expression mirrors Dillinger’s is positively eerie). Fascinatingly enough Dillinger was a kind of folk hero to the masses during the Depression, robbing banks but courting the masses’ approval by letting customers keep their money (don’t try to figure that one out – whose money did he think was in the “evil” banks’ vaults?). He had a sort of honor code, never leaving one of his own behind, and a true belief in his own invincibility (just witness the scene where he waltzes in and out of the “Dillinger bureau” undetected). The movie makes it clear that Dillinger was a ruthless, dangerous man, but he also had a sort of charm and magnetic confidence that Depp does a good job of letting you see, particularly in his relationship with Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard), a down-on-her-luck coat check girl he plucks from obscurity to take on his “grand” adventures. She needs saving, and Dillinger needs to be a savior. Cotillard fits the time period perfectly, and she plays Billie with a world-weariness that tugs at the soul. However dysfunctional or by turns affectionate Dillinger and Billie’s relationship may have been, on-screen all you see is raw, almost painful neediness. I’ve got to hand it to Depp, though – the moment when Billie is arrested and he cries was riveting.
The third major player in this drama is Special Agent Melvin Purvis. Like Depp, Christian Bale really has a knack for fully inhabiting all the roles he takes on and this is no exception. Bale’s Purvis is driven and focused and utterly consumed with his mission to take down Dillinger. Perhaps even less than Dillinger, the film doesn’t give a viewer any real context for Purvis’s character. You know he’s obsessed with stopping Dillinger, but aside from that you don’t get a sense of what made him the man he is by the time he becomes Hoover’s golden poster boy for the FBI’s transformative War on Crime. He definitely seems to have a better handle than Hoover, at least initially, on what it would take to effectively shut down the gangs that were wreaking havoc across the country. I really would’ve liked more background on Purvis’s character, because the bulldog-like tenacity he exhibits in his work is fascinating, and by all appearances completely consuming. I do have to make a completely frivolous point before moving on – Christian Bale looks pretty dang fine in these suits. Wowzers.
Regarding the more technical aspects of the film – first, it looks spectacular. Every detail of the sets and costumes screams authenticity. Some of the camera work can be a little jarring, but if you can get past that it really adds a sense of immediacy to the events unfolding on-screen and reinforces the documentary feel of the film. The close-ups and quick angle changes are especially effective during the gunfights. Those are by turns intense, stressful, and horrifying. It’s quite easy to imagine being a random bystander suddenly caught up in one of these shoot-outs. The movie also makes really fine use of music, both original score pieces by Elliot Goldenthal and vocal performances, with quite striking results. The vocal tracks by Otis Taylor, Billie Holiday, and Blind Willie Johnson, to just name a few, are dark, gritty, and intense, and near perfect complements to the action unfolding on-screen. Diana Krall even makes a brief guest appearance. And when instrumental music is employed, everything else shuts down, so all you see are the visuals, such as the aftermath of a gunfight, accompanied by a haunting melody that really underscores the terrible intensity of what you’re watching unfold.
One final thing and then I promise I’ll shut up. *wink* I was pretty surprised to discover that I’m quite familiar with the film Dillinger saw just before he died (Manhattan Melodrama starring Clark Gable, William Powell, and Myrna Loy – it’s notable as Powell and Loy’s first on-screen teaming). It’s an interesting enough movie, at times rather preachy but nonetheless a fascinating relic of its time. I’d definitely rate it as one of the lesser pictures in Gable, Powell, and Loy’s respective film canons. Taking what little I’ve read about Dillinger with Depp’s performance, the irony that this Gable gangster picture was the last film Dillinger ever saw is incredible. It’s impossible not to draw comparisons between Dillinger and Gable’s character in the film – Blackie, the gangster with a heart of gold and his own peculiar honor code. Towards the end of the film, Blackie says something to the effect of wanting to go out of the world as fast as he entered it, and it’s chilling to realize that just minutes after that scene Dillinger would be dying on a sidewalk outside the theater. It’s an interesting collision of fiction and historical events, reality and perception. A person could write a really fascinating essay on Dillinger and crime as viewed in Manhattan Melodrama.
If you’re a history buff, especially as regards early 20th century America, Public Enemies can provide a lot of food for thought (or fodder for one’s blog, whatever the case may be). It’s not an easy film to watch by any stretch, but I found this story, and the time period and the players completely fascinating. I ended up wanting to know what makes them tick, and while this film only gives brief hints into their characters, Dillinger and Purvis remain for the most part enigmatic and fascinating rivals. | | |
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