Between the covers

Today was one of those run around like a mad ass kind of days, that also included a stint on Channel 9 television's Dunedin Diary programme doing my regular book review slot.

This month I reviewed a couple of non-fiction books, and these are my notes for what I intended to say. Naturally, it isn't what actually came out of my mouth, because those little things like nerves, feeble memory and Dougal's questions and comments make me deviate from the master plan.


Growing Organic by Nick Hamilton and Philippa Jamieson.

Growing Organic is a British book by Nick Hamilton that Philippa Jamieson has edited and adapted for the New Zealand situation. Philippa’s the editor of New Zealand Organic magazine.

I would call this a beginners guide to organic gardening, and gardening in general as it covers topics from which tools to select and how to get started from growing seed to taking cuttings to watering techniques. It covers the inevitable bugs, and has suggested organic sprays, although I would have liked a few more homemade spray recipes as we have an impressive aphid invasion happening. It doesn’t have photos but has good diagrams that are helpful.

It also has a helpful section on storing your vegetables once they’re harvested. What to do with that bumper crop that’s coming out your ears rather than just give it away to the neighbours. And of course composting and what to do with the leftovers.

I’d recommend this as a good basic book for people wanting to get started on the pleasures of growing your own food.



Dunedin Tracks and Trails by Antony Hamel


This has got to be one of the handiest books published. For a family like mine where we like to get out for the odd walk, and have a mountain biker always looking for places to ride, it’s brilliant.

The books nicely divided into geographical areas and as well as showing the tracks and clear directions how to get to them, it has lots of fascinating information about the area’s history and what to look out for.

Each section also has a summary of the walks, approximate time, distance and how hilly as well as a rating. I particularly liked the Features list, and the North Dunedin one of pondering why our future leaders and intellectuals seem happy to live in such messy flats as students.

It gives all the vital information, like when tracks are closed for lambing and when they’re crossing private land and you need to be aware of cattle.

I’d say that this is a book that every Dunedin home needs to have, and our family will certainly be popping out with it over the summer to enjoy some fresh air and the local scenery.

The Broken Shore

by Peter Temple.

This is so much more than a crime novel. The Broken Shore has won a slew of awards, including the CWA Duncan Lawrie Dagger, and so it should.

Peter Temple is a master at creating characters with depth and appeal, and who ring true in all their tics and flaws. Even the minor players and cameos are exquisitely drawn with often a few scant words. I think his skill with dialogue is what makes his people real, in what they say, and what they don't say. He allows his male characters a complex emotional life, which makes Cashin an unforgettable man. This all with in the setting of a novel that rips along at great pace and compels you, no forces you to read on.

Joe Cashin is a Port Monro detective, recuperating from major injuries sustained in the course of duty. When an elderly pillar of society is brutally murdered in his home, Cashin in brought into investigate with the local Cromarty police. They follow leads from a watch missing from the victim, but when an operation to bring in potential suspects goes horribly wrong a torrent of racial tensions and discontent boils over.

Peter Temple is a South African living in Australia, and it is clear that he has observed and absorbed the attitudes, positive and negative towards the aboriginal people. In The Broken Shore he captures the inter-racial tension, inter-family posturing, political maneuvering, small mindedness, and small town mentalities. He pokes at the seedy underbelly of society and makes it twitch. He also captures the harshness of the Australian landscape and and how that in turn can create earthy, hard people.

This is a stunning book, and one that I will re-read - and I very rarely re-read fiction books.

Antiblahotics

You go through patches as a writer where self-doubt clouds your conviction. I've been battling one of those patches, but like all things in life, if you want to make forward progress you suck it in and keep on working. This approach has worked to some extent, but still, why-do-I-bother-itis has been plaguing me.

One of the symptoms has been a steadfast ignoring of the envelope of Media Watch review clippings that Penguin so kindly provide to its authors. I didn't think my fragile state of being could cope with a bad one, so the envelope was conveniently buried in one of those piles of papers and junk that occasionally avalanche out of bookshelves or topple over and crush small children.

This morning I got brave and went digging for it. The cause of this sudden rush of nerve? Kerrie over at Mysteries in Paradise has posted a fabulous review of Overkill, including useful things like where you can find the book in Aussie and the UK. So thank you Kerrie, you've made my day!

That spurred me on and I discovered when I opened my bundle that all of the reviews were good, and I'd had quite a few mentions in people's "What I'm reading" piles.

New Zealand Lawyer magazine also featured a review of The Ringmaster, which was very positive. They did a piece titled Serial Killers stalk the South Island, and reviewed my book and Paul Cleave's Cemetery Lake. Great to see Paul and I are keeping the law fraternity happily amused.

So that's a brighter start to my day. That and not having any sick kiddies at home for the first time in two weeks. It's just me and the snoring cat.

Better go, got an appointment with Detective Sam Shephard.

Invisible Evidence

I was almost crushed under an avalanche of stuff from the bookcase that sits next to my desk. It contains my most frequently used reference material as well as all those things that need to be shoved somewhere, anywhere so I can find a big enough area on the desk to fit the keyboard.

Every now and again the bookcase has a kind of allergic reaction and effectively sneezes to clear the blockage.

One of the books sneezed out was this little gem from Bill O'Brien - Invisible Evidence: Forensics in New Zealand. Bill's an ex-coppa turned writer so knows what he's talking and writing about.

Invisible Evidence is very handy and covers the up to date technology and methods used in forensic science here. With everything from crime-scene examination, to pathology, to document examination and the latest isotopic analysis.

So if you're looking for a handy little forensics reference book, or even one of those cool little books to give for Christmas to someone difficult to buy for (ie. a bloke) - mystery solved.

The wheels on the bus go round and round...

The New Zealand Book Council have invited me to be the fiction writer on next year's Words on Wheels bus tour. I'll get to spend six days on the road visiting every town and village on the road between Christchurch and Queenstown between the 2nd and 8th of March.

And who are the poor unfortunates that get to put up with me for so long?

My fellow road tripees are Anna Mackenzie (Teen Fiction), David Geary (Scriptwriting), Janet Charman (Poetry) and Steve Braunias (Non-fiction).

We'll get to visit libraries, schools and town halls, and hopefully the odd restaurant and pub too.

But sending a crime writer on a road trip, is it such a good idea? It conjures up images of a closed room kind of a murder mystery on wheels. The publicist is dead. Who dunnit?

Was it the crime writer? Everyone assumes someone who spends all day imagining how to kill people would be the fiend. But what about the poet? Can you trust a poet? Or that guy who writes about birds? Those teen fiction writers can get up to no good, and don't get me started on script writers.

Hmmmm, could be fun.

Heh, heh, heh.

Good golly, Molly

I know I've had the conversation before about falling in love with inanimate objects, but I can't help it. I love my new computer, Molly rocks. There are so many cool things you can do.

Molly has a built in camera, so we've discovered the Photo Booth function. It's great fun. The kids, especially have had a blast taking photos of themselves doing what kids do best - scary faces, poking out tongues, bunny ears behind each other's heads - you get the picture.

You can also do effects, and I really, and I mean really like the colour pencil effect, because you can take a picture of you, and it's like photoshop overkill - no more wrinkles, and I'm sure it makes you look younger. Oops, I mean, of course I'm young anyway, honest.

Naturally I'm making the most of the functions that relate to what I actually do - write, and the fact that I no longer have to squint at the tiny screen on my laptop has improved workplace conditions immensely. It makes realise how tiring it was peering away at the old one, and although I had the lap-top propped up on a pile of Hubby's business text-books, and had a full size keyboard plugged into it, Molly has improved my posture immensely. The OSH boffins would be very happy.

I love having the ability to display side by side documents, or a document and internet side by side. It is rather handy. Am I gushing? Sorry, the first flush of love, and all.

Then there's the widgets. Sigh. Can a girl ever have too many downloads?

A voice from the past

I've just enjoyed listening to the podcast of Sounds Historical where Jim Hopkins played a recording of an old interview with Ngaio Marsh, complete with old-time static. I find it amazing to listen to sound recordings of writers since passed, it gives a dose of the spine tingles. I experienced this with the recording of Janet Frame emanating from the radiogram at Janet Frame's house at Eden St in Oamaru, and experienced it here listening to Ngaio Marsh's resonant voice.

Ngaio talks about why she got started with crime fiction, and about plot, amongst other things. It's a fascinating and slightly eerie glimpse into her motivations and her past.

After the Ngaio Marsh interview Jim talks with Joanne Drayton, author of the recently released biography Ngaio Marsh: Her life in crime. It's a lovely combination hearing Ngaio, and then her biographer. It's also interesting to hear how well the mystery writer worked so hard to keep her personal life a mystery.

Click the link here to go straight to the podcast, or here to go to the Sounds Historical webpage and internet links. The interviews are in the second hour of the Sunday the 16th of November show, and doesn't start until part way through the hour. I'd embed them into the blog if I could, but my technical adviser is out, and I haven't figured it out myself yet. (Anyway, why figure it out when Hubby can do it for you - it makes him feel needed.)

So thanks to Hugh and Nicky for the heads-up on this - My friends seem to realise I'm a teensy bit interested in my fellow New Zealand crime writer.

And speaking of Ngaio Marsh, Kerrie over at Mysteries in Paradise has posted this review of A Man Lay Dead, and David Cranmer at The Education of a Pulp Writer has posted this review of Death in Ecstasy - which is the next book on my Ngaio Marsh Challenge list.

I tell you, Ngaio is all the rage!