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Stephen

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Stephen is Currently Reading

Stephen is currently reading

USA Noir: Best of the Akashic Noir Series

by Megan Abbott (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading, short-story-collections

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Stephen said:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

" R E V I E W

N O T E S
An anthology taken from Akashic Books' noir fiction series of anthologies based in the various U.S. cities.

"Animal Rescue" by Dennis Lehane. Originally published in Boston Noir.
Bob Saginowski is a bartender in a Boston "drop ba R E V I E W

N O T E S
An anthology taken from Akashic Books' noir fiction series of anthologies based in the various U.S. cities.

"Animal Rescue" by Dennis Lehane. Originally published in Boston Noir.
Bob Saginowski is a bartender in a Boston "drop bar" for local mob money. Walking home one night, he discovers a severely beaten, abandoned pit bull puppy in a trash can. Nadia, the owner of the house where the trash can was located, helps him doctor the puppy, whom Bob adopts and names Cassius ("Cash"). Eric Deeds, a dangerous, psychotic local criminal and Cash's abuser, begins harassing and threatening Bob - demanding that he steal $10,000 from the bar to let Cash live. Nadia is Eric's abused ex-girl friend. Eric brings Nadia to the bar at closing to collect his money and demands another $5,000 to leave Nadia alone. Bob shoots and kills Eric. The bars' mob customers help him dispose of the body. The story ends with Bob and Nadia walking Cash in the park. (4 stars).

"The Confidential Informant" by George Pelecanos. Originally published in DC Noir.
Verdon is a CI for Detective Tony Barnes. He also has a strained relationship with his dying father. Barnes wanted information about the murder of Rico Rodriguez. Verdon had the information but was holding out. A girl named Flora had witnessed the murder. Verdon and his girlfriend, Leticia, got the information from her that Marquise had committed the murder. Verdon, rather than going directly to Barnes, decided to have Leticia call the information in on the tip line so she would be eligible for the $1,000 reward. Marquise found out that they knew and threatened Leticia - who refused to participate in the scam anymore. Leticia had given Marquise Verdon's name. Verdon tried to go into hiding, but he also wrote a note on a lottery ticket that Marquise was the killer and Flora had been a witness. Marquise caught up with Verdon and shot him. As he was dying he was comforted by the knowledge that he had the lottery ticket in his pocket and that Barnes would find it. He had a vision of his father herself by what he would say to his father. "I ain't the low-ass bum you think I am. I been workin' with the police for a long time, long time. Matter of fact, I just solved a homicide." (3 stars)

"The Golden Gopher" by Susan Straight. Originally published in Los Angeles, Noir. ...more "

21 hours, 58 min ago · see review

Stephen is currently reading

Writing "the Big Book": The Creation of A. A.

by William H. Schaberg

bookshelves: currently-reading, recovery

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Stephen said:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

" R E V I E W
I usually hide my review because I include notes without regard to spoilers. But this book is nothing but spoilers. I start this review when I have read 25% of the book. The good news: freeing ourselves of the historical myths does not ch ...more "

Nov 05, 2026 07:05AM · see review

Stephen is currently reading

East of Eden

by John Steinbeck

bookshelves: currently-reading, steinbeck

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Stephen said:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

" R E V I E W
It would be arrogant of me to think I could review this classic.

NOTES
THE HAMILTON FAMILY.
Samuel and Liza Hamilton immigrated from Ireland and settled in the Salinas Valley (King City). He was not a successful farmer but survived providi R E V I E W
It would be arrogant of me to think I could review this classic.

NOTES
THE HAMILTON FAMILY.
Samuel and Liza Hamilton immigrated from Ireland and settled in the Salinas Valley (King City). He was not a successful farmer but survived providing services to the farm community. Well-liked, respected. Intelligent, self-educated, patent fever. Four sons: George, - "sinless," Will - conservative, fits in, money maker, Tom - like his father.. reader, thinker, impulsive, Joe - beloved and protected, "poet," day-dreamer, "the darling of the family. Five daughters: Una - thoughtful, studious, Lizzie - married young, left family, bitter, Dessi - constant laughter, Olive - narrator's mother, Mollie - beauty. Liza - Bible-thumper ... her sole source for life. Respected, hated alcohol. On doctor's orders she took alcohol as medicine at 70 and was never sober again. A "well-balanced" and stable family.

THE TRASK FAMILY.
Cyrus Trask, a Civil War veteran who loses a leg to a minor wound in the Civil War, invents a grand, heroic war record for himself. He becomes obsessed with military theory, publishing his ideas and sharing them with the War Department. Cyrus and raises his two sons. Adam - gentle and passive - born to Cyrus’ first wife who committed suicide when he was an infant. Charles - dark, intense, highly competent - born to his second wife, Alice. Cyrus ran the family as a military operation. He favored Adam but demanded more of him. In a fit of sibling rivalry, Charles viciously beat Adam. While he was recuperating, Cyrus enlisted him in the Calvary, despite Adam’s reluctance. He kept the naturally aggressive Charles home on the farm.

Adam went into the Army.Charles lived alone and worked the farm. Charles remained single, relying upon transient prostitutes, lonely, missing Adam. While attempting to move a large boulder on the farm alone, Charles cuts his forehead, leaving a dark scar—his symbolic "Mark of Cain." He hated it and felt shame. Charles kept Adam informed by letter. Alice chocked to death and their father took a paid position in Washington. Adam was discharged in 1885 but did not want to return home. He hated it but missed the discipline. Re-enlisted. Cyrus had become a "great man" and tried to convince Adam to come to Washington or go to West Point. But Adam returned to his regiment.

When Adam finished his second tour of duty, he still did not want to go home, so he became a hobo and bounced around the U.S. for the next 5 years or so. 1994, Charles was notified that Cyrus had died and had left his estate to Charles and Adam. It was worth more than $100,000. Adam returned home about the same time. He and Charles debated what to do with the money. In Cyrus's papers, there was evidence that the stories Cyrus had told them as children about his army experiences were lies. Charles was also concerned that the money must have been stolen. Adam defended his father and had no desire to dig any deeper.

CATHY AMES.
Portrayed as born evil. a monster. Innocent in appearance and demeanor, she learned early to use her sexuality to manipulate. At 10, she was discovered in the barn with two 14-year-old boys. They took the rap. At 14, one of her teachers had a meltdown and committed suicide. Implication was that she may have been the cause. At 16, she school and ran away to Boston. Her father tracked her down and beat her savagely. Became a model child and student. But then she killed her parents, faked her abduction, and set her house on fire. ...more "

22 hours, 24 min ago · see review

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