Category: Books

LEATHER MAIDEN by Joe Lansdale / Z-View

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LEATHER MAIDEN by Joe R. Lansdale

First sentences…

When you grow up in a place, especially if your childhood is a good one, you fail to notice a lot of the nasty things that creep beneath the surface and wiggle about like hungry worms in rotten flesh.  But they’re there.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Cason Statler, a Gulf War vet and Pulitzer Prize-nominated reporter was on top of the world.  Then he blew it. Cason had an affair with his boss’ wife… and the boss’ thirty-year-old stepdaughter.  That cost Cason his job… and his reputation.

So Cason returned to his small hometown of Camp Rapture, Texas where he was able to get a job as a reporter for the local newspaper.  It’s a big step down for a Pulitzer Prize nominee.  Cason is drinking too much.  He’s fighting jealous feelings towards his older brother who is a happily married college professor.  Plus Cason is spending too much time checking up on his ex-wife.

One day digging through old files, Cason discovers the unsolved murder of Caroline Allison.  Caroline was an intelligent college student who just vanished.  The only clue was her abandoned car.  Cason realizes this could be his ticket back to the big leagues.  He begins a series of articles about Caroline.  As Cason digs deeper he discovers other linked crimes of blackmail, torture and murder.  Worse still Cason’s brother is somehow involved.

Cason has no choice but to keep digging, no matter the cost.

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Joe Lansdale has written another winner.

Rating:

“Remarkably Bright Creatures” (2026) starring Sally Field and Lewis Pullman / Z-View

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Remarkably Bright Creatures (2026)

Director: Olivia Newman

Screenplay:  Olivia Newman, John Whittington; based on REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES by Shelby Van Pelt.

Stars:  Sally Field, Lewis Pullman, Joan Chen, Kathy Baker, Beth Grant, Sofia Black-D’Elia, Colm Meaney and Alfred Molina.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Tova is a widow who is becoming increasingly withdrawn.  Tova never got over the death of her 18 year old son, who died years ago.  Recently Tova’s husband passed.   Her only real joy these days comes from her job as a night janitor at the local aquarium.  She takes pride in her work and enjoys the solitude.  Surprisingly, Tova enjoys talking to the aquarium’s aging octopus, Marcellus.

Marcellus, like all octupi, is extremely intelligent.  Marcellus’ goal is to escape his tank, and return to the ocean before he dies.

Cameron Cassmore, young aspiring musician, is driving through town when his van breaks down.  Needing funds to repair his van, Cameron accepts a job at the aquarium.  It’s a means to an end.

Tova sees Cameron as a slacker.  Cameron views Tova as an old busybody.

Tova, Cameron and Marcellus’ lives will change when a mystery is solved.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES was Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel and a runaway bestseller.

Two of Sally Fields’ close relatives also appear in the film.  Sasha Craig (Fields’ daughter-in-law) plays Cameron’s mother in flashback scenes. Noah Craig (Fields’ grandson) plays Marco.

Alfred Molina voices the octopus Marcellus.

Remarkably Bright Creatures surprised me.  It was much better than I anticipated.  A great cast and a wonderfully adapted story make for a fun movie.

Remarkably Bright Creatures (2026) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Satan Met a Lady” (1936) starring Bette Davis, William Warren and Marie Wilson / Z-View

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Satan Met a Lady (1936)

Director: William Dieterle

Screenplay:  Brown Holmes; based on THE MALTESE FALCON by Dashiell Hammett.

Stars:  Bette Davis, Warren William, Alison Skipworth, Arthur Treacher, Porter Hall, Olin Howland and Marie Wilson.

Tagline: She recalled how three men met their death…searching for a treasure that had left a trail of blood through twelve centuries!

The Plot…

Detective Ted Shane has just returned to town. Milton Ames, Shane’s former partner reluctantly agrees to work with Shane again.  They parted ways since Shane, a lady’s man, once was romantically involved with Ames’ wife.  Shane has a paying client and money overrides hurt feelings.

A woman named Valerie Purvis wants to hire Shane and Ames to find a man named Farrow.  When both Ames and Farrow are found murdered, Shane realizes there is much more to this case than a missing man.

Shane is soon approached by Madam Barrabas and Kenneth, her slow-witted, trigger happy son.  They want  to hire Shane to find an 8th century jewel-filled ivory horn.  An English gentleman, Anthony Travers, wants to hire Shane to find it as well.  And don’t you know, that’s what Valerie is after too.

Shane, never one to turn down money, decides to play each against the other and accepts payment from all.  Shane’s charm and quick wit have always served him well, but this time he may be in over his head.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Satan Met a Lady is based on Dashiell Hammett’s novel THE MALTESE FALCON.  Screenwriter, Brown Holmes not only changed the title, he changed the names of the characters (including the lead), the sex of the main antagonist and the object everyone wanted.

Bette Davis hated the script and complained to studio head Jack Warner.  She said she would not do the film.  Warner promised Davis better scripts in the future and then suspended her without pay.  Reluctantly Davis agreed to the movie.  Unfortunately she hated the end result and often said it was her worst film.

I recently revisited Satan Met a Lady.  I enjoyed it much more than previous viewings.  I always liked the movie, but this time out liked it even more.  I think in the past I compared this adaption of THE MALTESE FALCON to Huston and Bogart’s take.  Obviously Satan Met a Lady suffered by comparison.  I was also influenced by Bette Davis’ feelings about the film.  This time out, I put past feelings aside and enjoyed a lighthearted 1930s comedy/mystery.

Much of my enjoyment of Satan Met a Lady came from Marie Wilson’s performance as the ditzy, sexy blonde assistant.

Satan Met a Lady (1936) rates 4 of 5 stars.

THE HUNTER SAGA: HUNTER / HUNTER’S MOON / THE LAST HUNT by James Byron Huggins

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THE HUNTER SAGA by James Byron Huggins

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

First sentence…

‘That boy dies in four hours.”

In HUNTER, Nathaniel Hunter, one of the world’s best trackers, leads a US Military squad into the wilds of Alaska.  A creature that wiped out a scientific installation is on the loose.  The beast, the result of experiments using prehistoric RNA, is unlike anything ever seen by modern man.  The monster is the ultimate killing machine, an apex predator without hesitation or mercy.

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First sentence…

It consumed Angus Staford as it had consumed dead men since the beginning of time, effortlessly crushing bone without removing its scarlet stare from the surrounding night.

In HUNTER’S MOON, Nathaniel Hunter travels to the moors of England.  An army scientist, using protocols that fabricated the prehistoric creature in HUNTER, has infected himself creating a superior beast. This leviathan kills then returns to the savage wilderness of the English moors.  Local police and military units that faced the creature were wiped out.  Hunter barely survived against the original monster.  This new creature is more powerful and resourceful.

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First sentence…

‘We’re going to kill Hunter.”

In THE LAST HUNT, Nathaniel Hunter is living a peaceful life in his Montana mountainside cabin unaware that he’s been marked for death. Scipio Dante, the genius sociopathic billionaire scientist behind the prehistoric RNA experiments that created modern day monsters, wants Hunter dead.

Dante has perfected the serum that creates the nearly unkillable beasts.  Now those infected become monsters that retain human consciousness.  Dante along with two others will take the serum. As insurance, Dante has hired a team of mercenaries led by Roska.  Roska is a tracker with skills that match Hunter’s.

Nathaniel Hunter has no idea of the storm that is coming to his doorstep.  Three unkillable prehistoric apex predators with human consciousness, and a mercenary squad led by his equal are en route.

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Nathaniel Hunter was created with Sylvester Stallone in mind.  As you read the series, it’s easy to imagine a younger Sly as Hunter.  Sly Stallone optioned the rights to adapt Hunter as a film or television series.  Although one has been rumored for years, it has yet to happen.  Fans would love to see it.

The Hunter Trilogy gets my highest recommendation.  They are fast paced.  Well written and fun rides.  Byron Huggins knows his stuff and it shows.

HUNTER rates 5 of 5 stars.

HUNTER’S MOON rates 5 of 5 stars.

THE LAST HUNT rates 5 of 5 stars.

Rating:

FIGHTS WORTH FIGHTING: FINDING STRENGTH IN STRUGGLE by Dolph Lundgren!

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Dolph Lundgren has a new book, FIGHTS WORTH FIGHTING: FINDING STRENGTH IN STRUGGLE coming out on September 22nd.  Here’s the scoop…

FIGHTS WORTH FIGHTING by Dolph Lundgren is a powerful and unflinchingly honest memoir from one of the most enduring icons of action cinema.

Best known for his role as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, Lundgren skyrocketed to fame in the 1980s and has since built a remarkable career spanning over a hundred films — including producing, writing, and directing multiple projects. But beyond the on-screen battles lies a far more compelling story: the real-life fights Lundgren has faced behind the scenes.

In this deeply personal account, Lundgren opens up about his upbringing in Sweden, his rise from a chemical engineering student to a martial arts champion, and his eventual transformation into an international movie star. He explores the pressures of fame, the emotional and physical toll of life in a cutthroat industry, and his private struggles. Now, as he faces his most difficult challenge yet — a fight against cancer — Lundgren reflects on the cost of survival and what it truly means to keep going.

More than just a Hollywood memoir, FIGHTS WORTH FIGHTING is a guide to resilience. Like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s BE USEFUL, it blends life lessons with personal storytelling, offering practical insights on discipline, reinvention, and the importance of mental and emotional strength.

Lundgren’s story arrives at a time when audiences crave authenticity. This isn’t just the tale of a movie star — it’s a call to arms for anyone struggling with their own battles. Candid, inspiring, and unexpectedly vulnerable, FIGHTS WORTH FIGHTING shows us that real strength isn’t just about winning—it’s about continuing the fight when no one’s watching.

“Detective Hole”: Season 1, starring Tobias Santelmann & Joel Kinnaman / Z-View

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Detective Hole (2026)

Created by: Jo Nesbø

Director:

  • Øystein Karlsen (Eps. 1; 5; 7-9)
  • Anna Zackrisson (Eps. 3-4; 6)

Teleplay by: Jo Nesbø

Starring:  Tobias Santelmann, Ellen Helinder, Anders Baasmo, Pia Tjelta and Joel Kinnaman.

Tagline: Not every devil hides in the dark.

The Plot… (beware of spoilers)

Detective Harry Hole is tormented by the accidental death of his partner, killed in a high speed chase when Hole was driving.  The killer that they were after was never caught.

It’s been five years.  Hole drinks too much and his work and social life is suffering.  Harry’s investigation of a series of brutal ritualistic murders pushes Harry to the limit.  When clues indicate the killer / killers may have ties to the police, Harry doesn’t know who to trust.

Harry’s refusal to stand down puts him and everyone he loves in the killers crosshairs.

Thoughts…

This season adapts THE DEVIL’S STAR, the fifth book in the Harry Hole series.

Tobias Santelmann and Joel Kinnaman are excellent.

Detective Hole starts slow but builds to an exciting climax.  I look forward to future seasons.

AVALON STATION: A JOE LEDGER AND ROGUE INTERNTIONAL NOVEL by Jonathan Maberry

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Jonathan Maberry’s next Joe Ledger novel, AVALON STATION has been announced!  Here is the lowdown…

In the next novel in the Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International series, things get personal as the team goes up against a group of genetically and biomechanically amplified soldiers to save Joe’s kidnapped fiancée.

Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International embark on a desperate mission to rescue kidnapped American aide workers in Ukraine – one of whom is Mr. Church’s adopted son, and the other is Joe Ledger’s fiancée. When the bad guys take anyone that Joe is tasked with protecting, he will find them. But take someone he loves? Take the most important person in Ledger’s world? That’s a card that can’t be un-played. Joe goes after them with all of his skill and every ounce of his combat savagery.

However, the group responsible is a team of Paramilitary Contractors (PMCs) who are the first wave of amplified soldiers with genetic and biomechanical upgrades. These superior soldiers are faster, stronger, and more dangerous than anything Ledger and his team have ever faced. And they have a secret agenda to destroy NATO and other alliances in order to pave the way for a new era of empire building.

As Ledger goes after these PMCs, he discovers that these enhanced soldiers have also been scavenging Broken Arrows – lost nuclear weapons. Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International will have to level up in order to stop these super-soldiers and prevent a new world war! This is a level of action that even Joe hasn’t been to before. But this time the enemy has taken the woman he loves, and he’ll stop at nothing to get her back.

AVALON STATION drops on March 9, 2027.

 

FAREWELL, AMETHYSTINE : AN EASY RAWLINS MYSTERY by Walter Mosley / Z-View

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FAREWELL, AMETHYSTINE : AN EASY RAWLINS MYSTERY by Walter Mosley

First sentences…

“Naw, naw, man.  They wanna kick her outta that school because she a Black woman want the Constitution to practice what it preach.  All kinda white revolutionaries and, and, and activist teachers up there at UCLA and they don’t make a peep about them.”

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Monday morning.  Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins is chatting with his buddies when she comes in.  She is Amethystine Stoller, an extremely beautiful, young black woman. Amethystine wants to hire Easy to find her missing ex-husband.  Her ex, Curtis Fields is an accountant.  He’s also white.  An interracial couple, even in 1970, still raises a lot of eyebrows.

Easy feels an immediate attraction to Amethystine.  He also doesn’t trust her.  Two reasons not to take the case.

But he does.

When Easy finds Curtis’ dead body, things get complicated.  Curtis was involved with gangsters, gamblers, blackmail and corrupt politicians. Easy tries to reach his buddy on the LAPD, Detective Melvin Suggs,  but he’s surprised to find Suggs is also missing.  Suggs’ wife has been implicated in a blackmail murder.

As Easy follows the clues, he realizes that the cases may be related and the corruption runs deep.  Easy is going to need backup, so he reaches out to his friend, Fearless Jones.  Together, Easy and Fearless will follow the clues that take them deep into LA’s dangerous underbelly where murders, double-crosses and blackmail are the norm.

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This is Walter Mosley’s sixteenth Easy Rawlins novel.  They never disappoint.

Rating:

“Patient Zero” (2018) starring Matt Smith, Natalie Dormer and Stanley Tucci / Z-View

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Patient Zero (2018)

Director: Stefan Ruzowitzky

Screenplay: Mike Le

Stars: Matt Smith, Natalie Dormer, John Bradley, Clive Standen, Agyness Deyn and Stanley Tucci.

Tagline:  Find the Disease. Find the Cure.

The Plot…

A virus has wiped out most of the population. Once infected humans quickly become enraged, unable to think or communicate.  A large group of civilians, soldiers and CDC scientists have found shelter in an underground bunker.

The scientists bring in captured infected for study to find a cure.  They’re surprised to discover that one of their test subjects, a former professor, doesn’t show the normal signs of infection.  Even more shocking is the professor’s ability to understand and communicate  with those infected.   The scientists believe the professor could be the key to a cure.  The professor believes that he (and others like him) are the next step in human evolution.

As the scientists work on a cure, the professor has a plan of his own…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Fans of Jonathan Maberry’s Joe Ledger tales will be disappointed to learn that this film has nothing to do with the first novel in his series.  Still, fans of zombie movies should enjoy this one.

Patient Zero (2018) rates 3 of 5 stars.

Thobias Daneluz’s Art for David Morrell’s FIRST BLOOD!

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Yesterday I shared First Blood pieces by Thobias Daneluz.  They were personal pieces.  Today we get to see art Thobias created for David Morrell’s FIRST BLOOD novel released in Portugal.

Check out Thobias’ Instgram to see more of his art.

“I don’t think you understand. I didn’t come to rescue Rambo from you. I came here to rescue you from him.” – Colonel Trautman

“Bad Blonde” (1953) starring Barbara Payton and Tony Wright / Z-View

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Bad Blonde aka The Flanagan Boy (1953)

Director: Reginald Le Borg

Screenplay: Guy Elmes, Richard H. Landau; based on THE FLANAGAN BOY by Max Catto

Stars: Barbara Payton, Frederick Valk, Tony Wright, Sid James.

Tagline: Sure, I accept favors from men!

The Plot (beware of spoilers)…

When Johnny Flanagan beats a carnival boxing champ, he’s introduced to boxing promoter Giuseppe Vecchi.  Vecchi decides to become Flanagan’s manager.  Vecchi is impressed with with Flanagan’s skills.  Problem is, Lorna, Vecchi’s young wife, is impressed with Flanagan as well.

At first Flanagan wants nothing to do with Lorna.  But she’s relentless.

Soon enough Lorna and Flanagan want Vecchi out of the way.  And they have the perfect plan to make it happen.

Or do they?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Bad Blonde is the title The Flanagan Boy was released under in the United States.

Bad Blonde comes off as a low-budget, uncredited reworking of The Postman Always Rings Twice.

Bad Blonde aka The Flanagan Boy (1953) rates 2 of 5 stars

HOLE by Gerry Brown with art by Eduardo Risso / Z-View

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HOLE by Gerry Brown with art by Eduardo Risso

First sentences…

They came for Hole while he was in the library.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Emile Hole’s size didn’t fit his demeanor.  Emile was very large, long haired man with small round glasses that looked too small for his face.  Emile’s voice didn’t help either.  It was way too light.  You wouldn’t find Emile in the weight room.  No, he’d be found in the prison library sitting alone in a small chair reading.

Even in the best conditions prison would be rough on men like Emile.  Moundsville State Prison was about as far as you could get from the best conditions.  The guards either were crooked or looked the other way.  Gangs ran Moundsville.  Davie and his Warlords were at the top of the heap.

The Warlords ran a profitable business.  One of their best money-making endeavors was to video-tape the beating of a new inmate.  They’d then send the video to the inmate’s family with a request for on-going payments to prevent further beatings.  It always worked.

So when the gang gave Emile a tune-up and sent the video to Emile’s brother Vint, they expected the money to come rolling in.

Man, were they wrong.

Vint’s going to pay the Warlords, but not in the way they’re expecting.  See Vint’s got skills.  Skills better left contained.  But now, Vint’s got reason to let loose.  And he’s going to.

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Eduardo Risso’s art was what got me interested in HOLE.  Then I read the sample and was hooked.  Gerry Brown has crafted a fun prison/revenge story that’s a fast, fun read.

HOLE is only available on Kindle but the price is less than a buck.  It’s worth a buck just to see Risso’s illustrations.

Rating:

“Dark Winds” Season 4 / Z-View

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Dark Winds Season 4 (2026)

Created by: Graham Roland

Director:

  • Craig Zisk (Ep. 1),
  • Zahn McClarnon (Ep. 2)
  • Chris Eyre (Eps. 3, 5, 7)
  • Jim Chory (Ep. 4)
  • Steven Paul Judd (Ep. 6)
  • Erica Trimblay (Ep. 8)

Teleplay by:

  • John Wirth & Steven Paul Judd (Eps. 1, 4),
  • Max Hurwitz & Wenonah Wilms (Eps. 2, 5)
  • Thomas Brady & Erica Tremblay (Eps. 3, 6)
  • Shaandiin Tome & Shandton Williams II (Eps. 7)
  • Max Hurwitz & Thomas Brady (Ep. 8)
    Based on the Leaphorn & Chee novels by Tony Hillerman

Starring:  Zahn McClarnon, Kiowa Gordon, Jessica Matten, Deanna Allison, A Martinez.

Tagline:  None

The Plot… (beware of spoilers)

Lt. Leaphorn, Sgt. Chee, and Sgt. Manuelito find themselves on the trail of a teenage runaway.  The girl left her boarding school with her boyfriend.  They’re on the run but from who?  And why?

Things become even more confusing when a mysterious female assassin shows up looking for the kids.  Leaphorn, Chee and Manulito follow the trail that leads to LA.  They’re a step behind the assassin and if they don’t catch up, the kids will die along with the reason they’re being hunted.  

Thoughts…

 Moving the action to LA was an interesting idea.   I did miss the feel of action on the reservation since that location is almost like an additional character.

Dark Winds continues to entertain and the set-up for season 5 is a winner.

THE BULLET GARDEN: AN EARL SWAGGER NOVEL by Stephen Hunter / Z-View

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THE BULLET GARDEN: AN EARL SWAGGER NOVEL by Stephen Hunter

First sentences…

“No, no,” said Basil St. Florian.  “Bren guns.  We need the Bren guns.  It is simply not feasible without Bren guns.  Surely you understand?”

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

July 1944.  D-Day was a month ago and a success.  Since then Nazis snipers have killed hundreds of Allied soldiers daily.  The snipers strike with no warning and then fade away before a counter-attack can take shape.  Somehow these Nazi sharpshooters know where the American GIs are going to be and the safest locations to kill as many as possible.

Army intelligence has come up short in a solution.  General Eisenhower decides that perhaps the Army’s best marksman might have insight.  So Gunnery Sergeant Earl Swagger, a decorated war hero and our military’s best shot is brought in.  Swagger is given carte blanche to figure out a response to the Nazi snipers.

Swagger realizes that part of the problem is the military intelligence operatives working on a solution are doing it from a safe location far from the front.  They’re eating well, sleeping well and going to parties and social events.  Swagger knows as dangerous as it will be, he will need to work on a solution from the front.

Swagger is given an aide, a former Harvard student who is the son of a wealthy American.  Swagger doubts the kid will be much help until the kid tells him:  “I’ve been here long enough to know the politics of this place. I know who wants you to succeed and those who’d like to see you fail. They don’t like the idea of a NCO figuring out what they couldn’t… and I can get you anything you want or need.”

Someone is tipping off the Nazis to American troop movements.  This gives the enemy snipers the ultimate advantage.  Swagger’s a great shot and an unsurpassed hunter but he will find himself up against a squad of snipers led by Nazi with skills equal to his.

Stephen Hunter has written another winner.

Rating: