Books: The Literary Reflection, XX

It has been a long hiatus here at the Quirky Muffin. There was a chest infection, and a state of deep shock and disappointment at the general election result in December, as well as deep exhaustion for reasons unknown (possibly a virus coincident with the infection). However, a massive pile of novels was read, and there's a decent amount of writing up to do. The rusty ramblings about 'Amazon Adventure' have just gone up, and now it's time for the latest 'Literary Reflection'. Enjoy! Watch out for polar bears...


'Rumpole For The Defence' (Rumpole) (1982) by John Mortimer

This fourth entry in the Rumpole series is the least memorable so far. I don't know if it was me, general fatigue, or that Mortimer had already told the stories he wanted to earlier in the run. This is the only set of stories that was based on a season of radio plays instead of television episodes, so perhaps that played a part. If I look at the list of stories, nothing springs out, so perhaps it is just forgettable. Let's hope the next volume strikes a more interesting chord.


'Look To The Lady' (Campion) (1931) by Margery Allingham

'Look To The Lady', as with the other early 'Campion' stories, is extremely close to the television adaptation, and so it's difficult to assess it individually. It does seem very well written, and works fantastically, but would it be as good without having seen the television version first? There's nothing additional in this original book version, but the characterisation is nice, and the theme or maguffin of the story is utterly unique. The story is roughly this: Albert Campion rescues an indigent young heir, reconciles him with his family, and helps them preserve the family heirloom from an organised and elite artefact thieving ring. The only things are that the heirloom is effectively a national treasure, which has a possibly paranormal protector, and that there are definite questions to answer on just who is employing Campion to help out in the affair...


'Death Knocks Twice' (Death In Paradise) (2017) by Robert Thorogood

We're back in the Caribbean, where DI Richard Poole is faced with another murder mystery, while being really, very, extremely annoyed with life in the tropics. Will he be tempted into loosening up and changing his style, or will the woolen suits persist beyond this installment? We will have to wait and see, while Poole, Camille, Fidel and Dwayne do their best to unravel the true story behind the death of an anonymous vagrant at the historic Beaumont coffee plantation. However, the Beaumont family are not revealing anything, and may be collectively and individually incapable of telling the truth about anything... This third entry in the literary version of 'Death In Paradise' is really rather good, with enough dragged out revelations and red herrings to drive less of a mystery reader go a little mad. I still prefer the first installment, 'A Meditation On Murder', but this is probably in second place, since the final revelation is slightly more palatable to this wonky brain.


'Crisis On Centaurus' (Star Trek) (1986) by Brad Ferguson

This is a fairly simple dramatic story for the Enterprise crew, but benefits from the streamlining. Fresh from an inexplicable and crippling event, the ship is dispatched on a critical super emergency mission to the planet Centaurus (the principal colony of Alpha Centauri), where Joanna McCoy lives, and where it seems an anti-matter annihilation device has been detonated at the capital city, causing mass destruction. The starship, despite being in a hideous mess, responds and investigates, leading to a planet-bound investigation, some character development for Chekov, and the return of an old friend. It's nice to get some small backstory on Kirk, who has land on Centaurus, and on McCoy's daughter, but it's the really the bookend story about the crippling of the Enterprise that is most curious, as well as the information about the structure of the Enterprise. A very solid 'Star Trek' novel.

Oh! Oh! I almost forgot! Uhura gets to be in command for the first time! What a nice thing to write in! She does very well, too. Thank you, Mr Ferguson.


O.