Literary Brooding

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer  by Michelle McNamara Kindle Edition, 340 pages, Published February 27th 2018 by Harper Sometimes you need to know the truth. In Michelle McNamara's case she has an obsession to discover who was responsible for at least 12 murders, more than 50 rapes, and over 100 burglaries. The book is drawn together from the unfinished manuscript after her death and her notes.  The book is compelling for the simple reason the voice of McNamara that comes through as the guides you through the complexities of understanding the timelines of what has happened.  She builds the world the responsible (as taken from the book to describe the person) is able to walk in, the lack of lighting, the creeks, the suburbs, the houses and you can picture everything vividly. You are able to imagine yourself standing in shadows watching the watcher as they plot out their crimes.  McNamara helps y...

The Search for Nefertiti by Joann Fletcher Paperback, 464 pages, Published August 1st 2005 by Hodder Paperbacks  I first come to meet Joann Fletcher and her passion for all things Egypt through a couple of documentaries so I was pleased to come across this book. It is an interesting read and to me came across as part autobiography and historical exploration. There is some downside and upside to this. It did take some time to get into this book as for the first couple of chapters Fletcher meanders between telling her life story and the history of Egypt. It is not until the halfway mark that Fletcher really finds her groove. As she explores, explains and provides a readable and highly engaging journey through Egyptian history. I am what one would consider an armchair historian, I read, query and appreciate what is being is presented. I can not tell you if Fletcher's conclusion as to whether Nefertiti survived Akhenaten and took the throne. it is plausible as any of the other...

A People's History of the Vampire Uprising  by Raymond A. Villareal Kindle Edition. Expected publication: May 29th 2018 by Hachette Australia From the outset, I have to admit that I am a fan of the genre where some virus thing alters the human condition (whether it be vampires, zombies or werewolves) and the fight for survival that ensues. I particularly like the books that use a mixture of eyewitness accounts, media articles and classified government memos to give legitimacy to the alternate universe that is constructed. In ‘A people’s history of the vampire uprising’, Raymond A Villareal has undertaken to bring a new spin to this genre by recreating the vampire myth. The time is now, Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber are still selling music and down in New Mexico a new disease has emerged where people like to drink blood and shun the sunlight. First on the ground to examine this new disease is Lauren Scott from the CDC, who tries to prod the Government into action and discove...