The Eternal Question: Betty or Veronica?

Step into the time capsule that is Curious, 

and check out some of these vintage Archie comics covers!

We have dozens in stock, with prices starting at 50¢.

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Ray's Reviews: "Burden of Truth" by Terri Nolan & "Sleight of Hand" by Phillip Margolin

Strong-willed women solving puzzling mysteries are the focus of two recent highly entertaining crime novels.

"Burden of Truth" by Terri Nolan (Midnight Ink, $14.99) is a complex paperback debut set in California that introduces Birdie Keane, author and investigative reporter.

Keane, who's won a Pulitzer Prize for her work, is also a recovering alcoholic. When LAPD cop Matt Whelen, the love of her life, dies from an apparent drug overdoes, Keane is devastated--and also suspicious.

She uncovers facts that don't quite jibe, prodding her into further investigation. She's also trying to disprove allegations that he was a "dirty" cop.

Matt has left clues behind that indicate he's got hidden evidence involving a 16-year-old cold case; Keane, who's inherited Matt's considerable estate, suddenly finds her life is in danger--someone wants to permanently halt her inquiries.

As the body count rises, the tension steadily mounts. The deadly conclusion is surprising, shocking and unusual, but Nolan deftly makes it all seem believable.

There are so many characters in this book that you'll really need a scorecard; fortunately, Nolan initially provides three pages of family tree and relationship information.

This is a fast-paced, dark, compelling mystery that's the first in a new series; Nolan shows exciting promise as one of America's hot new crime novelists.

"Sleight of Hand" by Phillip Margolin (Harper, $26.99) is the latest in his popular series starring Dana Cutler, a hard-working, quick-thinking private investigator.

A former Washington, D.C. cop, Cutler takes on an unusual, well-paying case that requires her to immediately go to the far Pacific Northwest.

With similarities to Dashiell Hammett's "The Maltese Falcon," she's trying to track down a stolen relic, a golden scepter dating back to the Ottoman Empire.

Cutler has no success and returns home frustrated; soon she's in the middle of a case involving Horace Blair, an exceptionally wealthy man who's accused of murdering Carrie, his much younger wife.

Charles Benedict is a sneaky lawyer, a manipulative magician and a cold hit man. He's hired by Blair as his defense attorney; ironically, psychopathic Benedict cleverly set up the entire situation.

Margolin is in fine form with a highly entertaining tale of death and deceit; Cutler is creatively triumphant in a number of ways, as justice prevails.

Ray Walsh, owner of East Lansing's Curious Book Shop, 

has reviewed crime novels and Michigan books regularly since 1987.

Find books by great local authors (and more!)

at the Curious Book Shop, an independent 

book shop in East Lansing, founded in 1969.

Curious Book Shop

307 East Grand River Avenue

East Lansing, Michigan

517.332.0112

This review was published by the Lansing State Journal on April 28, 2013.

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Ray's Reviews: The Boyfriend by Thomas Perry & Blood Gospel by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell

Two recent thrillers by well-established writers offer great entertainment and page-turning escapism.

"The Boyfriend" by Edgar Award-winning author Thomas Perry (Mysterious Press, $25) brings back private detective Jack Till, a retired Los Angeles homicide cop who first appeared in "Silence".

Till is a typical private eye, with much determination and a little money. That changes when he's hired by the parents of a beautiful woman who was brutally shot to death. A month after her death, the police are still clueless.

Catherine Hamilton was a high-priced professional escort with strawberry blonde hair who lived in a gated apartment complex and drove a new black Mercedes.

As an independent call girl, she used the Internet and was exceptionally good in her profession. She had a boyfriend who had recently moved in with her.

Till uses his expertise, discovering that Hamilton was on of five such women murdered in cities around the country in a similar manner.

Joey Moreland has killer good looks and an unusual agenda. He's a devious sociopath with a checkered deadly past; Till's trying desperately to track him down.

As the body count escalates, Till diligently is on Morelands trail. There are numerous chase scenes and plot twists, enough to please any independent action filmmaker.

Perry, one of America's best crime novelists, offers an exciting tale that should please his dedicated legion of eager readers.

"Blood Gospel" by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell (William Morrow, $27.99) is the first book in a new series.

If you're a fan of these two authors, you're in for a real surprise - this action-packed, gripping thriller has many supernatural overtones.

It offers carefully crafted, memorable characters, including vampires. It helps if you can suspend disbelief and accept some alternative interpretations of the Bible.

This fast-paced, well-researched tale begins in Israel in ancient times, then skips to the present when an earthquake there kills hundreds, revealing a buried tomb. A Vatican priest, an archaeologist and a military forensics expert investigate.

They're attacked; soon the hunt is on for a holy artifact, a book rumored to be written in Jesus' blood.

The highly entertaining plot focuses with a vengeance on dark, hidden secrets; at least two other books are planned in "The Order of the Sanguines" series.

This is ideal for lovers of unusual religious conspiracy!

Ray Walsh, owner of East Lansing's Curious Book Shop, 

has reviewed crime novels and Michigan books regularly since 1987.

Find books by great local authors (and more!)

at the Curious Book Shop, an independent 

book shop in East Lansing, founded in 1969.

Curious Book Shop

307 East Grand River Avenue

East Lansing, Michigan

517.332.0112

This review was published by the Lansing State Journal on April 21, 2013.

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Ray's Reviews: M.J. Simon's Dragon Sleep and Shades of Gray

If you're looking for some unusual reading entertainment, you might try two recent novels by Lansing licensed psychologist M.J. Simon.

Both books are a bit on the strange side, with odd circumstances and unexpected endings.

"Dragon Sleep" (Gopublished, $11.99) is a quirky tale that utilizes multi-dimensional universes and focuses on interaction between a devious serial killer, a meek librarian, and a hard-working entrepreneur.

Beth Rinehart is a creative writer and artist who works as a small town librarian. She lives with her mother, avoiding relationships and confrontations.

She has her own make-believe universe, an Enchanted Forest, complete with talking animals, which offers her a comfortable retreat.

Unfortunately, her imaginary world is severely threatened when it interacts with the universe of Zachary Blake, a nasty serial killer, who was her childhood friend.

Blake has his own twisted agenda, leaving dead bodies in his wake. When the action strikes close to home, Beth gets help from a newcomer in town, Quinn Matthews, who's planning on opening up a restaurant across from the library.

There's a touch of romance and lots of challenging action. Distinctive, uncommon creatures abound, leading to an unexpected conclusion.

Simon's other book, "Shades of Gray" (Gopublished, $11.99) has a similar title to the multimillion copy bestselling series, but is distinctly different. It's 49 shades lighter, and doesn't offer sexuality or bondage themes.

It showcases on a true-crime writer who has unusual experiences involving an old house and much more. Ghostly apparitions abound, with unsettling situations and an unnerving, unpredictable ending.

Simon, who lives in Laingsburg, is the author of four children's books as well as an earlier novel, "Shadow's Embrace," which was set in a small Upper Peninsula town.

She was previously employed as a forensic pathologist in Kent County. Simon is currently collaborating on a project with a self-proclaimed ghost hunter who's been chasing ghosts and other paranormal events for over 40 years.

Simon is working on creating a series of fictional novels about a private investigator that specializes in paranormal investigations.

Ray Walsh, owner of East Lansing's Curious Book Shop, 

has reviewed Michigan books and crime novels regularly since 1987.

Find books by great local authors (and more!)

at the Curious Book Shop, an independent 

book shop in East Lansing, founded in 1969.

Curious Book Shop

307 East Grand River Avenue

East Lansing, Michigan

517.332.0112

This review was published by the Lansing State Journal on April 14, 2013.

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Ray's Reviews: Joseph Kimble's Writing for Dollars, Writing to Please

If you're tired of reading or creating obfuscatory contracts and literature--gobbledygook with excess verbiage--Joseph Kimble's latest book should be quite useful and enjoyable.

"Writing for Dollars, Writing to Please" is subtitled "The Case for Plain Language in Business, Government and Law." It's published by the Carolina Academic Press for $23.

While it's less than 170 pages, this slim book packs a powerful punch; it covers the usage of language in a positive way, making the text both interesting and fascinating.

Kimble, who has taught legal writing for 30 years at Lansing's Thomas M. Cooley Law School, is an authority on the subject.

He's the acclaimed author of "Lifting the Fog of Legalese: Essays on Plain Language." Kimble is the longtime editor of the "Plain Language" column in the Michigan Bar Journal and has lectured on the subject throughout the world.

His basic premise is to keep it simple--his book is divided into five parts; while it doesn't have (or need!) an index, numerous footnotes are provided.

After a brief preface and a chapter on why he began to question legal style, Kimble briefly examines key elements of plain language, including design, organization, and the usage of sentences and words.

He then delves into answering the critics, offering a logical explanation about the assets of using plain language. He goes through 10 sections of myth-busting, noting that simplicity works, with the end result of making documents intelligible to the greatest number of possible readers.

Another part examines 40 historical highlights from around the world, where usage of plain language has had extraordinary results.

Kimble doesn't generalize, but cites distinct examples of how these changes have been successful in countries as far away and diverse as Iceland, Australia, and South Africa. He doesn't skimp on including historic changes brought on by simplification in England, Canada, or the United States.

The last part of Kimble's book showcases the extraordinary potential of real benefits, focusing on the increased savings of time and money. He offers examples of actual language changes, denoting many amazing results.

This is an absorbing, eye-opening book that's extraordinarily useful. It should be required reading for new legislators, government officials, policy makers, and longwinded attorneys, with a goal of making life much easier for the average individual.

Ray Walsh, owner of East Lansing's Curious Book Shop, 

has been reviewing books regularly since 1987.

Find books by great local authors (and more!)

at the Curious Book Shop, an independent 

book shop in East Lansing, founded in 1969.

Curious Book Shop

307 East Grand River Avenue

East Lansing, Michigan

517.332.0112

This review was published by the Lansing State Journal on April 7, 2013.

Read More...