Ray's Reviews: “New York Hustle – Pool Rooms, School Rooms and Street Corners” by Stan Maron

  If you’re trying to escape all this cold weather, maybe it’s time to take a trip to the past.

        “New York Hustle – Pool Rooms, School Rooms and Street Corners” by Stan Maron (Hard Ball Press, $15) is a highly entertaining autobiography.

        It focuses on the challenging childhood of the author, who grew up in New Jersey and New York in the 1930’s and 40’s. It offers intriguing insights into his varied experiences there and in Florida in the 1950’s and
1960’s.

        Exploring his strained relationships with family members, the 248- page paperback opens with the mysterious death of his 42-year-old mother.

Maron witnessed frequent arguments between his parents; his father was a gambler.

        Growing up, Maron faced many educational problems; his teachers were rarely patient or understanding. He also had to deal with anti-Semitism and racism, which was prevalent in the neighborhoods and the school
system.

        As a shy, dysfunctional boy with glasses, Maron became an easy target until he took steps to defend himself against bullies. 

        His father was no help; after frequent moves (as other family members went off to serve in World War II), Maron ended up in foster care in Brooklyn when he was eight.

        Growing up, he frequented pool halls, hung out on the streets, gambled and drank. He dropped out of high school and took on a variety of jobs, including working for relatives, often serving as a waiter.

        He was frustrated and didn’t have much direction. He vividly describes his association with assorted pool hustlers and gamblers; colorful characters abound.

        Maron joined the Army shortly after the Korean War; life there wasn’t at all what he expected. An unexpected encounter with Mabel, the Marvelous Midget results in his going AWOL for a short time.

        After getting out of the Army, Maron takes on numerous unglamorous jobs, eventually becoming a successful New York City street peddler. He gets married a few times and has a couple of kids.

        Always scrambling to make money and survive, Maron’s lifestyle changes as he expands his horizons. He confronts his aging father but gets little satisfaction.

        Maron’s fascinating, compelling autobiography showcases his smorgasbord of work-related experiences, his union involvement and changing attitudes, providing wonderful insights into the recent past.

        Ray Walsh, owner of East Lansing’s Curious Book Shop, has reviewed books regularly since 1987. His parents worked in New York in the 1940’s.

Find these books and other great titles

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 originally published by the Lansing State Journal on January 18, 2014.

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Ray's Reviews: Phantom Limb by Denis Palumbo and Rizzoli and Isles: Die Again by Tess Gerritsen

  Murder abounds in a pair of recent police procedural novels that are set mostly in Pittsburgh and Boston. Each is a fast-paced, gritty tale showcasing devious killers, stymied police and an assortment of FBI agents.

        “Phantom Limb” by former Hollywood screenwriter Denis Palumbo (Poisoned Pen Press, $24.95) is the fourth novel starring psychologist and Pittsburgh Police Department consultant Daniel Rinaldi.

        He’s been involved in tough cases before – and isn’t really out looking for trouble - when Lisa Harlan, a wealthy, suicidal patient, is kidnapped outside of his office.

         Her much older husband Charles, is one of the state’s richest, most powerful men; although he’s wheelchair-bound, his mind is still sharp.

 Lisa, a former Playboy model and B-movie star actress, is being held for a five million dollar ransom.

        Rinaldi is selected by the kidnappers to deliver it; he faces many challenges as significant problems arise.

        The Pittsburgh police are investigating and the FBI is on the job too, with a diligent, hard-working agent getting intriguing results.

        The intricate plot is full of nasty villains and puzzling connections; Palumbo should definitely pick up new fans with this highly entertaining tale.

        “Rizzoli and Isles: Die Again” by Tess Gerritsen (Ballantine, $27) is the latest of her bestselling books featuring the stars of the popular TNT television series. 

        Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles are working on a tough, stomach-churning, strange case.

        Leon Gott, a prominent big-game hunter and taxidermist, is discovered at his house hanging from the rafters of his garage, gutted like many of the animals he had killed or processed.

        Soon, another body is discovered; few clues are left behind. Diligent detective work uncovers links to numerous other possible unsolved murders and disappearances.

        The suspenseful crime novel opens with scenes from Botswana, where all but one of a group of tourists either died or vanished six years earlier.

        Scenes from the African experience are interspersed with chapters on the current case. Rizzoli and her husband, FBI agent Gabriel Dean, travel there in search of answers.

        There are many detailed forensic scenes (as would be expected); the characters are-well developed but have different relationships in the books than in the television adaptation.

        Gerritsen’s loyal followers won’t be disappointed as the intriguing page-turner comes to a bloody conclusion.

        Ray Walsh, owner of East Lansing’s Curious Book Shop, has reviewed crime
novels and Michigan books regularly since 1987.

Find these books and other great titles

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 originally published by the Lansing State Journal on January 11, 2014.

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Ray's Reviews: The Escape by Baldacci and Raging Heat by Castle

       Two entertaining recent crime novels by bestselling authors feature
strong characters and plots that are virtually impossible to predict.
        “The Escape” by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, $28) is the
third in his popular series starring John Puller, a special agent for the
U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigation Division.
        Puller is given an unusual mission by a group of two generals and the
head of the national Security Council. His assignment is to track down an
escapee who got away from the U. S. Disciplinary Barracks, America’s
foremost military prison at Fort Leavenworth KS.
        It’s a challenging task and a personal one – the escapee is his older
brother Robert, who’s been convicted of treason and national security
crimes.
        John gets assistance from U.S. Army Intelligence officer Veronica Knox,
but he’s not sure how much he can trust her. Robert is on the run, trying
to avoid detection.
        While this novel has many standard elements of a police procedural, it’s
also an adrenalin-charged thriller that’s tough to put down.
        Baldacci’s new tale is full of tense suspense with determined, nasty,
clever villains; the body count rises as more secrets are revealed.
        “Raging Heat” by Richard Castle (Kingswell, $26.99) is the sixth in the
popular series showcasing NYPD Homicide detective Nikki Heat and Pulitzer
Prize-winning journalist Jameson Rook.
        If this sounds familiar, you’ve probably been watching too many episodes
of “Castle”, the ABC television series featuring NYPD Homicide detective
Kate Beckett and mystery author Richard Castle. If you’re confused, don’t
worry – there aren’t too many other series written by a fictional TV
character.
        Heat is working on a case involving a body that fell through the roof of
a planetarium; few pieces are left to identify.  Rook is returning from a
reporting assignment and is welcomed back by Heat in more ways that one.
        As Heat, her team and Rook investigate, other clues surface that are
linked to a highly-placed politician. There are a few deadly surprises;
Hurricane Sandy plays an important part in this novel.
        While there are a few well-written scenes full of violence, most of the
rest of the convoluted tale is considerably tamer, with relationships
simmering. You may need to keep a scorecard to keep track of all the
characters.
        This isn’t great literature, but provides enjoyable escapism for cold
winter nights.

        Ray Walsh, owner of East Lansing’s Curious Book Shop, has reviewed crime

novels and Michigan books since 1987.

This review was originally published by the Lansing State Journal on Jan. 4, 2015.

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