In a Lonely Place - Dorothy B. Hughes

Do you remember all those pulp fiction novels - the ones that started mass paperback books? Many of those were written by women. The start of writing each genre of books with a different name. There's a new series of reprints - Femmes Fatales Women Write Pulp, and this is my first experience with it.

I enjoyed Philip Marlowe and this was very much in the same style. A serial killer story, but not like most of the ones they tell today. This was written from the point of view of the killer, nothing new nowadays. The difference was the absence of anything after the killer meet the victim. It would describe the meeting and then he would be returning home. The next day he would read about his crime in the paper. He is friends with one of the detectives working the case, so he has an inside view of how the investigation is going. All in all, it was well done. As good or better than much of what is written today.

I'd read it again. It goes on the shelf and it will be available to borrow.

The Closers - Michael Connelly

The return of Bosch! Nothing much to say about this one, it was an expected installment of a returning character. I enjoy the police procedural and I have enjoyed this particular series. Nothing spectacular in it. I figured out who did it early, just waited for how they would figure it out. Of course, as a reader you do have the advantage of knowing that they don't introduce characters early without a reason. Seems they always end up involved in the end.

Since, I do tend to reread entire series it will stay on the shelf; a fun & easy read.

The Great Fire - Shirley Hazzard

The Great Fire reminded me of a period film - light and fluffy love story with soaring vistas and precise language. Emotional undercurrents everywhere, but nothing explicit.

It was a book that carried me along, but required me to pay a little bit of attention. Things weren't always obvious if just scanning the pages. Unfortunately, it also lacked for a sense of urgency until near the end. I was able to put it down for several days without feeling the need to pick it up.

It was an enjoyable read, with several possible topics to discuss - 17 vs. 34 in dating/marriage, peacetime impacts on soldiers used to war, friendship, affairs, parental attachment. It could really be a great book club book. And bonus for those with discriminating tastes - it won a National Book Award.