Wow, I had an entire blog written about butter and using it in baking. When and why and why not and what the experts say. As much as I love butter (and given a chance I would put it on bacon and do put it on about anything including toast with schoko-moo) I decided that it was probably even more lame than any of the other blogs, many of which are lame.
So, I decided to go back to writing about books and murder. I am going through a time where I am trying desperately not to buy digital books at jacked-up prices. For those who haven't heard my rant, check out earlier blog entries. So, because of this I have begun to read a large number of "classic" novels that are available on Amazon for free or .99 cents.
I recently finished one of these classic thrillers, Murder at Bridge by Anne Austin. Murder at Bridge was "Set up and electrotyped" in 1931. And brilliantly so. It's been a long time since I've received such pleasure from a novel. Not a lot of suspense as we expect from a modern novel, but truly an enjoyable read. So much so I might try to find her other novel (only one?) It reads like film noir. The dialogue is a bit campy or kitschy but must have been very edgy for its time. The characters behave in manners that would be considered dysfunction and bizarre in the extreme today.
It's great to have a chance to return to world where a nice young woman can be [SPOILER ALERT ] can just feel better about life after her father, who abandoned wife and family leaving little to live on so that he could run off with an actress, returns and agrees to take her mother back...very generous. And of course, mom is grateful. Yet, in the context of the time it contributed to a very happy ending.
I wasn't going to write about Murder at Bridge; as I noted before I was going to write about butter. Then I began to read, Blind Spot by Nancy Bush. Now, this is not a bad book. Well, maybe it is. Maybe you'll hear about how trite and insanely stupid the beginning is in my next blog....OK it is kind of but I'm trying to move through it. But by realizing that I'm working hard to get through what must be Act One of this stupidly crappy novel, I also realized what under-valued books there are available by authors who are little known and deserve some recognition for their work. It's a product of its time.
No, Murder at Bridge is not a world/life changing novel. No one will be redeemed by reading it. Not one child will be saved and not one life turned from bad to good. It will not fight poverty, pestilence, or even cancer. What it did do was give me some honest moments of pleasure. Thank you Anne Austin.
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