Black and White Ball by Loren D. Estleman: A review

I picked up this book on a whim, knowing absolutely nothing about the writer or about the book. That's something I almost never do. I always depend on reviews and recommendations to help me choose which books to read, but one has to break the mold every once and a while, right?

Imagine my surprise on learning that Estleman is actually quite a popular writer of detective and western fiction and that he has written more than eighty books! Moreover, he has several mystery/thriller series going and, since I read a lot of those, it's a bit strange that I haven't encountered him before.

This particular book features protagonists from two of his ongoing series: private detective Amos Walker and professional hitman Peter Macklin. Walker is based in Detroit and that is where the action of the novel takes place, with a side trip to Toronto.

Some anonymous person is threatening to kill Peter Macklin's estranged wife, Laurie, if he does not pay $100,000. Although she's soon to be his ex, Macklin still cares for her and wants to ensure that no harm comes to her. He hires Walker to provide protection for her so that he doesn't have to worry about her while he searches for the person threatening her and attempting to extort money from him. He'll deal with the extortionist/potential murderer; all Walker has to do is keep Laurie safe.

Macklin has searched his memory to find someone who hates him enough to attempt the threatened crime and comes up with a name: Roger Macklin. Roger is his grown son by a first marriage who blames his father for his mother's descent into alcoholism and her early death.

Although Roger hates his father, he has followed in his footsteps. He has all the instincts and skills of a professional killer, making him a dangerous adversary.

Meanwhile, Walker is getting to know Laurie Macklin and establishing some trust and rapport with her. His part in the tale is told in first person voice in the manner of the classic private detective stories like those featuring such protagonists as Lew Archer or Philip Marlowe. The other characters' narratives are all in third person voice. The action and the perspective flips back and forth between characters throughout the book.

This book picks up two well-established characters that have been featured in earlier stories, which, again, is something that I don't usually do. I like to read series in order beginning with the first entry. In fact, I am fairly compulsive about that, but, in this case, it really didn't seem to make a lot of difference. I was able to "get" the personalities of the main actors without extensive knowledge of their previous history and it didn't seem to matter to my ability to understand or enjoy the tale.

And I did enjoy it. It was well-plotted and the characters engaged my interest and kept me turning pages. I'm not sure if I'll be reading more Estleman, but I've no regrets about following my whim with this one.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Poetry Sunday: Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver

How about we share another Mary Oliver poem? After all, you can never have too many of those. In this one, the poet seems to acknowledge that it is often hard to simply live in and enjoy the moment, perhaps because we are afraid it can't last. She urges us to give in to that moment and fully experience the joy. Although "much can never be redeemed, still, life has some possibility left." Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed. Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes something happens better than all the riches or power in the world. It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty. Joy is no...

Poetry Sunday: Blackberry-Picking by Seamus Heaney

My mother was a farm wife and a prodigious canner. She canned fruit and vegetables from the garden, even occasionally meat. But the best thing that she canned, in my opinion, was blackberry jam. Even as I type those words my mouth waters! Of course, before she could make that jam, somebody had to pick the blackberries. And that somebody was quite often named Dorothy. I think Seamus Heaney might have spent some time among the briars plucking those delicious black fruits as well, so he would have known that "Once off the bush the fruit fermented, the sweet flesh would turn sour." They don't keep; you have to get that jam made in a hurry! Blackberry-Picking by Seamus Heaney Late August, given heavy rain and sun For a full week, the blackberries would ripen. At first, just one, a glossy purple clot Among others, red, green, hard as a knot. You ate that first one and its flesh was sweet Like thickened wine: summer's blood was in it Leaving stains upon the tongue and lust ...

Poetry Sunday: Hymn for the Hurting by Amanda Gorman

You probably remember poet Amanda Gorman from her appearance at the inauguration of President Biden. She read her poem "The Hill We Climb" on that occasion. After the senseless slaughter in Uvalde this week, she was inspired to write another poem which was published in The New York Times. It seemed perfect for the occasion and so I stole it in order to feature it here, just in case you didn't get a chance to read it in the Times . Hymn for the Hurting by Amanda Gorman Everything hurts, Our hearts shadowed and strange, Minds made muddied and mute. We carry tragedy, terrifying and true. And yet none of it is new; We knew it as home, As horror, As heritage. Even our children Cannot be children, Cannot be. Everything hurts. It’s a hard time to be alive, And even harder to stay that way. We’re burdened to live out these days, While at the same time, blessed to outlive them. This alarm is how we know We must be altered — That we must differ or die, That we must triumph or try. ...

The Nature of Things

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