Good stuff: "The Butcher's Prayer" by Anthony Neil Smith

 Good stuff: THE BUTCHER'S PRAYER by Anthony Neil Smith, 2021, 9781914475160.

I took a while to get around to reading this one. I enjoyed it. Smith explores some far South religion, and murder, and family dynamics in coastal Mississippi.

Rodney was a dirtbag slob, became a holey roller, got married, had kids, backslid, and is now living with a friend from his dirtbag days. Rodney's wife, Rachel, kicked Rodney out over his booze use and ungodly watching of R-rated films. Rodney's pal, Charles, is a small time drug dealer, stupid, and paranoid. Charles murders his drug wholesaler while Rodney is there and things go downhill FAST.

Hosea is a police detective and brother-in-law of Rodney. Hosea used to be a  holey-roller preacher. His father and brother still are holey-rollers. We follow along as:

- Charles turns into a spree killer.

- Rodney goes on the run after using his butcher skills to try and conceal the murder of the wholesaler.

- Rachel thinks, "What the fuck did Rodney do?!"

- Hosea and his partner chase investigative leads during the manhunt and Hosea conflicts with his preacher brother and father. 

There are murders. There are close calls. There is desperation. There is religious zeal besting law and family. There are bad haircuts. There is religiously forced behavior and lifestyle.

Comments:

1. 1996 setting with cell phones had me trying to remember how widespread cell phones were in '96.There must be some anachronisms in here. But, I'm not sure. I did not get a cell phone until 2001 or so.

DNF: "At What Cost" by James L'Etoile

 DNF: AT WHAT COST by James L'Etoille, 20106, 9781629539959.

I heard a Bouchercon panel L'Etoille was on. 

Police procedural with a serial killer. I could not get into it. Too much was getting packed into the story with a serial killer, forensic investigations, seriously ill child (or dead from illness) of lead investigator, seriously ill child of murder victim, gang rivalries, so on, so forth.

Neat to read a mystery set in Sacramento. 

Comic NonFic: "Murder Book" by Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell

 Comic NonFic: Murder Book: a graphic memoir of a true crime obsession by Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell, 2021, 9781524861162.

Quite good. Campbell was nominated for an Edgar - did not win - and I listened to a couple panels she was on. Her dog wandered all over. I found out she is a cartoonist for THE NEW YORKER and was impressed beyond description.

I did not speak to Campbell. I did chat with a literary agent at the bar who is friendly with Campbell. The agent is also a pal with Mike McCrary and she was ripping him a new one. His chops were thoroughly busted. I subsequently listened to two of McCrary's novels and enjoyed them a lot. 

I chatted with the agent a fair amount. I asked who among the crowd in the bar was a creepy weirdo in real-life. She did not name anyone there. She did have some pithy comments about creepy dudes she worked with when she was in her 20s and working in publishing. 

Anyhoo. I enjoyed this book quite a bit. Campbell's big-time fandom for true crime. Talk about how women are the biggest readers of true crime. Campbell and her mother love true crime. Fascinating recaps of The Zodiac and Ted Bundy and Ann Rule. 

Comments:

1. Two episodes involved Campbell urinating. That was odd.

2. Apparently Campbell travels with her dog a lot. 

3. Campbell is a big fan of Nancy Grace. Grace advocates for victims. [Grace also sounds like a major nut.]

Comic Novel: Batman by Brian K. Vaughan

 Comic Novel: Batman by Brian K Vaughan, 2017, 9781401268381.

I forgot about reading this one.  Hell, in his intro Vaughan said he didn't remember them either. 

Comics Compilation: "Queen of the Ring" by Jaime Hernandez

 Comics Compilation: Queen of the Ring: wrestling drawings by Jaime Hernandez, 1980-2020, 2021, 9781683964452.

Big-time wrestling fan and author fo Love and Rockets collects 40 years of women wrestler artwork. There is a fair amount of commentary by Hernandez. Fun to flip through.

I read this a while ago and have no further comment. 

Comic Novel: "Ex Libris" by Matt Madden

 Comic Novel: Ex Libris by Matt Madden, 2021, 9781941250440.

I enjoyed this. Point of view - narration of the text and of narrator's vision - of a guy who wakes in a mostly bare room remembering almost nothing of why he is there. Just that he has ended up in a cheap room after a failed romantic relationship.

Narrator is having a mental breakdown and unable to deal with his memories. He ends up reading through a bookshelf filled with comics. Madden adopts different artistic styles as the narrator reads the stories and parts of the stories. 

A bit of a meditation on comics and thought and reality.  I read it awhile ago and have no further comment.

DNF: "Ace Boon Coon" by Danny Gardner

 DNF: Ace Boon Coon by Danny Gardner, 2020, 9781952427053.

I was looking forward to this one and could not get into it and had trouble following. I don't know why. 

The plot mixing Chicago politics, rural IL life, the Mob, and labor battles was neat. I just couldn't grab on.