ON THE TRAIL OF NAZI FUGITIVES - AUTHOR PHILLIPE SANDS

I like to read crime novels, but my interest is never confined to one subject. I have always had a deep interest in history which, in many ways, are the stories of true crime over centuries. And now I have another book to read that takes me back into the extremely dark days of World War Two, the Third Reich and the horrors of war and extermination.

The Baillie Gifford Prize, 2016 for non-fiction was awarded to Phillipe Sands for his book East West Street. It was a read that has stayed with me ever since I held the book in my hand. Put simply, it is the story of three people, their histories with the author being one, and two Jewish law students who studied in Lviv. The city was, during the 1930’s, in Poland and has come under not only Facist rule, but also Soviet rule too. It has many unfortunate stories to tell. The two law students are important in the sphere of world order in the context of ‘Crimes Against Humanity’ and Genocide. My blog of 31st December 2016 adds some more facts.

We were fortunate to spend time in the home of friends in Torshavn on the Faroes Islands. A young son of the family was interested in World War Two and with family guidance he continued his interest. After reading East West Street he became the second owner of the book.

Recently through Blackwells I have one more book by Phillipe Sands, The Rat Line. The cover proclaims ‘Love, Lies and Justice on the Trail of a Nazi Fugitive’. I want to read it now but The Crime Writer's Book list has to take priority.

Alex North and his novel The Whisper Man

Book Review

The Whisper Man

Alex North

Michael Joseph
an imprint of Penguin Books
Penguin Random House UK

‘If you leave the door half-open,
Soon you’ll hear the whispers spoken’

The Whisper Man could move up from Theakestons Old Peculier Crime Writers ‘Long List’ to the final six. We will see and by June 4th we will know. Anyway I am giving it a good go, but as I get into the book I am enjoying it more. Not only is it different, it’s absorbing as well. It's taken over a hundred pages to be fully absorbed and, now, I want to solve the mystery.

It is about people and what has gone on previously and what we are now left with. There are two major themes and I have got to the stage where I want to scream and shout at what's going on. Alex North creates tension as he writes and we have characters that grip. It's a slow burn this read. So well constructed, but to be enjoyed as the tension mounts.

In the latter stages the tension increased several times and we are left with an ending that was very well conceived and with the insecurity of not knowing who would survive. It's that good.

This is an incredible story and I loved it. It is my choice for the winner for this year's Theakestons Old Peculier Crime Writers. I have read six and I will examine some of the others. It's sad that we have no event this July, but 2021 could be an even more joyful event.
John Edwards 25th May 2020

SOME THOUGHTS ON HOW TO CLEAN THE PLANET

THEY LEFT THEM OUT

The corrugated iron sheets on the shed roof rattled in the wind and the old timbers eased themselves under their burden. Mouse droppings trailed along the worn workbench.

On the wall of the shed six wooden pegs held scythes and grey dusty cloaks. On another wall, seven other pegs held the same with a space for one more. Obsolete now.

Struggling out from the foot of the Hazel and Willow’s luxuriant softness John Barleycorn threw upward glances as he sprang onto the slope on his legs of woven sprigs; visualizing what he remembered when human activity transformed the mountainside. The perceived human horror of cleansing. The un-acceptance of death in a society that expects to live forever. The grimness of horror and not necessity.

‘Time to check it out’ he said.

Things had changed. Snowfalls and summer rains had washed and dispersed the black stain around and down. Body fluids had leached into the ground and fed the waiting lichen, saxifrage and even edelweiss.

He looked down too, into empty fields, and the whiteness of bleached animal bones were the moral reminders of society’s carelessness.

Grey shrouds brought the older generation to this rocky place, far above the deserted villages, for a reason. Hiding away the loss of those who had gone and those that lived on, but only for awhile. Not one of them left to hold the hands of the living until they, too, had passed on.

They came singularly at first. Others alerted to the movement in the skies added to the host. Sharp eyes and sensitive nostrils told them what was intended. Big eyes, large ripping beaks tearing flesh and sinews from rib cages, legs and arms. Eviscerating intestines with bare necks for cleanliness and a wingspan that casts shadows. Their job, their gut, to sanitise the
infection. And so they did that; cleaned the planet.

Mr Barleycorn surveyed the greenery. Even the small berries of Juniper shone for his eyes. All growth fed by the prevailing winds and rain and that activity in desolate places long ago.

The hinge on the pub sign creaked again.The Green Man smiled as he swung in the wind. His lips sealed in time.
John Edwards 18th May 2020

Theakston Award Long List

Thanks to Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival we have bought more books. They have published their ‘long list’ for this year’s competition. No festival of course, just the competition and in consequence more books to read. There are only eighteen in the ‘long list’! On 4th June this will be shortened to a mere six, from which the winner will be chosen. My aim always is to read as many as possible and with luck those will end up in the last six. There will be some that I will pick up, maybe read a couple of chapters and decide it is not for me. I have the temerity to chose not to read one or two. I have read five already and have started to read The Whisper Man by Alex North or will I discard it before the end? If I don't enjoy the reading of it then I put it down and look for something that suits.

VAL McDERMID's - HOW THE DEAD SPEAK

Book Review

How The Dead Speak

Val McDermid

Little Brown

Even thinking about commenting on any novel by Val McDermid is a challenge for me. Am I being stupid to attempt to pass judgement on a prolific author like ‘The Queen of Crime’ or have I forgotten that saying, ‘the reader is always right’? Well, the worse beating that I can receive is a deluge of words hurled my way by the literati. I'll just be careful when I go out!

There are already ten books in the Carol Jordan and Tony Hill thriller series and although I have read others it is not a ‘must’ to have indulged in the previous ones. Of course it's good to get to know the characters as soon as possible!

The prologue, over two full pages, gives the background and sets two of the characters up wonderfully well, but doesn't go any further.

I loved the format with a piece of wisdom, quotes from Reading Crimes, by Dr. Tony Hill at the commencement of each chapter. It was compulsive reading.

Well, what's it about? The title gives some of the story away because, as you can guess, there will be some bodies and the who and the why is what drives this thriller to its conclusions. Val McDermid throws into the mix, a football club, fans, kudos and egos. That is normally enough to stir up emotions, but she adds into that the interactions between members of the investigation team where some have worked together and others haven't. There is the usual jockeying for position and recognition. And l love it when there is friction between middle management. Two preening ‘cocks’ of equal rank going toe-to-toe and with that scenario there is absolutely no need to send in any desk-bound top cops to apply more pressure.

Integral to all of it is the ‘side issue’ of priests, nuns and the secrecy of the Catholic Church. That will be too much for some, but it adds other ingredients.

She acknowledges the people that have lent their expertise to her and she also says and I quote ‘Sometimes I ignore what they tell me for dramatic effect, but mostly I absorb it gratefully and play it back to my readers’.

If you want any more confirmation that this writer is a ‘class act’ then read her work. And don't forget to bow or curtsy when you meet her for she is ‘The Queen of Crime’ to me.

John Edwards 18th May 2020

BOOK REVIEW - EVA DOLAN - BETWEEN TWO EVILS

Book Review

Between Two Evils

Eva Dolan

Raven Books

For 468 pages I was engrossed. There are already four books published in the DI Zigic and DS Ferreira series and, Between Two Evils is the fifth one, and the first one I have read. Consequently, the police characters were all new to me and so I had to work hard to put them in the correct space in my head.

In simple language this is about criminal investigation. There is more than one thread running throughout and therefore there is a need to concentrate and all three go to the end. One is relatively minor, intended maybe, to ensure all in the office are engaged with ongoing enquiries. There are two major investigations, one relating to a twenty-year old crime and one that is very current. That one is smack bang in the public eye and a challenge to authority. That's what I like writer’s to do, challenge, and not to accept the status quo and to give injustices an airing.

Now, back to this book. It is set in middle England around Peterborough, and brings to our attention that many crimes are committed outside major conurbations. Eva Dolan creates strong characters that we will like, some that we will consider imperfect and others that are violent and distasteful. You can judge them for yourself and I will not spoil the reading of them by giving clues.
There are no clues on the cover either.

In comment, I found, some sentences too long and complex and in one case two sentences that were only made clear when reading the latter part of the second sentence. Why she did that, I have no idea. Having been ‘picky’ on that point I can say it is brilliantly written, thoughtfully written, even beautiful and I enjoyed it.

She will be a strong candidate to win Theakestons Old Peculier Crime Writing Award if she continues to write as well as this. She has one stand-alone novel, ‘This Is How It Ends’, published January, 2018 and it was The Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month. One that I will watch out for because having read ‘Between Two Evils’ I would recommend all of her books.
John Edwards 16th May 2020

COULD THIS BE ANOTHER EXTRA PUSH TO BAN DRIVEN GROUSE SHOOTING

REVIVE LAUNCHES 2021 MANIFESTO CALLING FOR AN END TO DRIVEN GROUSE SHOOTING
Coalition sets out its political asks one year ahead of Scottish elections
Revive, the coalition for grouse moor reform has published its manifesto outlining a number of asks, including an end to driven grouse shooting ahead of next year’s elections. These include tackling climate change, land reform, social justice and protecting Scotland’s wildlife and biodiversity.

Revive is a coalition made up of Common Weal, Friends of the Earth Scotland, League Against Cruel Sports Scotland, OneKind and Raptor Persecution UK, working for grouse moor reform in Scotland and campaigning to end the circle of destruction that surrounds grouse shooting.
Campaign Manager for Revive Max Wiszniewski said: “Driven grouse shooting, an intensively managed blood sport, is inherently unsustainable. Keeping the land managed as barren monocultures for this sport maintains a large area of Scotland’s land in an impoverished state.
“This is why the Revive coalition has proposed alternative visions for our moors and launched the manifesto we hope political parties will adopt into their own. We believe this is in line with voters expectations and hope a year from now we can go to the polls with all parties committing to address the environmental crisis in our countryside caused by intensively managed grouse moors.”
Revive is calling for significant reform of Scotland’s grouse moors and is asking Scotland’s political parties to make the following commitments:
● Protect Scotland’s peatland by ending muirburn for the purpose of grouse moor management
● A ban on the use of medicated grit
● A change to the use of non-lead ammunition
● Regulation of off-road hill tracks
● Transformational land reform to be enacted on a national scale
● An end to the snaring, trapping and killing of Scotland’s wildlife for the purpose of increasing grouse numbers
● Licensing of all grouse moor estates
● A transition away from driven grouse shooting
Robbie Marsland, Director of the League Against Cruel Sports added: “Untold thousands of wild animals are killed on an industrial scale as part of rigorous predator control on intensively managed grouse moors just so there are more grouse available for sport shooting. The League is opposed to this senseless cruelty and wholeheartedly supports Revive’s Manifesto calling for an end to grouse shooting and the circle of destruction which surrounds grouse moors.”
The coalition argues that grouse moors managed for sport shooting is one of the least regulated industries in Scotland. Along with measures to tackle climate change and transformational land reform, Revive is proposing a licensing system to end the unsustainable elements of grouse moor management.
Director of Friends of the Earth Scotland, Richard Dixon said: “From their terrible toll on wildlife to their impact on climate change, grouse moors are a 19th century idea that should have no place in the 21st century. Scotland can do much better for local communities and nature.”
ENDS
You can read Revive’s manifesto here: REVIVE manifesto
To read Revive’s other publications (as noted in the manifesto) please visit the publications page on Revive’s website here


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WHERE THERE IS WATER THERE CAN BE MORE BIRDS

Walking out and around the periphery of San Miguel de Salinas does not yield a vast number of species, but nevertheless it is good to get out. This morning I hardly saw anything of note. The vegetation is interesting because of the rain. The different greens are wonderful and the grasses are now at their very best. Poking their heads above other shrubs and nodding in the wind. The heat has suddenly arrived and then the seeds will drop and the heat will sap the energy from them. At the moment there is a great mixture of yellows, violets, whites and mauve. I suppose they make up for the not too obvious wildlife.

So in absolute envy I paste in Bryan's post from 2nd May. His list is terrific.


Birding Costa Blanca
Day 50 and Out of Lockdown
Posted: 02 May 2020 03:50 AM PDT
Day 50 and
Out of lockdown
And so today I had my first walkout in 50 days and you can guess where I headed to for some birding, it been that long since I've been out birding my focus wheel on my bins had gone stiff.
So I set off about 8 o'clock not expecting to see much but it felt good to get out birding.
I've never been so pleased to see a Purple Heron drift by, and in one binocular view I had almost all the Herons, Grey, Purple, Squacco, Night, little Bitten, little Egret, and Cattle Egret,
Bee-eaters flew overhead with a good number of Pallid Swift, Red-rumped Swallow, and Barn Swallow, on the water Marbled Duck, Red-crested Pochard
White-headed Duck, Pochard, Whiskered Tern, Purple swamp Hen, Mallard Duck, quite a few male summer Little Grebe a single Common Sandpiper.

Great reed Warblers cracking off here and there, as well as Nightingales in full song, and Water Rails squealing away, surprise bird was at least 5 Bonellis Warblers doing their little rattley contact song, moving through to higher ground no doubt, and 2 Melodious Warblers singing there heads off.
Also seen 5 Woodchat Shrike, Iberian green Woodpecker, 1 Turtle Dove, Stone Curlew, 20 Mediterranean Gulls,
Small birds seen.
Linnet, Serin, Green Finch, Gold Finch, Sardinian Warblers, Fan-tailed Warbler, Crested Lark,

Having not been out it looks like everybody got the same idea and are getting out, joggers, cyclists, dog walker, etc,

Anyway nice to get out and see some birds,
Next time I'll have the camera with me.
Cheers Bryan


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A SMALL REPRIEVE AFTER COVID19 LOCKDOWN

I can legally get out of the house from today. Hooray. Seven weeks of national lockdown was being eased. I walked out for my allotted time at 10am. It was 21 degrees with a forecasted high of 28. The sun was strong, but I was happy just to be out. We live within 100 metres of the edge of town and so I was soon out into the countryside. First up were two Red-rumped Swallows with a possible nesting site in the tunnel under the new road. Barn Swallows and House Martins were also evident. We are also lucky to have a strong number of House Sparrows.

Amongst the undergrowth I spooked Wood Pigeons. A Kestrel flew - not an unusual sight around the town - and one Hoopoe flew across and Starlings too. With no human activity for weeks there was bird song all around. There was a lot of evidence of rabbit who have been spared by no hunting.

From several directions I could hear Turtle Doves calling and I think I had a fleeting glimpse of one. Collared Doves are always evident. Large white butterflies, but not in great numbers. The recent heavy rains had allowed luxuriant vegetation to grow. There was a great crop of thistle with petals fading and seeds to set. It bodes well for the finches.

I am allowed out for one hour- between 7-8pm and I will take the same route in the evening. Both Nightingale and Red-necked Nightjars frequent this area. The only disappointment was I neither heard or saw Bee-eaters. All to look out for and more to enjoy.