-=> Quoting Fred Runk to Dorothy Reynolds <=-
 -=> While in the White Hart, Dorothy Reynolds insisted to Fred Runk that
 FR> <=-
 
 
 DR> You are probably right.  From what I've read and heard, there
 DR> aren't too many original ideas for a story. Just different slants
 DR> and approaches by each author. If he/she is skilled at their
 DR> craft,   can make each plot seem a new story.
 FR> I heard somewhere that there are only six basic plots in all of
 FR> fiction--the rest are variants.  Unfortunately, I've never found out
 FR> what those six plots were.  One of them probably is that the butler did
 FR> it.  
 
     The butler did it is a Given. However, other than
     Sunset Strip, I's have to dig deep in my memory where the "butler
     did it."  Tee hee.
 
 DR> Well, today was a windfall day. One of the contributors to our
 DR> private library brought 3 large cardboard boxes full of books.
 DR> Yippee. There's quite a few mysteries in the bunch.
 FR> Ah, buried treasure!
 
    Yeah. I found a Julie Smith and 3 Robert Goldsboroughs among them.
    Oh, and two Elmore Leonards, to name a few. Also a Richard Stark
    also known as Donald Westlake. I'm reading that one right now.
    It's not a mystery. His protagonist is Parker, an anti-hero who is
    a  professional thief. He and his friends are planning to rob an 
    Air Force base of the payroll. 
 
 
 DR> 
 DR>  got a rejection, "it didn't meet their requirements, but good 
 luck with your writing," kind.
 FR> Have many of those also.
     I've been told you aren't really a writer until you've received
     at least three rejections. I've had four. (g). So if you've
     had many of those too, welcome to the club.
 
 DR>  Picked out one that caught my eye. Ritual Murder, by
 DR> S.T. Haymon. Are you familiar with her works? This will be my
 
 FR> Nope, don't know her at all.  Let me know what you think.
     Finished the book, finally and found it quite different. 
     It's veddy, veddy British, dontcha know. Normally I like
     British authors but she uses some "inside" British terms I'm
     not familiar with so it rather distracted me in places.  
     However, once I got past that it was interesting. 
     A child is murdered in a cathedral and the body has the Star of  
     David carved on his chest. It makes you wonder if it was done 
     "to give rise to the infamous accusation of ritual murder that
     caused the massacre of so many Jews in medieval Europe." 
      (Quote is from the synopsis on the dust cover).
     She brings in two modern day WASP groups who create havoc by 
     demonstrating in front of the cathedral, making the same accusations.
     
FR> I visited some used book stores over the weekend and came away with a
 FR> few books, both by authors I hadn't read before, but were recommended
 FR> here.  One
 FR> is Howard Engel--THE SUICIDE MURDERS.  The other is Batya Gur's
 FR> LITERARY MURDER.
 FR> Hmmm, just realized a trend has begun.  Engel's book features Benny
 FR> Cooperman, a Jewish PI while Gur's book features Michael Ohayon, Supt.
 FR> of Criminal Investigations in Jerusalem.
 
    In this case, you may like Haymon's book. Her police officer is
    Benjamin Jurnet, a non practicing Jew engaged to a Jewish lady who 
    won't marry him unless he becomes a practicing one. There is a very 
    interesting Rabbi in the story.
     She wrote another one with him as the detective inspector titled
     Death and the Pregnant Virgin. Interesting title. :}
FR> ... Yellow gold...Plentiful compared to white-haired friends.
 
 DR> This is great. And I hope you consider me one of your 
 DR> "white-haired friends." (G).
 FR> Definitely, now that I know the color of your hair.  
     
     It was chestnut, bordering on auburn, in my youth, but
     I'm still the same ME.  
 
 
 DR> ... You know you're getting older when the happy hour is a nap.
 
 
 FR> ... All my anachronisms are out of date.
 FR> ___
 FR> X Blue Wave/QWK v2.20 X
 FR> -!- Maximus 2.02
 FR>  ! Origin: Fred's Place (1:300/6.2)
... My dog thinks he's human. My cat thinks he's God.
___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12
--- GEcho/32 1.20/Pro
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