It’s the second time I read this book. While it took me 2 days only to read it the first time when I was a student in 1997, it took me over a month in 2022.
The book had left me then with a big impression and for years it was the gold standard for “entertainment I thoroughly enjoyed.” Having read it again, I know it isn’t the gold standard anymore. In the 25 years that passed since then, I discovered Jane Austen 🙂
One detail I loved about ‘Mr Murder’: The creative fictitious names one of the characters makes up as titles for the science fiction books another character keeps reading. Since the former doesn’t approve of that kind of literature, he makes up very funny titles.
One thing I hated: The sheer amount of guns and firing arms owned by the main protagonists, who are otherwise completely regular everyday people. So much so that their veneration for guns doesn’t ring true. They fit in the plot but there are way too many, particularly as this is obviously not a satire of gun ownership and worship in the USA.
I found it rather well written, but a bit too long while at the same time the end is rushed and superficial.
Today is the one-year anniversary of when I chose to become a non-smoker. A colleague of mine noted the date and asked if I chose Star Wars day on purpose 😀 Nope, total coincidence!
Screenshot of the app to track non-smoking duration: 1 year, 0 month, 0 day.
For a month or two, it was constantly on my mind and it was a daily challenge not to smoke. Then it waned. I thought about smoking occasionally and then I didn’t. I don’t remember the turning point but there was one after which I had become a non-smoker, not merely one resisting temptation.
The smell doesn’t bother me. Nor does it make me crave smoking.
★✩✩✩✩ Having read and enjoyed several dozens of John Grisham’s novels, I made myself finish this one, but it took me four or five months.
Every time I closed the book I would see the testimonials printed on the cover “no one does it better than Grisham”, and “just when you think you know Grisham he surprises you.” Well, the former is true only up to this book, and the latter is true particularly in light of this book.
It takes ploughing through 400 pages (out of 550) for the book to begin to start. But it never really takes off, and seems even rushed at the end. Such a disappointment.
The book was boring, shallow, and while the writing isn’t bad, it is too verbose and very tedious. The plot is weak and stretched ultra thin; in this form it could and should have been a novella.
It is astounding that over the course of so many pages, and despite a rather small group of characters, we readers get to know hardly any of them.
The book is touted as “The sequel to A TIME TO KILL” which was such a fine novel that I hope that anyone who hasn’t read it isn’t put off by this one. Commonalities between the two are the main litigator and his family and a couple people who work with him, and a few irrelevant references to the other story. This novel attempts to shine by association but fails.
À la suite d’une conversation sur la variété dans les repas, à la fin du déjeuner de Pâques aujourd’hui, j’ai entrepris de dresser la liste de ce qu’on mange en plat principal habituellement chez moi (ordonnés arbitrairement).
Tournedos Rossini à la sauce crème fraîche et porto, et pommes noisettes
Hotdogs maison dans des baguettes viennoises
Hamburgers (Charal) et frites bistrot (Casino Délice)
Filets de poisson pané et purée Mousline
Bacon (en tranches) frit, œufs brouillés aux toastinettes, crème liquide et maïs
Quiche Lorraine maison dans pâtes feuilletée
Pizza (surgelées Buitoni: fresh up, fiesta)
Steak haché 5% de matière grasse (Charal) et pâtes ou haricots verts et brocolis
Spaghetti ou linguine carbonara maison
Spaghetti bolognaise maison
Saumon fumé sur blinis et tzatziki avec du riz long grain
Brochettes yakitori et riz basmati
Salade verte et carottes, maïs, conté
Tomates noires de crimée à la mozzarella, basilic, huile d’olive
Poulet mariné 24h, cuit au bbq, et frites ou pommes noisettes
Poulet à la crème avec du riz long grain
Ramen au caramel aux crevettes
Risotto au poulet cuit à l’ail et au vin blanc, ou/et aux légumes
Fajitas au poulet (Old El Paso non pimenté)
Jambon en tranches fines (froid) ou épaisses (à la poêle), avec accompagnement non spécifique
Jambon en tranches farci au skyr (ou fromage blanc) au basilic ciselé
Poulet au curry, beurre de cacahuète et lait de coco au riz basmati
Lasagnes maison
Confit de canard avec des haricots blancs à la sauce tomate
Boeuf bourguignon / daube maison
Tournedos Rossini maison aux pommes dauphines
Poulet rôti aux pommes de terre nouvelles et au thym
Pommes de terre vapeur au Mont d’or
Raclette
Gratin dauphinois maison
Pommes de terre vapeur à tremper dans du skyr (ou fromage blanc) aromatisé aux herbes(e.g., ciboulette)
Gnocchis maison (à base de purée mousline, farine et œuf) puis revenus dans du beurre
Quenelles natures à la sauce béchamel maison avec du riz long grain
Crêpes maison au jambon, œuf, gruyère
Bruschetta sauce tomate, thon, olives noires et mozzarella
Soupe veloutée courges, pommes de terre, crème fraîche (maison ou en brique)
Falafels coriandre trempés dans du skyr (ou du fromage blanc) aromatisé aux herbes
Croques Monsieur (maison ou pas)
Je suis surprise de l’écart entre « ressenti » et « effectif » car j’avais annoncé avoir entre 10 et 12 plats de prédilection, or il s’avère qu’on pourrait manger différemment tous les jours pendant plus d’un mois (et c’est sans compter les plats que je fais rarement, ceux qui ne me sont pas revenus en tête, et ceux que l’inspiration ou l’opportunité m’invitent à faire.)
Au prochain épisode, peut-être la liste des desserts que je fais ! 😁
Roses aux pommes caramélisées sur pâte feuilletée saupoudrées de sucre glace
