Books read in 2018: No. 60 -- Cut Me In

by Ed McBain

Started: Dec. 18
Finished: Dec. 20

Notes: I turn from a historical mystery novel to a more modern such work. I've been a big fan of Ed McBain for some while now, though I'm mostly experienced with his 87th Precinct novels. Here I hope to expand my McBain reading some. This particular novel is a republishing of one of McBain's works from the early 1950s, one of my favorite periods for McBain, and it comes from Hard Case Crime, a publishing house which has impressed me in my limited experience to it.

Mini review: Young McBain might have been when he wrote this novel, but it is now one of my favorites. A literary agent's partner is murdered while the contract for a major movie deal goes missing, then somebody else gets murdered, and somebody else. Was all this killing due to the movie deal, or is something else going on? I think I can honestly say, at least at this point in my life, Ed McBain is my favorite author. Too bad he's not around anymore to pen more of these awesome tales. And as an added bonus to this novel, there's a long-lost novelette added at the end, and it also was a very nice tale, featuring a character from on of McBain's other early novels. If you enjoy noir literature, do yourself a favor and hunt down this book.

Books read in 2018: No. 59 -- The Pilgrim of Hate

by Ellis Peters

Started: Dec. 14
Finished: Dec. 18

Notes: I've been reading a fair amount of historical fiction of late, and I just read one of these Brother Cadfael mystery novels, so I thought I'd give another a go. This one happens to be from the British publisher of these books, so it'll be interesting to note if there are any differences from the U.S. versions I've read from this series.

Mini review: This one had some political intrigue in it, my first such experience in the Brother Cadfael novels, though that in no way diminished the writing here. However, I did felt the story dragged early on, though it did heat up a little before halfway through. Pilgrims arrive at Cadfael's abbey to commemorate the anniversary of a saint's relics coming there, and those within the pilgrims are not all innocents, some being outright scoundrels and other having pasts tied to big events happening elsewhere in England at the time. It all comes together in the end, as can be expected, and a pleasing and somewhat surprising end it was.

Beer of the week: Samuel Adams White Christmas

Beer score: 7.1

Company: Samuel Adams
ABV: 5.8
IBU: 8

I'm not a big fan of Christmas beers, usually ales, because I've never cared for nutmeg and cinnamon nor gingerbread, all the flavors associated with the holiday. However, this one won me over, which is a first for a Christmas beer.

Those nutmeg, cinnamon, and gingerbread flavors are barely there, though there is a strong citrus taste that's not overly heavy as to be annoyingly fruity. This wheat beer is a white ale, reminiscent of many Belgian styles, which makes it a light, crisp drink that should go well with lighter fare such as fish or salad, probably berries as well.

I'd like to reiterate a point about that citrus flavor. It's definitely there, but I don't want anyone reading this to go away thinking this tastes like an orange drink or something similar. The citrus flavor here is lighter than that, but still obviously present.

If you're like me and don't normally care for all those Christmas ales, or even many of the ales served for other holidays, I'll suggest giving this one a try. Also, if you like Belgian-style brews, add this one to your shopping list. All in all a solid beer; not necessarily a favorite, but I wouldn't turn one down and I could even see myself picking up a six pack at some point.

Books read in 2018: No. 58 -- A Morbid Taste for Bones

by Ellis Peters

Started: Dec. 11
Finished: Dec. 14

Notes: Keeping with my recent habit of reading historical fiction, I turn to this Medieval novel in which Benedictine monk Brother Cadfael solves mysteries. This isn't the first Cadfael novel I've read, but it's the first in a while, and I do seem to remember enjoying these. As an added bonus, this was the very first novel featuring Brother Cadfael, so at least I get to see how the series got started.

Mini review: A group of monks are tasked with bringing the relics (ie. bones) of a saint from a village to their monastery, but unfortunately the villagers are none too happy about this. Things go from bad to worse when one of village leaders is murdered. But fret not! Brother Cadfael, former soldier now a monk who specializes in herbology, is on the job. I must say, this one started slower than I liked, but by the mid-point things began to speed up a little. And I have to add the ending wasn't a simplistic, cookie-cutter one, but had several twists and turns which were not easy to foresee. All in all, not a bad book. Fans of mysteries should enjoy this one. Also, history fans should like this one because much of what happens here was true (not the murder and not Brother Cadfael, but all the general events and many of the personages involved). By the way, I absolutely love the title for this novel.

Books read in 2018: No. 57 -- The Vikings! #2: The Dark Return

by Neil Langholm

Started: Dec. 7
Finished: Dec. 10

Notes: Back in the 1970s, the publisher Pinnacle Books was the king of men's action and adventure, being known for a lot of big names in that area back then and a lot of different titles. The Vikings! was one of many series the publisher tried out, but in this case it didn't work for them as I believe there were only four novels in the series. Also, the author here was actually a house name under which several writers worked. I read a lot of Pinnacle's short action novels back in the 1980s, but this series evaded me, so now I'm trying it out.

Mini review: Not bad. If you're looking for action and adventure involving swords, you could do a lot worse. The writing here is fair at best, sometimes confusing, but it delivers where it counts. The plot? A group of Vikings who have landed in America must find their way back home, and once they do they discover things are not as they would have hoped. Vengeance ensues, and the ending is as unexpected as it is shocking, leaving room for the next novel in this series.

Beer of the week: Highland Brewing Oatmeal Porter

Beer score: 7.9

Company: Highland Brewing
ABV: 5.8
IBU: 35

This beer is a pleasant surprise for me. First, I've been disappointed with many of the North Carolina brews I've tried over the years, but this one from Asheville, NC, gets it right. Second, I'm not normally an oatmeal kind of guy when it comes to beer (but cookies is another matter). Third, Porters aren't usually one of my favorite styles of beer, but here all of it works quite nicely.

This one pours so dark I would almost think it's a stout, and there's nothing wrong with that. When poured, the foam at the top is present but not overly thick, and it comes with a deep roasted scent that reminds me of coffee and a little of chocolate. There's definitely a taste of smoky molasses in the drinking, and again a little of that chocolate quality. If you don't like beers with lots of carbonation, this one could be for you, though it's also not what I would call a thin beer, pouring strong enough without being weak. Not the strongest of porters, but again, I wouldn't call it overly weak, so just right, at least for me. Those who like stronger porters might want to look elsewhere, but this one worked for me even though I usually prefer stouts. Served cold or room temperature, I found this a more than serviceable drink fitting for many occasions, especially in the winter.

As a side note, I found this a perfect drink with chili while snowed in. While in North Carolina, of course.

Beer of the week: La Fin Du Monde

Beer score: 8.7

Company: Unibroue
ABV: 9.0
IBU: 19

Normally I'm not a big fan of Canadian beers, but this fine beverage from Quebec brewer Unibroue can give most beers in Europe a run for their money. This is a Belgian-style ale that's been triple fermented. Pours with a cloudy gold color and has a strong wheat and fruity smell. I'd be surprised if there's not been a touch of citrus and honey added to this drink. In the drinking there's just a little too much carbonation for my liking, almost like you're drinking champagne, but it's not too bad. The flavor starts off fruity for the first sip or two, but then a strong bitter and alcohol flavors kicks in. If you are a fan of Belgian-style brews, you are more than likely going to enjoy this one. I can't quite classify La Fin Du Monde as a favorite, but it's darn close, and I'd never turn one down.