The Running Grave is an investigation/detective crime novel, the 7th book in the C.B. Strike series by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling). This has been a very good series with strong characters and varied plots. All of the books feature Cormoran Strike, an amputee war veteran now turned detective and his new-to-investigation partner, Robin Ellacott. Strike’s agency is asked to find … Continue reading →
While staying on Denman Island near Repulse Point, the weather was a bit wet so I made up my own hike, a loop route down Lacon Road (no traffic), out to a beach area, then along the rocky beaches and shoreline around Repulse Point for a loop route. The first part of the hike was past mixed forests and wooded … Continue reading →
Dolores Claiborne is an unusual novel, even by Stephen King standards. There are no chapters and there is no dialogue – just a long tale told by the narrator/protagonist. The whole book is a transcript of a police interview of Dolores, who is suspected of killing her employer. She tells her story in a single, long sitting. Dolores is a … Continue reading →
Two new websites have been added to the ones noted on this website. Both are informal sites on sub-domains (not dedicated domains, but full sites nonetheless. They fill in niches as offshoots of established websites – A Wildflower Journal and KamloopsTrails. A Gardener’s Journal features articles on gardening, mostly from a practical point of view of trials, projects, and results … Continue reading →
Inspector Singh Investigates is a crime series written by Shamini Flint, a Malaysian author. The first book is subtitled A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder. Inspector Singh is an overweight detective from Singapore who does not fit into the police culture of his home nation, so he is sent to other locations whenever possible. He arrives in Kuala Lumpur to ensure … Continue reading →
We hiked up Mara Canyon from the trailhead (Ord Road West) in April, up into the hills, then down into the canyon, and up the drainage past the hoodoos, then up onto the east-side ridge. The route up the canyon requires some light scrambling past fallen trees, logs, washed out areas, and rocky terrain. The trail is sometimes called the … Continue reading →
The Scar is a science fiction – fantasy novel set on Bas -Lag, a world of many alien creatures. The first book in the series, Perdido Street Station takes place in the principal city New Crobuzon. It is a mesmerizing story, strange and unsettling, but is also the winner of several awards. The Scar starts in the city, but the … Continue reading →
In late March we hiked a loop route in Kenna Cartwright Park from the Pacific Way Trailhead. We arrived at a number of forks, but we turned each time to hike single tracks that wound along the north slope of Mt. Dufferin, with a number of viewpoints along the way. The combination of trails is a favourite in shoulder seasons. … Continue reading →
A Lesson in Dying is the first book in the Inspector Ramsay series by Ann Cleeves. Thus series is less well known, as compared to the Shetland or the Vera series. Ramsay is not as engaging a protagonist, but the story is still a good one – a cozy murder mystery in a small town in northern England. It is … Continue reading →
On a grey cool day in mid-March, the East Rim Loop (Peterson Creek) was the route of choice. Starting on the Mariposa Trail, all route choices were along the canyon rim, first on the west side, then on the east side. There is a good set of trails down to the bottom of the canyon to cross the creek, but … Continue reading →
All the Sinners Bleed is a crime-thriller novel that uses a police procedural point of view. The setting is in small rural town in the Southern states. The protagonist (Titus Crown)is a black sheriff in a community where the divide between whites and blacks has a long, troubled history. The strongest part of the book is the depiction of the … Continue reading →
On a cold and windy end-of-February day I hiked the west end of Kenna Cartwright Park. From the Pipeline at the end of Hillside Drive, a little-known trail bears west through the open forest. it is mainly used by dog walkers. It is a loop route on fairly level ground. If we follow it out to the fenceline, we can … Continue reading →
Long sections of the river beaches make good routes for hiking in the winter. We hiked down the Rivers Trail on Schubert Drive, then hiked back on the beach at the river’s edge. The ice was mostly gone by the end of the first week of March. Walking on the sand can be hard on the legs and feet so … Continue reading →
A Mind to Murder is a detective/crime novel by P.D. James. It is the second book of fourteen in the popular Adam Dalgliesh series (1962 – 2008). All of the books are skilfully written, following a classic British mystery style. In this case, the murder takes place in the Steen Psychiatric Clinic and because of locked doors, the murderer must … Continue reading →
On a snowy cold day at the end of February, the chosen route was in Kenna Cartwright Park from the Home Depot Trailhead. there was no one on the the Reservoir Trail and as I climbed the Kinnikinik Trail, I was breaking trail on a steep snowy trail. From Kinnikinik, there were some short trail sections – Doc Findlay – … Continue reading →
On a cloudy February day we hiked a loop route in the Batchelor Trails from the main (middle) parking lot. We followed the access road, then hiked up the Tower Classic Trail, then the Naked Pistol Trail through the pass, and then came back on the Shady Glen Trail. The south-facing slopes were dry as we climbed up the pass … Continue reading →
