Set on the last day of business of a Connecticut Red Lobster, this novel tells the story of Manny DeLeon, a conscientious restaurant manager that should be in high demand. Instead, corporate headquarters has notified Manny that his branch will close right before Christmas. On top of that, he'll be assigned to a nearby Olive Garden and demoted to assistant manager. He has also lost Jacquie, a waitress who has come to mean more to him than his girlfriend Deena, who is pregnant with his child. On this last night, a blizzard hits, customers stay at home as do employees and Manny has a tough time finding a Christmas gift for Deena. Lunch gives way to dinner with hardly anyone stopping to eat, but Manny refuses to close early or give up hope. This is perfection for me.
Les Blatt, TROUBLE IN TRIPLICATE, Rex Stout
Elgin Bleecker, THREE HOURS PAST MIDNIGHT, Tony Knighton
Brian Busby, A LOVER MORE CONDOLING, Adrienne Clarkson
Crossexaminingcrime, WHY DIDN't THEY ASK EVANS, Agatha Christie
Martin Edwards, FELL MURDER, E.C. R. Lorac
Curt Evans, THE WEEKEND MYSTERY, Robert A Simon
Happiness Is a Warm Book (Aubrey Hamilton), THE DIVISION BELL MYSTERY, Ellen Wilkinson
Richard Horton, THE FLOWER BENEATH THE FOOT, Ronald Firbank
Jerry House, FLUKE, James Herbert
George Kelley, TIME AND TIME AGAIN, Robert Silverberg
Margot Kinberg, PORTRAIT OF A MURDERER, Anne Meredith
Evan Lewis, BULLET FROM NOWHERE, Robert Leslie Bellem
Steve Lewis, WEATHERBY: ON A DEAD MAN"S CHEST, J.M.T. Miller
Todd Mason, THE COMPLETE STORIES OF THEODORE STURGEON, ed. Paul Williams and Noel Sturgeon
J.F.. Norris, DARKNESS OF SLUMBER, Rosemary Kutak
Only Detect, DO NOT DISTURB, Helan McCloy
Matt Paust, MAYHEM. J. Robert Janes
James Reasoner, THE TIME TRAP, Henry Kuttner
Richard Robinson, A KILLING IN QUAIL COUNTRY, Jameson Cole
Laurel Scholnick, HORRORS, ed Charles Grant
Kevin Tipple/Barry Ergang, MISCHIEF IN MAGGODY, Joan Hess
TomCat, DEATH KNELL, Baynard Kendrick
TracyK, BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT. C.W. Grafton
9 comments:
I agree this was a terrific book, short and perfect. It would have been a great book for someone to read at Christmas.
If a little depressing. Although most of them are. It's a Wonderful life is sad until the last ten minutes/
True. No uplifting, "everything works out" happy ending. But very real.
Thanks, Patti! My blog's guest reviewer this week is Laurel Scholnick. (My default way of mis-addressing her is "Lauren"...but Bacall and Hutton were early if minor media crushes.)
The O'Nan you'd recommend to people who haven't read his work? (I've read a bit, but only a bit, so far, myself, and it was good.)
If you have time today, please add mine to the list. Thanks!
Darkness of Slumber by Rosemary Kutak
How have I missed this book? Thanks for reminding me it's out there.
I have not yet become an O'Nanist (did I write that?), and, with the aging eyes of my soul, I usually try to avoid darkness, but I like the premise here, and, of course, your recommendation, Patti.
Also good is A PRAYER FOR THE DYING, SPEED QUEEN and most any other.
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