Tag Archives: crime

'Heroes in the Night' is a deftly written, entertaining book that sheds light on the strange but timely, understandable and relevant subculture that is the RLSH movement.

Crime novels are often criticized for being formulaic. Ariel S. Winter’s 'The Twenty-Year Death' is a crime novel so formulaic that, in a way, it is actually one of the most original works of fiction I have read in any genre.

'Breaking Bad' effectively stretches America’s “pull yourself up by your own bootstraps” mentality to its snapping point. It satirizes America’s private insurance health care system and demonstrates the price Americans must pay to continue living.

While the plot sounds as though it could be a Nicholas Sparks novel, let me firmly dissuade you of that notion. Cain writes about base, primal emotions and most of the characters in 'The Cocktail Waitress' are only one step up the social ladder from those in a Charles Bukowski novel.

Terrence Malick's 'Badlands,' in many ways, feels like the movie that Quentin Tarantino has spent his entire career trying to make. It is an astonishingly confident effort by a first time filmmaker, and one that remains a touchstone for others even decades later.

'Sex on the Moon' is the true life story how of Thad Roberts, a gifted NASA co-op whiz kid, attempted to steal one of the most valuable substances on earth: moon rocks. If you’ve ever encountered a news story of a crime or accident that gave you pause to wonder, “What the hell was he/she thinking?” this book provides a detaileded answer to that question.

If 'The Iceman" is in any way important it’s as proof that the mob/hitman genre already has its masterpieces, and a new entry in the genre should only be attempted if it offers something entirely new.

'Joyland' contains memorable characters and a compelling riddle to solve. Those seeking a scare should look to King’s earlier work, but this is a fun book by a man who knows how to tell a story.

Most of what I treasure about the superhero genre are the symbolic meanings and mythological wisdom embedded within it.  And while I love comic books and comic-related material, there’s definitely no mistaking them for anything resembling realism.  This goes even for something as dark and somber as Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight film …