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Showing posts from April, 2022

The First Paul – a review

  Authors : Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan Reviewed by Geoffrey W. Sutton Reference Borg, M.J. & Crossan, J.D. (2009). The first Paul: Reclaiming the radical visionary behind the church’s conservative icon . HarperCollins e-books.   Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan introduce us to the apostle Paul by providing historical contexts for his life and teachings. Early on they explain why only a small collection of documents were actually written by the apostle who wrote the first “books” in the New Testament. Scholars affirm seven letters (aka books) were actually written by Paul: Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, 1 Thessalonians, Galatians, Philippians, and Philemon. Scholars believe the pastoral epistles were written later by other authors. These are 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. Finally, scholars disagree about the authorship of Ephesians, Colossians, and 2 Thessalonians; however, according to Borg and Crossan, most believe these were not written by Paul. The

Wild Fire by Ann Cleeves -- a review

  Wild Fire    Shetland Series Book 8 by Ann Cleeves Wild Fire is Ann Cleeves’ final instalment of the Shetland series . The team of Willow Reeves, Jimmy Perez, and Sandy Wilson collaborate one last time to solve murders closely connected to two families in Deltaness. Emma grew up in an abusive family in Orkney. She came to Shetland to work as a nanny for the four children of Robert and Bella Montcrief who appear emotionally distant from their children. Each of the children play a role in the mystery. Martha is a 17-year old rebellious teen and Charles, dad’s favourite, is 16. The younger two have occasional appearances in the narrative. Helena and Daniel Fleming are friends of the Montcriefs. Bella Montcrief handles public relations for Helena’s designs. Daniel, is an architect who struggles with depression. Their older son, Christopher has an autistic disorder. He has an interest in CSI and plays a prominent role in identifying the murderer of Emma. Emma’s startling death is linked

Cold Earth by Ann Cleeves -- a review

  Cold Earth    Shetland Series Book 7 by Ann Cleeves Magnus Tait, the intellectually challenged man encountered in a previous novel ( Raven Black ),has died. There's a burial for Magnus. Then it pours with rain, which produces a horrible and destructive mudslide. A croft house is damaged. The gloomy scene is a setup for murder.  The Shetlanders thought the croft was uninhabited but the storm exposes the body of a mysterious dark-haired woman in a red silk dress. She's been murdered. Willow Reeves and Jimmy Perez work together to solve the mystery, which has the slow twists common to Cleeves' writing style. In the background, the Willow-Jimmy romance limps along. And Sandy Wilson continues to mature. I continue to appreciate Cleeve's ability to portray rich characters on the Shetland Islands and simultaneously weave a complex story. I'm a fan of her style but those who prefer a more action-packed American style mystery may find it too slow. If you like the series,

Thin Air by Ann Cleeves -- a review

  Thin Air    Shetland Series Book 6 by Ann Cleeves Three English women are uni friends. Two (Eleanor and Polly) bring their partners (Ian, Marcus) to join the newlywed couple, Caroline and Lowrie for a celebration on the northern Isle of Unst. Lowrie is a Shetlander and the wedding celebration is a hamefarin' -- a homecoming.  Lowrie's parents, George and Grusche, live nearby and feature in the story. The beautiful Eleanor, intrigued by a century old ghost story, disappears. Her body is found in a small loch.  DI Willow Reeves and DI Jimmy Perez along with Serjeant Sandy Wilson investigate the English visitors and nearby islanders while staying at a nearby hotel run by David and his partner Charles. The pathologist is Dr. James Grieve from Aberdeen. I have a paperback version as part of a box set and recommend this volume to those who enjoy slow and thoughtful styles of British crime mysteries and appreciate learning new words that add to the texture of Shetland culture.