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New Books In Many Flavors

© Robert Powers

Mystery fans who haven’t sampled the wares of George P. Pelecanos may enjoy his latest novel, Right As Rain (Little, Brown, $24.95). This time around, Pelecanos writes about an ex-cop who launches his own detective agency. The case he tackles concerns a young policeman killed by another cop.

Pelecanos may be the next big thing in mystery fiction, with “Puffy” Combs currently developing a previous novel, King Suckerman, for the big screen. The new book, set in the bad parts of Washington, D.C. should please most avid readers of this genre.

For those of you interested in something different, try Teresa of Avila: The Progress of a Soul, ($12.95 paperback). This biography of a 16th century woman who became a saint won hurrahs from critics in its hardcover edition. The New York Times called it “a marvel of scholarship and wit,” while The Christian Century raved about this “wonderful, well-written and necessary book.” You don’t have to be a scholar of the Roman Catholic Church to enjoy this fascinating tale.

Sometimes we need to challenge ourselves when we sit down to read. The Melancholy of Resistance (New Directions, $25.95) certainly will not only entertain but offer the reader a taste of some of the great writing coming out of Europe today. Laszlo Kfrasznahorkai spent six years in writing this small book. Without pausing for paragraphs, the novel rolls along at an astonishing pace. At no time are you bowled over by the details and the somewhat surreal plot.

The author tells a story which deals with the arrival of a tiny circus in a town in Hungary. The circus says it will display the largest whale in the world. Rumors would have it that the circus has a secret agenda. Hysteria soon rules. The Melancholy of Resistance will keep a willing reader turning pages late into the night.

Just because we’re not familiar with a person is no cause to avoid reading an account of a family. Rare Birds: An American Family (University Press of Kentucky, $25) is Dan Bessie’s account of his family, certainly one of the more colorful collections of folks you’ll encounter.

Bessie, sifting through old records, discovered that his family contains a host of interesting and charming individuals. Bessie’s uncle was one of the country’s leading executives, founding a famed advertising agency. A cousin founded the publishing house of Atheneum Books.

Bessie’s father, Alvah, fought in the Spanish Civil War and later worked as a Hollywood screenwriter. Alvah later was blacklisted as one of the Hollywood Ten.

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