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The Mystery Writer $45.5 It is 1940 and Britain is evacuating its children. Ted Johns, son of the groundskeeper at the manor house in Goonzoyle, finds himself in steerage abroad the SS City of Benares. Also aboard is the heir to Goonzoyle, Jonathan Hicks. When the ship is torpedoed the two boys find themselves thrown together but only one of them survives. In 2003, Jessica Mann researches her new book, the story of the children evacuated from Britain during WWII. In response to her request for information about survivors of the disaster, she is contacted by Ted Johns’ sister. As Jessica digs deeper, she realizes that the events of that fateful night are haunting the present, and when human bones are found in the grounds of Goonzoyle, the past and present collide. |
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The Mystery Writer $9.88 ‘Sparking, sardonic and refreshingly original – a thoroughly accomplished piece’ – Sunday Times1940. The world is at war and the lives of two English boys are about to be changed forever. Jonathan Hicks, heir to the Cornish estate of Goonzoyle, and Ted Johns, son of the estate’s groundskeeper, find themselves floating in an icy Atlantic Ocean, clinging to the wreckage of the doomed SS City of Benares. The ship was carrying British evacuee children to a new home, but as it made its perilous way to the USA it was torpedoed by a German U-boat. Jonathan and Ted have been thrown together in spite of their different backgrounds, but as the chance of rescue ebbs further away, it becomes clear only one can survive. 2001. At her home in Cornwall, bestselling writer Jessica Mann is busy researching her book about the wartime evacuation of children, Out of Harm’s Way, when she is contacted by Connie, Ted Johns’ sister, who has recently bought the derelict manor house at Goonzoyle. Jessica is drawn into playing detective to discover what really happened aboard the SS City of Benares, and why that brief moment in history is the key to present events. Matters take a decidedly sinister turn when human bones are discovered at Goonzoyle, and Jessica is hurled into a race to uncover the secrets that bind the Hicks and Johns families together. |
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Manfred Mann – As Is $27.99 The departure of frontman Paul Jones left Manfred Mann with a large void to fill in the summer of 1966. Not only was Jones a charismatic vocalist, he was also a writer and one of Manfred Mann`s key selling points with the record buying public. The group`s record company, HMV, realised this and hedged their bets by signing Jones for a new solo deal, but dropping the band from its roster.In late 1966 while Jones was enjoying success with his first solo single, "High Time," a new version of Manfred Mann emerged with a cover of Bob Dylan`s "Just Like A Woman" on Fontana. The new line up featured Mike D`Abo as vocalist (previously with A Band Of Angels) and was augmented by Klaus Voorman on bass, with Tom McGuiness switching to lead guitar. Despite the magnitude of this personnel change, the single was a top 10 hit and paved the way for this album, As Is.Released in October 1966, As Is continued the pop sensibilities of their previous album, Mann Made, with the group firmly removed from its original R&B roots. In addition to "Just Like A Woman," highlights included a humorous tribute to a hangover entitled "Morning After The Party" and a slick vibes led rendition of the jazz standard "Autumn Leaves." Like many mid sixties albums, As Is seems to be a collection of songs, rather than a complete entity like Pet Sounds or Sgt. Pepper.In this instance some of the material does appear to be filler, such as the banal "Box Office Draw" and the chaotic "Another Kind Of Music." The general feel of the album shows a band searching for a direction and does not seem as focused or disciplined as the Jones-led R&B material. Nevertheless there is some excellent playing, particularly from drummer Mike Hugg and Manfred Mann himself, whose jazz influenced style helped add a high brow dimension to the group.The album was a top 20 hit in the UK charts and consolidated the group`s reputation, on which they would continue to build over the next three years ~ Rob Flanagan Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved. |
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Ted Berrigan: An Annotated Checklist $2.64 Poet, editor, and publisher of the legendary C Press, Ted Berrigan (1934-1983) was a charismatic presence on the literary scene of New York’s Lower East Side during the ’60s and ’70s. Through anecdotal descriptions, Ted Berrigan: An Annotated Checklist provides a vivid glimpse of one writer’s life as seen through his publications. Illustrated throughout with collaborations between Berrigan and Painter George Schneeman and with an introduction by Lewis Warsh, this book is a must for all with an interest in the literary underground. As contributor Anne Waldman puts it, more imaginative & investigative than a mere checklist. |
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Thomas Mann: The Uses of Tradition $55.78 Based, in part, on close reading of manuscripts and sources at the Zurich Thomas Mann Archive, Reed’s study has long established itself as the standard work in English on Mann’s fiction and thought. In this new edition, Reed adds a chapter on the new documentation that has appeared since the first edition. He details the main currents in Mann scholarship over the last two decades, suggesting how we should now see the writer, the man, and the political figure, and, above all, the complex relationship between the three.brA substantial work of impeccable comprehensive scholarship….Indispensable to anyone doing research on Mann.–emLibrary Journal/embrWe should be most grateful for this carefully researched, well-documented, and usefully indexed work….This is a study which I hope will inspire careful reading of its text and its primary sources.–emModern Language Quarterly/embr |
