Coming Soon! The Book Club Murders!

 

New Murder Mystery!

I am very excited about my 

latest book The Book
Club Murders. Due out soon!                                         

                                                                                         

                                          

Robert E. Howard

When I was a young man, the first author I read and collected was Robert E. Howard (1906-1936), a pulp fiction writer from Texas. Some of those reading this will know that Howard is known for his sword and sorcery stories and is the creator of Kull, Solomon Kane, and his most famous character, Conan the barbarian. 

Over twenty years ago I got rid of many of my old Howard paperback books, most of which I bought in the 1970s. Letting the books go was like letting go of my youth, and I never thought I would want to read these stories again. Only recently my interest in Howard’s writing has rekindled and I have purchased a collection of his work, some of which are displayed on this page. Surprisingly, I found that the writing holds up and is as enjoyable today as when I was a young man.   

What is the appeal of Howard’s writing? I have given it some thought, and this is what I have come up with.

I believe that Howard’s work appealed to me in my youth because it conveyed much of what is important to young men, such as adventure. All young men crave adventure. They dream about it and some set off and seek it. If some cannot set out on their own adventure, they may be content to read about it. Howard’s writing, particularly his Conan, Kull, and Solomon Kane stories are packed with adventure in which the hero fights for his life against evil. This makes the protagonist a hero, especially if he also is fighting to save the lives of others. This is what young men should aspire to be; a hero fighting for others against dark forces. 

The stories are action-packed and fast-paced. Many themes are dark, and huge expanses of time are conjured up. Most of Howard’s characters have lives that reflect individual freedom. They are wanderers, freebooters, and adventurers, and are not tied to home or a family. 

All of Howard’s characters are strong, masculine characters. They are physically strong and strong in their convictions. They have their own set of morals and ethics and their own sense of honor. A common theme in Howard’s stories is the damsel in distress being rescued by the brave knight-like male. This theme dates back to ancient Greece and is most exemplified in the St. George and the Dragon legend.

In some stories, the author often criticizes or points out the hypocrisy of civilized society and that way of life. In the story, Beyond the Black River, Howard wrote, “Barbarism is the natural state of mankind," the borderer said, still staring somberly at the Cimmerian. "Civilization is unnatural. It is a whim of circumstance. And barbarism must always ultimately triumph.”

All these aspects appeal to men, especially young men. And even though we become more civilized as we grow older, these are the ideas and ideals that start a boy on the road to manhood. 

No one can deny Howard’s writing is filled with furious, primal energy to stir raw emotions, such as this passage from The Valley of the Worm.
I cannot paint the madness, the reek of sweat and blood, the panting, muscle-straining effort, the splintering of bones under mighty blows, the rending and hewing of quivering sentient flesh; above all the merciless abysmal savagery of the whole affair, in which there was neither rule nor orde, each man fighting as he would or could. If I might do so, you would recoil in horror; even modern I, cognizant of my close kinship with those times, stand aghast as I review that butchery.   

I would also like to note that Conan, Kull, and Solomon Kane, were all godly men, whether they acknowledged Crom, Valka, or God Almighty. One of my favorite quotes from Solomon Kane is in Moon of Skulls.

"Marylin," said Kane gently, stroking her curly hair, "methinks you lack somewhat in faith, both in Providence and in me. Nay, alone I am a weak creature, having no strength or might in me; yet in times past hath God made me a great vessel of wrath and a sword of deliverance. And, I trust, shall do so again.”

 

Now, in my mid-sixties, I am reading these stories again, only to find that Howard’s writing can inspire not only young men but mature men as well. These stories remind me of my youth, and in an age when masculinity is under attack and criticized, these stories remind us what it means to be a man.

Stephen Gaspar’s books can be found on Amazon!

Chinatown

  I love detective stories and detective movies. 

There are far too many to mention. Many of my blog posts have to do with detective stories and movies. Some of my blogs have been about detective stories that I have written.

For this post I would like to talk about one particular detective movie and that is Chinatown (1974). This movie is also a favourite of my son, and many times, whether on the phone, or messaging or when we get together, we often quote lines from the movie.

The film was nominated for eleven Oscars, it won numerous awards, is one of the top ten mystery films, and often makes the list of top movies.

Chinatown is a very stylish film, well written, acted and directed. It is my favourite Jack Nicholson film (he plays Jake Gittes), my favourite Roman Polanski film, and best Robert Towne film for which he won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. 

Nicholson and Towne would team up again for The Two Jakes, which pales by comparison. What was the difference? Roman Polanski's direction. In Chinatown, Polanski has a small, but menacing role as Man with Knife.

John Huston (a great director) plays Noah Cross, one of the greatest cinematic villians who rivaled Shakespeare's bad guys, such as Iago and Richard III.

Noah Cross has two great lines in Chinatown that are pivatal. 

You may think you know what you're dealing with, but believe me you don't.

This is what the District Attorney used to tell Jake in Chinatown. This line is a blueprint of most detective stories. At the beginning of the story, the detective never knows what is going on. 

The other Noah Cross line is:

You see, Mr. Gittes, most people never have to face the fact that at the right time and the right place, they're capable of anything.

This speaks so much to human nature and the prospect of evil in our lives.

John Huston directed Humphrey Bogart in one of the most iconic private detective movies of all time - The Maltese Falcon. 

Chinatown is a great private detective movie, and its ending and final line are perfect. 

Just as a side note, the same year Chinatown was released, Stephen J. Cannel produced The Rockford Files, a great detective TV series. Two years later, Cannel would produce City of Angels, a private detective series that takes place in Los Angeles in the 1930s. The protagonist's name was also Jake. I cannot help but think the show was inspired by Chinatown.

Two years before Chinatown, Robert Forster starred in the TV series Banyon, also about a private detective in 30s LA.   

Stephen Gaspar's books can be found on Amazon! Click here!

The Enchanted Cross Stitch

 I seldom, if ever, post about new books (except my own) but I wanted to mention this one.

The book is The Enchanted Cross Stitch by Christine Holly. My wife is a cross-stitcher, and she likes women's stories, so I thought she would like it. She did. My wife liked it so much that she told me I should read it.

I read the book and I liked it. It was about a women's group of cross-stitchers, but there were a few surprises in it that I never suspected. Here is the blurb from the back of the book. 

Carol Crane loves to cross-stitch. She even belongs to a cross-stitch group in the small town of Bedford, New Hampshire. The group consists of Carol and four other women who get together once a month to talk, bond, and cross-stitch. More than anything, Carol wants to win a first-place ribbon at the next craft fair for the best cross-stitch.

Fate leads Carol to an out-of-the-way craft store in the country where she is given a cross-stitch kit guaranteed to get her a blue ribbon. It soon becomes evident to Carol that as she works on her cross-stitch, she opens a portal to another world that reflects the Gilded Age. With her world falling apart (a recent divorce, having to sell her home, and secretly causing an accident that puts a friend in the hospital) living a life in another world is starting to look pretty good to Carol. But could this enchanted cross-stitch be more than she bargained for?   

Christine Holly is a new independent writer and this is her first book. I wish her luck. 

The Enchanted Cross Stitch by Christine Holly can be found on Amazon!

Stephen Gaspar's books can be found on Amazon.

The Thames Torso Murders

 The Thames Torso Murders is one of the many adventures of Sherlock Holmes in my latest book, Holmes of Baker Street. In it, there is a character mentioned in one of the original stories by ACD. The story also has grisly elements (if you are into that sort of thing).

Here is the opening to The Thames Torso Murders.

In recalling the numerous individuals I have encountered in the cases I have shared with my friend Sherlock Holmes, there have been some whose very appearance has betrayed their baleful intent. 
    Readers of my memoirs may remember Dr. Grimesby Roylott whom I described as having a large face seared with a thousand wrinkles, burned yellow with the sun, and marked with every evil passion. He possessed deep-set, bile-shot eyes, and a high thin fleshless nose. Dr. Roylott succeeded in killing one of his stepdaughters and almost succeeded in murdering the other.
    Then there was the statue-smashing Beppo, who was absolutely simian in appearance and knifed a man on the street. 
    Who could forget the master blackmailer Charles Augustus Milverton whom Sherlock Holmes described as a slithering venomous serpent, with deadly eyes and a wicked face?
    Only after his crime was uncovered did Josiah Amberley’s true features reveal themselves. If I recall, I compared him to a misshapen demon with a soul as distorted as his body.
     Culverton Smith who killed Victor Savage and attempted to murder my friend Sherlock Holmes looked every inch the villain he was with a great yellow face, coarse-grained and greasy, with a heavy double-chin, and two sullen, menacing grey eyes.
     Finally, a man whose name will forever live in infamy, the late Professor Moriarty whom Holmes himself described as extremely tall and thin, with deeply set puckered eyes. His pale and ascetic-looking face oscillated from side to side in a curiously reptilian fashion.
    It is not always prudent to judge someone or something from its outward appearance, and so not all the characters we encountered lived up to their looks. Holmes once told me of the most winning woman he ever knew was hanged for poisoning three children for their insurance money.
    In our first encounter with Dr. Moore Agar, both Holmes and I believed he was some nefarious villain, for he looked the part, but of course, we were sorely mistaken.
    The same could be said for the aloof and taciturn Ian Murdoch of whom Holmes described as having some strange outlandish blood that was reflected in his coal-black eyes and in his ferocious temper, but he proved not to be the killer.
    Baron Gruner was a handsome man, with the ability to charm women, but both his good looks and charm hid the heart of an abuser and a murderer. 
    I recall it was in May 1887, when Holmes and I had finished our breakfast, and we heard a peal of the bell. This was followed by the light tread of footsteps on the stairs, a knock at our door, and Mrs. Hudson stepped into the room to announce a young lady was here to consult with Mr. Holmes.
    “What is your impression of the young lady, Mrs. Hudson?” Holmes asked, standing by the mantel, filling his after-breakfast pipe.
    “She appears to be a very fine and well-mannered young lady, Mr. Holmes.”
    “If she meets with your approval, please send the young lady right up, Mrs. Hudson.”
    In another minute, the woman was standing in our sitting room.
    She introduced herself to us as Miss Angela Moore. She struck me as a demur, attractive young woman, who could not have been more than two and twenty. Miss Moore had dark blue eyes, a delicate nose, a small mouth, and a lovely, unblemished porcelain complexion. She was impeccably dressed in a form-fitted, long-waisted purple dress with dark polka dots that displayed a fine figure. The dress had a modest bustle and not one of those fashionable bustles so large you could set a tea tray upon it. 
    I consider myself a particularly good judge of women, and even before getting acquainted with her, I had the strong feeling this young woman was the epitome of innocence that can be found in British womanhood. Her voice was the perfect pitch, not too high or low, and though she spoke softly, her every word carried gently to the ear. As she entered the room and stood before us, it was obvious the young woman was attempting to control some deep distress. 
    “Won’t you take a seat, Miss Moore,” Holmes said, motioning her to the basket chair.
    She sat and folded her hands upon her lap. Her lovely face reflected urgency, but she bore up under it with both a deep-rooted strength and a feminine vulnerability. “I have come to you, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, because I believe you are the only man in London, nay, the only man in all England who can help me, and I am sorely in need of your help.”
    Miss Angela Moore had spoken with sincere conviction. Her pleading was obvious, but not overstated. 
    “I am very willing to lend whatever help you desire, Miss Moore,” said Sherlock Holmes in a reassuring manner. “Pray, tell me your problem.”
    She took in two deep breaths and released them before she began her narrative. 
    “Have either of you gentlemen heard of the terrible, gruesome murders that the press has dubbed ‘The Thames Torso Murders’? Over the past several months, the bodies of both men and women have been found floating in the river. The bodies were discovered… with… without….” Here she brought a handkerchief to her mouth to stifle her anguish.
    “Calm yourself, Miss Moore,” said Holmes soothingly. “There is no reason to continue. I am well versed in the details as the newspapers have related them.” 
    Indeed, both Holmes and I had read with interest the news reports of these murders. The murder victims were found without heads, arms, or legs. The torsos were discovered in and around the Thames, some floating in the water, some at the water’s edge. Two amputated arms and one amputated leg were discovered about the same time; one arm had been buried on a construction site, the other two floating in the Thames. The murders, dating back over a year, were quite gruesome, and I shuddered to think of a fine young woman like Miss Moore even reading about them. She eventually regained her composure. 

All of Stephen Gaspar's Sherlock Holmes books can be found on Amazon!

Sherlock Holmes and The Tired Captain

The Adventure of the Tired Captain is one of many stories referenced in the Sherlock Holmes canon. It is also one of the many stories in my latest book, Holmes of Baker Street. 

Here is the opening to The Adventure of the Tired Captain.  

In July of 1889, I was still settling into the role of being a husband to my bride Mary. Since my mid-thirties I had suspected that I just might remain a bachelor for life, for as Benedict stated in Much Ado About Nothing; ‘When I said I would die a bachelor, I just meant that I didn’t think I’d live  until I got married.’
  Married life was a considerable adjustment, especially for someone who had led a somewhat vagabond lifestyle. On the whole, I liked married life, and now for the first time, I was the master of my own home, which comes with its own obligations and responsibilities. It is a milestone in a man’s life when he begins to think of his legacy, how he plans to mark his life and considers what evidence he will leave behind to prove that he lived and accomplished something worthwhile. 
   Since my marriage, I had seen less of my friend Sherlock Holmes, who now usually contacted me only when a case came his way that he thought might interest me. 
    It was a rainy night in July. My wife and I were enjoying a quiet evening at home. After dinner, we retired to the sitting room as raindrops made pit-pat sounds on the window. I was reading by the lamp between our chairs. My wife was working on her petit point. A peal at the bell caused us to look at one another expectantly. The maid answered the door, I heard a familiar voice, then the sound of steps upon the linoleum. A moment later our maid, Mary Jane, ushered in Sherlock Holmes. We were both surprised and pleased to see him. He, in turn, greeted us warmly. 
   “Won’t you sit down, Mr. Holmes?” my wife offered. “Something to drink perhaps?”
  “No, thank you, Mrs. Watson, I am afraid I cannot stay,” he said with a hint of urgency. He cast me a sidelong glance. “I have a cab waiting.”
    My wife picked up on this immediately. 
   “I understand,” she said. “Well, John, you best put on your galoshes and take an umbrella from the stand.”
    At the door, she tied a cravat about my neck and kissed me goodnight. Holmes and I walked out into the rain and into his waiting cab. In the dim light of a streetlamp, I thought I saw a slight smile touch his lips. 
    “If it isn’t too presumptuous, may I ask where we are going?” I asked my friend.
    “Not at all. We are destined for the docks in the East End.”

All of Stephen Gaspar's books can be found on Amazon!