Author: JWF

Tidy Tidbits: Women in Crime & Chemistry

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FEMALE CRIME FIGHTERS

International Women’s Day was this week on March 8th. It seems appropriate, therefore, to focus on women in this post. In the olden days, TV detectives and police officers were pretty much always white men. It’s gratifying and fun to see women—brown, white, Indian, and Irish—as the lead characters in recent crime series. Here are three series, all of which happen to be set outside the U.S., where women are in charge or at least trying to be.

Murders in Birmingham

DI Ray (Prime Video)

Richita Ray & colleague Tony (SBS Movies)

DI Richita Ray is a newly promoted homicide detective tasked to work on a case that is culturally sensitive. Feeling that she is a token hire based on her ethnicity, she faces obstacles from her higher ups as she leads her team in investigating the death of an Asian businessman.  Ray is organized and quick-witted and the episodes are full of action.  She’s also engaged to a white man, also a police detective.  Her relationship with him provides both support and then challenges.  There are four episodes in Season 1, all revolving around the initial case.  I’d call it good viewing, but not exceptional.

Drugs & Terrorists in Ireland

Hidden Assets (Prime Video)

Detectives Emer & Christian (SBS)

Set in western Ireland and Antwerp, Hidden Assets, is a suspenseful series about drugs, diamonds, and international terrorism.  Detective Sergeant Emer Berry and her counterpart in Antwerp, Christian De Jong, work together to solve the murder of an illegal immigrant and to prevent a suspected bombing, both related to a wealthy Irish family.  Tightly written, this may keep you on the edge of your seat.  Recommended!

Crime in Victorian London

Miss Scarlet & the Duke (PBS Masterpiece) 3 seasons

Eliza facing off against William (salon.com)

I’m late to the game of Miss Scarlet …and have just started watching Season 1.  Headstrong and willing to take risks, Eliza Scarlet was always her private detective father’s apt pupil.  When he dies, she defies convention and tries to make it on her own as his successor.  It’s a struggle and she frequently buts heads with Scotland Yard Inspector William Wellington (the Duke) who has little patience and no real interest in helping her succeed.  How she acquires unexpected financial support and gradually gains the Duke’s respect make for an engaging series thus far.

FUN READING—A REBELLIOUS WOMAN

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Author Garmus (Irish Examiner)

Bonnie Garmus’ comic novel, Lessons in Chemistry, was Barnes & Noble’s book of the year for 2022 and continues to ride high on bestseller lists.  I loved it and found some of it laugh-out-loud funny which is unusual for me.

It’s set mostly in the early 1960’s. Any woman who lived through that period, or anyone who has experienced job discrimination due to her gender, will be able to identify with chemist Elizabeth Zott.  Elizabeth is unconventional and determined.  

A talented scientist, she gets short shrift on lab equipment and space and initially accepts her fate.  Taking beakers from “boy wonder” Calvin Evans’ lab, gets her noticed and they become a couple.  But she rejects his proposal of marriage.  When he dies, she is a single mother and soon out of job.  

Her daughter Madeline is unusual also and when Mad and another girl tangle, Elizabeth receives a TV job offer from the other girl’s father.  Elizabeth becomes the host of the cooking show, Supper at Six.  Elizabeth’s straight talk and excessive candor horrify the producers, but over time she wins over her audience as she treats them as capable women.  The novel is a fun tour de force that gallops across the pages with witty twists and intriguing turns and a distinctive cast of characters. Highly recommended! (~JWFarrington)  

Note: Header photo showcases International Women’s Day and is courtesy of Diario AS.

Tidy Tidbits: Watching & Eating

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PURE ENTERTAINMENT

The Three Musketeers

Sword play (Herald Tribune)

We had almost front row seats for the Asolo Theatre’s action-packed performance of Ken Ludwig’s The Three Musketeers.  The early 17th century was the era of duels and only the slightest of slights could result in being called out.  Thus, there’s plenty of slashing and smashing of swords, leaping, and jumping about, and even the occasional fisticuffs.  This adaptation of Alexander Dumas’ work re-envisions and strengthens the role of women, especially Sabine.  This Sabine, D’Artagnan’s sister, is herself an accomplished swordswoman and won’t surrender to just attending a convent school.  She’s in there with the guys.  

King Louis is ineffectual, his queen is clever, and arch enemy Cardinal Richelieu is conniving, while the musketeers, along with the exuberant D’Artagnan, are ever ready to defend and serve.  It’s rollicking, fun, and even funny! Performances run through March 26.

MURDER IN THE AGE OF FREUD

Vienna Blood (Prime Video, 3 seasons)

Max & Oskar (Endor-Productions)

In 1906, the work of Sigmund Freud was the subject of debate and controversy in the Viennese medical world.  Young doctor Max Lieberman, a disciple of Freud, applies his theories and analyses to his patients and then to coming up with psychological profiles of murder suspects.  Shadowing a very reluctant detective Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt, Max’s insights help solve a case, and the two become “partners in crime.”  The murder scenes are graphic and even gruesome, and the crimes often revolve around religion, art, or the occult.  

Over the course of three seasons, the relationship between Max and Oskar evolves from strictly professional to comrades to a genuine friendship.  The title refers not only to the victims’ blood, but also to Viennese high society.  Great attention is paid to, and great concern is evinced about one’s standing and one’s reputation in the community.  

It took me a few episodes in Season 1 to become immersed in the series, but once I did, the Chief Penguin and I made it our focused viewing every evening.  I also enjoyed seeing the evolution of Clara Weiss, Max’s former fiancée, from society belle to emerging career woman.  Recommended!

DINING OUT—STEAK & MORE

Modern Chop

Interior (Restaurant Guru)

Modern Chop is a welcome addition to the west Bradenton dining scene.  Located close to Blake Hospital, it bills itself as a steakhouse, but it’s much more.  Yes, several cuts of beef are on offer, but also seafood, pasta, and vegetarian dishes.  

Short rib entree

The bar area was lively with lights and sound when we entered, initially giving me pause, but the hostess then led us to a slightly removed space with nicely spaced tables, large comfortable chairs, and quiet.

Our waiter was pleasant, and our foursome enjoyed everything we ordered.  We shared an appetizer of fried calamari which was excellent, and then individually we sampled the impressive short rib with truffled potatoes and carrots, almond crusted rainbow trout with Béarnaise sauce, and bucatini with chicken in a gorgonzola sauce.  It was an experience well worth repeating!

Rainbow trout with risotto and asparagus

Note: Header photo of Manatee County Map courtesy of whereig.com. Unattributed photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)

Tidy Tidbits: Biography, Mystery, & Memoir

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INTIMATE PORTRAIT

The Chancellor by Kati Marton

Kati Marton (The Guardian)

Members of my local book group enjoyed reading Marton’s portrayal of Angela Merkel.  It’s an accessible biography of an intensely private woman in a prominent public position.  It isn’t a comprehensive biography and does not provide detailed analysis of some of Merkel’s questionable decisions and actions.  And the author is perhaps too admiring.  

But it’s an amazing story of how Merkel, raised in then East Germany under the repressive Soviet system, was smart, determined, and motivated, and able to go beyond the constraints of her upbringing to serve Germany as chancellor for 16 years.  

Marton’s style is engaging. I particularly enjoyed the later chapters about Merkel’s genuine friendships with the younger George Bush and Barack Obama and her tussles with Trump.  In occasional footnotes, Marton comments on her own experiences.  Originally from Hungary, Marton was a news correspondent and married to diplomat Richard Holbrooke, giving her some closeness to international leaders and events. Some reviewers found her personal comments annoying or inappropriate, but I did not. Recommended!  (~JWFarrington)

SEEING THE UNSEEN

Exiles by Jane Harper

Jane Harper (Geelong Advertiser)

Exiles by Jane Harper is a fascinating crime novel built around a close-knit family full of revels and rivalries.  Friend and financial detective Aaron Falk returns to the Marralee Valley in South Australia for a christening. It’s a year after the disappearance of a mother, Kim Gillespie, whose baby is left in a stroller on festival grounds.  Friends and relatives have been interviewed and their recent interactions with Kim parsed, but there has been no answer to what happened to her or where she might be.  An older unsolved crime in the same area is reexamined for possible linkages to Kim.  

Like Harper’s other novels, the behavior of family and friends and their motivations are the primary focus.  Teenager Joel, whose father was killed in a hit and run accident, is convincingly cast. Falk is a likable guy, and his personal life gets some satisfying attention here.  I found myself pondering these characters and events anew after I finished reading.  Highly recommended!  (~JWFarrington)

ADDICTION AND PRISON

Corrections in Ink by Keri Blakinger

Keri Blakinger (by Ilana Panich-Linsman)

The title of this book and the fact that it is a memoir caught my eye while browsing in my favorite bookstore.  I had not read anything about it, nor did I know the author.  Reading the flyleaf and seeing Ithaca and Cornell mentioned further piqued my interest. I worked in Ithaca two summers during college, one on the Cornell campus.  

In dated chapters alternating between her years in prison (2010-2012) and years before and after, Keri Blakinger shares in painstaking detail her drive for perfection in schoolwork and competitive figure skating and her descent into heroin addiction.  In 2010, nearing completion of her degree at Cornell, she is arrested with a large wad of heroin on her.  

She describes the cruelty, pettiness, and nastiness of life in a county jail, what it means to be transferred to another county jail and why, and how time in a state prison is different in yet another way.  Throughout, there is a loss of personhood that comes with being in the penal system.  For Keri, who had hit rock bottom in terms of self-esteem, it took a long time after becoming clean and sober to realize that she did have something to contribute and had had an easier time than less privileged Black inmates.  It was a long journey to becoming the accomplished and recognized journalist she is today.  

This is not an easy book to read; at points the prison scenes are painful and unending, and one wonders both why she made some of her earlier poor choices and if she will ever be able to turn herself around.  It is a graphic account: candid, reflective, and wonderfully written.  (~JWFarrington)

Tidy Tidbits: Local Color

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NATURE AND ART

Perico Preserve, one of several in Manatee County

Robinson Preserve

Manatee County is blessed with a collection of nature preserves, several fairly close by. We returned to Robinson Preserve twice in the past two weeks with my visiting sisters and brothers-in-law. It’s a great place for a winding walk up, down, and around several bodies of water. Each time we were rewarded with bird sightings, particularly a large group of white pelicans.  With binoculars in hand, our guests were also able to spot the occasional songbird, along with here and there a little blue heron.   

Art Show

This past weekend was our local art show.  Residents were invited to register to display their creative work.  The range of pieces from more than twenty individuals included paintings, jewelry, photography, quilts and needlepoint, ceramics, baskets, and even fused glass art.  Not surprisingly, there were many bird photographs, both of local tropical birds and songbirds.  For the record, the Chief Penguin and I each had several of our photos on display too. It was a most enjoyable afternoon event showcasing local talent.

DINING AROUND

Mean Dean’s Local Kitchen

We’d been told many of our neighbors had already discovered this newish Bradenton restaurant, but we just had our first meal with friends.  It was a weeknight, but still very much a happening place!  Mean Dean’s has a large space with bar seating and lots of booths.  Fortunately, we had a reservation and were seated right away.  

The menu is extensive with everything from spinach dip and fried calamari to soups, salads, and tacos to a variety of meat and seafood entrees.  Think comfort food.  Among the four of us, we sampled the shrimp and grits, lobster lasagna, fish and chips, and the short rib over a Thai peanut sauce.  The lasagna and the short rib were probably the standouts.  

Shrimp and grits

Portions are generous, and everything was tasty!  The noise level is boisterous so don’t expect a romantic interlude.  We will return, perhaps after the snowbirds depart.

WHAT I’M READING

Jane Harper’s latest mystery, Exiles, is off to a promising start and is a welcome change of pace from my last long book.  Set in Australia, it again features Aaron Falk, a financial detective.  I’ve read all of Harper’s previous books and am a big fan of hers.

Outside Bookstore 1 Sarasota

Footnote: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved)