Since I live in Reno, I wanted to learn about its history with gambling. Gaming is what they call it here. Bygone names like Blondy‘s Bar, Bank Club and Jelly Blackman illustrate a colorful history with casinos, bars and gamblers. Starting with bingo, clubs went on to roulette, poker, crap tables, wheels and slot machines. A mighty empire for some, fun or heartbreak for others. Today there‘s big name entertainment and great food. Interesting read.

Kinsey Millhone, ace detective, was created by master writer Sue Grafton who is with us no more. Before she left, she pumped out another jewel with Kinsey, once again, kicking ass and taking names. Grafton belongs in that pantheon of great mystery writers like Agatha Christie, Raymond Chandler, Tony Hillerman and J.A. Jance. Kinsey Millhone is every bit as memorable as Miss Marple and Sheriff Joanna Brady.
Now I need a new female sleuth!

A reading dilemma: what book do I read first? Two master writers in their prime.

I‘m reading mysteries this month and picked up this one. Qwill and his vocal Siamese named Koko seem to get into trouble wherever they go. This time they solve a cold murder case in an historical building ready to collapse around them. The story is a fun read and the relationship between man and Cat is very cute.

I have been reading Raymond Chandler. The hard-boiled detective is a model I‘ve been studying as one type of detective. Although dated (Chandler wrote in the 1940s), the plot has a bite and sting that make it relevant and reliable. Philip Marlowe is as world weary as he is bone weary and the guy seems to always be in need of a clean suit and a nap. But he gets the job done with witty dialogue and a couple of drinks (more than a couple).

Just finished Murder on the Last Frontier. The setting and time period were especially interesting, turn of the century in Alaska, so I was interested from the start. Charlotte Brody, a suffragette from Yonkers, gets people irritated with her feisty attitude and curiosity. The murder of a prostitute causes both yawns and concerns from local citizens but I found her character refreshing. A little romance with the local deputy would have been nice.

Old Hollywood. A time when the flicks were just beginning and women were in every aspect of filmmaking: producing, directing, writing, editing and acting. The career of Frances Marion should be as famous as that of DeMille. She was there from the beginning as a writer and artist with silents and talkies. Then the movie business began to make serious money and men became more interested. Women were nudged aside and pushed out. True story.