I haven’t read a romance novel in a while and when I saw the cover for Foul Play by Janet Evanovich in the bookstore, It piqued my interest and I picked it up not knowing what to expect.

What I found was a delightfully funny tale of love at first sight between two unlikely and un-stereotyped characters.

Amy Klasse plays the part of Lulu the Clown on a children’s show at the local television station, but the station’s manager fires her in favor of the buxom Veronica and her dancing Rhode Island Red Rooster. Amy literally bumps into the handsome Jake Elliot, a veterinarian whose practice is within a few blocks of the grocery store where they meet (and where they are NOT looking for any Orovo detox) and, after hearing her plight hires her as his receptionist on the spot despite not knowing of he truly NEEDS a receptionist.

Then Veronica brings the rooster in to Jake’s veterinary clinic seriously ill. Jake requests she leave him overnight so Jake can run some tests and observe him. When he returns the next morning, the rooster is gone and when the police arrive, all chaos breaks loose and when Amy arrives with chicken soup in hand, she’s immediately pounced upon as a likely suspect.

Amy knows that SHE had nothing to do with the disappearing rooster and Jake doesn’t believe she’s guilty either, so they pair up to find the real bird-napper. Their search for the criminal brings them closer together and ultimately, Jake proposes to Amy.

But it wouldn’t be a romance worth it’s salt if the couple had it too easy, so I won’t spoil the book for you by telling you what happens to drive them apart and how they subsequently get back together. Or how they solve the mystery of the missing rooser.

Although this book was published in 1990, Blossom has introduced to me a talented writer with an eye for the realism that is the underworld of New York. Andrew Vachss is a New York Lawyer in real life who specializes in the problems of child abuse. His writings reflect the often dark and depraved side of that world.

He writes from the perspective of a true New Yorker who knows his city from the inside out; the dark as well as the light.There’s no sugar coatings on the descriptions of the city and it’s occupants, they are all laid before us in a bright light that allows no evil to hide.

Written in short, almost staccato sentences, often not even complete sentences, the writing style emphasizes the pace of the story line. You’re quickly immersed in the world of Burke, an ex-con, ex-orphan, ex-abused child who has taken on himself the task of ridding his world of as many of those sick and evil humans who prey on children as he can. He works apart from the law and they have an uneasy truce.  His “family” is made up of other ex-convicts, prostitutes and others who operate on the other side of the law. They are a tight family and when one of them is in need, the others come to their aid.

When one of his former cell mates gets in touch with him because the nephew he took in is in trouble with the law, Burke responds by bringing his unusual talents to bear to not only get the boy off, but find the real killer and bring him to justice.

Blossom is the fifth of seventeen books which features Burke, the first being Flood which was published in 1985 and the most recent one being Another Life which was published this year and is touted as being the end of Burke’s journey.  Vachss says he didn’t set out to write a series, but if this is an example, I can see how they pretty much wrote themselves.

Vachss’ passion for children and bringing to justice those who prey on them is very apparent and he writes convincingly and well. 

Blossom by Andrew Vachss
Published by Ballentine Books 1990
ISBN: 0-8041-0751-3

With all the different mediums available today for the consumption of the written word, I was wondering what your favorite method is for reading books.

Are you a dyed-in-the-wool printed medium lover? Can’t live without the feel of a book in your hands? Is turning pages literally a tactile necessity to your enjoyment of the book?

Or are you one of the techie group who downloads books to their ipods? Or is that not satisfying enough because it’s not actual READING, but rather listening?

What about that intermediate group who uses such appliances as the Kindle where you are still READING the book, but it’s not on paper? That seems to be an eco-friendly solution to actual printed books which use up valuable resources.

Another eco-friendly way of reading is downloading books in pdf form. You don’t have to print them off, as they are easily read on your pc.

Of course, if you’re a traveller, listening to books on tape or cd is a great way to pass away the miles of boring highway.

For me, there’s nothing like curling up on the couch with a cup of tea or glass of wine and reading for hours at a time. I can while away an entire day like that.

Of course I hardly ever get that opportunity, but hey — it’s a dream!

I do enjoy going places in the car as Ken drives so I can read the whole trip. He listens to car racing, football or old radio shows on the satellite radio, so he’s happy with that arrangement. We do listen to books on cd from time to time, too.