#Alex Lockerby

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Gary Symms was a mountain of a man, six feet tall and two hundred and twenty pounds of solid muscle.

Capital Murder

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Just started reading Dan Willis's Arcane Casebook series, starring a working class P.I./Runewright who ekes out a living writing runes to find lost objects, restore clothes,...

(First book in the series free upon subscribing to the author's newletter)

You know what fantasy writing needs? Working class wizards.

A crew of enchanters maintaining the perpetual flames that run the turbines that generate electricity, covered in ash and grime and stinking of hot chilies and rare mushrooms used for the enchantments

A wizard specializing in construction, casting feather fall on every worker, and enchanting every hammer to drive nails in straight, animating the living clay that makes up the core of the crane

An elderly wizard and her apprentice who transmute fragile broken objects. From furniture, to rotten wood beams, to delicate jewelry

A battle magician, trained with only a few rudimentary spells to solve a shortage of trained wizards on the front who uses his healing spells to help folks around town

Wizarding shops where cheery little mages enchant wooden blocks to be hammered into the sides of homes. Hammer this into the attic and it will scare off termites, toss this in the fire and clean your chimney, throw this in the air and all dust in the room gets sucked up

Wizard loggers who transmute cut trees into solid, square beams, reducing waste, and casting spells to speed up regrowth. The forest, they know, will not be too harsh on them if the lost tree’s children may grow in its place

Wizard farmers who grow their crops in arcane sigils to increase yield, or produce healthier fruit

Factory wizards who control a dozen little constructs that keep machines cleaned and operational, who cast armor to protect the hands of workers, and who, when the factory strikes for better wages, freeze the machines in place to ensure their bosses can’t bring anyone new in.

Anyway, think about it.

[spellsword177]

Book Recommendation: Arcane Casebook Series by Dan Willis

In an alternate 1930’s New York there are three known types of magic. The wonderous spells of sorcerers, the amazing concoctions of alchemists, and the intricate designs by runewrights. Runewright Detective Alex Lockerby uses his talents to solve crimes, expose murderers, end conspiracies concocted by secret organizations, and stopping spy rings all while wooing bombshell sorceress Sorcha Kinkade. Along the way, Alex meets famous historical figures like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Paschal Beverly Randolph; takes on versions of legendary figures such as Heckyll/Jekyll/Hyde, the mummy, Jack the Ripper/Dracula, and the wolfman; and encounters everything from blood magic and Legion to Nazis and the Mafia. Written by Dan Willis, this series has proven to be an exceedingly entertaining mix of the Harry Potter Series with The Maltese Falcon, Indiana Jones, and the magic lore of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. What follows is my personal ranking of each current book in the series excluding the prequel Dead Letter as of July 2021. The dates are rough estimates based on statements in the books. If you haven’t previously read this series, I highly recommend it. You know within reason all hell is about to break loose with WWII around the corner.

Unranked:

Book 0: Dead Letter (2018) – Set in April 1930 (though it sometimes fits better with the rest of the series in 1927), see how Alex Lockerby came to know his secretary Leslie Tomkins, Japanese-American policeman Danny Pak as he runs across a deceased John Doe who possessed clothing way too expensive for the homeless. Why is the NYPD so determined not to investigate and what does it have to do with a woman who died twenty years ago? This one served as nice establishing novel, but is shorter than the rest of the series while free is only available digitally.

Ranked:

7. Book 2: Ghost of a Chance (2019) – In a steamy August 1934, Alex takes on a series of locked-room murders committed by a figure the police have labeled “The Ghost.” Can Alex find the culprit and what ties each victim together? Will he find sorcerer Andrew Barton’s (this world’s version of Howard Hughes) prototype engine? Each book is great, but this one appeals to me the least.

6. Book 3: The Long Chain (2019) – A dense, seemingly unnatural fog as descended on New York in October 1935, and Sorcha wants Alex to solve the case. What does it all have to do with a recently found Nobel-Prize winning Chemist with a case of amnesia? Will Alex be able to find a missing alchemist for his friend, Dr. Killian? I found the inclusion of science to be an interesting addition and the twist ending of the missing alchemists to be thrilling.

5. Book 5: Limelight (2020) – May 1937, a mysterious new drug has appeared on the streets of New York granting users extraordinary and previously thought impossible abilities such as a blast rune used in a string of bank robberies plaguing Manhattan. Will Alex Lockerby find the culprits before it’s too late? In the meantime, can he help Danny find out what happened to a dead mystery writer looking into Broadway’s most famous murder from fifteen years ago? I happened to run into an advertisement for this book which got me interested in the series in the first place.

4. Book 1: In Plain Sight (2018) – The first book in the series introduces us to Alex Lockerby in September 1933 as his brought by Sorcha Kinkaid into the search for a legendary runebook called the Archimedean Monograph. Will Alex find the legendary book or vanish under mysterious circumstances like so many before him? Meanwhile, can Alex stop a magical plague from being unleashed on New York like it was at a local soup kitchen. This was a brilliant introduction to the series, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

3. Book 4: Mind Games (2020) – It’s time again for the Mayoral Elections in October 1936, people are strangely committing or attempting to commit murders of people they don’t know, larger portions of the homeless population are missing, and runewrights are being driven out business by cheap, mass produced runebooks. Can Alex get to the bottom of this mystery before it’s too late? Has a wayward heiress also been affected? Yes, in the real world the election was in 1937, but it wasn’t too hard to accept the slight adjustment in time. I enjoyed the drama as this book plaid out and appreciated the long-term rising tensions.

2. Book 7: Capital Murder (2021) – For the first time, Alex Lockerby is brought out of New York to Washington, DC in December 1937 by Andrew Barton to help consider expanding Barton’s electric grid to city. While there is roped into investigating the death of US Senator Paul Young, by the late senator’s wife. Can he solve the murder when DC Police and the FBI are largely uninterested? Why did someone break into the Smithsonian to steal a seemingly worthless artifact and maul a guard to death? Where is Lucky Tony’s nephew? I loved the callbacks in this book and the exposure to new and, in some cases, unexpected locations.

1. Book 6: Blood Relation (2020) – Young, female prostitutes have been found dead, exsanguinated, and surrounded by strange symbols that deteriorate the crime scene at alarming rates in September 1937. Will Alex Lockerby be able stop this madman before the ritual is complete? Can Alex find the connection between a dead woman who worked with government secrets and seemingly unconnected variety of thefts at local warehouses by a gang of expert thieves? Looking back, this one is easily my favorite of the series and I look forward to seeing the story continue to unravel in coming books.

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Alex salmond was found not guilty of 12 counts, and not proven of 1, with one count being withdrawn, if you have read the court reports or watched the trial, can you please share your thoughts?

I don’t  normally respond to anonymous questions but...

The charge which was found Not Proven was one of the two most serious - rape related - charges.  I expected a guilty on it.  He was acquitted on this most serious charge; but the jury decided that way not because he wasn’t guilty (they could have said that - they didn’t) but because the Crown didn’t do enough to prove the case.  I find that outcome achingly disappointing. But I was not a juror, so… From the reports I have read, I was amazed at Jackson QC’s defence closing.  Various hints that the entire trial was some kind of a conspiracy or a stitch up.  Why that was permitted by the judge confuses (and annoys) me.  The exact same facts and circumstances, but involving a different accused individual, would have resulted in his conviction, of that I’m sure.

No one else would be given the benefit of the doubt as their jury were allowed to hear/consider political theories (of a “stink” of conspiracy) as opposed to simply accepting the women’s testimony and being directed as to the state of the law.

I’m glad his trial was in the middle of the pandemic - at least it limits his ability to ‘victory lap’ the length and breadth of Scotland.

As to the broader impact of the trial.  We have all seen him behave as a sleaze bag - and a bully - with women.  We have heard his sexism, his lewd comments, his ‘noises’... Hell even his lawyer wished he was a better person - especially when it comes to his treatment of women.

We have also heard Sturgeon defend him.  We also know she allowed private un-minuted meetings with him after the allegation mountain got too big to hide.  We also now know the Scottish Civil Service - despite being overly stuffed with his fawning fans - had to institute procedures to keep him away from women.

He is unfit for public office, period.  The fact that his cohorts are already now demanding people’s heads (one does not know if they mean other (disloyal) SNatsis or if they mean victims and those who sought to protect them) says that his malign influence is already bubbling back to full boil.

This is a former SNP Justice Secretary - the one who released the Lockerbie bomber - here being “delighted” for a man SO vile the civil service had to introduce rules to keep him away from women…

Delete your account MacAssLick…!

I can only hope the victims all sue in civil court and take every penny the greedy, sleazy, sexist bullying bigot has been able to amass from the public purse and the cult.

THAT might finally feel like justice. 

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LOCKERBIE DOCTOR'S DEATH "NOT SUSPICIOUS"

LOCKERBIE DOCTOR’S DEATH “NOT SUSPICIOUS”

25th SEPT 2018

Police confirmed tonight that the body of a man found in a wooded area seven miles west of Dumfries is that of a missing doctor.

Dr George Porteous, also known as Alex, left his Lockerbie medical practice a week ago and hadn’t been seen despite a huge land, loch and woodland search for the 51-year-old GP.

His car was found two days later at Beeswing Village, 20 miles from…

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Today I’m taking in part in This Week in Books, which was started by Lipsyy Lost and Found! If you want to join in you just need to share what you’re reading now, what you’ve read over the last week, and what you hope to read next.

Now

The Suspect by Fiona Barton

I’m really gripped by this book, it’s my favourite Fiona Barton novel to date! I was engrossed in it most of yesterday afternoon and can’t wait to get back to it.

Only Child by Rhiannon Navin

I had a break from this novel for most of this week but I’m back reading it again now and hope to finish it soon. It’s a good read but I find the child’s voice and perspective a little too much at times.

Trauma: From Lockerbie to 7/7: How Trauma Affects Our Minds And How We Fight Back by Gordon Turnbull

I’ve read a couple more chapters of this over the last week and am still finding it fascinating. It’s a brilliant book.

  Then

The Language of Kindness by Christie Watson

I bought this as an audio book recently and listened to it over the last couple of days. It was an interesting book and gave an insight into different aspects of nursing. I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would but I would still recommend it.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

This book was brilliant, it’s a perfect psychological thriller and I literally read it from cover to cover in one sitting! I’ve already reviewed this so if you’d like to know more you can read my thoughts here.

Into the Silent Sea by Claire Stibbe

I found this novel so gripping! It took me a couple of chapters to find my feet with it and then it became really hard to put down. I’ll be reviewing this one next week on my blog so keep an eye out for that soon.

Storyteller: The Authorised Biography of Roald Dahl by Donald Sturrock

I listened to this on audio book over the last week or so and really enjoyed it. It was so interesting to learn more about Roald Dahl and it’s made me want to go back and re-read all my childhood favourites by him, followed by his adult fiction that I’ve never read.

The Party by Lisa Hall

This was a quick and enjoyable enough read.

Ideal Angels by Robert Welbourn

This book is incredible! I’m going to be reviewing it on here tomorrow and am still tweaking my review because I loved it so much that I’m struggling to get my thoughts in order on the screen.

The Second Sister by Claire Kendall

This is the first novel I’ve read by Claire Kendall and I really enjoyed it. It wasn’t what I was expecting it to be but it kept me hooked all the way through. I’ve got The Book of You on my TBR so plan on trying to get to that soon.

The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton

I had this book on my TBR since March 2018 but I finally picked it up in the last week and I read it in one go! It was such a good read, and I loved it. I’ve already reviewed this book so you can read my full review here if you’d like to know more.

  Next

The Six Loves of Billy Binns by Richard Lumsden

I’m going to be on the blog tour for this in a couple of weeks time so I’m planning to read this in the coming week. I think this could be an emotional read for me but I’m looking forward to reading it all the same.

Need to Know by Karen Cleveland

This is an ARC that I’ve had on my TBR for quite a while so I want to try and read this in the next few days if I can. I’m really keen to get to it.

Tilly and the Bookwanderers: Pages and Co. #1 by Anna James

I got this for Christmas and have been saving it to read this week as I knew I’d want a comforting, easy read in the next few days. I feel sure this will be that book.

Matilda by Roald Dahl

This is a book I’ve always loved but I haven’t re-read it in a really long time so I think this week might be a nice time for me to pick it up again.

  What have you been reading this week? I’d love to hear. And if you take part in This Week in Books or WWW Wednesday please feel free to leave your link below and I’ll make sure to visit and comment on your post. 🙂

This Week in Books (16 Jan 2019)! What are you reading? Today I’m taking in part in This Week in Books, which was started by Lipsyy Lost and Found…

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BEST OF ICELAND | Ambient, Experimental, Post-rock Mix

Features Sigur Rós, Rökkurró, Parachutes, Stafrænn Hákon, Múm, amiina, Jónsi & Alex, Lockerbie and For a Minor Reflection

All tracks are among our favorites and highly recommended. If you like what you hear, please support the artists in any way. Stream, purchase and social links of the featured bands are available in the video description

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Book Review: In Plain Sight

Title: In Plain Sight (Arcane Casebook 1) Publisher/Author: Dan Willis Pages: 272pp Price: $14.99/$4.99

New York City. The Great Depression. Alex Lockerby is a private investigator and a runewright. Orphaned at a young age, he was trained by Dr. Ignatius Bell, a British naval physician and runewright who emigrated to the United States after the Great War. Alex is a skilled detective, but making a go of it during the Depression is tough. Most of his work comes from the police, who reluctantly call him in as a consultant -- as happens when a magical plague kills everyone at a Catholic mission and thieves make off with a shipment of precious jewels. Alex' life gets even more complicated when the FBI and Sorcha Kincaid (one of the most powerful sorceresses in the country) appear in his office, demanding that he stay out of their way as they hunt for the long-lost Archimedean Monograph. And did I mention the missing runewrights? And the Nazi saboteurs who are planning something nefarious?

Read more...