Tuesday, July 04, 2006

A MORBID TASTE FOR BONES

I have had serial killers on my mind a lot lately. It seems everything I'm reading and watching involve people being offed in all manner of horrible, gross ways.


The title comes from a loverly series of books set in 11th century Shrewsbury by Ellis Peters, who had to go and die a few years ago so no more Brother Cadfael righting wrongs and reuniting loves. *cries.
"I hope I never do anything without due thought - even if the thought sometimes has to shift its feet pretty briskly to keep up with the deed" One Corpse Too Many
For murder mysteries they are of the gentle sort, which may sound strange when talking about death, revenge, lust and frustrations of the heart. But wise Cadfael, ex- soldier, crusader, lover, father and now Benedictine monk, with his herbs, compassion and rare insight to the follies of the human condition lets us all realise that being human is the best we got.
No not every case is happily solved by finding a certian plant that only grows in the certian area thereby unmasking the killer...Rob i'm looking at you...
It is a very cute TV show, starring Derek Jacobi as Cadfael. Who doesn't love Derek ( though watching 'I, Claudius' at a young age WHY was i allowed? only left minor mental scarrring), even though he looks uncannyly like Judy Dench.. go look if you don't believe me.



Amanda put me onto to Kathy Reichs books, she is a real life forsenic athropologist, and her character Dr Temperance Brennan is one to. The books are pretty good, set between Monteral and South Carolina she reconstructs bones to let the dead tell their story, ohh and of course getting chased, shot at and stalked by all manner of bad guys, cause really staying in the lab all day telling the differance between the Innominate and the Metacarpals is bloody boring.
'Bones' is the TV show they made about her. Though the only resemblance to the book is the name and the job. In the show she works in a 'Ponds Institute Lab' at the Jeffersonian, with her crack team- fiesty computer tech girl, socially awkward boy genius, brilliant conspiracy theorist- and the coolest holographic imagining eva. Screw the whole slow painful peg and clay facial reconstructions, this baby is da bomb.
For extra points it has FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth Seeley??, the dumb name is quickly forgotten as it is played by David Boreanaz aka Angel aka Spunkrat. The first couple of episodes are abit dodgey but it gets better and i hope the second season gets made. I usually watched them alone as Rob isn't super keen on such things but he saw a few, liked them and so I waited till he was around to watch the rest.
Even though I seem to spend half my time going "SHHH, yes, yes i know that was a total leap of obscure logic and barely made sense. I was thinking the same thing. SHH now, rant later"


Amanda, again pointed the way to 'Criminal Minds', a FBI profiler show with Mandy Patinkin, as troubled head profiler with his crack team- fiesty computer tech girl, socially awkward boy genius, street wise dude.
Every so often Mandy will smile and suddenly i'll be quoting "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die"
Shhh now, rant later
Hoping for second series.

I'm also rewatching "Wire in the Blood" the series based on Val MacDerminds books.
My favourite, cutest and totally neurotic profiler- Dr Tony Hill, played excellently by Robson Green. The first couple are based on her books then they do thier own thing. Which is good considering the sheer hell and damage she put Tony and Carol through in "The Last Execution".
I would have been less surprised and disturbed if she just killed them off and be done with it.
If there is another book it will be them sitting in a cafe, broken, hurt and staring at the wall. (i'm vaguely remembering '1984' after the rats and pain, where the couple meet and are totally stuffed....its been a while since i read it so forgive me if i'm wrong..)



In these books and shows, they portray any man with a half crap upbringing turning into some insane pychopath and the women who are the main targets for rape, torture and murder, I don't know why they are so popular. "Stare in the Abyss, and the Aybss stares back" kind of thing maybe.
I'm also reading "Dragons Eye" by Andy Oakes, which is set in exotic Shanghai and "Mercy' by David Lindsey, a sexually charged thriller. I'm a big gal now Ma.
I'm going to make a totally unsubstaniated claim here, totally going against one of my favourite quotes "the plural of anecdote is not data ". Its seems that alot more women read, watch and enjoy murder mysteries. Maybe thats wrong but from my vague information gathering it seems to be the case. Why? Ask Tony Hill. I have no idea. I would like to know if there is anything in it.
Anyone got any Mills and Boon?

don't