WHAT I’M READING NOW: I am not a big fan of “genre” mysteries, the type whose plot follows the crime committed / detective investigates / crime solved format. I much prefer historical-type mysteries, where somebody researches historical events seeking to unravel them. Josephine Tey’s classic Daughter of Time is my favorite of this type, although Jack McDevitt’s science fiction novel A Talent for War is an excellent future historical mystery. An author I have heard very good things about is Arturo Pérez-Reverte, who supposedly writes “intelligent” mysteries seeped in historical events. Right now I am reading his novel The Flanders Panel, which is about a 14th century painting of two men playing chess, both of whom were involved in political intrigue at that time until one of the men was mysteriously murdered two years before the painting. A modern art restorer discovers that beneath the original layer of paint is a cryptic message in Latin which translates as “Who killed the knight?” So far this is a very intriguing book, and already I am considering which Pérez-Reverte novel to buy next.

WHAT I’M LISTENING TO NOW: In my pantheon of favorite musicians are a half-dozen who are as talented as most rock superstars but who have never received nearly the popular acclaim which they deserve. The list includes the Strawbs, Chris de Burgh, Steve Forbett, Dion DiMucci–yes, that Dion–and Richard Thompson. Anybody who enjoys classic rock and roll of the Stones-Kinks-Who type, but seeped in English folk music rather than American blues, should love Thompson. He has two career retrospectives, the first a three-cd set covering his years as part of Fairport Convention and recording with his former wife Linda, called Watching the Dark, and a more recent single cd covering his solo years, called Action Packed. Either one is highly-recommended.