Cover via Amazon

I just got the last of the series of three in Norah Roberts’ the Sign of Seven Trilogy. I wanted to wait until I had read the last one before reviewing the series for you. A small hint –My magnetic bracelet has had to work hard to keep my wrist from seizing up as I hold the book up to read it

Another book coming down the pike is Sue Grafton’s T is for Trespass. It’s about identity theft — an issue we all should be concerned with! I’m looking forward to reading it and hope that you’re looking forward to my review of it.

I was given several boxes of paperback books that I’m slowly getting read. Since these were yard sale and flea market purchases for the most part, they are all older books that were published some time ago for the most part. Most of the collection are pulp fiction romance novels, but there are a few gems among the chaff.

The Andrew Vachss book was one of them and this book, Hour of the Manatee is another.

I grew up in Florida and know it fairly well, so I can tell you from personal knowledge that E.C. Ayres knows it too. The descriptions of the communities, the small town attitudes and habits that are depicted in Hour of the Manatee are accurate and brought back memories of that earlier life of mine.

But you want to hear about the book, not my reminisces from my past…

Hour of the Manatee is about Tony Lowell, a shaggy 1960’s kind of guy (my kind!). He’s an ex professional photographer who, in his past created many award winning shots. He’s now a teacher of photography at a small junior college in the town of Manatee Bay and sometime private investigator.

It’s in the latter profession that he becomes embroiled in finding out just what truly happened back in 1966 when Henry Hartley III was drowned during a party on his yacht.

The late Mr. Hartley’s housekeeper has contacted Tony to begin the investigation, but before she can tell him more than a few of the facts, she’s fatally shot. It seems that she witnessed Henry Hartley being pushed overboard by his wife. The housekeeper, Maureen Fitzgerald was hustled off to a sanitorium after the murder by the man who would eventually become Henry’s wife’s lawyer and then husband and  his friend. She’s kept there for twenty years before a doctor on staff releases her in defiance of the standing orders to keep her there.

He’s killed for his troubles and is just one of the many murders perpetrated by the people trying to keep the murder of Henry out of the public eye.

EC Ayres writes a great character in Tony Lowell, but not so convincing female characters. Detective Lena Bedrosian is supposed to be another key figure in the book, but she’s left to the last half of it and her character is rough around the edges despite the $500 Halston suit. I really got the feeling that Ayres was not very comfortable with her at all.

It’s obvious that Ayres is either VERY familiar with sailing and sailing vessels or did a fantastic amount of research (and I suspect the former here — just too much love of sailing is coming through) as his descriptions of Lowell’s restoration of a sailing schooner and a subsequent chase scene that involves two sailing vessels is very well written with rich detail.

Written in 1994, the story line of Hour of the Manatee could be occurring this very day (and may very well be!). Overall an enjoyable book to read with a well fleshed-out hero and a not-so-well fleshed out heroine.

Hour of the Manatee is the first of four Tony Lowell books published by Ayres. A fifth book is written, but not yet published. Mr. Ayres lives in Southern China where he teaches and writes. He does not have a current website (he used to have one on AOL Hometown which has been closed down now). Per Amazaon.com’s biography, two major books are to be published, but no titles or dates were provided.

Hour of the Manatee by E.C. Ayres
Published by St. Martin’s Press 1994
ISBN:0-312-95406-9

Image via CrunchBase

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.