Merryll Manning: TRAPPED On Mystery Island
John Howard Reid

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John Howard Reid’s "Merryll Manning: TRAPPED On Mystery Island" is number 1 in the Merry Manning series.

When Florida Police Sergeant Merry, Merryll, Manning and his 20 something girl friend arrive for a a murder mystery weekend in an old Dominican priory on Cross Key Island complete with a throng, 16 in all, of captivating fellow guests who have paid a thousand dollar fee per person for the opportunity to attend, and perhaps win the $5,000 prize for correctly naming the victim, or victims and who has accomplished the dastardly deed of murder they are expecting nothing more than perhaps an interesting weekend, and maybe coming home a little richer.

In addition to the paying guests will be someone, a plant, an actor if you will, who will be playing the role of the victim, another one or two, maybe even three more actors who will fill various roles. Of course the paying guests do not know who is a paying guest and who is an actor.

The setting is perfect, an old monastery. The mystery weekenders are perfect and include a Catholic priest, two men who profess to be actors, another who says he is an attorney and one who is a semi retired businessman. Several are artists or artisans including craftspersons, and a novelist, while 3 hold positions in the Paradise, Florida, AVEPA Club. All in all they are a mixed bag and sure to add to the fun of the weekend.

To date; Mr Mystery, Clifford Yates, has conducted several of these murder mystery weekends.

The weekend begins as is wont for murder mystery dinner, weekend or what have you as the various ‘guests’ arrive aboard Clifford Yates boat. Passengers become acquainted, take one another’s measure and formulate their idea as to the identity of the soon to be victim whose demise they are to ascertain as the first requirement for winning the $5,000 prize. The game is two part, first name to victim, then discover the murderer.

Soon the group individually tender their vote for identity of the victim before gathering for supper prior to the all important Reading of the Will. With group assembled for the reading of the will the first actor is revealed, he is the one playing the lawyer who will be revealing the contents of the will. And, the lights go out, when power is returned the lawyer lays dead with a rubber dagger to the heart, and no will, it has been pinched as has the second one to be ready only if --.

The second actor is revealed within minutes as a police Inspector takes over the situation; he opens the envelopes and it is found the only Merry provided the correct answer regarding identity of the first victim.

Grousing ensues immediately with various of the players insisting that Merry has an unfair advantage because he is a police officer while others insist no way Merry is a cop.

And the plot thickens. One of the guests goes out for a smoke break on the beach, and does not return, Merry discovers that while there are 16 guests listed there are actually some extra people on the island and Merry steps into what must be blood which leads him to an actual murdered victim.

And now, Merry has his work cut out for him. There is no way off the island until Mr Mystery returns with the boat at the end of the weekend, various of the guest are being conned by one of those extra players who wants to share the prize money for information he can impart, the phone lines are not working and everyone is suddenly fearful and suspicious of everyone else. Merry takes over the investigation until even Merry himself is thought to be the murderer by some.

The narrative surges forward, Writer Reid adroitly uses more than a little tongue in cheek bantering between Merry and various of the players to present plausible reasons for why first one and then another of the characters just may be the actual murderer.

Writer Reid provides the details, factors, and aspects to paint his scenes with realism, cloak his characters with credible traits and present a just plain fun read. I like the asides, repartee and diverse group of characters with which Reid peoples his works. While the launch work for the series, "TRAPPED On Mystery Island" is the second Merry Manning work I have read. Both have proven to be filled with the suspense, use of expression, parlance and idiom along with intricate stratagem needed to keep me turning the page.

"Trapped On Mystery Island" serves to introduce to the uninitiated the unmatched visualization of Reid’s one of a kind leading character. On the one hand Merry is a rough, straightforward investigator who tends at the odd moment to lapse into moments of whimsy.

Providing splendid character growth, flamboyant scenarios, and an engrossing plotline serving to maintain and forward the flow of the tale Reid constructs classic cozy type detective novel certain to satisfy fans of well wrought unassuming mysteries.

All in all John Howard Reid’s "Merryll Manning: TRAPPED On Mystery Island" is an engrossing read sure to please those who enjoy cozy type mysteries. I look forward to reading more of this most pleasurable series.

Happy to recommend John Howard Reid’s "Merryll Manning: TRAPPED On Mystery Island".

A Salute to SPANISH POETRY 100 Masterpieces from Spain & Latin America rendered into English Verse
John Howard Reid

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John Howard Reid's "A Salute to SPANISH POETRY 100 Masterpieces from Spain & Latin America" brings the reader an awareness of the works of some of the editor's favorite Romance Language Bards.

Commencing with Adagio, a work rendered by Argentine political idealist Leopoldo Lugones who took his own life in 1938, the reader is presented with an array of odes that inspire, bring a smile and others to stir memories.

Golden Springtime, translated from the Spanish of Nobel Prize recipient for Literature Juan Ramon Jimenez, is filled with the joy of spring and hope despite its setting of a cemetery.

Verses filled with pathos lead the reader to an understanding of the depth of Amor felt in the words of poet Ramon Lopez Velarde, lauded in Mexico as Mexico's National Poet, as he pens In the Depths of Twilight.

Moving from the depth of love the reader can also find a lament in the words They Tell Me I Must Marry translated from the Castilian of Portuguese lyricist Gil Vicente. The lady is not just having reservations, she is downright frank. They tell me I must marry, but I don't want a husband. No!

and she goes on to explain that she likes her life and has no want to be the flower who marries a weed.

And finally Cuban national hero, Jose Marti pens the poignant She Died of Love as a young lady finds she cannot live without the young man who marched off to war. He returned, however, he was not the man who had left.

If you enjoy verses penned with style, wit and delicately wrought verse then you may well enjoy John Howard Reid's A Salute to SPANISH POETRY 100 Masterpieces from Spain & Latin America.

This work is a slim volume of 100 odes spanning nearly 140 pages. Included are some double leaf works, as well as some illustrated by the editor's photographic offerings in Black and White. The stark beauty of the photos illustrate well the at times stark verse.

Following the poetry is a comprehensive Index listing each poet, along with a short biography of his or her life.

John Howard Reid's "A Salute to SPANISH POETRY 100 Masterpieces from Spain & Latin America" is a compilation of a diversity of a group of excellent verse written by Spanish language bards some hailing from Spain and Latin America and others who while not born in the areas noted were fluent in the language.

Included in the listing of Poets are those from Uruguay, Portugal, Peru and Spain as well as Venezuela, Brazil, Cuba and Nicaragua, and finally Bolivia, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, and an American fluent in Spanish. Editor Reid has included the works of men and women, monks and Jewish, young writers and elderly, those who rail again government and those who speak of love.

Poets include Amado Nervo, Antonio Machado, Alfonsina Storni, Andres Bello, Cesar Vallejo, Delmira Agustini, Federico Garcia Lorca, Gil Vicente, Gabriela Mistral, Jose Juan Tablada, Juan Ruiz, Jose Marti, Julio Herrera y Reissig, Jorge Manrique, Joaquin Pasos, Leopoldo Lugones, Luis de Gongora y Argote, Manuel Gonzalez Prada, Miguel de Cervantes, Miguel de Barrios, Miguel de Unamuno, Rosalia de Castro, Ruben Dario and more.

Enjoyed the read, Happy to recommend John Howard Reid's "A Salute to SPANISH POETRY 100 Masterpieces from Spain & Latin America rendered into English Verse".

Merryll Manning: The Health Farm Murders
John Howard Reid

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John Howard Reid’s „Merryll Manning: The Health Farm Murders“ is a mystery thriller set against the tapestry of an invented health farm located in the petite Blue Mountains township of Blackheath of New South Wales, west of Sydney, Australia.

"The Health Farm Murders" is the second in a suspense series presenting Sergeant Merryll, Merry, Manning of the Miami Police Department.

It was Wednesday, traveling on board the train was a group of men set for a week of health and revitalization at Sister Susan’s Happy Valley Health Farm. Sister Susan had booked the seats. No one realized a killer might be riding in the compartment with them.

The health seekers themselves were an interesting lot, from chubby minister to a retired film exhibitor, to policeman, accountant, government workers and even an astrologer the lot had little in common other than a desire, or need, to seek a little revitalization and improving of health.

The characters portrayed on the pages of the work are fictitious, however, the storyline has been adapted using a number of true-life incidents taking place in varied locales around South America.

On board the train this varied group of men meets and begins to appraise and irritate one another. Assignment to their various rooms only serves to continue the annoyance as the chubby minister complains there is to be no supper, the former movie house owner takes offense at the presence of the movie critic, the former sea captain talks non stop about his days at sea and the astrologer insists upon analyzing his compadres.

Three murders later finds Merry up to his ears helping to resolve the crimes.Merry's expectations for some rest and relaxation have been completely dashed as one fellow guest after another is found dead.

While The Health Farm Murders is actually a sequel, the work is readable as a stand-alone with no need to read the prior book to understand the main character.Merry Manning is not a formula gung ho copper, he is a little unconventional, urbane, and not particularly ego-driven or macho as is often seen in mystery, thriller genre. Manning sleuths his way between bouts of being bashed unconscious.

Before long he has found reasons to suspect each of his fellow R and R enthusiasts, Sister Susan, the Health Farm manager Jeff Caldecott, and even the local police sergeant.

Writer Reid paints vivid description of the locales to draw the reader into the action. His description of characters fleshes each to provide a good mental picture of each. I liked the lack of gore, viotlent outburst despite Merry’s head bashes and restraint from either capricious sexual scenes or profanity.

I found interesting that setting for this particular work, on the other hand; uses geographical details relating to Blackheath and Govett's Leap area of Oz, are correct in physical detail, while the ambiance features of the town is made-up.

Happy to recommend John Howard Reid’s „Merryll Manning: The Health Farm Murders“ for readers who enjoy cozy type tales filled with trepidation, red herrings, some inconsistency, little overt violence, an absence of profanity all in addition to more than a little idiosyncratic humor.