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Editorial:
Book Reviews - Publication: Calabasas Magazine
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The Wicked and the Dead by Robert Weibezahl
The Wicked and the Dead by BookPage co lumnist Robert Weibezahl tells of struggling screenwriter Billy Winnetka who is emersed in an inquiry into the death of a prominent cinema producer. Weibezahl worked in film production for a number of years and it shows in his writing; he offers his readers a vivid insider's look at the Hollywood machine. The Wicked and the Dead is Weibezahl's first novel, but it is not his first foray into the genre: he has been an Agatha and Macavity Award finalist for his role as editor of A Taste of Murder and A Second Helping of Murder. As the story unfolds, several of the major players in a controversial religious movie have met recent "accidental" deaths. Billy decides to investigate. Suspects are a colorful bunch, including a nutball zealot religious leader (or one of his flock); the body-building gay lover of one of the major characters; and an unpleasant and corrupt policeman. Overall,
Winnetka's book offers a fun and incisive read.
Wings of the Panther by Stanley Weisleder
For those into military styled drama, this is a great book, racism in the military being the core theme. Wings Of A Panther tells of a black fighter pilot's World War II story, recalling an era when prejudice against African-Americans was rife.
Many incidents in the novel are based on real events, but have been rearranged and reassigned. With 1942 as its backdrop, Wings of the Panther sees Harlem resident Buddy Bowman heed the call to enlist in World War II. After being snubbed by Captain Thomas G. Richardson, the white officer who becomes his nemesis (and with whom he later makes peace), Bowman signs on as a lowly “Army Air Corps Jock Strap,” as the support units are jokingly called. Some characters are based on real people, such as [then] Lt. Col. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. the 1936 West Point graduate, who, in 1942, led the new—and now historic—all-Negro 99th Fighter Squadron and the 332nd Fighter Group. The story follows Bowman through his initial assignment to latrine duty, to flight school and assignments overseas and eventually North Africa and Italy, where he qualifies (and gains “Ace” status) as part of the 99th Fighter Squadron flying in support of the B-25 bombers involved in the Italian Front. Officious military documents and historical recollections are balanced well with a touching love story. All up a moving recollection of little publicized US history.
Written by Craig Stephens
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