Book Talk: A Russian business owner brings intrigue to Put-in-Bay in latest in series from Wooster author
Russians are the bad guys in “Sunset Blues,” 14th in Bob Adamov’s series about Emerson Moore, a journalist based in Put-in Bay. Not just any Russians, but Russians with a grudge against Moore.
Moore is returning to Ohio from Virginia after learning that his aunt, with whom he lives, has disappeared after her house exploded. The fire department confirms that the blast was intentional, but police have no theories about the motive. Moore notices that a new taxi service has come to the island, operating black London-style taxis. A friend tells him the company is operated by a Russian living in Detroit and that there have been incidents with passengers about “certain transactions.”
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A cursory look at the taxi garage reveals nothing, so Moore and another friend head to Detroit, where Moore learns that the transactions are likely drugs. He later learns that the Russian carries a grudge against him that goes back to Book Nine, 2015’s “Missing,” in which Moore was brainwashed into thinking he was a hit man working for a mobster.
With a tip that Aunt Anne has been taken to Florida's Key West, Moore and his friend head south, where they join an assemblage of men of fortune who are all too eager to storm the compound, as long as they have ample time to drink rum, ogle women at the pool and head on down to the local café for grouper sandwiches. Moore grows increasingly frustrated with their frivolity and makes his own ill-advised raid.
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Drone technology helps with surveillance and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of automatic weapons makes for next-level violence. “Sunset Blues” likely has the most gunfights and highest body counts in this series, and the villains’ brutality is especially shocking.
“Sunset Blues” (212 pages, hardcover) costs $28 from Adamov’s Packard Island Press. The next book in the series, “White Spider Night,” is due in July; it’s about the disappearance of a bed-and-breakfast owner. Bob Adamov lives in Wooster.
‘100 Things to Do in Ohio’s Amish Country Before You Die’
Anyone who can’t find quilts or shoofly pie in Holmes or Wayne counties hasn’t found a copy of “100 Things to Do in Ohio’s Amish Country Before You Die” by Plain City native Brandy Gleason. The guide, which also includes listings in Stark, Tuscarawas, Ashland, Coshocton, Richland and Knox counties, adds suggested itineraries for “kid-friendly” and “date night” tours.
Though readers will not be surprised to find visits to cheese shops and all-you-can-eat buffets among the experiences, things like zip lining and ax-throwing bars might raise a few eyebrows. A petting zoo and miniature golf are more activities.
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Despite the Amish focus of the book, most of the entries are accompanied by a website, helpful because hours and admission fees vary. Many entries have include sidebar tips, like parking advice.
“100 Things to Do in Ohio’s Amish Country Before You Die” (146 pages, softcover) costs $17 from Reedy Press, whose website offers similar books for places like Tampa Bay, Florida; Wichita, Kansas; and Amarillo, Texas. Brandy Gleason also is the author of “Midwest Road Trip Adventures.”
Events
Loganberry Books (13015 Larchmere Blvd., Shaker Heights): Allen Ricca signs “Catching Hell: The Insider Story of Seafood from Ocean to Plate,” 1 p.m. Sunday; Raffaele Di Lallo signs “Houseplant Warrior: 7 Keys to Unlocking the Mysteries of Houseplant Care,” 2 p.m. Sunday. In a virtual presentation from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, horticulturalist Uli Lorimer talks about “The Northeast Native Plant Primer: 235 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden,” hosted by the Western Reserve Land Conservancy. Register at loganberrybooks.com.
Cuyahoga County Public Library (North Olmsted branch, 27403 Lorain Road): Chris Pavone, whose “The Expats” won the 2013 Edgar and Anthony awards for best first novel, talks to Paula McLain (“The Paris Wife”) about his thriller “Two Nights in Lisbon,” 7 to 8 p.m. Monday. Register at cuyahogalibrary.org.
Willoughby Public Library (30 Public Square): Terry Pluto signs “Vintage Browns: A Warm Look Back at the Cleveland Browns of the 1970s, ’80s, ’90s and More,” 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Register at we247.org.
Cuyahoga County Public Library: Karen Winn discusses her novel “Our Little World,” about secrets revealed when a child disappears in 1985 New Jersey, in a Zoom event from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday. From 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Shaker Heights native Carter Bays, co-creator of “How I Met Your Mother,” discusses his debut novel “The Mutual Friend.” Register at cuyahogalibrary.org.
Cuyahoga County Public Library (Bay Village branch, 27400 Wolf Road): Dan Chaon signs his darkly funny novel “Sleepwalk,” featured in May 22 Book Talk, 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Register at cuyahogalibrary.org.
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Geauga County Public Library (West branch, 13455 W. Chillicothe Road, Chesterland): Leslie Heaphy, associate professor of history at Kent State University Stark campus and author of “The Negro Leagues 1869-1960,” discusses the Negro Leagues in Ohio, 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday. Register at geaugalibrary.net.
Cuyahoga County Public Library (Parma-Snow branch, 2121 Snow Road): Richland County native Candice Millard, whose “Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President” won the 2012 Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime Book, discusses “River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile,” 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday. From 7 to 8 p.m. Friday, Steve Berry, author of the Cotton Malone spy novels, signs “The Omega Factor,” about an art investigator tracking a 15th-century work. Register at cuyahogalibrary.org.
Visible Voice Books (2258 Professor Ave., Cleveland): Jane Ann Turzillo launches “Wicked Cleveland,” 7 p.m. Friday.
Portage County District Library (Aurora branch, 115 E. Pioneer Trail): Cameron Fields signs his poetry collection “Walk This Earth,” 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday. Register at portagecounty.org.
Learned Owl Book Shop (204 N. Main St., Hudson): MoNique Waters signs her picture book “I Can Achieve Anything,” 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday.
Cuyahoga County Public Library (Brook Park branch, 6155 Engle Road): Bette Lou Higgins signs “Lost Restaurants of Cleveland,” 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday. Register at cuyahogalibrary.org.
Cuyahoga County Public Library (South Euclid-Lyndhurst branch, 1876 S. Green Road, South Euclid): Poets who contributed to “I Thought I Heard a Cardinal Sing: Ohio’s Appalachian Poets” read from the anthology, 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Email information about books of local interest, and event notices at least two weeks in advance to BeaconBookTalk@gmail.com and bjnews@thebeaconjournal.com. I tweet at @BarbaraMcI.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Book Talk looks at novel by Wooster author and Ohio Amish travel guide
