The Survivors by Jane Harper

Hello everyone. Hope your day is going well.

Have you ever gone to the beach off season?  Maybe you like Myrtle Beach in the winter to play golf or the Outer Banks to watch the wild horses.  I live near two beach resort areas and can tell you that many people prefer to go after labor day. Rates drop, kids are back to school, the pace of life slows down.  Of course, some people like the winter. There are fewer restaurants open and less excitement in the air, obviously no swimming or sun bathing...still it is a special time.  There is a sort of melancholy, at least on the NC beaches, that envelops you.  Not a sad state exactly, but a peaceful, thoughtful one. You can walk beaches normally packed with tourists and not see another person for miles. If you've always wanted a picture of your favorite knobby sweater with your hair tousled and the ocean behind you for your social media, maybe you should consider a winter trip.

I recently read The Survivors by Jane Harper, my first by this author.  This mystery is FULL of atmosphere and perfectly describes a beach resort town off season.  You will feel exactly what it's like to be a resident.  The imagery is flawless, without the author running through endless pages of description, she gives you just enough to lead you in the right direction. The book is full of characters, the residents of this small beach community.  The author reveals each person and their traits in a natural way, not bogging down the story with specific introductions.  

The story begins with the death of a young girl. As the reader slowly discovers who might be responsible, an older tragedy is revealed.  What did this earlier natural occurrence do to this quaint seaside town and who has it haunted for years?  Unlike the thrillers I adore, this story is told slowly, allowing us to ponder what is actually happening and feel like a real part of the town.  The mystery is interesting and the writing wonderful, but the star here is the way the story is told, how we can smell the salt air and feel the sand under our feet. While this is my first Jane Harper, I will be purchasing the back list. I wonder what other worlds she has created.

Don't blame me if you suddenly want clams and salt water taffy.

Slash by Hunter Shea

Hello everyone.

Not only do I hope you are having a great day, but I hope you have a full cup of coffee, this may take a moment.  Have you ever heard about the hotels in the Catskills? Okay, even if you think you haven't, you have. Does the movie Dirty Dancing ring a bell? That was supposed to be a resort in the Catskills, although it was filmed in North Carolina and the famous "learning the lift lake" has disappeared. Honestly, google it. Anyway, the Catskills are mountains in New York. They had resorts that offered everything to do. This area became very popular with Jewish people from New York City, trying to escape the summer heat. The most notable of the Catskill resort areas was The Borscht Belt, named after the Jewish soup. The Borscht Belt was generally considered to be Sullivan, Orange and Ulster counties. These vacation spots started as small bungalows, in the case of the famous hotel Grossingers, it actually started as a farm house that rented rooms. As word spread of this beautiful area of New York more people attended. Activities grew to include golf, tennis, horseback riding, swimming, boating, diving, dancing and skiing in the winter. Then the comedians came. Now if you are young I'm jealous but I have an advantage over you....I grew up with great comedians. You think you know people that tell great jokes?  You know nothing. I'm sorry but it is true. These wonderful people that made the world laugh had a secret, they perfected each of their new acts on stages in the Borscht Belt resorts. As this happened, the area exploded and the hotels grew into huge resorts. You could see: Woody Allen, Buddy Hackett, Joan Rivers, Jerry Seinfeld, Sid Caesar, Rodney Dangerfield, Don Rickles, Johnny Carson, Billy Crystal, Henny Youngman, Jackie Mason, Mel Brooks, Alan King, Jerry Lewis, Jerry Stiller, Pat Cooper, Milton Berle, Phyllis Diller, Joey Bishop, Carl Reiner, Lenny Bruce, Danny Kaye, Totie Fields, Red Buttons, Gene Wilder, George Burns, Phil Silvers, Morey Amsterdam, Jay Leno even Groucho Marx...and that is just some of the comedians. They also featured singers like Frank Sinatra, Paul Anka, Willie Nelson, Barbara Streisand, Tony Bennett and Judy Garland. The theaters where they held these acts were not huge stadiums, but tiered levels with tables. You enjoyed a drink and your favorite performer up close and personal. Comedians and singers weren't the only people working at these hotels, but there were things like prize fights, even Wilt Chamberlain worked as a Bell Man carrying people's luggage at Kutcher's. It was a time that cannot be duplicated. Sadly, most of these resorts are gone. As people decided they preferred the beach, Disney World or a cruise, the family vacation of a more simple variety declined.

Years ago, when I was a child, I got to go to the biggest, best resort in the Borscht Belt, The Concord. My school band went and actually performed on that stage that all those comedians did their acts. I got to look out and see the tiers of tables in a semi-circle facing the stage. I saw what they saw, stood where they stood. As I said last time, my dad wanted us to be moved by us standing where Lincoln gave the Gettysburg address. Now that I'm an adult, I get it. I understand, though dislike, the passing of time and the act of remembrance. It doesn't just happen at battlefields or Presidential sites, sometimes it's in a hotel...on a stage...with classmates. It was a unique experience. I can't remember exactly why we were there, perhaps some kind of competition? A record was made of us playing (vinyl for you youngsters), I still have it and we sound really good, like a professional band not a school group. The rest of our time at The Concord, we were allowed to explore. I wish I could adequately convey what it was like. The shining white hotel had a huge pool outside with separate diving pool, large indoor pool, many tennis courts inside and out, huge indoor and outdoor ice rinks, the dining room sat 3,000 people at one time, golf course, the activities and services never ended. The place was a maze with halls that had glass walls some with marble floors in huge slabs of black and white. Eventually business slowed and the hotel closed. It fell into disrepair and became the draw of many urban explorers. After several attempts to revive and redevelop The Concord, sadly it was torn down.

I recently read Slash by Hunter Shea. This book is part horror and part thriller. It follows the story of a girl, Ashley, who goes with a group to explore a closed, crumbling old Catskills resort. While exploring, someone or something attacks the group and everyone is killed and mutilated except Ashley. As time goes by, Ashley, with the help of her loving boyfriend Todd,  tries to recover from her experience, her mind blocking out most of the memories. Without giving any spoilers, Todd ends up back at the same rundown hotel, with a new group of friends, hunting for memories and wondering if they will come in contact with the same evil that Ashley experienced. This book grabs you from the beginning, building the suspense. The plot is clear but there is still a big mystery to uncover. The writing is smart and concise yet still descriptive enough. The writer obviously either was familiar with Catskill resorts or did his research, in any case this book while discussing the location does not read like a term paper, rather a fast paced thriller. There is plenty of action, some gore. I was fine reading but when I told hubby about a particular scene, while I was nauseous after having too much coffee, I laughed at myself trying not to gag. Believe me you likely won't need any caffeine with this book. I enjoyed everything about this story, from general idea, plot, pacing and writing especially the dialog and learning what can be done with a stripper pole (read it to find out).

My poor dad would be shaking his head. He was moved by standing where Lincoln gave the Gettysburg address and I was moved by standing where Henny Youngman said "Take my wife, please. "