"Indemnity Only," by Sara Paretsky

Novel, 1982

The first Warshawski novel and a fresh on the hard boiled exploits of Sam Spade and, particularly, Phillip Marlowe. This is a book where situations and dependencies are more nuanced, with a female protagonists noticing and building around psychologies of attraction and networks, rather than just falling foul to, or using them. The plotting and set-ups are reassuringly noir-ish, with a lively cast of crooks, errant family members, establishments and the odd shoot out here and there. For the detective enthusiast, a joy to read. 

"Brothers of the Head", directed by Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe

Movie, 2005

Gritty film about the rise of a pub/punk rock band fronted by Siamese twins. The film pulls off the trick of being sympathetic, critical and non-exploitative, partly through using narratives - most prominently the mockumentary mix of interviews and Ken Russell's fictional cinematic take. The story is, however, tried and tested. Sex, drugs and rock and roll are reeled out and held for criticisms and critiques. As cliches, they're used to reflect on the plight of the twins, but they're cliches all the same; ironically, the interest in the film is in the voyeuristic view of the twins. Not a bad film, though not great. 

"Now You See Me," directed by Louis Leterrier

Movie, 2013

Clever and tricksy blockbuster about four magicians - the Four Horsemen - who plot and counter-plot against legal and corporate agencies, keeping one step ahead with some outrageous, elaborate pranks and tricks. A film which puts a little too much emphasis on action and atmosphere, meaning that none of its characters are both lovable or believable. Entertaining yes, although everything's driven home with crashes, bangs, wallops and irritating uses of incidental music. A shame, as there's a suggestion, here and there, that there might be something more interesting going on.

"The Narrow Margin," directed by Richard Fleischer

Movie, 1952

Thrilled set on a train, as a tough Chicagoan cop escorts a gangster's widow to stand testimony in Los Angeles. Solid noir with some really pleasing and tricksy visual effects and a hard edge which eschews title music for the grating, alienating noise of trains and machinery. While visually a treat, the characters include a none-too convincing pastiche here and there - a lumpen criminal in a check jacket and a fat man blocking corridors, and there are parts of the plot which seem underdone in a hurried finish. Nonetheless, great entertainment.

"One-Way Street," by Walter Benjamin

Non-fiction, 1921-34

Cultural and philosophical essays written in Germany, in the early part of the twentieth century. As such, and as Benjamin was Jewish, these pieces are poignant. Much of their meaning and drift may puzzle the lay reader not especially versed in the period, nor particularly in philosophical writing. But still, the more accessible pieces on "Unpacking my Library" and "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction", and the quips and aphorisms in the title essay have a good feel about them and are more easily digestible. Some period details baffle, though overall, there should be something for many readers here.

"Kingdom of Fear," by Hunter S Thompson

Non-fiction, 2003

A string of anecdotes told through different narratives and styles, including letters, transcriptions and articles. Thompson's typically irreverent, painting himself as an anarchist tear-about, blazing guns, elk hearts and managing a San Francisco strip club, always keeping one brutal step ahead of the establishment. There's a slew of famous and not-so-famous allies, hangers-on, chancers and acquaintances, all of whom are smudged into the frantic pace and paste of a Gonzo approach and a free spirit increasingly disbelieving in the post-Twin Tower political response and American landscape. Tougher to get through than some of Thompson's other books, but some great passages along the way.