{Book Review} Rolling Thunder by A.J Devlin

-“Hammerhead” Jed returns with a hilarious and exciting new adventure far out of his element, but he has the two things he needs to back him up: his Irish cousin Declan and banana milkshakes.-

A couple years ago I wrote a review on the initial entry in the “Hammerhead” Jed mysteries, Cobra Clutch, and how much I loved having a mystery set within the world of Professional Wrestling. It was an exciting and unique take on the mystery concept and author A.J Devlin created a world full of flawed, yet quite likable characters.  When I heard that the second book was on the way, I was excited yet very unnerved. You see rather than running around the rainy streets of Vancouver dealing with pro wrestlers, Jed gets mixed up in the Roller Derby universe which is just as over-the-top and bombastic as the WWE ever has been.

Part time pro-wrestler/part time private investigator Jed is tasked with tracking down the manager of a women’s roller derby team, and quickly realizes he is over his head.  Sure it sounds vague, but I am refraining from spoiling much because the returning characters and new venues he finds himself within kept me turning the pages and needing to see what happens in the next chapter.
What I will say is Jed manages to get himself and his cousin Declan into some surprisingly…shall we say unique and intimate situations while trying to dig out of the trouble in which he manages to get himself.

There are several new characters and locations that I expect to pop up in future Jed adventures, especially Troy, a surprisingly lovable stoner kid that gets tied up in Jed’s investigations. I think we may even have a bro-tastic antagonist become very valuable as Jed gets more jobs.

We see the return of quite a few characters from the first book, such as Constable Rya Shepard, as well as a couple cameos that keep us grounded and familiar before diving headfirst into the very unusual world of Roller Derby.
This is where I was worried as a reader. I know the world of pro wrestling and the terminology but Roller Derby is a completely alien beast. It is an aggressive sport dominated by personalities that could easily make Macho Man Randy Savage do a double-take, and it may seem out of place, but it works here. A.J Devlin manages to keep the reader on the same page (pun intended) as Jed is. He is as confused by the roller derby folks as we are, but we learn the ropes as he does.

Rolling Thunder features plenty of action, humor, genuine mystery, wiener dogs, gym rats, bunny puns, greasy talk show hosts, and Shakira, and balances it all with precision.
It never relies on being offensive to give you a sense of a dangerous seedy underworld, instead sucker-punching the reader when something unexpected happens so the reader feels off-balance along with the character.

One thing I wanted to bring up is that I noticed the book reads very well if you aren’t familiar with Jed and his family and friends. When characters or events of the previous book are mentioned, they usually are handled in a manner so a newcomer to the series isn’t confused. I still would suggest reading Cobra Clutch first, but it is far from necessary. If this continues through the rest of series, I will be very happy.

Once again the book clocks in at just the right length-around 280 pages and it feels like a breeze.

Getting more of Jed & Declan together was a highlight of this book, we get some real character growth for Jed, and we are left at a point where Jed may have opened up some doors that cannot be closed again. I was a bit disappointed that we didn’t get a bit more of Jed’s matches, especially considering some of the people that he runs into are huge fans. I would have liked to see some of the colorful tertiary characters interact at a match myself, but maybe that is being saved for the next adventure.

This is one of the few books I have been given by the author and then purchased digitally as I had to keep reading when I didn’t have access to the paper book.
If that isn’t a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what is.

Check out Rolling Thunder and if someone says “They know a place”,  they probably are referring to a Dairy Queen.

(A physical copy of the book was given to me by the author, and I purchased a digital copy on the Kindle store)

[Junk #3] Ginger Snaps

Guest review by: Nikki

What does it mean when a young woman sprouts hair where there used to  be none, has rollercoaster type mood swings, and they bleed from between their legs? It could be the beginning of womanhood or…..the beginning of transforming into a werewolf.

This movie, filmed in Canada in 2000, and released a year later, is called Ginger Snaps. It focuses on the lives of two sisters; Ginger, a feisty red headed beauty played by Katharine Isabelle, and Brigitte, an angular “emo” type portrayed by Emily Perkins.
Being a teenage girl can be hard at the best of times, but Ginger and Brigitte have a harder time than some. Unfortunately it seems to be their own doing because they are obsessed with death and seem to take great joy in acting this obsession out. Example: For a school project they take pictures of each other in different types of death poses with cryptic messages and notes pinned to their “lifeless” bodies.
Naturally, the other teenagers would pick on them unmercifully for their odd behaviors.
That lasts until until the night when something hairy and blood thirsty decided to take a bite out of a newly menstruating sister!
Shortly after this, the fun and games begin with plenty of body shaving and assuredly unsanitary body piercing.

The typically dysfunctional family dynamic is observed during the course of the film, seemingly from the girls’ perspective. They have a father that has little to no clue about his children’s lives, and a mother who is oblivious to the real inner workings of her offspring, but yet tries to protect them as she can. (Severed digits get stored in Tupperware,  and of course she made sure to burp the container).

Along with the typical teen angst there is an actual message about how traumatic being a teenage girl can be for some, and how horrific those  chemical and physical changes can be.
Of course, these points are often missed on most people who focus on just how “hot” Ginger is and the fun and gore at points.
The beginning of sexual tension and lust in teenage girls is even addressed when Ginger admits “I’ve got this ache, and I thought it was for sex, but it’s to tear everything to f*cking pieces.”
This really is a coming of age flick with fur and blood if I’ve ever seen one, Ginger Snaps even makes light of STDs and their transmission. (side note if you pee blood after amazing sex you might just have slept with a werewolf, see your doctor).

Depending on how you feel about “coming of age” stories, this could be a huge flop or a sparkling addition to your horror library. There seems to be very little middle ground.
I thought it was wonderful and own both the second movie and the third which is a prequel of sorts.

Nikki’s Verdict:
Without managing to spoil the movie for you I’d say it is worth at least one viewing!

[Junk #1] AvH: Alien Vs hunter – “Did you just see that thing that fell from the sky?”

Here we go everyone, the first movie to be pulled out of the junkyard is AvH: Alien vs. Hunter. Jeanne & I watched this one together on a quiet January night and it was quite an interesting feature.

This Asylum-produced movie was made apparently in response to the big budget, but poorly received Alien Vs Predator: Requiem by Fox.

The movie centers on a group of survivors attempting to escape the carnage of the Alien and Hunter, after two objects crash land in a small mountain town.
For the first half of the movie, the plot sticks pretty close to that of AvP:R, but after the cast go on the run for help the movie stand out on its own. Many comparisons will obviously be drawn to AvP:R,  but this Direct-to-DVD “Mockbuster” surprisingly has more character development than the big-budget film. You actually get a sense that a few of the characters are more than bodies to pad the creature’s kill count. William Katt stars in the film as Lee Custler, a journalist who is down on his luck, and is one of the reasons I was excited to see this flick. I loved Katt in House (1986) another film that may show up in the Junkyard someday, since it sadly has never gotten the attention it deserves as a B-style campy horror film. A few shocks and twists may take you by surprise, but otherwise the movie is a pretty straightforward affair.