Vimes goes on a little vacation to his wife's country home.
Words I Had To Look Up:
mutton avec no talking (pg. 93) -- It's french, means "with". Should have known this from the song lyric Voulez-vous coucher avec moi (ce soir)? from that Labelle song.
stack of wood licker wicker hurdles (pg. 50) -- On a Terry Prachett forum there is some discussion of this. Possibly a printer's error, in the Transworld edition the phrase is "wood like".
Apparently the Libby version of this book doesn't have the footnotes! That's the best part of Pratchett's books! EDIT: I found them after the About The Author!!
Co-author Stephen Baxter. There are zillions of parallel Earths, and all you need is an easily made electronic device to get to them. Some people don't even need that. But some people can't do it at all, and some of them resent the ones who can. My favorite character is the cat.
With Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen. The Science Of Discworld #1. I may have read this before, but not sure... The wizards at the Unseen University build a round world in an experiment. With commentary by real scientists.
Quote:
The little lizard-like creatures that had hatched from the eggs in the mound slithered and slid down the bank into the water, bright-eyed and hopeful. The first few were instantly snapped up by a large male lying in wait among the weeds.
'However, the mothers still have something to learn about postnatal care,' said Ridcully.
Quote:
'...Lots of dullness, punctuated by short periods of death.'
'Ook?' said the Librarian.
Unseen University is manipulated into fielding a team to compete in the "football" league.
Words I Had To Look Up:
benison (pg. 58) -- A spoken blessing.
a shonky shop (pg. 74) -- A poor or dubious quality.
the university's bledlows (pg. 73) -- The author is credited with definition it as a proctor. pounces (pg. 268) -- from Word of the Day "600 years ago only the rear facing claw was a talon while one or all of the front facing claws were instead pounces." Good to know!
Quote:
"Beauty can be considered to be neutral, sir. It is not the same as nice or good." --Nutt (pg. 194)
CONTENTS:
The Perfect Crime by Max Allan Collins
The Black-Eyed Blonde by Benjamin M. Schutz
Gun Music by Loren D. Estleman
Saving Grace by Joyce Harrington
Malibu Tag Team by Jonathan Valin
Sad-Eyed Blonde by Dick Lochte
The Empty Sleeve by W. R. Philbrick
Dealer's Choice by Sara Paretsky
Red Rock by Julie Smith
The Deepest South by Paco Ignacio Taibo II
Consultation in the Dark by Francis M. Nevins, Jr.
In the Jungle of Cities by Roger L. Simon
Star Bright by John Lutz
Stardust Kill by Simon Brett
Locker 246 by Robert J. Randisi
Bitter Lemons by Stuart M. Kaminsky
The Man Who Knew Dick Bong by Robert Crais
Essence D'Orient by Edward D. Hoch
In the Line of Duty by Jeremiah Healy
The Alibi by Ed Gorman
The Devil's Playground by James Grady
Asia by Eric Van Lustbader
Mice by Robert Campbell
The Pencil by Raymond Chandler
Sixty-Four Squares by J. Madison Davis
Summer in Idle Valley by Roger L. Simon
Conn becomes the apprentice of the cranky wizard Nevery. He figures out that someone is stealing the magic of the town. Even though there is a map and appendices, this story never really came together for me.
Veronica McCreedy, #1. A crabby old lady goes to Antarctica to see a penguin research station, even though the scientists there told her stay away as they didn't have facilities for tourists, much less an 86 year old person. Very heart-warming story.
Quote:
He know no more about respect than an aardvark knows about St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians.