Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: When department store owner John Racer Addison picks up hitchhiker Veronica Dale, pays for a hotel room for her and gives her a job, his intentions are pure. He just wants to make sure the 18-year-old is safe. However, before too long, attorney Perry Mason needs to protect his long-time client from a blackmailer who wants to make the act of charity into something more scandalous. To make matters worse, Addison's business partner, Edgar Ferrell, is found murdered and Addison's hitchhiker incident proves he was near Ferrell's house at the time of death, making him the top suspect. Review: After a short break from Perry Mason novels, I started reading this book this past weekend. It turned out to be easy to read and I was able to get through it in only a matter of a couple days. Overall, I have to say I enjoyed the book. I think the thing I liked most about this book was the mystery surrounding the "vagabond virgin," Veronica Dale. As Perry Mason himself ...

Synopsis: After losing their jobs on the London police force, Slim and Tubby seek to redeem themselves by capturing the murderous Mr. Hyde. Who's in it? The movie stars Bud Abbott , Lou Costello , Boris Karloff, Craig Stevens and Helen Westcott. Review: I came across this movie on Peacock TV a couple weeks ago and, realizing I had never seen it, put it on my "must-watch" list. I finally had a chance to do that this weekend and, overall, I was glad I did. This is one of the comedy duo's last films together and, much like many of their older movies, it wasn't quite as good as their earlier films. But, despite that, the film still proved to be better than expected. While some of the comedy routines were a little predictable, they still managed to be entertaining. I especially liked the scene involving Tubby (Costello) being turned into a mouse then, later, getting drunk in an attempt to recreate the incident for the authorities. My only real complaint when it ca...

As I prepare to celebrate my upcoming 45th birthday, I feel obligated to share some pieces of wisdom and insight I have gathered over my 4 1/2 decades on this planet: Image by  C B  from  Pixabay   1. Intelligence is a relative term. 2. Getting lost can sometimes lead to an unexpected, joyful discovery. 3. Often, the difference between success and failure is the willingness to accept and learn from your mistakes. 4. George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm  should be required reading in all public schools. 5. The two most important senses are common sense and a sense of purpose. 6. Never underestimate just how comforting a routine can be. 7. Always ignore criticism about an act of kindness. 8. The lesser of two evils is still evil. 9. Always question the motive behind unsolicited relationship or parenting advice. 10. Just because something is a remake doesn't automatically mean it is worse than the original. But some movies shouldn't be remade regard...

Synopsis: Getting his start in burlesque, Lou Costello quickly rose to world-wide fame by partnering with Bud Abbott to form Abbott & Costello. However, his personal life was plagued by tragedy, financial issues and health problems. Review: I came across this book at the library last week and, being a big Abbott & Costello fan, I decided to check it out.  Since the book was written by his daughter, with the help of Raymond Strait, I did have some concerns about the book being a bit too slanted. But, after reading it, I did find it was an interesting well-balanced account of a man who was talented and had a big heart, especially when it came to his family but, at the same time, had his flaws too. I think the thing that really surprised me about this book was the way it managed to create a wide range of emotions while I was reading it. Some of the stories were humorous, such as the stories about him sneaking off with movie props while the films were still being made and l...

Synopsis: When Perry Mason receives two separate $2500 checks from Lola Allred, he suspects something is amiss. When the bank confirms one of the checks is a forgery, he investigates and, when Mrs. Allred's husband is murdered, ultimately winds up defending her from allegations stemming from a witness that had been pretending to have amnesia. Review: I do enjoy most Perry Mason books I read, but, every once in a while, I come across one that just isn't quite as good as the others. This one fell in that category. I think my biggest problem with this book was the murder mystery itself. Despite the book doing its best to make it seem like Mrs. Allred might by guilty by having her change her story multiple times and, at one point, even tell Mason she was the one who committed the murder, it wasn't too difficult to figure out who the real killer was. And, I didn't even need the evidence Mason had to find in order to come to the same conclusion. Also not helping this book ...

Timing is everything when it comes to nature photography. Some days (like yesterday), I'll go for a walk and not see anything worth taking a photo of. Other days (like today), I'll walk around a corner and there will be a snake with a frog in its mouth.

After a bit of a hiatus, I decided to grab my camera and hit the nature trails again today. As I expected, many of the trails were underwater from the recent rain and there were a ton of mosquitoes. But I still managed to get a few photos while I was out.