By Robb on Tuesday, December 16, 2003 - 09:51 am:
FREAKY DEAKY and
“Sparks” from WHEN THE WOMEN COME OUT TO DANCE

Chris Mankowski worked for the Detroit Bomb Squad in FREAKY DEAKY.

Joe Canavan (“Sparks”) used to work for the Detroit Bomb Squad.

By Straw on Monday, January 12, 2004 - 04:09 pm:
In “Cat Chaser”, George Moran is telling Nolen Tyner a joke about a traveling salesman who gets laid in Findlay, Ohio and then gets laid in New York and goes to confession, etc. In “Tishomingo Blues”, Robert Taylor tells the same joke to Dennis Lenahan. Not sure if Elmore did this intentionally, or if just really liked the joke enough to use it in two books almost 20 years apart.

By Robb on Tuesday, January 13, 2004 - 04:30 pm:
MR. PARADISE

I’ve only read two chapters. I’m hooked. Chapter two’s run of homicides and descriptions was amazing.

Frank Delsa, acting lieutenant of squad seven, was married nine years to Maureen Downey of the Detroit police. She died last year from cancer of the uterus. She was in CITY PRIMEVAL, SPLIT IMAGES, and FREAKY DEAKY.

As mentioned by LACrimAtty last year, MR. PARADISE shows the return of the cool Homicide Inspector Wendell Robison from CITY PRIMEVAL and other Detroit novels.

By Straw on Wednesday, January 14, 2004 - 01:00 pm:
In “Tishomingo Blues”, Robert Taylor is introducing one of his crew, Cedric, to Dennis Lenahan. Robert tells Dennis, “Cedric did his apprentice work under a man sold weed out of a church in Cincinnati called Temple of the Cool and Beautiful J.C. A skinhead Nazi come along and blew it up with a rocket gun.” This temple was blown up by Boyd Crowder in “Fire in the Hole” which is part of the “When the Women Come Out to Dance” collection.

By lacrimatty on Thursday, January 15, 2004 - 04:39 pm:
In Mr. Paradise, we learn that Det. Jackie Michaels either was married to or shacking up with Glenn Michaels of Out of Sight fame at some point after Ripley’s house got ripped and now.

Which is weird. Jackie, formerly of Sex Crimes, now of Homicide, doin’ the bop with Glenn? Anyway, since both have the same last name, it looks like they were married, although there’s no mention of a divorce in Paradise. One thing Jackie does say, referring to weed, is “[T]hat was white-boy Glenn’s habit, not mine. I’m done with him. My evenings off, I’m out at Sportree’s sipping Bombay, looking to bring a tall black dude into my life. Little Glenn was fun, but he made me nervous.”

And gives us a Swag touchstone in the process

By Straw on Thursday, January 22, 2004 - 01:28 pm:
Just finished Mr. Paradise. Great read. Plenty of good touchstones. There is a minor scene in “Mr. Paradise” involving Maurice Miller, who is turned in by his sister after eating her can of pork and beans. This is Snoop Miller, who figures prominently in “Out of Sight”.

By Robb on Friday, January 30, 2004 - 02:50 pm:
HOMBRE - GUNSIGHTS - CUBA LIBRE - “Hurrah for Capt. Early”

The town Sweetmary is in all these stories.

By Straw on Friday, January 30, 2004 - 04:27 pm:
Mr. Paradise has been out for a couple of weeks and still not many touchstones. Frankly, I’m a bit surprised. Expected Robb, LA Crim. and Johnny Moreno to be firing Paradise touchstones left and right. Hate to call y’all out, but felt it was necessary. Here’s one: The Restaurant Randy’s is mentioned throughout Paradise. This is the restaurant opened by Randy (Debbie Dewey’s ex) in Pagan Babies.

By Robb on Saturday, January 31, 2004 - 11:44 pm:
MR. PARADISE

Leroy Marvin Woody, B/M/63, unemployed bus driver, sitting by himself hunched over, a nearly full half-gallon of Five O’Clock gin next to him, ashtray full of cigarette butts, blood on the front of his T-shirt. . .

This guy has to related to Leon Woody from SWAG.

REPOST: In THE BIG BOUNCE, Jack Ryan tells Nancy about the days when he and his buddy, Leon Woody, would do a little B&E.

By the way, I just bought a new house. Give me a break STRAW. Do you want move a couple trees in my backyard? You’re right, we’ve been weak!

By Robb on Sunday, February 08, 2004 - 09:23 pm:
Athens Bar is in TOUCH and UNKNOWN MAN #89. I’m sure it is in other Detroit books.

Is Athens a real place?

Sportree’s is a real bar. It has been in a bunch of Mr. Leonard’s novels. He wrote about going to the bar in “Thank God for Robert Joh

By Robb on Monday, February 16, 2004 - 09:18 am:
MR. PARADISE

Val Trubucci

“Write it down. Val came to me from the bomb squad fifteen years ago… ...You know why he quit the Bomb Squad? His girlfriend was afraid he’d get his hands blown off he’s taking taking some device apart, and she’d have to tend to him he goes to the toilet. I had another guy quit the Bomb Squad for the same reason.”

That other guy was Chris Mankowski. He worked for the Detroit Bomb Squad in FREAKY DEAKY.

By Straw on Tuesday, February 17, 2004 - 01:28 pm:
Nice work Robb. Glad you are settled into your house enough to start firing out the touchstones once again

By LACrimAtty on Thursday, February 19, 2004 - 12:10 pm:
In FIRE IN THE HOLE Raylan Givens remembers Ava as a 16 year old cheerleader dressed in blue and gold, the same colors worn by the cheerleader on the cover of MR. PARADISE, the official colors of the U. of M.

By LACrimAtty on Friday, February 20, 2004 - 10:23 am:
Later, Ava asks Raylan if he wants her to do some cheers for him. “I can still do those old Wildcat cheers you liked to watch. I still have all the cute moves.”

So in 2001 Elmore first uses the cheerleader idea then this year uses it again, this time giving it more plot significance and developing it, adding detail.

By Robb on Monday, February 23, 2004 - 09:02 pm:
A COYOTE’S IN THE HOUSE

I teach 6th grade and got an advanced copy. It is a fantastic book. There are a few great touchstones. I’ll give only one. Harry Zimm from GET SHORTY and BE COOL fame does get mentioned a few times.