Limerick lovers from all over the county were saddened by this news, but luckily a reader stepped forward, offering to take on the responsibility of writing the column.
Starting with this issue, Art Dersch of Whispering Pines will be the new limerick columnist.
Dersch, a native of New Jersey, is a veteran of the U.S. Army. He earned a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
After his Army service, Dersch did civilian work for the Army, primarily working on intelligence gathering systems.
After Dersch left government work, he worked in the construction industry, both in residential and commercial properties.
He and his wife, Elsie, retired to Whispering Pines, where both are active in the community. They have two daughters, Terri, who lives in California, and Allison, who is teaching English in South Korea.
We welcome Art to The Pilot’s book pages and hope readers will take a look at his first column, which is published below.
Murder on the ICW
By Ellen Elizabeth Hunter
Magnolia Mysteries, 2006, $15
The Wilkes sisters — Ashley and Melanie — return in the most recent book in Hunter’s mystery series set in the Wilmington area.
Ashley is a historic preservationist working on an old lodge with an outbuilding that apparently was the site of moonshine operations back in Prohibition days.
The discovery of some old bottles prompts Ashley to offer them to a couple of collectors from Raleigh, and when the men come to retrieve them, a body is unearthed from the floor of the barn.
As if that wasn’t enough, Melanie, a real estate agent, seems to be losing boyfriends, both current and past — to the Grim Reaper — at a fast pace. It stands to reason that she is the main suspect.
Ashley is also dealing with personal issues: her husband has officially left her, and now she’s faced with deciding how she really feels about her partner, Jon.
Hunter’s characters are funny without being over the top. Her books offer a good read.
The Cold Moon
By Jeffery Deaver
Simon and Schuster, 2006, $26
Jeffery Deaver’s Lincoln Rhyme returns in this book, that begins slowly but ends with a bang.
Rhyme is a detective who just happens to be quadriplegic. He depends on Amelia Sachs, a NYPD detective, to be his eyes and ears at crime scenes.
A clock is the calling card for a serial killer called “The Watchmaker,” who seems to want to challenge Rhyme.
Sachs is also working on a case involving possible corruption within the police department, which is somewhat distracting.
The book jumps back and forth between cases and lets readers have The Watchmaker’s point of view as well.
Although the book seems to have a slow start, stick with it. You’ll be glad.
Faye Dasen may be reached at fdasen@thepilot.com.
