Asimov's Mysteries. Asimov,Isaac. Panthers Books:London. First published in 1968

Asimov's mysteries starting from 1958 with his Singing Bell to his The Billiard Ball are testimony to this brilliant writers ability to see science in the most foresightful way. They are all short stories, each one a gem, as they shine with the resplendence of his imagination.  His first storypredates the first landing on the moon made in 1969. This story set atleast 10 years before that describes the lunar surface so accurately, that one wonders, 'How did he know?' Singing stones brought from the lunar surface described by Dr.Urth, a character as '  ....it was as though a million harps had sounded a mile away...incredibly sweet and pathetic and tumultous at once'..., are brought into a story of murder as an important component in solving the murder. In 'The Talking Stone', spationautical engineers live 70 million miles away from the Earth...hyperatomics, gamma fogged semireflector, silicony- a rock being that speaks the language of humans - Asimov brings a distant possibility right before our eyes.Mass Transference - this forms the theme of his story 'The Dying Night' wherein, Dr.Urth solves the murder of a man at his lab.Pate de Foie Gras pokes knowledgeable fun at science. Here, the goose  lays the golden egg by a process of a live nuclear reactor and is a tongue-in-cheek story meant to laugh at human ability to believe everything as a miracle.The other stories testify to an exclamation a character makes 'Gee, it is nice to be a science fiction writer'. 

RSA Animate - The Secret Powers of Time

Child, Lee. The Visitor . Bantam Dell.New York. 2000

The story of two ex-army women murdered in one of the most ingenious methods Reacher has ever encountered and the list of seven probable victims that he draws up through clever deduction once again takes one on a Reacher trip. Not very heady, but interesting and for once, I vaguely guessed the perp, something that I've never been able to do in the other Reacher books. Does that make this a loosely knit tale? No, on the contrary, one is satisfied that one has been able to think like Reacher...the clues that Reacher has, are there for the reader too. 

So, another Reacher. This one is still battling with his need for freedom and love. I like Reacher because he is constantly battling his urge to be a free man with nothing but a toothbrush in his pocket. He even has just the clothes on his body and when they become dirty, once in three days, he completely discards them and buys what he needs ( he even calculates the cost and finds this a better investment)...I wonder if there are people who love to be free like this, but then I find that this man Reacher, finds the love of his life and has to make a choice. The philosophical musings add to the depth of character...and maybe, because some of us want to be free, Reacher becomes an object of envy. And, for those who want stability and material success, Jodie is the person to look for.