Among the most unconventional sleuths who populate the mystery genre, Cassandra “Cass” Neary stands out – an alcoholic photographer whose career burnt out more than 30 years ago when she was immersed in the punk rock scene.
Cass is on a perpetual collision course to save herself, finding solace in alcohol, drugs and photography.
She is the kind of person that few people would want in their lives, but author Elizabeth Hand makes it easy to care about this perpetual outsider whose knowledge that she wasted her talents subconsciously dictates her actions.
“I’m the ghost of punk, haunting the 21st century in disintegrating black-and-white, one of those living fossils you read about who usually show up, dead, in a place you never heard of,” she reflects.
In Hard Light, Cass submerges herself in the 1970s music scene and its aftermath when she escapes to grimy North London. Her plan is to meet up with her longtime boyfriend, Quinn, following a disastrous time in Iceland. Quinn is nowhere to be found and the nomadic Cass ends up doing menial errands for a low-level mobster, crashing at decaying apartments and eventually ending up at a dilapidated Cornwall farmhouse.
On one errand, Cass delivers a package to Poppy Teasel, who made a name for herself as a hard-core groupie in the early 1970s before becoming a punk singer with a cult following. Cass finds herself on the periphery of a series of murders that involve film noir, Paleolithic icons and former musicians whose fleeting fame ended decades ago.
Hand makes the plot come together with aplomb, bringing together unlikely links in a believable story.
As a sleuth, the unpredictable Cass shouldn’t work, but her eye as a photographer gives her strength and allows her to see what others may not. She often sees the world in hard light that “gives a sharp edge to everything, throws it all into harsh relief.”
In her third outing since 2012's Available Light, Cass continues to be oddly appealing, teetering on the edge and infinitely intriguing.
Associated Press
RESULTS
Bantamweight:
Zia Mashwani (PAK) bt Chris Corton (PHI)
Super lightweight:
Flavio Serafin (BRA) bt Mohammad Al Khatib (JOR)
Super lightweight:
Dwight Brooks (USA) bt Alex Nacfur (BRA)
Bantamweight:
Tariq Ismail (CAN) bt Jalal Al Daaja (JOR)
Featherweight:
Abdullatip Magomedov (RUS) bt Sulaiman Al Modhyan (KUW)
Middleweight:
Mohammad Fakhreddine (LEB) bt Christofer Silva (BRA)
Middleweight:
Rustam Chsiev (RUS) bt Tarek Suleiman (SYR)
Welterweight:
Khamzat Chimaev (SWE) bt Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA)
Lightweight:
Alex Martinez (CAN) bt Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR)
Welterweight:
Jarrah Al Selawi (JOR) bt Abdoul Abdouraguimov (FRA)
Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour Calendar 2018/19
July 29: OTA Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan
Sep 22-23: LA Convention Centre in Los Angeles, US
Nov 16-18: Carioca Arena Centre in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Feb 7-9: Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE
Mar 9-10: Copper Box Arena in London, UK
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
