24 - Wednesday, March 22, 198¢ — North Shore News

It seems somehow appropriate,
then, that we commemorate this
association with a look at a few
modern plots involving con-
spiracies and assassination. In
short, it’s ‘thriller time’, folks.

First up this week is Richard
Hugo's Farewell to Russia
(Sphere/Penguin; 449 pp.; $5.95 in
paperback), a tale of nuclear, po-
litical and personal disaster.

New crop
of thrillers
usually chil

WELL, HERE we are: safely past the notorious Ides of March develops between the in-
that proved to be not one of Gaius Julius Caesar's better
days. The assassination of the former Roman general,
statesman and historian by a clique of dagger-wielding
conspirators has left an indelible mark on this unfortunate
month undiminished 2,033 years after the gory fact.

Of the four thrillers up to bat this
week, Farewell to Russia is cer-
tainly the most plausible and
best-written.

The story is based on the
premise that post-Chernoby!
Russia has, thanks to shoddy reac-
tor construction, suffered a
massive nuclear accident that
threatens the lives of sixty million
Soviet citizens. A power struggle

around town Now |

AROUND TOWN, the North Shore News’ entertainment listing, is the
place to look for live theatre, concerts, galleries, dance events, and pub
and club performances. Running every Wednesday, Around Town lists
North Shore and Lower Mainland entertainment fiappenings.

Deadline for the Wednesday appearance of Around Town is the Fri-

day moming prior to listing.

Only written information can be accepted.

Shore
Delta Mountain Inn, Whistler: Sex
Tips For Modern Girls. Arts Club tour.
Dinner theatre. March 22-April 1 Info:
932-7307, 9-5 p.m:

North Shore
N.S. Museum: Birks Room: Things To
Put Things In. A nostalgic look at the

containers of a one era. 209 W. 4th
St. 987-5618, Weds. to Sun. from 1 to 4

.m. Free,

. House Gallery: fazz.
William Claxton’s photographs from
the jazz era. Hours: Weds.-Sun., 12-5
p.m. and Thurs. 12-9 p.m. $2 and $1.
966-1351.

Do you know me?

eee y cere ey

Hello, I'm Mary. | am the hostess
who wants to make your dining
experience marvelous. | will give
you the best possible table and
make sure you are served
promptly and graciously. Because
§ am only as happy as you are
satisfied.

(oF

FISH & GAME HOUSE

P.S. Romantic piano nightly
195 W. Broadway 876-9256

W.V. Memorial Library: W.V. Sketch
Club. To March 22,

N.Y. Court House: Ivor Cohen and
Elizabeth McLaren, Watercolors.
Mon.-Fri., 8:30-4:30, 200 E. 23rd, N.V.
N.V. City Hall: Jill Pless. Oil paintings.

MARTIN
MILLERCHIP

listings coordinator

Mon.-Fri., 8:30-4:30, 141 W. 14th, N.V.
N.V. District Hall; Una Freed
Prangley. Mixed media. March 22 to
April 25. Mon.-Fri., 8:30-4:30. 355 W.
Queens, N.V.

Court Galley: Heather Turner. Water-
colors. To March 31. 209-1433 Lons-
date.

Station Museum: Barbershop display,
fire equipment and many unusual ar-
tifacts. Free. Sundays 1:30-4:30 p.m.

You'll Let Tifa

When you find
out what's being
offered at Vina.
YOU CAN EAT for $29.95

per couple. That's right,
from now to the end of

March (except Fridays &

Saturdays), at our West

Vancouver location, all

the items on our menu,

from appetizer to

dessert, rack of lamb

to lobster tails, are

for you and your guest
to savor. What wonder-
ful opportunity to
sample fine Vietnamese
cuisine at its best.
DONT LET THIS ON

vestigating KGB and the plant's
controliers, the Russian Army.
As the KGB’s cynical Major
Pyotr Kirov peels back the layers
of the army’s attempted cover-up

MIKE
STEELE

book reviewer

and the terrifying threat posed by
the radioactive discharge, he must
at the same time engineer a solu-
tion for the disaster that meets his
superiors’ demand for secrecy.
The political fall-out of the acci-

Mahon Park, 16th and Jones.

Harrison Galleries: George Bates, Kiff
Holland, Daniel izzard, Rona'a
Jackson, Marke K. Simmons, jose
Trinidad. Park Royal South.
Queensdale Gallery: Syivia Mcintosh
Verity. Acrylics and oils. March 22-25.
129 W. Esplanade, N.V.

Capilano College: Arpilieras. Chilean
wall hangings. Women’s Centre, March
22-31. Info: 984-4941.

a Br Wa We Sey

North Shore

Centennial Theatre: The Holi Cultural
Evening ‘89. Variety show fezturing
East Indian Classical, Folk and Interna-
tional dances. $5. Res: 922-0032,
222-1691.

3 Natural Elements. Folk songs from the

Canadian, American and Celtic reper-
toire. $7 and $5. March 29 at 7:30 p.m.
Res: 987-PLAY or 2 .

W. Van. Rec. Centre: The Barber of
Seville. Vancouver Opera on stage for
children aged 6-12. March 29, 1:30 to
2:30 pm. ¢

3 in advance only. Info:

Scandalous Folk Club: Holly Arnizen.
At $3 this has to be the entertainment
bargain of the year. March 27 at 8 p.m.

Qne Get Away

ALL

GET AWAY!!

dent is judged to pose as great a
danger to the state’s security as the
fatal poisoning of half of its
members,

The good news for Kirov is thai a
solution exists to the problems of
widespread contamination; the
bad news is that the necessary
technology is embargoed by the
United States.

While the U.S. would undoubt-
edly enjoy making an exception at
the cost of Soviet embarrassment,
Kirov’s masters are unwilling to
lose face, leaving the KGB officer
no other choice but to steal the
necessary technology with the aid
of an aging and jaded industrial
sales executive, George Twist.

Twist sees the multi-million
dollar deal as a final, desperate
opportunity to provide security for
himself and his terminally ill wife
but is unprepared for the brutality
of the enterprise and its
murderous execution.

Hugo doss a first-rate job of
plotting, character development
and story-telling in Farewell to
Russia. It may be a shop-worn
cliche, but this really és one thriller
that’s hard to put down.

Far less compelling is The
League of Night and Fog. This
work, by best-selling author David
Morrell (First Blood, The
Brotherhood of the Rose, The
Fraternity of the Stone, Fireflies) is

127 Lonsdale.

Rusty Gull: Uncle Waldo’s Time
Machine, Match 23-25. 175 £. 1.
Lynnwood Ina: Cheyenne Pub: A/ibi,
March 23-25.

: Eddi Kenny, March 30-April 1.
Lynnwood inn: Lounge: Gary Com-
mode, March 27-April 1. Texas style
dancing lessons every Tues. at 8 p.m.

ree.

Queens Cross Pub: The Foolish Hearts,

March 26.

Trolier Pub: Lance Harrison Dixieland

Jazz Band. Sat. afts. from 3 to 6 p.m.

hive entertainment every Fri. and Sat.

aight.

Torchy’s: Tony Norrish. Jazz guitar

ques; and Thurs. eves. 1050 Queens
‘oad.

North Shore

Centennial Theatre: World Adventure
Tours presents the film Portraits of the
Great Far East. $10.50. March 23 at 6

and 8:30 p.m.

a major disappointment given the
writer's proven ability in the
thriller genre.

The concept of teaming es-
pionage heroes from earlier works
to combat a Second World War-
rooted nemesis is intriguing
enough, but this novel has more
flaws than a Japanese technical
manual — and just about as much
interest-sustaining value.

The characters are one-dimen-
sional and their reactions melo-
dramatic and implausible; do we
really believe, for instance, that a
seasoned assassin’s hearing of the
word “‘terrorists’’ would make
“bile rise to his mouth’?

The League of Night and Fog
(Dutton/Fitzhenry & Whiteside;
400 pp.; $24.50 in hardcover)
would make a nice title for a
group of pessimistic meteorolo-
gists, but forecasts nothing but
gloomy weather for Morrell fans,

And speaking of the implausible:
try this one on for size. _
See Butcher's
Page 27

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