Murder on the Orient Excess (The Curious Case Files of Leviticus Gold Book 1)

This book was a set up for sequels. I won't say it was bad but the speed in which Gold solves the case and the inability of the police to function without his input was just a little too unbelievable.. I found other novels by Andy McDermott to be more interesting and entertaining than this book. I've enjoyed Andy's books from the first. I think he's a versatile as shown by this and the persona protocol and accomplished author.

Leviticus Gold is a great character and I look forward to more of his cases. I tell you one thing, though, typing on the Kindle Fire touchscreen keyboard is a complete and utter pain in the butt. Not a nice experience compared to Apple. Anyway, buy this short story, although a little predictable it is very enjoyable! I really enjoy his books, and this was no different.

Murder on the Orient Excess

I read it really fast because I couldn't put it down. This short-story was the perfect length and covered enough detail to get completely engrossed in the characters and the mystery. I love Andy McDermott's other books so was looking forward to his foray into the shorter tales and he did not disappoint. There were enough twists and turns to keep me interested and the main character of Leviticus Gold added a unique and colourful flavour to an otherwise familiar who-dunnit concept.

And I will absolutely not be surprised if we see this one on the idiot box soon. Mar 17, Randy added it. Apr 13, Dan Barbier rated it it was amazing. A delightful locked room Agatha Christie like novella with a charming pompous character. Wish there was a Leviticus Gold 2 in the works.

Aug 01, Nigel rated it really liked it. This is a really good short story which I believe is going to be continued. Good characters which do need some development but plenty of scope and I am looking forward to more. Chetan Shet rated it it was ok Jan 18, Sarah rated it liked it Aug 09, Aika rated it really liked it Jun 01, Peter Mietzner rated it really liked it Sep 13, Jordan rated it really liked it Mar 09, Gil rated it liked it Aug 23, Gordon Jenkins rated it really liked it Dec 29, Shannon Risdon rated it really liked it Jul 11, John M Restrick rated it liked it Jan 10, Aditya Kulkarni rated it really liked it Feb 17, Tony Rampling rated it it was amazing Jan 11, Louise rated it liked it Sep 17, Frank rated it it was amazing Sep 11, JB Scott rated it liked it May 15, Dean Lilley rated it really liked it Aug 28, Korneel rated it liked it Feb 02, Its Afrocentric ideology was largely a reaction against Jamaica's then-dominant British colonial culture.

It was influenced by both Ethiopianism and the Back-to-Africa movement promoted by black nationalist figures like Marcus Garvey. The movement developed after several Christian clergymen, most notably Leonard Howell , proclaimed that Haile Selassie's crowning as emperor in fulfilled a Biblical prophecy. By the s, Rastafari's counter-cultural stance had brought the movement into conflict with wider Jamaican society, including violent clashes with law enforcement. In the s and s it gained increased respectability within Jamaica and greater visibility abroad through the popularity of Rasta-inspired reggae musicians like Bob Marley.

Enthusiasm for Rastafari declined in the s, following the deaths of Haile Selassie and Marley, but the movement survived and has a presence in many parts of the world. The Rasta movement is decentralised and organised on a largely cellular basis. There are several denominations, or " Mansions of Rastafari ", the most prominent of which are the Nyahbinghi , Bobo Ashanti , and the Twelve Tribes of Israel , each offering a different interpretation of Rasta belief. There are an estimated , to 1 million Rastas across the world; the largest population is in Jamaica although communities can be found in most of the world's major population centres.

The majority of practitioners are of black African descent, although a minority come from other racial groups. Scholars of religion have categorised Rastafari as a new religious movement , [1] a new social movement , [2] or as a social movement. Barrett referred to it as a sect , [4] and the sociologist Ernest Cashmore as a cult , [5] while scholar of religion Ennis B.

Edmonds argued that it could best be understood as a revitalization movement. The term "Rastafari" derives from the pre-regnal title of Haile Selassie; the term "Ras" means a duke or prince, while "Tafari Makonen" was his name. Rastafari is a decentralised and heterogeneous movement.

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Rastas refer to the totality of their religion's ideas and beliefs as "Rastalogy". Edmonds described Rastafari as having "a fairly cohesive worldview"; [19] however, Cashmore thought that its beliefs were "fluid and open to interpretation". Clarke stated that it was "extremely difficult to generalise" about Rastas and their beliefs. Middleton suggested that it was appropriate to speak of "a plethora of Rasta spiritualities " displaying a "shifting eclecticism". Emphasis is placed on the idea that personal experience and intuitive understanding should be used to determine the truth or validity of a particular belief or practice.

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Rastafari belief is deeply influenced by Judeo-Christian religion. However, Rastas also believe that the true meaning of the Bible has been warped, both through mistranslation into other languages and by deliberate manipulation by those who wanted to deny black Africans their history. Rastafari are monotheists , worshiping a singular God whom they call Jah.

As well as regarding Jah as a deity, Rastas also believe that Jah is inherent within each human individual.

Jesus of Nazareth is an important figure in Rastafari. From Rastafari's origins, the religion was intrinsically linked with Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, who ruled as Emperor of Ethiopia from to Understandings of how Haile Selassie relates to Jesus differ among Rastas. Other Rastas see Selassie as embodying Jesus' teachings and essence but not being the reincarnated Jesus himself.

During the s, many Jamaican Rastas professed the belief that Haile Selassie would never die.

Some Rastas believed that Selassie did not really die and that claims to the contrary were Western misinformation. During his life, Selassie described himself as a devout Christian.

I also met certain Rastafarians. I told them clearly that I am a man, that I am mortal, and that I will be replaced by the oncoming generation, and that they should never make a mistake in assuming or pretending that a human being is emanated from a deity. According to Clarke, Rastafari is "concerned above all else with black consciousness, with rediscovering the identity, personal and racial, of black people". Rastafari teaches that the black African diaspora are exiles living in "Babylon", a term applied to Western society.

For Rastas, Babylon is regarded as the ultimate evil. Rastas view " Zion " as an ideal to which they aspire. By the movement's fourth decade, the desire for physical repatriation to Africa had declined among Rastas.

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There is no uniform Rasta view on race. Rastafari has been characterised as a millenarianist movement, [] for it espouses the idea that the present age will come to an apocalyptic end. Rastas do not believe that there is a specific afterlife to which human individuals go following bodily death. Most Rastas share a pair of fundamental moral principles known as the "two great commandments". Rastafari promotes what it regards as the restoration of black manhood, believing that men in the African diaspora have been emasculated by Babylon.

Rasta women usually wear clothing that covers their head and masks their body contours, in a manner akin to traditional Islamic clothing. As it existed in Jamaica, Rastafari was not monogamous. Turner encountered black feminists in Kenya who were appropriating Rastafari and redefining its content to suit their political agenda. Both contraception and abortion are usually censured by Rastas, [] and a common claim in Rasta discourse is that these were inventions of Babylon created in an attempt to decrease the black African birth-rate. Some Rastas have promoted activism as a means of achieving socio-political change, while others believe in awaiting change that will be brought about through divine intervention in human affairs.

The cultural and religious practices of Rastafari are referred to as "livity" by Rastas. The term "grounding" is used among Rastas to refer to the establishment of relationships between like-minded practitioners.

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One of the central activities that takes place at groundings is " reasoning ". Rastafari meetings are opened and closed with prayers. The largest groundings were known as "groundations" or "grounations" in the s, although were subsequently re-termed "Nyabinghi Issemblies". Nyabinghi Issemblies typically take place in rural areas, being situated in the open air or in temporary structures—known as "temples" or "tabernacles"—which are specifically constructed for the purpose. Clarke stated that the "principle ritual" of Rastafari was the smoking of ganja, or cannabis.

Rastas argue that the use of ganja is promoted in the Bible, specifically in Genesis 1: When meeting in a grounding, Rastas typically remove their head gear first. By the 8th century, cannabis had been introduced by Arab traders to Central and Southern Africa, where it is known as " dagga " [] and many Rastas say it is a part of their African culture that they are reclaiming. One possible source was the African diasporic religion of Kumina , based on the practices of Bakongo enslaved people and indentured labourers who were brought to Jamaica in the mid-nineteenth century.

A second possible source was the use of cannabis in various Hindu rituals. According to many Rastas, the illegality of cannabis in many nations is evidence of persecution of Rastafari. Rastafari music developed at reasoning sessions, [] where drumming, chanting, and dancing are all present.

The bass-line of Rasta music is provided by the akete , a three-drum set, which is accompanied by percussion instruments like rattles and tambourines. As Rastafari developed, popular music became its chief communicative medium. In the s, a distinct form of Rasta language, often known as "dreadtalk", developed among Jamaican practitioners. When greeting one another, Rastas often say "Peace and Love". Rastafarians often make use of the colours red, black, green, and gold. Rastas seek to produce food "naturally", [] eating what they call ital , or "natural" food.

Rastafarians typically avoid food produced by non-Rastas or from unknown sources. Through their use of language, dress, dreaded hair, and lifestyle Rastas seek to draw a clear boundary between themselves and non-Rastas. There are Rastas who do not wear their hair in dreadlocks; within the religion they are often termed "cleanface" Rastas. From the beginning of the Rastafari movement in the s, adherents typically grew beards and tall hair, perhaps in imitation of Haile Selassie.

It has been suggested e. However, a more recent study by Barry Chevannes [] has traced the first hairlocked Rastas to a subgroup first appearing in , known as Youth Black Faith. The wearing of dreadlocks has faced opposition from other sectors of society; in Jamaica during the midth century, teachers and police officers used to cut off the dreads of Rastas.

Safeway is an early example, and the victory of eight children in a suit against their Lafayette, Louisiana school was a landmark decision in favor of Rastafari rights.

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More recently, in , a group of Rastafari settled a federal lawsuit with the Grand Central Partnership in New York City, allowing them to wear their locks in neat ponytails, rather than be forced to "painfully tuck in their long hair" in their uniform caps. Dreadlocks and Rastafari-inspired clothing have also been worn for aesthetic reasons by non-Rastas. The wearing of dreads also has spread among people of other ethnicities.

Locks worn for stylish reasons are sometimes referred to as "bathroom locks", to distinguish them from the kind that are purely natural. Rastafari purists also sometimes refer to such dreadlocked individuals as "wolves", as in "a wolf in sheep's clothing", especially when they are seen as trouble-makers who might potentially discredit or infiltrate Rastafari. The Rastafari movement developed out of the legacy of the Atlantic slave trade , in which over ten million Africans were enslaved and transported from Africa to the Americas between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Here, they were sold to European planters and forced to work on the plantations. According to the scholar of religion Ennis B. Edmonds, Rastafari emerged from "the convergence of several religious, cultural, and intellectual streams", [] while fellow scholar Wigmoore Francis described it as owing much of its self-understanding to "intellectual and conceptual frameworks" dating from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

In the nineteenth century, there were growing calls for the African diaspora located in Western Europe and the Americas to be resettled in Africa. Also spreading through Africa was Ethiopianism, a movement that accorded special status to the east African nation of Ethiopia because it was mentioned in various Biblical passages.