One of the truisms of mystery writers in that most of us, probably all, are big mystery readers. I read an average of three books a week. I thought, on this page, I would give you my thoughts on the books I’ve read during the week.
Week of February 21 – I was slowed down this week since I was preparing for both the Suffolk Mystery Festival and the Murderous March Mystery Conference, both Saturday, March 5.
But I managed to get through two books, both of which I enjoyed immensely.
First was Judgment at Santa Monica, by E.J. Copperman.
Our hero is a lawyer, and when we meet her she is defending, and losing, a case of a suburban mon accused of prostitution. To her surprise, famous actor and previous client, Patrick McNabb turns up and wants her to take another murder case. Cynthia Sutton, another actor, is involved in a messy divorce that she blames on her mothering-law. Our reluctant defender has barely gotten started when Cynthia is accused of her mother-in-law’s accused of her mother-in-law’s murder. And lawyer Sandy is shot at and a co-worker is seriously injured. What is going on?
A good mystery and a wonderful wise-cracking protagonist.
The second book, Stargazer, is by Anne Hillerman. She is continuing her father’s mystery series, with the addition of female character Bernie Manuelito.
It looks like an ordinary day: serving a bench warrant, taking care of a herd of escaped cattle and so on. Then the husband of Bernie’s old college friend Maya requests her held. What has happened to Maya? Once closer than sisters, Bernie had lost touch with her old friend when Maya began drinking heavily. Now Maya has been accused of the murder of her estranged husband but something doesn’t seem right. With Chee, Bernie’s love interest, and Joe Leaphorn to help, another murder is solved.
As usual, one of the most captivating parts of these books is the study of the Navaho culture.
Week of February 4
The following books, plus a Summoning of Spirits by Hieber, will be discussed by a panel at Murderous March, March 5, 4:45. The topic: Villains: the Characters we love to hate.
The Ninja Daughter, by Tori Eldrige, introduces Lily Wong, a self-styled female ninja. She has made it her mission to protect women and children, primarily by working with a battered woman’s shelter.
We first meet her as she is being beaten by a thug working for the Ukranian mob. Lily is trying to save the wife and child of one of the mobsters – although Katerina takes her son Ilya home despite Lily’s best efforts.
Several deaths that seem to have no relation to one another, a young woman involved with a married man, and a Korean mob all combine together in an action packed and exciting mystery. The characters are wonderfully drawn, especially Lily. I will definitely read more of these.
It is 1975 and Carmen Valdez, working as a secretary at Triumph Comics as a secretary, is desperate to break into the world of comics. A semi-friend from the office, Harvey, suggests they write a comic together. But then he is found dead, and all the scripts are turned in without her name. Carmen is desperate to discover the murderer, and what happened to her name as co-writer on a comic that becomes a runaway hit?
Another exciting and action packed mystery with an added bonus: the inclusion of the comics in the novel,
Recently widowed, Rebecca Parcell is busy struggling to maintain her farm to care about the War for Independence. But rumors are spreading in the winter of 1780 that she’s a Loyalist sympathizer who betrayed her husband to the British. Her husband was a Patriot, everyone knows. But General Washington knows differently. Rebecca’s husband was a British spy. If she can find out what her husband was doing, Washington will protect her farm.
To figure out what Parcell was doing, Becca must speak to an escaped British prisoner of war: Daniel Alloway. He was the last person to see her husband alive. They join forces – now Becca must fight her growing attraction to this drifter.
A wonderful historical novel about the early days of the Revolutionary War. I hope there is a sequel to this one.
Week of January 31
Fast Track by John Dedakis – Lark Chadwick, the so called Miracle Baby who survived an automobile crash that killed both parents, returns to her home town to investigate.
After the suicide of her aunt, the person who raised her after her parent’s death, Lark is devastated by grief. To cope, she begins to investigate her past and the accident that killed her parents. Once she is in town, she very quickly runs afoul of someone who wants the truth buried.
Although the author is a man, he writes from a woman’s perspective very very well. I will definitely read more in this series.
Dead Man’s Leap by Tina DeBellegarde – I was given a chance to read this mystery pre-publication. This is the sequel to Winter Witness by Agatha Award nominee de Bellegarde.
A ferocious rain storm and the resulting flooding drives the residents of Batavia on the Hudson to the local community center. A death, and the discovery of old bones, give the Sheriff two murders to investigate. It also causes the people of Batavia to rethink their lives, previous choices, changes in relationships and more. A character driven mystery.
Summoning of Souls by Leanna Renee Hieber – the third in the Spectral City Trilogy.
Albert Prenze, a villain who craves the total destruction of all ghosts, has been presumed dead. But Eve, her friends, the ghosts who serve as part of her posse, and NYPD Detective Horowitz discover Prenze is alive and has developed powerful psychic powers. He is endangering Eve and her family, the ghosts who assist her, and the Sanctuary, a safe place for ghosts who have not crossed over.
I had read the first of the trilogy and still was a bit at sea so reading these in order is necessary. For fans of the supernatural.
This week was my spiritualism/seances week, totally unplanned.
The first book I read was Spirits and Smoke by Mary Miley.
Miley is continuing her second series that takes place in 1930’s Chicago. In this one, a seemingly random event, the death of a banker from a ‘smoke’ cocktail turns into bank fraud, the Chicago gangs, and of course murder and spiritualism. The characters are first rate, the setting is fabulous, and the mystery was fun. One of the best books I’ve read in a long time.
I also read City of Shadows by Victoria Thompson.
The spiritualist in this book is not so benign as in the Miley Mystery. Madame Ophelia has a con going to bilk widows out of the funds their husband have left them. But not to worry. Elizabeth Bates, her brother Jake, the Old Man and other current and former con artists are on the case.
Great fun.
Week of January 17 –
I started the week by reading Garden of Sins by Laura Joh Rowland. I have been a fan since she wrote the Chamberlain Sano series which takes place in seventeenth century Japan.
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Garden of Sins is the newest in her Sarah Bain series and takes place in the Victorian era. In this mystery, Sarah and her new husband investigate the death of a female Pinkerton detective. It all has something to do with actors/circus performers who have re-activated a shabby theater.
Besides the central mystery, which involves the talents of Mick and his girlfriend, Sarah is dealing with the trial of her father, a media storm of its own, and problems in her new marriage.
As always, the plotting and the characters are first rate.
The second book I read was Jane Cleland’s Jane Austen’s Lost Letters, part of the Josie Prescott (antique dealer) series.
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I had real problems with this mystery. The central mystery, the murder of another dealer who had discovered a method for identifying a forger was fascinating. In fact, all of the antique related information was riveting.
But . . . A woman named Veronica Sutton gives Josie a case that includes the letters. This woman has some connection to Josie’s father (who died twenty years previously.) Although Sutton makes it clear she does not want to engage with Josie, she will not let it go to the point where it felt uncomfortably like stalking.
The mystery about Veronica Sutton is resolved, with a shattering revelation for Josie. I found the backstory a tad unbelievable – would a father really keep such a secret from the daughter he claimed to love so much?
Finally, I read Double Whammy by Gretchen Archer. This is the first in a series recommended by a good friend.
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Davis Way (yes, that is really her name), is at a very low ebb. Penniless, she has lost her job and is desperate to find another. A dream job in Biloxi, Miss at a casino presents itself. She is astonishingly well paid and is offered a closet full of designer clothing. But what is the job? She is told it is security work but there are very few specifics. At base, she is supposed to discover how various people are stealing from the casino. Ah, but it is not that simple, is it?
Her ex-husband, ‘Eddie the Ass’, is involved somehow and Davis really wants revenge on him.
Fun and frothy. I will definitely read more, although I do hope Davis grows up a little.garden of sinOpen publish panel
A knee replacement slowed me down but as I improve, I gradually take up the reins of my life once again.
While I was in the hospital, I read With Our Blessing, by Jo Spain. This is another in her Irish Garda series, with DCI Tom Reynolds.
The body of an elderly woman, crucified upside down and with ‘Satan’s whore’ carved into her chest, is found near Reynold’s police station. A preliminary investigation reveals the victim to be a nun, from a convent about an hour’s drive away. Reynolds and his team drive down to the convent, where they are offered rooms, and they begin questioning the other nuns. They have barely gotten started when the priest who ministers to the convent disappears and is subsequently found dead. What’s going on?
A involved investigation that centers on the Magdalene Laundries, and pulls in on of their own, is further complicated by a winter storm that dumps feet of snow on the village.
A dark police procedural that does not leave one’s mind quickly.
Death at Greenway by Lori Rader Day. During World War II, thousands of children were evacuated to the countryside to spare them from the bombing in London. Bridget Kelly is a nurse in training who entire family has been wiped out in a strike. Accused of injuring a patient, she is offered a chance to accompany ten children to Greenway, the home owned by Max Mallowan and Agatha Christie (who makes a few cameos through out the novel.)
Accompanying Bridey and the children is another woman, who claims to be a nurse and another Bridget Kelly. She is called Gigi. The group also includes a married couple, the Arbuthnots. They are not at Greenway for very long before some petty thefts occur and then, more seriously, a murder victim.
As historical fiction, this is first rate. The characters are interesting and fully fleshed out and the historical setting is gripping. The undertone of fear and loss is harrowing. But this is not really a mystery, certainly not a whodunit.
Finally, after the seriousness of the previous two volumes, I needed a break and read Crimes and Covers by Amanda Flower.
I am a big fan of the magical book shop mysteries and this one did not disappoint. On the eve of Violet’s wedding to David Rainwater, a woman bursts into he book shop and tries to sell her a first edition Walden signed by Thoreau. When Violet refuses to buy the book (with no provenance or other proofs), the woman storms out only to turn up dead a few hours later. The newlyweds delay their honeymoon to investigate..
Suspects abound, not least a woman who, convinced she is Thoreau’s direct heir, has changed her name to Thoreau. Charming, as usual.
According to the website, this series is planned for five books. I hope Flower writes another; there are several hanging threads.
Searcher for the Dead, by Nancy Herriman, is a historical mystery that takes place during the Elizabethan era. After the tragic death of her husband Martin, Bess relocates to the small town where she was born and moves in with her mother. Bess’s brother in law, Fulke, is found hanged and at first the murder is deemed a suicide. Since suicide was a crime, all of his assets are to be taken by the Crown. But Bess does not believe it was suicide and with the help of Kit, the constable, she investigates further.
This was captivating and enjoyable. Since it ended on a cliffhanger, and the possibility of some romance between Bess and Kit, I expect there will be another in this series. It is already on my list to read.
The second book I read was far different. In The Bone Cay, by Eliza Nellums, it is unclear whether there is a mystery. Magda Trudell is the current caretaker of the home of a famous poet, Isobel Reyes. A cat four hurricane is bearing down on Key West and is forecasted to be a direct hit. Magda chooses to stay in the house and when the storm damages the gift shop, it reveals a steamer trunk with the remains of a young woman. This does not occur until page 102. Shortly thereafter, the handy man and his daughter arrive seeking refuge but Magda soon discovers they are not what they seem. I am not sure how I feel about this book. It is not a whodunit and the mystery really does not begin until quite late. But it is beautiful written and I did finish it. The descriptions of the storms were especially riveting.
Week of November 8 –
I missed last week’s post since I was still reading Sherlock Holmes vs Cthulhu by Lois Gresh. This is one weird book, and I like weird. Still not sure how I feel about it.
Hemlock, by Susan Wittig Albert, is the newest in a long series of China Bayles Herbal mysteries. In it, China journeys to North Carolina to hunt for a rare and valuable herbal called the Curious Herbal by Elizabeth Blackwell. The information about hemlock, the poisonous herb, not the tree, and the book were historically accurate and fascinating. The mystery was a little disappointing but the rest of the book made up for it.
Murder at the Abbey, by Frances Evesham, is part of a series, although this was my first. A human bone was found in a river near a historical abbey. Is is the bone from the abbey graveyard? Or something worse. Libby, and her new husband, are on the case. A charming cozy.
Week of October 25 –
This week I read two very different kind of books.
From Beer to Eternity, by Sherry Harris, is a cozy set I Florida. The main character, a transplant from Chicago, moves to the Emerald Coast temporarily, in accordance with a friend’s wishes. A number of strange events, including a murder, soon occur.
Not a whodunit, since the murderer is detected by luck more than clues, this is still a fun read. The characters are appealing and the setting, the Sea Glass bar, are described well. If you like cozies, this is a good choice.
The second book could not be more different.Sherlock Holmes vs Cthulhu is more of a cross between mystery and horror. An inventor has created a machine, called the Beast, which has homicidal qualities. Who is behind the Beast and what is its true nature? What is the significance of the spherical bone balls incised with symbols? Where did the supernatural aspects of the Beast Come from?
Gresh does a wonderful job of combining the Great Detective and a Lovecraftian monster. This was a perfect choice for Halloween time.
Week of October 18 – This week I read two Charles Todd Mysteries. The Irish Hostage (Bess Crawford) and The Fatal Lie (Ian Rutledge.)
In the Irish Hostage, Bess travels to Ireland to serve as a maid of honor in a wedding. That wedding, does not go forward, however, since the groom is abducted and feared dead. Another death, which appears to have no relation at al to the disappearance of the groom, occurs nearby.
The description of the Irish Troubles (the novel takes place not long after 1916) is absolutely captivating and Todd does a wonderful job of making the reader feel Bess’s emotions: attraction to one of the Irish men, fear for her safety and more.
In a Fatal Lie, Ian Rutledge investigates the murder of a man but his investigation rapidly become so much more. The victim was hunting for his young daughter, abducted from her pram. What had he discovered before his murder? Another winner from Todd, although Hamish plays a smaller role.
I also want to note the death of Caroline Todd, one half of the writing duo with her son Charles, at 86. The new Bess Crawford and Ian Rutledge had already been turned in. It remains to be see what happens to the characters now.
October 18 –
This week I read the fourth of Amanda Flower’s Mystery Bookshop series: Verse and Vengeance. Another charming cozy from this author. In this one, the P.I. Joel Redding, is murdered during. a bike race. Violet’s student Jo is involved – somehow – as well as her brother and her boss.
At the same time, Violet’s Grandmother, now the mayor of Cascade Springs, has begun transforming the village hall into a museum.
And for those readers interested in Violet’s love life, her relationship is moving forward, although in fits and starts.
Whitman’s poetry is an integral part of this mystery and like good fiction, it inspired me to actually read some of his poetry.
The second book I read this past week was Death Rang the Bell by Carol Pouliot. Death Rang the Bell is the third, so far, in this series. It has an interesting premise; Olivia, the main character, sees a strange man in her bedroom. They discover he is a police detective in 1934 (she is in 2021), the house allows them to time travel from 1934 to the Olivia’s time and back again.
In this offering, the owner of a large department store is found murdered. His estranged wife and son are the first suspects. Pouliot includes a number of details about 1934. By now, Olivia and Stephen have learned how to cross over and live in each other’s times. The big question remains: how will they manage to carry on their relationship when they come from two different times.
October 11-
After seeing a talk by Amanda Flower, I was inspired to read several of her books. I chose the Magic Bookshop series.
In Crime and Poetry, the first of the series, Violet Waverley is called home by her grandmother who claims she is dying. On Violet’s arrival in Cascade Springs, she discovers her grandmother is not dying and her claim was, in fact a ploy to lure Violet home. After the death of her best friend twelve years previously, Violet had left, swearing to never return. But the Waverley women are tasked with protecting the magical birch tree that grows through the shop and now it is time for Violet to take on that responsibility.
Her old flame, Nathan Morton, is now the mayor and he shows signs of wishing to re-kindle their romance. The new chief of police, David Rainwater, is another suitor for Violet’s affections.
Shortly after Violet’s arrival, her grandmother’s love interest is murdered and Violet dives into the investigation.
Pros and Cons takes place at Halloween and this time Violet’s best friend Sadie is accused of the murder of another member of the Red Inkers, the writing group. All the evidence points at Sadie but Violet is determined to clear her friend and find the true murderer.
The third I have read of the five, Murders and Metaphors, concerns the murder of a famous sommelier and author who is conducting a signing at the local Morton winery. I was inspired by this title to research ice wine, which I have heard of but never tasted.
Do I plan to read the final two in this series? I certainly do. The murders are not true whodunits, but the setting in this small town and the bookshop is absolutely charming and I really enjoy the sparkling characters. Although I do not usually care for cozies, these are delightful
9/30/21. In the past week, I read three books, all very different.
Ice and Stone, by Marcia Muller, is the latest Sharon McCone. Although written pre-pandemic, it is quite timely.
McCone is hired to investigate the disappearances and murders of three Native American women. Considering that I read this at the height of the buzz about Gabby Petito, and the discussions about the many women of color who disappear without a similar furor, I found the topic riveting. Inequality and the entitlement of the wealthy, racism, and the plight of the fictional triple are all part of the setting. The plot was a little convoluted but Muller is a good writer and I was enthralled right to the end. Definitely recommended.
A Darker Reality is Anne Perry’s latest Elena Standish. I’ve read all three and enjoyed them but this is the weakest of the lot.
Elena and her parents travel to Washington, D.C. for her grandparents’ sixtieth wedding anniversary. One of the guests is murdered and Elena’s grandfather is accused. Elena and her family work tirelessly to prove his innocence. The mystery is set pre-WWII and delineates American Nazi sympathizers. I’ve enjoyed all of Perry’s series through the years and she is a good writer but I found this one somewhat preachy.
Bloodless by Preston and Child was the third book this week. Frankly, I have mixed feelings about the Preston and Child oeuvre. The writing style is pedestrian and the books vary widely in quality. This one was even more fantastic than most. It ended with a cliffhanger so we will see where these writers go next.
One of the truisms of mystery writers in that most of us, probably all, are big mystery readers. I read an average of three books a week. I thought, on this page, I would give you my thoughts on the books I’ve read during the week.
Week September 11-19 This past week, I read two captivating books. One, The Mystic’s Accomplice, by Mary Miley, is a historical mystery that takes place during Prohibition.
Maddie Pastore’s husband Tommy, is shot and killed as he delivers hooch for the Outfit, the Capone gang. That is when Maddie, eight months pregnant, learns exactly what her husband had been involved in. The shocks don’t end there. Shortly after, Maddie learns Tommy had been married before, was still married in fact, and the first wife takes all his assets, leaving Maddie penniless.
Now what can she do? She takes refuge at the Hull House to deliver Tommy Junior and starts looking for a job that will allow her to bring her baby. Not many of the those,, as you can imagine. So Maddie takes up with a spiritualist who truly believes in her gifts. Maddie soon becomes a valued member of the team.
The setting is first rate and the sparkling characters are absolutely wonderful. My only complaint would be that this really doesn’t have a mystery. But with that, I am still looking forward to the next in the series.
The second book is Striking Range by Margaret Mizushima. This is the latest in the long running Timber Creek K-9 mystery.
Mattie Cobb and cold-case detective Jim Hauck visit prison to interview the man who tried to kill Mattie and may have murdered her father thirty years ago. But when they arrive, John Cobb is dead. The only clue is a map of Timber Ridge and Restone Ridge.
Other murders follow and the investigation of John Cobb’s murder becomes tangled in a baby selling scheme. But the twist at the end explains it all.
I love this series and this is a great entry.