Today is the publication day for Elly Griffiths' new Ruth Galloway Mystery, The Woman in Blue. Number 8 in this series, it is another outstanding book that already ardent fans will love and new fans will realize they must read the first seven, too. The Ruth Galloway series is one of my favorites, and I am including a review of The Woman in Blue below. But, first, Elly has given us an insightful and fascinating interview, a peek at her writing and her personal life. She is exceptional in both areas.
Interview with Elly Griffiths:
The Reading Room: First off, Elly Griffiths is your nom de plume, and so I will use it in this interview. However, with a lovely name such as Domenica de Rosa, which you also write under, why did you choose to use a pen name for the Ruth Galloway series? Was it your idea or an editor’s?
Elly: The funny thing is that my real name sounds made up! I actually did publish four books under my real name. They were classified as ‘women’s fiction’ but they did all have a mystery element to them. When I wrote ‘The Crossing Places’ I didn’t think it was so very different but my agent said, ‘This is crime. You need a crime name.’ I chose Elly Griffiths because it was my grandmother’s name.
The Reading Room: With your husband’s career in archaeology and your main character Ruth Galloway’s archaeological career, I naturally have to wonder if your husband’s connection played a part in your career for Ruth?
Elly: It certainly did. About ten years ago Andy gave up a city career to retrain as an archaeologist. This gave the whole family a new interest in archaeology but it did also mean that our lives had to change a lot. We couldn’t afford foreign holidays for one thing so we started to go back to where I had always holidayed as a child – Norfolk. One day we were walking across Titchwell Marsh in North Norfolk and Andy said that prehistoric people had seen marshland as sacred ground. Because it’s neither land nor sea, but something in between, they saw it as a bridge to the afterlife; neither land nor sea, neither life nor death. The entire plot of The Crossing Places came to me in that instant.
The Reading Room: For those of us who are ardent fans (not sure that even covers the degree to which I love this series) of the Ruth Galloway books, we are much invested in the relationship or non-relationship of Ruth and DCI Harry Nelson. I realize I’ve never asked you if you had planned a connection between the two when you started writing the first book. Had you?
Elly: Yes, I did want them to have a relationship. I was fascinated by the extent to which two people who seem very different (Ruth: university educated, liberal; Nelson: little formal schooling, tough Northerner) could be attracted to each other. I didn’t ever plan it to become quite as complicated though.
The Reading Room: The series has so many wonderful characters in it, and, of course, Cathbad, the Druid, is wildly popular with everyone. How did Cathbad come about in your imagining the series, and has his part grown larger than you planned?
Elly: Definitely. In the first book Cathbad was just another suspect but he has just grown and grown. Now he even has a complicated love life of his own. I live in Brighton, a town known for its alternative beliefs, and Cathbad is an amalgam of many of my friends here.
The Reading Room: I hesitate to ask this next question about the Ruth Galloway series, but here goes. Can we fans expect Ruth to continue for many more novels? Your writing for them is still so fresh, and there’s so much more of Ruth’s future we all want to see, I’m hoping the answer is a short, “there will be many more.” After all, The Woman in Blue is only #8.
Elly: Well, I have always said that there will be ten but now – as I’m writing Book 9 – I’m not sure that I am ready to say goodbye. I will definitely have a break after Book 10 though.
The Reading Room: Tuesday, May 3rd, brings those of us across the pond your 8th Ruth Galloway novel, The Woman in Blue, my review for which will be placed after this interview. You once again have produced a brilliant story with fascinating history of an English village in the Norfolk area of England and spectacular characters. In this book, as is often the case, Ruth’s atheism is confronted by the very setting of the story, the shrine village of Walsingham. How did you decide upon Ruth being atheist, and how important is it to the storyline of the series?
Elly: It’s interesting, because Ruth is an atheist people assume that I am too. Actually I’m a (slightly freelance) Catholic. Andy is an atheist though and some of the arguments between Ruth and Nelson echo our religious debates. I’m fascinated by belief in all its forms. In ‘The Woman in Blue’ I wanted to look at the way in which worship of a woman (the Virgin Mary) could co-exist with some darker feelings towards women, particularly women priests.
The Reading Room: The question about the longevity of the Ruth Galloway series was prompted by the appearance of your new amazing series, the Stephens and Mephisto books, featuring Detective Inspector Edgar Stephens and magician Max Mephisto. The first one, The Zig Zag Girl came out last year in the U.S., and #2, Smoke and Mirrors, comes out this year. How did this series come about, Elly?
Elly: I’ve always wanted to write about my grandfather who was a music hall comedian. Grandad appeared on the bill with a famous magician called Jasper Maskelyne, who had been involved with a wartime espionage group called The Magic Gang. This gave me the idea for a series which would combine magic, crime and vaudeville. I have really enjoyed writing these books and have just finished the third, The Blood Card.
The Reading Room: Elly, for those of us who aren’t writers, or authors of books, it’s always a curiosity as to how you go about your writing. Could you share some of your process, including researching, with us? What is a typical day, or is there a typical day, like for your writing?
Elly: I have two children and they leave from school at about 7.30am. Then I make a pot of strong coffee and start writing. I always write until midday. I used to go to see my mother at lunchtime but sadly she passed away last year. I still have the same routine though. Now at midday I might go for a walk by the sea. Then I’ll do the shopping and whatever housework needs doing. When the kids come home at 4pm that means no more writing. I try to write every day unless I am teaching (I teach creative writing at West Dean College).
The Reading Room: It never ceases to amaze me that authors make time to read other books than their own, but it is always interesting to me to know what they are reading. So, Elly, what’s on your nightstand these days?
Elly: I love reading and am never without a book. I reread a lot too (I read The Moonstone every year, for example). At the moment I’m reading a brilliant debut novel by Anna Mazzola called ‘The Unseeing’. It’s a historical mystery based on a real murder case.
The Reading Room: And now, for one of my favorite questions I ask authors. What would you like your readers to know about you that isn’t in your bio information? Besides your obvious writing talent, any special interests or talents, quirky or not, you’d like to share?
Elly: I love swimming in the sea and try to swim from April to October. My mum used to swim all year round and my ambition is to do this too but it is very cold in the English Channel! I’m also a keen horse-rider.
Review of The Woman in Blue
The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sometimes, I think that the hardest reviews to write are for the books you most love. Trying to do justice to a favorite read, a favorite author, a favorite character and series is a tall order in a short space. So it is with the latest entry into the Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths. Of course, I haven't read anything by Elly Griffiths that I haven't loved, and Ruth Galloway is such a special character to me, one in which I'm so emotionally invested. The Woman in Blue took my emotions to a whole new level, as it is a pivotal book in Ruth facing her own emotions and truths. I felt like both Ruth and I were wrung out by the end, except Ruth is always more composed than I.
The action, and there is plenty of that along with the emotion, gets underway when a beautiful young woman is discovered strangled and left in a ditch outside of Walsingham, a Norfolk village known as "England's Nazareth" because of its shrines, medieval religious ruins, and pilgrimage site. Its connection to and sightings of the Virgin Mary enhance its Nazareth moniker, and it is the incomparable character of Cathbad, Druid friend of Ruth's, that mistakes this murdered woman as a possible vision of the Holy Mother the night before her body is found. House-sitting for a friend in Walsingham, Cathbad sees a woman in a white gown with a blue coat-like attire in the graveyard next to where he is staying, but she slips away before he can discover who or what she is. So, a bit of the other-wordly atmosphere is set up in a place where religious history and myth are the bones of the community. DCI Harry Nelson is called into investigate, and the woman is identified as a somewhat famous model who was in residence at a local drug rehabilitation center called The Sanctuary.
Ruth is on a parallel course to Walsingham, as an old college friend named Hilary Smithson emails Ruth about meeting in Walsingham. Hilary, who is now an Anglican priest, is attending a course for female priests on becoming bishops. Not everyone is thrilled about Hilary and her fellow female priests being in the priesthood, and Hilary confides in Ruth about nasty, threatening letters received from an anonymous source. Religion is not Ruth's passion by any means, but she is interested in the archaeological history of Walsingham and the welfare of her friend, so Ruth agrees to read the letters. She then encourages her friend to contact the police, and, thus Nelson, the father of Ruth's five-year-old daughter becomes involved in Hilary's problem. When one of the female priests who is attending the course with Hilary is also found murdered, Nelson has to consider the possibility that the letters and the two murders are related. Ruth and Nelson find themselves once more in the thick of a case that brings them together trying to solve murder and trying to figure out their place in one another's lives.
Elly Griffiths does so many things well that there's always the risk of leaving something out when talking about why her Ruth Galloway series is so special. The characters are always at the top of the list when readers praise the series. Ruth and Nelson, with their complicated relationship (after all Nelson is married and seems to want to stay that way, but does he?) is one of my favorite parts of every book. I was delighted that The Lady in Blue had both characters doing some real soul searching and some affirmation of repressed truths. Ruth's witty conversation, both to herself and others, tells us so much about this dear friend. Cathbad is just a gem of a character, and he definitely puts the cool in Druid. All the supporting cast and the newly introduced characters for this particular story have such attention to detail and development that I truly want to meet them all. Setting is another area in which Elly excels, and readers get to become ensconced in the village of Little Walsingham, as well as still enjoy the beautiful geography of Ruth's marshlands. There is something oddly peaceful about the wilds of Norfolk. Elly Griffiths seems to have a bond with the land and sea of this area that transfers beautifully to the written page. Of course, the stories in which these wonderful characters and settings exist are always suspenseful and thrilling, and as in most first-rate mysteries, time is always ticking on the page and in the reader's mind.
I received an ARC of The Woman in Blue, which was greatly appreciated, as the book doesn't come out in the U.S. until May 3rd. It is, however, already published in the UK if readers can't wait, and so many fans of this series just can't. I have loved all the books in the Ruth Galloway series, but I will have to admit that this new one is a favorite amongst favorites. It checked all the boxes for me. Thank you Elly Griffiths for once again providing such great writing for all to read.
It is a true story, one of the most heinous of crimes resulting in the deepest of heartache. I became friends with Kristi Belcamino through her role as the author of the Gabriella Giovanni crime/mystery series. Kristi is a bright, joyful person with whom you immediately feel better about the world and its inhabitants. And, she is this bright light, no deception there. But, she carries a heavy burden inside, one that led her to write the fiction series, with the first book, Blessed Are the Dead, a direct link to the burden of experience that lies within her. That experience is her encounter with Evil in the name of Curtis Dean Anderson, a pedophile, a kidnapper, a murderer. The true account of that horrific experience is now available in the book Letters from a Serial Killer by Kristi Belcamino and Stephanie Kahalekulu, the aunt of Xiana Fairchild. Xiana was abducted by Anderson in 1999, and both of these women corresponded with and visited Anderson to try and obtain information about Xiana, hoping to bring her home safely. Below is a review of this heart-shattering book. Whether you read Kristi's fiction series (which is an amazing series) or not, Letters from a Serial Killer is an important book you need to read. Protecting children from evil is a responsibility we all share.
Letters from a Serial Killer by Kristi Belcamino
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
As hard as this true story was to read because of the monster at the center of the case, I can't begin to imagine how hard it was for Kristi Belcamino, along with Stephanie Kahalekulu, to relive and write. A pedophile who kidnaps and murders is the lowest of the low, the most evil of the evil, and to look this evil in the face requires a strength that few of us could muster.
Curtis Dean Anderson is the nightmare that every parent wants to believe is just that, a nightmare and not a reality. Kristi Belcamino, who was a crime reporter for the Contra Costa Times in the late 90s gained the knowledge of that reality when seven-year-old Xiana Fairchild went missing on her way to school in 1999 in Vallejo, California, a community across the bay from the city of San Francisco. At the time, Xiana lived with her mother and her mother's boyfriend in a rundown apartment in Vallejo, but it was Xiana's aunt, Stephanie Kahalekulu, who had raised Xiana, up until six months prior. Xiana's life with Stephanie was a good one, full of love. It is Stephanie with whom Kristi became friends in the long search and hope for finding Xiana alive. Kristi's newspaper coverage became more than a story for her paper; it became her life, all consuming. Stephanie's life, too, became a complete commitment into this living nightmare, as she uprooted her life and those of her two children from a peaceful, orderly one in Colorado to a chaotic, gut-churning one in California.
A break in the case came when Anderson was arrested for the kidnapping of another little girl, one who was fortunate to get away from him before he could end her life. With his arrest, both Kristi and Stephanie had renewed hope that Xiana would be found alive. So began a cat-and-mouse game that Anderson played with the two women, with them visiting him and corresponding with him through letters, hoping to gain information that would lead them to Xiana's safe return. Kristi, with her brilliant writing skills and emotional immersion, and Stephanie, with her heart-on-the-line descriptions, relay to us what horrors they endured in communicating with this Evil in the guise of a human. Hope and then despair, crumbs of information that led nowhere, demands that couldn't or wouldn't be met, heartache and grief. It was a trail of terror that led to the ultimate anguish.
It has been sixteen years since both women have dealt with this Evil and fifteen years since they discovered the truth about Xiana's fate from the grim discovery of her skull, and, yet, they deal with it every day of their lives. How can something this wretched not impact the rest of your life? Kristi and Stephanie have found their own ways of managing the torment within, and their bravery in bringing this important account to readers must be commended. Heroes do what must be done for the good of the world, and Kristi Belcamino and Stephanie Kahalekulu are heroes indeed.
There are only two weeks left until the ballots are due for Bouchercon Anthony Awards nominations, and I have a five more 2015 books I've reviewed that I want to ensure are given their due consideration. Today's selections include two from Kristi Belcamino, Blessed Are Those Who Weep: Gabriella Giovanni Mysteries #3 and Blessed Are Those Who Mourn: Gabriella Giovanni Mysteries #4 from Witness Impulse (both Belcamino books eligible for Best Paperback Original); Away in a Manger: Molly Murphy Mysteries #15 by Rhys Bowen from Minotaur Books (eligible for Best Novel); Too Clever by Half: A Daviess and West Mystery #2 by Will North from Booktrope (eligible for Best Paperback Original); and Art in the Blood: A Sherlock Holmes Adventure by Bonnie MacBird from Collins Crime Club (eligible for Best Novel).
Blessed are Those Who Weep by Kristi Belcamino
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
In the third book of the Gabriella Giovanni series, author Kristi Belcamino gives us a quite different Gabriella. Although this amazing character is someone I quickly came to love in books one and two, Gabriella has from the beginning had ghosts and demons that tore at her happiness. She has the job she loves as a crime reporter on a major newspaper in the San Francisco area, and she has a partner who is the man she wants to spend the rest of her life with. But, hanging on to her past has cost Gabriella from fully believing in a happy-ever-after.
Family has always been important to Gabriella, and recent events in her life have made it even more so. Called to an apartment for what was termed by the caller the story of a lifetime, Gabriella stumbles into a murder scene, a family slaughtered. But in the midst of the carnage is a baby girl, unscathed, a survivor. Seeing this child brings up Gabriella’s grief about her miscarriage and starts her spiraling downward into a dark abyss. She becomes obsessed with the child and finding the person who slayed the child’s mother, grandparents, and uncle. Everything and everyone else in Gabriella’s life suffers in the wake. She becomes unfocused at work, unreachable in her relationship with Donovan, and unkempt in her physical appearance. She is the perfect metaphor for disheveled in every way.
Gabriella has always had a tendency for obsession, but in this story, obsession take a trip on speed. She is convinced that she knows who the killer of the slain family is, and she is committed to protecting the baby girl named Lucy from falling into anyone’s hands who might harm her. Although a mere ghost of her former self, Gabriella brutally pushes herself to find answers before a deadline of no return for Lucy. Even though her editor took her off the story due to her involvement, Gabriella digs deeper and deeper into a quagmire of cover-ups, a sex club, martial arts, and ties to the war in Iraq. In her determination to protect the surviving child Lucy, Gabriella throws caution to the wind more than ever and jeopardizes all that might save her in return.
Blessed are Those That Weep will have you wringing your hands in concern over whether Gabriella will survive with any semblance of a meaningful life. Kristi Belcamino knows how to do many things brilliantly as a writer. One of those skills is involving the reader emotionally, creating a vested interest that keeps the book in your hands, because you have to know how the characters fare in the aftermath of having their lives torn apart. And, it’s hard to find a better opening sequence than what begins the tale in Blessed Are Those Who Weep. Belcamino is a master at taking the reader quickly into the action and maintaining an intense pace all the way to the end. It’s safe to say that readers of this electrifying series will need a moment to catch their breaths when the last page is turned.
Blessed are Those Who Mourn by Kristi Belcamino
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
You might think that having read the previous three novels in the Gabriella Giovanni series, you are prepared for almost anything. You would be wrong. Blessed Are Those Who Mourn takes living in a character's head to a whole new level. When you read this book, you will feel pain and suffering and hopelessness. You will fall into a hole so dark and deep, so filled with evil, that your heart beats wildly and your breath comes in ragged gasps. How do people cope with certain unimaginable events of horror? Following Gabriella Giovanni and Sean Donovan through this story will give you an insight that will give you some understanding of that.
Five years has passed since Gabriella and Donovan have had their lives and their love tested to the core in Blessed Are the Meek. Gabriella has recovered from the despair that had almost shut her down and has learned coping skills to deal with her past traumas. She and Detective Sean Donovan finally have everything they ever wanted. Five-year-old Grace Donovan is a beautiful, fierce child who has fulfilled every dream that Gabriella ever had about a family life with Sean Donovan. The nightmares of Gabriella's past have been replaced with happiness and love, but, evil isn’t finished with Gabriella Giovanni yet.
Still working as the crime reporter for the Bay Herald in San Francisco and Donovan still working as a detective for the Rosarito Police Department, it's not unusual for the two to be working the same case, so to speak. As young college women start showing up dead in the Suisun Bay area, there is an eerie and unavoidable common thread, Bible verses left with the bodies. Gabriella is all too familiar with these verses, and suddenly, the nightmares of yesterday have returned. Someone is sending a message, a message that if interpreted incorrectly will cost Gabriella her world. She will be called upon to find strength to battle an all-too familiar evil in the midst of all-consuming despair, and, of course, it wouldn't be a Gabriella Giovanni mystery if the ticking of the clock wasn't a driving force in Gabriella's fight for the right answers.
The hold that this story has, the very gripping claws of emotional involvement that the reader experiences is reading at its best. As in all the novels in this series, the action moves rather quickly, but it will not move fast enough for the reader. Blessed Are Those That Mourn makes a speed reader out of the slowest, something to which I can personally attest. The story can simply not be left to resolve the next day. It demands a full-on commitment as soon as page one is begun. So, clear your day or night to read one of the most engaging books you will ever cry your way through.
Away in a Manger by Rhys Bowen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was especially thrilled when I learned earlier this year that there would be two Molly Murphy books out in 2015, The Edge of Dreams last spring and Away in a Manger this November. I truly cannot get enough of Molly, her family, her friends, and the city of New York City at the beginning of the 20th Century. Rhys Bowen has gifted readers with a Christmas story bonus that I wasn't able to wait until Christmas to read. Having been lucky enough to receive an ARC, I even got in a bit early before the November 17th publication date. This series is such a favorite for so many readers, and fans will be delighted with Away in a Manger. It's Molly at her detecting best, clever and resourceful with a maturing confidence in herself and her abilities. The author's meticulous research is evident in the historical details of New York City coming into a new century, where the newness of motor cars is in high contrast to the struggling problems of the immigrants, especially the untended children of the poor.
Molly is preparing for Daniel's mother, the other Mrs. Sullivan, to visit for the Christmas holidays, and while running errands with her baby son and twelve-year-old Bridie, two young immigrant children catch their attention. Under-dressed and obviously underfed, the two children, whose names are Tig and Emmy, are brother and sister out on the cold streets trying to earn money, as are many children at that time. First Bridie, then Molly are drawn to these children in particular, the very young Emmy with an angelic singing voice and the well-spoken Tig. They are not the usual children of the street encountered. So, Molly is pulled in by her heartstrings and Bridie's concern to see that Tig and Emmy have some warm clothes and food. It, of course, gets much more complicated, with the mystery of their missing mother and an "aunt" who isn't really an aunt, who lets them stay at her boarding house, but only at nighttime. Molly is determined to find out who these children are and what has happened to their mother, and her best friends Gus and Sid become involved and enchanted with the two beggar children. Molly's investigation will take her from the dregs of society to the upper echelon of it, and will reveal a dark, twisted plan of greed and heinous acts.
And, there is Christmas. Molly and her mother-in-law have never been completely comfortable with one another, and the Christmas that Molly hoped would show Daniel's mother how happy Daniel was with his family turns chaotic. Even the steady Daniel presents a major problem with which Molly must deal. There is much to do to save Christmas for everyone, the Sullivans and the two orphaned children, and a happy ending seems a desperate reach indeed. Much is at stake for many in Maggie's latest challenge.
Great characters, fascinating plot, and Christmas magic. Rhys Bowen never fails to deliver a fascinating, thrilling tale. This Christmas season she gives readers a gift that is sure to please.
Too Clever by Half by Will North
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Will North has again managed to capture Cornish culture in a thrilling continuation of the Davies and West mystery series set in Cornwall, England. As the first book, Harm None, took readers inside the ancient world of witchcraft, wise women, and magic in the culture of the Cornish people, Too Clever by Half explores the acceptance and practice of Druidism in an area that is religiously non-conformist. Cornwall is such a rich source for ancient history and beliefs, and North continues to include the archaeological aspects of the history, as the major impetus for murder and mayhem. In Too Clever by Half, the discovery of an Iron Age underground cave full of ancient treasures, treasures that by English Treasure Act of 1996 must be reported to the local coroner's office to be determined if further government involvement was warranted. Archie Hansen, the farmer who makes the discovery of the artifacts on his farmland is more interested in a quick sale of the valuable items than a lengthy process in which he'd still get money, and even more money. Archie has plans, big plans, but they don't include the government.
The Lizard Peninsula is the part of Cornwall in which Too Clever by Half is set, although the story begins at sea, where a man's naked body is found floating face down. The Major Crimes Investigation Unit from Bodin is called in, so Detective Inspector Morgan Davies gets the nod to investigate. The Scene of Crimes Manager, Calum West, is on the case, too, in spite of the lack of said scene. The victim turns out to be the very farmer who discovered the ancient artifacts on his land, but that part of the story isn't known to the investigators until later. The first line of investigation is into Archie Hansen's role as head of the local Druid community, an interest that Archie shared with his companion, Charlotte Johns, who reported him missing, which led to identification of the floater. The Walter Scott quote aptly describes the story that unfolds from the discovery by Hansen to the discovery of the murderer, "Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive." Lies, adultery, and secrets create an atmosphere ripe for revenge for several different suspects, but who wants to settle the score the most? Who decides that murder is justified? Our dear Archie seems to have offended and mistreated many. It is indeed an untangling of motive and opportunity that Davies and West must accomplish if they are to clear the innocent and convict the guilty.
Throughout this novel and its predecessor, one of the aspects I enjoy most about North's writing is the witty repartee between his main characters and with those whom they converse. The conversations between Davies and West are, of course, the ones in which I take special pleasure. Their evolving relationship, both professional and personal, is revealed largely by these conversations, where West may be the one person to never become flummoxed by Davies, and, indeed, he possesses an understanding of where her sharp words come from and is more often than not able to reach underneath her hard exterior.
Having now read this second and most recent book in the Davies and West series, I am confidant that the series will continue to be a favorite. Will North takes full advantage of the amazing Cornwall as a setting, with stories and characters that well match the special place. The precise descriptions of the differing topography that is Cornwall makes North's stories ones in which a reader feels fully engaged. I'm looking forward to the new year and another Davies and West mystery in my reading queue.
Art in the Blood: A Sherlock Holmes Adventure by Bonnie MacBird
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Art in the Blood is a pastiche with one of my favorite characters, Sherlock Holmes, and is an engaging tale and a promising series that I'm looking forward to reading more of. One of the aspects of this book that is the best is the research of author Bonnie MacBird. She is genius at including all the sidebar items of history that make fiction sing for me. And, the reading of Art in the Blood isn't the end of those fascinating tidbits. It is simply a required part of this reading to visit the author's Web site and read through, listed by chapters, her illustrated annotations. I'm such a fan of authors going the extra mile to enhance the reading experience, and MacBird does that and then some.
This Sherlock tale takes place in Sherlock's rather early days, as he is 34 and is in the throes of a depression over his inability to bring closure to the Ripper investigation. Newly wedded friend Watson, having been preoccupied with his new wife and living arrangements, is distressed to find Holmes in a cocaine-induced stupor when he at last visits Baker Street. A solution to Holmes' state arrives on the heels of Watson's appearance in the form of a letter from Paris, a letter requiring the skills of Sherlock Holmes to even read it. The letter is a request for help from a beautiful French cabaret singer (is there any other kind of French cabaret singer), a Mademoiselle La Victoire, whose son is missing. To complicate matters, the son is the illegitimate child of an English Earle, who has been raising the boy as his and his wife's own.
Sherlock jumps into action with he and Watson running for the train to Paris. Of course, finding the child will be the easy part of this adventure. There is lost art, megalomaniac and ruthless men, murder most foul, long-kept secrets, more missing children and Sherlock's brother Mycroft all thrown into the danger that must be faced. Sherlock seems the only one who could possibly connect all the dots and resolve all the problems, but he himself will be tested like never before.
Today is the publication day for two of my favorite authors and series. The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie R. King is the 14th Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes book in that long-time favorite series, and it lives up to every bit of hype that has been buzzing about it for months. Killer Takeout by Lucy Burdette is the 7th Haley Snow, Key West Food Critic mystery, and it is more fun than murder really ought to be. I was fortunate to read both of these books before publication date, so my reviews are already written and ready for readers to consider below. The Mary Russell review is much shorter than my normal reviews because I simply couldn't give anything away if I wanted the reader to have the same amazing experience I had. Haley Snow's review touches upon many aspects of the book, but there are so many more sweet surprises left. So, Happy Birthday to these two fascinating books!
The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie R. King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The title of this latest Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes is enough to make long-time fans, including me, of this series wring their hands and bite their nails. Murder of Mary Russell? Has author Laurie King lost her mind? Have fans not shown how much they love Mary? Well, there was nothing to do but read the book and hope for the best.
So, what to tell those who haven’t read The Murder of Mary Russell. I can tell you that Laurie King has written a brilliant book, one of the best in the series. There is so much of the unexpected and it’s all so beautifully written that I can only conclude Laurie is a genius. The characters are all cleverly written, creating a sustained interest in the scoundrels as well as the more admired, Mary Russell and her husband Sherlock Holmes. But, it is Mrs. Hudson who steals the show in this book. It so happens that Mrs. Hudson has a past, and, what an interesting past this quiet, efficient woman has. She didn’t just appear at 221 Baker St., a grown woman with no history. Her story is quite worthy of its own telling.
And, now I have to stop short of revealing the plot of this gripping story, as that would diminish the joy for others of discovering every savory, surprising tidbit that makes this book one of the best books I’ve had the pleasure of reading. The only final information that I dare impart is that there is blood, quite a substantial bit, on the floor of the parlor in the Sussex house shared by Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell, and Mary Russell is missing. Ready, set, read!
Killer Takeout by Lucy Burdette
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Hold onto your floppy hats, fans of Lucy Burdette's Key West Food Critic mysteries. It's Fantasy Fest week on our favorite island, where the wackiest of the wacky celebrations includes events such as the Zombie Bike Ride, the Tighty Whitey Party, the Pet Masquerade, the Tutu Party, and the Duval Street Parade where body paint is often a substitute for clothing. Key West is practically bursting at the seams with wall to wall people visiting for this wildest adult extravaganza, and crowds of uninhibited revelers aren't the only ones swirling. A possible hurricane is waiting off the coast of Cuba to join the party. And, Killer Takeout gives readers a front row seat to all the festivities.
While Haley Snow, food critic for the online Key Zest magazine is currently writing a lower key piece for the magazine on takeout food, due to the impossibility of doing restaurant dining-in during Fantasy Fest, she has plenty on her plate. Her mother has decided to marry her sweetheart Sam during this craziest of weeks in Key West, which has Haley dealing with arrangements that are challenging to say the least. Miss Gloria, Haley's adorable octogenarian houseboat roomie, has signed her and Haley up for the ending Duval Street Parade as parade ambassadors. Haley's co-worker at Key Zest, Danielle, is the Fantasy Fest Queen, so there are activities to attend supporting Danielle. And, she is covering some of the events for Key Zest, including the Zombie Bike Ride. All the while, Key West televisions are set on the weather station tracking the impending storm/hurricane.
With all the churning and twirling of celebration and storm, a murder is served, and, of course, Haley has her hands in the pie. Being observant and apparently blessed with good hearing, Haley hears a strange call from behind her in the Zombie Bike Ride. "Zombie down." The downed zombie isn't just down, but dead, and the victim, Caryn Druckman, is a runner-up to the Fantasy Fest Queen crown and the person Haley's friend Danielle recently had an altercation with. Haley rushes to Caryn lying in the street, but there is nothing she can do and nothing the victim tells her that can help before the paramedics take her away. Haley's boyfriend on the Key West Police Force, Detective Nathan Bransford, focuses on Danielle as the guilty party in the demise of the unpopular Ms. Druckman, but Haley knows that there's more to the story than a beauty queen gone bad. So, Haley does what Haley does best, starts asking questions and taking notes to clear her friend and find out who really had it in for the victim. So much is up in the air and out of control, and Haley is on a deadline to find answers before they're all blown away.
Every time I read a book in this series, I think it is the best one yet. They are all so much fun and full of the most animated, interesting characters that ever graced the paradise known as Key West. The author takes great care with all of her characters, whether they be a regular or performing a guest role. The dialogue is always fresh and lively, and shows that Haley maintains a sense of humor throughout her ups and downs. The food is always to die for. Well, it is. Even in the takeout menu items, there is no dearth of drooling over the meals. Lucy Burdette has a magical way of making this beautiful island come alive to readers, and I'm convinced that she is responsible for increased tourism. It's really hard to believe that Killer Takeout is the seventh book already in this series, but time does fly when you're having fun.
I was given a copy of this book by the author for review, and I guarantee an unbiased review has been given.
Adding a few more books for Bouchercon 2016 attendees to consider as you fill out your Anthony Awards ballot, due April 30th. Today's selections include Malice at the Palace by Rhys Bowen from Berkley (eligible for Best Novel), Come to Harm by Catriona McPherson from Midnight Ink (eligible for Best Paperback Original), Fate of the Union by Max Collins and Matthew Clemens from Thomas & Mercer (eligible for Best Paperback Original), and Fatal Reservations by Lucy Burdette from NAL (eligible for Best Paperback Original).
Malice at the Palace by Rhys Bowen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Lady Georgie series by Rhys Bowen is one of the most enjoyable reads I look forward to each year. I know when I open a Lady Georgie book that all the boxes will be ticked. Great characters, witty dialogue, fascinating history, intriguing settings, and a story that keeps me reading into the night/morning. Humor, history, mystery. I'm in reader heaven! Rhys Bowen writes like King Midas transformed; everything is gold.
For those multitude of fans who already follow the adventures and misadventures of Lady Georgie, you know that the books usually start with Georgie being between living suitable living arrangements and direction for her life. Unfortunately, as a part of the royal family, even if 35th removed from the crown, she has certain restrictions on what is acceptable and not for her path in life. In Malice at the Palace, Georgie has returned from her Hollywood adventure in America and is temporarily staying at her friend Belinda's Mews Cottage. But, Belinda unexpectantly returns and Georgie must find new digs. Discovering her brother Binky and his family are in residence in London, it appears that Georgie will have to move in with them, something she and her sister-in-law Fig both would like to avoid. And, as is often the case with Lady Georgie, the Queen's wishes intercede, and Georgie finds herself living at Kensington Palace as a companion for Prince George's bride-to-be, Princess Marina of Greece. With the wedding two weeks away, Georgie is to be Marina's guide and escort in London, showing off the best of the city and shopping for last minute trousseau items. In spite of the palace's haunted history, Georgie is looking forward to landing someplace where she doesn't have to worry about having no money.
Of course, with Lady Georgie, nothing ever goes in a straight line order. No sooner does Princess Marina touch down on English soil than a body turns up, discovered by Georgie right outside Kensington Palace. With Georgie practically stumbling upon the body when she's alone, the first order of business becomes secrecy, keeping the news from the Princess and the public. Georgie once again finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation, albeit one in which she must pretend doesn't exist. The royal family must be protected at all costs, and Georgie fears that cost may include the murderer getting away with the crime, as the murder victim is one of Prince George's former dalliances. But, Georgie is nothing if not persistent, and she is quite willing to do her own investigating, which can have illuminating results, but can also lead to deadly danger. And where is Darcy, the love of her life? Her exasperation with her beau is at its all-time high, and a crossroads of which direction the relationship will take is all too evident.
There is so much to love about this latest Lady Georgie book, and I feel like I say that about each one, which only means that each book offers a freshness of story that is captivating. The combination of mystery and history makes the story especially interesting to me, and the inclusion of the wedding of Prince George and Marina, with the sidebars of Prince David and Mrs. Simpson are seamlessly included in the fictional murder story. Recommending Malice at the Palace is to recommend a pleasure of a treasure.
Come to Harm by Catriona McPherson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was on edge during the entire reading of Catriona McPherson's Come to Harm. I just knew at any moment the ax, so to speak, was going to fall. Kudos to this brilliant author for creating this suspenseful atmosphere, where the reader steps carefully along with Keiko, the main character, into the dark secrets of Painchton, Scotland. There are some comments I want to make, but it would be a disservice to new readers to ease the tension that winds one up reading this story. I will say that there are a number of possible suspects in a number of possible scenarios of wrong doing.
Keiko Nishisato has arrived in Painchton, Scotland to attend university in Edingburgh to work on her PhD. She has a scholarship and is being sponsored by the Painchton traders and given a free apartment for three years. It's all almost to good to be true, and Keiko begins to suspect that maybe that's exactly what it is. Everyone is extremely friendly and eager to help her settle in, but there seems to be a hidden agenda that Keiko can't seem to crack. She slowly acclimates herself to new customs and new food in this home six thousand miles away from Tokyo. And, oh, the food is plentiful, with all the merchants wanting to feed her and teach her about traditional Scottish foods. Of course, Keiko's PhD original subject matter deals with food, so the residents are more than happy to help. Then, the apartment that Keiko has been given is above the butcher shop, and she becomes friends with the two Poole sons who work in their family's shop. Only their mother, Mrs. Poole, keeps her distance from Keiko and doesn't join in the town's enthusiastic welcome. As Keiko digs in to work on her studies, she feels more and more that there information is being intentionally withheld from her and people might not be who they seem. With several girls having left Painchton in a rather abrupt manner, Keiko begins to worry that it's urgent for her to discover why they left.
Come to Harm is yet another great read from Catriona McPherson. A dark thriller, it will keep you on guard and give you the gasp you're waiting for.
Fate of the Union by Max Allan Collins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Political thrillers are not usually the first books I pick up in the crime genre, but when I do and the book is as great a read as Fate of the Union, I begin to wonder why my reticence. The action is full of the suspense that I crave in books, and the characters are wonderfully drawn, with interesting flaws and quirks. Max Collins and Matthew Clemens have certainly won me over with this second in their Joe Reeder series. I plan to quickly go back and pick up the first, Supreme Justice.
Joe Reeder is an ex-Secret Service agent, who has twice saved the lives of the leaders in the United States, one of those being the President. He has earned a stellar reputation and envied popularity rating, but he is dismissive of the accolades and more interested in running his successful security buiness, ABC Security, name chosen for its advantageous placement in the phone book. How does one create a leading character who is a hero and a great guy with an amazing sense of humor, an admired figure who doesn't take himself too seriously? Well, Collins and Clemens have created such a character, a blend of kick-ass awesome. Of course, once in the Secret Service, you become ensconced in a mind-set that stays with you, and if you're lucky, keeps you alive.
Reeder is what is loosely termed a consultant for the FBI's Special Situations Task Force, as well as running his successful security firm. He and the head of this force, FBI Special Agent Patti Rogers, worked together on the last case where he saved the life of a high-ranking official. In Fate of the Union, the officially labeled suicide of one of Reeder's former Secret Service colleagues and string of execution-style killings bring Reeder and Rogers together again. The connection of these separate events is buried deep in a conspiracy that requires the combined efforts of these two highly capable professionals, along with Roger's personally vetted task force. The stakes are high and the bodies are piling up, as a killer has his sights on a prize of enormous impact. And, of course, time is slipping away as fast as the killer. For Reeder and Rogers, they must be their most brilliant and most resourceful ever if they are to prevent the final act of a madman.
So glad that I expanded my reading comfort zone to include this amazing novel. The action is so well paced and the story is so compelling that a reader will immediately become fully engaged in this crisis for the nation. The characters and their dialogue, with an infusion of humor, are yet another reason to enjoy this book, and it doesn't hurt that it all takes place in the invigorating setting of Washington, D.C. A most satisfying read.
Fatal Reservations by Lucy Burdette
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
If the Key West Food Critic Mystery series was food, it would be Key Lime Cake prepared by the chef at Firefly Restaurant in Key West, a dessert that just happens to be the most delicious, refreshing piece of eating that one's mouth could savor. I truly come close to squealing with delight when each new book in this series deals with a different part of Key West that I have personally visited. But, you needn't have visited Key West to enjoy these tasty morsels, because author Lucy Burdette creates a vivid picture that ensconces you into the atmosphere and geography of this island paradise, a paradise full of colorful people/characters and a bit of murder on the side.
In Fatal Reservations, Haley Snow, the food critic at Key Zest magazine and character who seems to always find herself in the middle of police business, is getting used to a new boss, Palamina Wells, at the online magazine, while dating her other boss, Wally, there. Never a dull or uncomplicated moment with Haley, she is in the midst of gearing up to review Key West's new restaurant, a floating restaurant named For Goodness Sake, and she's keeping a watchful eye on her boathouse roommate, eighty-year-old Miss Gloria, who is a new volunteer at the Key West Cemetery. Attending a city commission meeting over the controversy of the new restaurant bypassing certain regulations to which other land restaurants had to adhere. The meeting also brings up another issue, the problem of allotting spaces to the Mallory Square Sunset Celebration performers. It's a heated situation, and with the identification of a body that just washed up in brackish water as one of the Mallory Square performers, everyone is on edge. When Haley's good friend whom she frequently consults, Lorenzo the tarot card-reader of Sunset Celebration fame, becomes the prime suspect in the murder, Haley must once again take matters into her own hands to try and help him. If only so much evidence didn't point to him as guilty.
Lucy Burdette has created a series that I have come to depend on as a guaranteed great read. The characters, the plots, the setting, the witty dialogue, and the food. Oh, the food! I consider these books my guide to eating in Key West, and I haven't been disappointed. And, then there is Haley's fabulous cooking, for which Lucy so generously provides recipes at the end of the story. It's with anticipation I open each new book, and with great joy I read each page. The latest adventurous mystery with the great title of Fatal Reservations will charm you and thrill you with the best Key West has to offer.
So, I'm still reading 2015 books, trying to catch up with some of the ones I want to consider for my nominating ballot for the Anthony Awards. Ballots are due April 30th, and I fear I won't get all the reading in that I'd like. But, I will never get in all the reading I'd like. And, in addition to reading for the nominations, I have a long list to read before Bouchercon in September. I keep thinking that one of these years, I won't have such a list for Bouchercon, that I might catch up, but that's the joy of reading, always hearing about authors that are new to you and scrambling to read a series and/or stand-alones by those authors. After I finish posting about the nominations, I plan to do posts on those authors with whom I'm hoping to become acquainted before rolling into New Orleans next fall.
Today's four books and authors for nominee consideration are No Other Darkness by Sarah Hillary from Headline Book Publishing (eligible for Best Paperback Original), A Deceptive Homecoming by Anna-Loan Wilsey from Kensington (eligible for Best Paperback Original), The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins from Riverhead Books (eligible for Best Novel), and Malice at the Palace by Rhys Bowen from Berkley (eligible for Best Novel).
No Other Darkness by Sarah Hilary
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
It's usually a difficult read in crime/mystery when the victims are children, as it should be. I'm not quick to go there in my reading. However, Sarah Hilary develops the story with such care and respect for the deceased children that I didn't just want to read how their deaths came about and who was responsible, I needed to read it for the answers in finding justice for lives cut so tragically short. Hilary delves into the darkness that needs to be explored to find the answers readers need, darkness that can consume a mind and direct actions to unspeakable results. It is psychologically intense, with so many threads and clues and past lives that must be sorted, and sorted it will be, brilliantly. No Other Darkness is actually the second entry into the DI Marnie Rome series, but starting with the second book posed no problems in becoming fully engaged in the story and the characters.
In the city of London and its surrounding area, there are countless old tunnels, buildings, and underground shelters left behind by wars and earlier needs. It is in one such underground shelter that the bodies of two children are discovered, and DI Marnie Rome and her partner Noah Jake are called in to investigate. It's a challenging case, as four or five years have passed since the deaths of the children. A father of a family living in a fairly new housing area discovers the shelter and bodies as he's digging a garden. There is, of course, no identification, but the children are determined to be young boys. Rome has what seems like an impossible task before her, but she is tenacious, determined, and deliberate in piecing together a complete picture that joins past and present together, even if it means revisiting her own painful past and unresolved feelings.
The true genius of this book is that it goes beyond a murder mystery of investigation and solution. It is at its essence a story about the dynamics of relationships in a family, dealing with love, the good, and pain, the bad. What happens when a family reaches the breaking point? How do people survive the loss of family and love again?
There is no straight line to answers in this intricately plotted story. Lots of twists and turns and suspects who fit but then don't. It is an absolute unraveling of the past and present to see where they meet. The characters are so well developed, main characters and secondary ones. Marnie is a complex person, strong and vulnerable. I look forward to reading more background about her when I read the first book in the series. Noah's character is not just a sidekick to Marnie's story, but he has his own fascinating personal space and story. I'm not quite sure how Sarah Hilary gives the readers such a complete character with the different characters in this story, but it is a gift that adds great dimension and flavor to a mesmerizing plot.
A Deceptive Homecoming by Anna Loan-Wilsey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The fourth entry into the Hattie Davish Mystery series is one of the best reads I've had all year. No one does historical mystery fiction better than Anna Loan-Wilsey. She is simply superb at the research behind the books and masterful at folding it into brilliantly written stories with characters and descriptions that bring the 1890s alive for readers. And, the mid-1890s was a fascinating period in the history of the United States, a time of innovation and progress on the cusp of a new century. Reading the Hattie Davish series allows one to experience the excitement of the changing times while showing an appreciation and connection to the past. I am always thrilled to learn bits of history that Loan-Wilsey has pulled from the lesser known facts surrounding famous names and events from our country's past. As a traveling secretary with a meticulous eye for detail and a knack for solving crimes, Hattie Davish is a character who takes us on a journey of intriguing discovery.
In a Deceptive Homecoming, readers finally get to see where Hattie's life began, where she took form and purpose. She has returned to her hometown of St. Joseph, Missouri to attend the funeral of one of her best friend's father and to be of assistance and comfort. But it would seem that her friend, Virginia Hayward, doesn't welcome her aid or comfort concerning her father Frank's death. Hattie is at a loss to understand Virginia's demeanor, and becomes even more at odds with Virginia as Hattie begins to question the identity of the man in Frank Hayward's casket. Coming home has also brought a reunion with Mrs. Chaplin's School for Women, the place where Hattie became a skilled secretary and learned to fend for herself through her education. Always grateful for her experiences at the school, she can't help but become involved in the problems that are besieging her alma mater. Bizarre happenings and missing money at the school would appear to be separate from her problems with Virginia, but are they? And, as Hattie digs deeper into the mysteries surrounding her old friends, her own personal history comes back to haunt her. Hattie's search for the truth and possible murderer take her through the streets of a transformed St. Joseph to the horrors of a lunatic asylum. It's a treacherous trip down memory lane.
Anna Loan-Wilsey has now given readers four great multi-layered stories, full of history and suspense. With each book, I become more convinced that the 1890s is an amazing time in which to start a series about an independent, smart woman who, like the times, are moving forward and breaking barriers that once were thought impenetrable. I can't wait to see where this ingenious author takes us next.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I approach reading a book such as The Girl on the Train with all the hype surrounding it in a state of both excitement and trepidation. With promises that it’s going to be one of the year's best books, I read the book with this expectation hovering over me. I really wanted to love it, to be able to proclaim my agreement with the horn tooters and prophets. It was interesting to see if I would fall in with those who proclaim its genius or those who failed to be smitten.
This one had me lingering in the land of suspended opinion for pretty much the first half of the book. I genuinely disliked all the characters and found the three major women narrators either weak or bitchy. However, there is one measure of a novel’s effectiveness that cannot be denied. Did I need to keep reading to see what happens? Did I stay up late reading to fulfill that need as quickly as possible? The answers to both questions are “yes,” so I have to conclude that the story is a compelling one, and the deeply flawed characters are paramount to the success of the plot. The whole crazy setup works, and the characters do evolve. Of course, the fact that I have a fascination with trains and a long standing curiosity about what is going on in houses that I pass either on a train or car enhanced the method in which the story unfolds. My voyeurism was born watching Rear Window, where watching the daily routines of neighbors proved chillingly exciting and deadly. Not surprisingly, Hawkins’ book has been described as having Hitchcockian flair.
Rachel Watson is about as sad a sack as can be, and the only real interest she has in life is watching the lives of others out of the train window as she travels from a small suburb of London into the city itself. Alcoholism and obsession are the constants of her life, and moving on from a devastating divorce seems an elusive step for her. As a distraction from her pain and decline, Rachel has become fixated on one couple in particular during her daily commute and has named them Jason and Jess, the perfect couple. The train’s signal stop enables Rachel to witness Jason and Jess having coffee on their back terrace in the mornings, and she becomes emotionally invested in the scene playing out before her. And, then Rachel's image of her perfect couple gets slammed by reality, as interactions Rachael witnesses in her train watching spill over into a drama of a missing woman. The often incoherent state of black out in which Rachel finds herself proves to land her right in the middle of this suburban drama as she strives to remember vital information. The police consider her an unreliable witness when she reports on what she’s seen from her couple watching. As Rachel desperately searches for answers, the lines between lies and truth blur, and the tension of the story winds tighter and tighter.
Paula Hawkins uses three alternating narrators, three women at the heart of the story, with Rachel's voice being the prominent one. This approach allows the reader to understand how very little is as it seems. It works toward the climax of the different perspectives coming together in a chilling reveal. I started out stating that I didn't like the characters, meaning I wouldn't pick them as people to be in my life, but it doesn't mean that the characters didn't do their job well. While it won't be my favorite book of the year and isn't an "it" book for me, it was a good read that hit on my "Rear Window" sense of thrill.
Malice at the Palace by Rhys Bowen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Lady Georgie series by Rhys Bowen is one of the most enjoyable reads I look forward to each year. I know when I open a Lady Georgie book that all the boxes will be ticked. Great characters, witty dialogue, fascinating history, intriguing settings, and a story that keeps me reading into the night/morning. Humor, history, mystery. I'm in reader heaven! Rhys Bowen writes like King Midas transformed; everything is gold.
For those multitude of fans who already follow the adventures and misadventures of Lady Georgie, you know that the books usually start with Georgie being between living suitable living arrangements and direction for her life. Unfortunately, as a part of the royal family, even if 35th removed from the crown, she has certain restrictions on what is acceptable and not for her path in life. In Malice at the Palace, Georgie has returned from her Hollywood adventure in America and is temporarily staying at her friend Belinda's Mews Cottage. But, Belinda unexpectantly returns and Georgie must find new digs. Discovering her brother Binky and his family are in residence in London, it appears that Georgie will have to move in with them, something she and her sister-in-law Fig both would like to avoid. And, as is often the case with Lady Georgie, the Queen's wishes intercede, and Georgie finds herself living at Kensington Palace as a companion for Prince George's bride-to-be, Princess Marina of Greece. With the wedding two weeks away, Georgie is to be Marina's guide and escort in London, showing off the best of the city and shopping for last minute trousseau items. In spite of the palace's haunted history, Georgie is looking forward to landing someplace where she doesn't have to worry about having no money.
Of course, with Lady Georgie, nothing ever goes in a straight line order. No sooner does Princess Marina touch down on English soil than a body turns up, discovered by Georgie right outside Kensington Palace. With Georgie practically stumbling upon the body when she's alone, the first order of business becomes secrecy, keeping the news from the Princess and the public. Georgie once again finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation, albeit one in which she must pretend doesn't exist. The royal family must be protected at all costs, and Georgie fears that cost may include the murderer getting away with the crime, as the murder victim is one of Prince George's former dalliances. But, Georgie is nothing if not persistent, and she is quite willing to do her own investigating, which can have illuminating results, but can also lead to deadly danger. And where is Darcy, the love of her life? Her exasperation with her beau is at its all-time high, and a crossroads of which direction the relationship will take is all too evident.
There is so much to love about this latest Lady Georgie book, and I feel like I say that about each one, which only means that each book offers a freshness of story that is captivating. The combination of mystery and history makes the story especially interesting to me, and the inclusion of the wedding of Prince George and Marina, with the sidebars of Prince David and Mrs. Simpson are seamlessly included in the fictional murder story. Recommending Malice at the Palace is to recommend a pleasure of a treasure.
When you think about all of the books and short stories eligible and worthy of a Bouchercon Anthony Award, it makes you realize just how special the winning titles of the awards are. Hearing one's name called and walking up to the podium to receive an Anthony has to be an overwhelmingly emotional moment for an author. And, it is emotional for the readers who are fans of the books and authors, too. The awards ceremony is one big mushy love fest, and to experience it is to understand that reading is actually a shared adventure. Nominating five titles for each category of the Anthony Awards is a privilege and responsibility that gives readers a voice in honoring their favorites. So, I continue with these posts of my reviews for some of the many eligible titles and hope that it helps in filling out your nomination ballot. I'm not campaigning for any particular titles, but, of course, my reviews speak for themselves when I'm especially enamored.
The four books and reviews for consideration today are Little Pretty Things by Lori Rader-Day from Seventh Street Books (eligible for Best Paperback Original); Dreaming Spies by Laurie R. King from Bantam (eligible for Best Novel); Night Night, Sleep Tight by Hallie Ephron from William Morrow (eligible for Best Novel); and Entry Island by Peter May from Quercus (eligible for Best Novel, published in U.S. in 2015, Britain was earlier).
Little Pretty Things by Lori Rader-Day
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Can success or failure in high school continue to define a person ten years down the road? In Lori Rader-Day’s latest novel, Little Pretty Things, Juliet Townsend seems forever stuck in the fallout from coming in second, never the winner or the one who receives the accolades and the rewards of being first. Juliet has settled for less because she has never had more. Working in a one-star motel on the edge of her small town Midway, Juliet herself admits that “(She) hadn’t moved on.” It was typical of Midway, where people seem to fit the name, where people acquiesced instead of chasing dreams. Juliet’s one piece of salvation is her “little pretty things,” which she keeps hidden away.
But, the past can often prove to be a catalyst as well as a prison. When Juliet’s best friend from high school, Madeline Bell, shows up at the Mid-Night Motel, Juliet is less than thrilled to be reunited with the person who beat her in every track race throughout high school and kept Juliet from a coveted scholarship to a brighter future. Maddy is everything Juliet is not—well-dressed, well-traveled, polished, perfect face and hair, and wearing an enormous diamond engagement ring. Maddy had escaped Midway, and hadn’t been in touch in the intervening decade. Maddy wants to reconnect with Juliet and talk to her about “some things,” but Juliet brushes her off. And then, Juliet finds Maddy dead, murdered. Realizing that she is high on the suspect list of who killed Maddy, Juliet must revisit her and Maddy’s past to uncover long kept secrets with far-reaching effects.
Little Pretty Things is my first Lori Rader-Day read, and I can hardly wait to go back and read The Black Hour, her award-winning debut. Her writing is brilliantly suspenseful, and she makes even the most ordinary of characters interesting. Little Pretty Things is a mystery, a self examination, a journey through time, and a cautionary tale. I was indeed fortunate to receive an ARC through Goodreads, and I can guarantee this book is going to collect nominations and awards, too.
Dreaming Spies by Laurie R. King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Years ago I came upon a mystery series by Laurie R. King featuring Sherlock Holmes and a young girl who was his neighbor in Sussex, where Holmes was keeping bees. This first book entitled The Beekeeper's Apprentice was one of those books that it seems I'd been waiting my whole life to read. I fell head over heels in love with King's Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell. Following them through their adventures, including being married, has been one of my greatest reading pleasures. Each book in the series has been a return to a world in which I can expect to experience adventure, intelligent detecting, wit, and a constant quest for knowledge. I come away from each reading having been privy to an exciting story written by an amazing author whose every sentence has purpose in extricating the essential truth from the quagmire of subterfuge. And, of course, Russell and Holmes, with their wit and skills, are the most capable of guides through said quagmire.
In the 13th book of the Mary Russell narrated series, Russell and Holmes have returned to Sussex in March 1925 from their many travels to find a Japanese rock in their garden. It is not the only thing from Japan that will turn up at this time in their lives and take them back to thoughts of the year before when they spent a brief, yet intense time in that country. In April of 1924, Russell and Holmes had just finished a case in India (an adventure told in The Game) and we join them on a ship in Bombay headed for Japan. Neither has been to Japan, so it will be a learning experience for both of them this time, not just Russell. On board, Russell makes the acquaintance of a young Japanese woman, Haruki San, who agrees to tutor the pair in the Japanese language and customs. Another passenger catches Holmes' notice, and although the gentleman is an Earl, the Earl of Darley, Holmes is familiar with Darley as a suspected blackmailer, one Holmes would very much like to expose. As the voyage spreads out over three weeks, the undertones of things not being as they seem increase daily. Russell and Holmes even encounter a ninja.
Upon arriving in Japan, things become first more clouded and then an immersion into the culture brings clarity. Of course, clarity doesn't always mean immediate resolution. Haruki San continues to play an important part in guiding the detectives on their Japanese journey, on a journey that will take them along the Nakasendo Road of which the Haiku poet Basho wrote, giving Russell a close appreciation of the Japanese poet and the beauty of the poetry form and the land of which it spoke. With each chapter in the book beginning with a haiku, my fascination with that poetry has also grown. The journey introduces the couple to green tea, eating octopus, sleeping on tatami floors and bedding, public baths, and a person of future infamy to the world. The Prince Regent Hirohito, who would some years later become Emperor Hirohito, is in 1924 a young man with a problem requiring the assistance of Holmes and Russell. With international relations and a country's welfare at stake, there is nothing for it but for the husband and wife team to do all they can to solve a mystery and avoid international disaster. Some things, however, take longer than one expects for final resolution.
It was a thrill for me to receive an ARC from Random House of Dreaming Spies, as I had been a fan for so long of this series. I gain so much from reading the Russell and Holmes books. A great story, delight in witty dialogue, the pleasure of feeding my inner Anglophile, and the learning of historical elements and countries that enrich my reading all around. Laurie R. King is an author that never disappoints me, and I am at the ready whenever I'm asked to recommend a series with the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes adventures.
Night Night, Sleep Tight by Hallie Ephron
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Hallie Ephron’s book Night Night, Sleep Tight delivers consuming drama and spellbinding suspense in a story that has its beginnings in the glittering Hollywood atmosphere of the early 1960s. A murder in 1985 sparks the revealing of secrets that have been bottled up for two decades, secrets that shaped lives and destroyed relationships. The author was herself a child of these Hollywood days, with parents who were script writers. The kernel incident of this fictional story is the true life event of Lana Turner’s daughter shooting and killing Lana’s boyfriend in their Beverly Hills home. Hallie’s childhood home was near the place of this tragedy, so it is with complete authenticity that the time and place of the story is imparted to the reader. How Hallie Ephron takes the real life kernel and develops it into a layered story with threads of imagination spinning purpose and direction is brilliant. She knows how to make the fantastic real and put the reader right in the middle of the setting and story. I always feel so connected to the characters and their plights when I read a book by Hallie. It’s no surprise that this author has written a non-fiction book on how to write mysteries.
Deidre Unger is returning to her childhood home of Beverly Hills to help her father, a once successful Hollywood script writer, ready his house to be sold. With her parents long ago divorced and her older brother rather sketchy in his responsibilities, this task has fallen to Deidre. It’s 1985 and twenty years past her nightmarish accident that left her crippled, and returning to the scene is anything but pleasurable. It becomes even less so when Deidre arrives and finds her father floating dead in his swimming pool. As the police dig deeper into the “accident,” it is soon ruled murder, and Deidre is being questioned closely about the timing of her arrival. Appointed in her father’s will as his literary executor, Deidre begins to uncover puzzling information about the past and the night that saw glamorous actress “Bunny” Nicol’s boyfriend murdered by her teenage daughter, Deidre’s friend Joelen. Deidre had been in the Nicol’s house that night, but her memory is hazy due to a car accident she was in that same night, an accident which left her life forever altered. That the long ago night and her father’s death could be connected in any way seems implausible to Deidre, but therein lies the story of greed, secrecy, and betrayal that is so intriguing.
Start early in the day on this book, or plan to stay up late. You will want to keep reading straight to the end, as the pages practically turn themselves in the story’s well-structured flow.
Entry Island by Peter May
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Peter May's The Lewis Trilogy books rate among my favorite reads in the past few years, so it is with great anticipation of enjoyment that I began Entry Island. I was not disappointed. Peter May is simply a master at telling generational stories, with the connections to past and present being one of the most fascinating mysteries to decipher. There is the intriguing murder mystery, too, but it is a deliciously layered one with the events of the past coming into play. And, those fans of The Lewis Trilogy will be well pleased that the mystery of Entry Island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence has its beginnings on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. So, blackhouses and windy hilltops and sandy coves in a previous century are part of the present-day story.
Entry Island is a remote island in the Magdalen Island chain in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and a murder has occurred on this island, where crime is unheard of and doors always left unlocked. Detective Sime Mackenzie of the Montreal Surete has been assigned to the team traveling to the islands because of his fluency in both English and French. Entry Island is English speaking in a country where English and French languages have claimed different and often adjoining areas. It will be Sime's job to interview the widow of the slain man in a case that on the surface appears to have an easy solution, that of wife killing husband. But complications arise in the very makeup of the team sent to investigate, as Sime's ex-wife is the crime scene investigator. It is the breakup of their marriage that has produced a less than full functioning Sime, a Sime beset by chronic insomnia.
From the very moment that Sime meets Kirsty Cowell, the victim's wife, a surreal sense of deja-vue colors his part in the investigation. He knows that he has seen this woman before, but he has never been to Entry Island before, and Kirsty Cowell has never been off of Entry Island. Kirsty's recounting of the attack that left her husband dead is of a knife-wielding intruder clad in dark clothing and a ski mask first trying to kill her and her husband rushing in to fight off the assailant. James Cowell is stabbed three times and the killer runs off into the night. With no evidence of a third person and no murder weapon, the attention focuses on the wife as the main suspect, and information starts leaking out about the Cowells' marriage being in trouble. With James Cowell having been a most wealthy man, the Surete team thinks it has an open and shut case. But, Sime isn't convinced that Kirsty is guilty, and he begins to have dreams in his brief periods of sleep that come from another century and his great-great-great grandfather's journals that seem to bear relevance in a peculiar way to the current circumstances. The dark atmosphere of the storm laden weather mirrors the darkness that Sime must sort through if he is to find a definitive answer to both this murder and his strange connection to it. The path to that answer also includes a look at the historically accurate clearing of the Hebrides in the 19th century, where lords of the land drove people from their blackhouses and onto ships headed for Canada.
Peter May is a brilliant writer, creating atmosphere and story that creep into your mind and under your skin until you truly feel a vested stake in the outcome, too. May's books are complex, layered accounts of people grappling with a past and unable to proceed with the present until coming to terms with that past. The characters, the settings, the flow of story are all done with the touch of master storyteller. Reading Peter May books is always a thrilling experience.
