Lesa's Book Critiques
Sharing Books and Authors, with an Emphasis on MysteriesRecent Posts
The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate diCamillo
It's been years since I read one of Kate DiCamillo's juvenile books. I read and loved her debut, Because of Winn-Dixie. I couldn't resist her first Newbery Award-winning novel, The Tale of Despereaux. And, I'll admit I picked up her new book, The Puppets of Spelhorst...
Wandering through Life by Donna Leon
If you recognize Donna Leon's name, it's probably from the Guido Brunetti mysteries set in Venice. Now, at eighty-one, she looks back at her own life in Wandering through Life. She admits she never had a life plan, which is why it has this title. The book is actually...
What Are You Reading?
It was a good week here. Last Friday, I moderated a Mystery Panel for Library Journal's Day of Dialog. The authors on the panel were Sara Paretsky, Lisa Gardner, Kellye Garrett, Kemper Donovan and Francis Spufford. Terrific panelists. We taped the panel, and it will...
Dangerous Women by Mark de Castrique
If Mark de Castrique's first mystery featuring retired FBI agent Ethel Fiona Crestwater, Secret Lives, was a little too confusing with all the cryptocurrency, try the second book, Dangerous Women. It's hard not to fall under the sway of the resourceful...
Some of Us Are Looking by Carlene O’Connor
While I enjoy Carlene O'Connor's Irish Village mysteries, and her last one, Murder at an Irish Bakery, was the best yet, I'm drawn to her darker County Kerry series. Some of Us Are Looking is the second one to feature Irish veterinarian Dimpna Wilde and Detective...
The Twelve Books of Christmas by Kate Carlisle
Kate Carlisle answered a question I've asked about her gorgeous book covers. The cover of The Twelve Books of Christmas, and, from what I can tell from her acknowledgements, other covers as well, was done by Daniel Craig. The cover is perfect with the library setting,...
