It’s Thursday! The weather might be lousy outside, low temperatures, and rain mixes with sleet, but, it’s still Thursday and time to talk about “What Are You Reading?”
Here’s a heads-up for Kevin Tipple. I just finished Claire Booth’s Dangerous Consequences, the fifth Sheriff Hank Worth mystery. Unfortunately, I read a downloaded galley for review. It doesn’t come out until May, but at least you can put it on your “TBR” list. I thought this one was terrific.
Here’s the summary. I haven’t written my review yet, so this will do.
“Elderly tourists visiting Branson, Missouri for a fun time are instead becoming so sick and disoriented they end up in the ER with Dr Maggie McCleary. She asks the sheriff to investigate and, because he happens to be her husband, Hank Worth readily agrees.
“When the tour operator denies responsibility, Hank digs deeper leaving Chief Deputy Sheila Turley to handle a simmering revolt within the ranks. Their policy to eliminate overtime pay has infuriated many long-time deputies. Those fired for insubordination have filed a lawsuit, while those still there sabotage Sheila at every turn.
“With pressure mounting, they’re called to a hit-and-run accident. But the victim’s injuries haven’t been caused by a car . . . she’s been beaten to death and dumped by the side of the road. And she was someone they knew.” I will say, the storylines are blended well, and this is another terrific mystery from Booth.
So, what about you? What are you reading this week?
It’s been a mixed bag of books this week:
THE BIRDCAGE is the fourth book by Eve Chase that I have enjoyed, as her stories embrace families with secrets, English country estates, and dual timelines. Chase writes with elegant prose, as she maintains the tension always simmering beneath the surface and keeps the reader wondering whether and how the family’s problems will be resolved. As children, three half-sisters spent their summers with their father in Cornwall. But all three have different mothers, which makes the two eldest, Flora and Kat, resent Lauren, whose mother is their father’s favorite. Fast-forwarding 20 years since their last summer together, Flora, mother of a 4-year-old son, begins to question whether she married the right man. Kat runs a tech company that has made her wealthy but controls her life. And Lauren has never totally recovered from the events of 1999. The sisters’ reunion with their father–and each other–features each sister in alternating chapters, but the events of 1999 are first-person narrations by Lauren. A solar total eclipse was the highlight of that summer, but there was a tragedy as well, and secrets that have yet to be exposed. (July)
I loved everything about Annabel Monaghan’s first adult rom-com, NORA GOES OFF SCRIPT–a relatable, down-to-earth female protagonist, a tinge of “fractured fairy tale,” and a twist I didn’t see coming. Nora makes a meager living writing screenplays for The Romance Channel and has been abandoned by her entitled ex-husband, who clearly didn’t deserve her. When she fictionalizes their breakup in a new screenplay, it’s so much heavier than her usual style that her agent thinks she can sell it as a feature film. Soon there is a camera crew at Nora’s home (one of the movie’s venues), and her ex is being played by the hottest American movie star, whose trailer is parked on her front lawn. Any further details about the plot would be spoilers, so I encourage you to experience it for yourself. The characters of Nora’s young son and daughter are so refreshing. They aren’t spoiled and troublesome–they really love their mom–and Nora’s parents provide emotional support (no dysfunctional family here!) Nora’s struggle to cope with past disappointments and get on with her life kept me rooting for her throughout the book. And I enjoyed the literary and show business references. I hope Monaghan is writing her next book right now! (June)
Thanks to whoever recommended Julia Kelly’s THE LAST DANCE OF THE DEBUTANTE. It’s 1958, and it is the last year that London debutantes will be presented to Queen Elizabeth II. The debutante process involves a dizzying number of “drinks parties,” balls, and other social events, with the object being a proposal from a wealthy bachelor. The focus is on Lily, who has attended a good school only through the patronage of her rigid grandmother, her father having died years earlier. She is shocked to be befriended by two already-wealthy girls. Leana is from a prominent family and is a shoo-in to be Deb of the Season, but she has a dark side. Katherine’s parents are “new money,” which is the object of disdain, and she had previously postponed her season to finish her education and find a worthy job. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the debutante details, including clothes, food and drink, political alliances, and pure revelry. But the story gets really interesting in the latter part of the book, when Lily’s world is rocked by an accidentally revealed secret, compelling her to confront her own best interests and forge her future.
You could classify AMY AMONG THE SERIAL KILLERS as a murder mystery, but it is much more of an in-depth character study. And unlike Jincy Willett’s two earlier books featuring writer/instructor Amy, this one focuses more on Carla, one of Amy’s previous writing students. Carla was once a successful child star, propelled but not protected by her now-deceased stage mother. She wants to write a memoir, but she is much better at launching other writers’ careers by renting them “cells” in the part of her huge house in La Jolla that she calls “Inspiration Point!” One of them is Toonie, who is also her therapist, and whom Carla finds strangled in her writing cell. When it seems that Toonie’s death may be connected with other recent local murders, an explosive investigation is initiated, and Amy (who has herself been threatened by a serial killer in the past) finds herself involved once more. There are many fascinating characters to savor here in addition to Carla and Amy, among them a mysterious and overbearing man who writes about serial killers, charms women easily, and wants to turn Carla’s house (and her fantastic 3-story dollhouse) into a public attraction. Elaborate descriptions and musings can be found throughout the book, some of them in unnecessarily long paragraphs, which I believe could have been eliminated without hurting the plot. But there is also a lot of dark humor to enjoy. One of my favorite running gags is the way Amy responds to unwanted telephone callers, including one who insists he is her grandson and needs money. Honestly, this book was too over-the-top for me, too quirky (and I usually like quirky)–disappointing. But I highly recommend Willett’s The Writing Class (2009) and Amy Falls Down (2013). (August)
These all sound great Margie – though I have taken note of what you say about preferring Jincy Willett’s previous books. The Birdcage, Nora Goes Off Script, and the Last Dance of the Debutantes all appeal to me and I will look them up. Thank you!
Somewhere or another, I have Nora Goes Off Script, Margie, and now I really want to read it. Terrific review! Thank you.The Birdcage sounds like a possibility, too, but I’ll probably never get back to it.
I don’t think I mentioned to you that I canceled going to Left Coast Crime. I’m going to be sorry to miss you.
Lesa, I am going to cancel my LCC registration as well. I still don’t feel comfortable being in a group of 800 or so, and then there’s the situation with my son (still in the hospital and doing much better but needing my help in at least the near future). Bouchercon (which I’ve never attended) will be in San Diego next year, so maybe we will be able to meet up there.
I’m sorry to hear that!
Good afternoon Lesa and everyone
Other parts of the UK may unfortunately have terrible weather, but here in northern Scotland it is a beautiful sunny day. I have already had my walk beside the river – which is quite full, as there was a lot of snow last week in the Highlands and now the melt is coming down to us – and the sky was perfectly blue. It’s cold – you wouldn’t appreciate that Lesa! – but I appreciate these winter/spring days.
We had a lovely time with our daughter Anna last week. We did actually have snow on Friday; we had booked to have coffee at the Maryculter House Hotel, which is just the other side of the river – but even driving over there would have put me off. However, Anna had finally passed her driving test on Wednesday, so she actually drove us there, and did a lot better than I would have done. We were rewarded with coffee and scones beside a roaring open fire in the Great Hall of the hotel – which comes complete with coats of armour and swords. Hardly anyone else had ventured out, so we sank into the sofas and almost felt as if we owned the place.
On Saturday we went to the beach in Aberdeen city. It is a great place for an undemanding walk, as there is a tarmacked path above the sand so you can walk for quite a way, and the day was so fine we could see for miles. Afterwards we stopped at the Sand Dollar Cafe and had more delcious scones and coffee, this time sitting outside watching the waves and the birds – and the constant procession of dogs and their owners enjoying the weather.
On Sunday we went to Stonehaven, a fishing town south of Aberdeen city, and again had a walk along the shore then a visit to a favourite cafe, the Cool Gourmet – though this time Anna went off piste and had a bacon roll – there is a very well known butcher in the town who supplies the meat to the cafe, so it was a good choice. In fact David and I went back yesterday and bought a pack of the bacon which i have just posted off to London – it’s Anna’s birthday tomorrow so we thought she might enjoy it!
So that is what I have been doing. Charlie Parker really loved having all the extra attention, and was very out of sorts when she had gone – we’re clearly extremely boring compared to other members of his fan club.
Books!
I finished LETTER FROM REACHFAR – Jane Duncan/Elizabeth Jane Cameron’s quasi-autobiography. I enjoyed it very much, though I think she probably left quite a lot out (but then which author, writing their own biography, doesn’t?)
The stories about her life on her grandparents’ croft contrasted very sharply with her ‘term time’ childhood in the (then) rough suburbs of Glasgow, where her father was a policeman. Although her own family was somewhat protected from the worst of the suffering and poverty in the area, there is a graphic scene when her father brings home a baby who, when unwrapped from its shawl by Duncan’s mother, is found to be literally covered in open sores and lice. The father had arrested the drunken, neglectful parents, and the SEVEN older children had been taken into care, but he brought the baby home for Duncan’s mother to help, prior to it also going to a foster family. Duncan tells us that, despite their terrible start in life, all of these children, including the baby, grew up to be healthy, hard working adults.
I have been sent several books from Scotland Street Press to review (after I reviewed the excellent book about George Heriot, THE QUEEN’S LENDER by Jean Findlay) – I had chosen a few from their website, but the publicity girl also sent me one she really needs reviewed asap – ELIZABETHAN SECRET AGENT: THE UNTOLD STORY OF WILLIAM ASHBY 1536-1595.
This book is by a descendant of Ashby’s, Tim Ashby. William Ashby was a diplomat, member of parliament and spy during the reign of Elizabeth I. He was initially a protegee of Sir Francis Walsingham, who was one of the queen’s most important councillors, a diplomat who managed a spy network all over Europe.
I am woefully ignorant about the history of the time, and I must say I struggled with the first few chapters, but the book is very well written, with lots of notes and a cast list at the back, and I am now becoming quite fascinated by all the intrigue and double-dealing that went on in the 16th century. And from what Ashby says, Elizabeth was indeed every bit as fickle, temperamental, tight-fisted and unpredictable as she is portrayed in Blackadder. Her councillors never knew what she was going to say or do next – she would send them off on missions, often involving treacherous journeys into plague-ridden areas – then change her mind about the whole thing. At the moment we are in ‘the Low Countries’, where Spain is determined to take over and return the area to Catholicism, which is the last thing England wants – but Elizabeth is so tight with money that she refuses to supply any arms or money to help the Protestant Prince William of Orange. As a result, the French are only too happy to step in.
The other books I have from Scotland Street are:
EDWARD CANE AND THE PARLOUR MAID MURDER by Ross MacFarlane – a murder mystery set in Edinburgh in 1850.
MARJORIE’S JOURNEY – ON A MISSION OF HER OWN by Allie Cleghorn – the true story of a Scottish woman who, during World War II, took ten children over the ocean from Glasgow to Cape Town, where she founded a home for them called Bairnshaven (the author is a professor emeritus of sociology at Concordia University in Montreal.)
ERRANT BLOOD by CF Peterson – a murder mystery featuring Eamon Ansgar, who has fought in Afghanistan and now wants to shut himself away in Duncal Castle, his childhood home in the Highlands, but ends up involved in all sorts of hot water.
ABOARD THE BULGER by Ann Scott-Moncrieff – a children’s book written in 1935 about five children who ‘run away from a cruel orphanage, steal a steam ship and sail away to explore uncharted new islands in the Outer Hebrides’ – looks like fun.
On television we have been watching a new Irish/Belgian thriller – HIDDEN ASSETS. Not finished it yet, but so far it is good – drug dealers, paid assassins, and an as yet unexplained bomb detonated at an Antwerp fashion show. David has also recorded something called RIGS OF NIGG (I think) which is all about the building of oil platforms. I think that will definitely be one for him to watch when I’m busy…
And on the radio I have just finished listening to Dorothy Sayers’ MURDER MUST ADVERTISE – which was OK, and I do love Ian Carmichael as Wimsey, but really, the solution was ridiculous even by Sayers’ standards. I think this is a further illustration, were one needed, of how the Golden Age crime writers and I do not get on. As a puzzle this book probably ticks all the boxes, but I’m just not that into puzzles.
Next week we have to go to Edinburgh. I will try to check in on Thursday if I can. In the meantime, have a good week all.
Rosemary, It sounds as if it was such a nice visit with Anna. I would have had tea with the scones. I’m not a coffee drinker. Poor Charlie Parker. He’s so neglected with just the two of you.
Scotland Street sounds as if they sent you a terrific selection of books. I love the sound of Elizabethan Secret Agent. It reminds me of Oliver Clements’ series that involves the spies to Queen Elizabeth.
We’ll miss you next week! Safe travels.
Good morning to all. It’s a chilly 10 degrees here this morning, a fire blazing in the woodstove. It snowed Sunday and Monday nights, just 2-4 inches. We missed the lake effect snow Tuesday night, but the airport had another three inches.
The Tender Bar wasn’t on my reading list until you featured the movie in early January. I enjoyed the book, a story of becoming a “good man”, searching for a father figure while becoming proficient at failing & drinking. He ultimately decides his mother has all the traits he had assigned the good man role. In the book he spends his school years in Phoenix, returning to New York to live with his grandparent’s and Uncle Charlie in the summers.
J.R. Moehringer has since cowritten memoirs with Andre Agassi, Phil Knight, and an upcoming memoir with Prince Harry.
I had hopes for To Paradise 2022 Hanya Yanagihara. The story is told in three sections all taking place in the same townhouse in New York’s Washington Square at hundred-year intervals. The cast of characters have the the same names in the various time periods in various configurations. But I, who almost always finishes a book, gave up after 100 pages, not even 15% of this incredibly wordy book.
MM, The only part of your weather description that sounds good is the fire in the fireplace. Other than that, BRRRR.
I’m glad you enjoyed The Tender Bar after the movie description! I wonder if I read his memoir with Andre Agassi. I did read one of his quite a while ago.
Well, that’s no recommendation if you gave up on To Paradise 2022.
Good morning Lesa. Thanks for the heads up on the new Claire Booth book. I like that series but my library doesn’t have it so I’ll have to wait six months and see if I can get it through ILL.
This week I read a nonfiction book – THE GROWING SEASON: HOW I BUILT A NEW LIFE AND SAVED AN AMERICAN FARM. By Sarah Frey. Sarah who was the youngest of 21 children that her parents had between them grew up dirt poor with very little parenting on a farm in Illinois. At 15 she and one of her brothers moved out and she started a produce delivery route to pay the bills. She and her brothers grew that into Frey Farms, one of the largest produce suppliers in the country.
THE CURE FOR WHAT ALES YOU by Ellie Alexander. The fifth book in her Sloan Krause brewery mysteries I had tried to read this last year when it came out and couldn’t get into it. This time I wound up enjoying it.
A ARC of BLOOD AND BACK STITCHES by ACF Bookens. A dead body turns up in a cabin that’s being demolished and a woman camping nearby disappears. I usually like this series but the sheriff but the main character who’s his girlfriend in danger several times which bothered me.
DEAD BROKE by Vannetta Chapman. A guest at an Amish run Texas B&B turns up dead and the neighbor just happens to be a retired police detective.
Don’t hurry, Sandy. That Claire Booth book isn’t due out until May, so hopefully your library will get it then.
That’s funny. I just didn’t feel like reading the new Ellie Alexander either, and I like this series. I just tired of the ongoing storyline about her search for family.
Good morning. Sorry about your rain and sleet. It is gorgeous and around 80 here in South Florida. Can’t complain about that, right?
I brought three books of short stories with me and I’m otherwise relying on the Kindle and the local library. A mixture of all in this week’s reading. I mentioned THE MAID by Nita Prose before, and as I went along it did move faster for me. I liked it, but I have to say the final “surprise” twist was a bridge too far and I didn’t really buy it. Still, good book. (This was a library book.)
William Link & Richard Levinson, SHOOTING SCRIPT And OTHER STORIES (this was mine; trade paperback). Levinson & Link are best known for COLUMBO and co-creating MURDER, SHE WROTE, but wrote several excellent television mystery movies too, as well as other series episodes. They started writing together in college, and their first story (written at age 20) in included here, as well as other stories written in their mid-20s, just as they were getting into television. I liked this one a lot, as I did their earlier Crippen & Landru collection of Columbo stories.
A library download was Peter Lovesey’s READER, I BURIED THEM and Other Stories, his latest collection of stories (one Peter Diamond, but mostly non-series). Lovesey has been publishing for over 50 years and this is another very good collection. I’d read the title story and a couple of others previously, but I enjoyed rereading them along with the others.
My last Crippen & Landru collection that I brought with me is Stuart Palmer’s HILDEGARDE WITHERS: FINAL RIDDLES? Just started this one, which has 10 Hildegarde Withers stories and a handful of others.
I have two library books on the Kindle now: Ben H. Winters’ BEDBUGS (subtitled “A Novel of Infestation”) and Megan E. O’Keefe’s VELOCITY WEAPON, first in her Protectorate trilogy of SF “space opera” books. I’ve liked Winters’ books since his LAST POLICE
MAN trilogy, but somehow missed his earlier BEDBUGS. A young couple moves into their dream apartment in Brooklyn Heights at an amazingly low rent for the area. But Susan, the wife, wakes up every morning with fresh bites from unseen bugs that leave her husband and daughter untouched. An exterminator finds nothing, so what is going on? I will probably read this first (If I don’t start scratching myself), as it is shorter and fast moving. Is it s a kinnd of ROMSEMARY’S BABY thing (without Satan)? We’ll see.
IN the O’Keefe, pilot Sanda Greeve has her gunship blown out of the sky. She wakes up on an otherwise empty cruiser with only an AI onboard, minus part of her leg, only to discover it is 230 years in the future! I don’t know about you (if you read science fiction)< but I can't resist a premise like that. Meanwhile, her younger brother, just graduated at the top of his class, is 230 years in the past, So far, I'm reading both books!
Jackie finished CLOSE UP, the fourth in the Amanda Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz series, and she has started a space opera of her own, Jessie Mihalik's bounty hunter book, HUNT THE STARS,, first in another trilogy.
Velocity Weapon hasn’t gotten very good reviews, so I decided to give it a miss.
My son, Scott, very much enjoyed it.
https://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/2022/01/scotts-take-velocity-weapon.html
His review of the second book, CHAOS VECTOR, runs March 12th.
He is currently reading the third book and enjoying it.
I agree. That last twist wasn’t quite right, Jeff, but I still liked The Maid. The character was so different.
I think “Bedbug” would just make me itch, right along with the character.
Enjoy that weather. 80 is my perfect temperature!
A busy week so only one book. Mrs. Claus and Halloween Homicide by Liz Ireland. April Claus introduces Halloween to Santaland. Several elves are opposed. Threats are made and there is an accident involving April. Then Tiny Twinkletoes is found dead. With the help of Jake Frost, April is out to find out the truth. Although these mysteries seem lightweight with elves, reindeer and Santaland, they are well crafted. And in this one deal with real life issues. I really enjoy them. Thank you, Lesa for introducing me to this series via your blog.
Happy Reading!
You’re welcome, Sharon. And, I haven’t given away my copy of Mrs. Claus and Halloween Homicide, so I’ll get to it eventually. I’m glad you’re enjoying the series!
Good morning all.
I had a wonderful week with my daughter. I was sad to see her leave. I got emotional when she packed up her Harry Potter books and took them with her.
I read An Irish Country Yuletide by Patrick Taylor. This is the 16th in the Irish Country series. I have not read any of the other books in the series. I started the series here because this book had been given to me as a birthday gift. It is a light and quick read. I enjoyed it very much for that reason. I do plan to go back to the beginning and read An Irish Country Doctor. It is about the experiences of a doctor in Northern Ireland. It seems to have a similar vibe to All Creatures Great and Small. Speaking of which, I reluctantly watched the last episode. I did not want it to end. I look forward to season 3.
I finished listening to Who is Maude Dixon? It was not my favorite. I am not a fan of unlikeable characters. I stayed with it because I wanted to see how it ended. I pretty much predicted the outcome.
I started reading Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘em Dead by Elle Cosimano. I have not read enough of it to have an opinion. I very much liked her first book and this one started out good so I am sure I will like it. The opening scene of the book reminded me of the Cosby show when Rudy’s fish died and the family were all standing around the toilet holding a funeral.
I watched The Trial of the Chicago 7 on Netflix. It was very good. If you haven’t watched it yet, I recommend it.
Have a wonderful week. I hope to keep my nose in a book so I don’t have to listen to the news and the worrisome events going on.
Kathleen, we were sorry to see All Creatures Great and Small end too. What a wonderful show. I always had a smile throughout.
Agree! Season 3 can’t come soon enough!
I haven’t read that particular book in the Irish Country doctor series, but I think you’ll enjoy the beginning of the series. The characters are well developed, where one feels they know the household and the village.
I did read both Finlay Donovan books. I think I enjoyed the first more because it was so unexpected and funny.
Enjoy your reading.
I’m sorry, Sharon, about your emotions when your daughter left, but I’m glad you had a good week with her.
I always mean to get to Patrick Taylor’s books because I really think I’d like them with the Irish setting.
Holding a funeral for a fish reminds me of when my daughter’s rather short-lived (even for the species) hamster died.
Anna – aged around 8 I think – was distraught. Her older brother, who at that time had just become rather evangelical , said ‘well Anna, she has gone to a Better Place’ , while madeleine – the youngest and also with delayed speech (she’s more than caught up now) announced:
‘Well her didn’t last long, did her?’
I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
There’s also a Posy simmonds’ Wendy Weber cartoon in which the children hold a funeral in the garden for a deceased Guinea pig
Their version of ‘to the Father, to the Son to and the Holy Ghost’ is:
‘To the father, to the son, and into the hole she goes’
I only had two hamsters, Rosemary. My father “said” he buried them, but since I didn’t attend their funerals, I can’t swear to that.
Good morning all!
Our weather seems to be stuck in winter with cold temperatures and snow. However, we had one really warm day on Sunday and since then there is a flock of robins that appears in one of our trees each day. I guess they know that spring is on it’s way!
This week I read:
In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith – this is the 6th book in the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series. I have been slowly reading through this series for a couple of years. I enjoy the books, but find I can’t read them too close together. This was my favorite one so far.
A Trail of Lies by Kylie Logan – this is the third book in the Jazz Ramsey series. Jazz Ramsey’s boyfriend, Nick Kolesov, is working a case out of town. While he is gone, he has asked Jazz to check up on his mom. Kim Kolesov is an alcoholic who lives alone and often hallucinates. When Jazz receives a call from her in the middle of the night claiming there is a body in her backyard, she tries to remember that Kim often sees things that aren’t there. However, when Jazz arrives at her home, Kim is adamant there is a body in the backyard and that she killed the man. Jazz searches the yard and finds nothing.
A couple of days later when Kim is still adamant that she killed a man and his body is in her yard, Jazz decides to use a Human Remains Detection dog to see if he can pick up the scent of remains. When the dog picks up a scent in Kim’s yard, Jazz is afraid Kim’s story might be true. Then a man is found dead in a nearby park with a picture of Kim and young Nick in his pocket. Now Jazz has more questions than answers. This is a great mystery with wonderful characters. I have loved each book in this series.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis – Edmund and Lucy along with their cousin Eustace wind up in Narnia, this time on a sea voyage with King Caspian. Caspian is searching for seven kings that left Narnia when his wicked uncle Miraz was ruling. They have many adventures and meet some interesting creatures along the way. The Chronicles of Narnia are always great reads.
Have a great weekend!
Oh, you’re right, Gretchen. The Chronicles of Narnia are great reads. Someday, I’ll have to go back and reread them as an adult. For instance, I don’t really remember The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
I hope those robins are a sign that spring is on the way. I’m ready!
We had the rare opportunity to browse in a real-life bookstore over the weekend — the closest one to us is 40 miles away, on the other side of the valley — and when I asked for Provence, 1970 (and ordered it), one of the booksellers suggested On Rue Tatin by Susan Herrmann Loomis, an older book (2001) about an American couple who rebuild an old convent and open a cooking school in Normandy. It’s delightful, and perfect for these cold days of late winter in NW Montana!
I’m glad I checked back in on the group. Those two books sound interesting and my library system has both. Only 35 miles away, but almost all highway.
Our library has both books, Leslie. Before I leave today, I’m going to pick up On Rue Tatin. Would you believe I only have 5 books checked out from the library right now? Thank you for suggesting these two!
Lesa and MM, what fun to travel to France with you both — on the page! Enjoy!
I’m sad that, for the second time this year, a book I have been impatiently waiting for turns out to be a big disappointment. Boo.
So, moving on I re-read can old favorite. THE PERFUME COLLECTOR by Kathleen Tessaro. “A remarkable novel about secrets, desire, memory, passion, and possibility.
Newlywed Grace Monroe doesn’t fit anyone’s expectations of a successful 1950s London socialite, least of all her own. When she receives an unexpected inheritance from a complete stranger, Madame Eva d’Orsey, Grace is drawn to uncover the identity of her mysterious benefactor.
Weaving through the decades, from 1920s New York to Monte Carlo, Paris, and London, the story Grace uncovers is that of an extraordinary women who inspired one of Paris’s greatest perfumers. Immortalized in three evocative perfumes, Eva d’Orsey’s history will transform Grace’s life forever, forcing her to choose between the woman she is expected to be and the person she really is.
The Perfume Collector explores the complex and obsessive love between muse and artist, and the tremendous power of memory and scent.”
And I loved it every bit as much as I did the first time.
You do know you have to tell us what book was a disappointment, Kaye. That’s as important as knowing which ones were wonderful!
I’m glad you had a book to return to, though.
As big a fan of the Mrs. Pollifax series as I am (I’ve read the books several times, I stole my internet user name and blog name from one of the characters), I have never read author Dorothy Gilman’s non-Mrs. Pollifax books. I’m finally changing that with A NUN IN THE CLOSET. So far, I’m enjoying it, but I am only in chapter 1.
And, I’ve never read any of the Mrs. Pollifax books, Mark, although several people have made specific suggestions.
WHAT???? Drop everything and read The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax. (It’s the first in the series.) You’ll thank you later.
Our Girl Scout cookies were brought to the door by the neighbor and daughter Sunday, always a delightful occurrence. The weather has been clear but cold, in the teens, but we need rain. There were snow flurries Monday, but nothing stuck. The Winter Olympics are over, and thank goodness. We thought the coverage was spotty and had trouble finding the things we wanted to see, plus the skating scandal was pitiful.
I finished reading A Fatal Crossing by Tom Hindle (Penguin 2022 hardcover), and, despite buying the book based a strong review on a book blog, I was disappointed. The main character had what seemed to me unreasonable level of guilt about something for which he had no responsibility, and this affected his actions in illogical and unpleasant ways. The setting was pretty well done, on a passenger ship during an Atlantic crossing in 1924, but it was a bit thin. For me, the author’s big twist ending ruined what little was left to like about the novel.
Wanting something different, from the TBR I took The Cases of Lieutenant Timothy Trant by Q. Patrick, a 2019 Crippen & Landru collection, which I bought and then set aside for just such a moment. G. Patrick is the pseudonym of Richard Webb and Hugh Wheeler, who also wrote as Patrick Quentin and Jonathan Stagge. There are twenty-two stories, including a novella and a novelette, originally appearing between 1940 and 1955. My Wednesday blog post (www.tipthewink.net) has more.
After reading RosemaryKaye’s comments last Thursday, I just had to investigate Slightly Foxed literary magazine, and finally ended up subscribing. I’m excited, but the downside is, according to the subscription confirmation I got, that it will be sent Royal Mail overseas airmail, and will take 10-28 days to arrive.
We got snow last night, after a week of freezing temperatures, enough to stick, just barely. It’ll be gone in a few hours. Still, brrr!
Rick – with luck Slightly Foxed will arrive much sooner than that – I send things to my friend in Philadelphia and she often receives them 2 or 3 days later. Also, if I send a book I insist on the post office surface mail service – they do everything they can to put you off that one (much cheaper) -‘oh it could take months!’ I say it doesn’t matter how long it takes as she is not expecting it – and almost always it arrives within a week, because I don’t think they actually send it surface at all – too difficult to sort out so they just bung it in with the air mail.
But anyway, I do hope you enjoy Sllightly Foxed, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
I ordered a hardcover book from a seller in the UK, on Jan 8th. It’s being sent Royal Mail. Not here yet. When contacted, they said “sometimes RM can be a little slow “. Not exactly what I was wanting to hear, what with the SF subscription and all. I’ll just wait and see, but thanks so much for the encouraging words.
Assume you saw explanation of Girl Scout Cookies, below.
and Rick, I forgot to ask – what are Girl Scout cookies?
Rick, I agree with you about the Olympics, especially the ice skating. That was just sad. It was hard to watch those young girls. As I told my sister, though, the Olympic Committee just refuses to do anything about the Russians. The Russians, as well as what used to be East Germany, have been cheating for years.
Rick, nice that you get your Girl Scout cookies delivered to your door. We had no luck getting them last year and I know people who are still searching for them. In Florida, we’ve seen them (and bought several boxes) outside supermarkets the last two weekends.
Neighbor’s daughter is in the local Troop, so they came to the house for our order, then brought it.
Currently reading Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell. Glorious writing. The descriptions of smells, tastes, sounds are amazing. From the NPR review: “Set in Stratford, England, in the late 16th century, Hamnet imagines the emotional, domestic, and artistic repercussions after the world’s most famous (though never named) playwright and his wife lose their only son, 11-year-old Hamnet, to the bubonic plague in 1596.”
Also reading, Shadow Migration, a memoir by a fellow graduate of the Wilkes University creative writing program. Suzanne Ohlmann writes about her journey to discover her biological parents, her adoptive parents and her true self with unflinching honesty.
Shadow Migration must have been a difficult book for the author to write, Laurie. I’m so glad you dropped by today!
Our weather in Santa Barbara is not nearly as cold as others have reported in their areas, but it has been colder here in the last couple of days and I have to really load on covers at night. I was worried about freezing temperatures at night but that did not happen.
I read another book for the Japanese Literature Challenge: STRANGE WEATHER IN TOKYO by Hiromi Kawakami. I liked this one nearly as much as I liked CONVENIENCE STORE WOMAN. It was strange and seemed to be made up of vignettes of the friendship between a woman and a male teacher who had been her teacher in school. Then it pulls together and has more focus, and I liked the ending a lot. That really doesn’t tell much about the book but any more would spoil it. I will have to do better than that for a review.
Last night I was half way through the second book in the Brother Cadfael series, ONE CORPSE TOO MANY, and I got so interested in it I had to stay up late and finish it. Loved the book, loved the ending. I like the setting in this series very much, and Cadfael, and I learn so much about the times reading these books. Per Goodreads, the books in the series are “set between about 1135 and about 1145, during ‘The Anarchy’, the destructive contest for the crown of England between King Stephen and Empress Maud.”
I am also reading the new book of Peter Lovesey short stories (READER, I BURIED THEM). Rick Robinson sent me his copy and I am enjoying the stories a lot. I have liked everyone that I read, and so far the one I like the best is the title story.
I absolutely love the Cadfael books, Tracy, and should think about doing a rereading of them. Glad you’re enjoying the Lovesey.
And, I never got too far in the Cadfael series. I know I’d enjoy them, but I just was sidetracked.
Our temperature is stuck at 23 degrees. The roads are iced so we need to put off grocery shopping again.
I have not read much in Perpetual West, worried about Ukraine and could sleep much.
I have been listening to The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. It is a morning treat for me, I love the story! Sarah Grimké (1792-1873) and her sister Angelina Grimké (1805-1879) and a slave, Handful are which is inspired by Harriet Powers a famous quilt maker. The people are fictional protrayals but inspired by real people. The evils of slavey, women’s rights are the basic themes. I looked up the Grimke sisters and found a Quaker ancestor who was a friend. Nice surprise!
Oh, that is a nice surprise when you find a personal connection to a book, Carolee.
And, you’re right. The Ukraine situation is worrying.
Everyone is reading such interesting books! Recently I raced through the latest prequel in Michelle Sagara’s Chronicles of Elantra fantasy series, which was fun. Next I’ll reread it slowly to take in all of the details. Speaking of details, there are lots of those in The Body in the Garden by Katharine Schellman. I stopped in the middle and may give it one more try to capture my interest.
You’re right about Katharine Schellman’s books, Trisha. I read the first in her forthcoming series set in NYC during the Jazz Age, and it’s another one filled with details.
Good afternoon from NE Dallas where we are finally back to freezing and the ice everywhere is melting. I had not been reading much. Today on my blog I have a review of A KIND AND SAVAGE PLACE by Richard Helms.
Next Thursday I will have my review of THE INVESTIGATOR: A LETTY DAVENPORT NOVEL by John Sandford. I got it via NetGalley, which stunningly worked for me.
Because that worked, I put in for DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES. Hopefully, I get approved. Time will tell. Thank you for the excellent news and the heads up, Lesa.
I also have some news and you people are the first to know….. Back in December, I was invited to submit a short story to a planned anthology that will be out in May. It has been a very long time since I have been invited to submit. Almost as long since I had tried to write something original. That last happened in the fall of 2016. Then 2017 started with my Mom’s passing, our move to the home I grew up in and swore I would never live in again after I moved out in 1982, and then the worst when Sandi passed on December 1st at 8:45 AM. So 2017 really sucked.
I had not written any new fiction since all that happened. Grief, at least in my case, killed any idea generation.
When I was invited back in December, I really did not expect to be able to generate anything, let alone anything to submit. That was true until very early February when I finally had the vaguest of ideas. I worked on it and, very slowly, the brain gears started to turn. I finally got it written and submitted late last week. While it still needs to be edited by the anthology editor, I will definitely be in the anthology coming out in May.
Somehow it is fitting that it will be in May, as last May say publication of “The Damn Rodents Are Everywhere” appeared in Mystery Weekly Magazine, now known as Mystery Magazine. A story that Sandi and I came up with in the fall of 2016 as she did chemo and we traveled the roads back and forth to the hospital.
This time, it is all original. But, she still inspired me, albeit in a different way, as readers will see. This May will see my short story, “The Beetle’s Last Fifty Grand” appear in the anthology, BACK ROAD BOBBY AND FRIENDS.
So, that is why I was not reading as much.
My current read is the new one by J. A. Jance. J. P Beaumont is working a cold case in Alaska–literally and figuratively. Got in eBook via the local library.
KRT
Kevin, You can be forgiven for not reading much. It was much more important that you work on that story. I’m happy to hear all of the details as to last May, and this coming May, and the work you’ve put into the stories. Good for you!
Ignore all that ice and nasty weather, and work on stories! That just makes me happy!
I am stunned I got in. Had no expectation of that at all.
Thank you, Lesa.
I think it’s terrific, Kevin.
Congratulations, Kevin! That is very exciting news.
Thank you!
Thanks!
I got some Girl Scout Cookies myself. I tried some of the new Adventurefuls. They were really good, although I would categorize them more of a wafer than a cookie. Maybe I’m a cookie pedant.
I read:
Tarzan: Conqueror of Mars by Will Murray; Tarzan goes to Barsoom. Wreaks havoc. Meets John Carter. Wreaks more havoc. Exactly what you’d expect.
Tough Tender by Max Allan Collins; Nolan and Jon find themselves up against a femme fatale namedJulie. It’s a shame this series didn’t do better in its original run.
Imperial Passions by Eileen Stephenson; a new Emperor takes over Byzantium. Things are bad and keep getting worse. It’s a wonder the empire lasted as long as it did.
Kagen The Damned by Jonahtan Maberry; It’s a fantasy. I expected something other than the average from Maberry, but didn’t get it.
The Devil’s Sea by Clive Cussler; Pitt tries to find a sunken Chinese missile, while the kids try to return Tibetan artifacts. The Chi-Coms try to stop them both. Ditching the usual maniacal billionaire for the Chi-Coms made a big difference for the better.
A sunlit Weapon by Jacqueline Winspear; This series gets a lot of praise, and reading about the WASP Corps was interesting, but I can only stand one Mary Sue a book. Here, they were legion.
Glen, When I was in high school, I read a number of the John Carter of Mars books. Fun adventures.
Rosemary,
Here in America (and maybe Canada for all I know) every year Girl Scouts sell what wouldprobably be called gourmet cookies as a fund raiser. About this time of year, they are ubiquitous. Almost everybody buys at least one box. Most pepole seem to like the peanut butter ones.
Of course, they are “biscuits” in Britain. right Rosemary? The girls in the troupes sell them (on the street outside supermarkets, with parental supervision, door to door, or often, their parents sell them for them in their workplaces – or did before the pandemic). There are a number of flavors, of which the most popular (though not with me) is Thin Mints. I like the peanut butter sandwich cookies or the shortbread.
Thin Mints here, got 4 boxes, which may – or may not – be sufficient. Barbara’s favorites are the Trefoils.
Girl Guides do sell cookies in Canada, but only Classic Chocolate & Vanilla sandwich cookies. My mother always got one of each variety here to ship to her Grandchildren in Canada.
Great descriptions of Girl Scout cookies, guys. I’m glad I didn’t see any this year, I’m a fan of Samoas, and I’ll eat half a pack at a time.
They are available NOW, Lesa!
I don’t NEED them, Rick.
I’m listening to Booked for Trouble by Eva Gates (Lighthouse Library mystery) and reading Betty & Friends : My Life at the Zoo by Betty White
Katherine, I’m sure that Betty & Friends is a fun book.
It was fun, Lesa. She had some really cute animal pictures in it.
As my children were growing up, I was a leader of 2 Girl Scout troops. As I mentioned several weeks ago, my daughter received her Ph.D in Environmental Science. Her interest in this field was a result of a Girl Scout trip when she was in the 3rd grade. So keep buying those cookies and supporting the Girl Scouts, they do wonderful things. If you do not want the cookies but would like to make a purchase, some Girl Scout troops will send the purchased boxes to the military.
This is the second time I had to post this, so you may see it twice.
As my children were growing up, I was a leader of 2 Girl Scout troops. As I mentioned several weeks ago, my daughter received her Ph.D in Environmental Science. Her interest in this field was a result of a Girl Scout trip when she was in the 3rd grade. So keep buying those cookies and supporting the Girl Scouts, they do wonderful things. If you do not want the cookies but would like to make a purchase, some Girl Scout troops will send the purchased boxes to the military.
That’s fabulous, Kathleen – living proof of the importance of Girl Scouts.
Who knew today’s post would be hijacked by discussions of Girl Scout cookies?
The only worthy Girl Scout cookie are THIN MINTS.
I have spoken.
As to DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES by Claire Booth….. my request was denied by some fool who clearly does not know who I am and fails to respect my authority. It looks like the denial was based on the fact that a decade ago, I requested some books and never got them. But, NetGalley had them listed as delivered so it looks like I never reviewed them. Of course I did not review them as I never got them.
Doubly galling as the publisher, Severn House, has sent me print ARCs from time to time over the years and their publicity department had used some of my reviews–with and without my permission– in marketing campaigns. Yet, some fool did zero research and just said NO.
I have explained in detail on Twitter and Facebook and tagged all involved so maybe that slap across the face will fix things. Probably not, but I am ticked off and publicly making a point elsewhere tonight.
And, yes, I know full well that in the big picture of horrible and stupid things in the world, my not being able to get a book is meaningless. My only defense is that books are my only escape these days. And after falling twice last night and spending the day in a lot of pain as a result on top of one of those times when I really miss my wife, I really wanted that book to take me away.
My final rant—- when your loved one has died, their name should be removed from all mailing lists forever. That way, you don’t get mail that shows up and reminds you even harder of your loss.
KRT