Well, I hibernated for most of the last week, with snow over the weekend. By Monday, roads were fine, and I went to the birthday dinner for my brother-in-law. Now, we’re back to higher temperatures and rain. I’ll take that over snow and ice anytime.
Hibernation actually means I was able to finish several books for Library Journal. Then, like Mark, I finished a book just before writing today’s piece, a book I’ll be reviewing tomorrow. So, I’ve only picked up Daisy Goodwin’s novel about Maria Callas, Diva. Here’s the publisher’s blurb.
In the glittering and ruthlessly competitive world of opera, Maria Callas was known simply as la divina: the divine one. With her glorious voice, instinctive flair for the dramatic and striking beauty, she was the toast of the grandest opera houses in the world. But her fame was hard won: raised in Nazi-occupied Greece by a mother who mercilessly exploited her golden voice, she learned early in life to protect herself from those who would use her for their own ends.
When she met the fabulously rich Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, for the first time in her life, she believed she’d found someone who saw the woman within the legendary soprano. She fell desperately in love. He introduced her to a life of unbelievable luxury, showering her with jewels and sojourns in the most fashionable international watering holes with celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
And then suddenly, it was over. The international press announced that Aristotle Onassis would marry the most famous woman in the world, former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, leaving Maria to pick up the pieces.
In this remarkable novel, Daisy Goodwin brings to life a woman whose extraordinary talent, unremitting drive and natural chic made her a legend. But it was only in confronting the heartbreak of losing the man she loved that Maria Callas found her true voice and went on to triumph.
***
As I said, I’ve only picked it up. I’m not yet into Diva. What about you? Did you have reading time this week? What have you been reading?
It’s been pretty rainy here, but tomorrow it will be dry enough and (hopefully) warm enough (49 degrees) to go walking with the Walkie Talkies at 8:00 a.m. I haven’t even been able to walk around my neighborhood recently, and I miss it.
Here’s what I’ve been reading this week:
Since I enjoyed Lee Goldberg’s Calico so much and liked Lesa’s review of his DREAM TOWN last week, I was excited to read it, even though I hadn’t read the first four books in the series. Fortunately, references to past events made it possible to read this book as a standalone. The protagonist, Eve Ronin, was the youngest in the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department history to be promoted to homicide detective, which hasn’t endeared her to her coworkers, nor does the fact that a TV series based on her experiences is currently shooting. The exception is her partner, Duncan, who has delayed his retirement and is therefore able to share with Eve the benefit of his experience. The juxtaposition of Eve and Duncan’s latest case, the murder of a reality-show family member in an ultra-affluent LA-area gated community and the fictionalized TV series directed by Eve’s despised father and featuring her mother in a tiny speaking part is fascinating. And the depiction of the reality show family’s reactions to the murder, which is quickly worked into the storyline of their show, is an engrossing subplot. Eve’s character fluctuates between superheroine-like escapades and almost self-loathing, as she tries to make sense of her own reality. I particularly enjoyed the occasional laugh-out-loud bits of repartee between Eve and other characters, which provided a welcome break from the darker atmosphere. The murder investigation has many twists and turns, and there is a dollop of romance as well. It’s enough to convince me to seek out earlier books in this exciting series.
In THE FAIRYTALE LIFE OF DOROTHY GALE by Virginia Kantra, Dorothy’s life couldn’t be further from a fairytale. An aspiring writer, “Dee” flees from her graduate program in the US to the writing program at Trinity College in Dublin because of her 2-year relationship with a professor/bestselling author who ultimately betrayed her. Not only does Grayson summarily end their relationship, but he publishes a popular book with a character that resembles Dee (and has a similar name) but portrays her in a most unflattering and humiliating way. Of course, we can tell from the title that there will be many similarities to The Wizard of Oz–her name, her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry in Kansas who raised her and her sister, a wicked witch of an advisor, and characters who could definitely need help following their heart, using their brain, or summoning courage to improve their lives. But, thankfully the author doesn’t overdo it, so it’s left to the reader to gradually realize the connection to the classic book (OK, there IS a character named Tim Woodman). Dee/Dorothy is at the heart of the story, but she is surrounded by interesting supporting characters–two potential love interests dealing with their own issues, a new best friend struggling with family and cultural demands, other friends who help her acclimate to her new life in Ireland, and her younger sister, who is beginning to follow in their errant (now deceased) mother’s artistic footsteps. I found this to be an absorbing read with relatable characters, an engaging writing style, and a satisfying ending.
In Susan C. Shea’s second A Chateau in Burgundy mystery, MURDER AND THE MISSING DOG, Ariel Shepard is still in the process of renovating the old chateau that her husband bought for her–without her knowledge– prior to his unexpected death She hopes to turn it into a B&B full of local color and culture. but it’s a bigger, more expensive project than she expected. Just as she and her American and British friends are recovering from a murder (detailed in the previous book), Ariel comes upon a very elderly woman lying dead in the doorway of Katherine’s shop, the victim of a murder. Mrs. Toussaint was a mysterious figure, leaving her home only to offer some items for sale at the shop. The motive for her murder is unclear, and the whereabouts of her beloved canine companion, without whom she was rarely seen, is uncertain. The mystery is an intriguing one, as Ariel and her friends try to unravel it, feeling a responsibility to bring justice for Mrs. Toussaint. They conduct their own investigation quietly and methodically, although sometimes ignoring the law, Was the woman somehow involved with the theft of valuable goods, or is there a much deeper and more significant reason for her murder? I enjoyed the engaging characters, and I found the resolution of the case very gratifying. But even more satisfying is the author’s detailed description of the chateau’s renovation, as well as the beauty of this region of France and the culture of a particular small town. There is a hint of potential romance, which will hopefully continue in future series entries. (March)
Marge, I was out for most of yesterday and again in the evening so I didn’t get the chance to read your favourite books of 2023 post – I’m going to remedy that as soon as I’ve finished here.
The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale sounds good, I will look out for it, and also Murder and the Missing Dog (though the chances of my library getting them probably aren’t that high.)
I agree with Rosemary. Murder and the Missing Dog sounds interesting because of the setting.
And, Kevin & I really like the Eve Ronin series, Margie.
Thank you, again, for your Favorite Books of 2023 post!
Thank you for the great review of DREAM TOWN! FYI, Eve Ronin returns in September 2024 in ASHES NEVER LIE, a cross-over with my “Sharpe & Walker” series about two arson investigators that debuted with MALIBU BURNING.
I’m actually in the middle of a book tonight. 🙂 I guess you and I traded places, Lesa.
I’m reading SPY SCHOOL GOES NORTH, the eleventh Spy School book by Stuart Gibbs. This is a middle grade spy series and it is equal parts humor and action. The core cast are in Alaska and that’s all I want to say without spoiling anything. I’m having fun with it.
The last book I finished was MURDER AT THE BREAKERS by Alyssa Maxwell. I hadn’t read any of her books yet. This is the first Gilded Newpoint Mystery. I’ve had it for a while, but I was inspired to read it because it’s being turned into a Hallmark Mystery movie premiering next Friday. I really enjoyed it, and I’m going to have to try to work the rest of the books into my reading schedule now.
We’ve been to the mansions in Newport a couple of times, and I could definitely see a murder taking place there. It may not be as huge (70 rooms vs. 250; 62,000 sq. ft. vs. 175,000) as the Biltmore near Asheville built by a later Vanderbilt, but The Breakers is still pretty impressive.
I’d love to see the mansions in Newport!
You’d love them, Lesa. And there is a lot less walking to do than at the Biltmore.
Mark, I’m not surprised you read Murder at the Breakers now before it’s on TV. My sister read the entire series, so I told her about it on Hallmark. I’ll have to remind her.
You’re right. We must have traded places.
Good morning. It’s warmer and rainy in NJ which I’ll take over the cold and snow we had last week.
I finished A SKY FULL OF STARS by Kristen Painter. It’s a paranormal romance set in the town of Shadowvale, a town created by a witch as a safe haven for paranormals and the cursed. This one features Mr Hyde. Can he stop being a monster and find happiness? I’m not a big romance reader but I like the author’s books and both my mom and I found this one hard to put down.
An ARC of THE LAST WORD by Gerri Lewis. Winter Snow is a freelance obituary writer. She becomes a suspect when she discovers one of her client’s body. I liked the mystery itself but the total lack of the police following any type of procedures was a problem for me.
THE COLOR OF MAGIC by Terry Pratchett. It’s the first Discworld book and definitely not the best of the series but I was in the mood to reread something and it was checked in at the library.
Oh, I agree, Sandy. The Color of Magic isn’t the best in the Discworld series, but sometimes it’s just fun to return to that world. Oook!
I’m with you. I spent 2 hours running errands yesterday – rainy and almost 50. So much better than last week. I don’t mind the rain.
It’s much warmer and rainy here in Bern, too. Today, I finished the latest Nicola Upson book, SHOT WITH CRIMSON, which was outstanding. Upson is a British writer whose series features mystery writer Josephine Tey as a character involved in a series of real-life crimes. I’ve read all eleven books in the series and enjoyed them all, although naturally, some are better than others. SHOT WITH CRIMSON is #11 and can certainly be read alone. The real Josephine Tey was involved with Alfred Hitchcock because he filmed her book “A Shilling for Candles.” This book is about Hitchcock’s filming of “Rebecca,” and Upson did excellent, detailed research about the director, the cast, and how the movie was filmed. Even more important is the background to the book’s murder, which involved the real manor house that Daphne du Maurier used as a model for Manderley. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll just add that I strongly recommend this book and Upson’s series in general.
Now I’m about to start the second “Vera” book. Believe it or not, I’ve read Ann Cleeves’s Jimmy Perez and Matthew Venn series–but only the first Vera. So I’m remedying that.
Thanks for the review of the latest Upson book. I haven’t read that author previously and it looks appealing.
The Vera series is my favorite of Ann Cleeves’ books, Kim.
Is rain and warmer typical in Bern this time of year? I think of Switzerland and snow, Kim.
Kim, I just discovered Nicola Upson’s books late last year. I enjoyed The Dead of Winter, and now I have Fear in the Sunlight from the library.
Good morning. I’m up early as usual so thought I might as well start here today. South Florida has been somewhat warmer this week, with less rain, but it’s still been a little cool, cloudy and windy. But I will take this weather over the cold New York winter every time. We’re also enjoying our new car.
For whatever reason, I seem to read more non fiction in the winter – or maybe I’ve just been finding more interesting books than usual – so my reading has been mostly short stories and non fiction so far.
I did finish Yiyun Li’s collection, Wednesday’s Child, as well as Cleve F. Adams’s collection of four novellas from the pulps of the later ’30s to early ’40s, Punk & Other Stories. I also read a few stories from The Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2023, including two by favorite short story writers, Doug Allyn and Brendan Dubois. Now I need to find another story collection to read.
My current non fiction is a wonderful book by the chief NYT book critic, Dwight Garner, The Upstairs Delicatessen: On Eating, Reading, Reading About Eating, and Reading While Eating. I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t resist that title. Garner seems to have read – and remembered – every reference to eating in every book he’s ever read, and brings them out here for the reader’s enjoyment. I’ve been writing down other titles he’s mentioned for future reading. I already picked up one fascinating-sounding memoir at the library on his recommendation, Tommy Tomlinson’s The Elephant in the Room. He divides the book into different chapters, starting – what else – with breakfast. I should have it finished well before next Thursday. Terrific book.
But yes, I do still have many mysteries on my radar as well, even though I haven’t read much in them this week. I finally picked up David Mark’s first about Sgt. Aector McEvoy, set in Hull, an English seaside town, The Dark Winter. I just borrowed the fourth of Stephen Spotswood’s books about Lilian Pentecost and “Will” Parker, set in 1947 New York, Murder Crossed Her Mind. And before that came in, I had borrowed the first of Kelley Armstrong’s time travel mysteries, the evocatively named A Rip Through Time. In this one, homicide detective Mallory Atkinson is attacked in 2019 Edinburgh, and wakes up 150 years in the past, in the body of housemaid Catriona Mitchell, strangled on the same spot in 1869. This is an intriguing premise.
Jackie is getting a big kick out of the latest in Shelly Laurenston’s crazy shifter books, Born to Be Badger.
Have a good week, everyone.
Jeff, I love the sound of that Dwight Garner book – what a great idea! I enjoy books that lead me down the rabbit hole of lots of other titles (eg Christopher Fowler’s Book of Forgotten Authors, which you told us about) even if I can’t imagine when I’m going to read them all. I’m the List Nerd par excellence.
I’ve also never heard of David Mark’s series set in Hull, so I’ll look for that. I have to say I’ve never thought of Hull as a seaside town, but I suppose it is, it’s just not really a seaside ‘resort.’
No, Hull is definitely NOT a resort, Rosemary. It makes Scarborough look like The Rivera,
We finished the last series of SUSPECTS. We’re currently watching a couple of other British shows – FUNNY WOMAN, with Gemma Arterton is one. Interestingly, Claire-Hope Ashley, who played Charlie, a PC in SUSPECTS, plays a very glamorous reporter in FUNNY WOMAN.
The other show is 999: CRITICAL CONDITION, a documentary series filmed at the Royal Stoke University Hospital.
Jeff, I’m glad you mentioned The Upstairs Delicatessen again. I just put it on hold at the library. It sounds like one I might like.
I’ve gone back to read the first in some series. Last night, I read Too Late to Die, the first in Bill Crider’s Sheriff Dan Rhodes series. Sometimes, it’s just comfortable to go back to old friends.
I agree. I have most of Bill’s books and could definitely see reading them again.
Lesa – I hope you’ll review Diva. The blurb sounds like a possibility.
Another excellent adventure from Stephen Spotswood in the award-winning Pentecost and Parker mystery series. Set in 1947 New York City, MURDER CROSSED HER MIND has unforgettable characters along with smart writing and plotting. Book four in the series, but the reader should start at beginning to really appreciate the characters.
I was a bit disappointed with DEATH AT A SCOTTISH WEDDING Lucy Connelly’s second book in the Scottish Isle mystery series. It’s a three-day wedding party in a nearby castle when a massive snow storm comes in creating an almost locked-room setting. When Emilia explores the impressive castle, she finds a dead man in one of the turrets. The characters are entertaining, but the dialog seemed endless filler between the scene changes.
Rebecca A. Keller wanted to write a morally complicated story – a story about a good person who succumbs to their worst impulse. She decided to set it in a high-end assisted living facility where one could be above suspicion and beyond consequences. She surely succeeds with YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN. Well worth reading.
In a look behind the myth of artist Georgia O’Keeffe, SOMEONE ALWAYS NEARBY is based on research into a massive collection of letters and historical accounts. Circa 1940 the art-world icon bought a rundown house in the New Mexico desert, planning to live there for six months every year. To manage her remote household, O’Keeffe invited Maria Chabot to join her. The naïve, but already published writer, was chauffeur, handyman and anything else that needed doing. Their uneven relationship endured throughout the war. During this time Maria designed and built a remarkable adobe house, studio and garden for the artist in the native village of Abiquiu. The narrative explores the dimensions and abuse of friendship and proves to be a very interesting story.
MM, You’re not the first one to say you were disappointed in Death at a Scottish Wedding. I know Kevin and a couple others here said the same thing. I liked the first book so much, but haven’t picked up the second since so many people were disappointed in it.
If I finish Diva, I’ll definitely review it here. Sometimes, I start books, and then move on to something else.
Good morning all, from a cloudy Deeside.
Our snow finally went last weekend. I had stayed in more or less all week and enjoyed doing so, but it was good to get out again. On Saturday evening we went to the Tivoli Theatre in Aberdeen to see After The Last Waltz, a tribute act to the final concert that Robbie Robertson’s The Band performed in 1976. I hadn’t known what to expect but it was excellent – so professionally performed, such good musicians and singers, and they all appeared to be having fun too.
Their guests included Kirsten Adamson and the last surviving member of the original line up of the Scottish band Nazareth, Pete Agnew. Kirsten is the daughter of Stuart Adamson, a performer with Big Country, The Skids and The Raphaels. She’s an established singer and guitarist in her own right, and she did an amazing cover of Joni Mitchell’s ‘Coyote.’ I must admit I was a bit concerned when I realised she was going to have a go at a Joni Mitchell song, especially such a complicated one, but she pulled it off.
Pete Agnew is 77 years old but what a voice he has – he sang ‘Georgia On My Mind’ perfectly. He is still performing with Nazareth (new members, obviously) too.
Our other outing this week was to see the film ANATOMY OF A MURDER. It was shown at The Barn in Banchory, so no comfy cinema seats, just plastic ones – and the film is two and a half hours long! But it was worth it as we both thought it very good indeed. Very well acted and thought provoking on so many levels. I was also amused to hear that, while the film itself won the 2023 Palme d’Or, the dog who stars in it (and doesn’t die, in case anyone’s as worried as I was) was awarded the Palme D’Og.
Tomorrow we have to attend the Burns Supper at the art gallery. I have to say I am only going out of a sense of duty as this is really not my kind of thing at all. Two of the members of our Friends’ committee have been organising it, I met with one of them yesterday to sort out the seating plan, and she said the whole thing has been a nightmare and one they will not be repeating. I think that’s the right decision. These things are really getting past their sell-by date.
Books – taking on the 52 BOOK CLUB 2024 Challenge, coupled with so many snow days, has really upped my reading speed. I am enjoying finding books to fit the prompts, and I have so far read eight books since January 1st, which is surely a record for me.
I finished GARDEN SPELLS by Sarah Addison Allen, but it wasn’t really for me. It felt like a romance with magic tacked on, and I didn’t like the way all of the women were portrayed as victims that – by and large – only a man could ‘rescue’. But it’s still allowed me to tick off the ‘Magical Realism’ prompt! (Here’s my review: https://sconesandchaiseslongues.blogspot.com/2024/01/review-garden-spells-by-sarah-addison.html)
Then I read DEATH AT PARADISE PARK by Ross Greenwood. This one started off well – a man is murdered in his van outside a fish and chip shop in Hunstanton, a Norfolk seaside resort. Alfie turns out to be the husband of Jackie, a notorious criminal who has just been released from prison. But Alfie has led a fairly blameless life and has looked after the couple’s grandsons while Jackie was away, Who would want to kill him? And it’s not long before more murders start to pile up at a nearby holiday park. Is there a connection?
The problems I had with this book were that there were far too many characters to keep track of, and the second half of the book became so complicated that I had to keep looking back to remind myself what was going on. I did enjoy the relationships between the police team though. And I’ll be able to use this for one of several prompts, including ‘features the ocean. (My full review is here: https://sconesandchaiseslongues.blogspot.com/2024/01/review-death-at-paradise-park-by-ross.html)
My next book was ASHES BY NOW by Mark Timlin. Timlin wrote a series about Nick Sharman, a former officer in the Metropolitan (ie London) Police who’s now a private investigator. He left the police when he got involved in a drugs deal and was caught. But that happened several books ago, and in Ashes by Now he is living a fairly seedy life in south London, getting work where he can, spending far too much time in pubs and clubs, and befriending two sympathetic strippers/sex workers, Dawn and Tracy.
Then a man whom Sharman helped to put away twelve years ago contacts him. ‘Sailor’ Grant was already well known to the police as a flasher, but he’d never gone any further. When the 16 year old daughter of a detective is raped and murdered, the team to which Sharman has just been assigned is determined to find someone to blame. He is sent out with two superior officers to pick Grant up and force a confession out of him. Sharman knows that this is wrong, and is shocked to see the violence meted out to the rather pathetic Grant at the police station. He’s sure Grant did not commit these recent crimes. But this is the way the Met works (it was notorious for corruption and violence, and no one really knows if it’s any better now) and Sharman knows that if he complains, his career will stall and he will never be promoted. So he goes along with it.
Now Grant is out of prison and asking Sharman to help him clear his name.
What follows is a fast paced thriller, in which Sharman tries to find out what the detectives were so keen to cover up all those years ago. When he starts to ask questions he soon becomes the victim of violence himself – the same police officers who framed Grant twelve years ago are now in higher positions and seem to run Peckham entirely by their own corrupt rules. How have they been allowed to do this, and how have they become so rich?
Sharman soon digs up some very sordid information, and races against time to bring the perpetrators – including the man who should’ve gone down for that rape/murder – to justice before they dispose of him, and anyone associated with him.
I read another Nick Sharman book a little while ago and didn’t find it that good. Ashes by Now is an earlier one in the series, and it is excellent. Well plotted, great characters, and a skilful evocation of the south London I grew up in. By the time I was born my parents had moved to the outskirts, but most of the rest of their families still lived in Deptford, New Cross, Peckham, Camberwell and Nunhead; all of those areas were poor and, in parts, dangerous. Of course many of them have now been gentrified beyond recognition, but they still retain pockets of neglected social housing, poverty, addiction and violence.
I finished this one in 24 hours, and can recommend it.
I’m also reading LEAVING ALEXANDRIA, A Memoir of Faith and Doubt, by Richard Holloway.
Richard Holloway used to be the Episcopalian Bishop of Edinburgh, but resigned when he could no longer reconcile the church’s practices with true Christianity. Since then he has declared himself a ‘post-religionist’, and has become an acclaimed speaker, chair of many Book Festival sessions, and a writer and campaigner for social justice (which he already was, but now more so.) He has helped to found Sistema, the music charity that starts and supports choirs and orchestras in areas of deprivation, he’s patron of LGBT Youth Scotland, and he’s a reviewer and a radio host. He’s an all-round wonderful man, now a very popular member of the congregation of Old St Paul’s in the Old Town in Edinburgh (a church of which he was once rector), where by chance my friend John McLuckie is priest and my daughter Anna is in the choir. Of course he has many critics too – the more traditional people in the Episcopal Church were furious when he resigned as bishop, whereas I personally think it was a very brave thing to do.
Anyway, his memoir begins with his childhood in the Vale of Leven, Dunbartonshire, where he was very happy despite his family being very poor. At 14 he left home to join Kelham Theological College in Essex, where boys from working class families were educated, and also trained for the priesthood. He enjoyed his time there, but became increasingly unsure about his vocation. He’s been questioning his and others’ faith ever since, moving in and out of belief, always only too aware of his own faults.
During his career he’s been a priest in Ghana, in Boston USA and other places, and is married to an American. They have three adult children. He used to be great hillwalker, and he’s still thinking and questioning at the age of 90. This book is part memoir of the places he’s been and the people he’s met, and part discussion of his ever changing thoughts on belief, religions, and the church. I’m enjoying it a lot.
On the radio I’ve just listened to one of the excellent SLIGHTLY FOXED podcasts, this one about the writer Dodie Smith (author of I CAPTURE THE CASTLE, DEAR OCTOPUS and 101 DALMATIANS.) Smith’s biographer, Valerie Grove, joined the programme and shared lots of interesting information about the author’s life, how she became so keen on Dalmatian dogs (she had nine at one point), why she wrote I Capture the Castle (she and her husband went to to live in the USA for the duration of World War II as he was a Conscientious Objector; Dodie was acutely homesick, so wrote a book set in the Essex countryside that she missed so much), and her happy childhood as the adored only child in a house full of adults.
And on TV I am re-watching THE LONG SHADOW, the outstanding drama about the victims of Peter Sutcliffe., and again being appalled by the sexism and misogyny that hampered the police investigations for years, while more women died.
It’s been lovely to get back to local walks, and I have been round the fields and down to the river almost every day recently. It’s still cold, but there is blossom forming on the flowering cheery trees. No more snow forecast at the moment. Spring is surely on its way.
Have a good week everyone!
I hope you do have an early spring, Rosemary, and that those cherry trees are not fooling you.
Richard Holloway sounds like a fascinating man, so his memoir must be interesting. Thank you for sharing his background and story. I’ve never heard of him.
I always enjoy your posts that tell us what you’ve been doing for the past week. Thank you!
Like many others, our area has had a bunch of rain in the last few days too. And we have certainly needed it in Central Texas – badly. I’m just happy it didn’t coincide with the arctic blast we got early last week. Moisture and arctic temps don’t work well for us. We’re not very adept at travelling in ice and snow, etc. I did want to stop by here because I always enjoy looking over what others that comment are reading. Lots of fun.
I wrote a review yesterday of the new Patterson book, HOLMES, MARPLE AND POE. Was a bit difficult as I was kind of ‘meh’ about the book and I don’t usually write my thoughts when that is my experience. I decided it was just not a good match for me and I had expectations that didn’t come to pass. On to the next, right? Have a good weekend everyone!
Kay, If you didn’t see yesterday’s post, you might want to check it out. It was Margie’s list of her Favorites of 2023.
Well, darn. I have a copy of Holmes, Marple and Poe, and I was hoping it was good. Darn.
Good morning from foggy Cincinnati. Today is another rain day but it’s warm so I’ll take it.
Two terrific reads for me this week. My daughter highly recommended THE HOUSE IS ON Fire by Rachel Beanland. It was her library’s one read selection. It is the historical fictional account of the fire of the Richmond Theater in 1811. The story follows 4 characters-a widow trapped inside who escapes, the stage hand, and 2 slaves. I found it to be a page turner. My husband is now reading it after I talked so much about it.
I also enjoyed MURDER IN POSTSCRIPT by Mary Winters. Amelia is a young widow who writes the Agony Aunt column for the newspaper. When she receives a letter from a writer fearing for their life and being followed, she is off to investigate with the help of her late husband’s friend. This had the same vibe as Miss Scarlet and the Duke on PBS and I found it utterly charming. I hope the sequel coming out next month doesn’t disappoint.
Happy Reading!
Sharon, I already read Murder in Masquerade, the sequel to Murder in Postscript. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Always happy to hear someone had terrific reads in the last week!
Probably too late to post again. Well, I slept well! I am reading Out of the Deep I Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming. I love it can’t wait to read more.
Found an old book of my father’s, Ulster, Beautiful Ireland which is in big print, yay so reading it too!
Carol, That’s not too late to post! I didn’t even check out the posts until after 9 AM. I’m glad you slept well.
I’m one book behind in Julia Spencer-Fleming’s series. I’m going to have to catch up. It’s such a good series.
We finally had some snow a couple of weeks ago and we were able to go sledding with our granddaughter. It was terrific fun! I had forgotten the thrill of flying down the hill on a sled!
Still not much reading going on with our now 4 month old grandson. I read St. Albans Fire by Archer Mayor. Joe Gunther and his team must find an arsonist targeting farms in Vermont. I enjoyed the book a lot.
I also read An Act of Foul Play by T. E. Kinsey. I don’t usually read cozy mysteries, but I really enjoy this series. There is a good bit of light hearted bantering and humor in the series. Lady Hardcastle, Florence and friends are attending the theater to celebrate Lady H’s birthday. When the curtain rises on the second act, one of the actors is on stage, dead. Lady Hardcastle and Florence both worked for British Intelligence in the past, so set out to solve the murder. Have just picked up the next book in the series, A Fire at the Exhibition.
Margie, I enjoyed your best of list posted yesterday and am now following your reviews on Goodreads.
Hope everyone has a good weekend!
Jennifer, I’m not familiar with the T.E. Kinsey series. Thanks for providing a little background.
Oh, someone who enjoys snow! I’m glad you had a fun time with your granddaughter.
I love the Lady Hardcastle series! I had forgotten about it in my reading list – will have to resurrect it! Thank you for sharing and reminding me!
Thank you for following me, Jennifer!
Happy Thursday, everyone!
I am always happy when there’s a new J. D. Robb to read, and Random in Death hits all the right notes.
I agree, Kaye. Random in Death was just right, wasn’t it!
Reading “Babel” by R.F. Kuang, following the current Hugo debacle in China. It is brilliant. Highly recommended.
Well, that was a mess, wasn’t it, Viccy?
So many books, so little time. I’ve been trying to fit more reading time into my daily schedule. I finished Marie Sutro’s Dark Obsessions for my Sisters-in-Crime Colorado book club. It’s a thriller centering on human trafficking. Well written. Then I knocked off House of Glass, an upcoming release from Net Galley. This one is a solid murder mystery with a guardian ad litem protagonist. Now I’ve started The Devil Takes You Home (a barrio noir) that promises all kinds of eerie thriller elements. I do so love books.
I’ve been doing the same, Patricia – I’m deliberately leaving my phone in the spare room when I go to bed, so that when I wake up early ( I’m often awake before 5) I read instead of checking the news and social media. It’s really shown me how much time I was wasting, and I’ve achieved so much more reading.
And when I’ve been reading I feel satisfied and fulfilled, whereas spending too much time on my phone leaves me feeling cross and frustrated.
I too love books.
We’re clearly birds of a feather, Rosemary. 😀
I agree, Patricia. I waste too much time on my iPad, playing games. As Rosemary said, I feel better when I make time to read. House of Glass sounds interesting.
My distraction is television. I’m easily pulled into crime series and all the Sunday evening PBS series, competition shows from Master Chef to Survivor to The Voice, and more. Books are better, but sometimes I have to remind myself of that.
I agree, Patricia. There are some excellent crime series out there, and it’s easy for them to suck my time.
Hi everyone,
I so appreciate all of your great book recommendations! The best book I am currently reading is PREQUEL: AN AMERICAN FIGHT AGAINST FASCISM by Rachel Maddow, about German efforts to destabilize our democracy and make the US loathe to enter the war in Europe in the years before WWII. It all sounds very familiar.
On the fiction side this week I really liked EMILY WILDE’S MAP OF THE OTHERLANDS, as have others here. Otherwise the rest of my reading has been uninspiring. It took me a while to get into MURDER BY DEGREES by Ritu Mukerji, but the plot got more lively as it went along (and maybe the number of icky medical close-ups decreased) so I’ll probably finish it.
Have a great week!
Hi Trisha, Unfortunately the plot of Rachel Maddow’s book sounds all too familiar.
Thank you! Have a good week, and a good reading week!
The Diva book sounds really good – thank you for sharing it, Lesa!
I am so excited about becoming a NetGalley member – which I learned about on this blog! Thanks to NetGalley I received an early read of the latest book in the Alex Delaware series. As with all of Jonathan Kellerman’s books, I couldn’t put the book down. A double homicide – a married woman and her lover. The husband a too convenient suspect. A sordid tale begins to evolve as more becomes known about the woman’s past, uncovered by the dogged determination of Alex and Milo to leave no stone unturned to identify the murderer. Great to spend time once again with this dynamic duo and their counterparts.
Congratulations on becoming a NetGalley member, Mary! I’ve been enjoying reading ARCs from them for about 2.5 years now. Everyone will tell you: don’t request too many books at the beginning. Try to be selective. You don’t want to have more books than you have time to read, although many do. I think it’s important to keep the feedback ratio at 80% or more, as NetGalley suggests (mine is usually mid-90s, mainly because it’s easier to maintain a high ratio after you’ve reviewed a lot of books on NG). Right now I have 12 unread ARCs on my “shelf,” with publication dates from March through June. It’s a good idea to join the NetGalley Reviewers Facebook group as well, as there are discussions about various topics regarding NetGalley. Enjoy!
Thank you for the guidance! I have 3 on my shelf right now, I got to excited, like a kid in a candy store! I will try to get through them and then be more selective in the future!
You’re welcome, Mary. I read quite a few books from NetGalley, usually reviewing them for Library Journal. There’s a great selection. And, it makes me feel good when I get a book by one of my favorite authors. I’m sure that’s how you felt with Kellerman’s.
When it’s not raining, it’s foggy.
I read:
Big Nate: In A Class By Himself by Lincoln Peirce. Big Nate gets a fortune out of a cookie, and it comes true like it was made by The Monkey’s Paw.
Aloha Means Goodbye by Robert W. Stephens: A cozy with a male protagonist. After the usual bad breakup, he flies to Maui to visit his best friend. About ten minutes late the friend is the prime suspect in his artist girlfriend’s murder. The inept supercop is a woman surfer this time.
The Haunting of Hounds Hollow by Jeffrey Salane; When his mother inherits a house, a city boy is forced to move to a small town, with a lot of paranormal activity, and inhabited by weirdos. Because San Francisco is a bulwark of normalcy.
Wonder By by Angel Au-Yeung; The biography of a tech billionaire who succumbs to addiction and crankery before winning a Darwin Award. Despite the best efforts of the author, reads like an old Inspirational novel.
Do No Harm by Max Allan Collins; Nate Heller investigates the Sam Shephard case the TV show The Fugitive used as inspiration. I disagree with the Author’s conclusion, but I still enjoyed the book. This case is like the Lindbergh Baby, in that the more you read about it, the more confused you get. I don’t think Collins eliminated all the suspects,
Glen, I’ve always found the Sam Shepard case interesting since I’m from northern Ohio. I agree. I don’t think we’ve ever known everything.
I did like your comment “Because San Francisco is a bulwark of normalcy.” Thank you for making me laugh.
We had rain Thursday through Sunday of the last week, and it was very welcome. One of our librarian friends from Stockton, CA visited with us Sunday and that was nice.
Last week I read WANTING SHEILA DEAD by Jane Haddam, #25 in her Gregor Demarkian series. Between 2008 and 2009, I read the first 20 books in the series, but I did not enjoy the next few books in the series (as much). I am glad I finally read this book, which had been on my shelves since 2010. I am not sure if her writing is getting better or just different, or if I have just mellowed, but I enjoyed this book and I will try to fit books 26 and 27 in my reading this year.
Last night I returned to reading Deborah Mitford’s memoir, WAIT FOR ME!. I am getting close to finishing that one. Every chapter is interesting, but they are dense, full of lots of information.
Glen has made much progress on HOLLYWOOD AND THE MOVIES OF THE FIFTIES by Foster Hirsch. He thinks he will finish it tomorrow. He is also reading a book of short stories by Laura Mauron, SING YOUR SADNESS DEEP. He has only liked two of the stories in that book, but he will finish it. He very rarely gives up on a book.
Yesterday we watched the film 84 CHARING CROSS ROAD with Anne Bancroft, Anthony Hopkins, and Judi Dench. Among other things, we have been watching DEATH AND OTHER DETAILS with Mandy Patinkin as it comes out.
Oh, I loved 84, Charing Cross Road. Great book, and movie. I haven’t seen it in years, and forgot Judi Dench was in it.
I never read Jane Haddam’s series. Sounds as if you liked it.
Hi Lesa, we are in a warming period right now in NC. Yesterday and today , we got to mid 70s with rain. More rain tomorrow but back in the 50s. My current print book is Murder by the Seashore by Samara Yew. It’s the 1st book in her California Bookshop Mystery series. On audio, I am listening to Wintering by Katherine May and on my kindle I am reading Jenn McKinlay’s new Library Lovers Mystery “Fatal First Edition” from netgalley which releases next month. Have a great weekend.
Oh, I’m looking froward to Fatal First Edition, Katherine. I haven’t read it yet. Soon!
Oh, mid 70s sounds wonderful!