I just want you all to know I need today. Thanks for being here. Let’s talk weather and books, and ignore politics.
Oh, and before I jump straight into a book I’m actually reading, just a reminder that Andrew Welsh-Huggins is up tomorrow for Favorites of 2024. Andrew is the author of The Mailman, and a number of other books.
I’m reading nonfiction today, and I’m halfway through it. Lisa Rogak’s book is Propaganda Girls: The Secret War of the Women in the OSS. It focuses on four women from various walks of life who ended up working for “Wild” Bill Donovan writing propaganda or encouraging our troops. Every one of them spoke a language besides English. Betty McDonald was a reporter living in Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941. Zuzka Lauerss was from Czechoslovakia, and knew five languages before she was twenty-one. Jane Smith-Hutton was the wife of an American attache in Tokyo, and her family was imprisoned in the embassy there for over six months. And, Marlene Dietrich, was the star who renounced her German citizenship, and performed for troops at the Hollywood Canteen and through USO tours.
Each woman has a fascinating story to add to our knowledge of behind-the-scenes activities during World War II.
What about you? What are you reading this week? What have you been doing?
Big hug Lesa!
We’ve had a few days between winter and allergy season, so got busy in the yard. Another chance of rain and snow again next week, I’m sure I’ll be able to fit in more reading.
I enjoyed listening to CRIME AND PARCHMENT: A Rare Books Cozy Mystery by Daphne Silver. It revolves around a hunt for the jewel encrusted covers (or shrine) of the Book of Kells and the possibility the priceless items were hidden in Colonial Maryland. A bit of history, a bit of romance, a rare-book librarian visiting family in an old Maryland town. Nicely balanced.
“It was the one thing the case had been missing. A locked room.”
Set in 1938, CABARET MACABRE, is the third in the GoldenAge style ‘Locked Room’ murder mystery series by Tom Mead. The series features a mostly retired stage magician turned sleuth, Joseph Spector. This book is labeled as a locked-room retelling of The Revenger’s Tragedy. The mystery is intricate and multi-layered. Fortunately, a “Dramatic Personae” is included.
For those of you disappointed in The Murder Wheel, Joseph Spector is central in this book, using his understanding of magic tricks to reach a solution.
I’ve also been catching up with The Sparks & Bainbridge series (Alison Montclair). I’m currently listening to #5, THE LADY FROM BURMA. But also found a short story set in 1946 London (possibly 2.5). The duo are expanding the Right Sort Marriage Bureau and solve a cold case in THE HAUNTING OF THE DESKS. Such a delightful series.
This week I have been fretting. It’s something I do well. Briefly – two years ago David was diagnosed with an aggressive prostate cancer, had everything removed, and all has been holding steady until his blood test yesterday which showed a sudden doubling of his PSA number (which should have been zero but never was). For it to double now is significant. Phone call with the surgeon next week. There always seems to be something or other to worry about, doesn’t there. Sigh.
One book this week:
ALL’S FAIR IN LOVE AND TREACHERY by Celeste Connally
Set in Regency London, this is the next book in the series after Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord.
Lady Petra and Duncan are at odds; she has found out that Duncan (childhood friend and current lover) may have been involved in the death of her beloved fiancé. She is hurt and angry and determines to investigate and find out the truth. Meanwhile, the Queen has asked Petra to look into the murder of the matron of a girls’ orphanage. And at the same time, the royal family is under threat by violent reformists who want to abolish the monarchy; and what’s more, it seems Duncan is in league with the reformists. So right off the bat there are three mysteries to be solved.
This new book has all the characters I loved from the first book, and it was such fun that there’s a focus on the friendships between several of the women characters this time and how they all have contributions to make towards solving the mysteries. This made the romance between Petra and Duncan take a bit of a backseat but the book is better for it, as we get to know the women much better.
This was a more historical novel than the first one in the series. Very political and based on real events. Nothing wrong with that but there were a lot of names and it got a bit confusing, and I wasn’t as emotionally invested with this book. I still liked it though, with all the witty banter and great characters. I am already looking forward to the next book in the series. I hope there will be one.
The weather here has been nice, too nice, as now I have allergies in February.
This week I read:
The Case of the Abandoned Aussie by BR Snow; A couple of women who run a dog hotel find a dog, and his dead owner in a river. The dead guy’s entire circle hated him. Our judgmental sleuths decided to check around.
The Hot Zone by Richard Preston; The true story of how the ebola virus we were all scared of before COVID got started. Patient zero handled a sick bird, EXACTLY how they tell you not to do.
Blood Trail by JT Sawyer; I’m on Sawyers advance team, which is nice, as I get a book from him about every quarter. It’s almost like the old days with Mack Bolan and Remo Williams. In this one, our Spec op hero is motorcycling up the Pacific Coast, when some criminals with a plan frame him for murder. Big mistake. He depopulates the county putting a stop to them.
Flesh And Bones by Sarah Andrews; An unemployed geologist needs work. A rich oil man needs someone to befriend his daughter, who is the only witness to the murder of his wife, her mother. She’d have been better off applying to Wal-Mart.
Misery Bay by Steve Hamilton; You know, I started reading these because I won a David Housewright book in a goodreads drawing, but couldn’t find them easily in my area. Now I’ve read almost the whole Alex McKnight series, and his other one about an assassin. Apparently, he’s having problems with his publisher. Anyway, this is a sad, sad story all the way around. It’s a year that’s not as cold as usual, although Alex is spending most of his time plowing snow and hanging out in his favorite bar, drinking Canadian beer, when the Chief of police, with whom he has a rocky relationship asks him for a favor. It seems the son of his former partner committed suicide for no reason, and the partner would like some answers. That’s sad enough, but then the partner is found with his throat slashed. They learn other sons of cops have committed suspicious suicides. Then it gets really depressing.
Raging Spirits II: Hong Kong Heat by Thor Bernard; The bouncer, trying to get rid of the angry spirit attached to his soul, finds himself in Hong Kong, beating up Triad dudes, and bringing old lovers together.
The Mailman by Andrew Welsh-Higgins; Reminded me a lot of the books by Stewart Sterling back in the 1950’s where the protagonist was an insanely dedicated niche detective, like a hotel or a store detective. The stuff about being a mail cop was pretty interesting, and I almost would rather read the adventures of one of those guys, but we get a sort of Jack Reacher type deal. I thought it was pretty good. Definitely better than The Gatekeeper, but the book did get lost in the weeds for a bit before finding its way again. To be honest, I found the stepdaughter tiresome.
Ten Silver Bullets by Andrew Millard; Anthology of 10 werewolf tales. Not bad, but post modern takes are not scary.
Wilder and Wilder by Robert J. Conley; A married couple are authors. He writes westerns, she writes mysteries. They get invited to a dude ranch in Wyoming, and there’s a murder. They were so busy being folksy, I felt like I was watching and Andy Griffith marathon.
Revenge of the Manitou by Graham Masterson; I remember the first book was all over the place when I was a small child, but I didn’t read it because, well, I was a small child. I watched the movie years later, starring Tony Curtis, and that’s probably why I didn’t read it since. I saw this, and since I’m not in the habit of reading a series in order, I started in. It’s unsettling from the first pages. While the author obviously doesn’t know a whole lot about Native Americans, he manages to use the duality of the Noble Savage stereotype to full advantage. One of the best horror books I’ve read in a while.
It’s been warm here in So Cal. I got out and enjoyed it – went paddle boarding on Saturday and played disc golf on Sunday. This is only the second time I’ve been paddle boarding since I hurt my shoulder almost two years ago. It was a little sore off and on after that, but on the whole, I think it did okay.
On the reading front, I am part way through RUNNING ON EMPTY by Karin Fitz Sanford. The mystery/crime aspect isn’t strong, but I’m still really enjoying it. (And it bills itself as a mystery). It’s set in my home town of Santa Rosa, so I am enjoying those references, although it is a fictionalized version, so some things have been changed.