My favorite day of the week, Thursday at Lesa’s! I can’t wait to see what you’ve all done this week and what you’ve been reading. I have nothing really to tell you about my week. Yesterday, I had a doctor’s appointment. Then, I took myself out to breakfast, followed by a visit to a local farmer’s market.
I reviewed it yesterday, but I’ll mention Sulari Gentill’s mystery that comes out on Tuesday, Five Found Dead. Even if you didn’t like Sulari’s last couple books, you might want to try this one. It’s set on the Orient Express. There’s an excess of detectives, humor, and a few surprises.
Two authors from Australia in a row. I’m currently reading Jane Harper’s standalone, The Survivors. Kieran Elliott’s life changed when he was eighteen. On the day of a storm, he made a deadly mistake. Now, twelve years later, he’s back in Evelyn Bay with his wife and baby. Not everyone in town welcomes him back, but he has to help his parents move.
“When a body is discovered on the beach, long-held secrets threaten to emerge. A sunken wreck, a missing girl, and questions that have never washed away…”
I’m going to a book chat at my local library on Saturday. I’ll tell you about it next Thursday. In the meantime, let’s chat here. What are you reading? What did you do this week?
It’s been quite hot here the last few days, with temperatures of 34C (93F). Because I’m not a heat lover at all it was pretty much just me sitting in front of my fan, drinking tea, and reading. Perhaps not so bad after all.
David may have saved a couple of lives this week though.
First was a young man slumped on the sidewalk outside our building, half hanging onto the railing and completely unresponsive when David tried to talk to him. David called for an ambulance; fire personnel arrived first, they didn’t get a response from the young man either. Ambulance arrived, they gave the guy something (naloxone?) and then the guy got up and walked away down the street as if nothing had ever been the matter.
Second was today when someone reported that our building’s elevator was stuck open on the first floor. David went down to investigate, and being on the strata council he had the key to the elevator room. When he went in he saw the elevator technician sitting on the floor, pale and with his hands shaking uncontrollably. He said he’d been sitting there for maybe fifteen minutes but did not want an ambulance called. David came back upstairs to get a glass of water and something to eat to take down to the man. The man drank the water in almost a single gulp and ate the food, after which he started to feel and look better. The two of them thought he might have had heatstroke. Before he came to our building he’d been working on an elevator in a hospital and said it had been brutally hot down in the elevator pit. David gave him a lecture about not having had any water or food with him, especially given it was so hot out. For goodness sake. What if David hadn’t gone down to check? Would the technician have perished in the small airless elevator room?! It doesn’t bear thinking about.
On to books read this week:
THE MATCHMAKER by Aisha Saeed
Nura is heading up the family matchmaking agency. She is the third generation to do so. There is an app but also the option for personalized matching, which requires interviews, background checks, and strict protocols are followed so that there will be no unexpected surprises. Prospective clients can apply for this service but there is no guarantee they will be accepted. The agency is doing well, and word of mouth referrals are ensuring a steady stream of elite clients.
But suddenly slandering podcasts and strange emails start showing up, weddings are being sabotaged, and clients begin cancelling. Neither Nura nor anyone on her small staff can figure out what’s going on. Nura also has family issues to deal with – a fraught relationship with her cousin, and the beloved aunt who raised Nura from the age of seven is in the early stages of dementia. And it appears Nura herself is being targeted.
This is a cozy/family story/mystery with a hint of romance. For me it didn’t really get going till maybe a third of the way through the book but then it became surprisingly suspenseful and I definitely wanted to keep reading. It was a quick, entertaining story.
The only thing that annoyed me had nothing to do with the story itself, but rather that I saw that the author gave herself a five star rating on Goodreads. I have no problem with an author talking about their book and hoping we’ll like it but I don’t think it’s up to them to give a star rating to their own book. Surely that’s up to reviewers and her readers.
MRS. ENDICOTT’S SPLENDID ADVENTURE by Rhys Bowen
Someone here mentioned this book some time ago; I think it might have been Kaye? Whatever she said made me want to read it so I picked up a copy when it was released here very recently.
It’s 1938 and middle-aged Mrs. Endicott has worked hard to make a nice home in Surrey, England for her banker husband- she’s decorated it tastefully as befits a man of his station, she’s a perfect hostess when his business associates come to visit, and she even makes sure his daily breakfast eggs are cooked for exactly 3 ½ minutes just the way he likes them. So no one could possibly be more surprised than she is when her husband declares one day at breakfast that he’s divorcing her; he’s met a younger woman – pretty, smart, and he’s going to marry her.
Mrs. Endicott has no idea what to do now. Stay in a flat her ex has ‘generously’ informed her she may live in, and be the subject of gossip and judgement from their social acquaintances? Wistfully she remembers when she was young her aunt taking her on a tour of the French Riviera and how much she enjoyed it. Impulsively she decides to go there again for a while to see if she likes it just as much now as she did then. Unexpectedly two other women, for reasons of their own, end up wanting to accompany her. She takes her ex’s Bentley and off they go.
Thus begins an entertaining story of second chances, unexpected friendships, courage, the freedom to stand up for themselves, the freedom to be themselves, laughter, but also sadness and fear when WWII reaches them in the small village where they’ve ended up. It wasn’t where they’d intended to go but that’s where the Bentley broke down so they’re stuck there. I loved meeting all the villagers and was rooting for (almost) all of them, and watching as these three women forged new lives and sometimes new loves. A splendid adventure indeed.
THE SHELL HOUSE DETECTIVES by Emylia Hall (#1 in the series)
I first heard about this book right here on Lesa’s blog, but it was a while ago and I don’t recall who mentioned it. Thank you to whoever it was because this was a great one.
Ally, 64 years old, lives in a cottage on the Cornish coast. Her late husband was a well-loved policeman in the village, who died not long after retiring from the force. She feels the loss of him deeply. One day while out walking her dog on the beach she comes across a man’s body at the foot of a cliff. Her panicked shouts for help are heard by Jayden, a young ex-policeman who’s recently moved to this village with his wife. Ally and Jayden get on well together from the get go and when the police don’t seem to be making any headway in finding out what happened to the man at the bottom of the cliff, they just naturally ease into making a few enquiries of their own as they attempt to find out what happened and if there’s more to the case than it at first appears.
There are several people in this story and every one of them adds something of significance to the story and to the overall enjoyment of the book. Each one is vividly and wonderfully portrayed. What I especially liked was that this was a character-driven mystery. It was as much about the people as it was about the mystery, which made the whole book more immediate and engaging. An excellent story, a tricky mystery, peopled with characters to love, loathe, be afraid of, or feel sorry for..
Lindy, You’re so right. It sounds as if David really was a hero this week, and might have saved two lives. They can be glad he’s the type of person who cares, and steps up to take responsibility for helping people
All three of your books sound good this week. I guess that’s what happens when you’re forced to stay inside and read! I’m on hold for Mrs. Endicott at the library. But, your other books sound good as well.
Stay cool, and indoors!
Hooray for David saving the day in two people’s lives! Your stories reminded me that earlier this week we had a patron at the library report that someone was either sleeping or passed out in their car. Three of us walked out to stare at the poor man to try to determine which it was. We ultimately decided that he was sleeping, and he did indeed drive off a little bit later. I’m so glad that he didn’t wake up when we were all staring at him!
Wow, Lindy, David certainly had an eventful week! I’m glad he helped out in those situations.
The Shell House Detectives sounds wonderful, and I have enjoyed several of Emylia Hall’s books, so I’ll have to look for it.
Lindy, I would like to hire David to shadow me 24/7 in case I ever have a life-threatening emergency. What are his rates?
Ha ha ha. Travel time cost from the west coast of Canada might be prohibitively expensive!
Was awfully hot for a while, but it’s been moderating a bit.
Driving around, I saw some food trucks, so I stopped to see what was going on. Turned out to be the grand opening of a brewery. I’m not much into craft beer, but the food trucks had some good stuff!
This week I read:
Edge of Honor by Brad Thor: Did Trump somehow break Brad Thor? What is going on? This is a book without a villain, without a climax, and really without a plot. Every so often Scot Harvath shoots some people, but that’s about it. It feels like a collection of several ideas he had that just weren’t strong enough to make a novel, but a deadline was coming up, so he cobbled them all together in a hash. Maybe he should consume different news? Find a new drink?
Lou: 50 Years of kicking Dirt, playing Hard, and Winning Big in the Sweet Sport of Baseball by Lou Piniella: Autobiography of the baseball player and manager. Tells what it was like playing under Billy Martin, and managing under Steinbrenner. Makes playing in Milwaukee sound awfully good.
The Murder of Til Taylor: A Great Western Sheriff; historical true crime about the murder of an Oregon sheriff and the massive manhunt that caught the culprits in the dying days of the Old West, but when Indians were actually still fighting in Oregon.
I don’t drink beer at all, Glen, but the food trucks sound good! I might have stopped if I was driving. But, I was always so lazy that I didn’t even walk a couple blocks to sample when they were down the street in Evansville.
I would have read the Lou Piniella book. I like sports biographies and autobiographies. The historical true crime sounds good, too.
Glen, we love Sweet Lou when he played for the Yankees. H was always intense. I remember him standing in right field practicing his swing rather than concentrating on the hitter. Managing for Steinbrenner was not easy for anyone.
It’s cooling down here. Boo!! I like my summers hot. Only going to be in the 80’s over the weekend before it starts climbing up again.
On the reading front, I’m working on FOR DUCK’S Sake, the newest from Donna Andrews. I’m about a third of the way into it. I know the pacing will pick up some, but it’s been a bit uneven so far as she’s getting all the balls in the air. But this is about the point where things usually pick up in her books.
Funny to read yours right after Lindy and Glen’s, Mark, since they’re saying it’s so hot, and you’re bemoaning the cool down there.
I hope your book gets better!
Hi, everyone! I’ve been on vacation in Finland, where the temperature peaks near 70 each day. It has been lovely. I picked up The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard for the trip. Good thing I am on a trip, it is immensely long (as is the sequel I am now reading). It is so great to read about a world that contains magic but is not entirely based on England or Europe. The main character here, the Emperor’s secretary and literal right (and left) hand in terms of touching people, comes from a culture like that of the western Pacific. It resonates with what I’ve learned of the Trobriand Islands, and, as you might expect, Moana. The premise is that the secretary takes the unprecedented step of inviting the Emperor, a mighty mage and pillar of the world’s government, back to his homeland for a vacation. Both the results of that break in the usual and the ongoing efforts of Cliopher/Kip Mdang, the protagonist, to set up a fair government that looks out for everyone, especially the poor, are detailed. There is a lot about Cliopher’s culture and worldview, which I loved. (Kim, this series came recommended to people who like The Goblin Emperor, so you might want to take a look.)
Besides that I’ve read Michelle Segara’s latest Elantra book and re-read the related ones. She is great at plot and world building but doesn’t seem to know what she wants to do with her foundational characters, so these offshoots keep coming.
Trisha! Finland. Next week, you’ll have to tell us about your trip. We’d love to know what you’ve seen and enjoyed there as well as the cooler temperatures.
I hope you have time for a short travelogue!
Roger’s granddaughter got married last Saturday. The wedding was nice and some of his family came from out of state and we got to visit with them.
I read an ARC of David Rosenfelt’s upcoming Andy Carpenter book AND TO ALL A GOOD BITE. Once again Andy and his team have to prove that a client is innocent even though all of the evidence is stacked against him.
CATURDAY CRIME by Amanda Flower is the first book in her cat rescue series which she self published so that all of the profits can go to the cats that she and her husband rescue. Unfortunately it’s not up to the standards of her professionally published books. The story starts off with some rather improbable banking procedures and the book needed better editing.
I’m currently reading DAYS AT THE MORISAKI BOOKSHOP by Satoshi Yagisawa and translated by Eric Ozawa. A young Japanese woman quits her job after finding that the colleague she’s been seeing is marrying another woman. A distant uncle offers her the apartment over his used bookshop and she surprises herself by developing a passion for books. I’ve surprised myself by how much I enjoy these Japanese translations and fortunately my library keeps buying them.
Well, darn, Sandy. I’m sorry Amanda Flower’s book wasn’t up to par. Especially since proceeds are going to her cat rescues. I love to see her pictures of her cats. And, that new one seems to fit in just fine.
I agree with you. I like the Japanese translations more than I ever thought I would. I’ll have to check and see if my library has that new one.
Hello, everyone, and thanks for sharing what you’re doing and reading. Lesa, I read THE SURVIVORS when it came out (listened to it, actually, but that’s not important), and I thought it was an excellent book–Jane Harper’s best, in fact (and I think I’ve read all of them. I’ll be interested to hear what you think.
My husband and I have had visitors staying with us since August 2. The first couple stayed for a week, followed by a one-day break, and then the second couple arrived and is still here. We are very fond of the four of them and have enjoyed entertaining them with visits to gorgeous parts of Switzerland, but it’s a lot of cooking! And less reading time. Also, less writing time, which is why I didn’t report on my reading last week.
I did manage to read two mysteries that have already been reviewed here (or at least the authors have), both the first in a series and both very enjoyable. One was the first Wesley Peterson mystery in Kate Ellis’s THE MERCHANT’S HOUSE (2010), and the other was THE RELIGIOUS BODY (1966), by Catherine Aird, the first Detective Inspector Sloan book. Thanks to all of you who praised British police procedurals, a type of mystery which I almost always like (as I know you do, Lesa).
I surprised myself by buying, reading, and really liking PONY CONFIDENTIAL, in which a pony and various animal friends of his during his travels get the pony’s long-ago owner off a murder charge. It sounds like a ridiculous plot, but since all the animals talk to each other exactly like normal book characters, I quickly forgot that they weren’t people and became invested in their stories. I wouldn’t call this a cozy, exactly, since animals suffer in it (not gratuitously but to make a strong point about how terrible cruelty to animals is). But the pony is a very entertaining and humorous character.
I am one hour of listening away from finishing a superb novel called A COVENANT OF WATER (2023) about three generations of one family on India’s Malabar coast (1900 to 1977). The extraordinary changes in the lives of Indians during this period, especially Indian women, the magnificence and danger of nature that the family members experience, and the development of medicine over all these years are woven together into a gripping story. It’s 31 hours of listening, and the book is read by the author, who turns out to be excellent as an actor as well as an author. Yes, it’s an undertaking, but I have barely been able to tear myself away from my earphones to talk to my guests!
I know, Kim! Pony Confidential was definitely a surprise. I reviewed that for Library Journal before I retired from doing that, and I liked it more than I expected to do.
I love British police procedurals. Most of them, not all, are not as hardboiled as American ones. Quite often, they have better character development. Aird’s didn’t, but I still like Sloan. I’m glad you’re enjoying the books.
I’m also glad you’re enjoying your company even though they take time from your writing and reading!
This is fun with friends week – Tuesday was pedicure day, today is a trip to a quaint town for shopping and Saturday is a flea market. In between I have to get my kitchen countertops totally cleared off to make way for the contractor who is installing new backsplash tile. Which is just the beginning of what will be an arduous process, I am sure, of updating our kitchen. I do not find interior design at all fun, and having to pick out colors, appliances, flooring etc. has been an excruciating journey, but “needs must” (I just love that phrase!).
This past week I listened to the 3rd installment in the Mick Hardin series. Chris Offat is one of my go-to authors when nothing else is quite grabbing my interest. In “Code of the Hills” Mick is officially retired from the service and is passing through Kentucky on his way to France for a quick goodbye to friends and family. NOT! As per usual, Mick is sucked back into assisting his sister, who is the sheriff, with police work. Multiple murders all seemingly connected to a cock fighting ring has Mick, Johnny Boy and Linda hot on the trail of a killer – or is it killers? I’m ready for #4 in this series!
Have a good weekend, everyone!
Mary, It’s so nice that you’re enjoying the summer with friends.
Chris Offut’s writing is just beautiful, isn’t it? I really read for character, but I love his words.
Good morning, all. Unlike Lesa, I did have a busy week, cutting down on reading time. By chance, we had two concerts this week, and as we’ve done since 2016, we turned them into a mini-vacation, staying overnight at a local Marriott. First, on Sunday, was The Doobie Brothers, backed by The Coral Reefer Band (who played with Jimmy Buffett for many years) at Jones Beach. Happily, unlike so many other times out there, the weather was perfect – mid-70s at concert time, clear skies, nearly full moon, not humid. The concert was a lot of fun and we got upgraded to a nice big room at the Long Island Marriott.
Then Tuesday it was Jackson Browne, doing the first of four shows in what is becoming an annual tradition, at the Beacon on Broadway and 74th Street. We stay at a Marriott on 37th Street off Fifth Avenue. Good concert, three hours (including a 15 minute break). And Jackie’s friend (well, she said she remembered her from earlier this year) upgraded us to a larger, top floor room overlooking the Empire State Building from the 19th floor.
Next concert is mid-September on Staten Island.
To books. Jackie finished the third Darynda Jones book she was reading and is into Nora Roberts’s HIDDEN NATURE, which she likes, despite the creepy serial killers. More when she finishes it.
As I said, not so much reading time this week. Martin Walker is known for his Bruno, Chief of Police series set in the Dordogne area of southwestern France. But his short story collection, Bruno’s Challenge, is not really mysteries, for the most part, though some stories do feature little mysteries like a missing child or who is vandalizing a business. No, for the most part it is just stories of the village and it’s people, lots of cooking and wine, etc. If you’re a fan of Bruno and his circle, you’ll probably want to read this one too.
Ever since Lesa reviewed Tim Sullivan’s The Dentist, I knew I would add it to my list. George Cross might seem an unusual guy to be a Detective Sergeant in Bristol, England. He did to me. But he uses his intelligence and lack of the usual emotions that most of us have to bear on his work, solving 97% of crimes, far better than most cops. (PARTIAL SPOILER OF PLOT ELEMENTS TO FOLLOW) The title character was actually a homeless man, who seemed at first to have bene killed by another homeless man. But he was actually a successful dentist until he disappeared years ago, after his wife’s murder and was declared legally dead at his family’s instigation, after the statutory seven years. No one knew he was alive, let alone back in Bristol. (END SPOILERS) Cross and his partner and an assistant focus on the man and his family, as well as the past to find who killed him. I really enjoyed this one, even the humor underlining Cross’s interaction with his boss, and I will definitely read the next one soon. Meanwhile, I have two other library books at hand.
It sounds as if you and Jackie had a fun week, Jeff. Even your reading was fun. As I said, I thought of you when I read The Dentist. It’s so hard to see how Sullivan could write such a solid police procedural while creating an unusual character in Cross. I also liked Ottey.
I was running errands yesterday and certainly glad I don’t have a daily commute. Two different road maintenance projects on the same street made getting to the library rather like an obstacle course. Fortunately, the heat hasn’t been an issue here this summer. But at 100 degrees by the time I was headed home, it was plenty warm. Coincidentally, I just added an Australian author to my holds list last night, Tanya Scott’s debut thriller.
I saw A WILL TO KILL at the library in pristine condition and thought it was new. Actually published in 2020 (and praised here), the library copy was acquired in 2023. The fact the book still looked brand new is a puzzle. The story is a solid mystery with the wheelchair-bound patriarch, Bhaskar Fernandez, suspecting someone is trying to kill him. An experienced investigator, Harita Athreya, is brought in to solve the murder if it happens. A modern-day take on the classic locked-room murder mystery, transported to a remote setting high in the hills of southern India by Indian author RV Raman. I picked up the next in the series, A Dire Isle, yesterday.
“Three couples. Three days. A family getaway to die for.” THE WEEKEND RETREAT is a suspense novel by Tara Laskowski and an Agatha Award winner for best contemporary novel. It was noted for compelling characters, vivid descriptions, and suspenseful plot.
The story is centered around a wealthy family’s annual birthday celebration at their secluded winery estate. It unfolds as a locked-room mystery, where the family and their significant others are trapped by a storm and old tensions resurface, revealing secrets and potential danger. Surprisingly enjoyable.
… a suicide, a derelict barge, and pink chiffon nightdresses… THE PORT OF LONDON MURDERS by Josephine Bell (originally published in 1938)
A tale of murder set against a gritty portrayal of life alongside the Thames. The best part was the young schoolboy, Les Harvey, essential to the plot but completely absorbed in his quest to ride in a police launch.
The author’s real name was Doris Bell Collier, but being a medical doctor was required to use a pseudonym.
Looking forward to hearing about your library’s book chat Lesa.
Those road projects are so necessary and such a nuisance, aren’t they, MM? I ran into a couple yesterday on my way back from the farmer’s market.
I read and liked A Will to Kill when it first came out. I don’t know why I never looked for the next one. Thank you for the reminder.
You did read and review the second in the series (A Dire Isle), admiring the author for writing a book so different than the first. Unfortunately it appears he lost his US publisher after that. The remaining two in this series don’t appear to be readily available.
Well, darn, MM. Thank you for checking. I never looked it up to see if I reviewed it because the title didn’t ring a bell. I’m sorry he lost his American publisher.
Someone recently recommended a Jane Harper book to me, so I’ll be interested in hearing what you think of this one! I just finished WHAT YOU LEAVE BEHIND by Wanda Morris and found it really interesting. Next up is JAMES by Percival Everett. I’ve had that one on my reading list for a long time, and now my book club is reading it and give me the excuse I need to start it.
Kate, I’m finding The Survivor to be slow going. I don’t know why. It just seemed to take forever for anything to happen, although it was only 75 pages.
I’m afraid James sounds a little too literary for me. Let us know what you think when you read it.
i found a book written by one of my favorite authors. Kate Morton that i somehow missed. So I have 600 pages of bliss to dive into.
And i am reminded of this quote –
“… but for my own part, if a book is well written, I always find it too short.”
– – – Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey (1817)
THE LAKE HOUSE. i loved it!
Description from Amazon:
“From the New York Times bestselling author of Homecoming comes a “moody, suspenseful page-turner” (People, Best Book Pick) filled with mystery and spellbinding secrets.
Living on her family’s idyllic lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive, and precociously talented sixteen-year-old who loves to write stories.
One midsummer’s eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest child, eleven-month-old Theo, has vanished without a trace. He is never found, and the family is torn apart, the house abandoned.
Decades later, Alice is living in London, having enjoyed a long successful career as a novelist. Miles away, Sadie Sparrow, a young detective in the London police force, is staying at her grandfather’s house in Cornwall. While out walking one day, she stumbles upon the old Edevane estate—now crumbling and covered with vines. Her curiosity is sparked, setting off a series of events that will bring her and Alice together and reveal shocking truths about a past long gone…yet more present than ever.
A lush, atmospheric tale of intertwined destinies from a masterful storyteller, The Lake House is an enthralling, thoroughly satisfying read.”
Ah, nothing like a blissful escape, Kaye! How did you miss that? Enjoy! Hugs!
Good morning! This week it was only cool enough to walk in the morning if I got myself out there by 7:00 or so. But for the past few days, it’s cooled down a bit. I hope that continues, but I think it calls for 100+ for at least a couple of days next week My week was uneventful: a few card games, a large group luncheon yesterday, and a wonderful dinner last Saturday at a fantastic new restaurant with the part of my family that I hadn’t seen in 3 weeks. I loved hearing the grandkids’ reactions to the first three days of school. Here’s what I finished reading this week:
Although I am not fond of war stories, I read THE ROYAL LIBRARIAN by Daisy Wood since my book club selected it. I found it to be a a well-constructed book in two timelines: 1940 in Europe and 2021 in Philadelphia. In the historical timeline, 19-year-old Sophie Klein loses her whole family when Hitler orders atrocities against Jews in Austria. Her parents are victims, while her 10-years-younger sister, Hanna, is lucky enough to be sent to America for the duration of the war with a group of other children. Sophie searches desperately for a way to leave Austria and finally lands an assistant librarian position at the Royal Library in England’s Windsor Castle, thanks to her translation and administrative skills. In the present-day timeline, Lacey Jones finds a letter sent years ago to her now-aged grandmother from Windsor Castle and is determined to discover answers about its origin and to questions about her family. The historical part of the story is more interesting, featuring some insight into intelligence and deadly plots during the war. The author skillfully alternates between the two timelines and wraps up the story with a satisfying epilogue. It’s an entertaining plot, and those who are interested in reading about World War II in this current age of international turmoil may enjoy The Royal Librarian.
A VERY WOODSY MURDER is the first book in Ellen Byron’s Golden Motel Mystery series, and it continues the author’s steady stream of entertaining cozy mysteries. LA sitcom writer Dee quits her unrewarding job and drives north looking for a new opportunity. She thinks she’s found it in a rundown motel in former Gold Rush Country near the Sierra Nevada mountains and a national park, and she somehow gets Jeff, one of her ex-husbands and now her best friend, to be her business partner. They get busy renovating the motel into what they hope will become a popular vacation destination, but their first guest turns out to be Dee’s nemesis from her TV writer days. It seems Michael has lived in this area in the past and has a a lot of local fans, along with a handful who can’t stand him. So when Michael is found dead before any other new customers arrive, the police don’t know whether to pin his murder on the hotel owners or another inhabitant of Foundgold (not to be confused with the next town, Goldsgone–I love those throwback town names). As the story progresses, Dee and Jeff become familiar with the townspeople and develop suspicions of their own. Dee, in particular, unknowingly puts herself in danger multiple times while trying to shift suspicion from herself to another suspect. To help the reader keep track, there is an extensive Who’s Who list at the beginning of the book, identifying all of the characters, including Dee’s dog, Nugget, newly acquired from the motel’s deceased previous owner. Not listed but lurking in the background is a potentially dangerous bear named Stoney. I enjoyed this delightful cozy mystery and am happy that I won the second in the series from GoodReads, just published.
In THE LOST STORY OF EVA FUENTES by Chanel Cleeton, an elusive book is at the center of a story that is told in three alternating timelines, from three narrators with different points of view. Eva Fuentes is the author of A Time for Forgetting, written around 1900 after Fuentes spent the summer with more than 1000 other Cuban teachers at Harvard University in a real-life cultural exchange project. In 1966, librarian Pilar Castillo is trying to survive in Cuba where Fidel Castro and his regime have jailed her husband and are aiming to possess everything of value in the country. Her neighbor, who is leaving Cuba, knows that Pilar is guarding some books of value and asks her to hide a particular book and seek to return it to the author. And in 2024 London, American Margo Reynolds has her own company, hunting down rare antiques and other items that are meaningful to their prospective owners. Of course, there is only one known copy of A Time for Forgetting, and there are multiple clients looking for it. It is a fascinating premise, and Cleeton somehow manages to make the transitions from one time period to another fairly smooth for the reader, although sometimes it can become a bit confusing. The characters are vividly drawn and memorable, and the action scenes compelling. There are two subplots that include romantic relationships–one with a man Eva meets Harvard, and another with Margo’s ex-husband, who also has a client looking for the book. How those play out is very different and interesting enough to keep the reader in suspense. The overall message is that just one book can be meaningful enough to precipitate dangerous missions and change lives. (September)
I’m currently reading Byron’s second Golden Motel mystery, Margie.
Question for you? How do you feel about multiple viewpoints or alternating timelines? I’m not crazy about them. Consecutive ones are fine. I just don’t care for alternating ones.
Lesa, I have to say I have mixed feelings about that. Sometimes I find it difficult to follow, sometimes not. It seems to be a trend. I find it relaxing when there is just one point of view (such as Terry Shames’s Texas series!
I was able to finish four books this week.
DEAR MISS LAKE by AJ Pearce was the final book in the Emmy Lake Chronicles. WWII is ending and the staff of the Women’s Friend magazine are still trying to bolster morale of those left behind on the Homefront. I enjoyed this entire series of wartime chronicles and the ending of this one left me with a few tears and smiles.
Lesa already reviewed THE CRIME BRULEE BAKE OFF. I enjoyed reading about the baking show and the descriptions of the food each contestant made. The mystery itself seemed rather secondary but I appreciated that Claire and Jonny did not interfere with the police proceedings.
My last two books were the definite highlight of my reading week. Both by Ally Carter, the author of my favorite Christmas book last year THE MOST WONDERFUL CRIME OF THE YEAR. THE BLONDE IDENTITY and THE BLONDE WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD were just delightful. The characters are twins Zoe and Alex Stirling. In the first book Zoe is mistaken for her twin sister who is a spy and goes on adventures all over Paris and Switzerland fighting off the Russian bad guy. In the second book, Alex has decided that there is more to life than the spy game but is sucked back in after there is an attempt on her life. Ending the second book with the sisters overlapping was a nice touch. These were so much fun definitely not serious at all and I loved them both!
Happy Reading
You’re right, Sharon. The mystery was secondary to the bake off. And, I like amateur sleuths who don’t interfere with the police.
Good reading week with four books! Sounds as if you did have happy reading.
We are still adjusting to the new cat, London, and he is still adjusting to us. He wants to eat a lot more than he should, and lets us know constantly.
Nothing much else going on. There is a fire above us in the Los Padres National Forest; it has burned 130,000 acres. It is not really close to us, but we are getting smoke and bad air quality, and we are staying in and keeping windows closed as much as possible. So, no gardening except for watering. We are late today because of going to the grocery store, and other errands.
Glen finished reading THIRTEEN GUESTS by J. Jefferson Farjeon (in the British Crime Library edition) and he really enjoyed it. Now he is getting very close to finishing his nonfiction book, BORN TO BE POSTHUMOUS, a biography of Edward Gorey.
I finished reading THE KILLING OF THE TINKERS by Ken Bruen, the second book in the Jack Taylor series. It is a very dark book, with a lot of violence, but I did like it. Last night I finished reading PERPLEXING PLOTS: POPULAR STORYTELLING AND THE POETICS OF MURDER by David Bordwell. It is about the changing approaches to narrative in crime fiction and the effects on films. That one was very dense; sometimes over my head. But I enjoyed it. Both were on my 20 Books of Summer list.
It does take a little while for cats and their new people to adjust to each other, Tracy. Is there a reason for his name?
I’ve said it before. Your reading is beyond me. Good for you!
Lesa, we adopted London from an organization called ASAP, which is associated with the Santa Barbara County Animal Services, and takes in stray cats. ASAP gave him the name London, which we could have changed, but we decided to keep it. One of the cats available for adoption had been named Amtrak, and we would not have used that one.
Thank you! Some of my cats were strays and some came from the Humane Society, so I was curious. Thanks, Tracy.
I started Angel Down. Didn’t actually read it. The weirdest thing is that EVERY paragraph started with and. You never start a sentence with and!
Read the MemoryLibrary. It was great.
Carol Jeanne, I do occasionally start a sentence with And, but I can’t imagine reading a book that has every one starting that way!