It’s the Thursday before a long weekend for many of us! Yay! Do you have plans? I’ll be working on the Treasures in My Closet post so it’s ready to go on Tuesday. I don’t think there will be as many July releases as there were June ones. Publishers like to have those summer reads out early.
The new Krewe of Hunters book by Heather Graham is out! I’m reading The Unforgiven. It threw me for a couple minutes because neither of the main characters are FBI agents, part of the Krewe of Hunters. But, they do both see ghosts, and some of the agents have shown up in New Orleans because it appears that the killer struck twice in Florida before moving on to New Orleans. The story is a little weaker than some of the others in the series, but I’ll still pick up one of Graham’s books that combine an atmospheric setting, the paranormal, a little romance, and murder. And, New Orleans is the perfect place to combine atmosphere and the paranormal.
What about you? What are you reading this week? Let’s chat.
Since it just dawned on me that I could post my weekly reading results at 10:00 p.m. (PDT) Wednesday night, and since I walk with a group at 8:00 a.m. on Thursdays, here goes!
In THE KITCHEN FRONT by Jennifer Ryan, a cooking competition in 1942 England attracts four women who see it as a possible “way out” or “way up” from their current lives. Two are sisters who haven’t gotten along with each other for years–one a poor war widow with three young boys and the other the snooty wife of an aristocrat who still resents her older sister for being their parents’ favorite. Then there’s the team of the head cook and kitchen maid at the younger sister’s estate, and a former London head chef who is now the unmarried head cook at a factory and trying to disguise her growing pregnancy. I particularly enjoyed the information related to how women could come up with tasty dishes with limited rations–whale meat steaks and Spam, anyone? I found the story entertaining but could have done without a couple of characters who were “over the top” stereotypes. It felt like lazy writing to me, lacking the nuance I was looking for.
Thanks to Lesa for recommending NOTHING LIKE A DAME by Eddie Shapiro.. As a fellow Broadway enthusiast, I really enjoyed the author’s in-depth interviews with 21 prominent actresses who have spent most of their career on the musical theater stage. I know Lesa mentioned a recent follow-up, this time with male thespians, and I’ll have to look for that.
I bought ARSENIC AND ADOBO by Mia P. Manansala (partially) with a bookstore gift card I won at a recent Sisters in Crime meeting, and I’m glad I did. I found the author’s debut mystery charming and just offbeat enough. Lila Macapagal left behind a broken engagement in Chicago to help her Tita Rosie with her Filipino restaurant, but it hasn’t been easy. Lila’s high school boyfriend is now a restaurant reviewer for a local paper, and Tita Rosie’s restaurant is just one of many who have been trashed in his columns. But when he suddenly collapses and dies after eating their food, it turns out that he has been poisoned. And there is more mayhem in store, threatening Lila and even her aunt with legal action. In Lesa’s review, she mentioned Lila’s “aunties” (godmothers), aunt and grandmother, all of whom have something to say about how Lila is living, what she should be doing, and whom she should be dating. Fortunately, they are not over-the-top or silly characters. Lila herself has some definite flaws, but they only make her more interesting, and there is a wide array of local characters including her friends, relatives, a couple of possible love interests (hopefully we’ll hear more about them in the next in the series), and a former high school nemesis. I will definitely be seeking out the next Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery.
I suspect DEATH BY EQUINE is the first book in a new series by Annette Dashofy, the author of 10 Zoe Chambers mysteries. Doc Lewis has been not only a mentor, but a father figure, to young veterinarian Jessie Cameron. So when the seasoned racetrack vet is trampled to death by one of his horse patients, Jessie knows it can’t be an accident. And there are so many people who may have wanted Doc to disappear–his ambitious assistant who would like to take over his practice (and who has a hidden relationship with him), racetrack personnel with side hustles that could get them in trouble, racehorse owners with something to prove, and more. At the same time, Jessie is dealing with a divorce (her ex is a detective, of course), the decision as to whether she would like to take over Doc’s practice herself and disappoint the co-owner of her own practice, the romantic attentions of a handsome racetrack owner with secrets of his own, and trying to stay out of trouble as she does a bit of investigating on her own. This is a fast-moving mystery with a delightful protagonist to root for. I will definitely look for the next in the series!
In Rhys Bowen’s THE VENCIE SKETCHBOOK, the author’s latest engrossing standalone, most of the story focuses on Juliet Browning, who in 1928 (at age 18) is treated to a vacation in Venice with her aunt. She hopes to see the sights and practice her sketching, but she never expects to find her first love, Leonardo da Rossi, after falling into one of Venice’s canals as she attempts to rescue a box of unwanted puppies. Unfortunately, Leo has been pledged to marry the daughter of another prominent family–a business transaction–since a very early age, so Juliet goes home sadder but wiser, or so she thinks. Ten years later, when she is one of two teachers chaperoning a group of young girls on a Venetian trip, she runs into Leo again, who is trapped in a loveless marriage but still in love with Juliet. And a year later, Juliet returns to Venice once again, this time to spend a year studying art. But as time passes, the breakout of WWII prevents her from going home as scheduled. The other timeline in the book tells Caroline Grant’s story. Her husband has left her to follow his new love to New York, taking their young son Teddy with him for a visit that turns into an extended stay thanks to 9/11–his father says Teddy is traumatized by the idea of getting on a plane. Frustrated by her son’s absence and saddened by her great-aunt Lettie’s death, Caroline plans a trip to Venice to follow up on some cryptic instructions–and several keys–left to her by Lettie (yes, it’s Juliet). Through Caroline’s investigation we find out what happened to Juliet (and Leonardo). Juliet’s story is mainly a sad one, while Caroline’s life is greatly improved at the end of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Margie, Although Nothing Like a Dame sounds good, I haven’t read it, and I’m not the one who suggested it. I may have to look for it, though! I think you’re the second one to say The Kitchen Front was a little much. I was looking forward to it, but I think I’ll pass. I’m glad you liked Arsenic and Adobo! I thought it was an excellent debut!
Should be THE VENICE SKETCHBOOK!
Margie, Annette Dashofy says that she may write some short stories to follow up Death by Equine but doesn’t plan to make a series out of it. I hope she changes her mind because I really enjoyed it too
Good to know. Thanks, Sandy.
I don’t think I’m doing anything too unusual this weekend. It’s supposed to be unseasonably hot, though, so I might find a beach or lakeside.
Problems with Girls by Kelly Creighton; A police procedural in North Ireland that becomes an episode of the Jerry Springer Show. This is the second UK book in a row like that. Is this some kind of trend over there? It just seems so…90’s.
The Iron Sickle by Martin Limon; Another police procedural, this one set in Korea in the early 70’s. Some dude is killing folks with an Iron Sickle, and our heroes go up to the hills to find them. This series is starting to go off the rails a bit, I think.
Dystopian Girls by Rodzil Labraun; A guy with super powers gathers a harem of women with super powers during a zombie apocalypse. There seems to be a market for this kind of thing, but I’ve never read a well written one.
The Robin’s Greeting by Wanda Brunstetter; An Amish mystery. That’s about all I can say about it.
Death From Nowhere by Clayton Rawon; pulp stuff about escape artist Don Diavolo, solving murders and escaping death and police custody. They don’t write’em like this anymore.
Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey; I won this book from this blog. I found it uncomfortable.
The Ghost Behind Us by Deana Evers; The hosts of a paranormal show find themselves haunted by ghosts. Everybody communicates horribly, and that leads to all of the conflict. The ghosts aren’t even a threat. Social media is.
The Tengu’s Game of Go; Samurai fantasy as goblins manipulate humans into fighting wars for their own amusement.
Nailgun Messiah by Jim Heskett; A drop out from Wit-Sec has to leave town quickly. Decides to stay with his sister who belongs to a chiliastic cult. Out of the frying pan, into the fryer.
Uncomfortable. That’s a good description of Unspeakable Things, Glen. And, I wasn’t a big fan of Jess’ second book set in the same community.
Such a shame about the Martin Limon books going off the rails. I don’t read them, but I’ve heard him speak, and the background is fascinating.
Ha! You’re reading the wrong Amish novels. Try Linda Castillo’s, but read them in order.
The place to start with Limon is the collection of short stories, NIGHTMARE RANGE. It gives you good idea of the characters and setting and plots, and you can go back and read the novels afterwards if they appeal to you.
Thank you, Jeff!
Lesa, I won the Amish book in a goodreads drawing. I wouldn’t have bought it, but I thought I’d give an Amish mystery a try. This will probably be my first and last one.
I get it, Glen. I like the fact that you have such eclectic taste, though. It makes reading your comments that much more fun.
Glen, I think you meant Clayton Rawson, who also wrote the Great Merlini series. Great fun!
Yeah!! Went to the library Wednesday, first time in over a year. Left with an arm-load of books, mostly ones requested, but a few off the recent addition shelf also.
Thanks to Lesa’s January Treasures, read Paraic O’Donnell’s The House on Vesper Sands. Loved it. Victorian inspired mystery, great characters and dialogue. Originally published in UK several years ago, but newly in US.
A good part of the reading week was devoted to nonfiction. Simon Winchester’s (2021) Land: How the Hunger for Ownership Shaped the Modern World. Fascinating how he can weave a book full of facts into an interesting tale.
Currently reading the latest in the Maisie Dobbs series, The Consequences of Fear (Jacqueline Winspear). I think it is the 16th in the series. London, October, 1941, French Resistance agents, police cases and Maisie’s personal life. Always well written and interesting.
Over an inch of badly needed rain early this week, but temperatures expected in the 90s soon. Wishing everyone a safe weekend.
Yay! I’m so glad you were able to finally get into the library, M.M. And, frankly, the library staff miss talking with users.
I’m way behind in the Maisie Dobbs series, but you’re right. Always well written and interesting.
Thanks to everyone talking about their recent reading. One slight typo correction – it is Clayton Rawson. Rawson was an interesting guy, a successful stage magician from the age of 8 who was one of the co-founders of the Mystery Writers of America. His most well known series character was magician/detective The Great Merlini. The Don Diavolo books were originally published as by Stuart Towne.
See, now you can say you leaned something new on Lesa’s blog this morning!
No weekend plans, as it looks to be a cool, sometimes rainy one. Jackie likes to get barbecue on these weekends, but the two places we’ve gone to in the past are closed and a new one in our area hasn’t opened yet, so looks like the best she can do is Chinese boneless barbecued spare ribs.
Books, then. She finished the third of the Paula Munier K-9 series (THe HIDING PLACE) with a tear in her eye, and is now reading the latest of J. R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood books.
I seem to be reading mostly short stories lately, more straight fiction than otherwise. First it was Michael Chabon’s WEREWOLVES IN THEIR YOUTH, as previously mentioned. Currently, I’m alternating three collections (two library downloads, one book I bought on ABE). First is an author new to me who sounded interesting when I read about him last week, JIm Shepard. The earliest collection the library had was LOVE AND HYDROGEN, a kind of strange collection in that some of the stories are “ordinary” and others feature either real people or well known myths – Dutch soccer great Johan Cruyff and Nazi killer Reinhard Heydrich (separate stories!) on the one hand, and The Creature From the Black Lagoon on the other. So far, I prefer the stories about ordinary people, like the guy who sneaks out of the house after dinner and goes to the local airport, where he lies down on the runway before small planes land.
Next is Antonya Nelson’s FEMALE TROUBLE, the latest of her collections I’ve read this year. Many are set in either Chicago, Wichita, Kansas (where Nelson was born), or the Southwest (Tucson or Las Cruces, New Mexico mainly). I like her writing, obviously, or I wouldn’t keep reading them. This is the fourth of her books I’ve read so far this year.
I do have a mystery collection at last too, the latest MWA collection, edited by Michael Koryta, WHEN A STRANGER COMES TO TOWN. That simple idea is the basis behind each story, like Michael Connelly’s “Avalon” about a cop working on Catalina Island (off Southern California) who just happens to spot a gun in the waistband of a man getting off the ferry. Alafair Burke’s “Seat 2C” is one of the first (if not the first) pandemic stories I’ve read this year. Looks like it is going to be a good collection.
A friend who recommended Chris Hauty’s DEEP STATE said he thought the sequel about White House intern (with skills, and secrets) Hayley Chill, SAVAGE ROAD, was even better. It isn’t, but it is still more than worth your time. First of all, for me the “origin book” in a series is almost always the best. Second of all…but read them for yourself and make up your own mind. Chill is an Army veteran who gets this job at the White House and finds herself up to her neck in intrigue, as the first title suggests. But as I said, she has skills and there is a great twist near the end of the first book you need to read.
I’m starting the third Bruno, Chief of Police book by Martin Walker, BLACK DIAMOND, set as always in southern France, so don’t know where it is going yet. But I can recommend (so far) a non fiction book that has lived up to the review that made me put it on hold in the first place: Jennifer Murphy, FIRST RESPONDER: A Memoir of Life, Death, and Love on New York City’s Front Lives. Besides the Fire Department EMS units, we have local volunteer ambulance crews in many neighborhoods of the city (in Bay Ridge, we have BRAVO), who get donations and fund-raise to keep going. They will often beat the “regular” ambulance to local emergencies. Murphy is an EMT with the Park Slope Volunteer Ambulance Corps in Brooklyn as well as a writer, and this tells how she got there and what it is like on the streets.
One more good sign: when I went to pick up a book at the library yesterday, though it is still closed, they put out a bookcase in the lobby with NEW BOOKS that you could actually browse and take out without having to reserve them! I believe some of the other branches are starting to reopen and let people reserve time to browse the shelves inside.
Jeff, I’m going to give away two story collections beginning tomorrow. You’ve probably read them, but you might want to check them out. One is by Ray Bradbury, and I don’t remember what the other one is right now.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who finished that Paula Munier book with a tear in my eye. Tell Jackie I understand.
Yay! Although our library has been open for a while, I think it’s wonderful there are opening indications by other libraries. I can’t imagine going this long without seeing the new books.
Like Jeff, we’re supposed to have a cool rainy weekend. There’s an outdoor book fair about 20 minutes from me this weekend so if it’s not canceled by the weather I’ll try to get there. Otherwise we have a friend and a few family members coming to visit on Sunday and Monday.
I read An ARC of FATAL FAMILY TIES by S.C. Perkins. It’s the third in her family tree genealogy series. This one centers around a Civil War triptych which was split between different branches of a family generations ago. Suddenly someone wants the panels badly enough to kill for them.
A WHISKER OF DOUBT by Cate Conte, the latest in her Cat Cafe series, and LETHAL FLIP by M.E. Bakos were both readable cozies but neither was very memorable.
I’m currently reading a nonfiction book BICYCLING WITH BUTTERFLIES by Sara Dykman. A woman rides her bike over 10,000 miles following the Monarch migration from Mexico to Canada and back to Mexico again. I’ve been looking forward to reading this because we raise and release Monarch and Black Swallowtail butterflies every summer.
Oh, I’m going to have to tell my friend, Donna, about Bicycling with Butterflies. It sounds like something she’d love, Sandy. Thank you.
I have the ARC of Fatal Family Ties. I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, but I’m looking forward to it.
Good morning to all!
I enjoy reading everyone’s comments and book notes and missed last week when I wasn’t able to be here.
Our son got married over the weekend. The entire event was outside so the weather was a concern. The day dawned rainy, overcast and humid. We were so fortunate that by postponing the ceremony slightly, we were able to have it in the pine cathedral, a sanctuary set up in the middle of a pine forest with an arch and split log benches. The rain held off and it was a beautiful ceremony with the sun just peeking through the clouds momentarily. Our youngest son is still in town and we have enjoyed visiting with him.
We don’t have many plans for the weekend other than relaxing.
I haven’t had much time to read, but managed to finish Bookmarked for Murder by V.M. Burns. This is the 5th book in the Mystery Bookshop series. Sam and the Shady Acres Retirement Village girls have taken a bus trip to Chicago. The bus driver that was supposed to drive them back to Michigan had an emergency and they needed to round up another driver. As the travelers get on the bus they find a man slumped over in his seat. When it is determined the man did not die of natural causes, Sam’s grandma begs her to figure out who did this. Because it was someone on the bus, it is a resident of Shady Acres. The details of the murder are revealed slowly. The cause of death isn’t revealed until more than halfway through the book. This kept the pages turning to see what was revealed next. This is an enjoyable series with great characters.
Hope you all have a good weekend!
Congratulations, Gretchen, on the wedding and a new family member!
I like that series by V.M. Burns as well. I always feel as if we get 2 mysteries because Sam writes that historical mystery series. (Really, that’s my favorite.)
Good morning and Happy Memoria Day! I just finished The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews. I enjoyed it but I can’t say it was one of my favorites of hers. There were no real twists to the mystery and the romance was blah. The saving grace for me was the setting of an old styled Florida motel on the Gulf of Mexico and the quirky snowbird characters.
I am listening to The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan. It is a lighter WWII book. I am not finished so I am not sure how I will feel about this book in the end. Parts of it I feel get bogged down with the details of sourcing and cooking the food (much of which does not sound appetizing). It is well researched.
Next up is People You Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry. I loved Beach Reads so I have high hopes for this one.
May your weekend be filled with wonderful books and a cozy spot to read regardless of the weather!
Kathleen, You and Margie said some of the same things about The Kitchen Front. I’m definitely moving it off my TBR pile. I’m going home to visit family in a week, and I’ll just throw it in one of the book boxes.
And, I struck The Newcomer off my list. Too many good books to waste time on a so-so one.
I love your closing sentence! I hope you have wonderful books and a cozy spot as well!
Hi! This is supposed to be a very cool Memorial Day weekend in Michigan. My granddaughter will be in town, but suspect we will avoid the swimming pool that was supposed to be part of the festivities. It has been a rough couple of weeks for all. The father of my son in law passed away from covid. He was young and also close to getting vaccinated prior to getting sick. It is just so sad.
I read Victoria Thompson’s Murder on Wall Street. Frank and Sarah Malloy try to solve the murder of an abusive young man belonging to the upper class. The Malloys get help from their employees, Gino and Maeve. The series is set in NYC at the turn of the century. Really enjoyed the book, but identified the killer midway thru the book. I hate when that happens!
I also read The Prince of Frogtown by Rick Bragg. The book chronicles the life of Bragg’s father in rural Alabama. Rick’s father had a lot of struggles and quite frankly, was not a good father or husband, yet Bragg tells his story in a way that allows the reader to understand and have empathy for his father. Bragg’s book All Over but the Shoutin’ is also wonderful. I think Bragg is the the master of memoir.
Jennifer, I agree with you that Rick Bragg is the master of memoir. His books are so lyrical, almost poetry, they’re so beautifully written.
I’m sorry about the loss in your family. That’s so difficult, especially when it’s a young person.
I’m glad your granddaughter will be in town for the holiday. Enjoy her visit!
For a change of pace, I’m reading Anne Lamott’s Dusk, Night, Dawn: On Revival and Courage. I’m finding it entertaining and touching.
I like Anne Lamott’s books. They are a nice change of pace, Patricia.
Reading Unsettled Ground, wrote a long comment and then my computer lost it all!
Well, darn. I’m sorry, Carolee.
Project Hail Mary! Captured me from the start…
Oh, that’s so good to hear, Gaye. I don’t know if I’d heard anyone’s reaction to Weir’s book yet.
What I’ve read:
Hungry Hill by Eileen Patricia Curran (ARC) – “Hungry Hill is a story navigating the complexities of love in its many forms and how it endures. It explores our desire to belong to each other and to live a life of connectedness. It also reminds us to keep our sense of humor no matter what life brings, and to never underestimate the power of a great pair of shoes.”
The Killing Hills by Chris Offutt (ARC) – Thanks for all the recommenations!
Wildwood Whispers by Willa Reece (ARC) – “A heartwarming and quietly moving novel of hope, fate, and folk magic unfolds when a young woman travels to a sleepy southern town in the Appalachian Mountains to bury her best friend.”
I picked up and discarded several books lately, including a few I was looking forward to reading. Glenn used, I think, the perfect word when he described how a particular book made him feel; “uncomfortable.” Yes. I find myself moving away from books I think I might have enjoyed at sone time, but just are not sitting well with me these days. And I’m not going to settle for a book that makes me feel uncomfortable. Without consciously realizing it, I seem to be seeking out books centering on connections and nurturing. Hungry Hill and Wildwood Whispers fit this need to a T and I’m happy to recommend them. I was not too sure about Wildwood Whisper for the first several pages, but I’m happy I stuck with it. It’s getting harder and harder for me to find a book that is “just right.”
I’ll have to keep Wildwood Whispers in mind, Kaye. I’m having a hard time with some second novels when I loved the first book. I loved Beach Reads, but I just didn’t care for the style used in People We Meet on Vacation, and quit after about 50 pages.
Sometimes, what isn’t working to help find that “just right” book is our lives, too, I’m sure. A dying refrigerator and washing machine don’t help.
Sending lots of hugs and wishes for a perfect next book!
Oh darn, I’m sorry to hear this about People We Meet On Vacation, but scratching it off my list now.
The happy thing about the fridge and the washer is that it should be many years before we have to deal with them again. And life is good.
It just didn’t work for me, Kaye. It went back and forth in time, and not in any order. It almost seemed as if Henry just said, oh, let’s talk about seven years ago. Oh, I remember this incident from ten years ago. Better talk about it. And, in between was present day.
I’m glad life is good on the top of your hill. Hugs!
This week I finished A TALE OF TWO COOKIES by Eve Calder. It is the third in the Cookie House series that takes place in Coral Cay, Florida. Kate’s friend from her Manhattan days is getting married but the groom never shows up for the ceremony. It also comes out that Desiree and Kate are the only ones who claim to know anything about the wedding during the investigation. I enjoyed this one as well as the previous ones in the series.
Now I am halfway through FOR BATTER OR WORSE by Jenn McKinlay. Another good entry (so far) in the cupcake series.
I think I enjoyed THE KITCHEN FRONT more than the previous commentators. I especially liked the competition using wartime ingredients. My problem was it had too happy of an ending to make it a great book for me.
Happy Reading!
Jenn McKinlay’s mysteries are always feel-good ones, no matter how other books are going, Sharon.
I really enjoy seeing the various reactions to books such as The Kitchen Front.
Have a good weekend!
Lisa, I think that you were the one who reviewed a story I just finished. I tried to look it up in your past reviews but the process is not as simple as the “lists” of your past reviews in your old web site. If it was you, then I very much thank you for doing so. In case it was not you, the book is The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons. My library did not have the book so I downloaded it from Audible. For those who enjoyed A Man Called Ove, and that ilk, it was a marvelous listen and I think even more enjoyable than reading the book because the narrator was excellent. It was certainly a delightful read.
Pat, I didn’t review it, but I mentioned it a couple times here, including pre-publication. There was a lot of buzz about it ahead of time. If I had reviewed it, you would have been able to find it with a search. A couple other readers did read and love it, so you’re partially right. I gave it a lot of buzz, and then others like you, enjoyed it. It’s always nice to hear that the audiobook is delightful as well because the reader there makes such a difference.
I’ve spent most of the last week reading EVIL FOR EVIL by James R. Benn. It’s the fourth in the series, and I’m really torn. I like the characters, the history and mystery are good. But man are they LONG. Took me 5 days to get through it when I usually read a book in three days.
Today, I’ll be digging into THE ART OF DECEPTION by Connie Berry. I’m 4 chapters in, and so far I’m enjoying it.
Oh, I like Connie Berry’s books, Mark. I think I’d prefer her books over Benn’s, although I know they’re popular. Just not my reading taste.
I am very happy to say that I finally finished THE MIRROR & THE LIGHT by Hilary Mantel. The last hundred pages were the easiest to read, fortunately.
To balance out the heaviness of that book, all the other books I read this month were vintage mysteries, written before 1950. This last week I read THE MAN IN THE QUEUE by Josephine Tey and THE RED BOX, a Nero Wolfe mystery by Rex Stout. Both were rereads.
I am currently reading SO PRETTY A PROBLEM by Francis Duncan, published in 1947. I just realized that Rick Robinson mentioned that book last week in his comments, which must have pushed me in that direction. Last November I read MURDER FOR CHRISTMAS by the same author which is a very complex and interesting mystery set at Christmas.
Our Memorial Day weekend will be quiet, as usual. Our biggest event will be taking books to donate to a book sale. But I am looking forward to the long weekend because my husband is in his last two weeks at work before retirement, and it has been hectic and stressful.
Oh, good, Tracy. I hope you and your husband have a good, quiet weekend, and an enjoyable time in 3 weeks. Congratulations! I bought Murder for Christmas after Richard talked about the Francis Duncan books. I’m looking forward to reading it. Good for you catching up on some of the vintage mysteries.
*Knock, knock* Hey, Thursday at Lesa’s! Excellent.
The past weeks reading has been all short stories, after finishing two Francis Duncan novels (see Tracy’s comment, above). I’m reading from three books, two anthologies and a huge collection. Details on my blog.
THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF LOCKED-ROOM AND IMPOSSIBLE CRIMES edited by Mike Ashley, a huge ebook full of just what the title says. I’ve read many of these before, but it’s a worthy collection and I’m working my way through.
THE VINTAGE ANTHOLOGY OF SCIENCE FANTASY edited by Christopher Cerf (son of Bennet Cerf), a 1966 anthology with an excellent author list including Ronald Dahl, Ray Bradbury, John Wyndham, William Styron and others.
The Thinking Machine: Fifty Novelettes and Short Storiesby Jacques Futrelle, (2018 trade paper), this doorstop may not have every Thinking Machine story, but if not I can’t think what else there would be. These are, to me, perfect puzzle solving stories, as The Thinking Machine, a brilliant medical doctor and logician, with his friend newspaper man Hatch, solve mystifying or impossible-seeming crimes.
I’m reading one or two stories at a time from each, then moving to the others, so there’s plenty of variety, and I’ll continue until something comes from the still-closed except for pickup library. Not that I don’t have plenty of books on hand here, but right now it’s short stories for me.
Hope you have a great holiday weekend, no plans here, and it might rain.
Welcome, Richard! It’s always good to have you here. I read Thinking Machine stories years ago, and always liked them. I think I’d like THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF LOCKED-ROOM AND IMPOSSIBLE CRIMES as well. I like those kind of crime stories. That’s a good way to keep the variety, moving from one volume to the next.
Thank you! That’s okay. Sometimes the best weekends are the ones just for ourselves.
I recently commented on a discussion thread that I don’t do negative reviews, and I don’t. But, quite honestly, I am usually reading books that I really enjoy, so it doesn’t come up. However, for the second time in my reading life (well, that I can remember), I’ve just finished a book I had issues with and that made me mad at the end. Gone Girl was the first book I felt this way about. Now, The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz has me riled up. I fit it into my reading because I had heard lots of buzz about it, and while there is some good story there, I find myself dissatisfied. I really need to discuss it with someone else who has read it. Maybe I’m being unreasonable in my issues with it. If anyone here has read it, please give me a few minutes of discussion time.
OK, having said the above, I have now moved on to the most recent book, #3, in Elly Griffith’s children’s mystery series. (She is a writing machine these days.) Justice Jones:The Ghost in the Garden is going to be another of Griffith’s books I love. This children’s series is, of course, not just for children. As an adult, it takes me back to the thrill of first starting to read mysteries as a child.
I will next read Castle Shade, #17 in Laurie King’s Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series. I’ve been a fan of this series for years, and this one takes place in Romania, with the spectre of Dracula hanging over it. Castle Shade comes out on June 8th. Also coming out that day is J.D. Allen’s Body Zoo, which is a thrilling read.
Oh, I had so many problems with Gone Girl, Kathy, that I read the first half, and just skipped to the end to see what happened. I didn’t like either of the characters. When I don’t like the characters, I can’t read the book. I haven’t read The Plot, and have no intention of reading it. Maybe someone here will contact you directly if they read it.
Oh, I love that thought that Justice Jones takes you back to the thrill of first reading mysteries as a child. What a nice thought!
Ditto. Hated the characters, skipped to the end, didn’t care what happened to either of them.
They deserved each other!
I really enjoy Laurie King’s story telling, looking forward to the latest Mary Russell outing. Hope you get a to tell us about it next week.
I saw the Gone Girl movie and although Rosamund Pike is a good actress, I had no incentive to then read the book. The Plot is on my TBR list, wondering now.
Thanks for the tips.
You may like The Plot, MM. Everyone has different tastes. I hope you get to tell about the Mary Russell book, too. But, no hurry or pressure. You’ll get there.
I don’t usually do negative reviews either, Kathy (though I think sounding off on here is a little bit different – this is just between friends, right?!) I did not, therefore, post a review of The Bass Rock on my own blog or on Goodreads, but I did read the ones posted by others, and I found it helpful to note what other people had disliked about the book (there were also plenty of very postive reviews), so I feel negative reviews do have a purpose, provided they are considered and address specific points.
I think I would be far less blunt about an author’s debut novel, as I would want to give the writer the benefit of the doubt, and I do appreciate that it must take so much time and energy to get a book out there, whether I like that book or not. However, when it is a seasoned author I think they should be prepared to take the bad with the good – after all, they have put their work in the public domain. Hence I do not have any problem with saying that, with her Harry Potter series, JK Rowling was increasingly in need of a good editor! I somehow don’t think my humble observations will cut her to the core…
I haven’t read Gone Girl, neither do i want to. I need to read about nice people, or at least interesting bad people – eg in Mr Todd’s Reckoning by Iain Maitland the perpetrator (trying not to spoil anything here!) is pure evil in many ways, but is also nuanced and fascinating. I suppose it’s bad + dull which = the least engaging characters, as you just don’t care enough to be invested in them.
Good evening everyone,
I had hoped to get this written before the day started, but needless to say that was a total fail, so here I am in the 15 minutes before I need to start cooking dinner…
Last weekend my car was malfunctioning. My husband said it needed to go into the garage but he didn’t hold out much hope (it is 14 years old). I absolutely hate having to get used to a new car, so i was already researching to see if similar models were available anywhere – but it turned out that, although it’s not going to be cheap (is it ever?) the car is fixable, hoorah. But I won’t have it back till next week. This afternoon I had my second covid vaccination – another hoorah from me, but it took ages, as the centre was much busier than when i went the first time. Nevertheless, it is done. My husband will get his next week. We can’t book appointments or choose when we want to go, we are sent a letter with a time and place and it is all done in age groups. If you really can’t go at that time you can contact them and they will change it. The problem with this system, it seems to me, is that because you are not required to confirm, many people simply don’t turn up. I feel that unless they had sudden extenuating circumstances this is irresponsible, as someone else could have taken their slot. Anyway, I turned up and I had mine, and I am grateful.
We have had rubbish weather till today; the Dee almost flooded at the weekend, but now it is, thank goodness, going down again. And this afternoon the sun appeared – I think we hardly recognised it! So I was out in the garden planting some hanging baskets and a few other things. I had bought a lemon balm, which is one of my favourite plants as it is so fragrant, and I also planted out some geraniums and marigolds.
Nancy and I had a quite different walk this week – we took the bus into Aberdeen and, armed with a book about the history of the city’s street names, we walked all around some of the oldest areas, mainly close to the docks (which are still operational), where there are so many tiny lanes and alleyways. In somewhere like Edinburgh these places would all have been done up and the buildings made into apartments by now, but Aberdeen isn’t that kind of city, so there are still lots of abandoned warehouses, tenements and commerical buildings. We also came across a Hungarian shop and chatted to the very friendly owner. I don’t think I’d ever seen so many types of salami. Many of the street names refer to past industries – Sugar Loaf Lane, Jamaica Street, Windmill Lane. We had a very interesting day and walked miles.
Earlier this week our son came to stay, to help my husband with some furniture removals. He wanted to take a sofa and two beds down to Edinburgh and bring back another sofa and a very big bed. Thank goodness Freddie is over 6 feet tall and very fit; he arrived having already done a day’s kayaking on the Averon of Alness with some friends, then driven over the hills from Aviemore. As the sitting room in this house is on the middle floor, and there is no rear access, they had to lower the sofa down from the balcony with climbing ropes, then heave it over our neighbours’ fence and round the side of their house. This wasn’t too eventful on the way out, but on the way back it proved much harder to get the new sofa up into the house,and we were all three out there late at night, pulling on the ropes as this sofa swung about all over the place. Somehow we managed it, though in the process one of the sofa legs came off. My husband *says* it is fixable…
It felt very strange having anyone but us staying in the house after all this time. Freddie has been twice vaccinated months ago owing to his job, so i was not really worried about that, it just felt odd at first. I think it will take us all some time to get used to being with people again.
Books!
I finally finished The Bass Rock; it did not improve. I gave it two stars on Goodreads and forgot that my ratings feed through automatically onto my twitter account. A friend saw it and replied to tell me that she had loved the book. It does seem to divide opinions.
So now I am reading an old children’s book to recover! It is Apple Bough by Noel Streatfeild, about a family who travel round the world accompanying one of the young sons, who is a child prodigy violinist. The other three children are fed up with never having a permanent home, but their parents think it is all very good for them. As this is 1962 middle class England, the children – of course – have a wonderful, resourceful, kind, sensible…..nanny/governess who more than makes up for their ‘loveable but scatty/arty’ parents, who drift about playing the piano (father) or painting (mother). Needless to say, after various adventures two more of the family are discovered to be geniuses (in other fields) and this eventually leads to them getting their wish and having a home of their own with their faithful dog Wag. (Did I mention they also have two sets of lovely and useful grandparents who engineer all of this for them? Did I need to?)
All entirely predictable and ridiculous, but a very undemanding antidote to the misery that was Bass Rock….
Apple Bough is also the first of my Twenty Books of Summer Challenge choice. You’re not meant to start till June, but I need all the extra time I can get… (If anyone wants to see my list of 20 books, it’s here: https://sconesandchaiseslongues.blogspot.com/2021/05/20-books-of-summer-2021.html)
I’m also about to start another Hazel Holt Sheila Malory mystery, No Cure for Death. I always enjoy Hazel’s gentle, sensible stories set in Devon.
On BBC Sounds I’ve started listening to Dorothy Sayers’ The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, which so far is actually quite good. This is the second Peter Wimsey story I have enjoyed after disliking Five Red Herrings so much – perhaps that just wasn’t one of her best, or maybe I was simply not in the right mood at the time! I’ve also listened to Agatha Christie’s The Moving Finger, a Miss Marple mystery, and again I found myself unexpectedly enjoying it. For once the solution made sense, and was not reliant on an unrecognised, long lost relation.
On television we haven’t watched much apart from The Crown – we are now up to Princess Margaret’s affair with Roddy Llewellyn. Colin Tennant has given her a villa on Mustique, where she cavorts with the super wealthy aristocracy and their hangers-on, and becomes increasingly volatile, autocratic and substance-dependent. And back in London, the country is about to be hit by the phenomenon that was Margaret Thatcher. Little did we know then how many years we would have to put up with her….
We’ve also been watching repeats of Derry Girls, which are just as good the second and even the third time. The series is so well done – hilariously funny, but always with the backdrop of life in Derry during ‘The Troubles’, when even a school bus is routinely stopped and searched by the British army, and the IRA and the Loyalists are forever causing chaos, and of course much worse. The series reminds us that daily life, with all its ups and downs and mini-dramas, carries on even when the country is effectively in the throes of a civil war. Terrorists may come and go, but if you are 14 what matters is whether or not you get caught not wearing your blazer, or if you can get out of the house to meet the cool boy you have your sights on.
Right, dinner calls.
I hope everyone has a good long weekend. (Monday is not a holiday in Scotland [though it is in England]).
Rosemary
I hope you like the Durrell. I like his books a lot, and THE ALEXANDRIA QUARTET is absolutely the best (Justine, Balthazar, Montolive and Cleo). His writing and language are superb.
Thanks Richard – I read the first of the Alexandria Quartet, Justine, when I was a teenager, and I think it went right over my head. I still have all four books and I would like to have another crack at them. It’s just a case of *when*!
Rosemary, I like your list of 20 books. I have read a few. I think I liked CAMOMILE LAWN more than you (at least the first time) and I also enjoyed the television version.
I love DERRY GIRLS! So many good things in it. My favorite episode is the “Rock the Boat”/Aunt Bridey (“Drop dead, you spiteful old hag!”) episode in series two. Can’t wait for series three.
Hi Jeff – The Camomile Lawn sort of grew on me, the book more than the DVD in some ways. I think I was riled by their sense of entitlement, though I did like Polly. I still haven’t found time to read Wild Mary (the biography of Mary Wesley) but I intend to.
I’m so glad you like Derry Girls! I will find that particular episode and watch it again. I think all of the characters are excellent, but my absolute favourites are Sister Michael, and Mary (the mother). As you say, we look forward to the next series.
I think it’s great that we’re both reading a children’s book to recover from our experience with a “bad” book.
Oh, Rosemary! Of course I checked out your list of 20 books. The Bachelor Brothers’ Bed & Breakfast Pillow Book! I loved the first one in that series. I read both, but that first one had me laughing all the way through. It was wonderful. I wonder if we can even get Home from the Vinyl Cafe here. I can see why it might have cheered you up. I loved your list of food books. That sounds fun! Your list is fascinating because many of those are books I haven’t heard of. I don’t know if they only came out in the U.K., and not here, but it’s so interesting to see all the unfamiliar titles, and authors who I may or may not have heard of. Now, Mary Stewart, yes, of course. For some reason, though, I preferred Phyllis A. Whitney.
It sounds, though, as if you could write your own story about the episode with the sofas. And, I loved your walk in Aberdeen. How interesting!
Rosemary, your posts are just so much fun. Thank you!
Hi Lesa – I bought the Vinyl Cafe books in Canada, but I see that Amazon UK has second hand copies for under £5, so hopefully you can also get one (or maybe they are in your library?)
I never fails to surprise me how many books seem to be available on only one side of the Atlantic – as you know, I often can’t find the books that you all mention on Thursdays, it is frustrating.
I’ve never read any Phyllis A Whitney, but of course I will now investigate, my TBR list is just too, too short 🙂
Rosemary, I’m sure you have a small TBR pile (snort). I know. It’s just a shame that books aren’t equally available on both sides of the Atlantic. We should be able to share!
After reading Lesa’s review of The Thursday Murder Club, I bought the audiobook. It is quite funny, if you pay close attention. The narrator is British, so the very British story told in a British accent with British humour can be difficult to follow. There are so many details given that I hope they’re all not important in the end. I think they’re there for flavor rather than substance. Hilarious concept though, of these four seniors looking for something interesting to do forming this club and then having not just one but two murders happen in front of them! Even the police constable is funny as she has dating tips for herself and her boss.
I’m glad you’re enjoying it, Sandie. And, the second one, The Man Who Died Twice, is equally as good. It’s released Sept. 28.
Sandie, is this the one narrated by Lesley Manville? She is a fabulous actress. I loved her in ‘Mum’, a series in which she played the lead role, with the equally wonderful Peter Mullan as the male lead.
Yes, Lesley Manville. She’s terrific. It takes a bit of extra concentration to listen to her accent and all the British material, but it’s a very fun and funny read.
I am still reading through all of Elizabeth Linington’s book in between books from the library…I just started the oldie – The Hunted Bookshop by Christopher Marlow…slow going! and am rereading Donna Andrews series about a sentient computer AIP Turing Hopper who with her human friends is solving mysteries starting with You’ve Got Murder.
Loved Clayton Rawson and also Jacques Futrelle…
Gram, And, I loved Elizabeth Linington’s books and the Turing Hopper ones. And, The Haunted Bookshop. I own copies of The Haunted Bookshop and the previous book, Parnassus on Wheels. Wonderful Books!
I’m reading A Deadly Edition by Victoria Gilbert
I’m a little behind in reading my Victoria Gilbert books, Katherine. Enjoy!
I am usually just here to get book ideas, and I have enjoyed all these messages. The Thursday Murder Club was one I caught wind of here, and that was fun to read at a time when I needed diversion. Others include It Occurs to Me that I am America and, I think, The Peaceful Valley Crime Wave (Pronzini), plus others over the last years.
I just finished Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood, which I enjoyed. I am working my way through Dragonfly (Leila Meacham) on my tablet and Tell Me No Lies (Shelley Noble). This is not a prime reading time for me, because it’s spring, we garden, we are finally able to get out and mingle with friends, although outside. Our son is visiting, from the Netherlands, and it is wonderful to see him after a year and a half, although like Rosemary says, it’s different having someone in the house after all those months of just the two of us and the dog.
Our library has been gradually opening up. First it was just filling book requests, then appointments for computers and the reading room, then putting new books and DVDs in the entrance, and now opening it up. It’s small, so there is a limit of 12 patrons at a time, but we can browse the stacks. The staff are still taking requests and putting them out for pick-up for those who do not want to come in. We lost our programming space to the city staff, which needed to spread out their offices, so our director worked on getting an “annex” in an empty store about 2 blocks away from the library, moving parts of the collection used mostly by elders there to create room in the library itself, plus offer a larger reading room and give small groups a meeting place. We also have picnic tables outside so people can take advantage of the WiFi signal that surrounds the building and book clubs can meet. It seems people missed the physical library a lot more than they might have realized. I know I am enjoying exploring all the new books on the shelves, even if I’m not reading as many as I would like.
Thank you, Lesa, for all this book conversation. Like I said, I don’t usually participate, and when I do it is late in the day, but this book talk has made these last months more bearable.
Nan
Nan, What a beautiful comment that the book talk has made these last months more bearable. I agree. I don’t know what I would have done without books and all the conversations about books, and just checking in with each other.
I loved The Thursday Murder Club, so I’m glad you picked that one up. And, I never asked my Mom about Leila Meacham’s latest. I know she loved Roses and passed that book on to so many friends that I got her a second copy to pass around.
I’m so glad your library has reopened! And, it sounds as if the staff is creative even though it is a small library. I love the fact they put picnic tables outside for people to use the WiFi. That’s great. I think a lot of people missed the physical space. I know I would have. I’m just lucky I work here, and could come into the building five days a week.
You’re welcome. Sending hugs, Nan.