APRIL 2007 READS

1. THE BOOK OF LOST THINGS by John Connolly. Not sure how to classify this book, I guess dark fantasy/fairy tale would suit it best. While the protagonist is a 12-year-old boy, the book itself is a bit gruesome to be considered children’s fiction. Perhaps for mature YA it would be okay. There are quite a few gory, bloody scenes and a lot of unhappy endings to the stories within stories—bit like Hans Christian Andersen meets Quentin Tarantino. David, a young boy who lives in London during WWII, loved his mother very much and watched her die a slow and painful death from what sounds like cancer. When his father remarries a short time later and they relocate to his new wife’s home, a large rambling house on the edge of the city, David seeks solace in his second love—books. His small bedroom on the top floor of the house is full of books—some are David’s and some old, leather-bound volumes that once belonged to an ancestor of his stepmother. Soon David becomes lost in his world of books and even hears the books whispering to him, has blackouts where he cannot remember being gone. Once medical reasons are ruled out, David’s father has him see a psychiatrist and things begin falling apart from there. Very intriguing tale of adventure, but also of life, love and loss. Although the ending to me was a bit of a sappy cop-out, when looked at from another perspective, I guess it works. The story itself though makes it totally worth it. A.

2. THE WICKED WINTER by Kate Sedley. #6 in the Roger the Chapman medieval mystery series, in which Roger becomes restless and sets out on a late winter selling spree and becomes trapped by a snowstorm at a country manor many miles from his home in Bristol. When not one but two murders occur, he naturally assumes that God has led him there to solve the murders and sets down to study the interested parties and puzzle out who could have and would have committed the murders. In this case, I didn’t even guess the killer ahead of time though I picked up on a couple of important clues—just misinterpreted who they actually pointed to.Very enjoyable light read as always; I have enjoyed each and every one of Roger’s tales, told to the reader in first person form as he recollects his younger days of travel though now an old man. Looking forward to the next—I’m having to rely mostly on my library for these as some of them seem to be only available in hardcover and quite expensive, even used. A.

3. DEATH OF A PRANKSTER by M.C. Beaton. #7 Hamish MacBeth series in which a notorious elderly practical joker is murdered in his home when he tells all his relatives he’s dying and invites them to his country home. Most of them avoid him like the plague because his jokes just aren’t funny—they’re mostly mean-spirited and cruel. Apparently someone has had enough and it’s up to Hamish to figure out who, since as usual DI Blair has his head up his bum. :o) Enjoyable, quick read as always; a visit with Hamish can always be counted on to make me smile. B+.

4. THE TROUBLE WITH MAGIC by Madelyn Alt. First in a series featuring Maggie O’Neill, a young woman in a small-town Indiana “northern Bible belt” town who finds herself out of one job but fallen into another—as an assistant in Enchantments, a mystical antique shop. She takes the job despite her new boss, Felicity, confessing to Maggie that she’s a practicing witch. Maggie’s Catholic upbringing makes her skeptical and uneasy at first, but after getting to know Felicity and her friends, comes to discover that there’s nothing evil about them, though Felicity becomes the number one suspect when her sister is brutally murdered. I really enjoyed this book, though I was dubious before starting it—these cozy mysteries with a mystical lean to them seem to be something I either really like or really can’t stand. This series seems to be getting off on a good foot—I liked Maggie and Felicity a lot, the author’s writing style was smooth and easy to read, and the ‘witchy’ bits were realistically portrayed. Looking for the next one! A.

5. THE OLD CONTEMPTIBLES by Martha Grimes. #11 in the Richard Jury/Melrose Plant series, in which a woman Jury has been dating is found dead, at first believed a suicide, but upon further investigation, it’s found that there were a few people with motive to see her dead. Jury is suspended and even a suspect for a while, and he enlists his friend Melrose Plant to go undercover at the country manor home of the dead woman’s in-laws as a librarian and to keep his ears to the ground for vital information. Grimes was back on track with this entry in the series after the previous effort (The Old Silent) which was quite bloated and convoluted. I enjoyed this one a lot and it was good to see Plant and Jury back in form. A.

6. THE RAVEN IN THE FOREGATE by Ellis Peters. #12 in Brother Cadfael’s medieval mystery series, in which Abbot Rodolphus returns from a conference in Winchester with a new priest in tow to head up the church in Shrewsbury. Much more harsh and rigid than his predecessor, who was well-loved and forgiving, Father Ailnoth is found dead in the mill-pond on Christmas morning with at least half a dozen parishioners with good cause to have murdered him. Hugh Beringar is off at King Stephen’s court to pay homage to his leader now that Stephen has dealt soundly with the upstart Empress Maud and is back on the throne, where Hugh hopes to find out if he will become the official sheriff of the county or if Stephen will appoint someone more influential. Cadfael pokes around in his usual wise yet unofficial manner to solve the mystery. Enjoyable, as always. A.

7. SHANTARAM by Gregory David Roberts. I’ve had this book on my TBR stack for over a year—the size of it itself is very daunting: nearly a thousand pages of small print. Once I started it, I could see that it was a very dense, rich novel, and it did take me about 2 ½ weeks to finish it, which is longer than any other novel in recent history has taken me. I guess you’d call it a literary novel in some respects—the author certainly has a way with words, and I found myself grabbing my journal and scribbling down quotations from it very frequently. Some flowery and wordy, others simple yet very profound, and still others that sucker-punched me right in the guts and quite literally took my breath away. It’s a semi-autobiographical novel about an Australian man who is a convicted criminal (armed robbery and heroin dealing) who escapes from an Australian prison and is a fugitive for many years, living most of them in Bombay, India. He becomes immersed in the Indian culture, learning two of their languages, living in their slums and eventually becoming a member of the Bombay mafia. While there, he lives, loves, and has a series of very wild and interesting adventures, including becoming involved in the Russian-Afghani war near Kandahar. This is a long, long book but a very good one, too. It’s about India, yes—but it’s also about life, the universe and everything. At some point after the events in the book take place, he is recaptured and serves out the remainder of his prison term and he wrote this book while in prison. I’m very glad I finally got to reading this book, though I know it’s not for everyone—there’s lots of graphic violence, and in parts gets long-winded and slows down. Not everyone will love it, though I do recommend everyone at least give it a try. A+

8. MIDNIGHT HOUR by Mary Saums. First Willi Taft mystery. Willi is a backup singer in Nashville, a young widow who is becoming fed up with her current life. On her 40th birthday, she discovers that someone is following her—turns out to be a PI who is actually following her current beau—who is (Willi discovers) married. Willi then becomes involved with Sam, the PI. There were some things that just didn’t ring true with the book and main character—hard to put my finger on, but one example is that Willi and Sam had only been dating a week, yet when he is murdered, his Uncle Ralph gives her his classic ’68 Chevy Malibu (“he’d want you to have it”) and they all (including Willi) act as though they’d been dating for months or years and that she’s part of the family! She’s also doing work in his office (“closing cases, sending invoices”) which Uncle Ralph also eventually lets her use rent free. After dating a guy for a week? Um…okay. Regardless of how benevolent and kind Uncle Ralph is, I found it all very hard to believe. There were just too many ‘holes’ and coincidences for me. (Stumbling upon a secret hiding place in Sam’s bathroom the first time she was in it?) I do like the writing style and I think Willi could develop into someone I like, but this first book is just too ragged for me to rate it very highly. C+

9. THE PRACTICAL PAGAN by Dana Eilers. I found this book to be kind of a bore and rather insulting in places. Eilers starts out by defining what a Pagan is, and then begins to lecture Pagans on how they should behave (after saying that there are no hard and fast rules to what it means to be a Pagan!) And the things she mentions are really silly—like, “bathe daily, dress neatly, say please and thank you, obey the laws of the land” and the like. Huh? Those are commonsense things for ANYONE and at age 48, I’m sorry, if I haven’t learned them by now, I’m not going to. Glad I didn’t pay money for this book. I admit to only skimming the last half of it, thinking maybe it would get more advanced or somehow better, but I can’t say that I really found much to be gained from it as a Pagan nor as a human being! I sent it along via PBS to someone else who wanted it. Hope they get more out of it than I did! D+

10. BLOODRING by Faith Hunter. First of a post-apocalyptic fantasy series that features Thorn, an unlicensed stone mage living in a small Appalachian town. As far as she knows, she is the ONLY mage out there living outside of an Enclave, and to be found out means certain death for her. She, along with several friends, owns and operates a gem and jewelry store while trying to hide the fact that she is indeed mage, and not human. When her ex-husband is kidnapped, she gets involved in trying to find him and realizes after a time that he was taken by forces of Darkness. I really like the post-apocalyptic ‘world’ of this book and the premise for it, but a couple of things were quite annoying. The first is that mages, while able to have sex and mate with humans, actually go “into heat” around other races (kylens and seraphs) and the author described this mage-heat at great length and in many places. I guess she thought it really sexed the book up, but to me, someone in heat without control over their sexual urges and instincts is just plain not sexy. There were also several other things that just didn’t add up. For example, as soon as one of her business partners sees these certain scars she has, and gets a good look at the amulets she wears under and within her clothing to disguise her glowing mage appearance, he recognizes her as a mage. How is it that she was able to hide that fact from her ex-husband when he saw every inch of her many times over and surely encountered the amulets during physical contact? Etc. I will read more in this series because, as I said, the premise is great and I like the main character and the writing style, but less of the going into heat thing would not go amiss. B.

11. FIRESTORM by Nevada Barr. #4 Anna Pigeon (national park ranger) mystery, this one is set in the mountains of California where Anna is serving as a medic at a firefighting station. With the wildfire under control and the various teams about to disband, a sudden front with excessive winds reignites the fire and sends a firestorm down the mountain, trapping Anna and a dozen others. Everyone survives the firestorm—except one man, who is found stabbed to death in his fire shelter. The man was not well-liked—in fact, he was positively obnoxious. But who among them had all of The Big Three—Motive, Means and Opportunity? It’s up to Anna, with minimal communication with the outside world, to figure it out. I enjoyed this much more than the previous Anna Pigeon book, which I read several months ago and which almost caused me to give up on this series. I’m glad now that I didn’t! The only thing missing from this book is Anna’s usual phone conversation with her sister Molly, a gruff, chain-smoking psychiatrist in New York. It still gets an A.

12. THE LAW OF THREE by M.R. Sellars. #4 Rowan Gant investigation, in which Rowan is once again stalked and terrorized by religious nut Eldon Porter. Eldon thinks of himself as God’s helper and is on a witch-hunt, and Gant is a self-professed Witch. When a member of Rowan and Felicity’s coven is found dead—tortured and disemboweled with a personal note for Rowan, he once again goes into high gear to try to figure out Porter’s next move and prevent any more loss of life. With the help of his good friend Ben Storm, a St. Louis detective on the Major Crimes Squad, Rowan has a leg up—however, Ben is teetering on the edge of respectability himself, especially with his new boss, “Bible Barb,” a right-wing Christian who, like the crazy Mr. Porter, has no knowledge of Pagan beliefs and thinks Rowan is a devil worshiper. With plenty of fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat action, this book definitely classifies as a thriller and was hard to put down. Where it falls down is with believable dialogue and character development and a certain repetitiveness of themes. Much of the conflict and dialogue seems to be a re-hash of previous books and the dialogue always manages to sound somewhat stilted to my ear. And the constant and frequent descriptions of Rowan’s migraines and ‘seizures’ wore thin after awhile. I was a little confused (as a nurse) as to why no one suggested Rowan have a CT scan and get himself on some anti-seizure medication at some point. That, coupled with his crippling headaches, could easily signal a brain tumor or other serious physical abnormality—yet it’s always written off as just part of his psychic abilities manifesting itself. Still, it is refreshing to find at least a somewhat realistic picture of Pagan belief and practice portrayed. I give this one a B and will continue to read on in the series, because I already have the next one here waiting.

13. WEIRD CURES: THE MOST HILARIOUS, DISGUSTING, AND DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS MEDICAL TREATMENTS EVER by Dandra Dalmans and Joel Fram. A quick little book that’s just what the title says, albeit not a very detailed one. My nursey-self wanted more details, and the book was short on those—mostly a collection of blurbs and mini-stories about a whole host of bizarre medical treatments—from trepanation (making holes in your skull) to various things you can do with urine. Interesting, but just didn’t go far enough for me to feel it a really worthwhile read…it served its’ purpose as the bathroom book of the week, though. C+

14. THE JANISSARY TREE by Jason Goodwin. First in a new historical mystery series featuring Yashim, a eunuch living in Istanbul in the 1830’s. The Janissaries were an elite band of soldiers who let power go to their heads and eventually became more like the mafia than anything else—they provided public safety—to those who could pay for it—but they also provided the public menace. The Janissaries were attacked and disbanded by the Sultan in 1826, but a series of murders of the current city guard and mysterious poems left on the Janissary Tree (where they used to hang their criminals when they were in power) leads Yashim the investigator to believe that they may be attempting to make a comeback. While working on that case for the seraskier, the head of the current city guards/soldiers, the sultan’s mother has also asked him to look into the murder of a young girl in the harem—she was a virgin, ready to bed the Sultan and was killed in her bed before the deed could take place. Also missing are the sultan’s mother’s jewels, a gift from Napoleon Bonaparte, and she wants them back! Yashim scurries hither and yon trying to investigate all the crimes on his plate and like many good sleuths, ends up tired, sore and short on sleep. Excellent book that lands you in the heart of the times and the culture. And oh my…the man can cook, too! Make sure you don’t read on an empty stomach, as the descriptions of Yashim’s meal preparations are enough to make your mouth water! Definitely will be following this series…this first one is as rich as a good cup of Turkish coffee! A.

Cheryl

March 2007 Reading

1. A FEAST FOR CROWS by George R.R. Martin. #4 in the Song of Ice and Fire epic fantasy series. I had pre-ordered this book when it became available because this is without a doubt one of my very favorite fantasy series. Then I heard a lot of fans saying it wasn’t as good as the others because Martin “split” the book—this one and the next were originally intended to be one book but it was too cumbersome. So this book only deals with about half the characters. Some are ignored completely and others only briefly mentioned. I still loved the book, though I can’t wait to see what the other characters have been up to, and I’m mightily sick of Cersei Lannister! I love Martin’s writing style and his “world” and will likely pre-order A Dance With Dragons when it comes out too, but I don’t think I’ll be waiting as long to read it! A.

2. THE TIDAL POOLE by Karen Harper. #2 in the Elizabeth I historical mystery series, this one set during the days immediately after Elizabeth’s coronation as Queen of England. A young woman acquainted with some of Elizabeth’s friends is found murdered, with the deed apparently occurring during Her Majesty’s coronation parade. When beseeched to protect her foster son, who is being accused of the crime by Elizabeth’s cousin the Duchess of Suffolk, the queen gathers together her “privy council” and sets out to investigate the crime. While I thoroughly enjoyed the story, I admit that the idea of the Queen of England dressed in male servant’s clothes and sneaking around, breaking and entering with her cohorts in the dead of night is a bit silly. The author certainly has a vivid imagination—and as it’s fiction, I reckon she’s allowed. A.

3. S IS FOR SILENCE by Sue Grafton. #19 in the Kinsey Millhone mystery series set in 1980’s California. I keep waiting to get tired of this series, but so far it just hasn’t happened. There were a few books that were better than others, but this one I enjoyed as much as any of them. Kinsey is hired by a friend of a friend to attempt to locate her mother, who left without a trace when she was seven years old. Much speculation ensued in the small town where they lives—was Violet Sullivan murdered by her violent husband? Had she run away with a lover, never looking back even once at Daisy, her daughter and only child? Daisy needs some closure and hopes Kinsey can provide that. Kinsey doesn’t hold much hope in uncovering much in a 34-year-old case, but once she begins to interview people and ask questions, she finds all four tires slashed on her car and takes that as a hopeful sign that someone has something to hide. A.

4. KNIGHT LIFE by Peter David. Fantasy parody of the Arthurian myths/books in which King Arthur appears in modern-day New York in the guise of one Arthur Penn, and decides to run for mayor of the city. With his refreshing and bold new ideas, he quickly gains notoriety with the help (?) of Merlin, now in the form of an eight-year-old boy, Gwen DeVere, his secretary, and Percy Vale, his accountant as well as a host of other familiar characters. I thought the humor was a bit forced at times, but it was quite funny in other places. Full of puns and wordplay, but not as skillfully written as the author’s later fantasy parodies featuring Sir Apropos of Nothing, which I REALLY enjoyed. This one was good, but not great. B.

5. THE SNACK THIEF by Andrea Camilleri. #3 in the Salvo Montalbano Italian police procedural series. Once again Salvo manages to be offensive to almost everyone while investigating the murder of an elderly man in an elevator. When he learns it is (at least peripherally) related to an international case in which a man was shot on a fishing boat, he’s like a pit bull that won’t let go as he manipulates the stupid secret service and his superiors into dropping the answers he needs into his lap. Also with some serious personal conflicts and things to go through, Salvo spends time soul searching and consuming various gustatory delights along the way as well. Enjoyable as always—don’t know how such an ornery cuss manages to be so likable, but like him I do! A.

6. QUARANTINE by Jim Crace. This is one man’s version of Jesus’ forty days and forty nights (or his ‘quarantine’) in the desert. I expected to DNF this book and cull it from my TBR pile before I started it, but it was actually very interesting and difficult to put down. It’s told from not only the perspective of Jesus, but also at different times from the POV of several other interesting characters who are doing their own version of ‘quarantine’ in nearby caves. I’m not a Christian and don’t believe in “Jesus as the son of God” thing but I still found the whole story very interesting. Looking for more of Crace's work. A-.

7. A SPECTACLE OF CORRUPTION by David Liss. #2 in the Benjamin Weaver historical mystery series set in 1720’s London. Weaver is a Jewish thief-taker who is wrongly convicted of a murder and hauled off to Newgate prison. With the help of some unknown benefactor, he makes his escape and sets out to prove his innocence. What seems a simple plot to get him off the street ends up being a complicated political machination to the point where nothing is what it seems and there are multiple and varied possible explanations for every action. I really enjoyed this book. I liked the first in the series too, but found it sloggy and slow-going at times. This one moved at a much faster pace and held my interest all the way through. Looking forward to the next Weaver book in 2008 and will definitely be moving Liss’s other non-series books up the TBR stacks. A.

8. SHOOTING AT LOONS by Margaret Maron. #3 in the Judge Deborah Knott series, this one taking place on the Crystal Shore of North Carolina where Deborah has gone to sit in for a judge in another county while she spends time at her cousins’ seaside island cottage. Before she knows what’s going on, Judge Knott is standing over the dead body of a neighbor who’s been shot. Though determined not to get embroiled in the investigation, it isn’t long before Deborah is hearing far too much local gossip and finds her interest piqued. When she discovers a *second* body a few days later and uncovers some other illegal goings-on, she begins to wonder what information is connected to what, and which are red herrings. Enjoyable, light read though all the southern dialogue with the “ya’lling” and “Daddying” gets old after a bit. I still like this series, though! A-.

9. MOURN NOT YOUR DEAD by Deborah Crombie. #4 in the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James Scotland Yard police procedural. A commander in the police force who lives in a remote village is found with his head bashed in in his kitchen. Was the motive personal, professional, or purely a random act of violence brought about as part of an attempted burglary? Duncan and Gemma, both feeling decidedly awkward after their tumble in the sack at the end of the last book, set out to find the answers, and find much more than they’d bargained for. I really enjoy this series and marvel that I just discovered it last year. I did guess accurately at ‘whodunit’ very early in the game and even got the ‘whydunit’ right, but of course had no proof til closer to the end. But it really didn’t spoil the book for me at all and I don’t think the next in series will be on my TBR stacks for too long! Seems to get better with each book in the series. A+

10. THE BONE DOLL’S TWIN by Lynn Flewelling. #1 in the Tamir Trilogy fantasy series. Wow! What a gripping story! Young Tobin is a Prince of Skalar, a haunted and strange prince. Kept isolated by his father at their country keep, Tobin and their household are ‘haunted’ by a demon, who is actually Tobin’s twin who died at birth. His mother has been mad and unhinged since the night of his birth and his father often absent away fighting one war or another for his brother-in-law the King, so Tobin’s only friends are the household servants and Nari, his nurse. A strange and somewhat gruesome tale at times, the whole storyline fascinated me and the author’s writing style made the book VERY difficult to put down. It certainly read much ‘quicker’ than its 500+ pages would have you think. A+

11. GREYWALKER by Kat Richardson. First in the Greywalker paranormal mystery series featuring P.I. Harper Blaine, a young woman in Seattle who died briefly during a scuffle with an unruly client and woke up a new person. Or rather, one who can go into the Grey, that murky area between life and death where ghosts, vampires, and all manner of strange beings exist. Harper thinks at first that she’s having some lingering effects from her head injury or hallucinating, but when an open-minded doctor gives her the business card of a couple who deal in the paranormal, she seeks them out and begins to learn about her new ability—or is it a curse? Very intriguing storyline coupled with a comfortable, easy-to-read writing style made this book hard to put down. I like Harper, but I don’t feel like I really *know* her very well yet and am looking forward to seeing her character grow as the series progresses. The only detrimental thing I can say is that the frequently repeated descriptions of the foggy, swirling mists and Harper’s dizziness, nausea, pain, racing heart, etc. as she went ‘into’ the Grey got to be…well, repetitive, after awhile. Will definitely be reading more in this series, though—well done! A-

12. EVERYDAY MAGIC: SPELLS AND RITUALS FOR MODERN LIVING by Dorothy Morrison. I’ve actually been working my way through this one for a couple of months and finally finished it. I did find a few useful potions and herbal combinations and scribbled a few things into my journal, but parts of this book struck me as just sort of silly, especially some of the incantations where the author forced the lines to rhyme. I got the giggles a few times reading those! Mostly I write my own spells anyway for the little bit of ritual/spellwork I do and it’s more the “spirit” of the thing that counts, IMO, not making things rhyme! I’m keeping this on my bookshelf, but it probably won’t be one of those books I refer to regularly. B-

13. THE GUILT OF INNOCENTS by Candace Robb. Most recent (#9) in the Owen Archer historical mystery series set in 1300’s York, UK. When tensions mount between bargemen and students, accusations begin to fly when a barge man named Drogo is murdered. First the students are blamed, as it was known that Drogo took the scrip of a student, so it’s felt they were bent on revenge. Then a priest who runs a grammar school near the Abbey falls under suspicion. Owen is charged by the Archbishop to get to the bottom of the murder, which sends him off to the country in search of clues as winter approaches and his wife Lucie’s delivery date draws near. A second murder complicates the plot, but as Owen and his helpers investigate, it’s clear that the two are tied together. I just love this series, although I can’t really say it’s for the strong plotlines. The mystery was fairly obvious rather early on. I kept waiting for the author to spring a surprise on me, but it didn’t happen. The characters, the author’s writing style and the immersion into the time period are what keep me coming back to this series. This one did not disappoint. A.

14. EVAN’S GATE by Rhys Bowen. #8 in the Evan Evans cozy police procedural series set in the fictional Welsh town of Llanfair. Evan is now a plainclothes Detective Constable just out of training, and his first case involves a missing little girl. The child and her mother are visitors to the area and it is feared that she was abducted by her Russian father, who has been estranged from the mother. But when Evan is digging up the sewer and water lines at the country cottage he’s bought and finds the skeleton of a child, speculation runs rampant about the possibility of a serial killer. When it’s determined that the skeleton is probably that of a young girl that Evan played with as a child 25 years previous, and that her whole family is in the area for a relative’s 80th birthday party, Evan remembers that his old playmate looked very much like the missing girl and wonders if one of the family members is the culprit in both cases. Love this series also—I figured out the mystery way ahead on this one too, but enjoy the setting and the characters so much that it doesn’t really matter. Excellent as always, in fact, even better. A+

15. SUMMER OF THE BIG BACHI by Naomi Hirahara. #1 Mas Arai series, featuring an older Japanese-American gardener in Southern California who is a survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bomb. Mas’s past has always haunted him. He lives in a run-down old house, alone, his wife having died of stomach cancer a few years previously and his lone daughter living in New York. Mas mows lawns, trims hedges, plays cards and loves his old 1956 Ford pickup. When strangers come to town asking about Joji Haneda, an old friend of Mas’s from Hiroshima, he knows that the past is coming back to take vengeance. This will be a summer of bachi (karma) for him. When the grandson of an old friend shows up asking questions and then is arrested for murder, Mas does his best to free the young man though he wants to take the path he has always taken—the path of non-involvement. Very unique writing, dialogue…you felt immersed in the culture and yet at the same time struggled to understand just what was happening and why certain things were so relevant. I really liked this book and will be looking for the next in series. A.

16. MURDER…NOW AND THEN by Jill McGown. #6 Lloyd/Hill British police procedural mystery. I had a heck of a time getting into this book and very nearly didn’t finish it. I couldn’t believe it, as I’ve absolutely loved all the previous ones in the series, but this one felt terribly slow, draggy, and kept bopping back and forth between present time and 15 years previously—looking at crimes and murder cases during both time frames, obviously—and how the one from the past affected the present-day situation. It just was NOT interesting to me—aside from Lloyd and Hill, I couldn’t give a hill of beans about any of the main characters or their stupid lives, and wished they’d all be killed off! LOL I admit to skimming the last quarter of this book just to get it over with…I have not given a book this low of a grade in ages—I think it may be partially that I marked down just because I expected the usual stellar performance from McGown and didn’t get it! C-.

17. JAR CITY by Arnaldur Indridason. Icelandic police procedural featuring detective named Erlandur—that’s his first name, since most Icelanders go only by their first names, even in the phone book, apparently! An elderly man is found bludgeoned to death in his basement flat and that begins to unravel a whole parcel of strange facts that set Erlandur off on several different tangents. Apparently his detective’s nose is accurate though because his instincts prove right. A sad, heartbreaking tale set in a very interesting backdrop of Iceland, which I know next to nothing about before reading this book. Excellently written, difficult to put down, with a new character to love. I felt that Ernaldur was very well fleshed out, but I hope the author plumps up his co-workers and his family members more next time around. Looking for the next one! A.

18. THE WHITE MARE by Jules Watson. First in the Dalriada Trilogy, an epic historical saga that begins in the first century A.D. Scotland. This is the story of Rhiann, the Ban Cré of the Epiidi tribe, who dwell in the highlands of Alba, as Scotland was referred to then. It is also the story of Eremon, a Prince of Eire (Ireland) who washed up on the shores of Alba with a small band of his men after a battle with his own uncle for the right to the throne. Coincidentally, they arrive during the funeral of the Epiidi King, who is Rhiann’s uncle. Since the Epiidi are without an heir, it is now Rhiann’s job as last female survivor with royal blood to produce one. After Eremon spends some time with the Epiidi, the scheming leader of their Druid council names Eremon as their war chief and arranges a marriage between him and Rhiann and the saga begins. I really enjoyed the book despite it having definite “romantic” plot twists at times. It is set during the time of the Roman invasion of Scotland and apparently the next two books in the trilogy span a couple of centuries, so I’m looking forward to those as well. Watson knows how to tell a story, that’s for certain, and this one is staying on my Keeper shelf. A.

DNF: THE WELL OF LOST PLOTS by Jasper Fforde. #3 in the Thursday Next series, I tried several times to read this book and finally gave up. I did enjoy the others in the series but in small doses. The humor is very “busy” and intense and a little goes a long way. Since I’d already read the fourth in this series, I think that may have partly spoiled this book for me since I knew what eventually happened. But mostly, it just became too annoying.
DNF: THE ANTIPOPE by Robert Rankin. First in the Brentford Trilogy (which has something like 9 books in it now), I was very disappointed in this book. I’ve read some of Rankin’s newer books and really enjoyed them—found them howlingly funny, in fact. Reading this book was like dragging a dead body through sludge. It dragged and dragged, the humor was forced—in spite of that, I gave it about 75 pages and it just didn’t get better. Obviously Mr. Rankin has learned some things over the years since his more recent work is much, much better.

Cheryl

February Reading

1. DEATH MASKS by Jim Butcher. #5 Harry Dresden paranormal series. Once again Harry races through the book on 20 minutes sleep chasing bad guys, trying to earn enough money to stay out of the poorhouse, and to keep one step ahead of the White Council. In this book, Harry is challenged to a duel to the death by a warlord vampire of the Red Court, is hired by a Vatican official to recover the Shroud of Turin, which has been stolen by an international mob of religious artifacts thieves known as the Churchmice, and must deal with the return of Susan, his girlfriend who has been turned into a sort of ‘half a vampire’ and who has been away from Chicago for a year. Quick-paced, full of Harry’s usual wit and wisdom, and enjoyable as always. A.

2. AMAGANSETT by Mark Mills. Historical mystery set in coastal NY after WWII. This book was a slow starter; I nearly gave up after 40 or 50 pages, but I’m glad I didn’t because at some point I found myself totally sucked in and the book got very difficult to put down. Story of a young socialite found drowned off the coast of Long Island, hauled in by two fishermen when her body became tangled in their nets. The medical examiner lists it as an accidental drowning, but Deputy Hollis has a ‘feeling’ that she didn’t die of natural causes although there are no overt signs of foul play. He’s ordered to leave the case alone but investigates on his own. Told from the perspective of Hollis as well as Conrad Labarde, one of the fishermen who found the body. Lots of flashbacking and backstory explanations which did get a little tedious over time but also helped to really flesh out the main characters. It’s only this extensive flashbacking that caused me to lower the grade slightly. Otherwise, excellent story! B+

3. BIG CITY, BAD BLOOD by Sean Chercover. I started reading this book and after just a few pages, thought to myself, “Oh no! It’s a MOB book!” Mob books and movies are definitely not my favorites. As in, I would not knowingly pick one up. LOL But I kept reading for a few more pages, and the next thing you know, I was coming up for air at the end of chapter nine. This is the best hardboiled PI mystery that I’ve read in a long time, mob book or no. PI Ray Dudgeon is a likable, if doomed character with a set of very interesting friends and acquaintances, some of whom are affiliated with the Chicago “Outfit” as we’re told the Mafia are referred to there. Excellent book. Fast-paced, well-plotted and with well-fleshed characters, it’s hard to believe that it’s a first novel. A+

4. THE LAST JUDGEMENT by Iain Pears. #4 Jonathan Argyll “art history” mystery in which ghosts of the past float up to haunt Flavia and Jonathan as they try to figure out how a painting that Jonathan bought figures into two murders and a multitude of other curious incidents. Enjoyable read as always, as our two intrepid heroes jaunt across Europe chasing answers about an obscure and unimportant painting, The Death of Socrates, and the people who owned it in the past. Tied in with Nazi war criminals, Resistance members, and people who aren’t what they seem, the painting is causing Jonathan more trouble than he ever dreamed possible. A.

5. FROM TIME TO TIME by Jack Finney. Sequel to Finney’s time-travel classic, Time and Again, this book begins with Simon Morley, our intrepid hero, back in the 1880’s, the time he chose to stay in at the end of the first book. But something happens that spurs him to temporarily leave his wife Julia and their son Willy in 1882 and head back to modern times—and then again to another time altogether! While I mostly enjoyed this book, I felt it got a bit draggy and repetitive in spots and it wasn’t quite as compelling a read as Time and Again. The book raises some interesting questions: if you could go back in time and change a few small things that would ultimately change the course of history (would that be the future?) and affect the world you live in today in unfathomable ways, would you? I give this one a B.

6. THE MAGICIAN’S GUILD by Trudi Canavan. Black Magician trilogy Book 1, about a teenage girl named Sonea, a commoner who gets caught up in a protest against the Magicians on Purge day. When she becomes very angry and throws a rock that breaches the Magicians’ magical barrier, it’s obvious that Sonea must have latent magical power. Soon everyone is searching for her—from the Guild itself to fellow slum-dwellers, eager for the reward that turning her in would bring. Sonea is shuttled from hiding place to hiding place by a small group of friends while trying to make sense of her new-found magic power—only to discover just how dangerous it can be when she has no idea how to control it. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The writing style kept you reading on and on, and while it contains many of the elements that make up other fantasy books and is not a terribly unique story-line, I thought it was a very well-told story and the author was able to make her characters and settings come to life. A.

7. THE MUGGER by Ed McBain. #2 in the 87th Precinct police procedural series, this book is an oldy moldy! It’s older than I am, and that’s pretty darned old. LOL I’ve read many of these years ago and am now in the process of re-reading them all and will eventually catch up with the newer ones. This book features a mugger who wears sunglasses at night, robs women of their money, slugs them in the face and then bows at the waist and says, “Clifford thanks you” before running off. It’s a foregone conclusion that things are going to go beyond mugging at some point, and they do. The book is a bit dated (this WAS written in 1956 after all!) so there were some things I had a good chuckle about, like a Detective 2nd Grade making just over $5k a year, and other things that were sort of annoying—like a stool pigeon who talks constantly in that 50’s hip slang, daddy-o, you dig? (I kept thinking of him as Maynard G. Krebs! LOL) But it was a quick, enjoyable read and I look forward to the rest of the series. B+

8. THIRTY-THREE TEETH by Colin Cotterill. #2 Dr. Siri Paiboun mystery, set in 1970’s Laos. Dr. Siri is the reluctant 72-year-old national coroner in post-Vietnam war Laos, as well as the current embodiment of an ancient Hmong shaman. Thus, he sees ghosts and hears spirits which help him in his mystery-solving. With his devil-may-care attitude, he is often bordering on running afoul of the new Communist regime in Laos, mostly because he would love nothing more than for his superiors to remove him from office and let him retire in peace. As with the last book, several mysteries and sub-plots join forces to make this a full and interesting book. Full of ‘woo woo’ (supernatural stuff) so if you don’t like that sort of thing, you may as well just stay away from this one. Except that Dr. Siri is such a delightful character I would recommend him to anyone! A.

9. DEAD SOULS by Ian Rankin. #10 Inspector Rebus British police procedural. For some reason, I had a hard time getting into and getting through this book. Rebus investigates the disappearance of the 19-year-old son of some old school friends from Fife, and the whole issue of “MisPers” (missing persons) is explored. While that is happening, he also contemplates the suicide death of a fellow officer who seemed to have it all going for him, and Rebus believes he was murdered for some reason. Then the subject of paedophiles and childhood abuse comes up, with that theme running through several cases, old and new. The book seemed a bit ‘bloated’ though, the storylines getting sidetracked from time to time, and this detracted from the story rather than enhancing it as sometimes is the case. Usually when I pick up a Rebus book, it’s hard for me to put it down and I’m done in a day or two. This one, I would read a couple dozen pages and become distracted, set it aside to go read something else for awhile and it took me nearly a week to get through it. C+

10. THE LAST JEW by Noah Gordon. Historical fiction taking place in 1480’s to early 1500’s during the expulsion of the Jews from Spain. Many converted to Catholicism rather than leave, but many who converted (‘conversos’) were later hunted down by the Inquisition, persecuted and burned at the stake. This is the story of Yonah Toledano, teenage son of a master silversmith who is separated from his family during their hasty flight from their home. His father is killed, his younger brother, aunt and uncle flee to who knows where, and Yonah finds himself totally alone, to the point where he feels like the last Jew in Spain. As he wanders from town to town, farm to farm, working manual labor jobs and staying in each place for only a few seasons (occasionally a few years until trouble managed to find him again) and eventually apprenticing himself to a physician in Saragossa, pretending outwardly to be Christian but inside still trying to stay true to the memory of his father and remain a Jew, Yonah meets many fascinating people and has many adventures. Absolutely wonderful story, very atmospheric and moving, and with an appropriate ending. A+

11. AGATHA RAISIN AND THE FAIRIES OF FRYFAM by M.C. Beaton. #10 Agatha Raisin mystery in which Agatha (once again fleeing Carsely to try to escape the memory of her beloved James who is still “away”) ventures off to rent a cottage in the little Norfolk village of Fryfam. It’s not long before Agatha’s out of sorts, a murder has occurred and she’s tangled up right in the midst of it. Meanwhile, little mysterious lights keep appearing in her garden, and the neighbors, a superstitious lot, attribute them to ‘the fairies’ since this is such an ‘old country’ and all. A typical, light enjoyable Agatha Raisin book. B+

12. CROWNER’S QUEST by Bernard Knight. #3 in the Crowner John historical mystery series set in 1190’s Devon, UK. A priest is found hanged in the privy behind his home, at first presumed a suicide but upon further investigation, it’s obvious someone else did the deed. Why would anyone kill such a quiet, mousy little man who was happiest in the church library poring over history books, especially on a holy day such as the Eve of Christ’s Mass? When a second murder takes place a few days later, Crowner John de Wolfe begins to see the connections though of course his brother-in-law the Sheriff would disagree and seems to be deliberately trying to keep the coroner from investigating fully. Political intrigues and women troubles plague the Crowner in this book and a simple little murder is never quite what it seems. Enjoyable historical mystery with refreshingly realistic characters. A.

13. GIRL IN HYACINTH BLUE by Susan Vreeland. Historical fiction, actually a book of short stories that follow a painting from modern times back to the painter and the subject of the painting. It's many different stories and varied lives woven into one tale. I like stories like this that follow an object (a painting, a house, a place) through history, and Vreeland did this one very well, able to narrate a story from the perspective of a wide variety of characters, from a modern-day math professor in the USA to a French Lady in the time of Louis XIV, to a Dutch farm wife. I enjoyed it very much and will be looking for more from this author. A.

DNF: SHADOWMANCER by G.P. Taylor. Fantasy book that was (to me) childishly and amateurishly written. Gave it a good 40 pages but couldn’t get interested in the story or the characters and the author’s writing style I just found annoying.

Cheryl

JANUARY READING:

1. THE KITE RUNNER by Khaled Hossieni. Story of a young man from Afghanistan, what it was like growing up there in the 70’s and then fleeing to America during the turmoil and wars. Also a story of love, betrayal, forgiveness and hope. I enjoyed the book for its richness of cultural detail and because I felt totally immersed in Amir’s world, although I have to admit that his constant reference to his ‘shame’ and ‘cowardliness’ etc. grew old and wearying after awhile. The ending was actually good (I was worried I’d be disappointed, as so many books seem to do at the ending lately) and I enjoyed the book. Not as “outstanding” as the hype would have you believe, but still a great read. B+

2. JACK, KNAVE & FOOL by Bruce Alexander. #5 Sir John Fielding historical mystery set in 1770’s London and centering on the Bow Street Court. As usual with this series, several mysteries entwine to make an interesting mix. Annie, the cook, is learning to read and also joins a local choir. Jeremy begins reading his law books as his responsibilities for Sir John grow greater, and he feels much shame when he lets a prisoner escape. When it is brought to light later that the prisoner has a 12-year-old daughter, Jeremy gets involved with trying to help them. Meanwhile, Sir John is certain that the nephew of a prominent citizen has killed him off, but is unable to prove it—yet. As always, an excellent entry in the series. A.

3. THE RIDDLE OF THE THIRD MILE by Colin Dexter. #6 in the Chief Inspector Morse series set in Oxford. In this book, an Oxford don goes missing and Morse is contacted by the Vice-Headmaster. A body later turns up, of course, but how did it get to where it was found and who would so savagely mutilate it? And is it really Dr. Browne-Smith’s body after all? Enjoyable read, as all the Morse books have ever been for me. One of my favorite series. A.

4. THE WINTER KING by Bernard Cornwell. #1 in the Arthurian trilogy. Told from the point of view of Derfel, a servant of Merlin—actually a captured Saxon slave freed by the powerful Druid. Derfel later becomes one of Arthur’s warrior captains. Set in 480 A.D., the story tells of the wars and strife of the times—various British tribes against one another, against the Saxons, against the Franks, Christians against the Pagans, etc. and weaves Cornwell’s own brand of history with legend as his unique story of Arthur, Mordred, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the like is painted on the canvas. I quite enjoyed his telling of the first part of the tale and plan to collect this set in hardcover for my Keeper shelf. A.

5. BIRDMAN by Mo Hayder. Serial killer/ thriller set in London, about a necrophiliac who kills and mutilates prostitutes. Not for the faint of heart, but quite a riveting tale with the usual angst-driven police inspector with a tormented past that colors his way of thinking and doing things. (Is there not a ‘normal’ detective anywhere on the planet, I ask? LOL) Very difficult to put down. A.

6. ALL SHE WAS WORTH by Miyuki Miyabe. Japanese mystery about a police detective currently on medical leave and a private investigation he undertakes for his nephew, whose fiancée has disappeared after an argument they had. The investigation leads Honma into the murky world of excessive credit card debt, bankruptcy, identity theft and murder. Very enjoyable read—I always like getting immersed in the culture of a different country and enjoy the authenticity that an author who is a native of that country provides. The mystery was also very intriguing, and I liked the main character a lot. Unfortunately, I believe the author doesn’t write series books, just stand-alones, but I enjoyed this enough to seek out more by the same author even though I probably won’t be meeting the main character again. A-.

7. THE FIELD GUIDE (SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES BOOK 1) by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi. Children’s fantasy about 3 kids who move into their great-aunt’s old house with their mother and discover a secret room, a riddle that leads to a book and ‘something in the walls’ that turns out to be something not quite of this world and seems determined to get them in trouble. A bit ‘young’ for my taste (I read it in less than an hour) but still enjoyable tale. B.

8. SABRIEL by Garth Nix. #1 in the Abhorsen fantasy series, and…WOW! I absolutely loved this book and found it very difficult to put down. This book has been on my shelf for months if not years. My daughter recommended it to me at least a year ago. Why did I not listen?? LOL Sabriel, daughter of The Abhorsen, a powerful necromancer who fights the dead, finishes high school in Anglesierre on the other side of the magical wall and is summoned to her birthplace, The Old Kingdom, by the spirit of her father. She has become the Abhorsen until she can free his spirit from Death…IF indeed she can do so. Under-trained, unknowledgeable about what’s been happening in her homeland, she sets out on a journey to save her father and meets some interesting characters and creatures along the way. A+

9. CROWN IN DARKNESS by Paul C. Doherty. #2 in the Hugh Corbett medieval mystery series, in which the Chancellor sends Corbett north to Scotland to investigate the death of their King Alexander. An accident? Or a carefully plotted murder? This is a short book (under 200 pages) and yet it seemed to take me quite awhile to read. I find the writing style a bit plodding and difficult to get through, and my mind wandered a lot. The subject matter and detail did keep me interested enough to complete it, though. There are certainly many historical mystery series that I enjoy more and I’m not sure when I will get back to this one. C+

10. BLIND TO THE BONES by Stephen Booth. #4 in the Ben Cooper/Diane Fry British police procedural series set in the Peak District. The disappearance of a college student two years ago ties in with a present-day murder as Ben and Diane investigate (mostly separately) the goings-on in the tiny village of Withens. Ben and Diane continue to each deal with their own demons as well. I really do not like Diane Fry as a character, but I am beginning to understand her more with each book. I love this series and this book was no exception. This one is, IMO, the best so far. A+

11. SOURCERY by Terry Pratchett. #5 in publication order of the Discworld fantasy books, this one again features Rincewind, the Luggage, Librarian, etc. as they speed away from Ankh-Morpork with the Archchancellor’s wizard hat. The hat asked to be stolen, you see, to keep young Coin, a true Sorcerer who walked into the Univesity and proclaimed himself Archchancellor, from putting it on. As always, Pratchett’s books make me laugh out loud, and also make me read slowly because sometimes one of his puns or jokes won’t hit me til several pages later—then I have to go back and read it again to make sure I got it! LOL A.

12. THIRD PERSON SINGULAR by K.J. Erickson. #1 in the Marshall “Mars” Bahr mystery series set in Minneapolis. When a high school senior from the wealthy suburb of Edina is found murdered in an unlikely area of Minneapolis, Mars looks desperately for suspects, but none are forthcoming. Several months later, new clues come to light and the investigation takes off once again. I enjoyed this first entry in the series, getting to know “Mars” and the supporting cast of characters. Erickson paints a vivid picture of Minneapolis and from what I can tell (I’m not a native of the city but I do live in the ‘burbs now) fairly accurate, too. There were a few little bits and bobs here and there that grated on my nerves, and I did figure out the bad guy well ahead of time, but still enjoyed it and will read more. B+.

13. WIT’CH FIRE by James Clemens. First in the “Banned and the Banished” fantasy series in which Elena, a young farm girl in Alasea discovers (with the help of her Uncle Bol) that she is the Wit’ch long prophesied to help the world slip out from under the dark rule of Lord Gul’gotha. She ends up banded together with a bunch of people and creatures of legend, they sworn to protect her and she only longing for the simple farm life she once had. Quite enjoyable and while there are some clichéd plotlines similar to many epic fantasy tales, it’s also sufficiently different to keep it interesting for the most part. There’s a fair bit of graphic violence and gory creatures and such, so best not for those prone to nightmares. LOL B+.

14. THE EVE OF ST. HYACINTH by Kate Sedley. #5 Roger the Chapman mystery set in 1270’s England in which Roger once again gets involved with the Plantagenet brothers: King Edward, George of Clarence and most especially Duke Richard, whose life is found to be in danger once again. Roger is enlisted to join the Duke’s household by Timothy Plummer to help find the mastermind behind a plan to assassinate Richard and the trail leads them to France and potentially another war. As always, enjoyable read with enough historical detail but a writing style that doesn’t get bogged down in minutiae. A.

15. DEATH OF A SNOB by M.C. Beaton. #6 in the Hamish MacBeth cozy Scottish police procedural series, in which Hamish, bereft of plans for the Christmas holiday, takes up the invite of a friend of Priscilla’s and joins her at her health farm on a lonely island to investigate whether or not someone is trying to kill her. Someone DOES die, but it’s not Jane—it’s Heather, one of her houseguests. Was Heather murdered because she was Heather or because someone thought she was Jane? Supt. Blair writes off the murder as an accident but Hamish knows better and eventually gets his man. As usual, a quick, light and enjoyable read. B+

16. NO MAN STANDING by Barbara Seranella. #5 Munch Mancini mystery, read this month in honor of the author at her untimely passing. Not that I need my arm twisted to pick up a Munch book!! In this installment, Munch’s friend Ellen’s mother and step-father are brutally murdered the day before Ellen is released from prison. Is this a message to Ellen? And will Ellen get the message or will Munch be dragged into yet another intrigue? And with Detective Rico Chacón investigating the murders, will Munch really mind being involved in the investigation? Another great read in this series, smack full of authenticity and a down-to-earth protagonist that you’re pulling for all the way. A.


DNF: BAD MOVE by Linwood Barclay. You know when you’re only in chapter 3 and already skimming, it’s not a good sign.

Cheryl