Some New Books & Women Authors

Another Wednesday is upon us with January fast approaching the end. How fast the days go by! So let's see. since my last update three books have arrived. I'll provide synopses for them and also continue with my look at women authors whose work I've been enjoying. I'll also review the one book I completed and also provide the synopses of the next in line, plus another I started this morning. So, let's go!

Just Finished

1. Deadly Beloved by Jane Haddam (Gregor Demarkian #15 / 1997). This is part of my dusty book challenge I've had this on my shelves for too long.

"It's been a few years since I delved into the world of former FBI profiler Gregor Demarkian. I'm glad to refresh my memories of this entertaining mystery series. Deadly Beloved is the 15th book in the series by Jane Haddam. There is much excitement on Cavanaugh Street in Philadelphia as the community prepares for the impending nuptials of Donna Moradanyan and Russel Donahue, ex Philadelphia cop and now a lawyer. Gregor Demarkian is in a troubled mood as the whole thing is bringing back memories of his wedding to his now deceased wife Elizabeth. He needs a distraction... and he gets one.

Patsy McLaren Willis is making plans. Her husband Kevin has announced that he will no longer be traveling for his work and will instead be working in an office in Philadelphia. Patsy loads up her car with all of her belongings, shoots Kevin with a silenced revolver while he sleeps and then heads off, departing her gated community of Fox Run in the early hours. She parks in a parking garage downtown, leaves her car, goes to the bank and withdraws $15,000, then disappears. Shortly after that there is an explosion in the parking garage, destroying her car and everything else. Police Police Lt John Jackman calls in Gregor to consult on the murder and explosion.

And now begins a fascinating story, filled with excellent characters and more explosions and other action that will tax Gregor's ingenuity and skill as an investigator. All the while, he is also helping his friends Bennis and Tibor deal with the wedding crisis. Peter, Donna's ex boyfriend and purported father to her child has decided to make waves and is indicating he will show up to disrupt the wedding.

It's just a great, intricate, fun story for a murder mystery. The characters are so well defined and all play a role in the story. The residents of Fox Run all have a story to tell. The school mates of Patsy McLaren Willis all want to figure out the case and all want to talk to the famous Gregor Demarkian, the Armenian - American Hercule Poirot as the press describes him.

The story jumps from character to character, from the murder mystery to the wedding preparations. So many wonderful characters and such an entertaining mystery with a satisfying conclusion. Most enjoyable to enter this world again. (4.0 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. The Chinese Alchemist by Lyn Hamilton (Lara McClintoch #11 / 2007). Another book in my dusty book challenge. Yes, I've had for awhile.

"Antiques dealer Lara McClintoch is targeted by ruthless criminals while tying to recover an eighth-century Tang Dynasty silver box-with an alchemical formula for the elixir of immortality etched on the inside of the lid. The rare item holds the key not only to the mysterious death of a museum curator, but to Lara's own survival."

2. The Infinity Particle by Wendy Xu (2023).

"In this gorgeous graphic novel by Wendy Xu, co-creator of the award-winning Mooncakes, a young inventor falls for a lifelike AI and confronts questions of freedom and autonomy. Clementine Chang moves from Earth to Mars for a new start and is lucky enough to land her dream job with Dr. Marcella Lin, an Artificial Intelligence pioneer. On her first day of work, Clem meets Dr. Lin’s assistant, a humanoid AI named Kye. Clem is no stranger to robots—she built herself a cute moth-shaped companion named SENA. Still, there’s something about Kye that feels almost too human. When Clem and Kye begin to collaborate, their chemistry sets off sparks. The only downside? Dr. Lin is enraged by Kye’s growing independence and won’t allow him more freedom. Plus, their relationship throws into question everything Clem thought she knew about AI. After all, if Kye is sentient enough to have feelings, shouldn’t he be able to control his own actions? Where is the line between AI and human? As her past and Kye’s future weigh down on her, Clem becomes determined to help him break free—even if it means risking everything she came to Mars for."

New Books

1. No Good from a Corpse by Leigh Brackett (1943). I've enjoyed Brackett's mysteries and her Sci-Fi. This is one of her first. I focused on her work in a previous Blog.

"Laurel Dane was no angel. She'd changed men as often as she'd changed her hair color, and there was plenty in her past she'd like to forget. But no one deserved to be beaten to death, and private eye Ed Clive didn't believe that her boyfriend had killed her. Pursuing her own lonely trail, he found out just how easily jealousy and twisted rage could turn a human being into a monster of violence."

2. Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs (Mercy Thompson #2 / 2007). A newish series for me. I have read a graphic novel featuring Mercy.

"Under the rule of science, there are no witch burnings allowed, no water trials or public lynchings. In return, the average law-abiding, solid citizen has little to worry about from the things that go bump in the night. Sometimes I wish I was an average citizen...

Mechanic Mercy Thompson has friends in low places-and in dark ones. And now she owes one of them a favor. Since she can shapeshift at will, she agrees to act as some extra muscle when her vampire friend Stefan goes to deliver a message to another of his kind.

But this new vampire is hardly ordinary-and neither is the demon inside of him."

3. Bloodcircle by P.N. Elrod (Vampire Files #3 / 1990). I've been reading this series out of order but have lately began to get the earlier books. It's such a nice mix of vampire horror and pulp mystery.

"WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN, MY DAY BEGINS...
As a vampire, I have a number of handy skills - I can hypnotize mortals, walk through walls, and shrug off bullets like insults. The one thing I haven't been able to manage, so far, is to find the woman who made me what I am.

Until now. Maybe.

her trail has led me to the palatial estate of a wealthy widow - and a two-hundred-year-old gigolo with a taste for young blood. He claims not to know where my long-lost lady is - or who is trying to kill me - but then again, you can never trust a vampire.

I should know."

Women Authors Whose Work I've Been Enjoying - Doris Miles Disney

Doris Miles Disney

Doris Miles Disney was an American mystery author of 47 novels. She was born in 1907 in Glastonbury Conn and died in 1976 in Fredericksburg, Va. She did write a number of series books, featuring 3 different characters but I've only read her standalones. Thus far I've read only 1 of her books but I enjoyed it very much and have since added another to my book shelf. I do look forward to trying much more of her work.

1. No Next of Kin (1959).

"No Next of Kin is my first look at the work of American mystery writer Doris Miles Disney and I was pleasantly surprised by it; a most enjoyable, quickly paced mystery. Over the course of her life, 1907 - 1976, she wrote 47 novels, some in series format, others standalone. No Next of Kin is one of her standalones

Andrea Langdon has a deep dark secret. As a young girl, almost 18, she became pregnant at a party, was abandoned and with the aid of a loving teacher, boarded her child with strangers. When Greg was five, she takes him back with the hope of showing Greg to her father and having the youngster become a member of her family. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes at a county fair, when a fire starts and rages. Andrea, injured herself, doesn't identify the body of the little boy as hers and must carry the secret for the rest of her life.

Now begins a tale of blackmail and threats as the father, Seymour Boyd, turns up. Andrea comes from a rich family and her father is running for a seat as a Connecticut Rep. Boyd digs up the dirt, with the help of Walt Horbal (husband of the family who boarded Greg as a child), demands money from Andrea. Reporter Fergus MacDonald, attracted to Andrea, suspects something and begins his own investigation.

It's a fascinating, quick-paced, well-written story. Lots of tension, a bit of action and violence, definitely a page turner. Fergus MacDonald is an excellent character. Andrea, a suitable victim, with sufficient strength and intelligence to appeal to Fergus. The villains are well-presented and interesting. I don't know that it's an original idea, but it's crafted in a satisfactory fashion and draws you in, making you want to see how it will resolve. And the ending is suitably satisfactory. All in all, an excellent mystery and story. Checking out more of Disney's work now. (4.0 stars)"

2. Do Not Fold, Spindle or Mutilate (1970).

"After filling out a computer dating service card with a fictional name, Sophie's clowning days were about to come to an abrupt end. For one of her suitors was very, very serious. And he would make sure that this was Sophie's last laugh..."

A complete listing of Disney's works can be found at this link.

2025 Anyone?

The result of 2024 US elections?

I know it's kind of early but as I've been continuing with my 2024 reading, I've also been madly vetting my bookshelves and making lists for 2025. Being a relatively positive person, I'm assuming the world will survive the 2024 US Presidential elections (Go Harris / Walz!). So being said positive person, I've begun looking at possible 2025 Reading challenges. Over the next months as we begin to wind down 2024, I'll try to be more specific with my challenges. I'm kind of at a loss, but I did come up with one possibility, that being a Dusty Bookshelf Challenge. 

One of my 12 + 4 (I think I might have a couple or three this year) will be to read the 16 books that have resided the longest on our bookshelves. Here they are.

2025 12 + 4 Reading Challenge - Dusty Books

1. Gideon's Power by J.J. Marric (Gideon #15 / 1969) (added to my bookshelf Oct 14, 2010). I do enjoy J.J. Marric's mysteries and I've been trying to get into so many of them. Commander Gideon is a favorite.

"It's lights out for London's power stations — and Scotland Yard commander George Gideon is about to blow a fuse! "Superb storytelling!" — The New York Times Book Review. Their majestic smoke stacks have withstood the bombs of the Nazis; their whirring turbines are the city's pulse. The power stations symbolize the power of London. So then, it is not surprising that a single power outage could bring entire districts to their knees. But when they become frequent, almost regular happenings, Scotland Yard Commander George Gideon gives his men the nod to go have a look-see. And when reports come in about the presence of a mysterious green bicycle outside of each of the failing plants, Gideon puts himself on the case. If that weren't enough, Gideon also has a kidnapping caper that looks to become a murder case. Then there's a shocking development in a two-year-old murder, a clue that just might prove the condemned man innocent. As London's lights flicker the hooligans have a field day; it's up to Gideon to pull the plug on crime!"

2. Gideon's March by J.J. Marric (Gideon #8 / 1962) (added to my bookshelf Oct 14, 2010).

"Gideon knew he was in for a difficult time. There was to be a summit conference in London and the protection of the statesmen from France, Germany and the United States was a prime importance. But Gideon also had to cope with murder - first one, then another, both of them seemingly connected in some strange way ..."

3. Gideon's Press by J.J. Marric (Gideon #19 / 1973) (added to my shelf Oct 10, 2010).

"Commander George Gideon of Scotland yard keeps the peace in London when strikes are imminent , of the Press and at the docks and extreme right-wingers are gathering to break up the dockgate meetings."

4. The Chinese Alchemist by Lyn Hamilton (Lara McClintoch #11 / 2007) (added to my shelf Oct 15, 2010).

"Antiques dealer Lara McClintoch is targeted by ruthless criminals while tying to recover an eighth-century Tang Dynasty silver box-with an alchemical formula for the elixir of immortality etched on the inside of the lid. The rare item holds the key not only to the mysterious death of a museum curator, but to Lara's own survival."

5. Glass Houses by Jane Haddam (Gregor Demarkian #22 / 2007) (added Oct 15, 2010).

"For over a year, Philadelphia has been plagued by a serial killer dubbed the Plate Glass Killer by the media. But finally, the police think they've caught a break - a man has been arrested at the site of the most recent murder, covered in the victim's blood. The man taken into custody is Henry Tyder, the scion of one of the most socially prominent families on Philadelphia's Main Line, a family that possesses the largest tracts of real estate in the city. He's also a hopeless alcoholic, frequently homeless and often estranged from his family.

Although Tyder has apparently confessed to the crime, his attorney believes him to be too disordered to be capable of actually committing the crimes and asks Gregor Demarkian, retired head of the FBI's Behavioral Sciences Unit, to look into the case. Gregor, however, has other things on his mind - after having been away for nearly a year without a word to him, his live-in girlfriend, Bennis Hannaford, has returned to Cavanaugh Street. And everyone seems to have seen her but Gregor. While he waits for Bennis to finally appear, Gregor finds himself enmeshed in complex case of the Plate Glass Killer. Specifically, what would have drive Tyder to confess to crimes he was seemingly incapable of committing and, more importantly, if Tyder isn't the killer, then who really is behind the murders of the Plate Glass Killer."

6. Skeleton Key by Jane Haddam (Gregor Demarkian #16 / 2000) (added Oct 15, 2010).

"When writer and ex-deb Bennis Hannaford discovers the body of super-heiress Kayla Anson in the family garage, her visit to Litchfield County, Connecticut, is reluctantly extended. Bennis's hostess, Margaret Anson, presents an icy version of the grieving mother, cut out her late husband's will--until now. And when Gregor Demarkian, ex-FBI man and Bennis's lover, arrives from Philadelphia to consult with local police, a media blitz storms in as more suspects crawl out of the woods.

Kayla may have been too blindingly rich for her wild, private school chum; her older, socially ambitious entrepreneur boyfriend; and a divorced, downsized bookkeeper selling her furniture to survive. As Gregor maps out distances, location, and motives, Halloween descends on the dark, silent hills. From a skeleton sprawled on the cemetery caretakers' porch to more deadly mischief and mayhem, the countryside is brimming with secrets. And a killer is about to strike again..."

7. Deadly Beloved by Jane Haddam (Gregor Demarkian #15 / 1997) (shelved since Oct 15, 2010).

"Down the aisle--to death

Armies on the eve of invasion could learn a thing or two about preparation from the denizens of Cavanaugh Street, who never do anything halfway. This time it's a wedding that's taking over the collective consciousness of the street...and bringing up painful memories for Gregor Demarkian. So when he's consulted on a murder in exclusive Fox Run Hill, the ex-FBI special agent is grateful for the diversion.

Why did country-club matron Patsy MacLaren Willis coldly shoot her husband in his sleep? Why did she remove every trace of her existence from the home they'd shared, pipe bomb her own car--and then disappear? The police think it's another marriage gone bad, but Demarkian thinks there's more to the case. And it soon looks like he's a second pipe bomb explodes, with devastating results, and Gregor knows that he must find a killer wedded to an explosive secret--before more victims take that final walk down the aisle."

8. The Naming of the Dead by Ian Rankin (Rebus #16 / 2006) (shelved since Nov 12, 2010). Finally winding down this series. Jo bought me the complete series as a present back then.

"A murder has been committed - but as the victim was a rapist, recently released from prison, no one is too concerned about the crime. That is, until Detective Inspector John Rebus and DS Siobhan Clarke uncover evidence that a serial killer is on the loose ...

When Rebus also starts looking into the apparent suicide of an MP, he is abruptly warned off the case, not least because the G8 leaders have gathered in Scotland, and Rebus's bosses want him well out of the way. But Rebus has never been one to stick to the rules, and when Siobhan has a very personal reason for hunting down a riot cop, it looks as though both Rebus and Clarke may be up against their own side ..."

9. Exit Music by Ian Rankin (Rebus #17 / 2007) (shelved since Nov 12, 2010). Rebus does make appearances in Rankin's Malcolm Fox follow-on series.

"It's late autumn in Edinburgh and late autumn in the career of Detective Inspector John Rebus. As he tries to tie up some loose ends before retirement, a murder case intrudes. A dissident Russian poet has been found dead in what looks like a mugging gone wrong. By apparent coincidence, a high-level delegation of Russian businessmen is in town - and everyone is determined that the case should be closed quickly and clinically. But the further they dig, the more Rebus and DS Siobhan Clarke become convinced that they are dealing with something more than a random attack - especially after a particularly nasty second killing. Meanwhile, a brutal and premeditated assault on a local gangster sees Rebus in the frame. Has the Inspector taken a step too far in tying up those loose ends? Only a few days shy of the end to his long, inglorious career, will Rebus even make it that far? "

10. Wycliffe and the Winsor Blue by W.J. Burley (Wycliffe # 14 / 1987) (shelved since Nov 12, 2010).

"When Edwin Garland died of a heart attack, no one outside the expectant circle of his relatives was concerned. But when, on the evening of his funeral, his son was shot dead, the situation changed dramatically and Superintendent Wycliffe was called in to investigate the seemingly motiveless murder. The disappearance of another relative and a further death occur before Wycliffe manages to unravel a story that had begun several years before, with the death of a famous Cornish artist. Only then is he able to identify the killer."

11. Photo Finish by Ngaio Marsh (Chief Inspector Alleyn #31  / 1980) (shelved since Nov 12, 2010).

"Murder and mayhem strike when a small group of people are confined to an island in the middle of a New Zealand lake in one of Ngaio Marsh’s last – and best – novels.

The luxury mansion on New Zealand's Lake Waihoe is the ideal place for a world-famous soprano to rest after her triumphant tour. Among the other guests are Chief Superintendent Alleyn and his wife - but theirs is not a social visit. When tragedy strikes, and isolated by one of the lake's sudden storms, Alleyn faces one of his trickiest cases…"

12. Maigret and the Wine Merchant by Georges Simenon (Inspector Maigret #71 / 1970) (shelved Nov 12, 2010).

"The richest wine merchant in Paris is found dead—killed by a bullet in front of an elegant house where discreet clients are in the habit of renting rooms for discreet purposes. Everything seems to point to a crime sparked by jealousy.

But Maigret is surprised to find a curious absence of shock or grief in the victim's family and colleagues, and further investigation into the life and habits of the murdered man reveals some singularly unlovable traits.

Simenon has created another superb and subtle exposition of one of Maigret's chief preoccupations: the idea of guilt."

13. Wycliffe and the Redhead by W.J. Burley (Wycliffe #21 / 1997) (shelved Nov 13, 2010).

"The discovery of a body in a quarry creates a baffling case for Detective Superintendent Wycliffe

Simon Meagor was a lonely middle-aged man. With a broken marriage behind him, his life was centered on his antiquarian bookshop. In his past was the memory of a murder trial where his evidence had resulted in the conviction of a man who had subsequently killed himself. Now, to his horror, the daughter of that man was applying for a job in his shop and, almost mesmerized by her, Simon found he was agreeing to her employment. Cleverly, over a period of time, Morwenna manipulated herself into his work, his life, and finally into his flat above the shop. And then she disappeared.

When her body was discovered in a flooded quarry, at first suicide was considered. Morwenna was suffering from a fatal disease. But everything pointed to murder and, inevitably, suspicion fell on Simon Meagor.
Wycliffe became increasingly disturbed by a case which grew more and more complicated as he explored many dark and murky secrets from the past."

14. 206 Bones by Kathy Reichs (Temperance Brennan #12 / 2009) (shelved Jan 08, 2011).

"There are 206 bones in the human body. Forensic anthropologists know them intimately, can use them to reconstruct every kind of violent end. When Tempe finds herself regaining consciousness in some kind of very small, very dark, very cold enclosed space—bound, hands to feet—Tempe begins slowly to reconstruct...

Tempe and Lieutenant Ryan had accompanied the recently discovered remains of a missing heiress from Montreal to the Chicago morgue. Suddenly, Tempe was accused of mishandling the autopsy—and the case. Back in Montreal, the corpse of a second elderly woman was found in the woods, and then a third. Seamlessly weaving between Tempe’s present-tense terror as she’s held captive and her memory of the cases of these murdered women, Reichs reveals the incredible devastation that would occur if a forensic colleague sabotaged work in the lab. The chemistry between Tempe and Ryan intensifies as this complex, riveting tale unfolds, proving once again, that Reichs is the dominant talent in forensic mystery writing."

15. Suffer the Little Children by Donna Leon (Inspector Brunetti #16 / 2007) (shelved Jul 16, 2011).

"Donna Leon's Commissario Brunetti series has made Venice a city that's beautiful and sophisticated, but also secretive and corrupt, one of mystery fans most beloved locales. In this brilliant new book, Brunetti is summoned to the hospital bed of a respected pediatrician, where he is confronted with more questions than answers. Three men had burst into the doctor's apartment, attacked him, and kidnapped his eighteen-month-old son. What could have motivated an assault so violent that it has left the doctor mute? And could this crime be related to the moneymaking scam run by pharmacists that Brunetti's colleague has recently uncovered? As Brunetti delves deeper into the case, a story of infertility, desperation, and illegal dealings begins to unfold."

16. Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories by Agatha Christie (1985) (shelved since Jul 23, 2011).

"Jane Marple is from the village of St Mary Mead and applies her skills of observation and deduction to a wide variety of mysteries. Several of the supporting characters appear in many of these stories, including her nephew Raymond West, Dolly and Arthur Bantry of Gossington Hall, and Sir Henry Clithering formerly of Scotland Yard.

Miss Marple made her first appearance in a book in 1930, and her twelfth and final novel was published shortly after Agatha Christie's death almost 50 years later. In the intervening years Miss Marple also featured in 20 short stories, published in a number of different collections. But never before have they been available together.

In this complete volume, Miss Marple uses her unique insight to deduce the truth about a series of unsolved crimes - cases of a girl framed for theft, some disappearing bloodstains, the cryptic last message of a poisoned man, a woman killed within days of writing her will, a spiritualist who predicts death, a mortally wounded stranger in a church, a Christmas tragedy...

In all 20 ingenious crimes, every one guaranteed to keep you guessing until the turn of the final page."

As you can see I was going through a mystery phase back then. To be fair, mysteries have become my favorite genre. I hope you get some reading ideas from the selection. 

A Midweek Reading Update

Happy Wednesday. It's cloudy and cooler today. Jo is at work and the puppies and I are relaxing on the sofa, watching Deadline White House, the continuing saga of the Trump criminal conspiracy in Georgia. Yada yada.

Since my last update, I've completed 3 books and got a few more in the mail. I'll update those and also the latest books I've started reading.

Just Finished

1. The Sandman, Fables and Reflections; Vol. 6 by Neil Gaiman. It's become one of my favorite graphic novel series.

"I continue to enjoy this excellent graphic novel series. Each volume is different and seems to get better. Fables and Reflections is Volume #6 of Neil Gaiman's Sandman series. Most enjoyable.

As the title indicates it consists of fables and historical reflections. Each story follows a different character (for the most part). There is a 3 chapter portion featuring Sandman's son Orpheus and his journey to Hades to find his dead wife, Eurydice. It's a sad story for the most part. 

The other stories feature diverse characters such as a werewolf, Caesar Augustus, Marco Polo, Joshua Abraham Norton, the only Emperor of the US of A, Haroun Al Raschid (King of Kings). Dream (aka Sandman) appears in each story but you also get to meet some of his family in others, Despair, Death (my favorite), Eve, Cain, Abel, etc. 

Each story is interesting, well - crafted and drawn. The stories are rich and actually provide you with some history / mythology. Neil Gaiman has such a fantastic imagination and he really knows how to tell a story that holds your interest and attention until the very end. I'm looking forward to Vol #7), Brief Lives. (4.0 stars)"

2. Quiller Barracuda by Adam Hall (Quiller #14 / 1990). An interesting spy series that I've been reading not in any particular order.

"I haven't been reading this series in any particular order. I've read two previous books in this spy series. Quiller Barracuda by Adam Hall is the 14th book in the series and finds Quiller on assignment in Florida. His mission is to  find and bring home an agent, Charles Proctor, who seems to have gone off the radar, after starting to act irrationally. Quiller will find himself involved in political intrigue and also with Florida drug dealers as he gets involved in this story.

The Quiller books are quite different in tone from other spy series I've read. Quiller spends much of the book in his own self-analysis, at the same time moving the story along. I also find it interesting how they conduct the 'administration' (wrong word, I think) of conducting a mission. Quiller is the Executive, his name on the big board at MI6, assigned to Barracuda. Ferris is his Controller, sent to Florida to debrief Quiller, to assign followers, to maintain security and to provide the link back to London. The whole process is fascinating.

Quiller finds himself in an international plot, a group that wants to affect an upcoming Presidential election, affect the World order. Proctor is involved, he's hooked on drugs, he wants Quiller dead and has set a contract out with the local drug lord. The Russians may be involved. It's a complex, interesting plot. There are various intelligent, independent, beautiful women who help Quiller in various ways to advance his investigation. There is a terrifying episode involving a shark.

It's an interesting take on the spy story and I will continue to explore the series. (4.0 stars)"

3. Gun Honey Volume 2, Blood for Blood by Charles Ardai. I'm getting hooked on these pulp crime series.

"Gun Honey, Vol. 2: Blood for Blood by Charles Ardai continues the adventures of gun smuggler, Joanna Tan. In Vol 1 of this Hard Crime graphic novel series, she discovered who murdered her family. In this volume, Joanna is a target of an assassin. She and her new partner, Brook, hunt for a female assassin (she used to work with Brook in the 'CIA'), who is trying to frame Joanna for murders.

The adventure takes Joanna and Brook to Montana, South Dakota, Italy and even Monaco. There are drug manufacturers, the type who make ecstasy... a really powerful version. They bear some responsibility for a rave that resulted in many deaths. So, basically someone is out for vengeance, against Joanna and against the drug dealers. (maybe... )

There is action on action. There is violence. There is nudity. Hard Case crime, a thriller on high speed. Just a break from reality. (3.0 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. The Celtic Riddle by Lyn Hamilton (Lara McClintoch Archeological Mysteries #4 / 2000). It's been awhile since I read one of the stories in this mystery series featuring Canadian antique dealer who finds herself embroiled in mysteries around the world as she searches for artifacts to sell in her Toronto store.

"Toronto shopkeeper and amateur sleuth Lara McClintoch heads to Ireland to assist a friend at the reading of the will of an eccentric businessman, who sends his friends and family off on a bizarre treasure hunt, whose clues are drawn from an ancient Celtic poem, but Lara soon discovers that the grand prize could just be murder."

New Books

1. The Mask of Glass by Holly Roth (1957). I've tried a couple of Roth's spy stories and enjoy the stories and the writing style.

"Jimmy Kennemore, of the U.S. Army's Counter-Intelligence Corps, woke up in hospital and could not move for plaster casts. Twenty-four hours earlier he had been a normal, pleasant young man, working on a completely routine investigation. Regaining consciousness, he found himself injured and disfigured, and his red hair turned to white.

Now, through his pain-fogged mind, he had to begin the desperate and tortuous piecing together of the monstrous events that had led to a shocking night of violence and deprived him of identity, friends, and future. But there were other events to come, events that were to assume the proportions of a nightmare and to carry him forward into that international No-Man's Land where human life is the cheapest and most expendable commodity."

2. Money Shot by Christa Faust (Angel Dare #1 / 2008).

"It all began with the phone call asking former porn star Angel Dare to do one more movie. Before she knew it, she'd been shot and left for dead in the trunk of a car. But Angel is a survivor. And that means she'll get to the bottom of what's been done to her even if she has to leave a trail of bodies along the way..."

Women Authors Whose Work I've Been Enjoying - Dorothy L. Sayers

Dorothy L. Sayers

Dorothy Leigh Sayers was born in Oxford, England in 1893 and died Witham, Essex, England in 1957. She is best known as one of the four Queen's of Crime during the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. The other authors were Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham and Ngaio Marsh. She is best known for her Lord Peter Wimsey mystery series. I've read four books of the 15 books series, written from 1923 - 1939. I have another 8 or 9 books awaiting my attention. It's been a few years since I visited the series so I hope to read at least one this year. I'll highlight the three books I purchased most recently to give you an idea about this entertaining series.

1. The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (#4 / 1928).

"Ninety-year-old General Fentiman was definitely dead, but no one knew exactly when he had died—and the time of death was the determining factor in a half-million-pound inheritance. Lord Peter Wimsey would need every bit of his amazing skills to unravel the mysteries of why the General's lapel was without a red poppy on Armistice Day, how the club's telephone was fixed without a repairman, and, most puzzling of all, why the great man's knee swung freely when the rest of him was stiff with rigor mortis."

2. Murder Must Advertise (#8 / 1933).

"When ad man Victor Dean falls down the stairs in the offices of Pym's Publicity, a respectable London advertising agency, it looks like an accident. Then Lord Peter Wimsey is called in, and he soon discovers there's more to copywriting than meets the eye. A bit of cocaine, a hint of blackmail, and some wanton women can be read between the lines. And then there is the brutal succession of murders -- 5 of them -- each one a fixed fee for advertising a deadly secret."

3. Busman's Honeymoon (#11 / 1937).

"Society’s eligible women are in mourning. Lord Peter Wimsey has married at last, having finally succeeded in his ardent pursuit of the lovely mystery novelist Harriet Vane. The two depart for a tranquil honeymoon in a country farmhouse but find, instead of a well-prepared love nest, the place left in a shambles by the previous owner. His sudden appearance, dead from a broken skull in the cellar, only prompts more questions. Why would anyone have wanted to kill old Mr. Noakes? What dark secrets had he to hide? The honeymoon is over, as Lord Peter and Harriet Vane start their investigations. Suspicion is rife and everyone seems to have something to hide, from the local constable to the housekeeper. Wimsey and his wife can think of plenty of theories, but it’s not until they discover a vital fact that the identity of the murderer becomes clear."

You can check out all the books written by Dorothy Sayers at this link.