A Saturday Morning Update

It's a footie Saturday. NBC always shows one game on a Saturday and today's would have been Brighton vs Arsenal. BUT NOOOOO! Instead they are showing some golf tournament... Sheesh! We watched curling instead. So it'll be Sweden vs Canada in the gold medal final. Can anyone beat Tomas Edin??? We'll see.

I've finished 4 books since my last update. I've also received a couple of new books which I'll also update. So without further ado, here is my update. Hoping to complete before the puppies start demanding their lunchtime walk. 😃

Just Completed

1. Mrs, Presumed Dead by Simon Brett (Mrs. Pargeter #2 / 1988).

"Mrs, Presumed Dead is the 2nd book in English author Simon Brett's Mrs. Pargeter cozy mystery series. Melita Pargeter is a well-to-do widow who gets involved in mysteries. Simple as that. She has newly arrived in the housing estate of Smithy's Loam, an estate of six houses. 

The story starts just before her arrival of a murder, presumably of the previous owner of Mrs. Pargeter's new home. Melita begins to discover something is amiss when on her first night, the heating system doesn't seem to be working. She calls the number of the previous owner, Mrs. Cotton and can find no record of either of the Cottons. As Melita begins to investigate where the Cottons have gone, she also begins to get to know her neighbours and gradually comes to think they all have something to hide.

Mrs. Pargeter does not rely on the police to help her sort out what's going on. Her husband was a bit of a schemer, a successful one, and didn't rely on the police. He had many friends to help him with his 'shady' businesses / activities and he left them all instructions to help Melita should she ever need it. And they, being loyal, are only too glad to assist.

So with the help of this crew, especially one Truffler Mason, she begins to search for the Cottons and discovers the murder, the body and then turns her attentions on who might have committed the act(s). Mrs. Pargeter is a wonderful character, smart, unruffled, imaginative and gains the loyalty of her husband's compatriots easily. It's an entertaining story with fun characters. I had some of it figured out but there was still enough twists to keep the pages turning. Most enjoyable. (3.5 stars)"

2. City of Illusions by Ursula K. Le Guin (Hainish Cycle #3 / 1967).

"City of Illusions| is the 3rd book in the Hainish Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin. I can't say it's my favorite of the series thus far but it was still interesting.

The story starts on Earth (this does come out later) as a stranger straggles into the homestead the Clearing. He is discovered by Parth, who will become his lover / partner. The strange man with cat eyes has no knowledge of who he is or of how he got there. The people of the Clearing can read minds and when their most knowledgeable of the craft searches his mind, nothing is found -  no past, no name, nothing.

The man is named Falk and he stays with them, learning their ways and the history as much as is told. It seems that Earth was taken over by the Sching and it is now just a place of disparate communities trying to keep out of their way. The Sching have created the Lie, nobody can trust anyone.

After a few years, Falk decides he must discover his past and it seems that the best way to do this would be to go to Es Toch, a city on the Western Ocean, the City of the Liars, the Sching. And that is how the story evolves, it is the story of Falk's journey and of his discover of his self. That portion of the story, the journey, reminded me somewhat of the Road. He meets people, his life is placed in danger many times by the people he meets. He also meets a Wanderer, a woman named Estrella, who will become his companion.

When we get to Es Toch, the story gets confusing. as we are now in the city of the Sching. Well not so they will tell you. but are they telling the truth? And that is what Falk (or whoever he really is) must discover. Why do they want to help him? Is he in danger? Will anyone else be placed in danger by his self-discovery? For a relatively short story, Le Guin packs in quite a bit. And it's neat to see her perspective of the future Earth and its people. I'm looking forward to the next book in the Cycle, The Left Hand of Darkness. For now though, I'll be visiting Earthsea. (3.0 stars)"

3. Twilight by Peter James (1991).

"Peter James is best known to me for his DS Roy Grace mystery series set in Brighton, England. I've read a couple of books in that series so far and my wife and I have been enjoying watching the TV series based on the books. But James has written many other books, some short series and a large group of standalones. Twilight, originally published in 1991, is one of his standalones.

The story follows American reporter, trying to settle into a new job in Brighton, as she investigates a story about the exhumation of the grave of a young woman. It turns out that various people, neighbors to the cemetery (who wants to live next door to a cemetery??) and some employees of the church have heard noises from the newly dug grave. 

After a few days, the local coroner, at the behest of the grieving husband, agrees to exhume the coffin. Reporter Kate Hemingway is sent by her paper to report. She manages to get into the site where the body is being exhumed (sorry for the repetition of exhumed) and when the coffin is open, everyone is shocked to see scratch marks on the lid of the coffin, broken fingernails on the young woman and most shockingly, that she has born a baby (neither have survived of course.)

The story moves from Kate Hemingway into the past and also follows one Harvey Swire, who will play a 'big' role in this present story. Living with his doctor father, as his mother has passed away, Harvey is unloved and on his own. Harvey has an accident and while in unconscious at the hospital, his spirit leaves his body seemingly and he sees himself from above, his body undergoing surgery.

This sets a course for Harvey as he tries to investigate what happens to the body's 'soul' after death. He becomes an anastheologist and will play a large role in what happens in the present. Kate continues her investigation, somehow managing to sneak into places that I would imagine no reporter should be able to sneak into. But she is intrepid. Pulled off the exhumation case after trouble by the hospital administration, she still manages to keep investigating, while getting help reporting on other articles by a potential beau.

The investigation will take a nasty turn for Kate and I'll let you read it to discover what happens and how it all resolves. Suffice it to say it's quite intense and thrilling.

James has crafted an excellent thriller here. You can see elements of the Roy Grace series; the locale of course, the paranormal aspects. Kate is assigned to investigate a medium, Dora Runcorn, who plays a deeper role later in the book, but she manages to catch Kate's attention by seeming to contact her dead brother, who may or may not (see what I'm doing here?) play a role as well in this story. As I said earlier, it's an intense thriller that builds nicely. It can be a bit graphic at times, but not drastically. The paranormal aspect adds an interesting sideline as well. Most enjoyable. (4.0 stars)"

4. Rubymusic; A Popular History of Women's Music and Culture by Connie Kuhns (2023).

"I saw this book, Rubymusic: A Popular History of Women’s Music and Culture by Connie Kuhns in one of my local book stores and it looked kind of interesting. Author Connie Kuhns is an author, essayist and broadcaster. Her radio show on CHRO radio in Vancouver, called Rubymusic, focused on women singer / songwriters. When she first proposed the idea in 1981, the station manager was worried that nobody would listen to a show which only featured female artists. They were wrong.

This book is a collection of essays and interviews. Connie Kuhns writes about the feminist movement, the feminist music festivals across Canada in the '80s. She writes about many musicians with whom I was unfamiliar; Ferron, Ellen McIlwaine, Teresa Trull, etc as well as artists like Joni Mitchell, Michelle Shocked, etc. Whether I knew the person or not, the stories that come out in the various essays and interviews are interesting and tell a story of the struggles to work in the music industry, especially for women back in the 80's.

I was in my 20's in the time frame but lived in a quite secure cocoon and it's interesting to see what I missed. Such fascinating lives and stories and Connie Kuhns was in the midst of it all; promoting, interviewing, taking part, playing music. As a part-time DJ myself at that time, I find that aspect interesting as well. Nicely written, fascinating people, interesting stories. (4.0 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. The Confidential Agent by Graham Greene (1939).

"In a small continental country civil war is raging. Once a lecturer in medieval French, now a confidential agent, D is a scarred stranger in a seemingly casual England, sent on a mission to buy coal at any price. Initially, this seems to be a matter of straightforward negotiation, but soon, implicated in murder, accused of possessing false documents and theft, held responsible for the death of a young woman, D becomes a hunted man, tormented by allegiances, doubts and the love of others."

2. Unnatural Causes by P.D. James (Adam Dalgliesh #3 / 1967).

"Superintendent Adam Dalgliesh had been looking forward to a quiet holiday at his aunt's cottage on Monksmere Head. But Dalgliesh had reckoned without the macabre discovery of the handless corpse of crime-writer Maurice Seton."

3. Tales from Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin (Earthsea #5 / 2001)

"Five stories of Ursula K. Le Guin's world-renowned realm of Earthsea are collected in one volume. Featuring two classic stories, two original tales, and a brand-new novella, as well as new maps and a special essay on Earthsea's history, languages, literature, and magic.

The Finder
Darkrose and Diamond
The Bones of the Earth
On the High Marsh
Dragonfly"

4. Dawn of Fear by Susan Cooper (1970).

"Derek and his friends, living outside of London during World War II, regard the frequent air raids with more fascination than fear--after all, they can barely remember a time without them. The boys are thrilled when school is canceled for a few days due to a raid, giving them time to work on their secret camp. But when their camp is savagely attacked by a rival gang from the neighborhood, the harsh reality of the violence surrounding them suddenly crashes down upon Derek and his friends--and a long night of bombing changes his feelings about the war forever."

New Books (6 since my last update)

1. Snap by Belinda Bauer (2018).

"On a stifling summer's day, eleven-year-old Jack and his two sisters sit in their broken-down car, waiting for their mother to come back and rescue them. Jack's in charge, she said. I won't be long."

2. The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake (Atlas #1 / 2020).

"The Alexandrian Society, caretakers of lost knowledge from the greatest civilizations of antiquity, are the foremost secret society of magical academicians in the world. Those who earn a place among the Alexandrians will secure a life of wealth, power, and prestige beyond their wildest dreams, and each decade, only the six most uniquely talented magicians are selected to be considered for initiation.

Enter the latest round of six: Libby Rhodes and Nico de Varona, unwilling halves of an unfathomable whole, who exert uncanny control over every element of physicality. Reina Mori, a naturalist, who can intuit the language of life itself. Parisa Kamali, a telepath who can traverse the depths of the subconscious, navigating worlds inside the human mind. Callum Nova, an empath easily mistaken for a manipulative illusionist, who can influence the intimate workings of a person’s inner self. Finally, there is Tristan Caine, who can see through illusions to a new structure of reality—an ability so rare that neither he nor his peers can fully grasp its implications.

When the candidates are recruited by the mysterious Atlas Blakely, they are told they will have one year to qualify for initiation, during which time they will be permitted preliminary access to the Society’s archives and judged based on their contributions to various subjects of impossibility: time and space, luck and thought, life and death. Five, they are told, will be initiated. One will be eliminated. The six potential initiates will fight to survive the next year of their lives, and if they can prove themselves to be the best among their rivals, most of them will.

Most of them."

3. Poems from the Women's Movement by Various - Edited by Honor Moore (2009).

"“In 1965, Sylvia Plath’s posthumous  Ariel  took the literary world by storm with its fierce and undeniably female voice. For the next 15 years, America saw a historic outpouring of women’s poetry supported by and supporting the women’s movement. As editor Moore points out, poetry was vital to the movement, articulating previously unexpressed lives, empowering others as the poets found their own power. . . . And all who missed these missiles and epistles then will find them still demanding and invigorating.”— Booklist  (starred review)

“What would happen if one woman told the truth about her life? / The world would split open.” These lines by Muriel Rukeyser epitomize the spirit that animated a whole generation of women poets, from the 1960s to the 1980s, who in exploring the unspoken truths of their lives sparked a literary revolution. Honor Moore’s anthology presents fifty-eight poets whose work defines an era, among them Sylvia Plath, Adrienne Rich, Anne Sexton, Sonia Sanchez, May Swenson, Alice Walker, Audre Lorde, Anne Waldman, Sharon Olds, Diane Di Prima, Lucille Clifton, Judy Grahn, Alice Notley, and Eileen Myles. Here is a fresh and revelatory look at a crucial time in American poetry that presents the full range of its themes and approaches and a generous sampling of its most compelling voices.

About the American Poets Project
Elegantly designed in compact editions, printed on acid-free paper, and textually authoritative, the American Poets Project makes available the full range of the American poetic accomplishment, selected and introduced by today’s most discerning poets and critics."

4. Whisper Their Love by Valerie Taylor (1957).

"Joyce is eighteen, a freshman at a fashionable school for girls; suddenly all that matters to her is a woman twice her age. This beautifully written pulp novel from 1957 is widely considered a historic milestone for its openly lesbian, feminist content.

Includes an appendix of materials about the book and author, as well as an introduction by Naiad Press co-founder Barbara Grier. Part of the Little Sister’s Classics series, which resurrects out-of-print gay and lesbian books from the past."

5. Novels and Stories by Joanna Russ.

"Rediscover one of America’s best SF writers in a definitive hardcover edition gathering all her finest work together for the first time

A LGBTQIA+ pioneer joins the Library of America series

An incandescent stylist with a dark sense of humor and a provocative feminist edge, Joanna Russ upended every genre in which she worked. The essential novels and stories gathered in this definitive Library of America edition make a case for Russ not only as an astonishing writer of speculative fiction, but, in the words of Samuel Delany, “one of the finest––and most necessary––writers of American fiction” period.

Here is her now-classic novel The Female Man (1975), in which four remarkable women––Jeannine, Janet, Joanna, and Jael––traverse alternate histories and parallel worlds (including the brilliantly imagined all-female utopia, While away in a multi-voiced, multidimensional voyage that continues to alter readers’ sense of gender and reality.

We Who Are About To … (1977), recounting the fate of a misfit band of space-tourists stranded on an alien world, challenges “golden age” expectations about civilization, in what becomes an allegorical thriller.

In On Strike Against God (1980), her incisive, darkly comic, and ultimately joyous final novel, Russ returns to Earth to explore LGBTQIA+ and feminist themes and the unfamiliar territory of “coming out” and lesbian romance.

Russ’s “Complete Alyx Stories” ––which feature her inimitably sly, resilient, and stone-cold heroine Alyx, who is plucked from a life of petty crime in ancient Phoenicia to serve as adventurer-for-hire for the Trans-Temporal Authority, and which reinvent the sword and sorcery genre for a postmodern era––are presented in their entirety here for the first time, and newly restored to print.

Also included are her unforgettable tales “When It Changed” and “Souls,” the former a 1973 Nebula Award winner and the latter the recipient of the 1983 Hugo and Locus Awards."

6. Lightfall, The Dark Times by Tim Probert (Lightfall #3 / 2024).

"The Lights have gone dark in Irpa. Danger lurks as the air grows colder and threats lie in the shadows at every turn. While the rest of their fellowship seeks safety, Bea and Cad team up with a small group of survivors to travel to the Citadel of Knowledge, pursuing answers to their world’s darkest mysteries. But their journey reveals even more secrets. Until an unexpected ally shines a light in the darkness, providing a clue to a mystery from long ago…and a beacon of hope for the future. Praise for The Girl and the Galdurian Harvey Awards Book of the Year Nominee Kirkus Best Books of 2020 Fall 2020 Indie Next List Junior Library Guild Selection 2021 Texas Library Association’s Little Maverick Graphic Novels Reading List Selection Nominated for the Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award"

Well, there you go. I hope you see some books that interest you. Enjoy your weekend. In the Valley, we have the Rotary Club book sale this weekend. I may visit tomorrow. 😎😁

Reading Advent Calendar 2023 - Dec 13

Time for the midweek shuffle... 12 more reading days until Xmas. Here is your Advent Calendar book for today.

Dec 13, 2023 - The Cat Who Turned On and Off by Lilian Jackson Braun (Qwilleran #3 / 1968).

"The Cat Who.... has been such an enjoyable series so far. I recognize that I've only read the 1st 4 books but they have been getting better and better. The Cat Who Turned On And Off by Lilian Jackson Braun| is the 3rd book in the series so, yes, I read the 4th out of place. Sue me! 😎

Fearless feature writer for the Daily Fluxion, Jim Qwilleran, has been forced to live with his two Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum, in a local hotel. Their antics are causing complaints from the other residents. Qwill, an ex crime reporter for a big newspaper, is given the opportunity to write a Xmas feature. He finds himself in Junktown, not drug's 'Junk', but antiquing Junktown and his editor tells him to writer a heart-warming feature about the antique dealers who reside there. 

Against his better nature, Qwill begins to conduct research and 'luckily' for him, finds an apartment to rent at the home of one of the antique dealers, CC and his wife Iris Cobb. Of course the house is haunted. Qwill discovers that recently one of the locals was found dead in his antique shop. The police say it was an accident, but Qwill's magic moustache twitches and he thinks it might have been a murder.

His boss doesn't want Qwill to investigate, he wants a happy Xmas story. So combining the two, Qwill writes a series of articles about the interesting, quirky dealers and also tries to find out what happened to Andy; liked by some, disliked by others.

It's a fun, easy, comfortable read. Koko and Yum Yum provide fun and games and Koko continues to discover clues. The people are interesting, especially Iris and another dealer, Mary Ducksworth, for whom Qwill has developed a bit of a crush. The story flows nicely, it's difficult to put down and ultimately, the ending is satisfactory and pleasing. Most enjoyable. Now on to #5 (4.0 stars)"

Enjoy the rest of your week.

It's Saturday and Mid - November 2023 (Like you don't know)

So what's been happening this past week. Jo worked and volunteered. I did some house cleaning and got my flu jab. Clyde has been feeling his oats somewhat, walking kind of tenderly. The vet thinks he's got arthritis in the knees of his back legs so he had a jab too. Not sure it's working yet but she did say it can take a couple of months for the complete effect to happen. Mind you, he's not getting any younger. Bonnie and I drove down to Nanaimo yesterday a.m. so she could have an eye check up with the specialist. She is based in Victoria but every 3 months or so does some work out of the animal hospital in Nanaimo. No change on Bonnie really, but at least glaucoma hasn't set in and she isn't in pain. Adjustment of her eye meds was the result. Also discovered that gas is almost $.20 a liter cheaper there than up in the Valley so I filled up the car. 100 kms distant and that much difference. The doctor said it's $1.79 down in Victoria too so she planned to fill up before she headed home.  Wow! So what's up this weekend. Well, Jo is currently at the Thrift shop so I'm doing this BLog and then this afternoon and tomorrow I plan to clean out the gutters and make sure all the Xmas lights are working. Yup, it's true. I never took them down last year. 😎😁

So let's do a bit of book updating, eh? I've finished 2 books since my last reading update and will provide my reviews. I'll also provide the synopsis of any books I've started and also the synopses of those new books I got since my last update. And maybe, just maybe, if I've time, I'll continue with my look at women authors whose work I've been enjoying.

Just Finished

1. A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie (Miss Marple #5 / 1950). Always reliable and entertaining. My first Monthly Focus in 2024 will be Christie, to finish a few of the books I've got residing on my book shelves.

"A Murder Is Announced is the 5th book in the Miss Marple series by Golden Age artist Agatha Christie. As always it was an enjoyable, circuitous mystery with a satisfying ending. 

In the town of Chipping Cleghorn an announcement is made in the local Gazette. A group of people are intrigued by it and show up at Little Paddocks, home of Miss Blacklock. The notice says, 'A Murder is Announced and will take place Friday, October 29th at 6:30 pm.'

The group are all friends of Miss Blacklock; Mrs. Cleghorn and her son Edmund, Colonel Easterbrook and his young wife Laura, friends and roommates Miss Hinchliffe & Miss Mugatroyd and the Reverend's wife, Mrs Harmon (a lovely character). With Miss Blacklock are her residents, Dora Bunner, a childhood friend, Julia and Patrick Simmons, brother and sister, Mitzi the immigrant cook and Philippa Haymes, a widow who works as a gardener locally.

All of these people gather at Little Paddock to await 6:30. At the exact moment, the lights go out, a flashlight is shone in their eyes, a voice tells them to stick them up, two shots are fired, seemingly at Miss Blacklock and then another. The body of the intruder is found, dead of gunshot, in the hallway.

Thus begins a fascinating investigation by the local police led by Inspector Craddock and also by a certain Miss Marple who comes to visit with Rev and Mrs Harmon, providing insight and ideas to the good inspector. It's nice in this story that Inspector Craddock willingly accepts Miss Marple's ideas and even is concerned for her safety. Especially as their will be other murders. Oh yes.

It's all most entertaining, easily paced and peopled with interesting enough characters for you to become involved, both to try and solve it yourself and also to hope those you like aren't the murderer. So many questions. Is Miss Blacklock the target? Are the others who they purport to be? Who is the Swiss waiter who conducted the 'robbery' and was murdered or who committed suicide? Was he working for someone else?

All excellent questions. Thank you. 😎😃👍 All will be revealed and it will be most satisfying. The setting is lovely. The people are interesting and entertaining and it's a nice, cozy, intelligent mystery for you to try and solve. Enjoy. (4.5 stars)"

2. Saga, Vol 4 by Brian K. Vaughan (Chapters 19 - 24 / 2014). One of my favorite graphic novel series.

"At the present time I have been enjoying 4 main adult graphic novel series; Neil Gaiman's Sandman, Alan Martin's Tank Girl, and Brian K. Vaughan's Saga. Last night I completed Saga, Volume 4 which consists of Chapters 19 - 24 of the series. 

In this collection, we follow Robot Prince IV who is hiding out at a den of iniquity on another planet. As always we continue to follow Marko and Alana and daughter Hazel, star crossed lovers of warring races, as they hide out and try to survive on another planet. Alana works in the entertainment industry, creating dramas for the big screen while Marco, unemployed, takes care of Hazel.

Prince IV's wife has given birth but is attacked by an angry serf who takes the baby and runs off. Alana is taking drugs to keep her going in her job. Marco is thinking of having a relationship with Hazel's dance teacher. And oh yeah the other bounty hunters continue to search for the pair. 

It's got a bit of everything; Hazel growing up; Mom and Dad starting to pull apart in their relationship, action, violence, sex. Great characters, fantastic bright colorful artwork by Fiona Staples. It was an entertaining, enjoyable read and I've got Vol 5 sitting on my bookshelf to read. (4.0 stars)"

Currently Reading

I'm making slow but steady progress on the many books I've got on the go but I have started one book since my last update.

1. Philip K. Dick - The Last Interview and Other Conversations by Philip K. Dick and David Streitfeld (Editor) (2015). One of my all-time favorite Sci - Fi authors.

"An electric collection of interviews—including the first and the last—with one of the 20th century's most prolific, influential, and dazzlingly original writers of science fiction.

Long before Ridley Scott transformed Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? into Blade Runner, Philip K. Dick was banging away at his typewriter in relative obscurity, ostracized by the literary establishment. Today he is widely considered one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. These interviews reveal a man plagued by bouts of manic paranoia and failed suicide attempts; a career fueled by alcohol, amphetamines, and mystical inspiration; and, above all, a magnificent and generous imagination at work."

New Books

5 new books have arrived on my doorstep since my last update.

1. Lore Olympus; Volume 4 by Rachel Smythe (2023). I  neglected to mention this graphic novel series above, but it is another that is entertaining me. 

"Witness what the gods do after dark in the third volume of a stylish and contemporary reimagining of one of the best-known stories in Greek mythology, featuring a brand-new, exclusive short story from creator Rachel Smythe.

"I don't always get to do as I please."

The rumor mill of Olympus is constantly churning, but Persephone and Hades are all anyone can talk about. With the constant gossip creating intense pressure on the pair, they decide to slow down their budding romance and focus on sorting out their own issues first.

But that's easier said than done.

Hades struggles to find support in his personal life, with Zeus trivializing his feelings and Minthe resorting to abusive patterns in their relationship. And while Hades tries to create healthier boundaries where he can--like finally putting a stop to his sporadic, revenge-fueled hookups with Hera--he still feels lonely and adrift.

Persephone feels equally ostracized as her classmates shun her for her connection to Hades, and she can find no refuge at home, with Apollo constantly dropping by unannounced and pushing his unwelcome advances. And on top of it all, the wrathful god of war, Ares, has returned to Olympus to dredge up his sordid history with the goddess of spring, threatening to surface Persephone's dark and mysterious past and ruin her tenuous position in the land of the gods.

Despite agreeing to take it slow, Persephone and Hades find themselves inextricably drawn toward each other once more amid the chaos. The pull of fate cannot be denied.

This edition of Rachel Smythe's original Eisner-nominated webcomic Lore Olympus features exclusive behind-the-scenes content and brings the Greek pantheon into the modern age in a sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.

This volume collects episodes 76-102 of the #1 WEBTOON comic Lore Olympus."

2. The Good Neighbors by Holly Black (3-book bind-up). I saw it at Books4Brains and must say it looked interesting. Jo is going to ban me from their one day.

"From the bestselling author of The Cruel Prince, an astonishing graphic trilogy set in a faerie world, full of mystery, intrigue, and romance.

From the amazing imagination of bestselling author Holly Black and acclaimed illustrator Ted Naifeh, a mysterious and wonderful faerie saga, for the first time in one volume.

Rue Silver's mother has disappeared... and her father has been arrested, suspected of killing her. But it's not as straightforward as that. Because Rue is a faerie, like her mother was. And her father didn't kill her mother -- instead, he broke a promise to Rue's faerie king grandfather, which caused Rue's mother to be flung back to the faerie world. Now Rue must go to save her -- and defeat a dark faerie that threatens our very mortal world."

3. The Telling by Ursula K. Le Guin (Hainish Cycle #8 / 2000). I mentioned this in a previous post. In 2024, my 12 + 4 challenge will be to focus on Le Guin's work, to finish the Earthsea series and the Hainish books and some of her her others. To that end I've been buying some of the books I've been missing.

"There have been eighty requests to send an Observer into the hinterlands of the planet Aka to study the natives. Much to everyone's surprise, the eighty-first request is granted, and Observer Sutty is sent upriver to Okzat-Ozkat, a small city in the foothills of Rangma, to talk to the remnants in hiding of a cult practicing a banned religion. On Aka, everything that was written in the old scripts has been destroyed; modern aural literature is all written to Corporation specifications.

The Corporation expects Sutty to report back so the non-standardized folk stories and songs can be wiped out and the people 're-educated'.

But Sutty herself is in for an education she never imagined."

4. Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World by Naomi Klein (2023). If I recall, my daughter Jennifer read a few of Klein's books when she was pursuing her Communications degree. I could be wrong of course. Anyway, this definitely sounded interesting. (And, yes, Books4Brains) Shh!

"What if you woke up one morning and found you’d acquired another self―a double who was almost you and yet not you at all? What if that double shared many of your preoccupations but, in a twisted, upside-down way, furthered the very causes you’d devoted your life to fighting against?

Not long ago, the celebrated activist and public intellectual Naomi Klein had just such an experience―she was confronted with a doppelganger whose views she found abhorrent but whose name and public persona were sufficiently similar to her own that many people got confused about who was who. Destabilized, she lost her bearings, until she began to understand the experience as one manifestation of a strangeness many of us have come to know but struggle to define: AI-generated text is blurring the line between genuine and spurious communication; New Age wellness entrepreneurs turned anti-vaxxers are scrambling familiar political allegiances of left and right; and liberal democracies are teetering on the edge of absurdist authoritarianism, even as the oceans rise. Under such conditions, reality itself seems to have become unmoored. Is there a cure for our moment of collective vertigo?

Naomi Klein is one of our most trenchant and influential social critics, an essential analyst of what branding, austerity, and climate profiteering have done to our societies and souls. Here she turns her gaze inward to our psychic landscapes, and outward to the possibilities for building hope amid intersecting economic, medical, and political crises. With the assistance of Sigmund Freud, Jordan Peele, Alfred Hitchcock, and bell hooks, among other accomplices, Klein uses wry humor and a keen sense of the ridiculous to face the strange doubles that haunt us―and that have come to feel as intimate and proximate as a warped reflection in the mirror.

Combining comic memoir with chilling reportage and cobweb-clearing analysis, Klein seeks to smash that mirror and chart a path beyond despair. What do we neglect as we polish and perfect our digital reflections? Is it possible to dispose of our doubles and overcome the pathologies of a culture of multiplication? Can we create a politics of collective care and undertake a true reckoning with historical crimes? The result is a revelatory treatment of the way many of us think and feel now―and an intellectual adventure story for our times."

5. The Ionia Sanction by Gary Corby (Athenian Murders #2 / 2011). I just finished the first book in this entertaining mystery series and am looking forward to seeing how the series moves along.

"The case takes Nico, in the company of a beautiful slave girl, to the land of Ionia within the Persian Empire.  The Persians will execute him on the spot if they think he's a spy.  Beyond that, there are only a few minor problems:

He's being chased by brigands who are only waiting for the right price before they kill him.

Somehow he has to placate his girlfriend, who is very angry about that slave girl.

He must meet Themistocles, the military genius who saved Greece during the Persian Wars, and then  defected to the hated enemy.

And to solve the crime, Nico must uncover a secret that could not only destroy Athens, but will force him to choose between love, and ambition, and his own life."

Women Authors Whose Work I've Been Enjoying - Michelle Spring

Michelle Spring

Michelle Spring was born on Vancouver Island but moved to England where she now resides in Cambridge, where she taught Sociology. I discovered her Laura Principal mystery series when I first moved to the Valley. Principal is a PI in England and worked cases with her partner. All of the books are named for rock songs. Unfortunately she only wrote 5 books in this entertaining series. She has written one other mystery, The Night Lawyer (on order now) and some books on Crime writing and Sociology. I'll highlight the 5 books in the Principal series. There may not be reviews from me as I did read them before I started into Goodreads and where I didn't write reviews at first. (Editor's note. It appears I have read The Night Lawyer... lol)

1. The Night Lawyer (2006).

"I had previously read Michelle Spring's Laura Principal mysteries and enjoyed very much. The Night Lawyer is a standalone mystery and it didn't grab me as much. The main character, Eleanor Porter, is recently hired as the night lawyer for a London newspaper, meaning she works the night shift reviewing articles for possible legal issues. Sounds like an interesting job. Ellie has a past, a previous nervous breakdown, something from her childhood that is alluded to throughout the story and also a stalker. Ellie isn't a confident character; she's trying to rebuild her life, from a previous relationship breakup (the reason for her nervous breakdown) and also trying to build her body and character with a karate course. There are things I didn't like at all, her neediness to reconnect with her ex, her constant panic attacks. But I imagine these characteristics are realistic; but the extent of them kind of irritated me. However, the story moved along nicely and ultimately resolved itself to my satisfaction. Not my favorite of her, but nevertheless, a well-paced mystery. (3 stars)"

2. Every Breath You Take (Laura Principal #1)

"Wildfell Cottage is a serene weekend oasis for three career women whose lives have taken sudden turns. But they are barely acquainted before one of them is dead—and another is determined to find out why.

Between the worlds of academia, art, and politics, someone slipped into a woman's life and snuffed it out in a burst of rage, leaving Laura Principal to untangle a wicked web of secrets and hypocrisy. What Laura finds is the perfect suspect. Unfortunately, a better one has found her. . . ." (4 stars)

3. Running for Shelter (Principal #2).

"When Laura Principal rings the bell at theatrical producer Thomas Butler's London mansion, a young maid opens the door. And suddenly, Laura is plunged into a mystery whose depths she fears to plumb.

The maid asks Laura to help her find some missing money, but overnight she disappears. Neighbors say she was abducted; the Butlers insist no such person ever existed. But beneath the vicious underpinnings of affluence—in clubs, country houses, and charming mews—Laura uncovers the unbelievable truth. Proving it, though, could be fatal." (3 stars)

4. Standing in the Shadows (Principal #3).

"The shocking murder lingered in the tabloids for weeks. A sweet elderly lady bludgeoned to death in a quiet corner of Cambridge by her eleven-year-old foster child, Daryll Flatt. Hideous as the crime was, the case was closed when the boy confessed to the murder. Now, two years later, Daryll's older brother hires private investigator Laura Principal to revisit the case--and to answer the baffling Why?

On the surface, Daryll fit the mold of a child murderer perfectly--a hopeless boy, abused and cast off by a wretched family. Yet as Laura Principal probes deeper, several curious facts reveal themselves. And with each step closer to the truth, Laura senses someone in the corner of her eye, a threatening presence . . . standing in the shadows . . . watching her every move." (4 stars)

5. Nights in White Satin (Principal #4).

"At the annual May Ball, a jubilant celebration marking the end of examinations at Cambridge, private investigator Laura Principal is hired to provide security. Then, somewhere between the dancing and the fireworks, a student disappears.

Katie Arkwright wore white, a vision of purity. But when Laura starts probing into the missing woman's life, she finds that Katie concealed a dark side. The deeper Laura searches into a tangled past, the more tension mounts in every corner of Cambridge--where someone waits, coiled to strike. And strike again." (4 stars)

6. In the Midnight Hour (Principal #5).

"At the annual May Ball, a jubilant celebration marking the end of examinations at Cambridge, private investigator Laura Principal is hired to provide security. Then, somewhere between the dancing and the fireworks, a student disappears.

Katie Arkwright wore white, a vision of purity. But when Laura starts probing into the missing woman's life, she finds that Katie concealed a dark side. The deeper Laura searches into a tangled past, the more tension mounts in every corner of Cambridge--where someone waits, coiled to strike. And strike again." (4 stars)

There you go. I'm off for lunch with the missus. Enjoy your Saturday.

A Saturday Update

It's funny how many times Jo and I watch The Big Bang Theory that we still find it funny and full of laugh out loud moments. We also watched Ghosts this morning. Love that show! We went out to lunch at Benino's and played five games of Sequence. Oh, we ate as well. Yum.

So since my last update, I've completed 5 books. I'll provide the reviews for them and the synopses for the next books in line. I'll also provide the synopses for any new books, I've added to my book shelves.

Just Finished

1. The Cat Who Turned On and Off by Lilian Jackson Braun (Cat Who ... #3 / 1968).

"The Cat Who.... has been such an enjoyable series so far. I recognize that I've only read the 1st 4 books but they have been getting better and better. The Cat Who Turned On And Off by Lilian Jackson Braun] is the 3rd book in the series so, yes, I read the 4th out of place. Sue me! 😎

Fearless feature writer for the Daily Fluxion, Jim Qwilleran, has been forced to live with his two Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum, in a local hotel. Their antics are causing complaints from the other residents. Qwill, an ex crime reporter for a big newspaper, is given the opportunity to write a Xmas feature. He finds himself in Junktown, not drug's 'Junk', but antiquing Junktown and his editor tells him to writer a heart-warming feature about the antique dealers who reside there. 

Against his better nature, Qwill begins to conduct research and 'luckily' for him, finds an apartment to rent at the home of one of the antique dealers, CC and his wife Iris Cobb. Of course the house is haunted. Qwill discovers that recently one of the locals was found dead in his antique shop. The police say it was an accident, but Qwill's magic moustache twitches and he thinks it might have been a murder.

His boss doesn't want Qwill to investigate, he wants a happy Xmas story. So combining the two, Qwill writes a series of articles about the interesting, quirky dealers and also tries to find out what happened to Andy; liked by some, disliked by others.

It's a fun, easy, comfortable read. Koko and Yum Yum provide fun and games and Koko continues to discover clues. The people are interesting, especially Iris and another dealer, Mary Ducksworth, for whom Qwill has developed a bit of a crush. The story flows nicely, it's difficult to put down and ultimately, the ending is satisfactory and pleasing. Most enjoyable. Now on to #5 (4.0 stars)"

2. March: Book 3 by John Lewis (March #3 / 2016).

"I began my journey with The March trilogy by American Member of Congress, John Lewis in August of 2022 when I discovered the first book in my local book store. Each chapter covers another portion of his fascinating life and his work with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) as he worked to get equal rights for American negroes, especially in the South.

Each story was powerful, educational, striking in its emotional impact. I think this third book, March: Book Three was the most powerful of all, as it covered the bombing of the Sixteenth Baptist Church in Birmingham Alabama, which resulted in the deaths of four young girls; Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley and Denise McNair. It also covers the murders of the three civil rights workers in Mississippi, and that of Malcolm X. But that is the tip of the ice berg when it comes to the crimes perpetrated against the Negroes in the South as the struggled for equality. 

This last book also covers the friction between the various civil rights organizations, John Lewis's SNCC, Martin Lewis Kings Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) as they sometimes competed for the same cause. The efforts to have Negro representation from Mississippi at the 1964 Democratic Convention is also covered. Of course the final chapter is the march between Selma and Montgomery where Mr. Lewis was so brutally attacked by Alabama State troopers.

It's history in action, riveting, terrifying, featuring peaceful, loving bravery in the face of armed opposition and hatred that sends chills down your spine. The fact that there are Governors in the US to this day that don't want this story told is sad and dispiriting. Those people who would keep this history from their citizens, because they don't want to be 'embarrassed' by it, shows that these people are the new George Wallace's and Sheriff Clarks, maybe put in nicer suits. The story should be read and told. (5.0 stars)"

3. Hag-Seed: The Tempest Retold by Margaret Atwood (2016).

"Shakespeare Retold is a modern retelling of various Shakespeare plays (12 in fact) by current authors. Hag-Seed: The Tempest Retold is a retelling of The Tempest by Canadian author Margaret Atwood. I found it a very interesting take on the play.

Felix is the artistic director of the Makeshiweg Theater. He is avant-garde and likes to stretch the limits of Shakespeare. Like Prospero, Felix is betrayed and finds himself thrown out of his job. His life mirrors Prospero's in many ways. Living by himself on an 'island', he is haunted by his own spirit, the ghost of his dead daughter, Miranda.

Felix assumes a new identity and gets a job teaching drama at the local minimum security prison. Each year he gets a group and they perform one of Shakespeare's plays. All the while Felix plots his vengeance against the group that betrayed him, just as Prospero does while on his island. After a few years, Felix's plan to gain vengeance is almost ready. This year he will have his class perform The Tempest and while doing so he will enact his plan.

It's an interesting take on the Tempest and an interesting take on the way of telling the story. It's a play of a play within the context of the play. 😎😀😁 It's a slow burn for the first part but as you get to the actual enacting of the play, the story picks up greatly. Interesting and different. (3.5 stars)"

4. The Crossover by Kwame Alexander (2019).

"I had no idea what to expect when I saw this graphic novel in my local book store. The Crossover by Kwame Alexander is the graphic novelization of his Newberry Medal award winning novel of the same name. Written in a combination of free verse and prose, it tells the story of basketball playing twins, Josh and Jordan Bell, stars of their junior high basketball team. The story is told by Josh, AKA Filthy McNasty. Josh leads from the front and Jordan is the dribbler, free throw shooter.

Their dad is an ex-basketball player, had a great career in Italy but had to retire when he injured his knee. He attends every game, getting almost too involved. Their mother is an assistant principal in their high school and rules the roost.

The closeness of the two brothers is tested severely when Jordan falls for a new girl in school; a pulchritudinous beauty in tight jeans and pink Reeboks. Josh will now find himself without his constant companion, the person he goes to to sound out his fears, his desires.

Compounding this stress is the health of Dad, who refuses to go see a doctor even under pressure from Mom. She worries about his high blood pressure, possible heart problems.

Kwame Alexander presents this story wonderfully; emotionally, sensitively. The penwork of David Anyabwile adds to the impact of the story; his drawings are crisp, lifelike, filled with action. The story flows, strikes at your core, is just excellent. (4.5 stars)"

5. The Penguin Pool Murder by Stuart Palmer (Hildegarde Withers #1 / 1931).

"I took a chance on this book; The Penguin Pool Murder by Stuart   Palmer, the first Hildegarde Withers #1 book. My wife and I had seen the movie based on the book (well, we watched the 1st half... that should have told me something).

Hildegarde Withers is a school teacher in New York. We meet her as she is escorting a class of 3rd graders through an aquarium. A pickpocket is discovered and Miss Withers trips him up with her faithful umbrella. She then discovers that she's lost her hat pin and sends the children scurrying about trying to find it. What they find instead is a body floating in the penguin pool.

This begins a fluffy, somewhat silly cozy mystery. Police investigator Piper takes Miss Withers under his wing for some reason as he investigates the murder of Wall Street broker Gerald Lester. It seems that Miss Withers hat pin had something to do with the murder. There are 4 suspects; Lester's wife, her onetime beau David Seymour; a lawyer who seems to have instigated himself into the scene, Mr. Costello; and the director of the aquarium, Mr. Hemingway.

There is an investigation of sorts; in the great tradition of Eliot Stabler of Law & Order: SVU, every person  is immediately guilty and locked up in the Tombs. Great leaps of logic, clues ignored, yada yada... The best part is the court case itself, which is short and sweet. The series was very popular in its day as were the movies. I may eventually try to find a copy of the 2nd book, but I won't rush to it. (2.0 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead (Ray Carney #1 / 2021).

"Ray Carney was only slightly bent when it came to being crooked…” To his customers and neighbors on 125th street, Carney is an upstanding salesman of reasonably priced furniture, making a decent life for himself and his family. He and his wife Elizabeth are expecting their second child, and if her parents on Striver’s Row don’t approve of him or their cramped apartment across from the subway tracks, it’s still home.

Few people know he descends from a line of uptown hoods and crooks, and that his façade of normalcy has more than a few cracks in it. Cracks that are getting bigger all the time.

Cash is tight, especially with all those installment-plan sofas, so if his cousin Freddie occasionally drops off the odd ring or necklace, Ray doesn’t ask where it comes from. He knows a discreet jeweler downtown who doesn’t ask questions, either.

Then Freddie falls in with a crew who plan to rob the Hotel Theresa—the “Waldorf of Harlem”—and volunteers Ray’s services as the fence. The heist doesn’t go as planned; they rarely do. Now Ray has a new clientele, one made up of shady cops, vicious local gangsters, two-bit pornographers, and other assorted Harlem lowlifes.

Thus begins the internal tussle between Ray the striver and Ray the crook. As Ray navigates this double life, he begins to see who actually pulls the strings in Harlem. Can Ray avoid getting killed, save his cousin, and grab his share of the big score, all while maintaining his reputation as the go-to source for all your quality home furniture needs"

2. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (2018).

"A young girl in Harlem discovers slam poetry as a way to understand her mother’s religion and her own relationship to the world. Debut novel of renowned slam poet Elizabeth Acevedo.

Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.

But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about. With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself.

So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out, much less speak her words out loud. But still, she can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.

Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent."

3. Adulthood Rites by Octavia E. Butler (Xenogenesis #2 / 1988).

"In the future, nuclear war has destroyed nearly all humankind. An alien race intervenes, saving the small group of survivors from certain death. But their salvation comes at a cost.

The Oankali are able to read and mutate genetic code, and they use these skills for their own survival, interbreeding with new species to constantly adapt and evolve. They value the intelligence they see in humankind but also know that the species—rigidly bound to destructive social hierarchies—is destined for failure. They are determined that the only way forward is for the two races to produce a new hybrid species—and they will not tolerate rebellion.

Akin looks like an ordinary human child. But as the first true human-alien hybrid, he is born understanding language, then starts to form sentences at two months old. He can see at a molecular level and kill with a touch. More powerful than any human or Oankali, he will be the architect of both races' future. But before he can carry this new species into the stars, Akin must reconcile with his own heritage in a world already torn in two."

New Books

(5 new books since my last update)

1. Dead Water by C.A. Fletcher (2022) A new author for me.

"From the author of A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World comes a haunting and suspenseful story of isolation and dread within a small island community. There's something in the water... On the edge of the Northern Atlantic lies a remote island. The islanders are an outwardly harmonious community—but all have their own secrets, some much darker than others. And when a strange disorder begins to infect them all, those secrets come to light. Ferry service fails and contact with the mainland is lost. Rumors begin to swirl as a temporary inconvenience grows into nightmarish ordeal. The fabric of the once tight-knit island is unnervingly torn apart—and whatever the cause, the question soon stops being how or why it happened, but who, if anyone, will survive."

2. Wanderers by Chuck Wendig (2019). Yup, a new author.

"Shana wakes up one morning to discover her little sister in the grip of a strange malady. She appears to be sleepwalking. She cannot talk and cannot be woken up. And she is heading with inexorable determination to a destination that only she knows. But Shana and her sister are not alone. Soon they are joined by a flock of sleepwalkers from across America, on the same mysterious journey. And like Shana, there are other "shepherds" who follow the flock to protect their friends and family on the long dark road ahead.

For as the sleepwalking phenomenon awakens terror and violence in America, the real danger may not be the epidemic but the fear of it. With society collapsing all around them--and an ultraviolent militia threatening to exterminate them--the fate of the sleepwalkers depends on unraveling the mystery behind the epidemic. The terrifying secret will either tear the nation apart--or bring the survivors together to remake a shattered world."

3. Ottoline at Sea by Chris Riddell (Ottoline #3 / 2010). One of my fun reads.

"Ottoline and Mr. Munroe do everything and go everywhere together. That is, until the day Mr. Munroe mysteriously disappears, leaving a strange clue written in string . . . Armed with her Amateur Roving Collectors' travel pass, Ottoline sets off on a journey over, under and on top of the sea to find her hairy best friend - and bring him back home."

4. American Gods Vol 1, Shadows by Neil Gaiman (Graphic Novel / 2018). I've read the original book and seen some of the TV series. Interested to see how it's presented as a graphic novel.

"Shadow Moon gets out of jail only to discover his wife is dead. Defeated, broke, and uncertain where to go from here, he meets the mysterious Mr. Wednesday, who employs him to serve as his bodyguard--thrusting Shadow into a deadly world where ghosts of the past come back from the dead, and a god war is imminent.

Collecting the first nine issues of the American Gods comic book series, along with art process features, high res scans of original art, layouts, character designs, and variant covers by BECKY CLOONAN, SKOTTIE YOUNG, FABIO MOON, DAVE MCKEAN, and MORE!"

5. To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers (2019). I've read one other book by Chambers. I enjoyed her unique take on Sci-Fi.

"In her new novella, Sunday Times best-selling author Becky Chambers imagines a future in which, instead of terraforming planets to sustain human life, explorers of the solar system instead transform themselves.

Ariadne is one such explorer. As an astronaut on an extrasolar research vessel, she and her fellow crewmates sleep between worlds and wake up each time with different features. Her experience is one of fluid body and stable mind and of a unique perspective on the passage of time. Back on Earth, society changes dramatically from decade to decade, as it always does.

Ariadne may awaken to find that support for space exploration back home has waned, or that her country of birth no longer exists, or that a cult has arisen around their cosmic findings, only to dissolve once more by the next waking. But the moods of Earth have little bearing on their mission: to explore, to study, and to send their learnings home."

Women Authors Whose Work I've Enjoyed - Val McDermid

Val McDermid

I've enjoyed quite a few of Scottish crime writer Val McDermid's work. She was born in Kirkcaldy, Scotland in 1955 (She's my age. 😏) Over her long career, she's written series; Tony Hill & Carol Jordan, Karen Pirie, Kate Brannigan, etc. as well as many standalone novels, over 30 novels. I've managed to enjoy 7 of her books thus far and have another 8 still to read. Let's take a look at those books to give you an idea of her work.

1. The Torment of Others (Tony Hill & Carol Jordan #4 / 2004).

"A dead girl lies on a blood-soaked mattress, her limbs spread in a parody of ecstasy. The scene matches a series of murders which ended when irrefutable forensic evidence secured the conviction of one Derek Tyler. But Tyler's been locked up in a mental institution for two years, barely speaking a word except to say that 'the Voice' told him to do it.

Top criminal psychologist Dr. Tony Hill is prepared to think the unthinkable - this is not a copycat murder but something much stranger. While DCI Carol Jordan and her team mount a desperate and dangerous undercover police operation to trap the murderer, Hill heads towards a terrifying face-off with one of the most perverse killers he has ever encountered..."

2. The Grave Tattoo (2006).

"A 200-year-old secret is now a matter of life and death. And it could be worth a fortune...

It's summer in the Lake District and heavy rain over the fells has uncovered a bizarrely tattooed body. Could it be linked to the old rumour that Fletcher Christian, mutinous First Mate on the Bounty, had secretly returned to England?

Scholar Jane Gresham wants to find out. She believes that the Lakeland poet William Wordsworth, a friend of Christian's, may have sheltered the fugitive and turned his tale into an epic poem - which has since disappeared. But as she follows each lead, death is hard on her heals. The centuries-old mystery is putting lives at risk. And it isn't just the truth that is waiting to be discovered, but a bounty worth millions..."

3. Kick Back (Kate Brannigan #2 / 1993).

"PI Kate Brannigan is hired to investigate a series of strange financial scams across Manchester. At first it looks like a discrepancy with the paperwork, but the deeper Kate digs, the murkier the case becomes.

Before long she’s up to her neck in crooked land deals – and murder – and her own life is on the line…"

4. Clean Break (Kate Brannigan #4 / 1995).

"Manchester-based, kick-boxing PI Kate Brannigan takes on the hard men of European organized crime as she battles to recover a Monet in a case that stretches love and loyalty to the limits.

Kate is not amused when thieves have the audacity to steal a Monet from a stately home where she’s arranged security. She’s even less thrilled when the hunt for the thieves drags her on a treacherous foray across Europe as she goes head to head with organized crime.

And as if that isn’t enough, a routine industrial case starts leaving a trail of bodies across the Northwest. Unfortunately, cleaning up this mess will mean confronting some truths about her own life…"

5. Beneath the Bleeding (Tony Hill & Carol Jordan #5 / 2007).

"The residents of Bradfield are devastated when their star midfielder dies, the victim of a bizarre, seemingly motiveless murder.

In a hospital, recovering from injuries, criminal profiler and psychologist Dr. Tony Hill struggles to make sense of the fragments of information he can gather in order to help his ally, Detective Chief Inspector Carol Jordan, bring a killer to justice. Then an explosion rips through a soccer stadium, leaving dozens dead and many more injured, and Jordan finds herself pushed to the margins of the investigation by the intelligence services.

Despite the dark places in their relationship, Tony and Carol remain the best hope for uncovering the truth about an ever-increasing series of unspeakable crimes. Are they terrorist attacks, a personal vendetta . . . or something even more sinister?"

6. A Darker Domain (Karen Pirie #2 / 2008).

"In Britain circa 1984, the news is dominated by the national miners’ strike. The region of Fife in Scotland is hard hit by the strike, devastated economically and shaken by clashes between miners and police. Against this violent and bitter backdrop, heiress Catriona MacLennan Grant and her baby son are kidnapped. The ransom should have gone smoothly, but instead, the payoff goes horribly wrong, and Catriona and her son disappear without a trace.

Twenty-four years later, dramatic new evidence discovered by a jogger in Tuscany prompts police to reopen the cold case. Detective Sergeant Karen Pirie leads the investigation. It won’t be the only cold case to end up on her desk. A young woman soon walks into the station reporting a missing person, Mick Prentice, who abandoned his family in Fife in 1984 to join the strike-breakers down south. Labelled a blackleg scab, he might as well be dead as far as his friends and relatives are concerned."

7. Fever of the Bone (Tony Hill & Carol Jordan #6 / 2009).

"In the sixth novel to feature Tony Hill and Carol Jordan, Tony meets his most twisted adversary to date—a killer with a shopping list of victims, who is unmoved by youth and innocence and driven by the most perverted of desires. The murder and mutilation of teenager Jennifer Maidment is horrific enough on its own. But it’s not long before Tony realizes it’s just the start of a brutal and ruthless campaign targeting an apparently unconnected group of young people."

8. The Skeleton Road (Karen Pirie #3 / 2014).

"The Skeleton Road, now available in paperback, is a gripping standalone novel about a cold case that links back to the Balkan Wars of the 1990s. In the center of historic Edinburgh, builders are preparing to demolish a disused Victorian Gothic building. They are understandably surprised to find skeletal remains hidden in a high pinnacle that hasn’t been touched by maintenance for years. But who do the bones belong to, and how did they get there? Could the eccentric British pastime of free climbing the outside of buildings play a role? Enter cold case detective Karen Pirie, who gets to work trying to establish the corpse’s identity. And when it turns out that the bones may be from as far away as former Yugoslavia, Karen will need to dig deeper than she ever imagined into the tragic history of the Balkans: to war crimes and their consequences, and ultimately to the notion of what justice is and who serves it."

So there you go. An interesting mystery writer worth checking out.