New Books

The raccoons in my neighbours yard have a lot to say this morning.

Because I went to the Rotary Club Book Sale last weekend and a few new books also showed up on my 'doorstep', I thought I'd do a quick 'New Books' update before I head off shopping. Jo is having a snooze so I won't disturb her. Let's go!

New Books

1. The Keeper of the Isis Light by Monica Hughes (Isis #1 / 1980). A new author for me.

"Olwen 16 lived her whole life alone on planet Isis with Guardian. To her more than a robot, he saw the danger to the human baby from such a harsh climate. When settlers come from Earth, she no longer needs to operate the Lighthouse. She and Mark 17 care deeply for each other, yet Guardian insists she wear a face mask and suit. Mark sees beneath and her world changes."

2. The Black Angel by Cornell Woolrich (Mys / 1943). I'm enjoying exploring his work. I just completed The Bride Word Black.

"A panic-stricken young wife races against time to prove that her convicted husband did not murder his mistress. Writing in first person from her viewpoint, Woolrich makes us feel her love and anguish and desperation, as she becomes an avenging angel to rescue her husband from execution."

4. Empire in Black and Gold by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Shadows of the Apt #1 / 2008). I enjoyed Elder Race and want to explore his fantasy / Sci-Fi more. This was one of my Rotary Club (RC) purchases. $2.50 a book, good deal.

"The city states of the Lowlands have lived in peace for decades, bastions of civilization, prosperity and sophistication, protected by treaties, trade and a belief in the reasonable nature of their neighbours.

But meanwhile, in far-off corners, the Wasp Empire has been devouring city after city with its highly trained armies, its machines, its killing Art...And now its hunger for conquest and war has become insatiable.

Only the ageing Stenwold Maker, spymaster, artificer and statesman, can see that the long days of peace are over. It falls upon his shoulders to open the eyes of his people, before a black-and-gold tide sweeps down over the Lowlands and burns away everything in its path.

But first he must stop himself becoming the Empire's latest victim."

5. The Golden Egg by Donna Leon (Commissario Brunetti #22 / 2013). The Brunetti series is one of my favorite mystery series. (RC)

"In The Golden Egg, as the first leaves of autumn begin to fall, Brunetti’s ambitious boss, Patta, asks him to look into a seemingly insignificant violation of public vending laws by a shopkeeper, who happens to be the future daughter-in-law of the Mayor. Brunetti, who has no interest in helping Patta enrich his political connections, has little choice but to ask around to see if the bribery could cause a scandal.

Then, Brunetti’s wife Paola comes to him with an unusual request of her own. The deaf, mentally disabled man who worked at their dry-cleaner has died of a sleeping-pill overdose, and Paola’s kind heart can’t take the idea that he lived and died without anyone noticing him, or helping him.

To please her, Brunetti begins to ask questions. He is surprised when he finds out the man left no official record: no birth certificate, no passport, no driver’s license, no credit cards. The man owns nothing, is registered nowhere. As far as the Italian government is concerned, the man never existed. It is even more surprising because, with his physical and mental handicaps, both he and his mother were entitled to financial support from the state. And yet, despite no official record of the man's life, there is his body.

Stranger still, the dead man’s mother is reluctant to speak to the police and claims that her son’s identification papers were stolen in a burglary. As clues stack up, Brunetti suspects that the Lembos, a family of aristocratic copper magnates, might be somehow connected to the death. But could anyone really want this sweet, simple-minded man dead?"

6. Minute for Murder by Nicholas Blake (Nigel Strangeways #8 / 1947). Strangeways is an interesting character. (RC)

"Wartime Britain: photos are stolen… a secretary is poisoned… a director is stabbed…

Who put the poison in blonde femme fatale Nita Prince’s coffee cup?

A hero returned from a secret mission visits his onetime colleagues (among them, Nigel Strangeways) at the Ministry of Morale. His former fiancée, the beautiful Nita, is now having an affair with the director, his brother-in-law…"

7. Tarzan and the Ant Men by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan #10 / 1924) I'm enjoying this series, but I need to read the next one. (RC)

"No man had ever penetrated the Great Thorn Forest until Tarzan of the Apes crashed his plane behind it on his first solo flight. Within lay a beautiful country. But in it lived the Alali, strange stone-age giants whose women regarded all men as less than slaves. And beyond the Alali lay the country of the Ant-Men - little people only eighteen inches tall. There, in Trohanadalmakus, Tarzan was an honored guest - until he was captured by the warriors of Veltopismakus in one of the ant-men's wars. They had their plans for the ape-man. By the advanced science of the little men, Tarzan was shrunk to their size and set to work as a quarry slave."

8. The Long Tomorrow by Leigh Brackett (Dystopia / 1955). I've liked some of Brackett's books more than others but this sounded interesting and it was published on my birth year. So there you go. (RC)

"One of the original novels of post-nuclear holocaust America, The Long Tomorrow is considered by many to be one of the finest science fiction novels ever written on the subject. The story has inspired generations of new writers and is still as mesmerizing today as when it was originally written.

Len and Esau are young cousins living decades after a nuclear war has destroyed civilization as we know. The rulers of the post-war community have forbidden the existence of large towns and consider technology evil.

However Len and Esau long for more than their simple agrarian existence. Rumors of mythical Bartorstown, perhaps the last city in existence, encourage the boys to embark on a journey of discovery and adventure that will call into question not only firmly held beliefs, but the boys' own personal convictions."

9. Exit by Belinda Bauer (Mys / 2020). I've read a couple of Bauer's mysteries and she's great, kind of reminds me of Kate Atkinson and Minette Walters as a story teller. (RC)

"IT WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO BE MURDER ...Pensioner Felix Pink is about to find out that it’s never too late ... for life to go horribly wrong.

When Felix lets himself in to Number 3 Black Lane, he’s there to perform an act of kindness and charity: to keep a dying man company as he takes his final breath ... But just fifteen minutes later Felix is on the run from the police – after making the biggest mistake of his life.

Now his routine world is turned upside down as he tries to discover what went wrong, while staying one step ahead of the law."

10. The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances by Glenn Dixon (CanLit / 2026). This was listed on the CBC web page as one of the 40 Canadian fiction books to check out this summer. The synopsis reminded me of In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune. It may be the next book I start.

"In a near future where even the smallest of appliances are sentient, a robotic vacuum sets out to save the humans of her house from a rising technological power

In a self-running, smart house, a young and sentient robotic vacuum listens as her owner, Harold, reads aloud to his dying wife, Edie. Mesmerized by To Kill a Mockingbird and craving the human connection she hears in Harold’s stories, the little vacuum renames herself Scout and embarks on a journey of self-discovery.

But when Edie passes away, Scout and her fellow sentient appliances discover that there are sinister forces in their midst. The omnipresent Grid monitors every household in the City, and it seeks to remove Harold from his home, where he’s lived for fifty years.

With the help of Adrian, a neighbourhood boy, as well as Kate, Harold’s formerly estranged daughter, the humans and the appliances must come together to outwit the all-controlling Grid lest they risk losing everything they hold dear."

11. Extinction Machine by Jonathan Maberry (Joe Ledger #5 / 2013). I just completed #4. It's a series with plenty of action and thrills and strange enemies.

"The President of the United States vanishes from the White House. A top-secret prototype stealth fighter is destroyed during a test flight. Witnesses on the ground say that it was shot down by a craft that immediately vanished at impossible speeds. All over the world reports of UFOs are increasing at an alarming rate. And in a remote fossil dig in China dinosaur hunters have found something that is definitely not of this earth. There are rumors of alien-human hybrids living among us. Joe Ledger and the Department of Military Sciences rush headlong into the heat of the worlds strangest and deadliest arms race, because the global race to recover and retro-engineer alien technologies has just hit a snag. Someone or something--wants that technology back."

GO CANADA!!

CANADA!!!

Canada's first World Cup game is about to start but I'm avoiding until it gets going so I don't jinx them. Yes, I do have that power. So in the meantime, a quick reading update. I think it might be very quick because I don't think I've completed any since my last update. Oh and tomorrow the Rotary Club is having a book sale. I may visit!!

Books Completed

(My mistake, I have completed one since my last update)

1. 101 Horror Books to Read Before You're Murdered by Sadie Hartmann (Non Fic / 2023).

"101 Horror Books to Read Before You're Murdered by Sadie Hartmann, aka Mother Horror (that's what it says 😃) is a book about books. I've read a few of these types of books in the past couple of years, in fact, I'm reading another at this time as well. I like them because they give me ideas about other authors, other books. My wife isn't all that thrilled because.. well, it gives me ideas about other books and often buy them. 😇

I liked the format of this novel very much. Hartmann has broken down the horror genre into sub-genres, even sub-sub genres; e.g. Paranormal is broken down into Haunted Houses, Ghosts & Creatures. In each grouping, she 4 or 5 books within the sub genre that she considers her favorites. But Sadie doesn't stop there. She also, throughout the book, highlights various authors, talking about what she enjoys about their writing and highlighting various of their books. She also asks them to list the 3 horror books that influenced their writing. Finally, she has a few horror authors provide their thoughts on the genre. There are also titbits throughout on women writers, graphic novels, etc.

It makes for a most enjoyable book. You can tell how much Sadie loves the horror genre. It's evident with every word she puts on paper. And you can tell that horror authors respect her as well, with their willingness to contribute to this book. I readily admit that I've ordered a few of the books listed in this book and I'll keep it on  my shelf as I continue to explore the genre. Check it out if you're thinking of trying a horror novel or two, or if you just want to expand your library. (4.0 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. The Blotting Book by E.F. Benson (Mystery / 1908). A new author for me.

""And in a copse close by to where the body of the murdered man was found had been discovered a thick bludgeon of a stick, broken it would seem by some violent act, into two halves. On the top half was rudely cut with a pen-knife M. ASSHE . . . What was puzzling, however, was the apparent motive of robbery about the crime."

Newest Arrivals

(4 books, three by authors that are new to me)

1. Solution Three by Naomi Mitchison (Sci Fi / 1975).

"As a fast-paced novel about a future shaped by feminist ideals of sexual and racial equality, "solution three" at first seems to be a peaceful answer to the world's problems. Homosexuality as an international norm and reproduction by cloning have minimized aggression and overpopulation. The sexes have equal rights and status, racial tension has been eliminated through genetic intermixing, and scientists work closely with the governing body, the Council, to keep an eye on the food supply and to heal the earth of prior environmental terrorism.

Originally published in 1975, Solution Three presents a future society in which reproductive control and homosexuality shape a more equitable life for all, eradicating aggression and racism, curbing overpopulation, and providing a dependable food supply. But there are those who are rebelling in this peaceful Miryam, a geneticist, secretly married, is rearing her own children; Lilac, a surrogate mother chosen to carry a Clone baby, is delaying her son’s seizure for social conditioning; and even the carefully conditioned Clones are behaving unexpectedly. This novel asks the courageous What is the cost to women of new models of reproducing life, regardless of the intentions behind the goal?"

2. The Intruder by John Rowe Townsend (YA / 1969).

"There was something weird about the stranger, something that Arnold didn't like. He made him feel uneasy and suspicious. Always poking his nose in where it wasn't wanted and winding Arnold up. All Arnold wanted was for him to go away and leave him alone but there was only one way he could stop him... "

3. Boys in the Valley by Philip Fracassi (Hor / 2023).

"St. Vincent's Orphanage for Boys.
Turn of the century, in a remote valley in Pennsylvania.

Here, under the watchful eyes of several priests, thirty boys work, learn, and worship. Peter Barlow, orphaned as a child by a gruesome murder, has made a new life here. As he approaches adulthood, he has friends, a future... a family.

Then, late one stormy night, a group of men arrive at their door, one of whom is badly wounded, occult symbols carved into his flesh. His death releases an ancient evil that spreads like sickness, infecting St. Vincent's and the children within. Soon, boys begin acting differently, forming groups. Taking sides.

Others turn up dead.

Now Peter and those dear to him must choose sides of their own, each of them knowing their lives — and perhaps their eternal souls — are at risk."

4. Invitation to the Game by Monica Hughes (Dys / 1991). It kind of reminds me of another book... do you agree?)

"Unemployed after high school in the highly robotic society of 2154, Lisse and seven friends resign themselves to a boring existence in their "Designated Area" until the government invites them to play The Game"

There you go. All caught up. I've got a few books on order so the new books might become a busy thread. 😉

My First Post of June 2026

What day is it, again?

I actually wrote 'My first post of April'.. Am I living in the past, or what? So, it is indeed June and it's cooled down here in the Valley a mite and we're even getting a bit of rain. ☔Jo had appointments last week; chemo on Wednesday and then we drove to Victoria on Thursday for a follow-up check-up with her radiation specialist. She was happy with everything, so that's good. 

Cuckoos Trattoria, Coombs

We stopped at an antique shop on the way back then had a nice lunch at Cuckoo's at Goats on the Roof. It's been a couple of years since we were there last. It's a lovely Italian restaurant.

Completed Books

(4 books completed since my last update. 70 completed this year)

1. Assassin's Code by Jonathan Maberry (Joe Ledger #4 / 2012).

"Assassin's Code is the 4th book in the horror / thriller series featuring DMS agent Joe Ledger and written by Jonathan Maberry. Ledger is still recovering mentally from the tragedy that occurred in the previous book and he and his team, Echo team, are in Iran about to help extract 3 American civilians who have been taken prisoner by the Iranian police. The mission is accomplished and the team splits up, most of them heading to a rendezvous point and Ledger, along with his faithful dog, Ghost, end up in Tehran.

This is where the story takes a turn and a new mission begins to take shape. He meets up with the head of Iranian intelligence, who is protected by a lone female sniper. Rasouli passes along a flash drive to Ledger, indicating that some agency has planted nukes at various locations around the world and plan to use them. The flash drive is damaged so Ledger sends it to his boss, Church, back in DC, to see if it's reliable. 

All the while, Ledger is in constant danger. He is shunted from one spyhole to another and mostly finds his contacts dead or attacked. At one point he is attacked in his hotel room by a 'red knight' ( a vampire???) and saved by the sniper who had been protecting Rasouli. She, Violin, is a member of another group, Arklight, who are mercenaries (much more will come out about them as the story progresses). At another stop Ledger and Ghost are attacked by another group, the Sabbatarians, a group of vampire hunters slash exorcists who believer Ledger is a vampire.

Yes, it's a very convoluted story. It moves from the present to the past, during the Crusades, where a group of Hospitaler Knights make a compact with a Muslim group to .. well, I won't say because it will all come out as you progress through the book. The story also jumps from Ledger, trying to stay alive in Tehran, to his boss back in Washington and his team there trying to read what is on the flash drive and to determine where the nukes are, back to Violin and her mother, Lilith, the leader of Arklight... oh yes, and of course to the enemies, Vox (who we met in a previous story), Grigor, leader of the vampires and others.

Trust me, it's a complex, action-filled story. I personally think it could have been shorter. Maberry does like to get into detail about weapons, technology at times and while it's interesting, it doesn't really advance the story. But it's all very interesting and there are lots of characters that I quite like. It builds to a climatic confrontation and is resolved reasonably completely. I've enjoyed every book in the series and have ordered #5 now. If you like action, monsters, etc., you'll be entertained by this series. (3.5 stars)"

2. Dog Songs by Mary Oliver (Poetry / 2013). My 2nd book of poetry by Oliver.

"I recently read Devotions by American poet Mary Oliver. It was a collection of poems from all of her books of poetry. There were 3 or 4 from Dog Songs: Poems, a collection which celebrated the bond between human and dog. These few poems struck a particular chord with me, as one or two of them dealt with the pain / emotion of losing such a companion in our lives. So to that end, I ordered the complete collection of poems.

Read another one, Dad!

I found the collection tender and loving and found some difficult to read.. maybe difficult is the incorrect word, the poems left a tightness in my chest, a tear in my eye, but also a smile on my face.

For I Will Consider My Dog Percy was especially touching... 

"For I will consider my dog Percy.

For he was made small but brave of heart.

For if he met another dog he would kiss with kindness.

For when he slept he snored only a little.

For he could be silly and noble in the same moment.

......... (I jump ahead as this is a long poem)

For when he sickened he rallied as many times as he could.

For he was a mixture of gravity and waggery.

For we humans can seek self-destruction in ways he never dreamed of.

For he took actions both cunning and reckless, yet refused always to offer himself to be admonished.

....... (one bit more)

For when I went away he would watch for me at the window.

For he loved me.

For he suffered before I found him, and never forgot it."

It is longer than this but I think you can get a feel for the emotion and love both felt for each other.

It reminded me of our lovely dogs, all now in doggie heaven together, how they loved us unconditionally, kept us warm and happy as we tried to do for them. Anyway, I'm getting maudlin. It's a lovely collection of poems about love and friendship, happiness and sadness. (4.5 stars)"

3. Death for a Playmate by John Dudley Ball (Virgil Tibbs #3 / 1969).

"I've read the 1st two books in the Virgil Tibbs mystery series so far and enjoyed them very much. #3, Death For a Playmate (also published as Johnny Get Your Gun) by John Dudley Ball was also excellent and not what I was expecting at all. In fact, because of that, I think the story was even more powerful. Because I was too lazy to read the back of the book for the synopsis, I, with my empty mind, thought the story had something to do with the death of (not for) a Playboy bunny, or something like that... Playmate, get it... Was I every wrong!

So, young Johnny McGuire, 13 years old, is struggling at his new school in Pasadena. His family, Mike (his dad), Molly (his mom) and Johnny have just moved to Pasadena from Tennessee because his father hoped to find a better job for his family there. Johnny is a slight boy and has a funny accent and dresses rather shabbily because his parents can't afford to buy him new clothes. So, he's picked on at school, especially by bigger and more well-to-do, Billy Hotchkiss. 

The only thing that Johnny has to hold on to is his dad's promise to eventually take Johnny to a California Angels game. Johnny loves them and even has a letter from their catcher, telling him, that if he's ever at a game to show it to the usher and he'll come out and shake his hand. Johnny also has a small transistor radio, that he received for his birthday, that he uses to listen to the Angels' games.

He takes the radio to school one day to listen to on his lunch break. Billy Hotchkiss catches him and hides it above Johnny's head. When Johnny gets very distressed, Billy takes it down and tosses it to Johnny, breaking it. Billy feels bad now and tells Johnny he'll buy him a new one, but Johnny is distraught and tells Billy that he'll kill him.

Unfortunately, Johnny's dad has a revolver at home and Billy decides to get his vengeance. He phones Billy and tells him he's on his way to kill him. Now, I'll stop there because it's a shortish story and I really don't want to ruin the plot anymore. Suffice it to say that Virgil Tibbs will be brought onto the case and the story will develop into a tense, finger biting tale that will lead you from Pasadena to Disneyland and Anaheim stadium. There will be tragedy along the way and the potential for an even bigger disaster because of the events that take place between Johnny and Billy.

It's an engrossing, fascinating story, covering race relations, mistrust of the police, childhood trauma, etc and through it all you have Virgil Tibbs, an excellent police officer, well respected within the police force, smart and logical. The investigation by Tibbs and the police force is methodical and interesting in its own right and the characters, even the more minor ones are all well-drawn and interesting as well. I really enjoyed the story. Was the ending am mite pat? Maybe, but it did not detract one bit from my enjoyment of this excellent crime drama. (4.5 stars)"

4. The Bride Wore Black by Cornell Woolrich (Mystery / 1940).

"The Bride Wore Black, originally published in 1940 is the 4th book I've read by noir mystery author, Cornell Woolrich. I won't ruin the story by getting too much into the plot as I think you need to discover it yourself by reading the book. Suffice it to say a woman is out for revenge for some unknown reason and a police is investigating.

The story is told mainly from three perspectives, with each section featuring the Woman, the Man and Inspector Wanger. The story takes place over approximately 2 and a half years and maintains a nice, steady pace and tension. Wanger keeps getting new cases that might be related by his boss, aka Wanger's superior.

It's quite an interesting set of stories, with seemingly unrelated characters entering and departing as Wanger keeps trying to bring the whole thing together in a cohesive case. At the end of each section we get Wanger's summary of the particular case.. basically, blank lines, quite humorous. His boss is excellent, for all that we see of him, adding a touch of ironic humour to the whole thing.

But it is a tense story and while you might have ideas about what is going, and you might be right, the ending does throw you a couple of neat little curve balls that leave you nodding happily. Woolrich was a troubled individual, so they say but his noir mysteries were very popular, especially in Europe. The book was turned into a movie by French director Francois Truffaut and quite famously, his short story, It Has to be Murder was turned into a little movie by Alfred Hitchcock, called Rear Window.. 

It is definitely worth exploring Woolrich's stories. I now have The Black Angel on order. (4.0 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. The Will of the Tribe by Arthur Upfield (Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte #27 / 1962).

"It is in a harsh and eerie landscape - the crater formed by the meteor they called "The Stranger" - that another stranger is found... dead. In an area where the presence of every outsider is announced by the bush telegraph, how had this man passed unreported? Who was he? How had he died? No tracks around the crater and no stranger in town. It soon becomes obvious to Bony that both the locals and the Aboriginals are guarding a secret - until the will of the Tribe breaks their silence..."

2. Shotgun by Ed McBain (87th Precinct #23 / 1969).

"DETECTIVE KLING LOOKED AT THE PAIR OF FACELESS BODIES AND THREW UP...

A shotgun fired at long range can really do a job on you. But when it's fired point-blank in your face, what's left is sickening enough to make anyone puke - even a cop.

A psycho had butchered a nice young couple - and he was loose somewhere in the 87th Precinct. He had a name, an address, an identity: Walter Damascus, a third-rate lothario who liked his women well-off, well-built, and - apparently - dead, along with their husbands. Sooner or later he would surface, and the men of the 87th would be waiting - for the biggest shock of their careers!"

3. 101 Horror Books to Read Before You're Murdered by Sadie Hartmann (Non Fic / 2023). (I've ordered a few books that were recommended in this book.)

"The Ultimate List of Must-Read Horror! Curious readers and fans of monsters and the macabre, get ready to bulk up your TBR piles! Sadie Mother Horror' Hartmann has curated the best selection of modern horror books, including plenty of deep cuts. Indulge your heart’s darkest desires to be terrified, unsettled, disgusted, and heartbroken with stories that span everything from paranormal hauntings and creepy death cults to small-town terrors and apocalyptic disasters.

Each recommendation includes a full synopsis as well as a quick overview of the book’s themes, style, and tone so you can narrow down your next read at a glance.

Featuring a foreword by New York Times bestselling author Josh Malerman and five brand-new essays from rising voices in the genre, this illustrated reader’s guide is perfect for anyone who dares to delve into the dark."

New Books

(Only 2 new books since my last update)

1. The Whispering Mountain by Joan Aiken (Wolves Chronicle #0 / 1968).

"A tale of adventure, attack, deceit, bravery, murder, abduction and high glory set in a small Welsh town. This book was the Winner of the Guardian fiction award. The author also wrote The Shadow Guests, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Black Hearts in Battersea and The Cuckoo Tree."

2. Inspector West Alone by John Creasey (Inspector West #9 / 1950).

"The Inspector has been framed for murder! He is found by the police in an empty house with the body of a dead girl near him, battered with an axe bearing West's fingerprints, and the identification in his wallet is not his own! He risks his career, life and the safety of everyone close to him as he untangles this set-up."

So there you go, folks. Have a great day! Jo and I are off to look at appliances.

While the Muffins Cool....

They're almost like mine, without the cinnamon

No that's not a book or song title, my bran muffins are cooling down so I thought I'd do a quick near end of May Reading update before I have a couple. 

So let's get right to it.

Completed since last update

(one book completed since my last update and I've almost completed one more. Hoping to before May 31st)

1. Skeleton Key by Jane Haddam (Gregor Demarkian #16 / 2000) It's always fun getting back to this series. This was part of my Dusty Book challenge.

"Every couple of years I pick up a Gregor Demarkian mystery and wonder what's wrong with me! Why did it take so long? I guess that at least I still have a few more of the series to savor. Skeleton Key is the 16th book in this entertaining series by American author, Jane Haddam. Haddam passed away in 2019 so when I read the next 15 or so, that'll be it. 😔

Anyway, enough rambling. I have not been reading this series in sequence so while some personal events have probably passed me by, it's not difficult to get into the swing of things with the series. Gregor is an ex FBI profiler who now assists the police with investigations, when he's asked. Gregor refuses to take payment as he feels it leaves him more freedom to operate. In this particular story, Bennis Hannaford, famous fantasy author and Gregor's 'girlfriend', is in Connecticut trying to help a family 'friend' and when the daughter is found (found by Bennis actually) murdered in the garage of the house where Bennis is staying, she calls Gregor to come and help the state and local police. (Bennis has cleared this already with the police and they are more than willing to accept Gregor's assistance. Kayla Anson, the murdered girl, is an 18 year old heiress and the police worry about the national publicity)

So Gregor makes his way to Litchfield County (Bennis has coordinated train travel as Gregor doesn't drive.. one of his many quirks) and to the hotel where she has arranged accommodation for the both of them. Bennis is quite sick, even to the point of coughing up blood. (this concerns me quite a bit as she is one of my favorite characters in the series). Gregor is aware of this but is also caught up in his investigation and travelling around with the local state trooper.

It's a meandering story, told from many points of view. Each person is interesting, different and has their own problems. And all have somewhat of a relation to the case. Over the course of the story you'll get to know them better and this adds to the richness and quality of the story on the whole. As well, more bodies will crop up, oddly enough, all in the same garage and Bennis will get sicker and eventually head back to Philadelphia to see her doctor... (Concern is getting more concerning!! I don't like this)

It's a fascinating mystery. Gregor is an interesting investigator and the police, unlike in some series, don't resent his assistance but welcome it and work effectively with him. But the story doesn't neglect Gregor's good friends in Philadelphia. There are issues there that he is constantly reminded of. 

There is almost too much to tell; a neat mystery peopled with great characters, a fascinating investigator worried about the case and about his friends in Philly and his relationship with Bennis. But amazingly, Jane Haddam keeps you turning pages as she slowly and skillfully ties all these threads together in a satisfying conclusion. (4.0 stars)"

Currently Reading

Time to dust off a classic.

1. Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (Classics / 1891). I've read two other works by Hardy so far, Far from the Madding Crowd and Life's Little Ironies.

"Tess is an innocent young girl until the day she goes to visit her rich 'relatives', the D'Urbervilles, in hope that they might help her alleviate her own family's poverty. Her encounter with her manipulative cousin, Alec, leads her onto a path that is beset with suffering and betrayal. When she falls in love with another man, Angel Clare, Tess sees a potential escape from her past, but only if she can tell him her shameful secret..."

New Arrivals

(4 new books have arrived on my door step.. well, sort of)

1. Banking on Death by Emma Lathen (John Putnam Thatcher #1 / 1961). A new author for me.

"The Sloan receives a request for an advance against a trust that does not permit it. John Putnam Thatcher gets involved by one heir, Arthur Schneider, President of Schneider Manufacturing, and grandson of the founder who left a trust for his grandchildren upon the death of all of their parents. The last parent is about to die from natural causes. One heir is missing and Thatcher, Trinkam, and Nicholls, all Emma Lathen regulars work to find the missing heir. Soon they learn a murder is involved and it takes Thatcher to unravel the Gordian knot."

2. Seasons of Glass and Iron by Amal el-Mohtar (Short Stories / Fantasy / 2026). I've read one other book by el-Mohtar, This is How You Lose the Time War and thought it was very imaginative.

"Full of glimpses into gleaming worlds and fairy tales with teeth, Seasons of Glass and Stories is a collection of acclaimed and awarded work from Amal El-Mohtar.

With confidence and style, El-Mohtar guides us through exquisitely told and sharply observed tales about life as it is, was, and could be. Like miscellany from other worlds, these stories are told in letters, diary entries, reference materials, folktales, and lyrical prose.

Full of Nebula, Locus, World Fantasy, and Hugo Award-winning and nominated stories, Seasons of Glass and Stories includes "Seasons of Glass and Iron," "The Green Book," "Madeleine," "The Lonely Sea in the Sky," "And Their Lips Rang with the Sun," "The Truth About Owls," "A Hollow Play," "Anabasis," "To Follow the Waves," "John Hollowback and the Witch," "Florilegia, or, Some Lies About Flowers," "Pockets," and more."

3. Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann (Sheep Detectives #1 / 2005). They've turned this into a movie. I thought I should read the book first.

"Something is not right with George the shepherd. His sheep have gathered around him outside the cozy Irish village of Glennkill to assess the situation. George has cared for the sheep, reading them books every night, and now he lies pinned to the ground with a spade. His flock, far savvier about the workings of the human mind than your average sheep, sets out to find George’s killer, led by Miss Maple, the smartest sheep in Glennkill (and possibly the world).

Her team of investigators includes Othello, who was rescued from the Dublin Zoo; Mopple the Whale, who is always hungry and remembers everything; and Zora, an existential ewe—just to name a few. Together, the sheep discuss the crime late into the night, and their speculations vary wildly. Determined to unravel the mystery, they embark on furtive missions into the village, where they encounter a hoof-full of two-legged suspects. There’s Ham, the terrifying butcher who smells of death; Rebecca, the secretive village newcomer; and Father Will, a sinister priest the sheep call God."

4. The First Thousand Trees by Premee Mohamed (Annual Migration of Clouds #3 / 2025). I enjoyed the 1st book in this trilogy and also The Butcher of the Forest, both excellent stories. I have a couple of other books by Mohamed as well. 

"After making a grievous mistake that ended in death, Henryk Mandrusiak feels increasingly ostracized within his own community, and after the passing on of his parents and the departure of his best friend, Reid, there is little left to tie him to the place he calls home. Henryk does something he never expected: he sets out into the harsh wilds alone, in search of far-flung family. He finds his uncle's village, but making a life for himself in this unfriendly new place -- rougher and more impoverished than the campus where he grew up -- isn't easy. Henryk strives to carve out a place of his own but learns that some corners of his broken world are darker than he could have imagined.

This stunning novella concludes the story Mohamed started in The Annual Migration of Clouds and continued in We Speak Through the Mountain, bleaker than ever but still in search of a spark of hope in the climate apocalypse."

So there you go. Some more reading ideas for you. Now to grab myself a couple muffins and a cup of coffee for brekkie. Enjoy your weekend! Stay safe.

Happy Sunday

It's a catch up on the ironing Sunday, so I'm instead writing about books. Jo is watching the F1 race in Montreal and I'm ironing... Something wrong with that. 

I have to say that Jo is pretty smart. When she first came over to Canada, she offered to iron my uniform shirts. Of course the crease wasn't quite right and the collar needed a bit of work... Needless to say, almost 25 years later and I'm still ironing...

I don't think I've got too much of an update but let's take a look, shall we.

Completed Books (since last update)

1. The 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance Comic Book; Revised and Expanded by Gord Hill (Non Fic / Graphic novel / 2002).

"The 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance Comic Book: Revised and Expanded is the 2nd historical graphic novel from Gord Hill. The other was The Anti-Fa Comic Book, which was also quite good. 

The book tells the story of the colonization of the Americas and the indigenous peoples fight to keep and protect their lands and lives from these European aggressors. It covers the whole gamut of this battle, from the Spanish invasion starting with Christopher Columbus and the Spanish actions in Central and South America and moves to North America and the British and Russian activities in that continent. It covers the period from 1492 to the present time with current protests and actions to protect native, indigenous lands and protect the climate and environment.

The book defines 'colonization' in its 4 stages-

1. Reconnaissance - the initial mission to find land & resources (a la Columbus' first visit with 3 ships)

2. Invasion - the invasion force to take possession of the land

3. Occupation - if successful, the invading force imposes control over indigenous populations

4. Assimilation - colonial power often begins efforts to assimilate the surviving indigenous populations.

It's a powerful story. I was amazed at the size and complexities of the indigenous populations in America, their culture and civilizations, their ability to fight back against the invaders. The stories demonstrate the cruelty of the Spaniard and British colonists. 

At times it's difficult to read as Gord Hill doesn't hold back. It's a story that is worth reading. There isn't a lot of analysis, more an exposition of facts. I can't say I enjoyed the story as it's not an easy story but I'm glad that I read it. Does it leave with a positive feeling? Difficult to say. Indigenous peoples continue to fight for their rights and lands. I just hope that national governments work with them, not against them. Together, both are stronger. (3.5 stars)"

2. Memoirs of a Spacewoman by Naomi Mitchison (Sci Fi / 1962).

"My first exposure to Naomi Mitchison was her fantasy novel, Travel Light. Based on that I had to continue checking out her work. Memoirs of a Spacewoman, a Sci Fi novel, was my next choice. It was first published in 1962.

It's difficult to describe the book. The copy I have, published by Kennedy & Boyd has an excellent synopsis of the book in the foreword by Isobel Murray. The story, or memoir, is told by Mary, a space explorer, specializing in communications with other beings. The memoir follows Mary as she travels in space and also during her time back on Earth. It's a story like no other I've read, I think. I mean there are elements of Ursula K. Le Guin and others but at the same time it's quite unique.

There are some neat concepts in the book, especially the time blackout, which I guess is a form of suspended animation (although it's not technically described) that allows explorers to travel to distant planets and return home without really aging. One thing about the book, there is a lot of 'how'; how does this work, how does the communication expert gain the skills / knowledge to be a communication expert, etc.. It just is. The 'how' really isn't important. And nicely enough, it doesn't take away from the story one bit.

The book is about feelings, thoughts. The beings that are met during their travels are, dare I say, interesting. The travelers often have difficulty retaining a perspective, a non-interventionist attitude when they perceive one group abusing another (Remember Star Trek's Prime Directive?) 

It seems that Earth (and Mars and maybe the the planets in the Solar System) spend a lot of time exploring. It's an important, useful job. There are various teams that travel all over the place, visiting and revisiting planets. You start with a visit, bring back info, another team goes back, etc etc... There are different fields, the Communicators, the Minerals group, the botanists, etc. 

There are many accidents. In one case, an explorer group  from Earth and Mars has some sort of disaster on a planet (not clearly stated what... remember what or how isn't important, it just is) Mary is hurt badly and on the trip home is comforted by one of the Martians who weren't hurt too badly. They communicate by touch, feel and in the end, Mary ends up pregnant. She keeps the baby, a hybrid Earthling / Martian, named Viola. 

OK, I'm jumping all over the place here. You really have to read the book. There are so many neat ideas, the 'killer' butterflies. On a stay at home Mary agrees to have an organism grafted onto her leg to see what will happen. Animals and others also agree. There is a lot of sexuality in the story; the Martians switch from female to male but when traumatized tend to switch to one sex (this reminded me of Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness). Mary and she's not alone has children with various people including the Martian.

It's just a fascinating (damn it, there I go again. I had to use the word fascinating) But it is that, the situations are weird and wonderful (sometimes scaryish), the culture, such as it's described makes you think, the whole story makes you think, draws you in. I think you'd better just check it out (4.5 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. Death of a Playmate by John Dudley Ball (Virgil Tibbs #3 / 1969). Also published as Johnny Get Your Gun.

"Can a 9-year-old boy be a fugitive from justice? In a masterpiece of contemporary conflict, John Ball spells out, as only he can, what happens when a confused little boy wants to even up a humiliating score by going after his tormentor with a .38 Colt revolver. The scintillating background is California: black-white Pasadena, Disneyland and the Angels' ballpark. DEATH FOR A PLAYMATE is an unusual story of murder, and Virgil Tibbs is back to solve it."

New Arrivals

1. Superluminal by Vonda N. McIntyre (Sci Fi / 1983).

"In Vonda N. McIntyre's Superluminal, a woman has to undergo bodily augmentation and alteration in order to cope with the pressures of being a starship pilot, e.g. the ability to go superluminal. Don't want to be a cyborg? Then this is not the job for you, the whole flying around in space thing. You won't have to worry about getting a pacemaker though."

2. The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths (Harbinder Kaur #2 /  2020).

"Murder leaps off the page when crime novelists begin to turn up dead in this intricate new novel by internationally best-selling author Elly Griffiths, a literary mystery perfect for fans of Anthony Horowitz and Agatha Christie.

The death of a ninety-year-old woman with a heart condition should not be suspicious. Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur certainly sees nothing out of the ordinary when Peggy’s caretaker, Natalka, begins to recount Peggy Smith’s passing.

But Natalka had a reason to be at the police while clearing out Peggy’s flat, she noticed an unusual number of crime novels, all dedicated to Peggy. And each psychological thriller included a mysterious postscript : for PS. When a gunman breaks into the flat to steal a book and its author is found dead shortly thereafter—Detective Kaur begins to think that perhaps there is no such thing as an unsuspicious death after all.

And then things from an Aberdeen literary festival to the streets of Edinburgh, writers are being targeted. DS Kaur embarks on a road trip across Europe and reckons with how exactly authors can think up such realistic crimes . . ."

3. The Zig Zag Girl by Elly Griffiths (Brighton Mysteries #1 / 2014).

"Brighton, 1950. A girl is found cut into three sections, and Detective Inspector Edgar Stephens is convinced the killer is mimicking a famous magic trick―the Zig Zag Girl. The inventor of the trick, Max Mephisto, served with Edgar in a special ops group called the Magic Men that used stage illusions to confound the enemy. Max still performs, touring with ventriloquists, sword-swallowers, and dancing girls.

When Edgar asks for his help with the case, Max tells him to identify the victim, for it takes a special sidekick to do the Zig Zag Girl. Those words haunt Max when he learns the victim was a favorite former assistant of his own. And when Edgar receives a letter warning of another “trick” on the way, he realizes that it is the Magic Men themselves who are in the killer’s sights."

4. The Creepers by John Creasey (Inspector West #10 / 1950).

"Inspector West must find Lobo, the mysterious leader of a gang of burglars because of a murder that occurred during their last crime"

So there you go, some new authors for me and some tried and true. I hope you might have a few reading ideas. Now back to the ironing... maybe do the dishes? Have a great week. Enjoy the rest of May.