So today, I'm going to update on some new books that have arrived in the mail the past couple of days and also go through the books I've finished since my last reading update.
Let's go!
New Books
"In this crime story a body of a woman is sent to the police surgeon by mistake. He discovers that she died not from cardiac weakness, but from an almost imperceptible wound made by a bicycle spoke - a method of murder peculiar to certain Bantu gangsters."
"Laconic private eye Rex Carver has accepted the apparently straightforward job of tracing a young German au pair. Never one to avoid trouble, Carver becomes entangled in a dangerous game of international espionage and double dealing."
"Since the accident that left her blind, Kelsey has become more difficult than ever. At least this is what Alice told the psychiatrist.
Languishing in a house full of servants and unloving family, Kelsey has become bitter. She was driving the car that night. Geraldine did die, and Kelsey will never see again. But that was two long years ago. Time enough to heal. So why would Kelsey now want her life to end with a grain of morphine?"
"George and Ernie are American military cops in Korea. They work the neon alleys of sin districts, chasing felons and black marketeers. It's not glamorous, but somebody's got to do it.
The kidnapping of a child, held ransom for a priceless jade artifact, is more than these seedy cops can handle. They urge the father to pay it. The only problem is, dad hasn't got it. From that point on, officers Sueno and Bascom are pushed into intrigues way over their heads and expected to unravel conspiracies that are beyond them.
Can two disheveled, disrespectful army foul-ups cope with all this? Then again, it's not like they have a choice."
Just Finished
"A Siege of Bitterns is the first book in the Birders (Domenic Jejeune) mystery series by Steve Burrows. Jejeune is a Canadian who has moved to England and had success as a Police Inspector in London. His fame in solving a particular case (not much info provided about that) gets him a transfer to the Norfolk town of Saltmarsh. Jejeune is a 'birder' and the Salt marshes are a treasure trove of birds. It turns out that there is a competition going on where the birders are trying to identify 400 species in a year.
Quickly after his arrival a body is discovered; a famous local environmentalist and also a birder is found hung in a tree on his land. The evidence persuades the police that the man was murdered. Why? Jejeune's initial thoughts lead him to assume it might have something to do with this competition. A jealous opponent?
Jejeune is not immediately welcomed by his police staff as he is a quiet, distant type. But they are willing to give him a chance and we do get to know these other investigators maybe because they often are required to work on their own. We also get to meet Jejeune's wife, ex - crime reporter, Lindy, who now that they live somewhat off the beaten path works as a columnist for a local paper.
The story does wander around a bit, sort of jumping at times from one suspect to another, with not a lot of explanation why? It might have something to do with Jejeune's character as he does prefer to keep his cards close to his chest and work on his own.
The story develops slowly, with a cast of interesting characters and we do get a feel for the birders themselves, especially as represented by Quentin Senior, an interesting character, who might be a murderer as well? As I got into the story, I found it getting more and more interesting and as the characters developed, I found myself more drawn to them, whether the cops themselves, or the witnesses and possible suspects. I found myself satisfied as I closed the book at the end and even liked the final segment dealing with the Bitterns and their habitat. A nice introduction to Inspector Jejeune and his team (4 stars)"
"I've read a few books by Josephine Tey. The others have been part of her Inspector Alan Grant Series. Brat Farrar is one of two standalone mysteries by Tey. It was also turned into a TV mini-series and a movie.
I will readily admit that I had an inkling about part of the book when I was fairly shortly into it and this turned out to be correct. However, having said that, it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book at all.
Brat Farrar, an orphan, left England at a young age and traveled through France and the US until as he neared the age of 21, he returned to England. Alex Loding sees him by chance in London and realizes that he looks remarkably like Patrick Ashby, who committed suicide as a young boy after a tragic accident which killed his parents. The Ashby's live in Westover County and run an estate that makes its money breeding horses. Simon Ashby, Patrick's younger twin stands to inherit the estate on achieving his 21st birthday. Alex Lodings' proposal is that Brat should turn up at the Ashby estate and claim the inheritance and for his efforts, Alex would receive a monthly allowance from Brat.
Brat allows himself to be persuaded and after training on Patrick's life and that of the family, he introduces himself to the family solicitors to be identified as the true heir.
I won't get into the story anymore except to say that all goes well, and Brat is welcomed into the family as the long lost prodigy. There are of course mixed feelings, especially those of Simon who now loses the inheritance.
The story is an evenly paced work of fiction as we follow Brat through his introductions and new life with the Ashbys. They are wonderful characters, especially Aunt Bea, who has run the estate while Simon, now Brat, grew to the appropriate age to take over. And also, the lovely Eleanor, oldest of the sisters, who trains horses and welcomes Brat.
At times I wondered how this would work out, waiting patiently for some action. But, you know, it wasn't necessary. The story reminded me of watching one of those thoughtful, excellent movies on TCM, the classics, enjoying the characters and the story. Of course, Brat's taking over of the life of Patrick has consequences and it's a joy to see how everything is resolved.
An excellent novel and enjoyable mystery, one of those little surprising gems (5 stars)"
"Seaweed on Ice is the 2nd book in the Silas Seaweed mystery series by Stanley Evans. Silas Seaweed is a Coast Salish native who works for the Victoria BC police force as a neighborhood beat cop. He lives on the Reservation and works out of a small office in downtown Victoria. For some reason, he is greatly disliked by the chief of detectives, Bulloch. But he has many friends and acquaintances, especially police detective Bernie Tapp.
The owner of a local gym, Moran wants Seaweed to look for a missing member of his staff, an older man, Isaac Schwarz, who cleans out the gym and lives there. Later, Bernie Tapp takes Seaweed to a remote site where they discover Isaac's body.
This begins a chain of events, involving a local lawyer, Lofthouse, a widow who wants her will redone to keep the money from her nephew and a wartime incident involving stolen art works from Jewish citizens of Germany. For the relative short time frame of the story, it is very rich and involved. As well, Seaweed's Salish people are preparing for an annual Winter Ceremonial. And wait for more, bodies are starting to pile up, someone might be planning to steal Salish artifacts and maybe Seaweed might be getting a bit of romancing in.
It's a wonderfully paced story, Seaweed is a fascinating character. The mystery is interesting, the glimpses of Salish culture and ceremonies add to the texture of the story. And it's cold! I enjoyed the story as much as the first. It didn't hurt that I know Victoria a bit, having lived there for 3 years. It added to the interest of the story being able to picture the places visited. Seaweed under Water is next. (4 stars)"
"The Moor is the 4th book in the Mary Russell / Sherlock Holmes mystery series by Laurie R. King. Russell and Holmes are married and Russell is working on a degree at Oxford while Holmes, basically retired, raises bees at their small estate.
In this story Holmes sends a telegram to Russell stating that he needs her assistance in Dartmoor, the site of the famous story, The Hound of the Baskervilles. While Russell resents having her studies interrupted, she heads off to assist. Holmes if visiting an old friend, the Reverend Sabine - Gould, a true life character. Ailing and nearing the end of his life, Sabine - Gould has asked Holmes's support in investigating some ghostly sightings, the mysterious carriage of Lady Howard and a large black hound, which has been seen on the Moors. As well, there is a death of an itinerant tin miner which might be related to these sightings.
The story moves along sedately from these initial pieces of information. Russell heads off in one direction to gather information on the ghostly carriage, while Holmes heads to the northern boundary of the moor for a similar purpose as well as to assist his brother Mycroft in checking out a new piece of Army equipment being tested there.
We also meet the new owners of Baskerville Hall, a mysterious American and his assistant. A portion of the book involves reading the many books written by the ailing Reverend and whether information within those books might assist.
It's an interesting story, at times I wondered what exactly the two were searching for. The story is told from Russell's perspective, with Holmes's activities reported in their discussions. As gentle as it proceeds, there are still bodies cropping up and it ends with considerable action and is resolved satisfactorily. It's not necessarily my favorite series, but even having said that, I've now read 4 and still have a few sitting on my shelf awaiting my entertainment. King writes a story that flows nicely, and holds your interest and is satisfying. What else is necessary? (3.5 stars)"
Currently Reading
Besides my Edgar Allan Poe story collection and Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews, these are the latest books I've started.
"Can You Forgive Her? (1864-5) is the first of the six famous Palliser novels which, as a group, provide us with the most extensive and contradictory expose of British life during the period of its greatest prestige. In Can You Forgive Her? Trollope inextricably binds together the issues of parliamentary election and marriage, of politics and privacy. The values and aspirations of the governing stratum of Victorian society are ruthlessly examined and none remain unscathed. Above all Trollope focuses on the predicament of women. 'What should a woman do with her life?' asks Alice Vavasor of herself, and this theme is echoed by every other woman in the novel, from the uncomfortably married Lady Glencora to the coquettish Mrs Greenow and Alice's clear-headed cousin Kate."
"Kate Shugak returns to her roots in the far Alaskan north, after leaving the Anchorage D.A.'s office. Her deductive powers are definitely needed when a ranger disappears. Looking for clues among the Aleutian pipe-liners, she begins to realize the fine line between lies and loyalties--between justice served and cold murder."
"Meet Jack Laidlaw, the original damaged detective. When a young woman is found brutally murdered on Glasgow Green, only Laidlaw stands a chance of finding her murderer from among the hard men, gangland villains and self-made money men who lurk in the city's shadows."
So there you go. I'll get back to my Mystery genre submissions and my Author's A - Z in upcoming entries. Enjoy your Friday!
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