New Books (or Book anyway) and Women Authors

I haven't finished any books since my last update but I'm making progress on them. I hope to finish one or two this upcoming weekend. I received one book this past week. I'll provide the synopsis of that book. I'll also continue with my ongoing look at Women author's whose work I've been enjoying. This will be a short post I think. Oh, I'm enjoying In a Lonely Place on TCM this afternoon. It's based on a novel I've enjoyed, by Dorothy B. Hughes and stars Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame.

New Books

1. Murder Plus One by Gavin Lyall (1965). Lyall is a new author for me and is an author of thrillers.

"Lewis Cane fought with the French Resistance during the Second World War and gained a justified reputation as a tough and resourceful man. So it's no great surprise when one of his ex-Resistance comrades, now a successful lawyer in the early 1960s in Paris employs him to escort a businessman from Brittany to Liechtenstein for a crucial meeting. There are just two problems: the man's associates don't want him to get there, and the police have a warrant out for the man's arrest on a charge of rape. For Cane, it becomes a desperate race across France, fighting against resourceful and ruthless adversaries and avoiding the forces of law and order every step of the way . . ."

Women Authors I'm Enjoying - Liz Evans

Liz Evans

Liz Evans is an English author of detective mysteries featuring private eye Grace Smith. Evans was born in Highgate and now lives in Hertfordshire. Since 1997, she's written six books in this series. I've read the first book so far and enjoyed it very much. I have two more books on my bookshelves waiting my attention. I'll highlight all three books to give you an idea of her style.

1. Who Killed Marilyn Monroe (Grace Smith #1 / 1997).

"Who Killed Marilyn Monroe? by Liz Evans, the first book in the PI Grace Smith series, was an entertaining, fun surprise. Of course, I was somewhat mislead by the title, of course, it had nothing to do with Marilyn Monroe. Grace Smith is a struggling PI working for Vetch Associates, somewhere on the coast of England (struggling because she never seems to have any money and seems to get the odd ball cases).

Marilyn Monroe is a donkey, belonging to December Drysdale, who runs them down to the beach for tourists to take pictures of and to ride them. Unfortunately, Marilyn has been murdered and Drysdale doesn't think the police will take the death seriously enough. Grace 'Smithie' is assigned the case and thus begins an interesting, odd case which might also involve the murder of one of Drysdale's neighbors, a young woman, who was also murdered the same evening.

While it seems an unlikely story, but Evans puts it together nicely, making for an interesting, even fascinating story. She develops her characters with loving care and you find yourself drawn into them and the story. As Liz Lemon would say, "I want to go to there" and meet Grace and the other people in her community; from bar owner and aging rocker, Shane (who feeds Grace for free and entertains with loud rock music), her co-worker, Annie (sarcastic and a tolerant, helpful friend); the residents of the old age home, even Drysdale's donkeys. You find yourself loving these characters.

Evans weaves a fun story, somewhere between Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books and Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone mysteries. Grace Smith is at times hapless, but always determined. She's scruffy, sexy and lovable. I've already ordered the next book, JFK Is Missing!. If you like a cozy, but action-filled, at times humorous mystery, try Liz Evans (4.5 stars)"

2. JFK is Missing (Grace Smith #2 / 1998).

"Liz Evans is in top form in these, the first three investigations in the PI Grace Smith mystery series. Featuring a feisty and engaging heroine, and packed with cracking one-liners and unexpected twists, these pacey novels will keep you guessing to the end.PI Grace Smith is back, walking the mean streets of Seatoun, a seedy town on England's southern coast. Client Henry Summerstone has asked her to find a missing person, but he has no idea of her name, where she lives or works, or what she looks like -- he's been blind for years. In fact, he's not even sure she's missing. But he's offering cash, an offer that Grace finds hard to refuse. Soon she's got a lead on the girl -- several girls, as it turns out -- but instead of them leading her to Miss X, Grace finds herself caught up in government fraud, family feuds, and cold-blooded murder."

3. Sick as a Parrot (Grace Smith #5 / 2004).

"Adopted at birth, Hanna Conti attempts to trace her family. She turns up a mother who, 20 years earlier, was convicted of murder. Convinced that her mother is innocent, Hannah hires PI Grace Smith to prove it. Grace uncovers the story of the very messy murder of Janet Hepburn, a teacher at St. Martin’s Comprehensive, but there are a lot of people who’d rather she stopped digging. On Grace’s side (or possibly not) is an ex-cop with a shady past and Betterman177, a mysterious emailer who sends tantalizing clues about what was happening at St. Martin’s two decades ago. To add to these complications, Grace has been conned into bird-sitting a psychotic parrot, and Terry Rosco, the most chauvinistic cop in Seatoun, is trying to move into Grace’s spare room. And, oh yes—someone keeps trying to kill her."

I strongly recommend trying the first book. It might get you hooked on the series.  The complete listing of Evans' books can be found at this link.