A Reading Update and My Ongoing Look at the Mystery Genre

As usual, the days are going by much too quickly. A rough night for Jo and I, one of those sleepless nights. So I'm letting her sleep as long as she wants today. I had a pretty good rest this morning. The dogs and I have gone out in the car a couple of times today and we've had our normal walks. Even left the patio door open for awhile today. The fresh air felt nice.

So down to books. During our drive, I checked out the local Little Free Libraries. I found 2 books. This morning I finished one book. I've picked the replacement but I've also chosen one other to meet a reading challenge in one of my book groups. I'll update that and also continue with my look at the mystery genre with my 9th entry in the American PI sub-genre.

So let's get a move on, eh?

New Books

1. Sudden Prey by John Sanford (Lucas Davenport #8).












"It begins with a death and ends with one. For months, Lucas Davenport's men have been tracking a vicious woman bank robber named Candy, and when they finally catch up with her, she does not go quietly. In the ensuing shoot-out, she dies – and Davenport's nightmare starts. For her associates are even worse than she was, particularly her husband, a deeply violent man who swears an appropriate revenge: first he will find the names of those responsible; then he will kill those nearest and dearest to them, just the way they did Candy.

So it begins. The husband of one officer is shot and killed. The wife of another is ambushed at work. When a third attack is thwarted, the pattern becomes clear to Davenport, and with an urgency born of rage and terror, he presses the hunt, desperately trying to track down the killers before they can strike again, before they can reach out for Davenport's own loved ones. But in this effort, he may already be too late."

b. The Songs of Distant Earth by Arthur C. Clarke (SciFi). 












"Just a few islands in a planet-wide ocean, Thalassa was a veritable paradise - home to one of the small colonies founded centuries before by robot Mother Ships when the Sun had gone nova and mankind had fled Earth.

Mesmerized by the beauty of Thalassa and overwhelmed by its vast resources, the colonists lived an idyllic existence, unaware of the monumental evolutionary event slowly taking place beneath their seas...

Then the Magellan arrived in orbit carrying one million refugees from the last, mad days on Earth. And suddenly uncertainty and change had come to the placid paradise that was Thalassa." 

Just Finished

1. Behold, Here's Poison by Georgette Heyer (Inspectors Hannasyde and Hemingway #2).

"I've read a few of Georgette Heyer's mysteries now. She also wrote historical novels if I'm not mistaken. Behold, Here's Poison is the 2nd book in her Inspectors Hannasyde & Hemingway collection. I have enjoyed this series she does take a unique look at analyzing mysteries.

The story starts with the death of Gregory Matthews, head of a strange family. Although Doctor Hemingway wants to sign off the death as natural causes, one of Gregory's sisters, Mrs. Lupton demands that the death is suspicious and wants a coroner's examination. This brings in the intrepid Scotland Yard investigators and ultimately the death is determined to have been caused by nicotine poisoning. Now the investigation begins in earnest.

Hannasyde and Hemingway seem at times to peripheral to the overall story, which follows the  members of the bickering family. Gregory Matthew lived with his other sister, spinster Harriet, sister in law, widow Mrs. Matthews and her two children, Guy and Stella. Everyone seems to have a motive for murdering Matthews, who appears to have been an unlikeable, malicious character. However, none of the other members of the family are much better, sniping at each other and just being irritating. Only Stella seems sympathetic. Add to the mix, Mrs. Lupton who breezes in at inconvenient times and also Randall Matthews, another nephew who inherits everything and makes himself totally unlikeable (Stella calls him an 'amiable snake', and you've got the makings of at the very least an entertaining mystery.

Everything is jumbled and frustrating for Hannasyde and Hemingway but the gather clues and even with the obstructions caused by the irritating family members, make some headway. The story moves along very nicely and the characters become clearer to the mind as you get into the story. The ending is startling but satisfying and there might even be some surprises in the character development. I enjoyed the story very much and will continue to explore Heyer's mysteries. (3.5 stars)" 

Currently Reading
I've chosen the following books to read along with those I'm currently working through. I hope to finish at least two more before the end of March.

1. London Rain by Nicola Upson (Josephine Tey #6).












"Intrepid writer and amateur sleuth Josephine Tey returns in this sixth installment of Nicola Upson’s popular series—perfect for fans of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot and Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs—that unfolds in 1930s London as England prepares to crown a new king.

London, 1937. Following the gloomy days of the abdication of King Edward VIII, the entire city is elated to welcome King George. Just one of the many planned festivities for the historic coronation is a BBC radio adaptation of Queen of Scots, and the original playwright, Josephine Tey, has been invited to sit in on rehearsals.

Soon, however, Josephine gets wrapped up in another sort of drama. The lead actress has been sleeping with Britain’s most venerable newsman, Anthony Beresford—and his humiliated wife happens to work in the building. The sordid affair seems to reach its bloody climax when Beresford is shot to death in his broadcasting booth at the deafening height of the coronation ceremony.

Josephine’s dear friend, Detective Chief Inspector Archie Penrose, has the case wrapped up before long. But when a second, seemingly related murder throws Penrose for a loop, it falls to Josephine to unravel a web of betrayal, jealousy, and long-held secrets… caught all the while in a love triangle of her own making."

b. The Death of Grass by John Christopher (1956).









"As the story opens, the initial viral strain has already attacked rice crops in East Asia causing massive famine and a mutation has appeared which infects the staple crops of West Asia and Europe such as wheat and barley, threatening a famine engulfing the whole of the Old World, while Australasia and the Americas attempt to impose rigorous quarantine to exclude the virus.
The novel follows the trials and struggles of the narrator's family as they attempt to make their way across England, which is already descending into anarchy, to the safety of his brother's potato farm in an isolated Westmorland valley.

The main characters sacrifice many of their morals in order to stay alive. At one point, when their food supply runs out, they kill an innocent family simply to take their bread. The protagonist justifies this with the belief that "it was them or us." Some critics have viewed this as an attempt by the author to distance the work from the cosy catastrophe pattern made popular by John Wyndham."

My Ongoing Look at the Mystery Genre - American PI's Part 9
In my last entry, I looked at Meg Gardiner, Sue Grafton and Anna Katherine Green. I will just look at one author today.

Jane Haddam

1. Jane Haddam - Gregor Demarkian. Born Orania Papazoglou in 1951, Jane Haddam is a writer of American mysteries. Her main series focuses on ex-FBI profiler, now detective, Armenian - American Gregor Demarkian. Since 1990, she has written 29 books in the series. It's an entertaining series with fascinating, quirky characters. A sub-set of the series is the holiday mysteries. I've read 11 of the books so far. Let's take a look at 3 favorites then I'll provide a list of the rest with my rating and whether I've got it on my bookshelves.

a. A Great Day for the Deadly (#5 / 1992).












"Former F.B.I. agent Gregor Demarkian makes another holiday date with death in his fifth mystery. Demarkian faces his most bizarre case when a young nun is murdered on the eve of St. Patrick's Day. Deadly hemlock and mysterious apparitions abound as Demarkian discovers that putting all the clues together will take nothing less than a miracle. (4 stars)"

b. Bleeding Hearts (#11 / 1994).












"It's February on Cavanaugh Street, Philadelphia, and the longtime residents are beginning to act downright moonstruck. Valentine's Day is coming, and Cupid has aimed his arrows at the most unlikely targets. Bestselling fantasy author Bennis Hannaford spots the first direct hit of the season, and she can barely believe her eyes. Stout, comfortable, and long-widowed Hannah Krekorian is bringing home a man. And her tall, silver-haired swain is none other than the best-loved psychology guru of the decade, Paul Hazzard, who coincidentally was once suspected of murdering his wife. Bennis, of course, shares the gossip and the nagging worry taking shape in her fertile mind with her neighbor and best friend, former FBI agent Gregor Demarkian. And Gregor soon uncovers news of his own: The case of who stabbed Jacqueline Hazzard to death four years before is still open and about to hit the tabloids again. 

Paul Hazzard's former mistress, the elegant Candida DeWitt, has decided to write her tell-all memoirs. The question is: Will she reveal whodunnit to her lover's wife? Or will the murderer decide to do a little book-editing first...in the form of another killing? While someone may be planning a murder, the yen for roses and romance is definitely blooming in a May-December affair between Bennis's brother and an older woman that has all Cavanaugh Street buzzing. But a corpse is in the offing, and the discovery of a body may spoil the mood at the soiree Hannah is giving to introduce her new sweetheart to all the old cronies, eccentric characters, and nosy ladies of the neighborhood. Especially when the body has been stabbed just like poor Mrs. Paul Hazzard's. In Hannah's bedroom. With the murder weapon in grandmotherly Hannah's hand. Nearly sure (at least 90 percent positive) that Hannah is innocent, Bennis and Gregor quickly list their other possible suspects, who include many of Paul's nearest and dearest. The trouble is that Eros is a classic motive for irrational acts of love. (4 stars)"

c. Quoth the Raven (#4 / 1991).












"Following Act of Darkness , this fourth adventure of former FBI agent Gregor Demarkian takes place in two tense days at Independence College, a small but prestigious school situated in rural Pennsylvania. It is nearly Halloween: the students are preparing a traditional bonfire by heaping wood around a scaffold where an effigy of King George sits; Dr. Katherine Branch, a witch, is conducting mystical rites with her coven; a sociable raven named Lenore circles the faculty apartments; and the lecherous, tenured and thoroughly despised Dr. Donegal Steele is missing, if not missed. Demarkian, on campus to lecture about FBI investigations of serial killers, is shocked when Miss Maryanne Veer , Steele's secretary, is poisoned with lye in the dining hall—he takes it as a given that Steele has been murdered and that Veer suspected foul play. With the help of his high-strung preppy sidekick Bennis Hannaford and longtime Philadelphia friend, Father Tibor Kasparian , he seeks a perpetrator among the costumed students and quirky faculty. (4 stars)."

The remaining books in the series are (rated if read, *is owned) -

- Not a Creature was Stirring (1990) (3 stars)
- Precious Blood (1991) (3 stars)
- Act of Darkness (1991)
- A Feast of Murder (1992) (3 stars)
- A Stillness in Bethlehem (1992) (3 stars)
- Murder Superior (1993) (3 stars)
- Dear Old Dead (1994) (3 stars)
- Festival of Deaths (1995) *
- Fountain of Death (1995) (4 stars)
- And One to Die On (1996) *
- Baptism in Blood (1996) *
- Deadly Beloved (1997) *
- Skeleton Key (2000) *
- True Believers (2001) (3 stars)
- Somebody Else's Music (2002)
- Conspiracy Theory (2003)
- The Headmaster's Wife (2004) *
- Hardscrabble Road (2006)
- Glass Houses (2007) *
- Cheating at Solitaire (2008)
- Living Witness (2009) *
- Wanting Sheila Dead (2010)
- Flowering Judas (2011)
- Blood in the Water (2012)
- Hearts of Sand (2013)
- Fighting Chance (2014)

 It's definitely a series worth giving a try.

Now I'm going to settle down to watch the Blue Jays final spring training game. Enjoy the rest of your week.
 

The Weekend is Here! A Weekend Reading Update and My Look at the Mystery Genre

It's been a lovely week, temperatures in the mid-teens (Celsius, that is). I've even done a small bit of yard work. More nice weather in the forecast. No complaints here.

I finished one book this week and have, thence, started one more. I'll update that and also continue with my 8th entry in my look at the American PI sub-genre of the Mystery genre.

Just Finished

1. Shadow Woman by Thomas Perry (Jayne Whitfield #3).

"I've previously read The Butcher Boy by author Thomas Perry. This is from a series about a Las Vegas hitman and it was quite good. Shadow Woman is the third book in his series featuring Jayne Whitefield, a shadow woman who helps people escape from life-threatening predicaments.

In this story, Jayne is in Los Vegas helping Pete Hatcher escape from a group of men who own a Las Vegas casino. This is to be Jayne's last case as she is marrying a doctor in her home town near Buffalo NY and has promised to give up this business when she marries.

Life isn't as simple as that for Jayne as the 3 men want their Security chief, Seaver, to find and get rid of Hatcher as they feel he is a threat to their crooked business dealings. Seaver hires Earl and Linda, detectives and also professional destroyers. Once assigned they don't stop until the job is done. An unsuccessful attempt brings Jayne back into the case and she must once again try to save Hatcher's life.

It's a tense, action-filled story that wanders from Las Vegas to Buffalo to Montana. Earl and Linda are deadly and somewhat psychotic. Jayne must use all of her skills to save Hatcher and also to keep her new husband alive. Interesting, well-paced story with an excellent, strong woman lead. Most enjoyable. (3.5 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. Behold, Here's Poison by Georgette Heyer (Inspector Hannasyde #2).

"When Gregory Matthews, patriarch of the Poplars is found dead one morning, imperious Aunt Harriet blames it on the roast duck he ate for supper. After all, she had warned him about his blood pressure. But a post-mortem determines the cause of death as murder by poison. Suspicion falls immediately amongst his bitter, quarrelsome family. Each has a motive; each, opportunity.

It falls to the quietly resourceful Inspector Hannasyde to sift through all the secrets and lies and discover just who killed Gregory Matthews. He faces the deadliest test of his career when members of the wealthy Matthews clan begin to die, one by one. With motives everywhere, it is no easy case for the inspector to solve in time to spare the next victim. Meet the Matthews -- while they last... Gregory, Harriet, Gertrude, Zoe, Guy, Stella and Randall."

My Ongoing Look at the Mystery Genre - American PI's Part 8
In my last entry, I looked at Loren D. Estleman / Pete Macklin and Janet Evanovich / Stephanie Plum. Moving on to the 'G' authors next. (I don't have any 'F' authors in this category on my bookshelves.

Meg Gardiner

1. Meg Gardiner - Evan Delaney. Born in Oklahoma in 1957, Meg Gardiner is author of a variety of thriller series, featuring protagonists such as Evan Delaney, Jo Beckett and her new Unsub series. In this entry, I'll focus on Evan Delaney, which consists of 5 novels. I've read the first so far and have 3 others on my bookshelf.

a. China Lake (#1 / 2002).












"China Lake by Meg Gardiner, the first book in the Evan Delaney series was definitely a thriller. Right from the get-go, the action started and it didn't let up until a fiery, explosive ending. Evan Delaney is a lawyer in Santa Barbara, California. At a funeral for the mother of a dear friend, the funeral party is heckled by a group of protestors from the Church of the Remnant. A confrontation ensues and actions continue from then on. 

One of the members of the church is the ex-wife of Evan's brother, Brian, who is a Navy fighter pilot. Evan has been taking care of their six-year old son, Luke, since Tabitha abandoned him and while Brian was at sea. Another confrontation, at the Church of the Remnant leaves a man dead, who it turns out has rabies. 

Tabitha wants to get her son back, Evan goes to the Navy air base at China Lake to get Brian's help. There is more violence and death and it turns out that the Remnant has a plan to bring about an Apocalypse. Does it sound confusing? Well, yes it is, and somewhat far-fetched, but the tension and action are ratcheted tight and you find yourself reading and reading to see how Evan and her brother, oh, and also Evan's boyfriend, Jesse, will solve it and save each other and Tabitha and Luke... Whew!!! Confusing at times and convoluted, but an entertaining, scary, exciting read.... (3 stars)"

b. Mission Canyon (#2 / 2003).












"Evan Delaney has come to terms with the hit-and-run crash that left her boyfriend, Jesse Blackburn, in a wheelchair and killed his best friend. But when she hears that the driver, Franklin Brand, is back in Santa Barbara, she is determined to help Jesse bring him to book for his crime.

Brand was a golden boy at Mako Technologies, a heavyweight cyber-security firm. That's where Evan starts looking, and as she digs deeper, she finds evidence of theft and extortion. Then witnesses to the hit-and-run start dying. It seems that powerful interests are determined to stop Jesse and Evan - once and for all."

c. Jericho Point (#3 / 2004). 

"When a woman’s body washes up on the shore of California’s Jericho Point, she’s identified as Evan Delaney. Except that Evan is very much alive—apparently the victim of an identity thief who’d been scamming Hollywood elite. The thief may be dead, but the crimes she was murdered for—committed in Evan’s name—are turning Evan’s life into a nightmare. Now it’s all Evan can do to survive in the shadow of a dead woman’s lies."

d. Crosscut (#4 / 2005).

e. Kill Chain (#5 / 2006).

"When Evan Delaney's father disappears, the cops think he's fled the country to avoid prosecution. But Evan is sure he's been abducted or killed for reasons associated with his work for Naval Intelligence. As Evan hunts for clues, she's attacked by an armed man. The attacker ends up dead—and turns out to be a federal agent. Now Evan is on the run, implicated in his murder. And then she's contacted by a sinister duo—a madam and gigolo mother-and-son team who claim her father was mixed up in their very dirty business. Can Evan save her father's reputation—and his life?" 

Sue Grafton

2. Sue Grafton - Kinsey Milhone. Sue Grafton (1940 - 2017) is known for her excellent alphabet mystery series featuring California PI, Kinsey Milhone. She died without finishing Z, but there is an excellent series still to enjoy. Since I started the series in early 2000's, I've managed to read up to "S". While I'm looking forward to completing the series, it's with a certain sadness as it's been a comforting, enjoyable series. I'll cover the last one that I finished and take a look at the next couple.

a. S is for Silence (2005).












"I think S is for Silence by Sue Grafton was a bit of a return to form for Grafton. While I enjoyed the previous three books; P, Q and R, I just thought they were ok. S was so much better.

The story is a cold case. Kinsey is hired by Daisy Sullivan to find her mother, Violet, who disappeared when Daisy was a child, 35 years previously. Kinsey doesn't want to take the case as she feels it's a waste of her time and Daisy's money. But Daisy is persuasive and gets Kinsey to accept the job for 5 days. Thus begins her investigation into Violet's life and the possible reasons she disappeared, or was she murdered? The story is presented in an interesting style; alternating between present day, where Kinsey interviews people who still live in the area and who knew Violet, and then presenting the final days of Violet's life in Serena Station.

There was so much to enjoy about this latest Kinsey case. It builds nicely, the plot is interesting, the characters are interesting and there is a tension that slowly develops as Kinsey seems to be getting close to a solution. I enjoyed S very much and hope the next, T is for Trespass is as good. (4 stars)" 

b. T is for Trespass (2007).


"Before letting someone into your house and granting access to the intimate details of your life, it's a good idea to run a background check. But as Kinsey Millhone is about to discover, a clean record means nothing if it belongs to a stolen identity. And the consequences can be deadly..." 

c. U is for Undertow (2009).











"In 1960s Santa Teresa, California, a child is kidnapped and never returned...When the case is reopened after twenty years, a man - Michael Sutton - contacts private detective Kinsey Millhone for help. He claims to have recalled a strange and disturbing memory which just might provide the key to the mystery. He may have stumbled across the kidnappers burying Mary Claire Fitzhugh's body...But Michael's account is indistinct - he was only six years old at the time of the kidnapping; and even members of his family try to discredit his evidence. But Kinsey is certain there is something vital within Michael's recollections. And even when what is eventually unearthed isn't what anyone expected, she can't quite let go of the case. As Kinsey gradually brings to light the stories of the protagonists involved in the tragedy, from Country Club parents to their free-living, hippy children, the truth finally begins to emerge. And while stepping back into the past, Kinsey discovers more about her own history too..." 

The complete list of the series is available here.

Anna Katherine Green

3. Anna Katherine Green - Mr. Gryce. Green lived from 1846 - 1935 and was a writer of poetry and detective fiction. She was one of the first writers of detective fiction in the US. I've read one of her books so far and enjoyed very much. It turns out it is the first book in a series featuring Mr. Gryce and Amelia Butterworth.

a. The Leavenworth Case (1878).












"The Leavenworth Case by Anna Katharine Green was originally published in 1878 and was considered to be one of the first full length detective novels. I had first heard of it from a friend in one of my book groups and decided to try and find a copy. Luckily I was successful.

The story involves the murder of a rich New York merchant in his home. Suspects include two nieces who live with him; one, Mary Leavenworth, his heiress, the other Eleanore, who is due to inherit nothing. We do later discover that Horatio Leavenworth was changing his will due to differences of opinion with his favored niece.

The case is investigated by Everett Raymond, the family lawyer and also the narrator, police detective Mr. Gryce and his assistant, Q. In some ways, the story makes Gryce a sort of precursor to Nero Wolfe. Like Wolfe, Gryce spends most of the story confined to his quarters, while he uses Raymond and Q to investigate for him.

The story was very interesting, well written and a methodical investigation of the crime. Of suspects, there are a few, not only the two cousins, but Mary's fiancé and also Horatio Leavenworth's assistant. Each investigator has their own favored suspect and this does at times influence their investigations. Clues begin to pop up and lead them in new directions.

All in all I found the story, for the time frame in which it was written, an engaging, interesting mystery. It was sometimes a bit overwrought emotionally but it never really took away from the story. I'm glad I read it; it reminded me of other favorite detective stories; Sherlock Holmes for example and others. Well worth finding and trying. (3.5 stars)"

These are the remaining books in the series. I hope I can find them
- A Strange Disappearance (1880)
- The Sword of Damocles (1881)
- Hand and Ring (1883)
- Behind Close Doors (1888)
- A Matter of Millions (1891)
- The Doctor, His Wife and the Clock (1895)
- That Affair Next Door (1897)
- Lost Man's Lane (1898)
- The Circular Study (1900)
- One of My Sons (1901)
- Initials Only (1911)
- The Mystery of the Hasty Arrow (1917)

So there you go, a few books for you to check out. Enjoy your weekend!  

A Mid-week Reading Update and My Continued Look at the Mystery Genre

It's been a lovely week so far. Spring seems to have sprung. The sprinkler guy was here yesterday to set our system up for the summer. I've even done a bit of yard work, mainly picked some branches from the winter that littered the yard and broke up a huge one that landed on our deck a couple of months back during a really bad wind storm.

I finished one book since my last update. Most of the books I'm currently reading are somewhat door stoppish so my month has been a bit slower so far. I'm well into a few others mind you. I also received a book I'd ordered earlier in the month. I'll update my new arrival, the book I just finished and also what I've started in place. I'll then continue my look at the Mystery genre, with my 7th entry regarding the American PI sub-genre. So with all of that, let's get on with it.

New Book

1. The Bride Wore Black by Cornell Woolrich (1940). This is supposedly a classic of the noir genre. We'll see.











"The woman out of nowhere ...

No one knew who she was, or why she came, or what made her do the ghastly things she did.

They only knew she had a terrifying beauty.

And that each time she appeared, a man died - horribly!"

Just Finished

1. Death in Holy Orders by P.D. James (Adam Dalgliesh #11).











"Death In Holy Orders is the 11th book in the Inspector Dalgliesh mystery series by P.D. James. It's the 4th I've read. The books are a joy to read, intelligent, thoughtful and excellent mysteries.

Commander Adam Dalgliesh works for Scotland Yard, in charge of a prestigious murder team.
In this story, Dalgliesh is asked to go to a seminary near Norfolk to look into a previously closed death. A young ordinand had been found dead at the base of a cliff. The death is deemed to be death by accident. The young man's father wants Scotland Yard to investigate. Since Dalgliesh is about to go to the area on vacation so he agrees to look into the case. It also turns out that as a child, his father being a parson, that Dalgliesh spent time at St Anselms and it becomes somewhat a visit into his past.
The story starts in the past with the original discovery of the boy's body by Margaret Munroe, an elderly woman who works at St Anselms. This part of the story is told through the means of Margaret's diary. She ends it with a statement that the death concerns her and that it reminds her of something that occurred in her past. Margaret is discovered dead the day after this last entry.

So there are two deaths that Dalgliesh looks into, wondering if they are related? At the same time the Arch Bishop responsible for St Anselms is coming for a visit. He is most unlikeable and wants nothing more than to close the seminary. There are also other visitors to St Anselms and there are links between them all. Another death, this time a murder, brings all of Dalgliesh's team into the case; DI Piers Tarrant, DI Kate Miskin and DS Robbins.

Thus begins an interesting investigation as the team try to find clues to the murder and to see if the other deaths are in any way related. I love the way James presents the story, delving into the personalities, in a way that you feel you know them and presenting the investigation methodically and neatly. James has such a clear manner of presenting the story. I thought it would be too long but the pages turn quickly and the story holds your attention and keeps you moving along nicely. Don't expect much action, just a well-crafted, excellent mystery and just an excellent piece of fiction. (4 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs (Temperance Brennan #9).












"Following the tremendous success of "Cross Bones", Kathy Reichs explores another high-profile topic in Break No Bones -- a case that lands forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan in the middle of a gruesome international scheme. Summoned to South Carolina to fill in for a negligent colleague, Tempe is stuck teaching a lackluster archaeology field school in the ruins of a Native American burial ground on the Charleston shore. But when Tempe stumbles upon a fresh skeleton among the ancient bones, her old friend Emma Rousseau, the local coroner, persuades her to stay on and help with the investigation. When Emma reveals a disturbing secret, it becomes more important than ever for Tempe to help her friend close the case.

The body count begins to climb. An unidentified man is found hanging from a tree deep in the woods. Another corpse shows up in a barrel. There are mysterious nicks on bones in several bodies, and signs of strangulation. Tempe follows the trail to a free street clinic with a belligerent staff, a suspicious doctor, and a donor who is a charismatic televangelist. Clues abound in the most unlikely places as Tempe uses her unique knowledge and skills to build her case, even as the local sheriff remains dubious and her own life is threatened.

Tempe's love life is also complicated. Ryan, her current flame, has come down to visit her from Montreal, and Pete, her former husband, is investigating the disappearance of a local woman -- and he and Tempe are staying in the same borrowed beach house. Ryan and Pete compete for her attentions, and Tempe finds herself more distracted by her feelings for both men than she expected."

My Ongoing Look at the Mystery Genre - American PI's #7
In my last entry, I covered one author, P.N. Elrod and her Vampire Files series. In this entry I'll highlight two more 'E' authors.

Loren D. Estleman

1. Loren D. Estleman - Pete Macklin. Estleman was born in Michigan in 1952 and is an author of western and detective fiction. I'm interested in his Pete Macklin series of 5 books. I've read the first book so far and have one more on my book shelf.

a. Kill Zone (#1 / 1984).











"Kill Zone by American author Loren D. Estleman is the first book in his Peter Macklin mystery / thriller series. Macklin is a hit-man for the Michigan mob. In this first book a tour boat on Lake Erie is hijacked by a group called the Ziegfrieds. The FBI is struggling to find a way to save the people on the ship when they are approached by the lawyer for a mob boss currently residing in prison. His offer; he'll send his hit-man Peter Macklin to the ship to deal with the hijackers if his sentence is commuted.

An interesting plot line. There are some other twists in this story of course. The current mob boss (or the guy filling for the main guy) sends his own hit-man after Macklin as he is enjoying filling in and wants to stay in charge. As well, Macklin has family difficulties. And the FBI is trying to keep tabs on Macklin.

The story is nicely paced. Macklin works to find out more about the 8 people who make up Ziegfried. The story moves between Macklin, his opponent, the ship, the FBI and keeps you very interested in the goings on. Macklin is an interesting character, smart, capable and efficient. The story is tense and has plenty of action.

I enjoyed it very much, found it to be a comfortable, exciting read and it held my interest throughout. It'll be interesting to see how Macklin's life evolves after this first story (4 stars)"

b. Something Borrowed, Something Black (#4 / 2002).












"Peter Macklin, contract killer--retired--has found himself the perfect woman. He's convinced young, beautiful, innocent Laurie that he is simply a salesman from Detroit, and they're passionately honeymooning in Los Angeles. . . . until the phone call. Peter tells Laurie he has to go to Sacramento to take care of business, and he'll be back in a day. After a day passes, though, a man called Abilene shows up with a note from Peter saying Abilene will take care of her until his return.

Macklin's retirement seems to have been premature, and Laurie's innocence is about to end . . ."

The remaining books are -
- Roses Are Dead (1985)
- Any Man's Death (1986)
- Little Black Dress (2005)

Janet Evanovich

2. Janet Evanovich - Stephanie Plum. I started this series back in early 2000. I was attracted to it by the colorful jacket covers and the stories sounded like lots of fun. Janet Evanovich, born in New Jersey, has created a fun, sexy, action packed series featuring bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum. I've read a few of the books so far. As of 2019, there are 26 books in the series.

a. Seven Up (#7 / 2001).











"BLOWN UP

All New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum has to do is bring in semi-retired bail jumper Eddie DeChooch. For an old man he's still got a knack for slipping out of sight--and raising hell. How else can Stephanie explain the bullet-riddled corpse in Eddie's garden? Who else would have a clue as to why two of Stephanie's friends suddenly vanished? For answers Stephanie has the devil to pay: her mentor, Ranger. The deal? He'll give Stephanie all the help she needs--if she gives him everything he wants...

MESSED UP

As if things weren't complicated enough, Stephanie's just discovered her Grandma Mazur's own unmentionable alliance with Eddie. Add a series of unnerving break-ins, not to mention the bombshell revelation leveled by Stephanie's estranged sister, and Stephanie's ready for some good news. Unfortunately, a marriage proposal from Joe Morelli, the love of her life, isn't quite cutting it. And now--murder, a randy paramour, a wily mobster, death threats, extortion, and a triple kidnapping aside--Stephanie's really got the urge to run for her life..." (3 stars)

b. Hard Eight (#8 / 2002).











"Fugitive Apprehension Agent Stephanie Plum has a big problem on her hands: Seven-year-old Annie Soder and her mother, Evelyn, have disappeared.

Evelyn's estranged husband, Steven, a shady owner of a seedy bar, is not at all happy. During the divorce proceedings, he and Evelyn signed a child custody bond, and Steven is demanding the money guaranteed by the bond to find Annie. The money was secured by a mortgage on Evelyn's grandmother's house, and the True Blue Bonds Bail Agency wants to take possession of the house.

Finding a kidnapped child is not an assignment for a bounty hunter. But Evelyn's grandmother lives next door to Stephanie's parents, and Stephanie's mother and grandmother are not about to see their neighbor lose her house because of abduction.

Even though Stephanie's plate is full with miscreants who missed their court dates, including old nemesis and violent drunk Andy Bender and an elusive little old lady accused of grand theft auto, she can't disappoint Grandma Mazur! So she follows the trail left by Annie and Evelyn-- and finds a lot more than she bargained for. Steven is somehow linked with a very scary Eddie Abruzzi. Trenton cop and on-again, off-again fiancé Joe Morelli and Stephanie's mentor and tormentor, Ranger, warn Stephanie about Abruzzi, but it's Abruzzi's eyes and mannerisms that frighten Stephanie the most. Stephanie needs Ranger's savvy and expertise, and she's willing to accept his help to find Annie even though it might mean becoming too involved with Ranger.

Stephanie, Ranger, Lula (who's not going to miss riding with Ranger), and Evelyn's lawyer/laundromat manager set out to find Annie. The search turns out to be a race among Stephanie's posse, the True Blue Bonds' agent, a Rangerette known as Jeanne Ellen Burrows, and the Abruzzi crew. Not to mention the fact that there's a killer rabbit on the loose!: (3 stars)

c. To the Nines (#9 / 2003).











"Just like every other Stephanie Plum mystery / adventure, To the Nines is a fun, entertaining ride. Just pack all your troubles away for the few days (hours?) it takes to get through her trials and tribulations.

As always, Stephanie's life seems to be a shambles. Her family is at loggerheads, what with perfect sis, Valerie camped at her parent's home with her two girls and one on the way. Stephanie is forced to move in with on and off again boyfriend, Morelli, due to threats on her life. She still can't seem to make up her mind between Ranger and Morelli, although, she now seems to be leaning toward Morelli and has an uneasy agreement with Ranger to avoid shenanigans. Even Morelli and Ranger have accepted the situation and are willing to work together to keep Stephanie out of trouble.. which follows Steph around.

Stephanie and her best friend, Lula, are tasked by their boss and Steph's cousin, Vinnie, to bring in Samuel Singh, who has disappeared. Their investigation leaves behind a trail of bodies. Steph, Connie (Vinnie's assistant) and Lula take a trip to Vegas to try and track down Singh. (This is a great part of the book). Ranger's gang of bounty hunters, tasked to keep an eye on Steph, end up in various states of injury. So much going on and such fun to read.

If you're feeling blue at all, try a Plum mystery. It's sure to cheer you up. It's sexy, funny and a great mystery. (3 stars)"

d. Ten Big Ones (#10 / 2004).











"Swing off the Jersey Turnpike and you'll be in bounty hunter Stephanie Plum's neighborhood. You'll know it because all hell will be breaking loose. Not that she looks for trouble - it just seems to follow her. In Ten Big Ones it explodes at a deli, and when Stephanie pegs a robber as a member of a vicious Trenton gang, they peg her as dead. Vice cop Joe Morelli fears she's in way too deep - even with the help of crime-solving, cross-dressing, bus driver Sally Sweet, and Stephanie's friend Lula riding shotgun as backup. With a notorious killer on her tail, Stephanie figures the best hideout is Ranger's secret lair..."

The remaining books in the series are -
- One for the Money (1994) (4 stars)
- Two for the Dough (1996) (4 stars)
- Three to Get Deadly (1997) (4 stars)
- Four to Score (1998) (4 stars)
- High Five (1999)
- Hot Six (2000) (4 stars)
- Eleven on Top (2005) *
- Twelve Sharp (2006) *
- Lean Mean Thirteen (2007) *
- Fearless Fourteen (2008) *
- Finger Lickin' Fifteen (2009)
- Sizzling Sixteen (2010)
- Smokin' Seventeen (2011)
- Explosive Eighteen (2011)
- Notorious Nineteen (2012)
- Takedown Twenty (2013)
- Top Secret Twenty - One (2014)
- Tricky Twenty - Two (2015)
- Turbo Twenty - Three (2016)
- Hardcore Twenty - Four (2017)
- Look Alive Twenty - Five (2018)
- Twisted Twenty - Six (2019)

There you go.. Watching Diggstown at the moment while Jo gets dinner ready. Yummy butter chicken, followed by a nice crumble.

A Reading Update and My Continued Look at the Mystery Genre

It's hard to believe that it's almost another weekend. I went to physio this morning for my twice monthly work out for my hip and lower back. There was some improvement at my last appointment but it's been really sore since my last appointment. I hope it'll get a bit better in the coming days.

Anyway, I picked up a few books yesterday when I dropped off a bunch at Nearly New Books. I also finished reading another of my 12 + 4 challenge books and have started the 8th book in that challenge. I'll update those and also take another look at the Mystery Genre - American PI series.

So let's get on with it!

New Books

1. A Delicate Truth by John le Carré (2013).












"A counter-terrorist operation, code-named Wildlife, is being mounted on the British crown colony of Gibraltar. Its purpose: to capture and abduct a high-value jihadist arms buyer. Its authors: an ambitious Foreign Office minister, a private defense contractor who is also his bosom friend, and a shady American CIA operative of the evangelical far right. So delicate is the operation that even the minister’s private secretary, Toby Bell, is not cleared for it. Three years later, a disgraced special forces soldier delivers a message from the dead. Was Operation Wildlife the success it was cracked up to be—or a human tragedy that was ruthlessly covered up? Summoned by Sir Christopher “Kit” Probyn, retired British diplomat, to his decaying Cornish manor house and closely observed by Kit’s daughter, Emily, Toby must choose between his conscience and duty to his service. If the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing, how can he keep silent?"

2. March Violets by Philip Kerr (Bernie Gunther #1).












"Bernhard Gunther, a hard-boiled Berlin detective who specializes in tracking down missing persons—mostly Jews. He is summoned by a wealthy industrialist to find the murderer of his daughter and son-in-law, killed during the robbery of a priceless diamond necklace.


Gunther quickly is catapulted into a major political scandal involving Hitler's two main henchmen, Goering and Himmler. The search for clues takes Gunther to morgues overflowing with Nazi victims; raucous nightclubs; the Olympic games where Jesse Owens tramples the theory of Aryan racial superiority; the boudoir of a famous actress; and finally to the Dachau concentration camp. Fights with Gestapo agents, shoot-outs with adulterers, run-ins with a variety of criminals, and dead bodies in unexpected places keep readers guessing to the very end."

3. A Kiss Before Dying by Ira Levin (1953).












"A Kiss Before Dying not only debuted the talent of bestselling novelist Ira Levin to rave reviews, it also set a new standard in the art of mystery and suspense. Now a modern classic, as gripping in its tautly plotted action as it is penetrating in its exploration of a criminal mind, it tells the shocking tale of a young man who will literally stop at nothing, not even murder, to get where he wants to go. For he has dreams; plans. He also has charm, good looks, sex appeal, intelligence. And he has a problem.

Her name is Dorothy; she loves him, and she's pregnant. The solution, he realizes, involves some desperate measures. But, then, he looks like the kind of guy who could get away with murder. Compellingly, step by determined step, the novel follows this young man in his execution of one plan he had neither dreamed nor foreseen. Nor does he foresee how inexorably he will be enmeshed in the consequences of his own extreme deed."

Just Finishing

1. Swan Song by Edmund Crispin (Gervase Fen #4).












"Swan Song by Edmund Crispin is the fourth Gervase Fen mystery I've read. The first three were hit and miss. I liked two and one I wasn't all that thrilled with. It may be that I'm getting used to Crispin's style of story - telling but for whatever reason, this was the Fen mystery I've enjoyed the most.

The story focuses on an opera company who have just moved up to Oxford to practice and then perform Wagner's Meistersinger. One member, Adam Langley, has recently married, a budding author, Elizabeth, who specializes in crime stories. Edwin Shorthouse, the lead singer and a feared member of the group, has made passes at Elizabeth and hates Adam because of the marriage.

Elizabeth, as part of a series of articles she wants to write about famous detectives, wishes to interview the famous Gervase Fen, who is now a professor at Oxford. While the troupe practices, one of the members (I won't say who) is found dead, a purported suicide. This brings Gervase Fen into the picture.

The story revolves around his investigation, ably assisted by Adam. It's an interesting mystery, peopled with lovely characters. I like Fen and I also enjoyed Adam and Elizabeth, as well as another singer (maybe my favorite), Joan Davis and I think Fen liked her as well. Shorthouse is an excellent villain, a misogynist, a drunk, but an excellent singer, the focus of the opera He is a source of tension throughout the story. I'm not an opera buff but the snippets involving the rehearsal and the characters made the story more interesting.

For that it was a murder mystery, there is a brightness to the story, it is light and humorous even with murders / deaths occurring within. It's a quick, entertaining, enjoyable mystery. I will read the other books in this series. Well done, Mr. Crispin (4 stars)"

Just Started

1. Bloodlines by Jan Burke (Irene Kelly #9).












"Sweeping across decades, Burke masterfully unearths a cold case that is far from closed while introducing an intrepid novice reporter, Irene Kelly, learning the ropes from her mentor, Conn O'Connor. From the late fifties, when a bloodstained car is buried on a farm and a wealthy family disappears at sea . . . to the seventies, when Irene makes shocking connections and brashly tracks a killer from the past . . . to today, when new threats and deadly surprises are closing in on the veteran journalist and her husband, Frank Harriman, Bloodlines follows a fascinating labyrinth of lives, loves, sins, and secrets -- with the irrepressible Irene Kelly at its core."

My Ongoing Look at the Mystery Genre - American PI's Part 6

1. P.N. Elrod - The Vampire Files. P.N. Elrod is an American author who writes what's described as urban fantasy. This is a different series. I've read four of the 12 books so far. The series is a combination Noir PI / vampire story, an interesting combination.

a. Lady Crymsyn (#9).












"Vampire detective Jack Fleming made a good bit of money cleaning up the streets of post-prohibition Chicago--enough to realize his dream of owning a nightclub. During renovations, workmen discover the remains of a woman, clad in a distinctive red dress. Vampire or not, Jack won't rest until he finds out who killed the lady in red--even if it means resurrecting secrets the mob would kill to keep buried. (3 stars)"

b. The Dark Sleep (#8). 



"A simple case of blackmail turns deadly for vampire investigator Jack Fleming and his human partner. (3 stars)"

c. Cold Streets (#10).












"Cold Streets is the 10th book in the Vampire Files series by P.N. Elrod and the 4th that I've read so far. The series focuses on vampire / night club owner / private detective Jack Fleming who lives in Chicago in the '30s. He works with partner, Charles Escott, helping him with cases and also runs a night club with girl friend, singer Bobbi.

Both Escott and Fleming are working on a kidnapping case as this story opens, the daughter of a wealthy Chicago socialite has been kidnapped and the two detectives are working to make the pay-off with the kidnappers. Escott is the face of the business and Fleming uses his vampire powers in assisting him. In this case he keeps himself invisible as he follows the kidnappers to their hideout.

As well, this story has two other plot lines. Fleming's friend, Gordy, a  Chicago mob leader is having meetings and difficulties with the New York mob and Fleming is trying to help him stay out of trouble. As well, Bobbi wants to hire a dance act for the night club, but there are difficulties with the relationship, with the husband cheating on his partner.

So there are many different features to this mystery  thriller. One of the kidnappers also tries to blackmail Fleming with his knowledge of Fleming's vampire nature. Everything that is going on makes for a fascinating story, lots of action, lots of intrigue and vampire skills and talents. The story builds very nicely and comes to an intriguing climax. Along with the action and mystery, the story is peopled with interesting characters. It will definitely hold your interest. (3.5 stars)"

d. A Chill in the Blood (#7).



"During his life Jack Fleming had been a reporter with a nose for the grittiest news, and now that he is dead, Jack is a vampire private eye with a thirst for blood and justice, but he may be the only one in a world of guns and gangs who can stop an all-out street war before it starts. (4 stars)"





The remaining books in the series are -
- Bloodlist (1990)
- Lifeblood (1990)
- Bloodcircle (1990)
- Art in the Blood (1991)
- Fire in the Blood (1991)
- Blood on the Water (1992)
- Song in the Dark (2005)
- Dark Road Rising (2009)
- The Devil You Know (2009)

Well, there you go. I'll continue with this next entry. Enjoy your TGIF!