December was a great month for books, both read and listened to, and, of course, I tried to read some holiday books. Because murder is best when it's fraught with holiday family tension and indulgent food.
Wreck the Halls by Sarah Graves The fifth Jake Tiptree mystery, originally published in 2001. The book starts off with a bit of a bang--Jake and Ellie find Faye Anne's kitchen, and FayeAnne herself, covered in blood, but the mystery, and the murder, are not that simple. There's only a smattering of house improvement asides in this novel, which is good (after all, you can't do much housework during the winter in Maine). The story does show a little of its age (with references to early cell phones), there were parts that disappointed me, and it was easy to figure out the whodunnit, but the depiction of hard-working people in Maine, the winter storm, the fear when a boat goes missing are all well done.
Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie Originally published in 1938, Hercule Poirot is enjoying a holiday dinner when he is drawn into the murder of a family patriarch, who thought summoning all his far-flung children home for the holidays would be a good idea. Gentle reader, we know that never is. The wonderful thing about re-reading old favorites at my age is that I don't remember the plots anymore, so hooray, it was a murderous visit with a familiar detective friend.
The Anatomist's Apprentice by Tessa Harris This was my first Thomas Silkstone mystery. Set in 1780 England, Thomas is an American surgeon who is fascinated by, and a student of, anatomy at a time when medicine's understanding of the human body was minimal. I enjoyed the mystery, although I think it was a little long in the middle, and while there were a few twists that surprised me, I did guess the ending. That did not take away from my enjoyment of the book at all, however. The physical descriptions were detailed and sometimes a little gross, so readers with sensitive stomachs, beware, and the romance I found a little implausible. At times I found myself yelling "Don't do it! Don't do it!" so a modern reader may feel a little superior. I enjoyed the book despite the rotting bodies and will definitely read further in the series.
The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories by Martin Edwards A collection of golden age novellas with a Christmas theme republished by British Library Crime Classics. A gunshot at a holiday party, a perfect jewel heist, a train stranded by a blizzard--all were well written, atmospheric, and very enjoyable. I'm so happy with this British Library Crime Classics line; it has introduced me to several authors who should never have been forgotten and who I am so glad I was able to read in this volume edited by Martin Edwards, such as Donald Stuart, John Bingham, and Selwyn Jepson. The perfect short story collection for a brief respite during the holiday madness, best enjoyed with a cup of tea.
A Christmas Visitor by Anne Perry Henry Rathbone goes to visit the home of his goddaughter for Christmas, only to be informed that her husband has died. Henry does not think his death was natural, and he sets out to understand why Judah was out walking in the dark, cold, wet night in which he died. Judah's family had been threatened by a claimant to their estate with whom Judah had a dark history, and his vitriol is just the most obvious threat and the most obvious suspect Henry must investigate.
High Stakes by Dick Francis I've never read a Dick Francis novel, and I know there are a lot of them, so in my search for new series to follow, I thought I'd give him a try despite my complete lack of interest in horse racing. I'm happy to report that although there is a lot of horse and horse racing talk, they don't dominate the book. Originally published in 1975, the book unfortunately does have some passages that don't age well (pardon my paraphrase, but our main character really does muse to himself that "You could always tell a virgin by her eyes..."--!). The story itself is ingenious and it was fast-paced, but I wonder how popular the series would be if it was starting now. The plights of very well-to-do race horse owners in a time when horse racing has dropped precipitously in popularity would not not make them the best sellers I remember they were when I worked in the bookstore all those years ago.
What I Lick Before Your Face by Jamie Coleman Beautiful, heartstring-tugging photos of dogs, haiku dedicated to the dog's perspective--what's not to love? Some of these were hilarious, and I read a few out loud to the vet tech while my dog was having an acupuncture treatment. She and I both laughed. Dudley would not let on if they were accurate portrayals of the dog's perspective. A great gift for the dog lover in your life.
Classic Krakauer by Jon Krakauer Wonderful compilation of magazine articles published over the past 20 or 25 years. The variety of subjects are strung together by the taut and yes, almost lyrical writing of Krakauer, although some also share a tragedy, as you'd expect of him. The book is a wonderful example of his clear and pristine writing.
