Middle Sister's May Reads

Gentle reader, the long-awaited month of May arrived. Six months ago I began planning a two-week road trip to the Pacific Northwest, and it finally became a reality in May. And what is a good, 3,000-mile road trip but the perfect opportunity to listen to audiobooks?

Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters I have loved the Amelia Peavbody series for over 30 years, and own the books. But the chance to listen to one of my favorite books was too good to pass. The story is just as entertaining, Amelia is just as admirable, Emerson is just as infuriating, and Ms. Peters' re-creation of the heady days of Victorian explorers just as detailed and delightfully descriptive as I'd remembered. However, I wasn't thrilled with the audiobook because of the narrator. Her breathy voice for the determined, intrepid Amelia Peabody was just wrong. Amelia is a take charge personality who doesn't suffer fools. Her voice is is always strong, sometimes slightly sarcastic, but never breathy like an ingenue. Emerson's voice should be deeper; he almost starts off with a whiny nasal sound in his first few appearances. Ah well, I suppose no one can read the book the way I hear it in my head when I read it. Still a rollicking good book to listen to.

Summer of the Dragon by Barbara Michaels This is the same author who wrote as Elizabeth Peters. While I think I have read every single one, I don't remember all the standalones. They remind me of the Phyllis Whitney and Victoria Holt novels I devoured in my 10-14 years, with their beautiful and spunky heroines, the hero who is initially gruff and insufferable, the modern gothic air of mystery. This book takes place in Arizona, and I have to admit that while the book may be 40 years old, Ms. Michael's descriptions are still apt, even her description of Phoenix (exponentially larger than it was in the 1970s). Her description of the desert is almost lyrical, and I have to wonder if the author ever participated in an archaeological field school out here. The book is a bit dated: the references to the movie stars after which our heroine, DJ, and her siblings are named will be familiar to fans of classic movies but no one else. DJ tends to say "Right on!" a lot, and the drugs used to waylay characters are certainly not ones that would be used today. But there are still a lot of people who are searching for the Lost Dutchman mine, who think the Peralta stones are real, and their crazy theories will be familiar to anyone who watches too much cable TV. The secondary characters with their quirks and passionate crazy theories were quite funny. The one thing that bothered me was that the household staff were called servants. I doubt they were still being called servants in 1975. Oh well, DJ is a delightful heroine, and it's easy to identify with her love of food, her naïveté about the desert, and her spunk. However, major complaint: the narrator did not know how to correctly pronounce many words derived from Native People's languages or Spanish. Mesa Verde is not pronounced Mesa Verd. Saguaro is not pronounced "sahgwaro" with a hard g, nor is cholla pronounced with an l-sound; it's a Spanish double ll which is pronounced as a y. Mogollon, Sinagua and Sinaguan similar do not have hard g's or l's. I don't think that's being picky because the archaeological sites and desert plants are so central to the story (and in the case of Mesa. Verde, very well known) that to mispronounce them repeatedly detracts the listener. And really, how expensive would it have been for the audiobook publisher to consult someone to get the proper pronunciations? 

In at the Death by Francis Duncan Mordecai Tremaine's fourth murder mystery begins with a game of chess with Chief Inspector Jonathon Boyce that is interrupted because of a murder in Bridgton. Jonathon asks Mordecai to come with him on the case, so in this entry in the series, Mordecai happens upon the murder and the crime scene with the police. This is a neat way for Mr. Duncan to get his amateur detective involved, because in previous novels, Mordecai was usually present at a weekend party or a similar social event when the murder happens. Here, he gets to work more closely with the police to solve the murder. I enjoy this series so much. The books, written between 1944-1954, only seem dated because of the lack of technology and the sometimes old-fashioned ways of describing people, especially the women. I especially liked the dramatic ending of the book, with its ambiguous depiction of the many ways justice can be served. Let me add that these audiobooks are excellently read by the narrator, which just adds to my enjoyment of them.

A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch This book introduces Charles Lenox, Victorian gentleman and amateur detective, who despite avowing how much he prefers his quiet, dull life, has so far solved 14 mysteries. In this first entry, Lenox's dear friend and neighbor Lady Jane asks him to investigate the death of a young maid, Prudence. I liked the book well enough to probably read more, but it wasn't without its irritations. Lenox and Jane's friendship would never have taken the shape it did in Victorian times. Prudence's many sexual relationships would have been frowned severely upon and it would have been thought she deserved her untimely end because of her behavior. The fact that Lady Jane is not at all shocked by her promiscuity is not, I think, realistic to the period but is a bone thrown to the modern reader. Then another murder occurs, and Lenox begins to suspect that they are all tied to a possible financial scandal involving a highly-placed government official. The errors in making Victorian England appear a little too twenty-first century are not too egregious as to prevent me planning to read more in the series, but in general, I really dislike it when modern social mores are inserted into very different historic cultures.

On What Grounds by Cleo Coyle I read one Coffeehouse series mystery years and years ago, and it wasn't my cup of tea, but when I saw that the library had the audiobook of the first in the series on hand, I thought I'd give it a try. My conclusion--I still don't think I like this series. I want to like Clare. I like how she created a life for herself and her daughter (in suburban New Jersey, where I grew up, too) after leaving her philandering husband, and how that life has been a hodgepodge of different jobs strung together to make a living. Shades of modern day life for many, many of us. What I didn't like were the cutesy names (Cosi and Allegro as last names? Madame Dreyfus-Allegro-Dubois?) and Clare's romantic interest in her ex-husband. And I think there was an overlooked problem with the identification of the killer. The reason for the killing was predictable but plausible, but (and I'm going to reveal something here, so spoiler alert, skip to the next book on this list if you haven't read this one and plan to) the killer left the coffee house thinking that no one would be able to trace them to Annabelle. So why take the key to the coffeehouse with them and leave her purse with all its other belongings behind? At the time of Annabelle's murder, there was no reason to suspect they (the murderer) would ever have to return to the coffee house, so why take it and draw attention to that fact? There was no reason for that to happen, and to make the whole story hinge on that seemed very forced to me. It smacked of lazy writing and an author desperately trying to figure out how to solve the murder while writing it. I know it's a long-running series, but I think I won't try a third time to read it.

Death of a Dustman by M.C. Beaton Ah, Hamish MacBeth, always to be relied for a murder mystery that is not what it seems. I'm still heartbroken that Ms. Beaton's death a couple of years ago means no more Hamish. I do think Hamish has been pining over Priscilla way too long, but at least that's just a very minimal part of the book. Just like in the Mordecai Tremaine book, justice is served in different ways here, too, and sometimes it just doesn't seem right. In Death of a Dustman, the odious trash collector in Loch Dubh knows secrets about everyone and has been trying to blackmail them all. The suspect list is consequently long and no one, not even the widow, mourns the nasty dustman. I do enjoy the revolving sidekicks that are Hamish's subordinates and how they find their lives changed forever by their time in Loch Dubh. Contrast their experiences with Hamish's; his life stays the same no matter what happens. Fun series, and again, very well read.

My Italian Bulldozer by Alexander McCall Smith The powerhouse that is Alexander McCall Smith (how does he write so many books) has written a charming book in My Italian Bulldozer. Paul Stuart has broken up with his girlfriend of four years, and so to heal his broken heart, he decides to go to Italy to complete writing his latest cookbook. But the working holiday gets off to a bad start when he is accused of stealing a rental car. The only transport he can get is a bulldozer, on which he rides off into the sunset and a set of misadventures while gaining a new appreciation of life and romance. Delightful and charming, this standalone is a good introduction to the author and his dry wit. I just wish we'd had more of Gloria and her sharp mind and discerning intellect. 

Desert, Driving, and Derelicts by Tonya Kappas Again. I like the premise but not the cutesy name: the Campers and Criminals series. Mae West (Maybelline is her real name) got shafted by her ex-husband and the only thing that she could salvage was an RV park, the Happy Trails Campground, in Normal, Kentucky. My sister is about to move to Kentucky (this week, in fact), so I wanted to take a little dive into what fiction thinks Kentucky is like. I like the premise because it gives the author a lot of scope--the comings and goings of people at the RV park, and the people and businesses in the nearby small town that caters to the visitors provide plenty of ways to get Mae involved in a mystery. I also liked how Mae plunges into trying to get whatever work she can, so a second job as a cleaning lady is welcome and treated with great dignity by the author. I'm not so crazy about the juvenile crush Mae develops, and when she's cleaning his camper, she starts snooping though his stuff. Ding, ding, ding--stalker! Mae is stalking and being a Toal creepster in this subplot! This is not cutesy but really alarming to me as a reader. I did enjoy the outlandish characters and their over-the-top southernliess, but a little goes a long way. So while I might read another in the series, I may need a little time away from Happy Trails in between my visits.

Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie I started my road trip with an Agatha Christie novel because you might as well start a three-day road trip of 1,500 miles with a bang. Hercule Poirot helps the daughter of a convicted murderer discover the real murderer of Amyas Crale. I really enjoyed the whole premise, of Poirot investigating a very cold case that everyone thought had been satisfactorily solved. However, I didn't find the British rhyme made much sense with he chapters; this might have been more evident with a read rather than a listen to the story. But you can't go wrong with an Agatha Christie, and the lesser known Poirots are always fun to read.

Behold a Fair Maid by Francis Duncan This is the last Mordecai Tremaine novel written by Francis Duncan. Mordecai goes to an island for vacation and finds that the slow idyllic life on the island masks old grievances and criminal activity. I found this the most convoluted of the Tremaine novels, and had to read the ending twice to make sure that I understood the many threads and how they were woven together. And because of that I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as I had the other four in the series. I wish there had been more descriptions of the island and the settings, but it was still a very enjoyable book.

Middle Sister's July Reads

It was a hot and stormy month... Last year's summer rainy season was a bust, but we have had record or near-record rain this year. Those rainy nights are perfect reading weather! Surprising and unexpected mini-themes: midlife weddings and home invasions.

Strangers on a Skein by Anne Canadeo The Black Sheep & Co. yarn shop and its owner, Maggie, have solved several mysteries over the life of the series that tangentially relate to knitting and yarn. In this latest entry in the series, Maggie's employee Phoebe has struck out on her own, serendipitously landing a stall at the Plum Harbor Farmer's Market after the death of the stall's previous renter. Phoebe is excited to start her own business selling finished knit items and yarn kits, hoping this new venture will take her mind off of her recent break up with her boyfriend, Harry. Then she discovers that her stall is right across from Harry's aunt's stall, and the uncomfortable situation is made worse when vandalism and a suspicious death stalk the market. Like all the books in the series, the yarn shop and knitting are just the hook to attract readers and don't contribute to the story. These books never read as if the author herself has experience with knitting.  Minor goofs, like 'casted off' for beginning a project (it's casting on) and vague wording (like "Maggie helped her finish the sock") signal very clearly that Ms. Canadeo isn't a knitter. So diehard knitting fanatics who want to read descriptions of yarn and more meaningful connections between the knitter and her project should pass on this series. This entry is a little better than previous stories in that none of the Black Sheep regulars are suspected of murder, although one of them is involved with a major suspect. The story was fairly fast paced, and Plum Harbor seems like a nice enough little town. A couple of chapters before the end, I began to suspect who the murderer was, but it still came as a surprise that Ms. Canadeo went in that direction. I want to like Maggie more than I do: she's middle aged and has started all over again, found romance, lives in a lovely little town, doesn't have to really work for a living, is surrounded by a group of close friends--but I just don't care that much for her. She's kind of bland. She doesn't like tacos! I'm not sure I can like a character who doesn't like tacos. Her groups of friends have more interesting and distinct personalities. It's a pleasant enough read, and when I stumble across one, like this, I will read it, but this is not a series I'd seek out or eagerly wait for.  Net Galley

On Deadly Tides by Elizabeth J. Duncan The Penny Brannigan series is another that I've enjoyed in the past enough that this new title in the series caught my eye. I've enjoyed the locale, Wales, very much, and had hoped we'd read more about it in this story, which takes place in Anglesey. Penny and a friend are taking an artist's retreat with a retired and famous actor. Penny meets both a handsome, intriguing wildlife photographer and a very nice young journalist from New Zealand in the hotel bar, but is horrified when she finds the journalist dead the next morning. Penny embarks on a whirlwind romance with the photographer, and befriends the journalist's mother after she travels from New Zealand to accompany her daughter's body home. The location outside Penny's small village sets this story apart from others but in some ways was underutilized: we're not really shown the sites of Angelsey, and there do seem to be one or two coincidences too many. And the discovery of the final clue was a little too pat and too unbelievable. But the series is still pleasant, despite the annoying villagers who think Penny's marriage is their wedding (who would let them dictate to her where and how the wedding takes place?), and on that level, it's a perfect beach read. Net Galley

Murder by the Bookend by Laura Gail Black This is the second in the series, and I have not read the first, but I often feel that is actually a benefit--the reader can often tell how good the author is by how deftly they write in enough details to fill in the characters' relationships and history without making it read like a sales sheet blurb for the previous story. Jenna Quinn's uncle owned an antiquarian bookstore which she inherited after his murder (the subject of the first book). In this second book, she's re-opened the bookstore under a new name and is eager for a new life in a new town. Things get complicated when someone is murdered with a bookend from her store the night of her grand opening. Jenna is a suspect again, and this time, her new boyfriend Keith, a police officer, cannot help her because he's not allowed to work on her case. Detective Sutter is assigned to the case, and he still holds a grudge after Jenna solved her uncle's murder. Jenna and her new friends decide they have to solve the murder before he completely messes it up and allows the real murderer to escape. The story was ok, although I wasn't as enamored of this small town as I have been of other fictional small towns that served as the settings for stories read this month. The romance is very much a dominant plot line, and of course Keith is too good to be true, so much so that I found the romance was getting in the way of the mystery. I didn't feel I had to play catch up to understand the characters and their relationships to each other. The murderer's motive was a little cliched and they are easy to identify, but again, this is the kind of easy beach read that doesn't make demands on the reader. However, I doubt I'll read another in this series as it just didn't pique my interest that much. Net Galley

The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman This is the second inthe delightful Mrs. Pollifax series. Mrs. Pollifax has settled back into ther quiet life in New Brunswick, New Jersey, after her unexpected yet thrilling first adventure for the CIA. SHe's happy to be called into action once again, for a simple courier job: getting apassport and money to defecting spy in Turkey. Of course, nothing is every simple when Mrs. Pollifax and the CIA are involved. The usual formula for the series was followed: a seemingly straightforward job is highjacked by unexpected complications, Mrs. Pollifax finds a ragtag group of innocent bystanders who prove remarkably adept at international spying, and ultimately she has to rely on her own wits to save her life and that of her companions. Despite being formulaic, the series is so well written, and the characters so genuine and real, that even the dated storylines can be overlooked (for example, in this book, the Cold War spy is defecting from Russia). I read these about 25 or more years ago, and decided to re-read the series. I'm enjoying it just as much as I did the first time around. (audiobook)

A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell Excellent biography of Virginia Hall, an American WWII spy who was instrumental in helping the French resistance but whose contributions were unknown outside a small circle of intelligence specialists. This is one of the best books I've read in 2021. I listened to the audiobook, read by Juliet Stevenson who did a great job, but I do wonder if I missed some photos that might have improved my appreciation of the woman and France during the war. Hall served as a wireless operator, rescued 12 agents who'd been arrested and imprisoned, completed a harrowing escape on foot across snow-covered mountains, and armed and organized hundred of French resistance fighters. Klaus Barbie was obsessed with identifying and arresting this mysterious agent, but ms. Hall outwitted him and the Germans at every turn. I'm so surprised this book and Virginia's life have not been made into a movie, as it has everything: drama, tragedy, war, romance. Parts of the book are not easy to read, notably the descriptions of the horrific tortures the Nazis inflicted on their enemies, but perhaps it's important that we read and remember as those who witnessed the horrors die and leave only their memoirs to remind us. (audiobook)

A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn The third in the Victoria Speedwell series, this was the first I had read. Victoria is the illegitimate daughter of the heir to the British throne who has led a life of unimaginable adventure and excitement, often in exotic locations. But in this adventure, Victoria and her mysterious partner, Stoker, are asked to find an amateur archaeologist who has disappeared in England after returning from a successful Egyptian excavation season. Is it a mummy's curse, or something more wordly? The adventure is made more perilous as the missing man is married to Stoker's former wife, and Stoker is himself the number one suspect in the man's disappearance and possible murder. No, Victoria and Stoker do not act like real Victorian-era people would have, even the well-known real Victorian explorer, and generally that lack of historical accuracy annoys me. But if you can suspend your expectations and beliefs, this can be a fun romp to read, and it, too, would make a rollicking movie. 

Murder Has a Motive by Francis Duncan Mordecai Tremaine is off to visit his friends in Dalmering and walks right into a murder mystery. Who would want to kill Lydia Dare, a popular and friendly young woman who doesn't seem to have an enemy in the world? Unless it's the man who has been not-so-secretly in love with her for years who is incensed to learn she has fallen in love and decided to marry after a whirlwind romance. But then another body is found, and a third, and the evil simmering under the surface threatens even Mordecai's life. I know some dislike Mordecai Tremaine for not being a heroic kind of amateur detective, quick off the mark and smart and handsome, but that's actually why I really like him. He's smart but human and can be fallible. 

Middle Sister's June Reads

Ah yes, the heat continues, record heat throughout the western US. No better way to escape the heat than to escape in a book.

Good Dog by Kate Leaver Truly heartwarming book about the invaluable jobs our dogs can do for us humans. Full disclosure: my dogs and I have been Pet Partner (formerly Delta Society) volunteers since 2003, and I am a team evaluator, too. So I know the good that therapy dogs can do firsthand. I also help my friend occasionally; she is the best service dog trainer out there. But this enchanting book will help spread the word about what our dogs can do for those whose need may not be visible: autistic children (don't even get me started on how the ability for autistic children to bring their assistance dogs with them to school has been curtailed), veterans or anyone with PTSD, those living with depression. Ms. Leaver writes very eloquently, so movingly, about what her own depression feels like, and how her dog pulls her through the times when she simply cannot. Wonderful book, highly recommended for dog lovers, anyone who cares for someone with PTSD or depression, and legislators who think that autistic children don't need their dogs. (Net Galley)

All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot Everyone knows I love animals. I loved the original television show, and I loved the recent remake. The bookstore I worked in always sold out of this series as soon as they arrived. I've been wanting to read it for decades. Then, suddenly, there it was--the audiobook, read by the actor Christopher Timothy (yes, actor of James himself). A delightful listen, punctuated with some lovely music. A terrific summer read (or listen) that I highly recommend. 

Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan Another Mordecai Tremayne mystery republished to this reader's great delight. A snowy Christmas, a motley assortment of people staying at an English country house--perfect, perfect, perfect. I enjoyed this book as much as the first Mordecai Tremayne I read, and I'm seeking out the others in series. Mordecai is an excellent detective, but not without sympathy for the people confronted by sudden, murderous death. His adorable quirks (a middle-aged man who reads romantic magazines and falls into mad crushes with most of the women he meets, regardless of age or appearance) make me like him even more. He is quickly ascending my list of fictional crushes, where Homer Kelly and Roderick Alleyn and a few others reign. The two books I've read have not had any of the cringiness that 80-year-old books can often have regarding language or attitudes. The Mordecai Tremayne series is my current secret pleasure, and I highly recommend the series to mystery lovers.

A Deadly Edition by Victoria Gilbert Although I had mixed feelings about the first book I read in this Blue Ridge Library mystery series, it was pleasant enough that I read this one. Amy and Richard are preparing for their upcoming nuptials and happiness abounds, until someone is killed at their wedding shower. Amy's brother Scott has come home for the wedding, but his mysterious job is somehow intertwined with Kurt Kendrick, whose own background holds many secrets and possible crimes only thinly masked by his outwardly convivial appearance. The mystery centers around a rare illustrated volume with a murky provenance that people are willing to kill for. As in the last novel, some of Amy's habits were very annoying to me, but I greatly appreciate that Scott's homosexuality and Jessica's asexuality are not utilized for shock or preaching; its just part of them (although I cannot imagine telling a complete stranger at our first meeting anything about my sexual orientation or habits or lack thereof, as Jessica does). I was puzzled by reference to some photographs; I read this galley on my Kindle, so I searched on both 'photographs' and 'Honor' and couldn't find anything pertinent to this plot device. A pleasant enough read, certainly not brain taxing, so a good vacation book, with a sappy ending at the wedding. Net Galley

Middle Sister's Mid-Month Review: Merry Murder!!

A certain television station is known for showing nothing but holiday movies starting around Halloween, it seems, and pretty much spoiling the holiday season for those of us who long for its return to the month of December. But I was inspired to tackle a similar mystery theme for this month. So here is this bookworm's literary version--a stocking full of holiday murder mysteries.

Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan A snow-bound mansion in the idyllic English countryside, an observant and unlikely amateur detective, a likable young couple whose romance is in jeopardy, a middle-aged spinster with a secret--this is the perfect holiday murder mystery! I adored Mordecai Tremaine, our slightly bemused yet kind amateur detective. The writing was perfect--tight and evocative. The suspense built rapidly, and matched the pace of the book, which occurs over just a few days. I admit I may have enjoyed this book even more because I read it after several other Christmas cosies, which were poorly written, poorly plotted, and poorly formatted. But I don't think so; I think I'd have loved this book regardless of comparing it to the others. And I will now seek out other Francis Duncan novels. Readers who love the Golden Era of mysteries are left bereft after they finish all the Christies, all the Sayers, all the Allinghams, all the Marshes. But rejoice and be glad, for I bring you tidings of a re-released series that will delight the mystery lover.

Holiday Murder by Leslie Meier Holiday Murder contains two reissues of Lucy Stone mysteries, Mistletoe Murder and Christmas Cookie Murder. Mistletoe Murder is the second Lucy Stone mystery, published in 1998; Christmas Cookie was published in 1999. I thought after reading last month's Turkey Trot Murder, the latest Lucy Stone, that I would try this one. Lucy's life has changed over the series--a fourth child and a new job among them, so I thought maybe the character had changed and I might like the earlier Lucy Stone more. Nope, I didn't. I still found her annoying, hypocritical, naive, and melodramatic. On the plus side, Meier's depictions of Lucy's kids are perfect--as they age, they assume teen attitudes and while they may also be naive and cute in their voice, they at least rebel and act like real teenagers. Unlike most small towns in the mystery series I read, I would not like to live in Tinker's Cove, and I wouldn't want Lucy as a neighbor. I'm sure I'm in the minority here, but Lucy's penchant to jumping to judgments and conclusions is irritating, and these two early books demonstrate that she learns nothing from her experiences and doesn't grow as a character over the arc of the series. There were also numerous typos, and that makes me like a book less.

How the Finch Stole Christmas by Donna Andrews The latest Meg Langlsow is another charming visit with her extended family and their intertwined lives which intersect often with murder and mayhem. One of the reasons I love these books is that the secondary characters are so skillfully drawn, and while they may make only brief appearances, the reader smiles when they arrive on the page and misses them when they depart. In this book, Meg's father and grandfather are important participants in the mystery, and they have officially joined the ranks of my fictional crushes. While there were no surprises as far as the mystery was concerned (I spotted the murderer as soon as the character appeared) and this is not the strongest mystery in the series, Finch is an enjoyable book to cozy up with as the snow piles up outside and in the pages.