Middle Sister's August Reads

My goodness, I had several drafts of monthly posts waiting to go, but never finished and hit the publish button. So let's go back to last summer and get caught up on my reading.

August was hot but dry, the second month of a very dry summer. So I kept trying to escape by reading books set in winter.

Between a Flock and Hard Place by Donna Andrews Gentle Reader, you know that I love the Meg Langslow series. I love her extended family, I love the small town she lives in where everyone knows everyone else, and no matter how eccentric they are, are kind and tolerant of each other. Number 35 in this long-running series, Yorktown residents Mr. and Mrs. Smetkamps are having a major renovation of their house completed by a television reality show, Marvelous Mansions. A temporary halt is necessary when a huge number of feral turkeys descend on the property. If you've ever met a randy turkey looking for love, like I have, you know to respect the turkey flock. Most of Caerphilly turns out to help capture the turkeys and take them to Meg's grandfather's rehab facility and zoo. But in the midst of the midnight turkey capture escapade, Meg finds a dead body, and she and her family and friends are on the case. Full of the usual quirky characters and hijinks that typify a Meg Langslow book, but the solution is, as  always, grounded in a real and sobering situation. The series is silly enough to make you laugh, but well written and with a murder and clues that will keep you engaged in trying to solve the puzzle before Meg. I never do. The real mystery for is me is how and where did Rose Noir learn to cook such huge meals so quickly? Highly recommended. No. 35 in the series

A Smoking Bun by Ellie Alexander I was interested in this series, which takes place in fictional Ashland, Oregon, a part of the US I love. Jules Capshaw owns the town's bakery, and while she and her team are busy making holiday pastries for everyone, her husband Ramiro's family is visiting from Spain. One local festivity no one ever misses is a contest where teams create a dummy that is strapped to skies and sent down the local resort's ski jump. Except this year, local guide Fitz is found dead near the ski jump. I wanted to like the book, but there were just too many characters who aren't really introduced with any backstory. There is an assumption that the reader has followed entire series. Well, this was my first book in the Bakeshop Series and I was confused about many characters and their relationships for too much of the book. Jules' character is heavy into introspection, too much I thought, but I did wonder if that is that typical for this character? As for the denouement, the murderer and the reason for Fitz's murder came almost out of nowhere-- there was just one throwaway line that tangentially applied to the reason he was murdered. That left me feeling like it wasn't a legitimate reason for the murder. And honestly, there was too much saccharine perfection--work is perfect, relationships are perfect, Jules is physically perfect--it's too much. I like my character to have faults and crazy hair and zits and wear old clothes and have grumpy mornings--like me, so I can sympathize and feel like I am they when I am reading. I never felt like Jules. One more thing-- the serving of impossible meat substitute to an entire party of New Year's celebrants without them knowing what they were eating--unforgivable! What if someone was allergic to the contents on the meat substitute? These are supposed to be culinary professionals. I know a woman who has had breast cancer who won't go anywhere near tofu because of its estrogenic compounds and her genetically-caused cancer, which is in remission. She'd be furious if she was unknowingly served a tofu meal without her knowledge. Anyway, I was disappointed enough in the book that I don't think I'll be looking for any others in the series. (Net Galley)

Rockin' Around the Chickadee by Donna Andrews Fair warning, Gentle Reader--life is so stressed right now that I have decided to go on splurge of reading Meg Langlsow mysteries. There are dozens, and since the first was published over two decades ago, I think, I don't remember any of the earlier ones. I thought I'd re-read in order, but my library didn't have all of them, so I'll be jumping around. And since it's hot, that means it's time for another Christmas mystery! Chickadee was Ms. Andrews' 2024 publication. This year, Christmas is even more special because Meg's sister-in-law, Delaney, is just days away from giving birth. And while the extensive clan is in town, instead of staying with Meg and Michael, the relatives are at Meg's parents' farm, so the big rambling Victorian house is unusually quiet. But things are still busy: Meg's grandmother has helped organize a legal conference focused on helping the wrongly convicted (or the presumed wrongly convicted) be proven innocent. There's one obnoxious conference attendee who manages to rile up a lot of people, so it's no surprise when he's murdered. As usual, Meg has a lot on her plate, but the whole extended clan and friends help solve the murder, and yes, a babe is born. Highly recommended. No. 36 in the series

Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers I've started listening to the Shedunnit podcast, and under discussion was the classic Murder Must Advertise, so naturally I re-read it. Wells actually, I listened to it, as my library is getting a lot of new or re-released audiobooks. There's nothing new I can say about the book except that if you've never read Sayers, this is a pretty good one to start with. It clearly shows that the 1920s/1930s were not staid and boring, as a modern reader might think. Highly recommended.

A Patchwork of Clues by Sally Goldenbaum Regular Gentle Readers know how much I love Ms. Goldenbaums' Seaside Knitters series. I've been aware of her other series for a while, and finally gave the first in the Queen Bees Quit Shop series a read. It follows her standard approach: 4 women of varying ages and backgrounds brought together by their love of a craft, herein quilting. Portia Paltrow is  a regular quilter at Selma Parker's fabric and quilt shop in the small college town Crestwood, Kansas. Her life is placid and on an even keel, although she still mourns her late husband, but she has no desire to move from the people and places they both loved. So she is shocked when she stumbles upon the murdered body of Owen Hill, professor and antiques store owner, on the back step of the quilt shop. The police assume the location is not accidental and that Selma, who had regularly opposed Owen at the small business association meetings, is their main suspect. Portia and the regular quilters put their heads together to save their friend while stitching an anniversary quilt for Selma's shop. I didn't find this as engaging as the Seaside Knitters (full disclosure, my mom quilted, so it's not an unfamiliar craft to me although not one I do).  I'll probably read the other two books in the series, but not with the relish I read the knitters' books.

And because I Have extra time on my hands and am on a no-yarn-buying goal for the year, I took out two books from my library: Rustic Modern Knits by Yumiko Alexander and The Best of Jane Austen Knits by Amy Clarke Moore. Rustic Modern Knits had a lot of shawls and several mitts and hats. Lovely photos, no obvious pattern mistakes although none interested me enough to start, so don't berate me if mistakes are found. Best of Jane Austen Knits has many lovely designs sure to please the heart of any Austen fan (myself included), with shawls, sweater, even a manly vest. Although different styles, both were lovely eye candy. 

Middle Sister's Mid-Month Read

 It's that time of year, when my favorite series publishes a new book. I was very fortunate to be able to read a galley of Sally Goldenbaum's latest Seaside Knitters Society Gull and Bones. For those unfamiliar with the series, it revolves around four friends--one octogenarian, one sixty-ish and her niece in her 30s, plus another 30-something young woman. Which woman spearheads the 'investigation' into a mysterious death changed in each book in the early entries in the series, but in the last few, it's been a concerted effort of 4 minds to solve the crime, often with Nell being the one to weave all the tidbits each has found into a resolution.

It's clear Ms. Goldenbaum is, understandably, still processing the death of her own husband last year, while she was writing the previous book. In both, the murder victim is someone we the reader like, and in one instance, someone who has been a familiar face in previous books. That saddens me in a way, but is understandable, of course, especially given her own loss. Creating 5 or 6 new characters and a backstory for each and why someone would want to murder them may just be too much right now. Exploring characters she knows so intimately after a dozen years might be easier, and challenging in its own way. But the murder of an old friend is a little harder to read. There are a few new characters, but most are ones we've met in previous books. Annie is the one new character that is a central focus, although her past and her motivations are not fully revealed despite a lot of discussion about her by our knitters. This book also features a lot less knitting than usual, missing the cosiness that time spent in the studio and fleeting discussion of different yarn types and weights brought to other books.

In Gull and Bones, the entire town of Sea Harbor is getting ready for a giant celebration for the 100th birthday of Angus MacPherron, the town's "old man of the sea." But the celebrations haven't even started when a murder occurs. I'll admit that this time, I knew who had done it, and why, early in the story, and I also knew what the final reveal would be, also very early. Spoiler alert--dollars to doughnuts, I also know what the boy baby will be named when he arrives. Despite that, and the slightly depressed tone of the novel, I enjoyed Gull and Bones and spending time with Nell, Izzy, Cass, and Birdie, and their families and friends, as I always do. I wish Ms. Goldenbaum continued strength as she journeys forth. There was no preview of the next book, which I'm a little worried about. Is it an indication that we will no longer visit Sea Harbor in future books? 

Middle Sister's Mid-Month Review: November 2024

Gentle Reader, you know my favorite mystery series is the Seaside Knitters Society series by Sally Goldenbaum. I love the little seaside village in Massachusetts, with its yarn studio, tea room, bookstore, and arts colony. The village large enough to have several successful restaurants such as Gracies, Sweet Petunia, and the deli, but small enough where everyone largely knows everyone else. Where friends have standing Friday night dinners and Thursday evening knit potlucks. I want all of that in real life. So every year I eagerly await the new mystery in Sea Harbor so I can visit with Nell, Izzy, Birdie, and Cass.

This year's book is The Herringbone Harbor Mystery. It's early summer in Sea Harbor, but everyone is starting to think about the fall mayoral election. Mayor Beatrice has run unopposed for several years, and some locals think it might be time for a change in leadership. Everyone is looking forward to the summer tourist season and a possibly exciting mayoral race if Nick Cabot can be convinced to run opposite Beatrice. But those summer plans are derailed when murder and a fire devastate the town.

Victims in previous books were known to our little band of knitting detectives, but in this book, Ms. Goldenbaum spends so much more time on the grief and shattering disbelief that affects the main characters. There are many discussions and passages where internal ruminations on grief occur. While some might find this off-putting, I found it very comforting, because one week into the book a friend of mine, a friend of 31 years, was found dead in his house. I was plunged into a similar unexpected grief. Reading about Nell's and Birdie's feelings and grief was actually very helpful to me. It wasn't until I read the acknowledgments at the end of the book that I learned that Ms. Goldenbaum lost her husband of many years while she was writing this book. It's very clear that she was processing her own grief in her story. My deepest sympathies to Ms. Goldenbaum and her family. I hope writing the book helped her through her grief as reading it did mine.

As for the plotlines in The Herringbone Harbor Mystery, I did suspect the murderer quite early on, but the denouement was deftly handled and still afforded me a surprise or two. The subplot surrounding Gracie's lobster shack provided a necessary redirection from the main murder plot. Gracie is a nice addition to the group, and I hope we continue to see more of her in future stories. I enjoyed meeting more of the extensive Palazola clan, all of whom seem to have the magic touch to create restaurants I'd love to eat in.

While the series builds on former stories, it's easy to start with any of the novels. The four main characters are so well drawn that the differences in personalities are noticeable, but the reasons why these 4 women are such deep friends is evident. You will easily succumb to their charms and want to live in Sea Harbor, too. 

Middle Sister's August Reads

The very hot and very rainy summer continued through August/ It is sometimes hard to read through the heat, believe it or not. I found myself having to reread a paragraph because I couldn't remember what I'd just read because my brain was melting. Please come early, autumn.

Fracture-Proof Your Bones by John Neustadt, M.D. This book was recommended by a doctor. It presents  medicine's recent (published 2022) level of knowledge and treatment of osteoporosis in a very readable but thoroughly researched book. I have had a DEXA scan and my bones are very healthy right now, but my mother suffered for decades from osteoporosis and was in considerable pain from it, so I am determined to not let that happen to me. Highly recommended to anyone in their 40s and 50s who is looking to improve their chances at a pain-free old age. 

Murder in Merino by Sally Goldenbaum (Seaside Knitters Book 8) I decided that the blasted heat and my not having any time off in August meant that I needed to take a virtual vacation to my favorite place, Sea Harbor, MA, and spend some time with the ladies of the Seaside Knitting Studio. I had been reading these in order, but somehow managed to get out of order with this title, It didn't matter. Izzy is selling her old cottage and a vacation visitor is very interested in purchasing it. Everyone is surprised by her persistence, and even more puzzled when she insists upon the sale even after a murdered restauranteur is found in the backyard. Everyone is affected by the murder as the victim was a friend, and it seem impossible to them that anyone would want to harm someone the entire town loved. Meanwhile, Cass is undergoing a major personal challenge, and Izzy, Birdie and Nell are heartbroken and want to help her \work through her unhappiness, but independent Cass tries to keep them at arms' bay. Of course, there are Thursday knitting nights and Friday Night Dinners at Nell and Ben's, and some knitting. Wonderful cozy series that I adore. And there's a new one being published in November--hooray!!

The Year of the the Puppy by Alexandra Horowitz I got a new puppy on August 5! So naturally I started reading this book before I brought him home, so I could anticipate this first year from a different perspective. He's the fourth puppy I've raised in this house, and it's only been 4 years since the last puppy arrived, but the science of canine cognition and important discoveries in canine nutrition, development, etc. are constantly happening. In this book, Dr. Horowitz contrasts the weekly development of two litters, one destined to be family pets and one destined to be trained search dogs, for the first 3 months. Then she moves to monthly considerations of puppy and family development studying the puppy she and her family adopted from that litter. As always, very well written and full of information and the personal reflections that make her books and her occasional columns in the New York Times so interesting.

Middle Sister's March Reads

 Helle, Gentle Reader, and welcome to spring, and a March full of excellent reading, home and abroad.

And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou The month's banned book is one of powerful poetry written by a modern literary giant. While I don't feel qualified to judge the poetry on its literary merit, nor, in some ways, as a person (I may be a woman but I am not Black, and so my experience is so vastly different), I can say that the book was immensely powerful. The imagery is strong, sometimes subtle, sometimes blunt. The only slightly veiled allusions to physical and sexual abuse are, I presume, why the book was banned, but the 'children' reading this would be high schoolers, and some may even have been abused or raped themselves. They would recognize the cry and pain, and it might help them. Others without those experiences may not even recognize the experience behind the prose. I think this would be totally appropriate in a senior high school literature class. To those who ban it, I say this: bad things happen in this world. It's our job as adults to teach our children that bad things happen, how to protect themselves from it, how to fight it, and how to sympathize with those to whom bad things happen. By hiding this from your children, you leave them unsympathetic at best, and ill-equipped to deal with real life, so that when bad things happen to them, they are crushed by it, at worse.

Moonspinners by Sally Goldenbaum Continuing in my reading of all the Seaside Knitters mysteries in order. In this book (number 4, I think), we are introduced to more of the residents of Sea Harbor, notably Danny Brandley, son of the bookstore owners. He has returned to Sea Harbor to finish writing an article, but Izzy and her knitters soon discover that he has a connection to the late Sophia, wife of a wealthy industrialist who was killed in a car accident that, as it turns out, was no accident. We also meet Liz, the daughter of Annabelle Palazola, who owns the knitters' favorite breakfast restaurant, and Mae's twin nieces play a minor role in the drama. I will admit that I saw the solution to this mystery immediately, as soon as the murderer was introduced, but that still did not color my delight in disappearing into the fictional world of Sea Harbor. By book 4, Ms. Goldenbaum has established the rituals that readers (at least this one) envy: Thursday knit nights, Friday dinners at Nell and Ben's, and we know the 4 main characters well enough that she can elaborate on the supporting townspeople a little. I read this book on a disastrous travel day full of plane delays, missed connections caused by airline incompetence, downgraded seat assignments, and it was a wonderful escape from a reality that was incredibly upsetting and stressful. As always, I recommend the series. 

Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge Ms. Cambridge has established herself in a genre niche in which her main characters are adjacent to well-known real (although now deceased) historical figures. I enjoy the Phyllida Bright series, in which the main character is Agatha Christie's housekeeper. In this new series. the main character, Tabitha, has recently moved to Paris to live with her grandfather and her 'oncle.' It's 1950, and the post-war deprivations are only just starting to ease while the war memories remain strong. Tabitha's neighbor is Julia Child, living in Paris with her diplomat husband Paul, and the two become fast friends. In this first book, Dort, Julia's sister, throws an evening soiree that ends in murder, and Tabitha and Julia try to find who of Dort's friends and coworkers could have wanted Therese to die. The book is very atmospheric and without diving too deep into research myself, it reads as if the author has done a good bit of research herself. Paris and Julia's cooking and food are described in detail, so lovers of foodie mysteries and lovers of historical mysteries will both enjoy it. (NetGalley)

Murder Most French by Colleen Cambridge I had originally intended to read this book first, which was due to be published soon, but I thought I'd read the first in the series and then this second. While I am glad I did, it isn't, at this point in the series, necessary to have read the first. Ms. Cambridge does a good job in introducing the characters and obliquely explaining relationships and their past adventure together so that the reader will not get lost. In this book, we learn a bit more about Oncle's background prior to and during the war, enough to intrigue us and set him up to be pivotal in future books. His and Grandepere's relationship is still largely veiled, but it's clear they are an established couple whose long relationship does not seem to bother anyone in 1950 Paris, although it may upset puritanical modern readers. After exploring food and cooking in the first book, Ms. Cambridge turns to the other great love of the French in this second--wine. Interestingly, after having just finished this book, I was having dinner with a man who had just finished reading a nonfiction book about France and the wine industry in WWII, and we began comparing notes about how the fictional book represented the war and French winemakers. It appears that again, Ms. Cambridge has done her homework, as specific things she mentions were well documented during and after the war and recounted in the nonfiction history. Two good books point to a promising series, and I recommend this title, too. (NetGalley)

Middle Sister's Mid-Month Review

Gentle Reader, you know how much I love the Seaside Knitters series by Sally Goldenbaum. You know how I would live to live in Sea Harbor and eat at Nell's on Friday night and attend the Thursday evening knitting dinners. I was so happy to hear there is a new title, A Twisted Skein, being published tomorrow, November 28, and I was delighted to be able to read an advanced reader's copy. Here are my thoughts.

One of the strengths of the series is that the view through which we approach the murder mystery changes with each book. Although all four protagonists help solve the mystery, who finds the body or knows the victim or is in the front lines varies. In this book, Birdie Favazza, the octogenarian member of the foursome, finds the body, and while all  four women uncover information that helps solve the mystery, she is at the center of this story. Birdie is my second favorite character, after Nell. It's so refreshing to have an 80-year-old woman play a central role, and she's such an active, energetic woman. Yes, she has aches and pains and has lost her husbands, but her optimism carries her through. She's a great role model.

The story is set in deep fall on Cape Ann, with blustery winds, early sunsets, steaming pots of chili, thick sweaters. Izzy is concentrating on a fashion show that is going to be held at her shop, and worrying about the timeline, the logistics, and if she should have trusted her former sales girls, twin sisters Jillian and Rose, and Lucky, the bar owner, to make the runway stage. But her worries about the show disappear when Birdie finds a fellow member of her birding group dead. Everyone liked Josh. Who could have killed him?

A tangential storyline follows Jillian and Rose, twin sisters we met many years ago when they worked in Izzy's shop with their aunt, Mae. They are now grown up, but the formerly close sisters are feuding as Rose tries to interfere with Jillian's romantic life. 

And I was delighted that a character who owns a tea room is introduced. Sea Harbor is now perfect: the Brandleys' bookstore, Izzy's yarn store, and now a tea room. And they have a birding group. As the world's worst but most enthusiastic birder, I thought as I read the cast of characters, "Well now, Ms. Goldenbaum has checked every box to make it the perfect holiday book for me." Truly Sea Harbor is now where I want to live. Retirement is 8 years away, and I've already started looking for a real Sea Harbor to move to. Suggestions welcome. No murders, please.

The atmosphere of the story is up to par with the rest of the series. The close relationships between Izzy, Nell, Birdie, and Cass is well developed, although Cass is not a major part of the mystery this time. But I was disappointed by two things, and spoiler alert here, Gentle Reader. Skip the next section if you don't want any reveals of anything at all.

We never are told how Josh is killed; he's found lying next to a stone wall but no mention is made of a head injury. The comment is made that he looks like he's sleeping. To me, that suggests that there is not a lot of blood, as you might expect if he had slipped and hit his head or been bashed in the head with a rock. Nor, when he murderer is revealed, are we told how they knew to find Josh at the campsite. 

 I kept searching on my Kindle for words like coroner and post-mortem, to see if I wasn't remembering a passage because I was so eager to visit Sea Harbor for a few nights. Just a few short paragraphs, even a couple of sentences, would clear these inconsistencies up.

I truly love Sea Harbor and the series. In fact, I'm re-reading them all in order right now, except for this new one. I still recommend the series and recommend this title, but because of this confusion, for me it's a weaker entry than most. 

Middle Sister's October Reads

October was a busy month, but I was able to spend vacation time visiting my favorite fictional town, Sea Harbor, and get more plane reading done while traveling to a conference. 

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: A Re-Creation by  C.L. Cook I don't like scary stories, but having grown up in the northeast, the Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a local classic. This cute re-telling makes all the characters cats, and has adorable illustrations. Short enough to read aloud to little ones before Halloween.

The Greek Coffin Mystery by Ellery Queen I had a bit of driving to do mid-month, so thanks to my local public library, I was able to listen to another audiobook of a classic mystery. The book begins after the death of Georg Khalkis, a Greek art dealer whose will appears to have disappeared after the funeral. After a fruitless search, the police, Inspector Queen, and Ellery decide that someone must have hidden it in the one place no one would search--the coffin. But they are not ready for what they find in the exhumation. Great read (or listen), with international intrigue, missing persons, a beautiful secretary who might be more than she seems, greedy relatives, and a late autumn setting in a New York full of gray skies and leaf-swirling windy days. I love reading classic mysteries, and this one, first published in 1932, is great.

Death Comes to Santa Fe by Amanda Allen (Santa Fe Revival Book 3) I love Santa Fe, and seeing a new-to-me series set in old Santa Fe of the early 1920s was a must-read. The author has clearly done a lot of research to make sure the basic underpinnings of the series are correct with re: who was mayor at the time, the history of the city, what it would have looked like then, etc. But I found the main character, Madeline Vaughn-Alwin, a little too much of something I can't articulate. The series really should be read in order, as there are allusions to recurring characters and what has happened to them in the previous books. It's not so bad that someone couldn't start in mid-stream, as I did, but perhaps I'd have liked the main character better if I'd seen her change or new her better. I still love the setting, but Madeline as a fledgling artist making her mark in a glitzy, roaring '20s Santa Fe just felt off to me somehow. The writing is solid, and as I said, the setting is one I love. (Net Galley)

Death by Cashmere by Sally Goldenbaum (Seaside Knitters 1) I've enjoyed the recent Sea Harbor books so much, I decided to go back and read the ones still in publication in order, even though I'd read several before. In Death by Cashmere, we are introduced to our four main characters: Nell, Izzy, Cass and Birdie. Izzy has just opened her yarn store in the small coastal town of Sea Harbor, and to help defray the costs of the mortgage on both the yarn store and her little cottage, she rents out the small apartment above the store that she used to live in. Angie Archer, her tenant, grew up in Sea Harbor, but was always a bit too ambitious for many in the town, which is why her her return too work in the Historical Society raised eyebrows. But Angie loves her work there, and has started dating Cass' brother Pete. Then she's found dead, and the heartbroken residents are further traumatized to learn she was murdered. Who on their sleepy little seaside town would want to kill one of their own? 

Patterns in the Sand by Sally Goldenbaum (Seaside Knitters 2) Patterns in the Sand takes place a year after Death by Cashmere, with the summer tourist season in full swing. Monthly evening art exhibits at the Canary Cove art galleries have become extremely popular, but there are undercurrents between the resident artists. These undercurrents swell to the surface when one of the artists is murdered, and secrets start bubbling to the surface. As always, Nell is my favorite of the four women around whom the series centers. Cass and Birdie, who'll emerge to center future stories, are present but not the strong characters they will become in future books. The book did need a little editing--I started tracking the changing colors of Birdies hair: first a smooth silver cap, then gray, than sticking white. As a middle aged woman whose hair is turning color, these are most definitely different colors!

Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry I enjoyed books 2 and 3 in this series, which I read from Net Galley this year, so much that I had to get book one to read how Tess and Gertrude wind up in Winthrop, WA. This story did not disappoint. We meet Tess and her daughter as they are moving into Tess' late grandfather's cabin fora month. Tess' divorce is just 6 months old, and with her ex-husband having decided to completely disappear from their daughter's life, she's hoping that some distance and new experiences might help Gertrude make her way through that terrible hurt. But her plans are upended when, while standing on the porch of the cabin near the lake, they suddenly are showered by human remains that were blown up by someone doing some fishing by dynamite. Add in big foot and mysterious sightings of exotic animals, and Ms. Berry has created her signature blend of farcical outlandishness with reasonable explanations wrapped up in real human drama. The one irritating part was Tess' mental wanderings into what her Detective Gonzales would say or do, and the the tracking of the book she was writing based on these experiences, but the author backs off of those in books 2 and 3. Hopefully, there will be a book 4.

Let It Crow! Let It Crow! Let It Crow! by Donna Andrews Faithful readers know that Meg Langslow is one of my favorite characters, and Donna Andrews one of my favorite authors. In this year's Christmas book, Meg gets drawn into a reality TV show when her mentor, Faulk, is injured on the set of a blacksmithing challenge that he's participating in. Despite her misgivings, Meg agrees to take Faulk's place. She discovers right away that things are not as they seem, that tension not he set is high, and that some contestants will do anything to advance their chances to win the challenge. There've been numerous reality-tv-inspired mysteries, and I've read several; this is one of the best. The challenge is locate in the mock castle Meg's friend Ragnor, ex-metalhead, has built in the Virginia countryside, and I'm sad we didn't get to see more of the castle in the book. Michael and the twins are present, as are Meg's parents, but unlike other books, we hardly see them or Rose or some of her other family members. And that makes the series string--the author knows we might get a little tired of the same supporting cast, and introducing new folks for Meg to interact with keeps her fresh and entertaining in our minds. That, and there are fewer than usual references to her engagement book that is usually brought up more times that I care for. I enjoyed the mystery, and while I had figure out the whodunnit buy about 3/4 of the way through, getting Meg there was well plotted and well written. As always, highly recommended. (Net Galley)

Middle Sister's December Reads

December was a busy month, but I had two weeks of vacation and was looking forward to reading, and reading a lot. And I did. And it was wonderful! I hunkered down and spent good quality hygge time in my want-to-be-home, Sea Harbor, MA. But tragedy struck December 8--my beloved Kindle Voyage died! Amazon made the wrongheaded decision 4 years ago to cease production of the Voyage, even though many of us Kindle diehards thought it was the best Kindle ever made. I tried to live without a Kindle but broke down within  a week and ordered an Oasis, which will be delivered soon. I hate reading on my phone, so most of the books read this month were audiobooks or library books. A Net Galley ARC was interrupted by the tragedy, but I will resume reading Comet Madness as soon as Fred the Fourth arrives.

A Dark and Snowy Night by Sally Goldenbaum Years ago this series was published by one of the mass market publishers, and I fell in love with it when I discovered it early on. After several books, the publisher decided not to pursue the series, but luckily for us, Kensington Publishing picked up the author and the series continues. Sea Harbor, Massachusetts, is a small coastal town, but it's home to a large number of great businesses I'd patronize if they were real. Chief among them is the Seaside Knitting Studio, owned by Izzy Chambers Perry. The series began years ago with Izzy opening up her yarn shop and over the books, she knits deep relationships with three women in town. They are all very different, in age, in lifestyle, in experience, but they bond over their shared love of knitting and their lives become interwoven. Over the series, their lives change, but the friendships and love stay strong. I would love to be best friends with Izzy, Nell, Birdie, and Cass, and have Thursday night knit-ins and Friday night dinners with them. The mystery is almost secondary for me. I love escaping to this cosy, beautiful town full of caring and conscientious people and set in a gorgeous, sea side locale. But, a mystery series this is, so someone does get murdered, and each investigation is spearheaded by a different woman. I had just read two of the Seaside Knitters mysteries in November, and I didn't want the happy glow of living in Sea Harbor to dissipate, so I immediately jumped into my third consecutive book, which is also the most recent. This time around, the mayor's holiday party is marred by a murder, and the victim is discovered by Nell, Izzy's aunt (and personally my favorite of the four women). With Christmas and the holidays looming, the women decide to solve the murder so the town can enjoy the festive season without worrying that a murderer lurks in their midst. I love this series, and passed this book on to a friend to read on her vacation, and she is now a convert and fan, too. What better way to celebrate the season than with this wonderful trip to my favorite place.

Black Orchids by Rex Stout This audiobook has two stories, Black Orchids and Cordially Invited to Meet Death. As all fans know, Nero Wolfe never leaves his townhouse, but the one thing that might get him to leave his home is a rare orchid, and this is not just a special rare orchid, it's a black orchid. When Archie Goodwin discovers a dead body at a flower show, Nero is drawn into a complex mystery that centers on an exceedingly rare little bloom. The black orchid reappears in the second story, in which a society matron receiving poison pen letters tries to get Nero Wolfe to find out who is sending the letters to her. Wolfe turns down the job, and then regrets it. This audiobook is literally just the old cassettes now in a digital format, complete with "end of cassette 1, please turn the cassette over." But the wonderful Michael Prichard and his gravelly voive are perfect for Nero Wolfe, so less than perfect presentation aside, I love these audiobooks.

The Capture of Cerberus and The Incident of the Dog's Ball by Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot read by David Suchet. There is nothing more to be said. Perfection.

Knot on Your Life by Betty Hechtman years ago, I gave up on Hechtman's other series because, as detailed in other reviews on this blog, the stories are simplistic, the writing often juvenile, and the mysteries unsatisfying. But, sometimes it's hard for a reader to know if some of the fault lies with the publisher, who demands a certain kind of mystery for a certain audience, and constrains the author with requirements and limitations. So when I found that Hechtman had another series out there, I thought I'd give it a try. Casey Feldstein has created a career arranging yarn retreats in Vista Del Mar, but the resort idyll is not without its evils. In this, book number 7, her nemesis, the resort manager, has started arranging retreats, trying to poach on Casey's success, but his attempts leave his first clients, a Silicon Valley tech company, unsatisfied, and they reach out to Casey to save their retreat. But it's not a restful retreat when someone dies, and Casey decides to solve the murder herself. Gentle Reader, I had so many issues with this book, it's hard to list them, but here are some, and they are my last straw pet peeves: why does Casey think she is a better detective than the police, because she worked as an assistant to a detective long ago? Why on earth does her boyfriend, the cop, tell her things that could get him fired if his boss knew he was telling her these things? Why does she let him do this? And why the heck is a 30-something woman afraid to date a man in the open? Does she really think the locals will gossip nonstop about them? Casey, you're neither that important nor that interesting. The juvenile romantic relationships Hechtman always has make the bad mysteries absolutely unreadable for me. It's insulting to Ms. Christie and Mr. Stout to read something like this right after reading their classic and well-written mysteries.

AlterKnit Stitch Dictionary: 200 Modern Knitting Motifs by Andrea Rangel Fantastic stitch dictionary of modern and unusual motifs for the adventurous knitter who wants to move beyond diamonds  and chevrons into dinosaurs, robots, and 3-D inspired motifs, among others. This is a great addition to any knitter's library. Nicely illustrated, but only charts.

And there you have it. The 69 books I read in 2022. On to 2023 and adventures with my new Oasis.

Middle Sister's February Reads

I had lots of airplane time in February, so plenty of time to dive head first into a book for uninterrupted reading time. I think that might be a bad thing, as I seem to have been a lot more critical than I usually am. This month: mysterious mayhem checked by a brief nature outing.

Drury Lane's Last Case by Ellery Queen I tend to enjoy stories that feature fictional works by famous artists, if well written and well researched and plausible. This mystery centers on the disappearance of a Shakespeare folio and the substitution of a more rare Shakespeare folio, with a mysterious, rainbow-bearded client and one thousand dollars cash. Drury Lane, former Shakespearean actor now retired because he's lost his hearing, becomes involved in the search for the folio and the unmasking of mysterious strangers. Originally published in the 1930s, the story does show its age a little. The beginning is very long and slow by comparison with the second half of the novel, but that half moves very quickly. Thumm and his daughter Patience are likable characters, but I didn't see the need to introduce some third rate gangsters. Parts were confusing but in the end, a satisfying and unique twist that I cannot imagine any modern writers being willing to use. Not the best Ellery Queen, but a good read nonetheless. (audiobook)

Unto Us A Son is Given by Donna Leon Guido Brunetti has recently become one of my favorite fictional characters, and Donna Leon one of my favorite mystery writers. Her love for Venice and its residents is clear, but she doesn't whitewash the failings of the Italian police or society. In this novel, Guido's father-in-law, the Count, asks him to use his connections to look into the background of someone about whom he has serious concerns. Despite his initial reluctance, Guido does, and this touches off a sequence of actions, including a natural death and a murder, that profoundly affect Guido in a way that other cases have not. I love Guido and Paola's relationship, and I love Leon's depiction of Venice. Another excellent entry in the series.

48 Peaks by Cheryl Suchors I love nature books, and books about hiking in nature, and books about how hiking in nature affect people's lives. Suchors details her quest to climb all 48 peaks in New Hampshire's White Mountains. I wanted to like it. The details of Suchor's training and her relationships with her hiking partners form the majority of the book, with less detail on the wonders of nature that she encountered on the various peaks. And that's one reason I didn't like it: the emphasis was on her obsessive training and her clashes with hiking partners whose hiking philosophies differed from her own. Suchors hiked to tick each mountain off her list, not to enjoy nature, to learn about the environment or the geology or plants, or to enjoy being in nature, and her frustration with people who did hike for enjoyment was dismissive and irritating. I would hate hiking with her. There are few deep introspections offered, but the clear emphasis on just climbing each mountain to climb it, not to enjoy it, detracts from the effort and the narrative in this hiking lover's opinion.

Upstaged by Murder by C. S. Chalinor Rex Graves and his new wife, Helen D'Arcy, are enjoying a   night at the local community theater when the murder of the leading lady interrupts the show and delays their move to Edinburgh. I'd never read a book in the series before, and my experience was ambivalent. I didn't hate it, but I didn't like it. The plot was rather mundane, the suspects not that interesting, and even though the author lived in the UK for several years, the dialogue didn't ring quite true. I didn't quite understand Rex's involvement beyond being interviewed as a witness. Why the inspector let him just interview suspects at will was not really explained well for first-time readers to the series, but I assumed the two were friends who'd worked on previous murder mysteries. Otherwise it seemed like a dereliction of duty. The resolution was no surprise. It's not a bad book, it's just not a good book.  

Crewel and Unusual by Molly MacRae Another first in an established series for me, and this one features yarn shop owner Kath Rutledge and her live-in ghost, Geneva. A local bank is being transformed into a gallery for artists and small shop owners, and the murder of one of the shop owners draws Kath and her boyfriend Joe into solving the murder. I freely admit that I went in to the book with two chips on my reader's shoulder: I'm not fond of paranormal mysteries (and I didn't realize this was a paranormal until after I'd started it), and I really dislike it when the amateur detectives think they are smarter than the pros. In Chapter 9, Kath actually says "But I'd be willing to bet Coleridge [law enforcement] smelled a rat. And if he plans to hunt it down, then we'll see if we can't catch it first, even if we ruffle a few feathers." Murder isn't a game, and when it's treated as such I tend to get my reading hackles up. But I did like Joe; in fact, I'd really like to have seen more of him and less of Geneva. Like the previous title, it's not a bad book, it's just not a good book. The plot is a little weak, the ghost aspect not appealing to all readers (and she's a bit of an annoying ghost to boot), but some of the secondary characters interesting.

How to Knit a Murder by Sally Goldenbaum I haven't read all of the Sea Harbor mysteries, but I have enjoyed the ones I've read. This, however, is not my favorite of the titles I've read. I approve of how Ms. Goldenbaum shifts point of view between a handful of main characters, and she handles it deftly because all of these characters are well defined and sympathetic, interesting, and with enough to appeal that the reader can see themselves as Nell, or Ben, or Birdie, or Izzy, or Cass. The characters are all likable (except for the murder victim, of course), and Sea Harbor is the perfect small town where everyone knows and cares about each other and drops by with scones and wise advice. It's a little too perfect, and for some reason, that perfection seemed to be more egregious in this entry, perhaps because the novel dealt with the lifelong repercussions of childhood bullying. And none of the main characters and most of the secondary characters were astonished that such hateful behavior could have happened under their noses. There's very little of Izzy in this entry, a lot of Nell and Birdie, and a great deal of a newcomer to town, Rose, who is murder suspect number one. If Rose and Stella don't become a romantic couple in the future, someone needs to talk to Ms. Goldenbaum about portraying platonic female friendships more realistically, because the gushing and instant intimacy of Rose and Stella was too unrealistic if it's not clearly pointing to a romance. Sea Harbor doesn't appear to have any LBGTQ characters (or any people of color), so it's high time some moved there. The murder is slow to be solved, and the sudden appearance of the clue that solves everything was a little too trite and deus ex machina for me; I prefer a more clever approach where clues are sprinkled throughout the novel and I get to solve it along with the amateurs. But Sea Harbor is always a nice place to visit and wish was real, especially the restaurants.

Middle Sis' December Books

Murder Past Due by Miranda James Cosy "Cat in the Stacks" mystery with a male college librarian/archivist in a small southern town. When a famous college alumnae and bestselling author is murdered the day after he donates his notes to the library, our hero swings into action to help an old college friend and her son, who are prime suspects. Male protagonists written by women sometimes seem more feminine than male, and that's certainly the case here--Charlie Harris is sensitive and introspective and not macho at all. And his Maine Coon cat, Diesel, his best friend and constant companion (how does he not get into trouble for taking his cat into the bakery?), is not the usual sidekick for a man, nor the pistol my Maine Coon cat is, but the chirping meow is recognizable to any Maine Coon owner. Too bad the cat on the cover is not a Maine Coon. Note to publishers: trying to sell a genre book will work better if you're accurate in basic details, like the cat prominently portrayed on the cover. Having the wrong breed on there just cheeses the cat-loving mystery buffs you're trying to attract, and non-cat-loving mystery buffs are unlikely to buy a book featuring a cat, so you might as well have the graphic designer get it right and please your target audience. Pleasant read, although the mystery is not mysterious at all and even a lackadaisical armchair detective can solve this one before the book is one-third read.

Death by Cashmere by Sally Goldenbaum Lovely setting in a fictional Cape Cod-type seaside town, the first in the series centered on the Seaside Knitting Studio introduces us to a group of women brought together by their love of knitting and food and proximity. Loved the setting, and would love to live there. Note to publishers: the copy editor needs to make sure that there is continuity through the book. After a big deal is made about the turquoise sea yarn (p. 82) Nell uses to make herself a scarf/shawl to wear to the gala event that is pivotal to solving the murder mystery, to have her go find her "black" shawl (p. 167) is just sloppy. Also sloppy: not keeping track of who is who: p. 167, Izzy is working on a sweater and Cass is working on a shawl for her mother, yet just a few scant paragraphs down, "Izzy put down the alpaca shawl she was making for her mother." And how could Izzy be playing with her toast (p. 215) when they weren't served breakfast until p. 216? (Yes, a point is made of Stella the waitress bringing their food.) It's hard enough keeping track during some passages of dialogue, when all four women are talking (Nell, Izzy, Cass, and Birdie) and no names are used; the reader doesn't need sloppy editing. I never found any of these women to have a unique voice or way or talking that came across in the written dialogue, and pages of unattributed dialogue were frustrating if the reader is trying to keep track of who knew what, when, and how. Again, the mystery is not mysterious, and this undiscerning armchair detective had the mystery solved halfway through the book without even trying, but the setting is so vividily described, and Nell such a nice woman, I'm sure I'll be back to visit Seaside.

The Middle Temple Murder by Joseph Smith Fletcher Enjoyable historic-period mystery (set in 1912) in which the murder of a mysterious stranger from Australia is solved by an honest newspaperman with a nose for following a cold trail. I very much enjoy mysteries where the detective has to use his brains and courage, not his cell phone and brute force, to solve the mystery. Complicated shenanigans where no one, except our hero, is what he seems.

Chili Con Corpses (The Supper Club Mysteries) by J.B. Stanley Contemporary series focused on a group of dieting friends who take a culinary class, which is disrupted by the murder of a classmate. Pleasant enough, also with a male protagonist who seems more feminine than male in his attitude and actions. Do men really sit around in coffee shops talking about what would be the perfect gift to buy a particular woman? 

The Burglar and the Blizzard, a Christmas Story by Alice Duer Miller Historical mystery wherein the solving of the mystery may ruin our hero's (yes, another book with a male protagonist--it was a bit of a theme this month) chance at happiness. Enjoyable, fast read, neatly solved, no drama.