Middle Sister's Mid-month Read

Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone by Sarah Graves Just published latest entry in the Death by Chocolate Mystery Series, but I am going to admit straight away that this one left me a bit cold. Generally I like that Jake is clumsy and can't jump across a creek or tumbles down a ridge while skulking her way to investigate something. But in this buck, it's taken to extremes; I swear she's falling or getting dumped in the ocean every other chapter (or at least, that's how often it felt). And she never sleeps; she's going days on 3 hours of sleep and beers and other alcoholic drinks in place of food and a power nap. At one point, I wondered if Jake was becoming an alcoholic and that would be a future subplot. To keep the story in line with the series, Jake and Ellie are given a new chocolate challenge by a client (the chocolate raspberry scones) but despite repeated reminders that oh, yes, we have to make 4 dozen scones in 24 hours and we don't even have a recipe, the investigation takes priority in a way we haven't encountered before. Until the last few chapters, when solving the murder becomes very personal for a very good reason, this shrugging off a professional responsibility isn't necessary and even makes no sense to two characters that have always been portrayed as very professional. I'd describe this story as a grim adventure, with pirates and gold coins and a local witch, but it's all menacing in a way earlier stories haven't been. One word: Sharks. Two words: shark attacks. Three words: repeated shark attacks. I actually found the shark attacks to be very unrealistic. Jake is able to enunciate clear sentences to Ellie when a shark is just centimeters from her face and about to chomp down? There's an also a lot of nautical terms, the meaning of which this desert dweller had no clue. The murders were too easy to solve: two of the three murders and key plot elements were so easy to guess this time that I knew exactly what was going on, the motivations, etc. by the fourth chapter. I know I read a lot of mysteries, but I never try to solve it and I happily suspend disbelief when reading, so if I can figure it out without even trying, that's not a good sign. I still like the series and will read the next, but I feel this one is pretty weak. (Net Galley)

Middle Sister's May Reads

This month I began a theme of books with food in the title which will continue into June, but I was a little distracted by reading a financial self help book that I had reserved at the library and which finally came in. My sister and I also read the same advanced reader's copy at the same time; it'll be interesting to hear what she thinks of the Tamara Berry book.

The Great Money Reset by Jill Schlesinger I enjoy listening to the Jill on Money podcast, so thought I'd read her latest book. It's not a book that outlines financial concepts, discussed the Federal Reserve, or anything like that. It presents the summarized stories of callers to her podcast, and how they made major changes to their lifestyles. Those major changes were made possible by money resets: either changing jobs, retiring, going back to work, etc. While a large number of the stories she recounts concern people financially better off than me (even if not wealthy by our current overinflated concept of that term), the concepts and strategies on how to plan a major change are useful for anyone, regardless of income level. 

Death by Chocolate Marshmallow Pie by Sarah Graves Sarah Graves wrote 16 books over 17 years in the Home Repair is Homicide series starring Jake Tiptree. Jake was involved in some shady dealings in her life in the big city, but when things got too close, she and her son took off for a small town in Maine. Over the series, Jake worked on remodeling her house, raised her son, made a best friend in Ellie, and fell in love. After a few years' hiatus, Ms. Graves reintroduced Jake and Ellie, but in a new series, one centered on a chocolate bakery opened by the best friends. I admit that I had fallen behind in the home repair series and didn't realize there was a new one, but kudos to Ms. Graves--this a great way to take familiar and well-known characters and yet challenge them (and herself as a writer) by putting them in a new situation. Not entirely new, as they are still in Eastport, Maine, and Jake and Ellie still find themselves embroiled in mysteries, but a great way to shake things up. In this book, number 6 in the series, Ellie's daughter has requested a chocolate and marshmallow pie for her birthday. While trying to create a new recipe, the two friends are worrying over a new chocolate shop in town that is directly vying for their patrons. Then Ellie finds the competition dead, and things get very complicated, very quickly. With Ellie's arrest imminent, Jake is determined to find the real killer. I love the Maine setting, and I loved that the characters actually have to do things like open their shops, cook and burn recipes while experimenting with versions of the birthday pie, fall in the woods while hiking, they do things normal people do. The lack of gore means this is considered a cozy mystery, but the writing is top notch, the trials and tribulations the characters face are real and relatable, and I think this series is one of the best series in the genre. Recommended. (Net Galley)

A Clue in the Crumbs (Key West Food Critic Series 13) by Lucy Burdette Earlier this year, I read the  eleventh entry in this series, A Scone of Contention, and enjoyed it enough that when I saw this advanced reader's copy on NetGalley, I immediately read it. Coming this August, the Scone Sisters of Book 11 reappear in this story. After they won the scone contest in England, they starred in a British cooking show, and they and their show have come to the US to film the show with US contestants. They convince the producers to start the competition in Key West so they can visit Hayley and Gloria. The series includes characters that appeared in earlier stories, it seems from a brief perusal of the earlier titles, and I imagine that just like other long-running series, the author could run out of ways to get Hayley involved in murders that don't result in people running from her as soon as she steps foot in their restaurant for a review. The characters are likable enough, although I found Nathan's reluctance to do things Haley likes to do a little annoying. When he's working his police detective job, he can't go to dinner, but the fact that he doesn't like fancy meals, he doesn't want to go on the evening cruise with the Scottish visitors, and other instances make me wonder how much this pair has in common. Granted, I've only read two books in the series, but still, I wonder. In this book, the baking contest is close to collapsing when one contestant's husband is murdered and she withdraws, leaving only two competitors whose baked goods are not quite edible to do culinary battle. The murder and the reason for the murder are realistic, but the mystery surrounding the Scone Sister's agent seemed a little farfetched. But it's a pleasant enough series with pleasant enough characters, and that makes for a good beach read. (Net Galley)

Murder Off the Books (By the Books Series 3) by Tamara Berry Just published this week, this is the third in a great new series that I started reading this year. A few months ago, I read the second book, On Spine of Death, and I loved it. I mentioned to my sister how much I enjoyed it. The publisher is one of her company's clients, and so she decided to read it with me. In this entry, Tess' bookstore is ready for its grand opening. Gertrude is busy catering the event for her mother, and Tess is busy with all the other details. The last thing she needs is the unexpected appearance of her mother. What she needs even less is the man her mother has in tow--a much younger man who is suspected of committing three other murders but who has not been arrested because of a lack of evidence. Following the two is a popular podcaster, Neptune Jones, who is convinced that Tess' mother will be the next victim. But Neptune is wrong. It's Levi, the suspected widow killer, who is murdered, and it's Tess' mom who is under suspicion. Tess immediately sets out to clear her mother. Her investigatory attempts are thwarted at most turns, and that makes this book a little different from the second in a welcome way. Tess is trying to honor the sheriff's request that she not investigate and put herself and her loved ones in harm's way. This time around, even though she shares information with Sheriff Boyd, she still makes the connections to solve the murders before him. I enjoyed this book just as much as the the other I read (and I have the first on hold at my library). The story is engaging, the characters are well constructed and fleshed out, and the reason Tess gets embroiled in the mystery is realistic. With a big dash of humor and a minor bit of slapstick comedy relief, this is a well-written and enjoyable series. Recommended. (Net Galley).

Middle Sister's December Reads

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.