Middle Sister's February Reads

 I spent much of February, fictionally speaking, in the British isles.

An American in Scotland (A Scottish Isle Mystery) by Lucy Connelly I love a mystery set in Scotland or England, and a mystery set in a small town in Scotland sounded perfect. Except it wasn't. Dr. Emilia McRoy has moved to Scotland to be the local doctor, and no sooner does she land there than she is embroiled in a murder mystery. First off, the name Sea Isle sounds more California or Florida than Scotland. The author very slowly spins out how Emilia got this jobs and even more slowly draws out what tragedy in her own life caused her to want to move halfway across the world. Coincidences run strong in this novel, so if you find a multiplicity of these an indicator of lazy writing, you will be slightly irritated by how many move this story forward. The state of the art facility Emilia finds herself in is unbelievable, and when we find out the whys and hows and who behind her job, the unbelievability of the story skyrockets. And I'm always irritated when the protagonist's sole reason for investigating the murder is that they are a new person in town and therefore they assume everyone else thinks they're the murderer. Oh, and also when they withhold evidence from the police or here, the constable. Who asks her stupid questions like "Wouldn't the rain have washed away ay evidence?" Did he not go to constable school? It should be obvious by now that I did not find the premise of the story believable, and without that, frankly, you've lost me as a reader. (Net Galley)

Book Clubbed to Death (Mystery Bookshop 8) by V. M. Burns Sam is celebrating, not without trepidation, the publication of her first Wickfield Lodge mystery. A bad storm knocks out electricity to a large part of North Harbor, Michigan, and the public library is damaged. Sam offers to help out by hosting a local mystery book club in her mystery bookstore, and she's excited to discover that the Mystery Mavens include a published author and well-known reviewer. Then the reviewer is found dead in her bookstore, and Sam finds herself the number one suspect in a real life murder mystery. One that could have deadly consequences if she can't uncover the real murderer before she's arrested. I like Sam and her mom and the secondary characters, but the trope of having her subconscious figure out the clues and the mystery while she's writing her book is wearing mighty thin. We've read chapters of her mystery within the books, and frankly, they kind of stink, so the accolades upon publishing are hard to swallow. I'd suggest limiting this plot device to once or twice in the course of a Mystery Bookshop story, as its prevalence in just about every other chapter is tedious and every time Sam is tired and can't sleep, which seems to be every night; she needs to see a sleep doctor. (Net Galley)

The Hanging in the Hotel (Fethering Village Mysteries 5) by Simon Brett I really like the village of Fethering and I'd love to be friends with Jude, although I'd probably avoid her neighbor and friend Carole as much as possible. In this entry in the series, Jude's old friend Suzy asks her to help out temporarily at a private event being held in Suzy's Hopwicke Country House Hotel. When one of the attendees at the Pillars of Sussex dinner is found dead the next morning, everyone assumes it was suicide. Except Jude. Meanwhile, Carole's son introduces her to his new fiancee, and Carole uses their engagement as an excuse to do some sleuthing at the hotel. Well written and genial, Mr. Brett's mysteries harken back to the Golden Age of Christie with the deeper psychological and social aspects modern readers prefer. I recommend the Fethering series to all lovers of cosy mysteries; these are some of the best. 

Isabel Puddles Abroad (A Mitten State Mystery) by M. V. Byrne This book started out in Michigan, but most of it took place in London and Mousehole, Cornwall. I mention that because in March, I spent most of my fictional time in the Midwest, so this was a great bridge to tend the month on. Isabel Puddles is generally a likable middle-aged widow who finds herself, a la Jessica Fletcher, involved in mysteries wherever she goes. In this entry in the series, Isabel takes her first vacation and her first trip outside Michigan to England, to visit Teddy Mansfield, the famous mystery writer Isabel had met when he was in Michigan. Teddy is busy writing, and his housekeeper Tuppence is busy perfecting her scone recipe for a baking competition that the Duchess of Cornwall is going to attend. Tuppence's delicious scones are ruined before the competition, and when a murder occurs, she's just one of the many suspects. Isabel solves the mystery, of course, surrounded by a nicely-fleshed out cast of suspects and enough red herrings that it took me about three-quarters of the book to figure out whodunnit. A very pleasant book perfect for summer vacation. (Net Galley)

Middle Sister's Two-for-One! February and March Reads

 BOGO. Two-for-One. 

I apologize, gentle readers, for missing a month of posting about the books I'd read. A bathroom remodel and floor improvement project was supposed to start the first week of February, so I spent the last week of January boxing everything up. Then, because of a glitch, the start date was delayed two weeks to mid-February. Then, instead of two weeks, the project took just over four weeks. I have a beautiful new bathroom and beautiful new flooring throughout my house that I love, but it meant chaos in my house for almost 6 weeks; actually, six weeks plus, as I still haven't unpacked everything that was boxed up. Half of most of what I own is still on my patio. But I love the new look my house has, so it was worth it.

That means I didn't read as much as I would have liked and didn't get to post what I did read. However, any reading is good reading, yes? Thanks to the remodel, I won't be able to take a vacation anywhere this year (or next), so I decided to travel through my books for the next few months.

The Truth About Baked Beans by Meg Muckenhoupt  I grew up just outside of New England, and have been fascinated by that region and its place in American history since a little girl. I was intrigued by the premise of this book--an investigation of the history and cultural impact of 'New England food.' The author begins by dispelling notions about food we typically think of as representing New England. She summarizes historical demographic data to identify which ethnic groups resided in New England at different points in time, and what their cuisine was. This archaeologist found a few glosses that are slightly misleading (she is correct in that honeybees are not native to the New World, but bumblebees are, and no, they don't produce enough nectar to make honey, so she is right, they didn't contribute any sweet element to native foods; her understanding of the trinity in Christianity is incorrect: "rejecting the trinity for a single God" is wrong; the divine mystery is that these are three representations of a single god, but many theologians and philosophers have also had trouble with that concept), but her wry sense of humor makes up for them ("The fishes' thoughts on the matter are not recorded."). She also doesn't hew to her own criteria for identifying typical cuisine of the area, which includes that they are eaten every day, not only on holidays, by deciding that the best food that fits all her criteria is Marshmallow Fluff. I can assure her that New Englanders do  not eat Marshmallow Fluff every day and it's eaten by people here in Tucson, which is pretty far from New England. If you're interested in regional or national history and happen to be a foodie, too, you'll find the book interesting and well written, with a sly sense of humor that suddenly appears when you least expect it. 

A Tourist's Guide to Murder by V.M. Burns I generally like the premise of the series--widow buys bookstore to fulfill the dream she and her late husband had, and she decides to try her hand at writing a mystery novel. The secondary characters are generally likable and distinct enough that they won't confuse someone stepping in the series in mid-run. Watching Sam rebuild her life resonates with many readers. But I have to confess I'm getting tired of one plot device the author relies on (too heavily in my opinion)--that the book Sam is writing helps her subconsciously solve the mystery. This time, that connection was just too direct and too coincidental and it showed how relying on that trope is causing the series to fray at the edges. I like Sam and Nana Jo and the other ladies a lot--they're spunky and plain spoken. I like Sam's boyfriend Frank, who is sweet and supportive. And I like the premise of this particular story--the ladies all go on a mystery readers' tour of England, and naturally stumble into a mystery. But I was irked, repeatedly. One thing that irked me a lot--Sam uses her cell phone to call home all the time, but we're not told if Sam has a recent and therefore unlocked phone, or if she enabled international calling (roaming) before she left, and if she uses Wi-Fi for those calls (otherwise, hello horrendous cellular roaming charges)? Yes, a pesky detail, but as someone who has traveled abroad a lot, and had to make calls back to the states and figure out how to do that (back when there were no cell phones at all, you know, when dinosaurs roamed the earth), that jumped out at me. Also, has the author watched Downtown Abbey? I didn't, but I didn't need to in order to know that Lady Elizabeth's cook could not whip up a dinner party with only a couple of hours notice. Nor do I think people of the era of Sam's book (England 1939) spoke the way she has them speaking: "Well, I never" or the butler saying "I'll see to it" to his employer. It would just be "yes, ma'am."Also, I've been through customs many, many times. There is no way you could sneak a dog through customs into England. England has very strict animal policies because they do not have rabies. And one more tiny thing (I know, I know, I'm picking on little things, but little things add up and I've not mentioned several other little things in this review that I could that irked me)--English people and people raised in England use the generic word wool for all yarn, regardless of the fiber. My mother, who lived in England for 4 years, did this her whole life. The mystery itself isn't bad, but having the exact same murder weapon used in Sam's book and this story is too much. Also, some chapters were only a page or two long before we jumped into Sam's book, and it seems like they were presented after almost every chapter of the murder mystery we're reading. That frequency is too much. Sam is not as good a writer as Ms. Burns, and I' far more interested in what Sam and the ladies are up to than Lady Clara and Lady Elizabeth and all those other people. More Sam, less fake fiction, and I may like the series better. 

Auntie Poldi and the Lost Madonna by Mario Giordano If this one title is any indication, the Auntie Poldi series are a rollicking, funny, laugh out loud, very welcome addition to the mystery shelf. Auntie Poldi is a 60-year-old Bavarian woman living in Italy. She drinks (a lot), she loves (a lot), she hates to fly (a lot), and she finds herself in seemingly inescapable scrapes from which she extricates herself and those she loves with panache and moxie. The book starts with an exorcism, proceeds through sitar music, smoothies, menacing twin hoodlums, a lovesick nephew, and Poldi swearing off booze and sex while she tries to solve a mystery for the pope. Yes, the pope is a character in this book and I think the real pope wold enjoy this fictional version of himself. There is a hint of paranormal in the books, and really, that was the one thing I didn't really care for, but Giordano did make Death a funny cast member whose relationship with Poldi is grudgingly respectful, on both sides. I won't even bother trying to summarize this book, but if you are looking for a funny, well-written book for your staycation (or if you're brave enough to take a real vacation somewhere while a pandemic engulfs the world), Auntie Poldi and her nephew are great companions to take with you.

Winter Pasture: One Woman's Journey with China's Kazakh Herders by Li Juan The author lives in northwestern China, and she decides to accompany acquaintances of her family to their winter pasture, where they will spend months living in a small tent while they pasture their cattle, camel, and horses on the steppe. This semi-sedentary lifestyle typified Kazakh herder culture for centuries, if not longer, but has been changed by modern technology and governmental interference. Li Juan's prose, as translated, is often transcendent, and the reader will feel as if they are with Cuma and his family in the freezing cold, lonely pasture. Li Juan learned many lessons about herself, self reliance, her preconceptions and others, about time and patience and just about everything that anyone who steps completely out of their world to immerse themselves in a completely strange place and time will learn. The reader gets to travel with her to this place seen by so few, and experience those same lessons, in this lovely and fascinating memoir. 

Middle Sister's February Reads

Hello, Gentle Readers, February was a fairly good month as far as books go (and I was able to catch up with a couple of magazine subscriptions that were stacking up, too, yea).

The Plot is Murder by V. M. Burns (Mystery Bookshop No. 1) The Plot Is Murder is the first entry in a new series set in a Michigan mystery bookstore. Sam Washington's husband has died, and she has decided to pursue the dream they were working towards together--to open a mystery bookstore. A unique twist to this series is that Sam has always wanted to write a mystery, and she has started to do so to help her through her grief. Sections from her book are included between chapters. I really enjoyed this book. Sam is a likable character, as is her supporting cast, e.g., Dawson, the former student now college football player who becomes her first employee, her Nana Jo, and her sister Jenna, an energetic attorney. Nana Jo's Golden Girl-esque friends supply a lot of humor, but are very one-dimensional and could easily start to irritate if they remain as cliched as they are portrayed in this novel. But Dawson, wannabe chef, makes up for them, and I'd love to see more of him. The mystery was okay, the pace pretty good, and the setting described well enough that even though I've never been to Michigan, I felt it to be familiar. I look forward to seeing how this series develops.

Alpha Alpine by Mary Daheim The 26th Emma Lord mystery comes after a hiatus of a couple of years in the series set in a small town in the Pacific northwest. I've read several, although not in order, and certainly not all of them, but enough to remember each time I visit Alpine the main characters who populate the small town. Maybe it would be best to read these in order, as Emma's life and those of her friends and family and fellow Alpiners change over the series. The town and its characters always feel familiar to me, and Daheim provides enough background that each can be read as a standalone or out of order. In this entry, several young women are killed, and Emma and Milo have to determine if there's a serial killer amongst their neighbors while they deal with an unexpected visit by Milo's brother and sister-in-law. I didn't enjoy this novel as much as I have other Alpine stories in the past, and I'm not sure if that's because the series is starting to sputter.

Murder in Thistlecross by Amy M. Reade Amy Reade has been compared to Phyllis A. Whitney and Victoria Holt, two authors whose novels I loved when in high school. Eilidh moved to Wales to rebuild her life by working as the estate manager for a friend of her family, and this scenario, plus the isolated setting and brooding, lonely atmosphere, definitely evoke Whitney and Holt. But I wasn't as drawn into Thistlecross as I always was into Whitney's novels. The inclusion of discussion questions at the end indicate that the author and publisher think the book would make suitable book group material, and it might, especially given the twist ending. Like the gothics of old, Reade does provide a definitive, happy ending for our heroine, which is no surprise to anyone familiar with the genre. I did appreciate the true to real life history created for Eilidh--the depression after her marriage collapsed and after the murders are solved, but found other plot twists unrealistic--Griff suddenly has enough money to buy the horses and a farm after the events of the murders. But overall a reasonably good book, well-paced, with a very atmospheric setting.