Middle Sister's November Reads

Happy autumn! it is finally fall here in the desert. The days are shortening, the temperature is dropping (okay, only at night, but it's in the 70s Fahrenheit during the day and it's perfect), and as the humidity dissipates after the summer rains, the mountains re-appear, sharp and jagged. This is perfect weather for two of my favorite activities: hiking and reading. This month I looked into a few new and recent mystery series' first novels.

Well Offed in Vermont by Amy Patricia Reade I was attracted by the cover: a beautiful autumnal scene, with yellow, orange, and red leaves swirling around a stone well, and an old, clapboard home in the back. Shades of where I'd like to retire. Perfect for the season. So I settled in with some hot cocoa. I was put off by typos in the first chapter, and was really put off buy the main characters shortly thereafter. Bella and Nick have left New York City to move to Vermont for Nick's new dream job with the Forest Service, and after years of apartment living, they have bought a beautiful old house. I liked the opening: Stella's misgivings about moving somewhere so different from where she's always lived are furthered when she finds out on the drive up that she did not get the new job she had applied for. Before they even start to unpack, they find a murdered man in their house. The plot twist that they cannot return to the scene of the crime and literally have just the clothes on their backs and nowhere to stay was a good one, and could have been played a bit more for laughs (or at least, I would have). But the basic premise--that they're going to solve this murder because they are bored and don't want to wait for the sheriff to do his job--annoyed me; I don't care if her father was a cop--investigative smarts are not genetic. Stella is our main protagonist, and the fish out of water trope is a good one; that's why it's so popular. But Stella isn't just a fish out of water--she's a fish who thinks she's superior to her new pond and barely hides it, if at all. We're not given any insight in her emotional state to see if this is just part of her reaction to all the stress; it comes across as just her personality. She and Nick practically insult their new neighbors during many of their conversations. They are both underdeveloped characters with some annoying character traits.  She thinks she's always right and smarter than anyone; he's yodeling and cavorting like a middle schooler when he thinks he's solved the murder, crowing about how he's "number one!" She's highly insulted that the sheriff suggested she get a hand knit sweater (has she seen any of the gorgeous hand knit sweaters on Ravelry?) yet her hobby of choice is cross stitch and every time she sits down in the hunting cabin, she starts stitching. I'd argue cross stitch is a lot more old-fashioned, unpopular, and non-trendy a hobby than knitting. The writing and situations are often quite juvenile; for example, in Chapter 13, when, during a conversation with suspect Jake Brunelle, Stella and Jake discuss whether Nick was flirting with Jake's wife Betsy and Stella agrees, setting her husband, who is right there, up to be punched by Jake. The dialogue is like a bad rom com movie, and actually, a lot of the interactions can be read as a the author trying to write a Hallmark mystery television rom com with a dash of mystery. This is the first in a new series, but I doubt I'll read any more. I probably would be able to overlook everything I just wrote, knowing that some authors often need a book or two to hit their stride. But in Chapter 17, Stella says "Don't mind my husband; he's being tested for Tourette's." What? How insulting! How did that get past an editor? I had a friend with Tourette's and this blatant rude and disrespectful comment really angered me. Because of that insult, I won't recommend this book. Those who like clean mysteries--no cussing, no sex, no gore--will enjoy it and may find the married couple repartee amusing. I didn't. Ms. Reade should read some Nick and Nora Charles or Mr. and Mrs. North mysteries if she wants to create a flirtatious, charming married couple and not the prom king and queen solving a murder. (Net Galley)

This Side of Murder by Anna Lee Huber The success of the Charles Todd mysteries (Caroline Todd died just a week ago; what a loss to the genre!) spurned a mini-genre explosion of World War I-themed mystery series. Their Ian Rutledge series is excellent, as is the Maisie Dobbs series. This new Verity Kent series begins, like those, after the war is over. The societal upheavals, the family dramas with shattered men returning from the front, and the end of the Edwardian gilded age are all part of the book. Verity is a young widow whose husband died during battle. She's invited to attend the engagement party of his best childhood friend on a remote island, and the reader knows immediately that we're in for a good country house murder. Verity is surprised and confused when all the attendees turn out to have been connected with a tragic desertion case her husband was involved with in France just before his death. As the weekend party continues, it becomes apparent that there are secrets swirling around the desertion case, and  after she discovers a murder victim, Verity has to figure out what happened in France as well as what is happening then and there. Of course, there's a terrible storm and they are out off from the mainland, the electricity goes out, and Verity needs to identify the murderer before she's the next victim. I enjoyed the novel a lot, although there was a lot f jargon that the author tried to use to set the stage in the early 1920s that even this devotee of historical mysteries and old movies didn't recognize. For example, Tom is described as a dark,but when I looked it up, the Internet told me that is an American English word and not British slang. I'm still not sure how I feel about the main plot twist, and it would be giving away too much to discuss how that affected my impression of the book. But, the book is well written, the characters were nicely fleshed out, and I felt that I understood Verity and her actions much more than Stella in the previous book, because Ms. Huber dove into her emotional and psychological reactions. I recommend the book to those who like historical mysteries or English mysteries. (Net Galley)

Death of a Nurse by M.C. Beaton This is the 31st entry in the Hamish MacBeth series. While some books have been better than others, overall, Ms. Beaton maintained quality across the entire series. Death of a Nurse is one of the last Hamish MacBeth mysteries she wrote, and it's a pretty strong entry. Hamish, who always falls for a pretty face, this time is smitten by a private nurse working for the curmudgeonly Mr. Harrison. Of course, he's disappointed in love, again, when Gloria stands him up, and Hamish is moping and dour until her body is found. Hamish and Charlie find themselves working with Inspector Fiona Herring. Tough, no-nonsense Inspector Herring is an able match for Detective Chief Inspector Blair, and some of the most delightful passages in the book are the classes between these two. Of course, things get complicated pretty quickly, and only Hamish can connect the dots and solve the mystery in his own inimitable, quirky way. This is a great entry in the series, quite possibly because Priscilla, the object of Hamish's desire, is hardly in it, although she and her latest fiancé make several appearances. Ms. Beaton died in 2019, but luckily there are still quite a few Hamish stories I've not read. I never tire of visiting Hamish, and Lochdubh and all its eccentric villagers. Hamish is an acquired taste, but I recommend him to those that like a little silliness or comedy with their mysteries.

The Whole Art of Detection by Lyndsay Faye Sherlock Holmes has spawned a whole subgenre of books starring the detective, some good (Laurie R. King), others not so good. I'd put Lyndsay Faye's book in the good column. The Whole Art of Detection is a compilation of short stories featuring Sherlock and John Watson at various points in their careers, including some that take place very early in Holmes' consulting detective business. Overall, I'd say Ms. Faye did a great job capturing Watson, the adult Sherlock, and the time and place (London, late Victorian period), although her young Sherlock seems a little off to me. But trying to imagine a young Sherlock is a pretty daunting task, and she's created a reasonable possibility. The short stories are worthy of Conan Doyle himself. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes Sherlock Holmes as well as historical mysteries fans. 

The Riddle of the Labyrinth by Margalit Fox I am a big fan of Ms, Fox's writing and her choice of nonfiction topics, and The Riddle of the Labyrinth doesn't disappoint those of us who love her eclectic choices. It focuses on the decipherment of Linear B, one of the oldest written languages in the world. Linear B, associated with the ruins on Crete, bewildered archaeologists, linguists, and historians for decades after the first inscriptions were excavated. Ms. Fox focuses her book not he's tory of the three people who were instrumental in the story of Linear B: Arthur Evans, the archaeologist who discovered the first Linear B inscriptions; Michael Ventris, who eventually completed the decipherment of Linear B; and most importantly for history and the reader, Alice Kober, a little known classicist in Brooklyn whose breakthroughs in decipherment, made after decades of study, laid the foundation for Ventris' success. Ms. Kober's part in the process and history had been overlooked or forgotten. Ms. Fox restores her and her contributions to the scholarly world. An excellent read.

Middle Sister's October Reads

 It's time to start holiday reading! Continuing from last month, I read a holiday book and a book that would make a great gift for the dog lover in your life. 

Christmas Candy Corpse by Rosemarie Ross The popularity of reality shows has resulted in several mystery series that revolve around reality TV shows, some more successfully than others. This was a new series to me, although this is the third in the Courtney Archer series. Courtney is a chef and cooking show hostess whose network has tapped her and her co-host to record a holiday-themed cooking contest. This is a great boost for her show and career as well as for the contestants, but from the start, things go off the rails. One of the judges, Shannon, keeps disappearing from the set, and one of the contestants is refusing to wear the aprons supplied by the show because they are part of a line of products developed by Shannon. Tempers flare and everyone is on edge with a condensed shooting schedule. But things take a serious turn when the assistant director is murdered, and Courtney finds herself trying to film two shows while figuring out whodunnit before they strike again. The book is well written overall, although there are some glaring grammatical mistakes and weird word choices and typos, and the pace is fast. But this is apparently the third murder in just a few months involving the same crew and show at the same resort, and I cannot believe that the network would not have cancelled this program as fast as possible. Ms. Ross really needs to move the show and introduce characters not related to it as suspects because the resort as the setting for yet another murder involving the exact same group of people is mentioned several times, which underscores that this is either lazy writing or unimaginative writing. Why not send them on location? Why not have Courtney stumble on a murder while on a publicity tour for her show? Why not have Courtney involved with publishing a book of the show's recipes, and someone is killed who is unrelated to the show--a bookstore owner, a restauranteur in another city, an editor, or a network executive is murdered  when she's visiting HQ? How about a murder while she's on vacation? There was also a major story line that irritated me--Shannion's multiple disappearances throughout the day. Several times Courtney sees Shannon in a place she shouldn't be, many times Courtney talks to her coworkers or herself about how Shannon is not acting like herself, yet it takes the entire book for her to just ask her what the heck is going on? Shannon is supposed to be her good friend, yet Courtney treats her like a stranger and avoids trying to help her. Very irritating. Fans of cooking shows and baking contests will enjoy the book, but I won't read another unless the book jacket assures me it doesn't take place at the resort and on set. Recommended. (Net Galley) 

Adventure Dogs by Fern West Dog lovers will enjoy this book that celebrates a variety of activities that Fido and their human can enjoy together. Full disclosure: I work part time as a dog trainer and am heavily involved with Pet Partners, the oldest therapy dog registry in the world, and used to volunteer with a breed rescue. So I love dogs. And I love doing things with my dogs. I'd love to receive this book as a gift. It's lavishly illustrated, with the author's own dog starring in some of the adventures. The book is broken down into categories of activities, with guest essays accompanying many of them. Places to visit and stay, activities to try, advice for beginners and those already expert at a sport will all find some fun new things to try with their canine companion. And if all the reader wants to do with their dog is snuggle on the couch while looking at the photos, that's covered here, too! This would be a great holiday gift for the dog lover in your life. Highly recommended. (Net Galley)

Murder Most Fowl by Donna Andrews Meg's husband Michael, the drama professor, is staging the Scottish play, and their family home is overrun with actors and drama and history department professors, while a group off medieval re-enactors has camped in the woods. Someone is disgruntled and has been playing nasty jokes on people, nasty jokes that are increasing in ugliness. And then someone is murdered, and the underlying tensions crisscrossing the actors, the re-enactors, and the academics explodes. The cast of characters is much larger than usual in a Meg Langslow mystery, but Ms. Andrews keeps the list of possible suspects small enough in number to be tracked but disparate enough to have these different groups under suspicion. There is always a lot of humor in the series. and this one is no different. I'm sorry that Meg's parents, who are two of my favorites characters, make barely an appearance, but we do get to spend more time than usual with Rose Noire and meet another nephew, Kevin, who takes on the role of tech geek that Meg's brother usually fills. I'd love to be part of Meg's huge and lovable and eccentric family, and that is high praise indeed. Highly recommended (Net Galley)

The Secret Staircase by Sheila Connolly Ms. Connolly writes five series, and this is book three in the Victorian Village series. The premise is intriguing, but the execution leaves much to be desired. Kate Hamilton has left her job and returned to her hometown because her childhood friend has convinced her to help resurrect the dying town. Asheboro had only one real industry, and when that folded, a long, slow economic decline began. But because no other industry was present, the Victorian houses that were built during the town's heyday are still intact, if in need of remodeling. Kate's idea is to start with a remodel of the home of the town magnate who'd become a recluse in his home for years, and create a living history village that would attract tourists. After finally finding a contractor who shares her vision of remodeling the mansion, the murder of a sub-contractor and the discovery of a skeleton hidden behind a wall threaten to derail the project before it has even begun. Full disclosure--I've worked in an industry that includes historic preservation, and Kate getting a huge grant to finance this, without any background in historic preservation or conservation, is, frankly, not realistic, but I try to suspend my disbelief when reading mysteries. But even someone without any background in preservation would recognize instantly that the timeline Kate sets is utterly fantastical, and she is a terrible project manager. There are a thousand things to do, the reader is told, yet she spends hours reading a diary because she feels an intense connection with and fascination about the late owner. And that is part of the rub of why I didn't enjoy this book as much as I would have liked: Kate is in love with the idea of the project and the romance of the project, but she (and the author) have no idea of how such a project would be actually unfold, and so therefore neither does the reader become invested in this project. Perhaps the author has too many series that she's responsible for, and the quality may be suffering from her scattered attention. But I doubt I'll return to Asheboro to see what happens with this project. The title reminded me of Nancy Drew books, which I loved as a girl, but I can only recommend it with the caveat that it's not dreadful, it's just not great. Recommended (Net Galley)

Middle Sister's September Reads

As you can see, with a lengthy mid-month review and this one, I read a lot this September. It was a good month.

At the Reunion Buffet by Alexander McCall Smith In this short story, Isabel Dalhousie helps organize her school reunion, and in the process, uncovers a present-day mystery while helping resolve several past problems amongst her former schoolmates. Despite its brevity, one gets a good introduction to Isabel and Jamie, and the delightful twists and turns off any book written by McCall Smith.

The Secret of White Stone Gate by Julia Nobel I've had such go od luck reading YA books lately that I'm seeking out more to enjoy. The first in this series was not available from my library, so I started with this one, number 2 in the Black Hollow Lane series. I think it might have been better had I read the first, because there are a lot of illusions to this mysterious group which recruits tweens and teenagers from a boarding school for nefarious purposes. I never got a good handle on what this group is or its purpose, and maybe the first doesn't make that explicit either but I found it confusing. American Emmy attends a British boarding school while her author mother is on tour promoting her latest book. Emmy's father, whom she thought was dead, made contact with her in the first book, and in this second book, Emmy is coming to terms with the realization that he's alive but in danger. And the nefarious league is determined to track him down by threatening Emmy and everyone she loves. The medallions, such a crucial part of the mystery, were apparently an important part of the first book, but their background is murky in this second book and I was very confused over their actual purpose and history. Definitely a series that needs to be read in order, this isn't quite as good as some of the other middle grade and YA books I've read recently, but my impression might have been different had I been able to start with book one.

Murder in a Teacup by Vicki Delaney This is the second in the Tea by the Sea mystery series. I enjoyed the first book last year and was happy to see another book with chef Lily Roberts, her grandmother Rose, and their friends on Cape Cod. This time, Rose's old friend Sandra and her granddaughter Heather come the cape, having arranged a mini family reunion at Rose's B&B. Heather invited her estranged brother-in-law and his wife, trying to make amends after the two fell out after Heather's husband's death. There is a lot of sniping and ill will between the family group. but then someone is murdered in Lily's tearoom, and Lily, Rose and their friend Bernie swing in to action to find the killer before they strike again. I like this series because Lily doesn't investigate the murder because she thinks the police are incompetent; rather, she thinks that she can get information people may hide from the police and then she turns that information over to Detective Redmond. The location in Cape Cod is a strong reason why I like the book, as I have a longstanding yearning to visit the cape, but there really isn't much description of the setting; I wish Ms. Delaney would include more. The cast of characters that surround Lily are likable and realistic, and I'm especially impressed with her friendship with Bernie. Lily recognizes when her friend is being annoying and calls her out on it, for example, when Bernie is underfoot in her tiny kitchen, but offers unstinting support of Bernie's dream to be a writer. The love interests for both women are likable; heck, I'd date either one of them. And the twist at the end caught me off guard, so well done, Ms, Delaney, I can't wait for the third book in the series. (Net Galley)

Middle Sister's Mid-Month Review

 Hello, Gentle Readers! In order to avoid having another really long post, like August's, I'm going to post a couple of mid-month reviews.

Murder at Mallowan Hall by Colleen Cambridge Excellent story featuring Agatha Christie as a secondary character. Our amateur detective is Phyllida Bright, friend of Mrs. Christie's who works as the housekeeper at Mallowan hall which the Grande Dame shares with her second husband Max Mallowan. An avid reader of her friend/employer's books, who, we're led to believe, even makes suggestions that Mrs. Christie utilizes, Phyllida decides to use her little gray cells when an unexpected guest to weekend house party is killed in the library. Then a second murder occurs, and the fear mounts. Phyllida is a good choice for a detective in a country house setting--she straddles upstairs and downstairs, so can be privy to conversations and encounters with the guests in multiple ways. We're used to middle-aged, brusque or silent housekeepers, and Phyllida, with her bright red hair and flowered dresses that sound almost couture, is anything but a staid, gray, disapproving, uniformed servant. The hint of a possible future romance with Bradford is appealing. The writing is good, the pace and setting are perfect, parodying the weekend country house murder mysteries Agatha Christie was known for. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it lovers of mysteries, cosy mysteries, and Agatha Christie. (Net Galley)

The Egyptian Cross Murder by Ellery Queen I vaguely remembering watching Ellery Queen on television as a child, but I don't think I'd ever read any books until I became an adult. My library recently acquired this audiobook, and I thought this would be a perfect accompaniment to the never ending summer weeding. I was shocked to learn the book was published in 1932, because the opening salvo is the grim and unsettling discovery of a beheaded, crucified murder victim. Enter Ellery Queen, assisted this time not by his father, Inspector Richard Queen, but by his former professor, a neighbor of another victim. Then a third body is found... Despite the gruesome nature of the murders, the book is not gory or sensational. For those who like books where modern technology is not the crutch that helps the mystery be solved, the re-release of older titles like this is a boon. Recommended (audiobook)

The Two Isabellas of King John by Kristen McQuinn Ms. McQuinn tackles a tough job: writing a biography about two medieval women about whom so little is written, one is nearly invisible. King John of England, brother of Richard the Lionheart, he of Magna Carta fame and fictional Robot Hood infamy, was married to two women: Isabella of Gloucester and Isabelle of Angouleme.  It is hard to tackle even well-known historical figures who lived 900 years ago, but to try to research two nearly invisible people is an enormous task, and sadly, Ms. McQuinn stumbles at it. There are only a few facts known about Isabella: she was an only child who brought a substantial wealth to Henry II, John's father, when she was his ward after her father died; she and John were engaged for more than 10 years and only married after Richard became king and insisted; John annulled their marriage just before he became king; Isabelle was actually sent to live with her for a short period; she was childless and she died. That's it--those are the facts we know about her. There is more information on Isabelle in the historical record, and even a handful of letters she wrote herself. She was anointed John's queen and bore his heir to the throne, Henry III. Unlike Isabella, Isabelle was mentioned in several contemporary chronicles, although these historical chroniclers appear to have disliked her a great deal and do not record her in a flattering manner. It's a herculean task to try to and write biographies for women about whom so little is known. Ms. McQuinn attempts to get around that by talking about how medieval noblewomen in general were educated, their general expectations from life, general information about what other medieval queens knew and did, especially their mother-in-law, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and interpreting what their childhoods, education, and expectations likely were. But because of the dearth of material, Ms. McQuinn begins repeating the same facts after just a couple of chapters, albeit attempting to use them to talk about different topics. We read about Isabella's childlessness and the possible reasons for it in several different chapters (her life, her marriage, life with John, medieval fertility), and sometimes the sentences are virtually identical. There is  much repetition of ideas, actions, and arguments, and no original scholarship by Ms. McQuinn. She makes statements such as "by disposition a proud woman," but then does not offer real substantive proof of that characterization. In Chapter 6, Ms. McQuinn loses the impartiality that biographers and historians must maintain to lend any credence to their work with statements such as "it is sad she had no friends," an interpretation without any merit. There is barely a mention of these woman and none about their courtiers; how can we possibly infer she had no friends? The final chapter is an interesting idea: Ms. McQuinn looks at how works of fiction have recreated the two Isabelles because she argues that these fictional representations can shed light on the historical character. No, Ms. McQuinn, they don't. Fictional characterizations are just that, fiction, and in these two instances, there is not even enough material to say that these were somewhat rooted in historical fact. I might have accepted this as first draft of a lower level college report, but I would have returned it to my student marked up with a lot of red comments and things that needed to be fixed or addressed. There is not really enough material here for a book. Heavy editing might have saved and improved parts of it, but this cannot be considered a scholarly contribution to medieval studies or women's studies. But I do now know that dozen or fewer facts about these two queens, which is all that history knows about them. This book does nothing to bring them to life. (Net Galley)

Unearthing the Secret Garden by Marta McDowell If you loved The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett as a  child, as I did, you and I belong to select group of adults who yearn for their own secret garden, lush, filled with beautiful blooms, secret and private, and surrounded by a high wall to allow us to escape from the everyday, humdrum world. If you loved that book, you will love this book, too. Ms. McDowell has opened an eminently readable history of Ms. Burnett's own life, and her life as a gardener, by focusing on three gardens that Ms. Burnett planted and nurtured at three of her homes: one in England, one in New York, and one in Bermuda. Each garden was different, and each garden was special. Each garden is described in lovely terms and when possible, accompanied by many photographs. I loved seeing the real secret garden, where Burnett wrote, and reading her own essay about her very special robin. I loved the biography of Burnett as seen through her gardens and flower choices, and the final chapter by her great-granddaughter was a joy. Lavishly illustrated with photos from the various houses showing the gardens (oh, how I with there was color photography in the early twentieth century!) and those bits that still remain at her house in England, one can truly understand why The Secret Garden was the amazing book it was and remains--Burnett's love of flowers and gardening, and her innate understanding of the life cycles of flowers, plants, trees, nature itself, weave through her books and through Ms. McDowell's appreciation. The book is subtitled "The Plants and Places That Inspired Frances Hodgson Burnett," and anyone reading this book will be equally inspired. This is a great gift for a garden lover or someone who read The Secret Garden over and over as a child, and who longs to escape back to it, if only for a little while. What a wonderful book, and truly one of my favorites this year. (Net Galley)

Middle Sister's August Reads

 It was a wet and rainy August... really. We had over 12 inches of rain at my house in late July and early August, and more than 15 inches elsewhere in town. So of course when it's hot and humid and rainy here, I want to visit other places in my reading travels that are not hot and humid.

Death in a Strange Country by Donna Leon Guido Brunetti has quickly become one of my fictional crushes, right up there with Roderick Alleyn and Homer Kelly. The series is extremely well written and provides a wonderful, intimate view of life in Venice, Italy. However, it's the complicated twists and turns of the mystery that Ms. Leon always manages to adroitly weave together that make the series a favorite. In this novel, Guido is confronted by two seemingly unrelated issues: the deaths of two American service personnel and the robbery of several valuable paintings. Just as I was wondering how Ms. Leon could pull off solving the mysteries, she did, and I was astonished yet again by her prowess. Highly recommended (Audiobook)

Mrs. Smith's Spy School for Girls by Beth McMullen Absolutely delightful YA novel! We meet Abigail as she's about to be sent to a boarding school against her wishes, but once there, she makes several strong friendships. But one night, prowling around the headmistress' apartment, Abigail learns that the school is a cover for an elite spy school for children, because, as the founder said, no one pays attention to children, so they can hear and see lots of things they shouldn't. The book is very well written, with likable and well-defined characters, rollicking adventures, and a fast pace. I listened to the audiobook, and it was very well read. I already have the second book on hold at my library. Highly recommended (Audiobook)

The Big Four by Agatha Christie I'm pretty sure I've read every Agatha Christie novel. My aunt loved them and I used to borrow them from her when we spent the summers with her. However, it's been 40 years since I read some of them, and I've been enjoying re-reading her work. This is one I didn't remember at all. The Big Four is Ms. Christie dabbling in a spy thriller, and I have to confess I didn't like this one as much as her other Poirot books. Poirot tackles an international crime syndicate with global reach. The book's setting moves around as Poirot tracks down the big four, the criminal masterminds who run the organization. The book is very episodic in nature, with each section involving Poirot traveling somewhere, identifying one of the master criminals, both trying to trap the other, and a slow weaving together of their organization and Poirot's plan to defeat it. It's not a typical Christie and it may be my least favorite, but it is interesting for Christie fans to see the Grand Dame attempt to write a spy thriller. This might have been more successful with an original main character, rather than thrusting Poirot out of his country manor setting into a global conspiracy. (Audiobook)

Murder in an English Glade by Jessica Ellicott Although this series was new to me, it's the fifth in the Beryl and Edwina series. Beryl Helliwell, an American adventuress, and Edwina Davenport, a proper English gentlewoman, were schoolgirl chums who meet again after WWI and start their own private  enquiry agency. In the proper English society in which the books take place, Edwina's understanding of the social mores is helped by Beryl's forthrightness in solving crimes. In this entry, Constance Maitland hires the two to pretend to undertake an investigation to placate her cousin, Cressida, who is convinced that Constance's brother's wife is having an affair. But then the alleged adulterer is killed, and Beryl and Edwina have to go undercover while undercover to help Constable Gibbs. It's a peasant read, perfect for the summer. I admit that I had a hard time accepting the author's choice of a female constable, even though she explains away the impossibility of a woman holding that position with a blithe comment that there were simply not enough men to fill the constabulary because of the war. It was hard to accept that early 1920s English millionaires and the upper crust would recognize and cooperate Constable Gibbs as a legitimate police officer, and that one incongruity tainted my enjoyment of the book. But it's an easy read, the story is well written, and there were no huge gaffes on the author's part. Recommended. (Net Galley)

Deck the Donuts by Ginger Bolten Am I the only person who hates it when people spell doughnut donut? It was a hot, very rainy month here in the desert, so naturally I wanted to read a book that takes place at Christmas in a small and very snowy Wisconsin town. This is another new series to me, the Deputy Donut series. Deputy Donuts is a doughnut shop in Fallingbrook, WI, owned by a retired police chief and his widowed daughter-in-law, Emily, our amateur detective. Fallingbrook is quite the idyllic town, where everyone is good friends who care for and watch out for each other. And it's even more Hallmarkian at Christmas, with every shop and home decorated, nearly the entire town participating in caroling and the ice festival, and it's all almost too much so for this reader to happily suspend her disbelief. But I decided not to resist the saccharine and just enjoy a small town that I'd like to live in with people I wouldn't mind being friends with. Emily and Brent, her late husband's partner, are the first to respond to a bus accident during a raging blizzard in which the driver is severely injured. Townspeople immediately open their homes to house the tourists from the bus, and they all pitch in to provide activities to amuse the unhappy stranded families, led by Emily and her team. They make doughnuts to bring to the people, they throw a doughnut-decorating party, they make doughnuts and cookies for the fire department's Christmas party--they eat a lot of doughnuts in this town. A lot. And apparently all are handmade as the book mentions them cutting the doughnuts by hand. Frankly, boutique designer doughnuts or not, I'd want an industrial doughnut machine.  Fallingbrook must be largely inhabited by retired police and firefighters, as they own the doughnut shop, the cleaning service, and seem to be everywhere. I get it; if you work in that field, you know a lot of people in that field, but they all work and hang out and marry each other--it's quite incestuous. The story is okay, although not very clever, and the hamhanded attempts to make some people mysterious and possible murderers is clumsy. Therefore, the final reveal of the murderer was a bit of a surprise as they flew under the radar of this reader. Enough of a surprise that I will overlook the unsuccessful and blatant shoving of certain characters into our fictional faces as red herrings and look for the other titles in the series. Fallingbrook may be too good to be true, even for fiction, but it's perfect for a Hallmark movie, which may be the author's ultimate goal. (Net Galley)

Scones and Bones (Tea Shop Mystery #12 ) and Devonshire Scream (Tea Shop Mystery #17) by Laura Childs (Tea Shop Mystery #12) I used to really like the tea shop mysteries. I love tea, almost obsessively, and tea shops, and mysteries, and plunk a beautiful tea shop in a beautiful city like Charleston with its history, and I'm sold. But I stopped reading the series years ago after reading Scones and Bones. After all these years, I hadn't remember which book had ticked me off. I'm on the road a lot right now, and have been going through audiobooks at a steady clip. When I saw this title, I thought I'd give the series a chance again. And I remember why I started to dislike the series so much. In Scones and Bones, Theodosia Browning's character took a turn for the worse. I think we were supposed to sympathize with her instant attraction to her friend's boyfriend Max, despite dating restauranteur Parker for several books. After all, most of us have experienced sudden chemical bursts when we meet a stranger. But Theo instantly forgot about Parker, and when they finally talk, she isn't honest with him (despite literally consoling herself by saying that she's always honest). I think we're also supposed to sympathize with her maternal desperation when Haley, her pastry chef, is kidnapped. But that desperation is no excuse fo Theo's utter disregard for her, Haley's and everyone's safety when she ignores Detective Tidwell's instructions as the police surround the house they think Haley is in to rescue her herself. But I thought maybe this was an aberration, maybe Ms. Childs was exploring new characteristics for Theo that maybe didn't pan out, so I then skipped several books to listen to Devonshire Scream. Only to find that the irritating dismissal of the professional police has now been extended by Theo to the FBI. Theo is an annoying buttinsky--she tells the police what to do, she tells the FBI what to do, she tells the Coast Guard what to do. There were a lot of annoying incidents in this book that just do not ring true: Theo's insistence that Brooke's niece's death is murder, not felonious murder as we listeners know it is (after all these crimes, she doesn't know what this is?) and that Brooke would immediately start planning the funeral within hours of the death rather than her niece's parents was very odd. Theo assumes a lot in this book: she assumes she's the only eyewitness to suspect a woman was involved in the explosion, she assumes this was an inside job, she (and Drayton) assume that they can just substitute a tea for Delaine that they she should drink rather than the one ordered (OK, this may be stretching it, but change my order at a restaurant and see what happens), that of course she can just waltz onto a yacht during a private party--the list goes on and on. I have to confess I heartily enjoyed the last chapter, when the whole scenario Theo had constructed fell down around her and she was proven to be completely wrong in her blundering investigation. And Ms. Childs, Earl Grey is a therapy dog, NOT a service dog (pet peeve of this dog trainer, therapy dog handler, and therapy dog evaluator for an international therapy dog organization), and the breed is called the Cavalier King Charles spaniel, not the King Charles Cavalier spaniel.  She clearly looked the breed up enough to be able to describe it accurately, so perhaps she could have cut and pasted the name correctly, too. I'll probably give in and read more of the series, but I predict I won't enjoy them if Theo continues on this path. (Audiobook)

Big Book of Baby Knits by Marie Claire Editions Very nice knitting book with a lovely selection of baby knits perfect for the new grandmother or aunt. Coordinating sets of tops and little sweaters, sometimes with a matching blanket or pants, are presented in order of increasingly complicated knitting techniques, from plain stockinette through to cables. The photography is lovely, and the layout very engaging and crisp. There are no little babies in my life, which I was ruing very much after reading this pattern book. Patterns are presented with written directions, occasional charts, and every pattern has a sketch to show how the pieces fit together. Charming book for avid knitters or for someone expecting a new little one. (Net Galley)

Pawmistry by Megan Lynne Knott Absolutely delightful and charming book for cat lovers, especially cat lovers with a bent for astrology. I read Ms. Knott's book as a very subtle parody of astrology and palmistry, but it's done so sincerely your horoscope-loving, cat-loving recipient might not realize that. Ms. Knott's illustrations are enchanting--I'd love a tea mug or tee shirt or tote with her images on it. Short and sweet, each page brought smiles and memories of some of my own cats, and some pages inspired loud guffaws. I know one cat-loving friend who will be getting this book for Christmas. (Net Galley)

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 Mid-Month Review

We've had some rainy nights the past few weeks as the much-needed summer rains arrive. It's been so wonderful to sit and read while listening to the sounds of the drumming rain on my new roof (installed last September, and perfect timing that was). Perfect for summer genre reading.

Wreathing Havoc by Julia Henry (to be published September 2021) Goosebush, MA, and the Garden Squad are devastated by the unexpected death of their friend, Leon Tompkin. Everyone knew that Leon was ill, but still, his death was a surprise. Then they learn that his death was suspicious, and Lily Jayne and her gardening friends swing into action to find out exactly what happened. I really like the secondary characters in this series, as I've mentioned before, but Lily herself is just too perfect: her house is always perfectly maintained, her garden is always perfectly maintained, her self is always perfectly maintained. It makes her an unsympathetic character to this reader, although others may not be irritated by all that perfection. However, in this entry in the series, the secondary characters assume slightly more prominence, to its enrichment. Roddy remains my favorite character, and I hope we learn more about him. He's clearly being set up as a romantic interest for Lily, which, to be honest, I'm not sure I want to read. But I do appreciate that Lily is presented as fashionable and attractive in her 60s, although some of her attitudes and behaviors seem far older than those espoused by the 60-year-olds I know (and as of this writing, I'm 56). The murder of Leon is linked to events that happened decades ago at his beloved local theater. This book rather obviously but with some deftness weaves the two storylines. However, the murderer was obvious from the beginning, and that always disappoints me a little. I'm actively trying to not figure out whodunnit because I want to be surprised. The series is pleasant, and it's always nice to read about late autumn and early winter when the temperatures are 108*F and rising outside. Goosebush is growing on me, and I'm willing to suffer Lily's insufferable certainties to visit every now and then. NetGalley

Loch Down Abbey by Beth Cowan-Erskine This was the best fiction book I have read in 2021, to date. Funny, well-written, satiric, with a superb cast of eccentric and selfish characters and the perfect blending of country house mystery with the reader's own recent experiences in a world gone half mad--it's a delicious parody of Downton Abbey and pandemic lockdowns. The aristocratic Scottish family, the Ogilvie-Stirlings, has descended on the ancestral home (for 600 years, no less) for the one time a year they all visit. Reason: for a local ball, where they can dance, gossip, and relish their importance and relevance, and ignore each other. The three generations don't really like each other and barely speak unless absolutely necessary. So when a very contagious sickness sweeps through the village and through the Abbey's servants, and Lord Inverkillen dies under somewhat mysterious circumstances, the family is suddenly faced with horrors big and small: trapped in their absurdly enormous home, trying to figure out how to cover the enormous death duties and continue their pampered lifestyles, while facing the collateral damage of their servants dropping like flies, with rations of food and--gasp--toilet paper and the indignities of giving up breakfast trays and having to make their own beds.  Family scuffles and family secrets are punctuated by a marauding band of unsupervised children intent on wreaking havoc while a skeleton crew of cook, housekeeper, and chauffeur do their best to keep the family from killing each other. The parody of Downton Abbey was hilarious. The threat of a pandemic sweeping through the family, village, and all of Britain causing disruptions to food delivery services and everything else, so familiar after the past year, was handled so brilliantly that instead of causing traumatic flashbacks, those sections brought on laugh out loud guffaws. What a completely brilliant book. Highly recommended! Net Galley

Loon Lessons by James D. Paruk   Mr. Paruk's lifelong fascination with loons doesn't seem odd or unusual when you read this fascinating treatise on loon life, distilled from his career studying these birds. As the world's worst birder (I'm never looking at the right part of the bird to identify it), I am fascinated by these beauties, and loons, which live far away and seem mysterious to a desert-dweller like me. Imagine, a life lived solely on water or in the air! There is a lot of detail and scientific facts and data abound int he book, but the presentation is clear and easy to read, not at all offputting to a general reader with little background in biology or ornithology. If their redolent call has ever captivated you, or if you are a diehard birder, you will enjoy Loon Lessons. Recommended. Net Galley