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 September Reads

September may be autumn in other parts of North America, but it was still hot out here in the desert. So, that meant, of course, holiday books were on the TBR pile. But first, a little self improvement. 

Happier Hour by Cassie Holmes, Ph.D. Dr. Holmes presents a very readable self-help book designed to help people increase the amount of happy hours they have in their days and lives. First, she takes the reader through some simple exercises, like this one she tasked her undergraduates with. How many weekly Sunday dinner have you had with your parents/loved one? How many will you have this year? How many can you expect to have after you move out (assuming you stay in the area)? Throwing in some curveballs, like what happens if you take a job on the other side of the country and can only have Sunday dinner twice a year if you come back for vacation? Realizing you may only have a couple dozen more Sunday dinners with your parents for the rest of your life might make you prioritize it. The second half of the book is dedicated to an exploration of what do you have to do (how many hours per week at your job) vs. what you like to do, and how to create a schedule that prioritizes what makes you happy and what you want to do. Very readable, with simple discussions of concepts like hedonic adaptation. (library)

Create Your Own Cozy by Liz Marie Galvan. Ms. Galvan has written several books based on her blog (full disclosure, I'd never heard of her or her blog before I read this galley), and this book, like the others, is based on the same. I thought the book would be a decorating book, but it's much more than that. Ms. Galvan has monthly lists of things to do around your home (cleaning chores, for example), although they are more for those living in a temperate or northern climate, and there are only a few references to what those of us living elsewhere should do instead. People trying to organize their busy lives may find these monthly chore lists helpful. There are decorating tips, her personal philosophy and outlook on life, and one of the final chapters is a statement of how her belief in God underscores her life. To be honest, the book read as someone trying to make the leap to national-level fame and money a la the Magnolia House people (who, frankly I can't stand; sorry, fans, it's all too perfect). It's laid out nicely, the photographs are nice, with a brown/green/white cozy calm theme. I guess many people find these books aspirational. I find them sometimes condescending, sometimes irritating (money for someone to come clean my house once a month? I wish!), most often too perfect. My life isn't perfect and I prefer not to be reminded that it falls short of these idealized lives. But for those wanting to reorder their lives and in need of step by step guidance, her monthly lists and 100 themes are perfect. (Net Galley)

A Year of Crochet Stitches by Jill Wright and A Year of Knitting Stitches by Tabetha Hedrick I'm reviewing both these stitch guides together because they will be published simultaneously by the same publisher. Like the popular stitch a day page a day calendars, these books present 365 different stitches for the crafter seeking more options for their own designs. Nicely illustrated with color photos, neatly presented instructions, with some patterns at the end as well as general crocheting and knitting information. I didn't test any of the patterns, but I read through quite a few and tried to match them to the photos, to see if I saw any errors, and didn't find any on the days I spot checked. These would be perfect gifts for the crafter in your life. (Net Galley)

Our Maine by Adam Calhoun, Malcolm Hunter Jr., and Kent Redford I love a good travelogue, and I've been wanting to visit Maine for years (certain people went on vacation there without me). This paean to the Pine Tree State is written by three Mainers, and their love for the state winds through their writing, no matter the subject matter. The book begins with a physical description of Maine, its geography (yes, I loved this part, geography and geology nerd that I am), and then moves on to chapters on its estuaries, its rivers, it summits, its fauna and fauna--everything you could want to know about Maine. Some might find it dry, but I found it charming, and am now more determined than ever to find my way to Maine someday. And to learn that my beloved Gazetteers were created by a Mainer--what a wonderful tidbit to open he book with. (Net Galley)

Mrs. Claus and the Trouble with Turkeys by Liz Ireland Delightful and charming cozy mystery set at the North Pole. Amy Claus has told so many of the residents of Christmastown about the joy of the holiday of Thanksgiving that the elves, the people, the reindeer and everyone have decided to hold their own first Thanksgiving holiday. But Gobbler, the live turkey Amy imported from down below, disappears, and then, at a pre-holiday dinner, Elspeth Claus, her husband Nick's cousin, eats one of Amy's hors d'oeuvres--and drops dead. Did Mrs. Claus really poison someone? Of course not, but since she's the main suspect, she springs into action and suddenly finds herself not just trying to solve a murder and find her turkey, but facing unexpected dangers. This series was new to me, and I have to confess that I found it charming and delightful. I have no problem suspending disbelief--of course Santa's reindeer can talk, and of course the elves are not all good workshop minions, and naturally Santa has to have a family. What a funny, clever, and charming series. I am definitely going to hunt down the others in the series, because I want to read how Amy met Nick Claus in Oregon (he was on vacation), and how she reacted to finding out he was part of the Claus family. Highly recommended and perfect for this time of year. (Net Galley)

Murder on Mistletoe Lane by Clara McKenna Another post-Downton Abbey series. Ms. McKenna has penned a number of books in the Stella and Lyndy series, but this was the first I've read. American heiress Stella and her previously penniless husband, Lord Lyndy, are celebrating their first Christmas as a married couple in Edwardian England. Stella is missing some of the traditions from her old Kentucky home, and her snooty and cold mother-in-law is making her life difficult by pressing them to have a baby. Stella's in-laws invite an old family friend and his wife and son to celebrate the holidays at Morrington Hall. But the cook disappears, Stella is menaced by a stalker, and then murder occurs. Stella, with a little help from Lyndy and the local inspector, determines to solve the mystery before the holiday homicides pile up. The main flaw of the series is that Stella, and some of the people around her, act and speak as 2005-era upper crust England and not people living in 1905. Stella may have a car, but the passages where everyone assumes the cook could have disappeared by driving off were ridiculous---it took me one online query to learn that there only 15,000 cars on the road in England in 1905. Many of the people in the book would never have seen a car, much less driven in one. Stella is very modern in action, speech, and thought (insisting on riding in the Point-to-Point holiday horse race, for example). I cannot believe anyone would just come out and ask Stella when she was going to get pregnant, although I do believe her mother-in-law would hint at it (but a stranger? Nope.). Lyndy is a bit of a fop in the worst sense, and I struggled to understand why Stella is so in love with him; perhaps he's drawn better in previous books in the series. I want my historical novels to take me to another time, but accurately; I don't want to hear people talking and acting in a modern manner when they lived in very different times, with different cultural codes of conduct. The series seems to be a favorite with some historical mystery lovers, but it doesn't meet my high standards for historical accuracy. On the other hand, it is an otherwise easy and fast read, and anyone just wanting to wile away some time over the holidays might find the mix of mystery and romance just the ticket. (Net Galley)

Laetitia Rodd and the Case of the Wandering Scholar by Kate Saunders Another historical series that was new to me, but much better than the Stella and Lyndy series in terms of walking a careful line between representing a more accurate view of the past while managing to make the people, language and culture recognizable. The book takes place in 1851 England, and Laetitia, the widow of a vicar, has commenced on a career of helping people and solving some strange occurrences. In this second book in the series, Jacob Welland, a wealthy man who is on his deathbed, has engaged Leatitia to find his brother, Joshua, and to deliver a letter to him, hoping to reconcile before he dies. Both men were in love with the same woman, and after a falling out, Joshua left college to live alone in the woods for decades. He's not a complete hermit in that the people of a small community know who he is and respectfully leave him alone. Leatitia manages to track down people who are in fairly regular contact with Joshua and leave the letter for him written by his brother. But then, just as Laetitia thinks her connection to Jacob and Joshua and the community are over, a murder occurs, and Laetitia must return and help her friends. This was a very good book, well written, and with enough historical accuracy in the way that people act and spoke that one was not torn out of the sense of time and place by jarring modern words or actions. I enjoyed the audiobook very much, and will read the rest of the series. (Audiobook)

Middle Sister's August Reads

Summertime, and the reading is easy.... Because our unseasonably hot temperatures continued for most of August, I escaped to one of my favorite places, libraries, this month, and started reading some of many holiday mysteries that start appearing now. 

Read to Death at the Lakeside Library (Lakeside Library Book 3) by Holly Danvers I had not read either of the first two books in this series, but lakeside seemed like a great place to be in our summer heat, and this book tied in to the recent theme of Midwestern mysteries of a few months ago. Rain Wilmot has found Lofty Pines, Wisconsin, and the Lakeside Library the perfect balm to recover from her tragic past, and as summer gets underway, she's ready to move on with her life, including, perhaps, romance. One of the new activities she's excited about is the new book club the library is sponsoring and which she is hosting in her home. No one expects one of the book club attendees to be murdered, and in a manner shockingly similar to the first book the group is reading. Rain and her best friend, Julia, begin their own investigation, despite the warnings of Julia's brother, Jace, a policeman working the case. And despite Rain and Jace'sgrowing attraction to each other. My verdict: meh. Rain and Julia are investigating for no good reason other than curiosity, they contaminate the murder scene  by walking around it (potentially jeopardizing any court case, I would think, or at the very least, compromising the investigation and potentially leaving evidence at the scene). When Rain and Jace's relationship heats up, and he says"Don't ever lie to me again. Do you understand?... Can you promise me that?" she does, and then immediately lies to him. I left a note to myself that I wished he dump her when he found out she lied to him after promising not to do that, but it's a romantic mystery, so naturally he doesn't. And she convinces Julia to lie to her brother to keep their investigation and what they think they've discovered to themselves. They uncover a crucial bit of evidence and keep that from the police. There is a weird instance with a boat owner being friendly and leaving them alone to snoop around his boat for no reason (would anyone do that?), but then the boat owner does a 360-degree about face in his behavior for no reason. At first I thought midwesterners were too nice and naive, then I thought they were too weird, and then I decided the author was at fault. The book was mediocre; it's squeaky clean, but everybody seems to punch each other in the arm (Rain and Jace do that, something I can see a 13-year-old boy doing to a girl her likes, but not a grown man), Rain and Julia slap and tap and punch each other, Julia and her husband do this--I started tracking how many times characters do this to each other because it was that common. If I were a drinking game kind of person, this would be a great action to track, but you'd be drunk by the middle of the book. All in all, I found the mystery a little too uninteresting, the relationships a little too juvenile, the writing a little too inconsistent. It's not bad, it's just not good. And not promising enough that I'll read any more in the series. (Net Galley)

Murder Checks Out (A Blue Ridge Library Mystery) by Victoria Gilbert This begins a multi-month theme of holiday mysteries, and because it's been a blast furnace of a summer, I'm starting with a Christmas mystery. I've read two in this series, and I thought I'd missed quite a few books until I checked. The last I read ended with Amy and Richard's wedding. In this book, published just a couple of years after that one, Amy an d Richard have 5-year-old twins. The author is not letting these characters age naturally, and I expect the twins to be dating and driving cars within a book or two, at this pace. They are unnaturally articulate and read as much older than they're supposed to be, and I found that disconcerting. It's Christmastime, and while Richard and the twins are busy preparing for The Nutcracker Suite, Amy is busy dealing with her mother-in-law, who has decided to spend Christmas with them. That stress is compounded by the murder of a real estate developer, and the main suspect is Amy's brother's husband, Ethan. I love how matter of factly this series deals with the gay couple; they're just family, and none of the characters make any deal about it. Amy's involvement in the investigation is handled much more deftly, and there is none of the insulting and arrogant behavior Rain in the abovementioned book exhibited: Amy tells the sheriff about what clues or gossip she hears. She's part of the investigation but not at the expense of making the professionals appear stupid and incapable, and I hate the mystery writers do that. Disconcerting twins aside, this is a far more pleasant series, and I think I need to catch up with this series. (Net Galley)

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson The explosive popularity of Marie Kondo's decluttering book meant that publishers immediately jumped on the decluttering book bandwagon. This short book is an interesting take on the concept, since it's basic premise is "You don't want to leave a messy house for your children to have to clean up after you die." So Margareta introduces the rest of the world to the Swedish idea of cleaning and decluttering your house as you approach the end of your life. It's a very practical concept a lot of Americans, as terrified of death as we culturally seem to be, what with our incessant worship of, and mad pursuit of, youth, youth culture, and staying young forever. But anyone who has had to clean out a parent's home will recognize the wisdom in her approach to appreciating minimalism as we age, and of making decisions to give away, donate, or throw away the many things we all acquire over a lifetime. 

The Vintage Knitting Book, by Future Publishing Collection of vintage-inspired knitting patterns from the 1930s through the 1980s, both large and small, and sure to please vintage fashionistas and knitters wanting to incorporate vintage-inspired projects into their wardrobe.

Murder in the Museum by (Fethering Mystery #4) Simon Brett I enjoy the Fethering mystery series a lot. Mr. Brett has created two very opposite characters in Carol and Jude. Fussy Carol, not particularly likable, and earth mother Jude, eminently likable. Next door neighbors, they have become unlikely good friends. They share parts of their lives (and murder investigations) with each other, but there remain parts that they don't share, and to which the reader is witness, that seems to this reader to be important. Carol is frustrated by not being privy to every part of Jude's life and past, but this is part of what the reader recognizes as a general unhappiness with her own life. And it makes the reader understand Carol even if we don't necessarily like her. In this book, Carol has been invited to be on the Board of Directors of a small museum devoted to the life of a post-World War 1 poet, and what should have been just a minor commitment becomes something else when an old skeleton is u earthed in the garden. When a modern murder occurs, Carol and Jude discover links between the two, and this discovery puts Carol's life in danger. This is an excellent series I recommend. (Audio book)

Death of a Green-Eyed Monster (Hamish MacBeth #34) by M.C. Beaton It's a little wearisome by now--Hamish falls in love at the drop of a hat. But this time, she falls in love with him, and wedding bells are in Hamish's future. I liked this change for Hamish, and I'm glad we finally got to hear why he broke his engagement to Priscilla off all those years ago. The revelation makes me wonder why Hamish has spent 33 books pining after her, though. Anyway, I found this to be one of the better entries in the series, satisfying in both the murder mystery and character development. Even if you've tired of the basic formula of a Hamish MacBeth mystery, I think you will find this book a fast, enjoyable read. (Audio book)

Myths and Mysteries of Archaeology by Susan Johnston Recorded lecture series from a class on archaeological frauds from about 10 years ago. I used to TA a class very similar to this in the 1990s, so I enjoyed the first half of the book, where she deals with common questions asked of archaeologists (what about Piltdown Man? What about Atlantis? etc.), but I disliked the chapter on ESP. Archaeologists deal with material culture, and there is no material culture associated with ESP. What was a competent treatise on frauds or misunderstandings perpetrated by popular culture (Erich von Daniken) took a wrong turn here, and the book didn't recover from it. (Audio book)

Learning the Birds by Susan Fox Rogers I read this book last year, but a search of this blog indicates that I never reviewed it. As a middle-aged female birder, I was naturally interested in a book by a woman who takes up birding in her middle age. But instead of just coming to greater appreciation of nature and of life, instead of working through life's inevitable disappointments, instead of growing, Ms. Rogers substituted an obsession for birding for what were probably unhealthy obsessions in the rest of her life. She falls into a relationship with a man with whom she shares nothing but birding. She obsessively birds, even to the point of faking fishing in order to get a fishing license to go birding on a reservoir, an action (and an attitude) that would have been anathema to the birding community. She compares her binoculars, bought at the Audubon shop in Tucson (where I've shopped myself) to the very expensive binoculars Peter, her new boyfriend, was using, and immediately decided that costlier must be better (chalk up another win for marketing and advertising making us feel bad and inadequate). And then, she recounts when she and Peter try to lure a bird (generally forbidden in birding circles); they go out for long jaunts without food and water (???). At one point, I realized that Peter has no life either (having tragedy in his past that he used birding to avoid coming to terms with), so in one sense, they deserved each other. I found neither of them particularly likable, but Ms. Rogers more so. I wanted to like the book. Ms. Rogers lived here in Tucson for a while, and she mentions local places, like the Audubon shop and the Santa Rita Mountains and Whitewater Draw, places where I have been, places where I have birded. But I didn't. It's self-indulgent, a sad revelation of a life spent lurching from one obsession to another, of someone dissatisfied with life and unwilling to face why that really is. (Net Galley)

Middle Sister's July Reads

July's mini theme for murderous mayhem was wedding bells. All those heightened emotions, all that stress around planning a modern wedding--it's a surprise there aren't real life murders walking down the aisle. 

Death Knells and Wedding Bells (Lighthouse Library book 10) by Eva Gates I've read several Lighthouse Library books, and they are pleasant, with nice characters with whom you enjoy spending time. Importantly, while some story elements arc across the novels, they also function as stand alone books. Librarian Lucy Richardson is finally marrying her long time sweetheart, Connor MacNeil, mayor and dentist, and the whole community is ready to celebrate. I really loved that Ms. Gates started the story at the reception; she didn't suck the reader into the melodrama that television and social media would have us believe attends modern weddings. Unfortunately for Lucy, one of their guests is found dead, and it soon is established that the death was a murder. Also unfortunately for Lucy, her friend the sheriff is not heading the investigation, but the new homicide detective in town is, and he is not appreciative of her efforts to help solve the murder. This a great summer read. Lucy and Connor are a nice, normal couple, and the interjection of their extended families into the mix provides nice relief to the usual library staff who get involved in Lucy's escapades. Fast paced, the story takes place over just a few days, and is paced well. The Outer Banks setting plays a slightly more prominent role this time, and as I love a well developed setting, I enjoyed that very much. Recommended (NetGalley)

Dedication to Murder (Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery book 9) by Maureen Elliott From a library setting I moved on to the bookstore setting. I've read one book in this series before, and I don't remember anything about it, so I suspect I didn't enjoy it that much. But I like to give series a second chance because they and their authors can grow, and my tastes change. But I'm still not really liking this series, which is unfortunate since a bookstore setting would be a natural love of mine. The book opens at the wedding of bookstore owner Addie Greyborne and Dr. Simon Emerson when every bride's worse nightmare happens. I won't say more, but unlike the happy wedding of the previous book, this wedding is beset by drama. The wedding drama, the mystery Addie investigates--both are interesting plot devices  on their own, but their execution by the author just didn't sweep me away, as I'd hoped. This is more of a romance with a little murder thrown in than a murder mystery, so if that's what you like, you'll probably enjoy this book much more than I did. And I should add that I dislike melodrama intensely, although it's clear I'm in the minority these days, when melodrama, real and fictional, permeates daily life, mass entertainment, and politics and religion. I do, however, give props to Ms. Elliott for a most unusual murderer; nice twist. (NetGalley)

The Mystery Traveler at Lake Fortune by Cathie Pelletier This is a wonderful YA book about Charlie and his sister, Clarissa, who are very disappointed when their parents announce they are going to Lake Fortune to camp for two weeks in the summer. Worst part: no electricity and no cell phones. How will Clarissa survive without her cell phone? But when Charlie finds a jar with a mysterious message in it, the pair get drawn into discovering the clues left by the Mystery Traveler. Will they discover who the Mystery Traveler is before vacation is over? Great coming of age book, in which Charlie and Clarissa redefine their relationship as siblings, their relationship and understanding of their father (who summered at the lake as a boy), and come to appreciate the differences that life can hold. Lovely ink drawings. Recommended. (NetGalley)

Tales of Terror and Mystery by Arthur Conan Doyle Interesting collection of short stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle that blend mystery, terror, and science fiction. While some of the short stories are superior to the others in terms of premise and plotting, it's very interesting to see another side of the creativity that spawned Sherlock Holmes. (Audiobook)

 

Middle Sister's June Reads

June saw the continuation of May's food mystery theme. I've got a bunch more that fall within this subgenre to read, so look for those in a future post. 

The Kielbasa Killer (Kielbasa Queen No.1) by Geri Krotow I'm half Polish; did you honestly believe I would pass on a series called the Kielbasa Queen and a title like Kielbasa Killer? Although she has several series in print, this was a new author to me. In this first Kielbasa Queen murder mystery, we meet Lydia Wienewski, who lives in a very Polish community near Buffalo, NY. The story is set in 1982, a time I remember well (I was 17 in 1982, and grew up in a very Polish community in northern NJ; see why I had to read this book?). Lydia has recently returned home from attending baking school out of state, and her father has recently suffered a stroke, so she's deferred her plans to open her own bakery and is running the family butcher shop. Kudos to Ms. Krotow--except for one fact, she nailed what it's like to live in a Polish family in a Polish town. She even got the cross-cultural marriages correct: in that part of the country, and in my own family, several Poles married Italians, just like Lydia's Italian grandmother married her Polish grandfather. The one mistake: Poles do not eat meat on Holy Saturday, and the author has Lydia and her family eat lasagna that night; she specifically does not say meatless lasagna. It's a Polish thing: we don't eat meat Good Friday or Holy Saturday, and we don't eat meat Christmas Eve. Other than that, I could have sworn I was reading about my family and neighborhood in New Jersey. As to the mystery, it's not the hardest to solve. Minor typos: Chapter 1, it would be a cinch to do it, not a clutch to do it. Minor inconsistencies: Chapter 5: she's just found a dead body and for some reason, she thinks her family are the main suspects (there's no way in heck they are, despite the location of the dead body upon discovery, but again this is used as a weak ploy to get our amateur detective investigating), and all she can do is barely resist the urge to swivel in a vinyl chair? We get it, Ms. Krotow, you've got all the details right, you don't have to hit us over the head with actions like this that would make no sense to someone really panicking over fear of an imminent arrest. I also disliked her assumption that the reason she was being told she shouldn't investigate the murder was because she was a woman when it's because she's a civilian; again, another weak plot point in my eyes. But despite these and a few other little things, I enjoyed the book. It's so evocative of a time and place I know well, and remember fondly, that it was taking a time machine back with Miss Marple or Jessica Fletcher.   Recommended (Net Galley)

Misfortune Cookie (Noodle Shop Mystery No. 9) by Vivien Chien I really enjoyed the one and only other Lana Lee mystery that I read. One thing mystery writers have trouble with as series go one is finding ways to have their amateur detective get involved (the Cabot Cove effect). In this entry, the author solves that problem by having Lana sent by her mother to attend a restaurant convention in California. Since her auntie lives there, Lana's sister comes with her and the two hope to have a mini reunion with their aunt. They are attending a convention party when someone dies. It looks like suicide, but did Lana really see a shadowy figure up on the roof? The previous book I read was laugh out loud funny, and I think that was because Lana's roommate was a big part of that mystery, while her sister, while present and an important part of a subplot, was not prominent. I enjoyed the sister dynamic, and while the mystery was pretty easy to figure out, it was still enjoyable. A well written summer escape. Recommended (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).