Mycroft Holmes and the Apocalypse Handbook

Mycroft Holmes and the Apocalypse Handbook by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Raymond Obstfeld, Joshua Cassara, Luis Guerrero, and Simon Bowland.

Abdul Jabbar's Mycroft is hired by Queen Victoria's govenrment to find a madman who has in his possession the Apocalypse book, which has allowed him to produce hundreds of massive weapons. The villian's plan is to auction of the weapons to the highest bidder and to then produce more weapons. It's fairly straightforward, and is a decent addition to the genre. I prefer the author's novels, but this is fine.

Evoking Tang : An Anthology of Classical Chinese Poetry

Evoking Tang : An Anthology of Classical Chinese Poetry by Qiu Xiaolong, 162 pages.
Early in the pandemic, wandering around the empty library, I found this book. I wanted to read a book of Chinese poetry and was delighted to find this signed copy of verse translated by local author Qiu Xiaolong. The poems featured here were written between 618 and 907. The poets highlighted in this volume include Bai Juyi, Wang Wei, and Li Bai. The love poems of Yu Xuanji, who was executed in her late 20s for fatally disciplining one of her fellow nuns, include:

"Look Out from the Riverside"

Myriads of upon
myriads of maple leaves
silhouetted against the bridge,
a few sails return late in the dusk.

How do I miss you?

My thoughts follow you
like water in the West River,
flowing eastward, never-ending,
day and night

Love Lettering

Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn, 307 pages

Meg is an in-demand calligrapher for the wealthy women of New York, though she has the unfortunate habit of occasionally letting her feelings come out through her work. But she's never been caught. At least, not until mathematician Reid Sutherland walks into her shop asking about the literal "mistake" in the wedding program she created for him and his fiancee. The wedding never happened, and Meg is completely fine with that, as she's had a crush on Reid from the moment she met him. Against her better judgment, Meg asks Reid to accompany her on a walk through New York's neighborhoods to seek out interesting hand-lettering. While the first try goes disastrously, they soon find themselves falling in love with their walks, as well as with each other.

I'm a nerd about fonts and lettering, so this book was lovely in that respect. It also presented a great, slowly developing relationship, and some very realistic friend situations. I don't know that I'd recommend it to an avid romance reader, but for someone interested in calligraphy and New York City, it's a sweet story worth checking out.

The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne

The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne by Elsa Hart, 352 pages

Cecily Kay has just arrived at the home of Barnaby Mayne, an esteemed collector of all things odd or interesting, to access dried plant collection in the hopes of identifying some new entries in her own collection. Over the years, Mayne's collection has grown to fill up two full houses, making it a draw for other collectors of oddities. But no sooner has Cecily started in on her research than Mayne is found murdered in his own study, with his nebbish curator taking credit for the crime. But something about the curator's confession doesn't sit well with Cecily, who partners up with her childhood friend, Meacan (an illustrator that is also staying at the house), to find the true murderer. Does the secret lie in the collection itself? That's what Cecily and Meacan aim to find out.

Full of both intriguing suspects and quirky information about the collectors of the early 18th Century, this book presents an excellent mystery and a wonderfully curious heroine. It's the first book of Hart's I've read, but I think I'll have to put her others on my TBR list.

*This book will be published Aug. 4, 2020.

The Blaze

The Blaze by Chad Dundas, 374 pages

Iraq War veteran Matthew Rose was invalided out after an explosion damaged his memory. So when he's forced to return to his hometown of Missoula, Montana, after his estranged father's death, Matt isn't quite sure what to expect other than plenty of awkwardness at not remembering people from his childhood. He's certainly not prepared for a potential arson that sparks a bit of a memory about another fire from his youth. Assisting his old friend, a journalist for the local newspaper, Matt begins to investigate the recent fire, as well as the one from his past, in the hopes that he can track down his own past too.

All too often, amnesia is presented as a quick-to-come, quick-to-go condition, but Dundas does an excellent job of making the memory loss and recovery seem much more real. In fact, most of this slow-burning thriller seems very real, from the motivations of the characters to the setting, which is so dead-on authentic it's amazing. It's probably not the sort of book I'd pick up on my own, but I'm glad I read it. Well worth it.

Code Name Helene

Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon, 450 pages

Nancy Wake was an Australian ex-pat working as a journalist in Paris when she began working for the French Resistance during World War II. Eventually, she was forced to flee from her beloved husband and dog, making her way to England, where she joined the Special Operations Executive and was dropped back into France to fight the Nazi occupation by leading a small ring of British spies and partnering with French guerrilla troops. In doing so, she earned the respect of her male companions and served a major role in defeating the Germans.

Everything in the preceding paragraph is true.

In Code Name Helene, Lawhon presents a fictionalized account of Nancy's life in France, both before fleeing and after returning to the war. It's a captivating and wonderful story, made all the better by the fact of Nancy's real-life existence (check out her photo at the front of the book). Yes, there have been a lot of good books about brave women in World War II (The Nightingale, A Woman of No Importance, even the young adult novel Code Name Verity, which I kept thinking of throughout this book), but this one is a worthy addition to your TBR list. It's excellent.

A Trace of Deceit

A Trace of Deceit by Karen Odden, 377 pages

Annabel Rowe has just left her art class and is stopping by to visit her brother Edwin when she discovers two police officers at his apartment. They're there to investigate Edwin's murder, which soon becomes complicated by the fact that Edwin had been in possession of an irreplaceable portrait that has vanished just days before it is set to go up on the auction block. Partnering up with the kind inspector Matthew Hallam, Annabel dives in to discover what happened to both the painting and her brother, hopefully before any harm comes to anyone else.

A plucky, intelligent woman is always a great detective in my book, and Odden certainly provides that here. Annabel's intelligence and her artistic talent are on display throughout the book, which relies on both her abilities and that of Scotland Yard to solve the case. I appreciated the realistic depiction of grief and regret, as well as the kind way that Odden treated Edwin's past. A fantastic novel for fans of Victorian mysteries.

Very, very, very dreadful

Very, very, very dreadful: The influenza pandemic of 1918 / Albert Marrin, 198 pgs.

Who doesn't like a good pandemic story now and again.  Especially now as we are enjoying our own pandemic.  This 1918 story actually sounds more horrible.  That flu took no time racing through the world, knocking down young adults faster than anyone else.  The death toll is shocking.  Of course some comparisons can be made to today but hopefully we are better off today after some strides in science and research.

Among the mad, by Jacqueline Winspear

In the next in Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs series, Maisie witnesses a public suicide by a war-damaged man and is drawn into a rather modern-sounding terrorist plot involving the ongoing development of poison gas, which was first used in World War I. When a threatening note is sent which mentions her by name, she becomes a special advisor to Scotland Yard as they race to find the author of the note before a massive loss of life occurs. As so many of the author’s mysteries do, the narrative will involve the mental and physical fallout of that war on former soldiers. And as always, the period details add so much to the book. A continuing favorite series. 318 pp.

Redhead by the side of the road, by Anne Tyler

A slight offering from the ever-reliable Anne Tyler, who has made Baltimore her own and quirky characters, compassionately observed, her specialty. It’s more of a character study than a short novel. In his late thirties, Micah Mortimer leads if not a life of “quiet desperation” certainly one constrained by his need for order, regularity, and a peaceful life. Despite this, he is very fond of his noisy family which consists of several older sisters, two of whom already have grandchildren, and he has a steady woman friend of many years who seems content for them to maintain separate lives much of the time. Then in quick succession, this friend is threatened with losing her home and a young man shows up on his doorstep claiming to be his son by a college girlfriend. Micah knows this to be an impossibility, but nonetheless offers him a place to stay overnight. Things begin to become quite disordered indeed. 178 pp.

Days of distraction, by Alexandra Chang

Like Ocean Vuong’s “On earth we are briefly gorgeous,” I suspect this is a thinly veiled memoir, but it is a successful and affecting novel as well. Jing Jing is an Asian American from a somewhat troubled family. Her father seems to have permanently decamped from northern California to China, where she spent some of her childhood, years after he and her mother divorced. Jing Jing attends high school in Davis where she meets “J” and they become a couple. Now, still together, they are contemplating moving to Ithaca NY so J can do graduate work at Cornell. Their overland journey from California across the west and midwestern states is an adventure, but once established in Ithaca, Jing Jing finds herself adrift. In California, she had been a successful tech writer/reviewer for a major Silicon Valley company. In upstate New York, with no real work, she is has time to and is more and more forced to contemplate what it means to be an Asian American and in a relationship with a white man. A thoughtful and well-written coming of age story. 312 pp.

The yellow bird sings, by Jennifer Rosner

This debut novel set in Poland during the Holocaust is a worthy addition to the numerous others that have been written. It opens in 1941. Roza and her daughter, Shira, are on their second day of hiding in a farmer’s hayloft after witnessing the arrest and transport of Roza’s parents and learning of the death of her husband, Natan. Her father had been a violin maker and Natan and Roza were both musicians, a violinist and cellist. Now Shira, five years old, must remain absolutely silent to escape detection from both Nazi soldiers and the farmer’s young sons. She doesn’t understand why, and although obedient, hums and taps in a way that worries Roza. So Roza invents magical stories about a yellow bird that sings in a way that only Shira can hear. This comforts her as much as her scrap of beloved blanket. After months in hiding there, however, they must flee again. The farmer’s wife offers to take Shira to the protection of nuns at an orphanage some distance away. Fearing Shira will not survive living in the forest, Roza reluctantly agrees. Over the war years, Roza manages to survive but mourns the loss of her daughter and is determined to reunite with her. A story of love, loss, the power of music, and the bond between a mother and daughter -- I found I couldn’t put the book down. It was startling to learn after I finished the book that Rosner’s earlier book is a memoir of raising her two daughters, both of whom are deaf. Such and interesting contrast between their silent world and the one that the fictional Shira is forced to live in. Highly recommended. 294 pp.

The not-quite states of America

The not-quite states of America: dispatches from the territories and other far-flung outposts of the USA / Doug Mack, 334 pgs.

History, travel and politics rolled into one, Doug Mack visited the US territories.  He explains what they are, what they aren't and clarifies something that most of us don't understand.  Puerto Rico, The Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, The North Mariana Islands...all "belong" to the US but aren't states. Are their inhabitants citizens?  Do they vote? Can they field separate Olympic teams?  A fascinating overview of how these became part of the US but not quite the US. 

Trouble Is What I Do

Trouble Is What I Do by Walter Mosley, 166 pages.
I would have sworn that I had read all of Mosley's books, then thought about how many he has written and how lazy I am, and changed that to "most of them," but I am still somewhat surprised that have missed all of the Leonid McGill books. Trouble is the fourth in the series, so I have got some catching up to do.
Private eye McGill lives by a code, a series of rules that are all very noirish in nature and designed to keep his clients alive and his honor intact. This story is straightforward in its convoluted plot, fast paced, cynical, and unsentimental. McGill is hired to safely unite an old blues singer with his granddaughter. The task is complicated because the man's son wants to hide his roots and is willing to have his father killed to keep his secret safe. A good solid story from a masterful writer.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple (2012) 330 pages

Where'd You Go, Bernadette is an often humorous, sometimes heart-wrenching story of a girl's love for her mother. Told primarily through a collection of emails, faxes, letters, and other documents, the story's gaps are filled in by the insights of 15-year-old Bee. Bee's mother, Bernadette, was an architect who'd gained a following for her eco-buildings before the idea was popularized. By the time Bee was born prematurely, in need of several surgeries, Bernadette had suffered multiple miscarriages and had a bizarre experience that she allowed to end her architecture career. Now Bernadette is resigned to a life avoiding cooking, avoiding fixing up their decrepit house, avoiding "gnats," (a term she gives to neighbors and parents of children from Bee's school who bother her), avoiding most everything. Meanwhile, Bernadette's husband, Elgin, is an upper-echelon computer guru who is revered for his abilities (and for a TED Talk he had given), and known for his eccentricities. On the eve of a family trip to Antarctica to celebrate Bee's stellar grades, a lot of craziness ensues, with the result that Bernadette disappears. Will Bee ever find out what happened to her mother?

142 Ostriches

142 Ostriches / April Davila, 262 pgs.

Tallulah Jones lived an itinerant life-style with her young mother until she turned 13 and her grandmother picked her up. Her grandmother was an ostrich rancher in the desert.  Now an adult, Tallulah makes plans to leave home and start a career in Montana. When her grandmother dies in a car accident, the dysfunctional family comes our in full force.  An enjoyable story but somehow didn't have the "edge" that I was looking for.  I didn't feel invested enough in Tallulah and her life to recommend this one.

Team of Five

Team of Five: The presidents club in the age of trump / Kate Andersen Brower, 320 pgs.

I'm fascinated with presidential history and the many time ex-presidents come to the aid of the sitting president.  This has been going on for a long time.  This book covers five ex-presidents and their relationships and ponders how Trump will fit in to this group.  His relationships with all of these men are rocky and for the first time, the exes have spoken up about the sitting president.  I liked the mix of politics and the personal.  This club really needs a woman member!

Strike Me Down

Strike Me Down by Mindy Mejia, 335 pages

Forensic accountant Nora is calm, quiet, and all business when the billion-dollar kickboxing company Strike hires her team to track down a missing $20 million. This is Nora's job, and while Strike gives her just a few days instead of the months she's used to, she's sure she can at least figure out where the missing money went. But when Nora's idol and Strike co-founder Logan Russo comes under suspicion, there's suddenly a lot more on the line, and Nora's not sure if she'll be able to maintain her stiff upper lip.

Accounting and kickboxing do not seem like they would work together to make a taut thriller, but somehow Mejia does that in Strike Me Down. It's suspenseful, it's twisty, and it's a heck of a lot of fun, even if you don't like accounting or kickboxing. Well worth a read.

The Lions of Fifth Avenue

The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis, 368 pages

In 1914, Laura Lyons and her family have the most unusual living situation: the family of four shares a small apartment inside the grand central branch of the New York Public Library. Laura's husband is an aspiring author and superintendent of the building, while homemaker Laura is determined to attend journalism school and become a reporter at one of the city's many newspapers. But the theft of some very rare editions from NYPL's archives cause a wrinkle in their plans, with suspicion falling on Laura's husband. Seventy years later, Laura's granddaughter Sadie is an archivist in NYPL's Berg Collection, curating an exhibit of rarities when another string of rare book thefts begins, threatening Sadie's job and the literary history of the library. Could the two crime sprees be related? It seems unlikely, but there are definite similarities.

Who doesn't love a mystery set in a gorgeous library? Davis certainly chose a strong setting, and her dual storylines are intriguing, pulling in everything from early-wave feminists to the rare books black market. There were certainly a few things that I had questions about, particularly in the 1914 storyline, but overall this was a great story to sweep you away from the world at large today.

Behind Every Lie

Behind Every Lie by Christina McDonald, 308 pages

Eva Hansen is in the hospital after being struck by lightning when she learns that her mother was murdered. If that's not enough, she soon learns that she's under suspicion for the crime and because of the lightning strike, she has no memory of the event. Eva strikes out on a twisty quest for the truth, discovering secrets and lies that go back 25 years and throw into question her very identity. Is it enough to make her kill her mom though? She's determined to find out, even if she is a murderer.

I wasn't a huge fan of this book, which seemed to throw in plot twists for no real reason and relied on the wholly unlikely lightning strike-causing-amnesia as the frame to hold everything together. But it was a quick read, so there's that. Also, this is the third thriller I've read this year with a character named Sebastian, if you're looking for trends in the genre.

The Happy Ever After Playlist

The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez, 388 pages

When a loose dog literally jumps into her car in the middle of the street, Sloan is pretty sure this is going to be a minor annoyance to deal with before going back to her depressing life painting astronaut cats for online buyers and eating frozen dinners. In other words, the same sad life she's had since her fiance died two years earlier. Instead, the dog's insane leap into her life leads to the dog's owner, an indie rock darling named Jason who is on his way to superstardom. As their flirty texts turn into a real relationship, Sloan is stuck trying to find herself in between grief, celebrity gossip sites, and the whirlwind of a rock star's touring life.

I was a bit surprised by this book, which I didn't expect to be quite as honest with the grief as it is. That said, I think it's well-balanced with the traditional romance tropes that occur throughout the book. It's not the best romance I've read, but it was certainly fun and enjoyable.

The Land Beyond the Sea

The Land Beyond the Sea by Sharon Kay Penman, 672 pages

In this sweeping historical fiction novel, Penman brings to life the short reign of King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, a young man who ruled for just 11 years in the 12th Century. Baldwin was crowned at the age of 12 when his father died, and while he was a thoughtful ruler, he was also a leper. Penman details his life and that of the religious leaders and nobility surrounding him, focusing particularly on his cunning mother Agnes, his chancellor and confidante William, and the heroic Lord Balian d'Ibelin, whose level head and diplomacy ended saving thousands of lives when Jerusalem fell to the Muslim army after Baldwin's short-sighted brother-in-law took the crown after the leper king's death.

I honestly don't know that I would have read this if I hadn't been forced to by a committee I'm on, and I certainly wouldn't have read it in 72 hours like I had to for this same committee. But I'm glad I read it, and I'd highly recommend it to other fans of military historical fiction. Just take your time reading it; it deserves a much more thoughtful read than I was able to give it.

This Is How I Lied

This Is How I Lied by Heather Gudenkauf, 332 pages

Twenty-five years ago, detective Maggie O'Keefe Kennedy's best friend Eve was murdered in a cave just outside their small town, and the killer was never found. But when Eve's shoe is suddenly discovered, the case is reopened and Maggie is determined to uncover the truth once and for all. Maggie's investigations, however, seem to be uncovering more than just clues about Eve's death. It seems that everyone around Eve was lying, including Maggie herself. Will the truth actually come out?

This is a taut thriller complete with a controlling ex-boyfriend, a creepy neighbor, an unhinged sister, and a retired detective who, in this case, is absolutely no help because of dementia. Oh, and our protagonist Maggie is heavily pregnant. The description, however, doesn't really do it justice. I was completely swept up by this suspenseful book, and honestly did not see all those twists coming.

Shakespeare for Squirrels

Shakespeare for Squirrels: A Novel by Christopher Moore  271 pp.

Pocket of Dog Snogging, the illustrious foul-mouthed Fool from Moore's previous Shakespearean antics in Fool and The Serpent of Venice returns in a lively but skewed romp through "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Pocket has landed in Greece after being set adrift by his pirate crew with his Fool's Apprentice, Drool and a monkey with a kinky penchant for hats. He lands in the middle of a mystery  because someone has killed Robin Goodfellow aka Puck. The rest of the cast from "AMND" are there as well as a full compliment of Amazons, Fairies, and Goblins. When Drool is imprisoned Pocket must use his wits to solve the murder and the source for the magic that turned Bottom into a donkey and caused Titania to fall in love with the donkey headed workman. Silly and fun. I enjoyed this one more than "Serpent" but Fool is still my favorite in the series. Creative profanity and non-explicit sex abound. No spoilers, so I won't reveal the squirrel connection.

Tokyo travel sketchbook

Toko travel sketchbook: Kawaii culture, Wabi sabi design, female samurais and other obsessions / Amaia Arrazola, 192 pgs.

Arrazola had a month long artist-in-residency stint in Tokyo where she was tasked with creating a drawing every day.  This book is an expanded version of her work completed on the trip, adding more drawings, commentary and some photos. She casts an artist eye on the culture and digs into some topics that aren't significant in the way of history or importance but are the types of things you really want to know. Fun from start to finish.

Nothing to See Here

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson (2019) 254 pages

Lillian grew up with a single mother who didn't seem to care about her. As a young teen, she meets Madison, finally finding a friend who brings her joy. But at age 28, they haven't seen each other in years, communicating only by mail. When Madison asks Lillian to be a governess to her husband's twin children from a previous marriage, Lillian is enticed by the opportunity to be near Madison again, and to be well-paid, after years of low-paying jobs. The children's father, Jasper, is a Senator with hopes to eventually become President. It's imperative to him that there is no scandal in his life.

The catch: Bessie and Roland, age 10, have the ability to catch fire, especially when they are stressed. And yes, they have been very stressed by the divorce of their parents and of the recent death of their mother.

The book traces Lillian's feelings of unworthiness, her attempts to bond with the combustible children, and her complicated relationship with Madison. The premise of the book sounds odd, but I thought it worked.

Hollywood Homicide

Hollywood Homicide / Kellye Garrett, 305 pgs.

Dayna Anderson is "retired" from acting after that one famous commercial.  She needs to help her parents save their house from foreclosure but she is unemployed.  When a $15,000 reward is offered for help solving a murder case, she feels like this is the easiest path to solvency.  Turns out, she actually knows a little about the case so starts her own investigation.  With some predictable stops and starts, Garrett does great work with a fun cast of characters who mostly have no idea how to figure out the murder.  Snappy dialog and a good sense of humor make this a fun read.

Barn 8, by Deb Olin Unferth

Why did the chicken cross the road? Well in this case, she was running away from the factory farm housing about a million of her hen sisters. Her escape, witnessed by a disaffected inspector of commercial egg farms, sets in motion a series of events which will hatch a scheme to steal all million or so of these chickens and take them to shelters. Improbable, yes, and ultimately doomed to failure. But in the course of the story the reader will learn (probably more than they are comfortable learning) about where all those supermarket eggs come from, meet the farmers who run these operations, get to know a mixed band of various animal liberation types, and come to respect the heritage and intelligence of the much underestimated hen, or as Unferth so wonderfully describes her, “T Rex’s pretty little niece.” Part mad-cap caper, part serious critique of human’s treatment of animals, part call to protect the earth’s fragile ecosystem. Laugh out loud funny on occasion too. I’m very fond of “Dash,” the one remaining chicken who lives next door, so was particularly captivated by the book. Dash is smart, has lots of interesting vocalizations (one is purring like a cat), and is a sucker for corn on the cob – lures her in her coop for the night every time. So maybe she’s not quite so bright…. 256 pp.

This poison will remain, by Fred Vargas

My husband grabbed this at random off the shelf as the library was shutting down. It turned out to be the most recent, and seventh, in a series by French author Vargas featuring Commissaire Adamsberg. I suspect both of us will seek out her earlier books. Like other favorite series featuring unique, gifted, and complicated detectives (think Elizabeth George and Louise Penny), the surrounding cast of characters in the department are all also highly individual and quirky. As is the crime that is being investigated in this outing. Elderly men, who share a connection long ago to an orphanage, are succumbing to brown recluse bites, however, unlike its familiar Missouri-wide cousin, the French version is much less dangerous and very seldom lethal. What is going on, and what, if any connection do these events have to do with a modern-day human recluse, a woman shut away in a cell dependent upon the charity of neighbors for her cloistered life? Such recluses were common in the Middle Ages, but are virtually unheard of now. Commissaire Adamsberg has, however, encountered one as a young, impressionable child, a memory he has suppressed and which will surface during his investigations. Several complex plots, which draw upon the author’s training in history and archeology, are skillfully interwoven. Fun to find another series to enjoy. 408 pp.

Everything is under control: A memoir with recipes, by Phyllis Grant

An odd little book I put on my Kindle when I was running low on “real” books. Maybe the title spoke to me during a pandemic, when nothing seemed to be under control. And indeed, nothing really is for the author either. She begins as a talented ballet dancer, but in the end, not talented enough. However, she falls in love with New York after studying at Julliard and embarks on a second career as a chef. A pastry chef at that, having struggled with eating disorders not uncommon in serious dancers. Somehow this career, through her own troubles with infertility, segues into midwifery. And then there are a lot of recipes. Short, heartfelt obviously, but rather all over the place in terms of focus. 256 pp.

The Hollows

The Hollows by Jess Montgomery, 343 pages

Newly elected sheriff Lily Ross already has her hands full as a single mom, but when an old woman falls (or was pushed) onto a train in a remote part of Lily's jurisdiction, Lily suddenly finds herself tracking down the woman's identity, and getting swept up into a war against the racist women of her small community. Set in 1926, this historical mystery offers a peek at the racial and political climate of southeastern Ohio, including the Women's KKK, unionization and integration efforts at the coal mines, and the changing role of women during those years between WWI and the Great Depression. It's a fascinating story, with solid characters and a wonderfully twisty mystery. Yes, it's a sequel to Montgomery's The Widows, but you don't need to read that one to enjoy this one.

The Hocus Girl

The Hocus Girl by Chris Nickson, 224 pages

Simon Westow is a thief-taker by trade, but when a close friend is wrongfully arrested for sedition, Simon is determined to clear his friend's name. Thankfully, he has the mysterious Jane to help him keep track of his other business, including tracking down the titular hocus girl who has bewitched and then stolen from a wealthy businessman. But when Jane finds the hocus girl, she discovers that someone else is out for Jane herself, and must do some sleuthing to track down the person who hired the hocus girl in the first place.

While the historical setting in early industrial Leeds, as well as the juxtaposition between Simon's risky job and his home life with a wife and two kids, is all intriguing, I honestly don't feel like I got to know the characters well enough to care about what was going on with them. I found this book a bit of a slog, though part of that may be that this is the second in the series and I haven't read the first one. Either way, there are better historical mysteries out there.

Paw and Order

Paw and Order by Spencer Quinn (2014) 304 pages

Chet is a 120 pound dog, a police academy dropout who is smart as a whip and totally dedicated to Bernie Little. Bernie is a former police officer and Army captain who'd been injured in Iraq. Now the two make up the Little Detective Agency. One of Chet's most endearing traits is how he hard he tries to translate what Bernie and other people say (often taking their words literally), and what Chet notices as he meets various people in the story and how he deciphers their gestures and smells.

After wrapping up a job in Louisiana, Bernie decides to aim his old Porsche towards Washington D.C., to surprise Susie, his girlfriend who now works for the Washington Post. When they arrive at Susie's, they see Eben St. John leaving Susie's place, which makes Bernie jealous, even though Susie says Eben is a source for a story she's working on. When Susie finds Eben dead in his office the next day, Bernie is a suspect for a time. As Bernie, Chet and Susie try to solve the murder, they need to piece together Washington D.C. presidential politics and foreign interest in the results. (Sound familiar?) This is a fast-moving story and it's a nice change of pace to hear it from Chet's point of view.

A Noble Radiance

A Noble Radiance (Commissario Brunetti #7) by Donna Leon  277 pp.

On a remote estate the body of a partly decomposed young man is dug up in a farm field. With the corpse is a distinctive signet ring, that of the prominent Lorenzoni family. The discovery reopens an unsolved kidnapping case involving the son of Count and Contessa Lorenzoni. Brunetti is called in to the investigation where more than just the murder and kidnapping of the young man is revealed and a family succumbs to multiple tragedies. I love the Brunetti mysteries but this one was depressing.

Fatal Remedies

Fatal Remedies (Commissario Brunetti #8) by Donna Leon  303 pp.

Commissario Guido Brunetti is wakened by the phone in the we hours of the night to come to the police department because of a crime of vandalism committed. He arrives to find the arrested culprit is Paola, his wife. As a protest against travel agents who arrange "less than savory" trips for men, Paola has committed an act of vandalism, throwing a rock through the front window of an agency. This one act puts Brunetti's career in jeopardy as well as Paola's position as a university professor. Before a decision is made about reimbursing the man who owns the agency and other businesses, that man is murdered, garroted in his own home office. Brunetti is charged with finding the killer which opens up an investigation into fraud, tainted pharmaceuticals, and revelations about the "innocent" victim of Paola's protests.

Topics of Conversation

Topics of conversation / Miranda Popkey, 215 pgs.

We follow an unnamed narrator through chapters named with places and dates.  She interacts with her parents, friends and a husband that comes and goes.  I liked reading this book but nothing about it really stuck with me even though I finished it only a couple of days ago.  I'm not sure how else to describe it.

The Mercies

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, 345 pages

In the early 1600s, a storm struck the northern coast of Norway, killing 40 fishermen from the small island of Vardo, leaving the women of the village to fend for themselves. A few years later, a commissioner and his wife came to town, shortly followed by a series of witch trials that were initially meant to ferret out the old ways of the Sami, but soon came to include any women who were doing "unwomanly" deeds. This much is true.

What The Mercies offers is the emotional story of Vardo's women in the days following the storm and into the beginnings of the witch hunt. It's powerful, it's beautifully written, and it focuses on a location and series of events that are unknown to most of the world. It's not a particularly uplifting read, but wow, is it wonderfully presented. Highly recommended.

Pretty as a Picture

Pretty As a Picture by Elizabeth Little, 338 pages

Movie editor Marissa is desperate for a job, so she doesn't say no to an opportunity to work with megalomaniac director Tony Rees, despite coming in halfway through filming and not seeing a script first... or even knowing where she's going to work on the movie. Soon, anxiety-ridden Marissa is spirited off to a small island off the coast of Delaware, the site of a decades-old murder that is the focus of Tony's passion project. But Marissa can't figure out why the previous editor left so quickly, or why nobody will talk to her. There's definitely something wrong, and it's doing nothing to help her nerves.

Full of movie references and behind-the-scenes tidbits, this is an exhilarating thriller with a very relatable protagonist. Her discomfort with people and particular locations (a watery cave, a creaking fire escape) definitely rang true in a way I've never seen in thrillers. Fantastic story, and a fun escape.

Fortune Favors the Dead

Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood, 336 pages

Willowjean Parker is a circus roadie when she meets esteemed detective Lillian Pentecost in a New York junkyard. Soon, Will, as she prefers to be called, is Ms. Pentecost's right-hand woman, solving crimes and helping out other women on a regular basis. In 1945, three years into their partnership, Will and Lillian get a cracker of a case: a rich widow is murdered at her own Halloween party, and friends in her social circle are convinced it was the ghost of her late husband that killed her. Will and Lillian are sure that's not the case, but their investigation does include a surprisingly convincing medium who happened to be at the party, so who knows?

There's something of a gender-swapped Sherlock situation going on with this tale, a feeling that didn't leave me despite all the obvious differences (circuses, Ms. Pentecost's battle with MS, her queer sidekick). I enjoyed the two protagonists, as well as their fortune-telling nemesis, and the mystery was certainly a good one. If nothing else, read it for Will's distinctive storytelling style.

*This book will be published Oct. 27, 2020.

A Cowboy to Remember

A Cowboy to Remember by Rebekah Weatherspoon, 357 pages

Celebrity chef Evie Buchanan seems to have it made, with a reality show competition win under her belt and a highly rated morning TV show on the air. But when she takes a tumble down the stairs at an industry event, Evie ends up in the hospital with her memory completely missing. Though her friends and agent are supportive, they can't take on her care full time, which is how Evie ends up convalescing at a luxury dude ranch in California--the same dude ranch where she grew up and has some close family friends, though she still can't remember them. Hunky cowboy Zach is one of those she can't remember, though that may be for the best, as she and Zach apparently had a decade-long grudge that has been wiped out with Evie's memory.

I can't say I'm a big fan of amnesia stories, but I do enjoy seeing diversity in mainstream romance, and this book definitely hits that mark perfectly. Yes, these are wealthy people in wealthy circumstances, but the realities of Black life are still in this otherwise-unbelievable story. (And it's still a steamy, emotional romance to boot!)

In the Hand of the Goddess

In the Hand of the Goddess, Tamora Pierce, 232 p.

Alanna of Trebond continues her education as a knight, hiding her identity as a young woman from others along the way. By the end of the novel, she has obtained her shield as a knight and gets ready to travel the world and have adventures. The second novel includes some light elements of romance, knightly heroics in a border dispute between two nations, and a daring duel against a villian. Overall, it's a fun YA fantasy read.

The captain and the glory

The captain and the glory / Dave Eggers, read by John Hodgman, 114 pg.

A political satire that is timely.  I wish I could have found more humor in this.

Trust exercise, by Susan Choi

Susan Choi’s National Book Award winning novel (2019) illustrates what the phrase “unreliable narrator” might have been coined for. In fact, most novels are “trust exercises” in that we do tend to trust what the author reveals to us. There are three parts to the book. In the first, main characters Sarah and David are sophomores at a prestigious high school for the arts in an unnamed southern city. They fall in love, both with each other and, to some extent, with their charismatic theater (theatre!) teacher, Mr. Kingsley. But things fall apart, particularly after the arrival of a group of English theater students and their two adult teachers, Martin and Liam, who arrive to put on what turns out to be a shocking adaptation of Candide. In the second section, set 14 years later, Sarah’s former “best friend,” Karen, is attending an author event where Sarah, no longer in theater but a successful author, will be reading from her novel which is based on their years at the high school. However, Karen’s story of the events that took place there differs significantly from Sarah’s retelling, and in major ways. David also resurfaces, as a director known for putting on uncomfortable plays in uncomfortable venues, as does Martin, the older of the two Englishmen who is now in disgrace for reputedly preying on his students. But who preyed upon whom and what really happened? The end of Karen’s section is shocking, but no more so that the third short section, set a quarter of a century later from the main events, which will introduce an entirely different narrative and narrator. Frankly, I’m still puzzling out the “truth” of the novel. Choi has a great gift for evoking the fraught lives of artsy high school students striving to star in their own lives. Recommended. 257 pp.

Heroes

Heroes: Mortals and Monsters, Quests and Adventures (Stephen Fry's Great Mythology #2) by Stephen Fry  415 pp.

This is the book that follows Mythos. While the previous book covered the Greek Gods of Olympus, this volume is about the heroes of Greek Mythology who may or may not be descended from the Olympians. The tales include Jason and the Argonauts searching for the golden fleece, Atalanta, raised by bears only to be defeated by golden apples, Heracles and his twelve labors, Bellerophon capturing Pegasus and together defeating the Chimera, and Oedipus solving the riddle of the Sphinx. The audiobook is read by the author. While still an excellent retelling I think the first book in the series was better. Fry makes commentary relating aspects of the stories to the present day, it seemed that these were more intrusive than in the first book. However, the tales themselves are worth the listen.

The Sun Down Motel

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James, 327 pages

In 1982, Viv Delaney went missing after a few months working the night shift at a seedy motel in Fell, New York. Thirty-five years later, her niece Carly drops out of college and travels to Fell to see if she can figure out what became of the aunt she never met. Soon, Carly is living in Viv's old apartment, working the same shift at the same seedy hotel, and scouring the newspaper archives at the Fell library, hoping that something will reveal itself to her that investigators never uncovered. But as empty as the motel is, its ghostly residents may be the key to Viv's disappearance.

I'll admit that as I read this book I kept waiting for it to go either full Shining or full Scooby Doo. Thankfully, it did neither. It was a creepy, ghost-tinged thriller with an unexpected ending.

The Color of Air

The Color of Air by Gail Tsukiyama, 320 pages

In 1935, after 10 years in Chicago starting his medical career, Daniel Abe is returning home to Hilo Town, on Hawaii's big island. The town is largely made up of Japanese immigrants who were conned into working on a sugar plantation and their descendants. Daniel is the one kid who left...and then came back. However, just as he arrives, Mauna Loa begins erupting, and the close-knit community must decide whether to stay or go, while Daniel and his close family friend Koji sort through their respective pasts.

As a historical fiction, this book definitely succeeds in taking the reader back in time and to a specific place--I could almost taste the mangoes as I read this book. And it's an intriguing story that needs to be told. That said, so many characters are created in this book that some of their stories are condensed much more than they should've been (I'd argue that two characters in particular deserve their own novels) and it can sometimes be difficult to tell what's going on when. But if you want to take a quick, authentic mental trip to Hawaii's past, this is the book for you.

*This book will be published on July 7, 2020.

Alanna: The First Adventure

Alanna: The First Adventure, Tamora Pierce, 249 p.

Alanna: The First Adventure is the first installment in Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness series, a young adult series that focuses upon the coming of age of Alanna of Trebond as she becomes a knight in the realm of Tortall. To do this, she has to pose as a boy to start her training as a knight, while her twin brother who is interested in learning magic takes her place in the convents that teach it. I read this series when I was in grade school, and find that it is still wonderfully engaging today. The story is well paced, and the characters provide a vibrant insight into the world.

Death in Mud Lick

Death in Mud Lick: a coal country fight against the drug companies that delivered the opioid epidemic / Eric Eyre, read by Michael David Axtell, 303 pgs.

Not the first book I've read on the opioid epidemic but I like the focus here on the pharmaceutical industry.  Reporter Eyre won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the system that allowed thousands of pills per total population in small town pharmacies in West Virginia.  It is a long tale that makes if obvious there was criminal neglect.  There seems to be continuing neglect even though some holes have been plugged.  Tracing the number of people, elected officials, agencies, etc. who had a hand in this epidemic does make you wonder how in the world everyone was able to turn a blind eye.  For some, it was for money, for others, the lack of it. The narration is very well done by Axtell.

Big Lies in a Small Town

Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain, 391 pages

Art student Morgan landed herself in prison for a drunk driving accident that paralyzed a girl. She's pretty sure her artistic career is over, but then the daughter of Morgan's favorite painter shows up for a visit, bringing with her a lawyer and an offer to get Morgan out on parole. Why? The painter, Jesse Williams, stipulated in his will that Morgan, and only Morgan, be hired to restore a mural painted in 1940 by the mysterious artist Anna Dale. And it must be done in two short months.

Bouncing back and forth between Anna's story in 1940 and Morgan's story in 2018, this novel unravels a decades-old mystery, full of misdeeds and prejudice, and shows a young woman how to move forward with her life after prison. It's a quick and engrossing read.

The Holdout

The Holdout by Graham Moore, 322 pages

Maya is a successful defense attorney in Los Angeles. But 10 years ago, she was an idealistic writer and a juror on the trial of the decade: Bobby Nock, a young black man, was accused of murdering Jessica Silver, the 15-year-old blonde-haired, blue-eyed daughter of a billionaire real estate magnate. Maya wasn't convinced of his guilt, and over four excruciating weeks, convinced her fellow jurors to return a verdict of not guilty, to much outcry from the public. When the jurors gather for a tenth anniversary documentary, Maya's most vocal critic among her peers turns up dead, in Maya's hotel room, and she's suddenly trying to solve two murders in a race against the clock.

This is a tightly woven thriller that also manages to discuss racial, social, and judicial disparities intelligently without making it seem like a lecture. It's a gripping read.

Murder at the Mena House

Murder at the Mena House by Erica Ruth Neubauer, 281 pages

It's 1926, and war widow Jane Wunderly is on holiday with her aunt in Egypt. They're staying within sight of the pyramids at the upscale Mena House resort. In between sweating through her dresses and fending off the various eligible bachelors her aunt is thrusting at her, Jane finds herself accused of murdering a disreputable young socialite. Suddenly, she's working to clear her name, unsure of who to trust, including the mysterious and handsome Redvers.

This was a fun cozy mystery with a great setting, and excellent characters. I'd love to see how this series develops!

Sin Eater

Sin Eater by Megan Campisi, 284 pages

In 16th-Century England, it is custom for dying people to confess their sins to a woman who will then eat specified food at their funeral to take those sins upon herself. This allows the deceased to ascend to heaven unburdened of their worldly sins. The woman is called a sin eater, and as she takes on every sin committed by everyone else, she lives a cursed life, one in which she may not speak and in which no one (even family) speaks to, touches, or even looks at her for fear of being tempted into further sin. This fascinating historical novel introduces us to May, a young woman who is sentenced to becoming a sin eater and quickly becomes aware of a complex tangle of murder and intrigue among the queen's closest companions.

I was unaware of the custom of sin eating, which apparently lasted until just over 100 years ago in England, meaning there were hundreds of years of sentencing women to life as a social pariah, often for meaningless crimes. This book is fascinating, heart-wrenching, and a surprising page-turner. Highly recommended.

The Thursday Murder Club

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, 368 pages

In a quiet, upscale retirement community, while their neighbors knit and do crossword puzzles, four elderly residents gather weekly in the Jigsaw Room to work through police cold cases. But when the builder who was supposed to start an expansion project for the retirement community turns up dead, Joyce, Elizabeth, Ron, and Ibrahim suddenly have a timely case on their hands.

This is a light, fun, and laugh-out-loud funny mystery novel. I truly enjoyed reading it, and particularly loved the club's group dynamics and their investigative methods (one exchange: "You can get anything on the internet, the dark web. I read about it in the Lancet." "How would you even start to get to the dark web?" "Well, I'd imagine first you'd go buy a computer." "Oh! So we should start figuring out who has one of those."). I don't know if this is planned as a series, but I sure hope so. It's simply delightful.

*This book will be published Sept. 22, 2020.

How to be fine

How to be fine: what we learned from living by the rules of 50 self help books / Jolenta Greenberg and Kristen Meinzer, read by the authors, 251 pgs.

I enjoyed listening to these two, who also host the podcast "By the book," talk about their successes and failures following self-help books. They break this into three parts, things that worked, things that didn't work, and things they wish more books recommended.  So, in the end, they can't stop themselves from offering their own help.  I'm a sucker for self-help books but mostly because it shows me how out of touch the authors are with my kind of life.  Sometimes, though, you get some great ideas. One of the authors here has the same skepticism which is why they make a great team. Fun listening and I added some titles onto my own "to read" list based on their comments.

Manfried saves the day

Manfried saves the day / Caitlin Major & Kelly Bastow, 224 pgs.

Manfried is a remarkable man, his "pet dad" Steve is an overworked comic artist with a demanding job and a demanding girlfriend.  Manfried can be pretty demanding too but then Steve just locks him out.  When Steve's girlfriend Henrietta is close to losing her man shelter, she enlists Steve and Manfried in a scheme to win a contest to buy the property herself.  Can Manfried triumph? Can he even perform after his injury.  No spoilers here, find a copy yourself. Ok, maybe the title is a spoiler so I don't have to hesitate to tell you it all works out in the end. A silly book that was very fun to read.

Deacon King Kong

Deacon King Kong / James McBride, read by Dominic Hoffman, 370 pages

Sportcoat is the old drunk, a deacon at the Five Ends Baptist Church.  He shots a young drug dealer in his neighborhood.  A kid he used to teach in Sunday school and coached on a baseball team. He is so drunk at the time, he has no memory of the shooting.  Deems, the young dealer, lives and puts off taking his revenge.  But Sportcoat has kicked off a chain reaction involving the church, neighborhood history, the Italian mob and the new drug trade kings.  Funny and yet serious at times, this story shows the relationships and tells the history of the neighborhood around a New York housing project. Captivating.

Beach Read

Beach Read by Emily Henry, 361 pages

January Andrews is reluctant at best to move into her late father's beach house, what with it being the location of a long extramarital affair that she only learned about at his funeral. But she needs to clean it up and sell it, and well, it would definitely be a good place to work on the romance novel her agent is nagging her to finish. Too bad January's neighbor is Augustus Everett, dreamboat literary fiction writer and January's college nemesis. When chance brings the two together, they challenge each other to write in each other's genre, with the loser being forced to promote and write a book blurb for the other.

This is a romance novel with some very serious topics to chew on between the meet-cutes and steamy makeout sessions. It's a good bridge between "regular" fiction and romance, creating a cozy spot in the Venn diagram for readers of each (and now both). The issues January and Gus experience are very real, even if the coincidences that bring them together are stereotypical romance tropes. A fun read, and a quick one too.

A Good Marriage

A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight, 390 pages

Every marriage has secrets, right? Well, in the upscale Brooklyn neighborhood of Park Slope, there are more than average, and one of those has gotten beautiful new neighbor Amanda Grayson murdered. Initial suspicion lands on her husband, tech entrepreneur Zach, who his old law school classmate Lizzie from prison, asking her to be his defense lawyer. At first, Lizzie's convinced her old friend is innocent and begins poking around to find an alternate suspect. But digging around Park Slope is revealing way more that she anticipated.

This is a gripping psychological thriller, filled with plenty of creepy potential suspects, flashbacks to the days leading up to the murder, and deep dark secrets for every last character in the book. I was captivated, horrified, and completely satisfied with this quick read.

May totals!

Christa  17/3800
Jan  7/2087
Kara  11/3973
Karen  5/1584
Kathleen  3/1262
Linda  6/1836
Patrick  13/4576

Total:  61/18,780