Transient Desires

 Transient Desires by Donna Leon 272 pp.

This is the thirtieth book in the Commissario Guido Brunetti Series. I will start by saying this book has the most unsatisfying ending of all the ones in the series that I've read. Two young women go on a boat ride with two young men they met at a popular night spot. A boating accident leaves the women injured and to disguise their crime, the young men leave the women outside a hospital and leave before they are seen. One woman is seriously injured and ends up in a coma while the other has a broken arm. Brunetti's investigation locates the young men, one of whom is also injured. The injured suspect's uncle owns a transport business and the accident occurred in one of his uncle's boats. Further investigation into the uncle uncovers illegal trafficking of goods and people, mostly women. With the assistance of the Guardia costiera (coast guard) Brunetti sets up a sting operation. I won't give away the ending but it seems to stop short. While this author doesn't go into the aftermath of arrests, trials, etc. in her books, this one stops short of any kind of closure and leaves the reader hanging with too many unanswered questions.

Dead Man's Chest

Dead Man's Chest by Kerry Greenwood (2010) 259 pages

This 18th installment of the Phryne Fisher mystery series delves more into Phryne's family life than usual--her adopted daughters are featured, as well as Dot, her beloved companion. The group arrives at a vacation destination four hours from home in Australia (although with Phryne driving, it was just three hours away). They discover that the rental home is missing the married couple who were to provide care and meals for them. After exploring the place, and finding no evidence of a murder, but only of a hasty retreat, they decide to stay after all, with one of Phyrne's daughters eager to try her hand at cooking. A local young man whom Phryne dubs Tinker is asked to join the group to provide some muscle as well as to sleep near the kitchen for protection. As much as Phryne, a detective, attempts to stay off the job during this holiday, a number of people show up in need of her services. The group has its share of excitement.

This was an enjoyable read; nothing terribly deep, but as always, Phryne's personality and opinions provide entertainment.

Truffle underground

The truffle underground: a tale of mystery, mayhem and manipulation in the shadowy market of the worlds most expensive fungus / Ryan Jacobs, read by Ari Fliakos, 289 pgs.

Investigative reporter Jacobs digs into the full story surrounding truffles, one of the delicacies that take center stage in high end restaurants.  Truffles are a fungus that is demand...so much so there is a fair amount of criminal activity surrounding the trade. Also a lot of fakery and deception.  I found this book so fascinating I could not turn it off and finished it in only 2 days.  Expertly narrated by Ari Fliakos.

Leader of the Pack

Leader of the Pack by David Rosenfelt (2012) 362 pages

Attorney Andy Carpenter visits convicted murderer Joey Desimone in prison, which Andy periodically does with clients whom he believes are innocent but whose cases he lost. After relating to Joey a story about how he took his dog Tara to visit a hospital patient and how well that visit went, Joey suggests Andy take Tara to visit Joey's elderly uncle Nick (who happens to have been a member of a mob run by Joey's father). Andy reluctantly does so, and the visit goes well. However, Nick says something intriguing amidst his more senile ramblings, which may indicate that he might know something that could prove Joey's innocence in two murders. By the next day, Nick is dead from an "accident." Andy doesn't believe in these kinds of coincidences and gets his team of investigators started reinvestigating the case, to see if they can get enough new information to get a retrial for Joey.

As it unfolds, the case appears to have connections to a smuggling ring run by someone with an intent to do great harm to people in both South America and the US. The murders and attempted murders pile up and the surprises are unleashed by the handful. Rosenfelt's characters are eminently likeable (well, at least the good guys are): Andy's cocky attitude but smarts and good heart, Laurie's efficiency and clever retorts, Sam's ability to get into computer systems, and Marcus's (well, that's another story)...

A suspenseful but entertaining book, like all of the other Andy Carpenter mysteries that I've read.

The Accidental Alchemist

The Accidental Alchemist by Gigi Pandian  360 pp.

You don't think of alchemists as particularly sympathetic or compassionate people but Zoe Faust is not a typical alchemist. In fact, she doesn't want to be an alchemist at all but circumstances have forced her to renew her talents in that area. The appearance of a living stone gargoyle named Dorian in one of her moving crates and the dead man on her front porch mean she must dust off the old crucibles and get to work to save the dying gargoyle and prevent a new friend from being wrongly convicted of murder. And she is trying to keep a troubled local teen from getting in more trouble. On the plus side, Dorian is a gourmet chef who is happy to keep Zoe fed while she works on the problem of his impending demise. This is a light read with fun characters set in a crunchy-granola Oregon town Zoe has moved to in an effort to escape her past. It is the first book in a series and I just might go on to book two.

A Nice Derangement of Epitaphs / Ellis Peters 192 p.

One of my old favorites, Peters (who also wrote under her real name, Edith Pargeter) wrote the Brother Cadfael mysteries, as well as a series of modern mysteries set in 1960s-ish England with Detective Inspector George Felse.  This is a Felse title, my first 'new' one in a long time.  And somehow, I didn't enjoy it as much as I remember enjoying her in the past.  Dominic Felse, George's son, spies a young man off a rocky coast struggling in the water.  He rescues him, or so he thinks.  Why was he out there alone?  And what does it have to do with a longstanding smuggling tradition in the many rocky coves of this seaside village?