1Raspberrymocha
Wrong Hill to Die On by Donis Casey
#6 Alafair Tucker Mysteries
c. 2012
3 *s
Alafair and her husband Shaw Tucker travel from Oklahoma to Tempe, AZ with thir sick daughter. The doctor has said that the dry heat may be just the thing to help Blanche's lung condition. They stay with Alafair's youngest sister Elizabeth and husband Web. Elizabeth has a pot luck complete with a Mariachi band to welcome them. Tensions were high among some of the guests, as Pancho Villa had just raided Columbus NM, a town that Alaifair had just recently traveled through on the train. The next morning, while collecting breakfast eggs, Alafair was enjoying the scent of orange blossoms and checking out the view, which was so different from home. She chanced upon a body in a drainage ditch on her sister's property. The law was called and the search for a murderer was begun by a US Marshall, rather than the local law enforcement. Things weren't what they seemed in the small town of Tempe. I didn't enjoy this as much as the previous Alafair Tucker mysteries. I didn't particularly like the residents of Tempe, including Elizabeth. There were interesting bits of local history thrown in, but not enough to make me totally thrilled with the story.
#6 Alafair Tucker Mysteries
c. 2012
3 *s
Alafair and her husband Shaw Tucker travel from Oklahoma to Tempe, AZ with thir sick daughter. The doctor has said that the dry heat may be just the thing to help Blanche's lung condition. They stay with Alafair's youngest sister Elizabeth and husband Web. Elizabeth has a pot luck complete with a Mariachi band to welcome them. Tensions were high among some of the guests, as Pancho Villa had just raided Columbus NM, a town that Alaifair had just recently traveled through on the train. The next morning, while collecting breakfast eggs, Alafair was enjoying the scent of orange blossoms and checking out the view, which was so different from home. She chanced upon a body in a drainage ditch on her sister's property. The law was called and the search for a murderer was begun by a US Marshall, rather than the local law enforcement. Things weren't what they seemed in the small town of Tempe. I didn't enjoy this as much as the previous Alafair Tucker mysteries. I didn't particularly like the residents of Tempe, including Elizabeth. There were interesting bits of local history thrown in, but not enough to make me totally thrilled with the story.
2Raspberrymocha
Spinning Dixie by Eric Dezenhall
c. 2007
3 1/2 *s
Jonah Eastman is the grandson of a mobster from Atlantic City, New Jersey. He is also the newly out of work due to a verbal slip, Press Secretary for the President of the United States. In 1980 Jonah spent his first summer before college working at a Tennessee plantation. While there, he fell in love. Now, in 2005, between jobs, Jonah is called back to the plantation by his former love. She needs help, as her soon to be ex-husband trying to take away her plantation. Summer love, mobsters, Civil War reenactors, the Tennessee National Guard, a Masonic ring, a walkman, and a dapple gray horse all weave together in this story of twists and turns, a big spin in Dixie. I really enjoyed this book, as I have enjoyed other books by Dezenhall. They are always convoluted and keep me turning the pages.
c. 2007
3 1/2 *s
Jonah Eastman is the grandson of a mobster from Atlantic City, New Jersey. He is also the newly out of work due to a verbal slip, Press Secretary for the President of the United States. In 1980 Jonah spent his first summer before college working at a Tennessee plantation. While there, he fell in love. Now, in 2005, between jobs, Jonah is called back to the plantation by his former love. She needs help, as her soon to be ex-husband trying to take away her plantation. Summer love, mobsters, Civil War reenactors, the Tennessee National Guard, a Masonic ring, a walkman, and a dapple gray horse all weave together in this story of twists and turns, a big spin in Dixie. I really enjoyed this book, as I have enjoyed other books by Dezenhall. They are always convoluted and keep me turning the pages.
3MadisonHowells
Deze gebruiker is verwijderd als spam.
4gmathis
>1 Raspberrymocha: I've got this series shortlisted to hunt down on my next used bookstore run!
5Raspberrymocha
>4 gmathis: I hope you like it as well as I.
6rosalita
The Benevent Treasure by Patricia Wentworth
Miss Silver series (26 of 32)
Candida Sayle and Stephen Eversley “meet cute,” as the kids say, when Candida gets stranded on an English beach as the high tide rolls in and threatens to drown her. At that exact moment, Stephen happens to be out birdwatching in a rowboat, as one does, and finds his damsel in distress clinging to a cliff face. He rescues her, they exchange names and then part, presumably never to meet again.
Oh, but that wouldn’t be much of a book, would it — let alone a mystery. And so our two young people meet again, this time at a very creepy old country house (honestly, is there any other kind in England?) that is rumored to house the Benevent Treasure, brought to England when its aristocratic Italian owner fled Italy centuries ago. Candida is the black sheep of the Benevent family, through no fault of her own — her mother married a man the family did not approve of and cut all ties. Now all the Benevents are dead, except for two strange old sisters, Olivia and Cara, two strange old women who are the sisters of Candida’s long-dead grandmother. They reach out to young Candida to effect a reunion and she goes to visit, although she’s not sure what they want with her.
She meets up again with Stephen, who just happens to be in the neighborhood doing some architecting work (he’s a prime one for being on the spot), and they get reacquainted. But something is amiss inside Benevent House, and Candida seems to be its focus. And if there’s a mystery to be solved, it’s a fair bet that Miss Silver, intrepid governess-cum-private enquiry agent, will root out the truth.
Wentworth returns to her habit from earlier in the series of having Miss Silver acquire her client whilst riding the train. In this case, she is coincidentally traveling to Retley, where Benevent House is, in the same train carriage as the uncle of a young man who had previously worked for the Benevent sisters and disappeared mysteriously, supposedly after stealing jewels from the rumored treasure. Miss Silver agrees to look into the subject, not realizing she will need to solve a current mystery before she can find the truth about the cold case.
There are a lot of gothic elements here, including the way Candida and Stephen are lovestruck at virtually first sight. You know Stephen has it bad when meets Candida in a café shortly after her arrival.
More deaths will occur before Miss Silver wraps up all the mysteries and solves the case, but does it really matter as long as young love wins out in the end?
Miss Silver series (26 of 32)
Candida Sayle and Stephen Eversley “meet cute,” as the kids say, when Candida gets stranded on an English beach as the high tide rolls in and threatens to drown her. At that exact moment, Stephen happens to be out birdwatching in a rowboat, as one does, and finds his damsel in distress clinging to a cliff face. He rescues her, they exchange names and then part, presumably never to meet again.
Oh, but that wouldn’t be much of a book, would it — let alone a mystery. And so our two young people meet again, this time at a very creepy old country house (honestly, is there any other kind in England?) that is rumored to house the Benevent Treasure, brought to England when its aristocratic Italian owner fled Italy centuries ago. Candida is the black sheep of the Benevent family, through no fault of her own — her mother married a man the family did not approve of and cut all ties. Now all the Benevents are dead, except for two strange old sisters, Olivia and Cara, two strange old women who are the sisters of Candida’s long-dead grandmother. They reach out to young Candida to effect a reunion and she goes to visit, although she’s not sure what they want with her.
She meets up again with Stephen, who just happens to be in the neighborhood doing some architecting work (he’s a prime one for being on the spot), and they get reacquainted. But something is amiss inside Benevent House, and Candida seems to be its focus. And if there’s a mystery to be solved, it’s a fair bet that Miss Silver, intrepid governess-cum-private enquiry agent, will root out the truth.
Wentworth returns to her habit from earlier in the series of having Miss Silver acquire her client whilst riding the train. In this case, she is coincidentally traveling to Retley, where Benevent House is, in the same train carriage as the uncle of a young man who had previously worked for the Benevent sisters and disappeared mysteriously, supposedly after stealing jewels from the rumored treasure. Miss Silver agrees to look into the subject, not realizing she will need to solve a current mystery before she can find the truth about the cold case.
There are a lot of gothic elements here, including the way Candida and Stephen are lovestruck at virtually first sight. You know Stephen has it bad when meets Candida in a café shortly after her arrival.
Stephen, waiting in the Primrose Café, saw her come in with a glowing colour and starry eyes. She made a brightness in the shaded place. He had a rush of feeling which surprised him. It was as if a light had sprung up to meet her, and when she came to him and they look at each other the brightness was round them both.
More deaths will occur before Miss Silver wraps up all the mysteries and solves the case, but does it really matter as long as young love wins out in the end?
7rosalita
The Father Hunt by Rex Stout
Nero Wolfe series (43 of 47)
I recently picked this up in an ebook sale, and while I have read it before it happens to be one I did not own in paperback so I've probably only read it once, many years ago. It's a fine later (1968) entry in the series. The client is a young woman whose mother died a few months ago in a hit-and-run car accident. After her mother's death, Amy Denovo finds a box full of cash and a note from her mom that says, "This is from your father." But she has no idea who her father is, and she suspects her mother was using an assumed name all these years so how can even the great Nero Wolfe and his trusty legman Archie Goodwin trace her into the past? Complicating matters, at least for Archie, is that Amy works as an editorial assistant for his paramour, Lily Rowan, but Amy insists that he not tell Lily that he and Wolfe are working for her, leading to some semi-comical misunderstanding about why Amy suddenly starts calling him Archie instead of Mr. Goodwin. It all gets sorted in the end, of course, and in a satisfactory fashion. Nineteen sixties Wolfe novels aren't my favorite, as Stout seemed determined to make up for lost time when crafting plots that involve sex and other tawdry topics. Still, an afternoon spent with Archie Goodwin is never wasted.
Nero Wolfe series (43 of 47)
I recently picked this up in an ebook sale, and while I have read it before it happens to be one I did not own in paperback so I've probably only read it once, many years ago. It's a fine later (1968) entry in the series. The client is a young woman whose mother died a few months ago in a hit-and-run car accident. After her mother's death, Amy Denovo finds a box full of cash and a note from her mom that says, "This is from your father." But she has no idea who her father is, and she suspects her mother was using an assumed name all these years so how can even the great Nero Wolfe and his trusty legman Archie Goodwin trace her into the past? Complicating matters, at least for Archie, is that Amy works as an editorial assistant for his paramour, Lily Rowan, but Amy insists that he not tell Lily that he and Wolfe are working for her, leading to some semi-comical misunderstanding about why Amy suddenly starts calling him Archie instead of Mr. Goodwin. It all gets sorted in the end, of course, and in a satisfactory fashion. Nineteen sixties Wolfe novels aren't my favorite, as Stout seemed determined to make up for lost time when crafting plots that involve sex and other tawdry topics. Still, an afternoon spent with Archie Goodwin is never wasted.
8rosalita
Long Bright River by Liz Moore
An unflinching look at the opioid crisis through a dark lens. None of the characters conform to the usual stereotypes. Cops aren't always heroes (or villains); addicts aren't always dangerous or hopeless. Everyone has secrets and people are seldom what they appear to be at first glance. In that way, it's one of the most realistic novels I've ever read, and one of the most moving.
Michaela (but everyone calls her Mickey) and Kacey are sisters who grew up in the kind of family that does not put the 'fun' in 'dysfunctional'. Their young mother dies of a heroin overdose and their father disappears shortly after in the throes of his own addiction. They are raised by their maternal grandmother Gee, who provides them with the bare minimum of food, shelter and clothing but even less love and emotional support.
The two sisters, even while living in the same Philadelphia neighborhood, take different paths in adulthood. Mickey becomes a cop; Kacey becomes a junkie. Their paths cross occasionally, mostly when Mickey runs across Kacey working as a prostitute to support her drug habit. They seldom speak but the sporadic and distant contact serves as a cold comfort to Mickey, who still feels the responsibility of being the big sister and the one who turned out "okay".
Just as it becomes apparent that a serial killer is targeting women, Mickey realizes she hasn't seen Kacey lately on her usual street corner. She tries to find out what's happened to her, even as she flinches every time another unidentified young woman's body is found. Along the way a fuller picture of the sisters' background is parceled out in flashback chapters, complicating what first appeared to be a tragic but common story.
Just like real life, there is no unambiguously happy ending here. Mysteries are solved, story lines are wrapped up, but all of the resolutions seem tentative, capable of being undone with a single slip. All the characters can do — all any of us can do — is just the best we can, one day at a time.
An unflinching look at the opioid crisis through a dark lens. None of the characters conform to the usual stereotypes. Cops aren't always heroes (or villains); addicts aren't always dangerous or hopeless. Everyone has secrets and people are seldom what they appear to be at first glance. In that way, it's one of the most realistic novels I've ever read, and one of the most moving.
Michaela (but everyone calls her Mickey) and Kacey are sisters who grew up in the kind of family that does not put the 'fun' in 'dysfunctional'. Their young mother dies of a heroin overdose and their father disappears shortly after in the throes of his own addiction. They are raised by their maternal grandmother Gee, who provides them with the bare minimum of food, shelter and clothing but even less love and emotional support.
The two sisters, even while living in the same Philadelphia neighborhood, take different paths in adulthood. Mickey becomes a cop; Kacey becomes a junkie. Their paths cross occasionally, mostly when Mickey runs across Kacey working as a prostitute to support her drug habit. They seldom speak but the sporadic and distant contact serves as a cold comfort to Mickey, who still feels the responsibility of being the big sister and the one who turned out "okay".
Just as it becomes apparent that a serial killer is targeting women, Mickey realizes she hasn't seen Kacey lately on her usual street corner. She tries to find out what's happened to her, even as she flinches every time another unidentified young woman's body is found. Along the way a fuller picture of the sisters' background is parceled out in flashback chapters, complicating what first appeared to be a tragic but common story.
Just like real life, there is no unambiguously happy ending here. Mysteries are solved, story lines are wrapped up, but all of the resolutions seem tentative, capable of being undone with a single slip. All the characters can do — all any of us can do — is just the best we can, one day at a time.
9rosalita
Some Buried Caesar by Rex Stout
Nero Wolfe series (6 of 47)
It's the late 1930s and the normally agoraphobic Wolfe has ventured out of his beloved New York City brownstone to upstate New York, where a feud with a fellow amateur orchid grower has provoked him to exhibit his prized albino hybrids at a county agricultural exhibition. He's not looking for work, but when the scion of the local gentry is found dead in the pasture where a grand champion bull is penned, Wolfe finds himself trading his sleuthing skills for the opportunity to avoid an uncomfortable, dirty hotel room. Or, as Archie puts it, "this case you've dragged us into through your absolute frenzy to find an adequate chair to sit on."
Some Buried Caesar is one of the earliest Wolfe novels, but already all the essential elements are in place: Wolfe's reluctance to leave home, his extreme dislike of riding in a car (see the quote below), the rat-a-tat-tat banter between he and Archie, his ability to solve mysteries well before anyone else. Caesar is also notable for being the book in which Archie first meets Lily Rowan, the ultra-rich New York socialite who becomes his steady companion and partner in witty banter throughout the series.
The setting outside of New York City and the brownstone means Caesar can't truly be considered an archetype of the series, but in every other element it is a more than worthy entry in the canon of Wolfe and Archie.
Nero Wolfe series (6 of 47)
It's the late 1930s and the normally agoraphobic Wolfe has ventured out of his beloved New York City brownstone to upstate New York, where a feud with a fellow amateur orchid grower has provoked him to exhibit his prized albino hybrids at a county agricultural exhibition. He's not looking for work, but when the scion of the local gentry is found dead in the pasture where a grand champion bull is penned, Wolfe finds himself trading his sleuthing skills for the opportunity to avoid an uncomfortable, dirty hotel room. Or, as Archie puts it, "this case you've dragged us into through your absolute frenzy to find an adequate chair to sit on."
Some Buried Caesar is one of the earliest Wolfe novels, but already all the essential elements are in place: Wolfe's reluctance to leave home, his extreme dislike of riding in a car (see the quote below), the rat-a-tat-tat banter between he and Archie, his ability to solve mysteries well before anyone else. Caesar is also notable for being the book in which Archie first meets Lily Rowan, the ultra-rich New York socialite who becomes his steady companion and partner in witty banter throughout the series.
The setting outside of New York City and the brownstone means Caesar can't truly be considered an archetype of the series, but in every other element it is a more than worthy entry in the canon of Wolfe and Archie.
10Raspberrymocha
Hell with the Lid Blown Off by Donis Casey
#7 Alafair Tucker Mysteries
c. 2014
4 *s
It was tornado season in Boynton, Oklahoma, 1917. The summer was starting out hot and dry for the Tucker family. Alafair's middle daughter, Ruth, was staying at and teaching piano at Miz McKenzie's house on the outskirts of town. While walking Ruth was accosted by local bully Jubal Beldon and his posse of brothers. Trent Calder, deputy, decided to keep an eye on Ruth to keep her safe, especially since he discovered that he was very partial to Ruth's quiet and kind ways. Miz McKenzie's grandson, Wallace, and a traveling friend, Randall, stopped by Miz McKenzie's house to visit for a few days before heading toward Colorado. At a church picnic, Wallace and Jubal had words. That night a tornado blew through the area. It destroyed farms, livestock, and people. Alafair's son stumbled upon an unrecognizable body as he was trying to make his way to Boynton to check on family. While trying to deal with family difficulties, Alafair became interested as to the identity of the man her son had found, and also the manner of death. Was the man a victim of the tornado, or was he murdered?
This is the 7th novel in the Alafair Tucker Mystery series. it written from many points of view, but once accustomed to the format, it was an easy read. The characters are people whom I would really like to have met.
#7 Alafair Tucker Mysteries
c. 2014
4 *s
It was tornado season in Boynton, Oklahoma, 1917. The summer was starting out hot and dry for the Tucker family. Alafair's middle daughter, Ruth, was staying at and teaching piano at Miz McKenzie's house on the outskirts of town. While walking Ruth was accosted by local bully Jubal Beldon and his posse of brothers. Trent Calder, deputy, decided to keep an eye on Ruth to keep her safe, especially since he discovered that he was very partial to Ruth's quiet and kind ways. Miz McKenzie's grandson, Wallace, and a traveling friend, Randall, stopped by Miz McKenzie's house to visit for a few days before heading toward Colorado. At a church picnic, Wallace and Jubal had words. That night a tornado blew through the area. It destroyed farms, livestock, and people. Alafair's son stumbled upon an unrecognizable body as he was trying to make his way to Boynton to check on family. While trying to deal with family difficulties, Alafair became interested as to the identity of the man her son had found, and also the manner of death. Was the man a victim of the tornado, or was he murdered?
This is the 7th novel in the Alafair Tucker Mystery series. it written from many points of view, but once accustomed to the format, it was an easy read. The characters are people whom I would really like to have met.
11Raspberrymocha
The Malta Exchange by Steve Berry
Cotton Malone mystery
c.2019
3 *s
Hmph. This is the second Cotton Malone mystery in a row which I haven't really gotten into. I'm not sure if it's the subject matter, or the fact that many normal characters were simply not in this book. The gist of the story was that the Pope has died, and the Cardinals were getting ready for the conclave to elect a new Pope. A very conservative cardinal from Malta decided that he wanted to be elected. In doing so he enlisted the aid of his identical twin brother, who was a warrior monk Knight of Malta. They wanted to find a lost document written by Constantine the Great, which would ensure the election. The document was last seen 700 years ago, and could prove that the Catholic church was build upon manmade lies instead of Divine law. Cotton Malone had been hired by M16 to find documents hidden by Mussolini near the end of WWII, among them there might be clues to the whereabouts of the Constantine document.
Cotton Malone mystery
c.2019
3 *s
Hmph. This is the second Cotton Malone mystery in a row which I haven't really gotten into. I'm not sure if it's the subject matter, or the fact that many normal characters were simply not in this book. The gist of the story was that the Pope has died, and the Cardinals were getting ready for the conclave to elect a new Pope. A very conservative cardinal from Malta decided that he wanted to be elected. In doing so he enlisted the aid of his identical twin brother, who was a warrior monk Knight of Malta. They wanted to find a lost document written by Constantine the Great, which would ensure the election. The document was last seen 700 years ago, and could prove that the Catholic church was build upon manmade lies instead of Divine law. Cotton Malone had been hired by M16 to find documents hidden by Mussolini near the end of WWII, among them there might be clues to the whereabouts of the Constantine document.
12rocketjk
Rashomon Gate by I.J. Parker
Rashomon Gate is the second novel in Parker's Sugawara Akitada Mysteries series, set in 11th Century Japan. Our man Akitada is a relatively low-level nobleman who holds down a boring government administrative job but who in the series' first book acquired a reputation for being able to solve mysteries. So these are mysteries of the "talented amateur is smarter than the police" variety. In this novel, Akitada has been asked by his former mentor to return to the royal university to help unravel a blackmailing scheme. Also, there as been a disappearance of a high-ranking nobleman from within a Buddhist shrine which is being put down by everyone from the emperor on down as a miracle: the nobleman has achieved Nirvana and been taken in by the gods. Murders ensue and complications arise, as we knew they would.
These books are fun. The plotting is good and the historical information, assuming it's anywhere near accurate, is interesting. The writing itself, on a sentence level, I give a B or B-. People to often "preen" and "mince" and "comment drily." But this sort of thing does not turn up in the writing often enough to ruin the entertainment value of the story for me. I have the first four books of this 18-book series on hand. I'll probably read books 3 & 4 over the next little while, though I doubt I'll go much further.
Rashomon Gate is the second novel in Parker's Sugawara Akitada Mysteries series, set in 11th Century Japan. Our man Akitada is a relatively low-level nobleman who holds down a boring government administrative job but who in the series' first book acquired a reputation for being able to solve mysteries. So these are mysteries of the "talented amateur is smarter than the police" variety. In this novel, Akitada has been asked by his former mentor to return to the royal university to help unravel a blackmailing scheme. Also, there as been a disappearance of a high-ranking nobleman from within a Buddhist shrine which is being put down by everyone from the emperor on down as a miracle: the nobleman has achieved Nirvana and been taken in by the gods. Murders ensue and complications arise, as we knew they would.
These books are fun. The plotting is good and the historical information, assuming it's anywhere near accurate, is interesting. The writing itself, on a sentence level, I give a B or B-. People to often "preen" and "mince" and "comment drily." But this sort of thing does not turn up in the writing often enough to ruin the entertainment value of the story for me. I have the first four books of this 18-book series on hand. I'll probably read books 3 & 4 over the next little while, though I doubt I'll go much further.
13Raspberrymocha
All Men Fear Me by Donis Casey
Alafair Tucker Mystery
c. 2015
5 *s
This book resonated with me. It was hard to read, yet hard to put down. Alafair Tucker and her family are dealing with the ramifications of the US going to war. Alafair's oldest son Gee Dub, a student at A and M, may be going off to fight. Pro and anti war sentiments are running high in their small 1,500 population rural Oklahoma town. The state and federal government is passing down mandates that regulate what can be eaten on certain days, what can be bought and sold in stores, and even has rules about what is patriotic and what is treason. Alafair's son-in-law is a naturalized US citizen from Germany. Anybody in town with a German last name or a foreign accent is constantly being hounded by the CD office (Council of Defense) as well as being terrorized by the Knights of Liberty (black robed organization similar to the KKK). Alafair's younger brother Robin strolls into town, having just been released fro lockup down in New Mexico for being a IWW Union organizer. Alafair's younger son has taken a part time job at the local brick factory, a factory which has a government contract. And, Nick Smith, a union buster/the devil, as quietly come to town, fomenting hate and unrest in an already paranoid population. A local rabble rouser and member of the Knights is found murdered. Alafair is working hard to keep her family safe, as she deals with "public opinion." As a government poster in the Post Office proclaims: " Public Opinion... All Men Fear Me." This was an unnerving book. Socialist and Patriotic sentiments are at war, much like in today's society. Alafair felt like her safe and secure world was falling apart.
Alafair Tucker Mystery
c. 2015
5 *s
This book resonated with me. It was hard to read, yet hard to put down. Alafair Tucker and her family are dealing with the ramifications of the US going to war. Alafair's oldest son Gee Dub, a student at A and M, may be going off to fight. Pro and anti war sentiments are running high in their small 1,500 population rural Oklahoma town. The state and federal government is passing down mandates that regulate what can be eaten on certain days, what can be bought and sold in stores, and even has rules about what is patriotic and what is treason. Alafair's son-in-law is a naturalized US citizen from Germany. Anybody in town with a German last name or a foreign accent is constantly being hounded by the CD office (Council of Defense) as well as being terrorized by the Knights of Liberty (black robed organization similar to the KKK). Alafair's younger brother Robin strolls into town, having just been released fro lockup down in New Mexico for being a IWW Union organizer. Alafair's younger son has taken a part time job at the local brick factory, a factory which has a government contract. And, Nick Smith, a union buster/the devil, as quietly come to town, fomenting hate and unrest in an already paranoid population. A local rabble rouser and member of the Knights is found murdered. Alafair is working hard to keep her family safe, as she deals with "public opinion." As a government poster in the Post Office proclaims: " Public Opinion... All Men Fear Me." This was an unnerving book. Socialist and Patriotic sentiments are at war, much like in today's society. Alafair felt like her safe and secure world was falling apart.
14Raspberrymocha
Kill 'Em with Cayenne by Gail Oust
#2 Spice Shop Mystery
c. 2014
3 1/2 *s
This was an enjoyable light read. The main characters are decently written and not too over the top. The secondary characters are more stereotypical, but still enjoyable. The story takes place in a small Georgia town. They are preparing for the local barbecue contest. Piper Prescott's spice store, Spice it up! is doing a brisk business. But two local ladies (fighting over a boyfriend) came in the store at the same time as a couple of out of town contestants. The women proceeded to have an argument, which Piper had to break up. The next morning while Piper was out jogging, her dog discovered the body of one of the aforementioned ladies. The local police chief began the investigation, but not before an old school friend, now tv celebrity, dropped by with her cameraman. Seems the dead woman was killed with a frozen brisket. With all the locals and out of town contestants around, there were a lot of suspects.
#2 Spice Shop Mystery
c. 2014
3 1/2 *s
This was an enjoyable light read. The main characters are decently written and not too over the top. The secondary characters are more stereotypical, but still enjoyable. The story takes place in a small Georgia town. They are preparing for the local barbecue contest. Piper Prescott's spice store, Spice it up! is doing a brisk business. But two local ladies (fighting over a boyfriend) came in the store at the same time as a couple of out of town contestants. The women proceeded to have an argument, which Piper had to break up. The next morning while Piper was out jogging, her dog discovered the body of one of the aforementioned ladies. The local police chief began the investigation, but not before an old school friend, now tv celebrity, dropped by with her cameraman. Seems the dead woman was killed with a frozen brisket. With all the locals and out of town contestants around, there were a lot of suspects.
15Raspberrymocha
Return of the Raven Mocker by Donis Casey
#9 Alafair Tucker Mysteries
c. 2017
4 *s
Alafair Tucker is missing her two sons who are fighting overseas in WWI. Her children are growing fast with only 3 of them still at home. It's 1918 and the Spanish Flu has everyone worried. Both of Boynton's doctors are working for the military. The Red Cross, headed by Alafair's oldest daughter Martha, is marshalling volunteers to nurse and check on families affected by the grippe. The flu hits Alafair's daughter and son-in-law, Alice and Walter, and Alafair organizes her family to keep them safe while she heads to town to care for Alice and Walter. A neighbor and neighbor's son die in mysterious circumstances, and the surviving child won't/can't talk about what happened. A new doctor/scientist comes to town which research knowledge, often in opposition to Alafair's folk medicine.
This was one of the best in this series. The author paints a picture of the stress and heartache of rural families who worry about sons/fathers/husbands fighting in the great war while trying to keep families alive and well back home. An interesting juxtaposition with today's pandemic.
#9 Alafair Tucker Mysteries
c. 2017
4 *s
Alafair Tucker is missing her two sons who are fighting overseas in WWI. Her children are growing fast with only 3 of them still at home. It's 1918 and the Spanish Flu has everyone worried. Both of Boynton's doctors are working for the military. The Red Cross, headed by Alafair's oldest daughter Martha, is marshalling volunteers to nurse and check on families affected by the grippe. The flu hits Alafair's daughter and son-in-law, Alice and Walter, and Alafair organizes her family to keep them safe while she heads to town to care for Alice and Walter. A neighbor and neighbor's son die in mysterious circumstances, and the surviving child won't/can't talk about what happened. A new doctor/scientist comes to town which research knowledge, often in opposition to Alafair's folk medicine.
This was one of the best in this series. The author paints a picture of the stress and heartache of rural families who worry about sons/fathers/husbands fighting in the great war while trying to keep families alive and well back home. An interesting juxtaposition with today's pandemic.
16rocketjk
I finished Harvard Has a Homicide, the first book in Timothy Fuller's Jupiter Jones series, first published in 1936. Our man Edmund "Jupiter" Jones is a smart-aleck Harvard grad student, with, evidently, plenty of money and, you'll not be surprised to learn, generally the smartest person in the room. Or so he thinks. At any rate, when Jones is the first to discover the corpse of the recently stabbed to death Professor Singer, he can't resist butting in and "helping" the Cambridge police department's Inspector Rankin solve the case. Or, as Jones' girlfriend comments drily to another character, "He thinks he's the Thin Man." At any rate, this book is a lot of fun, with the strong caveat that it contains the sort of "jocular" condescending racism that would be taken for granted then but is very much irritating when read now. The antisemitism of the time and place (again, Harvard in the 1930s) is sidestepped.
17Raspberrymocha
Forty Dead Men by Donis Casey
#10 Alafair Tucker series
c. 2018
4 1/2 *s
Set on Boynton, Oklahoma, it's 1918 and Alafair's eldest son, Lt. George W. Tucker has returned from front line duty in France. Alafair sees the changes the war has made in him. He has no direction in life, and is trying hard to sort things out on his own. He is suffering from what we now call PTSD. One day while aimlessly wandering, Gee Dub comes across a young woman walking down the road on her way to the next town over. Holly reluctantly accepts help from Gee Dub. She has traveled all the way from Maine to try to find her husband who was also mustered out of the Army. She thinks he went home to his folks in Oklahoma. Meanwhile, a dead soldier has been found with the identification of Holly's husband, but it isn't her husband. So what happened to her husband. In searching for the answers, Gee Dub is arrested for murder. His mother Alafair is desperately working to find the truth of the murder, of the death soldier, and of Holly.
This was a hard book to read, as my husband suffered PTSD from Vietnam. I could feel the hurt seeping from Gee Dub and his family, as theytried to understand what was going on. It was an excellent book. I hope this isn't the last as I also want to know about other family members.
#10 Alafair Tucker series
c. 2018
4 1/2 *s
Set on Boynton, Oklahoma, it's 1918 and Alafair's eldest son, Lt. George W. Tucker has returned from front line duty in France. Alafair sees the changes the war has made in him. He has no direction in life, and is trying hard to sort things out on his own. He is suffering from what we now call PTSD. One day while aimlessly wandering, Gee Dub comes across a young woman walking down the road on her way to the next town over. Holly reluctantly accepts help from Gee Dub. She has traveled all the way from Maine to try to find her husband who was also mustered out of the Army. She thinks he went home to his folks in Oklahoma. Meanwhile, a dead soldier has been found with the identification of Holly's husband, but it isn't her husband. So what happened to her husband. In searching for the answers, Gee Dub is arrested for murder. His mother Alafair is desperately working to find the truth of the murder, of the death soldier, and of Holly.
This was a hard book to read, as my husband suffered PTSD from Vietnam. I could feel the hurt seeping from Gee Dub and his family, as theytried to understand what was going on. It was an excellent book. I hope this isn't the last as I also want to know about other family members.
18Raspberrymocha
Wedding Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke
Hannah Swensen Mysteries
c. 2016
3 *s
Hannah Swenson, owner of the Cookie Jar bakery, is getting married. Buut first, Hannah has to deal with the Food Cannel's Dessert Chef Contest. The date had been moved so that it was happening right during the days before her wedding. At least her Mom and sisters were keeping the wedding planning on schedule. Hannah and her youngest sister headed off to the coast for the first challenge of the contest. As luck would have it, her fiancé was able to come along and film the contest for the local KCOW tv channel. If Hannah won the first contest, the network would move the contest to her hometown. The contest judges were an interesting group. The head judge was an ornery self-absorbed older man whom Hannah's Aunt Nancy remembered from high school. So, Hannah got the scoop on what types of desserts she needed to create for the contest. Just when things were going well, one of the judges was found murdered. Who was responsible? And how was Hannah going to solve the murder, so that her wedding would not be affected?
This was a typical cozy mystery. It was light and somewhat funny. I enjoy the characters, but they are all such stereotypical cozy characters. Overbearing well-to-do mother, overly understanding boyfriends, nosy relatives, a grudge bearing killer, womanizing celebrities, a very nosy buttinsky main character, and a cat; all living in small town midwest Minnesota.
Hannah Swensen Mysteries
c. 2016
3 *s
Hannah Swenson, owner of the Cookie Jar bakery, is getting married. Buut first, Hannah has to deal with the Food Cannel's Dessert Chef Contest. The date had been moved so that it was happening right during the days before her wedding. At least her Mom and sisters were keeping the wedding planning on schedule. Hannah and her youngest sister headed off to the coast for the first challenge of the contest. As luck would have it, her fiancé was able to come along and film the contest for the local KCOW tv channel. If Hannah won the first contest, the network would move the contest to her hometown. The contest judges were an interesting group. The head judge was an ornery self-absorbed older man whom Hannah's Aunt Nancy remembered from high school. So, Hannah got the scoop on what types of desserts she needed to create for the contest. Just when things were going well, one of the judges was found murdered. Who was responsible? And how was Hannah going to solve the murder, so that her wedding would not be affected?
This was a typical cozy mystery. It was light and somewhat funny. I enjoy the characters, but they are all such stereotypical cozy characters. Overbearing well-to-do mother, overly understanding boyfriends, nosy relatives, a grudge bearing killer, womanizing celebrities, a very nosy buttinsky main character, and a cat; all living in small town midwest Minnesota.
19Raspberrymocha
Banana Cream Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke
Hannah Swensen Mysteries
c. 2017
3*s
Delores, Hannah Swensen's Mother, found her neighbor, the local theater director, shot dead in her penthouse. Meanwhile, Hannah and Ross just got back to Eden Prairie, MN, after their honeymoon cruise. They are surprised as Hannah's Mother had the condo totally redecorated. Hannah isn't settling in well to married life, as something seems a little out of kilter, but she chalk's it up to simply not being used to being part of a couple. So, Hannah dives into solving the murder while she juggles her Cookie Jar bakery duties, her family, her friends, and her new husband Ross.
Something is off in this book. There dialogue is stilted. I can't abide the way Hannah says "Mother" in practically every sentence when speaking to her mom. (Who calls their mom the formal sounding "Mother" all the time?) The action is so frantic with Hannah, making breakfast, going to work, baking cookies, talking to suspects, driving miles to a restaurant for lunch, then running to the grocery, back to work, then home and back out to eat, then having people over to the condo, and having her sister move back into the guestroom. All of this in just a day after returning from a honeymoon? Really? This is so ridiculous. There isn't time in a day for all that. Did someone else write this book? It just doesn't seem to jive with the rest of the series.
Hannah Swensen Mysteries
c. 2017
3*s
Delores, Hannah Swensen's Mother, found her neighbor, the local theater director, shot dead in her penthouse. Meanwhile, Hannah and Ross just got back to Eden Prairie, MN, after their honeymoon cruise. They are surprised as Hannah's Mother had the condo totally redecorated. Hannah isn't settling in well to married life, as something seems a little out of kilter, but she chalk's it up to simply not being used to being part of a couple. So, Hannah dives into solving the murder while she juggles her Cookie Jar bakery duties, her family, her friends, and her new husband Ross.
Something is off in this book. There dialogue is stilted. I can't abide the way Hannah says "Mother" in practically every sentence when speaking to her mom. (Who calls their mom the formal sounding "Mother" all the time?) The action is so frantic with Hannah, making breakfast, going to work, baking cookies, talking to suspects, driving miles to a restaurant for lunch, then running to the grocery, back to work, then home and back out to eat, then having people over to the condo, and having her sister move back into the guestroom. All of this in just a day after returning from a honeymoon? Really? This is so ridiculous. There isn't time in a day for all that. Did someone else write this book? It just doesn't seem to jive with the rest of the series.
20Raspberrymocha
Blueberry Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke
Hannah Swensen Mysteries
c. 2014
3 *s
Hannah and her sisters are trying to plan their Mother's wedding, but nothing with Delores (Mother) is easy. Mother keeps changing her mind on everything almost every day, and the sisters are totally frustrated. Meanwhile, while driving her cookie truck home on the back roads during a raging rainstorm, Hannah hits a man in the road. It was an accident, but Hannah is arrested for murder. Who was this stranger, why was he on the road during a storm, and how did he really die? Hannah's family and friends rally around Hannah to find out what really happened, while dealing with Delores' wedding plans.
A rather fun mystery where Hannah and her business are on the line. There was enough mystery and red herrings to keep me reading. It was a nice quick read.
Hannah Swensen Mysteries
c. 2014
3 *s
Hannah and her sisters are trying to plan their Mother's wedding, but nothing with Delores (Mother) is easy. Mother keeps changing her mind on everything almost every day, and the sisters are totally frustrated. Meanwhile, while driving her cookie truck home on the back roads during a raging rainstorm, Hannah hits a man in the road. It was an accident, but Hannah is arrested for murder. Who was this stranger, why was he on the road during a storm, and how did he really die? Hannah's family and friends rally around Hannah to find out what really happened, while dealing with Delores' wedding plans.
A rather fun mystery where Hannah and her business are on the line. There was enough mystery and red herrings to keep me reading. It was a nice quick read.
21rocketjk
The Seventh is, in fact, the seventh book in Richard Stark's (a.k.a. Donald Westlake) guiltily entertaining "Parker" series. Parker is a psychopathic thief and all-round criminal who doesn't have any particular desire to kill you but will without compunction if you represent the slightest bit of trouble for him, the job he's in the midst of, or the security of his alias. In this short novel, Parker, as part of a 7-man team, has just pulled off a beautiful, profitable heist. The team holes up in separate locations to wait for the heat to die down, with Parker holding on to the loot. He goes out for 10 minutes to pick up some cigarettes and beer, which turns out to be quite enough time for extremely deadly bedlam to kick in (not a spoiler: this occurs on page 1). As I said above, these books are definitely guilty pleasures. The writing is very sharp and the plotting swift and enjoyable, but the protagonist puts the "ugh" in anti-hero and books include the standard misogyny of the era. (This book was originally published in 1966.) Looking back, I see that it had been two years since I last visited Parker world. I can't guarantee I'll wait that long to read the next book.
22rosalita
>21 rocketjk: I keep meaning to check out the Parker series, and then I keep forgetting until the next time someone (like you) reminds me. I think I'd like them.
23rocketjk
>22 rosalita: Well, all I can predict is that if they seem like fun to you, and my description above doesn't put you off them, then you would most probably really like them.
