Little Elvises by Timothy Hallinan

Soho Crime

Well it has taken me six months to get around to reading the second Junior Bender novel, but I am glad I waited.  Boxing Day is my day to wear pajamas and do nothing but read and it was the perfect day to sit, almost uninterrupted, and enjoy Little Elvises.

This time around career criminal Junior is coerced into helping out Detective DiGaudio prove that his uncle, Vincent DiGaudio, an aging music producer, is innocent of the murder of a reporter.  In order to find out what the reporter had uncovered, Junior begins investigating Vinnie's background, with the help of his computer savvy daughter Rina. Through the wonder of the internet and You Tube, Junior visits the 1950's and '60's world of rock and roll that came out of Philadelphia. The world that brought us American Bandstand (called American Dance Hall in the story), with a new band every week and dancers we couldn't take our eyes off of. A time when producers made the money, not the stars. Stars that were often one week, one hit wonders, never to be heard from again.

During this investigation, Junior's motel of the month is run by a vodka drinking landlady whose adult daughter has disappeared.  His sympathetic soul makes him feel sad and sorry for Marge, the landlady, and he agrees to search for her daughter. Working the two investigations at the same time keeps Junior busy and nearly gets him killed, more than once.  

In this book we learn more about Junior's personal life and there is a lot more interaction with his daughter Rina.  Things get a little complicated when Junior's ex, his daughter and Junior himself, all find new love interests at pretty much the same time. Things do not run smoothly.

Hallinan writes sassy, smart dialogue that is both funny and informative.  The plot moves at a fast pace and you just don't want to stop reading.  Despite the fact that there are quite a few characters, each one is so well described, like the Tootsie Roll chewing Detective DiGaudio with his pork chop hands, that you have such a clear mental image of each one you feel like you know them, for better or for worse.

This book will keep your interest throughout, make you laugh out loud once in a while, and leave you wishing it had more pages than War and Peace.  I'm  torn.  Do I read "The Fame Thief", the third Junior Bender novel now or do I keep it so that I have something to look forward to?  Hopefully, Mr. Hallinan will hear Junior's voice telling him more stories in the very near future and make my decision easier.

The Last Clinic by Gary Gusick

From Random House Publishing Group

The story begins with the shooting of an evangelistic minister outside an abortion clinic he regularly pickets, in small town Mississippi.  Immediately, the doctor who runs the clinic becomes the prime suspect and a lynch mob starts to form.  Sheriff Shelby Mitchell knows he has to find the killer quickly, to satisfy the towns people and to protect his career to survive another election. He calls in detective Darla Cavannah,  who is home on sick leave after the tragic death of her husband in a car crash.  She is reluctantly teamed up with Tommy Reylander, a local detective whose claim to fame  are his Elvis impersonations and the pink Cadillac he drives.  There is also Uther, a computer geek doing an internship with the police force, who turns out to be quite the whiz at putting puzzle pieces together.

There are some interesting characters in the story, a little romance, and an intriguing trail to follow to find the Reverend's killer.  I enjoyed the strong character of Darla and found her to be sympathetic and intelligent and would look forward to reading another book featuring her.  However, I have to admit my favorite character (bit of a spoiler here) was the hired killer/terrorist.  The in depth intel he was provided and the scenarios he created to cover the real agenda were believable, making them just that much scarier. Coming in second was Sheriff Shelby, who I could just picture sitting on a porch, chewing on a piece of hay while sipping bourbon and saying "Yup", belying a quiet intelligence that could pull the rug out from under most people.

Darla and her team have to investigate people on both sides of the abortion issue and overall, the subject is presented in a fairly balanced manner and woven neatly into the story line.  I think there was a slight edge to the pro-choice side but that could just be my perception.  Through her investigations, I learned about some of the history and "traditions" that are rooted in the early days of slavery that I had never heard of and are key to the plot.   

 

Although at times I thought the South was presented a little too much along the lines of the Dukes of Hazard, and Reylander reminded me very much of "Boss Hoggs", it was essentially done for dramatic emphasis and a bit of fun.

 

Overall, an enjoyable read that will keep most readers engaged and quickly turning the pages.

Murder in Thrall by Anne Cleeland

Whatever your basic expectations of a mystery are, they will have changed by the time you finish reading this book.  Your concepts of love and romance may also get a serious overhaul.

 

There are two threads to the storyline, the murder and the romance.  A horse trainer is murdered at a race track and this murder is followed by a number of other seemingly related murders.  Two Scotland Yard detectives are on the case.  Kathleen Doyle, the junior, and Chief Inspector Michael Sinclair (Lord Acton) lead the inquiry.  She is young, inexperienced, comes from modest means and is intuitive in her investigative style.  He is older, wealthy and established and known for his brilliance in solving high profile murder cases.  He appears to have decided to become Kathleen's mentor and she is eager to work with him and learn.  Because he has singled her out there is a certain amount of animosity towards her in the squad room. 

 

I want to say that the murder investigation became secondary to their relationship, but that would be a half truth.  Their mutual effort and method in solving the crime make for an engaging read. Despite a number of red herrings, two major clues made it easy for me to identify the murderer, but I was completely surprised by the motive.

 

Anne Cleeland's writing left me feeling like I was always coming from behind and getting blindsided by twists in the plot.  First, Doyle and Acton have worked together before but we only learn about this through statements made here and there.  Secondly, we join the story with the investigation into the murder already underway. Also, she opens each chapter with thoughts from what at first appears to be someone stalking Doyle.  A writing style often used in psychological thrillers. It is only at the start of chapter four that you learn the thoughts belong to Acton.  Say what? This is pure genius on her part and typifies how she diverts the reader.   

 

She informs the reader in a casual "by the way" manner of a fairly major event in the story long after it has happened. This had me going back and rereading pages and pages to see if I had missed something. No. She just likes to toy with the reader.  Which may also explain why the epilogue is actually the prologue.

 

Her writing is descriptive, the dialogue is interesting and well-written and the psychology between the two main characters is mesmerizing.  Is their relationship dysfunctional, weird, creepy, bizarre or twisted?  Absolutely, all of these and possibly more. But it works for them; it works well within the plot line; and it works for me as a reader.

 

I can't wait for the release of Murder in Retribution, the second book in the series.

http://annecleeland.com/

Border Angels by Anthony Quinn

Open Road Integrated Media
MysteriousPress.com/Open Road   

At its core, Border Angels is not a particularly original story.  In fact, when I first started reading the book, I had this vague feeling that I had read the story before. A woman who has been held captive in a brothel, escapes her captors and is on the run to save her life and to reach a border that signifies safety. In this instance, the border is the one that separates Northern Ireland from the Republic.  The woman is Lena Novak.

Lena is a woman who has survived her captivity in a brothel by allowing a part of herself to die.  Despite this, throughout her months in captivity, she never loses the desire to return to her home and family in Croatia.  When hope arrives in the form of shady businessman Jack Fowler, a client at the brothel, Lena is ready to capitalize on the opportunity.  But before Fowler can rescue her, she is forced into a car ride with her pimp that ends in a fiery explosion and Lena escaping barefoot in the snow. 

Celcius Daly is assigned to investigate the violent death of the pimp, and later, Fowler's death as well.  Daly becomes obsessed with the footprints in the snow leading away from the burned-out car and to the riverbank.  Who do they belong to? Where did the person come from? Where did the person disappear to? etc.  From the moment he spots the footprints, Daly is trying to catch and catch up with Lena.  She is always steps ahead of him, even when she is standing right in front of him. There are others chasing Lena, in particular the prostitution ring owner Mikolajek.  But she is wily, she is fast, she is resourceful and she has nothing to lose. She has also had time to plot her revenge.

Aside from human trafficking, threaded through the story are other elements such as black market operations, empty housing developments and references to Northern Ireland today, after "The Troubles", that round out the story.  However, it is the tango between Lena and Daly that creates the tension that holds the story together.  Lena choreographs every move to make Daly think he is the lead dancer, but his every step is designed to distract from her own fancy footwork. 

I would have liked to have understood Daly better.  He is a sympathetic character, but a bit too easily deceived for a police inspector. I gather to know Daly better I need to read Quinn's previous book Disappeared, but Border Angels certainly stands alone.

Quinn is very adept at creating atmosphere and his descriptions of the border area left firmly implanted images in my head of a rugged, wind swept land with a cold dark river running through it. The overall feeling is that of grayness.  His characters are all very human, their weaknesses and strengths are neither hidden nor flaunted, they are just a natural part of each character's story.

The plot is well thought through with a twist at the end and the pace is quick but not rapid.  Definitely a worthwhile read.

Sutton Place by Louise Gaylord

Little Moose Press

Julia Fairchild is from a wealthy New York family and is on the road to personal success.  After years of studying hard she has landed an internship in the Department of Psychology, at Payne Whitney in New York.  Her work is impressing everyone in the department and her attraction to a colleague, an older doctor, seems mutual.  Life is good.

The story begins on Julia's birthday.  She has a birthday lunch with her beloved sister Ariel, and then later, a dinner celebration with her parents.  The family is close and spends a lot of time together, except for Ariel, who has recently become secretive and distant.  At the root of her distance is a family secret.  A secret that is only one of many that have been hidden by the family to avoid scandal.  Secrets that in the end will be responsible for the pain and suffering of those they were meant to protect. Secrets that will be linked to murder and attempted murder. 

 

In an effort to save herself from the dark figure and secret from her past, Julia moves away to New Mexico to start a new life.  But there is no escaping the monster who will stop at nothing to possess and control her.  He has been patient for years, waiting and planning.  But now he is tired of waiting.  It's time - time to claim his treasure.  

This is the first book I have read by this author and when I first read the synopsis of this story I thought it sounded like a cozy mystery.  Well, I was wrong about that!  I have read other reviews of this novel that describe it as being about family (agree), scandal (agree) and obsession (disagree).  The behavior of the character this refers to is not obsessive; it is behavior that is pathological and perverted. The exploitation of the therapist patient relationship, as described in this story, is not just an inappropriate and disconcerting relationship; it is a nauseating abuse of power that will make you cringe.  Definitely not a cozy.

That being said the book is well written, well paced and the tension mounts as the plot twists keep you hooked and turning the pages.  Transitions between chapters, characters and perspective are very well executed.  There is some back and forth between past and present that it is seamless and natural, and essential to the plot.

Just be prepared to cringe.

Louise Gaylord looks like such a nice person - you have to wonder where those dark thoughts come from.

http://www.louisegaylordauthor.com/index.html

 

The Bleiberg Project by David Khara

Translated by Simon John

Le French Book

I’m not a big fan of books that relate to World War II, the Holocaust, and famous Nazis etc.;  but I do like a good thriller.  I also very much like the books I have read from Le French Book and that is why I decided to read The Bleiberg Project. 

 

The story centers on Jay Novacek, real name Jeremy Corbin, a trader who has made himself a small fortune on Wall Street, enough money to last him the rest of his life if he chooses.  Money however, can’t buy him happiness or the peace of mind he so desperately seeks. 

The news of his estranged father’s death is the first domino in the series to fall.  When he tells his mother the news, she gives him the locket she has always worn and asks him to leave her alone. Before he has the chance to ask his mother about the locket’s contents she is assassinated and he turns to the one person he knows he can trust, his boss, only to discover that he too has been keeping secrets.

Suddenly, men in black cars with Argentinian plates are after Jeremy and they mean business.  The first attack on his life ends with him being inexplicably saved by a giant of a man, Eytan Morg, a very dangerous Mossad agent.  At this point the CIA enters the picture and Jeremy finds himself on a plane to Zurich with Jackie, a very petite and attractive CIA agent.  Jeremy soon realizes he needs to discover what his father had been involved in if he stands any chance of staying alive long enough to enjoy the fortune he has amassed.

The story ricochets between past events and the present to gradually make sense of what is happening in the present. The WWII backdrop provides real monsters to interact with the fictional ones to reveal a consortium at work to gain the ultimate power to rule the world. This may sound a little like Austin Powers, especially when a scientific formula is included in the plot, but it is much, much better than that.

Khara has written a fast-paced race against time thriller with sympathetic characters.  Everyone has a secret it seems and it is this vulnerability of each of the main characters that serves as a stark contrast to the power seekers for whom life is cheap.  The pace is a bit slow at the very beginning but once it picks up it doesn’t let up. My one criticism is that the epilogue could have been fleshed out a bit more but that is really a small detail.

This is a thriller that fans of John Grisham, Robert Ludlum or Ian Fleming will enjoy.


http://www.lefrenchbook.com/

Edgar Allan Poe

164 years ago today, Edgar Allan Poe died, fittingly, under mysterious circumstances.  The stranger who routinely visited Poe’s grave on Poe’s birthday each year to place 3 roses and half a bottle of cognac on the grave, has also disappeared without any explanation.

 

 

Not very original, but like many others, my favorite Poe pieces are The Raven and The Murders in the Rue Morgue.  Much of his work has an underlying sense of loneliness and the feeling of being trapped, probably why it often appeals to teenage angst.

 

 

So pay tribute to a great writer by sitting back with a finger or two of cognac or brandy, and listening to Vincent Price, Christopher Walken or James Earl Jones read The Raven; they all can be found on You Tube along with The Simpsons episode, if that's more your style. 

I enjoy this rendition by the Alan Parsons Project.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAE1XTvKLXA

 

Image from Morgan Library
& Museum site
http://www.themorgan.org/exhibitions/exhibition.asp?id=82

Or if you happen to be in New York, visit the Morgan Library and Museum to experience what sounds like an interesting and unusual exhibition “Edgar Allan Poe: Terror of the Soul.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/04/books/edgar-allan-poe-exhibition-opens-at-the-morgan.html?_r=0

And from the Huffington Post - 11 Things you didn't know about Poe
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lynn-cullen/11-things-you-didnt-know-_1_b_4059140.html?ref=topbar

 

 

 

Letters From a Murderer by John Matthews

 

Angry Robot Ltd.



Exhibit A

 

                                            

Google Jack the Ripper and you will literally be presented with thousands of hits and just as many unanswered questions.  The Ripper’s identity has never been confirmed and there have been many theories, but  no proof.  One theory is that he was a German sailor, who was eventually executed for murder in New York City.  So, did the Ripper cross the ocean and continue his murder spree in NYC?  This is the angle Matthews uses in the tale of Letters From a Murderer.

The story begins with the murder of a prostitute in NYC.  Since the crime scene appears identical to the original Ripper murders, it is deemed a smart move to involve one of the pathologists who had worked on the original Whitechapel victims, Finley Jameson, currently living in New York.  This seems to please the Ripper and he starts addressing letters to Jameson by sending them directly to The Times.  Then as now, the Press plays a significant role as the Ripper uses the press to manipulate the police and the police use press conferences to communicate with the Ripper.

Paired with Jameson is Joseph Argenti, a hardworking and reliable Inspector, handpicked by the Mayor to replace Inspector McCluskey, who has fallen from the Mayor’s good graces due to the rampant corruption in his department.  This does not go over well with the city’s head gangster, Michael Tierney, who has McCluskey on his payroll.  Jameson and Argenti are exposed to a two-pronged attack, the Ripper on one front, the Irish mob on the other. 

 

Matthews is deft at creating atmosphere and painting a picture of the Victorian era.  You can almost hear the clicking of the horses’ hooves as the hansoms go by, the bustling of the crowds in the busy city by day, feel the danger lurking in the dark shadows at night on streets meekly lit by lamplight, if there is any light at all.  He also conveys the stark reality of the social/economic differences between the haves and the have nots – very Dickensian in mood and tone.  His strong characterizations bring out the flaws, as well as the strengths of the characters, creating empathy and sympathy for many, and a sense of appallment for the behaviors of others.

 

The plot keeps you guessing at every turn and is well thought out.  Fact, fiction and theory are seamlessly blended and the tension builds at an even pace. 

Think of this book as a New York Cocktail - 1 part Ripper, 1 part Holmes & Watson, 1 part Gangs of New York - definitely shaken not stirred.

 

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/24/jack-the-ripper-solved-investigation-german-sailor_n_3981837.html

 

 

 

 

Loula is Leaving for Africa by Anne Villeneuve

Kids Can Press

 

Most adults and children can relate to the feeling of wanting to run away because nobody is paying attention or seeming to care about them.  That is definitely how Loula feels.  Her three brothers are stinky and mean.  Her mother and father are too busy to take any notice that she is upset.  So she packs life's essentials into her suitcase, and along with her pink cat, her tea set and her best drawing she leaves for Africa - a.k.a. the tree in her front yard.

Sitting in the tree, she comes to the attention of the family chauffeur, Gilbert.  He explains to Loula that he thinks Africa is further away and that she needs to take a boat to get there.  So they set out together to look for Africa. Gilbert drives her to a park where they encounter "giraffes", "chimpanzees", cross a "desert", take a "plane" and a "boat" before they arrive at their destination and admire a beautiful "African" sunset.

 

This story is filled with imagination and the ability to turn the everyday into something special. Author Anne Villeneuve is also the illustrator and her drawings are whimsical and wispy, and convey mood and movement through the skillful use of simple line drawings and colour. 

This is a great book to read with a child who is feeling a little down or left out.  It is a reminder that we all need a form of escapism every now and then, even if we don't all have a caring, enlightened chauffeur to get us to our destination.  We just need someone who will take the time to care and share.

http://www.annevilleneuve.com/

Lowcountry Bombshell by Susan M. Boyer

Henry Press
(The 2nd Liz Talbot Mystery)

                               
Imagine the spitting image of Marilyn Monroe showing up on your doorstep and asking you to save her from the same fate as the real Marilyn.  Would you open the door and say “Sure – come on in and we’ll work this out.”?  Well apparently you would if you are local Stella Maris PI, Liz Talbot.

Calista McQueen (the Marilyn double) is one of many zany characters in the book that keep you amused, puzzled and engaged. The story moves along quickly with enough twists and turns in the plot to keep you guessing.  A little romance between Liz and Nate, who is not only her business partner but also the brother of her ex, helps to turn up the heat for those who like it hot.   

My only complaint is that some of the details seem like filler to me.  The love scene between Liz and Nate is too long for this type of book and the story itself.  And knowing that Liz and Calista both order salad with grilled chicken and a glass of iced tea for lunch, does nothing to move the plot along or develop the characters.  Why bother to include such redundant details?  Beats me - you wouldn’t be missing anything if this information was left out.

 

That being said, Susan Boyer is a talented storyteller who moves the plot along at a quick pace maintaining a nice balance between tense atmosphere and lighter moments.   She also incorporates some interesting information about the real Marilyn into the story, a subject that is of particular interest to her.   Overall this is an entertaining light read well worth your time on a lazy Sunday afternoon. 

Click on Susan's name above to link to her blog or you can find her on Facebook.

Banned Books Week and The Diviners

Since this is Banned Books Week in many places, I thought I would bring up a book that was once 'removed' from the reading list of some Canadian schools and is now considered a Canadian classic - The Diviners, by Margaret Laurence. 

I read this book not long after it was first published (1974). I remember being enthralled by the book and drawn into Morag's world. Life in the prairies was so different from my experience in the big city that it truly was like travelling to another world.  I can remember being astounded when I first heard that there was a burning controversy over this book, that it was considered amoral, blasphemous and I don't remember what all else. Not appropriate for Grade 13 students (who were probably doing a lot worse things than Morag)! All this uproar for a (sordid ?!?!) sex scene and a few swear words?   

After reading the Diviners I wanted to read more Margaret Laurence books and proceeded to read the other books about the fictional town of Manawaka. Laurence's books gave me an appreciation of strong, not perfect female characters.  They also made me interested in other Canadian writers like Alice Munro, W. O. Mitchell, Margaret Atwood, and Gabrielle Roy to name a few.

Here are two links about The Diviners and Margaret Laurence :

The first is a clip from CBC about The Diviners and the controversy:
http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/arts-entertainment/literature/margaret-laurence-canadas-divine-writer/laurences-books-banned.html

The second is an article  titled "The Censorship of Margaret Laurence's  The Diviner's, 1976 - 1985,written by Sheila Turcon of McMaster University. 
Don't forget to read the comments after the article.

http://hpcanpub.mcmaster.ca/case-study/censorship-margaret-laurence-s-diviners-1976-1985

Lewis Carroll - One of my favorites

Because I'm feeling philosophical on this dark and grey Sunday morning, I thought I would share some of my favorite quotes from one of the greatest philosophers ever, Lewis Carroll.

“When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.’

’The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’

’The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master — that’s all.”    

“Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle.”  

“I knew who I was this morning, but I've changed a few times since then.”

 

 

“What is the use of a book’, thought Alice, ‘without pictures or conversations?”

 

 

“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?”  

 

 

Yes I do, Alice, I do.

 

 

― Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass

A Darkness Descending by Christobel Kent

Open Road Integrated Media

Pegasus Books

 

There is a new political movement in Florence Italy, the Frazione Verde.  The party's young members are mostly intellectuals, die-hard greens, communists and war protesters.  At the party's helm is Niccolo Rosselli, a humble, unassuming individual,  who once he is on the podium becomes a charismatic speaker with the innate ability to ignite a crowd and create a following. One evening while addressing his followers he mysteriously collapses.  Following this, it becomes known that his wife, Flavia, has disappeared, deserting Niccolo and their newborn son.  Then the attacks on the party start.

Soon it is discovered that Flavia has committed suicide at a small beachside resort.  Sandro Cellini, a private investigator, becomes involved in the case and he can't believe that someone with so much to live for could commit suicide. And so the investigation begins.  The investigation examines some of the ideals that are the basis of the Frazione Verde as well as basic human emotions and desire.  Power, control, manipulation and the many facets of love, including altruistic love, are examined through the lives of Niccollo, Flavia, Sandro, Luisa (Sandro's wife), Giuli (Sandro's assistant) and Enzo (Giuli's boyfriend) and a number of other secondary characters.

This story is not a breathtaking race to find out whodunit.  This is a mystery about human nature that requires observation, compassion, intellect and common sense to solve. Christobel Kent very skillfully unveils the story by peeling through the layers of human emotions to get at the vulnerable core of the human psyche.  The darkness that descends is one that can easily be imagined in today's world and I think that makes it all the more tragic.

I received my copy of this book from NetGalley and did not realize that this is the fourth book featuring the character Sandro Cellini.  It seems like it stands alone, but I think if I had been familiar with the characters, the first few chapters would have gone by faster.  Once I got to know the characters, however, I liked them, especially Sandro and his wife Luisa. 

This is a well-written story by an author who pays attention to the small details that make a person an individual.  There are just enough details in the telling to create interesting and believable characters without being a cumbersome read.

This one should be on your "want to read it" list.

A link to an interesting interview with Christobel Kent:
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Whats-on-leisure/Books/Some-people-write-for-therapy-but-I-always-wanted-an-audience-Christobel-Kent-20130402115749.htm

Ill-Gotten Gains by Ilsa Evans

A Nell Forrest Mystery

Momentum Books

In the second Nell Forrest mystery, the sleepy town of Majic is gearing up to celebrate its 150^th anniversary and preparations are in full swing to re-enact the sunset ride that led to the founding of the town.  Nell and her youngest daughter Quinn go to the local cemetery to do some research for Quinn’s school project related to the town founder, Petar Majic.  While examining the Majic crypt, Quinn inadvertently knocks down a plaque only to reveal another plaque that has lain hidden for years.  The two take the broken plaque to the historical society for repair and to report the newly discovered plaque.  This simple act of conscience sets into play a series of events that will question the town’s past, threaten its present and change the course for the future.  Two members of the historical society are murdered and a prominent family has its very roots questioned.

Nell is also looking at her own past, present and towards the future but not by choice.  Her ex is demanding his half of their house and Nell is having trouble letting go of the home and all the family memories it holds. Her personal life is complicated by her daughters trying to figure out their own futures, unwanted pregnancies, and the murder investigation, leaving Nell little time to contemplate her own future. Once Nell, her family and friends start asking questions pertaining to the murders and the town's past, her life is threatened and she is put under police protection and the ever watchful eye of the charming Detective Sergeant Ashley Armistead. 

Again each chapter begins with a funny note to Nell as the author of the Middle-Aged Spread column and Nell’s thoughts frequently appear as headlines.  Ilsa Evans’ witty Australian humour is a significant part of the pleasure of reading this book but so too is the well thought out and informative plot.

As an Aussie might say - a rip snorter of a read.

Valley of Vice by Steve Garcia

Diversion Books

 

Valley of Vice is a police procedural novel.  Two deaths are discovered - one is an apparent suicide the other a murder tied in with arson.  Detective Philippa Wallace and Detective Salvadore Reyes investigate both and start to believe the two deaths are connected.  They pursue the case gathering evidence and conducting numerous interrogations to prove their theory. To complicate matters, internal investigations gets in their way when it is suspected there is a bad cop in their midst. Suddenly, everyone is a suspect.

 

I found the story difficult to follow at times.  Like most police procedurals there is more than one plot thread that develops.  Each thread is interesting but they could have been developed in more detail. There are also so many characters involved and they just aren’t developed and distinct enough. I found myself frequently going back in the story to clarify who was who until I was about half way through the book. 

 

Another thing that irked me was the “locker room” humour that frequently surfaced.  Yes, it is most likely a reflection of the reality in a squad room or a bar, but I can live without sexist and homophobic jokes, albeit humour is a personal thing.

For me this was an - almost but not quite - read. 

Pray for Us Sinners by Peter S. Fischer

The Hollywood Murder Mysteries Book Seven

Grove Point Press
Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) Members' Titles

This is the first book I have read in the Hollywood Murder Mysteries series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Part of the pleasure for me was the locale, Quebec City in the 1950’s.  I live in the Province of Quebec and am familiar with the city.  The main stage for the story is the Chateau Frontenac, one of the grande dames of Canadian hotels.

The story revolves around the filming of the Alfred Hitchcock movie, “I Confess” which really was filmed in Quebec City in 1952. The main character is amicable Joe Bernardi who works for Warner Brothers Studios making sure all the press and publicity surrounding the film is positive. The story is written in the first person giving it a “film noir” atmosphere, very appropriate and true to the movie.  A beautiful “femme fatale”, Jeanne D’Arcy, the Quebec Film Commissioner, arrives to help Joe sort out a few things with the press and smooth some troubled waters.  But then Jeanne is arrested for the murder of her ex-lover and Joe is convinced she didn’t do it.

Is Joe being naïve and taken in by the lovely Jeanne? Is Jeanne being framed?  Who is following Joe around and why is he being shot at?  Will the Archbishop shut down the film because of the scandal?

The book is just great fun. I appreciated reading about a movie production in the 1950’s, Hitchcock and his wife, Montgromery Clift, Anne Baxter and references to other Hollywood stars of the era. I especially like Hitchcock and am partial to this period for movies when the emphasis was on great storytelling and character development, not special effects and shock value.  I also liked how Peter Fischer interlaces history, fact and fiction.   Some of the characters could have been fleshed out a bit more and there are a few inaccuracies (i.e. Montreal is not the capital of the Province of Quebec, even though it should be), but hey, a little artistic license doesn’t detract from the main event – a story that holds your attention.

 

So, despite the fact that this is book seven in the series, I found it a great initiation to the series and  a good read.

 

Here is a link to an interview with Peter S. Fischer.

 

http://jesmaine.tripod.com/mswpetersfischerinterview.html

 

 

 

 

 

Nefarious Doings by Ilsa Evans

Momentum Books

A small Australian town called Majic is the home of Nell Forrest.  Majic has a bookstore, an art gallery, a community center, police station, a few restaurants and a rather large Richard III society.  It sounds very much like most small towns - except of course for the murder, arson, death threats, disappearances and adultery - quite bucolic.

Nell writes a weekly column and occasionally helps out at the bookstore owned by her mom.  Her husband recently left her for a younger woman but she certainly isn’t lonely.  Her home is virtually central station with the comings and goings of her five daughters, her mother, her sister and their various friends it can hardly be described as deserted. Especially after, out of necessity, her mother moves in.

Her mother’s house is torched and after her mother is rescued and the fire is extinguished the body of a neighbour is uncovered in the garage.  Since the neighbour and her mother disliked each other intensely, her mother appears to be a likely suspect for murder.  So Nell, her sister and daughters join forces to prove grandma is innocent.  Their sleuthing is more comical than professional but somehow they touch a nerve because Nell receives a threatening voice mail and another innocent soul is found murdered.  The local detective Ashley Armistead warns Nell that she could be endangering herself by not leaving matters to the police, but of course she doesn’t listen and Armistead’s warning becomes reality. 

This is a light, comical and entertaining mystery.  I loved how each chapter started with an email or note to Nell from a reader of her Middle-aged Spread column.  Some of these notes are hysterical.  I also loved how the thoughts in Nell’s head often take the form of headlines - “Local woman helps police with their inquiries. Implicates elderly mother.” And her sarcasm is sharp and witty. 

Nefarious Doings is a fun and cozy read and I am looking forward to the next Nell Forrest book, Ill-gotten Gains from Ilsa Evans.

Clean Burn by Karen Sandler

Angry Robot Ltd./Exhibit A

Janelle Watkins isn’t your typical heroine.  Gimpy leg, arms full of burn marks – many self-imposed and others not – a woman who spends restless nights haunted by dark dreams, that’s Janelle.  At times, the dreams terrify and torment her to the point that she awakens screaming and shaking.  To keep her demons at bay, she creates an insular world to protect her vulnerabilities and to hide her madness from others. 

 

A former San Francisco PD  she once helped parents with the nightmare of missing kids; she has a photo gallery of happy children reunited with their parents adorning one office wall, a testament to her success.  After leaving the police department, she became a PI and set about tracking down wayward spouses.  However, when she is presented with two cases of missing children she allows herself to be pressured into investigating the disappearances.  The investigations take her back to her home town, Greenville, the place where her nightmares began.

 

Greenville is also where her former San Francisco PD partner and ex-lover, Ken Heinz, now resides. He is the Sheriff and when Janelle arrives in town he is working on some local arson cases.  There is still an attraction between them and things start to heat up when they eventually agree to help each other with their respective cases. 

 

The quick pace of Clean Burn gets you hooked.  But it is the unraveling of the plot and the flawed characters with their twisted minds that will reel you in.  I enjoy stories that allow you inside the mind of a psycho.  And believe me, Mama, the very first character you meet, is definitely a psycho.

 

Karen Sandler has written an essentially dark story about missing children, child abuse, arson, and broken families.  There are many characters that you can’t like and aren’t meant to like.  But she also illustrates the strengths, weaknesses and vulnerabilities of humans, and how we develop coping mechanisms, good or bad, in order to survive. Sandler also has a keen sense of humour that she allows to gently seep in here and there to lighten the mood. 

 

Do yourself a favor and read this book even if you have to read it by candlelight.  Just be careful you don’t get burned.

Here is a link to an article on the story behind Clean Burn.
http://upcoming4.me/news/book-news/story-behind-clean-burn-by-karen-sandler

 

 

Murder on Cue by Jane Dentinger

Open Road Media

When we first meet Jocelyn O’Roarke, she is being rudely awakened by her agent with a work proposal.  Hung over and still half asleep she accepts the offer from him to be the understudy of theatre star Harriet Weldon in a new play.  Weldon’s fame is due more to her prestigious publishing family and their money, than her less than sterling acting ability.  In fact Jocelyn describes Weldon at one point as a “tedious, artsy-fartsy actor(s)” and that pretty much sums her up.  But Jocelyn (Josh) is in no position to turn down a paying job that will guarantee her rent money for the next few months.

 

At one point Harriet suddenly becomes ill and Jocelyn steps in and proves herself to be better in the part than Harriet.  Other members of the troupe see how good the play could be with Josh instead of Harriet and tensions start to rise. Once Harriet returns Jocelyn resumes her minor part in the play but when the leading lady is suddenly murdered, Josh finds she has been cast in the role of leading suspect.

Jocelyn then must prove her innocence and the story evolves through her meetings and talks with other cast members or people from their past.  Detective Phillip Gerard is also in pursuit of the killer and ends up in pursuit of Jocelyn as well.  Their romantic attraction is cleverly understated and adds nicely to the story without taking center stage and overshadowing the main plot line.  You want to know where their relationship is going but you also want to know how Josh will get safely out of the situation.

The conversations Jocelyn has while trying to prove her innocence take you into the world of theatre – the gossip, the backstabbing, the alcohol, the drugs, broken relationships, and secret love affairs – all get honorable mentions as part of character and plot development.  Strewn throughout are a number of lines from famous plays which theatre lovers should enjoy.

 

This is a fun and entertaining read.  You may or may not figure out whodunit and there are enough red herrings thrown in to make you second guess yourself. Jane Dentinger writes with a sharp sense of humour that I really enjoyed and that adds to the character of Jocelyn in particular. 

This is a soft mystery and the first in a series of six theatrical mysteries starring Jocelyn O’Roarke.  Murder on Cue was originally released in 1983 and holds up well over time.  It still comes across as contemporary and is now available in ebook format. I received my copy through NetGalley.

A Dangerous Fiction by Barbara Rogan

PENGUIN GROUP Viking

The description for A Dangerous Fiction states that this book “will delight fans of Janet Evanovich, Lisa Lutz, Alan Bradley, and ABC's Castle”.  Well I’m a big fan of both Evanovich and ABC's Castle and I wasn’t delighted.

The story centers on Jo Donovan who owns an influential literary agency in New York.  She worked her way up in the world from a meager childhood in Appalachia to marrying one of the world’s most successful authors.  For Jo, theirs was a fairy tale romance and she is devastated by his sudden death. 

 

After his death, she focuses on her life as the owner of one of the top literary agencies in New York and Jo is living a life she loves, surrounded by friends, co-workers and clients that adore her.  But one rejection slip too many is issued by her agency and a stalker enters her life.  The stalker’s threats don’t scare her until her clients and friends become entangled in the web and everything she has worked so hard for is suddenly at risk.  The police are called in and this is when Tommy Cullen, NYPD detective and an old flame, enters stage left.  At the same time as this threat to her is happening, a biographer is intent on writing a book about her former husband, and he starts to uncover parts of the past that Jo has been denying, especially to herself.

 

Most of the story takes place inside the agency or her apartment.  However, you do get a feel for the hustle and bustle of New York City.  A trip in rural New York State, the scenes in Santa Fe and the scenes in Central Park are all well depicted and a nice contrast to the pace of the city, you get a real sense of the surroundings.  However, for me the book just fell flat. 

 

Other reviewers have stressed how much they enjoyed learning about how a literary agency works, I didn’t.  There was just too much of this for my liking.  I also didn’t enjoy the name dropping and references to high fashion.  Yes I get it; this was all done to paint a picture of the type of individuals Jo mingled with and her lifestyle, but a little bit of this goes a long way with me. I would have preferred to have been reading deeper descriptions of some of the secondary characters.

 

This wasn’t a page turner for me.  I figured out “whodunnit” and why, less than half way through, so there wasn’t much mystery or thrill for me.  But if you enjoy a soft mystery and want to find out about literary agencies and how books get published then read on.

 

 

 

50 Below Zero by Robert Munsch

Illustrated by Michael Martchenko

Annick Press

50 Below Zero is typical Munsch.  The author's wild sense of humour is obvious in this one. 

 

Jason has a dad who tends to sleepwalk and Jason awakens in the night to find his dad in the strangest places.  He finds himself with the challenge of not just getting dad back to bed but also back in the house.

 

He’s a smart kid though and he solves the problem in an original manner.  Fun read.

The Bookstore by Deborah Meyler

Gallery Books

Chic lit isn’t a genre that I normally read.  However, a book about a bookstore with a charming British girl for the main character piqued my interest.  The description of the book describes the bookstore as an all-night haven for some quirky characters.  I do love quirky characters.  So I figured, why not?

Esme Garland is a young British woman who has come to Columbia University to do her PhD in art history.  As intelligent as she is, Esme is naïve about life in general and love in particular.  Her social skills aren’t always the greatest either. She falls for Mitchell who is also scholarly and intelligent.  He is charming and romantic and plays Esme like a fine violin.  The only words I can think of to describe him are obnoxious, contemptible and schmuck.  He is definitely a grade A highbrow schmuck, but a schmuck nonetheless.

Essentially the story centers on Esme’s unplanned pregnancy and how she deals with her life suddenly veering off course.  Anyone who has herself been or had a friend in this position is familiar with the range of emotions and decisions that Esme deals with as part and parcel of the circumstance.   Many of us also know someone who has been dumped by a lover, more than once, yet will return to the relationship at any given opportunity.  That’s Esme – there are times you just want to shake her so she will wake up.  But you can’t and she doesn’t - until she becomes a mother. 

In order to be able to support herself once the baby arrives, Esme gets a job at the Owl, a second hand bookstore.  This is where we meet a handful of secondary characters that come and go through the story.  This aspect of the book you are either going to love or hate.  Personally, I enjoyed the diversions provided by these characters but I suspect others may see them as detractors from the main event. 

Being privy to Esme’s thoughts, her quick wit and occasional lack of filters makes for an endearing character and an amusing read.   I enjoyed how Meyler uses Esme’s knowledge of art, Luke’s (works at the bookstore) knowledge of music, and George’s (bookstore owner) knowledge of literature to contrast and compare different ways of looking at life in general and in detail.   There are numerous references to great works of art and music and numerous literary references threaded through the dialogues, but you don’t need to be familiar with these references to understand the points that are being made, at least I don’t think so.  After all this is chick lit, an examination of womanhood not of philosophy or the classics. If you like, allow your eyes to glaze over, yawn or flip the page at these parts; that’s what I always do when things get too sappy in a book. 

Overall this is an enjoyable read from a new author who shows potential. 

For those who are interested, I am providing two links:.

The first is to Bookshipper, a blog written by a friend who loves chick lit.

http://bookshipper.blogspot.ca/
 
The second link is to a short article in USA Today about this book and a brief bio on Deborah Meyler.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2013/08/14/deborah-meyler-the-bookstore/2608937/