Deadly Tasting - Jean-Pierre Alaux, Noël Balen

Le French Book

Now I enjoy a glass of good wine with a meal but I am certainly not a wine connoisseur though I know what I like and I can decipher a wine label.  Initially, a mystery built around the many intricacies of wine did not appeal to me.  I have however, enjoyed everything that I have read so far from Le French Book and decided that was reason enough to read at least one volume from this series.  Again, a big Thank You to Anne Trager for translating and making these enjoyable award winning reads accessible to English readers.

Deadly Tasting is book four in the Winemaker Detective Series.  Local Bordeaux police consult wine expert Benjamin Cooker,  following the discovery  at the scene of a brutal murder, of twelve wine glasses deliberately placed in a semi-circle and only one glass contains wine. Cooker needs to identify the wine in the glass to understand the message the killer is leaving.  But when a second murder occurs and this time two glasses are filled with wine, Cooker and the police realize that time is of the essence if they are to stop the killer from striking again. 

Certain the wine left in the glasses is a grand crux Pomerol from the Pétrus estate, Cooker must figure out who could have an apparently unlimited access to such an expensive wine.  Delving into the history of the wine necessitates revisiting the history of the Nazi occupation of the area and digging up secrets from this dark time in Bordeaux history. 

 

The writing is tight and the story fast paced.  There are some lighter moments involving Cooker and the cabbage soup diet that his wife has him on.  Though not strictly necessary to the story, these moments help to lighten the mood following some of the more gruesome murder scenes and the telling of the heavier aspects of the Nazi occupation.

 

Much to my surprise I became quite intrigued by the wine information and found myself researching Pomerol wine, the Pétrus estate and even the cabbage soup diet.  Everything that I learned from my investigations confirmed how well the authors had done their research and how smoothly they incorporated facts and history into the mystery.

 

My research also led me to discover that I can order the Pétrus estate's Pomerol locally but I definitely can't afford to.  At thousands of dollars for a bottle, if I should ever be fortunate enough to have a full glass of it in front of me, there is no way I will be leaving it behind for someone else to discover as a clue.  Salut!

Have a look at some interesting facts about wine and be thankful you weren't a woman in Roman times.

http://interestingthings.info/food-and-beverages/10-interesting-facts-wine-know.html



 

Summertime, All The Cats Are Bored by Philippe Georget

Europa Editions

I wish I could remember on whose recommendation I decided to buy this book, but since it has been sitting on my TBR pile for a year I simply don't remember.  Whoever it was - Thank You. 

Philippe Georget weaves a tale that involves murder and kidnapping in Perpignan, a town on the French Mediterranean near Spain.  Sebag and Molino, two tired cops who are being slowly devoured by dull routine and family worries, deal with the day’s misdemeanors and petty complaints without a trace of enthusiasm (from the book's cover). When the body of a young Dutch woman is found and another young Dutch woman goes missing as does a Spanish taxi driver she knew, the general lethargy that had an iron grip on the police department suddenly vanishes and a game of cat and mouse begins between Inspector Gilles Sebag and the kidnapper/murderer.

One of the amazing things about Georget's writing is his ability to create tone and atmosphere.  Georget is himself a resident of Perpignan and his intimate knowledge of the city permeates his descriptions of the residents and the city and surrounding areas. You feel the lethargy that has set in from the heat and humidity of summer. You sense the impact on the burgeoning small town invaded by summer tourists. You feel the pressure of a small police force under the microscopic eye of the international press. You witness the kidnap victim slowly acquiesce to her situation  - and you understand, completely.  You experience all these things not just through Sebag's eyes and thoughts, but also those of the kidnapped Dutch girl and her kidnapper. 

Sebag is an observer of life  who listens to his instincts about people and events.  He doesn't always immediately realize the significance of his observations and needs to let his thoughts ferment for awhile. He underestimates his own ability as a police inspector, as his wife, his partner and his boss often remind him.  The image of Sebag sitting beside the family pool with a glass of wine while he quietly mulls over the day's developments in his case, is reminiscent of Inspector Morse sitting in a pub with a pint, thinking things through. 

This is a police procedural and a well-written one that kept me reading late into the night.    The laid back atmosphere disguises a deceptively complex narrative.  The investigation is well thought through and develops at a very natural pace, but it is the characterizations that make this such an enjoyable read.  The relationships between Sebag and his colleagues, Sebag and his wife, Sebag and his children, all come together to create a character that you look forward to meeting again.

 

I am kind of happy I only recently got around to reading this book since the next book in the series, Autumn, All the Cats Return, will be released this October.  With a bit of luck I will read it before next spring.

 

 

 

 

Herbie's Game by Timothy Hallinan

Soho Press/Soho Crime

Sometimes a fictional character comes along that you simply connect with. Maybe you admire the character, share a common life experience or just outright fall in love with the character.  Well, I am in with love Junior Bender, he is my Hero.  He's intelligent, decent, tall and handsome, vulnerable and in touch with his feminine side. Except for the small detail that he is the thief's thief, giving him that bad boy appeal, he is perfect.  He is always on the side of right even when he's on the wrong side of the law.

This case is extremely personal for Junior.  He is hired to find out who stole a list of names from the safe of Wattles the "executive crook".  The list contains a chain of names that Wattles uses when he sets up hits.  He uses this chain of people to pass along the instructions at blind drops so that nobody in the chain knows who the actual killer is, except the killer. As soon as Junior sees the aftermath in Wattles' office he knows who stole the list - Herbie Mott.  The same man who took a seventeen year old Junior under his wing and taught him everything he knew, his mentor and substitute father has his signature unmistakeably all over the job.

Junior sets out to confront Herbie and find out what is going on, except he is too late. Someone has tortured Herbie in an effort to get him to reveal where he hid the list. But Herbie's heart gave out and he died before revealing the whereabouts of the list or becoming the next murder victim.  Once Junior begins the investigation, the people on the list start turning up dead, one after the other, and Junior wonders if he is next.

In thinking about Herbie’s Game I was struck by the fact that the story is the classical Hero’s quest.  Junior receives The Call to go down a path that he is Reluctant to pursue.  After all, this investigation means dealing with people who murder for a living and that’s not something that leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling.  The Quest itself is, on the surface, about revenge and finding whoever tortured Herbie, but it is also about Junior’s emotional journey and how he discovers things about Herbie that he never knew.  We the readers meet Herbie through Junior’s reminiscences and Junior Re-Meets Herbie through the stories of others he encounters along the way.   He does not journey through the ordeal alone; he has his archetypical allies and helpers (especially female), most of whom we have met in previous stories, as well as a few intriguing new ones. 

The Road Back from the quest is life-changing.  Junior learns to reconcile the Herbie that he didn’t know with the one that he did and Junior matures and comes to terms with other relationships in his life.   Like all Hero quests, conquering the outer world entails mastering the inner world and Junior eventually finds peace and acceptance in his new found knowledge of Herbie and Herbie’s game.

 

I don’t want you to think that this is a serious deep book with the raison d'être to enlighten you as to the meaning of life. But it is multi-layered and Hallinan does his usual job of great characterizations, incredible dialogue and wonderful humour to demonstrate his  keen and sensitive insight into human nature as the characters come together to direct and tell the story.

 

I don’t know where Hallinan draws his inspiration from to create his characters but I hope it is a very deep well so that he can keep them coming.

Reading a book written by Timothy Hallinan is just great fun – don’t miss out.

Thank you NetGalley and Soho Press for the copy of the book. I want to mention that I love the cover art created by Katherine Grames for this series.

To read an excerpt go to the author's web site:
http://www.timothyhallinan.com/index.html

Great interview:
http://www.omnivoracious.com/2014/08/amazon-asks-timothy-hallinan-author-of-herbies-game.html

Face Value by Michael A. Kahn

Poisoned Pen Press

The body of a young attorney is found in an alley beside a 10 floor parking garage.  The police rule the death a suicide, something not uncommon amongst those stressed out by the high demands of being a young law associate.  Stanley Plotkin, a mailroom employee from the same firm as the young attorney Sari Bashir, is convinced that Sari didn’t commit suicide but was murdered. 

Stanley approaches Rachel Gold, a lawyer he knows, to say that he has proof Sari was murdered. He points to a broken heel from a high heel shoe and a tube of lip balm found four spaces down from Ms. Bashir’s parking space. He also brings into play his knowledge of FACS, the Facial Action Coding System that correlates hundreds of facial muscle actions to specific emotions and mental states.

Stanley may have Asperger’s but his knowledge of FACS is nothing short of genius. This knowledge tells him that in the days preceding her death, Sari may have been preoccupied or agitated, but she was definitely not suicidal.  Rachel agrees to look into the matter and along with her team she investigates the top lawyers at Warner & Olsen, an investigation that leads to secrets, cover ups, questionable ethics and finances.

This is my idea of a cozy mystery.  A main character supported by a group of other characters, some zany and others either really smart or really lucky.  Stanley is an original character, so much so that I felt at times he overshadowed Rachel. There are no gory scenes and the plot moves along at a moderate pace with little gems of humour incorporated into some well written dialogue. 

The author is a lawyer and the legal and financial information is well presented in a readable and informative manner that doesn't detract from the story.  Kahn also provides Rachel the ingenious idea of creating a memorial video about the victim, enabling Stanley to design the questions to ask each suspect and see their responses without having any social interaction with them, since social interactions can be very difficult for someone with Asperger's.  As ingenious as the idea is, and as well as it works as a device for plot development, it doesn't always make for great reading.

I loved how Kahn has the ability to make the setting of St. Louis seem so familiar and the characters so comfortable to be around, like old friends.  Even though this is the ninth book in a series I can vouch for it being a stand alone since I haven't read any of the others and I didn't feel that it made a difference.

Overall I found this a fun, interesting and worthwhile read - just not a nail biter.

To read an excerpt go to:

 http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/face-value-michael-kahn/1117166469?ean=9781464202803 

 

Author and publisher links:

 http://www.michaelakahn.com/

http://www.poisonedpenpress.com/michael-kahn/

Hangtown by Karen Sandler

Angry Robot Ltd.
Exhibit A Books

With her San Francisco apartment building going condo and her office space about to be razed, Janelle Watkins finds herself living in an old RV on a parcel of land she inherited from her father.  The arrangement provides for her basic needs and suits her budget while she tries to save enough money to move back to San Fran.  Sounds good, except for one little drawback, the location - Greenville - her hometown. The one place she doesn't want to be. 

Greenville is loaded with memories of her monster of a father. As well, her former SFPD partner and on again off again lover, Sheriff Ken Heinz, lives there with his teenage niece Cassie.  For reasons that Janelle doesn't quite fathom, Cassie has taken a liking to Janelle and keeps ending up on her doorstep.  This wouldn't be so bad except that it makes it difficult for Janelle to avoid Ken, even though she isn't entirely sure she wants to.  However, when Janelle and Cassie find a teenager hanging from a bridge and another one disappears, Janelle's involvement in the investigations makes it impossible for her to avoid the Sheriff professionally or personally.

There are a number of tangled threads in this web of a plot involving past indiscretions. As the cover says "no secret can ever stay buried.." and this is key to the plot and the characters, including Janelle and a very dark period in her life.  There is also the ongoing theme of children being abandoned, physically and/or emotionally, by less than adequate parents.  As we learn more about Janelle's past and her ongoing psychological issues, we are witness to her allowing her vulnerability to show on occasion. 

I love the character of Janelle.  She is so perfect in her imperfections.  She is physically and emotionally disabled and I appreciate how Sandler incorporates this into the storyline to reveal to the reader Janelle's feelings, thoughts and the stubborn reactions she has to ensure she doesn't fall victim to any sort of pity, kindness or affection.  The same sense of pride makes it difficult for her to have a relationship with Ken, or anyone.

The relationships between Janelle and Ken, Janelle and Cassie, and Janelle and Reverend Brown all make this an enjoyable read for me.  The small town, rural setting adds to the feeling of intimacy between the reader and the story.  It also makes the plot somewhat plausible because small towns can conceal big secrets.

A great read and I look forward to Janelle's next investigation.  I hope the demise of Exhibit A books doesn't get in the way. http://exhibitabooks.com/2014/06/20/news-about-exhibit-a/

To learn more about Janelle and Karen Sandler read my review of Clean Burn, the first Janelle Watkins investigation.

http://birch-bark.blogspot.ca/2013/08/clean-burn-by-karen-sandler.html






 

The Truth Will Out by Jane Issac

Legend Press

This book hooked  me right from the start.  Imagine two best friends skyping when one, Naomi, says to the other, Eva, that she thinks she hears an intruder in her place.  No sooner does Naomi say this than a mysterious figure attacks her from behind.  To her horror, Eva is a witness to what is happening to her friend until the intruder turns the screen off.  Frantic, she takes off in her car, panicking as she realizes that the intruder will be coming after her next. Eva thinks Naomi has been badly beaten as a warning that is related to their recent misadventure in France.  She doesn't know Naomi has been brutally murdered.

DCI Helen Lavery is assigned to the case.  A case that is not just about murder by a psychopath, but also involves organised crime, drug smuggling, and police corruption.  This is a psychological thriller and a police procedural at its best.  But what really holds the story together is the character of Helen Lavery.

DCI Lavery is reminiscent of Lynda La Plante's Anna Travis in her tenacity to get to the truth.  Also, like Travis, she had a father who was in the police force and that she looked up to and admired as an officer. Both Travis and Lavery are strong female characters, common in British mysteries. However, Lavery is original as she is older and widowed with two teenage sons and an ageing mother to look after.  She strives to balance work and home and is familiar with the politics of the glass ceiling.

 

There are moments in the story when dealing with police work seems a lot easier than being the mother of a teenage boy with raging hormones or a daughter handling the health issues of an ageing parent.  It is easy to relate to Helen - she makes mistakes at home and at work,  she enjoys her family and her job and is often caught between the conflicting demands of the two.  Lonely, and missing the closeness of being in a relationship, makes her a vulnerable, very believable and sympathetic character.

 

The story is told primarily from the viewpoints of Helen and Eva, shifting back and forth between the two as the plot unfolds.  Eva is also a well-developed character. At the start, I didn't particularly care for her, finding her immature and selfish.  But as the story progressed, I began to like her more and to appreciate her resourcefulness. A number of other characters are also well drawn and I especially liked Lavery's assistant, Sean Pemberton, whose loyalty to her rivals the loyalty of the long-suffering Detective Sergeant Lewis in the Inspector Morse series.

 

Even though this is a police procedural, Jane Isaac's strong characterizations make this a more enjoyable read than the typical heavy focus on hows and whys.  The crime scenes are intelligently described without relying on lurid details and the plot moves along at a quick, fluid pace.

 

A truly engrossing read.
 

http://www.legendtimesgroup.co.uk/legend-press

That Touch of Ink by Diane Vallere

Henery Press

 

This is one of those light reads great for the beach or a rainy day. 

Even for the fabulous Madison Night, interior designer, receiving a rare five thousand dollar bill in the mail is not your average day.  Convinced that this bill is somehow connected to her past and a former lover, she is intrigued and starts to look into what the bill is really all about.  Soon someone is murdered, Madison is in a car chase, guns appear, a mysterious neighbor moves in and Madison is running for her life. She is also running from some pretty hot men. She isn't sure about the men in her life -  does she actually love one of them, are they good for her and can she actually trust them or anybody else for that matter. Aw Madison, dilemma is thy middle name.

While she is dealing with murder, a counterfeit ring, and staying one step ahead of the law, she comes home to find her apartment has been painted in just the right shade of daisy yellow by persons unknown, deals with some kooky clients and hides out in a house she recently inherited that shows potential from an interior design point of view.

Though I am writing this a little tongue in cheek, I did have fun reading this book.  There are numerous Doris Day references scattered throughout the story (i.e. the title) that you are either going to love (like me) or find very kitschy, much like any Doris Day movie. But if you want a few laughs, a good story, and to learn a little about counterfeiting then read That Touch of Ink.  You won't be bored.

 

You can read an excerpt on the author's web page http://www.dianevallere.com/that-touch-of-ink.html

Love Story, with Murders by Harry Bingham

Random House Publishing

Detective Fiona Griffiths takes us across Southern Wales in a bizarre search for body parts.  The parts start showing up in a freezer, a shed, a loft and are eventually identified as belonging to a young female university student who was reported missing five years prior to the first gruesome discovery. The young woman also worked as a waitress and dancer in the local Cardiff bars, like the one owned by Fiona’s father. Soon more body parts are discovered, but this time they belong to a young male metallurgist, who worked for a firm with links to the arms trade.

As Fiona works on the investigation she begins to believe there is a connection between the two murders.  Suffering from Cotard’s Syndrome, Fiona has developed her own peculiar investigative process that helps her relate to her victims and understand their lives. Bingham is clever in how he reveals the story behind the murders all the while using the investigation to reveal more about Fiona. How she struggles in her relationships with family, boyfriend and colleagues, to understand, analyze and respond to their emotional signals (think Sheldon in the Big Bang Theory), and how her reflections on these relationships as well as her self-reflection, are connected to the unravelling of the murders. Because I haven’t read the first book in this series, I may not have appreciated the aspect of Fiona’s personal growth as much as readers who have read Talking to the Dead.

Eventually, Fiona discovers the connection between the two victims and how that connects to the export of arms.  The development of this political aspect to the story brings her into contact with the UK Trade & Investment Defence & Security Organisation (UKTI DSO) that actually does exist and whose aim is to help UK companies to export arms.  Apparently, they aren’t too picky about where they export to, even though they are using tax dollars.  The selling and export of arms/technology is a key aspect of the plot.

 

I found this book to be a little over ambitious in the amount of ground the author wanted to cover.  There is a lot of information, the descriptions are very detailed and the plot itself is complicated. As a result, I didn’t find the writing to be as tight as it could have been.  The suspense is there, and it did hold my interest, but I was able to put the book down and return to it a day or two later.

 

Bingham’s characterizations are definitely his strong point.  I felt each character was distinct and that I knew each one well.  It is also clever how the title can refer to both the victims and Fiona herself. 

 

Definitely a worthwhile read.

Runner by Patrick Lee

St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books

You need to be in shape to read this book.  Your eyes will devour the pages at a frantic pace and your mind will try to keep up with the action. Your futile attempts to unravel the plot will leave you red-eyed from lack of sleep.   There is an end.  You will get there.  You will arrive relieved and exhausted, ready to get on with your life - just like Sam.

Sam Dryden has been having trouble sleeping and has gotten into the habit of running along the boardwalk in the middle of the night.  There aren't usually many people out and about at that time of night, except for a few sitting at bon fires on the beach.  This night is different.  This night a young girl, barefoot and terrified, runs right into him.  She is being chased by a group of armed men who are intent on killing her. He helps her escape and in so doing he becomes entangled in Rachel's race to remember who she is and why someone wants her dead.

Keeping Rachel and himself alive is no easy task.  The people they are up against are devious and ruthless, highly trained professionals.  They reach deep into the highest level of government and have endless resources at their means to track the pair down.  Sam's skills as a former Ranger, Delta and member of an elite black ops team are a little rusty and his technical knowledge is out of date - but he knows how to survive.  The pair form a special bond as they try to figure out what is going on and how to outsmart their pursuers.  Over the course of events, their special bond will be sorely tested.

The main thread in the plot is about mind control, not the sodium pentothal type, but something much more devious.  Patrick Lee conveys his ideas in such a convincing manner, you may have to remind yourself that you are reading fiction.   The possibility that this type of mind control could be real is very, very, scary.  Here's hoping the bad guys don't read Patrick Lee books.

The other thread in the plot is about learning to trust and love again. The necessity to let go of old memories, good and bad, so that you can move forward with your life.  Sam and Rachel both need to run along this path, for different reasons and in different ways, together and apart, so each can have a future.

I found reading this book was like being pulled into a vortex of intense action and suspense. This is a thriller in every sense of the word and it definitely won't disappoint.

Night Tide by Michael W. Sherer

When I read the synopsis of this book on NetGalley what first caught my interest was the mention of one character, Perry Langford, who is being released from jail after spending the last 20 years of his life in prison for a crime he insists he never committed. My thoughts immediately went to Donald Marshall, David Milgaard and Steven Truscott, some (certainly not all) famous miscarriages of justice in the Canadian legal system.  The price these individuals paid and the toll on their family and friends is difficult to imagine. Perhaps easier to understand is the need for retribution. 

 

Langford is out of prison and he wants to even the score with the people that put him there.  He has had twenty years to think about what happened that night, the night the lab was blown up at the university he and his friend Blake Sanders attended.  The night that an innocent young woman died and he was blamed for her murder.  That young woman's sister, Kealey, ends up at Blake's home, begging him to help her find Langdon.  She believes in his innocence and she wants to find the real murderer. 

 

Sanders isn't keen on the idea of helping Kealey.  His life is simple.  He delivers papers and has a second job washing dishes in a restaurant.  A comedown from where he once was, but as long as he has enough money to pay for his meds to keep his ADHD under control and stay out of trouble, life is okay, maybe.  However, while at a BBQ at the home of the parents of his police friend Charlie, commandos show-up and start shooting.  The end result is Charlie is injured, his parents have disappeared and Blake becomes inextricably entangled in an intricate puzzle that he wanted nothing to do with.  He soon realizes that Langdon, the lab explosion and the disappearance of Charlie's parents are all somehow connected.  He finds himself in need of figuring out what, how and why, if he wants to stay alive.

In order to find all the pieces to the puzzle, the past must be re-visited, re-examined and re-imagined to decipher and illuminate current events.  The people and events are not now and were not then, what they first appeared to be.  Sanders has his work cut out for him and needs all the help he can get. 

Underlying and complementing the action, is an examination of friendship.  Can the friendship between Sanders and Langford be resurrected after all that has happened over the past twenty years?  Does deep friendship ever really die?  Can the friendship between Blake and Charlie survive the accusations being made by Blake against Charlie's parents?  Can Blake and his ex-wife Molly ever be 'just friends'?

This is a thriller and a page turner with commandos, disgruntled FBI agents, unhappy exes, some American history from the 60's and a very sought after revolutionary design worth killing for.  The plot is credible and well constructed with a myriad of twists and turns that will keep you up at nights wondering what's next.    A great engrossing read.
 

http://www.michaelwsherer.com/

When I first downloaded this book from NetGalley, for some strange reason, it wasn't readable.  The author emailed me a link to a new copy and I thank him.

Rosemary and Crime by Gail Oust

St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books

Piper Prescott is recently divorced and she has invested all her money from the divorce settlement into opening a spice shop in her adopted town of  Brandywine Creek, Georgia.  Key to the opening of the store is a cooking demonstration to be given by the local celebrity chef.  Unfortunately, hours before the opening, Piper finds chef Mario dead on the kitchen floor of his own restaurant.  To make matters worse, Piper has touched the murder weapon and other key evidence at the crime scene making her the prime suspect of Wyatt McBride, the newly appointed police chief.  So she teams up with her BFF Reba Mae, the local hairdresser, to solve the crime before McBride arrests her for murder. 

Naturally, the daring duo stumble onto their clues rather than actually discovering anything through the use of brilliant sleuthing techniques.  There is the usual slate of quirky secondary characters, family issues and a little bit of a tease in the romance department.  This is definitely your typical cosy mystery.

It always amazes me how a well-written cosy mystery can turn murder into a rollicking good read and Rosemary and Crime is no exception.  This was a quick and entertaining light read that I thoroughly enjoyed.  Perfect for the beach or a day when you are stuck in the house.

Compliments of a Friend by Susan Isaacs

Open Road Integrated Media

This is the first time I have read anything by Susan Isaacs and I don't think it was a good place to start. This is a short story; apparently the only one she has written. Now Isaacs is known for her sharp, witty writing and is a very successful author.  That being said writing a good short story is no easy feat even if that is how many authors start their career.

The story is about a chic CEO of an employment agency who dies while trying on shoes in the shoe department of Bloomingdale's. Because of a large drug content in her blood the police declare it a suicide. But Judith Singer, her neighbor, is convinced that Vanessa didn't take a large dose of drugs and then go out to buy designer shoes.  Purchasing shoes, after all, is a commitment to living, a statement that there is a future  - as in - there will be some place to where the shoes.  So Judith investigates Vanessa's life and stumbles upon a few surprises as she tracks down the murderer.

The writing is sharp and I like the premise of the story, but I think for me personally, the characters needed to be fleshed out more and then it probably would have been a great read instead of simply a good read. 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

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.

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