"The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it." (James Bryce)

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

A WEE HOMICIDE IN THE HOTEL (Fran Stewart)

I am officially in love with Fran Stewart's ScotShop mysteries!  I will admit that I have a great love for all things Scottish (except for the food, especially haggis) because it's literally in my blood, but it's more than that.  These would be ordinary, charming cozy mysteries were it not for Dirk, a 700-year-old ghost that attached himself to Peggy Winn when she purchased an antique shawl that belonged to his long lost love.  We learn a little more about Dirk and Peggy's connection in each novel (it won't hurt for me to reveal that it seems like Dirk is Peggy's many-times-great-grandfather) as their relationship develops.

This one, the third in the series, focuses on Hamlin, Vermont's annual highland games, where one of the leading competitors is found murdered in his hotel room before he has a chance to compete.  There is also the mystery of the missing necklace, apparently shoplifted from Peggy's shop by a mysterious couple. Is there s connection? The details of the shop and its business, the customs of the town, the complicated relationships among the characters, and, most importantly, the interplay between Peggy and her ghost, Dirk (he constantly asks her questions about modern day developments and figures of speech and reads books when she turns the pages for him) are wonderful.  I can't wait for the next one!

DEATH OF A GHOST (M.C. Beaton)

Comstable Hamish MacBeth never changes.  He longs for true love, but always ends up with a controlling woman who wants to change him and encourage his ambition.  His keen mind and intuition allow him to excel at crime solving, but his inherent laziness cause him to give away the credit nearly every time, except when it serves his purpose to be acknowledged as the hero.

Hamish and his current assistant, Charlie, decide to spend the night in a "haunted" castle near Drim to help dispel rumors of a haunting.  When Charlie falls through some rotted floor boards they discover a dead body, identity unknown, in the cellar, a body which promptly disappears when they take a break to enjoy their favorite bacon baps for breakfast.  Obviously, something is amiss at the castle, and suspects abound.  The lovesick minister and his wife, the older man with the trophy wife, the castle's owner, smugglers...all are soon under investigation.  When more murders turn up, Hamish moves into high gear, albeit at his usual leisurely pace.

All of Beaton's usual characters from this series are here:  Priscilla, the love of Hamish's life, reporter Elspeth, the colonel, Nessie and Essie, the wimpy Daviot and the insufferable Blair.  If you have some weekend time and just want to relax in the Scottish Highlands, this is the book for you!

MY NOT SO PERFECT LIFE (Sophie Kinsella)

I feel like Sophie Kinsella is growing and maturing and her writing just keeps getting better.  Although "chick-lit" has seen its day, she continues to delight her readers with fresh and enjoyable stories and characters.

How many people have a dream that just won't seem to pan out no matter how hard they work?  Sometimes talent, hard work, sacrifice, and ambition are just not enough despite what all of the inspirational posters and self-help webinars tell us.  Katie (Cat) Brenner's dream is to live in London, far away from her Somerset roots, and to have a successful career in advertising.  She is in on the ground floor at a prestigious agency, but living in near poverty and commuting for hours a day because she can't afford to live near her inadequately-paying job.  She records all of the elements of her perfect life (except that it's not actually the life she LIVES) on Instagram and has managed to convince her father and stepmother that she is living the dream.  Katie's boss, Demeter, is both a nightmare and a dream, a successful, talented phenomenon who focuses solely on getting things done, no matter who she has to trample in the process.  Unfortunately, Katie, or Cat, as she is known in London, is one of the people on whose life Demeter tramples, but somehow the table end up turning and everything will turn out as it should.

As is usual with Kinsella's heroines, Katie is intelligent, resourceful, and extremely capable, just needing someone to recognize the talent behind the disorganization and give her a chance.  I like these heroines who can create incredible things out of impossible situations, whose vulnerability and generosity make them irresistibly appealing.  Katie Fforde and Jenny Colgan come to mind as creating similar characters in their novels.  Hmm.  I wonder why these authors are all favorites of mine?

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

A LANTERN IN HER HAND (Bess Streeter Aldrich)

Bess Streeter Aldrich, one of Nebraska' most beloved authors, wrote about her mother in this novel, the classic and well-loved story of pioneer woman Abbie Deal.  Abbie is based on Aldrich's own mother, a strong pioneer woman who traveled by covered wagon to the midwest as child and then, after marrying, goes with her husband and a small group of settlers in 1865 to the Nebraska territory to settle a new frontier.

One of the loveliest things about Abbie, in my opinion, is that she allowed her children to live out their dreams while continuously postponing her own.  Living in a sod house and raising a family there for years, never seeing her own mother again after her marriage, losing her husband at a relatively young age...all these hardships made Abby Deal strong and resilient.  Her love for her children and joy in their accomplishments is inspiring.  She is all that we would expect a pioneer woman to be.  Beginning in 1854, the reader sees Abby transition from child to woman to wife and pioneer, then to mother, widow, and grandmother.  All the while the world is changing around her: wooden houses replace sod, the railroad comes through, cities are growing, schools are built, and automobiles appear.  Culture and industry take over the country, WWI changes lives, and the radio becomes essential to every home.  A Lantern in her Hand is like a quick snapshot of how the industrial revolution changed America and how one woman saw it through with grace, patience, and the strength to move with the times.

I can see why A Lantern in her Hand has stood the test of time.   Although it's not read as much now as it was years ago, it has endured for almost 90 years for good reason.

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

THE RAGE OF PLUM BLOSSOMS (Christine M. Whitehead)

Phenomenal!  Sometimes you see a novel or read a review and you think that it looks interesting enough, that you might read it somewhere along the line  I confess that this is the way I felt when I heard about this novel, but when I arranged for the author to come and meet with our mystery book discussion group I decided that the best time to read it was now.  I really liked it.

Protagonist Quinn Jones Chang, an attorney, is grief-stricken and mystified when her beloved husband and soul mate, Jordan, is found dead outside their apartment dressed in strange clothing that she is sure he didn't own.  When his death is ruled suicide, Quinn, who absolutely believes that her husband was the victim of foul play, begins the long and painful process of discovering the truth about the death of the man she loved and expected to grow old with.  Whitehead leads the reader expertly through a maze of intrigue, suspicion, and danger, all the while maintaining a realistic feel and a balance that many "thrillers" lack.  Quinn is an attractive character, a perfume devotee (that's her funny quirk), faithful wife and loyal friend who never doubts that her husband was murdered or that she will eventually learn why he died.  Along the way, she discovers that Jordan had wealth that he never disclosed to her, an unexplained gap in his work history, and a surprise in his background that will change Quinn's future.  As the story progresses Quinn acquires a somewhat motley crew of helpers, including a fellow aficionado of scents, a graduate student, and a retired cop, all of whom are devoted to her safety and success in her mission.

I don't want to give too much away about this novel.  Whitehead has managed to write a story with just the right combination of elements.  It will appeal to most readers, I think.  It certainly appealed to me!

Friday, February 3, 2017

ECLAIR AND PRESENT DANGER (Laura Bradford)

Laura, if you happen to be reading this, I want to apologize for taking so long to read the first in your Emergency Dessert Squad series. Book clubs, new books with enticing premises and a time limit for reading them, and life got in the way, but it was worth the wait!  As someone who loves to bake (but could never make a living at it), I really enjoyed the premise, the dessert names (OK, I know I helped you a little with that, but they were all so clever!), and Winnie.

Winnie Johnson had fulfilled her lifelong dream of opening her own successful bakery, that is until her landlord decided that their small town was an up-and-coming tourist destination and raised her rent.  Her only hope of keeping the bakery open is the inheritance that her neighbor has left her, but that turns out to be an old ambulance and a cat, Lovey, who seems to hate her, so her business is down the tubes, but a new one is born - the Emergency Dessert Squad. Winnie's new business focuses on delivering desserts designed (and named) to help people deal with those everyday accomplishments and disappointments that tend to pop up on a regular basis.   Ordering up a "One Smart Cookie" or a "Can't Lose a Pound Cake" could just be the solution, and having it delivered by ambulance, complete with stretcher and an IV pole, makes it really special!

In addition to being a fantastic baker and entrepreneur, Winnie is also forced into the role of amateur sleuth when the body of her curmudgeonly neighbor, Bart, a recent widower is discovered.  Could the killer it be their annoying neighbor, Bart's seemingly devoted step-son, or someone else?  Winnie starts finding and discarding suspects with the help of a couple of elderly neighbors and her new love interest, a college professor.

The Emergency Dessert Squad series is imaginative and, may I say, mouth-watering, full of likable characters and enough of a mystery to keep the reader engaged.  I'm looking forward to the next one!