MARIANA (Susanna Kearsely)

For the past 24 hours I have been trying to pick up Mariana and continue reading, but I can't because I've finished the book and now I feel like I've lost a good friend.  I don't know what makes Kearsley's writing so compelling and her characters so unforgettable.  They are just ordinary people (well, except for Geoff, who is a millionaire) thrust into extraordinary situations, caught between two vastly different lives and searching for meaning in both. I believe that Susanna Kearsley must have lived a past life.  I can't think of any other explanation for her ability to absolutely transport her readers through time!

"I first saw the house in the summer of my fifth birthday."  As this novel begins, Julia Beckett is speaking of Greywethers, the house that she would eventually buy in her thirtieth year.  After moving into this house she begins to experience brief periods of life as Mariana Farr, a young woman who lived in England's treacherous Jacobean era, when Charles Stuart was on the throne and the plague devastated Europe.  As Mariana, Julia has no memory of her future existence as Julia, but when she returns to the present she remembers Mariana's life and becomes obsessed with learning why she has such a strong connection to the past.  As Mariana she falls deeply in love with Richard DeMornay, ancestor and image of her neighbor, Geoff deMornay, the current squire of Crofton Hall.  There is, it seems, no record of Richard in local historical or burial records, yet Julia is sure that his role in Mariana's life has significance for her in the present.

Susanna Kearsley has populated the village of Exbury, present and past, with richly drawn personalities and romance.  Originally published in 1994, Mariana preceded The Rose Garden by many years.  The author's talent has grown, if possible, over time.  I can't wait to see what comes next!

THE BODY IN THE BOOKCASE (Katherine Hall Page)

It's funny how a couple of years away from an author causes you to notice little things that you never did before!  I love Page's Faith Fairchild series.  Faith Sibley is a native New Yorker, daughter of a clergyman, who falls in love with handsome Tom Fairchild before she realizes that he is exactly what she had hoped to avoid, a man of the cloth like her father.  She and Tom marry and settle in Aleford, MA, a suburb of Boston, where they raise their two small children in the vicarage while Tom tends to his flock and Faith tends to her catering business, Have Faith.  Faith, in the grand tradition of cozy mysteries, manages to stumble upon a dead body every couple of months and cannot resist investigating.  Here she has a personal stake in solving the crime:  her neighbor, gentle retired librarian Sarah Winslow, has died  during home invasion and thieves with the same MO have burglarized the vicarage, making off with many Sibley and Fairchild family heirlooms, jewelry, and sentimental trinkets. 

Since the police seem rather casual about attempting to find and recover her family's stolen goods, Faith, enlisting the help of neighbors, friends, and even the reluctant Tom, takes matters into her own hands and begins combing pawn shops, auctions, and other places that might lead to clues as to who burglarized their homes and killed Sarah.  Business as usual must go on, however, and Faith is also caught up in planning food for demanding bride Samantha Bullock's society wedding and rehearsal dinners (this is a culinary series, after all!).

I suddenly realized while reading this that Faith has a certain Lucille Ball-like quality that I had never noticed before, keeping details from her husband and putting herself into situations that are both dangerous and comical.  Though she is a devoted wife and mother, I kept wondering how she could endanger herself and her family life by getting too closely involved with the investigation, but I guess that's one of the things that define a cozy.  She does, to her credit, enlist the aid of her state policeman friend John Dunne in critical decisions.  

One of the things that is so endearing about Faith is that she is a real woman, one whom most of us could identify with.  She is not a hilarious caricature like Agatha Raisin (M.C. Beaton) or Helma Zukas (Jo Dereske) or a wealthy philanthropist like Olivia Limoges (Ellery Adams), or even a cheerful crocheter/events organizer like Molly Pink (Betty Hechtman), although I LOVE all of these characters.  Faith is a working small-town mother who has left behind a more glamorous life in new York City to raise a family as the wife of a small-town vicar.  She worries about child care, picks her kids up at nursery school, and worries about Tom's sermons.  Page does an excellent job of making Faith a real (despite the Lucille ball moments), mother and wife.  She is someone that might live on my street, except for the murders!  I like her.

READING TO HEAL (Jacqueline Stanley)

Bibliotherapy as a means to improve life and psyche is not a new idea. Most avid readers probably engage in therapeutic reading on a regular basis without even realizing it: to deal with stressful jobs or home situations, solve relationship dilemmas, examine faith issues, analyze family relationships, etc. Professional therapists use bibliotherapy to help patients deal with illness or emotional issues, but it can also be used by individuals to enhance everyday life. Stanley, who is a lawyer, not a mental health professional, discusses bibliotherapy here as an art rather than as a science. Although dated (published in 1999), this book would a valuable resource for anyone interested in using reading as a means to gain insight and make positive changes to their behavior or attitudes. I am toying with the idea of presenting a program on fiction bibliotherapy at our library, but that will take some time to develop. I'll keep you posted!

Stanley covers all of the basics of reading both fiction and nonfiction as a means to heal, including how to find books, the benefits of bibliotherapy (things like awareness that others have similar problems, learning practical skills, escape and diversion, reinforcement of self-worth), and what to look for in different types of novels. She also makes some very valuable and practical suggestions for getting the most out of what you read, overcoming problems that stand in the way of reading, and personalizing a reading plan. One of my favorite quotes that Stanley includes sums up what I believe to be the basis for all reading: "The only important thing in a book is the meaning it has for you." (W. Somerset Maugham). Thinking back, when I was very young I was eager to fill my mind with historical adventures and family dramas written by Elizabeth Enright, Louisa Mae Alcott, and Frances Hodgsen Burnett. As I grew into adolescence I immersed myself in the classics (Thomas Hardy and George Eliot were my favorites!) and, of course, toe-curling horror by authors like Bram Stoker and H.P. Lovecraft. As I matured I enjoyed exploring topics like the mysticism of Carlos Casteneda and the pop psychology of Marilyn French. Medical and legal thrillers were my main literature of choice during those years when my husband and I were nearly overwhelmed by the realities of trying to raise two wonderful kids while making ends meet after a job layoff and big drop in income. As my parents and in-laws aged and we took on new roles as their caregivers and decision makers, I have found myself most drawn to cozy mysteries (Elizabeth Lynn Casey, Anne Canadeo,or Maggie Sefton, for example), funny chick-lit (Hester Browne, Katie Fforde, Isabel Wolff), or to women's fiction that often features people dealing with similar issues in life (Joanna Trollope, Marcia Willett, Barbara Delinsky) I can see distinct patterns in my reading habits over the years and I can, in many cases, see why I have chosen certain authors at specific times in my life. Of course, sometimes a good book is just a good book! I think that bibliotherapy is fascinating, though, and I'm looking forward to reading more on the subject.

SHEER ABANDON (Penny Vincenzi)

Jocasta, Clio, and Martha meet and become fast friends while traveling to Bangkok during their gap year in 1985. Martha, the quiet daughter of a vicar, plans to study law. Clio, plump and pretty, has her sights set on medical school, while beautiful, blonde Jocasta is thinking about a career in journalism. Thailand and similar environs have never appealed to me and Vincenzi does an excellent job of confirming my desire NEVER to travel there. It's amazing to me that British parents would send their 17-year-olds alone to experience the drug and sex saturated culture of Thailand for months on end, but I guess I am also flabbergasted by the idea of sending an 8-year-old to boarding school! Obviously I'm not British!

Well, I'm getting off track here. Nearly a year after meeting, one of the girls (who remains unidentified for a good part of the novel) gives birth and abandons her baby at Heathrow Airport, then we fast forward 15 years and find that all 3 of the girls have grown into women with issues. Clio is a physician specializing in geriatrics, engaged to an overbearing surgeon who believes that she should give up her career to support him in his. Martha is an extremely successful solicitor who focuses 24/7 on her law career until she meets a much younger man, Ed, and is chosen by the new Centre Forward party to run for political office. Jocasta is a journalist working for a tabloid-like paper and in love with commitment-shy Nick, also a journalist. Jocasta's brother, Josh, who was also in Thailand with the girls, has been unfaithful to his his wife multiple times and is trying to save his marriage. At this time the reader is also introduced to Kate, a beautiful 16-year-old adopted by Helen and Jim after being found abandoned at Heathrow. Kate is desperate to find out where she came from and why her mother abandoned her. Much drama ensues, of course, as our basic cast of characters reconnects. What is especially interesting is how different British politics, law, medicine, and family life are from ours here in the U.S.A.

One of my complaints about Vincenzi's excellent novel, The Best of Times, which I read last month, was that there was no listing of characters to remind the reader of who was who. She does provide that in Sheer Abandon and I have to confess that I referred back to it frequently. I love Vincenzi's imagination, her language, her ability to juggle multiple threads of a story and bring them all together in a way that seems uncontrived and logical. I do believe, though, that if she could have cut this novel to about 2/3 of it's 626 pages it would have been a big improvement. I almost gave up and I did read ahead because I wasn't sure I could make it to the end! I did, and I'm glad that I did. It was worth it, but i have to warn you that you'd better set aside a good chunk of time for it!

THE ROSE GARDEN (Susanna Kearsley)

I originally chose this book because it had two of my favorite elements: an ancient family mansion on the coast of Cornwall and mysterious voices from the past. I was a great fan of both Mary Stewart and Victoria Holt back in the day and I still remember the Cornish prefixes, tre-, pol-, and pen-, and the magic associated with Cornwall. The main story takes place at Trelowarth, an estate in the fictional Cornish town of Polgelly and the scene of many happy childhood memories for Eva Ward. It is currently the home of Trelowarth Roses, a business originally started by George Hallett, a friend of Eva's late father. Eva's old friends Mark and Susan Hallett and their step-mother, Claire, welcome Eva to Trelowarth with open arms when she returns after 20 years in North America to scatter her sister's ashes from the Cornish cliffs.

The first line of the novel immediately sets the mysterious mood: "I lost my only sister in the last days of November." Kearsley's writing is magical and the sense of place that she creates is haunting. I wasn't sure about the time travel aspect of the story. I normally associate time travel with fantasy and science fiction, but here it felt so like something understandable and right. Trelowarth is located on a ley line, a supposed alignment of ancient sites that has, in modern times, been adopted by New Age occultists as a source of energy or supernatural power. When Eva suddenly starts noticing disappearing paths that did not exist before and a strange man standing on the lawn at Trelowarth, a lawn that is strangely changed, she begins to doubt her sanity. She comes to realize that she is glimpsing snippets of life at Trelowarth nearly 300 years ago and eventually begins interacting with Daniel Butler, the owner of Trelowarth in 1715, in his time. One of the most delightful things about Daniel Butler and his friend, Fergal, is that they accept that Eva is from the future and react to her with kindness and curiosity instead of fear.

Eva has no control over when she travels through time and is always caught unaware, which adds a bit of an adrenaline rush to the experience of reading The Rose Garden. Clothes that she wears in 1715, courtesy of Daniel, are old and worn when she returns to the present in them and, while she researches the Butlers and the history of the time with the help of her friend Oliver, she is careful while in the past to avoid doing or revealing anything that might change the course of history.

Kearsley has produced a phenomenal novel. it is, in many ways, a typical love story, but the author brings it to the next level by allowing her readers to feel as if they are experiencing the sights and sounds of 1715 along with Eva. This book is enchanting. When I wasn't reading it I was thinking about it and longing to return to the past with Eva. Kearsley provides a couple of unexpected twists near the end of the story that i absolutely loved. You may not be as delighted with this novel as I was, but it couldn't hurt to try it out. I recommend it wholeheartedly!

THE SHOEMAKER'S WIFE (Adriana Trigiani)

I'm not Italian, but my mother-in-law was, so my husband and children all possess robust northern Italian genes. This story makes me wish I did, too! Trigiani's wonderful novel is a story of enduring love and strength, family ties, sacrifice, and freindship.

Enza Ravanelli is a gifted seamstress and the eldest daughter of a close knit family and Ciro Lazzari is a young man who has been raised by nuns, along with his brother, after the death of their father.  The two meet briefly and fall in love as teenagers in Italy.  Unbeknownst to Enza, Ciro is soon sent to live in America after being banished by the unscrupulous local priest.  Eventually Enza and her father also travel to America to earn money to build a home for the family in their village in the foothills of the Alps. Throughout the ensuing years, the two meet several times as Ciro masters shoemaking and joins the army during World War I and Enza sews costumes for the Metropolitan Opera Company, including the great Caruso.  Eventually the two marry and settle in Minnesota, building a new life and a new family.

Trigiani manages to fill every page of this novel with color, texture, and historical ambience.  Based on the lives of her grandparents, Lucia and Carlo, the novel transports the reader into pre-war Italian village life, the trenches of France, the glamour of back-stage life at the Met, and the streets of Hoboken and little Italy.  The Shoemaker's Wife is a testament to family love and inner strength and is filled with characters that are both admirable and endearing.  Please read it!

MAN DOWN (Dan Abrams)

Man Down: proof beyond a reasonable doubt that women are better cops, drivers, gamblers, spies, world leaders, beer tasters, hedge fund managers, and just about everything else...
Finally, a man has the guts to admit the truth!  In this tongue-in-cheek series of short essays, Abrams quotes studies and statistics from around the world that support his assertion that woman really are the superior sex in most respects.  He describes Adam as a sort of test model that God used before finally perfecting his creation in the form of a woman.  In general, women are better looking, more compassionate, more successful competitive eaters, they vote more, sleep better, run longer, endure pain better...the list just goes on and on. Not that every woman is superior to every man, but as a gender we have been undervalued for years,  apparently.  Abrams paints a rather bleak possible future for men, who most likely will be consigned to roles as househusbands and clerical workers as women's success in education, business, and politics continues to burgeon.  This nifty little tome is humorous, to be sure, but it does inspire one to wonder why men have been in charge of so much for so long while obviously under-performing when compared to what women could have achieved.  "Behind every great man there is probably an even greater woman..."  Abrams, an attorney, presents some compelling evidence here.  Food for thought!

A KILLER PLOT (Ellery Adams)

Ellery Adams Books by the Bay series is a little different from some of the cozies that I have read, less humorous and more introspective.  Main character Olivia Limoges has a secret, vulnerable side and the kind of thoughtful intelligence that make the reader want to get to know her better.  In A Killer Plot, first in the series, she has recently returned to Oyster Bay, NC, the home of her painful childhood.  Wealthy and community-minded, she runs a successful restaurant and is landlord to many thriving local businesses.  Olivia's greatest love is her wonderful dog, Captain Haviland, the smartest and best-trained poodle I have ever encountered in the pages of a novel (or in real life!), but she is lonely for human company and in need of social contact despite her long history in the town. 

When Olivia discovers the Bayside Book Writers group, she is drawn to one of the group's members, Camden Ford, a charming, talented, and very flamboyant writer (I picture him as Carson Cressley).  Camden is visiting the town to do research for his novel, a thinly disguised take on the life of Oyster bay's prominent Talbot family.  An aspiring author herself, Olivia offers the group the use of her dilapidated lighthouse cottage as a meeting place and then proceeds to refurbish and redecorate it for the next meeting.  When Camden uncharacteristically fails to show up to hear the group's critique of his work, they decide that something is amiss.  Camden's body is discovered behind a local dive along with a seasonal haiku painted on the wall, leading Olivia to conjecture that the killer they are dealing with is both literate and likely to strike again.  With the help of her newfound friends and gentlemanly police chief Sawyer Rawlings, Olivia finds herself involved in the investigation.  Check out this series! You won't regret it.

DIFFERENT... NOT LESS (Temple Grandin, PhD)

Inspiring Stories of Achievement and Successful Employment from Adults with Autism, Asperger's, and ADHD.

Temple Grandin has compiled the personal success stories of fourteen people with Asperger's, Autism, and ADHD into a wonderful, inspirational book that should be required reading for, well, everyone. Most of us will have to admit that, despite our best intentions, we have at some time minimized someone who seems a little "weird" or decided that it wasn't worth the effort to include a coworker or acquaintance who is a little too overbearing or too withdrawn for comfort. Dr. Grandin's book gives us the opportunity to see the world of those who are "different" from the inside and in their own words. Being bullied, failing in relationships, experiencing near constant anxiety, and struggling to earn a living can be the norm for those of us whose brains are wired a little differently.  We "neurotypicals" have a great opportunity here to learn something that could make us more compassionate and understanding people.

ANOTHER PIECE OF MY HEART (Jane Green)

I read with interest some of the Goodreads reviews on this novel and I tend to agree with the people who mentioned "old Jane" and "new Jane."   There has been a definite change in Jane Green's writing and themes over years, from earlier chick lit novels like Babyville and Bookends to her more recent publications, which remind me much more of Barbara Delinsky or Nancy Thayer than Sophie Kinsella and Helen Fielding.  Maybe it has to do with growing older (as we all do) or moving to America.  I tend to like the chick lit phase more, I have to confess.

Overall, I did not dislike Another Piece of My Heart, but I found it to be a bit too angst-filled for my taste.  Andi and Ethan met and married after his divorce from Brooke, an out-of-control alcoholic who shares custody of their two daughters, Emily and Sophia.  Longing for a family of her own, Andi enthusiastically embraces her role as stepmother to sweet 8-year-old Sophia and Emily, who is a sullen teenager.  Despite their commitment, things go from bad to worse for Andi and Ethan as they battle infertility and Emily's constant competition for Ethan's attention.  Emily's disruptive behavior and Ethan's guilt at his daughter's unhappiness drive a wedge between the couple, and Andi has almost reached her breaking point when Emily's pregnancy at 17 becomes a further stress in their lives.

Emily is a deeply troubled drama queen, for sure, and I still cannot quite fathom why her parents decided to forego individual or family counseling.  It might have ruined the plot line, but it might have made a big difference for this poor family. Fortunately, they work it out in the end.  You'll have to read it to find out how!

THE BEST OF TIMES (Penny Vincenzi)

Where has Penny Vincenzi been all my life?  Interestingly, I choose most of the fiction at the library where I work and I have discovered that we own at least five of her novels, all purchased by ME!  I wonder why I never noticed them before?

The Best of Times is a long book (593 pages) with a LOT of characters whose lives intersect dramatically on a hot August afternoon when some of them are involved in a tragic multi-vehicle accident on the M4 just outside of London.  Jonathan and Abi are bitterly ending a brief affair, Georgia is desperately trying to get to the audition that might result in her big break as an actress, and Mary is on her way to the airport to meet Russell, with whom she shared a war time romance.  Toby and Barney are late for Toby's wedding and Patrick, whose truck goes out of control and causes the accident, is just trying to get home to his family.  Will Grainger witnesses the accident from his farm adjacent to the highway and his life slowly becomes entwined with the heroes and victims of the crash.

Full of intrigue, suspense, and romance, Vincenzi's novel is a must-read as far as I am concerned.  I loved it.  A The only thing I could suggest to make it better would be a list of characters to refer to.  It does get confusing at points!

BY HOOK OR BY CROOK (Betty Hechtman)

Molly Pink stumbles on yet another crochet-related murder! Molly is the events organizer at Shedd & Royal Books, where her local crochet group, the Tarzana Hookers, meets weekly.  When she comes across a strange filet crochet piece at a local festival, left deliberately at the Shedd & Royal table, Molly begins to wonder what the strangely designed squares mean and who wants her to decipher the message.  When Molly finally tracks down the crocheter, the owner of a local dance studio, she discovers that the woman has died after eating marzipan apples.  Much to the chagrin of her detective boyfriend Barry, and to the apparent amusement of her lawyer friend Mason, Molly and her friends quickly become involved in solving yet another murder.  The investigation takes them from Tarzana, CA to Catalina Island and back again, all with the background rhythms of Molly's mother and the She La La's, in rehearsal at Molly's house for their big comeback audition.


Hechtman's Tarzana Hookers series is fun.  Molly is a 40-something widow trying to build a new life and enjoy friends, career, and maybe a little romance, putting up with frequent interference by her parents, sons, and romantic interests.  Her friends are likable with well-developed backgrounds and personalities, although they don't figure as prominently in this novel as in some of the others.  I love all of the knitting mysteries out there, but I love crocheting more, so I'm thrilled with this series.

GOSSIP (Beth Gutcheon)

Lovey French, Avis Binney Metcalf, and Dinah Kittredge Wainwright meet at Miss Pratt's, an exclusive Connecticut high school  (presumably a thinly disguised Miss Porter's) in 1960.  Gutcheon's fabulous book traces their lives throughout the next 50 plus years, with Lovey acting as the inadvertent conduit for the confidences and gossip that define and sometimes direct the course of their lives. All of us wonder "what if?" at various times in our lives.  Gutcheon allows the reader to imagine what might have been over the course of these 3 women's lives if someone had made a different choice, spoken up, corrected a misconception, encouraged a confidence, or simply given in.  All three women are successful: Lovey as an exclusive boutique owner and fashion consultant, Avis as an art buyer, and Dinah as a writer.  Lovey is the common bond between Dinah and Avis, who are polar opposites, until their children, Nick and Grace, fall in love and marry.  The book alternates points of view among the three women.

How would I describe Gossip?  Compelling, elegant, subtle, insightful, and frightening are all words that come to mind.  How fragile are our human bonds, how sacred the trust between friends.  I'm still thinking "What if?" long after finishing this wonderful novel.  Each of us is entrusted with confidences that could change the course of others' lives.  When should we share and when should we respect the trust?  We may not even be aware of what we should just forget we heard and when we should have spoken up, and we may feel guilty about the times that we decided that something is "none of my business."  I always think that one of the signs of a good book (aside from not being able to put it down) is not being able to stop thinking about it when you are done reading.  This is a good book!

KING PEGGY (Peggielene Bartels & Eleanor Herman)

On hold for the moment!  Very interesting memoir by a DC secretary who becomes King of her village in Ghana....

HOW TO EAT A CUPCAKE (Meg Donohue)

A cruel (and untrue) remark by Julia St. Clair, made to impress a boy in high school, set off a series of events in Anna Quintana's life that ultimately resulted in her suspension from school and delayed her acceptance into college.  A short time later Anna's mother, Lucia, died of an aneurysm, leaving 18-year-old Anna  alone in the world.  Lucia had fled Ecuador as a pregnant 16-year-old years before and found work as a nanny and housekeeper for the St. Clair family.  As a result, Anna and Julia were raised as sisters and best friends in the St. Clair mansion until the differences in their social status and Julia's lie tore their relationship apart.  Now, 10 years later, Anna has been hired to cater the dessert for a charity luncheon at Lolly and Tad St. Clair's mansion, where she encounters Julia for the first time in years.

Stories about foundlings or servant's children raised together with the children of wealthy can often end badly (remember all of the problems between Darcy and that bounder Wickham in Pride & Prejudice, or Heathcliff's nasty behavior towards Catherine in Wuthering Heights?).  Sometimes, however, the children in question can end up owning a business together!  The question then is how much the bitterness, lies, and  recriminations from the past will get in the way of a happy ending.  Both Julia and Anna are nice people and Donohue throws a little mystery and some hidden agendas into the mix that add a bit of adrenalin rush to the story.  The best part of this novel, though, is the cupcakes!  I would love to taste some of the flavors that Anna comes up with.  Yum!

MISSING CHILD (Patricia MacDonald)

Patricia MacDonald writes terrific domestic thrillers and this one is no exception.  Caitlin Eckart is happily married to Noah and is a loving stepmother to 6-year-old Geordie, but she has a secret.  Nearly four years ago her 16-year-old brother (and ward) James was the driver in a hit-and-run accident that killed Noah's first wife, Emily.  James died of a drug overdose before Caitlin could convince him to turn himself in to the police.  At a memorial service for Emily a year later, Caitlin's intention is to introduce herself to Emily's widower, Noah, and confess her brother's role in the tragedy and her own failure to report her knowledge to the police.  Instead, she falls in love with Noah and the right time for confession never seems to come.  Now part of a happy, loving family with a son that she thinks of as her own, Caitlin still worries about her deception and how it could destroy their happiness.

Everything falls apart one autumn day when Geordie disappears from school without a trace.  Emily's parents, Westy and Paula Bergen, her brother Dan, ex-sister-in-law Haley, and Noah's sister and mother, Naomi and Martha, are consumed with fear over Geordie's fate, and suspicions grow and fester within the family.  When James' old girlfriend Karla, who has been born again, stops by Noah and Caitlin's house after seeing news of Geordie's disappearance on the news, she discusses Emily's fatal accident with Noah, inadvertently revealing Caitlin's "secret" and throwing the family into turmoil.  Of course, this new information prompts Noah and the police to question Caitlin's character and motivations and to wonder what else she may be hiding.

I stayed up until 11:30 last night finishing this novel.  I was shocked at the outcome, but it made sense.  These are two of the marks of a good thriller, in my opinion: you can't wait to get to the end and when you do you are simultaneously shocked and wondering why you didn't see it coming.  MacDonald is good, very good.  She gets my vote as the current queen of domestic thrillers!  Read this!

DANCING ON BROKEN GLASS (Ka Hancock)

What can I say about this novel?  I feel like my emotions have been shredded and scattered into the wind over and over again.  Ka Hancock's powerful story left me drained, yet weirdly and freshly hopeful about life choices and death.

Lucy and Mickey are madly in love, completely committed to each other and to a marriage made fragile by bipolar disorder and cancer. Years before, just days before he was killed in the line of duty, Lucy's police officer father promised his then 5-year-old daughter that there are three things that are true about death: that it is not the end, that it doesn't hurt, and that if you are not afraid you can watch for it and be ready.  Lucy soon sees death, a comforting, feminine presence, and understands that she is there for her father, not for her, not yet.  Twelve years later, when Lucy is 17, death comes for Lucy's mother as well in the form of breast cancer, which had also claimed Lucy's grandmother and aunt.  Lucy and her sisters are left to face life together, wondering what the future holds for them.

When Mickey was 12 years old his severely depressed mother took her own life and soon after he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Struggling to manage his illness over the years, Mickey is a successful club owner by the age of 29, when he falls in love with Lucy.  They decide to marry despite the trepidation of Lucy's sisters, Priscilla and Lil, choosing to live and love, dancing on broken glass with each other despite the terrible possibilities that lurk in the genes that eventually betray them.

I am trying not to say too much about what happens to Lucy and Mickey as their story progresses because this  is a book that you should feel on your own as you read it.  The two tell their own stories and their devotion to each other shines through on each page, as does the anguish they face when forced to choose between two impossible paths.  This is a love story, a tear-jerker, a learning experience.  I confess that I feel more confident about life and possibilities after reading Dancing on Broken Glass.  Bravo, Ms. Hancock!

KNIT ONE PEARL ONE (Gil McNeil)

Gil McNeil's knitting series is a pleasant way to spend a lazy spring weekend.  If you have read her earlier books, you know that Jo McKenzie is a widow (her husband crashed his car into a tree just after announcing that he was leaving her for his mistress) and the mother of 2 rambunctious boys plus Pearl, a toddler.  Jo owns a seaside knitting shop in England and, with the help of her Gran and the lovable Martin, her carpenter, sometimes boyfriend, and son of Elsie, her shop assistant, she is making a go of her business and raising her fatherless boys.  Thanks to movie-star knitting student Grace she has enough income to keep the shop and her classes going, and thanks to good friends Connie and Mark she also has opened a cafe next to the shop.  When Pearl's father, Daniel, reappears in their lives, he seems, surprisingly, to fit comfortably into the mix.

The Beach Street Knitting Society series (I still can't figure out why it is called that!) doesn't offer car chases, crimes to solve, or impossibly passionate romance.  In fact, McNeil reminds me a bit of Marcia Willett and Rosamund Pilcher, who write about the business of coping with everyday life, family, and friends.  It's not that there is no excitement here, but it's the same sort that you or I might experience - familiar and personal, but with a lot of yarn thrown in!  It was a pleasure.

I'VE GOT YOUR NUMBER (Sophie Kinsella)

I'm experiencing very conflicting emotions now, because I have just finished a delightful novel.  I listened to the first 10 chapters (great job, Jayne Entwhistle!) and read the last 1/3 of the book or so and now I am wishing for more, but I wouldn't change a thing about the way it turned out.  The thing about Sophie Kinsella is that she completely engages your emotions under the guise of fun chick lit.  At first glance, her main character, Poppy Wyatt, would appear to be a somewhat superficial young woman marrying into a family of wealthy intellectuals.  Her fiance, Magnus, finds her charming and sexy and a little bit inferior to him.  She can't believe that someone so wonderful has chosen her to be his wife and overlooks the strange behavior of his parents and wedding planner, Lucinda, a hyperactive, demanding friend of the family who constantly complains about how burdened she is with the wedding preparations.

Poppy's life changes when her phone is stolen and she finds an abandoned mobile in a trash bin.  The reader is treated to the her hilarious handling of various dilemmas, the development of her relationship with gruff businessman Sam Roxton, the owner of her new phone, and to the gradual and completely endearing emergence of Poppy the person: intelligent, caring, helpful, and insightful.  She will completely capture your heart as she almost single-handedly brings down a complicated plot to discredit a respected businessman and take over Sam's company, White Globe Consulting, in the process.  To me, one of the things that makes a novel worth reading is wanting more at the end, and I do!

SWEET POISON (Ellen Hart)

Ellen Hart's Jane Lawless series falls under the category of gay literature, and it is done pretty well.  Jane is a Minneapolis restaurant owner in a long distance relationship with a college professor, Kenzie Mulroy.  Jane's best friend Cordelia is also gay, with a partner who lives in an adjacent building within yelling distance.  Other gay characters include Jane's former partner, Julia, Jane's father's campaign IT guy, and a minister who has been the victim of a serious gay-bashing crime.

Some of the Christie Capers were decidedly not pleased with this choice and I believe that for some of them the general plot (more gritty than cozy) along with the gay theme and large number of gay characters were simply not appealing.  For others, including myself, the novel was fine, but I did find myself, like Joan Cusack fleeing that bar in her wedding gown in the movie "In & Out," thinking, "Is everybody gay?"

Jane's father, Raymond Lawless, is running for governor of Minnesota when Corey Hodge is paroled from prison just before the election.  Corey has always proclaimed himself innocent, but took a plea bargain on the advice of Ray Lawless, his lawyer, and served 10 years in prison.  Now he is accused of another, similar crime when one of Ray Lawless' campaign volunteers is found dead after being seen with him.  In addition to the press frenzy over Hodge's connection with Ray Lawless, campaign headquarters is plagued by computer problems and Ray has been suffering some perplexing health problems that he is trying to conceal until the election is over.  Jane is not as involved in "investigating" as I would have expected, but she is supportive of her father and worries about the impact of all of these factors on his bid for governor.

I read an interview with Ellen Hart in which she talks about her books being somewhat marginalized by the mainstream literary world because of their gay theme, so I went into this mystery with the expectation that the main character being gay would be a primary focus, as it was.  I admire the author for providing a good solid series in a genre that is obviously in demand and often difficult to find. I think that perhaps readers like me, who are not gay, might have a hard time identifying with Ms. Hart's novels because the number of gay characters seems out of proportion with the general population.  For someone gay who is looking for a mystery with characters with whom they can identify, though, this would be a good choice.  If Ms. Hart changed her series to appeal more to the mainstream, she might sell more books, but I think she would leave a void in an area of literature that she fills quite well as is.

DIVA RUNS OUT OF THYME (Krista Davis)

Sophie Winston is an event planner & domestic diva based in the Washington, DC suburb of Old Town Alexandria VA .  Sophie and her ex-husband, Mars, are good friends and no more, but Mars' current love, Natasha, Alexandria's answer to Martha Stewart, considers Sophie her biggest rival on both professional and personal arenas. It doesn't help that their respective mothers keep incorrectly referring to Natasha as the woman who stole Mars from Sophie and  plotting to get Sophie and Mars back together despite the fact that they are happily divorced.

Sophie's and Mars' families are all in town for Thanksgiving and to attend the finals of a stuffing contest at a local hotel, but tragedy strikes when Simon, the contest organizer, is found dead.  Unfortunately for Sophie, it is she who discovers the body and becomes the chief suspect, especially since she recently stumbled on another murder, that of a PI who just happened to have a picture of her in his truck.  Wolf, the handsome police officer with a mysterious past and an obvious interest in Sophie, seems convinced that she is a common element in both crimes.  Sophie knows that she is not guilty, but who is?  Could it be her sister Hannah's new fiance, Dr. Craig, or Mars' old friend Bernie?  What about Simon's chauffeur, Clive, or Mars' brother, Andrew, who was cheated in business by Simon?  The Colonel, whose granddaughter died as a result of a botched stunt on one of Simon's TV shows, or even Natasha could have had motive or opportunity.  With the help of neighbor / best friend Nina, Sophie sets out to wade through the suspect pool and prove herself innocent of two seemingly unconnected crimes.

Davis has created an entertaining cast of characters in this Domestic Diva series.  I wish that I had read this one before Diva Takes the Cake.  I would recommend reading them in order, but it is not strictly necessary if you have a good head for keeping track of characters.  This series is hilarious, filled with twists and turns, dead-ends and surprise clues, and adorably quirky neighbors and side characters.  Each chapter opens with a bit of Sophie's or Natasha's domestic wisdom, which serves to highlight he contrast between the two woman.  Read and enjoy!

THE DRESSMAKER (Kate Alcott)

 Fed up with domestic service and longing to develop her talents as an expert seamstress and designer, Tess  Collins sets off from Cherbourg, France on the Titanic as the hastily hired assistant to the famous couturier Lady Lucile Duff Gordon. The dramatic, volatile Madame Lucile and her husband, Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon, are on their way to New York to present her new fashion line and are serendipitously (for Tess) in need of a maid/assistant just as Tess arrives looking for work.  When the supposedly indestructible ship sinks, Tess escapes into one of the last lifeboats while the Duff Gordons, along with 3 other people and 7 crew members (including Tess's friend Jim Bonney), depart in Lifeboat One, a boat designed to hold 50 people.  After the survivors (about 1/3 of the total on board) are rescued and transported to New York on the Carpathia, U.S. Senator Smith conducts a series of hearings to investigate the cause of the disaster and the actions taken in its aftermath, including reports that the passengers in Lifeboat One, at the insistence of Lady Duff Gordon,  refused to pull additional victims from the icy waters of the Atlantic.


The Dressmaker is perfectly timed to take advantage of the popularity of "Downton Abbey" and the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster.  Rather than focusing on the disaster itself, Alcott writes about its emotional toll on the survivors and the impact of class and wealth in determining who escaped from the ship.  The year 1912 was a time of change in the United States, with the suffragist movement in full swing and class barriers being broken down, and fashion reflected changing attitudes in and toward women.  Tess is caught up in this  new, exciting world, caught between servitude and ambition and torn between two very different men.

As a historical novelist, Alcott presents the reader with an unusual view of the Titanic incident.  I have said in the past that I enjoy real historical figures being used as characters in fiction.  Here, the Duff Gordons were real as was the incident with Lifeboat One, but I feel that Alcott has taken a little bit too much liberty with the Duff Gordons' involvement, mixing fact and fiction a little too freely.  There are some interesting accounts of their experiences available in Encylopedia Titanica at http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/lady-duff-gordon.html,.

Another issue that I had with the novel is that it seemed to fall a bit short on focus.  I would have liked more detail on the hearings, or more of an emotional connection (aside from Lucile's hysterics) to the loss of the Titanic.  Almost no one seems to have suffered from PTSD or had lingering after-effects from their near-death. I think that perhaps the reader needs to keep in mind, though, that the title is The Dressmaker and that Tess' reactions and experiences are probably in keeping with her station in life, her upbringing, and the time in which the  novel is set.  In this modern age we are so used to political correctness, media frenzy, over-reaction, and litigation that acceptance and deference as reactions to a tragedy may seem almost foreign to us.  This is a book written from the point of view of a young woman moving from a restricted, class-oriented world to one of new freedoms and opportunities.  Overall, I enjoyed the novel very much and would recommend it.

DEATH OF A KINGFISHER (M.C. Beaton)

Constable Hamish MacBeth is in good form, as usual.  He is now sharing his little police station with Dick, an older and very lazy  constable with an incredible talent for game show trivia.  Hamish still lives in fear of his station being closed down and being forced to leave Lochdubh and move to Strathbane or another larger village.  He is still battling the incompetent and small-minded inspector Blair (and still getting the better of him!) and still falling in love with the wrong women at every turn.

When a local glen is turned into a tourist attraction, complete with tour buses and fairies, can murder and mayhem be far behind?  Besides Mary, the beautiful (and married) manager of the glen, Hamish has to contend with an amorous female cop, a sour old woman, her creepy grandchildren, and Dick's obsession with game shows.  When a kingfisher is strung up at the glen Hamish is ridiculed for reporting it as a "murder," until it leads to a tangled maze of money, murder, and family greed that only the clear-thinking Hamish can navigate.

M.C. Beaton never disappoints when it comes to Hamish, a tall, red-headed, exceedingly handsome constable.  While this was not Hamish's finest adventure (I like to see the locals more closely involved in the the story), it was certainly well worth reading, especially if you are a long-time Hamish MacBeth fan.  Now if Hamish and Elspeth would just get together!

DISTURBING THE DEAD (Sandra Parshall)

Rachel Goddard has started a new life in Mason County, Virginia, leaving the traumas of the past and the people the that she loves behind.  In Heat of the Moon, where we last saw Rachel, she was working in a veterinary clinic run by fellow veterinarian Luke Campbell, who had become her lover.  Now she has moved on, opening her own practice in Mason County and befriending Tom Bridger and Holly Turner.

When a set of human bones is discovered on a remote hilltop, Tom Bridger is convinced that there is a connection to the unsolved disappearance of Pauline McClure, Holly's aunt.  When Rachel and Holly, who is staying with her, become the targets of a series of violent attacks, the cold case heats up.  The remains of a second body turn up on the mountaintop and Tom begins to suspect that Holly's mother, Jeanne Turner, who has not been home to Mason County in years, might have been involved, but the Turner family is not cooperating.  Tom's research dredges up old questions and and suspicions about his late father, who was in charge of the original investigation, but why are Rachel and Holly being targeted and is it connected to this case or Rachel's past?  Is there a connection between the bones and Holly's father's criminal activities?  Will Tom and Rachel fall in love?

I love Parshall's Rachel Goddard series. The only complaint that I have is that there seems to be a whole series of life changing events for Rachel that took place between the first and this, the second, book.  Someone on Facebook suggested that we need a book 1 and 1/2 to fill in the gap.  I would enjoy that, but I seem to enjoy everything Parshall writes!  Under the Dog Star, the fourth in the series, is on the NEW shelf in our library right now and I am thinking seriously of checking it out this week, but I may have to wait.  So many books, so little time!

AS THE PIG TURNS (M.C. Beaton) ...Revisited...

It appears that I was just in a weird mood the first time I attempted to read the latest Agatha Raisin mystery.  With the assurances of co-worker and fellow fan Patty, I tried again and found  that I enjoyed Agatha's latest adventure tremendously.  Poor Agatha is a brilliant, intuitive woman when it comes to solving crimes, but she is incredibly needy emotionally.  I love her relationship with Mrs. Bloxby, the vicar's wife, who is the only steady influence in Agatha's life.  Yes, Agatha sometimes tends to use Mrs. Bloxby, but she truly appreciates her and it is unusual to see a true friendship between a hard-nosed, self-involved business woman and a lovely, selfless woman who always puts others first.

When Agatha notices a tattoo on the main entree at a pig roast in Winter Parva, she realizes that a human torso, rather than a pig, is roasting on the spit.  In the meantime, obnoxious police officer Gary Beech has disappeared.  Is there a connection?  When Beech's former wife Amy hires Agatha to investigate her former husband's disappearnce, she uncovers a tangled web of intrigue involving infidelity, murder, and the mob.  With the help of Roy, Charles, and former husband James, Agatha risks life and limb to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding Beech's murder.  As usual, the local police minimize Agatha's contribution, but she ultimately uncovers the solution.  you'll like it!

FREE RANGE KNITTER (Stephanie Pearl-McPhee)

I will just make quick mention of how entertaining Pearl-McPhee's essays continue to be despite the fact that I am not a knitter.  As a crocheter I do have a yarn obsession, so I can identify with the author on that subject, but her witty and insightful observations of life are spot on and have universal appeal.  You don't need to be a knitter to read this book!  Through a series of chapters named for the progression of steps involved in knitting, Pearl-McPhee expertly tackles such topics as knitting as a cure for depression, motherhood, how knitters are perceived by non-knitters, self-esteem, and how to escape from your family.  You will laugh out loud or maybe cry a little, but if you are a woman you could not fail to identify with Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.

THE DIVA TAKES THE CAKE (Krista Davis)

Set in Old Town Alexandria, VA (where we spent our vacation last year with fellow Christie Capers moderator Janet and her husband), Davis' Domestic Diva series is fun and packed full of quirky, likable characters.  Based on comments from the Christie Capers discussion group, Diva Takes the Cake is not the best of this series, at least as the first to read.  Because the venue for this mystery is a wedding, there are a few too many characters to keep track of, especially when you add in the aliases!  I have to confess that I kept confusing Natasha with Nina and Phoebe with Jen (I can't explain that one) and I had to keep reminding myself of who was related to whom and how.  I even was getting the various animals confused!  That being said, I loved the tongue in cheek quality of Davis' writing.  Nearly every chapter, it seemed, ended with a surprise: a wedding disaster, an intruder, an accident, a dead body.  My advice would be to start with the first book in the series, Diva Runs Out of Thyme, to get familiar with the characters and their background before you read this one.  Although Davis did introduce everyone adequately, the sheer number of people and activity make it difficult to follow it all if you don't already have some background.  Once you get done with the first, though, I think you'll want to keep on reading.  Oh, and the book covers are wonderful!

THE VILLA OF DEATH (Joanna Challis)

In the summer of 1927 aspiring author Daphne du Maurier is 21 years old, in love with a man who is engaged to someone else, and anxious to write and publish her first novel.  Her friend Ellen is about to marry the father of her 10-year-old daughter after years of separation and Daphne is part of the wedding party traveling to Ellen's family estate, Thornleigh.  Daphne is dismayed to find the object of her affection, Major Browning, and his beautiful and aristocratic fiance at the festivities.  Groom Teddy Grimshaw is found dead soon after the ceremony, precipitating a series of apparent attempts on Ellen's life and compelling Daphne to investigate.

I don't know about you, but I particularly enjoy well-done fiction featuring real historical or literary figures.  This is the third in Challis' Daphne du Maurier mystery series.   I wasn't so sure about it at first, but after I read up on du Maurier's life it sparked my interest.  Challis does a good job with the period details (old money vs. people who work, family estates, moral issues) as well as with the mystery itself.

DEATH COMES TO PEMBERLEY (P.D. James)

Has Jane Austen been reincarnated as P.D. James?  This wonderful continuation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is a joy from start to finish.  It is 6 years after Elizabeth Bennett's wedding to Mr. Darcy and Sister Jane and her husband Mr. Bingley live near Pemberley.  Wayward sister Lydia's husband, Mr. Wickham, is "not received" at  Pemberley due to his history with Darcy's sister, Georgiana.  It is the week of the traditional Lady Anne's Ball at Pemberley and Elizabeth and Darcy are busy preparing for the annual event when a coach careens up the drive and halts at the door. A hysterical Lydia emerges and screams that Wickham and Captain Denny have disappeared after exiting the carriage in the woodlands and that she fears murder.  SO begins the story of "Death Comes to Pemberley."

What is most memorable about this novel is not the mystery, but James' style, which to me is dead-on Austen.  Some may disagree, but the language and ambiance transported me immediately into the world of Pride and Prejudice.  I have to admit that I haven't read all of Austen's works and that the most recent was Northanger Abbey, not Pride and Prejudice, but I've seen all the movies (I admit that this is a bad thing for a librarian to admit!) and it was very easy to visualize this novel.  I am not an Austen scholar, just a fan, and P.D. James has done a great job imagining Darcy and Lizzie's world at Pemberley.  I loved it!

I AM HALF-SICK OF SHADOWS (Alan Bradley)

Flavia de Luce strikes again!  With every new adventure I marvel again. at Bradley's imagination and insight into the mind and heart of an 11-year-old girl.  Flavia is precocious and conniving, a highly intelligent amateur chemist who still believes in Father Christmas and yearns for the love of the mother she lost 10 years before.

In desperate financial straits, Mr. De Luce rents Buckshaw to a film company at Christmas time.  Popular star Phyllis Wyvern agrees to perform at Buckshaw to help raise funds for a new church roof, but a snow storm during the performance strands the attendees at the De Luce home.  When Phyllis is found strangled with one her own films, Flavia is on the case. She has also embarked on a quest to prove the existence of Father Christmas through the magic of chemistry.  As faithful readers will anticipate, chaos ensues with Flavia inevtiably at its center.  As always, Bradley has done a perfect job and Flavia is irresistable.

THE HEAT OF THE MOON ( Sandra Parshall)

Imagine that a chance encounter with a young girl, rain-soaked and crying with worry over her injured dog, triggers in a young woman long-ago memories of  her younger sister, frightened and looking for their mother in a violent thunderstorm.  Young veterinarian Rachel Goddard finds her world spinning out of control when she begins to experience unexplained flashes from her past that makes no sense to her.  In this award-winning thriller, Parshall's first mystery, the author weaves together the enticing story of a family haunted by past tragedies and secrets that threaten to destroy the delicate balance of their lives.  A prominent psychologist with a controlling personality, Judith Goddard was widowed tragically at a young age, but has raised her two daughters, Rachel and Michelle, to be confident and successful women.  In her intense grief over the loss of her husband, Judith has trained her daughters to put their painful past behind them and refuses to share details of life with their father or of his death.  She has lovingly and relentlessly used her professional skills to shield Rachel from the pain of a past that she claims might be too much for her to bear, suggesting that delving into the circumstances of her father's death when she was five and Michelle was three years old might stir up guilt strong enough to destroy Rachel's emotional balance.

I found Parshall's characters just a little bit stilted and stereotypical, but by the time I was halfway through the book I didn't care!  This is a page turner!  Parshall has a wonderful talent for drawing in the reader right from the start.  I couldn't wait to get back to this novel when I was otherwise occupied and I hated to put it down.  I would highly recommend it!

BROKEN PLACES (Sandra Parshall)

This is actually the 3rd in Parshall's Rachel Goddard series, but I didn't find any difficulty in enjoying this terrific mystery despite a lack of knowledge of the main character's background (see my review of The Heat of the Moon above).  It is a little unusual, though to refer readers to a previous book to fill in details that have been unearthed by a character in this one.  It didn't detract from the story, though; it just made me curious to read the other book!

Veterinarian Rachel Goddard has moved to rural Mason County, Virginia (Oh, no!  Now I have to read book #2, also, to figure out how she ended up here!) where she has become romantically involved with native Deputy Sheriff Tom Bridger. A few hours after Rachel "witnesses" the murder of Cam Taylor (she hears the murder takes place and discovers the body), the body of Cam's wife, Meredith, is found in their burning home.  Rachel's close friend Benicio Hernandez, an artist known professionally as Ben Hern, becomes the chief suspect.  After a contentious encounter with Cam at his home, Ben was seen again arguing with him on a remote country road shortly before Cam was shot.  Tom's former love, Lindsey Taylor, returns to Mason County to bury her parents and to stir up trouble.  Determined to bring her parents' murderer to justice and to rekindle her romance with Tom, Lindsey attempts to intimidate Rachel and incriminate Ben.  All of the Christie Capers agreed that they never saw the denouement coming, yet it made perfect sense.  I hope that Parshall develops the following that she deserves.  She certainly has a new devoted fan in me!

YARN HARLOT: THE SECRET LIFE OF A KNITTER (Stephanie Pearl-McPhee)

Well, I love Stephanie Pearl-McPhee and you can certainly expect me to be reporting on her future collections of observations on knitting and knitters.  Unfortunately, I was too ambitious in ordering interlibrary loans and taking out interesting sounding books from my own library and I ended up having to send this one back to the owning library.  Never fear, though!  I ordered another copy and will be reviewing it in the coming weeks!

...Now that I am done with this wonderful collection of essays I can say that it was well worth waiting for.  As I have said before, you don't have to be a knitter to enjoy Pearl-McPhee's life wisdom.  One of the most memorable essays here is the story of her friend and fellow knitter Lene (I may have the name wrong, but I don't have the book with me!), who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and has finally reached the point where she can no longer knit.  Stephanie and their mutual friend Ken go through Lene's stash of yarn with her, a sad undertaking, and each take home a selection of wonderful wools.  During the  next couple of years they knit the yarns and always gift them with a note that they are from Lene, a wonderful tribute to a friend who can no longer experience the joy and peace of knitting.  This particular essay, focusing on carrying on a task for someone who needs help, was heart-warming and a true reflection of how life and friendship should be.  It was inspiring!

A HOLIDAY YARN (Sally Goldenbaum)

I was a little confused when I started reading because I didn't realize that A Holiday Yarn actually come BEFORE The Wedding Shawl.  Now I feel better and less confused about Izzy and Sam's relationship!

Nell, Ben, Izzy, and the whole Seaside Knitters gang are knitting in preparation for Christmas and the opening of Mary Pisano's new bed-and-breakfast, converted  from her family's ancestral home in Sea Harbor.  Not everyone is thrilled about the new business in the area, however.  When Mary's glamorous cousin Pamela, a magazine publisher, is found dead of on the porch of the B&B after a family meeting, it appears to be suicide, but murder seems more likely, especially after another suspicious death occurs.  Is someone trying to stop the B&B from ever opening its door or did someone from Pamela's past hold a grudge for past wrongs against them? Much of the evidence points toward amiable chef and friend Kevin, so, as usual, the Seaside Knitters get involved in tracking down answers before some else gets hurt.

I have to admit that I guessed the murderer on page 182, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of this great little cozy.  Goldenbaum comes through again!

WICKED AUTUMN (G.M. Malliet)

Agatha Award winning author G.M. Malliet has a new series!  This one features MI5 operative turned Anglican priest Max Tudor.  Max had a religious conversion after witnessing the death of his best friend and fellow agent in a car bombing.  Weary and burnt out from his years with the MI5, he decides that a more simple, spiritual life was his true calling.  He is now settled into the vicarage in the picturesque community of Nether Monkslip and closely involved with its people and traditions of the charming English village.  Not everything in Nether Monkslip is idyllic, though, and as the annual Harvest Fayre approaches feathers are ruffled and feelings hurt by Women's Institute president Wanda Batton-Smythe.  Wanda considers herself to be the driving force behind the Harvest Fayre and is heavily critical of her less-than-perfect but good-natured fellow citizens.  An efficient, well-organized leader, she is also adept at reducing people to tears when her demands are not precisely met. Wanda's body is discovered in the Town Hall on the day of the Fayre and the verdict is that she died from anaphylactic shock caused by her allergy to peanuts.  Was the untimely death accidental or engineered?  Max, as vicar and confidante, is in a very good position to help the police investigate, and he does.

Malliet's cast of villagers range from the seemingly stereotypical, such as the grieving Major, Wanda's widower, and Mrs. Hooser, Max's hopeless housekeeper, to the fascinating, including Awena Owen, proprietress of the New Age shop, Goddesspell, and Noah Caraway, the wealthy antique expert and owner of Abbot's Lodge.  Who in Nether Monkslip had NOT fantasized about killing Wanda, but who had motive enough to actually do the deed?  Malliet keeps the reader guessing until the end and every page is a pleasure.

BACKSTAGE MURDER (Shelley Freydont)

Lindy Haggerty agrees to return temporarily to the world of ballet as a rehearsal director of the Jeremy Ash Dance Troupe.  Old friend and fellow dancer, Arabida (Biddy) McFee, currently the rehearsal director, has broken her leg and Lindy is happy to temporarily leave her empty nest and distracted husband to help Biddy out,    She is appalled to discover that difficult, over-the-hill diva Carlotta Devine is the star of the show.  When Carlotta is discovered dead backstage it is just a question of who out of her many enemies might be guilty of the crime.

Lindy is an interesting character and Freydont's dance background enhances the authenticity of the story.  It is  unusual for an amateur sleuth to toy with the idea of infidelity as Lindy does, so it will be interesting to see how  and if that relationship develops as the series progresses.  As for the mystery, it is well-written and holds the reader's interest.  It would especially appeal to fans of dance and theater, but you don't need to be a performer to appreciate Freydont's talent as a mystery writer.

ASPERGER'S ON THE JOB (Rudy Simone)

Did you know that 1% of our population is considered to be on the autism spectrum (CDC 2009), compared to 1 in 10,000 just 20 years ago?  That being said, Simone's wonderful book should be required reading for all employers as well as for any adult with Asperger's Syndrome (AS) or high-functioning autism.  As someone very familiar with the frustrations and anxiety suffered on a daily basis by those with Asperger's, I was especially impressed with Simone's practical, well-organized approach to dealing with the day-to-day issues that stand in the way of fulfilling, successful full-time employment for 85% of those diagnosed.  In general, Aspergians are highly intelligent, focused, and tenacious.  They count many very successful people among their ranks (although we can only speculate about some, since the syndrome was not identified and accepted as a valid diagnosis until 1994), including Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Sir Isaac Newton, and Dan Ackroyd.  However, anxiety, social awkwardness, an inability to read faces and react to emotional and social cues, sensitivity to environmental factors, and a lack of tolerance for "small talk" make getting hired and staying employed a tenuous experience for those on the autism spectrum.

As an adult with AS herself, Ms. Simone knows firsthand that education and understanding are the key to successfully integrating individuals with AS into the workplace.  Her advice to potential employers and employees is based on both personal experience and interviews with more 50 adults diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome who have, for the most part, encountered serious problems in the education and employment arenas.  Chapters cover every conceivable obstacle with real-life, realistic (no sugar-coating or happily-ever-after here) observations about coping with interviews, coworkers, and expectations in the workplace. She also includes a personal job map and a useful list of resources.  If you or someone close to you has been diagnosed with Asperger's, or if you work with anyone on the autism spectrum (and chances are this WILL happen), read this book.  Simone offers tremendous insight into the day-to-day lives of those suffering from Asperger's.  We can all benefit from understanding that not everyone fits into the same mold.  It's really not unreasonable to consider making square holes for the square pegs instead of trying to force everyone into the round ones!  It might even result in a better, more productive workplace and world.

PERFECT LOVE (Elizabeth Buchan) 1995

I took a break from this novel due to Christmas preparations. I plan to get back to it eventually.  Prue, married since the age of 19 to a much older man, is a devoted mother, wife, and aspiring biographer of Joan d'Arc.  When spoiled step-daughter Violet returns from New York with her husband, Jamie, and newborn baby, Prue and Jamie find themselves attracted to each other.  (to be continued)

ALL WOUND UP (Stephanie Pearl-McPhee)

Like author Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, crytoscopophilia (the urge to look in people's windows as you pass by) is one of my favorite pastimes!  No, neither of us is a Peeping Tom; it's not that kind of looking!  It's the kind of looking where you catch a momentary glimpse into someone's life...their decorating taste, their activities, their family dynamics... and you automatically begin to infer things or create scenarios about them.  It's interesting that Pearl-McPhee is so intrigued by this word and its meaning because she provides the reader with much the same experience, albeit with a bit more detail and a lot more humor, through her essays about her life and knitting.

At the age of four Pearl-McPhee was taught to knit by her grandmother, and she has since created a lifestyle and writing career out of this hobby.  I'm a very casual and unskilled knitter, but I do crochet, so I understand her love of color, texture, pattern, and the camaraderie that comes of sharing the love of a craft and the creation of beautiful things with others.  Unfortunately, I also understand her "stash" and how yarn can overtake your whole home.  Just ask my husband and kids, although I've gotten it pretty much under control at the moment by hiding yarn in and behind furniture. I plan to use the author's explanation of "snacks," yarn that you buy in small quantities just to satisfy your craving and prevent yourself from buying enough for a big project, the next time (and there WILL be one!) I am challenged on whether or not I might need to use up the yarn I already have before I buy more.

But, getting back to the book....You don't have to be a yarn enthusiast (but it makes it more fun) to savor and enjoy Pearl-McPhee's observations on teenagers, fashion, high school awkwardness, bras, deadlines, parenting, etymology, mathematics, seasons, the industrial revolution, and addiction, to name a few of her topics.  The author has a successful knitting blog at www.yarnharlot.ca.  She is short, disorganized, poorly groomed and dressed (by her own admission), socially awkward, and didn't get married until after she and her husband had produced three daughters.  She is, on the surface, nothing like me (well, except maybe for the socially awkward and grooming things!), but I feel a strong connection to her nonetheless.  Maybe it's because knitting, despite the fact that it has become wildly popular with the masses, is a traditionally feminine activity, or maybe it's just that her humor targets such universal topics so succinctly.  All I know is that I want more!

YOU BETTER KNOT DIE (Betty Hechtman)

Yarn!  For some reason novels that feature this wonderful substance always make me want more!

Widowed Molly Pink is again embroiled in murder and intrigue at the Shedd & Royal Bookstore.  As the staff prepares for a pre-holiday book signing by the mysterious author of a popular series featuring a romantic crocheting vampire, the community is rocked by the apparent suicide of Larry Perkins.  Larry is a popular investment whiz who has brokered lucrative deals for many of Molly's friends.  He and his wife, Emily, are also Molly's next door neighbors.  After grief-stricken Emily gives Molly a strange crocheted blanket created by Larry's sister, Molly's house is broken into and ransacked, while Larry's investors begin to worry about where their money has gone.  Things just don't add up, so Molly launches an investigation into Larry's disappearance, much to the consternation of her protective and competitive beaus, detective Bernie and lawyer Mason.  Is Larry really dead?  Does Emily know more than she is letting on?  Will coworker Adele ever stop driving Molly crazy?  Will Mason ever finish the sweater he is crocheting for his dog?  Check out this sweet Christmas themed mystery and find out!

40 LOVE (Madeleine Wickham)

I was just thinking that if I had a blog I would write a piece on inappropriate book covers that are obviously geared toward trying to attract readers of a popular genre despite the fact that the novel in question does not fit into that genre.  Then I realized that I DO have a blog!  Hello!  If you have read any of my previous posts you know that this cover manipulation is a sore spot with me, but I guess it's common practice in the publishing industry.

Madeleine Wickham is the actual name of popular chick-lit author Sophie Kinsella.  Kinsella's "Shopaholic' series is hilarious and I have read and enjoyed every one.  As Madeleine Wickham, however, the author's work leans more toward literary fiction, but you'd never know it from this cover, which I cannot seem to successfully attach to this post.  Think Joanna Trollope with an undercurrent of Nancy Thayer.  40 Love is about 3 couples, 2 married and an obnoxious father/daughter duo, who are invited for a weekend of tennis hosted by  Patrick and Caroline at their country home, the White House.  Patrick is a successful investment broker who hopes to cajole his friends into enough new business to earn a 100,000 pound bonus.  His wife Caroline, is a former spokesmodel who is sweet and generous, but slightly too brassy and bright to fit in well with the "old school."  Old friends Stephen and Annie are relatively poor, since Stephen has taken a sabbatical to finish work on his doctorate and they are currently making ends meets with savings and Annie's part-time work.  Their young daughter, Nicola, has suffered a stroke and struggles to keep up with the "normal" kids. Surrounded by his successful friends, Stephen suddenly finds himself feeling financially inferior and, worse, like a failure in life. Charles, who lived with the well-liked, bohemian Ella in his younger days, is now married to heiress Cressida and the father of twins.  His pride in his successful marriage and family life is tested when Cressida receives disturbing news about her inheritance.  Don, an overbearing local would-be hotelier, and his overweight, socially inept but clueless daughter, Valerie, round out the tennis group.  When Ella arrives unexpectedly, at Georgina's invitation, old rivalries and new inadequacies suddenly come front and center and suddenly marriages and friendships are in jeopardy.

If you are a fan of Joanna Trollope, Elizabeth Buchan, and perhaps Anne Tyler, take a deep breath, ignore the cutie in the tennis outfit on the cover, and pick up 40 Love.  I think you'll enjoy it.

DRINKING PROBLEMS AT THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH (Beth Teitell)

As a woman of a certain age, I was very interested in Beth Teitell's hilarious journey through our culture's obsession with youthful appearance.  How many times have we heard the phrase "reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles" or "look and feel younger?"  We live in an era where graceful aging is no longer a goal, but a stigma, and revealing one's true age is akin to admitting that you don't think that learning to read should be a priority in public schools.  TV and print marketing have relegated women over 40, unless they are admirably well-maintained a la Demi Moore (and has that served her well personally or romantically?), to almost non-existent status except in the "youth preservation" area.  Products and procedures to slow the aging process, firm sagging skin, color gray hair, minimize flabby chins, fill in deep lines and reduce fine lines, not to mention rejuvenate sexual abilities (albeit mostly for men), control incontinence, enhance nutrition, lighten age spots, and call for help in an emergency have taken over advertising for the older crowd.  Where are the ads for flattering clothes (without fleece, polyester, or elastic waists), fashionable eyeglasses, movies, hair stylists, and recreational equipment that feature smiling middle-aged people with wrinkles who seem to be actually enjoying life rather than hiding in shame or attempting to disguise their true age (that 35-year-old child might just be a dead giveaway that you aren't actually 40!)?

Teitell's research in writing this entertaining search for the fountain of youth is exhaustive.  She consults skin care experts, dermatologists, plastic surgeons, psychologists, retailers, facial exercise experts, friends, and government statistics in her quest to discover the truth about whether or not looking and feeling younger is actually an attainable goal.  Numerous products, advice, and treatments later, she provides a list of 10 tips to maintain a healthy, more youthful look as you age (in other words, advice on aging gracefully without breaking the bank or spending hours each day maintaining yourself) :  exercise, take care of your skin, use a little makeup, take care of your hair, don't obsess about your age, dress appropriately for the occasion, whiten your teeth, use an age-appropriate vocabulary, sleep, and be charming.  Her ultimate advice?  Inner happiness and sunblock are the keys to a beautiful life.  I couldn't agree more!

WIFE-IN-LAW (Haywood Smith)

Haywood Smith always draws me in to the slightly off-kilter but almost believable lives of her characters.  She also usually makes me laugh out loud!  Wife-in-Law begins with picture-perfect newlyweds Betsy and Greg Callison moving into a new house in a new development circa 1975.  He is an up and coming accountant and she is the perfect 1950's-style wife, complete with a spotless house, a hot dinner, and fresh make-up ready greet her husband when he returns from work every day.  Betsy is excited to find that new neighbors are moving into the house across the street, that is until she discovers that Kat and Zach seem to be hippies, unmarried, laid back, and, perhaps worst of all, politically liberal.  Still, the couples form a close friendship and their children grow up together with Betsy and Kat becoming best friends despite differences in political  philosophies.  When philandering Greg eventually leaves Betsy for his secretary, her life is thrown into turmoil, but she works through her anger and grief and takes it in stride when Greg returns to the neighborhood after 2 years and marries the recently widowed Kat.  Having fully moved on from Greg's betrayal, Betsy has no problem accepting the situation until she makes a discovery that compels her to become involved in her ex's marriage, with life-changing consequences.  This tongue-in-cheek story of marriage and friendship won't disappoint Smith's loyal readers, and I would suggest that Mary Kay Andrews' fans check it out as well.

THEN CAME YOU (Jennifer Weiner)

India Bishop has, unexpectedly, fallen in love with her older, wealthy husband Marcus.  When the couple fails to conceive a baby they turn to Annie Barrow, a young married mother with financial problems, and Julie, a beautiful Princeton student desperate to help her father beat addiction, to help them achieve their dream of parenthood.  Marcus' skeptical grown daughter, Bettina, believes that her step-mother is a gold-digger and sets out to dish up whatever dirt she can find on India's hidden past.  As surrogate Annie's due date approaches, an unexpected turn of events shatters the joy of India's impending motherhood and Bettina is thrust into an unexpected but fulfilling role in baby Aurora's life.

The four women in this novel share a common characteristic, namely desperation.  While the plot is a bit unbelievable and each of the women's situations border on melodrama, Weiner, as usual, manages to pull the threads of the plot together into a well-written and entertaining story.  This would make a great Lifetime movie!

SEW DEADLY (Elizabeth Lynn Casey)

This is the first of Casey's Southern Sewing Circle mysteries, a great cozy series featuring librarian Victoria "Tori"  Sinclair.  Northerner Tori's arrival in Sweet Briar, South Carolina from Chicago is met with some resistance by the established locals.  She has been hired to replace longtime librarian Dixie Dunn, whom she assumed had retired but who had, in fact, been ousted from her position in favor of a newer, more modern approach to library services.  Tori  is invited to attend the local sewing circle and discovers there both warm welcomes and cold shoulders, plus an annoying insistence by one member on using her full first name.  When things start being mysteriously "misplaced" in the library Tori finds herself unprepared for both a visit from a local 3rd grade class (with a dreamy teacher!) and an important library board meeting. Tori and the widowed teacher, Milo, find themselves attracted to each other.  When Tori finds the body of a local girl whose crush on Milo is common knowledge in Sweet Briar, she is immediately the prime suspect in an imagined love triangle.  As she works to clear her name Tori uncovers some not-so-sweet goings on in the town.

Despite the fact that Elizabeth Lynn Casey (real name: Laura Bradford) is neither a Southerner nor a sewer, she creates a wonderful cast of characters in her Southern Sewing Circle ladies.  Practical, motherly Mary Louise, resentful Dixie, Leona, and the rest all promise to become great friends in future installments of the series and I look forward to reading them all!

THE EVIL THAT MEN DO (Jeanne Dams)

American ex-pat Dorothy Martin and her British husband, retired chief constable Alan Nesbitt, have embarked on a walking tour of the Cotswolds.  Interestingly enough, though, they never cross paths with M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin!   They do, however (and not unexpectedly), run across a murder when they discover the body of an unidentified man in a deserted quarry during one of their daily jaunts.  The disappearances of both a budding young rock star and a local social worker, who is involved with a shelter for abused women, complicate matters and put Dorothy's formidable powers of deduction (and Alan's patience) to the test.  As usual, Dams has written a charming and well-thought out tale that keeps the reader guessing throughout.  One of the most attractive features of this series is the affectionate relationship between Dorothy and Alan.  Read this series!

THE VERY PICTURE OF YOU (Isabel Wolff)

Predictable plot?  Perhaps, but Isabel Wolff's latest novel is also predictably enjoyable, a relaxing read with appealing characters and an intriguing premise.  Gabriella (Ella) Graham's life was irrevocably altered at age 5 when her father, John Sharp, deserted her mother for another woman and disappeared abruptly from their lives. Now 35 and a successful portrait artist, Ella has a loving adoptive father, Roy, and a younger sister, Chloe, who is seeing Nathan Rossi, a handsome Italian- American currently living and working in London.  Ella's mother, Sue, is a former ballerina whose last performance before a broken ankle ended her career, was as the tragic Giselle. 

Ella has good memories of her early childhood along with unresolved issues related to her loving father's abdication to Australia, and when she suddenly receives a text message from him she resolves to avoid stirring up old hurt feelings by ignoring his suggestion that they reconnect.  Sue is in the midst of planning Chloe and Nate's wedding while Ella, painting Nate's portrait, finds herself battling inappropriate feelings of attraction to her future brother-in-law.  In the midst of Ella's emotional confusion, her mother, always controlling, insists that John Sharp should be relegated to the past and not forgiven for his destruction of his family and betrayal of his wife and daughter.  Wolff adds a couple of nice, but not entirely unexpected, twists to the story that set it apart from your typical chick lit and the addition of step-by-step details about Ella's portrait painting methodology (along with several related sub-plots) will be of interest to anyone that enjoys art.

THE YEAR EVERYTHING CHANGED (Georgia Bockoven)

I wasn't sure when I started this novel that I really wanted to read it (too many other good books lying there waiting to be opened!), but I changed my mind once I got into the story.  Four half-sisters, ranging in age from 49 to 23, learn of each other's exisitence when the are summoned to a meeting with their father, Jessie Reed, who is terminally ill.  Two of them, Elizabeth, the oldest, and and Christina, the youngest, have bitter memories of thier father's disappearance from their lives and hesitate to reconnect with him.  One of the middle sisters,Ginger, was put up for adoption by her famous mother and raised by two people that she always believed were her biological parents, while Julia grew up with a bitter, unpredictable mother who committed suicide when Julia was at her senior prom. 

While Bockoven's novel is not groundbreaking literature, she tells an interesting story, alternating the points of view of each of the sisters as they come to terms with their father's reappearance in their lives, his eventual death, and each other's existence.  In today's world of broken families and casual liasons, their journey through this emotional minefield is probably not all that unusual.  I won't tell you how it all turns out, but I think that if you are a fan of women's literature you will enjoy reading this and finding out for yourself.

AS THE PIG TURNS (M.C. Beaton)

I am sad to say that I abandoned this latest Agatha Raisin mystery after just a few chapters.  I love Agatha's abrasive personality and all of her neighbors and colleagues in the Cotswolds, especially Mrs. Bloxby, but I could not get past the image of Agatha realizing that the pig roasting on the spit at a local fete was actually human.  Local cop Gary Beech, who has had run-ins with many locals, including Agatha, is not well-loved in the area and his tattoo looks very similar to that on the "pig's" haunch.  His incredibly beautiful ex-wife Amy hires Agatha to investigate her former husband's disappearance.

I think that Beaton has a wonderful cast of characters with Agatha, Roy, Charles Fraith, the Bloxbys, and the many and sundry other people who live in the area surrrounding the village of Carsley, where Agatha has settled since taking early retirement.  I wish, however, that Beaton would slow down and fill in a few more details.  I have to admit that her writing style in this particular series, which is very different from the laid-back practicality of her Hamish MacBeth series, does match Agatha's personality, which is an acquired taste.  Agatha's jealousy and tendency to leap to negative conclusions and run roughshod over people and events that hold neither interest nor advantage for her is offset by her loyalty and lovesickness, but I would enjoy a more developed sense of the relationships between the various characters in the series.  Obviously, I would also prefer a different plot than the one she offers in this novel.  If you read the whole thing please feel free to comment and let me know how you liked it!

WORMWOOD (Susan Wittig ALbert)

Susan Wittig Albert's China Bayles series is one of three very well-written, researched, and detailed mystery series that also include  the newer Darling Dahlias (1930 Alabama gardening club) and her historical Victorian-Edwardian mysteries written with her husband under the name of Robin Paige (forensics enthusiast Sir Charles Sheridannd his Irish American author-wife Kate).

In Wormwood, China is invited by friend and fellow herbalist Martha Edmond to help with a series of workshops at Mount Zion Shaker Village in Kentucky.  After a series of family tragedies, China is grateful to accept her friend's offer to relax and regroup while learning about the Shakers' medicinal and culinary herbs.  Of course, China manages to uncover both a murder and some serious financial shenanigans at the village, which is now a spa.  Albert cleverly weaves together past and present in two tales of murder, intrigue, and lust for money, using the Shaker settlement and family history as the common threads tying the two stories together.  Recipes and  various herbal remedies add and extra special something to this already great mystery!

FIRST FAMILY (Joseph J. Ellis)

We have been listening to this wonderful recounting of the marriage of John and Abigail Adams on audio.  Fortunately, both my husband and I enjoy history, otherwise we would never have made it through more than half the book during 2 five hour drives (to visit a friend in the Finger Lakes region of New York State and back).  We did intersperse our listening with conversation, meals, Zac Brown, and Jason Castro, which helped!  I plan to finish off reading the print version of the book.

Ellis based most of this in-depth investigation of the Adams marriage and family life on correspondence between the couple, filling in with information gleaned from other writers (like Thomas Jefferson), historical records, and other sources.  Neither John nor Abigail were considered especially attractive, but they fell passionately in love and married in 1764, when Abigail was 19 and John just shy of his 29th birthday.  Their union was a true partnership, personally and politically, and they were best friends as well as lovers.  Their marriage produced 6 children of whom only one, John Quincy Adams, achieved true happiness and success.  Daughter Abigail (Nabby) made difficult marriage and died of breast cancer at age 48, Thomas and Charles died of alcohol-related problems, Susanna succumbed to a childhood illness, and Elizabeth was stillborn.

First Family holds a wealth of fascinating insights into the Adams' marriage and family life during their 54 years of  marriage.  Did you know that John Adams' mood swings may have been attributable to a thyroid condition, that Abigail nearly fell in love with another man during one of John's long political stints away from home, or that son Charles was assumed drowned when the ship he was scheduled to sail on from England was lost during the journey from England to America?  Abigail only discovered that he was alive, having taken a different ship, months later when he showed up unannounced at the family home in Massachusetts!

It's hard to imagine in these modern times of email, Skype, and video chat that a couple could spend months and years apart, or away from their children, with only occasional letters to sustain the relationships.  The Adams left a valuable legacy of correspondence that makes me wonder about the possibility of future research into the lives of today's leaders.  Will biographers of the Obama's and Bill Gates have access to their personal thoughts and emotions  or will they have to rely on hearsay, historical records, and old issues of People Weekly?

THE LANTERN (Deborah Lawrenson)

Set in a crumbling old mansion in Provence, The Lantern is a true gothic novel.  Eve and Dom are newly in love and have settled in at Les Genévriers, an isolated estate in the south of France, surrounded by lavender fields and numerous relics of the past.  The estate was owned by the Lincel family and has been vacant since the death of Bénédicte, the last surviving daughter, a few years before.  With the home literally crumbling around them, Eve and Dom embark on their life together, planning renovations to the house and grounds and indulging themselves in their hobbies, creating a world just for the two of them.  Eventually, though, Eve finds herself uncomfortable with their isolation and begins to long for social interaction.  She also harbors increasing suspicions about Dom's past and what happened to his former wife, Rachel, who seems to have disappeared without a trace and about whom he refuses to speak.  When two bodies are discovered buried on the grounds of  Les Genévriers, police try to link Dom with the disappearances of several local women and Eve wonders if her own life might be in danger.

Lawrenson does a superb job of interweaving Bénédicte's story with Eve's through her beautiful prose and lovely imagery.  As the reader is transported through Bénédicte's life it becomes less and less clear what is reality and what is not.  Is Les Genévriers haunted?  What about the "ghosts" that visit Bénédicte and the "visitors" that she observes in her house, or the shadowy figures and unexplained noises that seem to pervade Eve's consciousness?  What about the lantern, the symbol of love that figures in both Eve's and Bénédicte's stories?  Lawrenson's debut novel will leave the reader wanting more.

FAREWELL, MISS ZUKAS (Joe Dereske)

This is the 12th and last in Jo Dereske's wonderful Miss Zukas series.  If you are familiar with the series, you know that Miss Wilhelmina (Helma) Zukas is a prim and proper 30-something librarian who is fiercely loyal to the principles of Library Science and extremely organized in her life as well.  She might sound a little obnoxious, but her appeal lies partly in her ability to use her valuable "librarian skills" to solve crime.  Her slightly hard edges are also softened considerably by her quirky friends and family and her ongoing romance with Police Chief Wayne Gallant.

When Helma's elderly Aunt Em's apartment is burglarized one of the perps ends up dead after mysteriously falling over the apartment's balcony with Em's TV.  Did Em push him?  What about the carving knife found on the floor?  Was he working alone or did he have an accomplice who might have wanted him dead?  Aunt Em, whose memory is failing, can't give much information except that a beloved box carved by her father is missing, so Helma sets out to investigate.

Avid readers will especially enjoy the local authors subplot and annoying library staff members.  Everyone who loves a good mystery will be sad that this is Miss Zukas' last hurrah, but the series is wrapped up nicely at the end.  Who knows, Miss Zukas may pop up again!  Author Dereske has changed her mind about continuing it before!