Author Archives: Eleanor Kuhns

About Eleanor Kuhns

Librarian and Writer Published A Simple Murder, May 2012

Currently Reading – Week of November 29

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Searcher for the Dead, by Nancy Herriman, is a historical mystery that takes place during the Elizabethan era. After the tragic death of her husband Martin, Bess relocates to the small town where she was born and moves in with her mother. Bess’s brother in law, Fulke, is found hanged and at first the murder is deemed a suicide. Since suicide was a crime, all of his assets are to be taken by the Crown. But Bess does not believe it was suicide and with the help of Kit, the constable, she investigates further.

This was captivating and enjoyable. Since it ended on a cliffhanger, and the possibility of some romance between Bess and Kit, I expect there will be another in this series. It is already on my list to read.

The second book I read was far different. In The Bone Cay, by Eliza Nellums, it is unclear whether there is a mystery. Magda Trudell is the current caretaker of the home of a famous poet, Isobel Reyes. A cat four hurricane is bearing down on Key West and is forecasted to be a direct hit. Magda chooses to stay in the house and when the storm damages the gift shop, it reveals a steamer trunk with the remains of a young woman. This does not occur until page 102. Shortly thereafter, the handy man and his daughter arrive seeking refuge but Magda soon discovers they are not what they seem. I am not sure how I feel about this book. It is not a whodunit and the mystery really does not begin until quite late. But it is beautiful written and I did finish it. The descriptions of the storms were especially riveting.

Taverns Part I

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averns and coffeehouses were an important part of Colonial and Federalist life. They served as meeting places, inns, restaurants and more. Before post offices were built, taverns and coffeehouses also handled letters. In the early days of the colonies, taverns were built at ferry landings. Later on, when coaches began running, the taverns became handy stops and, in fact, Rouge’s tavern frequently sees an influx of passengers either going to or from Boston.

As one might expect, there was a wide range of comfort and amenities provided, ranging from a grand inn like the Raleigh in Williamsburg to the ordinary that served the ferrymen or waggoneers. In the last, the beds were likely to be hard wooden pallets, the mattresses filled with cornhusks or straw as well as fleas and other critters. Food offered was usually cornmeal mush.

All of the taverns mentioned in Murder, Sweet Murder, with the exception of the Painted Pig, which is my own creation, existed in 1801 in Boston. The Warren Tavern is still in use as a bar and restaurant. The Green Dragon, which was the Headquarters of the Sons of Liberty (and where much of the planning for the War of Independence occurred), was demolished in 1822.

Currently Reading week of November 21.

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With the holidays, I had less time than usual to read. Still, I managed to finish 2 books and part of a third.

Staging is Murder by Grace Topping is a charming cozy. The amateur detective is a home stager whose assistant is accused of the murder. A lovely old Victorian provided the setting – and don’t we all wish we lived in such a magnificent place. This is a series and I plan to read the rest of it.

I regularly read fantasy and science fiction. One of the suggestions that came up on my Amazon feed was The Witches of Dark Root by April Aasheim. Dark Root, a small town in the Pacific Northwest, is one of the last places on earth that keeps the darkness at bay. But now the circle had cracked. Sasha, coven leader, is ill. Her four daughters have scattered. running away from home and the control of their mother. But when news of Sasha’s illness reaches the daughters, they return; first Merry, the eldest, then Maggie, the daughter with the most power, and finally the other two. I really enjoyed this supernatural suspense novel. Since several problems remain to be resolved, I plan to read the rest of the series.

Finally, I am enjoying the latest David Rosenfelt: Best in Snow. When Andy Carpenter’s golden retriever digs up a pile of snow in the park, she discovers the body of the mayor. Andy’s friend Vince persuades him to take the case (Carpenter is a lawyer) and he becomes convinced the suspect the police have in custody has been set up. Rosenfelt’s mysteries are always fun. The characters are interesting and Carpenter is amusing. This one is also appropriate to the season since it is set just before Christmas.

The Triangle Trade

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The enslavement of thousands is a stain on the United States. The ripple effects are still being felt to this day.

Slaves were bought and sold in the northern colonies, but, by about 1800 these areas, states now in the new United States, had by and large forbidden the importing and sale of slaves. (That does not mean there were none; the slaves already present were allowed to remain.)

However, that does not mean merchants in the north were guiltless. Merchants, such as Lydia’s father, engaged in a three cornered trade in which New England businessmen took African slaves to the United States and the West Indies for work on the plantations, especially the sugar plantations.

The by product of making sugar, molasses, was shipped to New England for distillation into rum. That rum was exported to Great Britain and brought to Africa. The rum, and the profits from selling the rum, was used to purchase more slaves.

This trade was called the benign sounding Triangle Trade.

Week of November 7 – 13

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I missed last week’s post since I was still reading Sherlock Holmes vs Cthulhu by Lois Gresh. This is one weird book, and I like weird. Still not sure how I feel about it.

Hemlock, by Susan Wittig Albert, is the newest in a long series of China Bayles Herbal mysteries. In it, China journeys to North Carolina to hunt for a rare and valuable herbal called the Curious Herbal by Elizabeth Blackwell. The information about hemlock, the poisonous herb, not the tree, and the book were historically accurate and fascinating. The mystery was a little disappointing but the rest of the book made up for it.

Murder at the Abbey, by Frances Evesham, is part of a series, although this was my first. A human bone was found in a river near a historical abbey. Is is the bone from the abbey graveyard? Or something worse. Libby, and her new husband, are on the case. A charming cozy.

Faneuil Hall

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Faneuil Hall was opened in 1743 (and was the site of several speeches by luminaries such as Samuel Adams.) and was present when Rees and Lydia visited Boston in 1801.

Built by slave merchant Peter Faneuil as a gift to the town, it was funded in part by the profits from slave trading. The building was begun in 1740 with an open ground floor serving as a market house with rooms on the second floor. The National Park Service believes early slave auctions took place nearby.

The hall has been rebuilt several times. It was destroyed in 1761 by fire and was greatly expanded in 1806 by Charles Bulfinch. In 1960, Faneuil Hall was put on the National Register of Historic Places. It is still in use and can be visited.

Boston

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Murder, Sweet Murder, the next Will Rees mystery, is set in Boston.

Since the birth of the United States, Boston has been one of the country’s most important cities. It was settled by the Puritans in 1630 and quickly became a trading center and hub of commerce.

During the 1770s, Boston was a hotbed of patriotic fervor. The taverns in Boston were instrumental in firing up the populace and planning. (More about that later.) The first shots were fired nearby and several battles, including Breed’s Hill, were fought within the town.

By the time Rees joins Lydia in Boston, and finally meets her family, the war has been over for twenty years.

Once the war was over, Boston’s economy recovered and the population grew significantly, so much so it went from a village to a town. Then, in 1822, the name was changed to the City of Boston.

Boston was also one of the first cities to adopt a metropolitan police force. In 1790, Boston’s population was 43,000 and the ability of night watchmen and constables to keep order and protect lives and property was already strained. The rapid growth that occurred beginning in the early 1800s, and increased with the influx of foreign immigrants, further stressed the system. In 1837, Boston established a police force modeled on the London police.

Currently Reading

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This week I read two very different kind of books.

From Beer to Eternity, by Sherry Harris, is a cozy set I Florida. The main character, a transplant from Chicago, moves to the Emerald Coast temporarily, in accordance with a friend’s wishes. A number of strange events, including a murder, soon occur.

Not a whodunit, since the murderer is detected by luck more than clues, this is still a fun read. The characters are appealing and the setting, the Sea Glass bar, are described well. If you like cozies, this is a good choice.

The second book could not be more different.Sherlock Holmes vs Cthulhu is more of a cross between mystery and horror. An inventor has created a machine, called the Beast, which has homicidal qualities. Who is behind the Beast and what is its true nature? What is the significance of the spherical bone balls incised with symbols? Where did the supernatural aspects of the Beast Come from?

Gresh does a wonderful job of combining the Great Detective and a Lovecraftian monster. This was a perfect choice for Halloween time.

The problem with flying cars

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When I was a kid and watched the Jetsons (remember them?), I expected to see flying cars by the time I was an adult.

Now I am an adult, and a driver, and there are no flying cars on the horizon. Why not?

Well, speaking as a driver, I have the answer. My husband and I drove home from Maine last Sunday. The terrible driving I saw, combined with the craziness that happens on the Taconic every day, persuaded me we will NEVER have flying cars.

People fly up the shoulder and, when that ends as it quickly does on the Taconic (with a stone wall on one side and a guard rail and cliff on the other) they squeeze into heavy traffic. On Sunday, an almost accident happened right in front of me as a black SUV veered left and almost crashed into the car already in that lane.

Parts of the Taconic (official name The Taconic Parkway) was built as a pleasant Sunday highway, not a high speed commuters road full of twists and really narrow lanes. Drivers zoom down the left lane at 65mph, almost sideswiping the drivers in the right. 84, the predominant, east/west route through Connecticut and New York, has three lane sections but they regularly narrow into two. Imagine a large Tahoe struggling to fit into the six inches between the back bumper of one car and the front of another. Yeah, not a good plan. This doesn’t include the cars that weave in and out of traffic like some crazy pinball.

So, back to flying cars. Considering modern driving habits, if people were driving flying cars, burning debris would constantly be raining down on people living their lives down below.

Currently Reading

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In the Irish Hostage, Bess travels to Ireland to serve as a maid of honor in a wedding. That wedding, does not go forward, however, since the groom is abducted and feared dead. Another death, which appears to have no relation at al to the disappearance of the groom, occurs nearby.

The description of the Irish Troubles (the novel takes place not long after 1916) is absolutely captivating and Todd does a wonderful job of making the reader feel Bess’s emotions: attraction to one of the Irish men, fear for her safety and more.

In a Fatal Lie, Ian Rutledge investigates the murder of a man but his investigation rapidly become so much more. The victim was hunting for his young daughter, abducted from her pram. What had he discovered before his murder? Another winner from Todd, although Hamish plays a smaller role.

I also want to note the death of Caroline Todd, one half of the writing duo with her son Charles, at 86. The new Bess Crawford and Ian Rutledge had already been turned in. It remains to be see what happens to the characters now.